ALMA discovers over 100 different molecules in a nearby starburst galaxy

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) have detected more than 100 molecular species at the center of starburst galaxy NGC 253. This is far more than anything previously observed in galaxies outside the Milky Way.

Artist's impression of the center of starburst galaxy NGC 253. Image credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF.

In the Universe, some galaxies form stars much faster than our Milky Way. These galaxies are called starburst galaxies.

Exactly how such extremely prolific star formation occurs and how it ends is still a mystery.

The probability of star formation is determined by the properties of the raw material from which stars are formed, such as molecular gas, which is a gaseous substance made up of various molecules.

For example, stars form in dense regions within molecular clouds where gravity can work more effectively.

Some time after a star has been actively forming, explosions from existing or dead stars can energize the surrounding material and prevent future star formation.

These physical processes affect the galaxy's chemistry and imprint signatures on the strength of the signals from its molecules.

Because each molecule emits light at a specific frequency, observations over a wide frequency range can analyze its physical properties and provide insight into the mechanism of starbursts.

It was observed by Dr. Nanase Harada of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan as part of the ALMA Comprehensive High-Resolution Extragalactic Molecular Inventory (ALCHEMI). NGC253 a starburst galaxy located 11.5 million light-years away in the constellation Corina.

They were able to detect more than 100 molecular species in the galaxy's central molecular belt.

This chemical raw material is most abundantly found outside the Milky Way, and includes molecules such as ethanol and the phosphorus-containing species PN, which were first detected beyond the Milky Way.

First, astronomers found that the dense molecular gas likely fuels active star formation in this galaxy.

Each molecule emits at multiple frequencies, and its relative and absolute signal strength varies with density and temperature.

Analysis of numerous signals from several molecular species revealed that the amount of dense gas at the center of NGC 253 is more than 10 times greater than the amount of gas at the center of the Milky Way. This could explain why NGC 253 forms about 30 stars. With the same amount of molecular gas, you can get many times more efficiency.

One mechanism by which molecular clouds compress and become denser is through collisions between them.

At the center of NGC 253, cloud collisions occur where gas streams and stars intersect, creating shock waves that travel at supersonic speeds.

These shock waves vaporize molecules such as methanol and HNCO and freeze them onto ice dust particles.

Once the molecules evaporate as a gas, they can be observed with radio telescopes such as ALMA.

Certain molecules also track ongoing star formation. It is known that complex organic molecules exist in abundance around young stars.

Schematic image of the center of NGC 253. Spectra from the ALCHEMI survey are shown where different tracer species are enriched.Image credits: ALMA / ESO / National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / NRAO / Harada other.

The study suggests that in NGC 253, active star formation creates a hot, dense environment similar to that found around individual protostars in the Milky Way.

The amount of complex organic molecules at the center of NGC 253 is similar to that found around galactic protostars.

In addition to the physical conditions that can promote star formation, the study also uncovered harsh environments left behind by previous generations of stars that could slow the formation of future stars.

When a massive star dies, a massive explosion known as a supernova occurs, releasing energetic particles called cosmic rays.

Molecular composition of NGC 253 revealed by enhancement of species such as H₃○⁺ and HOC⁺ Molecules in this region are stripped of some of their electrons by cosmic rays at least 1,000 times faster than molecules near the solar system.

This suggests that there is a significant energy input from the supernova, making it difficult for the gas to condense and form a star.

Finally, the ALCHEMI survey provided an atlas of 44 molecular species, double the number obtained in previous studies outside the Milky Way.

By applying machine learning techniques to this atlas, the researchers were able to identify which molecules can most effectively track the star formation story described above from beginning to end.

As explained above with some examples, certain molecular species track phenomena such as shock waves and dense gas that can help star formation.

Young star-forming regions are rich in chemicals, including complex organic molecules.

On the other hand, the developed starbursts show an enhancement of cyanogen radicals, which indicate an energy output in the form of ultraviolet photons from massive stars, which could also hinder future star formation.

“Finding these tracers may help plan future observations to take advantage of the broadband sensitivity improvements expected over this decade as part of the ALMA 2030 development roadmap. “Simultaneous observation of molecular transitions will become more manageable,” the scientists said.

Their paper will appear in Astrophysical Journal Appendix Series.

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Nanase Harada other. 2024. ALCHEMI Atlas: Principal component analysis reveals starburst evolution of NGC 253. APJS 271, 38; doi: 10.3847/1538-4365/ad1937

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists have discovered a distinct neural signature in chickadees for episodic memory

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecil atricapillus) This small passerine bird from North America, which lives in deciduous and mixed forests, has an extraordinary memory that allows it to remember thousands of food locations to help it survive the winter. Now, scientists Columbia University Zuckerman Institute for Mind, Brain, and Behavior have discovered how Gala is able to remember so many details. They memorize the location of each food item using brain cell activity similar to a barcode.

Chetty other. We propose that animals recall episodic memories by reactivating barcodes in the hippocampus.Image credit: Chetty other., doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.032.

“We found that each memory is tagged with a unique pattern of activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores memories,” said Dr. Dmitry Aronov, senior author of the study.

“We called these patterns 'barcodes' because they are very specific labels for individual memories. For example, the barcodes of two different caches are Even if two caches are next to each other, there is no correlation.

“There are a number of human discoveries that perfectly match the barcode mechanism,” added Dr. Selman Chetty, lead author of the study.

Scientists have known for decades that the brain's hippocampus is necessary for episodic memories, but understanding exactly how those memories are encoded has been much more difficult. was.

Part of the reason is that it's often difficult to know what animals remember at any given time.

To get around this problem in the new study, Dr. Aronoff and colleagues turned to the black-capped chickadee.

Researchers found that chickadees provide a unique opportunity to study episodic memory because they hide food and then have to remember to come back to retrieve it later.

“Each cache is a clear, obvious, easily observable moment in which a new memory is formed,” Dr. Aronoff said.

“By focusing on these special moments, we were able to identify patterns of memory-related activity that we had not noticed before.”

The researchers needed to design an arena that could automatically track the detailed behavior of the gulls as they hide and retrieve food.

They also needed to develop techniques to make large-scale, high-density neural recordings inside the birds' brains as they move freely.

Their brain recordings during caching revealed very sparse and transient barcode-like firing patterns across hippocampal neurons. Each barcode contains only about 7% of the cells in the hippocampus.

“When a bird creates a cache, about 7% of its neurons respond to that cache. When the bird creates another cache, another group of 7% of its neurons responds,” Dr. Aronoff said. Ta.

These neural barcodes occurred simultaneously with the conventional activity of neurons in the brain that are triggered in response to specific locations, aptly called place cells.

Interestingly, however, there were no similarities in the episodic memory barcodes of cache locations close to each other.

“It was widely thought that place cells change when animals form new memories,” Dr. Aronoff says.

“For example, placement cell firings may increase or decrease near the cache location.”

“This was a common hypothesis, but our data did not support it.”

“Place cells do not represent information about caches; rather, they appear to remain relatively stable as the chickadees cache and retrieve food from the environment.”

“Instead, episodic memory is represented by additional activity patterns, or barcodes, that coexist with place cells.”

The authors liken the newly discovered hippocampal barcode to a computer hash code, a pattern that is assigned as a unique identifier to different events.

They suggest that barcode-like patterns may be a mechanism for the rapid formation and storage of many non-interfering memories.

“Perhaps the biggest unanswered question is whether and how the brain uses barcodes to prompt behavior,” Dr. Aronoff said.

“For example, it's not clear whether chickadees activate barcodes and use their memory of food-caching events when deciding where to go next.”

“We plan to address these questions in future studies through more complex settings in the laboratory, recording brain activity while the birds choose which food stores to visit.”

“If you plan on retrieving cached items before you actually retrieve them, that's to be expected,” Dr. Chetty said.

“We wanted to identify the moments when a bird is thinking about a location but haven't gotten there yet, and see if activating the barcode might move the bird to the cache. thinking about.”

“We also want to know whether the barcoding tactics they discovered in chickadees are widely used among other animals, including humans. It might help clarify the core.”

“When you think about how people define themselves, who they think they are, their sense of self, episodic memories of specific events are central to that. That's what we're trying to understand. That is what we are doing.”

a paper The survey results were published in a magazine cell.

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Selman N. Chetty other. Barcoding of episodic memory in the hippocampus of food-storing birds. cell, published online March 29, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.032

Source: www.sci.news

New studies indicate Arrokoth and other Kuiper belt objects are made of untouched ice

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A pair of planetary scientists from Brown University and the SETI Institute have uncovered ancient ice deep within Arrokoth, the Kuiper Belt object (486958) that was the focus of a flyby by NASA’s New Horizons mission on January 1, 2019. They suggest that billions of years ago when the object first formed, there was a chance that ancient ice formed by comets could be present. By developing a new model to study comet evolution, the researchers found that this endurance is not unique to Arrokoth but may also be found in many other objects in the Kuiper belt.

This composite image of Ultima Thule was compiled from data acquired when NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew by the object on January 1, 2019. This image combines enhanced color data (close to what the human eye can see) with detailed high-resolution panchromatic data. picture. Image credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute / Roman Tkachenko.

“Using a fairly simple mathematical model, we now show that primordial ice can be trapped deep inside these objects for long periods of time,” said Dr. Sam Birch, a planetary scientist at Brown University. “Most of our community thought this ice should have disappeared long ago, but now we think that may not be the case.”

Planetary scientists have long struggled to understand what happens to the ice on these space rocks over time. The new study challenges traditional thermal evolution models and suggests that highly volatile ice on these objects may persist longer than previously thought.

A model created by Birch and SETI Institute researcher Orkan Umurkhan explains this phenomenon, indicating that the ice on these objects can endure due to their extremely low temperatures. This new idea may provide insight into the explosive nature of icy objects in the Kuiper belt when they approach the sun.

Ultimately, this study presents a new perspective on comet evolution and activity, challenging existing theories and paving the way for a deeper understanding of these celestial bodies and their origins.

Birch and Dr. Umruhan are co-investigators of NASA’s Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR) mission, which aims to collect surface material from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and return it to Earth for analysis, potentially shedding further light on comet evolution and activity.

The study is published in the journal Icarus, and the results could have implications for future space exploration missions and our understanding of the cosmos.

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Samuel PD Birch and Orkan M. Umruhan. 2024. 486958 CO ice and gas remain inside the Arokos. Icarus 413: 116027; doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116027

Source: www.sci.news

What causes variations in anxiety levels among individuals?

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

We all know that person who, when faced with a tremendous problem, shrugs their shoulders, comes up with a solution, and moves forward without furrowing their brow.

For those who have had a relationship with anxiety, even temporarily, it may seem surprising how others manage to live their lives so calmly. Why are some people protected while others are more likely to experience it? As with most aspects of our behavior, genetics as well as environmental pressures and lifestyle choices Science also has an influence. Thankfully, with a deeper understanding of how they interact, we can find new ways to minimize the problem.

Let’s start with your genes. Research shows that approximately 30 percent of the variation in generalized anxiety disorder in the general population is due to Caused by genetics. This is not due to any particular gene, but rather to a large number of interacting genetic factors.

For some people, it may be a gene related to the hormone serotonin, which carries messages to the brain. A study of marmosets found that the level of anxiety the animals perceived Gene responsible for protein that removes serotonin An area of the brain called the amygdala processes memories associated with fear. When serotonin was blocked from entering cells in the amygdala, the animals’ anxiety appeared to decrease.

This suggests that some people may have a genetic predisposition to absorb too much serotonin into cells in this area. As a result, less serotonin passes between neurons, disrupting the messages that help us…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Reveals your proximity to the mouse right now

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This longstanding claim has been circulating for over a century, but its origins remain a mystery. Experts unanimously debunk this myth as completely untrue, unless you happen to reside in a sewer system.

One of the challenges is the limited knowledge about the secretive behaviors and populations of rats.

According to the 2018 Natural England report, Britain’s rat population is estimated to be 7 million, while the British Pest Control Association suggests it could be as high as 120 million.

Regardless of the exact numbers, rats in the UK are not evenly distributed. Certain regions, like parts of the Scottish Highlands, have no rat presence at all, and encountering a rat in the middle of the English countryside is rare unless you’re near a barn.

Rats are seen as symbiotic creatures, living in close proximity to humans and feeding off their resources. Even in urban settings like London, the true rat population remains a mystery.

In 2012, Dave Cowan, head of the wildlife program at the Food and Environmental Research Agency, stated in the BBC that around 3.5 million rats inhabit British cities.

However, some pest control experts, albeit biased, claim that London alone harbors 20 million rats.

To put this into perspective, if the 20 million rats were evenly spread across London’s 1,572km² area, each rat would cover 78.6 million square feet. This would suggest that you are likely within 5 meters of a rat at any given time.

With a more conservative estimate of 3 million rats, the nearest one would be approximately 13 meters away.

Dispelling a popular belief, a 2023 study revealed that there are actually fewer than 3 million rats in New York City, roughly equating to one rat for every three residents. Read more here.

Rats tend to congregate where food sources are plentiful, such as near trash bins, eateries, and markets, as well as in less traversed areas like sewers, abandoned structures, and construction sites.

They typically stay at ground level and within 200 meters of their birthplace, making it relatively feasible to avoid encountering them in certain areas.

This article addresses the question posed by Esther Lamb of Worthing: “Is it true that you are always within 6 feet of a rat?”

If you have any inquiries, please reach out to us via email at: questions@sciencefocus.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (be sure to include your name and location).

Explore more:

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Hubble photographs star-forming galaxies in close proximity

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This stunning view of a pair of spiral galaxies called Arp 72 is a violent collision occurring in slow motion, according to the Hubble team.

This image shows Arp 72, a galaxy pair that includes NGC 5996 (a large spiral galaxy) and NGC 5994 (a small companion star in the lower left of the image). The color images were taken in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum using Hubble's Altitude Survey Camera (ACS) and the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on NSF's Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope. created from separate exposures. Cerro Toloro Interamerican Observatory in Chile. Four filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / L. Galvany / J. Dalcanton / Dark Energy Survey / DOE / FNAL / DECam / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA.

of alp 72 system It is located approximately 160 million light years away in the constellation Serpens.

Arp 72 is made up of a strangely shaped spiral galaxy NGC 5996 and smaller, less deformed spiral galaxies NGC5994.

NGC 5996 was first discovered on March 21, 1784 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.

NGC 5994 is discovered Written by Irish engineer and astronomer Bindon Stoney on March 9, 1851.

“The centers of these galaxies are approximately 67,000 light-years apart from each other,” the Hubble astronomers said.

