Tag Archives: life

Is it Necessary to Establish a Frozen Backup of Earth’s Life on the Moon?

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Shackleton Crater on the south pole of the moon is an area in permanent shadow

LROC/Shadowcam/NASA/KARI/ASU

A backup of Earth-based life could be safely stored in a permanently dark spot on the Moon’s surface, without the need for power or maintenance, and could potentially be restored if life becomes extinct.

Mary Hagedorn Researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, DC, and their colleagues proposed building the lunar biorepository as a response to extinctions occurring on Earth.

The plan has three main goals: to protect the diversity of life on Earth, to preserve species that may be useful for space exploration, such as those that can provide food or biological materials for filtration, and to preserve microorganisms that may be needed in the future to terraform other planets.

Hagedorn said the team wanted to identify a place that wouldn’t require people or energy to store cryogenically frozen living cells at temperatures below minus 196 degrees Celsius, the temperature at which nitrogen becomes liquid and all biological processes stop.

“There’s no place on Earth cold enough to put passive storage, which has to be kept at minus 196 degrees Celsius, so we thought about space or the moon,” Hagedorn said.

She said the team chose the lunar south pole because of a deep crater with a cold area that’s permanently in shadow. Burying the samples about two meters below the surface would also protect them from radiation, she said.

Previous attempts to build safe biovaults have met with mixed success. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway is located in the Arctic and was built to be permanently kept at or below -18 degrees Celsius by the surrounding permafrost, but climate change and rising temperatures threaten its long-term safety.

Biorepository facilities in other parts of the world, especially those located close to cities, are human-power dependent and vulnerable to geopolitical upheaval.

Andrew Pask David B. Schneider, a researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia who is building an Australian seed repository, is enthusiastic about the idea: “We want to look at the same samples in the same facility to ensure their safety, and at the moment the Moon seems like the safest place,” he says.

but Rachel Lapin A researcher from Monash University in Melbourne says there are many challenges and disadvantages to using the Moon, especially the difficulty of accessing it to add or remove samples. She says it might be better to store samples on Earth with lots of redundancy, so that if one repository fails, others are available.

“I want to see compelling evidence that storage will be available if needed,” she said.

Even if this moon vault is not used, Alice Gorman Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, see value in preserving human remains in space, and believe they might one day be accessible to extraterrestrial civilizations.

“Whether it’s cryogenically frozen biological tissue or DNA, or the full text of Wikipedia stored on a high-density nickel disk, the repository will be similar to the Voyager Golden Records,” Gorman says, referring to the metal disks containing humanity’s story attached to the spacecraft currently leaving the solar system.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient life signs found in rocks by Mars rover

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The leopard-spot-like features in the center of the image may be a sign of ancient life.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered a rock speckled with what appear to be traces of ancient life. Named Cheyaba Falls after a famous waterfall in Arizona, the rock suggests that microbial life may have existed there billions of years ago, but there's currently no certainty that life ever existed there.

The rock, about 1 meter by 0.6 meters in size, is mostly reddish with thin veins of white calcium sulfate that were likely formed when water flowed through cracks in the rock, depositing minerals in the cracks. Water is one of the elements necessary for life, but water is not the only thing researchers found as they sifted through the Perseverance data.

They found that among the white stripes were strange light-colored spots just a few millimeters in diameter, surrounded by a dark material containing iron and phosphate. “These spots were a big surprise,” they said. David Flannery NASA's Queensland University of Technology in Australia press release“On Earth, these rock features are often associated with the fossil record of microorganisms living below the Earth's surface,” because the chemical reactions that produce these leopard-print patterns in Earth's rocks can also provide useful energy for microorganisms.

In the same area where the rocks are, Perseverance also detected certain organic compounds that are considered building blocks of life. Taken together, all of this could be considered a trace of past microbial life on Mars, but it's far from conclusive proof. “We should be cautiously enthusiastic, but realistically cautious,” Perseverance said. Pole Barn “Right now, this is a sign that wet rocks are (probably) causing chemical changes,” said John Doe, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, who was not involved in the study.

As it turns out, there are ways to produce all these signatures without the involvement of any living organisms, and there are some indications that the region may have once been filled with hot magma, which may have made it impossible for life to survive there.

Unfortunately, it won't be clear anytime soon whether there are signs of life at Cheyaba Falls. “We've shone lasers and X-rays on the rocks, and literally photographed them day and night, from just about every angle you can imagine,” says Dr. Ken Farley “Scientifically, Perseverance has nothing more to offer,” Caltech said in a press release.

The rover is adding samples from Cheyaba Falls to its archives, and a future mission will bring them back to Earth, where researchers will be able to study them more closely with more advanced instruments. “There's a whole different way to analyze them than you would in a lab on Earth,” Byrne says.

But NASA's Mars sample-return mission, Perseverance, has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and it's still not clear when or if we'll be able to get an up-close look at the intriguing rocks.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Design News for July: Casio Celebrates 50 Years, iPod Makes a Comeback, and Repairing is the New Art

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BThis month in design news, tinkering and hobby crafts get the respect they deserve. Read our articles to see where these wonderful activities are being treated as art. We also cover the history of Casio watches and the emerging future of the Apple Watch. Sign up for the Design Review newsletter to receive more articles like this on architecture, sustainability, and crafts every month.

Origami created by origami artist Darryl Bedford (London) Photo: Darryl Bedford

Oscar Wilde once said, “If you want to have fun in life, you have to take something seriously.” So he must have been impressed by the diverse works and collections on display in the new Art Angel exhibition, “Come As You Really Are,” which just opened in Croydon, UK. In January, British-Gujarati artist and filmmaker Hetan Patel put out a call for all passionate people — collectors, crafters, weekend painters — to send in photos and stories about their hobbies. From 1,500 responses, Patel has put together a stunning exhibition featuring everything from handmade banjos and origami to Warhammer figurines and My Little Pony collections. The artist is a huge Spider-Man fan, and the exhibition includes his own Spider-Man-inspired works. “Come As You Really Are” is currently on display at Grantsville in Croydon, but will be touring the UK for the next 18 months.

Patel said: “Sharing something so personal carries with it a vulnerability that often comes in private spaces with the responsibilities of everyday life. But there is great power in collective sharing, and that is at the heart of this project. We hope you will join us in celebrating the unstoppable nature of self-expression that hobby can represent.”

For more information on “Come As You Really Are” and tour locations, Art Angel Website

TinyPod models available in various sizes Photo: TinyPod

If the memory of the iPod still brings back nostalgia, the TinyPod might be just what you need. The new gadget is a strap-less Apple Watch in a case with the familiar old iPod click wheel, which you can use as a limited-function smartphone. You can make calls, send texts, and listen to music, but you can’t easily access social media or play videos. The Tinypod’s selling point is that it’s a “phone away from the phone,” and if you want to limit your screen time without reverting to a dumb phone, this could be the middle ground.

Sure, the TinyPod requires you to have an old Apple Watch gathering dust in a drawer, requires you to turn off wrist detection, and doesn’t count steps, but finding new uses for excess tech always seems like a good idea.

For more information, TinyPod website

The statue of British-Indian secret agent Noor Inayat Khan in Bloomsbury is one of the places marked on the new South Asian History London map. Photo: © Joe Underhill 2023

Approximately one in five Londoners is of South Asian descent, and the community has an impact across London’s streets and neighborhoods, and this rich history is celebrated in Blue Crow Media’s latest city guide map.

The publisher has earned a reputation for producing beautiful maps that combine hidden history with outstanding graphics. Previous titles include Brutalist London and Black History London. This latest map was created by urban planner and author Krish Nathaniel and Bushra Mohammed, director of Msoma Architects. It features 50 London locations, including Neasden Abbey, Drummond Street, the Statue of Noor Inayat Khan, and the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

“In the UK, there’s often a comfortable assumption that our multi-ethnic history started in the 1950s. For South Asians, the story is much longer than many people know. We wanted to make that history visible and visitable,” says Nathaniel. “We want to show the intertwined stories that span every country and faith across the South Asian subcontinent and its diaspora. Anyone from the South Asian community can find themselves in this map, whether they’re 16 or 60.”

The South Asia History London Map is available at: Blue Crow Media and various independent bookstores.

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A refurbished coastal pot by architect and leatherworker Martha Summers. Photo: Martha Summers

If you’re wondering whether to repair or replace your belongings, check out Architecture of Repair on Instagram before your next move. The feed explores the possibilities of repair and showcases the work of the Beyond Repair collective. Everyday objects like IKEA lamps, broken bottles, and moth-eaten rugs are restored to beautiful, usable condition by collective members like Phineas Harper, CEO of education charity Open City, architect Sanjukta Jitendar, and Smith Modak, CEO of the UK Green Building Council.

Some of these incredible pieces are also currently on display at the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale in the Netherlands, so be sure to check them out if you want to take a closer look.

“Around 62% of the 222 million tonnes of waste the UK produces each year comes from construction and building,” Harper said. “The UN estimates that e-waste alone is growing five times faster than recycling rates. The transition to a fair and green economy must be focused on restoring a culture of repair, care, maintenance, and restoration.”

Let’s take another look at the IKEA lamp.

“Beyond Repair” is on display at the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale until October 13th. Instagram: @architectureofrepair

Casio “Illuminator” watch.
 Photo: heliography/Stockimo/Alamy

It’s hard to believe Casio watches are still 50 years old, but this year the Japanese electronics manufacturer is celebrating the milestone. Everyone’s favorite brand of affordable keyboards and calculators is showcasing some of their vintage classic watches, with a focus on classics from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

If you grew up proudly wearing a G-Shock or adored an old-fashioned calculator watch, prepare to feel a tsunami of nostalgia.

Casio’s first digital watch was the Casiotron, introduced in 1974. It was the world’s first watch with an automatic calendar function. When Casio released a limited special edition of this watch earlier this year, it sold out in the UK within five minutes, with more due to be released later this year.

For more information on the Vintage Series, please visit Casio’s Website.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Unlocking the Power of Aura: Aristotle’s Influence on the New Currency of Cool | Life & Style

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yes
You can track your calories, steps, and even the number of streams on your favorite songs. Now, you can also quantify your awesomeness with Aura Points, which determine your level of attractiveness. (It’s basically charisma, and if you didn’t know that, you just lost 100 Aura points.)

Asking someone out and getting a “yes” results in losing 100 aura points. Using Snapchat after the age of 19 is frowned upon and leads to a deduction of 1,000 aura points. Answering a question confidently in class, even if it’s wrong, puts you in the negative.

According to a TikTok explanation, this trend has caused a 378% spike in posts with the hashtag #aurapoints between May and June. It’s all about exuding a positive, carefree, and confident attitude to earn points and gain entry into the cool-kids club.

The concept of Aura Points is a modern twist on the elusive “it” factor, popularized by stars like Clara Bow and Evelyn Nesbitt, now reimagined for the younger generation. Gain your Aura Points to join the cool club, or risk losing them and facing consequences.

Stories on TikTok illustrate how people earn and lose points. Acting breezy and confident in tough situations earns you points, while staying with a cheating partner results in a deduction that no aura person would accept. Some scenarios are absurd but entertaining.

While Aura Points are mostly light-hearted, some creators use them to symbolize personal growth moments. It can be a way to reflect on important life choices and behaviors that define one’s character positively.

Young TikTok users share anecdotes of their point-earning and losing experiences. The trend aligns with Gen Z’s interest in cosmic belief systems like astrology. It offers a playful yet insightful approach to evaluating personal growth and character development.

Aura Points may seem like a modern TikTok fad, but they draw parallels to ancient virtue ethics from Greek and Roman philosophy. It’s more than just a superficial trend; it encourages self-reflection and moral alignment with personal values.

The concept of Aura Points also relates to moral credit, where positive actions counterbalance potential negative ones. It serves as a gamified system to assess behavior and invite constructive criticism.

Just like Alain de Botton’s notion of “status anxiety,” Aura Points reflect the ongoing concern for how others perceive us and our quest for self-worth. It’s a way for individuals to navigate social evaluation and engage in status transactions.

Understanding the philosophy behind this TikTok trend? Congratulations, you’ve earned 1,000 Aura points!

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hydrogel Extends Drug Shelf Life Beyond Refrigeration

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When mixed with hydrogel, protein-based drugs can remain effective for longer at higher temperatures.

Shutterstock/Renko Alex

Many medicines need to be kept refrigerated or they become ineffective, but a new way of packaging protein-based drugs into a stiff gel could potentially extend their shelf life at room temperature.

If medicines are not stored properly, they can break down and become unsafe to use. For example, exposure to high temperatures can break down the chemical bonds that keep the medicine’s molecules in place, impairing their function. Shaking some medicines can cause the molecules to clump together, making them less effective. Matthew Gibson Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK have been working to solve these challenges for almost 15 years.

He and his colleagues have developed a method to make working with protein-based drugs simpler and more practical. He said the new advances are Dave Adams Hydrogel-making researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have found a way to mix proteins with gel ingredients to create hard, white structures that can be packed into a syringe. In this form, the proteins, which normally must be refrigerated at minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit), can withstand temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) and remain functional under those conditions for up to four weeks.

Hydrogels get their stiffness from small molecules bound together in large chains that break when force is applied. In a syringe, pushing down on the plunger breaks the molecular bonds, turning the gel-protein mixture into a liquid. The hydrogel remains too large to fit through the needle, so only the drug comes out.

The team tested the method with several compounds, including bovine insulin and beta-galactosidase, an enzyme commonly used in genetic biology, and mailed themselves boxes filled with tubs of hydrogel packed with the proteins, finding that the proteins could withstand the temperature and jolts that come with going through the postal system.

There are laboratory methods that can keep proteins stable for longer, but this approach may be better suited to leaving the lab and going into the clinic, he said. Alex Brogan The King’s College London researcher says the method would be most useful in countries and regions where refrigeration is scarce and prohibitively expensive. If the new method works for protein-based vaccines, it could make disease prevention more equitable, he says.

Gibson says he and his team are confident they can produce the hydrogel on an industrial scale, but want to study its longevity and safety further. Using it in a vaccine is on their wish list, but in the short term the method could also be used to store, transport and administer the diabetes and obesity drug semaglutide.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge Review: Impressive Performance, but Limited Battery Life

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Samsung’s first entry into Microsoft’s new Arm-powered Copilot+ PCs is the Galaxy Book 4 Edge, set to deliver impressive speed and battery life that can compete with Apple’s MacBook Air.


This sleek, ultra-thin laptop comes in 14-inch or 16-inch sizes and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, aiming to challenge Intel as the top PC laptop chip.

Prices start at £1,399 (€1,699/$999.99) for the base model, with the top-of-the-line 16-inch version priced at £1,700, positioning it as a premium competitor to products from Microsoft, Dell, and Apple.


The Galaxy Book features HDMI, USB-A, a microSD card slot, and a USB4 port, all in an incredibly thin and light 16-inch design. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The laptop boasts a familiar Samsung Galaxy Book design with premium aluminum construction, but lacks originality in its aesthetics.

The standout feature is the vibrant OLED touchscreen display, though it may attract fingerprints and could be brighter. The anti-reflective coating enhances usability under various lighting conditions.

