Smarter space probes
A plan to upgrade NASA’s fleet of Mars spacecraft with intelligent software that transmits only the most interesting data should help maximise their scientific return. The Mars rovers will be upgraded next month, with the Mars Odyssey orbiter following suit later this year.
Dumbing down
High-school seniors in the US are getting worse at science. In a nationwide survey, 54 per cent of 17 to 18-year-olds performed at or above basic level last year, compared with 57 per cent in 1996. Assistant Secretary of Education Tom Luce says the decline reflects a national shortage of science teachers,…
