If you thought the COVID-19 lockdowns were rough, think of this: Astronauts on the Mars mission will be confined to a spaceship with three to five other people for more than two years. And they will be, at peak distance, 140 million miles from anything they’ve ever known. Even the most extreme introvert and most daring adventurer might find that disconcerting. But NASA is on it.The Human Factors and Behavioral Performance (HFBP) team, a part of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), works to u ...read more

British historian Amanda Glover says she loves a mystery.  And according to a research article she published in February, she may be beginning to untangle one of the greatest historical mysteries of England's Tudor period, which lasted from 1485 to 1603.  The mystery in question is that of Anne Boleyn, the ill-fated second wife of King Henry VIII who was accused of and executed for adultery by her own husband. While Anne was imprisoned in the Tower of London, awaiting execution, she wrote an ...read more

Two athletes square off for an intense dance battle. The DJ starts spinning tunes, and the athletes begin twisting, spinning and seemingly defying gravity, respectfully watching each other and taking turns showing off their skill.The athletes converse through their movements, speaking through a dance that celebrates both athleticism and creativity. While the athletes probably aren’t consciously thinking about the physics behind their movements, these complex and mesmerizing dances demonstrate ...read more

Food’s role in climate change has emerged as one of the defining challenges of our time. The journey of a steak, fruit or salad from the vast expanses of agricultural lands to the plates on our tables leaves a significant footprint on the environment.At the heart of this challenge is the prodigious use of fertilizers and a growing global population’s increasing demand for meat.As earth, climate and atmosphericscientists, we track global greenhouse gas emissions and just published the most co ...read more

Re-watching your favorite movie is delightful but watching it with a friend who's seeing it for the first time can bring even more joy. Experiencing a friend’s surprised reactions and laughter can make you feel the same, making the moment as much about their enjoyment as it is about the film itself.Many cultures have a specific term for this concept of deriving happiness from the joy of others. In Yiddish, it is called "fargin," and in Pāli and Sanskrit, it is referred to as "muditā." These ...read more

The Earth is losing animals, plants and other living things so fast that some scientists believe the planet is entering its sixth mass extinction. But there’s some surprising good news: Urban areas may be key to slowing down or even reversing this crisis.This idea may seem counterintuitive, since studies show that urbanization is a big driver of biodiversity loss. Cities alter the environment with artificial lighting and noise pollution, which affect many species. And urban land cover is expec ...read more

Of all shipwrecks throughout history, one stands out for its sought-after treasures — sitting at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea, the San José galleon contains an estimated $20 billion worth of gold, silver, and emeralds and is aptly dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks. For years, multiple parties have coveted its treasures, becoming embroiled in disputes over ownership of the sunken ship. As new developments unfold — such as a recent pledge by the Colombian government to retrieve parts ...read more

Tumors that travel to the lungs, or lung metastases, pose a formidable challenge in the realm of cancer treatment. Conventional chemotherapy often falls short because it’s inefficient. It doesn’t directly target the lungs and accumulate in a high enough concentration to kill tumors.My colleagues and I from the Wang lab and Zhang Research Group at the University of California, San Diego have spent the past five years developing biohybrid microrobots, tiny objects made of both natural and synt ...read more

Madeleine Sweet’s fentanyl addiction started with an unexpected freebie. Already addicted to opioids and grappling with the sense that her life was going bottom-up as her student debts mounted, she was finding it difficult to access enough oxycodone and other opiates to satisfy her dependency.So, in 2016, Sweet gravitated to the dark web. That’s where sellers were hawking designer drugs crafted to hijack the brain’s reward system, including mass-produced fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 tim ...read more

Depression can sometimes be portrayed as a deep but passing sadness. However, the National Institute of Mental Health warns that although depression is a common mood disorder, it is a serious one that can cause severe symptoms that impact every part of life.Many people may have seen a loved one show symptoms of depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 5 percent of the global population experiences depression, which is about 280 million people.Medications and other therapies ...read more