Scientists have sounded an alarm on limiting global warming. The government across the globe were urged to step up with their efforts.

Scientists have sounded an alarm on limiting global warming

Our ideas of planets and stars are often fixated on the model presented by our solar system. In solar system, the Sun is at the centre while planets move around it in respective orbits. For many of us, this is the model for all planets and star systems in the universe. We tend to think that planets and stars are always found in nice families such as our solar system.

But universe also has those planets that do not have stars to call their own. So what do these planet revolve around? They don't. They are space nomads who roam the infinite expanse on their. An estimate says that there are billions of such planets in our galaxy alone. These planets are like ghost ships that roam the seas blindly without anyone onboard to steer them right.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-finds-more-indication-of-life-on-venus-439137">Study finds more indication of life on Venus</a>

Researchers from Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux in France have found 170 pf such rogue planets. These researchers made use of European Southern Observatory resources to make the discovery.

Rogue planets are formed when swirls of gas and dust in space forms them but just isn't enough to form their star. Another possibility is that such rogue planets may be the ones hurled outside their star systems. But these rogue planets may have a faint heat signature.&nbsp;

"We measured the tiny motions, the colors and luminosities of tens of millions of sources in a large area of the sky," says Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux astronomer and first author, Núria Miret-Roig. She was quoted by European Southern Observatory.

These planets have been found within the Upper Scorpius and Ophiuchus constellations. The study has been published in journal Nature Astronomy.

Our ideas of planets and stars are often fixated on the model presented by our solar system. In solar system, the Sun is at the centre while planets move around it in respective orbits.

Our ideas of planets and stars are often fixated on the model presented by our solar system. In solar system, the Sun is at the centre while planets move around it in respective orbits. For many of us, this is the model for all planets and star systems in the universe. We tend to think that planets and stars are always found in nice families such as our solar system. But universe also has those planets that do not have stars to call their own. So what do these planet revolve around? They don't. They are space nomads who roam the infinite expanse on their. An estimate says that there are billions of such planets in our galaxy alone. These planets are like ghost ships that roam the seas blindly without anyone onboard to steer them right. Also Read | Study finds more indication of life on Venus Researchers from Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux in France have found 170 pf such rogue planets. These researchers made use of European Southern Observatory resources to make the discovery. Rogue planets are formed when swirls of gas and dust in space forms them but just isn't enough to form their star. Another possibility is that such rogue planets may be the ones hurled outside their star systems. But these rogue planets may have a faint heat signature. "We measured the tiny motions, the colors and luminosities of tens of millions of sources in a large area of the sky," says Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux astronomer and first author, Núria Miret-Roig. She was quoted by European Southern Observatory. These planets have been found within the Upper Scorpius and Ophiuchus constellations. The study has been published in journal Nature Astronomy.

Scientists find 170 'rogue' planets

There are bizarre bizarre things in this world that make us go 'hmm' just to sound polite while our heads burst with genuine questions as to which thought sparked idea behind a particular invention. If lickable TV does not fall in this category according to you then just maybe your inquisitive nature needs a boost.

A Japanese professor has actually created a lickable TV screen. This TV screen can imitate flavours of food and is being touted as another step towards a 'multi sensory' viewing experience. Hmm!

The device is called Taste the TV (TTTV). It uses a carousel of 10 flavour canisters that spray in combination to create the taste of a particular food. The flavour sample then rolls on hygienic film over a flat TV screen for the viewer to try.&nbsp;

The intent behind developing lickable screen is noble.

Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita says that this kind of technology can enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world in the era of pandemic.

"The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home," he said.

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(The professor can be seen filling flavour canisters, Reuters image)

Professor Miyashita worked with team of about 30 students. The team has made a number of flavour-related devices. These include fork that makes food taste richer. Professor has made a prototype himself and says that commercial version would cost about $875 to make.

So who are the potential applicant who would show special interest in such a device?

The professor says sommeliers and cooks who are learning through distance education would make part of the customer base, so would be the people who want to organise tasting games and quizzes.

He also hopes to make a platform where tastes from around the world can be downloaded and enjoyed by users, much like music is now.

One Meiji student demonstrated TTTV for reporters, telling the screen she wanted to taste sweet chocolate. After a few tries, an automated voice repeated the order and flavour jets spritzed a sample onto a plastic sheet.

"It's kind of like milk chocolate," she said. "It's sweet like a chocolate sauce."

(With inputs from agencies)

There are bizarre bizarre things in this world that make us go 'hmm' just to sound polite while our heads burst with genuine questions as to which thought sparked idea behind a particular invention.

There are bizarre bizarre things in this world that make us go 'hmm' just to sound polite while our heads burst with genuine questions as to which thought sparked idea behind a particular invention. If lickable TV does not fall in this category according to you then just maybe your inquisitive nature needs a boost. A Japanese professor has actually created a lickable TV screen. This TV screen can imitate flavours of food and is being touted as another step towards a 'multi sensory' viewing experience. Hmm! The device is called Taste the TV (TTTV). It uses a carousel of 10 flavour canisters that spray in combination to create the taste of a particular food. The flavour sample then rolls on hygienic film over a flat TV screen for the viewer to try. The intent behind developing lickable screen is noble. Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita says that this kind of technology can enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world in the era of pandemic. "The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home," he said. (The professor can be seen filling flavour canisters, Reuters image) Professor Miyashita worked with team of about 30 students. The team has made a number of flavour-related devices. These include fork that makes food taste richer. Professor has made a prototype himself and says that commercial version would cost about $875 to make. So who are the potential applicant who would show special interest in such a device? The professor says sommeliers and cooks who are learning through distance education would make part of the customer base, so would be the people who want to organise tasting games and quizzes. He also hopes to make a platform where tastes from around the world can be downloaded and enjoyed by users, much like music is now. One Meiji student demonstrated TTTV for reporters, telling the screen she wanted to taste sweet chocolate. After a few tries, an automated voice repeated the order and flavour jets spritzed a sample onto a plastic sheet. "It's kind of like milk chocolate," she said. "It's sweet like a chocolate sauce." (With inputs from agencies)

Lickable TV: Japanese Professor creates screen that tastes good 

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet in the year 2021 flew by Earth recently. Scientists obviously had their eyes and lenses at the celestial body but many amateur astronomers pointed their telescopes at it as well. Those who could spot it grabbed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the comet will next be seen after 35,000 years. That is if Sun doesn't decide to gobble it up this time.

Talking about the Sun, the Comet Leonard made a very close approach to one of our spacecrafts in the area. NASA and European Space Agency's (ESA) solar orbitter spacecraft, like its name suggests, orbits the Sun and makes important observations about our only star.

Comet Leonard passed very close to the solar orbitter between December 17 and December 19.&nbsp;

Was there any damage to the orbitter? Thankfully not.

Was the operation of the orbitter hampered in any way? No.

Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI), the spacecraft captured images of the comet as it passed by. n

“When SoloHi recorded these images, the comet was approximately between the sun and the spacecraft, with its gas and dust tails pointing towards the spacecraft,” said the ESA in an official statement.

The spacecraft will continue to observe the comet till December 22. After that the comet will move out of its field of vision.

It is not exactly known what will happen of the comet as at its closest approach, it will be just 90 million miles away from the Sun. There is a chance that the icy comet will break-up due to the heat. Otherwise, Sun's gravity may fling it in space away from itself.

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet in the year 2021 flew by Earth recently. Scientists obviously had their eyes and lenses at the celestial body but many amateur astronomers pointed their telescopes at it as well.

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet in the year 2021 flew by Earth recently. Scientists obviously had their eyes and lenses at the celestial body but many amateur astronomers pointed their telescopes at it as well. Those who could spot it grabbed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the comet will next be seen after 35,000 years. That is if Sun doesn't decide to gobble it up this time. Talking about the Sun, the Comet Leonard made a very close approach to one of our spacecrafts in the area. NASA and European Space Agency's (ESA) solar orbitter spacecraft, like its name suggests, orbits the Sun and makes important observations about our only star. Comet Leonard passed very close to the solar orbitter between December 17 and December 19. Was there any damage to the orbitter? Thankfully not. Was the operation of the orbitter hampered in any way? No. Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI), the spacecraft captured images of the comet as it passed by. n “When SoloHi recorded these images, the comet was approximately between the sun and the spacecraft, with its gas and dust tails pointing towards the spacecraft,” said the ESA in an official statement. The spacecraft will continue to observe the comet till December 22. After that the comet will move out of its field of vision. It is not exactly known what will happen of the comet as at its closest approach, it will be just 90 million miles away from the Sun. There is a chance that the icy comet will break-up due to the heat. Otherwise, Sun's gravity may fling it in space away from itself.

Comet Leonard had a close shave with a spacecraft near Sun, check what happened

Worms are mostly harmless. All they do is quietly&nbsp;go&nbsp;about their business&nbsp;and crawling around. But something about them gives everyone chills. Bravest among&nbsp;us have shrieked like crazy when a worm, however small, has landed&nbsp;on them out of nowhere.

We know that Earth history has crazy things involved. Forget dinosaurs, mother nature seemed to have given life to other monstrosities that may certainly have made modern human life hell.

Falls into this list a worm literally weighing 50 kg! Most modern-day snakes don't weigh as much. But hey,&nbsp;pre-historic world was a crazy place.&nbsp;

A fossil, being called that of the&nbsp;largest millipede ever has been found. Millipedes are the same worms who have probably a thousand small legs to crawl around. This one is a massive thing.

The fossil was found on a beach in Northumberland, UK. This millipede is called Arthropleura. This giant nightmare was more than 8 feet long and weighed about 50 kg. It crawled the Earth 326 million years ago.

The fossil segment was found in 2018 when a sandstone block fell on to a beach in Howick Bay. Dr Neil Davies, from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences says that discovery of the fossil was completely a 'fluke'. He has been quoted by BBC.

Researchers believe that the place where the fossil was found was part of a river channel millions of years ago.

It's probably good that the worm is a fossil. Nobody would like an 8-foot monster with spider-like legs crawling around.

Fun Fact: Scientists think that the fossil is not the worm itself but the exoskeleton it shed when it was growing even bigger!

Worms are mostly harmless. All they do is quietly go about their business and crawling around. But something about them gives everyone chills. Bravest among us have shrieked like crazy when a worm, however small, has landed on them out of nowhere.

Worms are mostly harmless. All they do is quietly go about their business and crawling around. But something about them gives everyone chills. Bravest among us have shrieked like crazy when a worm, however small, has landed on them out of nowhere. We know that Earth history has crazy things involved. Forget dinosaurs, mother nature seemed to have given life to other monstrosities that may certainly have made modern human life hell. Falls into this list a worm literally weighing 50 kg! Most modern-day snakes don't weigh as much. But hey, pre-historic world was a crazy place. A fossil, being called that of the largest millipede ever has been found. Millipedes are the same worms who have probably a thousand small legs to crawl around. This one is a massive thing. The fossil was found on a beach in Northumberland, UK. This millipede is called Arthropleura. This giant nightmare was more than 8 feet long and weighed about 50 kg. It crawled the Earth 326 million years ago. The fossil segment was found in 2018 when a sandstone block fell on to a beach in Howick Bay. Dr Neil Davies, from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences says that discovery of the fossil was completely a 'fluke'. He has been quoted by BBC. Researchers believe that the place where the fossil was found was part of a river channel millions of years ago. It's probably good that the worm is a fossil. Nobody would like an 8-foot monster with spider-like legs crawling around. Fun Fact: Scientists think that the fossil is not the worm itself but the exoskeleton it shed when it was growing even bigger!

Worm literally weighing 50 kg found, good thing it is a fossil now, eh?

Auroras are mesmerising. Those who have seen it would tell you how the dance of colours across the sky makes us forget that it's just a phenomenon that can be scientifically explained.&nbsp;

Today if anyone wants to witness the Auroras, the person has to travel to countries closer to north or south pole. But there was a time in distant past when Auroras moved nearer to the equator. The resplendent dance of heavenly colours was visible from places on Earth that never witness it anymore.

Auroras are formed when solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind is a stream of solar particles. Earth's magnetism is strongest at the poles. This is why solar particles are directed towards poles and Auroras are visible in countries in far north or far south.

41,000 years ago Earth's magnetic field experienced&nbsp;a disturbance. The magnetic poles weakened. Axis of Earth's magnetic field tilted and solar particles were not attracted towards the polls anymore. They interacted with Earth's magnetic field at near-equatorial latitudes.

