Everybody is a brave warrior till a cockroach starts flying. Or even a spider jumps at&nbsp;you. Almighty has been merciful enough on us mortals by not bestowing the ability to fly upon spiders.

But instead, spiders have a scary ability to unexpectedly jump. You may have experienced this when you were trying to be a knight armed with rolled newspaper trying to crush a spider. Just when you think the spider is within your range, a sudden jump, and you forget you were the aggressor.

If a new study is to be believed, spiders do that by riding waves of electricity.&nbsp;

A study was conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol in 2018. The study said that electric field generated due to weather activity was capable of drag a single electrostatically-charged strand of web (and the spider) off the ground (yikes!)

In new research, scientists used a modeling to see how a single strand of web might interact with electric field in the atmosphere.

The researchers were from Notre Dame University-Louaize in Lebanon and from the University of California.

The simulation showed that repulsion between the negative charge of the threads of webbing slowed the ascent of the threads and help in ballooning of the web. Ballooning refers to ability of the spider to remain in air by secreting threads of webbing.

Everybody is a brave warrior till a cockroach starts flying. Or even a spider jumps at you. Almighty has been merciful enough on us mortals by not bestowing the ability to fly upon spiders.

Everybody is a brave warrior till a cockroach starts flying. Or even a spider jumps at you. Almighty has been merciful enough on us mortals by not bestowing the ability to fly upon spiders. But instead, spiders have a scary ability to unexpectedly jump. You may have experienced this when you were trying to be a knight armed with rolled newspaper trying to crush a spider. Just when you think the spider is within your range, a sudden jump, and you forget you were the aggressor. If a new study is to be believed, spiders do that by riding waves of electricity. A study was conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol in 2018. The study said that electric field generated due to weather activity was capable of drag a single electrostatically-charged strand of web (and the spider) off the ground (yikes!) In new research, scientists used a modeling to see how a single strand of web might interact with electric field in the atmosphere. The researchers were from Notre Dame University-Louaize in Lebanon and from the University of California. The simulation showed that repulsion between the negative charge of the threads of webbing slowed the ascent of the threads and help in ballooning of the web. Ballooning refers to ability of the spider to remain in air by secreting threads of webbing.

Spiders 'fly' using electric field, you are allowed to be scared and ask 'WHY'?

Play of shadows in space causes a great many effects. The celestial bodies come between a star and another planet and cast their shadow on the latter. We are very well familiar with this play here on Earth as when Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, the shadow it casts causes a solar eclipse.

When it's time of Earth to come between Sun and Moon, we Earthlings get to witness a lunar eclipse.&nbsp;

With naked eyes, our ability is limited to watching only these two (but brilliantly beautiful) space events. Fortunately, we have enough telescopes and even spacecrafts looking at the void beyond the Earth's atmosphere to bring us brilliant pictures.

Take NASA's Juno spacecraft for example. The spacecraft is hovering around Jupiter for last five years. It has sent invaluable data and images our way and it continues to send more. These images have helped us to study the gas giant and its moons.

An interesting image taken by Juno spacecraft shows us the benefits of having eyes in the sky. The moment captured in this pic cannot possibly be witnessed from Earth

This image shows shadow of Jupiter's moon Ganymede falling on the gas giant. As per Space.com, this image was captured by Juno spacecraft during its 20th flyby.

Play of shadows in space causes a great many effects. The celestial bodies come between a star and another planet and cast their shadow on the latter. We are very well familiar with this play here on Earth as when Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, the shadow it casts causes a solar eclipse.

Play of shadows in space causes a great many effects. The celestial bodies come between a star and another planet and cast their shadow on the latter. We are very well familiar with this play here on Earth as when Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, the shadow it casts causes a solar eclipse. When it's time of Earth to come between Sun and Moon, we Earthlings get to witness a lunar eclipse. With naked eyes, our ability is limited to watching only these two (but brilliantly beautiful) space events. Fortunately, we have enough telescopes and even spacecrafts looking at the void beyond the Earth's atmosphere to bring us brilliant pictures. Take NASA's Juno spacecraft for example. The spacecraft is hovering around Jupiter for last five years. It has sent invaluable data and images our way and it continues to send more. These images have helped us to study the gas giant and its moons. An interesting image taken by Juno spacecraft shows us the benefits of having eyes in the sky. The moment captured in this pic cannot possibly be witnessed from Earth This image shows shadow of Jupiter's moon Ganymede falling on the gas giant. As per Space.com, this image was captured by Juno spacecraft during its 20th flyby.

