Wind-Sculpted Landscapes: Investigating the Martian Megaripple ‘Hazyview’ - UNIVERSE

The inactive aeolian megaripple, “Hazyview,” that Perseverance studied while passing through the “Honeyguide” area. NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image on Dec. 5, 2025 (Sol 1704) at the local mean solar time of 12:33:53, using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover's mast and aids in driving.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Written by Noah Martin, Ph.D. student and Candice Bedford, Research Scientist at Purdue University

While much of Perseverance’s work focuses on ancient rocks that record Mars’ long-lost rivers and lakes, megaripples offer a rare opportunity to examine processes that are still shaping the surface today. Megaripples are sand ripples up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall that are mainly built and modified by wind. However, when water in the atmosphere interacts with dust on the ripple surface, a salty, dusty crust can form. When this happens, it is much harder for the wind to move or shape the megaripple. As such, megaripples on Mars are largely considered inactive, standing as records of past wind regimes and atmospheric water interactions over time. However, some have shown signs of movement, and it is possible that periods of high wind speeds may erode or reactivate these deposits again.

Despite Mars’ thin atmosphere today (2% of the Earth’s atmospheric density), wind is one of the main drivers of change at the surface, eroding local bedrock into sand-sized grains and transporting these grains across the ripple field. As a result, megaripple studies help us understand how wind has shaped the surface in Mars’ most recent history and support planning for future human missions, as the chemistry and cohesion of Martian soils will influence everything from mobility to resource extraction.

Following the successful investigation of the dusty, inactive megaripples at “Kerrlaguna,” Perseverance recently explored a more expansive field of megaripples called “Honeyguide.” This region hosts some of the largest megaripples Perseverance has seen along its traverse so far, making it an ideal location for a comprehensive study of these features. The megaripples at “Honeyguide” rise higher, extend farther, and have sharply defined crests with more uniform orientation compared to those at “Kerrlaguna.” The consistent orientation of the megaripples at “Honeyguide” suggests that winds in this area have blown predominantly from the same direction (north-south) for a long period of time.

At “Honeyguide,” Perseverance studied the “Hazyview” megaripple, where over 50 observations were taken across the SuperCam, Mastcam-Z, MEDA, PIXL and WATSON instruments, looking for grain movement, signs of early morning frost, and changes in mineralogy from crest to trough. The investigation of the “Hazyview” bedform builds directly on the results from “Kerrlaguna” and represents the most detailed look yet at these intriguing wind-formed deposits. As Perseverance continues its journey on the crater rim, these observations will provide a valuable reference for interpreting other wind-blown features and for understanding how Mars continues to change, one grain of sand at a time. 

Source: Wind-Sculpted Landscapes: Investigating the Martian Megaripple 'Hazyview' - NASA Science 

Too much screen time too soon? Study links infant screen exposure to brain changes and teen anxiety - Neuroscience - Pediatrics

Credit: energepic.com from Pexels

Children exposed to high levels of screen time before age 2 showed changes in brain development that were linked to slower decision-making and increased anxiety by their teenage years, according to new research by Asst. Prof. Tan Ai Peng and her team from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, using data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.

Published in eBioMedicine, the study tracked the same children over more than a decade, with brain imaging taken at multiple time points to map a possible biological pathway from infant screen exposure to adolescent mental health. This is the first paper on screen time to incorporate measures spanning more than 10 years, highlighting the long-lasting consequences of screen time in infancy.

Importantly, the study focuses on infancy, a period when brain development is most rapid and especially sensitive to environmental influences. Furthermore, the amount and type of screen exposure in infancy are largely determined by parental and caregiver awareness and parenting practices, highlighting a critical window for early guidance and intervention.

Infant screen exposure: Why the first two years matter

The researchers followed 168 children from the GUSTO cohort and conducted brain scans at three time points (ages 4.5, 6, and 7.5). This allowed them to track how brain networks developed over time rather than relying on a single snapshot.

Study design and aims. Credit: eBioMedicine (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.106093

Children with higher infant screen time showed an accelerated maturation of brain networks responsible for visual processing and cognitive control. The researchers suggest this may result from the intense sensory stimulation that screens provide. Notably, screen time measured at ages three and four did not show the same effects, underscoring why infancy is a particularly sensitive period.

"Accelerated maturation happens when certain brain networks develop too fast, often in response to adversity or other stimuli," explains Dr. Huang Pei, the study's first author. "During normal development, brain networks gradually become more specialized over time. However, in children with high screen exposure, the networks controlling vision and cognition specialized faster, before they had developed the efficient connections needed for complex thinking. This can limit flexibility and resilience, leaving the child less able to adapt later in life."

This premature specialization came at a cost: children with these altered brain networks took longer to make decisions during a cognitive task at age 8.5, suggesting reduced cognitive efficiency or flexibility. Those with slower decision-making, in turn, reported higher anxiety symptoms at age 13. These findings suggest that screen exposure in infancy may have effects that extend well beyond early childhood, shaping brain development and behavior years later.

How parent-child reading counteracts screen time impact

In a related study published in Psychological Medicine in 2024, the same team found that infant screen time is also associated with alterations in brain networks that govern emotional regulation—but that parent-child reading could counteract some of these brain changes.

Among children whose parents read to them frequently at age 3, the link between infant screen time and altered brain development was significantly weakened. The researchers suggest that shared reading may provide the kind of enriched, interactive experience that passive screen consumption lacks, including back-and-forth engagement, language exposure, and emotional connection.

"This research gives us a biological explanation for why limiting screen time in the first two years is crucial. But it also highlights the importance of parental engagement, showing that parent-child activities, like reading together, can make a real difference," said Asst. Prof. Peng, the study's senior author.

The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the National University Hospital of Singapore, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, and McGill University. The findings provide an evidence base to guide early childhood policies and parenting practices, contributing to Singapore's efforts to maximize human potential from the earliest stages of life. 

Provided by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 

by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore

edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew Zinin 

Source: Too much screen time too soon? Study links infant screen exposure to brain changes and teen anxiety