Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Subaru Telescope, astronomers have discovered a merging pair of gas-rich galaxies that existed 12.8 billion years ago and housed a faint central quasar that may be the ancestor of some of the brightest and most massive quasars in the early universe.
Artist's impression of the quasars HSC J121503.42-014858.7 and HSC J121503.55-014859.3. Image courtesy of Izumi others., doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad57c6.
Quasars are luminous objects that gained energy from matter falling into supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies in the early universe.
The most accepted theory is that when two gas-rich galaxies merge to form one larger galaxy, the gravitational interaction between the two galaxies causes gas to fall towards a supermassive black hole in one or both of the galaxies, triggering quasar activity.
To test this theory, Dr. Takuma Izumi of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used ALMA to study the oldest known pair of close quasars.
The quasars, named HSC J121503.42-014858.7 and HSC J121503.55-014859.3, were discovered by the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam.
These objects are very faint, about 10 to 100 times fainter than highly luminous quasars at the same redshift.
“It is located approximately 12.8 billion light-years away, corresponding to the 'cosmic dawn' era when the universe was only 900 million years old, making it the farthest such quasar pair on record,” the astronomers said.
“Because of their faintness, we thought these objects were in the pre-merger stage, before the supermassive black holes rapidly grow.”
“However, observations with the Subaru Telescope only provide information about the central supermassive black hole, and it remains unclear whether the host galaxy is destined to merge and ultimately grow into a luminous quasar.”
“As a next step, we used the ALMA radio telescope to carry out observations of the host galaxies of these quasar pairs.”
“The results were surprising: the observed distribution of interstellar material and the nature of its motions indicated that these galaxies are interacting with each other.”
“They are definitely on a path to merge into one galaxy in the near future.”
“Furthermore, calculations from observational data reveal that the total gas mass of these galaxies – about 100 billion times the mass of the Sun – is comparable to or exceeds the gas mass in the host galaxies of most luminous quasars, which have extremely bright cores.”
“This enormous amount of matter should easily trigger and sustain the post-merger burst of star formation and fueling of the supermassive black hole.”
“These discoveries therefore represent a significant achievement in identifying the ancestors of luminous quasars and starburst galaxies, the most luminous objects in the early universe, from various perspectives, including galactic structure, motion and the amount of interstellar material.”
Takuma Izumi others2024. Gas-rich galaxy merger harboring a low-luminosity twin quasar at z = 6.05: a likely progenitor of the most luminous quasars. ApJ 972, 116;doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad57c6
The number of planets in our solar system used to be limited to only eight, excluding Pluto. These include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, often remembered by the phrase “My cultured mother served us nachos.” However, with the discovery of exoplanets since 1992, the list has expanded dramatically. These exoplanets, such as PSR B1257+12 b and 51 Pegasus b, have added to the existing planets, making it challenging for students to remember them all.
Scientists have observed a pattern among exoplanets concerning their masses, distances from their stars, compositions, and other factors. Interestingly, there are very few planets with masses similar to Earth and Jupiter orbiting very close to their stars, with less than 5% of Earth’s distance from the Sun.
Research indicates that the scarcity of what they call “Hot Neptunes” might be due to the evolution of large planets. As gas giants grow, they either become comparable in size to Jupiter or lose their outer gas layers, leaving behind a rocky core like Earth’s size. Furthermore, astronomers have recently discovered new exoplanets, TOI-2374 b and TOI-3071 b, in what they refer to as Neptune’s desert.
These exoplanets stand out due to their proximity to their stars, with TOI-2374 b having a mass 56 times that of Earth and TOI-3071 b being 68 times the Earth’s mass. Despite their extreme surface temperatures, the exoplanets have not evaporated, possibly due to their high metal contents.
The observations of these exoplanets provide valuable insights for future research and exploration, potentially shedding light on unexplored phenomena in Neptune’s desert.
Despite recent progress, the question of what controls the star formation efficiency in galaxies remains one of the most debated in astrophysics. According to the dominant view, star formation is controlled by turbulence and feedback, with a star formation efficiency of 1-2% per local free-fall time. In an alternative scenario, the star formation rate in the Galactic disk is proportional to the mass of dense gas above a critical density threshold. In a new study, astrophysicists from Université Paris-Sacra show that Michael Mattern and his colleagues aimed to distinguish between the two images with high-resolution observations. Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) tracks dense gas and young stars in a comprehensive sample of 49 nearby dense molecular clouds.
This composite image shows RCW 106, a star-forming region in the southern constellation Norma, about 12,000 light-years from Earth. The image overlays a red map of dense gas taken by APEX’s ArTéMiS camera on top of an optical image taken by ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope. Image credit: ESO / M. Mattern others.
Understanding what controls the efficiency of star formation in galactic giant molecular clouds is a fundamental unsolved problem in star formation research.
The star formation rate at multiple scales in galaxies is known to be strongly correlated with the mass of available molecular gas.
Overall, star formation is observed to be a very inefficient process.
“The glowing red clouds seen in the image above indicate regions of dense gas where new stars are being born in the RCW 106 region,” the astronomers said in a statement.
“But only 1 percent of this gas actually forms stars, and we don’t know why this percentage is so low.”
“We know that star formation occurs when regions of these giant clouds of cold gas come together and eventually collapse, and new stars are born. This happens at a critical density.”
“But beyond that density, could even more stars be formed in even denser regions? And could this help explain the 1% mystery?”
Their new results suggest that this is not the case: the dense regions are not efficient for star formation.
According to the team, this can probably be explained by these dense clouds breaking up into filaments and nuclei from which stars form, but many questions remain.
“Our results suggest that the star formation efficiency does not increase as the density passes a critical threshold, supporting a scenario in which the star formation efficiency in dense gas is nearly constant,” the researchers said.
“However, measurements of star formation efficiency tracked by young class I stars in nearby clouds are inconclusive, as they are consistent with both the existence of a density threshold and its dependence on density above the threshold.”
“Overall, we suggest that the efficiency of star formation in dense gas is determined primarily by the physics of filament fragmentation into protostellar cores.”
M. Mattern others2024. Understanding star formation efficiency in dense gas: Initial results from the ArTéMiS CAFFEINE survey. A&Ain press; arXiv: 2405.15713
“Bcontinue @thread
“This week has felt like sitting on a half-empty train early in the morning as gradually more people board with horror stories of how awful the service is on the other line,” actor David Harewood wrote on Meta’s Twitter/X rival, which, judging by the number of “Hey, how does this work?” questions from newcomers, seems to be seeing echoes, at least in the UK, following last week’s far-right riots.
Newcomers to the thread might be wondering why it took so long. To say Elon Musk’s tenure as owner of the social network formerly known as Twitter and now renamed X has been outrageous would be a criminal understatement. Recent highlights include the unbanning of numerous far-right and extremist accounts, as well as his own misinformation campaign regarding far-right anti-immigrant riots in the UK.
Before Musk bought the company in 2022, few alternatives to Twitter existed, but several have emerged in the past few years. Today, there are the generally left- and liberal-leaning Blue Sky and Mastodon, the right-leaning Gab, and Donald Trump’s Truth Social Network.
But perhaps the biggest threat to X is Threads, in part because it was launched by Meta, the giant behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. But a simple question remains: is Threads any good?
For Satnam Sanghera, an author and journalist, the reason for the move is simple: “This place is corroding the very fabric of British society so I am trying to avoid it as much as possible and hoping it will be regulated,” he explained in a direct message on X. “Systemic abuse has been an issue for me, and for many people of colour, for years.”
But the force behind the switch is not so much the allure of Threads, a popular new social network, but the power to drive people away from X. “Threads has some great things, especially the fact that it links with Instagram, which is probably the most convenient social media platform,” Sanghera says. “But a lot of my loved ones aren’t on it. I’m hoping that will change, or maybe it’s just that it’s time to quit social media altogether.”
The integration with Instagram allows Insta users to open a Threads account with just a few clicks, which seems to have really accelerated Threads’ growth. Threads hit the milestone of 200 million active users earlier this month, just one year after its initial release. In comparison, Bluesky has just 6 million registered accounts and 1.1 million active users, while Mastodon has 15 million registered users, but no public data on active users.
Social media outlet Bluesky is one of X’s current alternatives. Photo: Jaap Arrians/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
“Threads has one big advantage,” says Emily Bell, director of the Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University in New York. “It has a built-in user base of celebrities and athletes. If you really want to kick everyone off Twitter, you can have Taylor Swift, Chapel Rowan, [Italian sports journalist] “Fabrizio Romano”
Bell believes that because all of these users are already on Instagram, it may be easier to attract them to Threads than to convince them to start from scratch with an entirely new social network.
But she says this is a shame, and thinks Threads is a terrible product. “To me, Threads is a platform designed to compete with Twitter, and it feels like it was designed by a company that hates everything about Twitter,” she says. “Threads is boring as hell – presentation, participation, everything.”
From my personal experience trying out Threads for this article, it seems like Meta doesn’t see Threads as a huge, exciting new product that they want new users to use. Having around 88,000 followers on X has always made me hesitant to join other social networks, which is why I’ve never had an Instagram account.
To join Threads, I had to join Instagram first, which took about 24-36 hours because I got some weird error messages while signing up. I finally managed to create a Threads account, but after following five accounts I was limited. A few hours later the limit was lifted, I was able to follow three more accounts, and then I was limited again. I quickly gave up.
Those who found it easy to join the site say that once they were on it, it was more comfortable than X, but that’s mainly for the simple reason that it still has moderation staff and doesn’t actively try to attract the far right.
“Threads have a different vibe because they’re almost always participated in by small, self-organized groups,” says misinformation researcher Nina Jankowitz. “They’re usually want Something different than Twitter/X. It definitely helps that they are actively moderating it and that the site’s leadership is not actively promoting conspiracy theories.”
Both potential rivals to X are keen to differentiate themselves from the original. Meta has said it doesn’t want Threads to focus on news and current events like X. Mastodon is perhaps the most consciously “woke” of the alternatives, with very different norms around content warnings and sharing. As such, Bluesky offers the closest experience to the “rebellious” and playful “old Twitter” that many still miss.
Even some of the early successes on Threads are a bit sceptical about its actual value: Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, has more than 20,000 followers on Threads (166,300 on X), but she confesses that she never actually posts there.
“I just cross-post it to Instagram,” she says, sounding a little guilty. “So I [following] Nothing happens and there is no involvement whatsoever.”
That’s not to say Chrissy has shunned social media: she still posts on X, and is now in a local WhatsApp group with up to 700 members, where her supporters can interact with her directly. While she says she “doesn’t understand” TikTok (“I don’t feel like dancing in public”), she created an account there because “local Asian moms told me that’s where it’s at.”
Chrissie noted that this fragmentation of social media has made her job as a member of Congress more difficult during the recent turmoil: Trying to connect with an audience and provide accurate information is harder on six platforms than it is on one.
Threads’ success may be due to the ease of joining by default: If you use Instagram, it’s the easiest thing to join, and once you’re there, it’s… fine. But if other users seem to be operating on autopilot, they probably are.
“It’s a little bit overloaded here, you’re just in the media and you don’t know what to do,” Creasy says, “and ironically, that’s why I don’t do threads. I know that’s where I get my momentum and that’s where I’m not doing anything.”
Microwave ovens have become an essential part of the modern kitchen, yet their potential as a reservoir for bacterial colonization and the microbial composition within them remain largely unknown. In a new study, microbiologists from the University of Valencia and Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL investigated the bacterial communities within microwave ovens and compared the microbial composition of domestic microwave ovens, microwaves used in large shared spaces, and laboratory microwaves. The bacterial populations in microwave ovens were dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, similar to the bacterial composition of human skin. Comparison with other environments revealed that the bacterial composition of domestic microwave ovens was similar to that of kitchen surfaces, while laboratory microwave ovens contained a higher proportion of species known to tolerate microwave radiation, high temperatures, and dryness.
Iglesias othersMicrowaves were shown to harbor specialized communities of locally adapted microbial genera similar to those reported on kitchen surfaces and solar panels, environments with extremely high radiation exposure.
Microorganisms thriving in ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental conditions have been well studied to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms that favor their adaptation.
Natural extreme environments are an excellent source of new microbial species as well as new secondary metabolites for biotechnological applications, but we don’t have to go very far to find them.
Microwave irradiation has been used for decades to reduce the presence of microorganisms in foods and to extend the shelf life of foods.
The application of electromagnetic waves in the range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz to a dielectric medium such as food (also known as microwave heating) produces heat that reaches a lethal temperature that inactivates most microorganisms. E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Listeria Genus
Recent studies have shown that cellular inactivation is associated with inactivation of genes controlling oxidation, DNA damage, increased permeability, and reduced cell membrane integrity.
Despite this extensive characterization of the biological effects of microwave radiation on foodborne pathogens, there have been no reports of microwaves being a microbial niche, an environment in which a specifically adapted microbiota can form through specific selective pressures (in this case heat shock, microwave radiation, and desiccation).
“Our results reveal that domestic microwaves harbor a more 'humanised' microbiome, similar to kitchen surfaces, while laboratory microwaves harbour bacteria that are more resistant to radiation,” said Dr Daniel Trent, Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL researcher.
