It is a great time to be alive if you, like me, get excited by the wonders of space. Last year saw a slew of launches that pushed the frontiers of what humanity can do outside the bounds of Earth’s atmosphere. Missions in the coming months are set to move well past the accomplishments of 2021.
Chris Impey is an astronomer at the University of Arizona who has written about what a space-faring human civilization may look like. Dreams of lunar bases and Martian cities, finding life on Jupiter’s moons and understanding the deep origins of the universe itself may once have seemed far-fetched, but there will be concrete steps – and some results – toward each of these goals in 2022. In his article, Impey highlights some of the exciting missions to watch for.
Also today:
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Daniel Merino
Assistant Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast
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2022 is set to be humanity’s busiest year in space.
CSA Images via Getty Images
Chris Impey, University of Arizona
With about 200 orbital launches scheduled and ambitious missions on everything from lunar bases to the search for life in the works, there’s a lot to watch in 2022. An astronomer explains the highlights.
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Environment + Energy
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Esther Mullens, University of Florida
The key ingredients for a storm to undergo bombogenesis are an unstable atmosphere, temperature differences and high-speed winds in the upper atmosphere.
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Giovanni Circella, University of California, Davis; Scott Hardman, University of California, Davis
Studies show that when people can ride in a car without having to operate it, they increase their car use. That could increase traffic and pollution, unless government puts a price on car travel.
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Politics + Society
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Lawrence Strout, Mississippi State University
The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a number of major decisions this year. Expert predictions will abound – but statistical models are more likely to be accurate.
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Education
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Michele L. Stites, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Susan Sonnenschein, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The pandemic and shifts to virtual learning have set many children back academically. The setbacks can be particularly challenging for children with disabilities, but recovery is possible.
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Health + Medicine
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Laurie Archbald-Pannone, University of Virginia
Studies suggest seniors without the booster shot run a higher risk of infection and hospitalization from the omicron variant.
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Gerald Denis, Boston University
Fat cells and cancer cells talk to each other. Specialists in both systems can do the same.
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Science + Technology
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Michael Levin, Tufts University; David Kaplan, Tufts University; Nirosha Murugan, Algoma University
Unlike humans, many animals are able to regenerate their limbs after losing them. Giving the body the right conditions for regrowth might allow people to recover lost limbs as well.
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Hannah V. Carey, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Matthew Regan, Université de Montréal
Months not eating or moving don’t result in muscle wasting and loss of function for animals that hibernate. New research found gut microbes help their hosts hold onto and use nitrogen to build proteins.
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Podcast 🎙️
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus, what toxic heavy metals are lingering in household dust around the world? Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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From our international editions
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The Conversation Quiz 🧠
About how many cooperative observers send weather data to the National Weather Service?
- 3,100
- 4,600
- 8,700
- 10,500
Click here for the answer.
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