A Crew of Worms on the ISS Aims to Help Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Space Travel
Shortly after four astronauts returned from their trip around the Moon, a crew of tiny space travelers were already on the move. Scientists sent microscopic worms to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the same broader effort to extend human presence deeper into space.
The space-faring worms arrived at the space station on Monday aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft. The uncrewed spacecraft delivered about 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms) of science equipment and supplies to the ISS, including a miniature space laboratory with the wriggly inhabitants inside.
The scientists behind the experiment are hoping these small creatures will help better inform them on human health during long duration space travel.
Space worms
The experiment, led by the University of Exeter in England, is designed to study how living organisms respond to the harsh space environment. “It might sound surprising, but these tiny worms could play a big role in the future of human spaceflight,” U.K. Space Minister Liz Lloyd said in a statement.
The worms are called C. elegans nematode worms, a tiny roundworm that measures around 1 millimeter in length. Because of its transparent body, researchers can watch its cells develop under a microscope. The roundworm is also fast-growing and genetically tractable, making it an ideal candidate for biological research.
The worms are placed inside a miniature lab called the Petri Pod. The self-contained experiment is housed in a unit that measures approximately 4 x 11 inches (10 x 30 centimeters) and weighs around 6 pounds (3 kilograms).
The Petri Pod provides a miniaturized life support system. Credit: University of Exeter
The unit has 12 chambers, four of which can be actively imaged using fluorescent and white light. Each chamber provides a miniaturized life support environment for the worms, maintaining temperature, pressure and a trapped volume of air for them to breathe when exposed to the vacuum of space. They will also receive a supply of food through an agar carrier.
Miniature mission
The worms will spend some time inside the space station before being mounted on the outside of the ISS. From there, the small creatures will spend around 15 weeks inside their miniaturized environment while being exposed to zero-gravity and radiation of outer space.
Throughout that time, the researchers will monitor the worms’ health, using miniaturized cameras to capture stills and time-lapse videos. The experiment will collect data on temperature, pressure, and accumulated dose of radiation experienced by the worms, and send the data back to Earth.
“NASA’s Artemis programme marks a new era of human exploration, with astronauts set to live and work on the Moon for extended periods for the first time. To do that safely, we need to understand how the body responds to the extreme conditions of deep space,” Tim Etheridge, a researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School, said in a statement. “By studying how these worms survive and adapt in space, we can begin to identify the biological mechanisms that will ultimately help protect astronauts during long-duration missions – and bring us one step closer to humans living on the Moon.”
Shortly after four astronauts returned from their trip around the Moon, a crew of tiny space travelers were already on the move. Scientists sent microscopic worms to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the same broader effort to extend human presence deeper into space.
The space-faring worms arrived at the space station on Monday aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft. The uncrewed spacecraft delivered about 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms) of science equipment and supplies to the ISS, including a miniature space laboratory with the wriggly inhabitants inside.
The scientists behind the experiment are hoping these small creatures will help better inform them on human health during long duration space travel.
Space worms
The experiment, led by the University of Exeter in England, is designed to study how living organisms respond to the harsh space environment. “It might sound surprising, but these tiny worms could play a big role in the future of human spaceflight,” U.K. Space Minister Liz Lloyd said in a statement.
The worms are called C. elegans nematode worms, a tiny roundworm that measures around 1 millimeter in length. Because of its transparent body, researchers can watch its cells develop under a microscope. The roundworm is also fast-growing and genetically tractable, making it an ideal candidate for biological research.
The worms are placed inside a miniature lab called the Petri Pod. The self-contained experiment is housed in a unit that measures approximately 4 x 11 inches (10 x 30 centimeters) and weighs around 6 pounds (3 kilograms).
The Petri Pod provides a miniaturized life support system. Credit: University of Exeter
The unit has 12 chambers, four of which can be actively imaged using fluorescent and white light. Each chamber provides a miniaturized life support environment for the worms, maintaining temperature, pressure and a trapped volume of air for them to breathe when exposed to the vacuum of space. They will also receive a supply of food through an agar carrier.
Miniature mission
The worms will spend some time inside the space station before being mounted on the outside of the ISS. From there, the small creatures will spend around 15 weeks inside their miniaturized environment while being exposed to zero-gravity and radiation of outer space.
Throughout that time, the researchers will monitor the worms’ health, using miniaturized cameras to capture stills and time-lapse videos. The experiment will collect data on temperature, pressure, and accumulated dose of radiation experienced by the worms, and send the data back to Earth.
“NASA’s Artemis programme marks a new era of human exploration, with astronauts set to live and work on the Moon for extended periods for the first time. To do that safely, we need to understand how the body responds to the extreme conditions of deep space,” Tim Etheridge, a researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School, said in a statement. “By studying how these worms survive and adapt in space, we can begin to identify the biological mechanisms that will ultimately help protect astronauts during long-duration missions – and bring us one step closer to humans living on the Moon.”