This meant that the play of colour that we see near poles today was very much visible at places nearer to equator. It took 1300 years for the magnetic field to regain its strength and tilt back.

Earth magnetic field&nbsp;also protects its atmosphere and life. So did weakening of magnetic field cause any harm to life 41,000 years ago? The researchers say yes, but maintain that more study was required to establish a a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

Auroras are mesmerising. Those who have seen it would tell you how the dance of colours across the sky makes us forget that it's just a phenomenon that can be scientifically explained.

Auroras are mesmerising. Those who have seen it would tell you how the dance of colours across the sky makes us forget that it's just a phenomenon that can be scientifically explained. Today if anyone wants to witness the Auroras, the person has to travel to countries closer to north or south pole. But there was a time in distant past when Auroras moved nearer to the equator. The resplendent dance of heavenly colours was visible from places on Earth that never witness it anymore. Auroras are formed when solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind is a stream of solar particles. Earth's magnetism is strongest at the poles. This is why solar particles are directed towards poles and Auroras are visible in countries in far north or far south. 41,000 years ago Earth's magnetic field experienced a disturbance. The magnetic poles weakened. Axis of Earth's magnetic field tilted and solar particles were not attracted towards the polls anymore. They interacted with Earth's magnetic field at near-equatorial latitudes. This meant that the play of colour that we see near poles today was very much visible at places nearer to equator. It took 1300 years for the magnetic field to regain its strength and tilt back. Earth magnetic field also protects its atmosphere and life. So did weakening of magnetic field cause any harm to life 41,000 years ago? The researchers say yes, but maintain that more study was required to establish a a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

41,000 years ago, Auroras could be seen from places nearer to equator

We all have seen alien movies. The space-faring adventurers often encounter them somewhere in the universe. The first conversation is always gibberish, with strange noises made by the aliens that can sound anything between a frightening hum to some electronic buzz that resembles children's video games. Creative imagination runs wild when it comes to representing alien worlds.

But if a legit space noise sounded not far away from these seemingly imaginative works, it's often scary. NASA has released noises captured near Jupiter's moon Ganymede.

Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. It is so large that it size dwarfs Mercury, a full-fledged planet. Ganymede also has its own magnetic field, something that other moons in solar system can't boast of.

NASA's Juno spacecraft is in Jupiter's neighbourhood and making its observations. Earlier this year, Juno captured Ganymede's electromagnetic waves.

NASA has converted these waves into sound and has released what can be perhaps scientifically considered as sound of Ganymede. The eerie audio has been released. Check out

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Scientists believe that Ganymede has oceans below ice on its surface. They think that life may even exist in these alien waters. So was an alien heard calling out to humanity in the sound clip? Hear again and take a guess.

We all have seen alien movies. The space-faring adventurers often encounter them somewhere in the universe. The first conversation is always gibberish, with strange noises made by the aliens that can sound anything between a frightening hum to some electronic buzz that resembles children's video games.

We all have seen alien movies. The space-faring adventurers often encounter them somewhere in the universe. The first conversation is always gibberish, with strange noises made by the aliens that can sound anything between a frightening hum to some electronic buzz that resembles children's video games. Creative imagination runs wild when it comes to representing alien worlds. But if a legit space noise sounded not far away from these seemingly imaginative works, it's often scary. NASA has released noises captured near Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. It is so large that it size dwarfs Mercury, a full-fledged planet. Ganymede also has its own magnetic field, something that other moons in solar system can't boast of. NASA's Juno spacecraft is in Jupiter's neighbourhood and making its observations. Earlier this year, Juno captured Ganymede's electromagnetic waves. NASA has converted these waves into sound and has released what can be perhaps scientifically considered as sound of Ganymede. The eerie audio has been released. Check out × Scientists believe that Ganymede has oceans below ice on its surface. They think that life may even exist in these alien waters. So was an alien heard calling out to humanity in the sound clip? Hear again and take a guess.

NASA releases eerie sounds captured near Jupiter's moon Ganymede

Sun is a violent, explosive star. It is constantly churning out heat and matter in the form of solar flares. Though Earth's atmosphere shields use from the worst, the solar flares pack enough punch for our satellites to malfunction and power grids to get disrupted.

Solar activity has an 11-year cycle during which it increases and decreases. However, scientists and researchers found that solar storms were of lessened intensity during Cycle 24 which lasted between 2008 and 2019, the Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were of lesser intensity than those in Cycle 23 (1996-2007).

Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are episodic expulsions of magntised plasma into space.

Scientists have found that average radial size of CMEs in Cycle 24 was just two-thirds of those in Cycle 23.

This was baffling the scientists as decrease in interplanetary gas pressure in space during Cycle 24 should have meant that CMEs should have been more intense than before. But the intensity decreased.

Scientists led by Dr Wageesh Mishra of Indian Institute of Astrophysics have found a reason behind this.

Dr Mishra has been quoted in media reports as saying that interstellar pressure indeed decrease during Cycle 24 but this effect was accompanied by reduction in magnetic content of CMEs. This was the reason why coronal mass ejections were of reduced intensity than in the previous cycle.

The work of these scientists has been published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Sun is a violent, explosive star. It is constantly churning out heat and matter in the form of solar flares. Though Earth's atmosphere shields use from the worst, the solar flares pack enough punch for our satellites to malfunction and power grids to get disrupted.

Sun is a violent, explosive star. It is constantly churning out heat and matter in the form of solar flares. Though Earth's atmosphere shields use from the worst, the solar flares pack enough punch for our satellites to malfunction and power grids to get disrupted. Solar activity has an 11-year cycle during which it increases and decreases. However, scientists and researchers found that solar storms were of lessened intensity during Cycle 24 which lasted between 2008 and 2019, the Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were of lesser intensity than those in Cycle 23 (1996-2007). Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are episodic expulsions of magntised plasma into space. Scientists have found that average radial size of CMEs in Cycle 24 was just two-thirds of those in Cycle 23. This was baffling the scientists as decrease in interplanetary gas pressure in space during Cycle 24 should have meant that CMEs should have been more intense than before. But the intensity decreased. Scientists led by Dr Wageesh Mishra of Indian Institute of Astrophysics have found a reason behind this. Dr Mishra has been quoted in media reports as saying that interstellar pressure indeed decrease during Cycle 24 but this effect was accompanied by reduction in magnetic content of CMEs. This was the reason why coronal mass ejections were of reduced intensity than in the previous cycle. The work of these scientists has been published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Scientist find reason why solar storms decreased in last decade

Barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) was spotted in a rare deep-sea sighting by remote-operated vehicle (ROV) of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) nearly 2,000 feet below ocean off the coast of California.&nbsp;

The video, which was released by MBARI on Thursday (December 9), study features of Barreleye can be seen, the most fascinating being its translucent barrel-shaped and tubular eyes.&nbsp;

MBARI revealed that during a dive with education and outreach partner, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the team recorded the alien-like fish.&nbsp;

What makes the sighting rare? This particular species has been recorded only nine times by MBARI's remotely operated vehicles Ventana and Doc Ricketts despite logging more than 5,600 successful dives and recorded more than 27,600 hours of video.&nbsp;

WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-extremely-rare-deep-sea-sighting-of-giant-phantom-jellyfish-with-bizarre-ribbon-like-mouth-arms-436003">Extremely rare deep-sea sighting of giant phantom jellyfish, with bizarre ribbon-like mouth arms</a>

MBARI noted that the barreleye lives in the ocean's twilight zone, at depths of 600 to 800 meters (2,000 to 2,600 feet), a place in oceans depths just beyond the reach of sunlight.&nbsp;

Look-wise, the fish are rather bizarre as their eyes look upwards to spot their favourite prey from the shadows they cast in the faint shimmer of sunlight from above.&nbsp;

Interestingly, MBARI researchers have learned that the barreleye can rotate its eyes beneath that dome of transparent tissue. It has also been learned that the fish are capable of directing their eyes forward, as well so that they can see the food while eating.&nbsp;

"Aquarist Tommy Knowles and his team were aboard MBARI’s R/V Rachel Carson with our ROV Ventana to collect jellies and comb jellies for the Aquarium’s upcoming Into the Deep exhibition when they spotted this fascinating fish. The team stopped to marvel at Macropinna before it swam away," MBARI revealed.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-shows-that-away-from-human-touch-tropical-forests-can-regenerate-in-20-years-435723">Study shows that away from human touch, tropical forests can regenerate in 20 years</a>

Watch the video here:

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MBARI further revealed that they are working with the Aquarium to bring the deep sea next spring.&nbsp;

"'Into the Deep' will bring you face-to-face with deep-sea denizens like bloody-belly comb jellies, bubblegum corals, and Japanese spider crabs," MBARI stated.&nbsp;

Barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) was spotted in a rare deep-sea sighting by remote-operated vehicle (ROV) of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) nearly 2,000 feet below ocean off the coast of California.

Barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) was spotted in a rare deep-sea sighting by remote-operated vehicle (ROV) of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) nearly 2,000 feet below ocean off the coast of California. The video, which was released by MBARI on Thursday (December 9), study features of Barreleye can be seen, the most fascinating being its translucent barrel-shaped and tubular eyes. MBARI revealed that during a dive with education and outreach partner, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the team recorded the alien-like fish. What makes the sighting rare? This particular species has been recorded only nine times by MBARI's remotely operated vehicles Ventana and Doc Ricketts despite logging more than 5,600 successful dives and recorded more than 27,600 hours of video. WATCH | Extremely rare deep-sea sighting of giant phantom jellyfish, with bizarre ribbon-like mouth arms MBARI noted that the barreleye lives in the ocean's twilight zone, at depths of 600 to 800 meters (2,000 to 2,600 feet), a place in oceans depths just beyond the reach of sunlight. Look-wise, the fish are rather bizarre as their eyes look upwards to spot their favourite prey from the shadows they cast in the faint shimmer of sunlight from above. Interestingly, MBARI researchers have learned that the barreleye can rotate its eyes beneath that dome of transparent tissue. It has also been learned that the fish are capable of directing their eyes forward, as well so that they can see the food while eating. "Aquarist Tommy Knowles and his team were aboard MBARI’s R/V Rachel Carson with our ROV Ventana to collect jellies and comb jellies for the Aquarium’s upcoming Into the Deep exhibition when they spotted this fascinating fish. The team stopped to marvel at Macropinna before it swam away," MBARI revealed. ALSO READ | Study shows that away from human touch, tropical forests can regenerate in 20 years Watch the video here: × MBARI further revealed that they are working with the Aquarium to bring the deep sea next spring. "'Into the Deep' will bring you face-to-face with deep-sea denizens like bloody-belly comb jellies, bubblegum corals, and Japanese spider crabs," MBARI stated.

Watch: No, it's not an alien! Bizarre fish with translucent head and tubular eyes spotted

In a super rare sighting, researchers have spotted a giant deep-sea jellyfish, off the coast of California with the help of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts.

