Does a year in space make you older or younger?

Scott Kelly spent a year on board the International Space Station while his identical twin brother Mark, also an astronaut, rema... [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 12 April 2019 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note Scott Kelly spent a year on board the International Space Station while his identical twin brother Mark, also an astronaut, remained here on Earth. Scientists studied both brothers before, during and after the mission to see what space living does to the body. Cancer biologist Susan Bailey at Colorado State University studied how Scott was aging in space and was [shocked by the results](. The findings have health implications for Earthlings and future space-faring humans alike. As much of the nation welcomes spring, the central U.S. is emerging from its second major storm in less than a month, which has left snow drifts across much of the northern Plains. Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Russ Schumacher, who is also Colorado’s state climatologist, explains some factors that make the Great Plains [a great place to study weather](. If your bicycle rides have gotten safer and less stressful, new bike-friendly infrastructure might have something to do with it. But the cities and suburbs that carve bikeways out of their roads are sometimes forced to backtrack due to unintended consequences like traffic jams. Scholar Kate Gasparro brings you up to speed on an increasingly popular strategy that reduces this risk: [civic crowdfunding](. And, after 30 years in power, Sudanese strongman Omar al-Bashir has been forced out of power by a popular uprising. Our international edition section below offers three perspectives on the coup, as reported by our Africa and UK editions. Some readers may have noticed that the subject line in yesterday’s newsletter stated that there are 14 states with measles outbreaks when the actual number is 19. We regret the error. Bijal Trivedi Science and Technology Editor Top stories Are space twin Scott and Earth twin Mark no longer identical? Robert Markowitz/NASA [Does a year in space make you older or younger?]( Susan Bailey, Colorado State University Before sending humans to Mars or the moon, scientists need to understand what long-term space living does to the human body. Now results are coming in from the Kelly brothers in the TWINS Study, Blizzard conditions cover the Central and Northern Plains on March 13, 2019. NASA Earth Observatory [Why the Great Plains has such epic weather]( Russ Schumacher, Colorado State University What creates such dramatic storms across the US Great Plains? The key factors are topography and temperature differences. Downtown Seattle’s busy, protected bike lanes. Seattle Department of Transportation [Civic crowdfunding reduces the risk of ‘bikelash’]( Kate Gasparro, Stanford University This collective fundraising technique helps defuse anti-cyclist sentiment before it dooms protected bike lanes and other new infrastructure. Ethics + Religion - [The Mormon Church still doesn’t accept same-sex couples – even if it no longer bars their children]( Taylor Petrey, Kalamazoo College In 2015, the Mormon Church barred children from same-sex marriage from the church. An expert explains why this policy was tied to a larger conservative battle against gay rights. Environment + Energy - [This small Mexican border town prizes its human and environmental links with the US]( Matthew D. Moran, Hendrix College A scholar who travels regularly to the US-Mexico border finds ecological links and a community on the other side that welcomes American visitors. Education - [Why LeBron James’ I Promise School should be more like LeBron and not shy away from issues of race]( Nolan Krueger, University of Texas at Austin; Kevin O'Neal Cokley, University of Texas at Austin; Marlon L. Bailey In order to be successful, the I Promise Academy needs to confront issues of race – much like LeBron James himself, who launched the school amid great fanfare in 2018, an education scholar argues. Politics + Society - [Is 75 the new 65? Wealthy countries need to rethink what it means to be old]( Warren Sanderson, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Sergei Scherbov, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration People who are 65 and up can expect to live longer than ever before. Does it make sense to keep classifying everyone in this group as old? A pair of demographers argue for 'age inflation.' - [Venezuela’s crisis is a tragedy - but comedy gold for satire, cartoons and memes]( Juan-Carlos Molleda, University of Oregon The rise of black comedy to explain Venezuela's chaos recalls an old saying in the crisis-stricken South American country: 'Laugh so you don't cry.' Science + Technology - [Leonardo da Vinci saw in animals the ‘image of the world’]( Arielle Saiber, Bowdoin College Rather than prioritizing human beings at the pinnacle of the animal kingdom, Leonardo revered all living beings. When he compared people and animals, it's the animals that often came out on top. Economy + Business - [America and the world still need the WTO to keep trade and the global economy humming]( Stephen J. Silvia, American University School of International Service A quarter-century ago, more than 100 nations agreed to engage in freer trade with one another and signed the declaration that established the World Trade Organization. - [People who win big prizes shouldn’t get taxed when they give their windfalls away]( Ellen P. Aprill, Loyola Law School Los Angeles Congress can fix this by updating the tax code. From our international editions: Revolution in Sudan - [How Sudan’s protesters upped the ante, and forced al-Bashir from power]( Andrew Edward Tchie, University of Essex Sudanese protesters against al-Bashir's regime have scored an important victory. But there's a long way to go before democracy is restored. - [Omar al-Bashir: a military autocrat with a shrewd sense of politics]( Martin Plaut, School of Advanced Study Al-Bashir's ability to play a skillful combination of internal and external balancing acts, plus ruthless repression and a divided opposition, kept him in power for three decades. - [Academics have shaped Sudan’s political history, and may do it again]( Willow Berridge, Newcastle University Sudan's academics have been instrumental in bringing regime change and negotiating transitions. Today’s quote [Prior to the 12th century, it was possible for priests to write openly about same-sex desire, and ongoing emotional and physical relationships with other men.]( [A thousand years ago, the Catholic Church paid little attention to homosexuality]( Lisa McClain Boise State University [Lisa McClain] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. 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