While the keyboard is standard, the oversized trackpad feels somewhat redundant with its traditional mechanical design. The speakers are decent but can be obstructed when using the laptop on soft surfaces.


The 16-inch model includes a number pad on the right side, contributing to a slightly off-center keyboard and trackpad layout. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The laptop’s webcam offers AI effects but lacks facial recognition, requiring a fingerprint scan for unlocking.

Specifications

  • Screen: 14″ or 16″ 3K AMOLED 2880 x 1800 (120Hz)

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

  • RAM: 16 GB

  • Storage: 512GB or 1TB

  • Operating System: Windows 11 Home

  • Camera: 2 megapixels (1080p)

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, 2 x USB4, headphones, HDMI2.1 (USB-A and microSD 16″ only)

  • 14 inch Dimensions: 312.3 x 223.8 x 10.9mm

    • …

Source: www.theguardian.com

Flipping Your Phone: Transform Your Unwanted Tech and Donate Your Dongle to Make a Connection

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Many of us have a collection, known as the Shame drawer, tucked away in our homes. This dusty cavern is filled with old phones, tablets, dongles, and various knick-knacks that were once cherished but are now obsolete. While it may seem difficult to part with these items, the reality is that they are unlikely to serve any purpose in the future.

By letting go of our outdated devices, especially those with the latest iOS updates, we can give them a new lease on life. This could make a significant impact if they are passed on to individuals who can benefit from them.

Vodafone’s Great British Tech Appeal is an organization that accepts donations of used mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. Explore how these donated devices are helping to bridge the digital divide.

Reduce, reuse…reconsider?

The amount of electronic waste generated by the rapid cycle of mobile technology is staggering, especially in the UK, which is among the top producers of e-waste per capita globally. As a result, many individuals in the UK lack access to smartphones, tablets, and laptops, exacerbating the digital divide.

It’s essential to consider donating devices to extend their life and help those in need. Each device donation can make a meaningful difference to individuals who are currently on the wrong side of the digital divide.

left behind

A significant percentage of households in the UK cannot afford or choose not to subscribe to telecommunications services, preventing them from accessing the internet. This lack of connectivity impacts various demographics, including children and families in need of support.

The Great British Tech Appeal aims to address these gaps by repurposing old devices for those who require them the most, such as refugees, individuals at risk, and children in care.

Push forward

Barnardo’s is a recipient of the Great British Tech Appeal, which aims to repurpose unused devices for charitable causes. The campaign has already made a positive impact by donating thousands of devices to various organizations.

Despite the progress made, there is still a vast number of discarded devices in UK households. It’s crucial to encourage people to donate their old gadgets to support those in need and reduce electronic waste.

Clearing the Past

Recycling old tech can seem intimidating due to varying regulations and disposal methods. Initiatives like Vodafone’s Great British Tech Appeal aim to simplify the process by providing guidance on how to donate devices and ensure they are properly handled.

By following recommended steps, such as factory resetting phones and removing personal data, individuals can contribute to a sustainable recycling process that benefits those in need.

Old Phone, New Start

Vodafone’s efforts to bridge the digital divide have had a significant impact on communities in need. By donating devices and providing connectivity, the organization has supported vulnerable individuals, including refugees and children in care, during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

These donations have facilitated vital communication between separated families and provided essential support to those facing adversity. By participating in the Great British Tech Appeal, individuals can contribute to transforming lives through technology.

Answering a call

Donating old devices to initiatives like the Great British Tech Appeal is not only rewarding but also impactful. By following a simple donation process, individuals can help close the digital divide and support those in need.

Vodafone’s commitment to providing free connectivity and devices to millions of people underscores the importance of ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age. By donating and participating in such campaigns, individuals can make a significant difference in bridging the digital gap.

Learn more here about Vodafone’s pledge to help millions bridge the digital divide.

Source: www.theguardian.com

New understanding suggests LUCA, the last common ancestor of all life, emerged earlier than previously believed

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Illustration showing LUCA possibly being attacked by a virus

Scientific Graphic Design

The organisms that gave rise to all life on Earth evolved much earlier than previously thought – just a few hundred million years after Earth formed – and may have been more sophisticated than previous assessments had suggested.

The DNA of all living organisms today is E. coli There are many similarities in the evolution leading up to the blue whale, suggesting that we can trace our origins back to a universal common ancestor, LUCA, billions of years ago. While many efforts have been made to understand LUCA, studies taking a broader approach have revealed surprising results.

“What we're trying to do is bring together representatives from different disciplines to develop a comprehensive understanding of when LUCA existed and what its biological characteristics were,” he said. Philip Donahue At the University of Bristol, UK.

Genes that are currently present in all major lineages of life may have been passed down uninterrupted from LUCA, which could help us understand what genes our ancient ancestors had. By studying how these genes changed over time, we should be able to estimate when LUCA lived.

In reality, this is a lot more complicated than it sounds, as genes are lost, gained, and swapped between branches. Donohue says the team created a complex model that took this into account, to work out which genes were present in LUCA. “We've found a much more sophisticated organism than many have previously claimed,” he says.

The researchers estimate that 2,600 protein-coding genes come from LUCA, up from previous estimates of as few as 80. The team also concludes that LUCA lived around 4.2 billion years ago, much older than other estimates and surprisingly close to the formation of Earth 4.5 billion years ago. “This suggests that the evolution of life may have been simpler than previously claimed, because evolution happened so quickly,” Donohue says.

The earlier date is largely due to the team's improved methodology, but also because, unlike others, they don't assume that LUCA could have existed only after the Late Heavy Bombardment, when Earth was hit so hard by space debris that any new life that emerged could have been wiped out. Based on rocks returned from the Moon, the period has been put at 3.8 billion years ago, but there's a lot of uncertainty around that number, Donohue says.

Their reconstruction suggests that LUCA had genes that protected it from ultraviolet damage, which leads them to believe that it likely lived on the ocean's surface. Other genes suggest that LUCA fed on hydrogen, which is consistent with previous findings. The team speculates that LUCA may have been part of an ecosystem with other types of primitive cells that are now extinct. “I think it's extremely naive to think that LUCA existed on its own,” Donohue says.

“I think this is compelling from an evolutionary perspective.” Greg Fournier “LUCA is not the beginning of the story of life, but merely the state of the last common ancestor that we can trace back to using genomic data,” say researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The results also suggest that LUCA had a primitive version of the bacterial defense system known as CRISPR to fight viruses. “Even 4.2 billion years ago, our earliest ancestors were fighting viruses,” the team members say. Edmund Moodyalso at the University of Bristol.

Peering into the distant past is fraught with uncertainty, and Donohue is the first to admit that his team may have missed the mark. “We've almost certainly got it all wrong,” he says. “What we're trying to do is push the envelope and create the first attempt to synthesize all of the relevant evidence.”

“This won't be the last word,” he said, “and it won't be our last word on this subject, but we think it's a good start.”

Patrick Forter Researchers at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, who coined the term LUCA, also believe that the organism did not live in isolation. “But the claim that LUCA lived before the Late Heavy Bombardment 3.9 billion years ago seems to me completely unrealistic,” says Forterre. “I'm convinced that their strategy for determining the age and gene content of LUCA has several flaws.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

NASA Successfully Completes First Mission Simulating Astronaut Life on Mars

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NASA is working on developing the technology to send astronauts to Mars. Early 2030s The mock journey was the first of three planned journeys to the habitat as part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission.

Upon emerging from the habitat, the volunteers were welcomed by a cheering crowd.

“Hello. It’s really great to be able to say hello to you all,” CHAPEA Commander Haston said with a laugh.

The mission aimed to test how the group would handle the challenges humans would encounter on Mars. The crew faced environmental stress, communication delays, and limited resources. They consumed preserved foods as well as vegetables they cultivated during their quarantine.

Brockwell, who also serves as an aeronautical engineer, structural engineer, and public works manager at CHAPEA, noted that the mission provided valuable insights on sustainability.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to implement the concept that resources should be used at a sustainable rate and waste should be managed effectively,” he said.

The crew of the first CHAPEA mission arrived at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on July 6 after completing a one-year mission.
Josh Valcarcel / NASA / CHAPEA

“Without following these principles we cannot live, dream, create, or explore for long periods of time. But if we do follow them we can achieve and sustain amazing and inspiring things, like exploring other worlds,” Brockwell added.

Mars Dune Alpha is located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The habitat is A sandbox full of red sand There, participants will simulate a “Mars walk.” The habitat will have private rooms, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. There will also be areas for medical, recreational, fitness, and work activities, according to NASA.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Research shows active hydrothermal systems on small ocean planets have the potential to sustain life

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Ocean worlds are planetary bodies with liquid oceans, often beneath an icy shell or within rocky interiors. In our solar system, several moons of Jupiter and Saturn are ocean worlds. Some ocean worlds are thought to have hydrothermal circulation, where water, rocks, and heat combine to pump and expel fluids to the ocean floor. Hydrothermal circulation influences the chemical composition of the water and rocks of ocean worlds and may help life develop deep beneath the icy surface. In a new study, planetary researchers used computer simulations of hydrothermal circulation based on well-understood systems on Earth to measure the effects of low gravity at values appropriate for ocean worlds smaller than our home planet. Simulations of ocean worlds with (lower) gravity result in fluid circulation that is roughly similar to that which occurs above and below the ocean floor on Earth, but with some key differences. Low gravity reduces buoyancy, so fluids do not become lighter as they heat up, which reduces their flow rate. This increases the temperature of the circulating fluids, which could lead to more extensive chemical reactions, possibly including those necessary to support life.

This diagram shows how Cassini scientists think rocks and water at the bottom of Enceladus’ ocean interact to produce hydrogen gas. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Southwest Research Institute.

Rock-heat-fluid systems were discovered on the Earth’s ocean floor in the 1970s, where scientists observed releases of fluids carrying heat, particles, and chemicals.

Many of the vents were surrounded by a novel ecosystem, including specialized bacterial mats, red and white tube worms and heat-sensing shrimp.

For the new study, Professor Andrew Fisher from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his colleagues used a complex computer model based on the hydrothermal cycle that occurs on Earth.

After varying variables such as gravity, heat, rock properties and depth of fluid circulation, the researchers found that hydrothermal vents could persist under a wide range of conditions.

If these flows occurred on an ocean world like Jupiter’s moon Europa, they could increase the chances of life surviving there as well.

“This study suggests that extraterrestrial ocean worlds may have supported low-temperature (but not hot enough for life) hydrothermal systems on timescales similar to those it took for life to become established on Earth,” Prof Fischer said.

The ocean circulation system on which the researchers based their computer model was discovered on the 3.5-million-year-old seafloor of the northwest Pacific Ocean, east of the Juan de Fuca Ridge.

There, cold undersea water flows through an extinct volcano (seamount), travels about 30 miles (48.3 km) underground, and then flows out into the ocean through another seamount.

“As water flows, it picks up heat, it’s warmer than when it entered, and its chemistry changes dramatically,” says Kristin Dickerson, a doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“The flow from seamount to seamount is driven by buoyancy – as water warms it becomes less dense and as it cools it becomes more dense,” Prof Fischer added.

“The difference in density creates a difference in fluid pressure within the rock, and the system is sustained by the flow itself. So as long as there is enough heat supplied and the rock properties allow for sufficient fluid circulation, the system will keep running. We call this a hydrothermal siphon.”

“Hot vent systems are primarily driven by sub-sea volcanism, while the Earth’s ocean floor experiences large amounts of fluid flowing in and out at much cooler conditions, driven primarily by Earth’s background cooling.”

“The flow of water through low-temperature vents is equivalent to all the rivers and streams on Earth in terms of the volume of water released, and accounts for about a quarter of the Earth’s heat loss.”

“About every 500,000 years, the entire volume of ocean water is pumped up and out of the ocean floor.”

Many previous studies of the hydrothermal circulation on Europa and Enceladus have considered hotter fluids.

“Cartoons and other illustrations often depict undersea systems that are similar to Earth’s black smokers, where cooler currents could occur just as much or even more than they do on Earth,” said Dr Donna Blackman from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The results show that in very low gravity, such as on the ocean floor of Enceladus, the circulation can continue at low to moderate temperatures for millions or billions of years.

This could help explain why small ocean planets can have long-lived fluid circulation systems beneath their seafloors despite limited heating: the inefficiency of heat extraction could extend their lifetimes considerably, potentially for the entire lifetime of the solar system.

Scientists acknowledge that it is uncertain when active hydrothermal systems will be directly observed on the ocean planet’s seafloor.

The distance from Earth and physical characteristics pose significant technical challenges for spacecraft missions.

“It is therefore essential to make the most of the available data, much of which is remotely collected, and to leverage the understanding gained from decades of detailed study of the analog Earth system,” the authors concluded.

their paper Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

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A.T. Fisher others2024. Gravitational maintenance of hydrothermal circulation in relation to the ocean world. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 129(6):e2023JE008202; doi:10.1029/2023JE008202

Source: www.sci.news

The Ideal Location of Our Milky Way Galaxy for Discovering Extraterrestrial Life

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All life as we know it in the entire universe is tucked away on a tiny rock floating in a tiny branch of the Milky Way galaxy. There are billions of other planets that could potentially support life, but how does our location affect our chances of finding it?

So far, the search for life elsewhere has only scratched the surface. “The bubble of space we've been able to explore around the Sun is tiny compared to the size of our galaxy,” he said. Jesse Christiansen“But we've already discovered more than 5,000 planets, called exoplanets, that orbit other stars,” says John F. Kennedy, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology. Some of these have been found throughout our galaxy and even in other galaxies, but most are within a few hundred light years of the sun, a stone's throw in the scheme of the universe.

Our Galactic Neighborhood

Astronomers are beginning to look at different types of stars in the galactic outskirts and how they affect the habitability of planets around them. We live in an arm of the Milky Way galaxy called Orion, inside the main plane of the galaxy called the thin disk. We are surrounded by stars in the Orion arm. Further outwards, we are surrounded by the dense bulge of the galaxy's dense core on one side, and the sparser outer parts of the other arms of the galaxy on the other side.

Thin, disk-shaped stars, like our Sun and other stars in the constellation Orion, generally…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists harness bottled ‘lightning’ to generate essential ingredients for life

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Nitrogen is an essential element for life and is an integral part of DNA and proteins. Most of the nitrogen on Earth exists in the atmosphere as gaseous nitrogen, denoted as N.2 However, most organisms cannot directly use nitrogen. In modern ecosystems, some microorganisms have specialized enzymes that convert nitrogen into nitrogen.2 It converts gases into a form that other living things can use. Fixed nitrogen These microorganisms Nitrogen fixing bacteria.

But 3 to 4 billion years ago, during a period in Earth's history called the Archean Era, life had not yet evolved and no nitrogen-fixing organisms existed, so scientists studying the origin of life are faced with a classic chicken-and-egg problem: life needed nitrogen to evolve, but before life evolved, there were no microorganisms to convert nitrogen into nitrogen.2 Let's turn gas into something we can use! So where did life get its nitrogen from before there were nitrogen-fixing organisms?

