Associated Press Health and Science Department
Coverage of Associated Press Health and Science Department in the Nexus archive.
- Private mission to rescue NASA's aging telescope runs into its own trouble
A private mission by Katalyst Space Technologies to rescue NASA's aging Swift telescope has encountered thruster problems, causing its Link satellite to spin uncontrollably and disrupt communications. NASA is funding the $30 million effort to prevent Swift from crashing to Earth this fall, with the mission still considered viable despite the setback.
- A large, harmless asteroid will zip past Earth this weekend
A large asteroid, 1997 NC1, will pass Earth this weekend at a safe distance of 1.6 million miles, posing no threat. It is approximately the size of two to four Empire State Buildings and will not return until 2133. NASA, ESA, and other agencies track asteroids to ensure Earth's safety.
- Scientists tickled monkeys to find if they have the same giggles as humans — and they do
Scientists tickled 13 captive apes and compared their laughter to that of four children, finding similar rhythmic patterns suggesting a shared evolutionary origin. The study, led by Chiara De Gregorio, indicates human and great ape laughter has followed similar rhythms for 15 million years, with human laughter evolving to become faster and more context-dependent.