Historic Artemis II is set to launch around 6:30 P.M. EDT ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
April 1, 2026—Things are looking good for launch this evening of a mission to the moon. Plus, Alaskan permafrost is melting fast and scientists may have figured out why we have chins. —Andrea Gawrylewski
Chief Newsletter Editor | | Amanda Montañez; Source: NASA (reference) | | - Eat more plant-based protein, not more meat, according to guidelines just released by the leading U.S. heart health organization. | 3 min read
- A Wisconsin-sized region of frozen soil in Alaska is thawing fast, releasing three trillion more gallons of water per year than it did just four decades ago. | 2 min read
- Humans are the only species that has chins. Scientists may have finally solved the puzzle of why it evolved. | 14 min listen
- Scientists have devised a bold plan to pulverize incoming asteroids that threaten Earth. | 5 min read
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How's your mental math? According to a few recent studies, how you solve math problems in your head can be an indicator of future abstract problem-solving success. Researchers asked 213 Midwestern high school students to do three arithmetic problems, and observed whether they used the classic algorithm taught in school, which is to add each column of digits together and carry digits over to the next column, or to make mental "shortcuts," like in the ones below. They found that female students were much more likely to do it by the book, rather than take a shortcut. The gender gap: Those who used a shortcut were much more likely to get harder math questions right, but female students were less likely to use a shortcut than males. Because the classic algorithm is still a popular teaching method in schools, a desire to please teachers—a trait that the study shows heavily skews female—could be the reason girls stick to it. It works during school, but there's evidence that it can hold students back when they try unfamiliar math problems. What the experts say: "What I find exciting is that [the paper] points to potentially malleable mechanisms—not just 'girls do X, boys do Y' but why those differences might emerge," says education researcher Joseph Cimpian of New York University, who was not involved in either study. "The issue may be not ability but rather the interaction of instruction, classroom norms, anxiety and what students believe is expected of them." —Emma Gometz, newsletter editor | | - This research psychologist makes music with his brain implant. | WIRED
- An incredible set of interactive graphics shows the history and (convoluted) evolution of women's clothing sizes. | The Pudding
- A writer tries out a $1,119 red-light therapy mat. | The New York Times
| | Scientific American staffers are closely watching the lead-up and (hopefully) successful launch of Artemis II today. If all goes well, this will be the first time that humans will have left Earth's orbit in more than 50 years. Plus, they'll be hitting some exciting milestones: They'll be gathering data on the far side of the moon; and they will hopefully fly farther in space than any human has boldly gone before. If you'd like to receive breaking news alerts about this mission over the next 10 days, I urge you to sign up for our space and physics newsletter, written by editor Lee Billings, who will be burning the midnight oil starting tonight. | | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor
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