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Scientists Might Have Unraveled the Mystery of Uranus’ Radiation Belts

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In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 conducted the sole direct measurement of Uranus’ radiation environment. These findings revealed a well-recognized system characterized by a weak ion emission band and an unexpectedly strong electron emission band. Nevertheless, these observations might not have been taken under standard conditions. A recent study by scientists at the Southwest Research Institute compared Voyager 2’s data with comparable phenomena on Earth. Their findings, in conjunction with a new interpretation of the Voyager 2 flyby, suggest that the interaction of solar wind with Uranus’ magnetosphere may have amplified electromagnetic waves, enabling electrons to reach relativistic speeds. This opens new avenues for exploration at Uranus and emphasizes the necessity for missions orbiting the planet.

Allen et al. The researchers compared the effects on space weather of the high-speed solar wind structures that caused intense solar storms on Earth in 2019 (first panel) (second panel) with conditions observed on Uranus by Voyager 2 in 1986 (third panel), revealing a potential solution to a 39-year-old mystery regarding the extreme radiation belts discovered. Image credit: SwRI.

In 1986, during its unique flyby of Uranus, Voyager 2 recorded unexpectedly high levels of electron emission bands.

These electron emission belts were surprising, based on extrapolations from other planetary systems.

Since then, scientists have puzzled over how Uranus could maintain such a tightly constrained electron emission belt, making it distinct from other planets in the solar system.

Robert Allen and his colleagues from the Southwest Research Institute hypothesize that the observations made by Voyager 2 might closely resemble processes occurring on Earth due to significant solar wind storms.

They propose that a solar wind structure, known as a corotating interaction region, was traversing the Uranus system at that time.

This accounts for the exceptionally high energy levels detected by Voyager 2.

“Science has progressed significantly since Voyager 2’s flyby,” stated Dr. Allen.

“We aimed to analyze the Voyager 2 data in relation to Earth observations gathered in the years that followed.”

A recent study indicates that during Voyager 2’s mission, the Uranian system may have undergone a space weather event that triggered powerful radio frequency waves—the most intense recorded throughout Voyager 2’s journey.

“In 1986, scientists believed these waves would dissipate and scatter the electrons within Uranus’ atmosphere,” Dr. Allen noted.

“However, they have come to understand that under specific conditions, these same waves can accelerate electrons and contribute additional energy to the planetary system.”

“In 2019, Earth experienced a similar event that resulted in a significant acceleration of radiation belt electrons,” said Sarah Vines from the Southwest Research Institute.

“If a comparable mechanism interacted with the Uranus system, it would explain the unexpected additional energy observed by Voyager 2.”

Nonetheless, these revelations also raise numerous questions regarding the fundamental physics and the sequence of events that allow the emission of such powerful waves.

“This underscores the importance of launching a mission focused on Uranus,” Dr. Allen emphasized.

“This discovery also holds significant implications for analogous star systems like Neptune.”

The results are published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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RC Allen et al. 2025. Unraveling the mystery of Uranus’ electron radiation belts: Using insights from Earth’s radiation belts to reassess Voyager 2 observations. Geophysical Research Letters 52 (22): e2025GL119311; doi: 10.1029/2025GL119311

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists Might Have Unraveled the Secrets of Teotihuacan’s Written Language

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The civilization that thrived in Teotihuacan during the Classic period holds a distinctive position in Mesoamerican history. Today, it continues to represent Mexico’s rich heritage and is among the most frequented archaeological locations in the Americas. However, inquisitive tourists often find that the ethnic and linguistic connections of the Teotihuacanos are still a mystery. While the deciphering of other Mesoamerican writing systems has unveiled significant insights about dynasties and historical occurrences, researchers have yet to extract information about Teotihuacan society from their own written artifacts. The topic of writing in Teotihuacan indeed provokes several intriguing questions. Do the symbols depicted in the images of Teotihuacan represent a form of writing? If they do, what was their purpose? Were they created to be understood irrespective of language? If they indicated a specific language, which one was it? Researchers Magnus Pharaoh Hansen and Christopher Helmke from the University of Copenhagen suggest that Teotihuacan writing shares fundamental characteristics with other Mesoamerican writing systems, including the utilization of logograms based on rebus principles and a technique termed “double spelling.” They contend that it encapsulates a specific, identifiable language: Uto-Aztecan, the direct predecessor of Nahuatl, Chora, and Huichol, and they offer a new interpretation of certain Teotihuacan glyphs.