“Furthermore, the distance between galaxies at their closest points is even smaller, close to 40,000 light-years.”

“This may still sound vast, but from a galactic separation perspective, it's really, really cozy!”

“For comparison, the distance between the Milky Way and its closest independent galactic neighbor Andromeda is about 2.5 million light-years.”

“Alternatively, the distance between the Milky Way and its largest and brightest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, is about 162,000 light-years.”

“Given this and the fact that NGC 5996 is roughly comparable in size to the Milky Way, it is not surprising that NGC 5996 and NGC 5994 are interacting,” the researchers said.

“In fact, this interaction may be responsible for distorting the helical shape of NGC 5996 and apparently pulling it toward NGC 5994.”

“That's also… Formation of very long and faint tails of stars and gas It curves away from NGC 5996 to the upper right of the image. ”

“This tidal tail is a common phenomenon that appears when galaxies approach each other, as seen in some Hubble images.”

Source: www.sci.news

Tennessee legislator outlaws geoengineering, talks about ‘chemtrails’

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday aimed at preventing geoengineering, the deliberate modification of the atmosphere to address global warming.

The bill, which has already been approved by the state Senate, includes various technological interventions. These range from theoretical concepts like solar modulation to practical methods like cloud seeding, which is used to enhance precipitation.

Most geoengineering options are still theoretical and untested. Federal researchers have only taken preliminary steps towards feasibility studies, and atmospheric scientists emphasize the lack of evidence for large-scale implementation.

On the surface, Tennessee’s bill seeks to restrict experimentation and deployment of such technologies.

However, discussions among lawmakers around the proposal blur the lines between fact and fiction, with some suggesting ongoing solar geoengineering projects and expressing fears and misunderstandings that trace back to “chemtrail” conspiracy theories.

“This will be my wife’s favorite bill of the year. She has been concerned about this for a long time. It’s been happening for years,” said Republican Sen. Frank Knisley during a public hearing on the bill last month. “If you look up, one day it will be clear. The next day it will look like angels playing tic-tac-toe. They are everywhere. There’s a photo with an X in it. They denied any involvement for years.”

None of the six Senate sponsors responded to requests for comment. Nicely, who voted in favor of the bill, also did not respond after the House vote. Republican Rep. Monty Fritz, the bill’s House sponsor, only agreed to an in-person interview, which could not be arranged before the vote by NBC News.

The chemtrail theory posits that planes are not leaving contrails but rather spraying government-created chemicals for control purposes. It is a collection of unsubstantiated ideas.

Various conspiracy theories related to chemtrails have emerged recently, with believers claiming that contrails are actually aerosols designed to manipulate weather and climate. Republican Sen. Steve Sutherland, one of the bill’s sponsors, mentioned the chemtrail theory while presenting his case for the bill to reporters, as reported by the Tennessee Lookout, a nonprofit news outlet.

“We are witnessing significant changes,” said Justin Mankin, a climate scientist at Dartmouth College. The challenge arises from the fact that the entire chemtrail conspiracy accommodates various technologies with distinct goals, making it challenging to separate them. ”

Besides Tennessee, other states like Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota have introduced or are contemplating similar anti-geoengineering legislation.

This trend indicates a blend of conspiracy theories, confusion, and genuine environmental concerns gaining ground in public awareness and among certain Republican circles.

“People in states like Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire fear that the chemtrail theory is factual,” Mankin explained. “By enacting legislation, policymakers are legitimizing conspiracy theories instead of relying on science to disprove them adequately.”

Josh Horton, a senior fellow studying solar geoengineering policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, mentioned that as far as he knows, Tennessee is the first state to pass such a bill in both chambers of the legislature.

If the governor signs the bill, it would prohibit the deliberate release of chemicals into the atmosphere for the purpose of influencing temperature, weather, or sunlight intensity.

The bill suggests that the “federal government” or its agents have implicated in geoengineering experiments by intentionally spraying chemicals into the atmosphere.

A White House official clarified that the government is not involved in outdoor solar radiation control testing or implementation. They mentioned engaging in limited research activities like modeling, measurement, monitoring, and laboratory studies.

The vote in Tennessee on Monday evening sparked controversy.

Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemons playfully attached an amendment to the bill suggesting that geoengineering could endanger Sasquatch habitat. His amendment did not pass.

“It’s fitting that this bill is on the calendar on April 1,” quipped Rep. Beau Mitchell, another Democrat.

The bill’s House sponsor, Fritz, cited federal funding for aerosol research as proof of the government’s intentions.

“There is intent and a plan,” he asserted. “Some individuals looking into solar radiation modification are aiming to reflect sunlight from Earth by injecting chemicals, compounds, substances, and devices into the upper atmosphere. I believe so.”

It is not surprising that lawmakers are grappling with the complexities of geoengineering. The term is broad and poorly defined, encompassing many speculative ideas from scientists brainstorming ways to combat global warming.

“It’s not fully fleshed out. It doesn’t exist,” Horton remarked. “There is jargon everywhere.”

Solar geoengineering, which the Tennessee bill seeks to prohibit, falls under this broad category. It includes activities like stratospheric aerosol injection, an unproven theory aimed at cooling the planet by injecting particles into the stratosphere from high-altitude aircraft.

Other geoengineering methods like ocean cloud brightening, cirrus thinning, and using ice cubes to absorb heat are not covered in the bill.

Tennessee’s bill also outlaws weather modification, including cloud seeding, a practice used for decades in Western states to enhance rainfall.

While some states regulate cloud seeding efforts to boost snowfall in mountainous regions, most other forms of geoengineering remain unregulated. “The Wild West of the regulation world,” Mankin noted.

The committee hearings on the bill led to a mix of truth, insinuations, and fiction.

The bill’s sponsor, Dr. Dennis Sibley, testified before both chambers of the legislature and insinuated that the federal government was releasing chemicals into the atmosphere.

“There’s no denying that weather modification is happening in our state,” Sibley stated, adding, “I am opposed to the intentional use of particulate aerosols or heavy metals to block sunlight.”

She referenced a 2023 White House Report as evidence, portraying a concept paper on geoengineering research without detailing an actual program.

Sibley did not respond to requests for comment.

During the hearing, lawmakers conflated contrails with “chemtrails,” questioning whether cloud seeding caused wildfires in Western states or if geoengineering led to higher cancer rates.

Republican Rep. Bud Hulsey even speculated if geoengineering was responsible for the decline of honey bees.

“Exactly—that’s why the bees are disappearing,” replied testimonial support David Perry, who claimed to have been a licensed healthcare provider for four decades. “Their ecosystem is impacted by these aerosols.”

There is no evidence to support Perry’s assertions. A Tennessee chiropractor with the same name mentioned during the testimony did not provide a response to requests for comment. Bees face real threats like pest pressure, habitat loss, and insecticide exposure.

“All these concepts—weather modification, chemtrails, contrails, and geoengineering—are getting muddled and intertwined,” Horton explained after reviewing recent congressional testimony.

Democratic State Sen. Heidi Campbell voted against the bill.

“It’s alarming how conspiracy theories resonate so strongly here,” Campbell expressed, also pointing out that the bill diverts attention from the primary climate issue.

Mankin and Houghton concurred that important discussions are warranted on guiding and regulating solar geoengineering research, a controversial topic among many scientists.

“Is the Tennessee Legislature the appropriate venue for this deliberation?” Horton wondered. “Probably not.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Person confirmed to have avian influenza after contact with infected dairy cows.

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

dairy cow

Shutterstock / Zhang Yuangeng

A person living in the United States contracted avian influenza from an infected dairy cow in Texas. This is the first case in which a subtype of the virus called H5N1 has been confirmed to be transmitted between humans and other mammals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the news today after confirming a positive test result over the weekend. The patient’s only symptom was eye inflammation, and he is taking antiviral medication and is recovering. They had come into contact with cattle believed to have been infected with a virus that has decimated the world’s bird populations.

Last week, cattle in five US states (Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Idaho) tested positive for H5N1. It’s unclear how they got sick, but it now appears the virus may be spreading among the animals. According to the US Department of Agriculture.

Until now, it had only been confirmed that mammals could be infected with the virus from sick birds. “There have been several non-human outbreaks where there may have been mammal-to-mammal transmission,” says Richard Webby at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Tennessee. For example, 17,000 elephant seal pups died in Argentina late last year due to avian influenza. In 2022, there was an outbreak among farmed mink in Spain. But in these situations, it is difficult to rule out other sources of the virus, such as contaminated food, he said.

Despite recent human infections, the CDC says the risk of contracting bird flu remains low for most people. People who have had close contact with other animals, including infected birds and livestock, are at greatest risk. Although pasteurized milk is safe, you should avoid consuming or handling raw dairy products.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Newly discovered species of mimic spider uncovered in Copal, Colombia

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Myrmarachne colombiana This is the first species of ant-mimicking spider discovered in Colombian copal.

Myrmarachne colombiana. Image credit: George Poinar Jr. / Oregon State University.

“Ants are particularly well-suited for spiders to pretend to be ants,” said George Poyner Jr., a professor at Oregon State University. “Many animals find them unpalatable or dangerous to eat.” said.

“Ants are aggressive to protect themselves. They have strong bites and stinging venom, and can call on dozens of nestmates as allies.”

“Spiders, on the other hand, have no chemical defenses and are solitary, making them vulnerable to predators that want to avoid them, such as larger spiders, bees, and birds. So if spiders could become like ants, There is a high possibility that it will not be used.”

Myrmarachne colombiana It was discovered in a type of fossilized resin known as copal.

“Copal is a less mature form of fossilized resin than amber, which is typically more than 25 million years old. Still, copal can be up to 3 million years old.” Professor Poyner said.

“However, we were unable to determine the age of the resin in this case.”

“The resin blocks I was working with came from Medellin, Colombia, and were too small to perform aging tests without risking harming the spiders inside.”

According to the study, there are currently no records of living ant-mimicking spiders living in Colombia.

“For spiders, this magical transformation into ants is difficult to achieve. Ants have six legs and two long antennae, whereas spiders have eight legs, but only one antennae. “No,” Professor Poyner said.

“To get around these anatomical differences, spiders typically arrange their two front legs in a way that approximates the appearance of antennae.”

“But the number of legs and the presence or absence of antennae are not the only features that distinguish ants from spiders.”

“In spiders, the abdomen and cephalothorax are closely attached, whereas in ants these body parts are separated by narrow areas called petioles.”

“And there are many other small-scale structures that need to be modified to bring spiders closer to ants.” We say it starts with mutation, adaptation, and natural selection.”

“But I think spider reasoning and intelligence are also involved, because spiders often model the subsequent body changes of certain ants in the same environment.”

“In the early days, it was said that all insect behavior was the result of instinct, but this is no longer the case.”

“Some spider groups have developed the ability to look and behave like different types of ants, he added. Spiders that try to blend in with other insects, such as flies, beetles and wasps. There are some too.”

“Most of the mimic spiders belong to the few families that hunt, such as Jumping spiders and Jumping spiders. The Colombian copal specimen looks like a jumping spider.”

“Mimetic spiders also belong to the families Coringidae (Arachnidae), Tomisidae (Flower spiders), and Zodariidae (Arachidae or Arachnidae).”

of study It was published in the magazine historical biology.

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George Poyner. Myrmarachne colombiana sp. n. (Araneidae: Salticidae), a new species of ant-like spider that lives on copal from Colombia, South America. historical biology, published online March 7, 2024. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2320190

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers develop record-breaking, highly intricate bird family tree

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The latest genealogy is detailed in two supplementary papers published today. journal Nature And that Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers have uncovered patterns in the evolutionary history of birds after the massive mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The authors observed rapid increases in effective population size, replacement rate, and relative brain size in early birds, and found that new adaptive mechanisms that drove bird diversification in the aftermath of this pivotal event. Shined a light. The researchers also took a closer look at one branch of the new family tree and found that flamingos and pigeons are more distantly related than previous genome-wide analyzes had shown.

The latest bird family tree outlining 93 million years of evolutionary relationships among 363 bird species. Image credit: Jon Fjeldså / Josefin Stiller.

“Our goal is to reconstruct the entire evolutionary history of all birds,” said Professor Siavash Milarab, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego.

This work is part of that Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) ProjectThis is a multi-institutional effort led by the University of Copenhagen, Zhejiang University, and the University of California, San Diego, with the aim of producing draft genome sequences for approximately 10,500 extant bird species.

At the heart of these studies is a suite of algorithms known as ASTRAL, developed by Professor Miralove and colleagues to infer evolutionary relationships with unprecedented scalability, accuracy, and speed.

By harnessing the power of these algorithms, we integrated genomic data from over 60,000 genomic regions and provided a robust statistical foundation for our analysis.

The researchers then examined the evolutionary history of individual segments across the genome.

From there, they pieced together a mosaic of gene trees and compiled them into a comprehensive species tree.

This meticulous approach has allowed researchers to construct new and improved bird genealogies that depict complex divergence events with remarkable accuracy and detail, even in the face of historical uncertainty. I did.

“We found that our method, which adds tens of thousands of genes to the analysis, is indeed necessary to unravel the evolutionary relationships between bird species,” Professor Miralove said.

“We really need all the genomic data to reconstruct with a high degree of confidence what happened during this period of time, 65 to 67 million years ago.”

The scientists also looked at the impact of different genome sampling methods on the accuracy of the tree.

They showed that to reconstruct this evolutionary history, it is important to combine two strategies: sequence many genes in each species and sequence many species. Ta.

“Because we used both strategies in combination, we were able to test which approach has a stronger impact on phylogenetic reconstructions,” said Professor Josephine Stiller from the University of Copenhagen.

We found that it is more important to sample many gene sequences from each organism than to sample from a wider range of species, but the latter method does not allow us to determine when different groups evolved. It was helpful to know. ”

mira love other. They took a closer look at one branch of the updated bird family tree and found that groups including flamingos and pigeons are more distantly related than previous genome-wide analyzes had shown. We attributed the results to an abnormal region on chromosome 4.Image credits: Ed Braun / Daniel J. Field / Siavash Miarab

With the help of advanced computational techniques, the researchers were also able to shed light on anomalies discovered in previous studies. The theory is that a particular part of a chromosome in the bird's genome remained unchanged and blank for millions of years. Description of expected genetic recombination patterns.

“Ten years ago, we put together a family tree. Neo Avesthe group that includes the vast majority of bird species,” said Professor Edward Brown of the University of Florida.

“Based on the genomes of 48 species, we divided neoabees into two broad categories: pigeons and flamingos in one group, and all the rest in the other.”