This time, instead of perpetually furious dad Kratos, players will take control of Faye / Laufey, as the title implies. That means that while the tone of the game seems somewhat similar to past God of War titles, the gameplay looks quite different, with much more aerobatic action punctuated by magic instead of Kratos’ heavy violence. Also, there’s a giant, six-legged cat that can fly. And a talking gelatinous cube named Phranque that fights alongside you.
You can get a good look at the game in action with this lengthy 20-minute reveal video:
The new game is a shift for blockbuster video games, which for years have focused on stories about dads. With Faye’s starring role, it seems like moms are finally getting their due.
This time, instead of perpetually furious dad Kratos, players will take control of Faye / Laufey, as the title implies. That means that while the tone of the game seems somewhat similar to past God of War titles, the gameplay looks quite different, with much more aerobatic action punctuated by magic instead of Kratos’ heavy violence. Also, there’s a giant, six-legged cat that can fly. And a talking gelatinous cube named Phranque that fights alongside you.
You can get a good look at the game in action with this lengthy 20-minute reveal video:
The new game is a shift for blockbuster video games, which for years have focused on stories about dads. With Faye’s starring role, it seems like moms are finally getting their due.
#God #War #Laufey #coming #PS5Entertainment,Gaming">God of War Laufey is coming to the PS5
Sony ended its big State of Play showcase with a major reveal: the next God of War. The new title is called God of War Laufey, and is once again developed by Sony’s Santa Monica Studio. Currently, the game doesn’t have a date, but it’s coming to the PS5 whenever it does launch.
This time, instead of perpetually furious dad Kratos, players will take control of Faye / Laufey, as the title implies. That means that while the tone of the game seems somewhat similar to past God of War titles, the gameplay looks quite different, with much more aerobatic action punctuated by magic instead of Kratos’ heavy violence. Also, there’s a giant, six-legged cat that can fly. And a talking gelatinous cube named Phranque that fights alongside you.
You can get a good look at the game in action with this lengthy 20-minute reveal video:
The new game is a shift for blockbuster video games, which for years have focused on stories about dads. With Faye’s starring role, it seems like moms are finally getting their due.
In February, the company announced Uber Autonomous Solutions, a new business division that conveys its bigger ambitions around driverless tech. The division provides companies with a suite of services that handle all the tasks associated with operating a robotaxi, self-driving truck, or sidewalk delivery robot business, including software and support services.
And Uber clearly means to make AVs a major revenue driver. The company plans to offer robotaxi rides through its app in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of the year and has said it intends to be the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world by 2029.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
In February, the company announced Uber Autonomous Solutions, a new business division that conveys its bigger ambitions around driverless tech. The division provides companies with a suite of services that handle all the tasks associated with operating a robotaxi, self-driving truck, or sidewalk delivery robot business, including software and support services.
And Uber clearly means to make AVs a major revenue driver. The company plans to offer robotaxi rides through its app in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of the year and has said it intends to be the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world by 2029.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
#Squishmallows #dentures #Heart #Hot #Dads #bag #Uber #thousands #items #left #robotaxis #TechCrunchautonomous vehicles,avride,Motional,Uber,Waymo">Squishmallows, dentures, and an ‘I Heart Hot Dads’ bag: Uber has found thousands of items left in robotaxis | TechCrunch
For the past 10 years, Uber’s annual Lost & Found Index has provided a rather quirky anthropological snapshot of its riders — and even a few insights into society. The annual catalogue of millions of forgotten items ranges from mundane modern-day tools such as smartphones and laptops, to more eyebrow-raising objects like live fish, an ankle monitor, a toboggan, a package of live butterflies, and a single Louboutin shoe.
This year, Uber is using the report to highlight the same old problem of lost items with a new twist: robotaxis. Thousands of items (it’s a bit too new for millions) were left behind in robotaxis on Uber’s ride-hailing network in the past year, the company said Tuesday. There were the usual suspects of phones, keys, wallets, passports, and headphones, along with a few items that strayed into the who-is-this-rider category: a set of dentures, an “I Heart Hot Dads” bag, and a blue hat that reads “Emotional Support Human.”
Beyond this entertaining list lies a business opportunity, if a minor one. Even in a future of robot taxis, someone still has to return the things passengers leave behind.
Uber has spent the past several years locking up dozens of partnerships with autonomous vehicle (AV) technology companies. But it really wasn’t until March 2025, when the “Waymo on Uber” robotaxi service launched in Austin, that the commercial wheels on its AV business started turning. Since then, Uber and Waymo have also started a robotaxi service in Atlanta. Uber has added other AV companies to its app in the past year, including Motional in Las Vegas and Avride in Dallas, although these still have human safety operators behind the wheel.