For the study, Dr Trent and his colleagues sampled microorganisms from inside 30 microwaves: 10 from household kitchens, 10 from shared household spaces such as corporate centers, science labs and cafeterias, and 10 from molecular biology and microbiology laboratories.
The aim of this sampling plan was to determine whether these microbial populations were influenced by interactions with food and by user habits.
They used two complementary methods to explore microbial diversity: next-generation sequencing and culturing 101 strains in five different media.
In total, the authors found 747 different genera within 25 bacterial phyla. The most frequently encountered phyla were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and especially Proteobacteria.
The researchers found that the composition of the general microbial community partially overlapped between shared and domestic microwave ovens, but was quite different in laboratory microwave ovens.
Diversity was lowest in home microwaves and highest in laboratory microwaves.
Members of the genus Acinetobacter, Bhargavaea, Brevibacterium, Brevundimonas, Dermatococcus, Klebsiella, Pantoea, Pseudoxanthomonas and Rhizobium It has only been found in domestic microwave ovens.
Arthrobacter, Enterobacter, Yanibacter, Methylobacterium, Neobacillus, Nocardioides, Novosphingobium, Paenibacillus, Peribacillus, Planococcus, Russia, Sporosarcinaand Teribacillus This was only seen in items shared within the household.
Nonomura The bacteria was isolated only from laboratory microwaves. Delftia, Micrococcus, Deinococcus Unidentified genera of the phylum Cyanobacteria were also common and were found at a significantly higher frequency than in Japan.
The researchers also compared the observed diversity with the diversity of specialized habitats reported in the literature.
As expected, the microbiome inside the microwave was similar to that present on typical kitchen surfaces.
“Some genera found in domestic microwave ovens include Klebsiella, Enterococcus and Aeromonaswhich could pose a health risk to humans,” Dr Trent said.
“However, it is important to note that the microorganisms living in microwave ovens do not pose any unique or increased risk compared to other common kitchen surfaces.”
But it also had similarities to the microbiome in industrial environments, namely on solar panels.
The scientists proposed that the constant heat shock, electromagnetic radiation and desiccation in this highly radioactive environment repeatedly selected for more resistant microorganisms, just as occurs in microwave ovens.
“We encourage both the public and laboratory personnel to regularly disinfect their microwave ovens with a diluted bleach solution or a commercially available disinfectant spray,” Dr. Trent said.
“In addition, it's important to wipe down interior surfaces with a damp cloth after each use to remove any residue and wipe up any spills immediately to prevent bacterial growth.”
of result Published in the journal The cutting edge of microbiology.
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Alba Iglesias others2024. The microwave bacteriome: biodiversity in domestic and laboratory microwave ovens. Front. Microbiol 15;doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1395751
What we see under an electron microscope Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarctica attached to the host, Harolblum Luxpro FundyImage courtesy of Joshua N. Hamm.
“Archaea are one of three lineages of life, along with bacteria and eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have a membrane-enclosed nucleus, such as plants and animals),” said Dr Yan Liao, a microbiologist at the University of Technology Sydney.
“They are widespread and play a vital role in supporting Earth's ecosystems.”
“Compared to other lineages, archaea are less studied and understood. However, they provide clues about the evolution of life on Earth and the possible existence of life on other planets.”
“Its unique biochemistry also holds promising applications in biotechnology and bioremediation.”
“They have been found breeding in highly acidic boiling hot springs, deep-sea hydrothermal vents with temperatures well over 100 degrees, highly saline waters like the Dead Sea, and even in Antarctica.”
Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarcticus was collected from a cold, saline, deep lake in Antarctica by Professor Riccardo Cavicchioli of the University of New South Wales.
This species belongs to a group called DPANN archaea, which are much smaller than other archaea, have very small genomes and limited metabolic capabilities.
Studies have revealed that they depend on host microorganisms, particularly other archaea, for survival.
“This is the first time this aggressive behaviour has been observed in archaea,” said Dr Joshua Hamm, a microbiologist at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Marine Research.
“In many ways, its activity resembles some viruses, leading us to reassess its ecological role in the Antarctic environment.”
DPANN archaea have rarely been cultivated in the laboratory, and the authors developed novel techniques, including unique sample staining, intravital fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy, to visualize the interior of host cells and follow the interactions between DPANN archaea and their hosts.
They stained the host archaea. Harolblum Luxpro Fundyand Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarcticus, which has a non-cytotoxic dye that glows in various colors when exposed to laser light.
“This makes it possible to watch organisms together over long periods of time and identify cells by color,” Dr Liao said.
“We observed how the DPANN parasite attached and migrated inside the host cell, causing the host cell to lyse and burst.”
“Predators play a vital role in ecosystems because they not only provide food for themselves by killing their hosts, but also make the remains of the host's cells available as food for other organisms,” said Dr Ian Duggin, a microbiologist at the University of Technology Sydney.
“This allows other microbes to proliferate and prevents the host organism from storing nutrients.”
“The DPANN archaea we studied appear to play a much more important role in ecosystems than has been realized.”
“The parasitic or infectious lifestyle of these archaea may be common.”
of result Published in a journal Nature Communications.
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JN Ham others2024. Parasitic life of archaeal symbionts. Nat Community 15, 6449; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-49962-y
When it comes to choosing gifts for teenagers, gift cards are often the go-to option. With new technology constantly emerging, it can be challenging to find products that are both worth buying and will be loved by your teen.
Our list features a variety of fantastic tech gifts for teenagers, from cutting-edge gadgets for amazing selfies to popular items that can transform a regular bedroom into the ultimate teen hideaway. These products cater to every budget and level of tech knowledge – you don’t have to be a tech expert to enjoy these innovative devices.
These tech gifts are truly inspiring.
If you know a teenager who’s into science, don’t miss out on these amazing science gifts for teens.
Best Tech Gifts for Teens
TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Multi-Color Light Strip
Adding a color-changing LED light strip can instantly elevate a dull bedroom into a vibrant, multi-colored space. Perfect for adding a touch of excitement to a sleepover, gaming session, or just a relaxing night at home. This LED light strip may be one of the best tech gifts for teenagers.
Philips Hue Series Tapo is a well-known name in smart LED strips, and this version of Tapo is a great budget-friendly choice.
Setting up is easy – simply stick the strips on shelves, screens, or other bedroom furniture. The strips are five meters long and can be cut to any desired size. Use the Tapo app to select preset lighting moods, effects, and timers to automatically control the multicolored LEDs. It works over standard home Wi-Fi and is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.
For more gift ideas, check out our guide to the best sci-fi games.
Latest Philips Hue Lightstrip deals:
Tapo Light Strip Latest Deals:
Insta360 X3
At first glance, this small gadget may seem expensive, but its impressive features speak for themselves.
The Insta360 X3 features a 5.7K 360° camera with useful functions like image stabilization, horizon lock, and HDR mode. With the extended selfie stick, the camera intelligently edits your footage to provide a unique third-person perspective, almost like having your personal videographer.
Don’t miss out on the best instant cameras for more photo gift ideas.
While the camera captures the action in 360°, you have the freedom to choose the best angle for your video.
Additional features include:
8K quality 360° time lapse video
Automatically saves 15 or 30 seconds of footage before hitting the shutter button
Convenient automated editing and live 360° streaming allow viewers to see from every angle
Focus on a single person, animal, or moving object and keep it centered in the frame.
Waterproof up to 10m, extendable to 50m with a diving case (sold separately)
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Crosley Voyager Portable Turntable
A portable record player like the Crosley Voyager makes a fun and unique gift for teenagers. Music enthusiasts will appreciate having a stylish turntable in their room.
This turntable’s portability is a standout feature – easily pack it up and take your music with you to parties, vacations, and other gatherings.
Despite its vintage look, the turntable is equipped with modern features: Built-in stereo speakers and Bluetooth for streaming music from your phone, plus a headphone jack for private listening. The turntable also offers three speed settings for playing traditional records.
The Crosley Voyager is an affordable turntable option. If you’re unsure about it, explore our top record players currently available.
While you’re here, check out the best sunrise alarm clocks too.
Mini projector
A portable projector is a must-have for sleepovers or movie nights at home. Whether your teen has a TV in their room or not, this gadget will enhance their viewing experience with a projection size of up to 210 inches.
This is also perfect for PlayStation and Xbox enthusiasts.
While projectors can be pricey, this one offers a balance of affordability and quality. Highly rated by customers, it supports Full HD with 7500 lumens and allows you to choose your preferred projection size from 35 inches to 210 inches, from a distance of 3.7 feet from the wall.
Featuring built-in Hi-Fi speakers, it also has an audio-out port for connecting external speakers or headphones. Once set up, you can connect your phone, tablet, laptop, or gaming console to enjoy TV shows, movies, and photos (some devices may require an HDMI cable).
Explore our guide for the best projectors for your home for more options.
Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
There are few speakers that deliver both style and sound quality, but the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 manages to do just that. With its unique “unicorn” appearance, this speaker stands out from the crowd. It also boasts impressive technical specifications.
The Boom 3 is fully waterproof, allowing you to play music underwater for 30 minutes, and it floats to the surface when released, making pool parties even more enjoyable. Moreover, if your recipient or their friends own other Ultimate Ears speakers, you can link up to 150 of them to synchronize music in one location.
This speaker delivers 360° sound and is made with a highly elastic material used in motorcycle jackets and firefighting gear. Ultimate Ears has conducted over 25 durability tests, ensuring it can withstand even the most energetic users.
The rechargeable battery provides up to 15 hours of playtime on a full charge. Power Up Dock for a seamless charging experience. For speaker options, explore our selection of portable speakers, shower speakers, or noise-canceling headphones.
Auraglow LED USB Wall or Tabletop Word Clock
Looking for a great gift under £25? Consider this unique clock from Auraglow. Instead of traditional numbers, this clock displays the time in 5-minute intervals. LEDs light up the relevant letters on a black panel to indicate the time.
The clock comes with a USB cable for connecting to various power sources, and you can add an adapter for more flexibility. It can be wall-mounted with a hanging slot or propped up on a desk or shelf thanks to its flat base.
If black isn’t your style, the clock is also available in copper. Explore our guides for the best wireless phone chargers, power banks, portable chargers, and charging stations for more useful tech ideas.
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Apexel 10-in-1 Cell Phone Camera Lens Kit
For Instagrammers, photographers, or selfie enthusiasts, a smartphone lens attachment is an ideal choice if you want to enhance your phone’s camera capabilities without investing in a new camera. This set, with 10 different lens attachments stored in a convenient pouch, is compatible with most smartphones and tablets, including iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, and Sony models.
The kit includes macro, wide-angle, and telephoto lenses, along with fun accessories like a fisheye lens, a star filter, a kaleidoscope attachment, and even a polarizing filter to reduce glare and reflections for sunny days.
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet that’s five times the mass of Jupiter and follows a very unusual orbit around its star.
Artist’s impression of TIC 241249530b. Image courtesy of NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / J. da Silva, Spaceengine.
TIC 241249530b was first detected in January 2020 by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
To confirm that the object is a planet, astronomers used two instruments on NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory’s WIYN 3.5-meter telescope, a program of NOIRLab.
They first harnessed the NN-EXPLORE Exoplanet and Stellar Speckle Imager (NESSI) with a technique that “freezes” atmospheric glitter, eliminating extraneous light sources that could confuse the signal source.
The team then used the NEID spectrometer to carefully observe how the host star’s spectrum, or the wavelengths of light it emits, changes as a result of the exoplanet orbiting TIC 241249530b, and measure the radial velocity of TIC 241249530b.
“NESSI provided much sharper images of the star than was possible with any other method, while NEID precisely measured the star’s spectrum and detected changes in response to the exoplanet orbiting it,” said Dr. Arvind Gupta, a postdoctoral researcher at NOIRLab.
“The unique flexibility of NEID’s observing schedule framework allows the team to quickly adjust their observing plans in response to new data.”
Analysis of the spectrum confirmed that TIC 241249530b has a mass about five times that of Jupiter.
The spectrum also revealed that the exoplanet orbits along a highly eccentric, or elongated, orbit.
The eccentricity of a planet’s orbit is measured on a scale from 0 to 1, with 0 representing a perfectly circular orbit and 1 representing an elliptical orbit.
The exoplanet’s orbital eccentricity is 0.94, higher than any exoplanet discovered so far by the transit method.
By comparison, Pluto orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.25. Earth’s eccentricity is 0.02.
If the planet were part of the solar system, its orbit would stretch from its closest point, ten times closer to the Sun than Mercury, to its farthest point, about the same distance as Earth.
This extreme orbit would cause the planet’s temperatures to vary from mild to hot enough to melt titanium.
In addition to the unusual nature of the exoplanet’s orbit, the team also discovered that it orbits in a retrograde direction, meaning it moves in the opposite direction to the rotation of its host star.
This is a phenomenon astronomers have not seen in most other exoplanets or in our own solar system, and it helps the research team interpret the history of exoplanet formation.
The exoplanet’s unique orbital properties also hint at its future trajectory.
Because its initial orbit is highly eccentric and it is so close to the star, the planet’s orbit is expected to become “circular” because the planet’s tidal forces will sap energy from the orbit, causing it to gradually shrink and become circular.
