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Wild elephants call each other by names, just like humans. A new study published in Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution has revealed that elephants make distinctive, rumbling sounds when they address each other, making them the only non-human animals to possess such an ability to use language. This study was inspired by previous researches that showed bottlenose dolphins could be using signature whistles to call each other.

Mickey Pardo, a biologist at Cornell University, said, "Sometimes another bottlenose dolphin will imitate somebody else's signature whistle in order to get their attention, so effectively calling them by name."

He wanted to check whether elephants, who are known to be vocal mimics, also possess this ability.

“The idea from the outset of this project was to try to figure out if elephants have names,” said Pardo.

The researchers concluded that elephants use constant, low-frequency rumblings that are "highly structurally variable” to greet each other.

They use particular, distinctive noises for all kinds of communication, from greeting family members to comforting a calf to staying in close proximity to relatives over long distances. “There's quite a lot of variation in their acoustic structure,” he concluded.

To conduct the experiment, Pardo and colleagues analysed recordings of 469 rumbling calls that wild African elephants had made to each other. These sounds were recorded between 1986 and 2022 in the Amboseli National Park and Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves in Kenya.

The team also used machine learning to check whether the rumbles contained any information — precisely a “name”.

Through this model, the team was able to identify the correct elephant recipient of the call 27.5 per cent of the time.

This indicated that “there must be something in the calls that's allowing the model to figure out at least some of the time who that call was addressed to,” Pardo was quoted as saying by NPR.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjdoean99OGAxXCdPUHHSnuCl8QxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/lilly-alzheimers-drug-gets-unanimous-backing-from-fda-advisory-panel-730773" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/lilly-alzheimers-drug-gets-unanimous-backing-from-fda-advisory-panel-730773&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjdoean99OGAxXCdPUHHSnuCl8QxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Alzheimer's drug donanemab gets unanimous backing from FDA advisory panel</a>

Then, researchers went a step ahead and made the elephants listen to the sound recordings that supposedly carried their names.

“We had to find a situation where a specific elephant was by herself, or at least not with the individual who made the recording,” Pardo said, explaining that the team then played the recording through a loudspeaker.

It turned out that elephants generally seemed to know that the sound recording was actually a message for them.

“The elephants responded much more strongly on average to playbacks of calls that were originally addressed to them relative to playbacks of calls from the same caller that were originally addressed to someone else,” the researcher said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjdoean99OGAxXCdPUHHSnuCl8QxfQBKAB6BAgSEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-develops-breakthrough-technology-to-hunt-for-habitable-water-worlds-730501" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-develops-breakthrough-technology-to-hunt-for-habitable-water-worlds-730501&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjdoean99OGAxXCdPUHHSnuCl8QxfQBKAB6BAgSEAE">NASA develops breakthrough technology to hunt for habitable ‘water worlds’</a>

However, it was not clear whether all elephants used the same name while addressing the same recipient. “People might assume that elephant names work in exactly the same way as human names, which is not necessarily true,” Pardo warned.

(With inputs from agencies)

Wild elephants call each other by names, just like humans. A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has revealed that elephants make distinctive, rumbling sounds when they address each other, making them the only non-human animals to possess such an ability to use language.

Wild elephants call each other by names, just like humans. A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has revealed that elephants make distinctive, rumbling sounds when they address each other, making them the only non-human animals to possess such an ability to use language. This study was inspired by previous researches that showed bottlenose dolphins could be using signature whistles to call each other. Mickey Pardo, a biologist at Cornell University, said, "Sometimes another bottlenose dolphin will imitate somebody else's signature whistle in order to get their attention, so effectively calling them by name." He wanted to check whether elephants, who are known to be vocal mimics, also possess this ability. “The idea from the outset of this project was to try to figure out if elephants have names,” said Pardo. The researchers concluded that elephants use constant, low-frequency rumblings that are "highly structurally variable” to greet each other. They use particular, distinctive noises for all kinds of communication, from greeting family members to comforting a calf to staying in close proximity to relatives over long distances. “There's quite a lot of variation in their acoustic structure,” he concluded. To conduct the experiment, Pardo and colleagues analysed recordings of 469 rumbling calls that wild African elephants had made to each other. These sounds were recorded between 1986 and 2022 in the Amboseli National Park and Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves in Kenya. The team also used machine learning to check whether the rumbles contained any information — precisely a “name”. Through this model, the team was able to identify the correct elephant recipient of the call 27.5 per cent of the time. This indicated that “there must be something in the calls that's allowing the model to figure out at least some of the time who that call was addressed to,” Pardo was quoted as saying by NPR. Also read: Alzheimer's drug donanemab gets unanimous backing from FDA advisory panel Then, researchers went a step ahead and made the elephants listen to the sound recordings that supposedly carried their names. “We had to find a situation where a specific elephant was by herself, or at least not with the individual who made the recording,” Pardo said, explaining that the team then played the recording through a loudspeaker. It turned out that elephants generally seemed to know that the sound recording was actually a message for them. “The elephants responded much more strongly on average to playbacks of calls that were originally addressed to them relative to playbacks of calls from the same caller that were originally addressed to someone else,” the researcher said. Also read: NASA develops breakthrough technology to hunt for habitable ‘water worlds’ However, it was not clear whether all elephants used the same name while addressing the same recipient. “People might assume that elephant names work in exactly the same way as human names, which is not necessarily true,” Pardo warned. (With inputs from agencies)

Elephants greet each other using distinctive names, just like humans: Study

A new study has shown that Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines top the global per capita list of dietary intakes of microplastics.

The study published in April by Cornell University researchers mapped microplastic uptake across 109 countries. It found that Indonesians top the list and ingest about 15 grams of microplastics per month, tantamount to three credit cards, increasing their daily consumption of microplastics by 59 times from 1990 to 2018.&nbsp;

The lion’s share of these plastic particles is attributed to aquatic sources such as fish and seafood.&nbsp;

<h2>How do microplastics land in our food?</h2>

Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5mm, are fibres, fragments or granules created when plastic products break down or are shed by synthetic textiles.&nbsp;

Accidental spills and improper handling of plastic pellets, the raw ingredients in plastic manufacturing, can cause them to enter the environment.

The paper’s authors noted that common waste management methods such as open dumping are falling by the wayside in handling the ever-increasing volume of discarded plastics, especially in fast-growing developing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. This results in more than 30,000 tonnes of mismanaged waste annually in these countries.

When not managed properly, plastic from open dumping sites or landfills can be transported into nearby water bodies via rainwater.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiJkc3q-tOGAxV9bWwGHf_iDKIQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/decoding-the-mystery-of-plastic-rocks-discovered-on-five-continents-670869" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/decoding-the-mystery-of-plastic-rocks-discovered-on-five-continents-670869&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiJkc3q-tOGAxV9bWwGHf_iDKIQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE">Explained | Decoding the mystery of plastic rocks discovered on five continents</a>

These are commonly ingested by phytoplankton and zooplankton, which fish and aquatic animals feed on. This results in indirect plastic ingestion in people when eating seafood.

<h2>Microplastics inhaled substantially across the world</h2>

The study, published in the journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology, found that residents of China and Mongolia inhaled the most microplastics among the 109 countries it examined, breathing in more than 2.8 million particles per month.&nbsp;

<h2>US residents inhale about 300,000 particles per month.&nbsp;</h2>

Only residents in the Mediterranean and nearby regions breathed less, with countries like Spain, Portugal and Hungary breathing about 60,000 to 240,000 particles per month, as per the study.&nbsp;

Dust-like airborne microplastics mainly originate from the abrasion of plastic materials, such as those in tyres, according to the study.&nbsp;

Synthetic textiles can also release microplastics into the air during their production, or when they are washed or worn.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiJkc3q-tOGAxV9bWwGHf_iDKIQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ditch-bright-plastics-study-shows-bright-plastics-break-down-quicker-into-microplastics-725951" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/ditch-bright-plastics-study-shows-bright-plastics-break-down-quicker-into-microplastics-725951&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiJkc3q-tOGAxV9bWwGHf_iDKIQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Ditch bright plastics: Study shows bright plastics break down quicker into microplastics</a>

“Industrialisation in developing economies, particularly in East and South Asia, has led to increased consumption of plastic materials, waste generation and human microplastic uptake,” said the study’s co-author Fengqi You, a professor in energy systems engineering at Cornell University.

However, developed countries are seeing a reverse trend as they are supported by greater economic resources to reduce and remove plastic debris, he added.

Microplastics are now an environmental issue, plaguing even the deepest parts of the ocean and the world’s highest mountain. However, there is still limited evidence to prove that microplastics are adversely impacting human health.

(With inputs from agencies)

A new study has shown that Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines top the global per capita list of dietary intakes of microplastics.

A new study has shown that Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines top the global per capita list of dietary intakes of microplastics. The study published in April by Cornell University researchers mapped microplastic uptake across 109 countries. It found that Indonesians top the list and ingest about 15 grams of microplastics per month, tantamount to three credit cards, increasing their daily consumption of microplastics by 59 times from 1990 to 2018. The lion’s share of these plastic particles is attributed to aquatic sources such as fish and seafood. How do microplastics land in our food? Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5mm, are fibres, fragments or granules created when plastic products break down or are shed by synthetic textiles. Accidental spills and improper handling of plastic pellets, the raw ingredients in plastic manufacturing, can cause them to enter the environment. The paper’s authors noted that common waste management methods such as open dumping are falling by the wayside in handling the ever-increasing volume of discarded plastics, especially in fast-growing developing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. This results in more than 30,000 tonnes of mismanaged waste annually in these countries. When not managed properly, plastic from open dumping sites or landfills can be transported into nearby water bodies via rainwater. Also read: Explained | Decoding the mystery of plastic rocks discovered on five continents These are commonly ingested by phytoplankton and zooplankton, which fish and aquatic animals feed on. This results in indirect plastic ingestion in people when eating seafood. Microplastics inhaled substantially across the world The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, found that residents of China and Mongolia inhaled the most microplastics among the 109 countries it examined, breathing in more than 2.8 million particles per month. US residents inhale about 300,000 particles per month. Only residents in the Mediterranean and nearby regions breathed less, with countries like Spain, Portugal and Hungary breathing about 60,000 to 240,000 particles per month, as per the study. Dust-like airborne microplastics mainly originate from the abrasion of plastic materials, such as those in tyres, according to the study. Synthetic textiles can also release microplastics into the air during their production, or when they are washed or worn. Also read: Ditch bright plastics: Study shows bright plastics break down quicker into microplastics “Industrialisation in developing economies, particularly in East and South Asia, has led to increased consumption of plastic materials, waste generation and human microplastic uptake,” said the study’s co-author Fengqi You, a professor in energy systems engineering at Cornell University. However, developed countries are seeing a reverse trend as they are supported by greater economic resources to reduce and remove plastic debris, he added. Microplastics are now an environmental issue, plaguing even the deepest parts of the ocean and the world’s highest mountain. However, there is still limited evidence to prove that microplastics are adversely impacting human health. (With inputs from agencies)

South Asian diet swamped with microplastics; China, Mongolia breathe bulk of plastics: Study  

Our Sun is going through major mood swings, called solar maximum in technical words, which is the season of peak activity on solar surface. During this period, the Sun produces a lot of solar flares which eventually turn into solar storms that can cause&nbsp;atmospheric phenomenon&nbsp;like auroras or northern lights.

Recently, we saw auroras being brought down to many far south places, like in Alabama, due to these solar storms. Scientists were on standby to observe such an event on Mars as well.

Finally, on May 20, NASA recorded a solar flare, which they are calling “the biggest event”, whose details were released on Monday (June 10).&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-lake-discovery-debunked-new-study-challenges-evidence-of-subsurface-water-730743">Mars lake discovery debunked? New study challenges evidence of subsurface water</a>

On May 20, a solar flare of X12 class was detected by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft, which is a joint mission between ESA and NASA. X-class flares are known to be the strongest of several types of them.&nbsp;

The May 20 flare released X-rays and gamma rays toward Mars, while a coronal mass ejection or CME launched the charged particles. Moving at the speed of light, the X-rays and gamma rays from the flare arrived first, while the charged particles trailed slightly behind, reaching Mars in just tens of minutes.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As solar storms pummel the Red Planet, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarsCuriosity</a> and its radiation detector are preparing for future human explorers. 
 
On May 20, Curiosity received a radiation dose equivalent to 30 chest X-rays. <a href="https://t.co/TDz6Nsm3Lz">https://t.co/TDz6Nsm3Lz</a> <a href="https://t.co/L5c0faLqe7">pic.twitter.com/L5c0faLqe7</a>
— NASA Mars (@NASAMars) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAMars/status/1800233531374997626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“If astronauts had been standing next to NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at the time, they would have received a radiation dose of 8,100 micrograys — equivalent to 30 chest X-rays. While not deadly, it was the biggest surge measured by Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector, or RAD, since the rover landed 12 years ago,” revealed NASA in its official report.

<h2>Were Auroras seen over Mars?</h2>

As per data from the Solar Orbiter, so much energy from the storm was released on May 20 that the surface of the planet in black-and-white images from the Curiosity’s navigation cameras appears to be “dancing with snow”. These dancing snow particles were actually&nbsp;white streaks and specks caused by&nbsp;charged particles when they hit the cameras.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-collision-with-interstellar-space-clouds-triggered-ice-age-and-existence-of-humans-study-730745">Earth's collision with interstellar space clouds triggered Ice Age and existence of humans: study</a>

High above Curiosity, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) orbiter captured another effect of the recent solar activity- glowing auroras over the planet. However, the way these auroras occur is different than those seen on Earth.

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See those moving specks? 
 
Recently, my routine dust monitoring coincided with a major solar event hitting the Red Planet, and the charged particles that hit my camera caused distortions. It's the biggest radiation surge I've detected since landing in 2012! <a href="https://t.co/rmowp0RmT4">https://t.co/rmowp0RmT4</a> <a href="https://t.co/TAZUghtlhe">pic.twitter.com/TAZUghtlhe</a>
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/status/1800204031308271999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Our planet is protected from charged particles by a robust magnetic field, which normally limits auroras to regions near the poles. But Mars lost its internally generated magnetic field in the past, so there’s no protection from the barrage of energetic particles. When charged particles hit the Martian atmosphere, it results in auroras that engulf the entire planet.

"During solar events, the Sun releases a wide range of energetic particles. Only the most energetic can reach the surface to be measured by RAD. Slightly less energetic particles, those that cause auroras, are sensed by MAVEN’s Solar Energetic Particle instrument," said NASA.&nbsp;

“This was the largest solar energetic particle event that MAVEN has ever seen,” said MAVEN Space Weather Lead, Christina Lee of the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Our Sun is going through major mood swings, called solar maximum in technical words, which is the season of peak activity on solar surface. During this period, the Sun produces a lot of solar flares which eventually turn into solar storms that can cause atmospheric phenomenon like auroras or northern lights.

