It’s time to think about human reproduction in space, scientists urge

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What will the first families in space look like? (Image credit: Denis-Art/Getty Images) As humanity moves from brief space missions toward longer stays — driven by commercial ambitions for moon bases and eventual Martian settlements — scientists are beginning to confront how the conditions of space may affect human reproduction. A new study argues thatContinue Reading

‘Textbooks will need to be updated’: Jupiter is smaller and flatter than we thought, Juno spacecraft reveals

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Jupiter imaged by the Juno spacecraft, with the shadow of the massive moon Ganymede to the left. Data from Juno suggests that Jupiter is flatter than previously thought, according to a new study. (Image credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos © CC BY) Jupiter is slightly smaller and flatter than scientists thoughtContinue Reading

the-genetic-turning-point-that-made-backbones-possible

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Scientists have uncovered a surprising genetic shift that may explain how animals with backbones—from fish and frogs to humans—became so complex. By comparing sea squirts, lampreys, and frogs, researchers found that key genes controlling cell communication began producing many more protein variations right at the moment vertebrates emerged. This geneticContinue Reading