Recent advancements in interstellar travel technology have brought us closer to utilizing light sails—massive sheets that harness reflected light to journey vast distances in space. Researchers have now developed a method to effectively pilot these innovative sails.
Kaushik Kudalkar from Texas A&M University comments, “We understood that any light or laser could transmit momentum, but our breakthrough allows for directional control.” His team has designed a compact device called the “metajet,” leveraging both refraction and reflection to enable motion in multiple directions simultaneously.
The metajet is crafted from a metasurface, a thin, textured material engineered to manipulate light. In this project, researchers inverted traditional applications by using light to influence the metasurface. A series of small pillars embedded in the material modulate the light intensity and momentum, controlling the device’s movement. The overall diameter of the metajet is approximately 0.01mm.
In experimental trials, the researchers submerged a silicon metajet in water and illuminated it with a laser, observing its movements through a microscope. Remarkably, the metajet managed to levitate and propel itself horizontally, achieving speeds of around 0.07 millimeters per second.
Metajet in Motion: Captured Every 10 Seconds
Kaushik Kudtarkar et al. 2026
Kudalkar emphasizes, “Now that we understand the forces acting on this device, we can redesign the metasurface for increased control.” They envision metasurfaces capable of changing shape dynamically, paving the way for advanced light sails in space exploration.
These technologies have implications beyond space; they can also be adapted for biomedical applications, such as directing drugs to specific sites. Kudalkar states, “While lasers can push drugs, they risk damaging sensitive molecules due to heat. With MetaJet, drugs can be delivered without exposure to harmful heat from the laser.”
The research team is exploring compatibility with various light wavelengths, particularly broad-spectrum sunlight, to enhance the effectiveness of light sails in space travel. “This pushes the boundaries of science fiction,” says Kudalkar.
George MacKay (Nick, left) and Callum Turner (Liam) embark on a haunting journey home.
Credit: Ian Kingsnorth, BFI
The Rose of Nevada Directed by Mark Jenkin Now showing in UK cinemas. US release on June 19th.
Time functions oddly in desolate locations—this is the central theme of The Rose of Nevada, directed by Mark Jenkin. The film unfolds in a once-thriving fishing village in Cornwall, England, now bereft of its inhabitants and industry. Only a few souls linger amongst the deserted pubs and derelict moorings, remnants of a once-prosperous past. The sea itself feels lifeless.
What more fitting backdrop for a ghost story than this ghost town? After all, aren’t ghosts merely echoes of time? This village exists outside conventional chronology. Three decades ago, a fishing boat and its ill-fated crew tragically vanished at sea, and their absence resonates throughout the village. The tragedy remains unresolved until the re-emergence of the vividly colored Nevada Rose in the harbor.
For Nick (George MacKay), the boat’s return comes at a crucial juncture. As a husband and father struggling to stay afloat, the arrival of the Nevada Rose seems fortuitous. Liam (Callum Turner), an itinerant worker who sleeps on docks, also finds hope when he is recruited by Mike (Edward Lowe), the owner of the Rose of Nevada. They are guided by the seasoned rental captain, Margie (Frances McGee), who has a mysterious connection to the once-missing vessel.
Together, the trio sets sail, hoping to catch enough fish to repair Nick’s leaking roof, pad Liam’s pockets, and perhaps save their village. However, upon the Nevada Rose’s return to shore, something feels amiss. Time has looped back 30 years, and Liam becomes confused for two local men: Alan, an absentee father who vanished with the Rose of Nevada, and Nick, a fisherman haunted by the guilt of missed work on that tragic day.
“
What better place to set a ghost story than a ghost town? After all, what is a ghost if not a coincidence of time? “
The implications of this twist and the narrative that follows are open to interpretation. The emotional weight of The Rose of Nevada is palpable, particularly in McKay’s compelling portrayal of Nick. Navigating his past, Nick finds comfort in the empty house of long-lost neighbors who mistake him for their son, uncovering a note of love from his wife on the day he left.
The film’s mesmerizing sequences at sea offer tension and tranquility. For Nick, fishing transcends mere survival—it’s a recurring rhythm that brings him clarity amidst chaos. The quest is not just for Nick but for the entire village waiting for his return.
The Rose of Nevada marks the third installment of Jenkin’s Cornwall trilogy. The first, Feed, explores the negative impacts of tourism on a coastal community, while the second, Ennismen, follows a solitary wildlife volunteer on a remote island grappling with hallucinations. This film encapsulates themes from both predecessors with its stunning visuals and haunting setting. The iconic hand-cranked Bolex camera used in the earlier films succumbed just as this latest installment reached completion, marking a poignant end to Jenkin’s trilogy.
If this marks the conclusion of Jenkin’s journey, it will be a bittersweet farewell. His unique storytelling deserves further exploration within this picturesque Cornish setting. The Rose of Nevada stands as a significant achievement—an unforgettable tale of lost time, borrowed moments, and the quest for redemption.
George MacKay’s recent performances, especially in Fam, demonstrate his versatility. In this gripping thriller, he plays Preston, a man embroiled in a violent act that comes back to haunt him when he unexpectedly reunites with Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) at a gay sauna.
Bethan Ackerley is the associate editor at New Scientist. Her interests span science fiction, comedy, and the supernatural. Follow her on Twitter @inkerley
Feedback is New Scientist. As a popular platform for those keen on the latest in science and technology, we welcome your insights. To share feedback on topics that interest our readers, please contact us at feedback@newscientist.com.
Moon Wandering
The Artemis II mission recently made headlines as its crew successfully orbited the Moon and returned to Earth. This mission has sparked a variety of discussions—some lighthearted, others intriguing.
Notably, Artemis II achieved a record distance of 406,771 kilometers from Earth—an unprecedented journey. Reader Helen von den Steinen humorously noted the “quirky units of measurement” used in the U.S., sharing a comparison to dachshunds to illustrate this vast distance.
“Lining up 22-inch dachshunds nose to tail would require nearly 728 million well-behaved dogs,” she reported, clarifying that there are only about 900 million dogs globally.
Taking it a step further, the discussion turned to the length of time necessary for a dachshund to walk that distance. “At a brisk pace of 3 miles per hour, it would take over 84,000 hours—equivalent to nearly a decade of walking,” they concluded, even considering constructing “a chain of 2.37 billion Nathan’s Famous hot dogs” to span the distance.
Helen praised the transition between the ‘live dog’ and the ‘hot dog’ as an entertaining comparison. Feedback continues to explore the variability in dachshund sizes and whether that impacts such measurements. Additionally, it was suggested to start with familiar structures like San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to explain monumental distances more effectively.
We also noticed discussions online questioning the authenticity of Artemis II, with some speculating that the crew may have merely been “isolated in a luxury hotel” during the whole mission, as humorously insinuated by screenwriter James Delingpole.
Shifting topics, reader Richard Simmons revisited a prior discussion on the Moon’s composition. He humorously theorized about the Moon being made of cheese, eventually settling on Ceres-sur-Cher, a French cheese that, according to Richard, mirrors the Moon’s surface in color and texture.
Lots of Marathons
In a previous exchange about the term “shed load,” reader F. Ian Lamb introduced “intrinsic relative scaling units,” or ERS units. This concept suggests that such measurements are dependent on context and perception.
Reader Andrew Winkley elaborated on the idea of marathons. While the official distance of a marathon is 42.195 kilometers (26.22 miles), as established in the 1920s, it has broader implications beyond running. Terms like “24-hour dance marathon” or “marathon study session” show that the notion of a marathon can be subjective and activity-dependent.
Declassified Insights
The limitations of AI are well recognized, and informed users are mindful about its applications. A recent study by reporter Matthew Sparks revealed an intriguing use of AI for classifying government documents. The paper, titled Search Advanced Classification for Confidential Documents, discusses the labor-intensive nature of document categorization.
The researchers tested their AI model on U.S. diplomatic cables previously released by WikiLeaks, achieving a 96% accuracy rate in categorizing them as “unclassified” or “classified.”
However, Matt raised crucial concerns: a 96% accuracy rate translates to a potential leak of 4% of top-secret information. Feedback poses important questions regarding AI’s performance compared to skilled humans and the potential biases in classification, especially regarding government documents.
In closing, the use of AI for sensitive classifications raises essential discussions around the balance of efficiency and security.
Have a story for Feedback?
Feel free to share your article with us at feedback@newscientist.com. Don’t forget to include your home address. You can find this week’s and previous feedback on our website.
A groundbreaking study reveals that astronauts’ brains can experience changes in shape and position during their time in space, presenting significant implications for NASA’s objectives of long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.
Published on Monday in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research indicates that astronauts’ brains tilted upward after spaceflight, deviating from their normal Earth position and shifting within their skulls. The study identified that areas associated with sensory functions, motion sickness, disorientation, and balance were notably affected.