Our Sun is going through major mood swings, called solar maximum in technical words, which is the season of peak activity on solar surface. During this period, the Sun produces a lot of solar flares which eventually turn into solar storms that can cause atmospheric phenomenon like auroras or northern lights. Recently, we saw auroras being brought down to many far south places, like in Alabama, due to these solar storms. Scientists were on standby to observe such an event on Mars as well. Finally, on May 20, NASA recorded a solar flare, which they are calling “the biggest event”, whose details were released on Monday (June 10). Also Read | Mars lake discovery debunked? New study challenges evidence of subsurface water On May 20, a solar flare of X12 class was detected by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft, which is a joint mission between ESA and NASA. X-class flares are known to be the strongest of several types of them. The May 20 flare released X-rays and gamma rays toward Mars, while a coronal mass ejection or CME launched the charged particles. Moving at the speed of light, the X-rays and gamma rays from the flare arrived first, while the charged particles trailed slightly behind, reaching Mars in just tens of minutes. As solar storms pummel the Red Planet, @MarsCuriosity and its radiation detector are preparing for future human explorers. On May 20, Curiosity received a radiation dose equivalent to 30 chest X-rays. https://t.co/TDz6Nsm3Lz pic.twitter.com/L5c0faLqe7 — NASA Mars (@NASAMars) June 10, 2024 × “If astronauts had been standing next to NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at the time, they would have received a radiation dose of 8,100 micrograys — equivalent to 30 chest X-rays. While not deadly, it was the biggest surge measured by Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector, or RAD, since the rover landed 12 years ago,” revealed NASA in its official report. Were Auroras seen over Mars? As per data from the Solar Orbiter, so much energy from the storm was released on May 20 that the surface of the planet in black-and-white images from the Curiosity’s navigation cameras appears to be “dancing with snow”. These dancing snow particles were actually white streaks and specks caused by charged particles when they hit the cameras. Also Read | Earth's collision with interstellar space clouds triggered Ice Age and existence of humans: study High above Curiosity, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) orbiter captured another effect of the recent solar activity- glowing auroras over the planet. However, the way these auroras occur is different than those seen on Earth. See those moving specks? Recently, my routine dust monitoring coincided with a major solar event hitting the Red Planet, and the charged particles that hit my camera caused distortions. It's the biggest radiation surge I've detected since landing in 2012! https://t.co/rmowp0RmT4 pic.twitter.com/TAZUghtlhe — Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) June 10, 2024 × Our planet is protected from charged particles by a robust magnetic field, which normally limits auroras to regions near the poles. But Mars lost its internally generated magnetic field in the past, so there’s no protection from the barrage of energetic particles. When charged particles hit the Martian atmosphere, it results in auroras that engulf the entire planet. "During solar events, the Sun releases a wide range of energetic particles. Only the most energetic can reach the surface to be measured by RAD. Slightly less energetic particles, those that cause auroras, are sensed by MAVEN’s Solar Energetic Particle instrument," said NASA. “This was the largest solar energetic particle event that MAVEN has ever seen,” said MAVEN Space Weather Lead, Christina Lee of the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory. (With inputs from agencies)

Auroras over Mars? NASA observes Mars flare-up during epic solar storm

Scientists have been hunting for one sign of life on Mars and even the slightest presence of water can prove to be a breakthrough.&nbsp;

In this hunt for alien life, scientists have now made a discovery by detecting the patches of water frost equal to "60 Olympic-size swimming pools" on the Martian volcanoes.

The scientists spotted thin and widespread layers of water frost which were spotted atop three of Tharsis volcanoes in Mars, as per a new study published in the journal&nbsp;Nature Geoscience.

The volcanoes are located on a plateau at the equator of the planet. The Tharsis volcanoes, which are a series of 12 large peaks, are the tallest volcanoes present in our solar system, as per the study.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mysterious-hole-appears-on-surface-of-mars-whats-hiding-in-there-aliens-727237">Mysterious hole appears on surface of Mars. What's hiding in there? Aliens?</a>

The study further emphasised that the water frost was discovered on the volcanoes Olympus, Arsia Ascraeus Mons, and Ceraunius Tholus.

In a press release, researchers from Brown University said, "The researchers calculate the frost constitutes at least 150,000 tonnes of water that swap between the surface and atmosphere each day during the cold seasons. That's the equivalent of roughly 60 Olympic-size swimming pools."

<h2>European Space Agency's missions capture water frost</h2>

The European Space Agency's Mars Express and ExoMars missions clicked 30,000 images of the water frost while orbiting the planet and a team of international researchers then analysed the planet, as per the study.

The thin layer of frost found was approximately "one-hundredth of a millimetre thick or about the width of a human hair," as per the study. The study added that they are formed during sunrise and eventually evaporate amid daylight hours.

In a press release, lead author of study and postdoctoral fellow at Brown University Adomas Valantinas said, "We thought it was impossible for frost to form around Mars' equator, as the mix of sunshine and thin atmosphere keeps temperatures during the day relatively high at both the surface and mountaintop — unlike what we see on Earth, where you might expect to see frosty peaks."

Speaking about the frost discovery to AFP, Paris-Saclay University's &nbsp;Frederic Schmidt said, "We saw a shiny, blue deposit there, a particular texture that we only see in the early morning and during the cold seasons."

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas: Is China practicing placing payload in space?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-china-practicing-placing-payload-in-space-730610/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"What we're seeing may be a remnant of an ancient climate cycle on modern Mars, where you had precipitation and maybe even snowfall on these volcanoes in the past," he added,

As per the study, the water frost is present on the calderas of the volcanoes which are huge depressions present at the top of the summit that were formed after eruptions in the past.

Speaking about the presence of water on Martian Earth ESA scientist Colin Wilson said, “Finding water on the surface of Mars is always exciting, both for scientific interest and for its implications for human and robotic exploration."

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Scientists have been hunting for one sign of life on Mars and even the slightest presence of water can prove to be a breakthrough. In this hunt for alien life, scientists have now made a discovery by detecting the patches of water frost equal to "60 Olympic-size swimming pools" on the Martian volcanoes.

Scientists have been hunting for one sign of life on Mars and even the slightest presence of water can prove to be a breakthrough. In this hunt for alien life, scientists have now made a discovery by detecting the patches of water frost equal to "60 Olympic-size swimming pools" on the Martian volcanoes. The scientists spotted thin and widespread layers of water frost which were spotted atop three of Tharsis volcanoes in Mars, as per a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The volcanoes are located on a plateau at the equator of the planet. The Tharsis volcanoes, which are a series of 12 large peaks, are the tallest volcanoes present in our solar system, as per the study. Also Read: Mysterious hole appears on surface of Mars. What's hiding in there? Aliens? The study further emphasised that the water frost was discovered on the volcanoes Olympus, Arsia Ascraeus Mons, and Ceraunius Tholus. In a press release, researchers from Brown University said, "The researchers calculate the frost constitutes at least 150,000 tonnes of water that swap between the surface and atmosphere each day during the cold seasons. That's the equivalent of roughly 60 Olympic-size swimming pools." European Space Agency's missions capture water frost The European Space Agency's Mars Express and ExoMars missions clicked 30,000 images of the water frost while orbiting the planet and a team of international researchers then analysed the planet, as per the study. The thin layer of frost found was approximately "one-hundredth of a millimetre thick or about the width of a human hair," as per the study. The study added that they are formed during sunrise and eventually evaporate amid daylight hours. In a press release, lead author of study and postdoctoral fellow at Brown University Adomas Valantinas said, "We thought it was impossible for frost to form around Mars' equator, as the mix of sunshine and thin atmosphere keeps temperatures during the day relatively high at both the surface and mountaintop — unlike what we see on Earth, where you might expect to see frosty peaks." Speaking about the frost discovery to AFP, Paris-Saclay University's Frederic Schmidt said, "We saw a shiny, blue deposit there, a particular texture that we only see in the early morning and during the cold seasons." Watch: Gravitas: Is China practicing placing payload in space? "What we're seeing may be a remnant of an ancient climate cycle on modern Mars, where you had precipitation and maybe even snowfall on these volcanoes in the past," he added, As per the study, the water frost is present on the calderas of the volcanoes which are huge depressions present at the top of the summit that were formed after eruptions in the past. Speaking about the presence of water on Martian Earth ESA scientist Colin Wilson said, “Finding water on the surface of Mars is always exciting, both for scientific interest and for its implications for human and robotic exploration." (With inputs from agencies)

Water on Mars! Early morning frost spotted on volcanoes in breakthrough discovery

Beta Pictoris, the second brightest star in the constellation Pictor has been an object of observation for astronomers for years. The star, which is 63 light-years away from us, first came under the radar of astronomers some 20 years ago when they saw a significant amount of dust around it, shining in infrared. The observation was carried out with the help of Spitzer space telescope.

Now, using the much advanced version of Sptizer (which was deactivated in 2020), NASA took to James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to look for the same dust around Beta Pictoris. To their surprise, this infrared shinning dust around the star was gone!

The researchers believe it happened because the dust was pushed away by the radiation of the young star, Beta Pictoris. The Beta Pictoris system is very young, only 20 to 26 million years old.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/auroras-over-mars-nasa-observes-mars-flare-up-during-epic-solar-storm-730754">Auroras over Mars? NASA observes Mars flare up during epic solar storm</a>

This push resulted in the cooling off of the dust, which eventually became untraceable. And if dust can be just swept away like this, it means it is not a standard or constant feature of the star and something might have caused it. Astronomers believe this “something” is actually an asteroid collision.

The collision is likely the results of planetesimals colliding on their way to form planets, that might one day be like Earth, or Mars, or Venus.
<img alt="Beta Pictoris Star System" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="87ba96ba-0ab3-4cf5-8b2f-84fa920aeaf5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GPxdo4vXIAEuC_F.jpg" />
“Beta Pictoris is at an age when planet formation in the terrestrial planet zone is still ongoing through giant asteroid collisions, so what we could be seeing here is basically how rocky planets and other bodies are forming in real time,” lead author Christine Chen, a Johns Hopkins University astronomer, said in a statement.

As per the team, the collision released an enormous amount of dust, equivalent to about 100,000 times the asteroid that brought an end to the non-avian dinosaurs. Beta Pictoris has two gas giant planets that have already formed, but no known terrestrial planets yet.

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“The question we are trying to contextualise is whether this whole process of terrestrial and giant planet formation is common or rare, and the even more basic question: Are planetary systems like the solar system that rare?” said co-author Kadin Worthen, a doctoral student in astrophysics at Johns Hopkins.&nbsp;

With JWST, the team was able to see the infrared universe to discover such an incredible insight into astronomy.&nbsp;

“Most discoveries by JWST come from things the telescope has detected directly,” said co-author Cicero Lu, a former Johns Hopkins doctoral student in astrophysics.&nbsp;

“In this case, the story is a little different because our results come from what JWST did not see.”

The research was presented by Chen at the 244th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Madison, Wisconsin.

(With inputs from agencies)

Beta Pictoris, the second brightest star in the constellation Pictor has been an object of observation for astronomers for years. The star, which is 63 light-years away from us, first came under the radar of astronomers some 20 years ago when they saw a significant amount of dust around it, shining in infrared.

Beta Pictoris, the second brightest star in the constellation Pictor has been an object of observation for astronomers for years. The star, which is 63 light-years away from us, first came under the radar of astronomers some 20 years ago when they saw a significant amount of dust around it, shining in infrared. The observation was carried out with the help of Spitzer space telescope. Now, using the much advanced version of Sptizer (which was deactivated in 2020), NASA took to James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to look for the same dust around Beta Pictoris. To their surprise, this infrared shinning dust around the star was gone! The researchers believe it happened because the dust was pushed away by the radiation of the young star, Beta Pictoris. The Beta Pictoris system is very young, only 20 to 26 million years old. Also Read | Auroras over Mars? NASA observes Mars flare up during epic solar storm This push resulted in the cooling off of the dust, which eventually became untraceable. And if dust can be just swept away like this, it means it is not a standard or constant feature of the star and something might have caused it. Astronomers believe this “something” is actually an asteroid collision. The collision is likely the results of planetesimals colliding on their way to form planets, that might one day be like Earth, or Mars, or Venus. “Beta Pictoris is at an age when planet formation in the terrestrial planet zone is still ongoing through giant asteroid collisions, so what we could be seeing here is basically how rocky planets and other bodies are forming in real time,” lead author Christine Chen, a Johns Hopkins University astronomer, said in a statement. As per the team, the collision released an enormous amount of dust, equivalent to about 100,000 times the asteroid that brought an end to the non-avian dinosaurs. Beta Pictoris has two gas giant planets that have already formed, but no known terrestrial planets yet. Also Read | Did birds evolve from dinosaurs? Fossils of largest feathered dinosaur hint at ancestry “The question we are trying to contextualise is whether this whole process of terrestrial and giant planet formation is common or rare, and the even more basic question: Are planetary systems like the solar system that rare?” said co-author Kadin Worthen, a doctoral student in astrophysics at Johns Hopkins. With JWST, the team was able to see the infrared universe to discover such an incredible insight into astronomy. “Most discoveries by JWST come from things the telescope has detected directly,” said co-author Cicero Lu, a former Johns Hopkins doctoral student in astrophysics. “In this case, the story is a little different because our results come from what JWST did not see.” The research was presented by Chen at the 244th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Madison, Wisconsin. (With inputs from agencies)

Lost in space? NASA's Webb Telescope reveals the disappearance of dust around Beta Pictoris star

Researchers are suggesting that exposure to interstellar clouds may have triggered multiple ice ages on Earth, changed the chemistry of the atmosphere on the planet and eventually led to the emergence of humankind.

Astrophysicists from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins and Boston University suggested that nearly two million years ago, the solar system clashed with a large and dense interstellar cloud because of which Earth was exposed to radiation which altered the planet's climate.&nbsp;

In a statement, astronomy professor at Boston University and fellow at Harvard Radcliffe Institute Merav Opher said, "This paper is the first to quantitatively show there was an encounter between the sun and something outside of the&nbsp;Solar System&nbsp;that would have affected Earth's climate."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-develops-breakthrough-technology-to-hunt-for-habitable-water-worlds-730501">NASA develops breakthrough technology to hunt for habitable ‘water worlds’</a>

“Stars move, and now this paper is showing not only that they move, but they encounter drastic changes," he added.

Meanwhile, in an email to Gizmodo, lead author of the study Opher said that the team is “still trying to quantify it with modern climate models” but due to an increase of hydrogen and dust “Earth would have entered&nbsp;an Ice Age.”&nbsp;

<h2>Earth pushed outside heliosphere due to interstellar cloud</h2>

A bubble, known as heliosphere, covers the entire solar system and protects planets from radiation as well as other damaging cosmic rays which can affect our DNA.

The shield is filled with charged particles which are emitted from the sun and are known as the solar wind.

The scientists suggested that an interstellar cloud is likely to have shrunk the heliosphere so much that Earth was left outside of it and it was exposed to the radiation of the galaxy as well as particles which may have cooled the climate.

When Earth was without the protection of the heliosphere, it was then exposed to the interstellar medium. This means the atmosphere of our planet was likely affected by the combination of gas, dust as well as the atomic elements left behind by exploding stars, which included iron and plutonium.

Watch:&nbsp;UK: Scientists concerned about the state of water

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“Only rarely does our cosmic neighbourhood beyond the solar system affect life on Earth,” said paper coauthor and the director of Harvard University’s Institute for Theory and Computation, Avi Loeb. “It is exciting to discover that our passage through dense clouds a few million years ago could have exposed the Earth to a much larger flux of cosmic rays and hydrogen atoms. Our results open a new window into the relationship between the evolution of life on Earth and our cosmic neighbourhood.”