“This year, when we repeated the same analysis with 363 species, a different family tree emerged that divided pigeons and flamingos into two distinct groups.”

“Given two mutually exclusive family trees, I looked for an explanation that would allow me to determine which family tree was correct.”

“When we looked at individual genes and which trees they supported, it suddenly dawned on us that all the genes that support old trees were all in one place. That's how it all started. “It was,” he explained.

“When we investigated this site, we realized that it was a place where sexual reproduction had been occurring for millions of years, but it wasn't as mixed.”

“Just like humans, birds combine the genes of their father and mother to create the next generation.”

“But in birds and humans alike, when creating sperm and eggs, we first mix together genes inherited from both parents.”

“This process, called recombination, maximizes the genetic diversity of a species by ensuring that no two siblings are exactly alike.”

The authors found evidence that parts of bird chromosomes suppressed this recombination process for millions of years after the dinosaurs went extinct.

It is unclear whether extinction events and genomic abnormalities are related.

They found that flamingos and pigeons resemble each other in this frozen chunk of DNA.

However, when the complete genomes were considered, it became clear that the two groups were more distantly related.

“What is surprising is that this period of recombination suppression can mislead the analysis,” says Professor Brown.

“And because that can mislead the analysis, it was actually detectable more than 60 million years in the future. That's the cool thing about it.”

“Such mysteries may also be hidden in the genomes of other organisms.”

“We discovered this misleading region of birds because we put a lot of energy into deciphering their genomes.”

“I think there are similar cases in other species that are unknown at this time.”

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J. Stiller other. 2024. The complexity of bird evolution revealed by family-level genomes. Naturein press.

Siavash Milarab other. 2024. Suppressed recombinant regions mislead neoavian phylogenomics. PNAS 121: e2319506121; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2319506121

Source: www.sci.news

A newly discovered titanosaurus species found in Uruguay

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have announced the discovery of a new genus and species of titanosaur dinosaur, based on fossilized remains discovered in Uruguay’s Paysandu department.

Uderartitan Celeste. Image credit: Soto other., doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105894.

The newly described dinosaur species roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous Period, more than 85 million years ago.

Named Uderartitan Celeste, the body length of the ancient giant was 15 to 16 meters (49 to 52 feet).

This species belongs to a superfamily of dinosaurs called titanosaurs. Saltasaurinae.

“Titanosaurs represent the most successful and diverse group of sauropods, with more than 80 species described since the beginning of this century.” Dr. Matias Soto from the Uruguay Institute of Geosciences and its colleagues.

“They were the most abundant large herbivores of the Gondwana supercontinent during the Late Cretaceous, in sharp contrast to the ornithischian-dominated contemporaneous fauna of Laurasia.”

“This clade appears to have originated in South America, where it shows its greatest diversity, with records ranging from Belian-Varangian to Maastrichtian (145 million years ago to 72 million years ago). Masu.”

Fossilized materials of Uderartitan Celeste (60 vertebrae, bone fragments, and associated eggshells) were discovered within the deposit in 2006. Layers of Guichon near Quebracho, Paysandu Department, Uruguay.

“Titanosaur fossils have been known in Uruguay since the early 20th century, when four species were identified based on fragmentary fossils,” the paleontologists said.

“Such references are questionable, but given the strong central protrusion of the tail, there is no doubt that they were titanosaurs.”

“These discoveries were relevant because they allowed us to confirm the presence of Upper Cretaceous rocks in Uruguay, but given recent discoveries in South America, for example, Ninja Titan Zapatai, Tapuasaurus macedoi. Without additional data, older epochs within the Cretaceous cannot be excluded.”

According to the team: Uderartitan Celeste shows unique combinations and possibilities of character autotapomorphy.

This discovery indicates that at least two titanosaur lineages existed in Uruguay during the Late Cretaceous. Saltasauidea and Saltasauidea. Aerosaurini.

“Uderartitan Celeste represents the second sauropod taxon recognized in Uruguay, after the recently reported one. Aeolosaurus vertebrae from Asensio’s formation” said the researchers.

“Phylogenetic relationships between saltasaurids saltasaurids or non-saltasaurids saltasauridae prove the presence of saltasauroids in the Guichon Formation.”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in diary Cretaceous research.

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Matias Soto other. Phylogenetic relationships of new species of titanosaurs (order Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Uruguay. Cretaceous research, published online March 26, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105894

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers suggest innovative therapy for stomach cancer

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Cancer cells grow abnormally and are difficult to control. Scientists call this growth on the lining of the stomach stomach cancer. Gastric cancer is a global health concern in the United States, East Asia, and Eastern Europe. There are usually no symptoms at the time of onset, but it often affects people infected with a bacterial species called Helicobacter pylori.

Researchers have found that diagnosing stomach cancer early is difficult, so many people with stomach cancer die within five years of diagnosis. As cancer grows, it moves from the stomach to other organs, such as the kidneys and liver, through a process called metastasis, which increases the severity even further. This problem raises the need for effective early diagnostic and therapeutic targets to combat gastric cancer before metastasis occurs.

Human cells contain molecules that carry genetic information essential for the development and functioning of organs and body systems. This molecule is DNA and it consists of a sequence of four nucleotide bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine.

To carry out its role, DNA undergoes two transformations through biochemical reactions. First, it is transcribed into a slightly similar but less stable molecule. RNAIt is a sequence of nucleotide bases that is almost identical to DNA, except that it has uracil instead of thymine. This RNA serves as a template for protein synthesis, and there are various types. Enzymes then convert some of these RNA molecules into in particular messenger RNA or convert mRNA into protein. Proteins allow organs to grow and function.

Not all RNA molecules become proteins. What does not become protein non-coding RNA or ncRNA. These ncRNAs interact with cells and other molecules to control various processes required to form proteins from DNA for cell growth and survival.

In the past, researchers discovered a type of ncRNA called long ncRNA, which affects the body's immune system's ability to fight cancer cells. However, there are no studies specific to their activity in gastric cancer. Therefore, a group of Chinese biomedical researchers investigated how these ncRNAs influence the development of gastric cancer and how scientists can utilize their ncRNAs to predict the survival of gastric cancer patients.

Researchers found that normal and gastric cancer sample from global cancer database called cancer genome atlas. The normal samples were from patients without gastric cancer and served as the standard or reference point for comparison. Using the R programming language and a software package developed for biological data, they investigated which groups of ncRNAs were expressed at different levels in these patients. They used information from a genome browser called ensemble Identify protein-encoding genes located within and around differentially expressed ncRNA regions.

The researchers found that the expression levels of thousands of ncRNAs were different in gastric cancer compared to normal sample tissue. they again, 15 genes surrounding ncRNA regions that influence gastric cancer progression. They found that about 8 out of 10 ncRNAs were expressed at levels higher than those required in normal cells, and the rest were expressed at lower levels.

Additionally, the researchers investigated the time period during which ncRNAs interact with other ncRNAs and mRNAs to influence tumor growth and patient outcomes. They identified five long ncRNAs that interact with mRNA; microRNA. These long ncRNAs caused abnormal increases and decreases in protein levels within cells, influencing differences in tumor development and progression, as well as patient outcomes. They reported one microRNA that could inhibit tumor growth and serve as a potential target during therapy.

They used a statistical method called , to analyze the proportion of cells that fight infections and harmful substances. immune cellswere investigated in cancer and normal samples to determine how each cell interacts with ncRNAs and influences patient survival. The study highlighted that certain immune cells were higher depending on the age and stage of gastric cancer in the patients whose data were obtained. They confirmed the relationship between immunity and long ncRNA regulatory networks in gastric cancer. They identified certain immune cells whose presence increases a patient's chance of surviving stomach cancer, and those whose presence reduces survival.

With this study, the authors hope to identify new potential targets, namely specific immune cells and ncRNAs, to assess patients' chances of recovery and develop effective treatments for them. concluded that further insight into the biological processes involved in gastric cancer was gained. However, the size of the cancer data is much larger than the regular data used for comparison, which may have influenced the results, the researchers reported. They emphasized the need for further research, especially laboratory analysis, to validate the findings.

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Source: sciworthy.com

Solar Eclipses: Unveiling the Secrets of the Universe for Centuries

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A total solar eclipse is a great opportunity to learn about the sun

ESA/Royal Observatory of Belgium

A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months, and that has been the case throughout human history. Not surprisingly, people have been studying these dramatic events for just as long, with the first records of solar eclipses dating back more than 3,000 years. During that time, we learned an amazing amount about the Sun, Earth, and even the basic laws of physics from total solar eclipses.

For most of history, humans could only see the faint outermost layers of the sun during total days (periods when the moon covers the entire sun’s disc). This faint blanket of plasma, called the corona, has been central to the scientific advances resulting from the study of solar eclipses.

Solar eclipse in 2024

On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Our special series covers everything you need to know, from how and when to see a solar eclipse to the strangest solar eclipse experience of all time.

The corona is home to many of the sun’s most fascinating phenomena, including coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which occur when the sun’s swirling magnetic fields blast bundles or clumps of matter into space. If a CME were to hit Earth, it could damage satellites and power grids, and could be extremely dangerous to astronauts in space, beyond the protection of Earth’s atmosphere.

“The Sun’s magnetic activity changes over time and changes across the star’s surface.” meredith mcgregor at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Currently, there is no good way to predict this activity. But by studying the coronavirus, we may be able to start doing just that.

A total solar eclipse isn’t the only way to see the outermost layer of the sun. There is also a device called a coronagraph, which uses a shade to block the sun’s disk in a type of artificial solar eclipse. These instruments are used not only to study our own star, but also to study other stars that are more distant and look for planets around them that would otherwise be hidden in the glare of starlight. It is also important. “The idea of using coronagraphs to block out the light of other stars and look for extrasolar planets comes from natural solar eclipses,” MacGregor says.

The same dimness that makes the corona difficult to observe in totality also makes it an excellent target for spectroscopy. Spectroscopy works by splitting light into its constituent wavelengths. This allows researchers to determine which elements are present in a material by the unique pattern of wavelengths each element emits or absorbs. Helium was discovered using spectroscopy during a solar eclipse in 1868. This was the first time an element had been discovered by studying the sky.

Shortly thereafter, astronomers discovered what appeared to be another new element in the corona, which they named corona, but it turned out that it was simply iron heated to extraordinary temperatures of several million degrees. found. Even though it was not a new element, it was a puzzling discovery. The surface of the sun is only about 5,600 degrees Celsius, so why is the outermost layer so hot?

I said, “Imagine you’re at a campfire and you start walking away from the campfire. It’s supposed to be cold, but it’s much hotter.” Frederick Bartley at the Ohio State Science and Industry Center. “That’s what’s happening with coronavirus, but no one knows why.”

The eclipse also provided some of the first proofs of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which governs the behavior of large-scale gravity. One of the key predictions of general relativity is that massive objects should bend the trajectory of light as they pass by. Einstein first published the theory in his 1915, and evidence of its truth came in his 1919 when astronomer Arthur Eddington observed starlight bending around the sun during a solar eclipse.

As a total solar eclipse passes over Central and North America this month, astronomers will continue a long-standing tradition of using the totality to observe the sun and precisely how it affects the space around it. It turns out. The sun still has many secrets to unravel, and eclipses are one of the best times to study them.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

From Cixin Liu, author of “The Three Body Problem,” to Douglas Preston, this month’s top new science fiction discovery

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In The Truth of Areke, the last remaining free city in the Eternal Desert has been under siege for centuries.

Shutterstock / Liu Zishan

This month we have new works by several big name authors. Cixin Liu and Ann Leckie both have easy-to-read collections of short texts. It also depicts a dystopian future by award-winning Thea Obret, and a world where woolly mammoths have been brought back from the world. Douglas Preston's bestseller.He also loves the sound of Scott Alexander Howard's debut song another valleya town where past and future versions exist in the following valleys, and the space adventures of Sofia Samatar. Practice, horizon, and chain. There are so many things I want to read and not enough time…

This is a collection of short stories by science fiction author Liu, who is currently on the rise thanks to a new Netflix film. three body problem, from essays and interviews to short stories. I love this excerpt from an essay about science fiction fans. In it he calls us “mysterious aliens in the crowd.” They “jump like fleas from the future to the past and back again, floating like gas clouds between nebulae. In an instant we can reach the edge of the universe or tunnel into quarks.” or swim inside the core of a star.''Aren't we lucky to have a world like this on our shelves?

Leckie is a must-read author for me, and this is the first complete collection of her short stories, ranging from science fiction to fantasy. On the sci-fi side, we'll be able to dip in again. imperial latch And we're also promised to “learn the secrets of the mysterious Lake of Souls” in a brand new novel.

In the disastrous future, an 11-year-old girl arrives in Morningside with her mother. Once a luxury high-rise, Morningside is now another crumbling part of Island City, half submerged under water. Obrecht won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011 for her debut novel. tiger's wife.

Samatar won all kinds of awards for his first novel. Stranger in Olondria. Her latest work depicts the story of a boy who grew up working on a mining ship in the stars, but whose life changes when he is given the opportunity to receive an education at the ship's university. Sounds interesting.

A boy grows up working on a mining ship surrounded by starry skies in The Practice, Horizon, and The Chain.

Getty Images

It's set in a Rocky Mountain valley, where guests at the luxury resort can see woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths and Irish moose brought back from extinction through genetic engineering. But then a series of murders begins, and the two investigators must find out what's really going on.this is what it looks like Jurassic Park-It looks like a lot of fun. And if you want more mammoth-related reading, try my colleague Michael Le Page's excellent explanation of why they won't be coming back anytime soon.

mania Written by Lionel Shriver

The award-winning author we have to talk about kevin Reflecting her thoughts on the so-called “culture wars” in her fiction, she imagines a world where the “spiritual equality movement” is at its peak, and “the worst thing you can do is call someone 'stupid'.” There is.

This speculative novel alternates endlessly through the wilderness, with the same town to the east 20 years ahead of its time, and the same town to the west 20 years behind. Border crossings are only allowed on “memorial tours,'' which allow people to see the dead in towns where they are still alive. Odile, 16, will take a seat on the Conseil Commission, which can decide who can travel across borders. I love this sound.