NASA's Juno spacecraft clicks Jupiter's moon casting shadow on the gas giant

In a new study, scientists have discovered the largest molecule ever found in a planet-forming disk.

Published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics, the study has been conducted by the Leiden University in the Netherlands in collaboration with the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, researchers have for the first time detected dimethyl ether in a planet-forming disc.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/decades-old-mystery-of-plasma-jets-solved-by-heartbeat-of-black-hole-460329" hreflang="en">Decades-old mystery of plasma jets solved by 'heartbeat' of black hole</a>

With nine atoms, this is the largest molecule identified in such a disc to date. It is also a precursor of larger organic molecules that can lead to the emergence of life.

"From these results, we can learn more about the origin of life on our planet and therefore get a better idea of the potential for life in other planetary systems," says astronomer Nashanty Brunken.

"It is very exciting to see how these findings fit into the bigger picture."

Dimethyl ether is an organic molecule commonly seen in star-forming clouds, but had never before been found in a planet-forming disc. The researchers also made a tentative detection of methyl formate, a complex molecule similar to dimethyl ether that is also a building block for even larger organic molecules.

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"It is really exciting to finally detect these larger molecules in discs. For a while we thought it might not be possible to observe them,” says co-author Alice Booth.

The molecules were found in the planet-forming disc around the young star IRS 48 (also known as Oph-IRS 48) with the help of ALMA.

IRS 48, located 444 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus, has been the subject of numerous studies because its disc contains an asymmetric, cashew-nut-shaped “dust trap”.&nbsp;

This region, which likely formed as a result of a newly born planet or small companion star located between the star and the dust trap, retains large numbers of millimetre-sized dust grains that can come together and grow into kilometre-sized objects like comets, asteroids and potentially even planets.

“What makes this even more exciting is that we now know these larger complex molecules are available to feed forming planets in the disc,” explains Booth. “This was not known before as in most systems these molecules are hidden in the ice.”

(With inputs from agencies)

In a new study, scientists have discovered the largest molecule ever found in a planet-forming disk. Published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics, the study has been conducted by the Leiden University in the Netherlands in collaboration with the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

In a new study, scientists have discovered the largest molecule ever found in a planet-forming disk. Published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics, the study has been conducted by the Leiden University in the Netherlands in collaboration with the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, researchers have for the first time detected dimethyl ether in a planet-forming disc. Also read | Decades-old mystery of plasma jets solved by 'heartbeat' of black hole With nine atoms, this is the largest molecule identified in such a disc to date. It is also a precursor of larger organic molecules that can lead to the emergence of life. "From these results, we can learn more about the origin of life on our planet and therefore get a better idea of the potential for life in other planetary systems," says astronomer Nashanty Brunken. "It is very exciting to see how these findings fit into the bigger picture." Dimethyl ether is an organic molecule commonly seen in star-forming clouds, but had never before been found in a planet-forming disc. The researchers also made a tentative detection of methyl formate, a complex molecule similar to dimethyl ether that is also a building block for even larger organic molecules. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? "It is really exciting to finally detect these larger molecules in discs. For a while we thought it might not be possible to observe them,” says co-author Alice Booth. The molecules were found in the planet-forming disc around the young star IRS 48 (also known as Oph-IRS 48) with the help of ALMA. IRS 48, located 444 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus, has been the subject of numerous studies because its disc contains an asymmetric, cashew-nut-shaped “dust trap”. This region, which likely formed as a result of a newly born planet or small companion star located between the star and the dust trap, retains large numbers of millimetre-sized dust grains that can come together and grow into kilometre-sized objects like comets, asteroids and potentially even planets. “What makes this even more exciting is that we now know these larger complex molecules are available to feed forming planets in the disc,” explains Booth. “This was not known before as in most systems these molecules are hidden in the ice.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Origin of life on our planet': Scientists discover the largest molecule ever found in a planet-forming disk

Astronomers have resolved the decades-old mystery of plasma jets by taking the ''heartbeat'' of a black hole.