In a super rare sighting, researchers have spotted a giant deep-sea jellyfish, off the coast of California with the help of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts. The footage showed unique and stunning details of the creature. As per a report published by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the rare sighting was recorded in November this year, 990 meters (3,200 feet) deep in Monterey Bay. The mysterious phantom jellyfish was first officially documented in 1899 but scientists recognised this as a new species until 60 years later. Still, scientists know very little about this animal. So far the specimen of the giant phantom jelly has been spotted just 110 times in 110 years worldwide. As mentioned by the MBARI report, their ROVs have logged thousands of dives and yet only seen this spectacular species nine times. ALSO READ | Study shows that away from human touch, tropical forests can regenerate in 20 years Features of the giant phantom jellyfish: MBARI report revealed that the bell of this deep-sea denizen is more than one meter (3.3 feet) across and trails four ribbon-like oral (or mouth) arms that can grow to more than 10 meters (33 feet) in length. It is believed that the creature lives anywhere from surface level to 21,900ft. However, it remains in an area called the twilight zone, just beyond the reach of sunlight. The researchers stated that the creature, scientifically known as Stygiomedusa gigantea, is found worldwide, except for the Arctic Ocean. It is important to note that historically, scientists relied on trawl nets to study deep-sea animals, however, the drawback was to study the jellies as they turn to gelatinous goo in trawl nets. The nets can be effective for studying hardy animals such as fishes, crustaceans, and squids. Now, the robot cams have allowed researchers to study these animals intact in their natural environment with a high-definition video. ALSO READ | Coral reefs in western Indian Ocean face extinction by 2070, study claims Watch the video here: ×

Watch: Extremely rare deep-sea sighting of giant phantom jellyfish, with bizarre ribbon-like mouth arms

A science exhibition seems to be breaking stereotypes in Switzerland. It seems to be spreading the word that gender diversity and homosexuality are not immoral or unnatural, as per a media report. &nbsp;

The 'Queer — Diversity is in our nature' exhibition, which is being held till March 2023, at the Bern Museum in Switzerland's capital, is encouraging tolerance and openness. &nbsp;

This exhibition looks to show the diversity of gender and sexual orientation within humans and other animals, the report said on Friday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-extremely-rare-deep-sea-sighting-of-giant-phantom-jellyfish-with-bizarre-ribbon-like-mouth-arms-436003" hreflang="en">Watch: Extremely rare deep-sea sighting of giant phantom jellyfish, with bizarre ribbon-like mouth arms</a>

The exhibition displays biological studies to confront contemporary debates on homosexuality to bridge nature with society. It also includes the finding that same-sex relationships have been witnessed in over 1,500 species. &nbsp;

Christian Kropf, biologist, University of Bern's Institute of Ecology and Evolution and scientific curator of the exhibition, said that same-sex relationships are an everyday occurrence in nature. They also generate social cohesion. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/faster-than-usain-bolt-study-reveals-theropod-dinosaurs-could-run-really-fast-435905" hreflang="en">Faster than Usain Bolt? Study reveals Theropod dinosaurs could run really fast</a>

"Many people think that homosexuality and being queer are marginal and perverse phenomena. They say they are unnatural. But this is nonsense!" Kropf said. &nbsp;

European rams and male bottlenose dolphins are best examples of species, who are capable of forming lasting same-sex relationships, Kropf added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A science exhibition seems to be breaking stereotypes in Switzerland. It seems to be spreading the word that gender diversity and homosexuality are not immoral or unnatural, as per a media report.

A science exhibition seems to be breaking stereotypes in Switzerland. It seems to be spreading the word that gender diversity and homosexuality are not immoral or unnatural, as per a media report. The 'Queer — Diversity is in our nature' exhibition, which is being held till March 2023, at the Bern Museum in Switzerland's capital, is encouraging tolerance and openness. This exhibition looks to show the diversity of gender and sexual orientation within humans and other animals, the report said on Friday. Also Read: Watch: Extremely rare deep-sea sighting of giant phantom jellyfish, with bizarre ribbon-like mouth arms The exhibition displays biological studies to confront contemporary debates on homosexuality to bridge nature with society. It also includes the finding that same-sex relationships have been witnessed in over 1,500 species. Christian Kropf, biologist, University of Bern's Institute of Ecology and Evolution and scientific curator of the exhibition, said that same-sex relationships are an everyday occurrence in nature. They also generate social cohesion. Also Read: Faster than Usain Bolt? Study reveals Theropod dinosaurs could run really fast "Many people think that homosexuality and being queer are marginal and perverse phenomena. They say they are unnatural. But this is nonsense!" Kropf said. European rams and male bottlenose dolphins are best examples of species, who are capable of forming lasting same-sex relationships, Kropf added. (With inputs from agencies)

Science exhibition fights humans’ 'unnatural' homophobia in Switzerland

Though there are many misconceptions, even superstitions associated with comets, they are nothing but celestial bodies that travel around the Sun in insanely big orbits.

When these icy bodies come relatively close to the Sun, the melting ice and other substances make what is known as the tail of a comet. And when they zoom past Earth, sometimes the comets are visible with naked eye.

Comet Leonard is slated to make its closest approach to Earth on December 12. It will be the brightest comet of 2021. The comet was discovered by Gregory J Leonard earlier this year.

You may want to catch a glimpse of Comet Leonard now because when it'll come to our neighbourhood again, it will be too late for all of us. If you miss it this time, you'll have to wait 35,000 years to see it again.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/star-system-with-planet-10-times-bigger-than-jupiter-is-disproving-assumptions-435522">Star system with planet 10 times bigger than Jupiter is disproving assumptions</a>

It is expected that the comet would be visible to the naked eye, but it is advisable to use binoculars or telescope in order to fully appreciate the space spectacle.

When is the best time to watch Comet Leonard?

The comet will make its closest approach on December 12. The best time to spot it will be a few hours before dawn.&nbsp;

Where to look in the sky to spot Comet Leonard?

The comet would be visible in east-northeast part of the sky in the first weeks of December. It will pass between Arcturus, the brightest star of the Bootes constellation and the handle of the Big Dipper asterism.

After December 14, the comet can be seen in the evening sky after sunset. Astronomers say that comet Leonard will be visible till December 17.

Though there are many misconceptions, even superstitions associated with comets, they are nothing but celestial bodies that travel around the Sun in insanely big orbits.

Though there are many misconceptions, even superstitions associated with comets, they are nothing but celestial bodies that travel around the Sun in insanely big orbits. When these icy bodies come relatively close to the Sun, the melting ice and other substances make what is known as the tail of a comet. And when they zoom past Earth, sometimes the comets are visible with naked eye. Comet Leonard is slated to make its closest approach to Earth on December 12. It will be the brightest comet of 2021. The comet was discovered by Gregory J Leonard earlier this year. You may want to catch a glimpse of Comet Leonard now because when it'll come to our neighbourhood again, it will be too late for all of us. If you miss it this time, you'll have to wait 35,000 years to see it again. Also Read | Star system with planet 10 times bigger than Jupiter is disproving assumptions It is expected that the comet would be visible to the naked eye, but it is advisable to use binoculars or telescope in order to fully appreciate the space spectacle. When is the best time to watch Comet Leonard? The comet will make its closest approach on December 12. The best time to spot it will be a few hours before dawn. Where to look in the sky to spot Comet Leonard? The comet would be visible in east-northeast part of the sky in the first weeks of December. It will pass between Arcturus, the brightest star of the Bootes constellation and the handle of the Big Dipper asterism. After December 14, the comet can be seen in the evening sky after sunset. Astronomers say that comet Leonard will be visible till December 17.

Leonard: Brightest comet of 2021 to make closest approach in few days | How to watch

There is no saying what the universe might throw at us. Just when some of us think they know everything about it, a new discovery tosses all that smugness out of the park.&nbsp;

Scientists have now spotted one of the smallest planets ever to be discovered outside our solar system. The planet, designated as GJ 367b is a red-hot world. It's just a bit larger than Mars and is as dense as pure Iron.&nbsp;

The planet zooms around its star every eight hours. It is 31 light-years away from Earth.

Scientists are eager to find exoplanets, as these alien worlds are known, that might harbor life. The newly discovered one, called GJ 367b, certainly could not, possessing ferocious surface temperatures and perhaps a molten lava surface on the side facing its star, they said. But other small exoplanets found and studied using the same methods might emerge as good candidates for nurturing extraterrestrial life.

A quarter century after the first exoplanet discoveries, scientists have turned toward characterizing them more precisely to gain a deeper understanding of their variety, from large gas giants akin to Jupiter to smaller rocky Earth-like planets where life might thrive.

"Gas giants such as Jupiter, as we know it, are not habitable because they have more extreme temperatures, weather, pressures and a lack of essential building blocks to support life," said astronomer Kristine Lam of the Institute of Planetary Research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), lead author of the study published in the journal Science. She was quoted by Reuters.

"Unlike gas giants, small terrestrial worlds like Earth are more temperate and consist of important ingredients, such as liquid water and oxygen, to harbor life forms. Although not all terrestrial exoplanets are habitable, searching for smaller worlds and identifying the type of planets they are can help us understand how planets were formed, what makes a planet habitable and if our solar system is unique," Lam added.

GJ 367b is the smallest exoplanet to be so precisely characterized. It has a diameter of about 5,600 miles (9,000 km) - compared to Earth's 7,900 miles (12,700 km) and the 4,200 miles (6,800 km) of Mars. Its mass is 55% that of Earth and it is more dense - near that of pure iron.

The researchers calculated that 86% of GJ 367b is composed of iron, with an interior structure resembling Mercury, the closest planet to our sun. They are wondering whether the planet lost an outer mantle that once encased its core.

"Perhaps like Mercury, GJ 367b could have experienced an episode of giant impact which stripped away the mantle, leaving behind a large iron core. Or maybe the exoplanet is a remnant of a Neptune or super-Earth sized gaseous planet, where the atmosphere of the planet has completely blown away as the planet is blasted by a large amount of radiation from the star," Lam said.

(With inputs from agencies)

There is no saying what the universe might throw at us. Just when some of us think they know everything about it, a new discovery tosses all that smugness out of the park.

There is no saying what the universe might throw at us. Just when some of us think they know everything about it, a new discovery tosses all that smugness out of the park. Scientists have now spotted one of the smallest planets ever to be discovered outside our solar system. The planet, designated as GJ 367b is a red-hot world. It's just a bit larger than Mars and is as dense as pure Iron. The planet zooms around its star every eight hours. It is 31 light-years away from Earth. Scientists are eager to find exoplanets, as these alien worlds are known, that might harbor life. The newly discovered one, called GJ 367b, certainly could not, possessing ferocious surface temperatures and perhaps a molten lava surface on the side facing its star, they said. But other small exoplanets found and studied using the same methods might emerge as good candidates for nurturing extraterrestrial life. A quarter century after the first exoplanet discoveries, scientists have turned toward characterizing them more precisely to gain a deeper understanding of their variety, from large gas giants akin to Jupiter to smaller rocky Earth-like planets where life might thrive. "Gas giants such as Jupiter, as we know it, are not habitable because they have more extreme temperatures, weather, pressures and a lack of essential building blocks to support life," said astronomer Kristine Lam of the Institute of Planetary Research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), lead author of the study published in the journal Science. She was quoted by Reuters. "Unlike gas giants, small terrestrial worlds like Earth are more temperate and consist of important ingredients, such as liquid water and oxygen, to harbor life forms. Although not all terrestrial exoplanets are habitable, searching for smaller worlds and identifying the type of planets they are can help us understand how planets were formed, what makes a planet habitable and if our solar system is unique," Lam added. GJ 367b is the smallest exoplanet to be so precisely characterized. It has a diameter of about 5,600 miles (9,000 km) - compared to Earth's 7,900 miles (12,700 km) and the 4,200 miles (6,800 km) of Mars. Its mass is 55% that of Earth and it is more dense - near that of pure iron. The researchers calculated that 86% of GJ 367b is composed of iron, with an interior structure resembling Mercury, the closest planet to our sun. They are wondering whether the planet lost an outer mantle that once encased its core. "Perhaps like Mercury, GJ 367b could have experienced an episode of giant impact which stripped away the mantle, leaving behind a large iron core. Or maybe the exoplanet is a remnant of a Neptune or super-Earth sized gaseous planet, where the atmosphere of the planet has completely blown away as the planet is blasted by a large amount of radiation from the star," Lam said. (With inputs from agencies)

On this planet as dense as Iron, a year lasts only eight hours

You know what's a black box right? A box inside aircrafts which collects vital information before the plane is about to crash. As irreversible the damage in that particular air crash is, information contained in the black box sheds some major light on reasons behind the crash. Analysis of this information helps in preventing such catastrophe in future.&nbsp;

A similar sort of black box is being built for Earth. So is Earth in danger? Is it akin to an aircraft primed for a crash? Many scientists say so. While this 'crash' may not be a literal one, effects of climate change are said to have massive impact on human civilisation.

This black box is being built on western coast of Tasmania, Australia. Its mission is to 'record every step' humankind takes towards eventual destruction.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-first-fossils-of-a-herd-of-11-dinosaurs-found-in-italy-433711">In a first, fossils of a herd of 11 dinosaurs found in Italy</a>

While all this business sounds gloomy, the information contained in this black box is expected to be a warning to future civilisations. In simpler terms, this may be a manual for 'how not to commit civilisational suicide'.

The black box is currently in beta stage of testing. When it's complete, this black box will be the size of a school bus with 3-inch-thick steel coating. It will have solar panels. It will also have data storage drives.

Once activated, the black box will measure atmospheric carbon levels and temperature changes. It will also be equipped with an algorithm that will enable it to surf the net in search of vital information, even social media posts.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-wants-you-to-help-in-establishing-a-nuclear-reactor-on-the-moon-by-2030-433415">NASA wants you to help in establishing a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030</a>

This black box is being built by marketing communications company Clemenger BBDO in collaboration with researchers in University of Tasmania.

It is estimated that storage drives will last for next 30 to 50 years.

End of the world is THAT close? Yikes!

