Technologies

Spacecraft spots mesmerizing swirls at one of the lowest points on Mars

The curving patterns — found inside one of the largest impact craters in the solar system — have a puzzling origin.

This story is part of Welcome to Mars, our series exploring the red planet.

Try to comprehend the scale of the Hellas impact basin on Mars. At 1,430 miles (2,300 kilometers) in diameter and 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) deep, it’s a doozy of a crater, one of the largest we know of in the solar system. It’s an epic region on Mars, but it gets even more interesting when you zoom in on the details of its landscape.

On Friday, the European Space Agency shared a view snapped by the CaSSIS camera on the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter back in May. It shows a wild wonderland of swirls and curves the space agency described as «mesmerizing.»

ESA traces the history of Hellas back to between 3.8 and 4.1 billion years ago when an asteroid struck the planet. Visit ESA for the full, detailed image and spend some time getting lost in the dramatic whorls, like an elongated fingerprint etched across the Martian ground.

The stretch of surface seen in the image is one of the lowest points on Mars. «The swirling nature of the landscape evokes a feeling of flow,» ESA said in a statement. «The exact reason for its origin is a puzzle, however, and could be attributed to one of many different processes: salt tectonism , or viscous deformation of ice and sediments, for example.»

The Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft has been studying the red planet and cataloging its atmospheric gases. It’s one facet of the ExoMars program, which will also involve sending a rover to Mars in 2022. The rover, like the orbiter, is a joint project from ESA and Russian space agency Roscosmos.

We’ve seen some other wild views from inside Hellas, including a look at «scratch marks,» likely created by dry ice sliding down sandy dunes — as seen by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The questions around the impact basin formations show we still have a lot to learn about the red planet. We might have rovers on the surface and spacecraft in orbit, but there are plenty of mysteries left to solve.

Technologies

New Autistic Barbie Comes With Noise-Canceling Headphones, Fidget Spinner, AAC Tablet

Everything from her flowy dress to the devices she carries was designed with the autism community in mind.

Mattel has unveiled its first-ever autistic Barbie doll, and she comes with several technology items, including noise-canceling headphones — in Barbie pink. Some individuals with autism use headphones to reduce sensory overload and block out background noise. This Barbie doll also features a pink finger-clip fidget spinner that actually spins, serving as a sensory outlet to reduce stress and improve focus. She holds a pink tablet displaying symbol-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication apps, which help some individuals with autism communicate.

«Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,» said Jamie Cygielman, global head of dolls for Mattel. «The doll, designed with guidance from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie.»

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a non-profit disability rights organization run by and for autistic individuals. Mattel and ASAN collaborated for over 18 months to develop the doll.

Doll’s design and fashions

In addition to the headphones, AAC tablet and fidget spinner accessories, Mattel constructed the doll itself differently than past Barbies. It features elbow and wrist articulation. In the press release, Mattel notes that this enables «stimming, hand flapping and other hand gestures that some members of the autistic community use to process sensory information or express excitement.»

The doll’s eye gaze is shifted slightly to the side, and Mattel notes this reflects «how some members of the autistic community may avoid direct eye contact.»

Fashion has always been a vital part of Barbie dolls. The autistic Barbie wears a loose-fitting, purple pinstripe A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt that provides less fabric-to-skin contact. Her purple shoes have flat soles, not the typical Barbie high heels, to promote stability and ease of movement.

The autistic Barbie joins Mattel’s Fashionistas doll line. Other dolls in the line represent people with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness. As part of the launch, Mattel is donating 1,000 autistic Barbie dolls to pediatric hospitals across the country.

The doll is on sale now. We found it priced for $11 at Target online and Walmart and $11.87 at Amazon.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 13, #947

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 13 #947

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features one of those purple categories where you have to recognize four connected words buried inside slightly longer words. It might trip you up. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Wrap it up.

Green group hint: Push or shake around.

Blue group hint: Do not pass Go.

Purple group hint: Not your hand, but with a twist.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Present go-withs.

Green group: Jostle.

Blue group: Accessories for Mr. Monopoly.

Purple group: Parts of the foot plus starting letter.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is present go-withs. The four answers are bow, card, gift wrap and ribbon.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is jostle. The four answers are elbow, press, shoulder and shove.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is accessories for Mr. Monopoly. The four answers are bowtie, cane, moneybag and top hat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is parts of the foot plus starting letter. The four answers are otoe (toe), parch (arch), rankle (ankle) and wheel (heel).

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 13, #477

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 13, No. 477.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. Hope you know your college sports arenas! If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Empire State sports.

Green group hint: Fighting with swords.

Blue group hint: Places to play hoops.

Purple group hint: William, but for short.