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How Fast Does the DNA Repair Leader in Your Cells Take Control?

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One factor in our aging process is the buildup of mutations in our cellular DNA.

Mohammed Elamine Aliwi / Alamy

Clusters of proteins seem to significantly influence the rate of DNA repair within our bodies, which in turn determines how quickly mutations accrue in cells throughout one’s life. This dynamic can significantly influence both aging and lifespan.

“It is a very reliable indicator of lifespan across humans and other animals,” states Trey Ideker from the University of California, San Diego. His research team aims to discover treatments that might enhance lifespan by increasing DNA repair mechanisms.

Some researchers assert that the evidence linking this specific protein complex—a collection of two or more proteins that collaborate for a biological function—to mutation rates is compelling. However, more investigation is necessary to concretely establish the relationship between aging and longevity.

Regarding why we age, one proposed theory is that it results from the gradual accumulation of mutations in cellular DNA. As these mutations pile up, the functionality of cellular machinery declines, leading to a cascade of issues.

Cells act like repair teams that address broken DNA, yet their efforts aren’t always adequate. In fact, the efficacy of DNA repair varies, likely influenced by genetic factors.

Ideker’s team has currently compiled evidence indicating that a protein complex known as Dream acts as a master regulator of DNA repair. This complex operates like a supervisor for the repair team. Each complex, potentially existing in numerous identical copies in every cell, is formed by various proteins, and the acronym DREAM reflects the names of its components.

Initially, DREAM was thought to control cell division, but it is now known to repress hundreds of genes tasked with DNA repair, including BRCA2, a gene that heightens breast cancer risk when mutated.

The research group created a metric for DREAM activity by scrutinizing the over 300 genes they initially manage. “This study aims to demonstrate unmistakably that high DREAM activity correlates with increased aging and reduced longevity, while low DREAM activity is favorable for longevity,” he explains.

Using data from studies involving over 100,000 mouse cells across various tissues, the researchers established that cells exhibiting greater DREAM activity harbor more mutations. Subsequently, they examined data from 92 mammalian species and confirmed a strong correlation between reduced DREAM activity and extended maximum lifespans.

In another facet of their experiment, they scrutinized data from a study involving 90 cells, including 80 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, discovering a connection between DREAM activity and increased risk.

The team also engineered mice to lack the DREAM complex; this was a challenging task since each constituent protein has a unique role, and the entire complex is crucial for cell division early in development. Mice without it would not survive.

To navigate this challenge, they employed a drug-induced genetic strategy to deactivate the DREAM genes when the mice reached 8 weeks of age. The knockout mice exhibited 20% fewer deletion and insertion mutations in brain cells compared to their normal counterparts as they aged, though Ideker notes that the disruption to their lifespan didn’t reflect a significant extension. “The experimental design may not have been suited to uncover that,” he admits. “We now aim to conduct a more conclusive experiment linking it to extended lifespan.”

Despite this, Ideker believes the amassed evidence paints a clear picture. “Our findings indicate that DREAM plays a crucial role in aging and is indeed a significant factor in the accumulation of lifelong mutations,” he asserts.

“These are groundbreaking and significant findings,” remarks JoeãO Pedro de Magalhães from the University of Birmingham, UK. “The data from their mouse studies indicate a causal connection between DREAM and mutation levels,” he notes; however, the researchers haven’t yet established a direct causal link with aging. “To prove this, we must demonstrate that mice exhibiting low mutation rates also enjoy increased lifespans.”

This illustrates why the theory that mutation accumulation is a key factor in aging remains unproven. Advocates like Ideker reference conditions such as Progeria, wherein individuals age prematurely due to compromised DNA repair mechanisms. Others, including de Magalhães, cite a lack of evidence that simply accumulating mutations is a driver of typical aging, although it does correlate with heightened cancer risk.

Even should DREAM complexes prove instrumental in aging, their multifaceted functions complicate the development of treatments. “Achieving a total loss of DREAM functionality, as we have done, may be too drastic,” advises team member ZANE KOCH from UCSD. “Mildly suppressing DREAM could be the optimal approach for extending lifespans.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Water-Soluble 3D Printed Electronics for Fast Recycling

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Prototype electronics can be made from polymers that dissolve in water, facilitating recycling.

ZEYU YAN/University of Maryland

Devices like Bluetooth speakers can be 3D printed using water-soluble materials in just a few hours. This innovation enables rapid prototyping, easier recycling of electronic waste, and encourages more sustainable manufacturing practices for consumer electronics.