That Uber has already logged thousands of lost items in just 12 months gives some sense of just how many robotaxi rides have been completed on its app. The underlying message here is that Uber’s existing network is already set up to reunite riders with their lost items, including a 15-pound yo-yo, one large black marble duck, a Squishmallow, and a Charli XCX poster.
When an Uber rider forgets belongings in a robotaxi, the process for recovering them is similar to any other Uber ride: open the app, click the activity tab, select the trip during which the item was lost, and contact customer support. Riders are then able to message, chat, or call a support agent. If the item is located, they have two options: pay $15 for an Uber Courier driver to provide same-day local delivery, or pick up the belonging in person from an AV depot, where the vehicles are stored and serviced.
Uber Courier is a rebrand of Uber Connect, which launched in 2020 and allowed users to send packages and personal items between local addresses. But Uber says there is more to its robotaxi support network than repurposing existing services.
“With tens of millions of lost items reported on Uber each year, we’ve spent the last decade building systems that help riders quickly and seamlessly reunite with their belongings,” Amy Satrom, global head of autonomous support at Uber, said in a statement. “As autonomous rides continue to scale on Uber, we’re bringing that same expertise to AVs — combining our fleet operations, support teams, and hybrid network to make getting a lost item back simple, even when there’s no driver behind the wheel.”
In February, the company announced Uber Autonomous Solutions, a new business division that conveys its bigger ambitions around driverless tech. The division provides companies with a suite of services that handle all the tasks associated with operating a robotaxi, self-driving truck, or sidewalk delivery robot business, including software and support services.
And Uber clearly means to make AVs a major revenue driver. The company plans to offer robotaxi rides through its app in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of the year and has said it intends to be the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world by 2029.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Because this kind of traffic acts just like real people using the web at home, automated bots can look at pages with many scripts without being stopped. This change makes connection drops much less common. It also helps bots skip quick IP blocks and stops CAPTCHA from showing up again and again. This lets data collection work keep going without stopping, even when it needs to be big.
Architectural Features Driving Enterprise Value
Modern data extraction is not just about easy links. A good proxy tool for businesses can give clear ways to handle things. These ways help people do their jobs better and spend less money.
Sub-Second Response Times: The data moves in the best way to cut down on delay. This helps you get answers fast when you ask for something in real time.
Detailed Geo-Targeting: You can filter by country, state, and city. This lets you pick content that is close to where you are. It helps you see prices that match your place better.
Flexible Use of Methods: You can use both SOCKS5 and HTTP. These work well with business tools or your own data grabber scripts.
Persistent Session Management: Developers use sticky sessions. They keep the connection up for one day. This means all the steps in automation run without stopping.
Safeguarding Operations and Budget Efficiency
Old proxy setups often use up too much of your data. The reason can be silent mistakes, drops in time when talking to the internet, and bigger amounts of data being pulled down. New ways aim to change this. They use smart ideas to filter sessions. They also make the system clear, so you can see what is happening.
When you use built-in traffic filters like ad-blocking tools, you can cut your data use by up to 30%. The tools stop big trackers and other things that you do not need. Pay-as-you-go pricing also helps, because it lets both small and big teams grow when they want to. This way, they will not get stuck with options that cost too much.
Elevating Brand Integrity and Global Insights
Advanced proxy setups do more than just fast scraping. They give a strong shield for companies today. Proxies help keep the IP addresses of these groups safe. This lets people do fair market research and check brand rules in other places without any risk.
With proxies, companies can keep an eye on retail trends around the world. They help protect digital property from fake listings and also let you see local SEO. A trusted proxy layer gives a business the real facts it needs. It also keeps the main parts of the work safe and private.
Conclusion
Building a strong online presence means you need to act fast and be willing to change how you handle data to keep it safe. If you use old or basic systems, things can break, your developers may waste time, and you might end up spending more money trying to fix things.
To keep your work going well for a long time and cut costs, companies need to pick new tools that use trusted pools and strong setups that always work. If your business wants to grow its web automation over time without any big issues, you should use the proxy and web scraping API tools from evomi.com. With these, you will get an advantage, fair billing, and quick speeds so you can do well online.
Because this kind of traffic acts just like real people using the web at home, automated bots can look at pages with many scripts without being stopped. This change makes connection drops much less common. It also helps bots skip quick IP blocks and stops CAPTCHA from showing up again and again. This lets data collection work keep going without stopping, even when it needs to be big.
Architectural Features Driving Enterprise Value
Modern data extraction is not just about easy links. A good proxy tool for businesses can give clear ways to handle things. These ways help people do their jobs better and spend less money.
Sub-Second Response Times: The data moves in the best way to cut down on delay. This helps you get answers fast when you ask for something in real time.
Detailed Geo-Targeting: You can filter by country, state, and city. This lets you pick content that is close to where you are. It helps you see prices that match your place better.
