Meghan Bartels
Meghan Bartels is a seasoned science journalist with a focus on space exploration and earth science. She has written for various publications including Audubon, Nautilus, Astronomy, Smithsonian and her current position at Scientific American. Meghan joined Scientific American in 2023 as a senior news reporter after spending over four years as a writer and editor at Space.com and nearly a year as a science reporter at Newsweek. She is well-versed in reporting on topics related to space, the environment, and scientific discoveries. Her work often highlights NASA's missions and explorations, demonstrating her deep interest in the field of space exploration.
85%
The Daily's Verdict
This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.
Bias
98%
Examples:
- Meghan Bartels has a strong bias towards reporting on space exploration and science. In her articles, she often presents information about NASA's missions and discoveries in a positive light.
Conflicts of Interest
75%
Examples:
- In one article, Meghan fails to disclose her previous employment at Space.com, which could create a conflict of interest.
Contradictions
85%
Examples:
- In one article, Meghan reports that Apophis is expected to change orbit, day length, and possibly reshape its surface during the close encounter with Earth in 2029, despite an earlier determination that Apophis is not a threat to Earth for the foreseeable future.
Deceptions
80%
Examples:
- In one article, Meghan presents sending human remains to space as a harmless and celebratory act.
Recent Articles
ESA's Ramses Mission to Study Asteroid Apophis: Unraveling the Mysteries of a Potentially Hazardous Space Rock
Broke On: Wednesday, 17 July 2024In April 2029, the asteroid Apophis, measuring 1,230 feet across and classified as an S-type asteroid, will make a close approach to Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch the Rapid Apophis Mission for Security and Safety (Ramses) in April 2028 to study this asteroid before its encounter. Ramses aims to gather data on Apophis' size, shape, mass, and orbit, which will help scientists determine how best to deflect potential threats from similar asteroids in the future. 
Unprecedented Solar Storm in May 2024: Eight X-class Flares and Global Auroras
Broke On: Tuesday, 07 May 2024An unprecedented solar storm in May 2024, marked by eight X-class solar flares and coronal mass ejections, caused a week-long barrage of space weather events. The strongest flare, an X8.7 on May 14, resulted in a G5 geomagnetic storm with auroras visible at low latitudes worldwide. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images and provided valuable data for scientists to study the sun's behavior. While these solar events led to stunning auroras, they also posed risks for spacecraft and satellite operations. 
Wild Orangutan Rakus Self-Medicates with Medicinal Plant Akar Kuning for Wound Healing: A First in Animal Behavior
Broke On: Friday, 03 May 2024A wild Sumatran orangutan named Rakus made history in June 2022 by self-medicating with the medicinal plant Akar kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria) to heal a wound on his face. This marks the first documented case of a wild animal using a plant for wound healing, and Rakus' behavior could have implications for understanding the origins of human wound care. 
NASA Identifies and Fixes Issue with Voyager 1's Flight Data Subsystem, Spacecraft Continues Its Journey Through Interstellar Space
Broke On: Thursday, 18 April 2024NASA's Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object in space and longest-operating spacecraft, resumed sending engineering updates after a five-month hiatus caused by a failed chip within its flight data subsystem. Engineers divided affected code into sections, adjusted each section to function correctly, and updated its location in FDS memory. They then sent the code responsible for packaging engineering data to a new location on April 18. A radio signal takes approximately 44 hours for round-trip communication between Earth and Voyager 1. 
Moon Lander Launch Criticized for Sending Human Remains to Space
Broke On: Saturday, 06 January 2024The upcoming moon lander launch is facing criticism for its cargo, including the ashes of people receiving space funerals. This echoes a past incident with new twists brought about by today's global and commercially-aided moon rush. Indigenous peoples hold the moon sacred and sending human remains there can be seen as an act of desecration. The Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren stated that allowing human remains to touch down on the moon would be an affront to many indigenous cultures who revere it. Mysterious Respiratory Illness Affecting Dogs Across the U.S.
Broke On: Monday, 04 December 2023A mysterious respiratory illness is affecting dogs across multiple states in the U.S. The illness is characterized by a cough and can progress to more severe symptoms, including pneumonia. The cause of the illness is still under investigation. Changes in dog care and management during the COVID-19 pandemic may be contributing factors. The illness does not respond to kennel cough treatments. NASA's EMIT Instrument Identifies Methane Emission Sources
Broke On: Friday, 17 November 2023NASA's EMIT instrument has identified over 750 emission sources of greenhouse gases, particularly methane, since August 2022. The largest total emissions were observed for Turkmenistan. The data collected by EMIT could aid in achieving the global methane-reduction pledge, which aims to reduce emissions by at least 30% of 2020's levels by 2030. Machine learning models based on the U-Net architecture are proposed for the detection of methane leaks from anthropogenic sources.