Many may wonder if Marvel's superhero stories are really science fiction, but I'm leaning toward the multiverse aspect of this here and including it because it seems kind of interesting. This is the first installment in a new series that reimagines the origins of some of our biggest heroes. Here, Thor died defending Earth from Loki's pranks, and the Norse trickster god, exiled to our planet, is now dealing with the consequences.

the second book of eternal desert The series is set 500 years in the future. Ajungo's lie, which follows a junior peacekeeping force in the last remaining free city in the Eternal Desert, which has been under siege for centuries. It was actually released in March, but I missed it then, and science fiction contributor Sally Addy introduced it as a title to watch this year, so I'm introducing it now.

abnormality Written by Andrei Nikolaidis, translated by Will Firth

On New Year's Eve, the last year of humanity, various stories unfold, from a high-ranking minister with blood on his hands to a nurse with a secret. Later, in a cabin in the Alps, a musicologist and his daughter, the last people left on Earth, try to make sense of this catastrophe.according to independent personNicolaidis makes “Samuel Beckett look aggressively cheerful,'' and I admit that I sometimes want to see stories like that.

In this techno-thriller, Mal is a free AI, unconcerned with the conflicts going on between humans, but is trapped inside the body of a cyborg mercenary and is responsible for keeping the girl she died protecting. It will be.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

6 Neuroscience-Backed Habits to Maintain Brain Health as You Age

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

If you’ve ever felt like your cognitive abilities are not as sharp as they used to be, you might be struggling to recall names of actors or politicians in the news, for example. Perhaps mental arithmetic is not as easy for you anymore. This reflection may lead you to ponder the state of your brain and whether it’s on a downward trajectory.

It’s important to consider these aspects early on because brain development typically peaks in your 20s, and then cognitive functions gradually decline with age. Additionally, there is a growing risk of dementia, particularly associated with diseases like Alzheimer’s, in aging populations. However, both cognitive decline and dementia risk can be influenced by what experts call “modifiable risk factors,” offering a beacon of hope that there are lifestyle changes you can make to maintain mental acuity and lower the risk of dementia.

Be mentally active and boost your cognitive reserve

Psychologists and gerontologists often talk about cognitive reserve, which refers to the brain’s ability to adapt to aging and disease challenges. People with high cognitive reserve can perform well on cognitive tests despite exhibiting biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease, like protein build-up that impairs brain function. Engaging in activities such as reading, learning a new language, solving puzzles, and playing musical instruments can help boost cognitive reserve and maintain mental agility.

Interact with others

While brain-training games may not have broad benefits beyond the specific tasks they target, socializing with peers has been found to be a potent brain-training activity. Social isolation is considered a major risk factor for dementia, emphasizing the importance of engaging in lively conversations, joining clubs, or volunteering to keep your brain active and healthy.

Stay physically active

Physical activity not only benefits cardiovascular health but also contributes to better brain function and reduced cognitive decline. Incorporating exercises like running, swimming, or even gardening into your routine can help maintain cognitive abilities and lower the risk of dementia.

Eat a healthy diet

Avoiding excessive saturated fats and consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables can support brain health by eliminating harmful byproducts and providing essential nutrients. The Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, has been recommended for its brain-protective properties.

Stay curious

Personality traits like openness to experience are linked to better brain health and lower dementia risk. Activities that spark curiosity and awe can enhance cognitive abilities and mental flexibility. Incorporating habits like exploring new environments, trying new experiences, and enjoying cultural activities can promote brain health.

Think positively

Your mindset about aging can significantly impact your brain health. Maintaining a positive outlook, along with engaging in mentally stimulating activities and healthy habits, can contribute to long-lasting mental sharpness. Seeking out positive role models and adopting a proactive approach to brain health can help unlock your brain’s full potential.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Researchers to investigate solar eclipses utilizing aircraft and NASA spacecraft

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Millions of people across North America are eagerly awaiting the total solar eclipse on April 8th, which promises to be a spectacular show. This rare event will see the moon completely obscuring the sun, providing a unique opportunity for scientific study.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy emphasized the significance of this event, stating that it allows scientists to observe the Earth, moon, and sun in a new light. The agency’s primary focus is on studying the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, which is usually obscured by the sun’s brightness. During a total solar eclipse, the corona becomes visible as a faint light surrounding a glowing halo.

Researchers are particularly interested in the corona as it plays a crucial role in transferring heat and energy to the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted from the sun’s atmosphere. Understanding the corona’s behavior can provide insights into solar phenomena such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms, which can impact Earth’s communications and power systems.

Scientists like solar astrophysicist Amir Caspi are taking advantage of this celestial event to study the sun’s atmosphere in detail. By using specialized instruments aboard aircraft and satellites, researchers hope to solve long-standing mysteries related to the sun’s corona and the solar wind.

The upcoming solar eclipse will also see spacecraft like NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter observing the sun from different vantage points. These missions aim to gather valuable data about the sun’s atmosphere and solar wind, providing unprecedented insights into solar activity and its potential effects on Earth.

As the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, researchers are eager to capture any potential solar eruptions and study their impact on space weather. The data collected during the solar eclipse will contribute to our understanding of solar phenomena and improve our ability to forecast space weather events.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Why You Shouldn’t Become Too Excited About Radically Extending Human Lifespan – Here’s Why

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In 2020, researchers in the United States and China conducted a study that involved manipulating genes in nematodes, allowing them to live five times longer than normal. The study focused on C. elegans, a species commonly used for aging research due to shared genetic circuits with humans. The researchers suggested that targeting these conserved genes with drugs could potentially extend human lifespan.

Despite the success in nematodes, it is important to note that worms have a significantly shorter lifespan compared to humans. Therefore, it may not be realistic to expect humans to live to be 500 years old based on these findings.

While our current average lifespan of 73 years is already longer than that of our ancestors, there is ongoing debate about whether we should strive to extend human lifespan even further. Some concerns include potential overpopulation, increased resource consumption, and environmental impact.

However, studies have shown that as life expectancy increases, birth rates tend to decline. This trend has been observed in many countries with advanced healthcare systems. In fact, some regions have seen population decline due to lower fertility rates.

In countries like Japan, where life expectancy is high, the average lifespan has increased while birth rates have significantly decreased. This trend suggests that longer lifespans do not necessarily lead to overpopulation.

Increasing life expectancy in developing countries should also be a priority to ensure that longer lifespans are achieved without compromising quality of life. It is important to consider the ethical implications of prolonging life in regions with existing disparities in healthcare and resources.

Ultimately, the goal should be to promote longevity in a way that prioritizes overall health and well-being for all individuals, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Top 10 Most Unusual Animal Eggs You’ve Ever Seen

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The standard chicken egg available in stores is a remarkable natural gift, filled with nutrients and incredibly versatile for cooking. However, they all look the same, even the chocolate ones have the same size and shape.

Fortunately, there are numerous fascinating examples of eggs in nature. From baby toads emerging from their mother’s back like in a sci-fi movie to strange spiral structures washing up on shorelines, eggs have evolved unique methods for various creatures to reproduce and safeguard their offspring.

So, which animal lays the most peculiar eggs? Take a look at our collection.

1. Surinam toad

Surinamese toad eggs formed on the back of a female – Image courtesy of Getty

The Surinamese toad, a fully aquatic frog species primarily found in South America, exhibits a fascinating reproductive process. During breeding, the female releases 60 to 100 eggs, each of which is fertilized individually by the male. These eggs are then formed into a honeycomb structure and attached to the female’s back ensuring their protection until hatching, which typically occurs between 4 to 6 months later.

2. Stink bug

An adult female Antytheuchus stink bug guarding her eggs – Image courtesy of Getty

Stink bugs, also known as shield bugs, are insects with sharp teeth and a defensive spray. Female shield bugs lay eggs of various colors to aid in camouflage. This species produces colorful and intriguing eggs.

3. Whelk

Whelk egg case on the beach – Image courtesy of Getty

Whelks, large sea snails found around the UK coast, lay up to 2,000 eggs in a spongy ball or spiral structure. Once hatched, these unique structures float to the water surface and often wash up on beaches.

Check out the rest of the list for more bizarre eggs!

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Climate change cannot be averted by new technologies – here’s what will occur

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

When I was young, I had a fascination with science fiction TV shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who. These captivating stories thrilled my inner geek.

The typical plot of these shows involved a crisis that seemed insurmountable, only to be miraculously solved by the hero at the last moment. Whether it was Scotty’s engineering wizardry on the USS Enterprise or the Doctor’s clever use of a sonic screwdriver, one thing was certain: technology would save the day.

As a child, I adored these narratives, and a part of me still holds onto that love. I wish that some futuristic technology could swoop in and rescue us from the global crisis of climate change. Unfortunately, reality tells a different story.

One fundamental reason why high-tech solutions won’t be our savior in the face of climate change is the issue of time. Time is a crucial factor that technology cannot simply create more of. Climate change is a cumulative problem that has been fueled by years of greenhouse gas emissions accumulating in our atmosphere.

Over the years, billions of tons of greenhouse gases have been released into the atmosphere, fundamentally altering our climate system. To combat the devastating effects of climate change, we need to focus on reducing emissions immediately and consistently to mitigate future impacts.

Today, we already have solutions to address climate change, including increasing efficiency, reducing waste, electrifying homes and vehicles, and transitioning to renewable energy sources. These quick-acting solutions can help buy us time to implement long-term strategies to combat climate change effectively.

Waiting for a new, perfect solution to emerge is not an option. We must act now with the tools we have at our disposal. Fusion energy, advanced nuclear power, and industrial carbon capture technologies may hold promise for the future, but we cannot afford to wait for them to save us from the imminent crisis of climate change.

Credit: Justin Padgett

In the battle against climate change, time is of the essence. We must focus on implementing existing solutions rather than waiting for a hypothetical technological breakthrough. Science-fiction dreams of miraculous solutions won’t save us now. It’s time to act with the tools we have today.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Here’s How Daylight Saving Time Can Negatively Affect Our Health – And How to Take Action

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It feels harsh. Losing one precious hour of sleep tonight.

As Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins in the UK during the summer months, clocks are scheduled as follows: Move forward one hour tonight to 1 a.m. local time. As a result, the new local daylight saving time will be 2:00 AM.

Scientists are concerned that switching to daylight saving time could have negative effects on health, including an increase in strokes, heart attacks, car accidents, and sleep deprivation, according to neurology professor and director of Vanderbilt’s sleep division, Dr. Beth Murrow in an interview with BBC Science Focus.

The impact of “springing forward” is experienced not only by the elderly but also by young people. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that teens lost an average of 2 hours and 42 minutes of sleep on weeknights after the time change in 2015.

“We need morning light to wake up, set our body clocks, improve our mood, use light boxes in the morning to treat seasonal affective disorder, and sleep better at night.” Light promotes sleep at night, but light at night disturbs sleep,” Murrow explains.

Don’t worry, there are ways to combat the lost time. Here are some simple strategies:

1. Adjust your bedtime earlier for a few days before changing your clock.

If it’s too late this time, keep this in mind for the future. Sleep experts recommend going to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night during the week leading up to daylight saving time.

Temporary insomnia symptoms affect about 30 to 35 percent of adults and can be caused by sudden changes in sleep schedules, such as the transition to daylight saving time, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Gradually adapting to the time change will help you adjust and even get extra sleep during the transition, says Murrow.

If you’re feeling drowsy, it may be helpful to go to bed a bit earlier tonight.

2. Get exposure to bright light in the morning

DST aims to provide an extra hour of sunlight in the evening for socializing after work, but it can disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.

To wake up in the morning and improve your sleep at night, exposing yourself to bright light is key. Natural light is preferred, especially in the summer when the sun rises earlier, according to Murrow.

“Exposure to bright morning light helps regulate your body clock, making it easier to sleep at night,” she explains.

3. Skip long naps and late-day caffeine, opt for exercise instead

If you enjoy naps, this may be disappointing news. But if you want to improve your sleep, avoid napping and caffeine.

Naps and caffeine can diminish your sleep drive, says Murrow. She suggests exercising instead.

Just remember, don’t exercise right before bed. Exercise can disrupt sleep as it raises your core body temperature and releases endorphins.

Research recommends waiting at least 90 minutes between exercising and going to bed to improve sleep quality, according to the European Journal of Sports Science.

4. Avoid using your phone before bedtime

It’s a well-known fact that using your phone before bed isn’t ideal, particularly when the clock shifts forward an hour.

Bright light in the morning helps wake you up, whereas bright light at night can hinder sleep. LED screens emit blue light, making them especially problematic at night.

Blue light disrupts the natural release of melatonin in the brain, says Murrow. Melatonin acts as a sleep switch by signaling the brain to rest when levels rise.

It may be time to eliminate daylight saving time

Despite strategies to mitigate the impact of clock changes, many experts advocate for eliminating this outdated system altogether.

Is it time for standard time to become the new norm?

alice gregory a professor of psychology and director of the Goldsmiths Sleep Institute, believes that living on a permanent standard time schedule offers health benefits. “Most people are tired of literally going back and forth,” Murrow agrees.

About our experts:

Dr. Beth Murrow is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, an associate professor of clinical research, and the director of Vanderbilt’s Sleep Division. She conducts research on the relationship between medical diseases and sleep, as well as genetics and circadian biology.

alice gregory is a psychology professor at Goldsmiths University and has contributed to various research areas including the link between sleep and psychopathology, behavioral genetics, and sleep disorders. She is also known for her public engagement in science and has published popular science books.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Emergency Response Triggered by Unusual Fish Behavior in Florida

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Ripley’s Aquarium plans to introduce up to six small-toed sawfish to the facility. A spokesperson said the majority of the company’s animal care team will assist in the effort, including transporting the sawfish to the Marine Science Research Center to care for it.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium also said in a release that a quarantine facility for the rescued sawfish is ready and they are eager to help.

“Solving this mystery will require strong collaboration,” said Kathryn Flowers, Mort postdoctoral researcher and lead scientist on the effort.

The problem affects many species of fish off the coast of Florida, said Dean Grubbs, associate director of research at Florida State University’s Coastal Marine Research Institute.

“It goes all the way from very small prey species like pinfish to things like grouper and some stingrays,” he said.

Brehm said there are several theories about what’s going on, but with this type of event it’s difficult to come to an answer right away.

“I’ve heard to some extent that it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” he says. “But it’s very difficult to know which one it is because there are so many different possibilities.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on wednesday They found evidence to rule out several potential causes. The report said the fish did not appear to be suffering from any infectious or bacterial infections, and other factors such as oxygen, salinity and temperature were not suspected to be contributing factors.

The commission’s hotline for sawfish sightings has been in place for years, but the number of calls has increased in the last month.

Shea McKeon, director of marine programs at the American Bird Conservancy, said the group is also closely monitoring the fish situation, but has not yet seen a link to the bird deaths. . To help scientists figure out the root cause, the public can record instances of strange fish behavior they see on the water and upload videos and photos to community science sites like iNaturalist.org he said.

Grubbs said the problem appears to have gotten worse since February.