View of the small pyramid on the east side of the Plaza de la Luna from Piramide del Sol in Teotihuacan. Image credit: Daniel Case / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Teotihuacan is a revered pre-Columbian city established around 100 BC and thrived until 600 AD.

This ancient metropolis, situated in the northeastern area of the Basin of Mexico, expanded over 20 square kilometers and housed up to 125,000 residents while engaging with other Mesoamerican cultures.

The identities of Teotihuacan’s builders and their relationships to subsequent populations remain uncertain. The reasons behind the city’s abandonment also spark debate, with theories ranging from foreign invasion, civil strife, ecological disaster, or a combination of these factors.

“There are numerous distinct cultures in Mexico, some linked to specific archaeological traditions, while others remain ambiguous. Teotihuacan exemplifies such a case,” stated Dr. Pharaoh Hansen.

“The languages they spoke and their links to later cultures are still unknown.”

“One can easily identify the Teotihuacan culture when compared to modern cultures,” added Dr. Helmke.

“For instance, the remains of Teotihuacan suggest that parts of the city were occupied by the more widely recognized Maya civilization.”

The ancient inhabitants of Teotihuacan left a collection of symbols, primarily through wall murals and decorative ceramics.

For years, researchers have debated whether these symbols represent an actual written language.

The authors assert that the inscriptions on Teotihuacan’s walls indeed record a language that is a linguistic precursor to Cora, Huichol, and the Aztec language Nahuatl.

The Aztecs, well-known in Mexican history, were thought to have migrated to central Mexico following the decline of Teotihuacan.

However, researchers claim there are linguistic connections between Teotihuacan and the Aztecs, indicating that Nahuatl-speaking peoples might have settled in the region much earlier and are in fact direct descendants of Teotihuacan’s original population.

To elucidate the linguistic parallels between Teotihuacan’s language and other Mesoamerican tongues, scientists have been working to reconstruct a much older version of Nahuatl.

“Otherwise, it would be akin to interpreting the runes on a famous Danish runestone, like the Jellingstone, using contemporary Danish. That would be an anachronism. We must attempt to read the text with a more temporally appropriate language,” explains Dr. Helmke.

Examples of logograms that make up the Teotihuacan written language. Image credit: Christophe Helmke, University of Copenhagen.

The script of Teotihuacan presents significant challenges for decipherment due to multiple factors.

One challenge is that the logograms may possess a direct semantic meaning; for instance, an image depicting a coyote directly translates to “coyote.”

In other instances, symbols must be interpreted in a rebus format, wherein the sounds represented by the depicted objects are combined to form words; however, such words are often conceptual and difficult to express as single figurative logograms.

This complexity underscores the necessity for a solid understanding of both the Teotihuacan writing system and the Uto-Aztecan language that researchers believe is encoded in the inscriptions.

To unlock the Teotihuacan linguistic riddle, one must be aware of how words were pronounced at that time.

This is why the researchers are focusing on various aspects concurrently. They are reconstructing the Uto-Aztecan language, a formidable challenge in its own right, while applying this ancient language to interpret the Teotihuacan texts.

“In Teotihuacan, pottery with inscriptions continues to be unearthed, and we anticipate that many more wall paintings will be discovered in the future,” remarked Dr. Pharaoh Hansen.

“The scarcity of additional text clearly hampers our study.”

“It would be beneficial to find the same symbol used similarly in varied contexts.”

“This would further substantiate our hypothesis, but for now, we are limited to the documentation available to us.”

Dr. Pharaoh Hansen and Dr. Helmke are enthusiastic about their recent advancements.

“Prior to our work, no one had applied a linguistically appropriate approach to deciphering this written form,” stated Dr. Pharaoh Hansen.

