Meet the robot that can explore caves on other planets

These twisting, subterranean caverns can be home to secrets and tall tales, and lead to pirate treasure or a vampire lair — if you’ve seen 1980s movies like The Goonies or The Lost Boys.

In fact, caves sheltered our ancestors who left examples of art and stories along the shadowy walls. But the first people were not alone in these settlements. Various microorganisms live in caves in different parts of the world.

Many of these hidden, natural networks and the wonders within remain unexplored because they are dangerous and sometimes inaccessible.

Technological advances can help scientists explore these subterranean coping systems and tackle challenges beyond. In our quest to search for life beyond Earth, extraterrestrial caves may hold just the evidence we hope to find.

other worlds

An artist's concept shows ReachBot exploring a Martian cave.

A robot called ReachBot could be the first explorer to crawl into Martian caves in search of microbes.

ReachBot is a concept for a multi-toaster oven-sized machine extendable arms that can help him crawl through treacherous Martian caves Spiderman swings in the city.

The bot will connect to a surface rover that can provide power, analyze cave samples and transmit photos back to Earth.

The ReachBot team received funding to build and test a prototype in caves on Earth similar to those found on Mars.

Meanwhile, China has the Tianwen-1 probe shared the images he spent over a year photographing the red planet.

secrets of the ocean

Mesoamerican reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world A superhighway for sharks, turtles and rays that live in the Caribbean Sea.

Stretching more than 600 miles (965.6 kilometers) from Mexico to Honduras, the reef provides food and a rich habitat for marine life. However, the endangered species that use this reef to travel north and south can swim directly into danger and become victims of illegal fishing practices.

Now, sharks using this route have unlikely new allies in local communities along the reef – fishermen determined to protect the vital ecosystem.

Meanwhile, researchers recently encountered a different threat to great white sharks off the coast of South Africa: a pair of orcas killing a shark.

We are family

These are four different australopithecine skulls found in the Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa.

Fossils of early human ancestors found in South Africa’s Sterkfontein Caves are 1 million years older than previously thought.

The fossils originally belonged to the genus Australopithecus, an ancient hominin believed to have lived 2-2.6 million years ago. Researchers now believe these ancient ancestors were around 3.4 million to 3.6 million years ago.

This is new history cave fossils older than the famous Lucy fossil, A member of the species Australopithecus afarensis found in Ethiopia and lived 3.2 million years ago.

Originally, the Australopithecus from South Africa was thought to have evolved from those living in East Africa. Lucy — but recent dates undermine this theory. Now researchers hope to discover the oldest common ancestor of these two ancient populations.

Across the universe

Soon we will be able to see the universe in a whole new way.

On July 12, astronomers will share the first high-resolution, full-color images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. One of them is ” the deepest picture of our universe ever taken“, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

The images are expected to reveal how galaxies interact and grow, the violent life cycles of stars, and even a colorful look at the spectrum of an exoplanet, or how wavelengths of light reveal the properties of other worlds.

fantastic creatures

Pandas have six digits that help them grip bamboo.

Giant pandas have a taste for bamboo, but that wasn’t always the case. The ancestors of rare bears had a more varied diet, including even meat.

If you’ve ever looked closely at a panda’s paw, you’ll notice that it has an extra toe. analysis of ‘False thumb’ of fossilized panda ancestor from 6 million years agoAccording to a new study found in China’s Yunnan province, it has pinpointed when this bamboo selection began.

Pandas have evolved digits to help them cling to the woody stems of plants.

The fossil also revealed the secret of the thumb that evolved for giant pandas.

Discoveries

You should see these:

— A a carnivorous plant that catches underground creatures Found in Borneo. It is the first pitcher plant known to go underground in search of prey.

— Miners searched for gold in the Klondike region of Canada Mummified baby woolly mammoth found ‘close to perfect’ It died more than 30,000 years ago.

— NASA orbiter detected A surprising new double crater on the moon. The gap was created when a mysterious rocket landed on the surface of the Moon on March 4.

As you read? Oh, but there’s more. register here To get the next edition of Wonder Theory in your inbox, brought to you by a CNN Space and Science writer Ashley StricklandFinding wonder on planets beyond our solar system and making discoveries from the ancient world.