SMALL PRINT:NASA'S SHUTTLE Endeavourfinally blasted off this week, following delays due to technical issues. The shuttle, now on its final mission, is ferrying a crew of six astronauts up to the International Space Station (ISS).
But it wasn't just humans being catapulted into orbit – also on board were nematode C. elegansroundworms, a species much beloved of scientists because they are handy for studying.
These are not just any old C. elegansthough, they have a pedigree: they are descended from worms that were part of an experiment that flew on space shuttle Columbia'slast mission, which crashed in 2003.
Nearly 150 experiments are now in train on the ISS as it orbits Earth, and this mission will carry out several short-duration tests.
One looks at how microalgae pigments respond to space radiation – the pigments are similar to those found in the human eye, and the results will help inform future menus to help protect the eyes of astronauts.
And if all those experiments get too much, there’s also scope for play: “A Nasa educational payload will deliver several toy Lego kits that can be assembled to form satellites, space shuttles and a scale model of the space station itself to demonstrate scientific concepts,” states the press kit for the current mission.
There’s even an “Earth vs Space” chess match, with astronaut Gregory E Chamitoff (@Astro_Taz on Twitter) making the moves aboard the ISS.
At the time of its scheduled landing, Endeavourwill have travelled more than 100 million miles during 25 flights and spent more than 294 days in space, according to Nasa.
– CLAIRE O’CONNELL
Even ancient arteries had a hard time
WE THINK of heart disease as a modern ailment, but a new study suggests that an Egyptian princess who lived around 3,500 years ago had less-than-healthy arteries.
Princess Ahmose-Meryet-Amon lived in Thebes (Luxor) around 1550 BC, and she was one of more than 50 mummies to undergo whole body CT scan in the Horus study.
Of the 44 mummies with recognisable arteries, many showed signs of disease, according to a release from the European Society of Cardiology.
“Arterial calcification (as a marker of atherosclerosis) was evident at a variety of sites in almost half the mummies scanned, prompting the investigators to note that the condition was common in this group of middle aged or older ancient Egyptians,” it states.
Three of the mummies showed calcification in the coronary arteries, including Princess Ahmose-Meryet-Amon, who died in her 40s.
“Today, she would have needed by-pass surgery,” said Dr Gregory S Thomas from the University of California and co-principal investigator on the Horus study, much of which was carried out at the National Museum of Antiquities in Cairo.
“It was striking how much atherosclerosis we found. We think of it as a disease of modern lifestyle, but it’s clear it also existed 3,500 years ago. Our findings certainly call into question the perception of atherosclerosis as a modern disease.”
The researchers suggest ancient artery problems may have been influenced by genetic factors, inflammation from infections or access to rich foods. The results were presented at the International Conference of Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging in Amsterdam this week.
– CLAIREO’CONNELL