Topic: Mars

Up to Half a Million People Want to Spend the Rest of Their Lives on Mars

Wikimedia / NASA

If you thought the Mars One mission (a.k.a. the one-way ticket to the Red Planet in the name of reality TV) sounded oddly appealing, you were hardly alone. Newly released numbers show that the contest has already garnered almost 80,000 applications.

By Philip Bump

Mar 12, 2013

It's a God Awful Small Affair, but There Could Have Been Life on Mars

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover drilled into a rock and found that it contained a clay-like material. That's the news. The implication is much larger: Mars may once have had an environment hospitable to life.

Comments | 3,793 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Feb 27, 2013

Stat of the Day

A Round Trip to Mars Takes 501 Days, Says Guy Who Wants to Send You There

That's according to the eccentric millionaire and space tourist Dennis Tito, who wants to send a man and a woman to travel around Mars and return to the Earth on a mission announced today that's aiming to take off by 2018.

Comments | 862 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 21, 2013

This Millionaire Space Tourist Is Trying to Beat NASA to Mars

The space races of yesteryear pitted international superpowers against each other. But these days, NASA's main competition in sending a man to Mars comes from a 72-year-old millionaire with a space travel hobby. 

Comments | 1,179 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Feb 11, 2013

Stat of the Day

71% Think Humans Will Land on Mars Within 20 Years

More than two-thirds of Americans think we'll land on Mars by 2033. Will we be able to pay for it?

Comments | 862 Views

By David Wagner

Jan 7, 2013

Today in Research

Earth's Forecast Looks Warm and Full of Volcano Eruptions

Discovered: Global warming could cause more lava flow; humans started popping pills ages ago; babies begin acquiring language in womb; Mars astronauts would be very sleepy.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By David Wagner

Jan 3, 2013

Today in Research

Introducing the Water-Logged Meteorite from Mars

Discovered: What a never-before-seen type of rock tells us about water on Mars; forecasting the flu based on weather; atoms get colder than absolute zero; you'll change more than you think.

Comments | 1,972 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Dec 4, 2012

Admit It: You're a Little Disappointed with NASA's New Rover Plan

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about NASA's plan to send yet another rover to land on the Red Planet in 2020. But don't kid yourself. You wish it were a human heading to Mars instead.

Comments | 1,915 Views

By David Wagner

Dec 3, 2012

Today's Best

Worms Learn Better Drunk; NASA's Organic Mars Mystery

Discovered: Alcoholic maggots learn just as well as sober ones; a new theory in athletic head injuries; city spiders getting fatter; Curiosity found something on its first trip across Mars.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Connor Simpson

Nov 27, 2012

NASA's Curiosity Rover Didn't Find 'One for the History Books' After All

Turns out, that employee from the Mars research team was just really excited about the mission — and not one specific, universe-altering discovery. 

Comments | 5,347 Views

By Connor Simpson

Nov 20, 2012

So, What Is NASA Curiosity's History-Changing Discovery?

The Mars rover has another discovery that might just change everything — but they aren't telling anyone what it is yet. Thanksgiving nerd speculation, of course, is go for launch.

Comments | 12,891 Views

By David Wagner

Nov 2, 2012

Today in Research

No Sign of Methane on Mars; Abstract Thought Melts Political Convictions

Discovered: Curiosity dispels theory of Martian methane; the flu could presage diabetes; political opinions can't outlive three questions; archaeologist says he's found Europe's oldest town.

Comments | 5,173 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Oct 30, 2012

Martian Soil Is a Lot Like Hawaiian Soil

You know how smug tourists like to talk about how climbing volcanoes in Hawaii is out of this world? Turns out they're sort of right.

Comments | 3,782 Views

By David Wagner

Oct 30, 2012

Today in Research

Smoking Bans Are a Boon for Heart Health; Boys More Likely to Abuse Cough Syrup

Discovered: Smoking bans get heart health results; boys lean more than girls; music illiterates don't get emotion either; Curiosity verifies volcanic soil on Mars.