Researchers have successfully created technology that can dissolve, including printed circuit boards that house essential components and wiring for modern electronics. Each year, hundreds of millions of printed circuit boards are produced for military aircraft, automobiles, medical devices, smartphones, and inexpensive toys. Yet, globally, only a fraction of these devices are recycled through labor-intensive methods, often involving shredding to reclaim usable materials, according to Huaishu Peng from the University of Maryland.

Peng and his team crafted a 3D printed circuit board with polyvinyl alcohol, a polymer that dissolves in water. They filled the circuit board’s channels with liquid gallium-indium metal alloys for wiring, and manually attached electronic components. After sealing the circuit with a polymer adhesive, the device was dried for an hour at 60 °C.

This method enabled researchers to assemble functioning prototypes of a Bluetooth speaker, a fidget toy, and an electronic gripper with three fingers. A small amount of water does not immediately damage these devices, but after soaking for 36 hours at a room temperature of 22°C, they dissolve.

The researchers could then easily retrieve most electronic components and liquid metals, which accumulated as small beads. The evaporation of water also allowed them to recover 99% of the dissolved polyvinyl alcohol.

Soluble circuit boards are particularly beneficial for designers who aim to quickly test and validate electronic prototypes, as recycling traditional printed circuit boards presents significant challenges. As noted by Jasmine Lu from the University of Chicago, Illinois, in her study on circuit board reuse, “Printed circuit boards are a major source of e-waste during the prototyping of electronic devices.”

A 2022 United Nations Report regarding e-waste revealed that Asia generated 600,000 tons of discarded circuit boards but managed to recycle only 17%. In contrast, Europe and North America produced 300,000 tons of printed circuit boards, achieving a recycling rate of 61% in Europe and 44% in North America.

What sets this approach apart is that virtually anyone with a 3D printer can implement this dissolvable electronics methodology, making it more accessible compared to other sustainable electronics initiatives, according to Lu. For practical use, Peng suggests that the devices can be safeguarded with a temporary waterproof casing.

Nonetheless, due to the inherent fragility of these circuit boards, Lu indicates that soluble electronics are currently more suited for rapid prototyping rather than mass production of finished electronic goods.

Peng and his colleagues have not dismissed the idea of mass production. They are reaching out to circuit board manufacturers to explore the possibilities. For now, Peng aims to utilize this technology to enable university students to rapidly prototype and reuse designs.

“Typically, you would need to outsource circuit board production to a factory, which could take weeks for manufacturing and shipping,” he explains. “You can design something here, print it in under 30 minutes, and if it doesn’t work, simply dissolve it in water and try again.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Affordable Yet Unsustainable: The Growing Waste Crisis of Fast Tech

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It’s affordable, frequently subpar, and often ends up stuffed in a bottle or hidden among other miscellaneous items, takeout menus, and birthday candles in kitchen drawers.

Referred to as “First Technology,” these budget-friendly electronic gadgets are becoming more prevalent, ranging from mini fans and electric toothbrushes to portable chargers and LED toilet seats.

However, there is a significant issue lurking behind these low prices. Many of these gadgets are challenging to repair, lack recycling options, and are often discarded rapidly. E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally, and experts indicate that rapid technology advancement plays an increasingly crucial role.

In the UK, over 11.4 billion of these small electronic devices (including steam gadgets) are purchased annually, with nearly half (589m) disposed of simultaneously.


“We’ve been consuming fast food. There was fast fashion. Now we’re in the era of fast technology,” states Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus. “We’re not technological moralists, but our concern lies with the volume of low-quality, cheap, and flimsy products flooding the market, which ultimately ends up in the trash or unused.”

Studies reveal that over a third of the British population views their purchases as disposable, primarily due to low prices, according to Butler. “[It] may be inexpensive, but it’s not disposable. In reality, anything that plugs in, runs on batteries, or has a cable is far from garbage. These items are rich in valuable metals and can be reused,” he adds.

Butler highlights “FAD” first technology as a key issue, often involving cheap items bought for specific occasions, like mini fans during the UK’s warmer months or festive Christmas jumpers. Last year, around 7.1 million mini fans were sold in the UK, with over 3.5 million being discarded or forgotten in drawers afterwards.

“We just experienced a heat wave, and I’m certain mini fan sales surged during that time. While it’s perfectly fine to try and cool down, we’re missing out on the potential for longer-lasting alternatives that can be beneficial beyond the summer,” he noted.

