March 22, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
This week's science news was largely dominated by the return of two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station, whose planned eight-day mission ended up lasting 286 days. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5, 2024, but not long into the mission helium leaks , along with a number of other issues, were discovered on their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Starliner had already suffered years of delays, and although it was later suggested the pair would have been fine to return home on the suspect vessel , the risk to their safety was considered too great. As such, it wasn't until 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday (March 18) that the astronauts finally splashed down near the coast of Florida , after hitching a lift aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. While much of the attention on them focused on the duo being "stranded" in space, it's not a sentiment the pair shared. In a conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper, they explained how mission extensions are sometimes just part of the job . "We come prepared, we come committed. That is what your human spaceflight program is: It prepares for any and all contingencies that we can conceive of, and we prepare for those," Wilmore told Cooper. "We don't feel abandoned. We don't feel stuck. We don't feel stranded." Related: NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were carried away on stretchers after return from space. Here's why that's normal. Mystery ancestors A new study details how human ancestors mixed with a mystery population 300,000 years ago. (Image credit: Alamy) In a study published Tuesday, researchers presented a new method of modeling genomic data, called "cobraa," that has enabled them to trace the evolution of modern humans ( Homo sapiens ). Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands…