Tag Archives: building

AI Assists in Discovering Paint Formulas for Keeping Your Building Cool

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Researchers contend that with the rapid development of machine learning, new materials can be engineered for various applications, from electric motors to carbon capture technologies. AI-generated paints could help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands and lower air conditioning costs.

Experts in materials science are harnessing artificial intelligence to create innovative coatings that can maintain building temperatures 5°C to 20°C cooler than conventional paint after exposure to direct sunlight. This technology is also applicable to vehicles, trains, electrical devices, and other entities that need enhanced cooling in a warming world.

Through machine learning, interdisciplinary teams from institutions in the US, China, Singapore, and Sweden have developed a new paint formulation optimized for reflecting sunlight and radiating heat, as evidenced by peer-reviewed research. Published in Science Journal Nature.

This represents the latest instance of AI circumventing traditional trial-and-error methods in the pursuit of scientific innovation. Last year, UK-based Matnex employed AI to design a new type of permanent magnet for electric vehicle motors, aiming to reduce reliance on carbon-heavy rare earth elements.

Microsoft has also released AI tools tailored for researchers to swiftly create novel inorganic materials—such as crystal structures commonly utilized in solar panels and medical implants. There’s optimism surrounding the potential for new materials to enhance carbon capture capabilities and improve battery efficiency.

Investigations into paint were conducted by scholars at the University of Texas at Austin, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National University of Singapore, and Umeå University in Sweden. In scorching locations like Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok, researchers determined that applying one of the newly developed AI-enhanced paints to the roof of a four-story apartment building could conserve 15,800 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. When this paint is used on 1,000 buildings, it saves enough energy to power over 10,000 air conditioning units each year.

“As a scientist at the University of Texas and a co-leader of this research,” said Yuebbing Zeng, “our machine learning framework signifies a significant advancement in thermal meta-emitter design. By automating processes and broadening the design landscape, we can generate materials with exceptional properties that were previously unfeasible.”

He mentioned that what previously took a month can now be achieved in days using AI to innovate new materials, including those that might not have been uncovered through traditional exploration methods.

“Now we follow the machine learning outputs; its directives can be executed without numerous design and manufacturing test cycles,” he added.

Dr. Alex Ganoce, a lecturer at Imperial College London, emphasized: “We are also leveraging machine learning to innovate new materials. Developments in this field are occurring rapidly. Over the last year, numerous startups have emerged aiming to utilize generative AI for materials creation.”

He noted that the journey to design new materials can involve assessing millions of potential combinations. AI empowers material scientists to overcome limitations associated with computing resources and allows them to specify desired characteristics to the AI upfront, thereby reversing the conventional method of material creation and trait testing.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Zuckerberg explains decision to purchase Instagram and WhatsApp instead of building the app from scratch

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During the second day of the Landmark antitrust trial, Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg explained his decision to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp, citing the difficulty of building a new app. He avoided addressing questions about potential competitive threats to the company.

Zuckerberg mentioned that building a new app is a challenging task and that the company had attempted to create multiple apps in the past without much success. He acknowledged that they could have developed an app, but success was not guaranteed.

His testimony is crucial in the antitrust trial at the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. The trial focuses on allegations that Meta engaged in anti-competitive practices through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

If the government succeeds, Meta could be required to divest these two apps.

However, legal experts believe the FTC faces significant challenges in proving its case. The lawsuit against Meta forms part of broader efforts by U.S. regulators to address the market power of major tech companies.

The trial against Meta comes amidst similar legal actions against other tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Apple for alleged anti-competitive behavior.

In a closely watched trial, the FTC accused Meta of using its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition and limit consumer choice.

Meta’s legal team refuted the allegations, highlighting the company’s competition with other social media platforms. They argued that revisiting and undoing the merger approval would set a dangerous precedent.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, FTC lawyers questioned Zuckerberg about internal communications related to the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, revealing discussions about competition and strategic decisions.

Zuckerberg’s testimony spanned seven hours, with Instagram co-founders scheduled to testify later in the week.

In emails from years ago, Zuckerberg discussed the competitive landscape and strategic moves to maintain Facebook’s dominance in the market. These communications have become central to the antitrust trial.

Zuckerberg’s emails revealed concerns about emerging competitors and strategies to block them from advertising on Facebook. The trial continues to scrutinize Meta’s actions in the competitive tech industry.

Zuckerberg’s communications shed light on the company’s approach to competition and strategic acquisitions, raising questions about its impact on the tech industry.

As the trial progresses, stakeholders are closely watching the outcome and its implications for the regulation of big tech companies.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Practical Applications of Wild Physics: Building a Time Machine

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The bartender said, “We don't serve time travelers here.” A time traveler enters the bar.

OK, yes, you'll almost certainly regret starting this article with such a lame old joke. Most of us, at some point, have wanted to go back in time to fix a mistake or failure. But that's impossible, right?

Well, not necessarily. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity suggests that time travel may actually be possible. We know that matter can bend space-time, and if we bend it enough we may be able to create time loops. Of course, there are many caveats, and researchers have yet to present a working time machine. But that didn't stop them from exploring the possibilities.

Here are five ways time travel could be possible, from sci-fi classics to surprising new ideas. It also introduces some thorny practical obstacles that need to be overcome.

1. Prepare the galaxy laser ring

The main problem with time travel is that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, which is 299,792,458 meters per second. This speed limit maintains causation, the idea that the cause must always come before the effect. Thanks to a quirk of Einstein's special theory of relativity and the fact that space and time are intimately connected, traveling faster than the speed of light messes it up. If we could travel faster than light, we would travel back in time. But you can't do that.

The next best thing is to manipulate the fabric of space-time. in…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Building Your Own Retro Gaming Machine with a Raspberry Pi

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IIn the past, whenever I’ve written enthusiastically about the latest retro consoles, like the Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES or Analogue Duo, there have been a few comments below the article asking why people don’t just buy a Raspberry Pi mini computer, download emulators, and play their favorite games for next to nothing. My answer is usually ease of use and accessibility. When you buy a mini console, you get a plug-and-play product with no complicated setups or potential compatibility issues. Simple.

However, having recently purchased a Raspberry Pi to write an article about the beautiful PiDP-10 machine, I thought I’d check out its retro gaming capabilities as well. This is what I found.

Hardware

Raspberry Pi with case, SD card, and SD card reader Photo: Keith Stewart/The Guardian

To put together your retro machine, you’ll first need a Raspberry Pi computer. It’s a tiny PC built on a circuit board a little bigger than a credit card. There are currently two supported models: the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (£34) and the newer Raspberry Pi 5 (£58), which has a more powerful processor and is better suited for emulating later consoles. I bought the 5 model on the Pi Hut site, which offers a decent starter kit including a compatible power adaptor and HDMI cable, a cute case to house the Pi in (with a little fan to cool the CPU), and an SD card, which you’ll need as the computer doesn’t have a built-in hard drive. The kit costs £94. However, the Raspberry Pi 4 is good enough to run emulators for old machines, so if you go for it, you’ll be ready for retro gaming for around £60.

emulator

Lakka emulator. Photo: Raqqa

Here’s where it gets a bit complicated. There are a number of retro gaming apps that are compatible with the Raspberry Pi, with the main contenders being RetroPie, Recalbox, Batocera and Lakka. All of these are essentially a collection of different, mostly open-source emulators that let you play games from a range of systems, from very early home computers to later consoles like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. Want to experience Manic Miner on Oric or Rainbow Islands on the Wonderswan? UtopiaCan you recreate the Dragon 32 games you made with your friend John in 1987? Now you can. It also supports MAME, which runs hundreds of classic arcade games. There are differences between the two, such as how the games run and how many configuration options you have. For example, you might want to tweak the visual settings to add realistic scanlines. Here is a very good comparison. hereHowever, most people agree that RetroPie is the most versatile.

It’s all very easy to do. First, connect the SD card to your PC or Mac using a USB SD card reader and download Raspberry Pi Imager. This is a small program that will install the operating system onto the card. It’s very user friendly and has three drop-down menus to choose from:[オペレーティング システムの選択]With the click of a button, you can designate your machine as a retro console and it will automatically download the emulators. Currently, your options are limited to either Recalbox for Model 5, or RetroPie or Recalbox for Model 4 (Retropie doesn’t have a native Model 5 version yet). To get anything else, you’ll need to download their own installation imagers separately and select your custom OS in the Raspberry Pi imager.

