Steve Mirsky

Mars Rover Sets Distance Record

scientificamerican.com — After nine (Earth) years of slowly traversing Mars, Opportunity broke the U.S. off-world rover record held by Apollo 17's lunar buggy since 1972. John Matson reports. [Eugene Cernan on the moon:] "Okay, here we go." Astronaut Eugene Cernan firing up the Apollo 17 lunar roving vehicle for the first time, back in 1972.

Fluoride Loosens Bacterial Enamel Grip

scientificamerican.com — Rather than significantly hardening tooth enamel, fluoride may cut cavities by making it harder for oral bacteria to stick around. Karen Hopkin reports. Fluoride helps fight cavities. That's why it's in our drinking water and toothpaste. But how this mineral works its dental magic is still somewhat mysterious.

Nature Outlook : Sleep

nature.com — Researchers are defining the various functions of sleep, from how we learn to the regulation of metabolism and immunity. Insufficient sleep, a growing problem in modern society, can knock our biological clocks out of kilter, sometimes leading to chronic disease and neurodegeneration.

‘Time To Wake Up’: Why One Senator Was Brave Enough To ‘Politicize’ The Oklahoma Tornado

mediaite.com — Standing before a poster of the earth with the words TIME TO WAKE UP in bold lettering, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) delivered a speech yesterday that he must have known would get under conservatives' skins.

Rahm Emanuel’s Zombie Pigs vs. Chicago’s Angry Birds | The Nation

thenation.com — My kids are into Angry Birds, a game they love for the same reason I once obsessively played Super Mario Brothers: its appeal is incomprehensible to the adults around them. This inscrutable game, however, has one essential truth: you have some pissed off birds compelled by rage to put down some zombie-looking pigs.

Hard To Beat Feet For Fostering Fungus

scientificamerican.com — The skin of the feet host a more diverse fungal community than other parts of the surface of the body tested in a recent study. Sophie Bushwick reports. Do fungi have a foot fetish? When researchers mapped the fungal species living on the surface of the human body, they found the skin on the feet harbors the most diverse fungal community.