Researchers recently hypothesized that early life on Earth may have obtained fixed nitrogen from lightning. They propose that the high energy of a lightning spark could react with oxygen and N.2 Fixing atmospheric nitrogen2 The gas is converted into other usable forms of nitrogen. Nitrogen oxides.

Geologists have studied the sedimentary rock record to understand nitrogen throughout Earth's history, but they had no way to distinguish lightning-derived nitrogen in rocks from other ancient sources of nitrogen. To explore whether lightning provided fixed nitrogen to early life, researchers led by Dr. Patrick Barth created “lightning” in a jar and tested whether it would react with nitrogen.2 It emitted gases and produced nitrogen oxides that had an identifiable signal.

To simulate lightning, the researchers used electrodes in glass flasks filled with different gas mixtures: To mimic modern-day Earth, Barth and his colleagues used a flask with a composition similar to our current atmosphere, containing 85 percent nitrogen.2 They also used flasks containing an atmosphere similar to that of Archean Earth, which scientists believe was about 83% nitrogen.20% oxygen, 16% carbon dioxide.

The researchers added 50 milliliters (about a quarter cup) of water to the bottom of each flask to allow any nitrogen oxides and other compounds produced during the reaction to dissolve in the water. They discharged each experimental flask to about 50 kilovolts for 15 to 60 minutes — nearly 10 times the voltage of an electric car battery.

The research team developed a device called Quadrupole Gas AnalyzerThey measured the nitrogen compounds in the gases coming out of each flask before and after they were ignited. They found that in the modern experiment, more fixed nitrogen was dissolved in the water than in the gas. But in the Archean experiment, the fixed nitrogen was split almost equally between the water and the gas.

After each reaction, the researchers placed the flask of water into an apparatus that measured the weight of the nitrogen atoms. Gas Source Mass SpectrometerThey explained that nitrogen atoms exist in two main forms with different masses, called isotopes. 14The N isotope is lighter and more abundant in nature, 15The N isotope is heavier and less common. The researchers used mass spectrometer data to calculate the ratios of nitrogen isotopes in the lightning-fixed nitrogen samples. They compared these nitrogen isotope ratios to those in rocks that are 3.1 to 3.8 billion years old to see if there was a match.

The researchers found that the nitrogen isotope ratio of the lightning-produced nitrogen was about 0.1% to 1% lighter than that of the rocks, and suggested that this difference in nitrogen isotopes indicates that most of the nitrogen in the Archean rocks was not produced by lightning.

The researchers also used the lightning flash rate on modern Earth to predict the amount of nitrogen oxides that lightning would produce per year. They estimated that the annual lightning flash rate alone could not have provided enough nitrogen to support ecosystems on early Earth. They explain that there was even less lightning in the Archean than there is today, so even less nitrogen was available to support early life.

The researchers concluded that lightning was not the main source of available nitrogen for early life. Because nitrogen-fixing organisms must have evolved very early in Earth's history, life did not need to rely solely on lightning, they suggested. However, one of the 3.7-billion-year-old rock samples showed nitrogen isotope ratios similar to lightning-fixed nitrogen, leading the researchers to speculate that small amounts of fixed nitrogen from lightning may have supported early life. Furthermore, the researchers suggested that the lightning-fixed nitrogen isotope ratios obtained in this study could be used to investigate how nitrogen is fixed on other planets in the solar system.


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Source: sciworthy.com

The Surprising Benefits of Running Slower for a Longer, Healthier Life – Here’s the Science behind It

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Slowing down isn’t typically a priority for runners. From elite athletes to casual runners, the focus is usually on speed, personal records, competition, and pushing limits.

However, the concept of slow running has gained popularity recently. It’s not just a trend promoted by social media influencers, but also endorsed by coaches, runners, and scientists.

What are the benefits of running slowly?

The idea is that running at a slower pace can actually yield faster results in terms of exercise benefits.

“For example, running slowly can lower your resting blood pressure and strengthen your heart,” says Professor Dan Gordon. “It still challenges the body but without the need for excessive stress to achieve cardiovascular improvements,” adds Jonathan Myers, an exercise physiologist at Anglia Ruskin University.

Running slowly is typically defined as a pace where you can comfortably hold a conversation. It’s an effort level of 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a sprint. This type of exercise, known as “Zone 2 exercise” in sports science, is considered to be a sweet spot for promoting longevity and overall health.

A study in Copenhagen found that light and moderate joggers had lower mortality rates than non-runners and intense runners. Vigorous joggers did not show significantly different mortality rates from non-runners.

Running slowly is beneficial for heart health, enhances metabolic functions, and improves mental well-being. It can prevent metabolic diseases, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost mitochondrial density in cells, leading to improved energy utilization.

Improved mental and physical health

Slow runners experience faster recovery, reduced risk of overtraining-related fatigue and injuries, and generally feel better overall.

“Slow running has a positive impact on mental health and social well-being,” says Gordon. “It allows for social interactions, which can motivate individuals to stay active and enjoy the process without pressure to perform.”

What we’re starting to realize is that you don’t need intense stress on your body to see cardiovascular benefits.

Gordon believes promoting slow running in groups can encourage more people to stay active consistently, as the social support can enhance motivation and enjoyment of the activity.

More Gains, Less Pain

Contrary to the belief that speed is essential for improvement, researchers suggest that slow running can yield significant results. Elite runners, for example, often perform majority of their training at a slow pace to build a strong aerobic base and enhance cardiovascular efficiency.

This concept of an “Aerobic Base” emphasizes the importance of improving cardiovascular capacity to enhance overall running performance. By running slowly, you can increase endurance, speed, and efficiency while reducing exertion.

In summary, slowing down not only improves longevity but also enhances running abilities in the long run.

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About our expert, Professor Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon is an Associate Professor at the Health and Technology Research Centre, Anglia Ruskin University, South East England. With over 20 years of experience in sports physiology, he specializes in endurance physiology assessment.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Can ‘iron snow’ potentially sustain life in Europa’s oceans?

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The only example of life in the universe is Earth, a rocky planet with over 70% water on its surface. As far as we know, all life on Earth relies on water to survive and thrive, so scientists refer to other planets where liquid water is known to exist as “habitable.”

But scientists also know that a puddle of water alone is not enough to sustain life. Life depends on a constant flow of electrons between molecules, which Electronic GradientTo create energy, electrons move away from areas of high electron density. Reducelow density areas, so-called Oxidize.

Scientists have found several planets and moons in our solar system that have liquid water. Researchers are particularly intrigued by Jupiter's moon Europa, because remote sensing has revealed that it has a salty liquid ocean about 100 kilometers (60 miles) deep on top of a crust of iron-rich rock, with a layer of ice about 10 kilometers (6 miles) thick on top of that.

Europa has no atmosphere to protect it from the sun's radiation, which allows chemical reactions to take place that consume electrons on its surface, creating an oxidizing environment. In contrast, its iron-rich crust creates a reducing environment beneath its oceans. This means that an electron gradient naturally forms along the path from Europa's oxidizing surface to its reduced ocean floor. Scientists want to know if life could harness this electron gradient to obtain enough energy to sustain itself and survive.

Researchers studying Europa From the data Cassini and Galileo The mission found that Europa's ocean temperatures range from 0 to -13 degrees Celsius, or 32 to 9 degrees Celsius. They found that the hottest temperatures are found closest to the ocean floor, where heat is generated by reactions between water and rock, similar to Earth's hydrothermal systems. They also found that some of the most abundant molecules near Europa's surface are all oxide molecules, such as carbonates and sulfates.

Based on these temperature constraints and the amount of energy provided by oxidizing molecules on Europa's surface, a team of researchers from the University of Akron and the University of Southern California calculated the amount of energy available for life in Europa's ocean and investigated whether three types of Earth microorganisms could live beneath Europa's ocean. The microorganisms they tested generate energy using carbonates, sulfates, or iron particles. They reasoned that because all three of these oxidizing molecules are found on Europa's icy surface, if delivered to the ocean floor, the organisms could combine with reducing molecules on the ocean floor to generate energy.

The researchers calculated that in Europa's environment, molten iron near the surface layer of ice would form solid particles when exposed to penetrating radiation from the sun, and slowly fall to the ocean floor — like snow falling from the sky on Earth, except instead of water ice particles, the ocean rains down in the form of rust-like, reddish iron particles.

The scientists calculated that iron oxide snow would provide a larger electron gradient than carbonates or sulfates, ultimately generating more energy for life. They estimated that iron snow could provide up to 2.5×1026 More than 100 microbial cells are found on Europa's ocean floor per year, which represents about 0.1% of the total number of microbial cells currently living in Earth's oceans.

However, the authors caution that only around 10% of the energy produced by organisms on Earth is used to generate cells — the remaining 90% is used to maintain metabolism, meaning that the number of cells that microbial life could actually generate from Europa's underwater iron pathways would be much lower than the authors estimate.

Nevertheless, the authors suggest that these cell count calculations could be used to design missions to search for life on Europa: When future satellites orbit Europa, researchers could estimate how much cell mass we might expect from microbes living in the iron passages on the Europa ocean floor.


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Source: sciworthy.com

Wax Heads: A Videogame Bringing High Fidelity to Life in a Record Store

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pictureEvery time I experience a breakup, I am drawn to revisit the 2000s classic, High Fidelity. The film follows John Cusack’s character as he nostalgically lists the top 10 worst breakups in his life, each accompanied by a fitting soundtrack. Rather than focusing on Cusack’s glamorous ex-partners, the film revolves around his record store, Championship Vinyl, a haven for lost souls in Chicago.

This DIY community spirit is echoed in Wax Heads, a narrative game centered around running a struggling record store. Described as a “cozy punk life sim,” the game captures the essence of High Fidelity as players navigate the chaos of their first shift at Repeater Records, a fictional store.




Geek mecca…John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, and Tim Robbins in High Fidelity. Photo: Getty Images

Unlike traditional business sims, Wax Heads focuses on the joy of selling records rather than the mechanics of running a store. The game celebrates the local record store as a vibrant community hub, where music enthusiasts can connect and discover new sounds.

Murray Summerwolf, co-creator of Wax Heads, explains that the game revolves around the idea of a record store as a place of connection and community. Players engage with quirky characters, explore music recommendations, and immerse themselves in the everyday life of a record store.

The gameplay mirrors traditional point-and-click adventures, putting players in the role of a retail clerk and music detective. By deciphering clues and interacting with customers, players curate the perfect album recommendations, earning points based on customer satisfaction.




Crate digger…waxhead. Photo: Patati Games

Wax Heads is a refreshing take on music games, focusing on the cultural experience of music rather than pure gameplay mechanics. The game explores themes of community, empathy, and human connection through the lens of a record store.

Source: www.theguardian.com

How health trackers may be hindering your journey to optimal health | Life & Style

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ohOne thing after another happened, and I was lying shirtless on the couch, with a wrinkled nose as a cardiologist explained that everything was fine, but that my heart was a little… weird. I can’t remember the exact words, but it was probably just above “quirky,” but not quite weird. He was looking at something else entirely, and had noticed that the valves at the top of my heart were a little weird. It had absolutely nothing to do with why I’d come here, and was unlikely to affect my future health in any way, he said. But now that he’d seen it, he thought it best to tell me. I asked if it was good to know, and he shrugged. “Sometimes?” he said vaguely. “It’s complicated.”

At home, I paid more attention than usual to my heartbeat, listening for any unusual sounds. A few months later, when I experienced what turned out to be indigestion, I went to the doctor, worried that my valve was about to burst. I had no history of anxiety disorders and had never paid much attention to what was going on inside my body, thinking it was inevitably unfathomable, like anything going on in the vast depths of the ocean. But once this flaw was revealed, I became uncomfortably aware of every moving part, of everything that might go wrong.

When I read Caroline Crampton’s recent detailed study of hypochondria, A body made of glass aptly describes health anxiety disorder as “a bodily illness that exists only in the mind,” and my hand immediately went to my chest. From 18th-century quack medicine to today’s health industry, Crampton traces the rise of drugs and devices promising relief from imagined ailments, such as the Zeebo pill (currently £73 on Amazon), which is promoted as a placebo and “you yourself are the active ingredient,” and plans for technology that can observe every part of our minds and bodies. But, she asks, can we ever know too much? Reading recent criticisms of blood glucose monitoring and the rise of the Zoe app, I thought of Crampton’s book. These are part of a growing trend for personalized diets, but along with other criticisms (such as a lack of evidence about their effectiveness), Professor Partha Carr, the NHS’s national diabetes adviser, told the BBC that using a continuous glucose monitor (designed for diabetics) for no health reason can make people obsessed with the numbers and, in some cases, “can lead to eating disorders.”

These are apps for “worried people” – healthy people who worry about their health – a growing market at a time when new technology and the old internet are stoking anxiety by providing vast amounts of knowledge to anyone with Wi-Fi. It’s a successful business model, in that they’re both apps for anxious people and apps that create anxious people. Parents are especially susceptible to marketing, with health anxieties projected onto their children. This month’s New YorkerJia Tolentino detailed her efforts to hide her pregnancy from her phone, which meant not buying baby clothes online, not using a period tracker, and not using pregnancy apps. She wanted to avoid being watched, which can be especially hard when you’re encouraged to watch yourself.

In the time it took me to give birth to my two children, there had been an explosion in the technology offered to parents who wanted to both track their pregnancies (through additional ultrasound scans, for example) and keep an eye on their babies (with devices like stuffed toys with hidden cameras or disks that attach to diapers that alert you when your baby rolls over). By 2020, I was surprised at how hard it was to buy, for example, a baby monitor that didn’t include a camera, didn’t require a Wi-Fi connection, and didn’t capture any data. And yet, despite the desire for parenting technology, Tolentino found that it rarely led to better outcomes for babies, but rather exacerbated or, worse, created the anxieties that led to the purchase of these devices. The control that anxious people seek by monitoring their babies and their bodies is an illusion.

This is disturbing, given the growing number of products targeted directly at them. The global wearable technology market (fitness trackers and other devices) is expected to be valued at $61.3 billion in 2022, and to expand significantly by 2030. My 9-year-old’s school friends regularly compare FitBits. But for some, trackers and the like may be doing more harm than good. New Statesman In 2019, a professor of cardiovascular medicine criticized a large study of atrial fibrillation (a common heart rhythm problem) in Apple Watch owners, saying there was no significant health benefit to testing low-risk people, “the kind of people who wear Apple Watches,” and that the study would “inflict substantial distress” on healthy people who would receive notifications about their irregular heartbeat.

Health anxieties have evolved alongside scientific knowledge, with phrases like “cyberchondria” (anxiety heightened by information found online) emerging and some research suggesting that our new loose connection to medical knowledge is making people more anxious rather than lessening it. I resent the way tech companies prey on these anxieties, creating new concerns for profit. I believe it’s true that we can know too much.

Every now and then, a small pain or memory in my chest will raise a chill and I’ll think about my deformed heart, but in those moments I will tell myself sternly that it’s none of my business what’s going on under the sea, or deep inside my body (as long as it doesn’t affect my life).

