The Signal — 2026-07-05 breakpoint #3
Mars Express has captured dozens of dust devils in a Martian valley. These mini whirlwinds form when the sun warms the surface, causing air to swirl upward. They're just like Earth's dust devils, but on Mars they can grow to the size of skyscrapers. Meanwhile, a study suggests laughter may date back 15 million years, shared by humans and great apes. So when you laugh at a dust devil, you're engaging in a behavior older than our species. And on that note, a Japanese space probe just skimmed an asteroid in a test for planetary defense. Because if a dust devil isn't coming for us, an asteroid might.