The research, published in Nature Astronomy, was led by Mariano Méndez from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

There are three categories of black holes. The smallest, like 'the Unicorn,' are so-called stellar mass black holes formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star. There are gargantuan 'supermassive' black holes like the one at our galaxy's center, 26,000 light years from Earth, which is four million times the sun's mass. A few intermediate-mass black holes also have been found with masses somewhere in between.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/rewinding-the-clock-on-ageing-scientists-rejuvenate-tissues-in-middle-aged-mice-460291" hreflang="en">Rewinding the clock on ageing: Scientists rejuvenate tissues in middle-aged mice</a>

Just as the blood in a human heart cannot be in the atrium and in ventricles at the same time, a black hole also appears to first collect material and heat it up in a so-called corona, only then to spit it out in jets.&nbsp;

"It sounds logical, but there has been a debate for twenty years about whether the corona and the jet were simply the same thing. Now we see that they arise one after the other and that the jet follows from the corona," says Méndez.&nbsp;

"It was quite a challenge to demonstrate this sequential nature. We had to compare data of years with that of seconds, and of very high energies with very low ones."

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a>

The black hole GRS 1915+105 is not an isolated black hole, but a double system consisting of a black hole and a normal star that circle around each other. This double system lies in our Milky Way at about 36,000 light years from us in the direction of the constellation Aquila. The black hole weighs about as much as twelve times our Sun, making it one of the heaviest known stellar black holes.

"It was quite a challenge to demonstrate this sequential nature," Méndez said. "We had to compare data of years with that of seconds, and of very high energies with very low ones."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-have-a-new-theory-on-how-former-fireball-earth-became-habitable-459370" hreflang="en">Astronomers have a new theory on how former 'fireball' Earth became habitable</a>

Now that the researchers have proven the sequence, there are still some unanswered questions. For example, the X-ray radiation that the telescopes collect from the corona contains more energy than can be explained by the temperature of the corona alone. The researchers suspect that a magnetic field provides extra energy.&nbsp;

This magnetic field and the accompanying energy could also explain why jets are formed. If the magnetic field is chaotic, the corona heats up. If the magnetic field then becomes less chaotic, material can escape via the field lines into a jet.

The researchers suggest that the principle they demonstrated may also apply to heavier black holes, for example to the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy.

(With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers have resolved the decades-old mystery of plasma jets by taking the ''heartbeat'' of a black hole. The research, published in Nature Astronomy, was led by Mariano Méndez from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Astronomers have resolved the decades-old mystery of plasma jets by taking the ''heartbeat'' of a black hole. The research, published in Nature Astronomy, was led by Mariano Méndez from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. There are three categories of black holes. The smallest, like 'the Unicorn,' are so-called stellar mass black holes formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star. There are gargantuan 'supermassive' black holes like the one at our galaxy's center, 26,000 light years from Earth, which is four million times the sun's mass. A few intermediate-mass black holes also have been found with masses somewhere in between. Also read | Rewinding the clock on ageing: Scientists rejuvenate tissues in middle-aged mice Just as the blood in a human heart cannot be in the atrium and in ventricles at the same time, a black hole also appears to first collect material and heat it up in a so-called corona, only then to spit it out in jets. "It sounds logical, but there has been a debate for twenty years about whether the corona and the jet were simply the same thing. Now we see that they arise one after the other and that the jet follows from the corona," says Méndez. "It was quite a challenge to demonstrate this sequential nature. We had to compare data of years with that of seconds, and of very high energies with very low ones." Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? The black hole GRS 1915+105 is not an isolated black hole, but a double system consisting of a black hole and a normal star that circle around each other. This double system lies in our Milky Way at about 36,000 light years from us in the direction of the constellation Aquila. The black hole weighs about as much as twelve times our Sun, making it one of the heaviest known stellar black holes. "It was quite a challenge to demonstrate this sequential nature," Méndez said. "We had to compare data of years with that of seconds, and of very high energies with very low ones." Also read | Astronomers have a new theory on how former 'fireball' Earth became habitable Now that the researchers have proven the sequence, there are still some unanswered questions. For example, the X-ray radiation that the telescopes collect from the corona contains more energy than can be explained by the temperature of the corona alone. The researchers suspect that a magnetic field provides extra energy. This magnetic field and the accompanying energy could also explain why jets are formed. If the magnetic field is chaotic, the corona heats up. If the magnetic field then becomes less chaotic, material can escape via the field lines into a jet. The researchers suggest that the principle they demonstrated may also apply to heavier black holes, for example to the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy. (With inputs from agencies)