“Moreover, no one had successfully established that a particular logogram could hold phonetic significance applicable in contexts beyond its primary meaning.”

“Through this process, we have developed a method that can serve as a foundation for others to broaden their comprehension of the texts.”

The team’s study has been published in the journal Current Anthropology.

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Magnus Pharaoh Hansen and Christoph Helmke. 2025. Language of Teotihuacan. Current Anthropology 66(5); doi: 10.1086/737863

Source: www.sci.news

We May Have Unraveled Many Mysteries of Life’s Origins

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Researchers have made significant progress in unraveling one of biology’s most profound puzzles: how the fundamental molecules of life came together over 4 billion years ago.

Proteins, composed of chains of amino acids, are pivotal to life, supporting tissue structure and performing countless functions within an organism. However, they lack the ability to self-replicate.

This task falls to RNAs, which serve as messengers and translators of genetic information in all living cells today.

The enigma lies in how these two distinct types of molecules first interacted, ultimately leading to the genetic code and the chain of events that produced us.

“RNA molecules transmit information between themselves in a highly predictable and efficient manner, but they struggle to communicate with the amino acids required for protein synthesis,” explains Senior Author of the study, Professor Matthew Powner told BBC Science Focus.

“For decades, the mechanisms and reasons behind the initial linkage of these two molecules have remained open questions.”

Previous laboratory attempts to replicate this chemistry faced challenges, as amino acids typically reacted with one another rather than with RNA, and unstable states in water hindered the reactions.

Adopting an innovative approach, the Powner team combined amino acids into a sulfur-containing compound called thioesters, a high-energy bond still utilized by cells today. This allowed for natural and selective reactions between the molecules and RNA.

Intriguingly, the inherent structure of RNA appears to direct amino acids to the proper position at the RNA strand’s edge.

Warm, nutrient-rich pools like those found in Yellowstone National Park today may have provided an ideal setting for these reactions to take place. – Credit: Getty

This suggests a viable chemical pathway through which fundamental processes in life began, without the necessity of more complex catalysts like enzymes.

“All these molecules were quite simple and likely present on the early Earth,” Powner noted.

The early ocean’s conditions would have been too limiting for these reactions to proceed, but nutrient-laden pools, ponds, and lakes offered an ideal environment.

This research also connects two longstanding theories: the “RNA world,” which emphasizes RNA’s crucial role, and the “thioester world,” which suggests high-energy thioesters were vital for early metabolism.

For Powner, the upcoming challenge is clear: he aims to “understand the origins of the universal genetic code of life.” This understanding could lead to insights on exactly how and where it originated on our planet.

“Scientists are constructing a validated framework that could lead to the creation of ‘cells’,’” Powner adds.

These cells not only have the potential to evolve but also to illuminate the origins of universal life structures and their organization.

“These reactions provide the crucial information needed to reasonably explore how and where life began on Earth.”

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About our experts

Matthew Powner is a professor of organic chemistry at the University of London. His work focuses on the chemistry related to life’s origins, and alongside his research group, he contributes to fields such as nucleic acid and amino oxidation, protometabolic networks, ribozymes, lipids, crystal engineering, green chemistry, catalysis, and photochemistry.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

How Science Unraveled the Bermuda Triangle Enigma

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The region of the ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda became famous in the mid-20th century, largely due to reports about the unexplained disappearance of ships and aircraft.

One of the most notable events took place in 1945 when Flight 19, a formation of five US Navy bombers, vanished during a training exercise in this area. For many years, shipwrecks and downed planes were frequently linked to the triangle’s mysterious forces.

However, in 1975, Larry Cush published a book that debunked the legend, revealing that many reports about the triangle were either exaggerated, inaccurate, or unverified. He found that the frequency of incidents in this region is not significantly higher than in other parts of the ocean.

Despite this, a variety of theories have been put forth over the years. Some have speculated about the remnants of Atlantis’s technology. Others argued that the triangle might be a location where warp threads of space-time cause objects to be drawn into parallel universes.