Environmental scientist and advocate Laura Young states that Fast Tech poses a new kind of environmental threat, not just due to the toxic chemicals some devices may contain but also because of their sheer volume and disposability.

“We’ve never encountered this level of disposable technology before,” she remarks. “Many people may not even realize that these small devices contain electronic components.

Many users are unaware that e-vapor products contain batteries. Photo: Bennphoto/Shutterstock

“Many users of steam products have asked, ‘Is there a battery in there?’

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“All electronics, including toasters, kettles, washing machines, laptops, iPads, and mobile phones, all feature either wall power or rechargeable options. There is no such thing as disposable technology.

While it’s unlikely that the prevalence of fast technology in the market will soon wane, Butler emphasizes the need to shift our mindset. “Ultimately, these items are available because people purchase them. If there’s no demand, they obviously won’t be on the shelves.”

“Be a bit more thoughtful about what you choose to buy, how you utilize it, and what happens when you no longer need it. Don’t toss it just because it’s broken,” he advises. Use the online locator to find your nearest recycling center.

There’s also a drive for better repair, reuse, and borrowing options. Young points out community initiatives like repair cafes and tool libraries, where equipment can be borrowed instead of purchased anew.

“I joined the Tools Library and no longer purchase DIY tools.” Adapting to fast technology requires “a different mindset,” as she puts it, moving away from the notion of needing to own everything.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Comprehensive Cost Analysis: Mad Cap Driving Games Aren’t Fast Anywhere

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DEliver places you in the role of a delivery driver set in the late 1950s, and it visually impresses. Almost everything on the map can be destructed, allowing you to immediately indulge in chaotic escapades—whether it’s shaking your beach chairs, driving straight through a diner, or witnessing it spectacularly fall apart behind you. However, at the core of this game lies a void that could have served as a compelling hook.

You catch a glimpse of that potential during missions where you race against a rival delivery truck to reach your destination first. Your task is to press and hold a button, allowing the crane at the back of your truck to cleverly lift packages onto itself. Meanwhile, your rival attempts to force you off the road. After securing the package, you must deliver it while evading other drivers. This leads to amusing scenarios where you’re relieved to receive your commission while the hotel owner stands amidst the wreckage of his once-new establishment: collateral damage from your effort.




Keep Truckin’… Deliver at any cost. Photo: Konami

This one frantic mission stands out as the highlight of the game, and if subsequent deliveries followed a similar chaotic race against time, it might have thrived. Unfortunately, the quality and variety of each mission varies greatly. Some are enjoyable, like those capturing UFO images while dodging lasers, whereas others come across as tedious, such as balloon deliveries tied to a truck. Zany antics cannot compare to genuinely fun experiences.

While these side missions have their charm, they only serve as distractions. If the main game focused on rapidly delivering parcels, it might have resonated better. However, the sporadic enjoyment is overshadowed. By the storyline’s latter third, the premise of delivering goods fades away, replaced by uninspired narratives told through lackluster cutscenes. The protagonist, Winston Green, is a character weighed down by a murky past, facing off with his boss, Donovan, before the game veers into outright sci-fi absurdity involving Poe. Honestly, the perpetually irritable Winston ranks among the least appealing video game protagonists ever crafted.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/yY9A6asR3qs?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Deliver At All Costs – Release Date Trailer | PS5 Games" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Similar to Grand Theft Auto, you can jump out of your vehicle and explore the environment, but you’re likely to find little of interest aside from a few vantage points and some side quests. These quests range from enjoyable (like racing against parachutists down mountains) to mundane (tracking down a mayor lookalike). Although there are some unique vehicles to discover, most missions require a delivery truck, rendering the novelty of driving, say, a hot dog van short-lived. There are even wooden frames filled with cash waiting to be found, but they’re hardly worth the effort. The shop offers spare parts for truck gadgets, but apart from a jet engine that provides a speed boost, they’re largely unnecessary.

This situation is deeply frustrating. All the emphasis on delivery focuses on odd, half-baked stories that present a visually stunning, destructible landscape but fail to fully utilize it, leading instead to courtroom dramas. It feels akin to a conspiracy theorist at a lavish champagne reception, spending eight hours discussing the plot of their lame science fiction novel. What a waste.

May 22nd, deliver at any cost for £24.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

Astronauts find it challenging to think fast while in space.

