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As humans, we have a penchant for taking on ambitious challenges.
This week, the first photo arrived from Japan’s “Moon Sniper,” showcasing intriguing lunar rocks at its landing site, even though the lander didn’t touch down as planned.
Meanwhile, the European Space Agency has selected two new missions: one to unravel the mysteries of the universe through “surfing” through gravitational waves and another to uncover why Venus didn’t turn out like Earth.
Despite the eventful strides in space exploration, it’s time to say goodbye to one of the most resilient robots to have ever explored Mars.
After 72 flights in the Martian skies, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has taken its final flight.
Ingenuity has been a faithful companion to the Perseverance rover for nearly three years since its first flight on April 19, 2021. The historic chopper was the first aircraft to operate and fly on another world.
During its landing on January 18, the rover lost contact with the helicopter. When communication was reestablished, a photo capturing the shadow of Ingenuity’s damaged rotor blade was seen. The blade likely struck the ground, ending the helicopter’s mission.
The intrepid chopper outperformed its initial 30-day mission, flying higher, farther, and faster than expected, paving the way for the future of aerial space exploration.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our little tough trailblazer,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Scientists are teasing information from the 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 left its mark in the 15th century, devastating European populations. Different nations blamed their neighboring countries, and its origin has remained ambiguous.
Researchers delved into 2000-year-old remains in Brazil and found 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 previously believed.
It turns out that the megalodon, a fearsome shark that terrorized the ancient seas, wasn’t as massive as it had been depicted.
New research has suggested that the extinct megalodon, often portrayed as a massive great white shark, was likely skinnier than a great white, based on a study of a fossil belonging to an Otodus megalodon that lived more than 23 million years ago.
The revelation adds another piece to the puzzle of megalodon biology, which has been challenging for researchers to figure out due to the prevalence of fossilized teeth over actual fossils.
Butterflies and bees have aided in the reproduction of flowers for thousands of years. However, as pollinator populations decline, some flowers are resorting to “selfing,” or self-pollinating.
While this adaptation may sound like a positive survival tactic, scientists studying wild field pansies in France have determined that some modern flowers are smaller and produce less nectar because of self-pollination.
“This may increase pollinator decline and cause a vicious feedback cycle,” said study coauthor Pierre-Olivier Cheptou, a professor at the University of Montpellier. The evidence indicates an “evolutionary breakdown of plant pollinators in the wild,” he said.
Journey through these fascinating reads:
— There are only two female northern white rhinos on the planet, but the world’s first in vitro fertilization rhino pregnancy could save the species from extinction.
— Superbug infections have the potential to kill 10 million people per 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 found to have water vapor in its atmosphere, and it’s a world that swirls with inhospitable steam.
— Officials at a British wildlife park are hoping to rehabilitate a group of African gray parrots that say “proper expletives” — but the team’s risky approach could create even more foulmouthed birds if it backfires.
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