From Out of the Deep: 5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

An illness solved through social media and an epic possible shipwreck make the list:

• One of the Most Important Shipwrecks May Have Been Found: It was an 18th-century ship so distinct that it and its captain are said to have served as an inspiration for Star Trek—and the Endeavour may finally have been found. Explorer Capt. James Cook and his ship departed Britain in 1768 on a quest to map the Pacific Ocean. But it may have been a war errand that led to its demise off the US coast.
• Newly Found 'Nazca' Line Depicts Weird Creature: Japanese researchers have added to the "Nazca line" mystery (lines that some claim had extraterrestrial involvement) by uncovering yet another ancient geoglyph in Peru. The 98-foot-long bas-relief appears to depict a mythological creature that's sticking out its tongue, has many legs, and a body covered in spots. Ancient pilgrimages may hold the key to its meaning.
• Her Doctors Couldn't Solve Her Health Mystery, but Facebook Did: Bo Bigelow says his 6-year-old daughter, Tess, is non-verbal, has the mental capacity of an 18-month-old, and suffers gastrointestinal issues, periodic seizures, vision problems, and hip dysplasia—yet multiple tests failed to come up with a solid diagnosis. Doctors told Bigelow and his wife to accept that they might never know what was wrong with their daughter. Then the Bigelows spread her story on social media.

• Opioid Addicts Getting High on Diarrhea Meds: People are trying to get high, or at least temper their opiate withdrawals, off an anti-diarrhea drug commonly sold under the brand name Imodium. Researchers note an uptick in interest in the so-called "loperamide high" via Google Trends since 2010, in line with a seven-fold increase in calls related to misuse. Worse, it's proved fatal more than once.
• Human Embryos Survive 13 Days in a Petri Dish: It's a milestone that's at once being called groundbreaking and a Pandora's box: Scientists surprised even themselves by growing embryos for 13 days outside the womb before terminating them—one day short of a longstanding legal limit that's never been pushed up against because embryos failed to survive that long. Day 14 is believed to be when some fundamental changes begin.

Click to read about more discoveries. (More discoveries stories.)