According to the researchers, Earth was outside the heliosphere nearly 10,000 years.&nbsp;

"This cloud was indeed in our past, and if we crossed something that massive, we were exposed to the interstellar medium," said Opher.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Researchers are suggesting that exposure to interstellar clouds may have triggered multiple ice ages on Earth, changed the chemistry of the atmosphere on the planet and eventually led to the emergence of humankind.

Researchers are suggesting that exposure to interstellar clouds may have triggered multiple ice ages on Earth, changed the chemistry of the atmosphere on the planet and eventually led to the emergence of humankind. Astrophysicists from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins and Boston University suggested that nearly two million years ago, the solar system clashed with a large and dense interstellar cloud because of which Earth was exposed to radiation which altered the planet's climate. In a statement, astronomy professor at Boston University and fellow at Harvard Radcliffe Institute Merav Opher said, "This paper is the first to quantitatively show there was an encounter between the sun and something outside of the Solar System that would have affected Earth's climate." Also Read: NASA develops breakthrough technology to hunt for habitable ‘water worlds’ “Stars move, and now this paper is showing not only that they move, but they encounter drastic changes," he added. Meanwhile, in an email to Gizmodo, lead author of the study Opher said that the team is “still trying to quantify it with modern climate models” but due to an increase of hydrogen and dust “Earth would have entered an Ice Age.” Earth pushed outside heliosphere due to interstellar cloud A bubble, known as heliosphere, covers the entire solar system and protects planets from radiation as well as other damaging cosmic rays which can affect our DNA. The shield is filled with charged particles which are emitted from the sun and are known as the solar wind. The scientists suggested that an interstellar cloud is likely to have shrunk the heliosphere so much that Earth was left outside of it and it was exposed to the radiation of the galaxy as well as particles which may have cooled the climate. When Earth was without the protection of the heliosphere, it was then exposed to the interstellar medium. This means the atmosphere of our planet was likely affected by the combination of gas, dust as well as the atomic elements left behind by exploding stars, which included iron and plutonium. Watch: UK: Scientists concerned about the state of water “Only rarely does our cosmic neighbourhood beyond the solar system affect life on Earth,” said paper coauthor and the director of Harvard University’s Institute for Theory and Computation, Avi Loeb. “It is exciting to discover that our passage through dense clouds a few million years ago could have exposed the Earth to a much larger flux of cosmic rays and hydrogen atoms. Our results open a new window into the relationship between the evolution of life on Earth and our cosmic neighbourhood.” According to the researchers, Earth was outside the heliosphere nearly 10,000 years. "This cloud was indeed in our past, and if we crossed something that massive, we were exposed to the interstellar medium," said Opher. (With inputs from agencies)

Earth's collision with interstellar space clouds triggered Ice Age and existence of humans: Study

A new study has challenged the 2018 discovery of reflections beneath Mars' south polar ice cap, initially thought to be an evidence of a subsurface lake. This revelation, once considered a potential hotspot for extraterrestrial life, now appears less likely given the new analysis.

<h2>Water under Mars surface</h2>

The initial excitement stemmed from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS), which detected reflections from 1.5 kilometres underground, spanning an area of 20 kilometres. These signals suggested a buried lake of liquid water, potentially a few centimetres deep.

Subglacial lakes on Earth and the presence of barrier-like ice and dust on Mars fuelled speculation that such a lake could exist without evaporating.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cryptoterrestrials-living-among-us-harvard-researchers-suggest-ancient-races-are-hiding-in-volcanoes-730464">'Cryptoterrestrials' living among us? Harvard researchers suggest ancient races are hiding in volcanoes</a>

However, recent research led by Dr Daniel Lalich from Cornell University suggests that these reflections could be produced by layers of dusty ice with small variations in composition and spacing. These layers could cause radar waves to constructively interfere, mimicking the signal expected from a subsurface lake. This study has been published in Science Advances.

"I can't say it's impossible that there's liquid water down there, but we're showing that there are much simpler ways to get the same observation without having to stretch that far, using mechanisms and materials that we already know exist there," said Dr Lalich in a statement.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/meet-koleken-inakayali-scientists-discover-dinosaur-with-puny-arms-that-rival-tyrannosaurus-rex-730491">Meet Koleken inakayali: Scientists discover dinosaur with puny arms that rival Tyrannosaurus Rex</a>

"Just through random chance you can create the same observed signal in the radar."

Previously too, experts have raised questions on the presence of water on Mars. The red planets' extreme cold, especially at the poles, casts further doubt on the presence of liquid water, even with high salinity. Previous theories about carbon dioxide ice or clay also failed to match the MARSIS data.

A new study has challenged the 2018 discovery of reflections beneath Mars' south polar ice cap, initially thought to be an evidence of a subsurface lake. This revelation, once considered a potential hotspot for extraterrestrial life, now appears less likely given the new analysis.

A new study has challenged the 2018 discovery of reflections beneath Mars' south polar ice cap, initially thought to be an evidence of a subsurface lake. This revelation, once considered a potential hotspot for extraterrestrial life, now appears less likely given the new analysis. Water under Mars surface The initial excitement stemmed from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS), which detected reflections from 1.5 kilometres underground, spanning an area of 20 kilometres. These signals suggested a buried lake of liquid water, potentially a few centimetres deep. Subglacial lakes on Earth and the presence of barrier-like ice and dust on Mars fuelled speculation that such a lake could exist without evaporating. Also read | 'Cryptoterrestrials' living among us? Harvard researchers suggest ancient races are hiding in volcanoes However, recent research led by Dr Daniel Lalich from Cornell University suggests that these reflections could be produced by layers of dusty ice with small variations in composition and spacing. These layers could cause radar waves to constructively interfere, mimicking the signal expected from a subsurface lake. This study has been published in Science Advances. "I can't say it's impossible that there's liquid water down there, but we're showing that there are much simpler ways to get the same observation without having to stretch that far, using mechanisms and materials that we already know exist there," said Dr Lalich in a statement. Also read | Meet Koleken inakayali: Scientists discover dinosaur with puny arms that rival Tyrannosaurus Rex "Just through random chance you can create the same observed signal in the radar." Previously too, experts have raised questions on the presence of water on Mars. The red planets' extreme cold, especially at the poles, casts further doubt on the presence of liquid water, even with high salinity. Previous theories about carbon dioxide ice or clay also failed to match the MARSIS data.

Mars lake discovery debunked? New study challenges evidence of subsurface water

An FDA advisory panel on Monday unanimously agreed that Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, has potential benefits for early-stage patients that outweigh the risks. They also confirmed positive effects from trial data on slowing the disease's progression.

The vote clears the way for a final FDA decision on the treatment, which initially had been expected earlier this year before the agency called for the meeting so its independent panel of experts could weigh in.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/iit-indore-study-reveals-early-diagnosis-of-alzheimers-possible-with-advanced-ai-techniques-717956">IIT Indore study reveals early diagnosis of Alzheimer's possible with advanced AI techniques</a>

"We really are pleased that the advisory committee recognized donanemab's strong positive benefit risk," Dawn Brooks, Lilly's development leader for donanemab, said in an interview after the vote.

Now with the panel's unanimous support, the company looks forward to the FDA finishing its review, she said.

The agency is not obligated to follow the recommendations of its outside advisers, but typically does so.

In its discussion, the FDA had asked the panel to consider some unique aspects of Lilly's trial, which differed significantly from the trial design of Eisai and Biogen Leqembi, which won U.S. approval after going through a similar advisory committee meeting.

Both drugs are designed to remove toxic beta amyloid plaques from the brains of people with early Alzheimer's disease.

The antibody treatments, which succeeded in slowing disease progression in clinical trials, follow three decades of failed attempts to find drugs to fight the fatal mind-wasting disease.

A key difference in trial design for the two treatments is that Lilly measured levels of a second Alzheimer's-related protein called tau associated with brain cell death to select patients most likely to show a benefit within the study's 76-week trial period.

As a result, Lilly excluded patients with very low or no levels of tau from the pivotal trial, but they did a separate analysis in this group from another fairly large study to see if the drug resulted in underlying changes.

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Several panelists noted that that data was likely suggestive of a treatment benefit.

Panelists also largely agreed that testing for tau should not be required before treatment, noting that such testing was not widely available and could reduce access to rural or underserved populations.

Several panel members noted there were elevated safety issues for people who have two copies of the APOE4 gene that is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's. They suggested that doctors prescribing the drug need to be educated on the heightened risk and discuss that with patients.

In Lilly's large clinical trial, donanemab, given by infusion once a month, slowed progression of memory and thinking problems by 29% overall, roughly comparable to the 27% slowing seen with Leqembi.

Brain swelling and bleeding - a known risk for this class of drugs - occurred in 24% and 31%, respectively for those taking donanemab and three patients died.

In Eisai and Biogen's late-stage study, 12.6% of participants taking Leqembi experienced brain swelling and 17.3% brain bleeding.

Leqembi was approved with the agency's strongest "boxed" warning about the risk of potentially dangerous brain swelling and bleeding that applies to all drugs in the class.

Several panel members commended Lilly's innovative trial design, which allowed participants to stop treatment as soon as brain imaging showed the amyloid plaque was cleared, but they said it could make the treatment harder for doctors to know when to withdraw treatment, and when to restart it if needed.

Lilly said it is planning trials to test the treatment in patients genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer's, including people with Down syndrome.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-jsarwt="1" data-usg="AOvVaw3sYRGPMHjSWZUO5fJrPyYV" data-ved="2ahUKEwjQwKWI44yEAxUlUWwGHQ7eDHEQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-reveal-11-dementia-risk-factors-that-could-determine-who-all-are-at-risk-629154" jsname="YKoRaf">Scientists reveal 11 dementia risk factors that could determine who all are at risk</a>

Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said in a note to clients that the vote "sets up an eventual FDA approval," adding that having two players on the market would be a good thing longer-term.

Shares of the Indianapolis drugmaker closed up 1.8% at $865.

An FDA advisory panel on Monday unanimously agreed that Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, has potential benefits for early-stage patients that outweigh the risks.

An FDA advisory panel on Monday unanimously agreed that Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, has potential benefits for early-stage patients that outweigh the risks. They also confirmed positive effects from trial data on slowing the disease's progression. The vote clears the way for a final FDA decision on the treatment, which initially had been expected earlier this year before the agency called for the meeting so its independent panel of experts could weigh in. Also read: IIT Indore study reveals early diagnosis of Alzheimer's possible with advanced AI techniques "We really are pleased that the advisory committee recognized donanemab's strong positive benefit risk," Dawn Brooks, Lilly's development leader for donanemab, said in an interview after the vote. Now with the panel's unanimous support, the company looks forward to the FDA finishing its review, she said. The agency is not obligated to follow the recommendations of its outside advisers, but typically does so. In its discussion, the FDA had asked the panel to consider some unique aspects of Lilly's trial, which differed significantly from the trial design of Eisai and Biogen Leqembi, which won U.S. approval after going through a similar advisory committee meeting. Both drugs are designed to remove toxic beta amyloid plaques from the brains of people with early Alzheimer's disease. The antibody treatments, which succeeded in slowing disease progression in clinical trials, follow three decades of failed attempts to find drugs to fight the fatal mind-wasting disease. A key difference in trial design for the two treatments is that Lilly measured levels of a second Alzheimer's-related protein called tau associated with brain cell death to select patients most likely to show a benefit within the study's 76-week trial period. As a result, Lilly excluded patients with very low or no levels of tau from the pivotal trial, but they did a separate analysis in this group from another fairly large study to see if the drug resulted in underlying changes. Also read | Strong link found between Alzheimer's disease and intake of processed food: Study Several panelists noted that that data was likely suggestive of a treatment benefit. Panelists also largely agreed that testing for tau should not be required before treatment, noting that such testing was not widely available and could reduce access to rural or underserved populations. Several panel members noted there were elevated safety issues for people who have two copies of the APOE4 gene that is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's. They suggested that doctors prescribing the drug need to be educated on the heightened risk and discuss that with patients. In Lilly's large clinical trial, donanemab, given by infusion once a month, slowed progression of memory and thinking problems by 29% overall, roughly comparable to the 27% slowing seen with Leqembi. Brain swelling and bleeding - a known risk for this class of drugs - occurred in 24% and 31%, respectively for those taking donanemab and three patients died. In Eisai and Biogen's late-stage study, 12.6% of participants taking Leqembi experienced brain swelling and 17.3% brain bleeding. Leqembi was approved with the agency's strongest "boxed" warning about the risk of potentially dangerous brain swelling and bleeding that applies to all drugs in the class. Several panel members commended Lilly's innovative trial design, which allowed participants to stop treatment as soon as brain imaging showed the amyloid plaque was cleared, but they said it could make the treatment harder for doctors to know when to withdraw treatment, and when to restart it if needed. Lilly said it is planning trials to test the treatment in patients genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer's, including people with Down syndrome. Also read: Scientists reveal 11 dementia risk factors that could determine who all are at risk Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said in a note to clients that the vote "sets up an eventual FDA approval," adding that having two players on the market would be a good thing longer-term. Shares of the Indianapolis drugmaker closed up 1.8% at $865.

Alzheimer's drug donanemab gets unanimous backing from FDA advisory panel

The dull and boring phone is the new cool among Gen Zs as they look to escape the ills of doomscrolling. A new, featureless flip phone literally named The Boring Phone caught the attention of young people who want to ditch their phones in favour of a dumbphone.

The phone was launched in April at Milan design week, in a collaboration between Heineken beer and the fashion retailer Bodega.

The Boring Phone is actually a part of new dumbphone boom, where Gen Z is looking to drift away from all the technological advancements that they are born around with.

This sudden change of interest is based on the suspicion of the younger generation that tech products are reducing their attention span, causing stress among the lot.

This suspicion has fuelled reinventions of retro cultural artefacts- a trend known as Newtro. During Newtro, people saw revival (mostly based on nostalgia) of vinyl records, cassettes, 8-bit video games and old-fashioned phones.

<h2>Bring back flip phones: Gen Zs call to shift from smartphones to dumbphones&nbsp;</h2>

It was the absolute nostalgia for the Nokia 3310, the “brick” phone that led to its relaunch in 2017. But the boom really began in the US last year and was, ironically, fuelled by TikTokers posting under the #bringbackflipphones hashtag.&nbsp;

HMD, which was behind the Nokia relaunch, saw its flip phone sales double by April 2023, while Punkt, which prefers to call them feature phones or minimalist phones, has also seen substantial sales increases.

But what about the pioneers in smartphones, like Apple and Samsung?

Well, as per Mintel, Apple and Samsung are not under threat as of yet. Nine out of 10 phones are smartphones and dumbphones remain niche, said Joe Birch, a technology analyst at the research firm.&nbsp;

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“However, there is evidence of this generation modifying their smartphone behaviour, with concerns around the negative impacts of being constantly digitally connected driving this,” Birch added.&nbsp;

“Three in five gen-Zers say they’d like to be less connected to the digital world, for instance.”

You may be surprised to know that this move to digital minimalism among Gen Zs has long been a silent trend. They are the only generation whose time on social media has fallen since 2021, according to GWI, another research company.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-first-ai-software-engineer-devin-writes-codes-and-creates-with-a-single-prompt-699751">World’s first AI software engineer Devin can write code with a single prompt</a>

Another reason of going off the internet is concern about privacy, as per the technology analyst Portulans Institute. Gen Zs are more wary of using social media as they are more aware of privacy breach on these platforms by tech giants or governments.