You know what's a black box right? A box inside aircrafts which collects vital information before the plane is about to crash. As irreversible the damage in that particular air crash is, information contained in the black box sheds some major light on reasons behind the crash.

You know what's a black box right? A box inside aircrafts which collects vital information before the plane is about to crash. As irreversible the damage in that particular air crash is, information contained in the black box sheds some major light on reasons behind the crash. Analysis of this information helps in preventing such catastrophe in future. A similar sort of black box is being built for Earth. So is Earth in danger? Is it akin to an aircraft primed for a crash? Many scientists say so. While this 'crash' may not be a literal one, effects of climate change are said to have massive impact on human civilisation. This black box is being built on western coast of Tasmania, Australia. Its mission is to 'record every step' humankind takes towards eventual destruction. Also Read | In a first, fossils of a herd of 11 dinosaurs found in Italy While all this business sounds gloomy, the information contained in this black box is expected to be a warning to future civilisations. In simpler terms, this may be a manual for 'how not to commit civilisational suicide'. The black box is currently in beta stage of testing. When it's complete, this black box will be the size of a school bus with 3-inch-thick steel coating. It will have solar panels. It will also have data storage drives. Once activated, the black box will measure atmospheric carbon levels and temperature changes. It will also be equipped with an algorithm that will enable it to surf the net in search of vital information, even social media posts. Also Read | NASA wants you to help in establishing a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 This black box is being built by marketing communications company Clemenger BBDO in collaboration with researchers in University of Tasmania. It is estimated that storage drives will last for next 30 to 50 years. End of the world is THAT close? Yikes!

This 'black box for Earth' will record everything as our civilisation dies

Humans have fingers to carry out tasks and sense surroundings. Animals have digits in their limbs with variety of modifications. We may be forgiven for thinking for all these years that it is just front and hind legs (or flippers, as the case may be) that enable animals, especially mammals to reach out in the surroundings.

A new study has shown that some mammals use their whiskers to sense the surroundings!

Yep those cute little things we thought added to the aww-quotient of the animals are somewhat like sensory organs.

Researchers concluded this by studying a female sea lion.

The sea lion, named Lo, took part in variety of experiments. It was found that the sea lion was receptive to the training that taught her to differentiate between objects using just whiskers.

The sea lion could differentiate between size. It could tell difference between textures. It was found that some whisker movement was involved in differentiation of colour as well.

Lo was filmed during the experiments. It was found that task-specific movements of whiskers were made by the sea lion in different tasks. It was seen that switching between different task-specific movements of whiskers enabled Lo to perform that particular task efficiently. &nbsp;

Humans have fingers to carry out tasks and sense surroundings. Animals have digits in their limbs with variety of modifications. We may be forgiven for thinking for all these years that it is just front and hind legs (or flippers, as the case may be) that enable animals, especially mammals to reach out in the surroundings.

Humans have fingers to carry out tasks and sense surroundings. Animals have digits in their limbs with variety of modifications. We may be forgiven for thinking for all these years that it is just front and hind legs (or flippers, as the case may be) that enable animals, especially mammals to reach out in the surroundings. A new study has shown that some mammals use their whiskers to sense the surroundings! Yep those cute little things we thought added to the aww-quotient of the animals are somewhat like sensory organs. Researchers concluded this by studying a female sea lion. The sea lion, named Lo, took part in variety of experiments. It was found that the sea lion was receptive to the training that taught her to differentiate between objects using just whiskers. The sea lion could differentiate between size. It could tell difference between textures. It was found that some whisker movement was involved in differentiation of colour as well. Lo was filmed during the experiments. It was found that task-specific movements of whiskers were made by the sea lion in different tasks. It was seen that switching between different task-specific movements of whiskers enabled Lo to perform that particular task efficiently.

Sea lions use whiskers to sense world around them, just like human fingers

The thought of combining a printer (the bane of office workers) with the bacterium E. coli (the scourge of romaine lettuce) may seem an odd, if not unpleasant, collaboration.

But scientists have recently melded the virtues of the infuriating tool and of the toxic microbe to produce an ink that is alive, made entirely from microbes. The microbial ink flows like toothpaste under pressure and can be 3D printed into various tiny shapes — a circle, a square and a cone — all of which hold their form and glisten like Jell-O.

The researchers describe their recipe for their programmable, microbial ink in a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The material is still being developed, but the authors suggest that the ink could be a crucial renewable building material, able to grow and heal itself and ideal for constructing sustainable homes on Earth and in space.

This new substance is not the first living ink. Scientists have previously created printable gels that were cocktails of bacteria and polymers that helped provide structure when printed. One such ink contained hyaluronic acid, a seaweed extract and fumed silica — all agents that made the material thicker and more viscous.

But the new substance contains no additional polymers; it is produced entirely from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. The researchers induce bacterial cultures to grow the ink, which is also made of living bacteria cells. When the ink is harvested from the liquid culture, it becomes firm like gelatin and can be plugged into 3D printers and printed into living structures, which do not grow further and remain in their printed forms.

“They developed this really nice engineered platform where the microbes secrete their own ink,” said Sujit Datta, a chemical and biological engineer at Princeton University who was not involved with the research. “The microbes are creating the material themselves — you just have to feed them and keep them happy.”

Bacteria may seem an unconventional building block. But microbes are a crucial component of products such as perfumes and vitamins, and scientists have already engineered microbes to produce biodegradable plastics.

A material like a microbial ink has more grandiose ambitions, according to Neel Joshi, a synthetic biologist at Northeastern University and an author on the new paper. Such inks are an expanding focus of the field of engineered living materials. Unlike structures cast from concrete or plastic, living systems would be autonomous, adaptive to environmental cues and able to regenerate — at least, that is the aspirational goal, Joshi said.

“Imagine creating buildings that heal themselves,” Datta said.

To Joshi, the best analogy may be a seed’s transformation into a tree. A seed has all the information it needs to harvest the energy of the sun and organize its growth and development into something as complex and grand as a tree. In an engineered living system, a single engineered cell could function like a seed.

Microbes, on their own, aren’t great at making clearly defined shapes in three dimensions. “Think of pond scum,” Joshi said. “That’s kind of the level of complexity that bacteria are comfortable with, in terms of making shapes.”

Typically, microbial inks rely on a scaffold of polymers to stiffen their scummy forms. But polymers have their own limitations and can alter the mechanical properties of the ink in unwanted ways, Datta said. Also, the polymers must be biocompatible, so the microbes do not die. And synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene, are derived from oil and are not renewable.

Forgoing polymers and using only microbes “provides a lot more tunability in what you can print,” said R. Kōnane Bay, a soft-matter physicist and an incoming assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, who was not involved with the research.

Many engineered living materials take the form of hydrogels, structures that can absorb large quantities of water, like gelatin. In 2018, Joshi and Anna Duraj-Thatte, an engineer at Virginia Tech and an author on the new paper, successfully created a hydrogel entirely from E. coli that could grow and regenerate.

Although the hydrogel could be squeezed through a syringe, it was not stiff enough to stand on its own. “You could not make any structures,” Duraj-Thatte said.

The researchers needed to firm up the substance. “We came up with this strategy where we use fibrin, which is a polymer used in blood-clotting in humans and many other animals,” said team member Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, who completed the work while he was a researcher at Harvard University.

The researchers genetically engineered the E. coli to produce a protein polymer from fibrin designed to link into a meshlike network — imagine a heavy duty cargo net. This makes the material stiff enough to print while still able to flow from the nozzle of the 3D printer.

The authors took their microbial ink to 3D printers at the lab of Yu Shrike Zhang, a bioengineer at Harvard Medical School, which often uses the printers for tissue-engineering mammalian cells. The lab was one of the few brave enough to invite bacteria into its sanitary printing space.

“A lab that their bread and butter is just doing tissue engineering with mammalian cells would be kind of gun-shy about bringing bacteria anywhere near there,” Joshi said.

“It’s a lab that will try many different things,” Duraj-Thatte said.

The researchers printed the microbial ink into a number of shapes and patterns to test its ability to hold its shape: a lattice grid, a box, a ring and a cone that looked almost like an icicle. The ink was squeezed like toothpaste from the printer but did not ooze or melt once printed, passing all the tests.

They also put the ink to a fidelity test to see how far a strand of the ink would stretch without breaking. In the test, the printer’s nozzle extruded a half-millimeter-thick strand of ink across a line of successive pillars, each one a greater distance from the last — intended to show how far between pillars the ink strand could hold without breaking.

The strand could support its own weight between pillars that were 16 millimeters apart: a success. When Duraj-Thatte and Manjula-Basavanna recorded the test in real time in the lab, they said, they began screaming with excitement about the proof that the ink worked. (The video that accompanied the published study did not include audio.)

To test whether the printed structures could perform functions, Duraj-Thatte and Manjula-Basavanna also remixed the ink with other microbes that had been engineered to perform specific tasks. In one therapeutic test, the printed ink released the anti-cancer drug azurin when exposed to a chemical. In another test, the printed ink successfully trapped the toxic chemical BPA, suggesting that the material could potentially remove harmful contaminants from its surroundings.

The ink still needs a lot of work. It can’t withstand drying out, and is not currently stable enough to be the sole basis of larger constructions, such as a house fit for a human; the researchers are working on ways to make more robust printed structures. But researchers see few limits to its possible future applications.

Duraj-Thatte hopes to see the ink combined with tissue engineering, as it can be customized for medical applications. Joshi suggested the ink could eventually offer a greener, renewable way to construct buildings. Bay wondered if the ink could be created from other bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida, which can clean up the toxin phenol. “We can think about making them into biosensors,” Bay suggested.

Manjula-Basavanna is shooting for the moon, Earth’s satellite, where there are no forests to harvest for wood and no easy way to send bulk building materials. There, he said, the ink might be used as a self-regenerating substance to help build habitats on other planets, as well as places on Earth.

“There is a lot of work to be done to make it scalable and economic,” Datta conceded. But, he noted, just five years ago creating robust structures out of microbes was unimaginable; conceivably, self-healing buildings could be a reality in our lifetime.

“It’s hard to project into the future,” Datta said. “But given the pace in this area, the future looks very bright.”

The thought of combining a printer (the bane of office workers) with the bacterium E. coli (the scourge of romaine lettuce) may seem an odd, if not unpleasant, collaboration.

