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Scientists suggest that Earth may be trapped in a vast void in the universe.

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Recent studies indicate that Earth and the rest of the Milky Way could be drifting through the universe’s voids for billions of years.

By analyzing the echoes left by the Big Bang’s “Soundwave,” a group of astronomers has uncovered that the universe’s voids may be more extensive than previously believed.

If validated, this theory could solve one of the major dilemmas in cosmology known as Hubble tension, which highlights the discrepancy in how quickly our universe is expanding based on various measurement methods.

Astronomers have grappled with this issue for quite some time, finding that the expansion rate measured from the distant universe is significantly slower than that determined from observations of local regions.

“The possible resolution to this discrepancy is that our galaxy resides near the center of a large, local void,” stated Dr. Indranil Banik from the University of Portsmouth at the National Astronomical Conference in Durham.

This situation arises because the area surrounding the void is densely packed with galaxies, and their gravitational influence gradually pulls in nearby galaxies, leading to the void’s slow emptying over time.

“Due to the void’s emptiness, the speed of objects receding from us is greater than if the void were absent,” Banik explained. Thus, it may appear that the local universe is expanding at a faster rate than it truly is.

For Hubble’s tension to hold, the empty void must exhibit a galactic density approximately 20% lower than the universe’s average and span about 1 billion light-years.

Life in the Void

The concept of living within a void is not new, but confirming its existence poses challenges.

For instance, it’s quite difficult to perceive the shape of your environment when you are immersed within it—like trying to analyze your home from inside a room.

Current cosmological theories suggest uniformity across large scales, implying the absence of significant voids within our vicinity.

Galaxies tend to cluster together like the Perseus clusters, separated by large voids. Yet, everything should appear uniform on a grand scale – credits: Image processing Cuillandre (Cea Paris-Saclay), G. by ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, J.-C. Anselmi

However, Banik’s team has gathered evidence supporting the existence of a local void by studying the acoustic vibrations known as baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). These fluctuations result from pressure waves produced during the primordial phase of the Big Bang.

Over billions of years, these oscillations have influenced the arrangement of galaxies in the broader universe. If our galaxy is positioned at the center of a void, it would distort the BAO patterns we observe nearby.

This research, drawing on data collected over the past 20 years, reinforces the idea that we genuinely inhabit a vast void.

Real challenges will emerge when examining how life within the void impacts other aspects of the surrounding universe, which may prove to be lonelier than we ever anticipated.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Young Iranians Strive to Overcome Internet Blackout: It Feels Like Being Trapped by Walls

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a Amir* hasn’t slept in days. From his apartment in northern Tehran, the 23-year-old has spent nights searching for a vulnerable digital connection that can temporarily bypass the internet blackouts.

For 13 days, Iran has faced a nearly complete internet shutdown, severely limiting access to information since the onset of Israel’s strike until the latter part of Wednesday. However, a group of young Iranians tirelessly works to ensure their voices are heard beyond their borders.

“Using a VPN is no longer effective. To navigate this internet blackout, we’re relying on a special proxy link—essentially a ‘secret tunnel’ that channels messages through non-Iranian servers.

“These links are built into the app’s features […] They direct traffic from internal servers. Each link only works for a few hours before it fails. So, I’m constantly on the lookout for new ways to communicate with my people.”

The Iranian government blames external forces for restricting internet access during the conflict with Israel, claiming the network is being exploited for military purposes. A local source informed the Guardian that only correspondents from approved foreign media can access the internet.

While domestic messaging apps are operational, many young Iranians lack confidence in their security.

Amir remarked: “We have local apps, but they’re utterly unreliable. The government takes every opportunity to surveil us, particularly targeting student leaders.”

Last week, Amnesty International urged the authorities to lift the communication blackouts, stating it would “prevent individuals from finding safe routes, accessing vital resources, and sharing information.”

Another student leader, Leila*, 22, residing in Abbas Abado, north of Tehran, mentioned that she managed to connect again during the shutdown thanks to assistance from abroad. “My boyfriend in Europe sent me a composition link via text. Without it, nothing works. The internet sporadically operates for a few minutes before shutting down again.”

The blackout not only severed connections with the outside world but also complicated life amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment. “It feels like being enclosed by a wall,” remarked Tehran student Arash*. “We’ve lost the ability to assist each other with independent news while the sound of bombs contrasts sharply with the silence of state media.”

For Amir, the most alarming aspect is how the perception of war is becoming normalized. “We’re starting to treat this as normal,” he expressed, “but war is anything but normal.” He noted their recognition that the rattling of windows signifies either an air raid or an explosion.

The blackouts intensified his fears amid the war. “That’s what erases us… it makes us invisible. Yet here we are. We still wish to connect with a free world.”

* The name has been changed

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists discover a previously unknown species of fake scorpion trapped in 50-million-year-old amber

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Paleontologists have reported fossils of a new genus and species of pseudoscorpion from the Eocene Cambay amber of western India.

Geogaranya variensis. Image credit: Agnihotri other, doi: 10.26879/1276.

pseudo scorpion It is the earliest order of arthropods to colonize Earth’s land during the early Devonian period.

This diverse order accounts for more than 3% of all known arachnid species.