“We’ve spent the last 15 years studying sawfish, so it’s very sad to see these sawfish die,” he said. “And it’s hard. It’s hard for my students, my graduate students, to see that. It’s definitely painful. We want to get to the bottom of it and find a way to recover from this.” Masu.”

Marissa Parra

Marissa Parra is a national correspondent for NBC News based in Miami, Florida.

Maria Piñero

Maria Piñero is a producer at NBC News.

Jason Abbruzzese contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Young multi-star system captured in stunning Hubble Space Telescope photos

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows a jet emerging from the cocoon of the multistar system FS Tau.

This Hubble image shows the multistar system FS Tau about 450 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / K. Stapelfeldt, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory / Gladys Kober, NASA / Catholic University.

FS Tau It is located about 450 light years away in the constellation Taurus.

The system is part of the Taurus-Auriga region, a collection of dark molecular clouds that is home to many newly formed young stars.

FS Tau, also known as HH 157 or TIC 58437437, is only about 2.8 million years old, making it an extremely young star system.

FS Tau is a multi-star system consisting of FS Tau A, a bright star-like object near the center of the image, and FS Tau B, a bright object on the far right hidden by a dark vertical dust lane. ''' said the Hubble astronomer.

“The young object is surrounded by gently illuminated gas and dust in this stellar nursery.”

“FS Tau B is a protostar surrounded by a protoplanetary disk. A protoplanetary disk is a pancake-like collection of dust and gas left over from star formation that eventually coalesces to form a planet. It will be.”

“A thick lane of dust seen almost head-on separates what is believed to be the illuminated surface of the flared disk.”

“FS Tau B is probably T TauriAlthough nuclear fusion has not yet begun, it is a type of young variable star that is beginning to evolve into a hydrogen-fueled star similar to the Sun. ”

“Protostars glow because of the thermal energy released when the gas clouds from which they formed collapse, and from the accretion of material from nearby gas and dust.”

“Variable stars are a type of star whose brightness changes significantly over time.”

“FS Tau A itself is a Tauri T binary system, consisting of two stars orbiting each other,” the researchers added.

“Protostars are known to emit fast-moving columns of energetic material called jets, and FS Tau B provides a striking example of this phenomenon.”

“Protostars are the source of the unusual, asymmetric, double-sided jets that appear blue here.”

“Their asymmetric structure may be due to differences in the rate at which mass is ejected from the object.”

“FS Tau B is Herbig halo object,” they said.

“Herbig halo objects form when jets of ionized gas emitted by young stars collide at high speed with nearby clouds of gas and dust, forming bright nebular patches.”

Source: www.sci.news

Heat waves today are lasting significantly longer than in the 1980s

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

People cooling off in Amsterdam’s heat wave

Cohen van Weel/AFP via Getty Images

An analysis of all heatwaves around the world between 1979 and 2020 found that they now last an average of 12 days, compared to eight days at the start of the study.

As the Earth continues to heat, they will last even longer, says Zhang Wei at Utah State University. “Based on trends, by around 2060 it could double to 16 days,” he says.

Zhang’s team found that heat waves not only last much longer, but also become more frequent and progress more slowly. This means that certain locations have to endure heat wave conditions more frequently and for longer.

Although heat waves are typically thought of as phenomena that affect one region, the areas affected by heat waves change over time as the weather systems responsible for the hot conditions move.

According to the research team, the speed of heat waves has slowed from around 340 kilometers per day in the 1980s to around 280 kilometers per day today. Moreover, the rate of deceleration is accelerating.

Because heat waves last longer, they reach farther, albeit at lower average speeds, increasing the total distance from about 2,500 kilometers to about 3,000 kilometers. This means that a wider area is affected.

The study did not consider the causes of this trend. However, with global warming, heat waves will become more frequent, slower moving, and last longer, meaning they will be more devastating to society and nature than ever before, unless action is taken to prevent further warming. The research team warns that this could have a negative impact.

Most previous studies on heat waves focused on specific locations or regions. Zhang’s team is one of the few that can observe how heat waves move over time.

To do this, the team divided the world into grids. A heat wave is defined as one or more grid rectangles that significantly exceed the average temperature from 1981 to 2010, specifically, temperatures exceeding 95 percent of the temperatures for that period for three or more days. it was done.

The research team found that heat waves tend to move in certain directions depending on prevailing conditions. For example, heat waves in Australia tend to move more south-east, while in Africa they tend to move west.

“I think it’s really interesting to be able to see all the properties of heat waves that you can’t capture if you consider them statically,” he says. andrea beenish He was involved in one of the few other studies at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. Seeing heat waves as moving systems.

But when thinking about what we need to do to adapt to a hotter world, regional assessments can be more helpful than global ones, Beinisch says.

She also points out that, for example, heatwave persistence numbers depend largely on how the team defines a heatwave. Even with different definitions, the overall trend remains the same, but the numbers can change significantly. “This needs to be taken into account when looking at the exact numbers,” she says.

Other studies also show that hurricanes move more slowly, he says. david keelings at the University of Florida.

“In short, this means that these incredibly dangerous events last longer in one place and the impact is felt more strongly. In general, the longer a population is exposed to heatwave conditions, the more likely they are to be hospitalized. higher rates and higher mortality rates,” he says.

topic:

climate change/
Abnormal weather

Source: www.newscientist.com

The 5,000th comet discovered by Soho Observatory

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

On March 25, 2024, Dr. Hanjie Tan, a PhD student in astronomy in Prague, Czech Republic, discovered a comet in a photo. ESA/NASA Solar Heliosphere Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft confirmed to be the 5,000th comet discovered using SOHO data. Even though this observatory was not designed as a comet hunter, it took him 28 years in space to accomplish this milestone.

SOHO-5000, the 5,000th comet discovered by the SOHO spacecraft, is indicated by a small white box in the upper left part of this image. The enlarged inset shows the comet as a faint dot between vertical white lines. This image was taken by SOHO’s Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) on March 25, 2024. Image credit: NASA/ESA/SOHO.

SOHO, a joint ESA and NASA mission, was launched in December 1995 to study the dynamics of the Sun and its outer atmosphere, called the corona.

spaceship Large angle spectroscopic coronagraph‘s instrument uses an artificial disk to block the sun’s bright light, allowing scientists to study the sun’s immediate corona and environment.

This will allow SOHO to do something that many other spacecraft cannot: see comets flying close to the Sun, known as sun-grazing comets or sungrazers.

Many of these comets only become bright when they are too close to the Sun to be seen by other observatories, otherwise they would go undetected and get lost in the bright glare of our star.

Astronomers had hoped that SOHO would discover a comet by chance during its mission, but the spacecraft’s comet-finding capabilities made it the most prolific comet detector in history, making it the most prolific comet detector known today. We have discovered more than half of the comets.

In fact, soon after the spacecraft launched, people around the world started spotting so many comets in images that mission scientists needed a way to track them all.

In the early 2000s, we launched the NASA-funded Sungrazer project to allow anyone to report comets they saw in SOHO images.

“When LASCO was launched, no one imagined that it would become the most prolific discoverer in history,” said Dr. Carl Battams, a research scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory who is the principal investigator for LASCO and the Sungraser program. Ta.

“The amount of data and science that has been returned is simply beyond our imagination.”

The 5,000th discovery was made by Hanjie Tang, an amateur astronomer from Guangzhou, China. He is currently completing his PhD in astronomy. Student in Prague, Czech Republic.

Tan has been part of the Sungrazer project since he was 13 years old and is one of the project’s youngest comet discoverers.

He discovered comet SOHO-5000 in images from LASCO’s C2 camera.

Unlike most SOHO comets, this one very likely survived the Sun’s passage.

It will pass approximately 8.2 million km (5.1 million miles) from the Sun. This is slightly farther from the Sun than the current orbit of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.

“Since 2009, we have discovered more than 200 comets,” Tan said.

“I joined the Sungrazer Project because I love looking for comets.”

“It’s really exciting to be the first to see a comet that has been traveling through space for thousands of years brighten so close to the sun.”

SOHO-5000 is a small, short-period comet that belongs to the Marsden family of comets, named after Dr. Brian Marsden, who first recognized the group.

The Marsden Group was unknown until SOHO/LASCO discovered it.

This group is believed to be an ancient descendant. Comet 96P/Machholtz near the sunLASCO observes every 5.3 years.

Of SOHO’s 5,000 comets, only about 75 belong to this group.

“Looking at the statistics of 5,000 comets and their orbits and trajectories through space is a very unique data set and really valuable science,” Dr. Battams said.

“This is a testament to the countless hours project participants have put into this.”

“We simply could not have reached this milestone without the work of our project volunteers.”

Source: www.sci.news

The process of memory storage in the brain during sleep

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Memory is a mysterious phenomenon. Some life events remain sharp in our memories no matter how long ago they occurred, while details from the previous day can quickly fade away.

A recent study published in the journal Science has uncovered the mechanism behind this phenomenon. Researchers have identified a system in the brains of humans and other mammals that determines which experiences are significant enough to be stored in long-term memory and which are forgotten.

Experiments conducted on mice demonstrated that specific patterns of brain activity called “sharp ripples” in the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory formation, occur during wakefulness. These patterns act as tags for important experiences, which are then transferred to long-term memory during sleep.

Although the study was carried out on mice, the lead author, Dr. Johnson, believes that the findings are applicable to humans as well, given the similarities in certain brain processes across mammalian species.

György Buzaki, the Biggs Professor of Neuroscience at New York University Langone Health, emphasized the unconscious nature of this memory consolidation process.

In the study, mice were rewarded with a treat after successfully navigating a maze, while their brain activity was monitored using implanted electrodes. The researchers observed that specific brain activity patterns observed during wakefulness were replayed during sleep, facilitating the conversion of important experiences into long-term memories.

This process highlights the crucial role that sleep plays in memory formation, as experiences deemed important during waking hours are transformed into lasting memories during rest.

According to the researchers, experiences that do not trigger the formation of sharp ripples are less likely to be stored in long-term memory.

To enhance the likelihood of memory retention, Dr. Buzaki suggests taking breaks after significant experiences to allow for the consolidation of memories.

Long-term memory requires relaxation

Research indicates that intentional pauses after experiences can aid in the formation of long-term memories. Dr. Buzaki recommends engaging in relaxing activities post-experience to facilitate the creation of sharp ripples in the brain, a process crucial for memory storage.

For example, after watching a movie, going for a leisurely walk can enhance the chances of remembering the film, as it allows for the encoding of memories.

Dr. Daniela Schiller, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine, highlighted the study’s intriguing discovery regarding brain activity patterns during rest and their resemblance to real-life experiences.

Dr. Daphna Shohamy, director of the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University, emphasized the importance of pauses and bursts of brain activity in memory formation, noting that these elements enhance the likelihood of experiences being stored in long-term memory.

In conclusion, the study provides valuable insights into the unconscious mechanisms behind memory formation and underscores the significance of rest and relaxation in preserving lasting memories.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Discover the message NASA is sending to Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon.

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Illustration of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

In October, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will begin a journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa (imagined above).

NASA has asked METI International, the scientific organization I lead, to leverage our expertise in trying to make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence by creating a symbolic engraved tantalum plate on a spacecraft. We asked them to help us create a message, a greeting from one water world to another.

We helped create two parts of the message. First, we collected a globally representative sample of recordings of water words in 103 languages. Each language is displayed as a waveform on the outside of the panel (pictured above) that protects sensitive scientific equipment.

On the other, inward-looking side (see below), we designed the scientific part of the message. This refers to water in terms of the “water hole,” a frequency band between the hydrogen and hydroxyl (combining to form water) emission lines in the radio spectrum where many of the early searches for intelligence beyond Earth took place. I’m explaining.

Other parts of the internal message include: Drake equation to estimate the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. Microchips containing the names of 2.6 million supporters will be added soon.and Poet Laureate of the United States Ada Limon’s Poem to Europa ends like this. “O second moon, we too / are made of water, of a vast, beckoning ocean… / of the need to call out in the darkness.” The European Clipper will fly to Jupiter in April 2030. We are planning to enter the orbit of

douglas vacochChairman of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry International

topic:

Jupiter/
space exploration

Source: www.newscientist.com

Neuroscientists reveal the overlooked senses that go beyond the traditional five

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

What is the total number of senses that an average human possesses? When we consider senses as receptors like the retina of the eye and the cochlea of the ear, the usual response would be seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. That makes a total of five senses.

These senses are known as “exteroceptive” as they provide information about the external environment.

Aside from these, the body also has receptors that detect internal activities such as the heartbeat, lung expansion, stomach movements, and various other bodily functions that go unnoticed. These internal senses are collectively known as “interoception.”

However, the answer to the question is actually more intricate and fascinating. Apart from the traditional senses, the body also has receptors that transmit different types of information which are not commonly categorized as sensations, like temperature.

Furthermore, certain receptors serve multiple sensory functions. For instance, the retina not only processes light for vision but also informs the brain about the transition from day to night. This “day/night sensation” forms the foundation of circadian rhythms which impact metabolism and sleep patterns.

Explore more about the science of senses:

Even a basic sense like vision is intricately connected to other senses that are perceived independently.

For instance, our visual perception and how we perceive things are interconnected with the brain’s monitoring of our heart rate as part of interoception.

As the heart contracts and pumps blood, the brain receives reduced visual input from the surroundings.

The brain also synthesizes sensations for which there are no specific receptors. For instance, the perception of taste is constructed by the brain combining gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) signals, while the sensation of wetness is a blend of touch and temperature information.

©Getty

In essence, the brain constructs all our perceptions of vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch based solely on sensory input from the body’s receptors. For instance, light waves don’t simply enter the eye; they travel to the brain as electrical signals that are then interpreted by the eye.

Moreover, the brain predicts in advance what we will perceive based on past experiences, current circumstances, and the body’s condition, blending these predictions with sensory input from the retina to create our visual perception of the world.

Similarly, when we touch our wrist to feel our pulse, we are essentially experiencing a mental construct based on the brain’s predictions and the actual sensory signals received. Our sensations are not solely experienced through our sense organs but are perceived in the brain.

Dive deeper into neuroscience:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientific Analysis: Who Would Prevail in a Face-off Between Godzilla and Kong?

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Following years of appearing in overlapping films, the monsterverse finally brings Godzilla and Kong together. But the question remains, who would emerge victorious in a showdown between the two?

Let’s address the elephant in the room – Godzilla and Kong are not real creatures, and similar animals have never existed. In the monsterverse, these colossal beings are a creation of imagination, reaching staggering dimensions that defy biological reality. Godzilla, standing at 177 meters tall and weighing over 90,000 tons, dwarfs Kong, who measures 103 meters in height and weighs over 50,000 tons.