The thought of combining a printer (the bane of office workers) with the bacterium E. coli (the scourge of romaine lettuce) may seem an odd, if not unpleasant, collaboration. But scientists have recently melded the virtues of the infuriating tool and of the toxic microbe to produce an ink that is alive, made entirely from microbes. The microbial ink flows like toothpaste under pressure and can be 3D printed into various tiny shapes — a circle, a square and a cone — all of which hold their form and glisten like Jell-O. The researchers describe their recipe for their programmable, microbial ink in a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The material is still being developed, but the authors suggest that the ink could be a crucial renewable building material, able to grow and heal itself and ideal for constructing sustainable homes on Earth and in space. This new substance is not the first living ink. Scientists have previously created printable gels that were cocktails of bacteria and polymers that helped provide structure when printed. One such ink contained hyaluronic acid, a seaweed extract and fumed silica — all agents that made the material thicker and more viscous. But the new substance contains no additional polymers; it is produced entirely from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. The researchers induce bacterial cultures to grow the ink, which is also made of living bacteria cells. When the ink is harvested from the liquid culture, it becomes firm like gelatin and can be plugged into 3D printers and printed into living structures, which do not grow further and remain in their printed forms. “They developed this really nice engineered platform where the microbes secrete their own ink,” said Sujit Datta, a chemical and biological engineer at Princeton University who was not involved with the research. “The microbes are creating the material themselves — you just have to feed them and keep them happy.” Bacteria may seem an unconventional building block. But microbes are a crucial component of products such as perfumes and vitamins, and scientists have already engineered microbes to produce biodegradable plastics. A material like a microbial ink has more grandiose ambitions, according to Neel Joshi, a synthetic biologist at Northeastern University and an author on the new paper. Such inks are an expanding focus of the field of engineered living materials. Unlike structures cast from concrete or plastic, living systems would be autonomous, adaptive to environmental cues and able to regenerate — at least, that is the aspirational goal, Joshi said. “Imagine creating buildings that heal themselves,” Datta said. To Joshi, the best analogy may be a seed’s transformation into a tree. A seed has all the information it needs to harvest the energy of the sun and organize its growth and development into something as complex and grand as a tree. In an engineered living system, a single engineered cell could function like a seed. Microbes, on their own, aren’t great at making clearly defined shapes in three dimensions. “Think of pond scum,” Joshi said. “That’s kind of the level of complexity that bacteria are comfortable with, in terms of making shapes.” Typically, microbial inks rely on a scaffold of polymers to stiffen their scummy forms. But polymers have their own limitations and can alter the mechanical properties of the ink in unwanted ways, Datta said. Also, the polymers must be biocompatible, so the microbes do not die. And synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene, are derived from oil and are not renewable. Forgoing polymers and using only microbes “provides a lot more tunability in what you can print,” said R. Kōnane Bay, a soft-matter physicist and an incoming assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, who was not involved with the research. Many engineered living materials take the form of hydrogels, structures that can absorb large quantities of water, like gelatin. In 2018, Joshi and Anna Duraj-Thatte, an engineer at Virginia Tech and an author on the new paper, successfully created a hydrogel entirely from E. coli that could grow and regenerate. Although the hydrogel could be squeezed through a syringe, it was not stiff enough to stand on its own. “You could not make any structures,” Duraj-Thatte said. The researchers needed to firm up the substance. “We came up with this strategy where we use fibrin, which is a polymer used in blood-clotting in humans and many other animals,” said team member Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, who completed the work while he was a researcher at Harvard University. The researchers genetically engineered the E. coli to produce a protein polymer from fibrin designed to link into a meshlike network — imagine a heavy duty cargo net. This makes the material stiff enough to print while still able to flow from the nozzle of the 3D printer. The authors took their microbial ink to 3D printers at the lab of Yu Shrike Zhang, a bioengineer at Harvard Medical School, which often uses the printers for tissue-engineering mammalian cells. The lab was one of the few brave enough to invite bacteria into its sanitary printing space. “A lab that their bread and butter is just doing tissue engineering with mammalian cells would be kind of gun-shy about bringing bacteria anywhere near there,” Joshi said. “It’s a lab that will try many different things,” Duraj-Thatte said. The researchers printed the microbial ink into a number of shapes and patterns to test its ability to hold its shape: a lattice grid, a box, a ring and a cone that looked almost like an icicle. The ink was squeezed like toothpaste from the printer but did not ooze or melt once printed, passing all the tests. They also put the ink to a fidelity test to see how far a strand of the ink would stretch without breaking. In the test, the printer’s nozzle extruded a half-millimeter-thick strand of ink across a line of successive pillars, each one a greater distance from the last — intended to show how far between pillars the ink strand could hold without breaking. The strand could support its own weight between pillars that were 16 millimeters apart: a success. When Duraj-Thatte and Manjula-Basavanna recorded the test in real time in the lab, they said, they began screaming with excitement about the proof that the ink worked. (The video that accompanied the published study did not include audio.) To test whether the printed structures could perform functions, Duraj-Thatte and Manjula-Basavanna also remixed the ink with other microbes that had been engineered to perform specific tasks. In one therapeutic test, the printed ink released the anti-cancer drug azurin when exposed to a chemical. In another test, the printed ink successfully trapped the toxic chemical BPA, suggesting that the material could potentially remove harmful contaminants from its surroundings. The ink still needs a lot of work. It can’t withstand drying out, and is not currently stable enough to be the sole basis of larger constructions, such as a house fit for a human; the researchers are working on ways to make more robust printed structures. But researchers see few limits to its possible future applications. Duraj-Thatte hopes to see the ink combined with tissue engineering, as it can be customized for medical applications. Joshi suggested the ink could eventually offer a greener, renewable way to construct buildings. Bay wondered if the ink could be created from other bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida, which can clean up the toxin phenol. “We can think about making them into biosensors,” Bay suggested. Manjula-Basavanna is shooting for the moon, Earth’s satellite, where there are no forests to harvest for wood and no easy way to send bulk building materials. There, he said, the ink might be used as a self-regenerating substance to help build habitats on other planets, as well as places on Earth. “There is a lot of work to be done to make it scalable and economic,” Datta conceded. But, he noted, just five years ago creating robust structures out of microbes was unimaginable; conceivably, self-healing buildings could be a reality in our lifetime. “It’s hard to project into the future,” Datta said. “But given the pace in this area, the future looks very bright.”

This ink is alive and made entirely of microbes

The world is witnessing a space race of sorts again with entry of private companies in the domain previously exclusive to government space agencies. Questions are often raised about whether we need to spend billions on space when we have pressing issues here on Earth. But it has been seen the technological and scientific frontiers heralded by space exploration has often led to advancement of science and tech on Earth.

"There’s great benefits here on earth as a result of space exploration activities and continued human presence in Low Earth Orbit," says Colonel Pam Melroy, a former NASA Astronaut who is currently NASA’s deputy administrator.&nbsp;

“Climate change is an existential crisis, the best place to monitor earth, is from space… There are a lot of problems to solve… We go to space to benefit life on Earth and those who spend their effort on it see a direct line of sight.”&nbsp;

The top American official was in discussion with heads of space agencies from the Quad countries (Japan, Australia, India, US), hosted as part of the Sydney Dialogue, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.&nbsp;

“Traditionally government agencies carried out space activities, but there has been increased activity in low earth orbit (LEO) in the last decade. In the midst of this, ordinary people and astronauts are going to space. Increasing access to space can create new services on Earth and improve life here,” agrees Dr Hiroshi Yamakawa, president, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA).&nbsp;

On the need for greater collaboration between Quad countries, he added that the future lunar exploration has to be a joint effort, as there exists the possibility of having a manned space station in the vicinity of the Moon, which can enable sustained exploration in the region and also on the lunar surface. The Japanese space agency head emphasised the need for multi-national missions to Mars that would be led by Quad countries, owing to the high costs of manned missions.&nbsp;

Despite being a recent entrant, the Australian Space Agency hopes to build upon its long legacy of having performed and facilitated deep space communications, remote operations and space medicine, life sciences, to further its spacefaring ambitions.&nbsp;

It is noteworthy that, unlike the other Quad countries, Australia doesn’t yet have a standalone, independent space-faring programme and that they work with other agencies and countries to jointly perform missions. However, the Australian Space Agency wants to grow big and grow quick.&nbsp;

“We are looking to nurture and foster industry, by investing on R&amp;D, by offering grants, special programmes, working with other space agencies and instilling confidence about there being a market” says Enrico Palermo, Head, Australian Space Agency.&nbsp;

Asked about Australia having its own human spaceflight programme, Palermo expressed optimism and said that they would have a shot eventually, considering the increasing easy access to space and rapid miniaturization of technological, aerospace components. Elaborating on Australia’s geographic advantages, open ranges, experience in space medicine and life sciences, deep space communication networks, he said that Australia would end up in a position to have an astronaut programme. He also made a mention of Australia’s communication and tracking support being offered to India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and NASA’s Artemis, manned lunar exploration programme.&nbsp;

“NASA is an engine to drive commercial development and space exploration is the fuel for this engine… Pushing ourselves to do something super challenging is the fuel..” Says the former NASA Astronaut. According to her, NASA would be a facilitator that would provide funding, strike partnerships, open doors and nurture private players to go forward in the exploration of deep space.&nbsp;

“Sustained presence in low Earth orbit had helped us understand and develop more efficient combustion engines, key processes in the human body, insights for medicine development etc.” she said.

On NASA’s future plans, Melroy said that the agency intends to handoff LEO (500-200 km orbits) to commercial partners, so that it can put more investment into expanding out into the solar system.&nbsp;

“If we continue to do everything on our own, it would be very tough to find the resources for it” she said on the importance of having private companies undertaking important spacefaring and support missions.&nbsp;

It is significant to note that the Indian government had announced reforms in the country’s space sector, in 2020, to enable private players to perform end-to-end spacefaring activities including designing, owning, building rockets, satellites, launching rockets and spacecrafts, providing support and ground services etc. The Indian Space sector has been dominated by the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation, since the very inception of India’s space programme, while private companies were only vendors and suppliers of components and services. However, the latest reforms in India are aimed at opening up this lucrative industry, which is estimated to be worth $440 billion worldwide.&nbsp;

The world is witnessing a space race of sorts again with entry of private companies in the domain previously exclusive to government space agencies. Questions are often raised about whether we need to spend billions on space when we have pressing issues here on Earth.

The world is witnessing a space race of sorts again with entry of private companies in the domain previously exclusive to government space agencies. Questions are often raised about whether we need to spend billions on space when we have pressing issues here on Earth. But it has been seen the technological and scientific frontiers heralded by space exploration has often led to advancement of science and tech on Earth. "There’s great benefits here on earth as a result of space exploration activities and continued human presence in Low Earth Orbit," says Colonel Pam Melroy, a former NASA Astronaut who is currently NASA’s deputy administrator. “Climate change is an existential crisis, the best place to monitor earth, is from space… There are a lot of problems to solve… We go to space to benefit life on Earth and those who spend their effort on it see a direct line of sight.” The top American official was in discussion with heads of space agencies from the Quad countries (Japan, Australia, India, US), hosted as part of the Sydney Dialogue, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. “Traditionally government agencies carried out space activities, but there has been increased activity in low earth orbit (LEO) in the last decade. In the midst of this, ordinary people and astronauts are going to space. Increasing access to space can create new services on Earth and improve life here,” agrees Dr Hiroshi Yamakawa, president, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA). On the need for greater collaboration between Quad countries, he added that the future lunar exploration has to be a joint effort, as there exists the possibility of having a manned space station in the vicinity of the Moon, which can enable sustained exploration in the region and also on the lunar surface. The Japanese space agency head emphasised the need for multi-national missions to Mars that would be led by Quad countries, owing to the high costs of manned missions. Despite being a recent entrant, the Australian Space Agency hopes to build upon its long legacy of having performed and facilitated deep space communications, remote operations and space medicine, life sciences, to further its spacefaring ambitions. It is noteworthy that, unlike the other Quad countries, Australia doesn’t yet have a standalone, independent space-faring programme and that they work with other agencies and countries to jointly perform missions. However, the Australian Space Agency wants to grow big and grow quick. “We are looking to nurture and foster industry, by investing on R&D, by offering grants, special programmes, working with other space agencies and instilling confidence about there being a market” says Enrico Palermo, Head, Australian Space Agency. Asked about Australia having its own human spaceflight programme, Palermo expressed optimism and said that they would have a shot eventually, considering the increasing easy access to space and rapid miniaturization of technological, aerospace components. Elaborating on Australia’s geographic advantages, open ranges, experience in space medicine and life sciences, deep space communication networks, he said that Australia would end up in a position to have an astronaut programme. He also made a mention of Australia’s communication and tracking support being offered to India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and NASA’s Artemis, manned lunar exploration programme. “NASA is an engine to drive commercial development and space exploration is the fuel for this engine… Pushing ourselves to do something super challenging is the fuel..” Says the former NASA Astronaut. According to her, NASA would be a facilitator that would provide funding, strike partnerships, open doors and nurture private players to go forward in the exploration of deep space. “Sustained presence in low Earth orbit had helped us understand and develop more efficient combustion engines, key processes in the human body, insights for medicine development etc.” she said. On NASA’s future plans, Melroy said that the agency intends to handoff LEO (500-200 km orbits) to commercial partners, so that it can put more investment into expanding out into the solar system. “If we continue to do everything on our own, it would be very tough to find the resources for it” she said on the importance of having private companies undertaking important spacefaring and support missions. It is significant to note that the Indian government had announced reforms in the country’s space sector, in 2020, to enable private players to perform end-to-end spacefaring activities including designing, owning, building rockets, satellites, launching rockets and spacecrafts, providing support and ground services etc. The Indian Space sector has been dominated by the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation, since the very inception of India’s space programme, while private companies were only vendors and suppliers of components and services. However, the latest reforms in India are aimed at opening up this lucrative industry, which is estimated to be worth $440 billion worldwide.

Being in space has given us better science and tech on Earth, say top officials of Quad space agencies

Stars are a brilliant to look at. The specs of light adorning the black sky impart a sense of calm.

But the process of star formation is a violent one.

A mass of gas in a corner of space comes together. Dense clumps of this cloud coalesce due to processes known as local stellar wind. The gas is thus pushed together. When the density reaches a high enough point, clumps of gas collapse under their own gravity and form a spinning protostar. The material around the star forms a disc and gets attracted to the star due to its gravity therby increasing the gravity and carrying the process of star formation ahead.

At some point, the star begins to give out what is called solar wind and this in addition to several other processes limit the growth of the star and it starts on the path to become a full-fledged star!