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There's a lot to keep in mind when working in space

NASA (from Getty Images)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have shown declines in memory, attention, and processing speed after six months, raising concerns about the impact of cognitive impairment on future space missions to Mars.

The extreme environment of space, including reduced gravity, harsh radiation, and lack of regular sunrises and sunsets, can have dramatic effects on astronauts' health, from muscle loss to increased risk of heart disease. There is a gender. However, the cognitive effects of long-term space travel are less well documented.

now, Sheena Dev Researchers from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, examined the cognitive abilities of 25 astronauts while on the ISS.

The team conducted 10 tests on the astronauts, some on Earth once before and after the mission, and others on the ISS early and late in the mission. These tests measure specific cognitive abilities, such as finding patterns on a grid to test abstract reasoning, or choosing when to stop an inflated balloon before it bursts to test risk-taking. I did.

The researchers found that on the ISS, astronauts took longer to complete tests measuring processing speed, working memory, and attention than on Earth, but the accuracy was the same. Although there were no overall cognitive impairments or lasting effects on the astronauts' abilities, some measures, such as processing speed, took longer to return to normal after returning to Earth.

Having clear data on the cognitive effects of space travel is critical for future human spaceflight. Elisa Raffaella Ferre But before we know the full story, it's important to collect more data both on Earth and in space.

“Mission to Mars is not only long in terms of time, but also in terms of autonomy,” Ferre says. “Human performance is key as people on the ground will have a completely different interaction with ground control due to distance and communication delays and will need to be fully autonomous in making decisions. You wouldn't want an astronaut on Mars who has slow reaction times in terms of attention, memory, and processing speed. ”

Given the unusual environment of space, it's not surprising that there was a certain decline in cognitive performance, he said. Joe Bower at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. “It's not necessarily a huge cause for alarm, but it's useful to know, especially to know your limits when you're in such an extreme environment,” she says.

That awareness could be especially helpful for astronauts on long-duration missions, Bower added. “It’s not just about how well you do on a test, it’s also about how you perceive your abilities,” she says. “For example, when you're sleep deprived, your performance often suffers, but you don't even realize it's happening.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Most fast radio bursts come from galaxies with high star formation rates

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Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-long events detected from beyond the Milky Way. The radiative properties of FRBs favor magnetars as their source, as evidenced by FRB-like outbursts from the Milky Way's magnetars and the star-forming nature of FRB host galaxies. However, the process that generates the FRB source remains unknown. FRBs are more likely to occur in massive star-forming galaxies, according to a new study. The study also suggests that magnetars, whose magnetic fields are 100 trillion times stronger than Earth's, are often formed when two stars merge and later explode in a supernova.

This photo montage shows the Deep Synoptic Array-110 antenna used to locate and determine the location of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). Above the antenna are several images of the FRB's host galaxy appearing in the sky. These galaxies are very large and challenging models to describe FRB sources. Image credit: Annie Mejia/California Institute of Technology.

“Magnetars' immense power output makes them one of the most fascinating and extreme objects in the universe,” said lead author Kriti Sharma, a graduate student at Caltech.

“Little is known about what causes magnetars to form during the extinction of massive stars. Our work helps answer this question.”

To search for FRBs, Sharma and his colleagues used Deep Synoptic Array-110 (DSA-110) at the Owens Valley Radio Astronomical Observatory near Bishop, California.

To date, this sprawling radio array has detected 70 FRBs and located their specific source galaxies (only 23 other FRBs have been located by other telescopes). is).

In the current study, the researchers analyzed 30 of these local FRBs.

“DSA-110 more than doubles the number of FRBs containing known host galaxies, which is what we built the array for,” said Dr. Vikram Ravi of the California Institute of Technology.

FRBs are known to occur in galaxies that are actively forming stars, but the authors were surprised to find that FRBs are more frequent in massive star-forming galaxies than in low-mass star-forming galaxies. I've found that this tends to happen.

This alone was interesting because astronomers had previously thought that all types of active galaxies generate FRBs.

Armed with this new information, they began pondering what the results revealed about the Fed.

Metals in our universe (elements manufactured by stars) take time to accumulate over the course of the universe's history, so large galaxies tend to be rich in metals.

The fact that FRBs are more common in these metal-rich galaxies means that the magnetars from which they originate are also more common in these types of galaxies.

Stars rich in metals (astronomical terminology for elements heavier than hydrogen or helium) tend to be larger than other stars.