This research contributes to the evolving field of aerospace medicine, which investigates the physical toll spaceflight and microgravity exert on the human body. Such insights are crucial for planning NASA’s ambitious projects to establish a base on the Moon and conduct crewed missions deeper into the solar system.
“Understanding these changes and their implications is vital for ensuring astronauts’ safety and health, as well as ensuring their longevity in space,” stated Rachel Seidler, a professor at the University of Florida and co-author of the study.
Seidler and her team examined MRI scans of 26 astronauts taken before and after their missions in orbit. The duration of spaceflight varied from a few weeks (for Space Shuttle missions) to about six months (the typical length for International Space Station missions). Some astronauts even spent a year aboard the station.
“Those who spent a year in space exhibited the most significant changes,” Seidler revealed. “We observed noticeable alterations even in astronauts who were in space for just two weeks, indicating that duration is a key factor.”
She added that among astronauts who remained in microgravity for over six months, the upward movement of their brains was “quite widespread,” particularly within the upper brain structures.
“The movement is in the range of a few millimeters. While this might not seem significant, in terms of brain dynamics, it truly is,” she noted.
Seidler pointed out that the observed brain changes often lead to “sensory conflicts” while astronauts are in space, resulting in temporary disorientation and motion sickness. Upon returning to Earth, such changes may also contribute to balance issues as astronauts readjust to the planet’s gravity. However, the study did not report any severe symptoms, like headaches or cognitive impairment, either during or after spaceflight.
“That was a surprise to me,” Seidler remarked.
For a comparative analysis, the research team also examined brain scans of 24 civilian participants who underwent bed rest for up to 60 days with their heads positioned at a 6-degree angle downward, mimicking microgravity conditions. Similar changes in brain position and shape were observed, yet astronauts’ brains displayed a more pronounced upward shift.
Dr. Mark Rosenberg, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Aerospace and Performance Neurology Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, emphasized that while the effects of spaceflight on the brain have been recognized, Seidler’s study is pioneering in documenting how these upward shifts impact astronauts both in space and upon their return to Earth.
“While we knew the brain shifted upward, we needed to explore any operational consequences,” said Rosenberg, who did not participate in the study. “This work helps clarify those relationships.”
The findings prompt additional questions for future studies, including whether brain changes differ between male and female astronauts and whether the age of crew members influences these changes. However, gathering a comprehensive dataset is challenged by the limited number of astronauts launched to the International Space Station each year, a demographic that has predominantly been male.
Further research is essential to establish whether the observed brain changes have long-term repercussions.
Currently, these changes do not appear to be permanent, similar to various physiological changes astronauts experience post-mission, such as bone density loss, muscle atrophy, and fluid redistribution. Once the body readjusts to Earth’s gravity, conditions largely normalize, Rosenberg explained.
However, it remains uncertain whether different gravitational environments might introduce new complications.
“If an astronaut were on Mars, which has one-third of Earth’s gravity, or on the Moon, with one-sixth of Earth’s gravity, how much longer would it take to return to normal?” Rosenberg queried.
Both he and Seidler assert that the current findings shouldn’t deter humans from spending extended periods in space. It is crucial, however, to comprehend any potential long-lasting damage and identify strategies to mitigate it.
“Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are destined to become a spacefaring species,” Rosenberg concluded. “It’s merely a matter of time. These are just some of the essential questions we need to address.”
WWhile navigating the Black Friday sale frenzy can feel daunting, some incredible deals, particularly in travel, are worth exploring. As a travel journalist and magazine writer for my packing list newsletter, I’m continually scouting for luggage, apparel, and gear that can enhance the travel experience. During the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, I focus on retailers delivering substantial discounts on items such as carry-on luggages and cozy loungewear. Pro tip: If a product intrigues you, conduct a Google search to discover if other sites offer better prices (which is often the case).
If you’re in the market for upgrading travel gear without breaking the bank, rely on my curated guide for your shopping decisions. We’ll be updating our sale selections frequently over the holiday season, so keep an eye on this space for more deals in the coming weeks.
How I selected my Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals
My guiding principle when selecting travel products is to prioritize quality over quantity. You don’t need multiple carry-on suitcases; you need one that you can consistently rely on.
I began by identifying essential items every traveler should have, considering the “nice-to-haves” that have simplified my journeys through the years. I then sought specific products from trusted retailers and brands (many I routinely purchase) to see if discounted prices were justified. The chosen picks are presented below.
Overview: The top travel deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Now $257, previously $343
Now $64.99, previously $99 on Amazon
Now $53.40, previously $89 at Athleta
Top luggage deals
Photo provided by Calpak
Calpak Terra 26L Laptop Duffel Backpack
Now $158.40, previously $198 at Calpak
Since I began using the Calpak Terra 26L Laptop Duffle Backpack last winter, I was thrilled with its carrying capacity. In fact, it holds as much as my suitcase while still fitting under an airplane seat! The clamshell opening simplifies packing, and internal compression straps secure everything. It’s essentially two bags in one: both a backpack and a duffle.
Photo: Provided by Away
Away Packing Pro Bundle
Now $257, previously $343
I always turn to Away for my bag needs. After using the Bigger Carry-On for years and testing numerous other suitcases, I’m convinced it offers more storage than any other carry-on. This bundle includes a set of packing cubes, perfect for organizing your suitcase, making it ideal for new travelers or those prone to overpacking.
Away is running an early Black Friday sale with 25% off all products, but I suggest focusing on items with the best cost per use. For frequent travelers, that’s the Away Packing Pro bundle. It includes the Bigger Carry-On and a set of Insider Packing Cubes (set of 4)—two travel essentials that can be used independently or together. Bonus: choose matching colors or mix and match!
Photo: Provided by ROHM
Roam Check-In Expandable
Now $545, previously $725 at Roam
Quality checked suitcases can be pricey, hence waiting for a sale is worthwhile. While the Roam Check-In Expandable may seem costly, it’s a one-time investment. Crafted with an extension feature (2-inch zipper) and compression board, it can comfortably accommodate 10-13 clothing items.
Top travel tech and gear deals
Photo: Provided by Amazon
European Travel Plug Adapter Set
Now $12.66 on Amazon, previously $16.99
Planning a trip to Europe? Or need a practical gift for someone traveling abroad? Grab this European travel plug adapter set on sale (26% off). It includes a Type-C plug adapter for places like Germany, Italy, France, and Spain, plus a Type-G mini adapter for the UK.
As a person who frequently misplaces AirPods while traveling, I lean heavily on headphones. This JBL pair is currently 50% off and boasts great reviews from countless users. Ideal for anyone hesitant about larger headphones, this model is accessible in multiple colors, including purple and blue.
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Apple AirTags 4 Pack
Now $64.99, previously $99 on Amazon
While you can’t control everything at the airport—like lost luggage—you can equip yourself with technology to track your belongings. Keeping an Apple AirTag in both checked and carry-on luggage provides reassurance, especially when connectivity is unreliable. It’s an opportune time to invest in your own set of AirTags.
Buying a 4-pack of AirTags at Apple.com means paying full price, but you can find these nifty tracking devices on Amazon and Walmart for under $65. Not only are AirTags handy for travel, but they also come in handy for daily life—attach one to your keys, slip it in your bag, or place it in your wallet.
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Travel Inspira Luggage Scale
Now $9.99 on Amazon, previously $12.99
Searching for a practical gift? The Travel Inspira Luggage Scale is that underappreciated item most don’t realize they need until they experience the relief of weighing their suitcase pre-flight. Simply loop the weighing strap through your luggage handle, lift, and check. Not only will the sale price save you money, but you’ll also avoid potential overweight baggage fees.
REI’s Holiday Sale highlights numerous items suited for any traveler’s wardrobe, but the Men’s Evolution EMB Oversized Parka (currently 30% off) stands out. It offers a refined oversized fit that remains stylish, with ribbed cuffs and hem for a polished appearance, making it ideal for your journeys.
Photo: Provided by Amazon
Women’s Pioneer Camp Packable Puffer
Now $47.59, previously $55.99 on Amazon
Selecting outerwear can be challenging when packing. One tip is to wear your coat while traveling (no need to stuff it in a suitcase), yet a lightweight layer is essential. The Pioneer Camp Women’s Packable Puffer is an excellent choice: it’s lightweight, water-resistant, and packs neatly into a carry bag. The timing of this sale is ideal for the winter trips ahead.
Photo: Provided by Athleta
Women’s Forever Fleece Relaxed Crew Sweatshirt
Now $53.40, previously $89 at Athleta
I firmly believe travel attire should be both flattering and comfortable. I favor sweats and loungewear in solid, neutral hues like the Athleta Forever Fleece Relaxed Crew sweatshirt. Stylish yet practical, this navy piece will conceal any travel stains.