The sheer size of these fictional creatures is impossible in nature. The largest land animals in history, such as the sauropod dinosaurs, only reached a fraction of Godzilla and Kong’s size, mainly due to biomechanical limitations. Nevertheless, let’s suspend disbelief and explore the hypothetical scenario of a battle between Godzilla and Kong using the lens of science.

Red corner: Godzilla

Godzilla’s pointy backboard can cut through metal © Alamy

Hailed as the King of Monsters, Godzilla boasts formidable armor and features reminiscent of prehistoric creatures like the Komodo dragon and ankylosaurus. His sharp-edged backplate can slice through metal, and his imposing size and powerful jaws suggest a devastating bite force. Additionally, Godzilla wields an astronomical force with his serrated tail, acting as a long-range weapon.

But Godzilla’s ultimate weapon is his radioactive atomic breath, capable of reaching temperatures over 500,000 degrees Celsius. This supernatural ability gives Godzilla a significant advantage in combat, making him a fearsome opponent.

Blue corner: Kong

Kong is a giant gorilla that is 103 meters tall © Warner Brothers Pictures

With the intelligence of a primate and immense physical strength, Kong presents a formidable adversary to Godzilla. His ability to plan ahead, understand complex situations, and even use tools in battle sets him apart. Kong’s great ape lineage gives him a strategic edge in combat, allowing him to outmaneuver his opponents and perhaps outsmart Godzilla.

Despite Kong’s brute force, agility, and impressive bite strength, Godzilla’s unmatched powers, including his atomic breath and colossal size, tilt the scales in his favor.

Verdict: Godzilla wins

In the ultimate face-off between Godzilla and Kong, Godzilla’s unrivaled attributes and devastating abilities secure his victory. Despite Kong’s intelligence and strength, Godzilla’s sheer power and supernatural arsenal prove insurmountable in this epic battle. Sorry, Mr. Kong, but the King of Monsters reigns supreme.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Is the impending arrival of billions of cicadas in America cause for concern over their urine?

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Here’s a question you probably shouldn’t think about while eating. What is the fastest peeing animal on earth? Elephants? Lions? Horse?

According to the magazine’s recent research, there’s one surprising candidate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: cicada. After studying urine flow throughout the animal kingdom, some scientists (preferably wearing goggles) have discovered that this tiny insect can spray pee at speeds of up to 3 meters per second. This is about three times faster than the average human.

So far so bad. But when you add that to the fact that a once-in-200-year event will soon see billions, perhaps trillions, of birds across the United States, you might start to feel a little nervous about your summer plans…

Now, is it time to hide out until the cicada storm passes? Experts say it probably is, but not for the reasons you might think…

What are cicadas and why do they come towards us?

“Cicadas are truly fascinating insects, known for their unique life cycles and unique sounds.” Dr. Elio Charita says the lead author of their urinary study. BBC Science Focus. “They belong to the order Hemiptera, are sap-feeding insects, and are found in temperate and tropical regions around the world.”

Cicadas can grow quite large, in some cases as large as hummingbirds, but in reality they really are quite noisy. In fact, their cries, clicks, and crackles are as noisy as a chainsaw.

“One of the most interesting things about cicadas is that they have a long larval stage, during which they stay underground for several years and feed on plant roots. Depending on the species, this stage lasts anywhere from a few years to 17 years. It can continue,” Charita continues.

This year, two “family members” of the so-called periodic cicadas (one emerges every 13 years, the other every 17 years) are synchronizing in some parts of the eastern United States. This is something that hasn’t happened since 1803 and will not happen again until 2245.

If you want to know more about the cicada life cycle, you can read all about cicadas in our explanatory article.

Is it time to prepare for the pee apocalypse?

Before we started buying canned goods and toilet paper in bulk in preparation for a summer spent indoors, the University of Kentucky entomologist said, Dr. Jonathan Larson, tells you BBC Science Focus Really, there’s no need to worry too much.

“For many people, the idea of a six-legged teenage insect invasion sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but in reality, it’s a beautiful life experience, just like Mardi Gras.”

Although cicadas are large, they are harmless to people, animals, and crops.

Larson also pointed out that the cicadas found in the recent study were a species that lives in Peru and emerges every year. As a result, they spend more time feeding and urinating than the U.S. species we expect this summer.

read more:

“Insect Apocalypse” will feature billions of cicadas. Here’s what you can expect
Top 10 largest insects in the world
Bugs on the brink: Why bugs are disappearing from your garden this year

“For species in the United States, we’re talking about species that feed much less as adults than some of the species studied. The periodicals here say that once they emerge as adults, it all comes down to finding a mate,” Larson says.

However, it takes a while for them to eat and pee. Charita explains that periodic cicadas have been observed to urinate on jets before. It was also captured on camera.

…

Another good thing (or should we call it that?) is that cicada pee is completely different from animal pee. As mentioned above, cicadas feed exclusively on the xylem sap of trees. This is the same thing that forms the basis of maple syrup. Therefore, what comes out is a sweet, watery liquid known as “honeydew.”

Despite its delicious name, we don’t recommend drinking cicada pee while walking around this summer, but at least you’ll feel a little less sick if cicada pee falls on your head during a walk.

In other words, as Larson says, “With these cicadas, you can leave your umbrella at home.” Phew.

“Please watch your step.”

So cicadas pee surprisingly fast, but that’s not really a problem. In fact, the bigger problem for Larson would be when he dies, not when he goes to the bathroom.

“They die in groups, so you get big piles of carcasses. If they get stepped on, they can make sidewalks slippery. I think it’s a bigger liquid nightmare,” Larson says.

How bad could this be? In 1990, there was a report as follows. Chigoan has to use a snow shovel to remove dead insects from the sidewalk.

To make matters worse, billions of bugs die and rot at the same time, leaving a terrible stench in the air. Several people explained this. Hmm, a unique smell like rotten nuts.

Billions of cicadas come out of the ground, mate, and then die one after the other. – Image credit: Getty

On the positive side, this process returns many nutrients, including nitrogen, to the ground. So, while they may stink, they benefit the ecosystems they end up in.

How cicada pee can help build future robots

The fact that cicadas urinate in such powerful jets was surprising for two reasons, Charita said.

Most insects do not urinate because it takes a lot of energy to urinate in a jet like larger animals do. Instead, they are excreted as droplets. Cicadas in particular feed on tree sap, which has little nutritional value, making their energetic eviction even more troublesome.
Not only is jet peeing less energy efficient, previous research suggested it would be impossible for animals weighing less than 1 kilogram because their orifices are too small to produce a dense jet.

Understanding this process is important for several reasons. Especially since cicada populations number in the trillions and the impact their excrement has on the environment can be significant.

“We still don’t fully understand the ecological impact of cicada excretion on surrounding flora and fauna, especially in the case of periodic cicadas,” Charita says.

Cicadas can produce jets that travel at speeds of up to 3 meters per second. – Image credit: Elio Challita

When feeding, cicadas can consume 300 times their body weight in sap each day, and all that sap has to go somewhere.

But the team also has other applications for this research in mind. The knowledge gained could be useful for manufacturing jets and nozzles for small robots, and could also be applied to additive manufacturing and possibly drug delivery.

“Our study highlights the importance of studying seemingly mundane aspects of animal biology, such as excretion,” concludes Charita. “Investigating these processes can reveal interesting adaptations and provide insight into how animals interact with their environments.

“It also reminds us that there is still much to discover about the natural world, even in the most unexpected places.”

About our experts

Elio Charita He is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Microrobotics Institute. Previously, at Georgia Tech, he studied fluid mechanics to help ultra-fast invertebrates (insects, hexapods, and arachnids) perform essential biological functions (e.g., feeding, excretion, and predator avoidance). I was researching how to deal with this issue.

Jonathan Larson He is an extension entomologist and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, providing insect expertise to those working on urban landscapes, turfgrass, nursery crops, greenhouses, and household problems. He is also the co-host of the Informative Insects Podcast. arthropod.

read more:

“Insect Apocalypse” will feature billions of cicadas. Here’s what you can expect
Top 10 largest insects in the world
Bugs on the brink: Why bugs are disappearing from your garden this year

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Sugarcane genome successfully sequenced by scientists

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Sugarcane is the world's most harvested crop by tonnage and has shaped world history, trade, and geopolitics, now responsible for 80% of the world's sugar production. Traditional sugarcane breeding methods have been effective in producing varieties adapted to new environments and pathogens, but sugar yield improvements have recently plateaued. The cessation of yield increase may be due to limited genetic diversity within the breeding population, long breeding cycles, and the complexity of its genome. Now, an international research team has created a polyploid reference genome for R570, a typical modern sugarcane variety.

Saccharum officinarum. Image credit: Ton Rulkens / CC BY-SA 2.0 Certificate.

Domestication of sugarcane began about 10,000 years ago. The first “sweet” varieties (Saccharum officinarum) derived from robustum sugar.

However, all modern varieties are derived from several interspecific crosses made by breeders a century ago between “sweet varieties” and “sweet varieties.” Saccharum officinarum And that 'wild' natural sugar.

Sugarcane hybridization has led to major advances in disease resistance and adaptation to stressful environmental conditions. However, early generation hybrids also had much lower sugar yields due to the greater contribution of the wild genome.

The complexity of the hybrid sugarcane genome and phylogeny is R570 varietyproduced by a breeder on Reunion Island in 1980.

“The sugarcane genome is very complex because it is large and contains more copies of chromosomes than a typical plant, a feature called polyploidy,” said researchers at the Hudson Alpha Institute for Bioengineering. said Dr. Jeremy Schmutz and colleagues.

“Sugar cane has about 10 billion base pairs, the building blocks of DNA. By comparison, the human genome has about 3 billion genes.”

“Many parts of sugarcane DNA are identical within and between different chromosomes, which makes it difficult to correctly reconstruct all the small segments of DNA while reconstructing the complete genetic blueprint. Masu.”

“We solved the puzzle by combining multiple gene sequencing technologies, including a newly developed method known as PacBio HiFi sequencing that can precisely sequence longer sections of DNA.”

“This was the most complex genome sequence we have ever completed,” Dr. Schmutz added.

“It shows how far we have come. This is something that seemed impossible 10 years ago. We are now reaching goals that we thought were impossible with plant genomics. We have been able to achieve this.”

CSIRO researcher Dr Karen Aitken said: “This groundbreaking result addresses the critical challenge of stagnant sugar yields by harnessing previously inaccessible genetic information from the sugarcane genome. ” he said.

“This is a major step forward for sugarcane research and will improve our understanding of complex traits such as yield, adaptation to diverse environmental conditions, and disease resistance.”

“We are working to understand how specific genes in plants are related to the quality of the biomass obtained downstream, which can then be turned into biofuels and bioproducts.” said Dr. Blake Simmons, a researcher at the Joint BioEnergy Institute.

“A deeper understanding of sugarcane genetics will help us better understand the plant genotypes required for the production of sugar and bagasse-derived intermediates needed for sustainable sugarcane conversion technologies at scales relevant to the bioeconomy.” and be in control.”

of result appear in the diary Nature.

_____

Al Healy other. Complex polyploid genome structure of sugarcane. Nature, published online March 27, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07231-4

Source: www.sci.news

Study finds that astronauts possess extraordinary skills in orienting themselves and calculating distances while in space

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New research has implications for crew safety in space and could give clues about how aging affects the balance systems of people on Earth.

horges other. We addressed the question of whether body posture influences humans' perception of self-motion and distance. They found that the same amount of optical flow can elicit the sensation of traveling farther when lying on one's back and when sitting upright; that is, optical flow We found evidence that it is more effective in eliciting the sensation of movement. This constitutes evidence that visual and nonvisual cues are at least partially integrated, even when self-movement is presented only visually. However, we found no significant differences in performance in microgravity on Earth and on the ISS, suggesting that vestibular stimulation is not important, if any, in estimating visually presented self-motion.

The study's lead author, Professor Lawrence Harris from the University of York, said: “The perception of gravity has been repeatedly shown to influence perceptual abilities.”

“The most profound way to study the effects of gravity is to remove it. That's why we brought our research into space.”

“We have had a steady presence in space for nearly a quarter of a century, but our efforts in space are ever-increasing as we plan to return to the moon and beyond, ensuring health and safety. It is becoming increasingly important to answer questions about

“Based on our findings, it appears that humans are surprisingly able to use vision to adequately compensate for the lack of Earth's normal environment.

For the study, Professor Harris and his colleagues surveyed more than a dozen astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits about 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

“Here, Earth's gravity is almost canceled out by the centrifugal force generated by the station's orbit. In the resulting microgravity, the movement of people becomes close to flight,” Professor Harris said.

“People had previously reported anecdotally that they felt like they were traveling faster or farther than they were actually in space, so this actually motivated us to record this.”

The authors compared the performance of 12 astronauts (six men and six women) before, during, and after a year-long mission to the space station and found out how far they traveled. I discovered that my sense of what I had done was almost intact.

Space missions were hectic endeavors, and it took several days for researchers to make contact with the astronauts after arriving at the space station.

“Our study may not have captured early adaptations that may have occurred during the first few days. Because whatever adaptations occur, they occur very quickly. This remains a good news message,” Professor Harris said.

Space missions are not without risks. Because the ISS orbits around the Earth, small objects can occasionally collide with it and enter the ship, where astronauts must move to safety.

“During the experiment, the ISS had to take many evasive maneuvers,” Professor Harris said.

“Astronauts need to be able to get to safety or escape through a hatch on the ISS in an emergency. So to see that they were actually able to do this with great precision was very exciting. I felt relieved.”

“Our research shows that exposure to microgravity mimics the aging process primarily at a physiological level, including bone and muscle wasting, changes in hormonal function, and increased susceptibility to infections. However, this paper found that self-movement was largely unaffected, suggesting a balance problem.''The problem, which often comes from old age, may have nothing to do with the vestibular system. ”

“This suggests that the mechanisms of movement perception in older people should be relatively unaffected, and that the problems associated with falls are probably more to do with this than in terms of perception of distance traveled. How can they translate that into a balance reflex? ”

of study Published in npj magazine microgravity.

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B. Horges other. 2024. Effects of long-term exposure to microgravity and body orientation relative to gravity on perceived distance traveled. NPJ microgravity 10, 28; doi: 10.1038/s41526-024-00376-6

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists successfully transfer electron spin to photon

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A team of physicists led by Dr. Yuan Lu of the Jean Lamour Institute at the University of Lorraine used electrical pulses to manipulate magnetic information into polarized signals. This discovery could revolutionize long-distance optical communications, including between Earth and Mars. This breakthrough involves the field of spintronics, which aims to manipulate the spin of electrons to store and process information.

