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Space and Astronomy
- Mars: Just the Beginning? – Lesson
- Mars: Just the Beginning? – Quiz
- Six Billion ‘Earth-like’ Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy? – Lesson
- Six Billion ‘Earth-like’ Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy? – Quiz
- Did NASA Scientists Find Another Universe? – Lesson
- Did NASA Scientists Find Another Universe? – Quiz
- A New Planet Was Discovered – And Old Theories Must Change – Lesson
- A New Planet Was Discovered – And Old Theories Must Change – Quiz
- SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Lesson
- SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Quiz
- First Movie Filmed in Space Successful – Lesson
- First Movie Filmed in Space Successful – Quiz
- James Webb Telescope Heads to Deep Space – Lesson
- James Webb Telescope Heads to Deep Space – Quiz
- A Lot Is Happening on and Around the Moon – Lesson
- A Lot Is Happening on and Around the Moon – Quiz
- First-Ever Picture Taken of the Milky Way’s Black Hole – Lesson
- First-Ever Picture Taken of the Milky Way’s Black Hole – Quiz
- First James Webb Telescope Images Revealed – Lesson
- First James Webb Telescope Images Revealed – Quiz
- Buzz Aldrin Sells Jacket from the Moon Landing – Lesson
- Buzz Aldrin Sells Jacket from the Moon Landing – Quiz
- Humans at Home on the Moon – Could It Really Happen in This Decade? – Lesson
- Humans at Home on the Moon – Could It Really Happen in This Decade? – Quiz
- Winter on Mars – Lesson
- Winter on Mars – Quiz
- Pictures of Mars Show Hidden Figures – Lesson
- Pictures of Mars Show Hidden Figures – Quiz
- Jupiter and Venus Appear to ‘Kiss’ – Lesson
- Jupiter and Venus Appear to ‘Kiss’ – Quiz
- The James Webb Telescope Finds Six Ancient Galaxies – Lesson
- The James Webb Telescope Finds Six Ancient Galaxies – Quiz
- Would an EpiPen Work in Space? – Lesson
- Would an EpiPen Work in Space? – Quiz
- Satellite Spots Earth’s Second Moon? – Lesson
- Satellite Spots Earth’s Second Moon? – Quiz
- Space Mining – The Race is On and China is Leading – Lesson
- Space Mining – The Race is On and China is Leading – Quiz
- How Did Gold and Platinum Arrive on Earth – Lesson
- How Did Gold and Platinum Arrive on Earth – Quiz
- Odysseus Has Found Its New Home – Lesson
- Odysseus Has Found Its New Home – Quiz
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The Environment
- Red Tide: No Fun in the Florida Sun – Lesson
- Red Tide: No Fun in the Florida Sun – Quiz
- Leaded Gas Eradicated from the World, Says United Nations – Lesson
- Leaded Gas Eradicated from the World, Says United Nations – Quiz
- COVID Plastic Waste: A Big Problem for Oceans – Lesson
- COVID Plastic Waste: A Big Problem for Oceans – Quiz
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Archaeology and Paleontology
- Ancient Human Species Discovered – Lesson
- Ancient Human Species Discovered – Quiz
- Biblical City of Sodom Found in the Jordan Valley? – Lesson
- Biblical City of Sodom Found in the Jordan Valley? – Quiz
- Antarctic Explorer’s Ship Found After a Century – Lesson
- Antarctic Explorer’s Ship Found After a Century – Quiz
- Newly Found Diary Shows How Ancient Egyptians Built the Pyramids – Lesson
- Newly Found Diary Shows How Ancient Egyptians Built the Pyramids – Quiz
- Study Shows ‘Apocalyptic Dust’ Might Have Killed the Dinosaurs – Lesson
- Study Shows ‘Apocalyptic Dust’ Might Have Killed the Dinosaurs – Quiz
- Ancient Celestial Calendar Found in a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb – Lesson
- Ancient Celestial Calendar Found in a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb – Quiz
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Technology
- 3 Reasons to Protect Your Online Privacy – Lesson – VIDEO
- The Rise of Deepfakes – Lesson
- The Rise of Deepfakes – Quiz
- A New Mayflower Voyage, Captained by AI Technology – Lesson
- A New Mayflower Voyage, Captained by AI Technology – Quiz
- The Latest Supercomputer Is Breaking Speed Barriers – Lesson
- The Latest Supercomputer Is Breaking Speed Barriers – Quiz
- LNGenZ Survey: What is the Greatest American Invention? – Lesson
- LNGenZ Survey: What is the Greatest American Invention? – Quiz
- School and ChatGPT – Is it Cheating? – Lesson
- School and ChatGPT – Is it Cheating? – Quiz
- Artificial Intelligence Gets an Upgrade? – Lesson
- Artificial Intelligence Gets an Upgrade? – Quiz
- Scientists Plan to Bring the Dodo Bird Back from Extinction – Lesson
- Scientists Plan to Bring the Dodo Bird Back from Extinction – Quiz
- Is There Too Much Technology in Education? – Lesson
- Is There Too Much Technology in Education? – Quiz
- AI Coming to a Keyboard Near You – Lesson
- AI Coming to a Keyboard Near You – Quiz
- Is the NSA Browsing Your Browser History? – Lesson
- Is the NSA Browsing Your Browser History? – Quiz
- AI Can’t Compete With People Skills – Lesson
- AI Can’t Compete With People Skills – Quiz
- How Social Media Is Hazardous to Generation Z – and Beyond – Lesson
- How Social Media Is Hazardous to Generation Z – and Beyond – Quiz
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Mind and Body
- Teen Scientist’s Invention Mixes Music with Mental Health – Lesson
- Teen Scientist’s Invention Mixes Music with Mental Health – Quiz
- Man Receives First Pig Heart Transplant – Lesson
