Very little is known about dark matter and it is only indirectly observable based on the gravitational lensing it causes. Astronomers have now seen it do something new: clump. This is surprising because it was thought to not really interact with much of anything, whether normal matter or it’s mysterious counterpart. Something strange is happening in the galaxy cluster A520, with several galaxy clusters smashing together to cause these strange effects. (Scientific American)

Saturn’s moon, Dione, has an oxygen “exosphere,” or very thin atmosphere. This supports the idea that many of the moons around the gas giants may have a similar layer of oxygen. This would also increase the odds of life, at least as we might recognize it, being found on one of these moons. (BBC)

NASA hasn’t given up hope for sending another mission to Mars, in spite of the fact that the 2016 and 2018 joint US-Europe missions have been canceled in budget cuts. Hopes are for between 2018 and 2020 if they can come up with something cheaper. There are currently three active NASA missions on Mars, including the Opportunity rover (going strong for 8 years of it’s 90 day life span) and two satellites in orbit. Additionally Curiosity is scheduled to land in August. (TG Daily)

Neanderthal tool finds on Mediterranean islands, including some Greek islands and Crete suggest that they may have developed seafaring more than 100,000 years ago, beating modern humans to it by at least 50,000 years. (New Scientist)

Harvard scientists have genetically engineered yeast to be able to sense and react to magnetic fields. (Discovery News)