“Over time, as the galaxy grows, successive generations of stars evolve and die, enriching the galaxy with metals,” Dr. Ravi said.

Additionally, massive stars that can go supernova and become magnetars are more commonly found in pairs.

In fact, 84% of massive stars are binaries. So when one massive star in a binary swells with extra metal content, that extra material is pulled into its partner, which facilitates the eventual merger of the two stars.

These merging stars will have a combined magnetic field that is larger than the magnetic field of a single star.

“Stars with more metallic content swell, promoting mass transfer and eventually reaching mergers, resulting in even more massive stars with a total magnetic field greater than what any individual star would have.” is formed,” Sharma said.

In summary, since FRBs are preferentially observed in massive, metal-rich star-forming galaxies, magnetars (which are thought to cause FRBs) are also probably located in metal-rich environments that promote the merger of two stars. It is thought that it is formed by.

Therefore, this result suggests that magnetars in the universe originate from the remains of stellar mergers.

In the future, the team plans to use the DSA-110 and eventually the DSA-2000, an even larger wireless array to be built in the Nevada desert and expected to be completed in 2028, to connect more FRBs and their We would like to track the location of the occurrence.

“This result is a milestone for the entire DSA team. Many of the authors of this paper helped build DSA-110,” said Dr. Ravi.

“And the fact that DSA-110 is so good at localizing FRBs bodes well for the success of DSA-2000.”

of findings Published in today's magazine nature.

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K. Sharma others. 2024. Preferential occurrence of fast radio bursts in massive star-forming galaxies. nature 635, 61-66; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08074-9

Source: www.sci.news

Study finds that hippos can run so fast that they can leap into the air

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If you struggle to picture a two-ton, wingless creature hovering, you’re not alone. However, a recent study shows that hippos (or hippopotamuses, to use the full name) can reach speeds that rival flying.

Although hippos are amphibious, they are some of the largest land animals, often weighing over 2,000 kg (2.2 tonnes). Due to their aquatic lifestyle, little is known about their terrestrial movement.

In a surprising discovery, researchers found that hippos can remain airborne for short periods, representing about 15 percent of their stride cycle, or approximately 0.3 seconds. This suggests that they move differently on land than previously thought.

In this image from the researchers’ footage, all four of the hippo’s legs are off the ground, giving the appearance of floating. – Image credit: Johan Vermeulen

While some animals like horses are known to leap into the air at high speeds, it’s rare for large animals like hippos to do so. This unique movement pattern sets them apart from elephants, which never lift all four legs off the ground simultaneously.

Prior studies were inconclusive about the hippo’s gait pattern, but recent research from the Royal Veterinary College reveals that hippos predominantly trot, regardless of their speed. This uniformity in movement is uncommon among land mammals and sheds light on how hippos navigate their environment.

Studying hippos is challenging due to their dangerous nature, making them elusive subjects for scientific research. Professor John Hutchinson, lead author of a study on hippos, emphasized the difficulty in studying these creatures due to their habitat and behavior.

To overcome these obstacles, researchers analyzed video footage of hippos at Flamingo Land Resort in Yorkshire, observing their movement patterns in detail. Their findings not only contribute to our understanding of terrestrial mammals but also have potential implications for veterinary medicine.

By uncovering how hippos walk and run, this study provides valuable insights into their behavior and capabilities. Hutchinson expressed admiration for the hippos’ surprising agility on land, highlighting the incredible nature of these animals.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

McDonald’s discontinues AI drive-thru trial as fast food industry explores automation

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McDonald’s has terminated its trial of an artificial intelligence chatbot in its drive-thrus, sparking concerns about the fast-food industry’s hasty adoption of this technology.

The largest burger chain in the world is removing its AI-based automated ordering system from over 100 restaurants throughout the US.

This system, capable of responding to customer orders using AI voice, was undergoing testing under a contract between McDonald’s and IBM that began in 2021.

McDonald’s has not specified the reasons for ending the trial. As reported by Restaurant Business, the company informed franchisees that the technology would be discontinued on July 26th.

A McDonald’s spokesperson mentioned to the publication that a decision regarding automated ordering plans would be made by year-end, emphasizing that “voice ordering solutions at the drive-thru are part of our restaurants’ future.”

Fast-food chains have displayed considerable interest in incorporating generative AI into their operations in recent years. Apart from McDonald’s, various companies such as Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., and Del Taco have implemented this technology in their drive-thrus. Yum! Brands, the owner of Taco Bell and KFC, also declared its adoption of AI earlier this year. “AI First Mindset” at a fast food restaurant.