Don’t panic, there are plenty of guides online to help you solve this problem.

game

Rev your engines… in the classic 80s driving game Out Run. Photo: SEGA

Now, this is Really Here’s the complicated part. To run retro games on these emulators you need game ROMs – software versions of the original programs, chips or cartridges. Downloading them from ROM sites on the internet is effectively copyright infringement and illegal. “Computer games are protected from copying by intellectual property law,” explains Alex Tutty of law firm Sheridans. “Generally, in the UK and around the world, games are protected by copyright and cannot be copied without the owner’s permission.

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“Copyright law has various exceptions, such as personal copying, but emulation of the games or making them available online is not permitted. Even if a game is discontinued, copyright remains in place even if it is not being used, so copying is not permitted.”

that teeth It’s possible to find games that have had their copyrights removed by their developers. These tend to be found on abandonware sites or software archives. (I won’t sue you if you download Utopia, but you might want to sue me if you play it.) In any case, I won’t tell you how to find ROMs, but I can tell you that it’s a risky business. Game files on unofficial sites might be full of viruses and malware, or they might simply not work, or be in a foreign language.

Getting the ROMs onto your Raspberry Pi from your computer where you downloaded them is also a bit complicated. The basic method is to plug the Raspberry Pi SD card into your PC and download the ROMs directly to the board, but there are more elegant solutions that use SD card shared folders or file manager apps. To be honest, I struggled with all of them.

Conclusion

Here’s how to build a retro gaming machine for under £100. I prefer the more expensive but legally clear methods – keeping your original console, buying a retro gaming compilation such as Sega Genesis Classics or Rare Replay, downloading digital versions of old games from sites such as Steam, Gog or the online store of your current gaming console, or buying a mini retro machine that runs fairly stable versions of your favourite games.

However, I’m a big fan of the Raspberry Pi, so I think it’s worth buying one and giving it a try. If you’re worried about downloading retro ROMs, Huge game library Anything made specifically for your device or downloaded Dos Box or later DosBox-X A program that lets you play hundreds of old PC games, including shareware. Alternatively, you can use your Raspberry Pi to access cloud-based gaming services such as: Xbox Cloud Gaming. you too Stream games from your PC to your Raspberry PiDiscovering games on new platforms is fun, and having something to run on a computer that fits in your pocket is a fascinating experience.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists claim that New building biomaterial can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

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The new biomaterial, called C-ELM, incorporates live cyanobacteria in translucent panels that can be attached to the interior walls of buildings. The microbes embedded in these panels grow through photosynthesis, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and attaching it to calcium through a biomineralization process to produce calcium carbonate, which traps carbon.

C-ELM is Camptonema Animal Cyanobacteria extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Image courtesy of Prantar Tamuli.

One kilogram of C-ELM (cyanobacterial engineered biomaterial) can capture and sequester up to 350 grams of carbon dioxide, while the same amount of traditional concrete releases as much as 500 grams of carbon dioxide.

A 150-square-metre wall covered with these C-ELM panels will trap around one tonne of carbon dioxide.

“By developing C-ELM materials, my goal is to transform the construction of future human settlements from one of the largest carbon emitting activities into one of the largest carbon sequestration activities,” said Planter Tamri, a graduate student at University College London.

“I was inspired to develop this material through my study of stromatolites – natural stone structures that formed over millions of years from sediments trapped by algal mats, the oldest living organisms on Earth.”

Tamri et al. Camptonema AnimalA type of photosynthetic cyanobacteria, it grows in long filamentous structures that help attach the microbes to the surrounding material within the panel.

The calcium carbonate produced by the cyanobacteria helps strengthen the panels.

The panels themselves are designed to provide a variety of aesthetic and structural benefits to buildings.

It is lightweight, sound absorbing, translucent enough to let light through, and has insulating properties, making buildings more energy efficient.

The first such panel was unveiled at an exhibition in the “Bioscope” pavilion at St. Andrews Botanic Garden in Scotland.

Designed by design collective Studio Biocene, the exhibit showcased low-carbon, low-impact building methods that mimic the natural environment.

“The potential of this type of biomaterial is enormous,” said Professor Marcos Cruz, from University College London.

“If mass-produced and widely adopted, it has the potential to dramatically reduce the construction industry's carbon footprint.”

“We hope to scale up the production of this C-ELM and further optimize its performance to make it suitable for use on construction sites.”

_____

This article is a version of a press release provided by University College London.