Athleta’s pre-Black Friday sale (download the app for 30% off everything) is a real advantage for athleisure enthusiasts, but don’t rush in. Instead, focus on pieces worthy of a spot in your suitcase. This cotton crewneck is machine washable (a must for travel clothing) and available in multiple neutral colors. This will serve you well for all upcoming travels.
Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom
Italic Amara Cashmere Wrap
Now $167, previously $279 at Nordstrom
A cashmere wrap is a travel must-have. It’s larger than a blanket, providing warmth on chilly flights, and doubles as a stylish scarf. Versatile travel items score high in my book. This 100% cashmere wrap from Italic, marked down by over $100, is chic, functional, and versatile.
TThe Outer Worlds 2 was first revealed in June for £70/$80, becoming the priciest game on Xbox at that point. However, this status was short-lived, as Microsoft quickly reverted to the typical £60/$70 price point after just a month. Although The Outer Worlds 2 is larger than its 2019 predecessor, the decision was indeed prudent. This game does not warrant a £70 price tag.
Nonetheless, it offers a delightful experience that can easily consume your time, enhancing the original game significantly. With improved combat and more intricate role-playing elements, The Outer Worlds 2 smartly expands its scope without overextending its narrative, even if the storyline doesn’t quite deliver the same level of satisfaction.
You don’t need to have played the first game to grasp the sequel’s premise. You take on the role of an agent for the slow-moving, “benevolent” space police known as the Earth Directorate, with a mission to impose order on the galaxy known as Arcadia. Much like Halcyon in the original, Arcadia is in disarray due to the rampant spread of capitalism. Players wield significant power to form new alliances and mend old ones amidst various groups of conflicting ideologies.
Frequent conflict between factions is a given, but there are more pressing issues than the divide among them. You soon discover that a rift in the universe poses a serious threat. This concept is introduced early in the game, where you investigate these rifts caused by the Protectorate, an authoritarian group that is altering the universe’s fabric. Upon your arrival, betrayal from trusted allies leads to a decade spent in suspended animation.
Colorful vendors…The Outer Worlds 2. Photo courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment
Upon waking ten years later, you’ll find that Arcadia has undergone significant changes, with the rift expanding uncontrollably. To save the galaxy, you’ll need to assemble a new crew.
Unfortunately, the narrative peak experienced at the beginning of The Outer Worlds 2 is not echoed throughout the game. A lingering sense of disappointment follows me as I spend about 30 hours journeying through the plot. I hoped for unexpected character developments or story twists, but instead found myself predictably nodding through most scenes. There are intriguing characters present, such as psychopathic cultists and spies, yet I struggled to bond with this team, similar to my experience in the first installment.
Despite the presence of three major factions vying for attention and favor, The Outer Worlds 2 offers limited impactful choices. Awkward dialogues with narrow-minded capitalists compel you to reflect on your involvement in the actual economic system, but the simplistic portrayals of characters provide more insight than substantial moments.
If your “speech” skills are sufficiently high, you can often navigate most situations with ease. This can feel jarring, especially when a blind follower of the Protectorate changes her stance drastically after a specific dialogue choice, yet is content to monologue as you exit a boss fight. In almost every significant conflict, it feels as though your actions carried minimal weight—at least, that’s how it seems.
Attribute firepower…Outer World 2. Photo courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment
This aspect made it difficult for me to engage fully with the storyline. While the characters around me may have strong opinions, they rarely seem to exhibit genuine anger, even when I disregard their beliefs. The Outer Worlds 2 lacks a certain persuasiveness, which is disappointing because its clever humor often brings joy but seldom serves to deliver a biting ideological critique.
The game features impressive depth in its combat and role-playing systems, significantly refining what was introduced previously. While gunfights can sometimes drag and frustrate, the diverse range of weaponry and their varying effects add excitement to each encounter. Elemental damage influences enemies in different ways, each requiring distinct ammunition. Running low on energy during a tough skirmish forces creativity, and I’ve often found myself trying weapons I hadn’t used before out of sheer necessity, which turned out to be quite enjoyable.
Character development is more intricate than in the original game, featuring a “flaws” system that tracks your actions and may even prompt you to adopt traits that bear both negative and positive consequences. For instance, depending on item crafting can lead to acquiring the “Hermit” flaw, which doubles vendor prices, while dismantling junk can yield opportunities for additional items. This became particularly helpful during crafty moments but posed challenges when I had limited resources and needed vendors. This filled my experience with fun dilemmas, prompting me to rethink my approach.
Developer Obsidian has had a stellar year, launching the fantasy adventure Avowed alongside the insect-filled survival game Grounded 2. All three titles showcase the studio’s remarkable ability to craft diverse worlds that adapt to player choices.
While The Outer Worlds 2 may not consistently amaze, it does offer significant value as an engaging role-playing experience that can keep you entertained for hours. The focus isn’t necessarily on reinventing the wheel but rather on enhancing its framework. In essence, it’s a gratifying, reliable experience—satisfying yet rarely surprising—capable of delivering joy quite regularly.
TA few years back, I turned my fixed workspace into a dynamic setup with rotating tables at airport terminals, train stations, and cafés. As a freelance journalist constantly in transit, I’ve discovered that having the right equipment not only simplifies travel but is essential for sustaining this fast-paced lifestyle. Luckily, being a technology critic allows me to test an array of travel gear.
From coastal towns in Asia to corporate trips across the US and Europe, these items are perfect for packing light, staying productive, and keeping your sanity intact. Regardless of whether you work from a backpack or just want to stay connected during your vacation, there’s something here for you.
Item Trackers
When you’re on the move, losing track of your backpack, wallet, or smartphone is inevitable. An item tracker can assist in swiftly locating missing belongings during those nerve-wracking moments of panic.
Apple users can depend on AirTag, while Android users might lean toward Chipolo, which is compatible with both systems. I prefer the Chipolo Pop for its extra functionalities. It can also serve as a remote button for your camera and offers an option to locate your phone by pressing it twice.
Apple AirTag
Photo: Provided by Apple $24.99 on Amazon$29.00 at Apple
Chipolo Pop
Photo: Provided by Chipolo $29.00 at Chipolo$29.00 on Amazon
I also recently started using the new Chipolo Loop. With USB-C charging, there’s no need for frequent battery replacements. Additionally, I appreciate the slim Nomad Tracking Card in my wallet for the same convenience, although it’s only compatible with iOS and also supports wireless charging.
Chipolo Loop
Photo: Provided by Chipolo $39.00 at Chipolo$39.00 on Amazon
Nomad Tracking Card
Photo provided by: Nomad Goods $29.00 at Nomad$29.00 on Amazon
Peak Design Packing Cubes
Photo: Provided by Peak Design
Though organization isn’t my strong suit, I initially had little interest in packing cubes until I tried Peak Design’s. Captivated by the compact size of the small cubes, I eagerly opted for the larger ones too. They feature intelligent designs to keep you organized while traveling.
For instance, they come with dual compartments to separate clean from dirty clothes, alongside a compression zipper for when you need extra space. Peak Design claims their packing cubes will withstand years of use; I’ve been using mine for about two years without any issues.
$23.96 on Amazon$29.95 at Peak Design
Moment Tech Organizer
Photo: Prakhar Khanna/The Guardian
If you find yourself with an abundance of small gadgets, the Moment Everything Tech Organizer is designed to keep you organized. It offers specific compartments for wires and pockets tailored for your GoPro and Insta360 batteries. Its low-profile design ensures that it won’t bulk up your backpack, plus the dual-layer, waterproof ripstop fabric guards against moisture.
Currently $60.00$40.00 on Amazon
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Photo: Prakhar Khanna/The Guardian
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 fit me perfectly and deliver exceptional audio along with surprisingly efficient active noise cancellation (ANC). I appreciate the stem design that allows control over playback, ANC, volume, and accessing my voice assistant without being intrusive. They have aided my sleep during multiple long-haul flights. Currently, I’m testing the new Apple AirPods Pro 3, which may be a comparable option; however, at $249 (currently reduced to $189), they represent a more significant investment.
Photo: Provided by Apple $249.00 at Apple$249.00 on Amazon
Insta360 X5 360 Degree Action Camera
Photo: Prakhar Khanna/The Guardian
While I use Ray-Ban Meta glasses for first-person videography, they’re not suitable for adventurous outings. That’s where the Insta360 X5 excels. It captures 360-degree footage in 8K resolution, offering a unique angle that standard phones or sunglasses cannot compete with. The latest version boasts enhanced low-light capabilities, intuitive in-app editing, and an interchangeable lens design, allowing you to replace a damaged lens without hassle. Although pricey, it’s an excellent choice for anyone looking to document their travels in an innovative way.