Discovering this exoplanet before this migration occurs is valuable because it will give us important insight into how hot Jupiters form, stabilize, and evolve over time.
“While we can’t hit the rewind button and watch the planetary migration process in real time, this exoplanet serves as a kind of snapshot of the migration process,” Dr Gupta said.
“Planets like this are extremely rare and hard to find, so we hope they will help shed light on how hot Jupiters form.”
“We’re particularly interested in what we can learn about the dynamics of the planet’s atmosphere after it gets so close to its star,” said Professor Jason Wright of Pennsylvania State University.
“With telescopes like the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope having the sensitivity to study atmospheric changes on newly discovered exoplanets undergoing rapid heating, there is still much more for research teams to learn about exoplanets.”
TIC 241249530b is the second exoplanet discovered so far that represents the pre-transitional stage of a hot Jupiter.
Together, these two examples provide observational support for the idea that high-mass gas giants evolve into hot Jupiters as they move from highly eccentric orbits to tighter, more circular orbits.
“Astronomers have been searching for exoplanets for over 20 years that could be precursors to hot Jupiters or intermediate products in the migration process, so I was very surprised and excited to find one – it’s exactly what I was hoping to find,” Dr Gupta said.
Amoebidium appalachenseViruses in protists closely related to animals weave remnants of ancient giant viruses into their genetic code, according to a new study led by Queen Mary, University of London. The discovery sheds light on how complex organisms acquire parts of their genes and highlights the dynamic interplay between viruses and their hosts.
Amoebidium appalachense A unique model for understanding the hybrid origin of eukaryotic DNA. Image courtesy of Alex de Mendoza.
In this study, Dr. Alex de Mendoza Soler and his colleagues Amoebidium appalachense A unicellular parasite first isolated from the epidermis of a freshwater arthropod.
They found a surprising amount of genetic material from giant viruses, some of the largest known to science.
The sequences of these viruses are highly methylated, a chemical tag that often silences genes.
“It's like a hidden Trojan horse. Amoebidium appalachense It’s the DNA of,” says Dr. de Mendoza Soler.
“These viral insertions are potentially harmful, but Amoebidium appalachense It seems like we are suppressing them by chemically silencing them.”
The researchers then investigated how widespread this phenomenon may be.
They are some Amoebidium appalachense Examination of the isolates revealed wide variation in viral content.
This suggests that the processes of viral integration and silencing are continuous and dynamic.
“These findings call into question our understanding of viruses and the relationship between them and their hosts,” said Dr de Mendoza Soler.
“Traditionally, viruses are thought of as invaders, but this study suggests a more complex story.”
“Viral insertions may have played a role in the evolution of complex organisms by contributing new genes.”
“And this can be done by chemically controlling the invader's DNA.”
moreover, Amoebidium appalachense It shows intriguing parallels to how our own genomes interact with viruses.
It's similar to Amoebidium appalachense Humans and other mammals carry remnants of ancient viruses called endogenous retroviruses built into their DNA.
These remnants were previously thought to be inactive junk DNA, but now it appears some may be beneficial.
but, Amoebidium appalachense Endogenous retroviruses are much smaller, while the human genome is significantly larger.
Future studies can explore these similarities and differences to understand the intricate interactions between viruses and complex life forms.
Luke A. Saleh others 2024. DNA methylation enables recurrent internalization of giant viruses in animal relatives. Scientific advances 10(28); Source: 10.1126/sciadv.ado6406
This article has been edited from an original release from Queen Mary, University of London.
New species of early crocodile named Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis was discovered by a team of paleontologists from Spain’s National University of Distance Learning and the University of Salamanca.
Skull Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis Type specimen from the Middle Eocene site of Casaseca de Campean, Spain. Image credit: Narváez others., doi: 10.1002/ar.25422.
The newly identified crocodile lived on Earth during the Middle Eocene Epoch, between 48 and 41 million years ago.
Prehistoric animals Asiatosuchus An extinct genus of crocodilian crocodiles that lived in Europe and Asia during the Paleogene (66 to 23 million years ago).
“During the Palaeogene, a variety of crocodilians with common snouts (i.e. non-elongated snouts) inhabited Europe. The Middle Eocene is particularly notable for its relative abundance and diversity, but also includes fossils from the Late Paleocene and possibly the Early Oligocene and Late Neogene,” said lead author Dr Ivan Narváez and his colleagues.
“Many of the Eocene crocodile fossils are from the Asiatosuchus-like complex.”
“Genus Asiatosuchus was Established The species was defined in 1940 by paleontologist Charles Mook. Asiatosuchus grangeli It is based on an incomplete lower jaw and several skull fragments from the Middle Eocene of the Irdin Mankha Formation in Mongolia.”
“After the definition Asiatosuchus grangeli Several other eupteran forms, generally represented as isolated or rare fossils, have been described from the Paleocene to Oligocene of Europe, Asia and North America and have recently been Asiatosuchus It’s a complex like that.”
Two fossils Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis A similarly sized specimen was discovered at the La Laguna archaeological site in Spain in the 1980s.
The specimen includes a nearly complete skull and a nearly complete left lower jaw.
“The La Laguna fossil site is located in the Tierra del Vino region of the province of Zamora, Spain, approximately 20 kilometres south of the city of Zamora and approximately one kilometre north of the village of Casaseca de Campean,” the paleontologists said.
“The area forms part of the western part of the Duero Basin (Ciudad Rodrigo Basin).”
“The Duero Basin is the largest continental Cenozoic basin on the Iberian Peninsula.”
According to the authors: Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis Increase knowledge of diversity and distribution of Asiatosuchus Crocodile-like complex.
“Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis “This adds valuable information to our knowledge of the systematics of the relatively diverse crocodile fauna of the Duero Basin in Spain,” the researchers said.
Ivan Narvaez others A new crocodilian superfamily from the Middle Eocene of Zamora (Duero Basin, Spain). Anatomy record Published online March 5, 2024; doi: 10.1002/ar.25422
vinegarFrancesca Simon, author of the children’s book “Horrid Henry,” pulls out her phone and checks the weather multiple times a day — not just where she is, but where her friends and family live, where she went on holiday, and where she grew up.
“I love weather apps. I think they’re magical,” she says. She has about 10 locations logged, and her friends tease her about her “weather porn” habits. “If I don’t like what I see on one app, I check another one.”
This week, Simon She shared her weather app obsession with Queen Camilla As the two discuss a miserable summer day at a charity event.[Camilla] “She said everyone was making fun of her … so we were laughing at each other’s obsession,” Simon said.
It’s an obsession shared by millions: If you’re going on vacation, planning a summer barbecue, worrying about your yard, or suffering from hay fever, you probably check the app at least daily to see the latest weather forecast.
The app provides much more localized and detailed information in graphical form than traditional weather forecasts, including wind speeds and chance of precipitation.
This is a lucrative business. Most basic weather apps are free to use, but they make money from advertising, paid upgrades, and data monetization. According to Statista in 2022, global revenue for the weather market is Projected to reach $1.58 billionThe majority of its revenue comes from advertising.
be Last year’s YouGov pollIn 2015, apps were the primary source of weather information for Americans, used by 53% of people. One in five people said they check the app multiple times a day, and the older people they are, the more frequently they check it.
For people with specific weather needs, bespoke apps may be available. For example: the wind is strong Wind speed and direction are tracked and the Met Office has introduced UK-specific Coastal Forecasts (in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and Mountain Forecasts.
Most apps provide wind speed and direction, sunrise and sunset times, UV forecasts, pollen counts, air pollution index, etc. Some apps even provide users with extreme weather alerts.
The Met Office launched its weather forecast app in 2010 and released a major update in 2016. By 2023, it expects to have around 6.2 million users, most of them in the UK. Usage spikes during severe weather events, such as named storms or heatwaves.
Met Office spokesman Graham Mudge said the app was in “continuous development” and had become more refined since its launch.
The center offers “detailed information for the next 24 hours,” but the further out a user looks, the more general the forecast becomes. “We’re recognized as one of the best centers in the world for our accuracy,” Mudge says. “We’re very proud of that.”
As a government agency, the Met Office provides data to other forecasters, but three years after the BBC released its weather app in 2013, it switched to a private weather company, Meteor Group, now known as DTN.
DTN “pulls data from multiple sources, including satellite imagery, global ocean and continental datasets, and real-time observations from a network of more than 20,000 sensors,” said Renee Vandewege, the company’s general manager of weather and climate information. The data is “processed in a high-performance cloud environment using AI and machine learning.”
“DTN believes our forecasts are among the most reliable in the industry and globally leading,” Vandewege added.
The BBC acknowledged earlier this year that the symbols that summarise the day’s weather on its app (which has been downloaded more than 28 million times) could paint an overly gloomy outlook: “The symbol of the day reflects the weather conditions that are likely to have the greatest impact on people’s lives,” it said. A BBC spokesman told The Sunday Times:.
“This may focus on short periods of weather on a particular day and is designed to be read in the context of the bigger picture and hourly details that change depending on the latest data.”
The company works with the National Center for Atmospheric Science to monitor and evaluate the accuracy of its forecasts across all platforms, including its app.
UK weather has always been changeable, but meteorologists say the global climate crisis is making it even less predictable and more prone to extreme weather – which could lead to increased reliance – or, as Simon puts it, obsession – with weather apps.
In the UK, “weather patterns rarely stay in one place for more than a few days at a time compared to other parts of the world such as California, which makes forecasting even more difficult”, Mudge said.
“Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the European continent, with the tropics to the south and the Arctic Circle to the north, the UK has an almost unique relationship with the weather globally.”
Vandewege said: “Checking the weather app is a global phenomenon. The weather affects every aspect of our lives – from what we wear, what we do and, in many cases, what we eat, to the more severe weather impacts, such as risks to safety and business operations.”
As weather data becomes more accessible, it’s not just the next local downpour that drives app usage: “Users are increasingly interested in knowing what the weather is like in multiple locations, not just their own local area.”
Using more than 500 images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have found evidence of a 20,000-solar-mass black hole at the center of Earth. Omega CentauriIt is a globular cluster located in the constellation Centaurus, 5,430 parsecs (17,710 light years) from the Sun.
Omega Centauri is about 10 times more massive than other large globular clusters. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / Maximilian Häberle, MPIA.
Astronomers know that stellar-mass black holes (black holes with masses between 10 and 100 times that of the Sun) are the remnants of dying stars, and that supermassive black holes, with masses more than a million times that of the Sun, exist at the center of most galaxies.
But the universe is littered with what appear to be more mysterious types of black holes.
These intermediate-mass black holes, with masses between 100 and 10,000 times that of the Sun, are so difficult to measure that their very existence is sometimes debated.
Only a few intermediate-mass black hole candidates have been discovered so far.
Determining the black hole population is an important step towards understanding the formation of supermassive black holes in the early universe.
“Omega Centauri is a special example among globular clusters in the Milky Way,” said astronomer Maximilian Höberle of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and his colleagues.
“Omega Centauri is widely accepted to be the stripped core of an accreted dwarf galaxy due to its high mass, complex stellar population and kinematics.”
“These factors, combined with its proximity, make the planet a prime target in the search for intermediate-mass black holes.”
Omega Centauri is made up of about 10 million stars, making it about 10 times more massive than any other large globular cluster.
In the study, the authors measured the velocities of 1.4 million stars from images of the cluster taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Although most of these observations were intended for calibration of Hubble's instruments rather than for scientific use, they proved to be an ideal database for the team's research activities.
“We looked for fast-moving stars that are expected to be near concentrated masses such as black holes,” said astronomer Holger Baumgart of the University of Queensland.
“Identifying these stars was the smoking gun we needed to prove the existence of black holes, and we've done just that.”
“We found seven stars that shouldn't be there,” Dr Hebel said.
“They're moving so fast that they're likely to escape the herd and never come back.”
“The most likely explanation is that a very massive object is gravitationally tugging on these stars, keeping them near the center.”
“The only objects this massive are black holes, which have a mass at least 8,200 times that of the Sun.”
“This discovery is the most direct evidence to date for the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole at Omega Centauri,” said Dr Nadine Neumayer, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.
“This is extremely exciting because very few other black holes with similar masses are known.”
“The black hole at Omega Centauri may be the best example of an intermediate-mass black hole in our cosmic neighborhood.”
M. Heberle others2024. Stars moving at high speed around the intermediate-mass black hole at Omega Centauri. Nature 631, 285-288; Source: 10.1038/s41586-024-07511-z
The recently discovered structure predates the famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu by approximately 3,500 years and was constructed long before the Inca Empire and its predecessors, as confirmed by a team of archaeologists. Ukupe Cultural Landscape Archaeological Project.
Newly discovered archaeological remains at La Otra Banda, Cerro las Animas, Peru, include carvings of mythical bird creatures. Image courtesy of Ukpe Cultural Landscape Archaeological Project.
“It was an amazing find. It speaks to the early origins of religion in Peru,” said Dr Muro Inoñan, an archaeologist at Peru’s National Archaeological Institute. The Field Museum.
“We still know very little about how and under what circumstances complex belief systems emerged in the Andes, but we now have evidence of some of the earliest religious spaces that people were creating in the region.”
“I don’t know what these people called themselves, or what other people called them.”
