Live Science Today: Jaw-dropping first glimpse of sperm whale birth and how NASA is turning astronauts into test subjects
Live Science • • world
Key Points:
- Researchers have captured the first-ever footage of a sperm whale giving birth, assisted by 10 other females in her social group, showcasing cooperative behavior among non-primates.
- The birth, filmed by drones in July 2023, showed females forming a protective circle and helping the newborn whale reach the surface to develop buoyancy control.
- Sperm whale social units are matriarchal, with strong lifelong bonds among females, while males typically live solitary lives, creating a significant geographical separation between sexes.
- NASA is preparing for the Artemis II mission, aiming to launch a crewed rocket around the moon, while also planning a permanent lunar base and nuclear-powered rocket development.
- The Artemis program serves as both a technological test for future Mars missions and a study on how space conditions like radiation and microgravity affect human physiology and psychology.