I own a white Casio G-Shock 2100 series GA-2100-7A7, which I take on every adventure. From surf lessons at Mantra Surf Club in India to kayaking in Sri Lanka to work-related trips in the US and Europe, this G-Shock has been the perfect companion. It’s sporty, comfortable, easy to switch time zones with just a few button presses, and delivers a premium feel at a budget price.
$110.00 at Casio$110.00 at Reed’s Jewelers
Apple MacBook Air M4
Photo: Prakhar Khanna/The Guardian
For years, the Apple M2 MacBook Air has been my most dependable laptop, particularly for battery life and user-friendliness. I recommend the M4 model for its enhanced power and value as we approach 2025. As a digital nomad, I need a lightweight laptop that’s readily available, and the MacBook Air exceeds both criteria. Windows enthusiasts would likely recommend the Asus Zenbook A14; it’s even lighter and has a superior battery life than the Apple laptops.
Apple MacBook Air M4
Photo: Provided by ASUS $899.00 at Apple$899.00 at Apple
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During my recent week-long journey to Paris, I racked up nearly $100 in data charges on my iPhone, including taxes and fees. This was similar to an earlier 8-day visit to Spain, which turned out to be even pricier. Jokingly, I’m referring to an upcoming three-week adventure across seven countries, featuring a week-long cruise, that is likely to exceed $300 in data costs.
After some learning, I found a straightforward solution that can simplify travel. This involves switching to a local carrier, which used to mean visiting airport kiosks and mobile stores to install nail-sized plastic SIM cards. However, with the introduction of eSIM technology, you can manage everything right from your phone. My eSIM in Paris offered 5GB of data for checking emails, using Google Maps, and browsing social media (while ensuring not to upload photos until on WiFi). In Spain, I paid $10 for 5GB.
Here’s how it works and how to utilize it during your next trip abroad:
How eSIMs Work
Photo: Candyretriever/Getty Images
I previously faced high roaming fees when using mobile data outside my home country. You can disable roaming before you travel, but then you’re limited to texting and browsing on WiFi.
eSIMs are temporary electronic add-ons to your mobile device that allow you to buy affordable short-term local cell coverage while traveling. While you can purchase individual eSIMs from local carriers like Vodafone in the UK or Telcel in Mexico, using apps that handle everything for you is more convenient.
Airalo app. Composite: Provided by Airalo
Three popular platforms offering eSIM for international travel are Airalo (which I’ve utilized and found helpful), Saily, and Holafly. All three cater to popular destinations, though there can be variations for lesser-known places. For instance, during my recent trip to Bhutan, only Airalo was recommended. Saily tends to be slightly cheaper, making it worthwhile to compare all three options. Holafly exclusively provides unlimited data, which can be more expensive if you don’t require it.
iPhones manufactured after around 2021 are typically compatible with eSIM, but if you’re unsure, Airalo provides a straightforward, checkable compatibility list. Additionally, ensure your phone is unlocked, meaning you don’t owe anything to your carrier. Most carriers will unlock your device online or over the phone once it’s fully paid off.
Setting Up and Choosing Your Plan
Photo: Debalina Ghosh/Getty Images
Installing an eSIM can vary a bit by provider, but they generally simplify the process. Simply download the app and follow the instructions. While not overly complex, a few steps are involved, so it’s best to complete the setup before you travel. All listed providers offer support via their website or app in case you encounter any issues.
Most eSIMs provide data only and don’t include voice services, so you’ll need to use apps like WhatsApp for calls. If you require a local number, Airalo has a package named Discovery+ for voice calls, available in over 130 destinations.
How much data should you get? For checking emails, sending a few texts daily, and light web browsing and social media, a plan offering 3GB to 5GB should suffice for a week’s trip. The 5GB I purchased for six days in Spain was adequate, as I utilized WiFi for downloading photos and streaming. However, for video streaming, browsing Instagram, or making video calls, you might need closer to 10GB. If you’re gaming online or partaking in video conferences for work, plus uploading large photos, you will require more data.
Once you have everything set up, you can embark on your next adventure without worry—well, at least not regarding your phone!
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Road trips are a quintessential American getaway, allowing you to visit family across states, escape to the mountains for a picturesque autumn weekend, and enjoy an extraordinary journey that may last weeks. While it’s possible to hit the road with just a driver’s license and a water bottle, incorporating some practical gadgets and supplies can lead to a much smoother experience.
Having lived in a camper van while traversing North America, I’ve continually taken numerous trips each year, giving me plenty of time to test the best road trip gear. From entertainment options like podcasts and games to utilities such as portable power banks and pet accessories, we’ll introduce essential items that will make your next excursion the best adventure yet.
All prices are current as of publication.
Portable Power Bank
Photo: John Bittner/Guardian
Anker Laptop Power Bank
$119.99 on Anker
$119.99 on Amazon
I travel with a variety of electronic devices (many of which are work-related), so I’m always conscious of their remaining battery life. Although most modern cars come with USB ports, they often lack the power needed for larger gadgets like laptops. Some hotels may have malfunctioning or inaccessible outlets, and most campsites traditionally don’t have any.
Pack the Anker Laptop Power Bank for reliable power on the go; it features two built-in USB-C cables for fast laptop charging and a port for other devices, with enough capacity to recharge your iPhone about four times.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
If you’ve embarked on a long drive, you know how listening to music can soon become monotonous. A great way to break up the routine is by mixing in podcasts and audiobooks. Audible provides an excellent selection, offering access to thousands of audiobooks for $7.95 per month. Furthermore, if you’re already subscribed to Spotify Premium, you may not realize you are entitled to 15 hours of audiobooks each month, including Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell.
For free options, check out the Libby app, which allows access to free audiobooks from your local library. And, naturally, most podcasts are free; some popular choices include Serial and S-Town.
Travel-sized Board Games
Photo: John Bittner/Guardian
GoCube Edge 3×3 Speed Cube
$49.95 on Amazon
$69.95 for retail
If you’re traveling with friends, small travel board games and puzzles can significantly reduce the time spent on the road. Many of my favorite games come in compact travel editions such as Catan, Chess, and Checkers. On your journey, your travel partners can play and save the big game night for your arrival.
Looking for something more engaging? Consider the GoCube Edge, a Rubik’s Cube that connects to your smartphone, offering tutorials to help you solve its colorful challenges.
Don’t forget to pack your pup’s poop bags for bathroom breaks along with dog food, medication, a foldable water bowl to save space, and a protective seat cover if your furry friend has sharp claws or sheds. Consider an affordable and durable standard active pet car hammock; it’s practical and fits most vehicles.
It’s common sense, yet many overlook regularly checking and restocking their first aid kits after use. Some even forget to bring one along! Keeping a stocked first aid kit in your car is essential for road trips, particularly with painkillers, band-aids, allergy meds, and antiseptics. It’s never fun to injure yourself only to realize there’s no bandage available, especially when the closest convenience store is hours away.
Cooler
Photo: John Bittner/Guardian
RTIC Road Trip Cooler
$99 on RTIC
$105 at Walmart
It’s astounding how fast food and drink costs escalate on the road—just a Big Mac can surpass $7. Prices soar as you approach the highway, making packing a cooler a smart strategy to avoid these inflated costs. I’ve been using the Moose Jaw Chiradilla, which is no longer available. Its robust build doesn’t just keep your fruit, sparkling water, and sandwiches safe; you can also place it on a short hike without worrying about damage.
While the Chiradilla is no longer on the market, the RTIC 16-Quart road trip cooler features a similar durable design. For ease of travel in a packed vehicle, the RTIC cooler is ideal. Alternatively, Rei Trailgate cooler is a popular soft-sided choice. While we can’t guarantee all these options, check them out as you consider an upgrade.
In addition to my laptop, I always like to have another entertainment source handy, usually my 10.3″ e-reader tablet. This slim device not only provides access to hundreds of books, but also enables note-taking and drawing, while handling word and PDF files. With its multifunctionality, it’s easy to justify bringing it along on any trip, especially since it’s portable.
For films and games, a simple iPad can be an excellent choice. Available in four variations, the basic iPad comes with an 11-inch screen, ample power, and a reasonable price of $349, ensuring you can enjoy a full day of battery life.
Headphones
Photo: John Bittner/Guardian
Sony WH1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones
$198 at Walmart
$228 on Amazon
While you shouldn’t use headphones while driving, they can be great for passengers to enjoy their favorite tunes. It’s wise to invest in a set with superb noise cancellation to block out the car radio and nearby chatter. I use the Sony WH-1000XM4, which delivers fantastic noise cancellation and impressive audio quality. For even more advanced features, consider the Sony WH-1000XM6.
Sony WH1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Jon Bitner is a travel, outdoor, and tech writer for platforms like GameSpot, Digital Trends, and Islands. An avid hiker, he enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains from his home in Boulder, Colorado.