Email Eva at e.wiseman@observer.co.uk or follow her on X. Eva Wise man

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Effects of Nuclear Fallout on Life: A Closer Look

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When it comes to apocalypse scenarios, nuclear destruction stands out as both fascinating to viewers and alarmingly realistic. From the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima, humanity has witnessed the devastating consequences of our current nuclear power usage.

But what impact does radiation actually have on the environment where it is released? Recent reports of thriving life at Chernobyl present a different perspective on the post-apocalyptic wasteland depicted in many fallout series.

“We live in an increasingly radioactive world,” says biologist Professor Timothy Mousseau, who has studied ecosystems in nuclear disaster sites for 25 years, as reported by BBC Science Focus.

“So, what we learn from places like Chernobyl, Fukushima, and atomic bomb test sites will ultimately have implications for humanity,” Mousseau adds.

The effects of radiation are usually dire

One thing that movies get right is that you definitely don’t want to be involved in a nuclear disaster if you can avoid it.

Mousseau explains that when radioactive events like Chernobyl happen, ionizing radiation is released into the environment, potentially damaging or altering DNA in exposed organisms. These genetic changes can lead to mutations, with some causing no harm, others resulting in severe issues like cancer or juvenile cataracts.

“Between these extremes, there are many mutations with small or partial effects, such as asymmetric individuals or odd growths,” Mousseau elaborates.

The effects of radiation are not limited to animals. Plants also feel the brunt of nuclear disaster impacts, with radioactive materials often being absorbed by the soil. The International Atomic Energy Agency notes that leaves around Chernobyl changed shape post-explosion, and the once green pine forest turned red, eventually being cleared due to the risk of radioactive clouds in case of a fire.

Though the original trees of the Red Forest have been cut down, the area remains highly radioactive. – Image credit: Getty

In conclusion, living in highly radioactive areas is not ideal, as Mousseau points out.

Superpowers are (probably) unlikely

While radiation-induced mutations can have negative impacts, some may also be advantageous. Mousseau mentions that scientists have found certain crops benefiting from mutations, resulting in increased yields and pest resistance. Even coffee trees resistant to fungal diseases have been developed using nuclear mutation breeding methods.

Naturally occurring beneficial mutations can also arise, as seen in Chernobyl’s tree frogs, which developed darker skin to protect against radiation-induced oxidative stress.

Despite the energy released in the Chernobyl disaster, tree frogs adapted with darker skin. – Image credits: German Orizaola and Pablo Burraco

However, Mousseau emphasizes that beneficial mutations are rare, and the chances of gaining any form of superpowers from radiation exposure are slim.

About our experts:

Timothy Mousseau, a professor at the University of South Carolina, has extensive research experience in genetic adaptations to environmental stresses, including radiation effects on organisms in nuclear disaster zones. His work has shed light on the implications for these environments on various species and their evolutionary responses. Mousseau has authored numerous scientific papers related to Chernobyl and Fukushima research.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

New genetic research on flowering plants changes the tree of life at a large scale

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The pink lapacho tree is one of approximately 300,000 species of flowering plants

Roberto Okamura Tetsuo/Shutterstock

Botanists have used genome data from more than 9,500 species to map evolutionary relationships among flowering plants. The newly compiled Tree of Life will help scientists piece together the origins of flowering plants and inform future conservation efforts.

Approximately 90 percent of plants that live on land are flowering and fruiting plants called angiosperms. These flowering plants are essential to maintaining Earth's ecosystems, including storing carbon and producing oxygen, and they make up a large portion of our diet.

“Our very existence depends on them,” he says. william baker At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. “That's why we need to really understand them.”

For the past eight years, Baker and his colleagues have been working to complete the Tree of Life, which describes the evolutionary relationships between all genera of plants and fungi.

Starting with flowering plants, the researchers designed molecular probes to search for 353 specific genes found in the nucleus of all angiosperms. “The nuclear genome is huge,” Baker says. “So we needed to focus on a specific set of genes.”

Researchers have so far sequenced the genes of 9,506 species of flowering plants, primarily using specimens from collections and public databases around the world. This represents nearly all known angiosperm families and approximately 8,000 of the 13,400 recorded genera.Some of the specimens collected in the analysis are more than 200 years old; Arenaria globifloraand many Guadalupe Island olives (Espererea Palmeri).

By comparing the similarities in the gene sequences of different flowering plants, researchers were able to figure out where they fit on the tree of life.

Baker says this is the most comprehensive survey of angiosperms to date. “We often liken it to the periodic table of elements,” he says. “It's the basic framework for life.”

angiosperm tree of life

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Angiosperms emerged about 140 million years ago and have rapidly flourished, overtaking flowerless gymnosperms to become the world's dominant plant species. The sudden appearance of the diversity of flowering plants in the fossil record has baffled scientists for the past few centuries, and Charles Darwin called it “a hideous mystery.”

Now, the Tree of Life confirms that about 80 percent of the major flowering plant lineages that still exist today were part of this early boom in angiosperm diversity. “We can't say we've solved this 'damn mystery,' but at least we can say it really does exist,” Baker said.

The tree of life also highlights a further surge in diversity that occurred around 40 million years ago, possibly caused by a drop in global temperatures at the time.

In the future, he says, the Tree of Life could also help in the search for plants with pharmaceutical properties for new drugs. Ilia Leech, another member of Cue's team. It also helps scientists identify new species and assess which species are most vulnerable to climate change.

“This is the latest and greatest evolutionary framework for conducting new research that approaches the mechanisms that have allowed flowering plants to take over the world,” he says. ryan falk at Mississippi State University.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Lessons from Uninhabitable Venus: Exploring the Potential for Extraterrestrial Life

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Given the diversity and complexity of endogenous and extrinsic processes that contribute to the maintenance of habitable conditions over geological and biological timescales, it is unclear how rocky planets become habitable and their status. Fully understanding how it is maintained is a fundamental challenge for planetary scientists and astrobiologists. In the face of this challenge, it is essential to exploit the full range of atmospheric evolution data for rocky planets within the solar system. Although Venus represents an apparent fringe member of planetary habitability, its contribution to understanding the prevalence of long-term temperate surface conditions in large rocky worlds remains poorly recognized. Upcoming missions to Venus, including NASA's VERITAS and DAVINCI, and ESA's EnVision mission, will begin to crystallize this understanding.

Kane and Byrne describe Venus as an anchor point where planetary scientists can better understand the conditions that prevent life on exoplanets. Image credit: Kane & Byrne, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5.

“We often assume that Earth is a model of habitability, but when we consider this planet in isolation, we don’t know where the boundaries and limits are. Venus gives us that. '' said Dr. Stephen Cain, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside.

“Although they also feature a pressure cooker-like atmosphere that could flatten humans in an instant, Earth and Venus share some similarities.”

“They have roughly the same mass and radius. Given their proximity to the planet, it’s natural to wonder why Earth looked so different.”

Many scientists believe that solar flux, the amount of energy Venus receives from the sun, caused a runaway greenhouse effect that doomed Earth.

“If Earth receives 100% of the solar energy, Venus collects 191%. Many people think that’s why Venus looks different,” Dr. Kane said.

“But wait a minute. Venus doesn’t have a moon, but that gives Earth something like ocean tides and affects the amount of water here.”

In addition to some of the known differences, more NASA missions to Venus will also clarify some of the unknowns.

Planetary scientists have no idea how big its core is, how it arrived at its current relatively slow rotational speed, how its magnetic field has changed over time, or the chemistry of its lower atmosphere. i don’t know.

“Venus has no detectable magnetic field. That may be related to the size of its core,” Dr. Kane said.

“The size of the core also gives us information about how the planet cools. Earth has a mantle, and heat circulates through its core. What’s going on inside Venus? I don’t know.”

“The interior of a rocky planet also influences its atmosphere. That is the case for Earth, and our atmosphere is primarily the result of volcanic gas emissions.”

Schematic cross-section of Earth and Venus. Major internal and atmospheric components are shown to scale. Image credit: Kane & Byrne, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5.

NASA is planning two missions to Venus (DAVINCI and VERITAS) for the end of this decade, and Dr. Cain is supporting both.

The DAVINCI mission will explore the acid-filled atmosphere and measure noble gases and other chemical elements.

“DAVINCI measures the atmosphere from top to bottom. This is extremely useful for building new climate models and predicting this type of atmosphere elsewhere, including on Earth, as the amount of carbon dioxide continues to increase. ,” Dr. Kane said.

Although the Veritas mission will not land on the surface, it will allow scientists to reconstruct detailed 3D terrain, which could reveal whether the planet has active plate tectonics or volcanoes.

“Currently, our global map is very incomplete. Understanding how active a surface is and understanding how it has changed over time are very different. We need both types of information,” Dr. Kane said.

Ultimately, Dr. Kane and his co-author, Dr. Paul Byrne of Washington University in St. Louis, advocate such a mission to Venus for two main reasons.

One is that with better data, we can use Venus to confirm that our inferences about life on distant planets are correct.

“The somber thing about searching for life elsewhere in the universe is that we will never have in-situ data on exoplanets. We will never go there, land on them, or measure them directly. I don’t intend to,” Dr. Kane said.

“If we think there is life on the surface of another planet, we may never realize we are wrong and end up dreaming of a planet without life.” I guess.”

“We can only get it right by understanding the Earth-sized planets we can visit. Venus gives us that chance.”

Another reason to study Venus is that it can predict what Earth’s future will be.

“One of the main reasons we study Venus is because of our sacred duty as stewards of this planet to protect its future,” Dr. Kane said.

“My hope is that by studying how Venus came to be today, we can learn lessons from it, especially if it had a benign past that is now in ruins. The question is when and how.”

of review paper It was published in the magazine natural astronomy.

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Stephen R. Cain and Paul K. Byrne. 2024. Venus as an anchor point for planetary habitability. Nat Astron 8, 417-424; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5

Source: www.sci.news

Muting people on social media can be done quickly, for free, and has the power to profoundly impact your life

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I I don’t usually believe in life hacks. I’d like to imagine that with one simple adjustment my life would reappear like a cracked tennis court, but as time and experience have shown, positive change usually happens slowly and gradually.

But there is one hack that I truly believe in. It’s fast, free, and will instantly change your life for the better. Just mute the annoying people on social media.

The process varies by platform. Typically, you would go to the offending poster’s profile page or one of her posts and tap “Mute,” “Snooze,” or “Unfollow.” But that’s it. Thanks to this digital dust, social media is cleaner, or at least less dirty than it used to be. They’ll disappear from your timeline, and so will the various little annoyances they caused. Also, unlike unfollowing or blocking someone, the muted party won’t know they’ve been silenced, so there’s no risk of awkwardness or drama. .

Several people are muted. Some of them are people you don’t want to unfollow. I unfollowed some people, but I muted them because others might repost and pollute my pure timeline. One is a semi-celebrity who was rude to me about work many years ago. Another person was rude to my friend. There are also ex-lovers and people who are always humble and boastful and make you want to bang your head against something hard.

These people brought out the worst in me. When I saw their posts, I felt angry, mean, and small. I wondered how much it would cost to buy billboards along major highways with bullet points detailing just how bad it really is.

Luckily, I rarely think about these people anymore because I’ve muted them on all platforms. I usually forget these people exist unless someone brings it up in conversation. They were weeded from the lush garden of my brain.

But don’t just take my word for it.

Three lines of bold text that say “Actually,” then “Read more about how to live a good life in a complex world,” then pinkish text that says “Continue here.” ‘Graphic section with lavender pill-shaped buttons’

Bailey Parnell, founder and president of the Center for Digital Wellbeing, said, “Muting accounts that repeatedly make you uncomfortable is setting up digital boundaries to create a healthier digital environment.” I am. This allows you to avoid offensive content without disconnecting. It’s a solution, she says, to the complicated situation where a relationship with someone is important to you despite their annoying online presence.

“This allows you to maintain your social and professional networks while also maintaining your mental health,” she says.

This may seem like obvious advice. Still, it can be difficult to follow. The frustration you feel when you see someone’s bad posts can be accompanied by a sense of satisfaction. It’s like, “Look!” It’s annoying!

“There can be a dopamine rush at the end of a big emotion,” says Monica Amorosi, a certified trauma therapist in New York City. We may begin to crave the adrenaline spike that comes with content that makes us feel shocked, angry, or disgusted.

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“If we lead a mundane life, lack stimulation, are bored or overwhelmed, consuming this substance can be a form of entertainment or distraction,” says Amoros. says Mr.

Amorosi emphasizes the importance of not creating a “space of ignorance” in your feed by avoiding different perspectives on current events and alarming news. But this does not mean that social media should only be used to access upsetting information. Our feed can be used for “healthy, positive education, connecting with like-minded people, understanding the nuances and diversity of the world, fact-checking information, and learning new hobbies and ideas,” she says. say.

So muting is probably most effectively applied against people who annoy you in a bland, everyday way, such as an arrogant colleague. Not seeing humble braggarts pretending to be ashamed of their professional successes does not limit my worldview. Instead, I get back the 5-10 minutes I might have wasted taking screenshots of posts and complaining to friends about them.

Frankly, I haven’t done anything with the time I’ve gained by not badmouthing the people I’ve muted. But how nice that at least he has days when he’s comfortable for even five minutes.

So feel free to mute yourself and often. And what if you disagree with me? Please mute. You never know!

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Origins of Life: Key Chemical Reactions May Have Begun in Hot, Cracked Rocks

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Some amino acids can become concentrated when traveling through cracks in hot rocks.

Sebastian Kauritzky / Alamy

Chemical reactions key to the origin of life on Earth may have occurred as molecules moved along a temperature gradient within a network of cracks in thin rocks deep underground.

Such networks are thought to have been common on early Earth and may have provided a kind of natural laboratory in which many of the building blocks of life were concentrated and separated from other organic molecules.

“It’s very difficult to get a more general environment where you can do these cleansing and intermediate steps,” he says. Christophe Mast at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany.

He and his colleagues created a heat flow chamber the size of a playing card to model how mixtures of organic molecules behave in cracks in such rocks.

The researchers heated one side of the 170-micrometer-thick chamber to 25°C (77°F) and the other side to 40°C (104°F), allowing molecules to move in a process called thermophoresis. This created a temperature gradient that How sensitive a molecule is to this process depends on its size and charge and how it interacts with the fluid in which it is dissolved.

During an 18-hour experiment in a heat flow chamber, we found that different molecules were concentrated in different parts of the chamber depending on their sensitivity to thermophoresis. Among these molecules are many amino acids and A, T, G, and C nucleobases, which are important building blocks of DNA. This effect was further magnified by creating a network of three interconnected chambers, with one side of the chamber network at 25°C and the other side at 40°C. Additional chambers further concentrated the compounds concentrated in the first chamber.

Mathematical simulations with 20 interconnected chambers (which may closely resemble the complexity of natural crack systems) find that the enrichment of different molecules can be further amplified Did. In one chamber, the amino acid glycine reached a concentration approximately 3000 times higher than that of another amino acid, isoleucine, even though they entered the network at the same concentration.

