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NASA’s Mars rover collects ‘unbelievable’ rocks

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The robotic arm of the Perseverance rover working on a rocky outcrop called “Skinner Ridge” in Mars’ Jezero Crater

Perseverance used its robotic arm to gather rock cores from an outcrop referred to as Skinner Ridge, which is a part of an historical river delta on Mars.Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Since July, NASA’s Perseverance rover has drilled and picked up 4 slim cores of sedimentary rock, fashioned in what was as soon as a river delta on Mars. They’re the primary of one of these rock to be gathered on one other world — and scientists are excited as a result of not less than two of the cores in all probability include natural compounds, which, on Earth, are sometimes related to dwelling issues. If all goes nicely, the samples would be the first ever returned from Mars. They are going to be picked up by one other spacecraft and introduced again to Earth no sooner than 2033.

Nature | 5 min learn

Roughly 10.5 million kids worldwide have a mum or dad or carer who died from COVID-19, in line with a modelling examine. The determine is a dramatic enhance on earlier estimates. Epidemiologist and co-author Susan Hillis says a long time of analysis on kids whose dad and mom died from AIDS have revealed three ‘accelerators’ which might be the muse for serving to kids to get well: instructional help, financial help and help for the remaining mum or dad or carer. Figuring out the kids who need assistance, and offering it shortly, is vital, she says.

Nature | 4 min learn

Reference: JAMA Pediatrics paper

Pietro Barabaschi, {an electrical} engineer who has spent his total profession in fusion analysis, has been chosen to steer ITER, the world’s largest nuclear-fusion experiment. Barabaschi will take over as ITER’s director-general in October, changing Eisuke Tada, who has served as interim director-general since Could. Barabaschi’s previous expertise makes him well-equipped for the position, says Makoto Sugimoto, who leads Japan’s home ITER company. “I consider he has enough data and expertise to construct ITER.” The US$22-billion undertaking goals to exhibit the feasibility of fusion energy, the power supply behind the Solar that guarantees close to limitless clear power.

Nature | 3 min learn

Options & opinion

The aviation business produces round one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per 12 months — corresponding to the emissions of Japan, the world’s third-largest financial system. However the business’s present concentrate on cleaner fuels and carbon offsetting “is a triumph of business pursuits over actuality”, argue climate-policy students Steffen Kallbekken and David Victor. And it fails to take into consideration elements reminiscent of contrails, the lengthy clouds that type behind plane, which is perhaps one of many largest sources of world warming attributable to aviation. Governments and business should boldly experiment with options, reminiscent of new propulsion techniques and rerouting plane, the authors say. “Eliminating aviation’s influence on international warming means upending the business.”

Nature | 10 min learn

CURRENT WARMING AND COOLING EFFECTS OF AVIATION: chart showing warming impacts of emissions from aeroplanes

Supply: D. S. Lee et al. Atmos. Environ. 244, 117834 (2021)

From connectomics to behavioural biology, synthetic intelligence is making it quicker and simpler to extract info from photos. A fast-growing array of open-source and web-based instruments is making it simpler than ever to get began.

Nature | 11 min learn

Quote of the day

Funders ought to take into account whether or not to observe within the footsteps of the British Academy, the Swiss Nationwide Science Basis and others in utilizing a lottery to determine between grant functions, argues a Nature editorial.

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