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shown compared to a paramecium and amoeba above

When the scientist compared the neurons of adult and pupae fairy wasps, he discovered that more than 95% of adult neurons lack a nucleus

suggest that while a complete set of neurons is needed to grow, far less are required to live

The bright object moving into the field of view in the lower right is Mercury

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission features Curiosity, the largest and most advanced rover ever sent to the Red Planet

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, scheduled to launch in late 2013, will orbit Mars and is devoted to understanding the Red Planet's upper atmosphere

help determine what caused the Martian atmosphere—and water— to be lost to space, making the climate increasingly inhospitable for life.

found at Djadochta Formation, Tugrikinshire, Mongolia,

researchers conclude that the 15 dinosaurs all show juvenile characteristics

At least 10 of the 15 fossil sets are complete

nest further implies that parental care was provided.

Mongolia was, at the time, a place with a variety of theropod dinosaurs, some of whom likely ate babies such as these

The most obvious of these, found in the same deposits, is the (in)famous Velociraptor

analysis of mosasaur locomotion had been limited by a lack of soft tissue fossils, which was crucial for the scientists to truly understand the degree of aquatic adaptation that the creature had achieved

new findings, which include scales and skin impressions, suggest that the mosasaur was able to minimize its frictional drag in the water.

features suggest that it held the front of its body somewhat rigid during swimming, leading it to depend on the rear of its body and tail for propulsion

Mass 900 kg (2,000 lb)[

Power Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG)

the general public had an opportunity to rank nine finalist names through a public poll on the NASA website

Curiosity was selected, which was submitted by a sixth-grader, Clara Ma, from Kansas in an essay contest

10 ft (3.0 m) in length

radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), as used by the successful Mars landers Viking 1 and Viking 2 in 1976

Radioisotope power systems are generators that produce electricity from the natural decay of plutonium-238, which is a non-fissile isotope of plutonium used in power systems for NASA spacecraft. Heat given off by the natural decay of this isotope is converted into electricity, providing constant power during all seasons and through the day and night, and waste heat can be used via pipes to warm systems, freeing electrical power for the operation of the vehicle and instruments

designed to produce 125 watts of electrical power from about 2000 watts of thermal power at the start of the mission

lifetime of 14 years, electrical power output is down to 100 watts

"Rover Compute Element" (RCE), contain radiation hardened memory to tolerate the extreme radiation environment from space and to safeguard against power-off cycles

256 kB of EEPROM, 256 MB of DRAM, and 2 GB of flash memory

Curiosity’s purpose is to search for evidence of habitats that could ever have supported microbial life on Mars

determine whether the ingredients of life exist on Mars today in the form of organic molecules

The nuclear power source will significantly enhance the driving range, scientific capability and working lifetime of the six wheeled rover compared to other solar powered landed surface explorers

The science payload weighs ten times more than any prior Mars rover mission.