Decades-old mystery of plasma jets solved by 'heartbeat' of black hole

We all have days when we are so bored of life we find excuses to evade tasks that give us a (literal and metaphorical) headache. Our creativity is at its best to churn up reasons to dodge whatever it is that's coming our way. When we are young, these are called tantrums. When we are adults, its called 'Nope, bye'.

It appears stars throw 'tantrums' too. But unlike their mortal counterparts here on Earth, these tantrums cause something very spectacular in space.

So one such thing has been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. This 'tantrum' is an energetic outburst from a star. Why is it being termed 'tantrum'? Well the star is very young. Just imagine an annoying, loudmouth of a kid in a movie hall and you'll get the drift. His outbursts are hard to ignore during your ruined movie date.

Talking about science again, the star in question is being formed in Orion Nebula. The outburst from this extremely young star consists of incandescent jet&nbsp;of gas travelling at supersonic speed through space. This jet collides with star-forming material like dust around the young star and makes it glow. This visual spectacle gives rise to what are called Herbig-Haro objects.

Herbig-Haro object formed by jets from this star has been termed HH34. It was studied by Hubble telescope extensively from 1994-2007 and the space telescope continues to make these observations.&nbsp;

We all have days when we are so bored of life we find excuses to evade tasks that give us a (literal and metaphorical) headache. Our creativity is at its best to churn up reasons to dodge whatever it is that's coming our way.

We all have days when we are so bored of life we find excuses to evade tasks that give us a (literal and metaphorical) headache. Our creativity is at its best to churn up reasons to dodge whatever it is that's coming our way. When we are young, these are called tantrums. When we are adults, its called 'Nope, bye'. It appears stars throw 'tantrums' too. But unlike their mortal counterparts here on Earth, these tantrums cause something very spectacular in space. So one such thing has been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. This 'tantrum' is an energetic outburst from a star. Why is it being termed 'tantrum'? Well the star is very young. Just imagine an annoying, loudmouth of a kid in a movie hall and you'll get the drift. His outbursts are hard to ignore during your ruined movie date. Talking about science again, the star in question is being formed in Orion Nebula. The outburst from this extremely young star consists of incandescent jet of gas travelling at supersonic speed through space. This jet collides with star-forming material like dust around the young star and makes it glow. This visual spectacle gives rise to what are called Herbig-Haro objects. Herbig-Haro object formed by jets from this star has been termed HH34. It was studied by Hubble telescope extensively from 1994-2007 and the space telescope continues to make these observations.

This young star is throwing 'tantrums', here is what it means

Climate Change is real and scientists along with activists have been saying that we are not doing enough to save the only planet we have. For many of us, the situation is tricky as they want to join the fight to save planet Earth but they don't know how or where to start. This study may help them start on their journey to save our home.

The study has been carried out by Leeds University and the data for the study has been analysed by experts at Arup, a global engineering firm and C40 group of world cities.

The study has found that adopting six behavioural changes by citizens in well-off nations may go a long way in arresting climate change. A new climate movement has also sprung up based on this.

