What a new clock means for space exploration

Edition: US - Today's top story: Why the Deep Space Atomic Clock is key for future space exploration [Click here to view this message in your browser]. Edition: US 8 June 2016 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair] Editor's note Navigating a spacecraft in deep space is no easy feat. Current navigation systems rely on sending radio signals back and forth to and from Earth – a roundtrip that from Mars, for instance, takes almost half an hour. By measuring how long the journey takes, we can calculate the distance traveled. Todd Ely and colleagues at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are working on a way to streamline this process, by creating the Deep Space Atomic Clock. If an ultra precise timekeeper can travel along on deep space missions, it means [two-way tracking can be replaced by one-way tracking]. And that opens up a lot of options for further exploration. And, after yesterday’s primaries, Hillary Clinton has enough pledged delegates to win the nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate and become the country’s first female nominee of a major party. Three prominent scholars [share their reactions] to a historic moment. Maggie Villiger Editor Top story DSAC is prepping for a yearlong experiment to characterize and test its suitability for use in future deep space exploration. Jet Propulsion Laboratory [Why the Deep Space Atomic Clock is key for future space exploration] Todd Ely, NASA Measuring time is a crucial part of navigation – particularly in space, where exacting precision is called for. The DSAC is poised to make a change that will aid future deep space missions. Politics + Society - [Three female scholars react to Hillary Clinton's historic nomination] Valerie Hudson, Texas A&M University ; Andra Gillespie, Emory University; Erin O'Brien, University of Massachusetts Boston Political scientists from Texas A&M, UMASS, Boston and Emory University react to Tueday’s big milestone for women in American politics. - [How Bernie Sanders can still become president] William Irwin, King's College By many estimates, the senator from Vermont has lost the Democratic nomination for president of the U.S. But a King's College scholar explains how he can win. Environment + Energy - [How fish and clean water can protect coral reefs from warming oceans] Rebecca Vega Thurber, Oregon State University; Deron Burkepile, University of California, Santa Barbara A combination of factors – pollution, disease and overfishing – is harming corals but scientists have found clues to effective treatment by studying corals' microbiome. Arts + Culture - [Are pop stars destined to die young?] Greg Hall, Case Western Reserve University For those on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Artists, their life expectancy is on par with the people of Chad, the nation with the lowest life expectancy in the world. Health + Medicine - [Saturated fats make some cells lose track of time -- and that's bad] David J. Earnest, Texas A&M University Saturated fats are linked to metabolic disorders and heart disease. That may be because thes fats make some cells lose track of time, causing inflammation. - [Should Zika really stop you going to the Rio Olympics? Here are the facts] Derek Gatherer, Lancaster University Academics have sent an open letter to the World Health Organisation calling for the Olympics to be postponed or moved because of the Zika threat. They're overreacting. Economy + Business - [The TTIP trade deal is lost at sea] Peter Holmes, University of Sussex; Kamala Dawar, University of Sussex A landmark trade deal between the US and Europe has been left floundering. So what has killed progress? Rest of the World - United Kingdom [Q&A: A Plastic Ocean – can a movie help us see this invisible crisis?] Lesley Henderson, Brunel University London Microplastics go largely unseen but are a scourge of the oceans. Filmmaker Jo Ruxton answers questions about the challenge of filming it. - Africa [How looking 250 million years into the past could save modern species] Jennifer Botha-Brink, University of the Free State How did survivors of the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction adapt to their new, harsh environment? And why is that knowledge so important for modern species? - Australia [Taking the city’s pulse: we need to link urban vitality back to the planet] Peter Fisher, RMIT University The rhetoric of 'smart cities' is dominated by the economic, with little reference to the natural world and its plight. Truly smart and resilient cities need to be more in tune with the planet. [The Conversation on Twitter] [The Conversation on Facebook] 3.3 million unique visitors a month You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly]. We’ll miss you. 745 Atlantic Ave. 8th Floor Boston, MA 02111