Cosmic census reveals 540 stars and planets in our neighborhood, reports New Scientist. –Using existing databases of objects alongside data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia telescope, which is mapping billions of stars in our galaxy, Céline Reylé at the UTINAM Institute in France and her colleagues pooled all knowledge of objects within 10 parsecs, or 33 light years, of our sun.”
How Long Can We Live? asks Ferris Jabr for The New York Times Magazine. New research is intensifying the debate with profound implications for the future of the planet–“As the global population approaches eight billion, and science discovers increasingly promising ways to slow or reverse aging in the lab, the question of human longevity’s potential limits is more urgent than ever. When their work is examined closely, it’s clear that longevity scientists hold a wide range of nuanced perspectives on the future of humanity.”