- Man Receives First Pig Heart Transplant – Quiz
- Sniffing Out the Truth About Smells – Lesson
- Sniffing Out the Truth About Smells – Quiz
- The Power of Playtime – Lesson
- The Power of Playtime – Quiz
- Is Language Getting More Emotional? – Lesson
- Is Language Getting More Emotional? – Quiz
- Scientists Say Household Chores Help Kids’ Brains – Lesson
- Scientists Say Household Chores Help Kids’ Brains – Quiz
- Transplant of Pig Kidney Into a Human Successful So Far – Lesson
- Transplant of Pig Kidney Into a Human Successful So Far – Quiz
- The Lack of a College Degree Is Shortening Lifespans – Lesson
- The Lack of a College Degree Is Shortening Lifespans – Quiz
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Flora and Fauna
- Dogs Can Tell When Humans Make a Mistake, Says Study – Lesson
- Dogs Can Tell When Humans Make a Mistake, Says Study – Quiz
- Jonathan: The World’s Oldest Living Tortoise – Lesson
- Jonathan: The World’s Oldest Living Tortoise – Quiz
- The Monarch Butterfly Makes a Surprise Return – Lesson
- The Monarch Butterfly Makes a Surprise Return – Quiz
- Bat Falcon Spotted in the United States for the First Time – Lesson
- Bat Falcon Spotted in United States for the First Time – Quiz
- Charles Darwin’s Notebooks Mysteriously Returned after 20 Years – Lesson
- Charles Darwin’s Notebooks Mysteriously Returned after 20 Years – Quiz
- Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Lesson
- Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Quiz
- Scientists Record Never-Before-Heard Whale Call – Lesson
- Scientists Record Never-Before Heard Whale Call – Quiz
- Underwater Meadow Gets Credit as the World’s Largest Living Plant – Lesson
- Underwater Meadow Gets Credit as the World’s Largest Living Plant – Quiz
- Scientists Trying to Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back from Extinction – Lesson
- Scientists Trying to Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back from Extinction – Quiz
- Jurassic Era Insect Found at Arizona Walmart – Lesson
- Jurassic Era Insect Found at Arizona Walmart – Quiz
- The Comeback of the Nearly Extinct Earless Lizard – Lesson
- The Comeback of the Nearly Extinct Earless Lizard – Quiz
- A Strange Golden Orb Found on the Ocean Floor Is Alive! – Lesson
- A Strange Golden Orb Found on the Ocean Floor Is Alive! – Quiz
- Peanut: The Pet Chicken With a World Record – Lesson
- Peanut: The Pet Chicken With a World Record – Quiz
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Mathematics
- Metric vs. Imperial: A Weighty Debate in Britain – Lesson
- Metric vs. Imperial: A Weighty Debate in Britain – Quiz
- The Abacus is Helping Kids Master Math Skills – Lesson
- The Abacus is Helping Kids Master Math Skills – Quiz
- Retired Engineer Discovers ‘Einstein’ Shape – Lesson
- Retired Engineer Discovers ‘Einstein’ Shape – Quiz
SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Lesson
SpaceX becomes the trailblazer for space tourism as Crew Dragon Resilience safely lands.
The first private “amateur astronaut” team to launch into space and orbit Earth has successfully completed its trip. The Inspiration4 mission is the first chartered space flight that launched humans into space, but with no professional astronauts. It was run by the company SpaceX, which borrowed NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to use as a launch site.
The four-member crew successfully left Earth on Wednesday, September 15, and gracefully landed their vessel, called the Crew Dragon Resilience, on the following Saturday.
How It Went
According to Benji Reed, a senior director at SpaceX, “overall the mission was great—beautiful weather from start to finish—and it was really a great experience for everybody on the ground, and Dragon performed very well.”
The crew carried out medical experiments in an effort to help researchers better understand the effects microgravity has on the human body.
The Team
Leading the flight was “commander” Jared Isaacman, a 38-year-old billionaire, who started a payment-processing company as a teenager.
Hayley Arceneaux, 29, is a childhood cancer survivor who has paid it forward by working as a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee. Hayley is the youngest American to travel to space and the first ever to have a prosthesis, a titanium rod in her left leg.
Isaacman was kind enough to pay for the entire flight and mission. Both he and Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, made personal donations to St. Jude hospital. Isaacman donated $100 million and challenged some of his fellow billionaires to join in, prompting Musk to donate $50 million.
Sweepstake winners who got to hitch a ride to space were Chris Sembroski, a 42-year-old data engineer from Washington, and Sian Proctor, a 51-year-old community college professor, geoscientist, and former astronaut candidate from Arizona. All four members spent six months training for their trip.
Space Tourism Continues
The crew members are already being called “trailblazers” for space tourism. SpaceX’s next voyage will include a retired NASA astronaut and three wealthy businessmen as they jet off for a long weekend.
Russia is also planning to send a film director, an actor, and a wealthy Japanese businessman to space in the next few months. NASA has historically opposed space tourism, but they have changed their tune and are on board.