One of the peculiar natural theories suggests that methane bubbles seeping from the ocean floor could capsize ships. However, studies based on US Geological Survey Records indicate that no significant methane release has occurred in the last 15,000 years.

The prevalence of hurricanes in the area could also have impacted earlier pilots and captains who lacked the technology to make accurate weather predictions.

Recent research indicates that converging storms can create rogue waves as high as 30 meters (nearly 100 feet), capable of sinking even large vessels. Laboratory simulations have confirmed that such waves can engulf a ship, though there is no evidence that these phenomena actually occur in the Bermuda Triangle.

Some assert that magnetic anomalies could mislead navigators, causing them to lose their course. While no such anomalies have been confirmed, in the early 20th century, the magnetic north rotated into alignment with the Bermuda Triangle, which could have led to navigation errors.

Interestingly, the US Coast Guard has not identified any specific hazards in the Bermuda Triangle. A survey conducted in 2013 indicates that the most perilous shipping routes do not include this area.

Despite the heavy air and sea traffic, as well as frequent hurricanes, the Bermuda Triangle has not seen an unusually high number of crashes or shipwrecks.

The enduring appeal of this legend can be attributed to more mundane factors. Early accounts of disappearances captured public imagination, drawing people toward mystery.

Once the myth took off, reports turned any shipwrecks into tales of the Bermuda Triangle’s mystical powers. The interest has likely diminished in recent years, as advances in technology allow for better tracking of ocean and air traffic.

This article addresses the question posed by Cardiff, Diane Johnston: “What happened in the Bermuda Triangle?”

For questions, please email us at questions@sciencefocus.com or reach out via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (please include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Possible Origins of the Basque Language Unraveled by Ancient Bronze Hand

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Ancient bronze hand discovered in Irregui, northern Spain

Juancho Egana

An inscription found on a 2,000-year-old metal needle may be written in a language related to modern-day Basque. If this interpretation is correct, it could help explain one of the biggest mysteries in linguistics: the origin of the Basque language.

However, other linguists say there is not enough evidence to link the inscription to Basque.

The bronze hand was discovered in July 2021 at the top of a hill called Irregui in the Pyrenees Mountains in northern Spain. Archaeologists have been excavating there since 2007, first discovering a medieval castle and then exploring a much older settlement from the Iron Age.

This settlement was founded between 1500 and 1000 BC. It was probably attacked by the Romans and abandoned in the 1st century BC.

Irreghi's hand is a bronze plate measuring 14 centimeters long, 12.8 centimeters wide, and only 0.1 centimeter thick, with a patina tint. On the back of the hand are his four lines of text, rewritten by first scratching and then dotting into the metal.

Most words cannot be associated with any known language, but the first word is “sorionek”. Matin Ayesteran Professors at the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain, and their colleagues claim it is similar to Basque. Zorio cat, which means “lucky.” Furthermore, the last word is “elaukon”, which is likened to a Basque verb. Zelaucon.

Irregi's hand carved in a mysterious language

Matin Ayesteran et al.

It is said that this hand was probably intended to represent good fortune or attract good fortune by appealing to the gods. Mikel Edeso Eguia in Aranzadi Scientific Society Assisted with excavations at Donostia (also known as San Sebastian), Spain.

The researchers also claim that the hand is evidence that languages ​​related to Basque have been spoken in northern Spain for 2,000 years. Most languages ​​currently spoken in Europe belong to the Indo-European family, but Basque does not. “It has nothing to do with any other language we know,” says Edeso Eguia. Previous research has tentatively linked the Basques to a group of people known as the Bascons, who lived in the Pyrenees according to classical sources.

However, the idea that the inscriptions on the hands are written in a language related to Basque is not widely accepted.After the hand was first described in his 2022 book, linguists Celine Munour at the University of Pau and the Adour region in France. Julen Manterola Presented at the Basque University of Vitoria-Gasteiz Criticism.

“There's not enough evidence,” Manterola said. This is also because there are very few words in the hands of the Irregian language. Not enough, he says, to properly compare with known languages.

