The Trump administration is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Interstate Highway System, 100 years of Route 66, and the 250th birthday of the United States by focusing on a historic revival of American infrastructure, with the FHWA having executed 888 grants and delivered $8.4 billion in competitive grants since the start of the Trump administration.
The Trump administration is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Interstate Highway System, 100 years of Route 66, and the 250th birthday of the United States by focusing on a historic revival of American infrastructure, with the FHWA having executed 888 grants and delivered $8.4 billion in competitive grants since the start of the Trump administration.
To effectively travel on Mars, rovers need to deal with a lot of sand. German engineers have created a new kind of ground rover that uses swimming motions to push through sand that may otherwise cause the wheels to get stuck. Its inspiration: the African sandfish (Scincus scincus), a lizard known for burrowing into the Sahara Desert and literally swimming through its sand like a fish. It’s one of the animal kingdom’s strangest methods of propulsion, but it may help shape the future of Mars expl
To effectively travel on Mars, rovers need to deal with a lot of sand. German engineers have created a new kind of ground rover that uses swimming motions to push through sand that may otherwise cause the wheels to get stuck. Its inspiration: the African sandfish (Scincus scincus), a lizard known for burrowing into the Sahara Desert and literally swimming through its sand like a fish. It’s one of the animal kingdom’s strangest methods of propulsion, but it may help shape the future of Mars exploration.
A video of the rover, released this week by the University of Würzburg, shows a mini-fridge-sized, silver rover making its way through a sandy, Martian-mimicking test floor. Rather than rolling forward, each of its four wheels cuts through the sand in what looks like a figure-eight motion. The rover pushes on several yards and then cuts a corner and returns to where it started.
“The wheels mimic the animal’s [sandfish’s]characteristic interaction with the ground, generating both longitudinal and lateral forces,” University of Würzburg researcher Amenosis Lopez said in a statement. “The rover leaves sinusoidal tracks in the sand.”
The sandfish: nature’s cute solution to slippery sand
Though most people likely associate space rovers with round wheels or tracks reminiscent of those on WALL-E, neither design is ideal for dealing with Mars’s uniquely harsh and sandy environment. Sand is unique because it’s a material with both solid and liquid-like qualities. On top of sand’s mixed texture, rovers roaming on the Red Planet have to deal with steep slopes and uneven terrain, where varying levels of slipperiness can cause imbalance. Patches of softer sand are also a nightmare for wheels, making the prospect of a rover getting stuck never far from mind
But nature figured out a solution to this issue millions of years ago, and it’s called the sandfish. Contrary to its name, the Sahara Desert native is a lizard in the skink family. Above ground, the sandfish uses its tiny legs to scrabble around much the same as any lizard. Things get more interesting when it burrows down into the sand. X-ray imaging shows the sandfish propelling itself forward under the sand, using a powerful waving motion to generate thrust and overcome drag. The result looks like an animal swimming through the sand, remarkably similarly to how a fish would oscillate its body to move through water
Engineers at Georgia Tech took those observations and used them to create their own sandfish robot in 2011. Testing with their robots showed that the little lizard’s oddly wedged shaped head may also help it generate lift forces and more easily swim through sand.
Sink or swim: new rover did both
Researchers working on the sandfish-inspired robot said it outperformed a wheeled version when navigating through a sandy test track. Where the round wheels would wobble and weave, the oscillating wheels stayed relatively stable. That’s not to say the new approach worked right out of the gate. Early models of the design were reportedly so heavy that the rover literally sank into the sand. The team went back to the drawing board and made a second version, this time increasing each wheel’s width and reducing overall mass
It’s unlikely these oddball new wheels will become the main chassis system for NASA rovers, at least not in the immediate future. More work still needs to be done to increase their overall controllability and account for slippage that can occur in complicated, real-world environments. There are also the added variables of accounting for scientific instruments and other cargo a rover might have to carry.
More than anything, the wheel design is a testament to the sandfish’s innate ingenuity and evolutionary gifts. Many scientists only recently began to truly appreciate these traits and what other technology they could inspire.
A Nova Scotian woman says the justice system has failed after she was the victim of intimate partner violence. She's speaking out again on her abuser's sentence as well.
A Nova Scotian woman says the justice system has failed after she was the victim of intimate partner violence. She's speaking out again on her abuser's sentence as well.
Curiosity got itself stuck between a rock and hard place last month, but NASA says there’s no reason to fret about the intrepid Mars rover. On April 25, mission engineers were remotely piloting its robotic arm’s rotary-percussive drill into a Martian rock nicknamed Atacama. It’s a relatively routine task for Curiosity, which takes the samples and then pulverizes them into a powder for future onboard chemical analysis.