Flexible Use of Methods: You can use both SOCKS5 and HTTP. These work well with business tools or your own data grabber scripts.
Persistent Session Management: Developers use sticky sessions. They keep the connection up for one day. This means all the steps in automation run without stopping.
Safeguarding Operations and Budget Efficiency
Old proxy setups often use up too much of your data. The reason can be silent mistakes, drops in time when talking to the internet, and bigger amounts of data being pulled down. New ways aim to change this. They use smart ideas to filter sessions. They also make the system clear, so you can see what is happening.
When you use built-in traffic filters like ad-blocking tools, you can cut your data use by up to 30%. The tools stop big trackers and other things that you do not need. Pay-as-you-go pricing also helps, because it lets both small and big teams grow when they want to. This way, they will not get stuck with options that cost too much.
Elevating Brand Integrity and Global Insights
Advanced proxy setups do more than just fast scraping. They give a strong shield for companies today. Proxies help keep the IP addresses of these groups safe. This lets people do fair market research and check brand rules in other places without any risk.
With proxies, companies can keep an eye on retail trends around the world. They help protect digital property from fake listings and also let you see local SEO. A trusted proxy layer gives a business the real facts it needs. It also keeps the main parts of the work safe and private.
Conclusion
Building a strong online presence means you need to act fast and be willing to change how you handle data to keep it safe. If you use old or basic systems, things can break, your developers may waste time, and you might end up spending more money trying to fix things.
To keep your work going well for a long time and cut costs, companies need to pick new tools that use trusted pools and strong setups that always work. If your business wants to grow its web automation over time without any big issues, you should use the proxy and web scraping API tools from evomi.com. With these, you will get an advantage, fair billing, and quick speeds so you can do well online.
Today, more people are part of the market because of the digital world. Getting data and keeping it safe is a big part of how a business works. A lot of web systems use tools to get data, study market trends, and keep watch over sites all the time. But as web security gets tougher, old ways of getting data do not always work.
Businesses need new and better tools for bigger needs. These tools help them move past new security walls and stop blocks in their area. This helps keep their data working smoothly with no big issues.
Empowering Automation with Smart Network Technology
Creating a good digital plan starts when you pick the right IP setup. The old ways to link datacenters can be fast. But when you try to work with new web setups, they feel fake. If you switch to residential proxies, you fix this problem. You get real IP numbers from internet providers. These numbers point to real homes around the world.
Because this kind of traffic acts just like real people using the web at home, automated bots can look at pages with many scripts without being stopped. This change makes connection drops much less common. It also helps bots skip quick IP blocks and stops CAPTCHA from showing up again and again. This lets data collection work keep going without stopping, even when it needs to be big.
Architectural Features Driving Enterprise Value
Modern data extraction is not just about easy links. A good proxy tool for businesses can give clear ways to handle things. These ways help people do their jobs better and spend less money.
Sub-Second Response Times: The data moves in the best way to cut down on delay. This helps you get answers fast when you ask for something in real time.
Detailed Geo-Targeting: You can filter by country, state, and city. This lets you pick content that is close to where you are. It helps you see prices that match your place better.
Flexible Use of Methods: You can use both SOCKS5 and HTTP. These work well with business tools or your own data grabber scripts.
Persistent Session Management: Developers use sticky sessions. They keep the connection up for one day. This means all the steps in automation run without stopping.
Safeguarding Operations and Budget Efficiency
Old proxy setups often use up too much of your data. The reason can be silent mistakes, drops in time when talking to the internet, and bigger amounts of data being pulled down. New ways aim to change this. They use smart ideas to filter sessions. They also make the system clear, so you can see what is happening.
When you use built-in traffic filters like ad-blocking tools, you can cut your data use by up to 30%. The tools stop big trackers and other things that you do not need. Pay-as-you-go pricing also helps, because it lets both small and big teams grow when they want to. This way, they will not get stuck with options that cost too much.
Elevating Brand Integrity and Global Insights
Advanced proxy setups do more than just fast scraping. They give a strong shield for companies today. Proxies help keep the IP addresses of these groups safe. This lets people do fair market research and check brand rules in other places without any risk.
With proxies, companies can keep an eye on retail trends around the world. They help protect digital property from fake listings and also let you see local SEO. A trusted proxy layer gives a business the real facts it needs. It also keeps the main parts of the work safe and private.
Conclusion
Building a strong online presence means you need to act fast and be willing to change how you handle data to keep it safe. If you use old or basic systems, things can break, your developers may waste time, and you might end up spending more money trying to fix things.
To keep your work going well for a long time and cut costs, companies need to pick new tools that use trusted pools and strong setups that always work. If your business wants to grow its web automation over time without any big issues, you should use the proxy and web scraping API tools from evomi.com. With these, you will get an advantage, fair billing, and quick speeds so you can do well online.
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