Bold Names

NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples on the surface of Mars, and some of them will be coming to Earth—that is, if all goes well. NASA has a complex plan to bring bits of the Red Planet here, arriving in 2033, so scientists can study them to answer some burning questions. What’s the planet’s history? What is its dust like? And, are there any signs that life may have existed there? WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Lindsay Hays, an astrobiologist at NASA and deputy lead scientist for the Mars Sample Return mission, about how this mission could help us better understand the history of our own planet and shape future missions to Mars and beyond.

Further reading: 

NASA Lands Perseverance Rover Safely on Mars After ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’ 

NASA Collects Mars Rock Samples in Historic First for Perseverance Rover 

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Begins Its Search for Life on Mars 

Mars Photos: See NASA’s Perseverance Rover’s First Visions of Red Planet  

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At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, epidemiologists looked to our sewers to help figure out the scale of the virus’ spread. It worked, giving some public health officials a heads-up before Covid surges. Now, researchers are taking the lessons from that pandemic, and working to put the wastewater from bathing, toilets, laundry machines and dishwashers to use in monitoring the spread of other diseases. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks with environmental microbiologist, engineer and epidemiologist Marlene Wolfe about why it’s so important to look at wastewater if we want to stop the next pandemic. 

Further reading: 

For Future Viral Threats, Health Officials Look to Sewage - WSJ 

From the Sewers, Clues to Covid-19’s Next Moves - WSJ 

CDC Will Test Sewage for Polio in Some U.S. Communities - WSJ 

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Severe droughts in the American South and West are raising new questions about how to ensure millions of people have access to clean, safe water. That’s why several local water systems, including one that provides water to 19 million people in Southern California, are looking to a method of water recycling that brings treated wastewater back into the system. It’s called “direct potable reuse,” but many people have dubbed it “toilet to tap.” Can it succeed despite the ick factor? WSJ’s Alex Ossola visited Los Angeles to find out just how it would work, and how the public is reacting.

Further reading: 

California Could Face Cuts to Colorado River Usage Under Federal Proposal 

California Governor Lifts Most Drought Restrictions on Water Use 

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Severe droughts in the American South and West are raising new questions about how to ensure millions of people have access to clean, safe water. That’s why several local water systems, including one that provides water to 19 million people in Southern California, are looking to a method of water recycling that brings treated wastewater back into the system. It’s called “direct potable reuse,” but many people have dubbed it “toilet to tap.” Can it succeed despite the ick factor? WSJ’s Alex Ossola visited Los Angeles to find out just how it would work, and how the public is reacting.

Further reading: 

California Could Face Cuts to Colorado River Usage Under Federal Proposal 

California Governor Lifts Most Drought Restrictions on Water Use 

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Our sense of smell is deeply linked to our emotions, due to the connections between the tissue structures that identify odors and the parts of the brain that govern our memories and feelings. But what if those smells are linked to traumatic memories? Researchers are finding success using a combination of artificial scents and virtual reality to treat people with severe cases of trauma. WSJ’s Danny Lewis examines how new innovations could make this therapy more accessible.

Further reading: 

High-Tech Smell Sensors Aim to Sniff Out Disease, Explosives—and Even Moods - WSJ 

The Metaverse’s Effects on Mental Health: Trivial or Troubling? - WSJ 

The New Halloween Scare: ‘Oh, My God, That Smell Was Gross.’ - WSJ 

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It may seem like science fiction, but over the past decade scientists have been using stem cells to grow so-called “mini brains.” Researchers prefer the term brain organoids, a collection of human cells in a petri dish that mimic the structure and cell types of our own brains. They’ve been used to study diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s, and evaluate potential treatments, but now the research is becoming more sophisticated, and that’s raising big concerns. Could they become conscious? Should we even be experimenting on our own cells? WSJ’s Alex Ossola explores the advantages, and potential issues, as scientists look to use brain organoids to test new medicines or even replace the chips in our computers. 

Further reading: 

Scientists Grow Human Cells in Rat Brains to Study Autism, Schizophrenia 

Engineered Mini Brain Models Show Patterns of Activity That Resemble Babies’ 

Startup Uses ‘Mini Brains’ and Software to Power Drug Research 

Thomas Hartung’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University 

Paola Arlotta’s laboratory at Harvard University 

The Brainstorm Project 

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High-speed internet is something many of us take for granted. But the FCC says millions of Americans lack access to broadband service. That includes many people who live in the northernmost parts of Alaska, where satellite internet has long been the only option. That’s changing, though, as melting sea ice is leading a rush of companies to step in and start laying new undersea cables. WSJ Pro reporter Isabelle Bousquette visited parts of the Arctic where high-speed internet has made it easier to learn and even saved lives. She speaks with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about the huge educational, medical and research implications for people in the Arctic and beyond. 

Further reading: 

A Warming Arctic Emerges as a Route for Subsea Cables - WSJ 

Climate Change in Arctic Is Changing How People There Live and Work - WSJ 

Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft Weave a Fiber-Optic Web of Power - WSJ 

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Microchips are in pretty much all of our electronic devices—if it’s got a plug or a battery, it’s probably got a chip. For the past 60 years, most of these have been made of silicon. But new devices demand faster, better, and more efficient processors, and engineers are hitting silicon’s physical limits. In this encore episode of the Future of Everything, WSJ’s Alex Ossola digs into the future of chips—how scientists are boosting silicon’s capabilities and looking for other materials that could take its place.

Further reading: 

Graphene and Beyond: The Wonder Materials That Could Replace Silicon in Future Tech 

The Microchip Era Is Giving Way to the Megachip Age 

Chips Act Will Create More Than One Million Jobs, Biden Says 

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A growing body of research suggests that the gut microbiome, the bacteria and other organisms that live in the gut, is linked to our mental health. But what if doctors could act on that information to treat mental illness by changing the gut microbiome? WSJ’s Alex Ossola talks to some of the top researchers in the emerging field of psychobiotics to explore how changing what’s in the gut could lead to future psychiatric treatments. 

Help is available: Reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988.

Further reading: 

Gut Bacteria Are Linked to Depression 

What Is Your Microbiome? A Wellness Trend Taking On Post-Covid Urgency 

Modern Life Is Messing With Our Microbiomes, but Science Is Fighting Back 

Diets Engineered to Work With Your Microbiome Are Latest Startup Craze 

Those Probiotics May Actually Be Hurting Your ‘Gut Health’ 

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When the game clock starts, football players aren’t just heading out with their pads and a game plan. Technology like helmet sensors that track the hits players take are becoming more common, especially for young players. They’re being used to figure out when a player might be at risk for a concussion or another brain injury. The data collected is helping researchers and doctors learn more about what happens to the brain over time. But could these innovations and research shape how we play football?

Further reading: 

Tua Tagovailoa Is in the NFL’s Concussion Protocols Again - WSJ 

Severity, Not Frequency, Sets Football Injuries Apart - WSJ 

NFL and Nike Court a New Football Market: Girls - WSJ 

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