In Guests, the largest cinema at the Venice Film Festival, will converge for the premiere of Frankenstein. The stunning portrayal of Guillermo del Toro mirrors that of the creator who played God and crafted a monster. When a young scientist resurrects a body for his peers, some see it as a deceit, while others react with anger. “It’s hateful and grotesque,” shouts a hidden elder, and his concern is partially warranted. Every technological advancement unseals Pandora’s box. I’m uncertain about what will be craved or where this will lead me.
Behind the main festival venue lies Lazarete Vecchio, a small, forsaken island. Since 2017, it has hosted Venice Immersive, an innovative section dedicated to showcasing and promoting XR (Extended Reality) storytelling. Previously, it served as a storage facility, and before that, as a plague quarantine zone. This year’s judge, Eliza McNitt, recalls a time when construction halted as human bones were uncovered. “There’s something unforgettable about presenting this new form of film at the world’s oldest film festival,” she remarks. “We are delving into the medium of the future, while conversing with ghosts.”
This year, the island is home to 69 distinct monsters, ranging from expansive walk-through installations to intricate virtual realms accessible via headsets. Naturally, Frankenstein’s creations draw the attention of its makers, and McNitt acknowledges similar worries surrounding immersive art, which is often intertwined with runaway technology that poses a threat to all of us, frequently associated with AI.
“Immersive storytelling is a fundamentally different discussion than AI,” she states. “Yet, there’s a palpable anxiety regarding what AI signifies for the film industry. It largely stems from the false belief that a mere prompt can conjure something magical. The reality is that utilizing AI tools to cultivate something personal and unique is a collaborative effort involving large teams of dedicated artists. AI is not a substitute for humans,” she emphasizes, “because AI lacks taste.”
“Each experience requires a leap of faith”… Zan Brooks, left, experiencing the reflection of a small red dot. Photo: Venice immersion
McNitt has embraced AI tools early on and recently employed them in the autobiographical film Ancestra, set for release in 2025. She suspects that other filmmakers are not far behind. “I believe this experience here is merely the beginning of experimenting with these tools,” she says. “But next year, we will likely see deeper involvement in all aspects of these projects.”
The immersive storytelling segment at the Venice Film Festival aligns seamlessly with the film itself, encouraging attendees to view it as a natural progression or heir to traditional cinema. Various mainstream Hollywood directors have already explored this avenue. For instance, Asteroids, a high-stakes space thriller about disastrous mining expeditions, led by Dagriman, the Swingers director, reflects this trend. His production partner, Julina Tatlock, states that the interactive short films effectively brought Liman back to his independent roots, allowing him to conceive and create projects free from studio constraints. Asteroids is a labor of love, entwining elements of a larger narrative that could still be recognized as a feature of conventional cinema. “Doug is fascinated by space,” she adds.
The clouds possess a similar cinematic quality, floating above 2000 meters. This passionate arthouse drama depicts a grieving family pursuing the spirits of their deceased wives through the pages of uncompleted novels. Taiwanese director Singing Chen, adept in both traditional film and VR, believes each medium possesses unique strengths. “Immersive art was a pathway to film,” she remarks. “Even with the arrival of film, still images retain their potency and significance; they do not overshadow photographs. They affect us in ways distinct from moving images.”
Films in the Venice lineup are largely familiar. We often recognize the actors and directors, allowing for intuitive engagement with the storylines. In contrast, the artwork on the island can span a vast range—from immersive videos and installations to interactive adventures and virtual worlds. In the afternoon space, visitors can engage with the interactivity of an arcade game featuring Samantha Gorman and Danny Canisarro’s faces, along with a whistletop tour of Singapore’s cultural history. Every experience demands a leap of faith and hinges on a willingness to get lost. You might stumble, but you may also soar.
Visitors often meander through a dazzling…dark room. Photo: Venice immersion
Three projects stand out from this year’s Venice showcase. The Ancestors by Steye Hallema are lively ensemble interactives where visitors first form pairs, then expand into large families, viewing photos of their descendants on synchronized smartphones. This experience is unique in its pure focus on community, joyful yet slightly chaotic, embodying the essence of a good family. If Ancestors emphasizes relationship significance, here the form and content are beautifully synchronized.
The extraordinary blur by Craig Quintero and Phoebe Greenberg (likely the most sought-after ticket on the island) explores themes of cloning and identity, Genesis and extinction, requiring an impromptu immersive theater approach. It shifts perspectives, creating a bizarre, provocative, and enticing experience. As it concludes, users face a chilling VR representation of aging—a messenger from the future. The eerie, decrepit figure approaching me made me feel a year or two older than I actually am.
If there’s a real-world parallel to the Frankenstein scene, where an enraged scientist screams “hate” and “obscene,” it occurs when a middle-aged Italian finds himself in a dispute with the producer of sensory installations dubbed the Dark Room as he ferries to the island. He accuses the producer of being a Satanist. They assure him it’s not the case. “Maybe it’s not,” he responds. “But you did Satan’s bidding.” In truth, dark rooms are splendid and not at all demonic. Co-directed by Mads Damsbo, Laurits Flensted-Jensen, and Anne Sofie Steen Sverdrup, this vivid ritual tale immerses participants in a dynamic, intense journey through various corners of queer subculture, nightclubs, and backrooms, ultimately leading them across the sea. It’s captivating, disquieting, and profoundly moving. Visitors often navigate aimlessly, as I noted.
Initially, many stories at Venice oversimplified the experiences to comfort newcomers intimidated by technology. However, the medium is now gaining assurance. It has matured from its infancy to adolescence. This art form has evolved to become more robust, daring, and psychologically intricate. It’s no coincidence that many immersive experiences at Venice explore themes of ancestors and descendants, examining the connections between both. Moreover, numerous experiences unfold in mobile environments, fragile bridges, and open elevators. The medium reveals its current state—somewhere between stages of transit, perpetually evolving. It journeys between worlds, fervently seeking its future trajectory.
Groundbreaking research by NASA’s twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly monitored aging indicators in both siblings, with Mark remaining on Earth while Scott spent 340 days in space.
Six months later, several changes in Scott persisted, including DNA damage, cognitive decline, and telomere shortening that affects chromosome protection. This was highlighted in the Journal Science.
Recent research published in Cell Stem Cell reveals that stem cells also show signs of aging due to stress from space flight.
According to Dr. Catriona Jamieson, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at UC San Diego, these cells are “aging ten times faster in space than on Earth.”
Stem cells are unique cells capable of differentiating into various tissue types. Their accelerated aging poses a concern as it diminishes the body’s natural ability to repair tissues and organs.
This new research comes at a time of increasing interest in space exploration, with government plans for long-term lunar missions and private companies sending consumers and celebrities into space. Understanding these health risks is crucial for safer space travel. Additionally, studying the acceleration of intracellular aging aids researchers in comprehending biological processes at a slower pace.
Astronauts and twin brothers Scott and Mark Kelly at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2016. Houston Chronicle /Hurst Newspaper /Houston Chronicle by Getty Image
Researchers utilized bone marrow stem cells sourced from individuals who underwent hip replacement procedures. These cells were cultivated in “nanobioreactors,” essentially small, clear blood bags no larger than an iPhone that facilitate biological processes. The nanobioreactor was housed in a monitored environment known as cubelabs.
Samples from each patient were divided into two cubelabs; one was sent to space, while the other remained on Earth.
The samples intended for space travelled aboard the International Space Station across four commercial resupply missions conducted by SpaceX. Overall, the samples experienced microgravity for 32-45 days, the weightlessness found in orbit. For comparison, the Earth-bound cells were maintained in a cube lab setup.
Cubelabs monitored cell conditions throughout the journey and terrestrial duration, capturing daily images using a microscope. Upon the return of the space-stressed stem cells to Earth, researchers conducted comparisons against ground controls, sequenced the genome, and performed additional analyses.
Will it take flight? This question is increasingly raised by those mindful of the environment. Boarding a plane might seem like the only realistic choice, especially during hard times or when loved ones live far away.
We can certainly engage in some air travel as part of a sustainable future, but we must first dispel certain misconceptions and clearly outline feasible ways to lessen our global warming footprint.
The most common myth is that sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) can resolve our issues. This label is misleading, as SAFs often don’t live up to their name.
Here’s why: there are three primary categories of SAF. The first type is derived from waste, particularly used cooking oil. However, this only accounts for about 2-3% of global flights. The second type consists of synthetic SAFs produced from raw materials like captured carbon dioxide, using renewable energy. The efficiency of these processes is quite low (at least 2 kilowatt-hours of energy are needed to generate 1 kWh of fuel), which is a misguided use of limited renewable resources. The third type is made from crops, which puts immense pressure on farmland and the food system, posing major challenges. In reality, sustainable aviation fuel is not the revolutionary solution many hope for.