Structure of SOT Spin LED: Control of emission intensity and charging current is the basis of information transfer and processing. In contrast, robust information storage and magnetic random access memory are implemented using carrier spins and their associated magnetizations in ferromagnets. The missing link between the respective fields of photonics, electronics, and spintronics is modulating the circular polarization of emitted light rather than its intensity through electrically controlled magnetization.Dynon other. demonstrated that this missing link is established in light-emitting diodes at room temperature in the absence of an applied magnetic field through the transfer of angular momentum between photons, electrons, and ferromagnets.Image credit: Dynon other., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07125-5.

Spintronics has been successfully used in magnetic computer hard drives, where information is represented by the direction of electron spin and its proxy, magnetization.

Ferromagnetic materials such as iron and cobalt have an unequal number of electrons, with their spins oriented either along or against the magnetization axis.

Electrons with spins aligned with the magnetization move smoothly in a ferromagnetic material, while electrons with spins in the opposite direction bounce. This represents binary information of 0’s and 1’s.

The resulting change in resistance is a key principle in spintronic devices, where magnetic states can be maintained indefinitely, which can be considered stored information.

Just as a refrigerator magnet requires no power to stick to a door, spintronic devices require much less power than traditional electronics.

But like pulling a fish out of water, when an electron is removed from a ferromagnetic material, the spin information is quickly lost and can no longer travel far.

This major limitation can be overcome by utilizing circularly polarized light, also known as helicity, as another spin carrier.

Just as humans used homing pigeons centuries ago to carry written communication farther and faster than on foot, the trick is to transfer the spin of an electron to a photo, a quantum of light. That’s probably true.

Such transfer is possible due to the presence of spin-orbit coupling, which causes spin information loss outside the ferromagnetic material.

The key missing link is to electrically modulate the magnetization and thereby change the helicity of the emitted light.

“The concept of spin LEDs was first proposed at the end of the last century,” Dr. Lu said.

“But to move into practical use, it must meet three important criteria: it must operate at room temperature, it does not require a magnetic field, and it must be able to be electrically controlled.”

“After more than 15 years of dedicated work in this field, our collaborative team has managed to overcome all obstacles.”

In their research, Dr. Lu and his colleagues succeeded in switching the magnetization of a spin injector using an electric pulse that uses spin-orbit torque.

The electron spin is rapidly converted into information contained in the helicity of the emitted photon, allowing seamless integration of magnetization dynamics and photonic technology.

This electrically controlled spin-to-photon conversion is currently realized with electroluminescence in light-emitting diodes.

In the future, through implementation in semiconductor laser diodes, so-called spin lasers, this highly efficient information encoding will pave the way for high-speed communication across interplanetary distances, since the polarization of light is preserved in spatial propagation. It is possible and could potentially make it possible. The fastest mode of communication between Earth and Mars.

It also has significant benefits for the development of a variety of advanced technologies on Earth, including photonic quantum communications and optical computing, neuromorphic computing for artificial intelligence, and ultra-fast and highly efficient optical transmitters for data centers and light-fidelity applications. will bring about.

“The realization of spin-orbit torque spin injectors is a decisive step in the development of ultrafast and energy-efficient spin lasers for next-generation optical communications and quantum technologies,” said Professor Nils Gerhardt of Ruhr University. ” he said.

team's work It was published in the magazine Nature.

_____

PA Dynon other. 2024. Optical helicity control by electromagnetic switching. Nature 627, 783-788; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07125-5

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists use genome sequencing to reconstruct the face of China’s Emperor Wu.

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A team of researchers from Fudan University and others has successfully generated the genome. Emperor Wu of China led by Xianbei (Emperor Wu) Northern Zhou Dynasty. The authors determined that Emperor Wu had a typical East Asian or Northeast Asian appearance and was susceptible to certain illnesses, such as stroke.

Reconstruction of the face (left) and portrait (right) of Emperor Wu of China's Northern Zhou Dynasty. Image credit: Du other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.059.

For more than 2,000 years, Chinese emperors have been accorded symbolic importance and are considered “sons of heaven” endowed with a “heavenly mission” and enjoy what is seen as divinely ordained rule over the nation. was doing.

The title “emperor” first appeared in 221 BC. In Gencalls himself “First Emperor.''

This position continued until the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty abdicated. Aisin Geolo Puyirecorded a total of 2,132 years and 83 feudal dynasties.

Emperor Wu, known as Yuwenyong (543-578 CE), was a highly influential emperor who overthrew the Northern Qi dynasty, reformed the local military system, pacified the Turks, and unified northern China. was.

He was ethnically Xianbei, an ancient nomadic group that lived in what is today Mongolia and northern and northeastern China.

“Some scholars have said that the Xianbei people have an 'exotic' appearance, with thick beards, high noses, and yellow hair,” said Dr. Xiaoqing Wen, a researcher at Fudan University.

“Our analysis shows that Emperor Wu had typical East Asian or Northeast Asian facial features.”

In 1996, archaeologists discovered Emperor Wu's tomb in northwestern China and discovered his bones, including a nearly complete skull.

Thanks to recent advances in ancient DNA research, Dr. Wen and his colleagues have successfully recovered more than 1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from his DNA, some of which are associated with Emperor Wu's skin and hair color. information was included.

Researchers also succeeded in reconstructing the emperor's face in 3D.

They found that Emperor Wu had brown eyes, black hair, dark to medium skin, and facial features similar to those of modern North Asians and East Asians.

“Our work brought historical figures to life,” said Dr. Pianpian Wei, also from Fudan University.

“Previously, we had to rely on historical records and wall paintings to imagine what ancient peoples looked like.”

“We were able to directly reveal the true nature of the North Korean people.”

“Emperor Wu died at the age of 36, and his son also died young for no apparent reason,” the scientists said.

“Some archaeologists claim that Emperor Wu died of illness, while others claim that he was poisoned by his rivals.”

Analysis of Emperor Wu's DNA revealed that he was at increased risk of stroke.

This finding is consistent with historical records that describe the emperor as having aphasia, droopy eyelids, and an abnormal gait – potential symptoms of a stroke.

Genetic analysis shows that the Xianbei people intermarried with the Han Chinese when they migrated south to northern China.

“This is important information for understanding how ancient humans spread across Eurasia and how they integrated with local peoples,” Dr. Wen said.

of result Published in this week's magazine current biology.

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Panshin Du other. The ancient genome of Emperor Wu of northern China. current biology, published online March 28, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.059

Source: www.sci.news

Ambitious plan to observe the sun during April’s solar eclipse

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA’s WB-57 research jet will be used to study solar eclipses

Amir Caspi

Solar scientists across North America will study April’s total solar eclipse to observe the sun’s strangest part: the corona.

Although it is briefly visible as a bright halo that appears only when it is total, it is a million times dimmer in visible light than the rest of the Sun. The corona is also a million degrees warmer than the sun’s surface, or photosphere, which only reaches about 6000 degrees Celsius, and extends millions of kilometers into the solar system.

The corona is where the sun’s magnetic field acts on charged particles to form complex shapes called streamers, loops, plumes, etc. Understanding the corona helps us predict the solar wind, the stream of charged particles that is blown into space from the Sun. This is the cause of the aurora borealis, but it’s also a potential threat to astronauts, satellites, and the power grid.

Expectations for the total solar eclipse on April 8th are extremely high. That’s because the total solar eclipse, in which the sun is completely covered, will last up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, the longest such period on land in more than a decade. We would like to introduce some of the experiments that will be carried out in the future.

solar wind sherpa

Shadia HabalThe solar researcher at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy has been tracking solar eclipses for almost 30 years, using special filters and cameras to measure the temperature of particles from the deepest part of the corona.

Habal’s group, now known as the Solar Wind Sherpas, has traveled to far-flung places, including the Marshall Islands, Kenya, Mongolia, Norway’s Svalbard, Antarctica, and Libya. Habal and her team use filters to image the corona during each solar eclipse, some of which last only a few seconds. By studying the different wavelengths of light emitted by charged iron particles in the corona, temperature can be revealed.

Most often, solar physicists who study the corona rely on space observatory coronagraphs, which use telescope disks to block the sun. But these devices obscure the deepest parts of the corona, towers of plasma called prominences and sources of eruptions called coronal mass ejections.

“Observations during totality are very important,” Habal says. There’s no other way to continuously observe a portion of the Sun’s atmosphere extending from the surface to at least 5 solar radii. “This is fundamental to understanding how the solar atmosphere originates from the Sun and then spreads out into interplanetary space,” she says. Only then will accurate computer models be devised to simulate the corona and help predict space weather.

In the past few years, Habal’s group has made a surprising discovery. The Sun is currently heading towards her solar maximum in 2025, the most active period of his 11-year cycle when solar winds strengthen. Because the corona appears larger during the maximum solar activity during a total solar eclipse, it was thought that there is a close relationship between the solar cycle and the temperature of the corona. But it may not be that simple.

In 2021, Habal and his colleagues published a study based on observations made during 14 total solar eclipses that suggest: The temperature of the corona does not depend on the solar cycle. The lines of the sun’s magnetic field can open and spread outward in the solar wind, or they can close and become hotter, forming a loop. “We found open magnetic field lines everywhere, regardless of the cycle,” Habal says. This means that the temperature of the corona is almost constant.

high flyer

Observations have been impossible since 2019 due to bad weather. “In 2020 there was rain in Chile and in 2021 there were clouds over the Antarctic ocean, but in 2022 there was no solar eclipse,” Habal said.Team members are on an expedition to Antarctica. Benedict Justen Next time, he suggested, they could fly a kite equipped with a spectrometer that separates light into its component wavelengths.

A NASA-funded kite with a wingspan of 6.5 meters was successfully tested in Western Australia during a total solar eclipse in April 2023. It was launched on a kilometer-long tether attached to a vehicle. “It was truly miraculous,” Habal says. Due to bad weather, the team flew for the first time only 45 minutes before the total flight. “It was thrilling.”

This box-shaped kite will fly a NASA-funded scientific instrument to study total solar eclipses.

Clemens Bulman and Benedikt Justen

If the technology works well on future eclipses, more kites will be deployed in the future, and perhaps cameras will be added. “It’s much easier and cheaper than using balloons,” Habal says. But if things don’t work out, there’s always a backup.

During a total solar eclipse, two WB-57 planes will track each other just southwest of the eclipse’s maximum at 740 kilometers per hour, about one-fourth the speed of the moon’s shadow. At this speed, the total velocity increases from 4 minutes and 27 seconds to more than 6 minutes when viewed from the ground. “The WB-57 is perfect for this purpose because the nose cone has a built-in camera and telescope system that allows it to rotate and point at anything no matter what direction the aircraft is flying. ” says Mr. Amir Caspi At the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, he is in charge of the second WB-57 experiment to study the corona in a different way.

Caspi and his team will use a stable platform to image the eclipse using both a visible-light camera and a high-resolution mid-infrared camera developed by NASA. The latter captures light at seven different wavelengths and helps determine which structures in the corona are emitting their own light and which are just scattering light from the Sun’s surface. “To make these observations, we need to be as high up in the atmosphere as possible,” Caspi said. Infrared radiation is difficult to observe from the ground because it is absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere.

live streamer

Caspi is also part of the Citizen Continental American Telescope Eclipse (CATE) project. The project is an attempt to create a continuous 60-minute high-definition film using a team of 35 citizen scientists who travel a total path from Texas to Maine. They have the same cameras, telescopes, and training, so they can make exactly the same kinds of observations. “Each team will be spaced out so that each station overlaps its neighboring station,” Caspi said. “If one station can’t get data because of clouds or equipment failure, that’s okay.”

He is hopeful the device will work after it was successfully tested in Western Australia last year. “That was the first solar eclipse I ever saw,” Caspi said. He was busy live streaming on his YouTube, so he could only watch a few seconds. “Our devices couldn’t go online, so we spent the whole time holding our phones in front of our faces.”

Source: www.newscientist.com

New image exposes magnetic field surrounding Milky Way’s black hole

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New and impressive images of the supermassive black hole located at the center of our galaxy show that its powerful magnetic field twists and rotates in a spiral pattern.

This is a never-before-seen view of Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A*), the massive black hole in the Milky Way galaxy that consumes nearby light and matter.

The images suggest similarities in structure between this black hole and the black hole in the galaxy M87. Although the black hole in M87, which was imaged for the first time, is over 1,000 times larger than Sagittarius A*, both exhibit strong, organized magnetic fields.

This pattern hints that many, if not all, black holes may share common traits, according to the scientists who published their findings in the Astrophysics Journal Letter on Wednesday.

“We’ve discovered that strong, orderly magnetic fields are crucial in how black holes interact with surrounding gas and matter,” said study co-leader and NASA Hubble Fellowship Program co-author, Einstein Fellow Sarah Isaun, as stated in a press release.

Isaun worked with an international team of astronomers known as the Event Horizon Telescope to conduct the research. This team comprises over 300 scientists from 80 institutions worldwide.

This same collaboration captured the first direct visual evidence of Sagittarius A* in 2022 and also studied the M87 galaxy, which is located approximately 53 million light-years away from Earth.

The magnetic field around the massive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, known as M87*, is believed to play a vital role in its extraordinary behavior. Black holes emit powerful jets of electrons and other subatomic particles into space at nearly the speed of light.

Although no such bursts of activity have been observed from Sagittarius A*, the similarities between the two black holes suggest that hidden jets may still be detected. Researchers suggest this possibility in the new images.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Protecting Your Eyes: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Next month, people across the continental United States will have the opportunity to witness a partial or total solar eclipse. However, it is crucial for them to take precautions to prevent eye damage during this rare astronomical event.

On April 8th, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, causing a temporary blockage of the sun’s light. This will result in a darkening of the afternoon sky along a path approximately 160 miles wide across Mexico, parts of the United States, and parts of eastern Canada.

Those outside of this path will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse, where only a portion of the sun is obscured by the moon.

To safely view the eclipse, special glasses or a pinhole projector can be used. It is important to note that regular sunglasses or other tools like telescopes should not be used to observe the eclipse even while wearing special glasses.

Here are some key points to keep in mind:

How to select the right eclipse glasses

The only safe way to directly view a solar eclipse is by using glasses specifically designed for this purpose. These glasses should be equipped with an ISO 12312-2 filter to prevent photothermal damage to the retina, as advised by Dr. Nicole Bajic from the Cleveland Clinic Cole’s General Ophthalmology Institute.