But Atacama is no small stone. The hefty, 1.5-foot-wide geologic formation
Curiosity got itself stuck between a rock and hard place last month, but NASA says there’s no reason to fret about the intrepid Mars rover. On April 25, mission engineers were remotely piloting its robotic arm’s rotary-percussive drill into a Martian rock nicknamed Atacama. It’s a relatively routine task for Curiosity, which takes the samples and then pulverizes them into a powder for future onboard chemical analysis.
But Atacama is no small stone. The hefty, 1.5-foot-wide geologic formation is about six inches thick and weighs about 28.6 pounds. So NASA engineers were understandably a bit worried when Curiosity attempted to retract its arm—and subsequently lifted the entire rock off the ground.
“Drilling has fractured or separated the upper layers of rocks in the past, but a rock has never remained attached to the drill sleeve,” the agency explained in a recent rundown.
While amusing to envision, the situation was no laughing matter for NASA’s engineers. The rover’s drill would be of little more use with a giant rock indefinitely attached to it. But even if controllers could detach Atacama from the rover, the force might damage the tool or the arm itself. Without those capabilities, Curiosity’s ongoing mission would be in serious jeopardy.
Mission specialists first tried the drilling version of “turning it off and on again,” by vibrating the tool. However, Atacama remained stubbornly stuck on Curiosity…for another four days. NASA then tried a new approach by reorienting the robotic arm and instructing the drill to vibrate one more time. Atacama managed to shake off a bit of sand that time, but little else.
Two more stressful days passed before NASA gave it a third try. Engineers tilted the drill slightly further, then rotated and vibrated the tool while also spinning its drill bit. The Curiosity team anticipated it may take multiple attempts to pull off the feat.But in this case, Atacama finally gave way almost immediately. The nearly weeklong ordeal culminated with the giant rock fracturing as it landed on the Martian ground.
So far, NASA hasn’t reported any lingering damage to the vehicle, meaning the rover is likely ready to continue exploring the Red Planet. As for Atacama, it seems the Martian rock learned a valuable lesson: Don’t mess with Curiosity.
Read a transcript of this episode. Subscribe to receive transcripts.
Return to one of our most compelling interviews of 2025. Amazingly, the same Congressional bill that gutted residential clean energy tax credits also led to a major breakthrough in financing home geothermal systems. Dan Yates, CEO of Dandelion Energy, explains how the Big, Beautiful Bill introduced changes that, for the first time, allow third-party leasing of residential geothermal systems. He shares why this policy change c
Return to one of our most compelling interviews of 2025. Amazingly, the same Congressional bill that gutted residential clean energy tax credits also led to a major breakthrough in financing home geothermal systems. Dan Yates, CEO of Dandelion Energy, explains how the Big, Beautiful Bill introduced changes that, for the first time, allow third-party leasing of residential geothermal systems. He shares why this policy change could help ground-source heat pumps grow the way leasing helped rooftop solar. Geothermal heating and cooling is four times more efficient than a furnace and twice as efficient as air-source heat pumps. Yet only about 1% of U.S. homes use it because the upfront costs for new geothermal systems have ranged from $20,000 to $31,000. The new leasing model means new homeowners can get geothermal systems for just $10 to $40 per month on a 20-year lease, which is usually far less than what they save on energy.
Dan Yates, CEO of Dandelion Energy, is our guest on Sustainability In Your Ear.
Dandelion is working with Lennar, one of the largest homebuilders in the country, to bring geothermal to more than 1,500 homes in Colorado over the next two years. This will be one of the biggest residential geothermal projects in U.S. history. The benefits for the power grid could be even more important than the savings for homeowners. Geothermal systems use only 25% of the peak power that air-source heat pumps need, which is a big advantage as AI data centers increase electricity demand. Yates explains that the Earth works like a huge thermal battery, storing heat in the summer for use in the winter. Geothermal lets utilities reduce peak loads on the grid throughout the year, freeing homeowners from the cost of the most expensive power.
“Mars, can you please clean up your Legos?” “Jupiter, finish your peas.”“Don’t pull the cat’s tail, Mercury!”
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released its baby name data for 2025 and it’s clear that plenty of parents found inspiration in the cosmos for their little ones. The most popular proper planet in our solar system to name a baby after in 2025 was Mars, followed by Jupiter. Thankfully, no one named their child Uranus, but 80 parents did name their child Cosmo.
Here’s th
“Mars, can you please clean up your Legos?” “Jupiter, finish your peas.” “Don’t pull the cat’s tail, Mercury!”
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released its baby name data for 2025 and it’s clear that plenty of parents found inspiration in the cosmos for their little ones. The most popular proper planet in our solar system to name a baby after in 2025 was Mars, followed by Jupiter. Thankfully, no one named their child Uranus, but 80 parents did name their child Cosmo.