In this sudden change of heart among Gen Zs, the older technologies can create a room for themselves that might lead to their revival. However, going completely offline in today's world is quite difficult as all essential services like education, healthcare, finance etc. are just a click away.

(With inputs from agencies)

The dull and boring phone is the new cool among Gen Zs as they look to escape the ills of doomscrolling. A new, featureless flip phone literally named The Boring Phone caught the attention of young people who want to ditch their phones in favour of a dumbphone.

The dull and boring phone is the new cool among Gen Zs as they look to escape the ills of doomscrolling. A new, featureless flip phone literally named The Boring Phone caught the attention of young people who want to ditch their phones in favour of a dumbphone. The phone was launched in April at Milan design week, in a collaboration between Heineken beer and the fashion retailer Bodega. The Boring Phone is actually a part of new dumbphone boom, where Gen Z is looking to drift away from all the technological advancements that they are born around with. This sudden change of interest is based on the suspicion of the younger generation that tech products are reducing their attention span, causing stress among the lot. This suspicion has fuelled reinventions of retro cultural artefacts- a trend known as Newtro. During Newtro, people saw revival (mostly based on nostalgia) of vinyl records, cassettes, 8-bit video games and old-fashioned phones. Bring back flip phones: Gen Zs call to shift from smartphones to dumbphones It was the absolute nostalgia for the Nokia 3310, the “brick” phone that led to its relaunch in 2017. But the boom really began in the US last year and was, ironically, fuelled by TikTokers posting under the #bringbackflipphones hashtag. HMD, which was behind the Nokia relaunch, saw its flip phone sales double by April 2023, while Punkt, which prefers to call them feature phones or minimalist phones, has also seen substantial sales increases. But what about the pioneers in smartphones, like Apple and Samsung? Well, as per Mintel, Apple and Samsung are not under threat as of yet. Nine out of 10 phones are smartphones and dumbphones remain niche, said Joe Birch, a technology analyst at the research firm. Also Read | Elon Musk’s xAI raises $6 billion; OpenAI develops new flagship AI model “However, there is evidence of this generation modifying their smartphone behaviour, with concerns around the negative impacts of being constantly digitally connected driving this,” Birch added. “Three in five gen-Zers say they’d like to be less connected to the digital world, for instance.” You may be surprised to know that this move to digital minimalism among Gen Zs has long been a silent trend. They are the only generation whose time on social media has fallen since 2021, according to GWI, another research company. Also Read | World’s first AI software engineer Devin can write code with a single prompt Another reason of going off the internet is concern about privacy, as per the technology analyst Portulans Institute. Gen Zs are more wary of using social media as they are more aware of privacy breach on these platforms by tech giants or governments. In this sudden change of heart among Gen Zs, the older technologies can create a room for themselves that might lead to their revival. However, going completely offline in today's world is quite difficult as all essential services like education, healthcare, finance etc. are just a click away. (With inputs from agencies)

Gen Z is ditching smartphones for 'dumbphones' with minimal features to curb doomscrolling

In a stunning discovery, a team of scientists has found that tiny primordial black holes were formed in the first few seconds after the Big Bang.&nbsp;

These black holes were smaller in size and "supercharged" and had the mass of a rhino which rapidly evaporated.&nbsp;

According to the researchers, these tiny "rhino"&nbsp;black holes represented an entirely new state of matter and were packed with "colour charge" to the brim.

This is a fundamental particle's property known as quarks and gluons which is related to their strong force interactions with each other and this is not related to "colour" in the everyday sense.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-rare-black-hole-is-lurking-6000-light-years-away-in-earths-cosmic-backyard-730507">A rare black hole is lurking 6,000 light-years away in Earth's cosmic backyard</a>

Such supercharged black holes are likely to have been born with primordial black holes&nbsp;when there was a collapse of microscopic regions of ultradense matter in the first quintillionth of a second after the Big Bang.&nbsp;

Although these newly theorized black holes are said to have evaporated in a fraction of a second after they were created, they may have affected key cosmological transition, which is the first atomic nuclei's forging.

<h2>How did 'super-charged' black holes affect the universe?</h2>

According to the research, the team believes that super-colour-charged black holes are likely to have impacted the balance of&nbsp;fusing nuclei&nbsp;which took place in the infant universe.&nbsp;

“Even though these short-lived, exotic creatures are not around today, they could have affected cosmic history in ways that could show up in subtle signals today," said study co-author David Kaiser, a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),&nbsp;in a statement.&nbsp;

"Within the idea that all&nbsp;dark matter&nbsp;could be accounted for by black holes, this gives us new things to look for," he stated while speaking about the mysterious substance which makes up nearly 85 per cent of the material universe.

Watch:&nbsp;Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/scientists-unveil-black-holes-plunge-bizarre-region-around-black-holes-found-722629/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

These black holes are present at the heart of galaxies and dominate the surroundings. They are created by a chain of&nbsp;mergers of larger pairs of black holes.&nbsp;

The stellar-mass black holes, which have masses tens or hundreds of times that of the sun, are most common in the universe.

"People have studied what the distribution of black hole masses would be during this early-universe production but never tied it to what kinds of stuff would have fallen into those black holes at the time when they were forming," stated Kaiser.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a stunning discovery, a team of scientists has found that tiny primordial black holes were formed in the first few seconds after the Big Bang. These black holes were smaller in size and "supercharged" and had the mass of a rhino which rapidly evaporated.

In a stunning discovery, a team of scientists has found that tiny primordial black holes were formed in the first few seconds after the Big Bang. These black holes were smaller in size and "supercharged" and had the mass of a rhino which rapidly evaporated. According to the researchers, these tiny "rhino" black holes represented an entirely new state of matter and were packed with "colour charge" to the brim. This is a fundamental particle's property known as quarks and gluons which is related to their strong force interactions with each other and this is not related to "colour" in the everyday sense. Also Read: A rare black hole is lurking 6,000 light-years away in Earth's cosmic backyard Such supercharged black holes are likely to have been born with primordial black holes when there was a collapse of microscopic regions of ultradense matter in the first quintillionth of a second after the Big Bang. Although these newly theorized black holes are said to have evaporated in a fraction of a second after they were created, they may have affected key cosmological transition, which is the first atomic nuclei's forging. How did 'super-charged' black holes affect the universe? According to the research, the team believes that super-colour-charged black holes are likely to have impacted the balance of fusing nuclei which took place in the infant universe. “Even though these short-lived, exotic creatures are not around today, they could have affected cosmic history in ways that could show up in subtle signals today," said study co-author David Kaiser, a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in a statement. "Within the idea that all dark matter could be accounted for by black holes, this gives us new things to look for," he stated while speaking about the mysterious substance which makes up nearly 85 per cent of the material universe. Watch: Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found These black holes are present at the heart of galaxies and dominate the surroundings. They are created by a chain of mergers of larger pairs of black holes. The stellar-mass black holes, which have masses tens or hundreds of times that of the sun, are most common in the universe. "People have studied what the distribution of black hole masses would be during this early-universe production but never tied it to what kinds of stuff would have fallen into those black holes at the time when they were forming," stated Kaiser. (With inputs from agencies)

'Supercharged' black holes birthed and died in a split second after Big Bang

It has long been debated that birds were once dinosaurs with feathers, or, in other words, birds evolved from their giant ancestors- the feathered dinosaurs.&nbsp;

In a recent fossil study, palaeontologists termed&nbsp;Yutyrannus hauli as the largest feathered dinosaur. The fossil is around nine&nbsp;metres long and weighs close to 1,400 kilogrammes with partial or complete feathers (which is still up for debate). This might be the largest feathered dinosaurs, but the modern birds have closer resemblance to a theropod group called- Tyrannoraptors. This group includes everybody’s favourite bipedal predator, the Tyrannosaurs rex. or T. rex.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-rare-black-hole-is-lurking-6000-light-years-away-in-earths-cosmic-backyard-730507">A rare black hole is lurking 6,000 light-years away in Earth's cosmic backyard</a>

The T. rex fossils are believed to have had patches of skin with few feathers on them, much like with a scaly reptile-like skin that is more commonly associated with softer bird-like&nbsp; feathers.

But recent evidence show that Yutyrannus hali is the biggest dinosaur discovered till date with feather. Yutyrannus hali,&nbsp;literally meaning “beautiful feathered tyrant”, was discovered in 2012 after a fossil was purchased from a dealer.&nbsp;

<h2>The “beautiful feathered tyrant” was big and fuzzy and lived 125 million years ago</h2>

Whether Yutyrannus huali was partially or completely feathered is contentious, but we do know that it had proto feathers that differ from modern feathers.&nbsp;

Proto feathers have long filaments (around 20 centimeters, according to the Australian Museum) that lacked the barbs, barbules, and hooks we see in modern feathers, but are thought to have formed a shaggy coat that would’ve enabled Yutyrannus to keep warm in cold climates.

When it comes to comparing proto and modern feathers of Yutyrannus and T. rex, researchers believe that Yutyrannus lived around 125 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period, and by the time T. rex arrived, the feathers saw an evolution. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/gen-zs-are-ditching-smartphones-for-dumbphones-with-minimal-features-to-curb-doomscrolling-730539">Gen Zs are ditching smartphones for 'dumbphones' with minimal features to curb doomscrolling</a>

It is estimated that baby T. rex would’ve been the size of a terrier, and it too may have sported a coat of fuzzy proto feathers. Then, as it reached its teenage growth spurt years (when they triple in size in less time), the feathers may have reduced to small patches that could've been useful in mating rituals.

One reason to doubt whether adult T. rex were covered in feathers&nbsp;comes down to their physiology. As T. rex grew, its volume increased significantly more than its surface area (skin). In other words, metabolically speaking, it wouldn’t have made sense to be covered in feathers as it would’ve been too hot.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spacebug-found-lurking-in-iss-heres-how-it-is-threatening-sunita-williams-crew-730692">'Spacebug' found lurking in ISS. Here's how it is threatening Sunita Williams, crew</a>

T. rex’s issue wasn’t getting cold but quite the opposite. When it was a baby and it had high surface area to body volume ratio that would have benefited from the warmth of feathery jacket. That is likely why feathers evolved in the first place, as a form of thermoregulation for small animals with big surface areas that made it hard for them to retain the heat made by their bodies.&nbsp;

This approach likely didn’t suit the giant T.rex, however, and so the feathers were lost in some groups but retained by others, including the dinosaurs we share this planet with today.

(With inputs from agencies)

It has long been debated that birds were once dinosaurs with feathers, or, in other words, birds evolved from their giant ancestors- the feathered dinosaurs. In a recent fossil study, palaeontologists termed Yutyrannus hauli as the largest feathered dinosaur.

It has long been debated that birds were once dinosaurs with feathers, or, in other words, birds evolved from their giant ancestors- the feathered dinosaurs. In a recent fossil study, palaeontologists termed Yutyrannus hauli as the largest feathered dinosaur. The fossil is around nine metres long and weighs close to 1,400 kilogrammes with partial or complete feathers (which is still up for debate). This might be the largest feathered dinosaurs, but the modern birds have closer resemblance to a theropod group called- Tyrannoraptors. This group includes everybody’s favourite bipedal predator, the Tyrannosaurs rex. or T. rex. Also Read | A rare black hole is lurking 6,000 light-years away in Earth's cosmic backyard The T. rex fossils are believed to have had patches of skin with few feathers on them, much like with a scaly reptile-like skin that is more commonly associated with softer bird-like feathers. But recent evidence show that Yutyrannus hali is the biggest dinosaur discovered till date with feather. Yutyrannus hali, literally meaning “beautiful feathered tyrant”, was discovered in 2012 after a fossil was purchased from a dealer. The “beautiful feathered tyrant” was big and fuzzy and lived 125 million years ago Whether Yutyrannus huali was partially or completely feathered is contentious, but we do know that it had proto feathers that differ from modern feathers. Proto feathers have long filaments (around 20 centimeters, according to the Australian Museum) that lacked the barbs, barbules, and hooks we see in modern feathers, but are thought to have formed a shaggy coat that would’ve enabled Yutyrannus to keep warm in cold climates. When it comes to comparing proto and modern feathers of Yutyrannus and T. rex, researchers believe that Yutyrannus lived around 125 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period, and by the time T. rex arrived, the feathers saw an evolution. Also Read | Gen Zs are ditching smartphones for 'dumbphones' with minimal features to curb doomscrolling It is estimated that baby T. rex would’ve been the size of a terrier, and it too may have sported a coat of fuzzy proto feathers. Then, as it reached its teenage growth spurt years (when they triple in size in less time), the feathers may have reduced to small patches that could've been useful in mating rituals. One reason to doubt whether adult T. rex were covered in feathers comes down to their physiology. As T. rex grew, its volume increased significantly more than its surface area (skin). In other words, metabolically speaking, it wouldn’t have made sense to be covered in feathers as it would’ve been too hot. Also Read | 'Spacebug' found lurking in ISS. Here's how it is threatening Sunita Williams, crew T. rex’s issue wasn’t getting cold but quite the opposite. When it was a baby and it had high surface area to body volume ratio that would have benefited from the warmth of feathery jacket. That is likely why feathers evolved in the first place, as a form of thermoregulation for small animals with big surface areas that made it hard for them to retain the heat made by their bodies. This approach likely didn’t suit the giant T.rex, however, and so the feathers were lost in some groups but retained by others, including the dinosaurs we share this planet with today. (With inputs from agencies)

Did birds evolve from dinosaurs? Fossils of largest feathered dinosaur hint at ancestry

Giraffes are one of the world's tallest animals, thanks to their extraordinarily long necks. Previous theories suggested that the need for sex or domination over other males to secure a mating partner may have led to the evolution of the long neck but a new study has dismissed this conclusion. Biologists from Pennsylvania State University have revealed that the need for nutritional needs may have driven this evolution.

<h2>'Female giraffes have proportionally longer necks'</h2>

The researchers in their analysis found that female giraffes have proportionally longer necks than their male counterparts. It led them to believe that the need for foraging deep into trees was behind the evolution of longer necks.

Males had wider necks and longer forelegs whereas females had proportionately larger trunks and necks. Both, giraffes in captivity and those in the wild, exhibited the same trend.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwj0m_imh8-GAxVpsFYBHbuHHbYQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/unusual-slow-spinning-radio-signal-from-space-breaks-all-rules-astronomers-puzzled-729614" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/unusual-slow-spinning-radio-signal-from-space-breaks-all-rules-astronomers-puzzled-729614&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj0m_imh8-GAxVpsFYBHbuHHbYQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Scientists hunting for origin of radio signal from deep space that flashes for an hour</a>

“Rather than stretching out to eat leaves on the tallest branches, you often see giraffes – especially females – reaching deep into the trees,” said lead author Doug Cavener, a biologist at Penn State.

“Giraffes are picky eaters – they eat the leaves of only a few tree species, and longer necks allow them to reach deeper into the trees to get the leaves no one else can. Once females reach four or five years of age, they are almost always pregnant and lactating, so we think the increased nutritional demands of females drove the evolution of giraffes’ long necks,” he added.

