#01

The bottom of the sea is a mysterious place but has been made less so by the pioneering work of Marie Tharp who would have turned 100 last month. As an employee of the Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory in the 1950s, Tharp was given reams of seafloor depth measurements and the task of figuring out how to meaningfully represent the data. She meticulously drew one of a kind maps that showed the depth and character of the seafloor in more detail than ever before. And the results are gorgeous. Learn about Tharp's legacy through an immersive story map put together by Columbia University. If you like maps, this one is for you!

The seafloor is becoming ever less opaque today due to the constant march of new technologies and methods ranging from miniaturized submarines to fully autonomous sampling systems. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute with more on what they 'sea' ahead for the future of oceanic exploration. 

#02

While the Mars rover Perseverance got all the attention over the last couple weeks after a successful launch and recovery from a minor safe-mode fault, Curiosity has been hard at work on the Red Planet.  The rover is in the middle of drilling a hole in a rock target named after Mary Anning, another under-appreciated female scientist. The English fossil collector is credited with the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton and the first two nearly complete plesiosaur skeletons among other things. She is also reportedly the inspiration for the "she sells seashells by the seashore" tongue twister. Although there are no expectations Curiosity will identify a dinosaur skeleton on Mars, now would be a perfect time!

#03

Doug and Bob are back! The astronauts returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule they rode to orbit back in May. Kudos to the team at SpaceX for now not only being the first private company to launch people into space, but also the first to return them home safely!

SpaceX also made news this week for a successful test flight of their next-generation Starship super rocket. The flight was only a short hop about a minute long with 150ft of altitude, and I can't tell if the engine fire was planned or not, but progress is progress!

#04

"In a place where concrete bridges are unlikely to survive even a few decades because of earthquakes, landslides and floods, these bridges grow stronger, more robust and resilient with age. They do not require revenue to build, only time." In a remote corner of rainforest in India, modern materials don't hold up well, but trees do. Explore the place where the bridges are literally grown and woven together from tree roots over decades. "No, it did not feel like crossing a concrete bridge. No, it did not feel like climbing a tree. Instead, it felt like a fairy tale come to life. And perhaps, in a way, that's what it is."

#05

"Twenty-five years after gray wolves returned to Yellowstone National Park, the predators that some feared would wipe out elk have instead proved to be more of a stabilizing force. New research shows that by reducing populations and thinning out weak and sick animals, wolves are helping create more resilient elk herds." The last Yellowstone wolf pack was killed off in 1926, which along with diminished numbers of bears and lions, led to large and unstable populations of elk in the park. Only with the reintroduction of wolves in the 1990s have numbers stabilized. New plans are now under consideration to reintroduce wolves into other states including a ballot measure in Colorado this year. There are still more questions than answers, "But one takeaway from Yellowstone is clear, Lambert [an environmental studies professor] says: Wolves will certainly eat some of Colorado’s abundant elk. If wolves are reintroduced, she expects the state’s herds will be 'leaner, meaner, and healthier.'"

#06

Astronomy was an adventure sport for the first part of the 20th century. Astronomers rode mules for days to travel to remote viewing sites, and then would stay up all night operating the telescopes in freezing conditions without climate control. Since then telescopes have only gotten more remote (luckily transportation has improved!). And now, astronomers have pinpointed the best spot on earth for a telescope, a high plateau in a desolate region of Antarctica. Bring your hats and gloves folks!

#07

Have you ever wondered what it might look like if birds left tracks in the air the same way that foxes do in the snow? If so, here's some photography from artist Xavi Bou that you have to check out.

The Bookshelf

We're a big fan of email newsletters here at Explore & Observe central. So instead of the usual book recommendation, take a look at some other newsletters I've really been enjoying lately:

Future Crunch provided some of the original inspiration to start Explore & Observe over a year ago now. It's packed full of "good news from around the world, incredible scientific breakthroughs, and our favorite stories from the best parts of the internet."

P.S. You Should Know is not about the news per se, but it does feature an array of subjects intended for those curious about the world and how it works. Just the last issue covered augmented reality, a scientist's DIY coronavirus experiment (don't try this at home!), and creative use of alleys in big cities. This one gets me thinking outside my bubble every week!

My fitness routine got real messed up by the pandemic, so I'm glad I found TheWorkout.Today to help get back on track. By signing up, you get short at-home workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, along with some encouraging writing from the authors. I'm thankful to Peter and Keeley for getting me out of a rut and introducing me to some new exercises.

Did you enjoy this newsletter?  Forward it to a friend and ask them to subscribe! I also welcome any feedback or suggestions.

This newsletter was produced as a private venture and not in the author's capacity as an employee of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology or of Griffith Observatory. Any views and opinions expressed herein or on exploreandobserve.com are his own and not those of his employers.

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