NASA's Hubble space telescope has clicked an image of such a protostar. The protostar has been given a designation J1672835.29-763111.64

The region of space around this protostar is still dusty. That means the protistar is still in its infancy and matter is still being spooled into it making it bigger.&nbsp;

This protostar is roughly 400 to 600 light-years away.

Stars are a brilliant to look at. The specs of light adorning the black sky impart a sense of calm. But the process of star formation is a violent one. A mass of gas in a corner of space comes together.

Stars are a brilliant to look at. The specs of light adorning the black sky impart a sense of calm. But the process of star formation is a violent one. A mass of gas in a corner of space comes together. Dense clumps of this cloud coalesce due to processes known as local stellar wind. The gas is thus pushed together. When the density reaches a high enough point, clumps of gas collapse under their own gravity and form a spinning protostar. The material around the star forms a disc and gets attracted to the star due to its gravity therby increasing the gravity and carrying the process of star formation ahead. At some point, the star begins to give out what is called solar wind and this in addition to several other processes limit the growth of the star and it starts on the path to become a full-fledged star! NASA's Hubble space telescope has clicked an image of such a protostar. The protostar has been given a designation J1672835.29-763111.64 The region of space around this protostar is still dusty. That means the protistar is still in its infancy and matter is still being spooled into it making it bigger. This protostar is roughly 400 to 600 light-years away.

Hubble telescope captures violent process of star formation

Due to movies and other popular media, when we say 'dinosaur', an image of a scary, huge animal brandishing razor-sharp teeth pops into mind. This image is fitting to the fact that dinosaurs ruled every food chain and food web on Earth millions of years ago.

But a new discovery has shown that rulers of pre-humanity Earth didn't have to be oversized lizards all the time. A new species of dinosaur has been found. And guess what? It is almost the size of a dog, and had no teeth. And funny thing is, they were carnivores, that is, they ate meat.

The new dinosaur species has been found in Brazil. These tiny dinos lived 70 million years ago. Each member of this species was about three feet long and two and a half feet tall. The species has been classified as a therapod. Members of this group are believed to be carnivores. The dinosaurs had a beak-like mouth with no teeth.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fixing-fossil-mix-up-scientists-unearth-longest-dinosaur-that-ever-lived-on-earth-429803">Fixing fossil mix-up, scientists unearth longest dinosaur that ever lived on Earth</a>

This dinosaur has been named Berthasaura leopoldinae. Its remains were found in southern Brazilian state of Parana.

A unique way has been adopted to name this unique dinosaur. Its scientific name has been made up of names of two people. Bertha Lutz and Maria Leopoldina.

Berta Lutz was a revered Brazilian scientist and feminist while Maria Leopoldina was Brazil's 19th-century empress who was a patron of the sciences.

Due to movies and other popular media, when we say 'dinosaur', an image of a scary, huge animal brandishing razor-sharp teeth pops into mind. This image is fitting to the fact that dinosaurs ruled every food chain and food web on Earth millions of years ago.

Due to movies and other popular media, when we say 'dinosaur', an image of a scary, huge animal brandishing razor-sharp teeth pops into mind. This image is fitting to the fact that dinosaurs ruled every food chain and food web on Earth millions of years ago. But a new discovery has shown that rulers of pre-humanity Earth didn't have to be oversized lizards all the time. A new species of dinosaur has been found. And guess what? It is almost the size of a dog, and had no teeth. And funny thing is, they were carnivores, that is, they ate meat. The new dinosaur species has been found in Brazil. These tiny dinos lived 70 million years ago. Each member of this species was about three feet long and two and a half feet tall. The species has been classified as a therapod. Members of this group are believed to be carnivores. The dinosaurs had a beak-like mouth with no teeth. Also Read | Fixing fossil mix-up, scientists unearth longest dinosaur that ever lived on Earth This dinosaur has been named Berthasaura leopoldinae. Its remains were found in southern Brazilian state of Parana. A unique way has been adopted to name this unique dinosaur. Its scientific name has been made up of names of two people. Bertha Lutz and Maria Leopoldina. Berta Lutz was a revered Brazilian scientist and feminist while Maria Leopoldina was Brazil's 19th-century empress who was a patron of the sciences.

Dog-sized dinosaur with no teeth has been found in Brazil

The exoplanet search and study group at the Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), has discovered a new exoplanet orbiting too close to an evolved or aging star with a mass of 1.5 times that of Sun and located 725 light years away, according to Indian Space Research Organisation.

This discovery was made using PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search (PARAS) optical fiber-fed spectrograph, the first of its kind in India, on the 1.2 metre Telescope of PRL at its Mt. Abu Observatory, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said in a statement. Using PARAS, which has the capability to measure mass of an exoplanet, the exoplanet's mass is found to be 70 per cent and size about 1.4 times that of the Jupiter, it said.&nbsp;

These measurements were carried out between December 2020 and March 2021. Further follow-up measurements were also obtained from TCES spectrograph from Germany in April 2021, and also independent photometric observations from the PRL's 43-cm telescope at Mt. Abu.&nbsp;

The star is known as HD 82139 as per the Henry Draper catalogue and TOI 1789 as per the TESS catalogue. Hence, the planet is known as TOI 1789b or HD 82139b as per the IAU nomenclature.

The discovery team led by Prof. Abhijit Chakraborty, includes students and team members, and international collaborators from Europe and the US. This newly discovered star-planet system is very unique -- the planet orbits the host star in just 3.2 days, thus placing it very-very close to the star at a distance of 0.05 AU (roughly one tenth the distance between Sun and Mercury).There are less than 10 such close-in systems known among the zoo of exoplanets known so far.

Because of the close proximity of the planet to its host star, it is extremely heated with a surface temperature reaching up to 2000 K, and hence an inflated radius, making it one of the lowest density planets known (density of 0.31 gram per cc), it was noted.

Such close-in exoplanets around stars (with distance less than 0.1 AU) with masses between 0.25 to a few Jupiter mass are called "Hot-Jupiters". "The detection of such system enhances our understanding of various mechanisms responsible for inflation in hot-Jupiters and the formation and evolution of planetary systems around evolving and aging stars", ISRO said. This is the second exoplanet discovered by PRL (an autonomous unit of the Department of Space) scientists using PARAS at 1.2 m Mt. Abu telescope; the first exoplanet K2-236b, a sub-Saturn size at 600 light-years away, was discovered in 2018.&nbsp;

The exoplanet search and study group at the Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), has discovered a new exoplanet orbiting too close to an evolved or aging star with a mass of 1.

The exoplanet search and study group at the Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), has discovered a new exoplanet orbiting too close to an evolved or aging star with a mass of 1.5 times that of Sun and located 725 light years away, according to Indian Space Research Organisation. This discovery was made using PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search (PARAS) optical fiber-fed spectrograph, the first of its kind in India, on the 1.2 metre Telescope of PRL at its Mt. Abu Observatory, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said in a statement. Using PARAS, which has the capability to measure mass of an exoplanet, the exoplanet's mass is found to be 70 per cent and size about 1.4 times that of the Jupiter, it said. These measurements were carried out between December 2020 and March 2021. Further follow-up measurements were also obtained from TCES spectrograph from Germany in April 2021, and also independent photometric observations from the PRL's 43-cm telescope at Mt. Abu. The star is known as HD 82139 as per the Henry Draper catalogue and TOI 1789 as per the TESS catalogue. Hence, the planet is known as TOI 1789b or HD 82139b as per the IAU nomenclature. The discovery team led by Prof. Abhijit Chakraborty, includes students and team members, and international collaborators from Europe and the US. This newly discovered star-planet system is very unique -- the planet orbits the host star in just 3.2 days, thus placing it very-very close to the star at a distance of 0.05 AU (roughly one tenth the distance between Sun and Mercury).There are less than 10 such close-in systems known among the zoo of exoplanets known so far. Because of the close proximity of the planet to its host star, it is extremely heated with a surface temperature reaching up to 2000 K, and hence an inflated radius, making it one of the lowest density planets known (density of 0.31 gram per cc), it was noted. Such close-in exoplanets around stars (with distance less than 0.1 AU) with masses between 0.25 to a few Jupiter mass are called "Hot-Jupiters". "The detection of such system enhances our understanding of various mechanisms responsible for inflation in hot-Jupiters and the formation and evolution of planetary systems around evolving and aging stars", ISRO said. This is the second exoplanet discovered by PRL (an autonomous unit of the Department of Space) scientists using PARAS at 1.2 m Mt. Abu telescope; the first exoplanet K2-236b, a sub-Saturn size at 600 light-years away, was discovered in 2018.

Indian scientists discover star-planet bigger than Jupiter

A Japanese biotech firm has devised a new method that might help detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage.

The technique involves the use of a genetically modified a type of worm called “C. elegans” created by a Japanese firm, Hirotsu Bio Science.

It is well known that bodily fluids of cancer patients smell different to those of healthy people. There have been experiments with dogs who were trained to detect the disease in breath or urine samples. However, the method is time-consuming.

The firm has claimed that their genetically modified worm, which is around one-millimetre-long, has an acute sense of smell and will be able to react to the urine of people with cancer.

With this experiment, the scientists claimed that it was possible to detect cancer early.

“The new test is not meant to diagnose pancreatic cancer, but could help boost routine screening as urine samples can be collected at home without the need for a hospital visit,” Hirotsu said at a press conference on Tuesday.

And if the worms raise the alarm, the patient would then be referred to a doctor for further testing, he said.

"This is a major technological advancement," CEO Takaaki Hirotsu, a former academic who studied the tiny worms known as nematodes, told AFP.

He is hopeful it could help boost cancer detection rates in Japan, which like many countries has seen screening rates drop during the pandemic as people avoided medical visits.

Hirotsu and Osaka University detailed "C. elegans"&nbsp;cancer-detecting skills in a joint study published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed journal "Oncotarget"

In separate tests conducted by the firm, the worms correctly identified all 22 urine samples from pancreatic cancer patients, including people with early stages of the disease.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Japanese biotech firm has devised a new method that might help detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage. The technique involves the use of a genetically modified a type of worm called “C.

A Japanese biotech firm has devised a new method that might help detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage. The technique involves the use of a genetically modified a type of worm called “C. elegans” created by a Japanese firm, Hirotsu Bio Science. It is well known that bodily fluids of cancer patients smell different to those of healthy people. There have been experiments with dogs who were trained to detect the disease in breath or urine samples. However, the method is time-consuming. The firm has claimed that their genetically modified worm, which is around one-millimetre-long, has an acute sense of smell and will be able to react to the urine of people with cancer. With this experiment, the scientists claimed that it was possible to detect cancer early. “The new test is not meant to diagnose pancreatic cancer, but could help boost routine screening as urine samples can be collected at home without the need for a hospital visit,” Hirotsu said at a press conference on Tuesday. And if the worms raise the alarm, the patient would then be referred to a doctor for further testing, he said. "This is a major technological advancement," CEO Takaaki Hirotsu, a former academic who studied the tiny worms known as nematodes, told AFP. He is hopeful it could help boost cancer detection rates in Japan, which like many countries has seen screening rates drop during the pandemic as people avoided medical visits. Hirotsu and Osaka University detailed "C. elegans" cancer-detecting skills in a joint study published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed journal "Oncotarget" In separate tests conducted by the firm, the worms correctly identified all 22 urine samples from pancreatic cancer patients, including people with early stages of the disease. (With inputs from agencies)

Japanese scientists use genetically modified worm to detect cancer

Researchers have now confirmed what basically everyone already knew: Grandmothers are hardwired to care deeply about their grandchildren.

A new study published in the Royal Society B on Tuesday provides the first neural snapshot of intergenerational bonds.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-514-trillion-china-overtakes-us-in-terms-of-amassing-the-biggest-net-worth-429724" hreflang="en">At $514 trillion, China overtakes US in terms of amassing the biggest net worth</a>

Scientists at Emory University in the US state of Georgia conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on 50 grandmothers who were shown pictures of their grandchildren aged between three and 12 years old.

In addition to pictures of their grandchild, adults of the same sex as their grandchild and an unknown adult were shown as controls.

"They recruited areas of the brain that are involved with emotional empathy, and also areas of the brain that are involved in movement and motor simulation and preparation," James Rilling, an anthropologist and neuroscientist who led the study.

