Free Republic

Tech billionaire Elon Musk warned of the possibility of World War III, saying a third global war could spark from either the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip or Russia's continuing assault on Ukraine. "We need to figure out peace in Ukraine, and I think we need to restore normal relations with Russia," Musk said Monday during a talk on his social media platform X. "World War III is a civilizational risk that we may not recover from," he said, "so we need to prioritize avoiding World War III; that's what actually matters. And not what happened...

Explanation: After arriving at Jezero Crater on Mars, Perseverance went for a spin on March 4. This sharp image from the car-sized rover's Navcam shows tracks left by its six wheels in the martian soil. In preparation for operations on the surface of the Red Planet, its first drive lasted about 33 minutes. On a short and successful test drive Perseverance moved forward 4 meters, made a 150 degree turn in place, backed up for 2.5 meters, and now occupies a different parking space at its newly christened Octavia E. Butler Landing location. Though the total travel distance of the...

Tests show that dormant herpes viruses reactivate in more than half the astronauts who travel on the Space Shuttle and International Space station, according to new NASA research - a phenomenon the space agency says could pose problems for deep space missions. ..."In keeping with this, we find that astronaut's immune cells - particularly those that normally suppress and eliminate viruses - become less effective during spaceflight and sometimes for up to 60 days after."

"NASA astronauts endure weeks or even months exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation—not to mention the extreme G forces of take-off and re-entry," says senior author Dr. Satish K. Mehta of KBR Wyle at the Johnson Space Center. "This physical challenge is compounded by more familiar stressors like social separation, confinement and an altered sleep-wake cycle." "During spaceflight there is a rise in secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which are known to suppress the immune system. In keeping with this, we find that astronaut's immune cells—particularly those that normally suppress and eliminate viruses—become less effective during spaceflight...

Last year, scientists proposed nearly 50 locations on Mars as possible places for future human landings. Those landing-zone sites contain "regions of interest" that can be reached from primary touchdown spots. Good touchdown sites will allow crews to land safely and carry out operations; offer a wealth of interesting science activities; and provide resources that the astronauts could use. For example, any favored exploration zone should allow expeditionary crews to tap into at least 100 metric tons (110 U.S. tons) of water, NASA officials have said. With its suite of instruments and cameras — particularly the sharp-shooting High Resolution Imaging...

His name has never appeared on a ballot — only a movie marquee — but already, people are whispering about President Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oh, no, you're saying — that can't be. For starters, he hasn't even run for California governor yet. First things first. And then there's the little matter of the Constitution, which prohibits any but native-born Americans from being president or vice president. Not to worry — or do worry, depending on your politics. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch has introduced a constitutional amendment to allow the foreign-born who have been naturalized citizens for at least 20 years to...