<h2>Necks-for-sex theory</h2>

The "necks-for-sex" theory claimed that male competition—known as neck sparring—was the main reason why necks evolved to be longer. Neck sparring involves male giraffes swinging their necks and slamming into each other to exert dominance. Longer-necked males would have an advantage in these contests, which would encourage reproduction and the gene-passing of children.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwj0m_imh8-GAxVpsFYBHbuHHbYQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-giant-viruses-that-eat-ice-melting-algae-in-the-arctic-729116" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-giant-viruses-that-eat-ice-melting-algae-in-the-arctic-729116&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj0m_imh8-GAxVpsFYBHbuHHbYQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE">Scientists discover giant viruses that eat ice-melting algae in the Arctic</a>

“The necks-for-sex hypothesis predicted that males would have longer necks than females,” Cavener said. “And technically they do have longer necks, but everything about males is longer; they are 30 per cent to 40 per cent bigger than females.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Giraffes are one of the world's tallest animals, thanks to their extraordinarily long necks. Previous theories suggested that the need for sex or domination over other males to secure a mating partner may have led to the evolution of the long neck but a new study has dismissed this conclusion.

Giraffes are one of the world's tallest animals, thanks to their extraordinarily long necks. Previous theories suggested that the need for sex or domination over other males to secure a mating partner may have led to the evolution of the long neck but a new study has dismissed this conclusion. Biologists from Pennsylvania State University have revealed that the need for nutritional needs may have driven this evolution. 'Female giraffes have proportionally longer necks' The researchers in their analysis found that female giraffes have proportionally longer necks than their male counterparts. It led them to believe that the need for foraging deep into trees was behind the evolution of longer necks. Males had wider necks and longer forelegs whereas females had proportionately larger trunks and necks. Both, giraffes in captivity and those in the wild, exhibited the same trend. Also read: Scientists hunting for origin of radio signal from deep space that flashes for an hour “Rather than stretching out to eat leaves on the tallest branches, you often see giraffes – especially females – reaching deep into the trees,” said lead author Doug Cavener, a biologist at Penn State. “Giraffes are picky eaters – they eat the leaves of only a few tree species, and longer necks allow them to reach deeper into the trees to get the leaves no one else can. Once females reach four or five years of age, they are almost always pregnant and lactating, so we think the increased nutritional demands of females drove the evolution of giraffes’ long necks,” he added. Necks-for-sex theory The "necks-for-sex" theory claimed that male competition—known as neck sparring—was the main reason why necks evolved to be longer. Neck sparring involves male giraffes swinging their necks and slamming into each other to exert dominance. Longer-necked males would have an advantage in these contests, which would encourage reproduction and the gene-passing of children. Also read: Scientists discover giant viruses that eat ice-melting algae in the Arctic “The necks-for-sex hypothesis predicted that males would have longer necks than females,” Cavener said. “And technically they do have longer necks, but everything about males is longer; they are 30 per cent to 40 per cent bigger than females.” (With inputs from agencies)

Need for nutrition, not sex, led giraffes to evolve longer necks: Study

Earth’s uppermost surface could help us solve the mystery of a lifetime- the existence or nonexistence of dark matter- a theoretical yet one of the most-intriguing area of interest.&nbsp;

As per a new study, the Earth’s ionosphere interacted with hypothetical dark matter to release unique radio waves. In other words, the ultra light dark matter (which wasn’t dark at all) interacted with normal matter, mainly because of the presence of plasma in Earth’s ionosphere.&nbsp;

The study was published in arXiv. If astronomers and scientists are able to perfect this observation technique to search for these radio waves, it can open new avenues of study for the dark matter.

<h2>Earth’s upper atmosphere might have answers to mystery of dark matter</h2>

The study shows that most of the time, the dark matter interactions with the normal matter were barely registered, which produced nothing detectable at all. However, in rare cases, the dark matter and normal matter interacted enough to produce sizeable amount of radio waves.&nbsp;

The team’s model suggested this rare occurrence can happen again if the dark matter encounter a plasma, and when the frequency of dark matter waves are lined up with the frequency of plasma waves. A resonance will take place that will amplify the interaction of dark matter and normal matter, producing radiation in the form of radio waves.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/milky-way-collided-with-another-galaxy-shredded-and-devoured-it-years-ago-729957">Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago</a>

The universe is loaded with plasma, as all stars in the space spew plasma in the form of stellar wind. But in this new research, the scientists discovered an interaction point much closer to home- our planet's ionosphere.

Earth's ionosphere is thin, hot layer in the upper atmosphere, and it consists of a loose collection of ionized (charged) particles — also a plasma. It naturally has waves sloshing through it, and the researchers discovered that those waves can interact with waves of hypothetical dark matter that might be washing over Earth.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-awards-over-10mn-grants-to-explore-innovative-mars-sample-return-methods-729928">NASA awards over $10mn grants to explore innovative Mars sample return methods</a>

The radio waves produced by this interaction, however, would be barely detectable, but by using a carefully tuned radio antenna to search for a specific frequency of radio waves over the course of a year, researchers might be able to detect these waves.

The idea is revolutionary as Earth's ionosphere offers an edge over other sources of dark-matter produced radio waves. One is ofcourse ionosphere's easy access that is already a subject of constant monitoring and study. Second, the ionosphere naturally reflects many radio waves from deeper space, making it relatively devoid of contaminating signals.

(With inputs from agencies)

Earth’s uppermost surface could help us solve the mystery of a lifetime- the existence or nonexistence of dark matter- a theoretical yet one of the most-intriguing area of interest.

Earth’s uppermost surface could help us solve the mystery of a lifetime- the existence or nonexistence of dark matter- a theoretical yet one of the most-intriguing area of interest. As per a new study, the Earth’s ionosphere interacted with hypothetical dark matter to release unique radio waves. In other words, the ultra light dark matter (which wasn’t dark at all) interacted with normal matter, mainly because of the presence of plasma in Earth’s ionosphere. The study was published in arXiv. If astronomers and scientists are able to perfect this observation technique to search for these radio waves, it can open new avenues of study for the dark matter. Earth’s upper atmosphere might have answers to mystery of dark matter The study shows that most of the time, the dark matter interactions with the normal matter were barely registered, which produced nothing detectable at all. However, in rare cases, the dark matter and normal matter interacted enough to produce sizeable amount of radio waves. The team’s model suggested this rare occurrence can happen again if the dark matter encounter a plasma, and when the frequency of dark matter waves are lined up with the frequency of plasma waves. A resonance will take place that will amplify the interaction of dark matter and normal matter, producing radiation in the form of radio waves. Also Read | Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago The universe is loaded with plasma, as all stars in the space spew plasma in the form of stellar wind. But in this new research, the scientists discovered an interaction point much closer to home- our planet's ionosphere. Earth's ionosphere is thin, hot layer in the upper atmosphere, and it consists of a loose collection of ionized (charged) particles — also a plasma. It naturally has waves sloshing through it, and the researchers discovered that those waves can interact with waves of hypothetical dark matter that might be washing over Earth. Also Read | NASA awards over $10mn grants to explore innovative Mars sample return methods The radio waves produced by this interaction, however, would be barely detectable, but by using a carefully tuned radio antenna to search for a specific frequency of radio waves over the course of a year, researchers might be able to detect these waves. The idea is revolutionary as Earth's ionosphere offers an edge over other sources of dark-matter produced radio waves. One is ofcourse ionosphere's easy access that is already a subject of constant monitoring and study. Second, the ionosphere naturally reflects many radio waves from deeper space, making it relatively devoid of contaminating signals. (With inputs from agencies)

Dark matter might not remain a mystery for long as scientists come up with novel idea

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has been quite instrumental in helping astronomers understand how stars are being produced. Researchers say that Westerlund 1 is the closest "super" star cluster to Earth.

According to astronomers, most of the star formations take place in clusters. About 10 million years ago, the Milky Way produced stars in large numbers but this has reduced gradually.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/milky-way-collided-with-another-galaxy-shredded-and-devoured-it-years-ago-729957">Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago</a>

Although our galaxy contains very few super star clusters, the ones that do provide crucial information about the previous period when the majority of the stars in our galaxy evolved. With a mass of 50,000–100,000 Suns, Westerlund 1 is the largest of the Milky Way's surviving mega star clusters. With a distance of almost 13,000 light-years, it is also the nearest super star cluster to Earth.

EWOCS, The Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey is a project run by astronomers at the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics in Palermo. As a part of the project, they monitored Westerlund 1 for roughly a period of 12 days.

<h2>More about Westerlund 1</h2>

NASA's Chandra and Hubble space telescopes have provided crucial information about this super star cluster.

"The X-rays detected by Chandra show young stars (mostly represented as white and pink) as well as diffuse heated gas throughout the cluster (coloured pink, green, and blue, in order of increasing temperatures for the gas)," said NASA's official website.

Watch |&nbsp;Elon Musk lauds Indian-origin engineer Ashok Elluswamy as Tesla's autopilot pioneer

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musk-lauds-indian-origin-engineer-ashok-elluswamy-as-teslas-autopilot-pioneer-730370/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Westerlund 1 is one of the oldest star clusters to exist and is thus helpful for astronomers to understand the evolution of stars and study them in detail. The EWOCS project has been successful in capturing roughly 6,000 X-ray sources, including stars that have a lower mass than the sun as well.

One of the discoveries made by Chandra is that 1,075 stars are crammed into the core of Westerlund 1 at a distance of four light-years.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-for-first-time-spot-alien-type-creatures-living-in-darkest-depths-of-our-ocean-729947">Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean</a>

Since only a few super star clusters are left in the galaxy, they are an important source of information for astronomers to study how they came into existence. NASA's advanced technology like the Chandra helps with the same.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has been quite instrumental in helping astronomers understand how stars are being produced. Researchers say that Westerlund 1 is the closest "super" star cluster to Earth.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has been quite instrumental in helping astronomers understand how stars are being produced. Researchers say that Westerlund 1 is the closest "super" star cluster to Earth. According to astronomers, most of the star formations take place in clusters. About 10 million years ago, the Milky Way produced stars in large numbers but this has reduced gradually. Also read | Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago Although our galaxy contains very few super star clusters, the ones that do provide crucial information about the previous period when the majority of the stars in our galaxy evolved. With a mass of 50,000–100,000 Suns, Westerlund 1 is the largest of the Milky Way's surviving mega star clusters. With a distance of almost 13,000 light-years, it is also the nearest super star cluster to Earth. EWOCS, The Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey is a project run by astronomers at the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics in Palermo. As a part of the project, they monitored Westerlund 1 for roughly a period of 12 days. More about Westerlund 1 NASA's Chandra and Hubble space telescopes have provided crucial information about this super star cluster. "The X-rays detected by Chandra show young stars (mostly represented as white and pink) as well as diffuse heated gas throughout the cluster (coloured pink, green, and blue, in order of increasing temperatures for the gas)," said NASA's official website. Watch | Elon Musk lauds Indian-origin engineer Ashok Elluswamy as Tesla's autopilot pioneer Westerlund 1 is one of the oldest star clusters to exist and is thus helpful for astronomers to understand the evolution of stars and study them in detail. The EWOCS project has been successful in capturing roughly 6,000 X-ray sources, including stars that have a lower mass than the sun as well. One of the discoveries made by Chandra is that 1,075 stars are crammed into the core of Westerlund 1 at a distance of four light-years. Also read | Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean Since only a few super star clusters are left in the galaxy, they are an important source of information for astronomers to study how they came into existence. NASA's advanced technology like the Chandra helps with the same. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captures 'super' star cluster near Earth

Astronomers, with the help of the Hubble telescope, have now detected a rare intermediate-size black hole.&nbsp;

This black hole is hiding the Earth's cosmic backyard at a distance of 6,000 light-years away within a globular star cluster.&nbsp;

The iconic Hubble Space Telescope has been used by astronomers to observe a compact region of space which has a mass of 800 Suns and is likely to be a black hole.

As per a press statement, the scientists claimed that they had discovered the “best evidence yet for the presence of a rare class of intermediate-sized black holes.”

The intermediate-mass black hole candidate is located nearly 6,000 light-years away and the nearby star cluster Messier 4's core.

Also&nbsp;Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/black-holes-captured-acting-like-a-death-stars-weapon-point-jets-at-new-targets-726326">Black holes captured acting like a Death Star’s weapon, point jets at new targets</a>

It is an ultradense region of space filled with the mass of 800 suns, which leads to nearby stars orbiting it like "bees swarming around a hive," as per the researchers who detected it.

In a statement, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland's study lead author&nbsp;and astrophysicist Eduardo Vitral said, "It's too tiny for us to be able to explain other than it being a single black hole. Alternatively, there might be a stellar mechanism we simply don't know about, at least within current physics."

<h2>How did the scientists detect black holes?</h2>

The data collected by the European Space Agency's star-mapping&nbsp;Gaia spacecraft was used by the team to study the chaotic motion of stars at M4's centre.&nbsp;

In this region, they are trapped in the gravitational field of suspected black holes, "like bees swarming around a hive," said the team members.

"If the object isn't a single intermediate-mass black hole, it would require an estimated 40 smaller black holes crammed into a space only one-tenth of a light-year across to produce the observed stellar motions," wrote team members, in the same statement.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found

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"The consequences are that they would merge and/or be ejected in a game of interstellar pinball," he added.

<h2>What are intermediate-mass black holes?&nbsp;</h2>

Intermediate-mass black holes, which range between 100 to 100,000 times the sun's mass, are among the most elusive black holes present in the universe.&nbsp;

Although scientists have found several promising candidates, they have not confirmed the existence of any intermediate-mass black holes.

In a statement, project scientist at the Gaia telescope Timo Prusti said, "Science is rarely about discovering something new in a single moment. It’s about becoming more certain of a conclusion step by step, and this could be one step towards being sure that intermediate-mass black holes exist."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Astronomers, with the help of the Hubble telescope, have now detected a rare intermediate-size black hole. This black hole is hiding the Earth's cosmic backyard at a distance of 6,000 light-years away within a globular star cluster.

Astronomers, with the help of the Hubble telescope, have now detected a rare intermediate-size black hole. This black hole is hiding the Earth's cosmic backyard at a distance of 6,000 light-years away within a globular star cluster. The iconic Hubble Space Telescope has been used by astronomers to observe a compact region of space which has a mass of 800 Suns and is likely to be a black hole. As per a press statement, the scientists claimed that they had discovered the “best evidence yet for the presence of a rare class of intermediate-sized black holes.” The intermediate-mass black hole candidate is located nearly 6,000 light-years away and the nearby star cluster Messier 4's core. Also Read: Black holes captured acting like a Death Star’s weapon, point jets at new targets It is an ultradense region of space filled with the mass of 800 suns, which leads to nearby stars orbiting it like "bees swarming around a hive," as per the researchers who detected it. In a statement, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland's study lead author and astrophysicist Eduardo Vitral said, "It's too tiny for us to be able to explain other than it being a single black hole. Alternatively, there might be a stellar mechanism we simply don't know about, at least within current physics." How did the scientists detect black holes? The data collected by the European Space Agency's star-mapping Gaia spacecraft was used by the team to study the chaotic motion of stars at M4's centre. In this region, they are trapped in the gravitational field of suspected black holes, "like bees swarming around a hive," said the team members. "If the object isn't a single intermediate-mass black hole, it would require an estimated 40 smaller black holes crammed into a space only one-tenth of a light-year across to produce the observed stellar motions," wrote team members, in the same statement. Watch: Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found "The consequences are that they would merge and/or be ejected in a game of interstellar pinball," he added. What are intermediate-mass black holes? Intermediate-mass black holes, which range between 100 to 100,000 times the sun's mass, are among the most elusive black holes present in the universe. Although scientists have found several promising candidates, they have not confirmed the existence of any intermediate-mass black holes. In a statement, project scientist at the Gaia telescope Timo Prusti said, "Science is rarely about discovering something new in a single moment. It’s about becoming more certain of a conclusion step by step, and this could be one step towards being sure that intermediate-mass black holes exist." (With inputs from agencies)

A rare black hole is lurking 6,000 light-years away in Earth's cosmic backyard

A cutting-edge quantum technology tool has been created by NASA scientists to hunt for “water worlds” which are likely hiding in our solar system.