Dr. Inonhán and his team discovered a new archaeological site in La Otra Banda, Peru, in 2023.
They chose a section roughly 10 meters by 33 feet (10 meters by 33 feet) and began slowly removing sediment that had accumulated over thousands of years.
Just 1.8 metres (6 feet) deep, remnants of an ancient wall made of mud and clay were found.
“It was quite a surprise to see these very ancient structures so close to the modern surface,” Dr Inonyan said.
As archaeologists dug deeper, they found evidence that a temple once stood on the site.
“It appears that a huge temple was built on the slope of the mountain and parts of it have been discovered,” Dr Inonyan said.
“One of the most exciting things we found was a small theater with a backstage area and a staircase leading up to a stage-like platform.”
“It may have been used for a ritualistic performance before a selected audience.”
Archaeologists discovered an intricately carved clay slab depicting a bird-like creature next to the theater’s steps.
“It’s a very beautiful and at the same time an interesting design of a mythical creature – it looks like an anthropomorphic bird but also has reptilian features,” Dr Inonyan said.
“This figure stood out to us because it gives us important clues about when this temple was built and how this structure relates to other ancient temples built by earlier groups in the Andes.”
“Statues of mythical creatures similar to the one our team found have been found in Peru, where archaeologists have Initial PeriodThat’s about 4,000 years ago.”
“Despite the name, they were not the first people to inhabit this area. People have lived in Peru for 15,000 years.”
“Around 5000 to 3000 BCE, during a period known as the Pre-Pottery Period, people along the Peruvian coast began to develop societies and complex political systems.”
“Then came the Early Period, which began around 2000 BCE and lasted until 900 BCE.”
“The early stage is important because it’s when we first start to see evidence of institutionalized religion in Peru.”
“The bird creatures in this temple resemble figures known from the Chavin region from about 500 years later. This new site may help shed light on the origins of this religion.”
Astronomers have discovered a pair of merging quasars observed just 900 million years after the Big Bang. Not only is this the most distant pair of merging quasars ever found, but it’s also the first pair identified during a period in the history of the universe known as the “cosmic dawn.”
This image taken with the Subaru Telescope’s HyperSupreme-Cam shows a pair of quasars in the process of merging, HSC J121503.42-014858.7 (C1) and HSC J121503.55-014859.3 (C2). Image courtesy NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / TA Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage & NSF NOIRLab / D. de Martin, NSF NOIRLab / M. Zamani, NSF NOIRLab.
The dawn of the universe lasted from about 50 million to 1 billion years after the Big Bang.
During this period the first stars and galaxies began to appear and the dark universe was filled with light for the first time.
The appearance of the first stars and galaxies marked the beginning of a new era in the formation of the universe, known as the Reionization Epoch.
The epoch of reionization that occurred during the cosmic dawn was a period of cosmic transition.
About 400 million years after the Big Bang, ultraviolet light from the first stars, galaxies, and quasars spread throughout the universe, interacting with intergalactic matter and beginning a process called ionization, which stripped electrons from the universe’s primordial hydrogen atoms.
The reionization epoch is a crucial period in the history of the universe, marking the end of the cosmic dark ages and sowing the seeds of the large structures we observe in the local universe today.
To understand exactly what role quasars played during the reionization period, astronomers are interested in discovering and studying quasars that existed during this earlier, distant era.
“The statistical properties of quasars during the reionization stage can tell us a lot, including the progress and origin of reionization, the formation of supermassive black holes at the dawn of the universe, and the earliest evolution of the quasars’ host galaxies,” said Dr Yoshiki Matsuoka, an astronomer at Ehime University.
About 300 quasars have been discovered during the reionization period, but none have been found in pairs.
But as Dr. Matsuoka and his team were reviewing images taken with the Subaru Telescope’s HyperSupreme-Cam, a faint red spot caught their eye.
“While screening images for potential quasars, we noticed two similar, very red sources next to each other. This discovery was pure coincidence,” Dr Matsuoka said.
The distant quasar candidates are contaminated by many other sources, including foreground stars and galaxies and gravitational lensing, so the authors were unsure whether they were quasar pairs.
To confirm the nature of these objects, named HSC J121503.42-014858.7 and HSC J121503.55-014859.3, the team carried out follow-up spectroscopic measurements using the Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph (FOCAS) on the Subaru Telescope and the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) on the Gemini North Telescope.
The spectra obtained by GNIRS resolved the light emitted by the source into its constituent wavelengths and were crucial for characterizing the properties of the quasar pair and its host galaxy.
“GNIRS observations have shown that quasars are too faint to be detected in near-infrared light, even with the largest ground-based telescopes,” said Dr Matsuoka.
This allowed astronomers to deduce that some of the light detected in the visible wavelength range comes not from the quasar itself, but from ongoing star formation in its host galaxy.
The two black holes were also found to be enormous, with masses 100 million times that of the Sun.
This, combined with the presence of a bridge of gas extending between the two quasars, suggests that the two quasars and their host galaxies are undergoing a major merger.
“The existence of merging quasars during the reionization period has long been predicted, but this has now been confirmed for the first time,” said Dr Matsuoka.
This discovery paper In Astrophysical Journal Letters.
_____
Yoshiki Matsuoka others2024. Discovery of twin quasars merging at z = 6.05. Apu JL 965, L4; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad35c7
Barsoni othersTwin disks and jets erupting from a pair of young stars in WL20. Image credit: NSF / NRAO / B. Saxton / NASA / JPL-Caltech / Harvard-Smithsonian CfA.
WL20 It is located in the Rho Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud Complex, more than 400 light years from Earth.
“What we found was absolutely surprising,” said Dr Mary Barthony, lead author of the study.
“We've known about the WL20 system for some time, but what caught our attention was that one of the stars in the system appeared to be much younger than the others.”
“Using MIRI and ALMA together, we were able to see that this one star is actually two stars next to each other.”
“Each of these stars was surrounded by a disk, and each disk emitted a jet parallel to the others.”
ALMA and Webb's MIRI observe very different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Used together, they allowed astronomers to discover these hidden twins in the stellar system's radio and infrared wavelengths: ALMA found the disk, and MIRI found the jet.
They analyzed archived ALMA data to reveal the composition of the disk, and MIRI data to reveal the chemical composition of the jet.
They also analyzed high-resolution images, revealing the size of the massive disk – about 100 times the distance between Earth and the Sun.
“Without MIRI we would never have known these jets even existed, which is amazing,” Dr Barthony said.
“ALMA's high-resolution observations of the disks surrounding the two newly observed stars reveal the structure of the disks.”
“Someone looking at this ALMA data and not knowing there are twin jets would think it's a big edge-on disk with a hole in the middle, rather than two edge-on disks and two jets. That's pretty remarkable.”
Combining multi-wavelength data from ALMA and Webb revealed the complex processes involved in the formation of several stellar systems.
“We plan to take advantage of ALMA's future upgrades, such as the broadband sensitivity upgrade, to continue unlocking the mysteries surrounding the birth of stars and planetary systems,” the researchers said.
Since the 1920s, Edwin Hubble Ever since it was discovered that the universe is expanding, astrophysicists have been asking themselves the question, “Where does matter come from?” In the Big Bang theory, a possible explanation, not a TV show, astrophysicists propose that the universe began with an explosion, a single hot, dense point expanding, then cooling down to transform from pure energy into solid matter. But that origin story ends with the two smallest elements: hydrogen and helium. Not everything in the universe is made of these two elements, leaving scientists with a new question: “Where does other matter come from?”
The emergence of nuclear physics in the early 20th century gave astronomers their first big clue. Researchers studying stars noted that stars are very bright and require a large source of energy to produce that much light. Nuclear physicists, including Albert Einstein and his famous E = mc2 The equations showed that one of the most powerful sources of energy in the universe is the smashing of smaller atoms together to create larger ones – nuclear fusion. And that's exactly what stars do in the hot, dense regions at their centers, called “nuclear fusion.” coreBut there's a limit to this process in stars — specifically, iron, which is the 26th of the 92 naturally occurring elements. Stars create energy by colliding elements with each other, but elements bigger than iron need to generate more energy than they can give off, which is why elements heavier than iron, like gold and uranium, remain unexplained.
Researchers have discovered the next clue in a massive, bright stellar explosion in the night sky. SupernovaIt turns out that massive stars, more than 10 times the size of the Sun, burn up their accumulated elements to fuse rapidly. These stars not only shine, but also run out of energy to hold themselves together, exploding and scattering their outer layers of elements in all directions. This is a supernova explosion. For decades, astrophysicists thought that heavy elements were created from a chaotic mixture of light elements and free energy. However, careful observation of supernovae has shown that the amount of heavy elements produced in the explosion is less than what is needed to explain the abundance of heavy elements in the universe.
Astrophysicists got the final clue in 2017 when the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory detected the first binary neutron star (BNS) merger.RaigoThe final stage in the life cycle of a massive star, between 10 and 25 times the mass of the Sun, is Neutron StarDuring this stage, the star's core collapses, and the electrons and protons in atoms get so close together that they fuse into neutrons. Two neutron stars orbiting each other collide, scattering debris into the surrounding galaxy. Researchers propose that this phenomenon could provide the energy and matter needed to fuse heavy elements into the heaviest naturally occurring elements.
Researchers from Peking University and Guangxi University wanted to test whether BNS mergers could produce elements heavier than iron. Because the event is extremely rare, occurring only a few dozen times per year across our galaxy, they couldn't just point their telescopes into space and hope for luck. Instead, they used advanced nuclear physics software to simulate a BNS merger.
The researchers gave their simulations specific initial conditions, such as what atoms were present in the stars when the collision began, the rates of nuclear reactions and decay, the number of electrons mixing, and the sizes of the colliding neutron stars. They then mathematically described how temperature, volume, and pressure relate to matter. Equation of stateIt simulates the effects of the collision and calculates what elements would be formed and released into space.
The team found that these BNS mergers could produce huge amounts of very heavy elements, between 300 and 30,000 times the mass of the Sun, which is 10 to 1,000 times the amount produced by supernovae. The team believes that this result could explain the abundance of heavy elements observed in the Galaxy in relation to other cosmic effects, e.g. Galactic WindHowever, the researchers acknowledged that their findings cannot explain the abundance of all heavy elements, especially those at the lower end of the atomic mass range they studied. They explained that these elements are probably still being created in the cores of collapsing stars, but suggested that future researchers should further test this hypothesis.
At an estimated distance of 140 parsecs (457 light years), the L-type subdwarf star CWISE J124909+362116.0 (J1249+36 for short) has a total velocity of at least 600 km/s, exceeding the local galactic escape velocity. Remarkably, the star may have been ejected from a globular cluster in the outer reaches of the Milky Way sometime in the past 10 to 30 million years.
A simulation of the hypothetical J1249+36 white dwarf binary ends with the white dwarf star exploding in a supernova. Image courtesy of Adam Makarenko / WM Keck Observatory.
The star immediately stood out as its speed across the sky was initially estimated to be around 600 km/s.
This speed is fast enough for the star to escape the gravity of the Milky Way, making it a potential hypervelocity star.
To better understand the properties of J1249+36, Professor Adam Burgasser of the University of California, San Diego, and his colleagues used the W. M. Keck Observatory to measure its infrared spectrum.
These data revealed that the object is a rare L-type subdwarf star, a class of stars with an extremely low mass and temperature.
Spectral data and imaging data from multiple ground-based telescopes allowed the team to precisely measure J1249+36's position and velocity in space, and predict its orbit within the Milky Way galaxy.
“What makes this source so interesting is that its speed and orbit suggest it is moving fast enough to escape the Milky Way,” Professor Burgasser said.
The researchers focused on two scenarios to explain J1249+36's unusual orbit.
In the first scenario, J1249+36 was originally a low-mass companion to a white dwarf.
If a companion star is in a very close orbit with a white dwarf, it can transfer mass, causing periodic explosions called novae. If the white dwarf gathers too much mass, it can collapse and explode as a supernova.
“In this type of supernova, the white dwarf is completely destroyed, so the companion star is freed to fly away at the orbital velocity it was originally moving at, plus a bit of a supernova blast,” Prof Burgasser said.
“Our calculations show that this scenario holds true. However, because the white dwarf no longer exists and the remnants of the explosion that probably occurred millions of years ago have already dissipated, we have no conclusive evidence that this is its origin.”
In the second scenario, J1249+36 was originally a member of a globular cluster, a tightly bound group of stars that is immediately recognizable by its distinctive spherical shape.
The centers of these clusters are predicted to contain black holes with a wide range of masses.
These black holes can also form binary systems, and such systems prove to be great catapults for any star that happens to get too close to them.
“When a star encounters a black hole binary, the complex dynamics of this three-body interaction can cause the star to be thrown out of the globular cluster,” said Dr Kyle Kremer, an astronomer at the University of California, San Diego.
The scientists ran a series of simulations and found that, on rare occasions, these types of interactions can cause low-mass subdwarf stars to be ejected from globular clusters and follow orbits similar to the one observed in J1249+36.
“This is a proof of concept, but we don't actually know which globular cluster this star is from,” Dr Kremer said.
“By tracking J1249+36 back in time, we find that it lies in a very crowded part of the sky that may be hiding undiscovered star clusters.”
