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The US rover Perseverance will land in Mars’s Jezero Crater (circled in yellow).Credit: Emily Lakdawalla/ISRO/ISSDC
Three daring missions count down to Mars
The United States, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon launch missions to Mars — a notoriously dangerous destination for spacecraft. Each mission is groundbreaking in its own way. The United States is sending its fifth rover, NASA’s most capable ever, in the hope of finding evidence of past life on Mars and collecting a set of rocks that will one day be the first samples flown back to Earth. China aims to build on its lunar-exploration successes by taking one of its rovers to Mars for the first time. And the UAE will be launching an orbiter — the first interplanetary mission by any Arab nation — as a test of its young but ambitious space agency.
US international students face deportation
Some international students in the United States whose classes are going virtual are facing deportation. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced yesterday that it was withdrawing an exemption, prompted by COVID-19, that allowed students on some visas to take all their classes online. The change means that they “must depart the country or take other measures”, such as transferring to an institution that offers in-person classes despite the risks of infection. Those who are outside the country will not be allowed to enter the United States. Universities have just one week to certify whether they will be offering any classes in person.
The move raises difficult questions for graduate students whose work might be on hold owing to the pandemic. “If their labs close and they’re not able to work full time on dissertation research … do they have to leave the country?” asks Lizbet Boroughs, associate vice president of federal affairs at the Association of American Universities.
The Washington Post | 6 min read
Scientists raise alarms about China DNA data
Researchers are concerned about China’s effort to collect DNA from millions of men to help to solve crimes. China is collecting DNA samples from up to 10% of its male population — that’s about 70 million adults and children — according to a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The report says that those DNA profiles can be used to construct genetic links to China’s entire male population, putting their privacy at risk. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security did not respond to Nature’s request for comment on the risks that the database could be used for purposes other than criminal investigations.
Reference: Australian Strategic Policy Institute report
COVID-19 coronavirus update
Pau Barrena/AFP via Getty
No herd immunity in hard-hit Spain
Only 5% of Spain’s population has had COVID-19, despite it being one of the European countries most affected by the pandemic. A serological survey tested more than 61,000 people from randomly selected households for antibodies against the coronavirus. The highest rate of infection was around 10%, in Madrid. That is well below the required level — something more like 60% (maybe) — to achieve therd immunity, which might slow the outbreak. Scientists don’t know for sure whether a past infection will give a person immunity, or to what extent. The study comes on the heels of similar results from France and elsewhere. “In light of these findings, any proposed approach to achieve herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical, but also unachievable,” write virologists Isabella Eckerle and Benjamin Meyer in a commentary accompanying the research.
Reference: The Lancet paper
Public-health experts carry a heavy burden
Public-health advisers, epidemiologists and others caught in the maelstrom of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States are sharing the stress, exhaustion and emotional toll of seeing their worst-case scenarios become reality. “Someone said to me, ‘I hope you’re getting tons of support,’” says public-health worker Nicolette Louissaint. “But there’s no feasible thing that anyone could do to make this better, no matter how much they love you. The mental toll isn’t something you can easily share.”
Features & opinion
A post-pandemic exit plan for academics
The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting some early-career researchers to rethink their hopes for a university post. Researchers considering a move to industry, government and other sectors should expect to face stiff competition, but they can take steps to stand out from the crowd. “PhDs are highly employable,” says career consultant Tracy Bussoli. “Companies are looking for potential and the ability to learn very quickly. Early-career researchers have that in buckets.”
Sustainable Development Goals need a reset
It’s time to rethink the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, argue ecologists Robin Naidoo and Brendan Fisher. “The success of the SDGs depends on two big assumptions: sustained economic growth and globalization,” write ecologists Robin Naidoo and Brendan Fisher. “COVID-19 has torn these to shreds.” They recommend a smaller list of broad strategic goals that can be win–wins for sustainability and global health.