The presence of water in different forms in our cosmic neighbourhood is one of the most intriguing aspects of space.

However, scientists are not just fascinated with the existence of water but also the liquid water's potential to harbour life beyond Earth.&nbsp;

NASA’s&nbsp;Jet Propulsion Laboratory researcher Dr Hannes Kraus said, “Novel quantum sensors not only enable new science, but also offer the chance to downscale former flagship-class instrumentation to a size and cost allowing flagship-class science on CubeSat-class platforms.”

<h2>Hunt for life in liquid water</h2>

The key to the chances of existence of extraterrestrial life is hidden in the liquid water in space.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/storms-on-jupiter-powered-by-processes-similar-to-those-on-earth-study-729495">Storms on Jupiter powered by processes similar to those on Earth: Study</a>

The mantra “Follow the Water” has been used&nbsp;for a long time by astrobiologists in their search for life beyond Earth.&nbsp;

In the quest for water, scientists have focused on the icy moons of gas and ice giants in our solar system, like Saturn’s&nbsp;Enceladus and Jupiter’s&nbsp;Europa.&nbsp;

It is believed that these moons harbour vast subsurface oceans which is beneath their thick ice crusts. This existence of subsurface oceans has made them compelling targets for future missions.

However, it is a tough challenge for scientists to penetrate these icy shells using conventional remote-sensing instruments like cameras and radar.&nbsp;

The scientists need to depend on other techniques till they start sending landers or rovers which can either melt or drill through the ice for detecting the hidden water bodies.

<h2>What is magnetometry?&nbsp;</h2>

Magnetometry has emerged as a promising method to detect subsurface oceans.&nbsp;The magnetic fields can penetrate any solid material and give valuable insights regarding the interior of planet-sized bodies.

Solid-state quantum magnetometers have shown the groundbreaking advancement achieved in the field of magnetometry.

Watch:&nbsp;Strongest sign of alien found: The search for life beyond earth

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/strongest-sign-of-alien-found-the-search-for-life-beyond-earth-716486/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The instruments can provide competitive sensitivities while at the same time boasting reduced power requirements, smaller size and lower weight, in comparison to traditional magnetometers.

The solid-state quantum magnetometers also have unique quantum advantages, such as self-calibration through spin-nuclear quantum interaction. This helps them compensate for drifts over time.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A cutting-edge quantum technology tool has been created by NASA scientists to hunt for “water worlds” which are likely hiding in our solar system. The presence of water in different forms in our cosmic neighbourhood is one of the most intriguing aspects of space.

A cutting-edge quantum technology tool has been created by NASA scientists to hunt for “water worlds” which are likely hiding in our solar system. The presence of water in different forms in our cosmic neighbourhood is one of the most intriguing aspects of space. However, scientists are not just fascinated with the existence of water but also the liquid water's potential to harbour life beyond Earth. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory researcher Dr Hannes Kraus said, “Novel quantum sensors not only enable new science, but also offer the chance to downscale former flagship-class instrumentation to a size and cost allowing flagship-class science on CubeSat-class platforms.” Hunt for life in liquid water The key to the chances of existence of extraterrestrial life is hidden in the liquid water in space. Also Read: Storms on Jupiter powered by processes similar to those on Earth: Study The mantra “Follow the Water” has been used for a long time by astrobiologists in their search for life beyond Earth. In the quest for water, scientists have focused on the icy moons of gas and ice giants in our solar system, like Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter’s Europa. It is believed that these moons harbour vast subsurface oceans which is beneath their thick ice crusts. This existence of subsurface oceans has made them compelling targets for future missions. However, it is a tough challenge for scientists to penetrate these icy shells using conventional remote-sensing instruments like cameras and radar. The scientists need to depend on other techniques till they start sending landers or rovers which can either melt or drill through the ice for detecting the hidden water bodies. What is magnetometry? Magnetometry has emerged as a promising method to detect subsurface oceans. The magnetic fields can penetrate any solid material and give valuable insights regarding the interior of planet-sized bodies. Solid-state quantum magnetometers have shown the groundbreaking advancement achieved in the field of magnetometry. Watch: Strongest sign of alien found: The search for life beyond earth The instruments can provide competitive sensitivities while at the same time boasting reduced power requirements, smaller size and lower weight, in comparison to traditional magnetometers. The solid-state quantum magnetometers also have unique quantum advantages, such as self-calibration through spin-nuclear quantum interaction. This helps them compensate for drifts over time. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA develops breakthrough technology to hunt for habitable ‘water worlds’

What comes to your mind when someone says mighty beast with puny arms? A Tyrannosaurus rex?. Well, the scary beast can now find some solace in the discovery of a new dinosaur species, Koleken inakayali, which could make its arms look relatively stronger in comparison.&nbsp;

<h2>Tyrannosaurus rex vs Koleken inakayali</h2>

As per Science Alert, in an arm wrestle, the newly discovered dinosaur would lose.&nbsp;

K. inakayali, the recently unearthed abelisaurid dinosaur, shares similarities with the well-known Carnotaurus "meat-eating bull" known for its horns and bumpy skin. Carnotaurus is a fearsome dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period — sometime between 71 million and 69 million years ago.

However, the newly discovered dinosaur is slightly smaller and lacks the distinctive horns.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cryptoterrestrials-living-among-us-harvard-researchers-suggest-ancient-races-are-hiding-in-volcanoes-730464">'Cryptoterrestrials' living among us? Harvard researchers suggest ancient races are hiding in volcanoes</a>

<h2>Where was the dinosaur found?</h2>

The Koleken inakayali was found in Patagonia, the southern end of South America.

While the K. inakayali's arm bones weren't found, its proportions suggest it likely had similar-sized arms to Carnotaurus. Both dinosaurs had stiff, immobile elbows and rudimentary wrist joints, making their arms ineffective for grasping objects. These features suggest that their arms would have flopped against their chests as they ran, adding to the mystery of why these dinosaurs evolved such seemingly useless limbs.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-remains-of-smallest-known-great-ape-in-germany-729800">Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany</a>

<h2>Former rulers of the earth</h2>

Abelisaurids, including the T. rex's (which lived in North America and Asia) South American relatives, were once the most abundant dinosaurs on Earth during the Late Cretaceous period.&nbsp;

The reasons behind their tiny arms remain unclear, with theories ranging from a shift in hunting strategies to evolutionary remnants from their ancestors. Some argue that the arms of T. rex might have been used for slashing or gripping during mating, but the exact purpose remains speculative.

The discovery of K. inakayali adds to the understanding of abelisaurid diversity in Patagonia before the mass extinction event. The study, led by palaeontologist Diego Pol and an international team, was published in the journal Cladistics.

(With inputs from agencies)

What comes to your mind when someone says mighty beast with puny arms? A Tyrannosaurus rex?. Well, the scary beast can now find some solace in the discovery of a new dinosaur species, Koleken inakayali, which could make its arms look relatively stronger in comparison.

What comes to your mind when someone says mighty beast with puny arms? A Tyrannosaurus rex?. Well, the scary beast can now find some solace in the discovery of a new dinosaur species, Koleken inakayali, which could make its arms look relatively stronger in comparison. Tyrannosaurus rex vs Koleken inakayali As per Science Alert, in an arm wrestle, the newly discovered dinosaur would lose. K. inakayali, the recently unearthed abelisaurid dinosaur, shares similarities with the well-known Carnotaurus "meat-eating bull" known for its horns and bumpy skin. Carnotaurus is a fearsome dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period — sometime between 71 million and 69 million years ago. However, the newly discovered dinosaur is slightly smaller and lacks the distinctive horns. Also read | 'Cryptoterrestrials' living among us? Harvard researchers suggest ancient races are hiding in volcanoes Where was the dinosaur found? The Koleken inakayali was found in Patagonia, the southern end of South America. While the K. inakayali's arm bones weren't found, its proportions suggest it likely had similar-sized arms to Carnotaurus. Both dinosaurs had stiff, immobile elbows and rudimentary wrist joints, making their arms ineffective for grasping objects. These features suggest that their arms would have flopped against their chests as they ran, adding to the mystery of why these dinosaurs evolved such seemingly useless limbs. Also read | Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany Former rulers of the earth Abelisaurids, including the T. rex's (which lived in North America and Asia) South American relatives, were once the most abundant dinosaurs on Earth during the Late Cretaceous period. The reasons behind their tiny arms remain unclear, with theories ranging from a shift in hunting strategies to evolutionary remnants from their ancestors. Some argue that the arms of T. rex might have been used for slashing or gripping during mating, but the exact purpose remains speculative. The discovery of K. inakayali adds to the understanding of abelisaurid diversity in Patagonia before the mass extinction event. The study, led by palaeontologist Diego Pol and an international team, was published in the journal Cladistics. (With inputs from agencies)

Meet Koleken inakayali: Scientists discover dinosaur with puny arms that rival Tyrannosaurus Rex

A speculative new paper suggests that advanced "cryptoterrestrials"&nbsp;could be living secretly on Earth or in its near environs, like the moon.

This study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, is the work of researchers at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program and Montana Technological University.

<h2>What are Cryptoterrestrials?</h2>

The paper introduces the term "cryptoterrestrials" to refer to an ancient human culture—more technologically advanced than our own—that survived the cataclysms and has lived since in hiding.&nbsp;

It suggests&nbsp;the existence of a&nbsp;bizarre group of "intelligent beings concealed in stealth here on Earth (e.g., underground), and/or its near environs (e.g., the moon)."&nbsp;

The study has been accepted for publication in Philosophy and Cosmology.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-upper-atmosphere-might-have-answers-to-the-mystery-of-dark-matter-new-study-suggests-730404">Dark matter might not remain a mystery for long as scientists come up with novel idea</a>

The authors suggest that these hidden Earth-dwellers may actually be responsible for all the unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) typically attributed to extraterrestrial beings, aka aliens.

<h2>Human cryptoterrestrials</h2>

They suggest that one potential category of these beings are "human cryptoterrestrials," which are a "technologically advanced ancient human civilisation that was largely destroyed long ago (e.g., by flood), but continued to exist in remnant form."

Possible habitation sites, as per the paper, may be hidden within the Earth in places like volcanoes or deep oceanic trenches.&nbsp;

Astonishingly, this is nothing new. In 1993, Dr. Shirley Wright, known for having been personal assistant to Albert Einstein, claimed that the pilots aboard the now topical Roswell UFO crash incident of 1947 were "advanced human" beings living inside&nbsp;Earth.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-for-first-time-spot-alien-type-creatures-living-in-darkest-depths-of-our-ocean-729947">Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean</a>

The work also considers alternative crypto terrestrial possibilities, including highly advanced non-human primates or reptilian entities that are believed to hide their aerial craft within mountains.&nbsp;

Locations such as Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico, and Mount Shasta in California, long associated with UFO sightings, were proposed as potential residences for these clandestine creatures.&nbsp;

Unidentified Submersible Objects (USOs) operating at supersonic speeds have also encouraged speculation on these cryptoterrestrial beings living under&nbsp;water.

The paper even goes so far as to quote some contentious statements from Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb that the Moon might even be a base for extraterrestrials.

(With inputs from agencies)

A speculative new paper suggests that advanced "cryptoterrestrials" could be living secretly on Earth or in its near environs, like the moon. This study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, is the work of researchers at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program and Montana Technological University.

A speculative new paper suggests that advanced "cryptoterrestrials" could be living secretly on Earth or in its near environs, like the moon. This study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, is the work of researchers at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program and Montana Technological University. What are Cryptoterrestrials? The paper introduces the term "cryptoterrestrials" to refer to an ancient human culture—more technologically advanced than our own—that survived the cataclysms and has lived since in hiding. It suggests the existence of a bizarre group of "intelligent beings concealed in stealth here on Earth (e.g., underground), and/or its near environs (e.g., the moon)." The study has been accepted for publication in Philosophy and Cosmology. Also read | Dark matter might not remain a mystery for long as scientists come up with novel idea The authors suggest that these hidden Earth-dwellers may actually be responsible for all the unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) typically attributed to extraterrestrial beings, aka aliens. Human cryptoterrestrials They suggest that one potential category of these beings are "human cryptoterrestrials," which are a "technologically advanced ancient human civilisation that was largely destroyed long ago (e.g., by flood), but continued to exist in remnant form." Possible habitation sites, as per the paper, may be hidden within the Earth in places like volcanoes or deep oceanic trenches. Astonishingly, this is nothing new. In 1993, Dr. Shirley Wright, known for having been personal assistant to Albert Einstein, claimed that the pilots aboard the now topical Roswell UFO crash incident of 1947 were "advanced human" beings living inside Earth. Also read | Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean The work also considers alternative crypto terrestrial possibilities, including highly advanced non-human primates or reptilian entities that are believed to hide their aerial craft within mountains. Locations such as Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico, and Mount Shasta in California, long associated with UFO sightings, were proposed as potential residences for these clandestine creatures. Unidentified Submersible Objects (USOs) operating at supersonic speeds have also encouraged speculation on these cryptoterrestrial beings living under water. The paper even goes so far as to quote some contentious statements from Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb that the Moon might even be a base for extraterrestrials. (With inputs from agencies)

'Cryptoterrestrials' living among us? Harvard researchers suggest ancient races are hiding in volcanoes

The neurons functioning inside the brain's memory area when we sleep may be doing more than just recalling prior events. According to a new study, they may also prepare for future events.

A team of researchers from the University of Michigan examined brain wave measurements from rats throughout periods of awake and sleep. Readings were obtained before, during, and after the animals completed maze trials to assess nerve cell preferences outside the maze, such as during rest intervals.

"We addressed this challenge by relating the activity of each neuron to the activity of all the other neurons. The ability to track the preferences of neurons even without a stimulus was an important breakthrough for us," says anesthesiologist Kamran Diba, from the University of Michigan.

The innovative technique allowed the scientists to not only correlate actual areas in the maze to particular neuron activity in real-time but also work backward and map neuron activity to spots in the maze while the rats were sleeping.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ants-sense-of-smell-crucial-to-their-survival-and-social-interaction-study-730167">Ants’ sense of smell crucial to their survival and social interaction: Study</a>

The rats were not only dreaming about locations they had already explored in the maze but also brainstorming possible new pathways, based on the neurons firing during sleep and again during the subsequent maze try.