The researchers also demonstrated that this enrichment process can cause reactions that would otherwise be extremely difficult. They showed that glycine molecules can bind to each other when the concentration of a molecule that catalyzes the reaction called trimetaphosphoric acid (TMP) increases. Mast said TMP is an interesting molecule to concentrate because it was rare on early Earth. “Since [the chambers] Since they are all randomly connected, all kinds of reaction conditions can be implemented. ”

“It’s very interesting that within the crack there are regions with different proportions of compounds,” he says. evan sprite from Radboud University in the Netherlands was not involved in the study. “This enhancement allows us to create even more versatility from very simple building blocks.”

But enrichment in rock fractures is still far from a viable scenario for the origin of life, he says. “Ultimately, they still need to come together to form something resembling a cell or protocell.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Wellness Industry Exposed: How a Clean-Living Instagrammer Embraced Self-Acceptance

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Lee Tillman first ventured into the online world in the early 2010s through a health food blog that she started while in college, quickly making an impact. Transitioning to Instagram in 2014 alongside her contemporaries, she showcased her smoothie bowls, and almost overnight, gained 20,000 followers. This sudden popularity led to brands contacting her for product collaborations.

After two years, Tillman decided to leave her 9-to-5 job in Connecticut and relocate to Los Angeles. Within a year of the move, she amassed another 100,000 followers, secured representation from an agent and a manager, and began earning upwards of $15,000 per post. She also landed a significant partnership with a major food and lifestyle brand, resulting in sold-out products with every post.

Tillman posted on Instagram. Photo: Instagram/@leefromamerica

Living in Brooklyn, New York at 34, Tillman adhered to a lifestyle aligned with her wellness philosophy, consuming solely organic produce and grains while abstaining from complex carbohydrates and artificial detergents. Additionally, she practiced intermittent fasting from 7 pm to noon, adhering strictly to her health-focused regime.

However, the relentless focus on creating content began taking a toll on her well-being. Despite the admiration from her followers, Tillman found herself isolated from personal relationships, feeling the pressure of constant performance evaluations based on her posts. Her relentless pursuit of follower milestones led to a desire for a million followers, further exacerbating the strain.

By 2018, Tillman faced public scrutiny and criticism for conducting workshops deemed too expensive, prompting her to confront the reality of the inaccessibility of health. The backlash drove her to contemplate drastic measures, including thoughts of suicide. Recognizing the emergence of an eating disorder tied to her strict diet, she made the decision to seek help, taking a break from social media, and undergoing treatment.

Returning to her online platforms, Tillman made a deliberate shift from her former health-centric content, choosing to share personal aspects of her life, including her pets, fashion, and interior design. Embracing a more flexible approach to her diet and lifestyle, she found liberation in enjoying a variety of foods, straying from the stringent restrictions of her past regimen.

The transition away from her health-focused content resulted in a decline in her follower count and commercial rates, reflecting a departure from her previous influencer status. Despite the financial repercussions, Tillman acknowledged the therapeutic importance of reclaiming a more balanced lifestyle, realizing that engaging with social media in a healthy manner was a challenging feat.

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In 2020, Tillman relocated to New York, taking a hiatus from posting on social media. Reflecting on her journey, she found solace in rediscovering a sense of normalcy and transitioning to marketing consulting. Through her workshops and upcoming book, she aims to share her insights on the influencer industry and her decision to move away from it.

While reminiscing about her earlier days of lucrative influencer deals, Tillman acknowledges the allure of the wellness industry but emphasizes her personal growth and evolution. Despite occasional pleas from followers to return to her health-centric content, Tillman has embraced a new chapter in her life, prioritizing authenticity and balance.

For support, contact Samaritans in the UK and Ireland at freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org / jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for call or text support, or visit 988lifeline.org/chat. Australian crisis support services are available through Lifeline at 13 11 14. International helplines can be found at befrieders.org.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Personal finance guru who ignored their own advice and fell into debt | Life and style

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“I was known as the coupon lady,” says Lauren Cobello, 43, who used to charge $5,000 per YouTube video as a personal finance influencer. “I was a regular on the Today show and Good Morning America, wrote a blog, and worked for a newspaper. I had no financial experience, but coupons and budgeting helped my family save $40,000. I paid off my debt, and people wanted to know how I did it.”

Friends invited her to church groups and seminars to share financial wisdom. From there, she was invited to appear on local television, lending her influence. By 2016, she was a mother to her four children and she posted several times a day. She hired her two staff, wrote her three books under her married name, Lauren Gruetman, and with her then-husband Mark, co-authored her household account book. I’ve launched a podcast.

“My life revolved around it. I became obsessed with it. The last Sunday of every month was ‘Budget Night,’ where I shared everything I spent on Facebook Live.” It was also about family. The kids appeared on my YouTube video and I took a video of my finances, took pictures of all the groceries on the table, and broke down the expenses. My kids thought it was normal. It became my image, my very being, and it was very difficult to separate from it.”

Lauren Cobelo struggles with her Instagram budget. Photo: Instagram/@lauren_cobello

When her marriage broke up in 2017, her financial outlook changed. “I felt like our divorce was pretty public, but after the separation and financial settlement, I didn’t want to talk about my financial situation anymore because I was in debt.” she says. “I was giving such great advice, but behind the scenes I wasn’t listening to it. I was a single mother supporting four children. Everything fell apart and I was trapped. I felt like I was tired of budgeting and talking about it, and I didn’t want to do TikTok anymore because I just didn’t care anymore.”

She continued to post to her more than 350,000 social media followers, but at a personal finance conference last September, she decided to change direction and go public with her debt. “Everyone was crying when I told them what was going on behind the scenes. I told them, honestly, I wanted to kill myself, but the only thing I’m good at is being an influencer and being on TV.” I told them it was about coming out and playing the role.”

Earlier this year, she also confessed on Instagram. “It was so hard for me to post that video. I received so many great comments from people who have been following me for a while. At the end of the day, I gave some great advice, but I don’t want to give it anymore. I didn’t want to be the giver. I was scared to hang up my hat, but I wasn’t scared of what people would say or think about me.”

She announced that her content is focused on her new business, a PR agency for authors, where she posts about her clients rather than herself. “My followers were surprised, but I didn’t lose them,” says the New York native. Offline, she’s in debt but no longer budgets.

“I’m a completely different person than I was five years ago,” she says. “I don’t even have a budget. I break all the ‘rules’. The reason I sold my house and am living in a rented house is because I am finally debt free. I’m a single mom so I lease my car because I don’t want to fix anything. I’ve had groceries delivered, someone to do my laundry, and someone to clean my house, all of which I would have felt guilty about. I live within my means and I know exactly what to spend it on, but I can breathe. And I spend money on things that bring me joy, like getting my nails done or going out with my kids.”

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Before making the switch, Cobello was making $1,500 on Instagram Reels and $2,500 per YouTube video. Now, she employs five people to run the business on her behalf. “I felt stuck in this frugal mother role, as if there were two Lawrences, and I’ve been trying to get them to mesh again this past year. People still come to me and say, People come and ask me how I’m going to manage my budget. The truth is, I don’t care what kind of money you spend. It’s not my identity anymore.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

God is a Terrible Player in the Grand Simulation of Life

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IOver Easter weekend, Catholics like me spend hours in church listening to editors’ expanded versions of stories whose endings we already know. As I sat there recently for my millionth Passion performance, I started thinking about how few religious video game characters I’ve ever come across. In a world where so many people’s lives are dictated by their religious beliefs, it’s interesting to see such a lack of religion in games. That is, you could also argue that all The game is a homage to Jesus with respawns and extra lives, but even I admit that’s a stretch.

The Peggys in Far Cry 5 are a violent mind-controlling cult. The founders of BioShock Infinite use religion to heighten and justify hatred of foreigners. In Fallout, there are some eccentric people who worship the atomic bomb. Religion is used almost exclusively as a tool for leaders to get their minions to do bad things. (Sure, they might be on to something here.) With so many video games structured to place players as lone protagonists facing off against immense forces, I think it’s clear that religion is the go-to villain.




Altered Beast (Arcade version), 1988. Photo: Sega

For me, the scariest religious happening in a video game has always been in Altered Beast. A Roman centurion who has lived a life of horrific violence, pain, suffering, and marching down a straight path is rudely awakened from the dead and forced to further his efforts by Zeus (the game has a mix of that mythology) It has been). The poor guy probably wants to sleep forever. Instead, he is forced to punch and kick all sorts of beasts and shiny orbs. He has no choice. He can’t go back now. This is possible with horizontal scrolling.

My eldest daughter, a Zeldamaniac, tells me that religion in these games is “nothing but a problem, except for nature-worshipping religions.” Again, she’s a vegan who works at a veterinary hospital. There’s a heated debate on the internet about how John Marsten, a Catholic, acted in Red Dead Redemption, and that Doomguy was similarly persuasive, and that’s a fact. I found “evidence” as to why he took pleasure in hunting demons in The Exorcist of Upper Space.

My own relationship with religion is complicated. When the world is beyond a shadow of a doubt in the toilet, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God. The excuse that “all bad things happen because of the free will God gave us” seems like the religious equivalent of the infinite life cheat in video games. It’s a bit of a hack. To be honest, tomorrow I would give up my free will. As it stands, I have had to make too many decisions in my life. When I was young, I much preferred being told what to do and being cared for. To be honest, if I could get eight hours of sleep a night, I’d be a happy automaton.

What if, as some people believe, we were characters in a giant computer simulation? I feel that there is meaning in that. This is one of his theories that is accurate and at the same time supported by facts. please think about it. If this world were part of a video game, played by really shitty players, wouldn’t it all make sense? As someone in charge of a video game, how often do we make poor decisions? How many cities have you completely ruined and abandoned in SimCity? Have you ever seen world leadership this cruel and unethical outside of your Civilization playthrough?

The answer is obvious. God is not a very capable player. Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence that the end credits of Altered Beast reveal that it was all just a simulation.

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Remember 2001’s “Black and White”? This video game allowed you to play as God and more. everytime I made a mistake? Yeah. Photo: Bullfrog/EA

There is one positive point to the simulation argument. It means criticism becomes less painful. There’s always this selfish fear that I’ll write something that people won’t like. In the days before online comments, when I spent a decade as the Daily Star’s only Liberal columnist, none of this mattered, but the toe-curling handwritten letter I could show them, but if I didn’t bathe them, I would then bury them in lime with holy water.

The great thing about simulation theory is that you can write anything you want and if people don’t like it, that’s okay. I’m not even the one writing that. In The Adventures of a Newspaper Columnist 5 there is a supreme being controlling me. Poor supreme being. This will be the most boring game they’ve played since Euro Truck Simulator.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Europa Clipper: NASA’s Mission to Jupiter’s Moons Explores Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life

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Artist’s impression of the European Clipper near its namesake moon

NASA

Instruments aboard a NASA spacecraft scheduled to launch to Europe later this year could directly detect cellular material ejected from Jupiter’s icy moons, increasing the chances of finding life.

Europa is of scientific interest because researchers believe there is a vast saltwater ocean beneath its thick icy shell. It is also surrounded by an orbiting blanket of ice grains and dust, believed to be the remains of material kicked up after the meteorite struck.

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft was launched in October and is scheduled to arrive at its destination in 2030, flying close to the moon but not landing on it. Ten experiments will be carried out aimed at studying Europa’s internal structure, including its ocean chemistry and potential habitability for extraterrestrial life.

One of these is the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), a type of instrument known as a mass spectrometer. The mission will collect material ejected from the moon and reveal its chemical composition, including potential organic molecules and salts.

SUDA was not designed to look for signs of life in Europe, but now Frank Postberg and his colleagues at Germany’s Freie Universität Berlin, who are working on the device, have shown that it can detect fragments of cellular material, potentially providing evidence of modern life.

“If life on Europa follows the same principle of having membranes and DNA made from amino acids… [those chemicals] “It will be the deciding blow of my life,” he says.

“This is an interesting result because these ice grains hit the instruments in space at speeds of 4 to 6 kilometers per second,” say team members. Fabian Krenner at the University of Washington. “We showed that we can still identify cellular material.”

These extreme velocities cause particles to collide with SUDA with high kinetic energy, breaking large molecular structures into smaller component parts for analysis. To simulate this kinetic energy, the team shot water droplets with a laser. I put the following sample into water. Sphingopyxis alascensisa bacterium known to survive in frigid marine environments, making it a potential alternative to life on Europa.

When the laser hits the droplet, it breaks up into tiny droplets that hit the SUDA detector. The researchers discovered that they could distinguish between fragmented cellular material, including fatty acids and amino acids, which are abundant in cell membranes.

“We have now simulated the presence of cells inside a single ice grain without any pretreatment, which may be a valid case for what we see in Europe,” Klenner said. To tell. The next step, he says, is to repeat the experiment using different types of cell cultures.

Murti Gudipati He works on SUDA at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., but is not involved in the research. The results should reflect what could happen to the spacecraft, he said. Watch while on duty.

But the ability to clearly distinguish cellular material from other organic molecules and salts depends on the specific composition of the ice grains released from Europa, he says. If SUDA detects many other complex organic molecules and salts mixed in with the ice grains, it may be difficult for researchers to reliably detect cellular material, Gudipati says.

the current, NASA says When asked, “Europa Clipper is not a life-detecting mission. Its primary science goal is to determine whether there is a place beneath Europa’s surface where life could exist.” new scientist The agency was unable to respond prior to publication about whether the new research changes the mission’s goals.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New Study Suggests That Venus’ Clouds Could Potentially Support Life

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Planetary scientists have long speculated that Venus' potential habitability lies not in its hot surface but in a cloud layer at an altitude of 48 to 60 kilometers, where temperatures match those of Earth's surface. However, it is commonly believed that Venusian clouds cannot support life because their chemical composition is concentrated sulfuric acid, a highly aggressive solvent. In the new study, chemists studied 20 biogenic amino acids across a range of sulfuric acid concentrations and temperatures in the Venus cloud. After four weeks, the researchers found that 19 of the biogenic amino acids tested were either unreactive or chemically modified only in their side chains. Their main discovery is that the amino acid backbone remains intact in concentrated sulfuric acid.

This composite image taken by JAXA's Akatsuki spacecraft shows Venus. Image credit: JAXA / ISAS / DARTS / Damia Bouic.

“What is quite surprising is that concentrated sulfuric acid is not a universally hostile solvent for organic chemistry,” said MIT researcher Dr. Janusz Petkowski.

“We found that the building blocks of life on Earth are stable in sulfuric acid, which is very interesting as we consider the possibility of life on Venus,” said Sarah Seager of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. the professor added.

“That doesn't mean life there will be the same as it is here. In fact, we know it's unlikely. But this study suggests that Venus' clouds support the complex chemicals necessary for life. We advance the idea that there is a possibility that

The search for life in Venus' clouds has gained momentum in recent years, spurred by the detection of the controversial molecule phosphine, a molecule thought to be a signature of life, in the planet's atmosphere. There is.

Although the discovery remains debated, the news reignited old questions about whether life could actually exist on Earth's sister planet.

In search of answers, scientists are planning several missions to Venus. That includes the first largely privately-funded mission to Venus, backed by California-based launch company Rocket Lab.

The mission, for which Professor Seeger is the principal scientist, aims to send a spacecraft into the planet's clouds and analyze their chemistry for signs of organic molecules.