The Jump, as the climate movement is called is asking those who sign up do these six things.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Eating&nbsp;a largely plant-based diet with big portions and ensuring no waste.</li>
	<li>Buying no more than three clothing items in a year.</li>
	<li>Using electrical products for at least seven years.</li>
	<li>Taking only one short-distance flight in three years and a long-distance flight in eight years.</li>
	<li>Getting rid of personal motor vehicles. If this is not possible, keep using the same vehicle for long period.</li>
	<li>Making a considerable effort to nudge the system, like using green energy</li>
</ul>

Tom Bailey, co-founder of the campaign said: “This ends once and for all the debate about whether citizens can have a role in protecting our earth. We don’t have time to wait for one group to act, we need ‘all action from all actors now’. He was quoted by The Guardian. 
&nbsp;

Climate Change is real and scientists along with activists have been saying that we are not doing enough to save the only planet we have. For many of us, the situation is tricky as they want to join the fight to save planet Earth but they don't know how or where to start.

Climate Change is real and scientists along with activists have been saying that we are not doing enough to save the only planet we have. For many of us, the situation is tricky as they want to join the fight to save planet Earth but they don't know how or where to start. This study may help them start on their journey to save our home. The study has been carried out by Leeds University and the data for the study has been analysed by experts at Arup, a global engineering firm and C40 group of world cities. The study has found that adopting six behavioural changes by citizens in well-off nations may go a long way in arresting climate change. A new climate movement has also sprung up based on this. The Jump, as the climate movement is called is asking those who sign up do these six things. Eating a largely plant-based diet with big portions and ensuring no waste. Buying no more than three clothing items in a year. Using electrical products for at least seven years. Taking only one short-distance flight in three years and a long-distance flight in eight years. Getting rid of personal motor vehicles. If this is not possible, keep using the same vehicle for long period. Making a considerable effort to nudge the system, like using green energy Tom Bailey, co-founder of the campaign said: “This ends once and for all the debate about whether citizens can have a role in protecting our earth. We don’t have time to wait for one group to act, we need ‘all action from all actors now’. He was quoted by The Guardian.

These six lifestyle changes will make you an eco-warrior, says study

Myanmar is the second-largest country in mainland Southeast Asia and is home to a wealth of biodiversity.

The country still retains large tracts of forest that harbour charismatic species such as the red panda and the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey.&nbsp;

International wildlife group Fauna and Flora International said at least 100 new species from monkeys to mussels, were found in Myanmar in a decade.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-species-of-crocodile-from-cretaceous-period-found-in-australia-say-scientists-453388">Also read |&nbsp;New species of crocodile who preyed on a young dinosaur found in Australia, say scientists</a>

Since 2010, researchers have made an "incredible sequence of discoveries" with the identification of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey, a small black primate known as the "sneezing monkey."

But the organisation raised fears over a "barrage of threats", including from illegal logging, hunting, agriculture, infrastructure development and quarrying.

Over ten years, during which Myanmar's generals eased their stranglehold on power, scientists from all over the world made a beeline to the country to explore rainforests, delve into cave systems, wade through rivers and pick their way across majestic karst rock formations. &nbsp;

Scientists used measurements and samples from museum collections to compare and identify key differences with features of the newly discovered animals and plants, the report said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-species-of-carnivorous-dinosaur-with-short-arms-discovered-in-argentina-say-scientists-456715">Also read |&nbsp;New species of carnivorous dinosaur with short arms discovered in Argentina, say scientists</a>

Identifying new species is tricky, though, and sometimes can only be determined using a variety of methods, such as frog calls and genetic data.

A new type of begonia with reddish flowers and a berry-like fruit also was found in the uplands of Myanmar, where illegal mining and logging have become an increasingly dire threat in the country, which is in the midst of political turmoil after a military takeover a year ago.

The military has been battling militias allied with a parallel National Unity Government (NUG), which last year called for a nationwide revolt and has been outlawed by the junta.

With field operations already suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, FFI's Acting Country Manager Ngwe Lwin said the team was focusing on existing conservation programmes with Myanmar partner Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association.

Myanmar is also home to some of Southeast Asia’s most extensive and least disturbed coastal and marine ecosystems, which include coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds. All told, over 800 marine fish species are found here, as well as nine seagrass species and 51 corals.

