Science News Roundup: NASA announces end of history-making Mars helicopter mission; NASA announces end of history-making Mars helicopter mission and more

Japan hopes the demonstration of what it called a "pinpoint" moon landing will revitalise a space programme seeking to overcome setbacks as it moves to capture a bigger role in space by partnering with ally the United States to counter China. NASA announces end of history-making Mars helicopter mission NASA said on Thursday that its miniature robot helicopter Ingenuity, which in 2021 became the first aircraft to achieve powered flight on another planet, can no longer fly, ending a mission on Mars that lasted far longer than originally planned.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Atomic scientists keep 'Doomsday Clock' as close to midnight as ever

Atomic scientists on Tuesday kept their "Doomsday Clock" set as close to midnight as ever before, citing Russia's actions on nuclear weapons amid its invasion of Ukraine, nuclear-armed Israel's Gaza war and worsening climate change as factors driving the risk of global catastrophe. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, as they did last year, set the clock at 90 seconds to midnight - the theoretical point of annihilation. Scientists set the clock based on "existential" risks to Earth and its people: nuclear threats, climate change and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and new biotechnology.

COVID and beyond: labs unite to boost genomic surveillance globally

Two laboratories in Britain and South Africa, which were at the forefront of tracking new coronavirus variants during the pandemic, have teamed up to keep the focus on genomic surveillance globally as the COVID emergency recedes. The teams said they were worried governments and funders may pull back from such surveillance, despite its potential to better monitor many infectious diseases, from malaria to cholera.

Bog body from 2,500 years ago discovered in N. Ireland

Archaeologists in Northern Ireland have uncovered well-preserved remains of a teenage boy dating back up to 2,500 years - including bones, skin and possibly a kidney - in a rare find that may shed new light on the region's ancient history. The body was found in a peat bog - a wetland environment which can aid preservation of organic matter - in the village of Bellaghy after police archaeologists were alerted in October to the presence of human bones on the surface.

Japan praises 'pinpoint' moon landing by its SLIM probe

Japan's moon lander achieved an unusually precise touchdown within 100 m (328 feet) of its target, the space agency said on Thursday, after the nation became the fifth to put a spacecraft on the moon with the weekend touchdown of its SLIM probe. Japan hopes the demonstration of what it called a "pinpoint" moon landing will revitalise a space programme seeking to overcome setbacks as it moves to capture a bigger role in space by partnering with ally the United States to counter China.

NASA announces end of history-making Mars helicopter mission

NASA said on Thursday that its miniature robot helicopter Ingenuity, which in 2021 became the first aircraft to achieve powered flight on another planet, can no longer fly, ending a mission on Mars that lasted far longer than originally planned. "It is bittersweet that I must announce that Ingenuity, the 'little helicopter that could' - and it kept saying, 'I think I can, I think I can' - well, it has now taken its last flight on Mars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a video posted on social media.

Intuitive beats estimates as rebound in surgeries boost demand for its robots

Intuitive Surgical beat Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter revenue and profit on Tuesday, as a recovery in surgeries lifted demand for its robots used in minimally invasive procedures. Medical device makers have largely noted as "temporary" the impact of powerful new weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound on sales of products used to perform abdomen surgeries.