Ahead of the mission's launch in January 2025, Professor Seager and his colleagues will test various materials in concentrated sulfuric acid to find out whether debris from life on Earth might be stable in Venus' clouds. I've been testing molecules. The most acidic place on earth.

“People have a perception that concentrated sulfuric acid is a very aggressive solvent that will tear everything apart, but we are finding that this is not necessarily true,” Dr. Petkowski said.

In fact, the authors have previously shown that complex organic molecules, such as some fatty acids and nucleic acids, are surprisingly stable in sulfuric acid.

They are careful to emphasize, as they do in the current paper, that complex organic chemistry is of course not life, but without organic chemistry there is no life.

In other words, if certain molecules can survive in sulfuric acid, Venus' highly acidic clouds are probably habitable, if not necessarily habitable.

In the new study, researchers focused on 20 biogenic amino acids, amino acids that are essential for all life on Earth.

They dissolved each type of amino acid in a vial of sulfuric acid mixed with water at concentrations of 81% and 98%, representing the range found in Venus' clouds.

They then used a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to analyze the structure of the amino acids in sulfuric acid.

After analyzing each vial several times over a four-week period, they found that the basic molecular structure, or “skeleton,” of 19 of the 20 amino acids was stable and unaltered, even under highly acidic conditions.

“Just because this skeleton was shown to be stable in sulfuric acid does not mean there is life on Venus,” said Dr. Maxwell Seager, a researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

“But if we had shown that this spine was compromised, there would have been no possibility of life as we know it.”

of study Published in this week's magazine astrobiology.

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Maxwell D. Seeger other. Stability of 20 biogenic amino acids in concentrated sulfuric acid: Implications for the habitability of Venusian clouds. astrobiology, published online March 18, 2024. doi: 10.1089/ast.2023.0082

Source: www.sci.news

Pompeii in England: Remarkably Preserved Bronze Age Village Offers Glimpse into Ancient Life

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An intact ax with an intact handle was found under one of the burnt structures on the grounds of Mast Farm.

cambridge archaeological unit

The ruins of a Bronze Age settlement in eastern England have been beautifully preserved after being destroyed by fire 3000 years ago. Exploring the ruins provides an incredible snapshot of how the British lived at the time, from what people ate for breakfast to the tools they used to build their homes.

Archaeologists first discovered the ancient wooden pillars in 1999 at the Mast Farm quarry near the small town of Whittlesea. A subsequent small-scale study tried to figure out if there was anything interesting there, he said. chris wakefield at the University of York, UK. But it wasn’t until his 2015 that Wakefield and his colleagues conducted serious excavations at the site.

The research team discovered the structural remains of four large circular dwellings (usually wooden circular dwellings with conical thatched roofs) dating from 3,000 to 2,800 years ago. Tree stumps suggest that it was built on raised platforms connected by wooden walkways over a small river that flows through the area. Judging by the size of the waterway, there may have been about 10 roundhouses in the settlement, Wakefield said.

Tree-ring analysis of wood taken from the structure suggests that the settlement was destroyed a year after its construction, with the houses falling into the muddy waters below. Wakefield said the waterlogged, oxygen-depleted environment prevented the settlement from deteriorating, resulting in its unprecedented level of preservation. The charring of objects by fire also served as a protective layer against environmental decay. “Almost everything that was in these people’s homes at the time of the fire has been preserved and is still being discovered nearly 3,000 years later,” Wakefield said.

The way items fell into the mud provided clues as to the layout of each house. Stepping through the door, the kitchen area tended to be on the east side of the house, with the sleeping area to the northwest and the livestock pens to the southeast.

Chemical analysis of kitchen utensils such as pots, bowls, cups and jars suggests that the settlement’s prehistoric inhabitants probably ate porridge, cereals, honey and stews made from beef, mutton and fish. .

“This is the best evidence we have for understanding prehistoric diets and cooking methods,” he says. Rachel Pope At the University of Liverpool, UK. “This is the closest you will ever get to walking through the doorways of a 3,000-year-old roundhouse and finding out what life was like inside.”

Illustration depicting daily life at one of the mast farm structures

Judith Dobie/Historic England

A toolbox filled with axes, sickles, and razors was a staple in every household. “One of the most beautiful things one of my colleagues found was an amazing two-part axe,” Wakefield says. “What’s amazing about this particular design is that the ax head itself is inserted into an additional piece of wood that can be replaced.”

The clothes recovered at the scene had a lush, velvety feel and were made from the finest fibers produced in Europe at the time, Wakefield said. Decorative beads, which may have been used in necklaces, have also been found throughout the site, and likely came from elsewhere in Europe or the Middle East.

The settlement has been likened to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash after a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. “Archaeologists sometimes talk about Pompeii-like discoveries, moments where time stood still, and this is one of them. Burnt-out settlements offer evidence of the time just before and after the fire some 2,900 years ago. It gives us a detailed look into people’s lives in the months leading up to it.” michael parker pearson At University College London.

“Mast Farm is not a once-in-a-generation site. It is very likely that there will never be another site that tells more about Bronze Age Britain.” Richard Maggwick At Cardiff University, UK.

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  • archeology/
  • ancient humans

Source: www.newscientist.com

“Remembering the Karaoke Inventor: A Tribute to a Life of Honor and Ridiculousness” | Pop and Rock

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R
Conventional wisdom suggests that music critics who criticize popular pop stars are often dismissed as failed musicians. This notion has always seemed like an unfair judgment to me. Rather than being a slight against harsh critics, it seems more like a criticism of musicians who have not achieved success in the industry. The question arises: why do some people fail in music? Implying that success is solely determined by talent or professional circumstances severely underestimates the allure of music, as exemplified nowhere better than in karaoke.

Karaoke establishments embrace a culture of incompetence, where grandeur, off-key performances, and unconventional stage presence are not only accepted but celebrated. In this environment, the “unpopular musician” takes on a captivating persona, becoming a standout figure in the music industry.

The recent passing of Shigekazu Negishi, the inventor of the karaoke machine, at the age of 100 highlighted the significant impact of his creation. Negishi, a Japanese consumer electronics innovator, developed the Sparko Box machine in 1967, initially as a response to a mocking colleague in a factory. Despite facing initial skepticism and criticism from live musicians wary of automated competition, Negishi’s invention went on to become a commercially successful venture.

Critics of karaoke have often deemed it boring, silly, and kitschy over the years, dismissing its artistic value. However, a shift in perception occurred when I personally experienced a karaoke bar in east London, where the magic of public performances unfolded before my eyes. Karaoke transformed from a nostalgic ritual to a high-stakes theatrical spectacle where honor and absurdity intersect.




Not so quiet…Björk.
Photo: REX/Fotex

Karaoke challenges individuals not only to showcase their vocal abilities but also to shed their inhibitions and embrace a sense of playfulness and humor. In a room filled with potential critics, the act of performing transforms into a liberating experience of self-expression and creativity.

Related: Stand up and be a fool: why film-makers love a karaoke scene

Karaoke provides a platform for ordinary individuals to embody a sense of star power, offering a unique form of interaction distinct from traditional concerts. Whether one performs with passion or humor, karaoke encourages participants to let go of inhibitions and embrace the joy of performance.

Shigekazu Negishi’s lifelong dedication to karaoke and his inventions symbolize the enduring power of passion over talent. As his legacy continues to influence music culture, he remains a beacon for aspiring singers worldwide.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Improving the Outcome of Major Life Decisions: A Guide to Decision Making

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You could argue that LIFE is like a long game of blackjack. A common version of this is that each person is first dealt her two playing cards. The goal is to increase your hand to 21, or as close to this as possible without bursting. Players can either “stick” with their existing hand or “twist” it by requesting that they be dealt another card to add to their total. Of course, going over 21 risks being eliminated.

This may sound far from an everyday choice, but many of the most important decisions in our lives end up in dilemmas like this. Should I stay like this or should I take the plunge and move house? Should you keep your job or start your own business? Should you put up with an unsatisfactory relationship, or try your hand at love another time? In each case, we have to weigh the safety of what we have against riskier but potentially more valuable alternatives.

The uncertainty inherent in these dilemmas causes many of us to become paralyzed and stagnant in our analysis, staying where we are and never getting the chance to win big. In contrast, some people are easily swayed by the lure of new things. They are quick to gamble until they lose everything due to impulsive behavior. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, help may be on the way. Thanks to a greater understanding of our underlying cognitive biases and how to escape them, we now have evidence-based strategies to think more rationally about these challenges, so we can put our lives on the line. Playing the game gives us the most benefit.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Winter life around the Great Lakes is changing due to a shortage of ice.

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Some fish species’ reproduction, shoreline erosion, and weather patterns are all at risk due to lower ice levels. This includes changing the amount of lake-effect snow that falls on nearby communities.

Research shows that the maximum annual ice area trended downward at a rate of approximately 5% for each decade from 1973 to 2023. For more information, visit NOAA’s research page.

Due to poor ice conditions, ice fishermen are turning to inland waters as their seasons on Lake Superior are impacted. Joe Friedrichs said, “In the Duluth area, their seasons don’t exist, and that definitely impacts their ability to get on the ice.”

As of Thursday, only 3.4% of the northern Great Lakes region was covered in snow. Visit the National Operational Hydrological Remote Sensing Center for more information.

With the lack of snowfall and above-normal temperatures, businesses that rely on snow activities are taking a hit. John Silliman of Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply said, “People aren’t coming to ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile anymore.”

The region is experiencing the warmest winter on record, and meteorologists predict this trend will continue into spring with higher than normal temperatures. Visit AccuWeather for more details.

The National Climate Prediction Center’s outlook suggests that the Great Lakes region will continue to experience higher than normal temperatures until early spring. This raises concerns about wildfire risk, particularly in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Learn more from the National Interagency Fire Center.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

There May Be Less Oxygen in Europa’s Ocean, the Essential Fuel for Life, Than Previously Believed

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Jupiter’s moon Europa is covered with an icy shell

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

Jupiter’s moon Europa may not be as ripe for life as we think. Beneath the icy shell is an ocean of water, but as we know, the frigid moon may lack the oxygen needed to support life.

On Europa, oxygen is produced when radiation hits the surface and breaks down the water ice there into its constituent parts hydrogen and oxygen. Models of this process suggest that oxygen production rates can range from 5 kilograms per second to more than 1000 kilograms per second.

Jamie Zareh Researchers at Princeton University made the new estimate using data from the Juno spacecraft, which flew just 353 kilometers above Europa’s surface in 2022. They discovered that oxygen is only produced at a rate of about 12 kilograms per second at the Earth’s surface. This corresponds to the lower bound of previous estimates.

“In a sense, the shell is like Europa’s lungs. It’s continually producing oxygen,” Zaray says. “That said, we can’t say what happens after the oxygen is produced at the surface. How much of the oxygen makes it into the ocean remains a question.”

But if less oxygen is produced in the first place, less oxygen will enter European waters. As a result, researchers may be less likely to discover organisms similar to those living on Earth.

One of the next steps is to figure out how much of that oxygen can penetrate through the alien moon’s icy shell. NASA’s European Clipper mission, scheduled to launch in October, should help solve that problem. It is hoped that this will allow researchers to measure the thickness of the ice and determine whether elements and compounds useful for life can pass through it.

topic:

  • satellite/
  • extraterrestrial life form

Source: www.newscientist.com

My life was consumed by a terrifying blend of solitaire and poker

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I
I’m the type of person who wants to cry when the rules of a board game are explained to me, so I generally don’t like card games. In real life poker, you get bored after a few rounds, go all-in, and crash spectacularly, but something can happen. However, real-life poker is not a varsity game. Balatro may be the best card game you’ve ever come across. Especially this morning I left the steam deck at home. It’s to avoid sitting at your desk and playing Ballatro instead of doing other not-so-fun things you should be doing at work, like staring regretfully at your constantly overflowing email inbox. I think it will be one of the breakout games of this year. Join us and you’ll be hooked too.

Here’s how to play: You are dealt a regular hand of 9 cards, from which you play your best 4- or 5-card poker hand (flush, straight, three-of-a-kind, etc.). Then, a satisfying “Ding!” sound determines the hand’s score and moves on to the next score. The only person you play is yourself. Once you reach your point goal (perhaps a few hundred points to begin with), you advance to the next round.

In between games, you’ll find mystical features such as holographic, steel, and gold versions of cards that give multipliers or extra chips, planet cards that increase points to increase the value of certain hands, and tarot cards that transform cards. You can add things to your deck. A bunch of interesting ways and strange jokers that can completely change your strategy. It’s poker, but a little trippy.and you Assumption Bending the rules.




This madness is ideally what your deck will look like in a few rounds. Photo: LocalThunk/Playstack

By the fourth or fifth series of the game, hearts gained additional multipliers, playing face cards earned double points, and planets gave modest pairs huge multipliers. You’ll end up with a deck of quirky lucky cards. You can rely on it to help you reach your point goals. You are abandoning the ace in hopes of drawing his three diamonds for a special steal that will add valuable points to your score. Every three rounds, a boss appears that makes horrible modifications to your play, such as limiting your cards to his five, drawing cards face down, or randomly disabling entire suits. You have to adapt round by round, hope your luck holds out and keep things in your favor.

Apparently, he can beat Balatolo by completing an eight-round match. I googled this question and came across a thread on the Steam forums where someone was brazenly claiming to have won 2 rounds and was still winning 80% of the time. I hate this person.

It went to the final stage twice and was successfully bottled. Once, I forgot that I hadn’t actually leveled up my hand and went for a rare straight-to-his flush, but I ended up getting fewer points than I could have with a few pairs. Several times I’ve grossly miscalculated my hand and discarded a card in hopes of drawing a replacement card that was mathematically very unlikely to appear. One time, I encountered a boss right before the final stretch. Only allow one type of hand to be played.




Watch your hands…Balatoro. Photo: LocalThunk/Playstack

Baratolo may feel terribly cursed when something like this happens, but the thing is, this isn’t entirely a game of chance. Although you have to have good luck from the cards and the belief that a decent joker will appear in the shop between rounds, do Decide where to spend your money on new cards, which hands to go for, and which risk opportunities to take. So, like all good roguelikes, each failure resets your progress so you can feel like you’ll be fully successful next time.

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And then 2 hours disappear. I find the slightly mesmerizing chillwave music and pixel psychedelic illustrations, the naughty Joker card illustrations and retro TV scanlines disturbingly calming. If Baratolo was trying to extort money from you, that would be pure evil. But the good news is that once you’ve paid £12.79, all your gambling is done virtually and all you’re spending is your time.

I imagine that perhaps after I achieve that elusive victory, the spell will finally be broken. In the meantime, now life is baratolo and baratolo is life. I’m dreaming with clubs and spades.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything You Need to Know about Extraterrestrials

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Currently, there is a high level of excitement in the quest for extraterrestrial life. This field, known as astrobiology, combines biology, chemistry, planetary science, and astronomy to explore the possibility of life beyond Earth.

While microbial life forms like bacteria are expected to be the most common in the Milky Way, there is a chance that some planets could support more complex life forms such as plants and animals. Recent advancements in extremophiles, exoplanets, and robotic exploration have increased optimism among astrobiologists for discovering signs of life beyond Earth.

