Searching for planets like Earth, but bigger + viruses keep watch

+ the US as a developing country US Edition - Today's top story: Super-Earths are bigger, more common and more habitable than Earth itself – and astronomers are discovering more of the billions they think are out there [View in browser]( US Edition | 25 September 2022 [The Conversation]( Two weeks ago, Ukrainian forces pulled off a major counteroffensive against the larger Russian army. One of our most-read stories last week explains some of the military strategy Ukraine used to regain 2,000 square miles of land. One tactic: adapting the age-old use of deception to the modern information age. Benjamin Jensen of American University explains that the Ukrainian’s strategy served a pressing political need by stopping the conduct of staged referendums on support for Russia in the Kharkiv region – although the voting went ahead in other parts of the country on Friday. Jensen concludes, [“Moscow can still opt for a large-scale mobilization and continue the war]( until either Russian elites or its citizens turn on Putin and his inner circle.” Have you ever wondered why most airplanes still run on jet fuel, and not electric power? Aerospace engineer Gökçin Çınar, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, answered our questions about [how hybrid electric airplanes work]( and how soon we might be able to fly with less concern about the environmental costs. Next week, we’ll bring you stories about how religion is shaping the Brazilian presidential election, why so many Nobel Prize winners are polymaths and the use of deep brain stimulation for treatment of OCD. Thanks for reading – and if you haven’t tried [our news quiz]( yet, it’s good fun. I got 7/8 right this week. Can you do better? Also, we are providing five of our most-read articles in an e-book format. [Click here to try it.]( Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks Astronomers think the most likely place to find life in the galaxy is on super-Earths, like Kepler-69c, seen in this artist’s rendering. NASA Ames/JPL-CalTech [Super-Earths are bigger, more common and more habitable than Earth itself – and astronomers are discovering more of the billions they think are out there]( Chris Impey, University of Arizona Newly discovered super-Earths add to the list of planets around other stars that offer the best chance of finding life. An astronomer explains what makes these super-Earths such excellent candidates. - [US is becoming a ‘developing country’ on global rankings that measure democracy, inequality]( Kathleen Frydl, Johns Hopkins University The United States came in 41st worldwide on the UN’s 2022 sustainable development index, down nine spots from last year. A political historian explains the country’s dismal scores. - [Mars is littered with 15,694 pounds of human trash from 50 years of robotic exploration]( Cagri Kilic, West Virginia University Discarded pieces of landing gear, crashed spacecraft and wear and tear have produced a lot of debris that is now scattered around the Martian surface. - [Viruses may be ‘watching’ you – some microbes lie in wait until their hosts unknowingly give them the signal to start multiplying and kill them]( Ivan Erill, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, can lie dormant within chromosomes until they’re triggered to replicate and burst out of their hosts. - [Ukraine’s rapid advance against Russia shows mastery of 3 essential skills for success in modern warfare]( Benjamin Jensen, American University School of International Service A military strategist breaks down how a smaller Ukrainian army has successfully taken back swaths of land from the Russians in the country’s northeast. Editors' picks Small planes are easier to electrify, but larger ones aren’t far behind. Chalabala/istock via Getty Images [Electric planes are coming: Short-hop regional flights could be running on batteries in a few years]( Gökçin Çınar, University of Michigan Air Canada and United Airlines both have orders for hybrid electric 30-seaters. An aerospace engineer explains where electrification, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels are headed. - [Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott pull from segregationists’ playbook with their anti-immigration stunts]( Greta de Jong, University of Nevada, Reno In the civil rights era, ‘Reverse Freedom Rides’ were more than just a political stunt. They were part of a systematic effort to deprive Black Americans of their livelihoods and force them out. - [Puerto Rico’s vulnerability to hurricanes is magnified by weak government and bureaucratic roadblocks]( Carlos A. Suárez Carrasquillo, University of Florida; Fernando Tormos-Aponte, University of Pittsburgh Hurricane Fiona will set back efforts to restore Puerto Rico that date back five years to Hurricane Maria. Two scholars explain how the island’s weak institutions worsen the impacts of disasters. - [Looking back on America’s summer of heat, floods and climate change: Welcome to the new abnormal]( Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton Millions of people around the world suffered through long-lasting heat waves and deadly flash flooding in the summer of 2022. A climate scientist explains the rising risks. - [New study seeks to explain the ‘Mandela Effect’ – the bizarre phenomenon of shared false memories]( Deepasri Prasad, Dartmouth College; Wilma Bainbridge, University of Chicago People are puzzled when they learn they share the same false memories with others. That’s partly because they assume that what they remember and forget ought to be based only on personal experience. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Quizmaster, The Conversation This week: questions on Medicaid, electric-powered planes and Mars trash. --------------------------------------------------------------- Download the new e-book edition We are providing a magazine version of five stories in this newsletter to read on a tablet, e-reader or on paper. [Try it out]( and reply to this email to tell us what you think. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( 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. 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