The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds 
Larger and more frequent solar storms will make for potential disruptions and spectacular auroras on Earth 
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects 
Genetic diseases: How scientists are working to make DNA repair (almost) a piece of cake 
Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration 
The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day 
Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of 
A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars 
Is dark matter’s main rival theory dead? There’s bad news from the Cassini spacecraft and other recent tests 
Six space missions to look forward to in 2024 
Black hole, neutron star or something new? We discovered an object that defies explanation 
The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup 
If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it 
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins made history with the Apollo 11 mission that effectively put an end to the Space Race between Soviet Russia and the United States. However, in a 2019 interview, it was revealed that the Cold War was the least of their concerns when they were sent to space.
In the interview, Collins admitted that president John F. Kennedy’s commitment to the Apollo 11 mission played a big part in its success. The legendary astronaut recalled where he was at the time when JFK made his speech about how there would be a man on the moon by the end of the decade. “I was struggling with the equations of motion at the test pilot’s school at Edwards Air Force Base” and added that at the time, the thought of flying to the moon was beyond what he could imagine.
But, when Collins joined the space program and became a part of the Apollo 11 mission, he realized how important and historic the mission would be. “...As the months went by I thanked John F. Kennedy more and more because the stark simplicity of his mandate was wonderful for us,” shared the astronaut.
Given that the Apollo 11 mission was carried out in the midst of the Cold War, Collins revealed that it was the least of their concerns at the time. “We, were of course, acutely aware of the USSR, we knew we were in competition with them - but somehow that was behind a screen. It wasn’t part of our day-to-day life, I didn’t feel like an active competitor, my problems were American problems, trying to get American problems solved.”
On a lighthearted note, Collins recalled the secret bet he made with Armstrong was settled by a mistake made by Aldrin. Collins shared that he bet Armstrong a case of beer that they would not flip over during their return trip to Earth.
“I had bet Neil a case of beer that we would not flip over during return. We hit the ocean so fast that Buzz, who was all prepared, his hand was jerked off and he missed the circuit breakers. I turned the switches and they didn’t work because he hadn’t pushed in the breakers. So we flipped over into stable two and I owed Neil a case of beer,” said Collins.