The fast-food industry is increasingly receptive to AI as a substitute for human workers, aiding in reducing escalating labor costs. Following California’s enactment of a new minimum wage regulation for fast-food employees, companies are hastening the integration of AI technology to handle tasks like taking customer orders.

While companies promote AI as the future of the fast-food industry, these technologies have been featured in viral videos and covered in the media when orders go awry. McDonald’s drive-thru AI blunder became viral last year after several TikTok videos showcased the system incorrectly adding items, such as butter packs, or doubling the order quantities.

In one video, two women were captured laughing and requesting the system to cease adding items to their order, as it appeared to tally hundreds of dollars’ worth of McNuggets to their bill.

Automated systems have faced criticism for misinterpreting customer orders, as well as for depending on outsourced human labor for their operation. Presto Automation, which supplies AI services to fast-food chains, disclosed in an SEC filing last year that it employs customer-facing staff in countries like the Philippines, who spend around 70% of their time there.

In addition to drive-thru ordering, companies are exploring leveraging generative AI for creating digital chatbots on their apps or utilizing image recognition for estimating wait times.

In December, McDonald’s partnered with Google to develop a chatbot named “Ask Pickles” for guiding employees on tasks like cleaning restaurant equipment. The collaboration also encompasses exploring other potential applications of generative AI. As per Bloomberg’s report.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Unprecedentedly fast radio burst detected in a galaxy group at extreme distance

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A fast radio burst phenomenon called FRB 20220610A flashed in an unlikely location: a collection of at least seven galaxies that existed when the universe was only 5 billion years old. Most fast radio bursts to date have been found in isolated galaxies.

This Hubble image shows the host galaxy of the extremely powerful fast radio burst FRB 20220610A. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/Alexa Gordon, Northwestern University.

FRB 20220610A was first detected by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia on June 10, 2022.

ESO's Very Large Telescope confirmed that the FRB came from a distant place. The Fed was four times more energetic than its closer counterpart.

“We needed Hubble's acuity and sensitivity to pinpoint the source of the FRB,” said Northwestern University astronomer Alexa Gordon.

“Without Hubble's images, it will remain a mystery whether this arose from a monolithic galaxy or some kind of interacting system.”

“It's these kinds of environments, these strange environments, that are driving us to a deeper understanding of the Fed's mysteries.”

Hubble's sharp images suggest that FRB 20220610A arose in an environment where up to seven galaxies could be on a potential path to a merger, which is also very significant.

“We're ultimately trying to answer the question: What causes this? What are their ancestry and their origin?” said Wen-Fai Fung, an astronomer at Northwestern University. Ta.

“Hubble observations provide an incredible view of the surprising types of environments that give rise to these mysterious events.”

Although hundreds of FRBs have been detected, their ancestry is unknown. One of the leading candidates is magnetars.

They have magnetic fields so strong that if a magnetar were to be located halfway between the Earth and the Moon, it would erase the magnetic stripes on everyone's credit cards around the world.

Even worse, if the astronaut traveled within a few hundred miles of the magnetar, they would effectively be dissolved, as every atom in their body would be destroyed.

Possible mechanisms include some kind of shocking starquake, or an explosion triggered when the magnetar's twisted magnetic field lines break and recombine.

A similar phenomenon occurs on the Sun, causing solar flares, but the magnetar's magnetic field is a trillion times more powerful than the Sun's magnetosphere.

This snap can cause a flash of the FRB or create a shock wave that incinerates the surrounding dust and heats the gas to create a plasma.

There can be several types of magnetars. In some cases, it could be an explosive object orbiting a black hole surrounded by a disk of matter.

Another option is a pair of orbiting neutron stars whose magnetospheres interact periodically to create cavities in which eruptions can occur.

Magnetars are estimated to be active for about 10,000 years before becoming permanent, and are expected to be discovered in areas where violent storms of star formation occur. However, this does not seem to be the case for all magnetars.

In the near future, the sensitivity of FRB experiments will improve and FRBs will be detected at unprecedented rates at these distances.

“We need to continue to find more of these FRBs in different types of environments, both near and far,” Dr. Gordon said.

Astronomers announced that findings in AAS243243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

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alexa gordon other. 2024. Revealing the environment of the most distant FRB with the Hubble Space Telescope. AAS243summary #3679

Source: www.sci.news

Challenges Ahead for EV Fast Charging Networks in 2024

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sometime in 2024
Six electric vehicle charging companies will face liquidation, possibly as early as February.