"When they're viewing these pictures of their grandchild, they're really feeling what the grandchild is feeling. So when the child is expressing joy, they're feeling that joy. When the children are expressing distress, they're feeling that distress."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/denmark-cleans-beach-only-to-dump-waste-back-in-water-429674" hreflang="en">Denmark cleans beach, only to dump waste back in water</a>

It is thought that the same motor-related regions of the brain light up in the brains of mothers and are related to their instinct to pick up and approach their children.

On the other hand, when the grandmothers viewed pictures of their adult children, there was greater activation of brain regions linked to cognitive empathy, the ability to understand another's feelings without becoming emotionally involved.

In Rilling's view, this might be tied to children's cute appearance, also known as "baby schema" in science, which many young species share to elicit positive caregiving responses from parents.

As opposed to other primates, humans are cooperative breeders, which means mothers get help rearing their children. &nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/disgraceful-act-life-sized-statue-of-mahatma-gandhi-vandalised-in-australia-a-day-after-unveiling-429681" hreflang="en">'Disgraceful' act: Life-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi vandalised in Australia, a day after unveiling</a>

The purpose of this study was to explore what is known as the "grandmother hypothesis" in anthropology.

According to this theory, human females tend to live long lives well beyond their reproductive years in order to benefit their children and grandchildren.&nbsp;

It has been demonstrated that this hypothesis holds true in societies, including the Hadza hunter-gatherers of northern Tanzania, where grandmothers provide nourishment for their grandchildren.

The phenomenon has also been observed in other animals, such as elephants and orcas, both of which unlike most mammals undergo menopause.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers have now confirmed what basically everyone already knew: Grandmothers are hardwired to care deeply about their grandchildren. A new study published in the Royal Society B on Tuesday provides the first neural snapshot of intergenerational bonds.

Researchers have now confirmed what basically everyone already knew: Grandmothers are hardwired to care deeply about their grandchildren. A new study published in the Royal Society B on Tuesday provides the first neural snapshot of intergenerational bonds. Also read | At $514 trillion, China overtakes US in terms of amassing the biggest net worth Scientists at Emory University in the US state of Georgia conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on 50 grandmothers who were shown pictures of their grandchildren aged between three and 12 years old. In addition to pictures of their grandchild, adults of the same sex as their grandchild and an unknown adult were shown as controls. "They recruited areas of the brain that are involved with emotional empathy, and also areas of the brain that are involved in movement and motor simulation and preparation," James Rilling, an anthropologist and neuroscientist who led the study. "When they're viewing these pictures of their grandchild, they're really feeling what the grandchild is feeling. So when the child is expressing joy, they're feeling that joy. When the children are expressing distress, they're feeling that distress." Also read | Denmark cleans beach, only to dump waste back in water It is thought that the same motor-related regions of the brain light up in the brains of mothers and are related to their instinct to pick up and approach their children. On the other hand, when the grandmothers viewed pictures of their adult children, there was greater activation of brain regions linked to cognitive empathy, the ability to understand another's feelings without becoming emotionally involved. In Rilling's view, this might be tied to children's cute appearance, also known as "baby schema" in science, which many young species share to elicit positive caregiving responses from parents. As opposed to other primates, humans are cooperative breeders, which means mothers get help rearing their children. Also read | 'Disgraceful' act: Life-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi vandalised in Australia, a day after unveiling The purpose of this study was to explore what is known as the "grandmother hypothesis" in anthropology. According to this theory, human females tend to live long lives well beyond their reproductive years in order to benefit their children and grandchildren. It has been demonstrated that this hypothesis holds true in societies, including the Hadza hunter-gatherers of northern Tanzania, where grandmothers provide nourishment for their grandchildren. The phenomenon has also been observed in other animals, such as elephants and orcas, both of which unlike most mammals undergo menopause. (With inputs from agencies)

The verdict is in: Science says Grannies are good for you

Nature is full of wonders and there's no saying what we might come across. Things once thought impossible sometimes have a way of proving us wrong. This is especially true in case of science.&nbsp;

Scientists have found a never-before-seen mineral. To add to the wonder, this mineral was found trapped inside a diamond. Existence of this mineral was known but it was also known that the mineral was found deep inside Earth's mantle.

Name of the mineral is davemaoite. It is a high-pressure calcium silicate perovskite (CASiO3). Davemaoite has a crystalline structure that is formed only under high pressure and high temperature. These conditions are found in Earth's mantle which is part between Earth's crust and core.

It is not possible to find davemaoite on Earth's surface as when the mineral travels to upper layers of Earth, it breaks down to other minerals. However, because it got trapped inside a diamond in this case, it retained its form and chemical stability.

The diamond in question was found in Botswana 660 kilometres below Earth's surface. The mineral sample was preserved within a diamond.

Study on this new mineral has been published in journal Science.

Nature is full of wonders and there's no saying what we might come across. Things once thought impossible sometimes have a way of proving us wrong. This is especially true in case of science.

Nature is full of wonders and there's no saying what we might come across. Things once thought impossible sometimes have a way of proving us wrong. This is especially true in case of science. Scientists have found a never-before-seen mineral. To add to the wonder, this mineral was found trapped inside a diamond. Existence of this mineral was known but it was also known that the mineral was found deep inside Earth's mantle. Name of the mineral is davemaoite. It is a high-pressure calcium silicate perovskite (CASiO3). Davemaoite has a crystalline structure that is formed only under high pressure and high temperature. These conditions are found in Earth's mantle which is part between Earth's crust and core. It is not possible to find davemaoite on Earth's surface as when the mineral travels to upper layers of Earth, it breaks down to other minerals. However, because it got trapped inside a diamond in this case, it retained its form and chemical stability. The diamond in question was found in Botswana 660 kilometres below Earth's surface. The mineral sample was preserved within a diamond. Study on this new mineral has been published in journal Science.

Scientists find never-before-seen mineral trapped in a diamond

A large study has suggested that blood pressure medicines may protect against type 2 diabetes. The study has been published in medical journal Lancet.

Blood pressure medications are already prescribed by doctors worldover to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, the connection between these drugs and type 2 diabetes was previously unknown.

The study was conducted by universities of Oxford and Bristol. In this study 145,000 people were observed for 5 years. These people took part in 19 global randomised clinical trials. The researchers found that 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure resulted in reduction of risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 per cent.

In this study, researchers investigated major blood pressure drugs compared with a placebo. They found that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) had the strongest protective effect. Both of these drug types reduced risk of developing diabetes by 16 per cent.

Other types of blood pressure-lowering drugs were not found to be as effective. Drugs like Calcium channel blockers had no effect on type 2 diabetes.

The study was funded by British Heart Foundation National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the Oxford Martin School.

A large study has suggested that blood pressure medicines may protect against type 2 diabetes. The study has been published in medical journal Lancet. Blood pressure medications are already prescribed by doctors worldover to reduce the risk of heart disease.

A large study has suggested that blood pressure medicines may protect against type 2 diabetes. The study has been published in medical journal Lancet. Blood pressure medications are already prescribed by doctors worldover to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, the connection between these drugs and type 2 diabetes was previously unknown. The study was conducted by universities of Oxford and Bristol. In this study 145,000 people were observed for 5 years. These people took part in 19 global randomised clinical trials. The researchers found that 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure resulted in reduction of risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 per cent. In this study, researchers investigated major blood pressure drugs compared with a placebo. They found that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) had the strongest protective effect. Both of these drug types reduced risk of developing diabetes by 16 per cent. Other types of blood pressure-lowering drugs were not found to be as effective. Drugs like Calcium channel blockers had no effect on type 2 diabetes. The study was funded by British Heart Foundation National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the Oxford Martin School.

Blood pressure medicines may protect against type-2 diabetes

Earth's neighbour Venus has the most harrowing surface conditions of all planets in the solar system. It is a 'greenhouse planet' with surface temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. Scientists and researchers are always curious as to whether Venus was ever habitable. While we have a lot of information based on out research and observations over decades, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is going one step ahead and sending a mission to Venus.

The DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission to Venus will lift off towards the end of this decade. After the launch in 2029, the mission will be carried out in two segments the spacecraft will do a couple flybys of Venus. After that, probe will be dropped into the upper atmosphere of the planet. Venus' atmosphere is 90 times denser than Earth's.

Venus' clouds are mainly composed of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. The probe will descend through the atmosphere and will take readings of the composition. It will also trace for signatures of Oxygen that will hint towards presence of water.

NASA has released a breathtaking video of the DAVINCI mission. Check it out

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It is also postulated by scientists that microbes able to withstand high temperatures are present in Venus' upper atmosphere. DAVINCI mission is sure to shed more light on this.

Earth's neighbour Venus has the most harrowing surface conditions of all planets in the solar system. It is a 'greenhouse planet' with surface temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius.

Earth's neighbour Venus has the most harrowing surface conditions of all planets in the solar system. It is a 'greenhouse planet' with surface temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. Scientists and researchers are always curious as to whether Venus was ever habitable. While we have a lot of information based on out research and observations over decades, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is going one step ahead and sending a mission to Venus. The DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission to Venus will lift off towards the end of this decade. After the launch in 2029, the mission will be carried out in two segments the spacecraft will do a couple flybys of Venus. After that, probe will be dropped into the upper atmosphere of the planet. Venus' atmosphere is 90 times denser than Earth's. Venus' clouds are mainly composed of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. The probe will descend through the atmosphere and will take readings of the composition. It will also trace for signatures of Oxygen that will hint towards presence of water. NASA has released a breathtaking video of the DAVINCI mission. Check it out × It is also postulated by scientists that microbes able to withstand high temperatures are present in Venus' upper atmosphere. DAVINCI mission is sure to shed more light on this.

NASA releases breathtaking video of DAVINCI mission to Venus

Here's a thought on World Science Day. Why are more youngsters not taking up pure science? Is the pursuit of science not rewarding anymore? Palki Sharma says the World must embrace science if it wants to make progress and stay safe.

Gravitas: World Science Day, 2021

An analysis of ancient rocks suggests that the Earth's first continents might have emerged from the ocean around 700 million years earlier than previously thought.

The findings were published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 
&nbsp; 
According to sedimentary evidence from Singhbhum near Kolkata, the first stable continents, known as 'cratons', emerged above sea level between 3.3 and 3.2 billion years ago.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-this-device-translates-the-thoughts-of-paralysed-people-into-text-with-94-accuracy-427927" hreflang="en">Watch | This device translates the thoughts of paralysed people into text with 94% accuracy</a>

Rock sediments taken from eastern India have led researchers to believe the discovery may explain the growth of glaciers at that time, as well as an increase in oxygen in the atmosphere.

Based on features such as ripple marks, which are similar to the marks left by wind and waves on a sandy beach, the study's lead author, Dr Priyadarshi Chowdhury, said the rocks must have formed on land.

He explained that the rocks were formed in rivers and estuaries during ancient times.

Chowdhury explained that the formation of the first continents likely occurred before plate tectonics existed, which is the major mechanism responsible for increasing the elevation of landmasses today.

Today, plate tectonics controls elevation. The Himalayas and the Alps are formed when the plates of two continents collide, but that was not the case three billion years ago, he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/third-of-human-population-to-be-displaced-if-climate-change-not-curbed-427759" hreflang="en">Third of human population to be displaced if climate change not curbed</a>

Researchers believe the earliest continents emerged from the global ocean after hundreds to thousands of years (300 to 400 million years) of volcanic activity.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

3.1 billion-year-old sandstone layers formed on top of the Singhbhum craton as soon as it rose above sea level.

According to Chowdhury, the Singhbhum craton may have been formed by a gradual accumulation of lava over time so that the crust about 50km beneath the surface becomes so thick it floats up from the water like a floating iceberg.

Zircon minerals were extracted from Singhbhum sediments by the team. Lasers were fired at zircon, and then the relative amounts of elements released were measured to determine the age of the rocks.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/research-reveals-only-2-of-australias-great-barrier-reef-escaped-bleaching-426886" hreflang="en">Research reveals only 2% of Australia's Great Barrier Reef escaped bleaching</a>

Several similarities in the geology of the Singhbhum craton have been found with those in South Africa and Western Australia.

The researchers further speculate that weathering of the cratons could have caused nutrient runoff, providing phosphorus to the ocean as well as other building blocks for early life.

When land is created, it also creates shallow seas, like lagoons, which in turn accelerates the growth of oxygen-producing life forms that may have boosted oxygen levels in the atmosphere and ocean.

Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would also have been drawn down by early continents, causing localised cold climate pockets and glaciation, according to Chowdhury. The result was an Earth that was more habitable.

An analysis of ancient rocks suggests that the Earth's first continents might have emerged from the ocean around 700 million years earlier than previously thought.

