Hello Nature readers, would you like to have this briefing delivered to your inbox for free every day? Login here
On its fourth flight on April 30th, Ingenuity threw up a large dust bolus that flew with the helicopter, as shown in this video captured by Perseverance.Photo credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU / MSSS / SSI
When NASA’s tiny Mars helicopter whizzes through the Martian air, a cloud of dust sometimes swirls up that envelops the tiny helicopter and flies with it. The unexpected phenomenon has scientists salivating what it will teach us about the dynamics of the thin Martian atmosphere, where tornado-like dust devils often form when the sun warms the air and afternoon winds begin to blow. Ingenuity’s only goal is to show that flight on Mars is possible. “So everything we can scientifically learn from it is the icing on the cake,” says physicist Brian Jackson.
Nature | Read for 5 minutes
The CureVac vaccine has only been shown to be 47% effective in preventing COVID-19 in late-stage studies. CureVac, a German biotechnology company, pointed out the challenges of protecting against an “unprecedented diversity of variants” – 13 variants were found in the study participants, only one person was infected with the original strain. The interim results have not yet been reviewed by experts.
Reuters | Read 6 minutes
Reference: CureVac press release
Three astronauts have moved into China’s space station after the country’s first manned space flight launched in almost five years. You will be the first to visit the station. The crew will commission the station’s core module, Tianhe. “We need to build our new home in space,” said Mission Commander Nie Haisheng.
BBC | Read for 5 minutes
Features & Opinion
Chemical engineer James Crawford regularly uses a variety of analytical equipment and reactor systems in his laboratory – and when something breaks, he often has to fix it. He explains how crafting with tools has helped him more than he expected.
Nature | Read 6 minutes
Time to take the plunge into programming? An introductory webcast from Nature Careers will get you started. Jeffrey Perkel, Natural Technology Editor, and others share tips, advice, and resources on learning computer programming for research on this live taped webcast on June 4th.
Nature | 60 minute video
Register for the next live webcast or watch past ones at nature.com/webcasts.
Peculiarities of our evolution could explain why humans need to drink more water than most mammals. While our ancestors evolved in Africa two to three million years ago, the climate became drier. Their bodies became larger and slimmer, with a larger surface area. In combination with a reduction in body hair and an increase in the sweat glands, they were able to dissipate heat better. But it also increased the amount of water our ancestors needed. “In the course of history, people have drastically changed their environment to ensure access to water,” writes human biologist Asher Rosinger.
Scientific American | 13 minutes of reading
quote of the Day
Forget “standing on the shoulders of giants” – today’s science is all about collaboration, argues an editorial in Nature.
Comments are closed.