The article that I chose was “A Growing Presence on the Farm: Robots” by Knvul Sheikh. This article addresses the advent of a new type of technology that is helping farmers monitor their crops better. The robot called TerraSentia is a revolutionary piece of technology that roams about through the fields of crops monitoring them and gathering data that will be useful to the farmer in the years to come. The robot is battery powered and is self-driving. It uses High definition cameras and sensors (much like the self-driving cars) to navigate the labyrinth of cornfields and observes the plants better than any farmer. This cutting-edge technology allows farmers to “identify the best-yielding plants before they even shed pollen.” (Sheikh) This is important because it allows for the creation of new breeds in shorter amount of time. “He added that doing so can potentially cut in half the time needed to breed a new cultivar — a plant variety produced by selective breeding — from roughly eight years to just four.” (Sheikh) Genetic engineering of this kind is paramount in the presence of exponential population growth and depleting natural resources. “The demands on agriculture are rising globally. The human population is expected to climb to 9.8 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100, according to the United Nations. To feed the world — with less land, fewer resources and in the face of climate change — farmers will need to augment their technological intelligence.” In conclusion, these technological advances are necessary now more than ever as the world is currently overpopulated and on the verge of a climate catastrophe.

The title of this article was From Dubai to Mars, With Stops in Colorado and Japan by Kenneth Chang. This article describes an upcoming milestone for the nation of the United Arab Emirates. While the rest of the major powers in the world were able to develop their own forms of space research, the UAE was unable to do so…until now. With engineering aid from America and financial backing from the UAE, the Emiratis were able to develop a space craft that would gather data from Mars. Christened ‘Hope’ by the ruler of Dubai, this craft represents the scientific ambition of the next generation of Emiratis. The launch of the craft is scheduled for some time next year. Besides Hope being the first craft launched by the UAE, it also allows scientists to gather new data about Mars. Because of its design, Hope will be able to orbit Mars at a higher altitude than previous satellites and record new data. “In addition, from its high-altitude perch — an elliptical orbit that varies from 12,400 miles to 27,000 miles above the surface — Hope will give scientists a global view of Martian weather, noting changes in temperature and other conditions during the course of a day. “That’s one of the fundamental new measurements we haven’t seen before,” said Bruce M. Jakosky, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado who is MAVEN’s principal investigator and a member of the science team for the Emirati mission. Previous orbiters have generally swooped much closer to the Martian surface, usually in orbits devised to pass over a given location at the same time of day each time. That was more useful for detecting slow changes on the surface rather than in the air.” (Chang) The new satellite will allow scientists to observe Mars’ changing surface in greater detail. I agree with this article in two ways. First and foremost, from a global collaboration perspective, I think it is great that countries are trying to foster curiosity in the next generation in terms of space research. Secondarily, I believe that the information gathered by this new satellite may allow scientists to gather critical information that may make life on Mars a reality.

The title of this article was Here Lies the Skull of Pliny the Elder, Maybe by Franz Lidz. This article describes the possible discovery of the bones of a Roman admiral and scholar named Pliny the Elder who was killed during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. The remains of Pliny the Elder were on for display at a museum in Museo Storico Nazionale Dell’Arte Sanitaria in Rome. Recently, after several forensic tests and comparing the evidence to what was known about Pliny the elder, the scientists concluded that the skull was indeed Pliny the Elder’s, however, the jawbone belonged to someone else. “Over the last few years a pool of Italian biologists, anthropologists and geochemists conducted a series of forensic tests on the skull and accompanying lower mandible, which were unearthed 120 years ago on a shore not far from Pompeii. On Jan. 23 the scientists presented their findings at a conference in the museum. The skull, they concluded, squared with what was known about Pliny at his death, but the jawbone belonged to someone else.” (Lidz) Pliny the Elder was an avid scholar and was always intrigued with the causes behind many common illnesses. “believed that you could cure a cold by kissing the hairy muzzle of a mouse, that a pregnant woman who eats salty food will give birth to a child without fingernails and that “there is no greater cause for the destruction of morals and rise of luxury than shellfish.” (Lidz) Pliny the elder was also an Admiral in the Roman navy. I agree with this article because it entails an archeological milestone. I believe that we as humans should do more to study the past and understand where we came from and how we evolved in terms of knowledge and science.

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