Comments | 815 Views

By David Wagner

Oct 12, 2012

Today in Research

Curiosity Is Surprised by a Rock; Rejected Papers Come Back Stronger

Discovered: Martian rock has cousins on Earth; history of rejection brings increased attention to research; X-raying illuminated manuscripts; upsetting news affects men and women differently.

Comments | 2,033 Views

By David Wagner

Oct 11, 2012

Today in Research

How Cellphones Track Malaria in Kenya; Black Glass from Mars

Discovered: There's an app for keeping tabs on the spread of malaria; strange extracts from a Martian meteorite; tomatoes reduce stroke risk; stem cells fight deadly brain condition.

Comments | 1,034 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Oct 10, 2012

Mars Curiosity Discovers Evidence of Alien Life (Spoiler: It's Us)

America's favorite $2.5 billion interplanetary science project stopped in its tracks recently when it discovered a strange, bright, shiny object nestled in the Martian soil.

Comments | 7,516 Views

By David Wagner

Oct 5, 2012

Today in Research

Caltech Still the Best Research University; Is Coffee Making You Blind?

Discovered: Caltech tops research university ranking again; coffee's connection to glaucoma; Curiosity scoops Martian sand; methadone reduces needle transmission of HIV.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Connor Simpson

Oct 3, 2012

Tech Companies Love Space Maps

Mapping the planets of our solar system is usually best left to NASA, but don't tell that to Foursquare or Google. The two tech companies both have extra planets mapped.

Comments | 150 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Sep 12, 2012

How Mars Lost Its Atmosphere; Rainn Wilson Ruins Facebook

Every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the video clips that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention.

Comments | 2,492 Views

By David Wagner

Sep 11, 2012

Today in Research

A New Swine Flu; Rethinking a Once Wet Mars

Discovered: Evidence ancient Mars was dry; short kids depress moms; swine flu mutation; creating artificial memories in rat brain tissue is still a long way off from Total Recall.

Comments | 104 Views

By Connor Simpson

Sep 9, 2012

This Is the Clearest Photo of Mars Yet

The Curiosity rover was finally able to remove its dust cover so it could produce the best quality image we've seen so far of the landscape on Mars. 

Comments | 14,831 Views

By John Hudson

Aug 23, 2012

Watch: The Mars Rover Landing in Incredible Hi-Res

Landing on Mars isn't cool. You know what's cool? Landing on Mars in HD.

Comments | 1,982 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Aug 23, 2012

Mars Curiosity Rover Rolls 23 Feet, Scientists Breathe Easy

NASA was pleased to learn yesterday that the rover they spent considerable time and expense to drop on a completely different planet can, in fact, rove.

Comments | 634 Views

By David Wagner

Aug 21, 2012

Today in Research

Glowing Bugs Are Relatively New; The Genetics of Peer Pressure

Discovered: A gene that makes teens easily persuadable; the evolution of fireflies; NASA announces new Mars mission; the Mayans may have brought on their own demise.

Comments | 6,207 Views

By Connor Simpson

Aug 18, 2012

Better Curiosity Rover BFF: Nancy Sinatra or Britney Spears?

The Curiosity rover's Twitter account can be a little strange. This week she was girl-talking with Britney Spears and talking space travel with Nancy Sinatra. So, we have to ask, who makes the better friend for Curiosity?

Comments | 1,034 Views

By Serena Dai

Aug 16, 2012

Five Things We Learned From the Curiosity Rover Team's Reddit AMA

The Internet culture-friendly engineers and scientists at the Mars Curiosity Rover Mission took to Reddit today to do an AMA, or "ask me anything." Here are five things we learned.

Comments | 2,312 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Aug 15, 2012

India Wants in on the Mars Craze

The Curiosity rover has barely settled into its new home, but may be getting some company soon as India now says it wants to get into the Mars exploration business

Comments | 690 Views

By David Wagner

Aug 10, 2012

Today in Research

Bacteria in Drinking Water is Healthy; Quasicrystal Came From Space

Discovered: Mars exhibits signs of plate tectonics; the natural form of a recently developed substance came from space; bacteria makes drinking water healthier; circuits at your fingertips. 

