This Week in Science: Nose Pickers, Space Umbrellas, and Red Cheese

It’s time for “Nerd News,” covering the most important news for your brain.

Here’s a quick rundown of this week in science . . .

1.  We inched closer to the holy grail for clean energy with a new record for nuclear fusion.  It produced almost twice as much energy as they put in.

2.  In food news:  We figured out how the dark sections form in blue cheese, and might be able to use different fungus strains to make other colors, like red cheese.

3.  In space news:  NASA found an Earth-like planet that’s just 137 light years away from us . . . the Mars rover snapped a photo of the dead Mars helicopter . . . a small part fell off Virgin Galactic’s space plane during a recent tourist flight . . . and could we help solve global warming by installing a huge umbrella in space?  A team of scientists hope to launch a “sun shield” prototype soon.

4.  In other climate news:  Hurricanes are getting so strong, we might need a category 6 rating soon.

5.  And in health news:  Listening to music might keep your mind sharp . . . Viagra might lower your risk for Alzheimer’s disease . . . and picking your nose might CAUSE Alzheimer’s by introducing bacteria into your brain.