Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin: Humankind should explore the Solar System and beyond

Alexander Misurkin

Alexander Misurkin. Image courtesy RIA Novosti and Ramil Sitdikov.

Russian astronaut Alexander Misurkin thinks humankind should not stop at the exploration of near-Earth space but rather go further in the universe, the explorer told RIA Novosti Tuesday.

"I think, we shouldn't limit ourselves to exploring the Earth's orbit. I, personally, would be interested in going to the outer space, exploring the asteroids, the Moon, and Mars. It's a natural development for me, we have no right to stop at the orbit of our planet," Misurkin said.

Misurkin was part of the international space station crew coming back to Earth in September 2013.

The astronauts carried out 45 scientific research tasks in the 166 days they spent on board of the station.

Fyodor Yurchikhin

Alexander Misurkin and Fyodor Yurchikhin went into open space working there for 7,5 hours hitting record time for a Russian-made spacesuit.

"Coming back to the orbit is a logical development, because astronaut training is extremely expensive for just one flight," he said expressing his willingness to participate in another space expedition.

Misurkin thinks that US sanctions on Russia can deal a heavy blow to space cooperation.

"I am more than sure that great achievements in space require collaborative work, there is no alternative here. I really hope this doesn't happen and we continue cooperation all the while involving more and more countries in it," the astronaut said.

Xenoturbella bocki worm Keeps Its Position as Progenitor of Humankind

Xenoturbella bocki worm. 

Credit: Hiroaki Nakano

Researchers are arguing about whether or not the Xenoturbella bocki worm is the progenitor of humankind, but new studies indicate that this is actually the case.

Swedish researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the Gothenburg Natural History Museum are involved in the international study.

The results have been published in the journal of Nature Communications.

The Xenoturbella bocki worm is a one-centimetre long worm with a simple body plan that is only found regularly by the west coast of Sweden.

The worm lacks a brain, sexual organs and other vital organs.

Zoologists have long disagreed about whether or not the Xenoturbella bocki worm holds a key position in the animal tree of life.

If it does have a key position, it is very important for the understanding of the evolutionary development of organs and cell functions, such as stem cells, for example.

The question is therefore not only important in the field of biology, but also for potential biomedical applications.

Matthias Obst

"It's absolutely fantastic that one of the key evolutionary organisms in the animal kingdom lives right on the doorstep of the University of Gothenburg's Centre for Marine Research, and this is actually the only place in the whole world where you can do research on the creature," says Matthias Obst from the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg.

Genetic studies indicate that the Xenoturbella bocki worm belongs to the group of deuterostomes, the exclusive group to which human's belongs.

"So maybe we're more closely related to the Xenoturbella bocki worm, which doesn't have a brain, than we are to lobsters and flies, for example," says Matthias Obst.

Even though the worm does not particularly resemble man, development biologists have referred to the fact that the early embryonic development of the worm may display similarities with the group to which man belongs.

But the problem has been that no one has previously been able to see the development of the creature.

But now a group of researchers at the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences and the Gothenburg Natural History Museum have succeeded in doing what no one else has done before: to isolate newly born little Xenoturbella bocki worms.

"And these new-born worms revealed absolutely no remnants at all of advanced features! Instead, they exhibit similarities with quite simple, ancient animals such as corals and sponges," says Matthias Obst.

The studies also reveal the value of the University of Gothenburg's marine stations for important basic research.

"The Lovén Centre at the University of Gothenburg is the only place in the whole world where you can study this paradoxical animal (in Swedish called 'Paradox worm'). That's one reason why researchers come from all over the world to Gullmarsfjorden to solve one of the great mysteries in the evolution of animal life," says Matthias Obst.

Reference 
Xenoturbella bocki exhibits direct development with similarities to Acoelomorpha. Nature Communications, 2013; 4: 1537 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2556

UK Propose Study of Existential Risks to Humankind's Survival

British researchers say they want to create a Centre for the Study of Existential Risk to analyse the ultimate risks to the future of mankind.

The purpose of the center, they said, would be to consider risks to mankind's survival from biotech, nanotech, extreme climate change, nuclear war and runaway artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is a particular focus, researchers said, with concerns super-intelligent machines could someday be a danger to the human race.

The exponential increases in computing complexity will eventually reach a critical turning point when artificial intelligence allows computers to write programs and create technology to develop their own offspring, they said.

"Think how it might be to compete for resources with the dominant species," said Cambridge University philosopher Huw Price. "Take gorillas for example -- the reason they are going extinct is not because humans are actively hostile towards them, but because we control the environments in ways that suit us, but are detrimental to their survival."

Experts from a number of fields, including law, computing and science, would advise the center and help with investigating the risks, Price said.

"At some point, this century or next, we may well be facing one of the major shifts in human history -- perhaps even cosmic history -- when intelligence escapes the constraints of biology," he said.

"Nature didn't anticipate us, and we in our turn shouldn't take artificial general intelligence for granted."

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NASA Voyager-1 and Humankind set to cross the final frontier to Interstellar Space

It will be one of the most important milestones in human history as, for the first time, an ambassador for humankind moves beyond the confines and protection of our solar system.

NASA scientists are preparing for the moment, any day now, when the first of two spacecraft launched in the late 1970s crosses the invisible boundary that marks the start of "interstellar space".

Already they have passed some of the furthest planets of the solar system, transmitting spectacular images of the worlds that circle the sun.

This artist's concept by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 at the edge of the solar system. 

The Voyager 1 probe, which is now about 17.7 billion kilometres from Earth, has entered a "transition zone" at the edge of the solar system, scientists say.  

Photo: AFP/NASA/JPL-Caltech

Voyager 1 is about 11 billion miles from Earth and hurtling away at a rate of 13 kilometres a second. Its sister craft, Voyager 2, is not far behind.

Each carries an array of instruments to gather information about outer space - and also a gold-plated copper disc with sounds and images intended to convey a sample of what life is like on Earth should they ever encounter other intelligent life.

Should an alien ever find one of the craft, the first human to whom they will be introduced - assuming they can decode the technology - will be Ann Druyan, now 63, an author and television producer who fell in love with the US astronomer Dr Carl Sagan while they were working on the Voyager mission.

A file photo released by NASA in 1970 shows the golden record on Voyager 1, launched on September 5, 1977, with a cartridge and a needle to play it.  

Photo: AFP/NASA