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As human beings, we like to take risks and aim for great achievements.
That’s the motto of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which is inspired by a quote from Theodore Roosevelt.
As a species that originated and thrives on Earth, humanity has come up with inventive ways to adapt to the absence of gravity as we explore deep space, including creating robotic explorers that can journey through the universe on our behalf.
This week, the first image arrived from Japan’s “Moon Sniper,” displaying intriguing lunar rocks at its landing site, despite not being able to touch down as planned.
Meanwhile, the European Space Agency has chosen two new missions: one that will “surf” through gravitational waves to unravel the mysteries of the universe and another to investigate why Venus didn’t evolve like Earth.
And it’s time to say goodbye to one of the most spirited robots ever to explore Mars.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Ingenuity helicopter, seen here on Mars in an image taken by the Perseverance rover on August 2, 2023, has flown for the last time.
After 72 flights in the Martian skies, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has completed its final flight.
Ingenuity served as the Perseverance rover’s loyal companion and aerial scout for almost three years since its inaugural flight on April 19, 2021. The historic chopper was the first aircraft to operate and fly on another planet.
While attempting to land on January 18, the rover lost communication with the helicopter. When communication was reestablished, the mission team noticed a photo that captured the shadow of Ingenuity’s damaged rotor blade. The blade likely hit the ground, leading to the end of the helicopter’s mission.
The brave chopper surpassed its initial 30-day mission, flying at higher altitudes, over longer distances, and at faster speeds than what its NASA team initially anticipated, laying the groundwork for the future of aerial space exploration.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our resilient trailblazer,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
During the cold days of winter, people eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring. But in addition to blooming flowers and warmer temperatures, spring will bring about another natural phenomenon: cicadas.
Scientists forecast that billions of cicadas will emerge as two different broods that typically surface every 13 years and every 17 years come out simultaneously.
This rare event has not been observed in the United States since Thomas Jefferson was president, and it is not expected to occur again until 2245.
Jose Filippini
To trace the origins of syphilis, researchers used paleopathology techniques to examine ancient human bones at the site Jabuticabeira II in Brazil’s Santa Catarina state.
Scientists are extracting information from ancient DNA trapped inside bones, mummified bodies, and dental plaque to solve the mysteries of pathogens that have affected humans for centuries — including syphilis.
The sexually transmitted disease, which is still prevalent today, first appeared in the 15th century, causing devastation in European populations. Different nations attributed its origin to their neighboring countries, and its source has remained unclear.
Researchers analyzed 2,000-year-old remains in Brazil and discovered the earliest known evidence of the bacterium that causes syphilis and other related diseases. The finding revealed that the disease has a much longer and more complex history than what scientists previously believed.
It turns out that the megalodon, a fearsome shark that roamed the ancient seas, was not as massive as previously thought.
The extinct megalodon has often been portrayed as a gigantic great white shark. However, new research suggests that the creature’s cartilage would not have been strong enough to support such a massive body shape.
Instead, the marine predator was likely thinner than a great white, based on a study of a fossil belonging to an Otodus megalodon that lived more than 23 million years ago.
This discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of megalodon biology, which has been challenging for researchers to decipher due to the greater abundance of fossilized teeth compared to actual fossils.
Samson Acoca-Pidolle
A bumblebee visits a field pansy flower during an experiment from a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Montpellier in France.
Butterflies and bees have played a vital role in helping flowers reproduce for thousands of years, but as pollinator populations decline, some flowers are resorting to “selfing,” or self-pollination.
While this change may seem like a beneficial survival strategy, scientists studying wild field pansies in France determined that certain modern flowers are smaller and produce less nectar due to self-pollination.
“This could worsen the decline of pollinators and create a harmful feedback loop,” said study coauthor Pierre-Olivier Cheptou, a professor at the University of Montpellier. The evidence suggests an “evolutionary breakdown of plant pollinators in the wild,” he said.
Meanwhile, scientists have identified a rapid depletion of underground water reserves used for drinking and irrigation around the world — with a few exceptions.
Dive into these captivating stories:
— The planet is home to only two female northern white rhinos, but the world’s first in vitro fertilization rhino pregnancy offers hope for the species’ survival.
— Superbug infections have the potential to claim 10 million lives annually by 2050, but researchers have turned to one of nature’s oldest predators to combat bacteria as a possible solution.
— Astronomers utilized the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the smallest exoplanet with water vapor in its atmosphere, and it’s a world engulfed in inhospitable steam.
— Staff at a British wildlife park are working to rehabilitate a group of vocally explicit African gray parrots — but their risky approach could lead to even more foul-mouthed birds if it backfires.
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