Source: www.sci.news

Unexpected wall designs that can help lower building temperatures

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Building design can affect temperature

Alistair Scott/Getty Images

A wall with a zigzag pattern can stay up to 3°C (5.4°F) cooler than a normal wall, without using any energy. This approach reduces the energy used by cooling systems and helps to curb global warming.

“Such designs can lead to cooler buildings,” says Qilong Cheng of Columbia University in New York, “and therefore reduce the energy consumption for cooling.”

As global temperatures rise and more people can afford air conditioners, their use is skyrocketing. Greenhouse gas emissions from cooling could increase more than threefold by 2050. As a result, many teams are working to develop passive cooling solutions that don't require any energy.

For example, simply painting roofs white can help keep buildings and cities cooler by allowing them to reflect more sunlight.

This method works even better if the roof is coated with a material that reflects most of the sunlight but emits infrared light within the transparency of the atmosphere — a range of wavelengths that aren't absorbed by atmospheric molecules such as carbon dioxide.

“Infrared light in this band can pass through the atmosphere and potentially reach space,” Chen said.

Materials with these properties have a great cooling effect on an upward-facing roof, but are less effective on walls. The problem is that materials that emit infrared light tend to absorb it, and surfaces close to walls, such as concrete pavements, can emit large amounts of infrared light.

The solution proposed by Chen and his team is to create a wall that has a series of projections that run parallel to the ground, forming a zigzag shape when viewed from the side. To visualize this, think of a staircase sloping upward at angles between 45 and 90 degrees.

The key is that the upward-facing zigzag surfaces (the treads in the staircase analogy) are atmospheric transparency windows that radiate large amounts of heat, while the downward-facing, outward-facing zigzag surfaces (the risers) reflect infrared heat rather than absorbing it.

To test the idea, the team built a 1-metre-tall model with both a zigzag and flat surface.When they placed it outside in New Jersey during the summer, the zigzag surface was 2°C cooler than the flat surface over a 24-hour average, and 3°C cooler between 1pm and 2pm.

Chen says there are plenty of inexpensive materials with the necessary properties. Existing buildings could be retrofitted by adding corrugated panels. The cooling effect inside a building varies depending on other factors, such as the size of the building's windows, but simulations suggest it could reduce temperatures by up to 2°C and cut the energy needed for cooling by up to a quarter.

The zigzag cooling wall is only suitable for hot climates, as colder regions would need more heating in winter. But Chen and his colleagues say They proposed a design with hinged “fins.” It can be raised in the winter to increase heat absorption and lowered in the summer to minimize heat absorption.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Windmills are surprisingly charming: Building Relationships, a dating simulation game for PC

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Navigating the challenges of modern dating can be overwhelming for single individuals. The uncertainties of how much you have in common with a stranger, whether you share similar values, and if you can open up to them loom large. Game developer Tanat Boozayaangool delves into these questions in Building Relationships, posing an additional intriguing query: What if you were a home?

The title of this dating adventure game is meant to be taken literally. In Building Relationships, players assume the role of the newest bachelorette residing on an island where love could blossom. The primary objective is to build relationships with other island dwellers, including a charismatic tent, a lackluster houseboat, and a flirtatious windmill named Millie. According to Boozayaangool, Millie tends to be a bit forward, catching some off guard.

Inspired by the eccentric pigeon dating sim “Hatoful Boyfriend” from 2011, “Building Relationships” promises a dating parody infused with personal narratives and surrealism. The game unfolds through various dates that lead to intertwined storylines on the island, where players ultimately decide whom to share a picnic with.

In addition to engaging with the island’s inhabitants through their unique personalities, players can freely explore the environment. Along the way, they encounter talking treasure chests that enhance mobility and fishing spots where they unearth humorous “carp” (referred to as cars in jest). Boozayaangool aimed to infuse the gameplay with a sense of playful exploration in a compact open-world setting, drawing inspiration from the emotive indie gem “A Short Hike”.

The gritty, low-poly art style of the island adventure pays tribute to the origins of Building Relationships as a college game jam creation. The scenery is adorned with cylindrical trees and jagged rocks cloaked in low-res textures, delivering a nostalgic visual style that complements the contemplative ambiance.