“Pseudoscorpions are an ancient lineage of terrestrial arachnids that are morphologically similar to real scorpions, but lack the tail and stinger,” said Dr. Priya Agnihotri of DST’s Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences and colleagues.

“Certain families have unique venom devices in the serrated digits of their palps, which evolved independently of the venom devices of scorpions and spiders.”

“Recent research also supports the inclusion of pseudoscorpions as a sister group to scorpions.”

“Due to their delicate bodies and small size, these fossils are mainly found in amber deposits around the world rather than in sediments,” they added.

“Forty-nine pseudoscorpion species have been recorded from Eocene Baltic amber and Rovno amber.”

Newly discovered pseudoscorpion species belongs to the small scorpion family Goridae.

named Geogaranya variensis showing strong similarities with extant genera. Geogalypus From Sri Lanka, India, and New Guinea.

“The Geogarypidae family is one of a group of bark-dwelling and leaf litter-dwelling species similar to the Geogarypidae family. Gallipidae It has a distinctive subtriangular carapace and eyes located near the leading edge,” the paleontologist said.

“This family includes more than 70 species with habitats suitable for tropical and subtropical regions, some of which have been reported from temperate biomes.”

“Geogarypidae are more common in Baltic and Rovno amber, and there are some records from Cretaceous Burmese amber.”

“Unlike the sparse record of fossils, their modern-day counterparts have been recorded in all major biogeographic regions, including Europe, Central Asia, North America, and North Africa.”

Amber from Cambay from 50 million years ago. Geogaranya variensis It was discovered in the open-pit Valia lignite mine, part of the Cambay Shale Formation, in the Cambay Basin of Gujarat, India.

“The Cambay Shale Formation overlies the Deccan Trap, and below it is the Paleocene to lower Eocene Vagadkol Formation,” the researchers said.

According to the team: Geogaranya variensis It is one of the smallest known adult pseudoscorpion fossils in amber from the Cambay Basin.

This discovery further strengthens the biodiversity of bark-dwelling arthropods identified in Eocene amber from western India.

“The discovery of the smallest known adult pseudoscorpion in Cambay Basin amber aligns it with fossil taxa recorded in Baltic Sea amber and Bitterfeld amber that survived the early Eocene. “This provides insight into similar bark-dwelling arthropod taxa,” the scientists concluded.

“Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed diagnostic features in the fossils, such as abnormally enlarged palps. This strengthened Foresy’s idea that species from non-arboreal habitats could be mistakenly This suggests that it may have been carried in amber and had a connection to a flying host.”

discovery of Geogaranya variensis is reported in paper in diary Old Trogia Electronica.

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priya agnihotri other. 2024. A new genus and species of fossil pseudoscorpion (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) discovered in Eocene amber from western India. Old Trogia Electronica 27 (2):a26; doi: 10.26879/1276

Source: www.sci.news

Killer whale pod trapped in drift ice off the coast of Japan vanishes

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Killer whale trapped in ice off the coast of Japan

NHK/Screenshot

A pod of more than a dozen killer whales has gone missing after languishing in Japan's icy waters for nearly a day, trying to escape being trapped in an ice floe. It is unknown what happened to them, but they may have died.

Fishermen near Hokkaido first noticed the pods struggling in the thick mud early Tuesday morning. Images and drone video show at least 12 orcas. Several boys struggle in a small space It was trapped in heavy ice about 1 km offshore.

As of Wednesday morning, The containment area was empty.Japanese news outlet NHK said it gave hope that the animals may have escaped to the open waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

However, late Tuesday afternoon, a pod of 17 orcas was found trapped on an ice floe 2 kilometers northeast of their original location. NHK reporting.

“Orcas are not ice-adapted whales. They are not comfortable in this area.” colin galloway at the University of Manitoba, Canada. “So they are definitely experiencing the stress of confinement and are more likely to be starving.”

Cetaceans that permanently inhabit the Arctic region, such as narwhals (Monodon Monoceros) and belugas (Delphinapterus leucas), can sometimes become trapped in ice. Killer whale (killer whale) However, they usually avoid heavy ice and avoid getting trapped.

Still, black-and-white marine mammals can end up in icy waters at the wrong time.in 2016 reviewScientists found that since 1840, there have been 17 incidents in the Northern Hemisphere where a total of 100 orcas were trapped in ice. Almost half of them occurred in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Japan. Confinement usually ends in the killer whale's death, Galloway said.

Scientists believe that even the reported orcas “broken freedomAfter being trapped in the ice, they can die struggling through further ice drifts while trying to reach the open sea.

A 2019 study of ice-trapped killer whales suggests that: Mammals can live on body fat for up to 50 days before being trapped and starving to death.. Sightings of orcas trapped in the ice have increased in recent years, as the Arctic ice melts and curious orcas seek new territory to explore.

Global warming may indeed be playing a role, Galloway says. His team is currently investigating the environmental impact of killer whales' gradual northward migration. But it's also possible that entrapment incidents simply appear to be more common because people are reporting more incidents.

“Just because we've gotten better at detecting, observing, and recording climate warming, and we're more interested in it, it's very difficult to disentangle the relationship between climate warming.” “That's one of the predictions,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com