Dealing with your annoying co-worker − in space

+ exercise remodels your heart US Edition - Today's top story: I've been studying astronaut psychology since Apollo − a long voyage to Mars in a confined space could raise stress levels and make the journey more challenging [View in browser]( US Edition | 21 February 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( For astronauts aboard the International Space Station, spending time away from their loved ones in a small space with the same group of people can get stressful. But the issues astronauts orbiting the Earth face pale in comparison to the stressors future astronauts flying to Mars will have to tackle. Mars is much farther away than the ISS or even the Moon, and as space psychologist Nick Kanas from the University of California, San Francisco explains, that distance [introduces new challenges]( that have nothing to do with spacecraft technology. Astronauts on a Mars mission will face communication delays with Mission Control back on Earth − they’ll need to be much more autonomous and sometimes deal with technical and personal problems without any backup. As Kanas describes, these mental and interpersonal pressures likely won’t have an easy fix, but there are ways scientists can simulate Mars mission conditions on Earth to study astronaut psychology and predict future issues. Also in this week’s science news: - [Murderous mice are taking bites out of albatrosses]( - [Who benefits from carbon offsets in Appalachia?]( - [Cult of the drone left a mark on Ukraine, without benefit]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Mary Magnuson Assistant Science Editor Crew members in space will spend lots of time together during future missions to Mars. NASA via AP [I’ve been studying astronaut psychology since Apollo − a long voyage to Mars in a confined space could raise stress levels and make the journey more challenging]( Nick Kanas, University of California, San Francisco Can astronauts spend prolonged time in close quarters millions of miles from Earth without killing each other? Their ‘island naïveté’ means these seabirds are easy pickings when mice attack. USFWS - Pacific Region/Flickr [Murderous mice attack and kill nesting albatrosses on Midway Atoll − scientists struggle to stop this gruesome new behavior]( Wieteke Holthuijzen, University of Tennessee On a small, remote island in the Pacific Ocean, an unlikely predator feasts on the world’s largest albatross colony. Researchers are trying to figure out how to stop these murderous mice. 3D printing can be used to build with all kinds of materials – even those that go ‘boom.’ kynny/iStock via Getty Images [3D printing promises more efficient ways to make custom explosives and rocket propellants]( Monique McClain, Purdue University ‘Energetic’ materials are ones that readily ignite or detonate. The shapes of those materials have a big effect on how they burn or blow up. [Your heart changes in size and shape with exercise – this can lead to heart problems for some athletes and gym rats]( William Cornwell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus People who regularly engage in significant amounts of exercise, as endurance athletes do, may develop enlarged hearts. While athletic heart is adapted for performance, it can be cause for concern. [Nearly 2 million Americans are using kratom yearly, but it is banned in multiple states: A pharmacologist explains the controversy]( C. Michael White, University of Connecticut Long-term use of kratom may actually reduce pain tolerance and cause physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms. [Is Russia looking to put nukes in space? Doing so would undermine global stability and ignite an anti-satellite arms race]( Spenser A. Warren, University of California, San Diego Russia isn’t likely to put nuclear missiles in space, but their reported anti-satellite weapon is just as alarming. An expert on nuclear strategy explains. [‘It is hijacking my brain’ – a team of experts found ways to help young people addicted to social media to cut the craving]( Annie Margaret, University of Colorado Boulder; Nicholas Hunkins, University of Colorado Boulder You can free yourself from some of the time you spend online in as little as four weeks. - [Bringing AI up to speed – autonomous auto racing promises safer driverless cars on the road]( Madhur Behl, University of Virginia Artificial intelligence systems that can handle the pressure of high-speed auto racing could lead to driverless vehicles that can safely manage the morning commute. - [Cult of the drone: At the two-year mark, UAVs have changed the face of war in Ukraine – but not outcomes]( Paul Lushenko, US Army War College Drones have dominated images of the war in Ukraine, but an expert on drone warfare casts doubt on many of the grand claims made for the weapons. - [Bacteria in your gut can improve your mood − new research in mice tries to zero in on the crucial strains]( Andrea Merchak, University of Florida The organisms living in your gut microbiome can influence your mental and physical health. Researchers have developed a way to better test for those biological effects. - [Nitazenes are a powerful class of street drugs emerging across the US]( Christopher P. Holstege, University of Virginia An overdose death in Boulder County, Colorado, was linked to a powerful new formulation of a designer drug never approved for use in humans. - [Forest Service warns of budget cuts ahead of a risky wildfire season – what that means for safety]( - [Gold, silver and lithium mining on federal land doesn’t bring in any royalties to the US Treasury – because of an 1872 law]( - [Why does a leap year have 366 days?]( - [Carbon offsets bring new investment to Appalachia’s coal fields, but most Appalachians aren’t benefiting]( - Like this newsletter? 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