Despite the game’s uplifting visual appeal and its inclusion in June’s Wholesome Games Direct, a celebration of non-violent indie gaming, Boozayaangool refrains from labeling it solely as a feel-good experience. Reflecting on the personal themes embedded in the narrative, they acknowledge the underlying emotional challenges of building relationships: “For a seemingly lighthearted game, there’s unexpected depth waiting to be uncovered.”

Without divulging too much, Boozayaangool encourages players to brace themselves for the emotional complexities inherent in the dating journey depicted in the game: “Despite its whimsical facade, there’s a surprising amount of substance to explore.”

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Source: www.theguardian.com

Building the moon base 3 meters underground to prevent radiation exposure.

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A base below the surface of the moon may be needed to protect moon residents from radiation.

Shutterstock/Shiva Shankara

To protect astronauts on the Moon from harmful radiation, a long-term lunar base would need to be protected by 2-3 metres of regolith – the layer of rock and dust on the Moon’s surface.

Guo Jingnan and Mikhail Dbinde Researchers at the Hefei University of Science and Technology in China analyzed how the thickness of shielding for a lunar base would affect radiation doses for people living on the Moon. Their study included using lunar soil as shielding as well as additional artificial shielding.

According to Guo, there are two main types of radiation that are dangerous to astronauts: the ubiquitous background levels of galactic cosmic rays, which pose a long-term cancer risk, and solar energetic particles (SEPs) from sporadic solar activity. These SEPs can cause more serious symptoms of radiation exposure, such as skin damage and damage to bone marrow and lymphatic tissue, which are involved in the production of blood cells and platelets. In severe cases, exposure to SEPs can lead to death.

“The amount of radiation on the lunar surface is not constant,” Guo said. “For a short lunar stay that does not encounter a strong SEP, the radiation impact should be small.”

But if a solar explosion were to occur, the danger could be enormous. For example, at the end of the Apollo program, Apollo 16 landed astronauts on the Moon for a few days in April 1972. It was followed by Apollo 17 in December of the same year. During that time, there was a massive radiation storm.

“A very large SEP event could have occurred during September, potentially killing any unprotected astronauts on the lunar surface,” Guo said.

The study also found that too little regolith shielding could be worse than no shielding at all, because lunar soil scatters radiation and produces various types of secondary particles, including neutrons. This secondary radiation peaks about 50 centimetres deep on the lunar surface but drops off rapidly beyond that.

“Neutrons have a large biological impact because they interact efficiently with the human body and induce radiation effects in internal organs,” Guo said. “With about 50 centimeters of shielding, neutrons can account for more than 90 percent of the total effective radiation dose.”

The study found that a three-metre deep base could safely house the same crew for more than 20 years without exceeding lifetime and annual radiation limits set by the space agency.

NASA and the Russian Space Agency impose different occupational radiation dose limits for astronauts, at 600 millisieverts and 1000 mSv, respectively. Both agencies also impose annual radiation exposure limits. The annual natural radiation exposure on Earth is approximately 2.4 mSv..

Guo says two metres of shielding would be enough for a single crew member to stay on the moon for no more than a few months, and that crew members could return to Earth frequently enough to avoid exceeding lifetime and annual radiation health limits, she says.

The most practical way to reduce radiation exposure would be to give the base natural shielding, by building it in an existing cave or lava tube, or by constructing habitats below the surface, Guo said.

Better prediction of solar storms is also important to keep astronauts safe when they leave base and conduct surface activities, she said.

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  • Moon/
  • Space Exploration

Source: www.newscientist.com

Utilizing Cloud Technology as the Building Blocks for AI: Driving Business Innovation with Azure

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The cloud has transformed the way the world operates, yet it doesn’t always receive the recognition it deserves for enabling valuable digital experiences.

Businesses of all sizes, including companies like ASOS powered by Microsoft Azure cloud platform, leverage cloud technology to power their operations and deliver customized customer experiences.

One of the most impactful aspects of cloud technology is its ability to democratize access to computing power, allowing disruptors and innovators to enter new industries.

Tosca Colangeli, general manager at Microsoft UK, emphasizes that the cloud makes digital transformation accessible, enabling businesses to scale as needed and disrupt traditional industries.

Cloud technology grants businesses access to computing power over the Internet, eliminating the need for private physical servers on their premises. It also provides enhanced security and flexibility, allowing for tailored resource allocation and disaster recovery.