To determine whether one of these scenarios, or some other mechanism, can explain J1249+36's orbit, the team wants to take a closer look at its elemental composition.
For example, the explosion of a white dwarf star could produce heavy elements that could pollute J1249+36's atmosphere as they escape.
Stars in the Milky Way's globular clusters and satellite galaxies also have unique presence patterns that could shed light on the origins of J1249+36.
“We're basically looking for a chemical fingerprint that will pinpoint exactly what system this star came from,” says Roman Gerasimov, also of the University of California, San Diego.
“Whether J1249+36's high-speed movement is the result of a supernova, a chance encounter with a black hole binary, or some other scenario, its discovery offers astronomers a new opportunity to learn more about the history and dynamics of the Milky Way.”
Giant viruses were first discovered in the ocean in 1981, when researchers discovered them. These viruses were specialized to infect green algae in the sea. Giant viruses were later found in soil on land and even in humans. However, this is the first time that giant viruses have been found living on the surface of ice or snow, where snow algae dominate. In Greenland, these viruses probably control the growth of snow algae by infecting them on the ice.
Giant virus species Pandoravirus Salinus Image courtesy of IGS CNRS-AMU.
“Every spring in the Arctic, the sun rises after months of darkness and life returns,” said Aarhus University researcher Laura Perini and her colleagues.
“Polar bears emerge from their winter dens, arctic terns return from their long journey south, and musk oxen trek north.”
“But animals aren’t the only life awakened by the spring sun. Algae that were dormant on the ice begin to flourish in the spring, turning large areas of the ice black.”
“As the ice darkens, it loses its ability to reflect sunlight, which accelerates its melting. More melting exacerbates global warming.”
“But we may have found a way to control the growth of snow algae, and in the long term, we may be able to reduce some of the ice melt.”
In the new study, the authors found signatures of giant viruses in snow and ice samples from the Greenland Ice Sheet.
The researchers believe that these viruses feed on snow algae and may act as a natural control mechanism against algal blooms.
“Although we still do not know much about viruses, we suspect they may be useful as a means to mitigate ice melt caused by algal blooms,” the researchers said.
“We don’t yet know how specific it will be and how efficient it will be, but we’re hopeful that further investigation will help answer some of those questions.”
“We analyzed samples of black ice, red snow, and melted pits (cryoconite),” they explained.
“We found traces of an active giant virus in both the dark ice and the red snow.”
“And this is the first time they’ve been found on ice or snow surfaces that are rich in pigmented microalgae.”
“The ecosystem surrounding the algae includes bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, as well as protozoans that eat the algae, various fungi that parasitize the algae, and giant viruses that infect the algae.”
“These last three groups need to be studied to understand the biological controls that act on algal blooms.”
“We can’t pinpoint which hosts the giant viruses will infect. Some of the viruses may infect protists, others may attack snow algae. We don’t know for sure yet,” Dr Perini said.
“We are continuing our research to learn more about giant virus interactions and their role in the ecosystem.”
Neutron stars typically spin quickly, taking just a few seconds or even a fraction of a second to complete one revolution around their axis, but one neutron star labeled ASKAP J1935+2148 bucks this rule, emitting radio signals at a relatively slow interval of 53.8 minutes.
Artist's impression of a neutron star. Image courtesy of Sci.News.
“We're used to extreme examples when studying radio-emitting neutron stars, so the discovery of such a compact star that is still emitting radio waves despite rotating slowly was unexpected,” said Professor Ben Stappers, from the University of Manchester.
“This new generation of radio telescopes demonstrates that pushing the boundaries of our search space will reveal surprises that will shake up our understanding.”
At the end of their lives, massive stars use up all their fuel and undergo a spectacular explosion called a supernova.
What remains is a stellar remnant called a neutron star, which consists of trillions of neutrons packed into an extremely dense sphere with a mass 1.4 times that of the Sun, packed into a radius of just 10 km.
Astronomers detected an unexpected radio signal from ASKAP J1935+2148 that traveled about 16,000 light-years to Earth.
The nature of its radio emission and the rate of change of its rotation period suggest that it is a neutron star, but further study is needed to confirm what this object is.
“This discovery relied on the complementary capabilities of the ASKAP and MeerKAT telescopes, combined with our ability to probe these objects on timescales of minutes, and examine how their radiation changes from second to second,” said Dr Kaustubh Rajwade, an astronomer at the University of Oxford.
“Such synergies can shed new light on how these compact objects evolve.”
ASKAP J1935+2148 was detected by CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope in the Wadjari Yamatji region of Western Australia.
“What's interesting is that this object exhibits three different radiation states, each with completely different properties to the others,” said Dr Manisha Caleb, an astronomer at the University of Sydney.
“The MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa played a key role in distinguishing between these states.”
“If the signals had not come from the same point in the sky, it would be hard to believe that it was the same object producing these different signals.”
“Until the arrival of these new telescopes, the dynamic radio sky was relatively unexplored,” said Professor Tara Murphy, from the University of Sydney.
“Now we can look deeply and frequently see a variety of unusual phenomena.”
“These events give us insight into how physics works in extreme environments.”
This discovery paper In the journal Natural Astronomy.
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M. Caleb othersA radio transient phenomenon in which the radiation state switches with a period of 54 minutes. Nat AstronPublished online June 5, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02277-w
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered an “exhaust vent” that directs hot gas away from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The vent is about 26,000 light-years from Earth and is connected to a previously discovered chimney-like structure perpendicular to the galactic plane. Chandra's data shows a cylindrical tunnel that helps collect gas towards the outer edge of the Milky Way. The results reveal how the Milky Way's black hole takes in and rejects matter.
This image shows a region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in X-rays and radio waves. At the bottom of the image, near the center, there are knots of shiny, tangled material that resemble paint splatters. This is the brightest region in the image and contains the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy known as Sagittarius A*. The bottom third of the image looks like an angry firestorm. Red and orange stripes were scattered in all directions, as if the embers of a fire had crackled and shot into the air all at once. A flame-like structure is licking from the right side towards the center. Most of the image is injected with a wispy blue cloud indicating his X-rays detected by Chandra. In some places, wispy blue clouds appear to form balls of blue-green light, known as dust rings. They are caused by X-rays from a bright X-ray source reflecting off the dust around them. These dust rings resemble underwater lights glowing in a cloudy pool at night. Rising from Sagittarius A* in the center of the image is a pillar of blue light called a chimney. This chimney of hot gas is surrounded by a red cloud filled with stars, appearing as a small red speck. Near the top of the blue pillar is a light blue stripe surrounded by an illustrated gray box. This line is called the chimney exhaust. Immediately to the left is another illustrated box showing a close-up image of the chimney vent that Chandra observed.Image credits: NASA / CXC / Chicago Space / Mackey other. / NRF / SARAO / MeerKAT / SAO / N. Walk.
The chimney begins at the center of the Milky Way and stands perpendicular to the galaxy's spiral disk.
Astronomers previously identified the chimney using X-ray data from NASA's Chandra mission and ESA's XMM Newton mission.
The radio emissions detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope show the influence of the magnetic field surrounding the gas in the chimney.
The latest Chandra data reveals several X-ray ridges nearly perpendicular to the galactic plane.
Astronomers believe these are cylinder-shaped tunnel walls that help collect hot gas as it moves upwards along the chimney and away from the center of the galaxy. .
The newly discovered vent is located near the top of a chimney about 700 light-years from the center of the galaxy.
“We suspected that the magnetic field was acting as a chimney wall, allowing hot gases to rise through it like smoke,” said Dr. Scott McKee, an astronomer at the University of Chicago.
“I just discovered an exhaust near the top of the chimney.”
Astronomers believe the vent formed when hot gas rising through the chimney collided with cooler gas in its path.
The brightness of the exhaust wall in X-rays is caused by the shock wave created by this collision, similar to the sonic boom from a supersonic airplane.
The left side of the exhaust port is thought to be particularly bright because the upwardly flowing gas hits the tunnel wall at a more direct angle and with more force than other areas.
The researchers believe that the hot gas originates from a series of events in which material falls into Sagittarius A*, then erupts from the black hole, sending gas upward along the chimney and out the exhaust vent. I think it is most likely that it did.
However, it is not known exactly how often black holes are fed.
Previous studies have shown that dramatic X-ray flares occur every few hundred years at or near the central black hole, so that these flares send hot gases upward through the exhaust vent. may play an important role in pushing up.
Astronomers also estimate that Sagittarius A* tears apart and swallows a star approximately every 20,000 years.
Such an event would lead to a powerful and explosive release of energy, much of which would rise through the chimney vent.
Dr Mark Morris, an astronomer at the institute, said: 'We don't know whether this energy and heat is caused by a large amount of material being thrown into Sagittarius A* at once. It's like being thrown into it.” University of California, Los Angeles.
“Alternatively, it could result from multiple small loads being fed into the black hole, similar to kindlings thrown in periodically.”
Particles and energy within the vents provide clues about the origins of two mysterious and much larger structures near the center of the Milky Way. Fermi bubbles observed in gamma-rays by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and eROSITA bubbles detected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. ESA's eROSITA X-ray telescope.
These are both pairs of structures that extend thousands of light-years away from the center of our galaxy.
These provide important information about past explosive activity near the center of the galaxy.
Both the Fermi and eROSITA bubbles are aligned along the direction of the chimney and a second X-ray chimney that starts at the center of the galaxy and points in the opposite direction.
The funnel effect of the exhaust near the top of the chimney keeps the hot gases concentrated as they move upwards, which can promote the formation of a bubble agglomerate structure.
“The origin of the Fermi and eROSITA bubbles is one of the greatest mysteries facing the study of high-energy radiation from the Milky Way,” said Dr. Gabriele Ponti, an astronomer at Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics.
“We discovered small structures that may play a major role in the creation of these giant bubbles.”
a paper Regarding the survey results, astrophysical journal.
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Scott C. McKee other. 2024. X-rays from the central “exhaust” of the chimney at the center of the galaxy. APJL 966, L32; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad3248
a A class action lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court on Valentine's Day last year alleges that Match Group, owner of dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid, uses a “predatory business model” to keep users hooked. The lawsuit directly contradicts Hinge's claims of being “designed to be removed”.
The lawsuit has sparked new debate about the potential harm to mental health caused by dating apps, but for scientists who study romantic relationships, the central question remains: do these apps actually work? The answer, according to Elizabeth Bruch, a sociologist at the University of Michigan who has studied online dating for a decade, is that there is no definitive scientific evidence either way.
Michael Rosenfeld, a sociologist at Stanford University, notes that online dating has become increasingly popular, with half of all heterosexual couples in the U.S. now meeting online. The trend is also growing in Europe, with an estimated 80 million users on dating apps. Despite this growth, the effectiveness of these apps in helping users find their soulmates remains uncertain.
While online dating continues to gain traction, research on the success and longevity of couples who meet through these apps is scarce. Companies generally do not publicly release data on this topic, but experts like Bruch argue that there is no evidence to suggest that these companies have better insights than scientific researchers.
Recent studies have shown that couples who meet online report slightly lower satisfaction and stability in their relationships compared to those who meet offline. However, this difference may be attributed to other factors rather than the online dating experience itself, such as deep-seated biases and geographical distance between partners.
As dating platforms continue to evolve, promising new methods for matchmaking based on brain activity or facial expressions, questions remain about the efficacy of these approaches. Many users have reported disappointments and frustrations with online dating, raising concerns about the addictive nature of dating apps and their impact on users’ well-being.
To address these concerns, researchers like Bruch and Gordon are developing their own dating app that doubles as a research tool to improve our understanding of romantic relationships. Their goal is to provide users with transparent and ethical matchmaking experiences that prioritize compatibility over preconceived notions of compatibility.
What makes a good match? Similarity in age, ethnicity, and education level does not guarantee longevity. Photo: Maria Korneeva/Getty
Bruch and Gordon hope that their research will shed light on the complex dynamics of love and relationships, offering users a more fulfilling and transparent dating experience. They are particularly interested in exploring how users’ perceptions of compatibility can influence their dating preferences and outcomes.
While dating apps have revolutionized how people connect and form relationships, concerns remain about their addictive qualities and potential negative impacts on users’ mental health. Researchers are advocating for greater transparency and accountability within the industry to ensure that users can make informed decisions and have positive dating experiences.
In the midst of ongoing debates about the impact of dating apps on society and relationships, researchers and experts emphasize the need for greater scrutiny and regulation to ensure the well-being of users and the integrity of the industry.
What to do with the waste produced by preparing hundreds of millions of cups of tea? Malaysian researchers are proposing turning some of it into infrastructure.
Mohammad Al Bijawi and his team at Universiti Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Malaysia and his team outline both the problem and its attack plan as follows: Huge amounts of these are disposed of in landfills… The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate the effects of: [carbon nanotubes] Analyzing the mechanical and fresh properties of cement mortar from tea waste. ”
They propose the best way to approach this in a paper published in the journal “Investigating the influence of nanocarbon tubes prepared from tea waste on the microstructure and properties of cement mortar''. Environmental science and pollution research.
They ran tests that seemed to predict good results. “Incorporating nanocarbon tubes from tea waste into mortar reduced cement usage and indirectly reduced CO2.”2 Emissions and Greenhouse Effects”.