These are key results in the research of spatial tuning, which is the relationship between the activity of certain neurons and specific places. This tuning is a dynamic process, and the sleeping brain appears to be involved.

When the rats returned to the maze after resting, the brain activity recorded during their slumber predicted the new ways they explored their environment. While the matches were not precise, they were near enough to suggest that dreams and future intentions are related.

Sleep has long been known to aid in memory formation, and while this study only looked at rats, something similar is probably happening in human brains, a type of rehearsal for future events.

The neurons functioning inside the brain's memory area when we sleep may be doing more than just recalling prior events. According to a new study, they may also prepare for future events.

The neurons functioning inside the brain's memory area when we sleep may be doing more than just recalling prior events. According to a new study, they may also prepare for future events. A team of researchers from the University of Michigan examined brain wave measurements from rats throughout periods of awake and sleep. Readings were obtained before, during, and after the animals completed maze trials to assess nerve cell preferences outside the maze, such as during rest intervals. "We addressed this challenge by relating the activity of each neuron to the activity of all the other neurons. The ability to track the preferences of neurons even without a stimulus was an important breakthrough for us," says anesthesiologist Kamran Diba, from the University of Michigan. The innovative technique allowed the scientists to not only correlate actual areas in the maze to particular neuron activity in real-time but also work backward and map neuron activity to spots in the maze while the rats were sleeping. Also read: Ants’ sense of smell crucial to their survival and social interaction: Study The rats were not only dreaming about locations they had already explored in the maze but also brainstorming possible new pathways, based on the neurons firing during sleep and again during the subsequent maze try. These are key results in the research of spatial tuning, which is the relationship between the activity of certain neurons and specific places. This tuning is a dynamic process, and the sleeping brain appears to be involved. When the rats returned to the maze after resting, the brain activity recorded during their slumber predicted the new ways they explored their environment. While the matches were not precise, they were near enough to suggest that dreams and future intentions are related. Sleep has long been known to aid in memory formation, and while this study only looked at rats, something similar is probably happening in human brains, a type of rehearsal for future events.

Brain predicts and plans for future events during sleep, study finds

Ants, despite their tiny size, possess an impressive olfactory system equipped with around 400 smell receptors. This extensive array of receptors is key to their ability to communicate through pheromones in large societies.

A recent study by researchers from New York University and the University of Florida has highlighted the crucial role of a protein named Orco in the survival and function of olfactory neurons in ants.

In their research, the scientists focused on Harpegnathos saltator, or jumping ants, and found that altering the orco gene led to a major reduction in the number of olfactory neurons.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/milky-way-collided-with-another-galaxy-shredded-and-devoured-it-years-ago-729957">Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago</a>

This suggested&nbsp;that Orco is essential for both the development and the maintenance of these cells.

Study’s first author Bogdan Sieriebriennikov said,&nbsp;“Understanding how the nervous system develops is among the most pressing challenges in modern neuroscience."&nbsp;

“Ants, like humans, are highly social and display cooperative social behavior, and thus provide an ideal system to study sensory-mediated social behaviour,” said Hua Yan, the study’s senior author.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-for-first-time-spot-alien-type-creatures-living-in-darkest-depths-of-our-ocean-729947">Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean</a>

“Loss of function of odorant receptor neurons leads to deficits in olfactory sensing and is often associated with social isolation, neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, and social disorders such as autism,” added Yan.

<h2>What did the study entail?&nbsp;</h2>

The researchers used CRISPR technology to create genetically modified ants by mutating the orco gene. These modified ants exhibited changes in their olfactory organs and had trouble interacting with their peers.

“We found that the antennae—which are the ‘nose’ of the ant—had very few cells. They were almost empty, suggesting that the cells that sense smell were absent from the mutant ants,” noted Yan.

According to the study, the researchers found out that mutant ants lacking Orco lost most of their olfactory neurons. The reduction in the neurons took place even before these ants reached their adulthood.

Watch | Global warming is accelerating at unprecedented pace, says study

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“The cells appear to be made normally, and they start developing—growing, changing shape, and switching on certain genes they will need later, such as odorant receptors,” said Sieriebriennikov. “Once the developing cells turn on the odorant receptors, very soon they start dying in massive amounts.”

Caused by the inability of odorant receptors to form Orco, this premature neuronal death could be due to stress.&nbsp;

Interestingly, some neurons did survive without Orco. This indicates that other factors might also play a role in their development. “Some neurons must periodically ‘fire’ to develop properly. Without Orco, smell cells did not ‘fire’ and complete their development, leading to their death,” Sieriebriennikov added.

The study has been published in Science Advances.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ants, despite their tiny size, possess an impressive olfactory system equipped with around 400 smell receptors. This extensive array of receptors is key to their ability to communicate through pheromones in large societies.

Ants, despite their tiny size, possess an impressive olfactory system equipped with around 400 smell receptors. This extensive array of receptors is key to their ability to communicate through pheromones in large societies. A recent study by researchers from New York University and the University of Florida has highlighted the crucial role of a protein named Orco in the survival and function of olfactory neurons in ants. In their research, the scientists focused on Harpegnathos saltator, or jumping ants, and found that altering the orco gene led to a major reduction in the number of olfactory neurons. Also Read | Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago This suggested that Orco is essential for both the development and the maintenance of these cells. Study’s first author Bogdan Sieriebriennikov said, “Understanding how the nervous system develops is among the most pressing challenges in modern neuroscience." “Ants, like humans, are highly social and display cooperative social behavior, and thus provide an ideal system to study sensory-mediated social behaviour,” said Hua Yan, the study’s senior author. Also Read | Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean “Loss of function of odorant receptor neurons leads to deficits in olfactory sensing and is often associated with social isolation, neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, and social disorders such as autism,” added Yan. What did the study entail? The researchers used CRISPR technology to create genetically modified ants by mutating the orco gene. These modified ants exhibited changes in their olfactory organs and had trouble interacting with their peers. “We found that the antennae—which are the ‘nose’ of the ant—had very few cells. They were almost empty, suggesting that the cells that sense smell were absent from the mutant ants,” noted Yan. According to the study, the researchers found out that mutant ants lacking Orco lost most of their olfactory neurons. The reduction in the neurons took place even before these ants reached their adulthood. Watch | Global warming is accelerating at unprecedented pace, says study × “The cells appear to be made normally, and they start developing—growing, changing shape, and switching on certain genes they will need later, such as odorant receptors,” said Sieriebriennikov. “Once the developing cells turn on the odorant receptors, very soon they start dying in massive amounts.” Caused by the inability of odorant receptors to form Orco, this premature neuronal death could be due to stress. Interestingly, some neurons did survive without Orco. This indicates that other factors might also play a role in their development. “Some neurons must periodically ‘fire’ to develop properly. Without Orco, smell cells did not ‘fire’ and complete their development, leading to their death,” Sieriebriennikov added. The study has been published in Science Advances. (With inputs from agencies)

Ants’ sense of smell crucial to their survival and social interaction: Study

In a new study, astronomers have made a stunning discovery that our galaxy, Milky Way, had recently collided with another galaxy causing an&nbsp;explosion.

Through time, the Milky Way has grown and has collided with other galaxies - which were torn apart and devoured by the Milky Way.

With every collision, the galaxy develops wrinkles which continue to ripple through different families of stars and affect how they move and behave in space.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mysterious-hole-appears-on-surface-of-mars-whats-hiding-in-there-aliens-727237">Mysterious hole appears on surface of Mars. What's hiding in there? Aliens?</a>

This discovery about the cosmic crash happening nearly billions of years later than we thought was revealed by ESA's Gaia space telescope.

<h2>Milky Way's wrinkles hide the lost history of the galaxy</h2>

The telescope is aimed at unravelling the history of our galaxy by looking into these wrinkles.&nbsp;

"We get wrinklier as we age, but our work reveals that the opposite is true for the Milky Way. It's a sort of cosmic Benjamin Button, getting less wrinkly over time," said Thomas Donlon, lead author of the new Gaia study, which was published&nbsp;in&nbsp;Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.&nbsp;

"By looking at how these wrinkles dissipate over time, we can trace when the Milky Way experienced its last big crash—and it turns out this happened billions of years later than we thought," he added.

Gaia telescope discovered these galactic wrinkles in 2018.&nbsp;It was the first study which was able to accurately determine the time of the collision which led to the wrinkles by comparing observations with cosmological simulations.

Watch:&nbsp;US' new big claim against Russia, says 'Russia launched space weapons'

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In an ESA&nbsp;release, study co-author Heidi Jo Newberg and an astronomer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said, “For the wrinkles of stars to be as clear as they appear in Gaia data, they must have joined us less than three billion years ago—at least five billion years later than was previously thought."

“New wrinkles of stars form each time the stars swing back and forth through the centre of the Milky Way. If they’d joined us eight billion years ago, there would be so many wrinkles right next to each other that we would no longer see them as separate features," he added.

Donlon said that the three-billion-year-old collision likely happened between the Milky Way and a dwarf galaxy.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a new study, astronomers have made a stunning discovery that our galaxy, Milky Way, had recently collided with another galaxy causing an explosion. Through time, the Milky Way has grown and has collided with other galaxies - which were torn apart and devoured by the Milky Way.

In a new study, astronomers have made a stunning discovery that our galaxy, Milky Way, had recently collided with another galaxy causing an explosion. Through time, the Milky Way has grown and has collided with other galaxies - which were torn apart and devoured by the Milky Way. With every collision, the galaxy develops wrinkles which continue to ripple through different families of stars and affect how they move and behave in space. Also Read: Mysterious hole appears on surface of Mars. What's hiding in there? Aliens? This discovery about the cosmic crash happening nearly billions of years later than we thought was revealed by ESA's Gaia space telescope. Milky Way's wrinkles hide the lost history of the galaxy The telescope is aimed at unravelling the history of our galaxy by looking into these wrinkles. "We get wrinklier as we age, but our work reveals that the opposite is true for the Milky Way. It's a sort of cosmic Benjamin Button, getting less wrinkly over time," said Thomas Donlon, lead author of the new Gaia study, which was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. "By looking at how these wrinkles dissipate over time, we can trace when the Milky Way experienced its last big crash—and it turns out this happened billions of years later than we thought," he added. Gaia telescope discovered these galactic wrinkles in 2018. It was the first study which was able to accurately determine the time of the collision which led to the wrinkles by comparing observations with cosmological simulations. Watch: US' new big claim against Russia, says 'Russia launched space weapons' In an ESA release, study co-author Heidi Jo Newberg and an astronomer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said, “For the wrinkles of stars to be as clear as they appear in Gaia data, they must have joined us less than three billion years ago—at least five billion years later than was previously thought." “New wrinkles of stars form each time the stars swing back and forth through the centre of the Milky Way. If they’d joined us eight billion years ago, there would be so many wrinkles right next to each other that we would no longer see them as separate features," he added. Donlon said that the three-billion-year-old collision likely happened between the Milky Way and a dwarf galaxy. (With inputs from agencies)

Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago

The strange and lesser-known world of oceans has always remained a place of mystery for scientists. Now, a newfound collection of rarely-seen and alien-looking species&nbsp;lurking on the seafloor, has left the scientists dumbfounded.

The marine scientists, who were researching the Clarion-Clipperton Zone&nbsp;of the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Hawaii,&nbsp;found marine animals&nbsp;which were never seen before.&nbsp;

These creatures have been living a very different and unknown life which was covered by the permanent darkness of the abyssopelagic.

"These areas are the Earth's least explored. It's estimated that only one out of ten animal species living down here has been described by science,"&nbsp;said marine ecologist Thomas Dahlgren&nbsp;of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, as reported by Science Alert.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/unusual-slow-spinning-radio-signal-from-space-breaks-all-rules-astronomers-puzzled-729614">Scientists hunting for origin of radio signal from deep space that flashes for an hour</a>

"This is one of the very few cases where researchers can be involved in discovering new species and ecosystems in the same way as they did in the 18th century. It's very exciting," the ecologist added.

The creatures were spotted by the scientists after a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was sent in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between 3,500 and 5,500 meters (11,480 and 18,045 feet) by the UK National Oceanography Centre's Seabed Mining And Resilience To EXperimental impact (SMARTEX) mission.

<h2>How the organisms are surviving on the abyssal seafloor?</h2>

Most of the organisms surviving on the abyssal seafloor depend on organic matter which rains down from the higher ocean strata for food. This phenomenon is called marine snow.

In this research, a major spectacular discovery was a transparent sea cucumber which had the nickname 'unicumber' and belonged to the family&nbsp;Elpidiidae.

"These sea cucumbers were some of the largest animals found on this expedition,"&nbsp;explained Dahlgren.&nbsp;

"They act as ocean floor vacuum cleaners, and specialize in finding sediment that has passed through the least number of stomachs," he added.

Watch: Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found

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Other creatures found were a delicate glass sponge, a cup-shaped filter&nbsp;feeder, a&nbsp;tanaid crustacean, sea stars, corals, and anemones, as well as a spectacular Barbie-pink sea pig.

The researchers explored that part of the area of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone which is used for deep-sea mining and will have a devastating impact on marine habitats.

"The lack of food causes individuals to live far apart, but the species richness in the area is surprisingly high. We see many exciting specialised adaptations among the animals in these areas,"&nbsp;Dahlgren said.

"We need to know more about this environment to be able to protect the species living here. Today, 30 per cent of these marine areas in consideration are protected, and we need to know whether this is enough to ensure that these species aren't at risk of extinction," he added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The strange and lesser-known world of oceans has always remained a place of mystery for scientists. Now, a newfound collection of rarely-seen and alien-looking species lurking on the seafloor, has left the scientists dumbfounded.

The strange and lesser-known world of oceans has always remained a place of mystery for scientists. Now, a newfound collection of rarely-seen and alien-looking species lurking on the seafloor, has left the scientists dumbfounded. The marine scientists, who were researching the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Hawaii, found marine animals which were never seen before. These creatures have been living a very different and unknown life which was covered by the permanent darkness of the abyssopelagic. "These areas are the Earth's least explored. It's estimated that only one out of ten animal species living down here has been described by science," said marine ecologist Thomas Dahlgren of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, as reported by Science Alert. Also Read: Scientists hunting for origin of radio signal from deep space that flashes for an hour "This is one of the very few cases where researchers can be involved in discovering new species and ecosystems in the same way as they did in the 18th century. It's very exciting," the ecologist added. The creatures were spotted by the scientists after a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was sent in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between 3,500 and 5,500 meters (11,480 and 18,045 feet) by the UK National Oceanography Centre's Seabed Mining And Resilience To EXperimental impact (SMARTEX) mission. How the organisms are surviving on the abyssal seafloor? Most of the organisms surviving on the abyssal seafloor depend on organic matter which rains down from the higher ocean strata for food. This phenomenon is called marine snow. In this research, a major spectacular discovery was a transparent sea cucumber which had the nickname 'unicumber' and belonged to the family Elpidiidae. "These sea cucumbers were some of the largest animals found on this expedition," explained Dahlgren. "They act as ocean floor vacuum cleaners, and specialize in finding sediment that has passed through the least number of stomachs," he added. Watch: Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found Other creatures found were a delicate glass sponge, a cup-shaped filter feeder, a tanaid crustacean, sea stars, corals, and anemones, as well as a spectacular Barbie-pink sea pig. The researchers explored that part of the area of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone which is used for deep-sea mining and will have a devastating impact on marine habitats. "The lack of food causes individuals to live far apart, but the species richness in the area is surprisingly high. We see many exciting specialised adaptations among the animals in these areas," Dahlgren said. "We need to know more about this environment to be able to protect the species living here. Today, 30 per cent of these marine areas in consideration are protected, and we need to know whether this is enough to ensure that these species aren't at risk of extinction," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists for first time spot alien-type creatures living in darkest depths of our ocean

Eleven million years ago, the smallest known great ape that weighed just 10 kgs, lived in its full glory. The tiny great ape is far smaller than any other great ape on record.