Another hopeful concept I often encounter is the idea that electrification or hydrogen fuel could decarbonize aviation. However, electrification is practical only for short-haul flights; battery weight makes it unfeasible for long distances. Hydrogen poses its own challenges due to its bulky storage requirements, even when compressed to 700 times atmospheric pressure.
On a brighter note, there are significant opportunities that haven’t garnered enough attention.
Potential solutions for greener aviation have been overlooked until recently. The high, wispy trails produced by aircraft exhaust – which account for over 60% of the climate impact of flights – carry even more weight when considering their short-term influence over the next two decades.
These contrails reflect Earth’s heat back into the atmosphere and function somewhat like a blanket. However, their overall impact is complex. They can not only trap heat but also reflect sunlight on clear days, creating a cooling effect that mainly occurs during the day, particularly over dark surfaces like oceans. Unfortunately, the warming effect tends to dominate during warm nights over dark surfaces.
By making small adjustments to flight paths, we can manage contrail formation. Changing an aircraft’s altitude or trajectory in specific weather conditions can be beneficial. Deliberate modifications while flying over sunny waters could yield positive results. A slight alteration in flight routes—just 1.7%—could potentially reduce contrail warming impacts by almost 60%. Real-time modeling is essential for integrating this into flight planning, similar to current practices for avoiding storms and managing air traffic.
This presents a relatively cost-effective solution that requires industry leadership. Once contrail management becomes established, the role of SAF might shift significantly, allowing it to contribute to cleaner burning and mitigate the worst impacts of contrails on more challenging flights.
Does this imply we can ignore the climate ramifications of flying? Unfortunately, no. Yet, understanding these factors provides a legitimate reason for optimism.
Mike Berners-Lee is the author of True Climate: Why We Need It and How to Get It
Reading various novels for work can sometimes be challenging, especially when you want to find something captivating. However, Time Saving by Kaliane Bradley instantly drew me in with its engaging prologue. It was a brief glimpse into the life of a man sprinting through the snow, hearing his ship signal him. This offered plenty of intrigue for what was to come.
This month’s selection for the New Scientist Book Club has been a resounding success since its release last year. The narrative follows a young civil servant who unexpectedly applies for a mysterious position involving time travel, a concept kept under wraps, allowing individuals from the past to journey to the present.
These “visitors” require support, which is where our unnamed heroine comes in as a caretaker, dubbed a “bridge.” She is assigned to Commander Graham Gore, living with him and assisting him in adjusting to modern life.
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This is not solely a narrative about time travel; it meticulously explores whether the government would permit time travelers to integrate into society alongside civil servants. The novel confidently posits that, for this reader, it could have crafted Sally without delving into excessive particulars.
One of the intriguing aspects of the story is that Gore is rooted in reality, having been a genuine figure that many remain unaware of. He was the first officer of John Franklin’s ill-fated expedition to the Arctic and met his demise around 1847 or 1848. While the specifics of his final hours remain uncertain, the novel takes a creative approach by transporting him to contemporary London just before his death.
Modern London is full of men from the lost world. But Gore is a resilient and capable officer.
Bradley’s depiction of Gore exemplifies the art of storytelling. She brings him to life with such precision that he appears as a tangible, charismatic individual—rarely do we encounter characters so vividly portrayed in literature.
The vibrant interaction between our young bureaucrat and this spirited officer of the Colonial Royal Navy unfolds within the context of a future version of London, where many individuals from the past now inhabit. Once again, Gore’s resilience shines, highlighting that he is adaptable, making for the most enjoyable segments of the narrative where they learn from one another.
The plot transitions from romance to thriller, composing about 40% sci-fi, 40% romantic comedy, and 20% thriller. I found the initial segment significantly more engaging, though I questioned whether the thriller conclusion would hold up. However, this does not overshadow the fact that the book offers a delightful reading experience, perfect for those looking for fun.
At the conclusion of the novel, Bradley includes a photograph of Gore. Having grown fond of his fictional counterpart, it was a poignant moment to connect with the real historical figure. According to Bradley’s PostScript, he was regarded as “a remarkably fine officer with a kind temperament.”
This beloved, memorable officer represents a captivating twist in history that deserves a place in a bestselling novel nearly two centuries later. Bradley has undoubtedly fashioned a most endearing hero.
New Scientist Book Club Time Saving is our latest selection. Sign up here: NewsCientist.com/bookclub
While this is not science fiction, it resurrects another historical character—Alexander the Great—through the perspective of Bagoa, a young Persian boy in bondage. For me, this book, along with its precursor, provides all I need to know about Alexander.
Emily H. Wilson is the former editor of New Scientist and the author of the Sumerian trilogy set in ancient Mesopotamia. The series’ final installment, Ninshuval, will be released in August. Connect with her at emilyhwilson.com or follow her on X @emilyhwilson and Instagram @emilyhwilson1
The Arts and Science of Writing Science Fiction
Dive into the realm of science fiction and learn how to craft your own captivating stories in this immersive weekend getaway.
In new research, researchers on the planetary Used Global and high -resolution orbital images to discover fresh 21.5 m (71 feet) impact craters that appeared at the same time as one of the Marsquakes detected by NASA's Insight Lander. This means that the seismometer detected a meteor strike, not a geological activity in the planet. In the related research, they scan Through a large number of orbital image data, the 123 shock crater was formed from December 2018 to December 2022.
Calambus et al。 Textonically Active Cerberus Fossae A new 21.5-m MARS Impact Crater is associated with the Insight earthquake event S0794A. Image credit: NASA / JPL-CALTECH / Arizona University.
NASA's Insight Lander set the first seismometer on Mars and detected more than 1,300 Marsquakes. This is generated by the shaking deep of the planet (caused by a rock broken under heat and pressure) and a cosmic rock that collides with the surface.
Scientists not only glimpse the inside of Mars, as science glimpses how the waves of the earthquake change from these earthquakes when passing through the earth's crust, mantle, and core. I understand how all the rocky world, including the month, is formed.
In the past, researchers shot new shock craters images and found seismic data that matched the date and location of the crater layer.
However, two new studies indicate that the shaking and the new effects detected in Cerberus Fossae, which are particularly prone to earthquakes of 1,640 km (1,019 miles) of 1,640 km (1,019 miles) from insights, are the first correlation. Masu.
The diameter of the shock crater is 21.5 m, which is far from the insight than the scientist expected, based on earthquake energy.
Mars crusts have unique characteristics that are considered to suppress seismic waves generated by impact. The new analysis of Cerberusfossae concluded that the generated waves take more direct routes than the planet mantle.
The Insight team needs to re -evaluate the internal configuration and structural models of Mars, and explain how to make the impact -generated earthquake signals so deep.
“We thought that the energy detected from most of the earthquake events was moving through the crust of Mars,” said Dr. Constantinoscharamanbus, a researcher of Imperial College London. Masu.
“This discovery shows a deeper and faster path -it is called an earthquake highway, so that the earthquake can reach the farthest of the earth through the mantle.”
Researchers also wanted to find a crater within the location of about 3,000 km (1,864 miles) and find something that was formed while the Lander seismometer was recorded.
By comparing images before and after the context camera mounted on NASA's Mars Reconnasance Orbiter (MRO), I found 123 fresh craters to interact with INSIGHT data. Of these, 49 was a potential agreement with the earthquake detected by the Lander seismometer.
“I thought that CERBERUS FOSSAE has generated many high -frequency earthquake signals related to internal generated earthquakes, which suggests that some activities are not born there, and actually from the impact. Dr. Charalambous said.
The results of the survey also emphasize how researchers use AI to improve planetary science by using all data collected by NASA and ESA missions.
“Now, we have a lot of images from the moon and Mars, so the struggle is to process and analyze data,” said Dr. Dr., a member of the Bern University researcher. I mentioned it.
“We have finally arrived in the big data era of planetary science.”
VT BICKEL et al。 2025. New impact on Mars: Related to systematic identification and insight earthquake events. Global physics research book 52 (3): E2024GL109133; DOI: 10.1029/2024GL109133
Constantinos Chara Ranboo et al。 2025. New impact on Mars: Unleash CERBERUS FOSSAE's shock detection. Global physics research book 52 (3): E2024GL110159; DOI: 10.1029/2024GL110159
This overlooked mechanism could allow lightning energy to reach the top of the atmosphere, threatening the safety of satellites and astronauts.
When lightning strikes, the energy it carries can create special electromagnetic waves called whistlers, so named because they can be converted into sound signals. For decades, researchers thought that the whistlers produced by lightning remained confined to altitudes relatively close to the Earth's surface, below about 1,000 kilometers.
now Vikas Sonwalkar and Amani Lady Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks discovered that some whistlers bounce off a layer of the atmosphere filled with charged particles called the ionosphere, which allows whistler waves and the energy they carry to travel up to 20,000 kilometers above Earth's surface—all the way into the magnetosphere, the region of space governed by Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers found evidence of these reflective whistlers in data from the Van Allen Probes, twin robotic spacecraft that measured the magnetosphere between 2012 and 2019. They also found hints of the phenomenon in studies published in the 1960s. Both the old and new data indicate that the phenomenon is very frequent and happens all the time, Reddy said.