They propose that one of the primary uses would be to incorporate the diverted tea waste into “highway pavements and highway median subbases.” Feedback worries that doing so would tempt millions of tea lovers to splurge and proclaim: [specify any location] It is covered with used tea bags. ”
solar blade
Solar cells that generate electricity could go the same way as razor blades.
Layering razor blades, rather than a single blade, gives people with hairy legs and hairy faces a more efficient way to get sunlight on those legs and faces. (which benefited them, as their skin was more clearly visible to the admiring audience). A big change occurred a few decades ago when two-blade, then three-blade razors were introduced and rapidly gained market share, not just hair. Single-edged razors are starting to seem a little outdated.
Plans are currently underway to create solar cells with multiple layers. In some schemes, each layer is made of a different semiconductor material that absorbs its own distinctive range of solar frequencies. Most modern solar cells are basically just one layer of silicon.
Already, some solar cell designers are using various perovskites (a type of mineral) instead of silicon.
Research on perovskite layers has yielded one of the most gently entertaining and shout-out-worthy titles ever published in a recent chemistry journal.
Not only young children who want to impress their friends by imitating animal sounds out loud, but also adult children can easily learn how to play animals once they understand that crocodiles are individuals and not something that resembles a typical sound. can be raised.
All crocodiles, like all chimpanzees, cats, dogs, crows, or most types of large animals (and all humans!), make unique, personally characteristic calls. A study by Thomas Reisenhus Jensen and colleagues at Lund University in Sweden discusses the ubiquity and power of this loud personality.
Research published in journals animal behavior, titled “Knowing your mates by their calls: Acoustic characteristics of American alligator calls.'' Co-author Stefan Lever won the Ig Nobel Prize in 2020 with four other colleagues for making a Chinese female crocodile sing in an airtight chamber filled with helium-enriched air. When he did that, he caused a stir, so to speak.
arterial ants
The scourge of atherosclerosis, like many other medical scourges, can succumb to dietary attacks. So to speak, dietary discipline can lead your cardiovascular system to victory.
Little published research by Abdul Ademola Olaleye and colleagues at the Federal University of Datse in Nigeria highlights the health benefits of eating small portions of one all-natural food.
Details are provided in their study.Analysis and evaluation of fatty acids“Phospholipid and sterol profiles of five edible insect species: Lipid composition of five edible insect species”; Pakistan Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research Series B: Biological Sciences.
Olaleye and his team specifically focus on the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA) in foods. They analyzed ant samples collected from several farms and markets. Their conclusion is that “the PUFA/SFA ratio in this study is sufficient to arrest the atherosclerotic tendency.”
Among all the discouraging news in the world, feedback suggests this is the best news.
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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The UK government’s mandate for technology companies to self-regulate gambling-style loot boxes in video games has come under scrutiny as some developers, who were involved in creating industry guidelines, failed to comply with their own rules.
In the last six months, three companies, including major developer Electronic Arts (EA), faced charges from the advertising regulator for not disclosing the presence of loot boxes in their games as stipulated in the guidelines they helped establish.
Experts who filed the complaint noted numerous other breaches but only reported a few to highlight the issue to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Loot boxes are game features that allow players to spend real or virtual currency to unlock digital envelopes with random rewards like character outfits or weapons.
Despite concerns about the gambling-like risks associated with loot boxes, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport announced in July 2022 that loot boxes would not be classified as gambling products.
Nadine Dorries, the then culture secretary, expressed concerns about regulating loot boxes due to potential unintended consequences.
Instead of direct regulation, the government established a “technical working group” which included video game and tech companies and introduced 11 principles related to loot boxes in August 2023.
One of the guidelines requires clear disclosure of paid loot boxes in game promotions.
Leon Hsiao, an expert on loot box regulation, found that the majority of game ads he analyzed violated the group’s disclosure rules despite being members of the Loot Box Working Group.
Several games, including those from EA, Hutch, and Jagex, were subject to complaints upheld by the ASA for inadequate disclosure of loot boxes.
While EA and Jagex cited human error and lack of space for disclosures, Hatch claimed misunderstanding of the advertising guidelines.
Hsiao stressed that these incidents were not isolated and suggested the industry’s self-regulation efforts were not sufficient.
Don Foster, chairman of the House of Lords’ group for Gambling Reform, called out the failure of self-regulation and urged government intervention to protect children from loot box-related harm.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport emphasized the need for video game companies to enhance efforts in safeguarding players from loot box risks.
The UK games industry body Ukey supported the implementation of new guidelines by July 2024 to ensure player protection and promote responsible gaming.
EA affirmed their commitment to loot box disclosures and providing players with information for safe gaming practices.
Jagex and Hatch were contacted for comments by The Guardian.
Astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and NSF’s Carl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to locate H1821+643, the closest quasar hosted by a galaxy cluster, about 3.4 billion light years away. The quasar was found to be more powerful than many supermassive black holes in other galaxy clusters.
This composite image shows quasar H1821+643.Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Nottingham / Russell other. / NSF / NRAO / VLA / SAO / N. Walk.
Quasars are a rare and extreme class of supermassive black holes that violently pull matter inward, producing intense radiation and sometimes powerful jets.
This quasar, known as H1821+643, is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth and contains a black hole with a mass of 4 billion solar masses.
Most growing supermassive black holes pull matter in at a slower rate than quasars.
Astronomers have been studying the effects of these more common black holes by observing black holes at the centers of galaxy clusters.
Periodic explosions from such black holes prevent the massive amount of superheated gas embedded in the black hole from cooling down, increasing the number of stars forming in its host galaxy and the fuel pouring toward the black hole. limit the amount of
Little is known about how much influence quasars within galaxy clusters have on their surroundings.
“Our research shows that quasars appear to have given up much of the control imposed by slower-growing black holes. The appetite of black holes is unmatched in their influence,” Nottingham said. University astronomer Dr Helen Russell said.
To reach this conclusion, Russell and his colleagues used Chandra to study the hot gas surrounding H1821+643 and its host galaxy.
But the bright X-rays from quasars have made it difficult to study the weaker X-rays from hot gases.
“To reveal the effects of a black hole, we had to carefully remove the X-ray glare. Then we found that it actually had little effect on its surroundings,” says Harvard University. said Dr. Paul Nalsen, an astronomer at the Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Using Chandra, astronomers discovered that the density of gas near the black hole at the center of a galaxy is much higher than in more distant regions, and the temperature of the gas is much cooler.
Researchers believe that when there is little or no energy input (usually from an explosion from a black hole), hot gas behaves this way to prevent it from cooling and flowing toward the center of the cluster. Expect.
“The supermassive black hole generates far less heat than other black holes at the center of galaxy clusters. This allows the hot gas to cool rapidly and form new stars, which fuel the black hole. It also acts as a source,” said Dr Lucy Crews, an astronomer at the Open University.
The researchers determined that the equivalent of about 3,000 solar masses per year of hot gas has cooled to the point where it is no longer visible in X-rays.
This rapid cooling easily supplies enough material for the 120 solar masses of new stars observed to form each year within the host galaxy and the 40 solar masses consumed by black holes each year. be able to.
The scientists also investigated the possibility that radiation from quasars directly causes cooling of the cluster's hot gases.
This involves photons of light from the quasar colliding with electrons in the hot gas, increasing the energy of the photons and causing the electrons to lose energy and cool down.
This study showed that this type of cooling is probably occurring within the cluster containing H1821+643, but is too weak to explain the large amount of gas cooling seen.
Dr Thomas Braben, an astronomer at the University of Nottingham, said: “This black hole may not be producing enough because it isn't pumping any heat into its surroundings, but the current situation won't last forever.'' ” he said.
“Ultimately, the rapid uptake of fuel by the black hole should increase the jet's power and strongly heat the gas.”
“After that, the growth of the black hole and its galaxy should slow down significantly.”
According to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis, individual neurons work together to generate rhythmic waves that propel fluid through dense brain tissue, cleaning it in the process.
Accumulation of metabolic waste products is a major cause of many neurological diseases, but there is still limited knowledge about how the brain performs self-cleaning.Jean Xie other. They demonstrate that neural networks synchronize individual action potentials to generate large-amplitude, rhythmic, self-perpetuating ion waves within the brain's interstitial fluid. Image credit: Jiang-Xie other., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07108-6.
“These neurons are miniature pumps,” said Dr. Li-Feng Jiang-Xie, lead author of the study.
“Synchronized neural activity facilitates fluid flow and removal of debris from the brain.”
“If we can develop this process, we could slow or prevent neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, where excess waste products such as metabolic waste and junk proteins accumulate in the brain and cause neurodegeneration. It may be possible.”
Brain cells form a dynamic network that coordinates thoughts, emotions, and body movements and is essential for memory formation and problem solving.
But to perform these energy-intensive tasks, your brain cells need fuel. When you take in nutrients from your diet, metabolic waste products are produced in the process.
“It is important that the brain processes metabolic waste products that can accumulate and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases,” said Professor Jonathan Kipnis, senior author of the study.
“We knew that sleep is a time when the brain begins a cleansing process to flush out waste and toxins that have accumulated during wakefulness. But how does that happen? I didn't understand.”
“These findings may point us to strategies and potential treatments to accelerate the removal of hazardous waste and remove it before it leads to dire consequences.”
However, cleaning the dense brain is not an easy task. The cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain enters a complex network of cells, collecting toxic waste as it passes through it.
On leaving the brain, contaminated fluids must pass through a barrier in the dura mater (the outer layer of tissue that surrounds the brain under the skull) before flooding into the lymph vessels.
But what powers the flow of fluid into, into, and out of the brain?
“Researchers studied the brains of sleeping mice and discovered that neurons work together to fire electrical signals that generate rhythmic waves in the brain, prompting cleaning efforts,” says Jean. Dr. Shi said.
The study authors determined that such waves drive fluid movement.
They silenced certain brain areas so that neurons in those areas no longer produced rhythmic waves.
Without these waves, fresh cerebrospinal fluid cannot flow through the silenced brain areas and trapped waste products cannot exit the brain tissue.
“One of the reasons we sleep is to cleanse the brain,” Professor Kipnis says.
“And if we can enhance this cleansing process, perhaps we can sleep less and stay healthy.”
“Not everyone can benefit from eight hours of sleep each night, and lack of sleep can affect your health.”
“Other studies have shown that mice genetically short-sleeping have healthier brains.”
“Is it to remove waste products from the brain more efficiently?”
“Is it possible to strengthen the brain purification ability of people suffering from insomnia so that they can live with less sleep?”
of study Published in the Journal on February 28, 2024 Nature.
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LF.Jean Xie other. Neurodynamics directs cerebrospinal fluid perfusion and brain clearance. Nature, published online on February 28, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07108-6
Using new 21 cm radio observations made with NSF's Green Bank Telescope, astronomers have discovered that more than 250 clouds of neutral gas are blasting out into interstellar space from the center of the Milky Way. These clouds are likely the product of the same phenomenon that created the Fermi bubble.
The artist's concept is that clouds flowing from the center of the Milky Way are caught up in extremely hot winds and accelerated to speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second. Image credit: NSF/GBO/P. Vosteen.
It has long been known that energetic processes at the center of the Milky Way generate high-velocity hot winds that spread through intergalactic space with temperatures of millions of degrees and speeds of thousands of kilometers per second. Most large galaxies have winds like this.
The serendipitous discovery that some of this hot gas is trapped in cold hydrogen clouds was made by Australia's ATCA telescope, which measured 21cm radio emissions from interstellar hydrogen atoms.
This suggests that there may be an undiscovered population of clouds transporting material away from the Milky Way's core.
Hydrogen clouds are important in their own right, but they also act as probes for hot air.
Conditions in very hot winds are difficult to measure, but just as a few leaves thrown up on Earth indicate the direction and speed of the wind in the area, cold clouds can You can track its status.
The sensitivity of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) makes it an ideal instrument for detecting faint signals from interstellar hydrogen, but mapping these clouds and understanding their true extent is essential. It wasn't easy.
Dr Felix James 'Jay' Rockman, senior astronomer at Green Bank Observatory, said: 'It took many years to systematically map hundreds of square degrees using GBT in search of weak hydrogen emissions. ” he said.
“Once we identify a few promising candidates, we can follow up with targeted observations with other telescopes to show us even more.”
“This cloud must have been ripped off from a region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy and flung outward by a burst of star formation or black hole activity.”
Some of these clouds have the fastest outflow velocities of any cloud ever observed in the Milky Way, and may even escape from the Milky Way.
In an unexpected development, new data from the APEX telescope reveals that some hydrogen clouds contain molecules and dense cold gas.
“No one would have expected that the clouds violently ejected from the Milky Way would harbor relatively fragile molecular material, but that's what happened,” Rockman said.
Astronomers using the MeerKAT array recently mapped hydrogen in several clouds with high angular resolution, showing that it evolves and gets shredded as it flows into interstellar space.
“These new results open the door to further discoveries,” Dr. Rockman said.
“How clouds that are accelerated to speeds of more than 400 kilometers per second remain stable is a mystery.”
“The chemical processes inside these clouds are very unusual and unexplored.”