Eclipse glasses are significantly darker than regular sunglasses, making them safe for solar viewing.

Failure to take precautions while observing a solar eclipse can result in permanent damage to the eyes, known as solar retinopathy, which affects the retina’s ability to transmit light into electrical signals for vision.

When and how to use glasses

According to NASA, it is only safe to view a solar eclipse directly without glasses during the brief period of totality when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face. Before and after totality, eclipse glasses must be worn to protect the eyes.

Totality, when the sun is completely covered, lasts approximately three and a half to four minutes and can vary by location.

For those observing a partial solar eclipse, wearing eclipse glasses throughout the event is essential. Additionally, using tools like binoculars or cameras without solar filters can cause serious eye damage.

Ensuring the safety of your glasses

While NASA does not endorse specific solar viewers, it is recommended to choose reputable options from sources like the American Astronomical Society to avoid counterfeit or substandard products.

If you saved your eclipse glasses from the 2017 event, they can be reused as long as the lenses are undamaged. However, if there are any scratches, holes, or wrinkles on the lenses, it is advisable to purchase new glasses.

Creating and using a pinhole projector

In the absence of proper glasses, a pinhole projector can be made to safely view the solar eclipse without looking directly at the sun. This device captures sunlight through a small hole, projecting it onto a surface to create a safe image of the sun.

To make a pinhole projector, cut a hole in a piece of paper, cover it with aluminum foil, poke a small hole in the foil, and use another piece of paper as a screen for the projected image. Adjusting the distance between the projector and the screen will change the size of the image.

Other household items like a colander or a cereal box can also be used to create a pinhole projector for eclipse viewing.

Alternatively, stand under a shady tree during the eclipse to observe the crescent-shaped shadow cast on the ground.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Is the truth out there? Yes, aliens are not part of it.

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Hotspot analysis of unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) sightings reported from 2001 to 2020. Excerpt from the paper “Environmental Analysis of Public UAP Sightings and Sky View Potential”.

RM Medina et al.

My favorite subgenre of scientific writing is “Usually associated with conspiracy theories and cheesy sci-fi movies, but please take this seriously.” So I gleefully dove into a recent example with a very technical title. Environmental Analysis of UAP Public Sightings and Sky View Potential”. Translation: “We looked at where the most people saw UFOs and correlated that with how easy it was to see them in the sky.”

First of all, I want to emphasize that this is not a silly thesis, and I am not saying that UFOs should not be studied as a cultural or physical phenomenon. The authors, two geographers and a military intelligence expert, are acutely aware of how ridiculous their work may sound to some readers, and their method of analysis is entirely rational. It is.

That being said, I would like to celebrate some of the acronyms I learned while reading this paper. We will henceforth refer to UFOs as UAPs, or “unidentified anomalous phenomena.” This is partly to avoid the stigma of the pseudoscientific UFO community, and partly so that future generations can collect data on giant monsters and such anomalies not captured by science. I think it’s for the purpose of The term “flying object”.

The authors used data from NUFORC. NUFORC sounds like his 1970s new wave band, but it actually stands for National UFO Reporting Center. Its website allows people to report sightings, and the number of people doing so increased during the study period from 2001 to 2020. This is largely due to the increased number of sensors, phones, and other technologies that can record strange things in our environment. To study the geographic distribution of these sightings, the authors examined approximately 200,000 reports per U.S. county. What they found was that more people saw UFOs, er, UAPs, in the western part of the country, where less population means generally darker skies.

But how exactly did researchers know where all these sightings were coming from? Which brings us to VGI, or “Voluntary Geographic Information.” The authors acknowledge that this is “usually provided voluntarily by individuals, consciously or unconsciously, with the assistance of location-enabled digital tools.” Many cell phone cameras and apps automatically record the geographic coordinates of the photos you take, whether you know it or not. While this is great for friendly scientists looking for data about UAPs, VGI is also used in the United States by law enforcement and marketing companies to understand where they are at any given time.

But perhaps my favorite acronym is AARO (All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office). This is the department within the Department of Defense where one of the author’s boyfriends, Sean Kirkpatrick, worked until two years before him, and it has a nice name. he got tired of it and quit Late 2023. AARO may sound like Charles Stross invented it for him. laundry file Although it is a series of fantasy novels, it is actually called in to determine whether the military secretly possesses alien “biological agents” or spaceships. Kirkpatrick told Congress that the answer is a resounding “no,” and that conspiracy buffs inside and outside the government have discovered extraterrestrial weapons in the huge warehouse where the Pentagon stores the Ark of the Covenant and the Sacred Ark. He resigned because he continued to insist that something must be hidden. Holy Grail.

As can be inferred from Kirkpatrick’s involvement in the paper, the authors found no evidence of alien visitors. By correlating VGI-labeled sightings with data collection including military bases, airports, light pollution, cloud cover, and tree canopy locations, they found that most UAPs are found in deep, easy-to-see locations. It means that it is. To the night sky. According to NUFORC, his most commonly reported UAPs turned out to be either Starlink satellites or the planet Venus. Other reports come from locations where it is easy to observe human-built objects, such as airplanes and drones, moving quickly and in irregular patterns across the sky.

There are also more reports coming from areas with a “culture of paranormal ideas,” such as the area around Roswell, New Mexico, where UFOs are said to have crashed in the 1940s. Still, researchers conclude that some sightings remain unexplained.

This paper confirms that people who report UAP are not suffering from mental illness or hallucinations. There is clearly something strange in the sky. Perhaps it’s not aliens, but our environments always produce bizarre visual effects that are strange yet realistic. And the heavens are full of imaginary and unknown objects created by humans. Analyzing anomalies with scientific rigor does not dispel the wonder, but it does reveal that we can witness wonders in our own backyards every day.

Annalee’s week

what I am reading

Stuart Hall’s Classic Media Studies Essay encode/decode, it is still relevant.

what I see

dungeon food, Anime about cooking from dungeon to table.

what I am working on

Make Google Gemini say weird things.

Annalee Newitz is a science journalist and author. Their latest novel is Terraformars, and they are co-hosts of the Hugo Award-winning podcast Our Opinions Are Correct.
Follow @annaleen and their website is: techsploitation.com

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

SLIM, Japan’s Lunar Lander, Astonishingly Survives Second Night on the Moon

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

View of the lunar surface taken from the tilted position of the SLIM lander

JAXA

Most landers we send to the Moon will operate for one lunar day, or about two weeks on Earth, until they die from the extreme cold of the lunar night. But Japan’s Smart Lunar Lander (SLIM) has now survived two nights on the moon and continues to send images back to Earth, an amazing feat.

SLIM is Japan’s first lunar lander and becomes the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. When the plane landed on January 19, it was tilted and the solar panels could not provide enough power to continue operating for more than a few hours. After nine days, the sun began to move again, moving across the sky.

But just three Earth days later, the lunar night began. Nighttime temperatures on the moon can drop as low as -133°C (-208°F), potentially damaging the spacecraft’s batteries and electronics. Normally, the lunar lander shuts down on a lunar night and never wakes up again, but it started up again on February 25 as the sun rose above Slim.

This in itself was a surprise. The lander was not specifically designed to withstand lunar nights, and its original mission was scheduled to end at night. So, as night approached again, this seemed to be the end of SLIM.

However, on March 27th, the SLIM official account I posted an image above X has the following caption: “Last night, we received a response from SLIM confirming that SLIM achieved its second success during the night. Last night, the sun was still high and the equipment was hot, so I quickly turned on my navigation camera. It looks like the lander will be able to resume analyzing its surroundings within the next few days.

Its survival is especially surprising because while some spacecraft use radioactive elements to stay warm, SLIM does not. “This is a significant achievement considering we are not using radioisotope heaters,” he says. Haim Benaroya at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “This result is important and impressive, given that this is a major design consideration for electronics (and people) to survive moonlit nights.” SLIM has failed while many other spacecraft have failed. Analyzing how they survived may help us understand how they stay warm on the moon.

topic:

moon/
space exploration

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Scientific Case for Yelling at Referees

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

reprimand the referee

There’s new evidence that it pays to yell at referees at sports stadiums. The evidence comes in a study by Joel Guerret, Caroline Blais, and Daniel Fisset of the University of Quebec in Outaouais, Canada, titled “Verbal attacks on Major League Baseball umpires influence decision-making.” They published it in a magazine psychological science.

Guerret, Brace, and Fisset examined 10 years of Major League Baseball game data. They stress that these games are played out in an “ecological environment rife with hypercritique.”

They discovered what they called “the double-sided benefits of resorting to verbal abuse.” After being heavily criticized, “home plate umpires were less likely to call a strike to the complaining team’s batter and more likely to call a strike to the opposing team’s batter.”

Mr. B. McGraw (who did not specify his name) brought the matter to Feedback’s attention, impressed by the authors’ development of a disciplined academic voice: “Our findings support the hypothesis that under certain conditions, verbal aggression can be advantageous to the accuser.”

ice cream nozzle

Questions arise when the nozzle starts to collect foreign matter, but if you diligently clean the nozzle after using it to dispense a scoop of ice cream, the question becomes less pressing. Because if you don’t clean the nozzles and other parts of your food machine, things can grow healthy (from a material point of view).

Psychrotrophic bacteria are bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, temperatures such as those that can occur in refrigerators and freezers.

Research called ”Psychrotrophic bacteria with virulence and colonization properties live in the ice cream production environment”, the need for nozzle maintenance comes to mind. The purpose of this discussion is to prevent horror stories from happening. The authors, from Italy’s University of Naples Federico II, said: “We provide evidence for the existence of a complex microbial community that overcomes the sanitary conditions of ice cream production facilities.” Therefore, Harken is an ice creamer. Please clean the nozzle.

your chocolate nozzle

For example, considering what shape nozzle to use for 3D printing chocolate can raise unexpected and vaguely related questions.research in frontiers of psychology We focus on one surprisingly subtle and complex question. So when it comes to the question of taste, how much chocolate is too much chocolate?This study is called ”Effect of bouba and kiki-like shapes on the perceived taste of chocolate pieces”.

”Booba” and ”kiki” are coined words, and psychological experiments suggest that they somehow evoke the concept of shape. To many people, a ”bouba” looks curvy and a ”kiki” looks pointy. The researchers found evidence that Booba was subtly sweeter than Kiki, but to measure the difference they had to limit the amount of chocolate in each bite.

They wrote: “Previous studies have found no difference in participants’ reports of a difference in taste after actually eating round and square chocolate pieces. Because there was so much chocolate in the cup, we thought that the actual taste might have dominated the effect of perceived shape on taste.”

They devised a solution. “We designed a ring-shaped stimulus with no chocolate filling in the center to avoid the need to ingest excess chocolate taste or flavor while maintaining perceived shape differences.”

Reducing chocolate consumption by using sweeter-tasting forms, they say, would reduce chocolate production and, in turn, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting even those who don’t eat chocolate. The Booba/Kiki-inspired choice of chocolate dispenser nozzle is implicit and may be more than just a symbolic weapon in the fight against global warming.

diagonal nozzle

If you really want to install a turbofan engine in a jet aircraft, and if you want quietness, make the nozzle diagonally. Make a chamfer. These are the words of Julien Christophe, Julien de Dekker and Christophe Schramm of the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium.Writing in progress flow, turbulence, combustionThey explain the reason as follows: “The beveled nozzle provides noise reduction at all emission angles, with up to 2 dB reduction at the receiver’s position perpendicular to the plate.” For peace of mind, bevel.

cryptographic emoji

If there’s a contest for a jargon-heavy study about a sketchy financial business, perhaps you could submit your cryptocurrency to a study called ”Emoji-led crypto market reaction”, written by Xiaorui Zuo, Yao-Tsung Chen, and Wolfgang Karl Härdle.

The word “pith” is sometimes defined as “the spongy white tissue that lines the inside of the peel of oranges and other citrus fruits.” This study contains a pointed explanation of itself. “We leverage GPT-4 and his fine-tuned Transformer-based BERT model to perform multimodal sentiment analysis and focus on the impact of emoji sentiment on the crypto market.” The paper does not say what “BERT” is. “Similar sentiment analysis techniques could be applied to a broader range of financial markets,” the paper says.

Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com.

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6 “Healthy” Foods That Are Actually Ultra-Processed

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Many of us include staple foods like pasta and rice in our diets for balance, while avoiding unhealthy options like potato chips and sugary snacks. However, determining the healthiness of processed and packaged foods based on their labels can be challenging.

A recent study found that ultra-processed foods increase the risk of over 30 health problems, highlighting the importance of considering the level of processing and its impact on our health.

It’s essential to understand that all foods can have a place in a healthy diet, but not all are equally nutritious. Rather than relying solely on food labels, it’s crucial to consider how these foods fit into your overall lifestyle and goals, taking into account factors like health, finances, work, and time constraints.

When faced with headlines about certain foods increasing the risk of disease by a certain percentage, it’s important to remember that these numbers represent relative risks in the population, not individual risks. Factors like the amount and frequency of consumption, overall diet, and disease likelihood all play a role in determining actual risk.

Nutrition is not isolated but influenced by evidence, hype, and context when making healthy choices. Here are some common supermarket products that are often misunderstood:

“Premium” Instant Meals

Prepackaged meals marketed as premium options may seem convenient and tasty, but they often contain added preservatives, stabilizers, and high levels of salt. Cooking from scratch at home is typically a more nutritionally sound choice.

When preparing meals at home, there’s more opportunity to add vegetables and whole grains for a balanced diet, something often lacking in ready-made options.

Plant Milk

Plant-based milks marketed as alternatives to dairy products vary in nutritional value, and they can be highly processed. While they can be useful for those who cannot or choose not to consume traditional milk, their long-term health effects are not well-studied compared to whole plant foods.

Meat Substitute

Similarly, meat substitutes may be processed and lack the full benefits of whole plant foods. Replacing meat in the diet can be beneficial for health, but choosing minimally processed plant-based options is key.

Meal Replacement Drinks

While meal replacement drinks can offer complete nutrition and convenience, they lack the bioactive substances found in whole foods. It’s important to incorporate a variety of foods into your diet and seek professional advice if relying heavily on meal replacements.

Breakfast Cereal

Breakfast cereals range in nutritional quality, with some being minimally processed and others high in sugar. Studies suggest that consuming breakfast cereal can improve overall nutrition, but the context of an entire diet is crucial.

Granola/Protein Bars

Bars can be convenient but are often processed and may contain excessive salt, sugar, and additives. While they can offer benefits over unhealthy snacks, they should not replace whole foods in the diet.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com