Holiday Season's Hottest Toys

NASA collected Mars rocks to haul to Earth. It still hasn’t decided how. The Washington PostNASA is fighting to return samples from Mars. Here are the two ways they might do it in the 2030s CNNNASA to Explore Two Landing Options for Returning Samples from Mars NASANASA Will Let Trump Decide How to Bring Mars Rocks to Earth The New York Times

For all of his dystopian rhetoric, by many traditional metrics, the America that Trump will inherit from Biden is actually in better shape than that bequeathed to any newly elected president since Bush came into office in 2001. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/05/u — Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt.bsky.social) 2025-01-05T15:08:03.902Z Why not three months ago? Oh, I think we know. Open thread below read more

“Kiss and Capture:” The Icy Collision That Bound Pluto and Charon Forever SciTechDailyHow Pluto captured its largest moon Charon with a 10-hour icy 'kiss' Space.comNewly discovered 'kiss and capture' mechanism explains the formation of Pluto and its largest moon University of Arizona News‘Kiss and capture’: scientists offer new theory on how Pluto got its largest moon The GuardianImage of the week: Pluto and Charon's fascinating embrace Le Monde

India confirms first HMPV cases amid surge in China The HillWhat you need to know about HMPV as China sees rise in cases ABC News“HMPV not a threat”: Health experts urge as 7 HMPV virus cases reported in India in 2 days The Times of IndiaHMPV: What to know about China's human metapneumovirus cases BBC.comCDC monitoring possible spike of HMPV cases in China Fox News

Sunken worlds under the Pacific? High-res models reveal workings of Earth's mantle Phys.orgA World Submerged Beneath the Pacific: Geologists Discover Enigmatic Ancient Tectonic Plates Where They Shouldn’t Be LBV Magazine

Pittsburgh reactions to US Surgeon General’s call for cancer warnings on alcohol 90.5 WESAOpinion | There’s More to Wine Than Just a Cancer Warning The New York TimesColorado doctors, liquor store owners react to surgeon general's alcohol advisory Denver 7 Colorado NewsHow drinking alcohol can affect your health The Associated PressIs alcohol linked to cancer?