The controversy over the James Webb Space Telescope. Plus, how athletes improve; fighting brain cancer; prehistoric dog found; two-legged robot runs 5K
|  | Wednesday, August 4, 2021 | | | | |
| In today’s newsletter, the controversy over the James Webb Space Telescope. Plus, coronavirus in deer; prehistoric dog found; how Katie Ledecky improved; rising insurance for the unvaccinated? | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS GUNN, NASA
| | By Victoria Jaggard, SCIENCE executive editor
One of my favorite books from childhood is the 1987 novel Caught in Crystal, which was my first exposure to a common fantasy trope: the power of a name. The protagonist of this tale is part of a magical sect that ties their abilities to their true names, using them as conduits akin to a wizard’s staff, and adopting aliases as protection. This tactic comes with pros and cons, the most dangerous being what happens if an enemy learns your true name.
The idea of names having magical power probably stems from an innate human sense that naming something makes it more significant or relatable. Sure, we have to use names on a functional level, but choosing the “right” one carries weight—just ask anyone who’s agonized over picking a name for their baby. In science spheres, we’ve even developed rules and conventions for how to name specific types of things across the cosmos, from craters on Mercury to alien planets orbiting other stars.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that scientists are up in arms over the name of a major new space telescope (shown above in testing). In March, four astronomers penned an op-ed arguing that the eagerly awaited James Webb Space Telescope needs a new moniker. Slated to launch this fall, the flagship observatory was named after a former NASA administrator who championed basic science when the agency was diverting most of its attention and resources to the Apollo program in the 1960s. However, the astronomers take issue with Webb’s actions before he joined NASA; they point to evidence that he was involved in the “lavender scare” of the 1940s and ‘50s, in which the U.S. government persecuted its LGBTQ employees.
The group started a petition to change the telescope’s name in May, and it now has more than a thousand signatories. In response, NASA is conducting an internal investigation of the evidence against Webb, and the agency will decide what to do when that’s completed. | | | |
 | ILLUSTRATION BY JASON TREAT, NGM STAFF, AND DYLAN COLE SOURCES: ROBERT BRAUN, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY; NASA/JPL
| | No matter what they decide, the controversy highlights the importance of the words we use in science generally, and how challenging it can be to name big science projects after people. Humans are messy, complex creatures, and none of us can be truly blameless. Even Mother Teresa has her critics. Personally, I’m a fan of the way we’ve named most of our Mars rovers.
Since 1997, NASA has invited schoolkids to enter a contest and make the case for a word that embodies the upcoming mission. As a result, Mars (an artist’s illustration of its future, above) has been the source of inspiring tales about Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and now Perseverance—while any controversy has stayed focused more on what those missions found rather than what they are called.
Do you get this daily? If not, sign up here or forward this to a friend. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN HASTY, MEDIANEWS GROUP/READING EAGLE/GETTY IMAGES | | Deer with coronavirus: There are roughly 30 million white-tailed deer (pictured above) roaming in the United States. A new study detected coronavirus antibodies in 40 percent of 600 of the deer tested this year. If the virus is circulating in other species, it could continue to evolve, perhaps in ways that make it more severe or transmissible, Nat Geo’s Dina Fine Maron writes.
Key advice: Scientists recommend that people who got COVID-19 still should get vaccinated. “Even a single dose of an mRNA vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech boosts immunity for people who’ve had the disease,” Jillian Kramer writes for Nat Geo. New research shows the vaccines give humans more and better antibodies.
Insurance costs for the unvaccinated: 97 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients last month were unvaccinated. That has prompted insurers to roll back waivers of patient payments for COVID treatment, from co-insurance to deductibles. The logic? “Why should patients be kept financially unharmed from what is now a preventable hospitalization, thanks to a vaccine that the government paid for and made available for free?” the New York Times reports.
The robot running a 5K: “Cassie” completed a 5K unassisted in under an hour, perhaps not an impressive time for a human, but significantly faster than other robots. The two-legged robot, created by Agility Robotics, taught itself to run using a deep reinforcement learning algorithm and didn’t even need to stop to recharge, TechCrunch reports.
Navigating shoes: A startup at Honda has created a device for the visually impaired. The “in-shoe navigation system” wraps around the foot and is inserted into the shoe. Vibrating components help the wearer navigate to a predetermined location using a smartphone app, The device is expected to release by 2023, Popular Science reports.
| | | |
| | A whirlpool of light: Photographer Juan Carlos Osorio captured the morning light bouncing off and descending through the red rocks of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona. “It is a mesmerizing spectacle that takes your breath away.” Osorio says. The canyon has been formed by thousands of years of erosion during the rainy seasons. The erosion has provided clues to the age of the Grand Canyon, Nat Geo reports.
| | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN HUET | | How athletes get better: World record-breaking swimmer Katie Ledecky—who has added to her gold medal count in the Tokyo Summer Games—has benefited from the latest scientific and technological resources and training available. The U.S. distance swimmer “eagerly digests readouts about her nutrition and blood work, and studies videos of her workouts and races, looking for ways to improve her arm and hand movements,” writes Christine Brennan in a 2018 cover story for National Geographic.
| | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY JOELLE STRAEHLA, JEFFREY WYCKOFF, AND PAULA T. HAMMOND,
KOCH INSTITUTE, MIT | | Fighting brain cancer: MIT's Joelle Straehla is developing nanoparticles that could someday move drugs through blood vessels (pictured above illuminated by fluorescent dyes) directly to tumors in the brain (shown in black). Specks above represent particles clustered in test animals’ healthy cells—suggesting that if particles reach the brain but not a tumor, they might have other uses, like immunotherapy, Theresa Machemer reports for Nat Geo
| | | |
 | | ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS | | This is the week for Saturn: You want to see the ringed planet? This month, Saturn is about as close to Earth as it can come during this 30-year solar orbit. On Monday, Saturn reached opposition (opposite to the sun in the sky). Looking like a bright golden yellow star, it rises in the east at sundown, and sets in the west at sunrise. A small telescope can show the planet’s cloud bands and rings complete with its dark gaps. Amazingly, even its brightest satellites; like the largest one, Titan, can be glimpsed hanging out next to the planet with the most J.R.R. Tolkein references. — Andrew Fazekas
Related: Superfast winds + heat create this planet’s awesome rings
| | | |
 | | People from all walks of life can be explorers. | | | Prem Gill
| Polar conservationist, Nat Geo Emerging Explorer
Founded Polar Impact, a network of ethnic minorities and allies in polar research
| | |
| DID A FRIEND FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER? | |
On Thursday, Rachael Bale writes on the latest on animals and wildlife. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to also George Stone on travel, Whitney Johnson on photography, Debra Adams Simmons on history, Rob Kunzig on the environment, and Rachel Buchholz on family and kids.
| |
 | | IMAGE BY S. BARTOLINI-LUCENTI | | | Prehistoric dog found: The Georgian village of Dmanisi holds the oldest known records of human ancestors outside of Africa. Based on new uncovered remains, an enormous wild dog was present at Dmanisi at the same time, some 1.8 million years ago, Nat Geo reports. (Above, teeth and jaw fragments belonging to the extinct canid known as the Eurasian hunting dog.) | | | |
This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard and Monica Williams, and Jen Tse has selected the photos. Have an idea or a link to share? We'd love to hear from you at david.beard@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading!
| |
| SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | | We'd like to hear from you! Tell us what you think of our emails by sharing your feedback in this short survey.
| | | |
Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.
This email was sent to: tiendasfrikiscineseriestvcomicsjuegos@barcelonafriki.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.
This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036
Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.
© 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved. | | |
LITMUS TRACKING PIXEL}
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.