For years they had little competition except for each other. But soon they’ll have to contend with Tesla’s acclaimed Supercharger network.

From a charging perspective, the EV world used to be split into two. There was Tesla, and then there were others. Tesla owners enjoyed widespread, fast and reliable charging. Other companies have managed to get by by combining accounts from different companies, but none can boast a reliability rating that comes close to Tesla’s.

Then, in May, the wall came down. Ford has signed a deal with Tesla that will give its EVs access to a subset of its network of 12,000 Superchargers. Starting in 2024, existing owners will be able to charge at these kiosks using adapters, and in 2025, future EVs will be able to upgrade their Combined Charging System (CCS) plugs to Tesla’s plugs, also known as the North American Charging Standard. Ford said it will be replaced by (NACS).

Other automakers quickly followed suit. Then GM, then Rivian, Volvo, Mercedes, nissan, and pretty much everyone else. One of his last companies to adopt this plug was Volkswagen. This is not surprising given Volkswagen’s majority ownership of Electrify America, which was supposed to be his CCS equivalent to the Supercharger Network.

EV owners like me had, and still have, high hopes for Electrify America. The company was founded out of the Volkswagen diesel settlement and was the first network outside of Tesla to prioritize nationwide DC fast charging at speeds that can support the latest EVs. When Electrify America’s best charger works, it’s actually fast, faster than most Tesla Superchargers.

Source: techcrunch.com

Astronomers find frequent and energetic fast radio bursts

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FRB 20220912A is a repetitive high-speed radio burst discovered in 2022 that remained highly active for several months.Use recently updated one allen telescope arraySETI Institute astronomers recorded 35 bursts from 541 hours of follow-up observations over two months of the FRB 20220912A source and found that an interesting pattern had emerged.

Artist’s impression of FRB 110523 as it reaches Earth. The colors represent bursts arriving at different radio wavelengths, with longer wavelengths (red) arriving a few seconds after shorter wavelengths (blue). Image credit: Jingchuan Yu / Beijing Planetarium.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are mysterious and rarely detected bursts of energy that come from beyond the Milky Way.

These events have a duration of milliseconds and exhibit the characteristic dispersive sweep of radio pulsars.

They emit as much energy in one millisecond as the sun does in 10,000 years, but the physical phenomena that cause them are unknown.

More than 100 FRBs have been detected to date, but only some of them have been observed to replicate so far.

Like most repeating FRBs, each burst from FRB 20220912A drifted from higher to lower frequencies over time.

However, the center frequency of the bursts also showed a previously unseen drop, and when converted to audible sounds using xylophone sounds, it became clear that they sounded like cosmic slide whistles.

In this song, most of the highest notes are heard in the first few seconds, and most of the lowest notes are heard in the last few seconds, as if the xylophone player was repeatedly hitting the lowest available bars on the instrument. .

Astronomers believe that at least some FRBs are produced by neutron stars known as magnetars, while other theories point to binary neutron star collisions or white dwarf mergers.

Dynamic spectra, frequency-averaged pulse profiles, and time-averaged spectra of all bursts from FRB 20220912A detected using the Allen telescope array.Image credit: Shake other. /SETI Institute.

“This study is exciting because it provides both confirmation of known FRB properties and the discovery of several new properties,” said Dr. Sophia Sheikh, lead author of the study.

“We have narrowed down the source of FRBs to extreme objects, such as magnetars, but no existing model can explain all the properties observed so far.”

Dr. Sheikh and his colleagues made this discovery after 541 hours of observations using the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array.

They also tried to identify patterns in the timing between bursts, but found none. This further illustrates the unpredictable and mysterious nature of these powerful radio bursts.

Nevertheless, the latest research marks another step in the quest to unlock the secrets of FRBs, which generate as much energy in a thousandth of a second as the sun does in a year.

“It was great to be part of the first FRB study conducted using the Allen Telescope Array,” said Dr. Sheikh.

“This study proves that new telescopes with unique capabilities like the Allen Telescope Array can provide new angles on outstanding mysteries in FRB science.”

of the team paper will be published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

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Sophia Z. Sheikh other. 2023. Characterization of iterative FRB 20220912A using the Allen Telescope Array. MNRAS, in press. arXiv: 2312.07756

Source: www.sci.news