An analysis of ancient rocks suggests that the Earth's first continents might have emerged from the ocean around 700 million years earlier than previously thought. The findings were published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to sedimentary evidence from Singhbhum near Kolkata, the first stable continents, known as 'cratons', emerged above sea level between 3.3 and 3.2 billion years ago. Also read | Watch | This device translates the thoughts of paralysed people into text with 94% accuracy Rock sediments taken from eastern India have led researchers to believe the discovery may explain the growth of glaciers at that time, as well as an increase in oxygen in the atmosphere. Based on features such as ripple marks, which are similar to the marks left by wind and waves on a sandy beach, the study's lead author, Dr Priyadarshi Chowdhury, said the rocks must have formed on land. He explained that the rocks were formed in rivers and estuaries during ancient times. Chowdhury explained that the formation of the first continents likely occurred before plate tectonics existed, which is the major mechanism responsible for increasing the elevation of landmasses today. Today, plate tectonics controls elevation. The Himalayas and the Alps are formed when the plates of two continents collide, but that was not the case three billion years ago, he added. Also read | Third of human population to be displaced if climate change not curbed Researchers believe the earliest continents emerged from the global ocean after hundreds to thousands of years (300 to 400 million years) of volcanic activity. 3.1 billion-year-old sandstone layers formed on top of the Singhbhum craton as soon as it rose above sea level. According to Chowdhury, the Singhbhum craton may have been formed by a gradual accumulation of lava over time so that the crust about 50km beneath the surface becomes so thick it floats up from the water like a floating iceberg. Zircon minerals were extracted from Singhbhum sediments by the team. Lasers were fired at zircon, and then the relative amounts of elements released were measured to determine the age of the rocks. Also read | Research reveals only 2% of Australia's Great Barrier Reef escaped bleaching Several similarities in the geology of the Singhbhum craton have been found with those in South Africa and Western Australia. The researchers further speculate that weathering of the cratons could have caused nutrient runoff, providing phosphorus to the ocean as well as other building blocks for early life. When land is created, it also creates shallow seas, like lagoons, which in turn accelerates the growth of oxygen-producing life forms that may have boosted oxygen levels in the atmosphere and ocean. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would also have been drawn down by early continents, causing localised cold climate pockets and glaciation, according to Chowdhury. The result was an Earth that was more habitable.

What if scientists are wrong about the age of continents? New study says they are 700 million years older

Earthquakes are usually regarded with fear and though technological and scientific advances have enabled us to study the natural phenomenon in greater detail, there is still no way to predict earthquake with pinpoint precision. Major earthquakes can cause devastation to cities and earthquakes on the ocean floor can trigger tsunamis which can cause damage in even greater area.

But scientists have found that earthquakes have a positive effect as well. It has been found that earthquakes help growth of trees. Trees growing on flat ground are benefitted more than those growing on slopes like mountainsides.

Result of the study has been reported in journal JGR Biogeosciences.

The researchers led by hydrologist Christian Mohr from the University of Potsdam in Germany studied Pinus radiata trees in Chile in the aftermath of a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Maule region in Chile in 2010. Trees growing in valleys as well as on mountainsides were studied.

Tree core samples taken in 2014 showed that trees growing in valleys showed temporary increase in growth. The increase in growth was less among trees growing on mountainsides.

The researchers are ascribing the effect to altered grondwater streams in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Earthquakes are usually regarded with fear and though technological and scientific advances have enabled us to study the natural phenomenon in greater detail, there is still no way to predict earthquake with pinpoint precision.

Earthquakes are usually regarded with fear and though technological and scientific advances have enabled us to study the natural phenomenon in greater detail, there is still no way to predict earthquake with pinpoint precision. Major earthquakes can cause devastation to cities and earthquakes on the ocean floor can trigger tsunamis which can cause damage in even greater area. But scientists have found that earthquakes have a positive effect as well. It has been found that earthquakes help growth of trees. Trees growing on flat ground are benefitted more than those growing on slopes like mountainsides. Result of the study has been reported in journal JGR Biogeosciences. The researchers led by hydrologist Christian Mohr from the University of Potsdam in Germany studied Pinus radiata trees in Chile in the aftermath of a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Maule region in Chile in 2010. Trees growing in valleys as well as on mountainsides were studied. Tree core samples taken in 2014 showed that trees growing in valleys showed temporary increase in growth. The increase in growth was less among trees growing on mountainsides. The researchers are ascribing the effect to altered grondwater streams in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Earthquake helps growth of trees, reveals study

Our constant search for answer to whether we are alone in the universe involves detection of water. The simple liquid has a great significance in finding life in space as it has cradled life on our very own planet. Water has been found and even predicted to be present elsewhere in out solar system but now scientists have found a galaxy that represents farthest distance from Earth where water has been found.

Scientists from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found evidence of water in a galaxy named SPT0311-58. The galaxy is 12.8 billion light-years away from Earth.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/andromeda-galaxy-has-a-weird-shape-in-the-middle-astronomers-now-know-why-426752">Andromeda galaxy has a weird shape in the middle, astronomers now know why</a>

The scientists used Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile to gaze at the galaxy. The galaxy is located in younger part of the universe and it is about 780 million years old. Considering universe is 13.8 billion years old, the galaxy is fairly young.

Lead investigator of the study has been quoted in media reports as saying that evidence of presence of carbon dioxide has also been found in this galaxy. The scientists have also found that stars in this galaxy have completed their life span relatively quickly. Considering oxygen comes from dying stars, this galaxy would have oxygen too. This also logically explains presence of water.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dragon-black-holes-that-defy-norms-of-physics-can-mess-with-your-future-426577">'Dragon' black holes that defy norms of physics can mess with your future</a>

So should we fear aliens invading Earth because their star died out? Even if they are travelling at the speed of light (300,000 km per second) it will taken 12.8 billion years to reach us. It can hence be said that we are safe for now.

Our constant search for answer to whether we are alone in the universe involves detection of water. The simple liquid has a great significance in finding life in space as it has cradled life on our very own planet.

Our constant search for answer to whether we are alone in the universe involves detection of water. The simple liquid has a great significance in finding life in space as it has cradled life on our very own planet. Water has been found and even predicted to be present elsewhere in out solar system but now scientists have found a galaxy that represents farthest distance from Earth where water has been found. Scientists from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found evidence of water in a galaxy named SPT0311-58. The galaxy is 12.8 billion light-years away from Earth. Also Read: Andromeda galaxy has a weird shape in the middle, astronomers now know why The scientists used Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile to gaze at the galaxy. The galaxy is located in younger part of the universe and it is about 780 million years old. Considering universe is 13.8 billion years old, the galaxy is fairly young. Lead investigator of the study has been quoted in media reports as saying that evidence of presence of carbon dioxide has also been found in this galaxy. The scientists have also found that stars in this galaxy have completed their life span relatively quickly. Considering oxygen comes from dying stars, this galaxy would have oxygen too. This also logically explains presence of water. Also Read: 'Dragon' black holes that defy norms of physics can mess with your future So should we fear aliens invading Earth because their star died out? Even if they are travelling at the speed of light (300,000 km per second) it will taken 12.8 billion years to reach us. It can hence be said that we are safe for now.

Scientists find water in a galaxy 12.8 billion light-years away

For the first time, astronomers have detected fluorine—which is found in human’s bones and teeth as fluoride—in a galaxy that is more than 12 billion light-years away.

A team of astronomers made the discovery using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope (ALMA) in Chile.

“We all know about fluorine because the toothpaste we use every day contains it in the form of fluoride,” said Maximilien Franco from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, who led the new study, published on Thursday in Nature Astronomy.

“Like most elements around us, fluorine is created inside stars but, until now, we did not know exactly how this element was produced. We did not even know which type of stars produced the majority of fluorine in the Universe!” he said in a statement.

Franco and his collaborators spotted fluorine (in the form of hydrogen fluoride) in the large clouds of gas of the distant galaxy NGP–190387.

Since stars expel the elements, they form in their cores as they reach the end of their lives, this detection implies that the stars that created fluorine must have lived and died quickly.

The team believes that Wolf–Rayet stars, very massive stars that live only a few million years, are the most likely production sites of fluorine.

They are needed to explain the amounts of hydrogen fluoride the team spotted, the astronomers say.

Wolf–Rayet stars had been suggested as possible sources of cosmic fluorine before, but astronomers did not know until now how important they were in producing this element in the early Universe.

“We have shown that Wolf–Rayet stars, which are among the most massive stars known and can explode violently as they reach the end of their lives, help us, in a way, to maintain good dental health!” Franco said.

(With inputs from agencies)

For the first time, astronomers have detected fluorine—which is found in human’s bones and teeth as fluoride—in a galaxy that is more than 12 billion light-years away.

For the first time, astronomers have detected fluorine—which is found in human’s bones and teeth as fluoride—in a galaxy that is more than 12 billion light-years away. A team of astronomers made the discovery using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope (ALMA) in Chile. “We all know about fluorine because the toothpaste we use every day contains it in the form of fluoride,” said Maximilien Franco from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, who led the new study, published on Thursday in Nature Astronomy. “Like most elements around us, fluorine is created inside stars but, until now, we did not know exactly how this element was produced. We did not even know which type of stars produced the majority of fluorine in the Universe!” he said in a statement. Franco and his collaborators spotted fluorine (in the form of hydrogen fluoride) in the large clouds of gas of the distant galaxy NGP–190387. Since stars expel the elements, they form in their cores as they reach the end of their lives, this detection implies that the stars that created fluorine must have lived and died quickly. The team believes that Wolf–Rayet stars, very massive stars that live only a few million years, are the most likely production sites of fluorine. They are needed to explain the amounts of hydrogen fluoride the team spotted, the astronomers say. Wolf–Rayet stars had been suggested as possible sources of cosmic fluorine before, but astronomers did not know until now how important they were in producing this element in the early Universe. “We have shown that Wolf–Rayet stars, which are among the most massive stars known and can explode violently as they reach the end of their lives, help us, in a way, to maintain good dental health!” Franco said. (With inputs from agencies)

For first time, element found in bones, teeth detected in galaxy 12 billion light years away

Andromeda galaxy is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Naturally, we have our scientific eyes in its direction. the galaxy is 2.5 million lightyears away from us.

There is a strange elongated cluster of stars near the centre of the Andromeda galaxy. Astronomers now know the reason behind it.

Galaxies have supermassive black holes at the centre. It is common for two galaxies to collide in space. In such a case, the supermassive black holes at the centre of these galaxies collide as well. The black holes are first locked in a gravitational dance in which they revolve around each other. They merge afterwards to form a single supermassive black hole.

This merger causes a gravitational 'kick' in the form of gravitational waves. This 'kick' is somewhat like a recoil of a gun when bullet is fired.

A latest study says that this gravitational kick on a cosmic scale is powerful enough to form an elongated disc near the centre of a galaxy. This disc is a mass made up of millions of stars. And this is what is visible at the centre of the Andromeda galaxy.

To arrive at the conclusion, a team of researchers at University of Colorado Boulder ran simulation of collision of supermassive black holes. The team found that resulting force of the collision was enough to stretch disc of nearby stars in an elongated shape rather than a symmetrical one.

Andromeda galaxy is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Naturally, we have our scientific eyes in its direction. the galaxy is 2.5 million lightyears away from us.

Andromeda galaxy is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Naturally, we have our scientific eyes in its direction. the galaxy is 2.5 million lightyears away from us. There is a strange elongated cluster of stars near the centre of the Andromeda galaxy. Astronomers now know the reason behind it. Galaxies have supermassive black holes at the centre. It is common for two galaxies to collide in space. In such a case, the supermassive black holes at the centre of these galaxies collide as well. The black holes are first locked in a gravitational dance in which they revolve around each other. They merge afterwards to form a single supermassive black hole. This merger causes a gravitational 'kick' in the form of gravitational waves. This 'kick' is somewhat like a recoil of a gun when bullet is fired. A latest study says that this gravitational kick on a cosmic scale is powerful enough to form an elongated disc near the centre of a galaxy. This disc is a mass made up of millions of stars. And this is what is visible at the centre of the Andromeda galaxy. To arrive at the conclusion, a team of researchers at University of Colorado Boulder ran simulation of collision of supermassive black holes. The team found that resulting force of the collision was enough to stretch disc of nearby stars in an elongated shape rather than a symmetrical one.

Andromeda galaxy has a weird shape in the middle, astronomers now know why

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