Dr. Rockman and his colleague Dr. Enrico Di Teodoro of the University of Florence, findings in AAS243243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
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Felix Rockman and Enrico di Teodoro. 2024. New investigation of neutral clouds in the Milky Way's core wind. AAS243Abstract #2851
Scientists have identified five mysterious species of the genus Viper Botrykiss They live in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.
Botrykis Rahimi. Image credit: Lucas Bustamante.
The eyelash viper is distinguished by a unique feature: a set of huge spine-like scales above the eyes.
These eyelashes give the snake a frightening and ferocious appearance, but the true purpose of this feature is still unknown.
However, what is certain is that certain populations exhibit longer and more stylized eyelashes compared to others.
The changes in the condition of the eyelashes led researchers to hypothesize that an undiscovered species existed.
Eyelash vipers are also famous for another characteristic: they are multicolored. The same patch of rainforest may contain individuals of the turquoise morph, moss morph, or gold morph. They all belong to the same species, even though they have completely different attire.
Alejandro Arteaga, a researcher with the Carmai Foundation and Tropical Helping SA, said: “No two individuals have the same color, even if they belong to the same litter (giving birth to live offspring).”
“Some species have a ‘Christmas’ form, a ghost form, and even a purple form, and different varieties can coexist and even breed with each other.”
“The reasons behind these incredible color changes are still unclear, but it is likely that the pit vipers are able to occupy a wide range of ambush perches, from mossy branches to bright yellow heliconias. is.”
Distribution of palm beetles botry extract schlegeli Species complex including 5 new species.Image credit: Arteaga other., doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.114527.
The newly identified species of eyelash viper is Botry extract lasix morum, Botrychus crebai, botry extract kwargi, Botrykis Rahimiand botry extract fusaini.
The first three species are endemic to the eastern Columbia Mountains and live in cloud forests and coffee plantations.
Botrykis Rahimi It stands out because it occurs in the remote and pristine Chocó rainforest on the border of Colombia and Ecuador.
botry extract fusaini It lives in the forests of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru.
“The venom of some (perhaps all) of the new viper species is much less lethal and hemorrhagic than the venom of typical vipers. Central American eyelash viper (botry extract schlegeli)” said Tropical Helping SA and Savia Foundation researcher Lucas Bustamante, who was bitten on the finger. Botrykis Rahimi When the photo was taken during a research expedition in 2013.
“There was intermittent localized pain, dizziness and swelling, but after three doses of antivenom within two hours of the sting, it quickly resolved and no scarring remained.”
“One of the key conclusions of the study is that four species in the group face high risk of extinction,” the researchers said.
“Their geographic range is very limited, and 50% to 80% of their habitat has already been destroyed.”
“Therefore, rapid response measures are urgently needed to save remaining habitat.”
of study It was published in the magazine evolutionary systematics.
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A. Arteaga other. 2024. Systematic revision of Eyelash Palm-Pitviper botry extract schlegeli (Serpentes, Viperidae), 5 new species descriptions and 3 revalidations. evolutionary systematics 8 (1): 15-64; doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.114527
R
Obin Khoury’s daughter Kristen was 15 years old when she was allowed to open her own Instagram account. “We considered ourselves responsible and did everything we could to ensure safety,” Corey says. Months later, Kristen disappeared from her parents’ home after being groomed by a criminal gang on Instagram’s direct message service and sold as prostitutes on the streets of Houston.
Colley said her daughter never recovered from the ordeal. Kristen returned to her home, but after she was trafficked again, she went missing. Her mother does not know if she is still alive.
Corey blames the gang that trafficked his daughter for destroying her life. She also blames Instagram, which she believes played a key role in the sex trafficking of her daughter. “If Instagram didn’t exist, none of this would have happened to my daughter,” she says. “Instagram made it so easy.” [for these people] do this. ”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said this after addressing the audience at this week’s U.S. Senate committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation. Photo: Evelyn Hochstein/Reuters
During the hearing, Zuckerberg, along with other social media executives, was questioned about the extent of harm to children on their platforms, and said there was no “causal effect” between social media and poor mental health among young people. He denied there was any evidence that there was a relationship.
He then addressed parents gathered at a Congressional hearing and apologized to parents who had lost children to sexual exploitation and harassment for what they had gone through.
Corey doesn’t have time to hear Zuckerberg’s apology. “If she wanted to, she could stop all the harm that’s happening on her platform,” she says. “Words are not enough. He needs to act.”
She said her daughter was a “normal, happy child” until 2019, when she became the target of a criminal organization operating a prostitution ring in downtown Houston.
Boys working as gang scouts at Kristen’s school identified Kristen as a potential target, and she was flooded with messages from gang members through the direct message feature on her Instagram account.
“They promised her a Louis Vuitton bag in an Instagram message, promised her a yacht trip, things like that,” Corey says. “They say, ‘Come party with me.'”
A few months after she started receiving messages, the gang lured Kristen out of her parents’ home. Two weeks later, police found her in Houston’s red-light district.
“[When she came home] She started talking more about what they had done to her,” Corey says. “The babies’ mouths came out with horrifying stories about what they were forced to do.”
Corrie said Kristen returned to her family traumatized, frightened, angry and a different person.
“I searched for my daughter in some really dark places,” Robin Corey says. “We are conducting DNA testing on the remains that match her description.” Photo: Tola Olawale/The Guardian
According to a new study, Greenland’s ice sheet has lost approximately 1,965 square miles to glacier retreat since 1985, which is about the same area as the state of Delaware. The study utilized satellite images to track the retreat and discovered that iceberg collapse is accelerating in Greenland, with previous analyses potentially underestimating its impact. The authors of the study noted that the current estimates of ice sheet mass balance may underestimate recent mass loss from Greenland by up to 20%. In recent decades, nearly all of Greenland’s glaciers have thinned or retreated.
The study, published in the journal Nature, is another indication that Greenland’s ice is melting at a rapid rate. There is growing concern among scientists that global warming could trigger a major ice sheet tipping point. If Greenland’s ice completely melts, sea levels could rise by almost 7 feet and change ocean circulation patterns. Additionally, the study suggests that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change may be underestimating how much ice is being lost in Greenland.
Several studies published last year highlighted Greenland’s rapid changes, including one that found the rate of glacier retreat in the 21st century to be twice as fast as the 20th century. Another study showed that floating ice shelves in northern Greenland have lost over 35% of their total volume and are weakening, which could threaten ice sheet stability.
In November, a report by 60 leading snow and ice scientists raised concerns about the fate of the world’s ice sheets, warning that if global average temperatures rise to about 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial baselines, the planet could see sea level rise of more than 40 feet in the coming centuries. The report also indicates that by 2 degrees Celsius, most of Greenland, most of West Antarctica, and vulnerable parts of East Antarctica will have a very long-term chance of warming, leading to relentless sea level rise and decline.
The average bottle of water contains nearly 250,000 tiny, invisible particles of nanoplastic that were detected and classified for the first time using a dual-laser microscope.
Scientists have long suspected that there are a lot of these tiny pieces of plastic, but until researchers at Columbia University and Rutgers University made calculations, they had no idea how many or what types they were. Researchers examined five samples of each of three common bottled water brands and found particle levels ranging from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, with an average of about 240,000, according to Monday’s findings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous research looked at slightly larger microplastics, ranging from visible 5 millimeters (less than a quarter of an inch) to 1 micron. The study found that about 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics were found in bottled water.
Nisin Kian, the study’s lead author and a physical chemist from Colombia, said much of the plastic appears to come from the bottles themselves and the reverse osmosis filters used to keep out other contaminants. She did not reveal her three brands because the researchers need more samples and would like to study more brands before singling out one. Still, she said they were common and she bought them at Walmart.
Researchers still can’t answer the big question: Are these nanoplastic pieces harmful to health?
“That’s under consideration right now. We don’t know if it’s dangerous or how dangerous it is,” said study co-author Phoebe Stapleton, a toxicologist at Rutgers University. “We know they invade tissues (of mammals, including humans)…and current research is investigating what they do inside cells.”
The International Bottled Water Association said in a statement: “Currently, there is a lack of standardized (measurement) methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health effects of nano- and microplastic particles. Reports will only unnecessarily scare consumers.”
The American Chemistry Council, which represents plastics manufacturers, had no immediate comment.
The world is “driving under the weight of plastic pollution, with more than 430 million tonnes of plastic produced annually” and microplastics are being found all over the planet. world ocean, food and drinking water
Some of it comes from clothing and cigarette filters, according to United Nations Environment Programme. Initiatives towards global plastic treaty It will continue even after negotiations stalled in November.
All four co-authors interviewed said they had reduced their use of bottled water after conducting the study.
Wei Ming, a Colombian physical chemist who pioneered dual-laser microscopy technology, said he has cut his use of bottled water in half. Stapleton said he is now using more filtered water at his home in New Jersey.
But Bayzan Yan, a co-author of the study and a Colombian environmental chemist who has increased tap water usage, said the introduction of plastic could cause problems with the filters themselves.
“There’s no chance of winning,” Stapleton said.
Naixin Qian, a physical chemist at Columbia University, zooms in on an image of microscopic pieces of plastic that appeared as bright red dots in New York on Monday. Mary Conlon/Associated Press
Outside experts who praised the study agreed there were general concerns about the dangers of plastic particles, but it was too early to say for sure.
“The dangers of plastic itself are an unanswered question. To me, the additives are the most concerning,” said Jason Somarelli, professor and director of the Comparative Oncology Group at Duke University School of Medicine. . He did not participate in this study. “We and other researchers have shown that these nanoplastics can be taken up into cells, and that nanoplastics have the potential to cause cellular stress and DNA damage, altering metabolism and cell function. We know that it contains all kinds of chemical additives that are harmful.”
Somarelli said his unpublished research found more than 100 “known carcinogenic chemicals in these plastics.”
Zoe Diana, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Toronto, said: “The concern is that small particles are showing up in various organs and can cross membranes that they’re not supposed to cross, such as the blood-brain barrier.'' ” he said.
Diana, who was not involved in the study, said this was an exciting development in the study of plastics in the environment and in the body, thanks to the new tools researchers used.
About 15 years ago, Min invented a dual-laser microscopy technique that identifies specific compounds by their chemical properties and how they resonate when exposed to a laser. Yang and Qian approached him about using the technology to find and identify plastics that are too small for researchers using established methods.
“This study could be an important advance in the detection of nanoplastics,” said Kara Lavender-Law, an oceanographer at the Marine Education Association, adding that other analytical chemists will not be able to replicate the technique and results. He said he would like to see it done.
Dennis Hardesty, an Australian government oceanographer who studies plastic waste, said context was needed. The total weight of the nanoplastics found is “approximately the weight of one penny, which is the volume of two Olympic-sized swimming pools.”
Mr. Hardesty is less concerned about nanoplastics in bottled water than others, saying, “I am privileged to live in an area with access to ‘clean’ tap water, and I don’t have access to drinking water in single-use containers. There’s no need to buy one.”
Yang said other municipalities, including Boston, St. Louis and Los Angeles, are starting to look at how much plastic is in their tap water. Previous research We’re looking for microplastics, and some early tests show tap water may have less nanoplastics than bottled water.
Despite the unknowns about human health, Yang said he has one recommendation for those concerned. It’s about using reusable bottles instead of single-use plastics.
There are all sorts of fancy tools and expensive equipment that can dramatically improve the taste of your coffee, but now scientists have discovered a new trick that requires just a few drops of water.
When you grind coffee, the process creates friction, which causes some cracks in the beans. This generates electricity that causes the coffee particles to clump and stick to the grinder.
This moisture level is achieved by simply adding a small amount of water to the beans. in front Polishing them.
“Moisture determines the amount of charge formed during grinding, whether it’s residual moisture inside the roasted coffee or external moisture added during grinding,” says the senior author. Dr Christopher Hendona computational materials chemist at Orjon University.
“Water not only reduces static electricity and reduces mess during grinding, but it can also have a significant impact on the strength of the beverage and potentially its ability to obtain a higher concentration of desirable flavor.”
Coffee experts weren’t the only people involved in this study. In a strange turn of events, a volcanologist was brought in to better understand what happens when static electricity is generated when grinding coffee.
“During an eruption, magma breaks up into many small particles that come out of the volcano in a large plume. Throughout the process, those particles rub against each other and become electrically charged until lightning occurs.” he says.volcanologist joshua mendez harperauthor of the paper at Portland State University.
“Simplistically speaking, it’s like grinding coffee, grinding the beans into a fine powder.”
During the course of the study, the research team measured the amount of static electricity generated by grinding a variety of commercially and home-roasted coffee beans. These vary depending on factors such as country of origin, roast color, and moisture content.
Although there was no association between static electricity and the coffee’s country of origin or processing method (natural, washed, decaffeinated), the researchers found a link between static electricity and coffee content, roast color, and particle size. found that there is a correlation between
Less power was produced when the coffee had a higher internal moisture content and when the coffee was ground at a coarser setting. The research team also discovered differences in the static electricity generated between light and dark roasts.
When we compared espresso made with the same coffee beans ground with and without water, we found that grinding with water produced a stronger and longer extraction. Similarly, milling with water improves shot-to-shot consistency, overcoming a hurdle for baristas who want consistent results all day long.