Comments | 3,214 Views

By Connor Simpson

Aug 9, 2012

This Is Curiosity's Latest Masterpiece

The Curiosity rover has been snapping more pictures since arriving on Mars than a hipster at Lollapalooza, and this is its latest Instagram-worthy hit.

Comments | 4,320 Views

By Eric Randall

Aug 6, 2012

The Mars Rover Is a Terrible Rebuttal to 'You Didn't Build That'

NASA's 'Curiosity' Mars rover landed on the red planet Monday, and because pretty much everything is political until November, at least a few of President Obama's detractors have turned it into the least convincing rebuttal to his "You didn't build that" speech ever.

Comments | 2,192 Views

By Connor Simpson and Dashiell Bennett

Aug 5, 2012

NASA's 'Curiosity' Rover Lands on Mars Intact

The biggest machine we've ever sent to Mars will spend the next two years trying to prove that life once existed on the red planet. 

Comments | 7,907 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jul 31, 2012

Trimming the Times

Gay Marriage, Beach Volleyball, and Disney

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Jun 29, 2012

Today in Research

Life on Mars?; Spray-on Batteries

Discovered: Maybe, possibly, evidence of life on Mars, spray-on batteries, an extra second of time this weekend, and Britain cleaned up its city rivers.

Comments | 1,686 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Jun 21, 2012

Today in Research

There's a Lot of Water on Mars; New Planets Are Way Close

Discovered: Mars has tons of water, space's new planets are too close for comfort, elephant seals make good scientists, and fructose (sugar!) could be healthy, after all.

Comments | 3,621 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 23, 2012

Today in Research

Gynecologists Don't Talk About Sex Enough; Living Alone Is Depressing

Discovered: OB-GYNs aren't talking about sex enough, living alone is depressing, C-sections are too expensive, and there's a new type of land mass in town. 

Comments | 4,373 Views

By Ray Gustini

Feb 13, 2012

What the Tweet?

Salamanders, Ponytails, and Valentine's Day Drinking

After a long day spent staring at Twitter, we're sharing our favorite tweets that made no sense.

Comments | 1,747 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Feb 8, 2012

Today in Research

Mars's Ocean; Cake's OK for Breakfast

Discovered: Mars's ocean, it's OK to eat cake for breakfast, giving the middle finger is harder than it looks.

Comments | 2,179 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Jan 16, 2012

Russia Doesn't Know Where Its Probe Landed

We here at The Atlantic Wire were kind of eagerly anticipating learning where that falling Russian space probe would crash-land this week... only to be massively disappointed that the Russian space agency Roscosmos lost track of where it landed.

Comments | 2,929 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Jan 12, 2012

Today in Research

Red Wine Research Fraud; The Tiniest Frog in the World

Discovered: A red-wine research fraud, the world's smallest frog, what makes alcohol addictive, the Internet's mind-altering properties, a new Mars-like planet.  

Comments | 9,693 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Dec 16, 2011

Russia Is Not Winning the Space Race

Five decades after the start of the race to the Moon between Russia and the U.S. -- and five months after the American shuttle program was mothballed -- a Russian probe meant to go to Mars will crash land on Earth -- meaning America still has the edge in the Space Race.

Comments | 1,453 Views

By Ray Gustini

Nov 25, 2011

Meet Curiosity, NASA's New $2.5 Billion Mars Rover

In advance of tomorrow's planned launch, a look at what you need to know about NASA's most ambitious Mars project to date.

Comments | 7,068 Views

By Ray Gustini

Nov 8, 2011

What the Tweet?

Val Kilmer, Mitt Romney and Tintin's Catholic Heritage

After a day of staring at Twitter, we're sharing our favorite tweets that made no sense.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Uri Friedman

Aug 4, 2011

Scientists Think They've Found Saltwater on Mars

NASA has detected "dark, finger-like" streaks that change with the seasons

Comments | 7,991 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Jul 22, 2011

NASA's Heading to Mars to Look for Signs of Life

The intriguing announcement comes just 24-hours after the final shuttle landing

Comments | 1,809 Views

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