List three reasons why astrobiologists are optimistic about finding extraterrestrial life.

1. Extremophile microorganisms

The adaptability of life on Earth, especially extremophiles, showcases the limits of life in extreme environments. These microorganisms thrive in harsh conditions like hydrothermal vents, glaciers, acidic volcanic water, and high radiation zones, offering insights into potential habitable extraterrestrial environments.

Image credit: Getty

2. Exoplanets

Discovery of exoplanets orbiting distant stars has expanded the search for potentially habitable worlds. Small, rocky, Earth-like planets orbiting within the habitable zone of their stars offer promising locations for extraterrestrial life. Future space telescopes are expected to detect biosignatures, such as oxygen, indicating potential life forms.

3. Exploration of the solar system by robots

Advances in robotic technology have enabled probes to explore planets and moons in our solar system, revealing environments that could support life. From Mars to Europa and Enceladus, these missions provide valuable data on habitable conditions and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Where in the solar system could extraterrestrial life exist?

Various celestial bodies within our solar system, including Venus, Mars, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan, offer potential environments for extraterrestrial life. Whether in subsurface oceans or unique atmospheres, these locations raise interesting questions about the existence of life beyond Earth.

Do aliens have intelligence?

While astrobiology primarily focuses on single-celled life and biosignatures, the possibility of more complex life forms and intelligent beings in the galaxy is still an intriguing topic. Despite efforts to detect signs of intelligent life, no definitive evidence has been found yet.

Image credit: Getty

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Despite the odds, life exists against all impossibilities.

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“Humanity exists on a scale intermediate between elementary particles and the observable universe.” Milky Way Galaxy.

Shutterstock/Nednapa

When measured by orders of magnitude, it is sometimes argued that humanity lies somewhere between subatomic particles and the observable universe. (Put another way, we are somewhere between nothing and everything.) Whether or not this claim is strictly true, it commands attention and sympathy in all kinds of ways. I call. Each of our lives may feel like a whole universe, extremely important and infinite in scope, but from another perspective, each life is completely insignificant and fleeting. This is an impossible paradox, and this state of both surplus and surplus of value presents creative and moral opportunities. I love how these opportunities are explored in fiction, how scale makes human life, and indeed all life, unfamiliar, the infinite nature of its expanse, and I'm interested in what it can do to remind us of the improbability and wonder of its existence.

In each of my novels, especially At Ascension, I placed non-intuitive spatial and temporal perspectives next to the characters' more mundane concerns. Telescopes and microscopes explore deep time, evolution, and the life cycles of parasites and viruses alike. In addition to this, the characters eat, pace between rooms, have anxious, circular thoughts, worry about their families, and are bored. The lens zooms in and out from “domestic” to “foreign” scenes. I am not doing this to ridicule or belittle my characters, but rather that we are both infinite and infinitesimal, equal to the very big and the very small. I'm trying to evoke something in that paradoxical quality of closeness.

I've always been drawn to fiction that attempts this. When scenes with completely different perspectives collide, the effect is surprising, exhilarating and unforgettable. My favorite example is her 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf. To the lighthouse I first read it when I was a teenager. In the opening chapter, “The Window,'' page 134, Woolf gives us, through the character of Mrs. Ramsay, a consciousness so luminous that it seems impossible to define or limit it. In the next part, “Time Passes,” the perspective changes dramatically. The house is empty and the people have long left. Mrs. Ramsay, in her two short lines in parentheses, like an afterthought, we are informed that she has passed away.

I will never forget the shock and excitement I felt when I read this for the first time. I didn't know you could do something like this in fiction. Wolf's boldness and ambition took my breath away. She tragically demonstrated the power and danger of all her consciousness. This is a truism that cannot be repeated enough. Life feels endless, but it passes in the blink of an eye. Many of Woolf's novels are interested in this cacophony, as she lived through both world wars as well as the rapid advances in telescope power that changed all understanding of the size of the universe. This is no coincidence. And many believe that Woolf was not only an avid reader of astronomy books and his science fiction, but also that he had a lifelong commitment to writing that rivaled his most ambitious works. This seems obvious to people, but it's not surprising. SCIENCE FICTION.

main character of Ascension in progress, Lee Hasenbosch is a microbiologist who travels through deep space. Not only is she astonished to see the entire Earth, but she also experiences disappointment as she sees it disappear. Anthropocentrism – arguably the default perspective in English fiction – has never seemed so absurd. As she approaches the Oort Cloud, she becomes aware of other orders of life around her, ranging from algae food stocks to bacterial colonies that move between her and the rest of her crew. There is nothing beyond the ship's compound walls.

From an early age, Lee pursued the origins of life and became obsessed with the theory of life after an epiphany during a near-drowning experience. symbiosis And I was shocked at how impossible it was. It is almost impossible for life to exist, yet it is here. At the same time, she questions her own childhood and its influence on the person she became. Her life and work are centered around the pursuit of this ambiguous origin. So which scale is “correct”? Is she really interested in a universal story or a personal story? The answer, of course, is both. Neither answer alone is sufficient.

Martin McInnes Ascension in progress, published by Atlantic Books, is the New Scientist Book Club's latest pick.Register here and read along

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Early Earth conditions could have supported the production of essential life chemicals

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Chemical reactions in volcanic pools may have contributed to the birth of life on Earth

Michael S. Nolan/Alamy

One of the most important molecules in living organisms is synthesized from scratch under everyday conditions. The discovery suggests that this chemical formed naturally early in Earth's history and may have played a role in the origin of life.

The substance in question is called pantetheine. It is not a well-known name at the DNA or protein level. However, pantetheine is an important component of a larger molecule called pantetheine. acetyl coenzyme A, A “cofactor” that helps enzymes work.

“Coenzyme A is present in every organism ever sequenced,” he says. Matthew Powner At University College London.

Powner has spent most of his career discovering ways to make biomolecules from simple chemicals in a way that can occur naturally. Over the past decade, he has shown that: aminonitrile can be used to make nucleotide – the building blocks of DNA – and peptide, Short version of protein.

His team has now shown that aminonitrile can be used to make pantetheine in a series of reactions starting with simple chemicals like formaldehyde. This was done in water, often at such dilute concentrations that the reaction mixture appeared like clear water. The team sometimes used heat to speed up their work, but otherwise did not need to intervene once the reaction started.

“We just put everything in one pot. We literally just throw everything in, we don't change anything, we don't do anything, and we have a 60% yield of product,” Powner says.

Acetyl coenzyme A is involved in the synthesis of several biologically important chemicals. Some of the oldest microbial groups use processes involving microorganisms to obtain carbon from the environment.

Importantly, pantetheine is the active portion of the acetyl-coenzyme A molecule. No more than one bit is “essential to its functionality,” Powner says.

This type of cofactor is present in all living organisms.They are described as follows Origin of life and remnants of early evolution.

“Obtaining key organic biological cofactors from scratch,” he says, is impressive, “not to mention one of such centrally important ones.” Zachary Adam from the University of Wisconsin-Madison was not involved in the study.

For Adam, the importance of this research extends beyond pantetheine and acetyl coenzyme A. “They report this particular part of the cofactor, but intermediates have been shown to be important as well,” he says. Other chemicals produced in the process have been shown to aid in the production of other biomolecules. “They're building a network of compounds.”

Many ideas about the origin of life have assumed that a small set of biomolecules formed long before other molecules. For example, the “RNA world” hypothesis states that first life was made solely of RNA, and other chemicals such as proteins and lipids were added after RNA was able to make them. .

Powner is one of several researchers pushing for an alternative scenario in which many important molecules form early and interact from the beginning. “These products can all be products of the same chemical reaction,” he says. Rather than starting with just RNA, or just peptides, “it might be easier to make them all together, so the chemical reactions they perform are integrated from the original state.”

topic:

  • chemistry /
  • origin of life

Source: www.newscientist.com

Stunning marine life captured in underwater photography contest

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Gannet diving

Kat Chou/UPY 2024

Snow-white northern booby (Moras Bassanus) In this action-packed photo, a man dives for food in the icy waters off the coast of Scotland's Shetland Islands. The seabird is about the same size as an albatross, with a wingspan of up to 180 centimeters. They also have strong neck muscles and nostrils on the inside of their beaks that can close to prevent water from entering, making them uniquely adapted to high-speed diving.

This shot was one of the most spectacular in the 2024 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, which celebrates the wonders of the marine world.here are some new scientistThese are carefully selected works from among the many entries.

Virgo Shipwreck near Recife, Brazil

Fabi Fregonesi/UPY 2024

In this photo by Fabiana Fregonesi, a school of fish swarms around a shipwreck, forming a shape that momentarily resembles a boat's sail. The ship, called Virgo, was intentionally sunk in 2017 to serve as a diving site near Recife, Brazil.

“At that moment, I knew the ship was ready to set sail and the journey into an unknown adventure began,” Fregonesi said in a statement.

gray whale eyes

Rafael Fernandez Caballero/UPY 2024

Eye of Eastern Gray Whale (Eschrichius Robtus) penetrates this mysterious shot taken from just above the surface of a saltwater lagoon in western Mexico. These marine giants are friendly creatures and often approach boats to show curiosity. Whales undertake the longest annual migration of any mammal, from their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic south along the west coast of North America to the warm lagoons of Baja California, Mexico.

Octopus ringed with pyrosomes

Dennis Corpus/UPY 2024

In contrast to the giant gray whales, this 10 centimeter wide creature was captured up close in the deep waters off the coast of the Philippines. The circular object in the image is a pyrosome. This is a colonial animal called a zooid, which is made up of hundreds or thousands of tiny individuals. Encased in a strange pyrosome, a tiny octopus peeks out.

diving cormorant

John Anderson/UPY 2024

This ravenous cormorant mistakes photographer John Anderson's camera for a fish and heads straight for it. This stunning image was taken on a bright summer afternoon in a kelp forest at a dive site in Monterey, California. Many cormorant species rely on these special marine ecosystems to survive. However, local kelp forests have declined by 80% over the past decade.

www.newscientist.com

The significant role of space dust in the origins of life on Earth

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2023 Perseid meteor shower seen from California

NASA/Preston Deitches

Space dust may have brought elements essential for life to early Earth. Our planet is relatively poor in some of the elements necessary for the chemical reactions of life, but the dust that constantly drifts in from space contains many more, and when the Earth was young it was covered with glaciers. It is possible that they were gathered in

“It’s always been a shadow idea, but people were ignoring it for a number of reasons. The biggest one was that there weren’t enough ideas anywhere,” he said. say. craig walton at Cambridge University. Space dust tends to be rich in elements that are relatively difficult to obtain on Earth, such as phosphorus and sulfur, and it constantly falls in thin layers around the world.

Until now, researchers exploring the origins of such elements on Earth have focused primarily on larger objects that can deliver more elements at once, but such delivery mechanisms were They may have a hard time maintaining their pre-biological chemistry long enough to do so, Walton says. “Meteorites have long been thought to be a great source of these elements, but they release them randomly,” he says. “It’s like if I give you a big feast once, but you never eat again, you’re going to have a hard time living a happy life. You need a continuous source, and that’s what happens. It’s space dust.”

Up to 40,000 tons of space dust falls on Earth every year. Billions of years ago, that number may have been between 10 and 10,000 times higher, but that was still not enough to make individual locations particularly rich in elements important to life. Walton and his colleagues simulated how wind and water move dust and collect it in concentrations high enough to support life.

They found that glaciers are the most promising environment because they have the potential to trap large amounts of dust and are very less contaminated by dirt on land. When space dust falls on a glacier, it absorbs sunlight and heats up, melting and creating tiny holes in the ice. The hole then continues to trap more dust. Finally, the dust chamber flows into a pond at the edge of the glacier.

We can still see this process happening today, but if the Earth had been cold enough to have glaciers billions of years ago, the amount of dust would have increased and it would have been even more efficient. . “If you want to produce deposits that are really rich and have a lot of reactions that could lead to life, this is the best way to do it,” Walton says.

“We don’t know if glaciers were common on early Earth; we just don’t have good data for this period in general,” he says. ben pierce at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. “But I think it’s worth investigating, especially if it has the potential to provide a mechanism for creating a rich primordial soup.”

The lack of data about conditions on Earth during this time makes it difficult to estimate how important cosmic dust was to the origin of life. “We’ve always had a hard time understanding what the bulk chemistry of early Earth was like,” he says. Matthew Pasek at the University of South Florida. “However, this could be an important source of extremely valuable material.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

16 ways technology has disrupted my life: from concentration issues to physical health struggles

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LTo be fair, technology has improved my life and still surprises and delights me every day. My cell phone also turns into a flashlight! My TV remembers how far into last night's episode it was, even if I didn't. The bus stop knows when the bus is coming and can monitor the entire journey of the pizza from the restaurant to your home. Frankly, these are miracles.

However, there were corresponding sacrifices. For over 20 years, I have surrendered entire areas of ability, memory, authority, and independence to machines in my life. Along the way, we've become anxious about problems that didn't exist before, indecisive about choices we didn't have to make before, and angry about things we never noticed before. Ta.

There are probably hundreds of ways technology has ruined my life. Let's start with him 16 pieces.


1. I lose concentration.

It's not just me:
2022 survey According to a study conducted by the Center for Attention Research, 49% of adults believe their attention spans are shortening due to competing distractions available on cell phones and computers. Now I end up doing 20 minutes of half-hearted research and getting dragged down an online rabbit hole, all the while being bothered by notifications announcing the arrival of an email or the death of an elderly actor. Masu. They were close relatives or something. Especially since he chases me with the relentlessness of a bailiff on Duolingo. Sometimes he interrupts my Italian lessons and reminds me to take another Italian lesson. That's why I still can't order coffee in Rome after 5 years with her.

2. Poor posture

I felt like sitting in front of a screen all day was having a negative effect on my body, so I bought a stand to raise my computer in hopes that it would help me sit up straighter. Then it became variable focus, so I had to crane my neck and jut my chin out to read the screen through the bottom half of the glasses. I ended up switching to a laptop.Then I had to put
that on the stand. Despite this, I still have a question mark attitude. I tried setting an alarm to step away from the computer at regular intervals, but it kept waking me up.

3. Life can feel like a never-ending battle to prove you're not a robot.

Obviously, this includes all the failed attempts to click on every photo with a traffic light in it to qualify as a legitimate human investigator looking for spare dishwasher wheels . But it also means resisting the temptation to click an auto-reply button in an email that says something like “Okay, thank you!” and compose your own response. Every day is a Turing test, and you don’t always pass it.

4. Meetings are now inevitable.

You used to be able to say, “Friday?” I'm sorry, but on Friday I'm going to Antarctica. ” But thanks to Zoom, Google, and FaceTime, there is no reasonable excuse for not attending a meeting. You can also see a picture of yourself all the time, so you can see exactly how bored you are.