The species, called Buronius manfredschmidi, is an ancient hominid. It is part of the ancestral family that gave rise to modern humans, gorillas and chimpanzees.

"This new genus is far smaller than any living or any fossil hominid," Professor Madelaine Böhme, a palaeontologist at the University of Tübingen, who led the research, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.&nbsp;

"That makes it quite unusual."

<h2>Human toddler-sized great ape: What did they look like?</h2>

Researchers found that the newly discovered species coexisted with much larger hominid, called Danuvius guggenmosi.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;Study: Apes like to tease their friends

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Fossil remains of the larger ape had previously been dated to the same period at the same fossil site in the German region of Bavaria. The new miniature ape has partial remains of two teeth and one kneecap. Their shape and size suggest that the smallest apes were adept climbers. The thin enamel and light wear on its teeth point out it ate a diet of soft fruits and leaves. Its small size would have allowed it to live high up in the canopy.&nbsp;

The findings are published in the journal Plos One.

<h2>Coexisting with larger Danuvius</h2>

Danuvius, on the other hand,&nbsp;was much taller and sturdier. They are thought to be both plant and meat-eaters.&nbsp;

The differences in lifestyle are likely to have allowed the two species to share a habitat without competing for resources much like modern gibbons and orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/king-kong-like-apes-used-to-roam-in-southern-china-before-disappearing-due-to-climate-change-study-678937">A 10-foot-tall ape once roamed Earth but fell victim to climate change: Study</a>

<h2>What does it mean?</h2>

The discovery could help scientists understand the diversity of hominids during the late Miocene epoch (about 23.03 to 5.333 million years ago).

"It’s hard to say why there are no small hominids living today," Böhme said. "In evolutionary lineages you normally start small and get bigger, and [once you’re bigger] you don’t normally go back."

(With inputs from agencies)

Eleven million years ago, the smallest known great ape that weighed just 10 kgs, lived in its full glory. The tiny great ape is far smaller than any other great ape on record.

Eleven million years ago, the smallest known great ape that weighed just 10 kgs, lived in its full glory. The tiny great ape is far smaller than any other great ape on record. The species, called Buronius manfredschmidi, is an ancient hominid. It is part of the ancestral family that gave rise to modern humans, gorillas and chimpanzees. "This new genus is far smaller than any living or any fossil hominid," Professor Madelaine Böhme, a palaeontologist at the University of Tübingen, who led the research, was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "That makes it quite unusual." Human toddler-sized great ape: What did they look like? Researchers found that the newly discovered species coexisted with much larger hominid, called Danuvius guggenmosi. Also watch | Study: Apes like to tease their friends × Fossil remains of the larger ape had previously been dated to the same period at the same fossil site in the German region of Bavaria. The new miniature ape has partial remains of two teeth and one kneecap. Their shape and size suggest that the smallest apes were adept climbers. The thin enamel and light wear on its teeth point out it ate a diet of soft fruits and leaves. Its small size would have allowed it to live high up in the canopy. The findings are published in the journal Plos One. Coexisting with larger Danuvius Danuvius, on the other hand, was much taller and sturdier. They are thought to be both plant and meat-eaters. The differences in lifestyle are likely to have allowed the two species to share a habitat without competing for resources much like modern gibbons and orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra. Also read | A 10-foot-tall ape once roamed Earth but fell victim to climate change: Study What does it mean? The discovery could help scientists understand the diversity of hominids during the late Miocene epoch (about 23.03 to 5.333 million years ago). "It’s hard to say why there are no small hominids living today," Böhme said. "In evolutionary lineages you normally start small and get bigger, and [once you’re bigger] you don’t normally go back." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany

NASA has awarded nearly $1.5 million each to seven companies for studies aimed at exploring more cost-effective methods for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. The&nbsp; program, which has encountered challenges due to its high cost is currently estimated at $11 billion and involves a&nbsp;plan requiring multiple launches to Mars.

Given the high costs and complexities, NASA is seeking simpler and more affordable methods through studies submitted by industry and academic groups. These studies are aimed at optimising the MSR architecture to reduce risks, expedite the timeline, and lower costs.

MSR, a multi-mission campaign with the ambitious goal of collecting samples from the surface of Mars and returning them to Earth, is a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The selected companies, including Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Quantum Space, and Northrop Grumman, will each conduct ten three-month-long studies to develop innovative approaches.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/washington-vancouver-island-as-epicentres-of-future-cascadian-earthquakes-study-729911">Washington, Vancouver Island as epicentres of future Cascadian earthquakes: Study</a>

The mission, in its original form, would place a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) on the Martian surface to retrieve samples collected by the Perseverance rover. These samples would then be launched into orbit by the MAV, where a spacecraft would collect them and return them to Earth.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-remains-of-smallest-known-great-ape-in-germany-729800">Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany</a>

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, along with Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory, is also contributing to these studies. NASA is planning to review all findings to consider possible modifications or improvements to the MSR mission plan.

<h2>Looking into innovative ideas</h2>

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that the mission will be "critical to carry it out more quickly, with less risk, and at a lower cost." He added, "I'm excited to see the vision that these companies, centres, and partners present as we look for fresh, exciting, and innovative ideas to uncover great cosmic secrets from the Red Planet."

Watch | Energy drinks linked to sudden cardiac arrests, says new study | Gravitas

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The Mars Sample Return mission is part of NASA's broader effort to understand Mars' early history and the formation and evolution of habitable worlds, including Earth.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA has awarded nearly $1.5 million each to seven companies for studies aimed at exploring more cost-effective methods for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission.

NASA has awarded nearly $1.5 million each to seven companies for studies aimed at exploring more cost-effective methods for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. The program, which has encountered challenges due to its high cost is currently estimated at $11 billion and involves a plan requiring multiple launches to Mars. Given the high costs and complexities, NASA is seeking simpler and more affordable methods through studies submitted by industry and academic groups. These studies are aimed at optimising the MSR architecture to reduce risks, expedite the timeline, and lower costs. MSR, a multi-mission campaign with the ambitious goal of collecting samples from the surface of Mars and returning them to Earth, is a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The selected companies, including Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Quantum Space, and Northrop Grumman, will each conduct ten three-month-long studies to develop innovative approaches. Also Read | Washington, Vancouver Island as epicentres of future Cascadian earthquakes: Study The mission, in its original form, would place a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) on the Martian surface to retrieve samples collected by the Perseverance rover. These samples would then be launched into orbit by the MAV, where a spacecraft would collect them and return them to Earth. Also Read | Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, along with Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory, is also contributing to these studies. NASA is planning to review all findings to consider possible modifications or improvements to the MSR mission plan. Looking into innovative ideas NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that the mission will be "critical to carry it out more quickly, with less risk, and at a lower cost." He added, "I'm excited to see the vision that these companies, centres, and partners present as we look for fresh, exciting, and innovative ideas to uncover great cosmic secrets from the Red Planet." Watch | Energy drinks linked to sudden cardiac arrests, says new study | Gravitas × The Mars Sample Return mission is part of NASA's broader effort to understand Mars' early history and the formation and evolution of habitable worlds, including Earth. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA awards over $10mn grants to explore innovative Mars sample return methods

The Cascadia megathrust, a formidable fault system capable of producing catastrophic magnitude 9 earthquakes, is poised to unleash its most severe impacts offshore of Washington state and Vancouver Island, according to recent data.

Cascadia megathrust is a major geological feature located off the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. It is a convergent plate boundary, or subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca Plate is being forced, or subducted, beneath the North American Plate. This tectonic interaction has a potential for large earthquakes and tsunamis.&nbsp;

This revelation from the study emerged from the most extensive survey of the fault to date, published in the June 7 issue of Science Advances.

Unlike previous assumptions that portrayed the megathrust as a single, continuous fracture, the new data revealed that it comprises at least four distinct segments. Researchers identified the segment stretching from southern Vancouver Island through Washington state as the most perilous.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-remains-of-smallest-known-great-ape-in-germany-729800">Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany</a>

Seismologist Edwin Nissen of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, who was associated with the study, said, “The Cascadia megathrust is a huge risk to people living in the Pacific Northwest," reported Science News.&nbsp;

He noted that while the segment near Vancouver Island’s southwest coastline might get the largest earthquakes, southern segments along Oregon’s coast could experience smaller but more often quakes.

The Cascadia megathrust spans roughly 1000 kilometres from British Columbia to northern California.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronaut-william-anders-who-showed-earthrise-from-moon-killed-in-plane-crash-729781">Astronaut William Anders, who captured 'Earthrise' photo from Moon, dies in plane crash</a>

Cascadia has been rocked by 19 quakes in the past 10,000 years. These quakes exceeded magnitude 9. The most recent, in 1700, triggered a tsunami that reached Japan. Even as there is a major threat, the fault has been less understood compared to similar faults in Japan and New Zealand.

<h2>Survey findings&nbsp;</h2>

The seismic survey along a 900-kilometre&nbsp;stretch of the zone was done by using underwater air guns. With the help of the underwater air guns, sound waves were sent into the seafloor. They mapped the fault and rock layers beneath. This method provided unprecedented insight into the fault’s structure.&nbsp;

Watch | Cancer rate in younger people rising sharply as per new research

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The data revealed that the Juan de Fuca plate, as it moves under the North American plate, breaks into segments due to the uneven distribution of rigid rocks above. One particularly concerning finding is that the segment extending from southern Vancouver Island is relatively smooth and shallow-dipping which makes it easier for quakes to propagate towards the coast.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Cascadia megathrust, a formidable fault system capable of producing catastrophic magnitude 9 earthquakes, is poised to unleash its most severe impacts offshore of Washington state and Vancouver Island, according to recent data.

The Cascadia megathrust, a formidable fault system capable of producing catastrophic magnitude 9 earthquakes, is poised to unleash its most severe impacts offshore of Washington state and Vancouver Island, according to recent data. Cascadia megathrust is a major geological feature located off the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. It is a convergent plate boundary, or subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca Plate is being forced, or subducted, beneath the North American Plate. This tectonic interaction has a potential for large earthquakes and tsunamis. This revelation from the study emerged from the most extensive survey of the fault to date, published in the June 7 issue of Science Advances. Unlike previous assumptions that portrayed the megathrust as a single, continuous fracture, the new data revealed that it comprises at least four distinct segments. Researchers identified the segment stretching from southern Vancouver Island through Washington state as the most perilous. Also Read | Scientists find remains of smallest known great ape in Germany Seismologist Edwin Nissen of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, who was associated with the study, said, “The Cascadia megathrust is a huge risk to people living in the Pacific Northwest," reported Science News. He noted that while the segment near Vancouver Island’s southwest coastline might get the largest earthquakes, southern segments along Oregon’s coast could experience smaller but more often quakes. The Cascadia megathrust spans roughly 1000 kilometres from British Columbia to northern California. Also Read | Astronaut William Anders, who captured 'Earthrise' photo from Moon, dies in plane crash Cascadia has been rocked by 19 quakes in the past 10,000 years. These quakes exceeded magnitude 9. The most recent, in 1700, triggered a tsunami that reached Japan. Even as there is a major threat, the fault has been less understood compared to similar faults in Japan and New Zealand. Survey findings The seismic survey along a 900-kilometre stretch of the zone was done by using underwater air guns. With the help of the underwater air guns, sound waves were sent into the seafloor. They mapped the fault and rock layers beneath. This method provided unprecedented insight into the fault’s structure. Watch | Cancer rate in younger people rising sharply as per new research × The data revealed that the Juan de Fuca plate, as it moves under the North American plate, breaks into segments due to the uneven distribution of rigid rocks above. One particularly concerning finding is that the segment extending from southern Vancouver Island is relatively smooth and shallow-dipping which makes it easier for quakes to propagate towards the coast. (With inputs from agencies)

Washington, Vancouver Island epicentres of future Cascadian earthquakes: Study

William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who captured "Earthrise", one of the most significant photos of humankind that showed our&nbsp;blue planet from Moon&nbsp;in 1968, was killed in a plane crash.&nbsp;He was 90.

The crash took place on Friday (June 7)&nbsp;when the plane he was piloting alone went down into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state.

His son, Greg Anders, confirmed the death to the media.

"The family is devastated," retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders said. "He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/who-was-ken-mattingly-apollo-16-astronaut-who-died-at-87-654664">Who was Ken Mattingly? Apollo 16 astronaut who died at 87</a>

The photo captured by the deceased astronaut was his most significant contribution to the space program. William Anders also sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked well.

Earthrise photograph, which showed Earth and a part of the Moon's surface, was taken from lunar orbit by Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission. Nature photographer Galen Rowell once described it as "the most influential environmental photograph ever taken".

Also watch |&nbsp;US Gulf coast powers NASA's new moon rocket

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NASA Administrator and former Senator Bill Nelson said Anders embodied the lessons and the purpose of exploration.

"He traveled to the threshold of the Moon and helped all of us see something else: ourselves," Nelson wrote on the social platform X.

In December 1968, William Anders became one of the first three members of the crew of Apollo 8 to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, Anders circled the Moon ten times, and broadcast live images and commentary back to Earth. This also included the famous Christmas Eve Genesis reading. During one of the mission's lunar orbits, he took the iconic Earthrise photograph that consolidated his place&nbsp;in the annals of human history.

William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who captured "Earthrise", one of the most significant photos of humankind that showed our blue planet from Moon in 1968, was killed in a plane crash.

William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who captured "Earthrise", one of the most significant photos of humankind that showed our blue planet from Moon in 1968, was killed in a plane crash. He was 90. The crash took place on Friday (June 7) when the plane he was piloting alone went down into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. His son, Greg Anders, confirmed the death to the media. "The family is devastated," retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders said. "He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly." Also read | Who was Ken Mattingly? Apollo 16 astronaut who died at 87 The photo captured by the deceased astronaut was his most significant contribution to the space program. William Anders also sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked well. Earthrise photograph, which showed Earth and a part of the Moon's surface, was taken from lunar orbit by Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission. Nature photographer Galen Rowell once described it as "the most influential environmental photograph ever taken". Also watch | US Gulf coast powers NASA's new moon rocket × NASA Administrator and former Senator Bill Nelson said Anders embodied the lessons and the purpose of exploration. "He traveled to the threshold of the Moon and helped all of us see something else: ourselves," Nelson wrote on the social platform X. In December 1968, William Anders became one of the first three members of the crew of Apollo 8 to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, Anders circled the Moon ten times, and broadcast live images and commentary back to Earth. This also included the famous Christmas Eve Genesis reading. During one of the mission's lunar orbits, he took the iconic Earthrise photograph that consolidated his place in the annals of human history.

Astronaut William Anders, who captured 'Earthrise' photo from Moon, dies in plane crash

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