In a week when some pretty high profile stories got some less notable corrections (no, cell phones are not giving young people skull horns and no, we have not convincingly transmitted autism to mice via microbiome transplants), I thought it might be a good idea to try to get ahead of the curve on a new story. This one involves a topic likely to be of greater interest to the science & faith community: life on Mars. Last week, the Curiosity rover detected a plume of methane on Mars in a higher concentration than … [Read more...] about Science Corner: It’s Life Jim, But Not As We Know It
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Science Corner: A Bumper Crop of Science
Some weeks it can be tricky to find a way into the science news that might be of interest to those outside the specific community of investigation. But not this week. Climate change, major space missions, and human bioengineering command our attention, and all three were in the headlines in the past four days. So let's take a quick survey of all three. … [Read more...] about Science Corner: A Bumper Crop of Science
Science Corner: A Rocket Race Everyone Wins
Although India's first Mars mission was a couple of years ago, the enthusiasm for Hidden Figures likely inspired a recent profile of some of the women on the team behind the mission. Getting to Mars wasn't the end of the story, either. Last month, the Indian space agency shattered the record for most satellites launched from a single rocket, setting a new standard for cost efficiency. When other space programs are facing budget cuts and cancellation of satellite launches, proven methods for doing more with less may be … [Read more...] about Science Corner: A Rocket Race Everyone Wins
Science Corner: Mission to Malacandra
Several stories about traveling to Mars came my way from multiple sources; with all that is going on here on Earth, maybe everyone is thinking about getting away. Also, a new round of mission simulations is beginning, to answer questions about whether humans have the right stuff for the long voyage and relatively isolated experience on-planet. Some concerns are physiological, while others are psychological and sociological -- will the minimal human contact drive the astronauts mad, and will they get on each others' … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Mission to Malacandra