News at a glance: A precise atomic clock, a close asteroid flyby, and flood-resistant rebuilding.

A new atomic clock has been developed that is incredibly precise, losing only 1 second every 30 billion years. The clock uses laser light to trap strontium atoms, reducing errors and allowing for more accurate timekeeping. This clock will aid in testing Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. The European Space Agency has approved a mission to monitor a large asteroid that will pass close to Earth in 2029. The mission will study how interactions with Earth's gravity affect the asteroid's shape and orbit. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a rule that requires any rebuilding it funds after a natural disaster to be resistant to or removed from future flood risks. This will help mitigate future flood damage caused by climate change. A leading Dutch archeologist has resigned from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) after a report accused her and her husband of bullying and abuse of power. The KNAW has suspended her membership and terminated her position at a KNAW institute. Maxine Singer, a molecular biologist and scientific leader, has passed away at the age of 93. She made significant contributions to genetic engineering and helped develop ethical guidelines for the field. COVID-19 infections in pregnant women during the first trimester do not raise the risk of birth defects, according to a study. The study analyzed health records from over 343,000 mothers and found that the rate of birth defects was similar between mothers who had COVID-19 and [Extracted from the article]