“The main material benefit of adding water during grinding is that there is less agglomeration and the bed can be packed more densely,” says Hendon.
“Espresso is the worst culprit for this problem, but there are also benefits seen in brewing methods where you pour water over the coffee, like on the stovetop. Where you don’t see a benefit are methods like a French press, where you steep the coffee in water. .”
Although the research findings primarily focus on coffee, they have implications for other areas as well.
“It’s kind of the beginning of a joke: a volcanologist and a coffee expert walk into a bar and come out with a paper,” Harper says.
“But I think there are many more opportunities for this kind of collaboration. These investigations could help solve parallel problems in geophysics, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and how water infiltrates soil. .”
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.”
2023 was an absolute year for gaming. Probably no one has played all the great titles released on various platforms. That certainly wasn’t the case. But it also means that you have options to get gifts for gamers in the last moments of life. We’ve rounded up some of the best titles of the type that someone happened to be putting off while playing the latest Final Fantasy or Call of Duty. Of course, I also tried to select multi-platform games other than Mario. So check what your giftee is playing and make the right choice. If you’re a nerd, or want to be one: Baldur’s Gate 3 Image credits: Larian Studio If you’re the type of gamer who carries dice everywhere, plays complex card and tabletop games, and jokes about “critical failures,” get Baldur’s Gate 3 if you don’t already have it please. Currently available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, this most epic RPG is winning award after award and is even better than when it was released. It’s been a long time since it was released, so there’s a good chance you already have it, but I’m sure there are many people who have been waiting for it to be released. that’s what I have now. Their hesitation is a gift from you. If you like a challenge: P’s Lies Image credits: Neowiz game If you’re a gamer who loves difficult games or says that today’s games involve too much hand-holding, get Lies of P. You wouldn’t expect a Pinocchio-themed game to be one of the best Souls-like (Dark Souls-type imitators have been called out for years, but somehow that’s exactly what happened. The game has a dark and original story and setting, and a long and satisfying campaign with lots of secrets, weapons, obscure gameplay elements, and of course incredibly difficult bosses. It’s a good idea to buy a spare controller in case your controller breaks in half. For ages 35 and older: Super Mario RPG Image credits: Nintendo If you’re a nostalgic gamer (as we gamers “of a certain age” often are), then pick up Nintendo’s latest nostalgic fodder, a remake of Super Mario RPG. This remake is more of a remaster of the popular Super Famicom game, with the same story and gameplay elements but updated graphics and controls for the modern era. This is another game that a lot of people will probably hold off on buying because there are so many great games out there right now, but they’ll be happy to receive it. If you are over 35 years old and want to talk about the anime Star Ocean Second Story R Image credits: square Enix This is another nostalgic hit, but for those who don’t mind if the medium leans a bit towards anime (or those who don’t own a Switch). Star Ocean 2 is one of his biggest and best works of his 16-bit era and received a masterpiece remake using a stunning “2D-3D” art style. Some people find it a little strange to pay full price for an older game like Super Mario RPG, but if you get it as a gift, you can play it without worrying. He doesn’t have to be over 35 to enjoy these games, but it probably helps. (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) If you have a friend you often play with: Remnant II Image credits: gunfire game Does your gamer have a buddy to play with? Get Remnant II. One of his surprise hits this year, Remnant II is a fantasy/sci-fi shooter built from the ground up for co-op play. The environments and enemies are truly imaginative and bizarre, the gameplay is tough, varied, and fair, and the procedural generation makes every playthrough slightly different. If you want to play to the fullest, no matter what platform you play on, buy the 2-pack. If you like original and artistic things: Jusant Image credits: please don’t nod If your gamers always talk about indie games and movies and seem to value originality over other aspects, buy Jusant. This extremely gorgeous and completely original game was released pretty quietly, probably because people didn’t know what to make of it. You play the role of an unnamed protagonist who climbs up the mountain holding hands using ropes and other tools. As you explore, you learn about the seemingly endless stone towers studded with the ruins of civilization. It’s gorgeous, completely unique, and even super fun to play. If you played 700 hours of Stardew Valley: Roots of Pacha or Moonstone Island. Image credits: soda den Like many who played it, I searched hard for a game that even came close to the standard Stardew Valley set in the “life sim” field. And the closest we’ve come is Roots of Pacha. This brand new game is set in the Stone Age and basically puts you as a young man in a cave helping your tribe discover everything from improving crops to livestock to almond milk. Charming, very spacious and very quiet. It also has multiplayer built in if you prefer. Image credits: studio super soft Or check out Moonstone Island, which combines the town and farming sim parts of Stardew with exploration and Pokemon-like combat. Also includes deck building components and procedural generation. Sure, there are a lot of trends at once, but everything blends together very well and is fun from start to finish. It’s quite a good deal for the money.
Researchers have discovered a way to detect Parkinson’s disease up to 30 years before symptoms appear using biomarkers and PET scans. This breakthrough includes tracking neurodegeneration more sensitively than current methods and shows that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is an important early indicator of Parkinson’s disease. is identified. This discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, potentially up to 10 years earlier than currently.
Researchers at The Florey and Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia, have demonstrated the potential to identify early indicators of Parkinson’s disease 20 to 30 years before the onset of symptoms. This breakthrough paves the way for early screening programs and intervention, potentially allowing treatment before significant damage occurs.
Researchers at the Florey Institute and Austin Health have demonstrated the possibility of identifying early indicators of Parkinson’s disease 20 to 30 years before the onset of symptoms. This breakthrough paves the way for early screening efforts and preventive treatment, long before permanent damage occurs.
Florey Professor Kevin Burnham said that although Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative disease, is often thought of as a disease of the elderly, it actually begins in midlife and can last for decades. He said it may not be detected.
“Parkinson’s disease is very difficult to diagnose until symptoms become apparent, by which time up to 85 percent of the neurons in the brain that control motor coordination have been destroyed. At that point, many treatments are likely to be ineffective,” Professor Burnham said. “Our long-term goal is to find ways to detect diseases earlier and treat people before they cause harm.”
Advanced diagnostic technology
In a recently published study, neurologylead researcher Professor Burnham and colleagues explore how a known biomarker called F-AV-133 can be used in positron emission tomography (PET) scans to diagnose Parkinson’s disease and accurately track neurodegeneration. I’m explaining how it can be done.
In the Melbourne study, Austin Health’s Frawley Professor Chris Rowe and his team studied 26 patients with Parkinson’s disease, 12 controls, and 11 patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a strong indicator of Parkinson’s disease. I checked the name. .
Each person underwent two PET scans two years apart. Key findings include:
Currently available assessments of Parkinson’s disease showed no significant changes in clinical symptoms in any of the participants.
In contrast, PET scans showed “significant neuronal loss” in three key areas of the brains of people with the disease, making F-AV-133 more effective than what is currently available. also suggests that it is a sensitive means of monitoring neurodegeneration.
Further mathematical modeling yields the following calculation:
Slow nerve cell loss over a total of approximately 33 years in Parkinson’s disease
This loss takes about 10.5 years before the disease is detected on a PET scan.
Even if a PET scan detects the disease, it will take another six and a half years for motor symptoms to appear.
It takes about 3 years after physical symptoms appear until a clinical diagnosis is confirmed.
This corresponds to approximately 22.5 years of neuronal loss before clinical symptoms are sufficient for diagnosis.
Professor Burnham said the findings pave the way for the development of screening protocols to diagnose and treat Parkinson’s disease up to 10 years earlier than is currently possible. It may also help identify patients for clinical trials.
What is RBD?
RBD stands for Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder.
Patients with RBD scream, thrash, and sometimes move violently during sleep, enacting vivid and disturbing dreams.
RBD is caused by a lack of muscle relaxation (sleep paralysis).
90% of RBD patients develop Parkinson’s disease.
Half of all Parkinson’s patients have RBD.
RBD is an important warning sign for early Parkinson’s disease.
If you have RBD, see a sleep specialist or neurologist.
Reference: “Use of 18F-AV-133 VMAT2 PET Imaging to Monitor Progressive Nigrostriatal Degeneration in Parkinson’s Disease”, Leah C. Beauchamp, Vincent Dore, Victor L. Villemagne, SanSan Xu, David Finkelstein, Kevin J. Barnham, Christopher Rowe, 28 November 2023 neurology. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207748
University of Queensland researchers Matt Holden, Andrew Rogers, Russell Yong and colleagues took on the challenge of identifying species around their home in Brisbane, Australia. paper in a diary ecology.
rogers other. They discovered his 1,150 unique species of animals, plants and fungi around his inner Brisbane home. Image credit: Penny.
Dr Holden, Dr Rogers and Dr Yong conducted a census in shared homes and their backyards during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, collecting 1,150 endemic species of animals, plants and fungi over 12 months. discovered.
“We asked a number of ecologists and conservation scientists how many species they expected to find in this environment, and they predicted only 200 species.” Dr. Holden said.
“But after 60 days of research, we had already discovered 777 species.”
“It shows that suburban homes and apartments can contain much more biodiversity than previously imagined, especially when it comes to insects.”
The idea for species number came when Dr. Rogers went to vacuum the cobwebs in his room and wondered how many spiders there were on the premises.
“The three of us immediately came up with a plan to scour our homes and backyards looking for other creatures living with us,” Dr Holden said.
The survey revealed a rich biodiversity, including 436 species of moths and butterflies, 56 species of spiders, 8 species of reptiles, and 56 species of birds.
Bird species included yellow-brown black-breasted kingfishers, common kingfishers, green honeycreepers, rainbow parakeets, spotted doves and Brisbane’s favorite, the Australian white ibis.
“Blue-bellied skinks hibernated under the garage, and at night we had green-bellied bees and teddy bear bees sleeping in the hedge under the front window,” Dr Holden said.
Researchers were also surprised to discover three species not previously recorded in Australia’s major biodiversity databases. Living Australia Atlas — Mosquitoes, sandflies, invasive flatworms, Platypus ManokwariIt is responsible for the decline in populations of native snails around the world.
“The house was a complex ecosystem of interacting species – we encountered a moth Countless scat lacerations“The caterpillars spend their entire lives feeding in green mouse feces before emerging as adults,” Dr Holden said.
“Palyrgis conqueror This is another type of moth whose caterpillars live inside spider webs and eat spider feces to survive. ”
“All urban housing has the potential to host similar biodiversity.”
“It depends on how people take care of their homes and gardens. By keeping low-maintenance trees and shrubs, keeping well-maintained lawns and eliminating pesticides, you can increase the number of critters found. will increase significantly.”
“You don’t need to travel to connect with Australia’s biodiversity; you just need to look out into your own backyard.”
_____
Andrew M. Rogers other. 2023. Home of a Thousand Species: The Untapped Potential of Comprehensive Biodiversity Surveys of Urban Properties. ecology, published online on December 1, 2023. doi: 10.1002/ecy.4225
Recent research has revealed that fermenting alliums such as onions with fungi can naturally mimic the flavor of meat, offering a promising solution for enhancing plant-based meat substitutes without the use of synthetic additives. measures are provided.
Plant-based alternatives like tempeh and bean burgers offer protein-rich options for those looking to cut back on meat. However, it is difficult to imitate the taste and aroma of meat, and many companies use artificial additives for this purpose. Recent research in ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed a promising solution. Onions, chives, and leeks can produce natural compounds that resemble meat flavors when fermented with typical fungi.
An innovative approach to natural meat flavoring
When food manufacturers want their plant-based meat alternatives to taste more like meat, they often add precursor ingredients found in the meat that transform into flavorants during cooking. Alternatively, flavors are first prepared by heating flavor precursors or other chemical manipulations and then added to the product.
Because these flavors are created through a synthetic process, many countries do not allow food manufacturers to label them as “natural.” To utilize plant-based “natural” meat flavors, flavor chemicals must be physically extracted from plants or produced biochemically using enzymes, bacteria, and fungi. So YanYan Zhang and colleagues wanted to see if they could produce the same chemicals from vegetables and spices using fungi, which are known for producing meat-like tastes and smells from synthetic ingredients.
Allium releases the aroma of meat
The team fermented different fungi seed After experimenting with different foods, I found that meaty aromas only come from foods in the allium family, such as onions and leeks. The sample with the strongest aroma was one in which the fungus Polyporus umbellatus was used to ferment onions for 18 hours, producing a fatty and meaty aroma similar to liverwurst.
The researchers used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze onion ferments to identify flavor and odor chemicals, many of which are known to be responsible for various flavors in meat. discovered a chemical substance. One of the chemicals they identified was bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide, a strong odorant found in meat and savory foods.
The researchers say the high sulfur content of alliums contributes to their ability to produce meat-flavoring compounds, and these compounds often also contain sulfur. These onion ferments could one day be used as a natural flavoring agent in a variety of plant-based meat substitutes, the researchers say.
Reference: “Sensoproteomic discovery of taste-modulating peptides and taste re-engineering of soy sauce” Manon Jünger, Verena Karolin Mittermeier-Kleßinger, Anastasia Farrenkopf, Andreas Dunkel, Timo Stark, Sonja Fröhlich, Veronika Somoza, Corinna Dawid, and Thomas Hofmann, 2022 May 20th Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01688
The authors acknowledge funding from Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung.
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