In fact, the lightning may be depositing twice as much energy into this region as previously estimated, the researchers say, and this energy charges and accelerates nearby particles, creating electromagnetic radiation that can damage satellites and endanger the health of astronauts.
“Lightning has always been considered a bit of a smaller player. Until 10 years ago, this data wasn't available and we'd never looked at it at this level of detail.” Jacob Bortnick researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. He says the new study is a call for others to develop a more accurate picture of the magnetosphere.
Establishing the connection between lightning and the magnetosphere is also important because changes in Earth's climate could make lightning storms more frequent, Sonwalker said.
The research team now hopes to analyze data from more satellites to learn more about how lightning-based whistlers are distributed in the magnetosphere and how they are affected by space weather.
Episodic memory and mental time travel have been considered uniquely human traits. This view has begun to change with the development of behavioral criteria to assess what is called episodic memory in animals. Key findings range from evidence of “what, where, when” memory in jays, mice and bees to episodic memory and future-oriented behavior in wild, free-foraging animals. In a new study, scientists investigated episodic memory and future-oriented behavior in wild, free-foraging animals. Egyptian fruit bat (Rusetus aegyptiacus)The team found that fruit bats rely on mental time maps to display future-oriented behaviour when foraging, and that time-mapping ability requires experience and is lacking in inexperienced bats.
Egyptian fruit bat (Rusetus aegyptiacus) track tree phenology and estimate fruit availability since their previous visit. Bats exhibit future-oriented behavior, flying to trees rich in specific proteins, while flying past many familiar sugar-rich trees. Young bats must learn tree phenology through experience. Image courtesy of Harten others., doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.046.
“For many years, the cognitive abilities to recall and plan personal experiences (episodic memory) have been thought to be uniquely human,” Tel Aviv University.
“However, a growing body of research suggests that various animals also have such abilities, although nearly all of these studies have been carried out in laboratory settings, as field studies on this issue are difficult to conduct.”
“To test these capabilities in wildlife, we designed a unique experiment using a wild colony of flying foxes.”
The researchers surmised that bats that depend on fruit trees for survival need to develop the ability to track food availability both spatially (where are the fruit trees?) and temporally (when does each tree bear fruit?).
As you navigate a landscape with numerous fruit and nectar trees, you'll need to mentally keep track of resources in order to revisit them at the right time.
To test this hypothesis, they fitted each bat with a small, high-resolution GPS tracker, allowing them to record their flight routes and the trees they visited over several months.
The vast amount of data collected in this way was thoroughly analyzed, yielding surprising results.
“Our first research question was: do bats form mental maps of time?” says Dr Lee Harten from Tel Aviv University.
“To investigate this issue, we confined bats to their colonies for various periods of time, ranging from one day to a week.”
“We wanted to see if the bats would recognise that time had passed and behave accordingly.”
“We found that after one day in captivity, the bats would return to the trees they had visited the previous night. But after a full week, the older bats, based on their past experience, began to avoid trees that had stopped bearing fruit in the meantime.”
“In other words, they could estimate how much time had passed since they last visited each tree, and thus know which trees only bore fruit for a short time and were no longer worth visiting.”
“Younger, inexperienced bats were unable to do this, suggesting that this is an acquired skill that must be mastered.”
“The first research question was about past experience, but the second question was about the future. Do bats exhibit future-oriented behavior? Can they plan for the future?”
“To address this issue, the researchers observed the route each bat took to reach the first tree in the evening, which could indicate a plan made before leaving the colony.”
“We found that bats usually fly directly to specific trees they know, sometimes up to 20-30 minutes away,” said Dr Chen Xin from Tel Aviv University.
“They're hungry, so they fly faster the further away the trees are, which suggests they're planning where they're going.”
“Furthermore, because they are so focused on their chosen target, they pass by other trees and even good sources of information that they only visited yesterday, demonstrating their ability to postpone gratification.”
“We also found that the first bats to leave the colony chose trees with fruits high in sugar, while those who left later sought out fruits with protein.”
The findings suggest that bats plan their foraging before they leave the colony, knowing exactly where they'll be flying and what nutrients they'll be looking for.
“The gap between human and animal cognition is one of the most fascinating questions in science,” Professor Yobel said.
“Our study demonstrates that flying foxes are able to carry out highly complex decision-making processes involving three questions that demonstrate cognitive capabilities: 'where?' (the location of each tree), 'when?' (when the trees will bear fruit) and 'what?' (what nutrients the trees provide, sugars or proteins).”
“Once again, the gap wasn't clearly carved out, and we find that humans are not as special as some think.”
“Apparently, humans and animals all lie on a spectrum, and almost all human abilities can also be found in animals.”
a paper The findings were published in the journal. Current Biology.
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Lee Harten othersTime mapping and future-oriented behavior in free-ranging wild fruit bats. Current BiologyPublished online June 20, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.046
This article is a version of a Tel Aviv University press release.
Astronauts Robert L. Curbeam Jr. (left) and Christer Fugelsang aboard the International Space Station
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
How spaceflight affects astronauts' health may be better understood thanks to the creation of the first “space-omics” biobank, a collection of thousands of blood and tissue samples and medical information taken on multiple space missions.
These include missions to the International Space Station as well as SpaceX's Inspiration 4, the first private spaceflight to send four non-government-trained astronauts into space for three days in 2021.
The resource, called the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA), contains detailed medical data, collectively known as biomarkers, such as DNA damage and changes in people's gene activity and immune system function.
Space flight is known to pose certain health risks. For example, astronauts experience reduced bone density and muscle mass due to weightlessness, and high levels of radiation in space can damage cells and DNA, causing a variety of health effects on the body. Astronauts are more likely to develop heart disease Later years and Some people have experienced a decrease in vision After going into space.
By consistently collecting astronauts' medical data through the SOMA biobank, researchers may be able to better understand these changes and develop ways to mitigate them, the researchers say. Christopher Mason He is a professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and helped establish the biobank.
“Biomarkers don't necessarily translate into anything clinically meaningful, but they're a good way to understand how this unique environment is affecting us.” Damien Bailey The researchers are from the University of South Wales in the UK, but were not involved in the study.
One of the findings from the Inspiration 4 mission was that although astronauts experienced changes in numerous biomarkers, most measurements returned to normal within a few months of returning to Earth.
This suggests that sending private citizens into space poses no greater health risks than sending professional astronauts, Mason said. “Instead of training them for decades, we can start opening up space to more people.”
Results from Inspiration 4, which had two men and two women on board, also suggested that changes in gene activity returned to normal more quickly in women. This may be because women's bodies have to be able to cope with the possibility of pregnancy, Mason says. “Being able to withstand big changes in physiology and fluid dynamics could be great for managing pregnancy, but it could also help manage the stresses of spaceflight.”
Timothy Etheridge A researcher from the University of Exeter in the UK says it would be beneficial to have a common resource that researchers around the world can use. “We need a consistent approach to collecting samples,” he says.
Thomas Smith The researcher, from King's College London, says understanding the health effects of spaceflight will become even more important if longer-term missions take place, such as trips to Mars. “Anything that leads to longer-term missions makes it even more important to know what's going on and, ideally, to be able to address it,” he says.
Humanity has always dreamed of traveling beyond our solar system to the stars, but the vastness of the universe has kept us grounded. Our closest star, Proxima Centauri, is a staggering 4.24 light years away, which is too far for us to wait patiently.
Recently, on April 23, NASA launched the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System from New Zealand, a system that uses lightweight sails to propel spacecraft instead of traditional rockets. This development has excited both experts and science fiction fans, as it opens up possibilities for long-distance space travel.
How solar sail works
Instead of using thrusters and fuel like traditional spacecraft, solar sail systems use reflective sails to absorb momentum from photons emitted by the sun. This technology enables spacecraft to gain acceleration without the limitations of fuel. In space, where there is no air resistance, a slight push from the sun is all that’s needed for propulsion.
Solar sails operate similar to sailing ships, utilizing the momentum of photons for movement. By harnessing the sun’s energy, spacecraft can travel far distances at manageable speeds.
How fast can an interstellar probe travel with a solar sail?
The speed of a solar sail system depends on factors like the size of the sail, spacecraft mass, and distance from the sun. With creative maneuvers like slingshot maneuvers and potential laser boosts, spacecraft using solar sails can achieve speeds close to 20% of the speed of light.
Future solar sail systems could reach speeds up to 20 percent of the speed of light. – Image credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart
Will humanity ever be able to sail to another planet?
