Geneticist Amita Sehgal of the University of Pennsylvania was recently studying fruit flies in her lab when she noticed something peculiar. The insects slept normally when bathed in light for 24 hours a day but tossed and turned when shifted from one day/night cycle, or “time zone,” to another. It turns out they were suffering from something akin to serious jet lag.

They'll be too small to clear the way for settlements, but tiny robotic bulldozers may soon be on their way to Mars. Weighing 8 pounds each, the rovers will dig for water or other treasures. Each is equipped with an arm that can scoop Martian soil into an overhead bucket. They're not yet scheduled to fly.