Furthermore, the connection with the Basque language is based almost exclusively on the similarity between “sorionek” and “solionek”. Zorio cat. “You can't connect other words with historical Basque,” ​​Munor says.

Even that similarity can be misleading, Manterola says. Similar phrases in Basque have changed in predictable ways over the centuries, arriving at their current form. Zorio catmust have taken a completely different path.

“We expect more inscriptions to emerge,” Munour says. “In this case, we will be able to learn more about the possible relationship between this language and the Basque language.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Astrophysical mysteries unraveled by new dark matter theory

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Researchers have advanced our understanding of dark matter through simulations that support the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) theory. This theory has the potential to resolve the discrepancy in dark matter density observed in different galaxies, poses a challenge to traditional cold dark matter (CDM) models, and highlights the dynamic nature of dark matter. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Dark matter may be more active than previously thought, reports a study from the University of California, Riverside.

Dark matter, which is thought to make up 85% of the matter in the universe, does not emit light and its properties are still poorly understood. Normal matter absorbs, reflects, and emits light, but dark matter cannot be seen directly, making it difficult to detect. A theory called “self-interacting dark matter” (SIDM) claims that dark matter particles self-interact with each other due to dark forces, causing them to collide strongly with each other near the centers of galaxies.

Among the works published in of Astrophysics Journal LetterA research team led by Haibo Yu, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Riverside, reports that SIDM can simultaneously explain two extreme astrophysical puzzles.

Understanding dark matter halos and gravitational lenses

“The first is a halo of dense dark matter in a giant elliptical galaxy,” Yu said. “The halo is detected by observations of strong gravitational lenses, and its density is so high that it is extremely unlikely under the prevailing cold dark matter theory. Second, the density of dark matter halos in superdiffuse galaxies is extremely low. is extremely low and difficult to explain using cold dark matter theory.”

A dark matter halo is an invisible halo of matter that permeates and surrounds a galaxy or galaxy cluster. Gravitational lensing occurs when light traveling across space from a distant galaxy is bent around a massive object. The cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm/theory assumes that dark matter particles do not collide. As the name suggests, superdiffuse galaxies have extremely low luminosity and a dispersed distribution of stars and gas.

Hai-Bo Yu is a theoretical physicist at the University of California, Riverside, with expertise in the particle properties of dark matter.Credit: Samantha Tiu

Yu was also joined in the study by Ethan Nadler, a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Observatory and the University of Southern California, and Danen Yang, a postdoctoral fellow at UCR.

To show that SIDM can explain two puzzles in astrophysics, the research team presents a theory of cosmic structure formation with strong dark matter self-interactions at relevant mass scales for strong lenticular halos and superdiffuse galaxies. We conducted our first high-resolution simulation.

“These self-interactions cause heat transfer within the halo and diversify the halo density in the central region of the galaxy,” Nadler said. “In other words, some halos have higher center densities and others have lower center densities compared to their CDM counterparts, the details of which depend on the evolutionary history of the Universe and the environment of the individual halo.”

Challenges to the CDM paradigm and future research

According to the research team, these two puzzles pose a formidable challenge to the standard CDM paradigm.

“CDM takes on the challenge of explaining these mysteries,” Yang said. “SIDM is probably a good candidate for reconciling two opposing extremes. There are no other explanations in the literature. We now know that dark matter may be more complex and active than we expected. There is an interesting possibility that there is.”

The study also demonstrates the ability to investigate dark matter through astrophysical observations using computer simulation tools of cosmic structure formation.

“We hope that our study will encourage further research in this promising research area,” Yu said. “This is a particularly timely development given the expected influx of data in the near future from observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the upcoming Rubin Observatory.”

Since around 2009, the work of Yu and his collaborators has popularized SIDM in the particle physics and astrophysics communities.

References: Ethan O. Nadler, Danen Yang, and Haibo Yu, “Self-interacting dark matter solutions for the extreme diversity of low-mass halo properties,” November 30, 2023. Astrophysics Journal Letter.
DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad0e09

This research was supported by the John Templeton Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Source: scitechdaily.com