Potentially, solar sail technology could pave the way for human interstellar travel in the future. However, there are challenges, such as sustaining long-term missions for generations and addressing relativistic effects caused by near-light speed travel.
What exactly is NASA's solar sail mission?
NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System is a demonstration of solar sail technology that aims to test a new lightweight boom made of flexible materials. The mission involves a CubeSat deploying an 80 square meter sail in orbit to gather data for future solar sail missions.
About our experts
patrick johnson is an associate professor at Georgetown University with expertise in quantum mechanics. He authored the book “Star Wars Physics” and has contributed to scientific journals like Physical Review.
After spaceflight, astronauts often experience symptoms that affect their sensory systems, such as unsteadiness when walking or standing, blurred vision, and fatigue. These symptoms are called Bilateral vestibular disorder or BVP. Patients on Earth can also experience BVP, but they have different symptoms than astronauts who suffer from BVP. Scientists believe these differences occur in the part of the sensory system responsible for tracking head movement and body orientation in space. This includes the set of nerves in your ear. vestibular nerve.
Astronauts experience lower gravity than on Earth. Under these conditions, the organs in the inner ear that our brains use to sense head movement and spatial orientation don’t work properly. This makes it difficult for astronauts to determine their body’s actual position, movement, and altitude. After returning to Earth’s gravity, astronauts typically need to undergo rehabilitation to correct any resulting balance and coordination problems.
French researchers recently compared the symptoms of BVP experienced by astronauts during readjustment to Earth’s gravity with those of BVP patients on Earth. The team wanted to test strategies to help people on Earth adapt to BVP during rehabilitation, in hopes of establishing or improving rehabilitation strategies for astronauts returning from space.
The researchers recruited 28 astronauts, seven men and 11 women, with an average age of 48, all of whom lived on the spacecraft. international space station For 6 to 11 months. They also recruited 30 patients, including 13 men and 17 women with an average age of 61 years, all of whom had BVP but had never left Earth. They asked each participant to perform his five tests designed to examine mobility and reaction time.
To examine participants’ balance, we measured the time it took them to stand up from a sitting position and establish a stable posture.“Standing test”. They then measured how long it took them to walk around the cone. “Walk around test”. We then asked participants to: from heel to toe This is called the “tandem walk test” and is similar to walking a tightrope with your arms crossed in front of your chest. The researchers recorded each participant repeating this procedure twice and examined each recording to determine the correct number of steps taken during each trial.
The researchers also asked patients to track their progress for one minute while wearing the device. Virtual reality (VR) devices and earphones that mask external noise. The VR device instructed the patient to press the “run” button on the laptop mouse, wait 1 minute, and then press the “stop” button. They used this test, known as the “Duration Judgment Test,” to see how well each participant performed. I felt the passage of time. Finally, the participant who turned on the VR device was asked to respond as quickly as possible to a blue square that was displayed for 50 ms at random intervals.reaction time test. The researchers gave these tests to astronauts about three months before launch, once a month during spaceflight, two hours after returning to Earth, and 24 hours after returning to Earth. A test was conducted.
Researchers found that earthbound BVP patients walked around the cone more slowly than Astronauts did so during and after spaceflight. They also found that BVP patients took fewer correct tightrope steps than astronauts in the 24 hours after returning to Earth. However, the time it took for BVP patients on Earth to calm down during the sit-to-stand test fell between the day the astronauts landed and 24 hours later. Both BVP patients and astronauts who remained on Earth were unable to properly sense the passage of time and were slow to respond to blue squares.
The researchers concluded that problems with balance, sensing the passage of time, and reaction time experienced by astronauts after spaceflight are similar to those experienced by BVP patients on Earth. Therefore, they proposed that these problems, similar to those in earthbound patients, are caused by central nervous system dysfunction that affects the senses. To reduce these post-flight health problems, the researchers recommended that astronauts undergo training designed to improve their vision, hearing, and touch during orbit and after spaceflight.
The researchers cited two limitations of the study: the age difference between the astronauts and the Earth-bound group, and the fact that the BVP subjects on Earth received rehabilitation therapy, while the astronauts did not. I was warned that there was a point. They also were unable to test the astronauts post-flight to properly diagnose central nervous system conditions, so further research is needed to confirm whether the central nervous system is causing these symptoms. He pointed out that.
Things happen at a glacial pace in Antarctica. Just ask Peter Gorham. For a month at a time, he and his colleagues float a giant balloon loaded with a collection of antennas above the ice, traversing more than a million square kilometers of frozen terrain in search of evidence of high-energy particles arriving from space. I watched it scan.
When the experimental aircraft returned to the ground after its first flight, it showed nothing of itself, except for the odd flash of ambient noise. The same situation occurred after the second flight over a year later.
During the balloon's third flight, the researchers decided to revisit past data, especially signals that had been ignored as noise. It was lucky that they did. Upon closer inspection, one signal appeared to be a signature of a high-energy particle. But that wasn't what they were looking for. Plus, it seemed impossible. These particles did not fall from above, but were ejected from the ground in an explosive manner.
This strange discovery was made in 2016. Since then, all kinds of proposals rooted in known physics have been put forward to explain this complex signal, but all have been ruled out. What is left behind is shocking in its implications. To explain this signal, we need the existence of a dizzying universe that was created in the same Big Bang as ours and exists in parallel. In this mirror world, plus is minus, left is right, and time goes backwards. This is probably the most heart-melting idea ever to come out of Antarctic ice, and it just might be true.
Britain’s air travel watchdog has proposed the use of drones to deliver medical supplies and inspect railways, power lines, and roads. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published a consultation paper outlining the proposals, which would allow pilots to safely fly drones out of sight.
While some drones have been flying beyond visual lines in the UK for test flights, the new proposals would enable drones to operate out of sight by flying at a lower height and closer to buildings and infrastructure, reducing the risk of other aircraft traffic.
Kevin Woolsey, head of remotely piloted aircraft systems at the CAA, stated that the proposed concept would open the door to the next stage of drone flying in the UK, potentially allowing for beyond visual line of sight operations and online shopping delivery by drone.
The CAA intends to allow drones to be used on private land without a permit, as long as they do not fly higher than 15 meters. Industries involved in infrastructure inspections, such as railways, power lines, and roads, as well as farmers and field security, are expected to benefit from these proposals.
The consultation forms part of the UK’s future flight plans, which aim to enable drones to safely share more of the sky with other airspace users. The CAA will run the consultation for six weeks and provide further details on its website.
The proposals also include allowing drones to fly in “atypical air environments,” which are areas with reduced conventional aircraft traffic due to proximity to buildings and ground infrastructure. The CAA acknowledges the risks associated with operating in such airspace and will work to mitigate these risks with relevant approvals from operating companies.
helicity space has raised $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of technology that will ultimately enable fast and efficient travel in deep space.
That technology is nuclear fusion propulsion, which has long been the realm of science fiction. The startup says it has discovered a way to use plasma jets in fusion reactions. The project is the brainchild of Setthivoine You, a plasma physicist and co-founder of Helicity. He and two other co-founders, CEO and former banker Stefan Lintner and former Boeing Rocketdyne executive Marta Calvo, officially founded the business in 2018.
Helicity spent several years in stealth, “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, thinking about what we could do,” Lintner explained in a recent interview. “Fusion is a tainted field and we first needed to be sure we could handle it before raising venture capital capital.”
The Pasadena-based company has successfully raised funding from a prominent group. Airbus Ventures is the venture capital arm of a major European aerospace company. TRE Advisor; Voyager Space Holdings, the company behind the Starlab commercial space station. European space company E2MC Space. Urania Ventures and Geingels.
Lintner said Helicity’s key differentiator is that it focuses squarely on fusion propulsion, rather than fusion for ground-based applications. “Everything we’re doing is moving the spacecraft forward, not generating sustainable grid power,” Eh explained. In some ways, the former problem is easier than the latter. Space is a great vacuum, and that’s exactly the environment that his jet of plasma needs.
“Our concept is first uniquely tailored to be useful in space,” he said. “over time […] Ours may also turn into a nuclear reactor on Earth, but by that time others will have worked it out. That’s not our main goal. ”
The startup’s technology is based on a method called magnetic-magnetic fusion, which compresses a stable plasma jet with a magnetic nozzle. The plasma is heated to hundreds of millions of degrees, causing a fusion reaction that pushes the spacecraft forward.
The startup plans to use the funding to manufacture a proof-of-concept fusion drive that will demonstrate basic technology on a small scale. On a longer-term scale, Helicity aims to fly a complete prototype in space within about 10 years.
Lintner was upfront about the fact that there is still a lot to de-risk and a lot to learn when it comes to the emerging market for Fusion Drive.
“Look, it’s still early days,” he said.
“As economies develop in space, our engines will become increasingly important. The final business model is still a little difficult to predict.”
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