Space lovers rejoice as new age in Mars exploration begins

+ why Texas' power grid couldn't survive a crisis US Edition - Today's top story: Bringing Mars rocks back to Earth: On Feb. 18, Perseverance Rover landed safely on Mars – a lead scientist explains the tech and goals [View in browser]( US Edition | 19 February 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair “Touchdown confirmed!” Cheers erupted at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory after the Perseverance rover landed safely on the surface of Mars yesterday. Not only was this a truly incredible feat of engineering, it is beyond exciting – especially for a space nerd like me – that NASA is once again on the hunt for signs of life outside Earth. New technology aboard Perseverance will give us the most detailed, on-the-ground data from another planet to date. And not only hard data, but 3D photos too. As the images from the rover’s Mastcam-Z stream in, the magic and wonder of this alien world will take on tangible, emotional meaning. Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, the lead scientist in charge of the fancy camera, describes all the new tech Perseverance brought to Mars and what role it plays in [NASA’s most ambitious plan yet to find extraterrestrial life](. - [Facebook’s Australia fight highlights Big Tech control over global news]( - [Why rejoining Paris matters to the world]( - [How Space Force became a joke – and a Pentagon PR problem]( A correction to the newsletter we sent Saturday following the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump: The vote was 57 to 43 to convict Trump, not to acquit him as the editor’s note said. That vote, short of the two-thirds needed to convict, resulted in his acquittal. Daniel Merino Assistant Editor: Science, Health, Environment The Perseverance Rover’s first image sent back to NASA from Mars shows the surface of the Jezero crater. NASA/JPL [Bringing Mars rocks back to Earth: On Feb. 18, Perseverance Rover landed safely on Mars – a lead scientist explains the tech and goals]( Jim Bell, Arizona State University The rover's goal is to collect rock and soil samples to be brought back to Earth in the future as NASA begins Mars mission. Environment + Energy - [How the Texas electricity system produced low-cost power but left residents out in the cold]( Theodore J. Kury, University of Florida The Texas electric power market is designed to give energy companies incentive to sell electricity at the lowest possible cost. That focus helps explain why it collapsed during a historic cold wave. - [Why the US rejoining the Paris climate accord matters at home and abroad — 5 scholars explain]( Morgan Bazilian, Colorado School of Mines; Deb Niemeier, University of Maryland; Edward R. Carr, Clark University; Kristie Ebi, University of Washington; Walt Meier, NASA The US is formally back in the Paris climate agreement as of today. As one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, it has a lot of work to do after four years of delay. Politics + Society - [Australia, fighting Facebook, is the latest country to struggle against foreign influence on journalism]( Vanessa Freije, University of Washington The battle between media companies and foreign governments over who controls the news dates back some 150 years, to when European and US wire services dictated the world's headlines. - [Rethinking the US-China fight: Does China really threaten American power abroad?]( Andrew Latham, Macalester College A scholar of global relations says China seems worried about its future. Meanwhile, the US and Europe still treat China as a threat. The clash of world views could be destabilizing. - [Why do mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories?]( Michael Rocque, Bates College; Stephanie Kelley-Romano, Bates College When many people believe the government is trying to take away their guns, events that make guns look bad can be misinterpreted as part of that nonexistent plan. Health - [One month in, how Biden has changed disaster management and the US COVID-19 response]( Brian J. Gerber, Arizona State University; Melanie Gall, Arizona State University Developing a national disaster response plan for the pandemic was only step one. - [Women of color spend more than $8 billion on bleaching creams worldwide every year]( Ronald Hall, Michigan State University Fair skin as a beauty ideal underpins the global bleach cream industry – valued at $8.6 billion. There is a nascent backlash against the practice, which endangers health and can perpetuate racism. Science + Technology - [Space Force sounds like a joke thanks to pop culture – that could be a problem for an important military branch]( Wendy Whitman Cobb, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies Science fiction has often had an inspirational and positive relationship with space endeavors. But the new US Space Force is struggling with a pop culture public relations problem. Economy + Business - [3 ways companies could offer more father-friendly policies that will help women]( Ivona Hideg, York University, Canada; Manuela Priesemuth, Villanova University Women and their careers benefit when men are allowed – and encouraged – by their employers to do more caregiving. From Our International Editions - [Facebook has pulled the trigger on news content — and possibly shot itself in the foot]( Diana Bossio, Swinburne University of Technology Facebook pulling the plug on Australian news will cause short-term disruption, but readers and media will recover. - [We sequenced the oldest ever DNA, from million-year-old mammoths]( David Díez-del-Molino, Stockholm University; Love Dalén, Stockholm University Our results have revolutionised the previously held view of the evolution of mammoths. - [Ebola strikes West Africa again: key questions and lessons from the past]( Mosoka Fallah, University of Liberia Countries in the West Africa region are in a very different position to seven years ago. They now have the experience of the past as well as new tools to tackle Ebola. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451