5. I can no longer argue in the pub.

I remember a time when it was considered ungentlemanly to check the factual accuracy of what your drinking buddies said. You were simply trying to counter their argument by presenting your own plausible facts. But when everyone has all the GDP,
brick Even though the countries are so close together, there doesn't seem to be much point in having a lively discussion. I end up researching it all night and saying, “Hmm.” These days, if you want to get into a petty argument over vague facts in an environment where phone use is prohibited, you have to go to jail. Or try a pub quiz. Either way, it's not life.

6. It's getting harder and harder to turn on.

You may have experienced the feeling you get behind the wheel of a rental car at a foreign airport, staring at the dashboard and wondering, “How am I going to drive it?” Or maybe you've faced a similar calculation in an unfamiliar shower or while standing in front of a seemingly ordinary stove. The constant development of new ways to turn things on has led us steadily away from the intuitive and toward the deliberately mysterious. Last week I found myself alone in a frigid bedroom with no electric radiator working. I ended up having to turn it upside down to find the model number to find the manual PDF online. I just wanted it to be hot.

Oddly enough, the virtual world is full of old-fashioned mechanical emulators – animated buttons that make clicking sounds. Knobs and sliders can be manipulated with a cursor, but in the real world the controls are reduced to a flat black panel covered in cryptic symbols such as a crescent moon. lightning. A circle with an M inside. M stands for mode.

This may sound like any age, but it's hard to believe that today's young people want a Wi-Fi enabled kettle.

7. You now have unfiltered access to the opinions of stupid people.

Technology not only allows us to know what stupid people are thinking; It now cherry-picks their thoughts and presents them to me every day as if I were some kind of idiot connoisseur. To be honest, I don't remember asking for anything like this.

8. Stupid people now have unfiltered access to each other's opinions.

In the past, so-called gatekeepers of traditional media restricted the flow of information through narrow, one-way channels. Now stupid people have their own media, where they can freely discuss and reaffirm stupid ideas with each other. Unfortunately, this wasn't quite the force of good we had hoped.

9.I am
I'm clearly worse at typing than I was 10 years ago.

I was never a great typist, but ever since word processing programs started correcting my mistakes, I developed a misplaced confidence in my abilities. If this facility is not available for any reason, I type like a person suffering from a stroke.

10. I feel a strange obligation to monitor bad news in real time.

They call it doomscrolling. We all do it to some degree, but bad news is just more persuasive than good news. But for me, it went from being a mild obsession to a full-time job.

11. I live in fear of being scammed.

I'm deeply suspicious of delivery notifications, communications from my mobile phone service provider, QR codes, and anything else that asks me to click on a link that I didn't order. I believe that the email from my bank regarding fraudulent activity is itself a scam. I once ignored a genuine email from my son saying he lost his phone and requested that he send a text message to a foreign number. He was alone in Vietnam at the time, and I thought, “Well done, you son of a bitch.”

12. I am forced to live in silent and shameful defiance of all conventional wisdom regarding passwords.

I don't know about you, but when I get advice about not writing down passwords, not using the same password over and over, and changing passwords regularly, I nod and say, “Sure,” but I… Write down all your passwords, keep them as few as possible, and change them only when absolutely necessary. To me, all the conventional wisdom about passwords ignores an important point. That means it's useless if you don't know the password. You can click “Forgot your password?” each time, set a new password, and forget it again immediately. By the way, I am also doing this.

13. You should go anywhere with advance warning and advance arming.

It used to be considered creepy to Google someone right before meeting them. Now it seems rude to show up without knowing anything about them. It should also give you information about what you're going to see and do, where to eat, and perhaps your travel route. Don't get me wrong. I like to be prepared. I just don't want to read a restaurant menu before leaving the house.

14. I have consistently risen to the level of disruption that every new technology allows.

As of this writing, I have 77 tabs open in my browser. Behind it is a completely different browser. Every morning I sift through the stacks of open documents to find the ones I need. You might think this virtual disorganization is preferable to a cluttered desk, even if it's neatly tucked into a slim laptop, but my desk is also cluttered, and the surrounding The walls are covered with post-its.

15. I resent technology, but I'm powerless without it.

Sometimes we hear stories of inventions that seem designed to foster slavish dependence, such as self-tuning guitars or programmable cocktail machines, but what we're actually reminded of is that technology is broken. Only when under. It's not just that you've lost the skills you need. I can't even remember the process. How did I previously find my way, figure out what to watch on TV, pay for takeout? There should have been a system in place.

16. The rest of the world is also helpless without it.

In my work in journalism, I sometimes find myself in certain technical inconveniences. A week without a smartphone. That's what a month without Google feels like. And what I got here is that if you abandon modern technology, the world generally refuses to participate in the experiment. You only know this when someone at the ticket counter looks you in the eye and tells you to download the app.

I can't win and I can't quit.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Finding Joy in Life Without Technology: John Cooper Clarke on Writing Poems by Candlelight with a Quill

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B
Oh, back then I felt a certain amount of sympathy for people who were forced to become computer savvy. They were often seen on the streets struggling home, carrying rucksacks full of technology and ruining the lines of their Hugo Boss suits. It looked like a ball and chain to me. So I stayed away. Every time someone mentioned a computer, I said: “What do you need a computer for?” I’m a poet. ”

Then, when cell phones came out, I was sitting next to two girls on public transportation. That’s when I heard one of the girls’ girlfriends say to the other one: “Her boss just bought her a new cell phone,” I thought. I’m sure he does. If he put an iron collar around your neck, would you be happy about it?

The proliferation of cell phones may have been the moment I truly distanced myself from technology. At first, people were saying they were admiring me, as if it were some kind of principled position I was taking. I thought they were praising me now, but in the future they would be like, “Who the hell do you think you are without a cell phone?” And it was proven. Their love quickly turned to hatred.

The last piece of technology I worked on was the DVD player. From then on, I decided that I didn’t need any more machines in my life. I write all my poems using a quill (a beautiful one with a calligrapher’s nib) and parchment by candlelight. The quill was originally a prop for a photo shoot I was doing, but I decided to keep it with the pot of ink. I don’t have a typewriter, computer, or cell phone, so I can’t send email. If anyone needs me, please call my landline. I’m usually at home anyway, but I’m not living off-grid.

As a teenager, I really liked the idea of ​​becoming the next Mickey Spillane, the great American crime writer. But I had to abandon that idea. If I tried to write a detective story set in modern times, people would say, “What’s he running there for?” Why didn’t he text? Why didn’t he go into a phone booth? Why didn’t he Google his Skype?

Not all changes are for the better. Progress is great, but it’s often tempting to say, “I can stop there.” That’s the nature of progress, isn’t it? It always lasts longer than necessary. Who the hell asked for touch-sensitive controls for everything?

The best place to listen to music is in your car, so I now put most of my music on cassette tapes. There is a ghetto blaster in every room of the house. The storage room also has a television, VHS player, and a spare VHS player. I have three large chests of drawers that contain all the videos I’ve recorded and a few I forgot to record. In 1989, he returned to blockbuster films such as “The Terminator''.

Moving away from technological development was never a political or even conscious decision. I am not convinced that I made the right choice because I receive thousands of punishments every day from the analog community. Every day, it’s “Visit our app!” or “Visit our website!” In my day and age, you have to interact with medical institutions on a regular basis, and you just have to talk to a real person – and a flesh-and-blood person. That’s not possible.

I don’t like a “cashless society” either. I spent 40 years trying to make money with this poem lark, and the moment I got the money, suddenly no one wanted it anymore. Even my bank has moved to another town. To earn my own money I have to take a taxi which costs £70 round trip. But I don’t do online banking. We often hear horror stories about large sums of money going missing. Once you have the money, it should be the end of your worries, not the beginning of new and worst worries.

I hate that some people run away with the idea that I’m some kind of social justice warrior, but technology seems to be having a negative impact on people who are struggling in society. For example, how does it affect mendicants? If no one has spare change, how will an ordinary person living in a cardboard box get by?

Another thing I don’t want to see is Tesco cashier workers losing their jobs over do-it-yourself cashiers. People talk about the speed of technology, but how fast has it really become? Once upon a time, if you were on your way to work and there was a queue at a newsagent’s, you could pick up a newspaper and I was able to run to the front of the queue and leave my ninepence on the counter. “Daily Guardian, hey there. Now you have to queue while someone takes 20 minutes to self-scan every item. I’m glad people live longer these days. Because there are so many things you have to waste your time on.

For me, it was always about computers or career. Work will never get done! I know this because my daughter has a computer. I didn’t want to give it to her, but at the same time she doesn’t want to impose her own prejudices on her child. She would have been the only one in her school class without her.

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Photo: Alicia Kanter/The Guardian

Anyway, when she got this computer, she said, “You should get one too, Dad, he’ll love it. ” I said, “I know you do, but that’s the problem.” She wanted to see how good they really were, so she said to her, “Can you bring in Dion and the Belmonts?” Let’s see how long it takes. After 3 seconds, Runaround Sue will play. That’s why I can’t own a computer. It’s easy to get distracted. Six weeks later, he was found dead, buried under a pile of pizza boxes.

I don’t like TV. To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of television. We have Freeview, which has about 800 channels. I like shows like “Bangers & Cash” and “Wheeler Dealers.” And I like Portillo’s Great British Railroad Journey and Great American Railroad Journey. You’ll learn more in 30 minutes with that guy than you would in 10 years at school. (An amazing reinvention of the man Portillo.)

I’ve heard that some people are paying a lot of money to go “off the grid” these days. I imagine it as some kind of retreat with a religious, Zen-Buddhist vibe. A step into another dimension for a while. i haven’t. For example, I’m a big fan of electricity. I enjoy brief power outages just to remind gung-ho environmentalists what life is like without electricity. If we abolish electricity, millions of people will die immediately. Therefore, what he does for 10 minutes without power will be a healthy lesson for everyone. There’s a lot more to like about the modern world. They had just discovered streptomycin when I was a sick child with tuberculosis. When I was young, I loved electric guitars. I played bass in a band. So, I’m not the kind of person who wishes he had lived 200 years ago.

People’s natural abilities are beginning to shrink due to technology. People ask me, “What would you do if you left home without your cell phone and got lost?” I don’t get lost. As long as you have a tongue in your head, you will find a way. People stopped talking to other people. Anyway, the only time I leave the house alone is to ride my bike. Even that is old, a 1959 Hercules. I go to the bookstore by bicycle. There’s a lot of technology involved in gambling these days, but I prefer the old days. I prefer the days when it was knee-deep in cigarette butts and full of losers. My first job was as a runner for a bookmaker, so I was exposed to the world of depraved gamblers from an early age. I think that’s what kept me from doing that.

It’s a technology issue. You stop interacting with the real world. It removes what we used to call social life. Knock on people’s doors. An encounter at a pub. We talk a lot about responsible drinking now, but it used to be enforced in your local pub. Your father’s friend will be there and say, “You drank too much, brace yourself. There’s still three hours until closing time.” It’s those subtle things, the low-level checks that keep you from having a nervous breakdown and turning into a housebound drunkard sitting alone drinking a very strong cheap lager in front of a porn movie. People worry about technology in grand science fiction terms and think it could end the world. But there’s no point in looking toward a dystopian future. Take a look around. The nightmare is already upon us.

As told by Tim Jones.

Lo and behold, John Cooper Clarke’s new poetry collection is now on sale, priced at £16.99 (Picador). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy here: guardianbookshop.com. Shipping charges may apply. Cooper Clarke tours his new show ‘Get Him While He’s Still Alive’ Running across the UK from March 5th to June 28th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Revamping Life at 60: Transforming a Simple Lifestyle into a Worldwide Sensation” | Life and style

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○On a sunny day in 2017, Kate Jackson, then 61 years old, picked up a wooden wool spinning wheel and took it to her garden. She propped her iPad up against a brick, pressed record, and began spinning and talking. It’s about crafts, the countryside, and her animals (cats, chickens, bees, and Irene the goose). Kate liked watching videos about gardening and quilting on YouTube, so she had an idea one day. “I decided to upload once a week.”

She called her channel “the last homely home”, “It’s a place where you feel comfortable, safe, and welcome. That’s what I wanted for my channel.” It currently has 123,000 subscribers. Last May, Ms Jackson, who lives in rural Northumberland, launched a sister channel. “the last homely garden”. She has her own shop online, nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram, and her own Facebook group run by her fans. She has become a cornerstone of her thriving online community.

Thirteen years ago, after an unexpected divorce, Jackson found herself alone with her three adult children. “It wasn’t the future I had planned,” she says. “She found it difficult to look at herself.” She left her career as a midwife to focus on selling her homemade crafts and teaching workshops, but she was struggling financially.

Around this time, her best friend was diagnosed with motor neuron disease and later died. “It was a dark time,” she says. Mr Jackson fled to New Zealand, where he traveled the country by bus. “I came back healed,” she says. She is ready to accept living alone and find peace at home.

By the time decent broadband was installed in her village in 2017, she was ready to share her little world of artisanal entertainment online. In Jackson’s videos, she chats while cooking, sewing, and sorting fabric. Sometimes she shoots tutorials, which are always relaxing. Recently, she has been teaching her daughter-in-law Anna how to make quilts. Jackson avoids polish. She doesn’t like writing video scripts and she never wears makeup. While filming one of her cooking videos, she accidentally dropped the recipe she was making into the pot, but left the mistake intact in her edit. Her audience loved it, she says. She says, “The comment I get most often is, ‘It’s like sitting down and having tea with a friend.'”

Her audience is mostly older American women, yearning for a glimpse of life in the British countryside. But that’s not all. “My daughter Martha said, ‘You’re a woman living alone in the country, you’re okay.'” Too often, people are left on their own through divorce or death and are overwhelmed by it. On the other hand, I enjoy solitude and love being able to make my own decisions. I’m showing people that it’s okay.”

Her fans collectively refer to themselves as the “Lime Green Sofa.” This was a concept during lockdown, with Jackson imagining viewers lounging together on endless banquettes. American fans made sofa badges to identify each other at craft festivals. In the UK, there are people who profess to be fans of Jackson, who “started crying and hugged me. They’re always really friendly and nice. But it’s a little weird.”


Jackson at work. Photo: Anna Jackson

Although she hides her exact whereabouts, people sometimes show up at her doorstep. There are “intrusive questions” online. Jackson shares a lot. “But at some point you have to say, ‘No, I’m not going to share this.'” Especially since it protects the privacy of her children and grandchildren.

However, The Last Homely House is a family effort in other ways. Her children and their partners are all creative and participate by doing small jobs on the channel. They create illustrations, run online shops, edit videos and photos, and sometimes appear on screen. “It’s really gratifying to see how passionate they are about what I’m doing,” Jackson says. “This is a collaboration with the people I love most in my life.”

Due to the success of her channel, Ms. Jackson is very busy, but she loves how she spends her time. This year, she plans to collaborate with a YouTuber she once considered a hero and visit her fabric factory. Success also brings peace of mind. “I am financially independent in a way I never thought possible when I was depressed and wondering when I would sell my next quilt.”

Sometimes I wish I had started sooner. “But I had to go through all those difficult life stages,” she says. “I wouldn’t have appealed to the same people if I was younger. I’m doing the right thing at the right time.”

Tell us: Has your life taken a new direction after turning 60?

Source: www.theguardian.com