As much as you use
Colangeli highlights the importance of paying for resources as needed, allowing businesses to adapt to peak trading periods and manage disaster recovery efficiently.

Cloud flexibility has revolutionized business operations and innovation, especially in the face of the rapid changes driven by AI.

ChatGPT took 2 months”

According to Gartner, global cloud spending is projected to account for over 45% of total enterprise IT spending by 2026.

In light of the increasing demand for cloud and AI services, businesses must embrace the cloud as the cornerstone of their operations and embed it within their organizational culture.

Colangeli emphasizes the need for businesses to focus on data as a top priority, as the success of AI is heavily reliant on quality, accessible data.

Additionally, using AI responsibly and adopting a flexible, adaptable approach will be crucial for businesses to stay competitive in the evolving technological landscape.

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Source: www.theguardian.com

Building a solid foundation for your startup can help you secure early-stage funding

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Russ Heddleston, CEO of Dropbox’s DocSend, says that as valuations fall, founders are more than ever “convinced that their company is built to survive with long-term profitability and scalability in mind. “I need to prove that,” he wrote.

All articles on TechCrunch+ are available to members only.
Use discount code TC Plus Roundup Save 20% on a 1-year or 2-year subscription.

According to data from DocSend, investors aren’t looking at proposal materials as seriously as they used to. However, there is still a market for early-stage deals. “For founders, perfecting their pitch, developing an efficient sales strategy, and quickly narrowing down their product scope will lay a strong foundation for success in attracting investors.”

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a nice vacation.

Karin

Ask Sophie: Is it still easy for AI founders to get a green card?

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Image credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

Dear Sophie

I’m interested in the Biden administration’s efforts to retain AI talent in the United States. How is the government making it easier for AI companies to sponsor permanent residency for their employees? Will the number of green cards allocated to individuals in the AI ​​field increase?

— All about AI

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Cryptocurrency valuations “back to reality” in 2023, but venture capitalists expect them to rise again in 2024

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It hasn’t been a great year for cryptocurrency companies, but change may be on the way. Experts told Jacqueline Melinek that crypto trading is likely to become active again in 2024. “The tougher funding environment in 2023 only culled out weaker companies that were able to secure capital in 2021,” she wrote.

From Seed to Series A: Strategic Insights for Technology Founders in the 2024 Venture Environment

Image credits: Getty Images

A new report from Forum Ventures provides a good look at the current state of early-stage B2B SaaS investing.

While the data may be discouraging, the silver lining is that rounds are still being made and companies that find product-market fit will likely scale up in the next few years, likely in the next bull market. “This means they should benefit,” wrote the CEO of Forum Ventures. Managing Partner Mike Cardamone.

Source: techcrunch.com

Comets are the most likely carriers of life’s essential building blocks to planets in clusters

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Nearby neighboring worlds can slow down the comet enough to allow the building blocks of life to survive

Shutterstock/Bradaki

It may be easiest to deliver materials for life to neighboring planets. Comets can carry many of the key building blocks of life, such as amino acids and other organic compounds, but their ability to deliver those building blocks to a particular planet depends on the configuration of their broader systems. It may depend.

There are several ideas about how the ingredients for life began on Earth, but the common idea is that a comet hit the Earth and organic molecules were deposited here. But comets tend to travel through space at extremely high speeds, and if they hit a planet at more than about 20 kilometers per second, the chances of their important compounds surviving the impact are almost zero.

Richard Anslow Researchers at the University of Cambridge ran a series of simulations to investigate how planetary systems can slow down comets and reduce their impact velocity enough to preserve these compounds. In ideal conditions, a slow impact would leave behind a type of prebiotic soup called a comet pond within the impact crater.

They discovered that there are two types of systems that can slow down a comet by 5 to 10 kilometers per second. One is a system with relatively massive stars, where everything tends to orbit slightly. For planets that are slow and have several planets spaced closely together like peas in a pod, the comet could weave between them and lose speed over time. there is.

“The best planetary systems are on relatively low-mass planets like Earth, around high-mass stars similar to the Sun but perhaps even more massive, and close enough for other rocky planets to pass through.” “It would be in a planetary system that has comets around it,” Anslow said.

He said that if astronomers eventually detect signs of life on other planets, simply examining the overall system configuration could help them understand how it got there. and that it could advance our limited understanding of how life formed. Earth.

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Source: www.newscientist.com