Here’s the planet-baby name breakdown:
Mercury: 10 males
Venus: 96 females
Earth: Eight females
Mars: 27 females, 105 males (132 total)
Jupiter: 84 females, 37 males (121 total)
Saturn: 18 females, 8 males (26 total)
Uranus: Zero
Neptune: Eight males
A couple of our solar system’s dwarf planets also made appearances on the list:
Pluto: 11 males
Eris: 128 females, 26 males (154 total)
Of course it’s important to note that most of our solar system’s planets got their names from Roman and Greek gods and goddesses, so a love of space likely wasn’t the only motivation for new parents.
Last year, 332 parents used the name Artemis for their babies. According to baby name site Nameberry, Artemis is of Greek origin and means “safe” or “butcher.” It’s also the name of NASA’s high-profile mission to return humans to the moon.
And as a bonus fun-with-data note: the name Tesla has completely disappeared from SSA’s data. The name peaked in 2016 with 180 children given the moniker. It last appeared on the charts in 2023 when only 13 babies got the name.
For privacy purposes, the SSA only releases data on names given to at least five children. So maybe somewhere, one little Uranus is ruling the playground.
This weekend, Earth will be treated to a nice blue moon. Our planet’s only natural satellite won’t put on a pleasant azure hue (indeed, blue moons have nothing to do with color). Instead, it will be the second full moon for the month of May, following the full Flower Moon on May 1. The blue moon will reach peak illumination at 4:46 a.m. EDT on Sunday May 31.
Seasonal vs. calendrical
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, there are two definitions of a blue moon—a seasonal blue moon and a cale
This weekend, Earth will be treated to a nice blue moon. Our planet’s only natural satellite won’t put on a pleasant azure hue (indeed, blue moons have nothing to do with color). Instead, it will be the second full moon for the month of May, following the full Flower Moon on May 1. The blue moon will reach peak illumination at 4:46 a.m. EDT on Sunday May 31.
A seasonal blue moon is one extra full moon within an astronomical season, or the dates between solstices and equinoxes. A typical astronomical season has three full moons within it. If it has four full moons instead, then the third may be called a blue moon.
A calendrical (or monthly) blue moon is the one most of us are familiar with. It is the second full moon to fall in one calendar month—like in May 2026. It takes the moon roughly 29.5 days to complete one cycle of phases (new moon to new moon). So if a full moon falls on the first of the month on the calendar, there will be a second full moon at the end of the month. The only month in which a calendrical blue moon cannot fall is February.
How rare are blue moons?
Blue moons are not quite as rare as the phrase “once in a blue moon” makes it sound. Calendrical blue moons happen every 2.5 years (or 30 months) on average, and seasonal blue moons fall about once every two to three years.
Two blue moons can also occur in one year. In 2018, January and March both had two full moons, with no full moon in February. The next time two blue moons will fall in one calendar year won’t be until 2037.
Why is it a micromoon?
May’s blue moon will also be a micromoon and the smallest micromoon of the year. Micromoons have nothing to do with size and everything to do with distance. Typically, the moon is about 238,855 miles away from Earth. Micromoons are further away, and this month’s micromoon will be 252,360 miles away. With the further distance, a micromoon may appear a bit smaller and dimmer than usual.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are supermoons, which are closer to Earth at only 225,130 miles away.
NASA has also put together a handy lunar photography guide if you want to snap that perfect moon pic. If using a smartphone, NASA recommends stabilizing the device, turning off the flash, and tapping the moon on screen to focus the camera directly on it instead of the sky. Your brightness also needs to come down and taking pictures at twilight or as the moon clears the horizon will give the sensor less contrast.
KOTA BHARU, June 16 — Madani Communities nationwide have been urged to ensure the public receives accurate, verified and reliable information on the government’s policies, initiatives and achievements.Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the responsibility should be shared collectively and not left solely to government agencies such as the Information Department (JAPEN) and the Community Communications Department (J-KOM).He highlighted several governme
KOTA BHARU, June 16 — Madani Communities nationwide have been urged to ensure the public receives accurate, verified and reliable information on the government’s policies, initiatives and achievements.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the responsibility should be shared collectively and not left solely to government agencies such as the Information Department (JAPEN) and the Community Communications Department (J-KOM).
He highlighted several government successes, including efforts to ensure food security, such as maintaining sufficient rice supplies during festive seasons through initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
“Likewise, through the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme System (eCOSS) under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, the once hard-to-find subsidised packet cooking oil is now available to consumers.
“These are among the achievements under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that must be communicated to the people by MADANI Communities,” he said at the Jiwa Madani programme here today.
During the event, Fahmi also presented appointment letters to Kelantan Madani Community leaders for the 2026-2027 term.
He said the Communications Ministry would organise regular briefing sessions to keep community leaders informed of current issues and government initiatives that need to be conveyed to the public.
In addition, JAPEN has been tasked with monitoring the performance of Madani Communities to ensure they remain effective in disseminating information at the grassroots level.
“We will also ask JAPEN to act swiftly if any Madani Community is found to be inactive. If that happens, we will make the necessary changes, including replacing those who are not performing,” he said. — Bernama
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