2022: A year of space odysseys

+ what exactly is a bomb cyclone? US Edition - Today's top story: A lunar return, a Jupiter moon, the most powerful rocket ever built and the James Webb Space Telescope – space missions to watch in the coming months [View in browser]( US Edition | 28 January 2022 [The Conversation]( 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: - [Predicting Supreme Court rulings can be a crapshoot]( - [Understanding the link between fat cells and cancer]( - [How do hibernating squirrels stay healthy? It’s in their gut]( Daniel Merino Assistant Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast 2022 is set to be humanity’s busiest year in space. CSA Images via Getty Images [A lunar return, a Jupiter moon, the most powerful rocket ever built and the James Webb Space Telescope – space missions to watch in the coming months]( 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. Environment + Energy - [What is a bomb cyclone? An atmospheric scientist explains]( 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. - [Driverless cars won’t be good for the environment if they lead to more auto use]( 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. Politics + Society - [Don’t pay too much attention to guesses about how US Supreme Court will vote on abortion rights – experts are often wrong]( 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. Education - [5 tips to help preschoolers with special needs during the pandemic]( 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. Health + Medicine - [Omicron makes booster shots more critical for medically vulnerable seniors]( 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. - [New insights from biology can help overcome siloed thinking in cancer clinical trials and treatment]( Gerald Denis, Boston University Fat cells and cancer cells talk to each other. Specialists in both systems can do the same. Science + Technology - [A new treatment helped frogs regenerate their amputated legs – taking science one step closer to helping people regrow their body parts, too]( 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. - [Gut microbes help hibernating ground squirrels emerge strong and healthy in spring]( 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. Podcast 🎙️ - [China’s plans for Xinjiang, and what it means for the region’s persecuted Uyghurs]( 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. From our international editions - [The Wordle craze: Why do we love puzzles, and are they good for our brains?]( - [Meat and masculinity: why some men just can’t stomach plant-based food]( - [Taylor Swift v Damon Albarn: why the idea of the lone songwriter is outdated]( 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.]( Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( Enjoy reading The Conversation? Share us with your three closest friends: [Click here to share](mailto:Insert%20your%20friends%27%20emails?subject=Check%20out%20The%20Conversation&body=I%27ve%20been%20reading%20this%20fact-based%20news%20source,%20and%20definitely%20think%20you’d%20find%20it%20interesting%20as%20well.%20It%20has%20academic%20experts%20writing%20understandably%20about%20stories%20in%20the%20news,%20based%20on%20their%20research.%20I%20learn%20something%20new%20every%20time%20I%20read%20it.%0D%0DYou%20can%20check%20it%20out%20here:%20%0D About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](