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As humans, we like to “dare great things.”
This is the motto of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, taken from a quote by Theodore Roosevelt.
As a species born to live and walk on Earth, humankind has found ingenious ways to adapt to the absence of gravity as we cast our gaze into deep space; This includes building robotic explorers that can travel through the cosmos on our behalf.
This week, although the lander did not touch down as planned, the first photo from Japan’s “Lunar Sniper” arrived showing intriguing moon rocks at the landing site.
Meanwhile, the European Space Agency has chosen two new missions: one will “surf” through gravitational waves to unravel the mysteries of the universe, and the other will reveal why Venus is not like Earth.
It’s time to say goodbye to one of the bravest robots ever to explore Mars.
other worlds
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flew for the last time after 72 flights in the skies of Mars.
Ingenuity has served as the Perseverance rover’s faithful companion and aerial spotter for nearly three years since its maiden flight on April 19, 2021. The historic helicopter was the first aircraft to operate and fly on another world.
Arriving for landing on January 18, the vehicle lost contact with the helicopter. When communications were restored, the mission team saw a photo showing the shadow of Ingenuity’s damaged rotor blade. The blade hitting the ground may have ended the helicopter’s mission.
The brave helicopter outlasted its initial 30-day mission; It flew higher, farther and faster than the NASA team had ever expected, paving the way for the future of airborne space exploration.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our tough little pioneer,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Take note
On the cold days of winter, it’s easy to hope that spring will come soon. But in addition to blooming flowers and rising temperatures, spring will also bring another force of nature: cicadas.
Scientists estimate that billions of cicadas will surface as two different offspring, which usually emerge every 13 years and emerge simultaneously every 17 years.
The rare event has not been seen in the US since thomas jefferson was president and is not expected to happen again until 2245.
Long time ago
Scientists are teasing insights from ancient DNA trapped inside bones, mummified bodies and dental plaque to unravel the mystery of pathogens that have affected humans for centuries, including syphilis.
Still common today, sexually transmitted disease first made its mark in the 15th century, devastating the people of Europe. Different nations blamed it on their neighboring countries, and its origin was unclear.
Researchers examined 2,000-year-old remains in Brazil and found the oldest known evidence of the bacteria that causes syphilis and other related diseases. The findings revealed that the disease has a much longer and more complex history than scientists previously believed.
ocean secrets
It turns out that the megalodon, a fearsome shark that terrorized ancient seas, wasn’t so mega after all.
The extinct megalodon was often depicted as a massive great white shark. However, new research has suggested that the creature’s cartilage would not have had the strength to support such a massive body shape.
Instead, the marine predator was likely leaner than a great white, according to a study of a fossil of an Otodus megalodon that lived more than 23 million years ago.
This discovery is one more piece of the megalodon biology puzzle that has remained largely elusive for researchers to solve. This is because fossilized teeth are much easier to find than actual fossils.
Results
Butterflies and bees have helped flowers proliferate for thousands of years, but as pollinator populations decline, some flowers are “self-pollinating,” or self-pollinating.
While this change may seem like a positive survival tactic, scientists studying wild violets in France determined that some modern flowers are smaller and produce less nectar due to self-pollination.
“This could increase the decline of pollinators and cause a vicious feedback loop,” said study co-author Pierre-Olivier Cheptou, professor at the University of Montpellier. The evidence points to “an evolutionary collapse of plant pollinators in the wild,” he said.
Meanwhile, scientists have found that, with a few notable exceptions, groundwater reserves used for drinking and irrigation around the world are rapidly being depleted.
discoveries
Journey through these fascinating reads:
— There are only two female northern white rhinos on the planet, but the world’s first in vitro rhino pregnancy could save the species from extinction.
— Superbug infections have the potential to kill 10 million people a year by 2050, but scientists have turned to one of nature’s oldest predators to attack bacteria as a possible solution.
— Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the smallest exoplanet with water vapor in its atmosphere, and it was a world orbiting with inhospitable vapor.
— Officials at a wildlife park in Britain hope to rehabilitate a group of loud-mouthed African gray parrots who say “appropriate swear words” — but the team’s risky approach could lead to even more foul-mouthed behavior If it backfires, birds.
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