
Pope Leo XIV speaks with astronaut Buzz Aldrin about Apollo 11
July 21 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV spoke with astronaut Buzz Aldrin to discuss the 56th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.
During the call, the two reminisced on the 1969 landing, "reflecting on the mystery of creation, its greatness and fragility."
"Anca and I were grateful and touched to receive the highest blessing from His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV on the 56th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. What an honor! We prayed for good health, long life, and prosperity for all humankind," wrote on social media after the conversation.
The pope also recited the midday Angelus and visited the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo for the Anniversary, where he was able to look through the astronomical center's historic telescopes.
In June, Leo, who graduated from Villanova University with a degree in mathematics, hosted participants in the Vatican Observatory Summer school, asking them to never forget "that what they do is meant to benefit everyone."

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UPI
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'Significant evidence' ties air pollution with dementia, study finds
Smoke from fires in Northern California covers the Bay Bridge in San Francisco in 2020. A British study published this week appears to strengthen the suspected link between long-term exposure to air pollution and the risk of dementia in the elderly. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo ST. PAUL, Minn., July 24 (UPI) -- British researchers said Thursday they've found "significant evidence" of a long-suspected link between air pollution and dementia after studying data from nearly 30 million people across four continents. The authors of a paper published in The Lancet Planetary Health reviewed data compiled from 32 studies that involved more than 29 million participants, mostly from high-income countries in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as Australia, to "provide more robust overarching conclusions" about the suspected connection. 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She added that the mounting evidence makes the case for cleaner air even stronger -- not only for the sake of human health but also for the ability of care systems to cope with the exploding numbers of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. The 57 million people already affected worldwide are expected to almost triple to 153 million cases by 2050, and reducing that avalanche of future illness will require "less burning of fossil fuels, a move to renewable clean energy, a move to clean transportation options, such as walking and cycling, and enacting climate change mitigation strategies," Khreis told UPI in emailed comments. "A coordinated effort would be a multisector, systems-level response -- not unlike how we've approached other public health crises." 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There is "a wealth of expanding literature that investigates this question," Khreis said, noting that some research indicates the ultrafine particles may be able to bypass the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain directly via the olfactory nerve, thus triggering inflammation. Indirectly, these inhaled pollutants can trigger systemic inflammation and immune responses, such as when they enter the circulatory system and travel to solid organs. The particles can cross into the brain and disrupt microglial function and promote amyloid-β plaque formation, which is associated with dementia, she said. Experts comment Experts and other researchers who have looked at the possible link between air pollution and dementia, but were not connected to the current study, weighed on its findings when contacted by UPI. Dr. Isolde Radford, senior policy manager at the British charitable group Alzheimer's Research U.K., agreed that air pollution "is not just an environmental issue -- it's a serious and growing threat to our brain health. If no one were exposed to air pollution, there would be three fewer cases of dementia for every 100 people who develop it now." She called the current study a "rigorous review [that] adds to mounting evidence that exposure to air pollution -- from traffic fumes to wood burners -- increases the risk of developing dementia," and specifically noted marginalized groups are often exposed to higher levels of pollution, yet remain underrepresented in research. "Future studies must reflect the full diversity of society -- because those most at risk could stand to benefit the most from action," Radford added, calling on the British government to institute a "bold, cross-government approach to health prevention -- one that brings together departments beyond health ... to take coordinated action on the drivers of dementia risk" and move up existing timelines to produce cleaner air. Dr. Hao Chen, a researcher at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital in China and author of a recent study linking atmospheric pollutants with the progression of cardiometabolic disorders and subsequent dementia, called the Cambridge paper an important document. 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Located on the east coast of Florida on Merritt Island in Brevard County, the Kennedy Space Center is NASA's primary spaceport where a majority of the space agency's missions get off the ground. The center manages the launches of both crewed and uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station and partners with commercial companies like SpaceX, which conduct their own rocket launches at the site. Most of the launches take place from the historic Launch Complex 39A – the site of NASA's Apollo moon mission launches. How did NASA respond to Voyager Declaration? In a statement to FLORIDA TODAY, NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said the agency will never compromise on safety, and "any reductions – including our current voluntary reduction – will be designed to protect safety-critical roles." "We must revisit what's working and what's not so that we can inspire the American people again and win the space race," Stevens said. "Despite the claims posted on a website that advances radical, discriminatory DEI principles, the reality is that President Trump has proposed billions of dollars for NASA science, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to communicating our scientific achievements." What other space orgs are speaking out against Trump's NASA policy? Among the most vocal opponents to Trump's proposed budget cuts has been the Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Carl Sagan in 1980 whose chief executive is now Bill Nye. The organization has widely condemned the White House's proposed 47% cuts to NASA science activities under the budget proposal, which it views as "an extinction-level event" for many cornerstone missions. "It will damage the agency's highly skilled workforce, abandon national priorities, and gut STEM education and outreach," the Planetary Society said in a May 30 statement when Trump's full proposal was made public. Earlier in July, the organization shared an open letter signed by all seven living former heads of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. In the letter, the leaders warned that Trump's proposal would 'walk away from dozens of current, extraordinarily successful and productive science missions' and halt nearly all future investments in exploration and innovation. Congress advances bill to restore NASA funding Meanwhile in Congress, U.S. Senate and House members approved appropriations bills that would rebuff proposed cuts and maintain NASA's annual budget at $24.9 billion. The Planetary Society lauded Congress in a statement for resisting "unprecedented, unstrategic, and wasteful cuts" at NASA. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA workers sign letter opposing Trump budget cuts: 'Catastrophic' Solve the daily Crossword