In stark contrast to the country’s biological riches, at least a third of its people currently live below the poverty line and the majority depend on natural resources for their survival.

The United Nations Development Programme has estimated that nearly half of Myanmar's 55 million population will be living below the national poverty line this year.

(With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar is the second-largest country in mainland Southeast Asia and is home to a wealth of biodiversity. The country still retains large tracts of forest that harbour charismatic species such as the red panda and the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey.

Myanmar is the second-largest country in mainland Southeast Asia and is home to a wealth of biodiversity. The country still retains large tracts of forest that harbour charismatic species such as the red panda and the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey. International wildlife group Fauna and Flora International said at least 100 new species from monkeys to mussels, were found in Myanmar in a decade. Also read | New species of crocodile who preyed on a young dinosaur found in Australia, say scientists Since 2010, researchers have made an "incredible sequence of discoveries" with the identification of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey, a small black primate known as the "sneezing monkey." But the organisation raised fears over a "barrage of threats", including from illegal logging, hunting, agriculture, infrastructure development and quarrying. Over ten years, during which Myanmar's generals eased their stranglehold on power, scientists from all over the world made a beeline to the country to explore rainforests, delve into cave systems, wade through rivers and pick their way across majestic karst rock formations. Scientists used measurements and samples from museum collections to compare and identify key differences with features of the newly discovered animals and plants, the report said. Also read | New species of carnivorous dinosaur with short arms discovered in Argentina, say scientists Identifying new species is tricky, though, and sometimes can only be determined using a variety of methods, such as frog calls and genetic data. A new type of begonia with reddish flowers and a berry-like fruit also was found in the uplands of Myanmar, where illegal mining and logging have become an increasingly dire threat in the country, which is in the midst of political turmoil after a military takeover a year ago. The military has been battling militias allied with a parallel National Unity Government (NUG), which last year called for a nationwide revolt and has been outlawed by the junta. With field operations already suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, FFI's Acting Country Manager Ngwe Lwin said the team was focusing on existing conservation programmes with Myanmar partner Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association. Myanmar is also home to some of Southeast Asia’s most extensive and least disturbed coastal and marine ecosystems, which include coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds. All told, over 800 marine fish species are found here, as well as nine seagrass species and 51 corals. In stark contrast to the country’s biological riches, at least a third of its people currently live below the poverty line and the majority depend on natural resources for their survival. The United Nations Development Programme has estimated that nearly half of Myanmar's 55 million population will be living below the national poverty line this year. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover 100 new species in 'biologically rich' Myanmar

Asteroids are just space rocks measuring some kilometres across. But a direct hit and they cause mayhem for any living thing that's present on a planet. They have potential to wipe out life off the face of the planet or at least dramatically alter the dominance of species.

Dinosaurs that ruled the Earth millions of years ago were mostly eliminated in a single asteroid strike. Dinos ruled every food chain and food web on the planet and were THE most dominant species. Their extinction paved way for mammals to evolve safely and ultimately for us humans to be the masters of our planet. Another such asteroid hit may well spell doom for humankind.

It's good that we have our eyes in form of giant telescopes scanning the space for any oncoming danger.

An asteroid caused a scare in the scientific community earlier this year when it was declared that it may hit Earth in 2023. Astronomers in Arizona discovered the asteroid on 6 January 2022. The asteroid was 70 metres across and was called '2022 AE1.' It was predicted that it would hit the Earth on 4 July 2023.

Astronomers worldover scrambled to take a look at the space rock which potentially could end human race on Earth. Follow up observations were made.

To add to the scare, chances of the asteroid hitting the Earth were found to increase as the days went by. It was given one of the highest ranks on Palermo Scale, a measure scientists use to assess impact risk. Full Moon meant the space rock could not be tracked for next one week.

But when astronomers were able to track it again, they gave a sigh of relief as the analysis of the whole data revealed that a direct hit with Earth was unlikely.

"In my almost ten years at ESA I've never seen such a risky object," said Marco Micheli, astronomer at ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC). He was quoted by ScienceAlert.

Asteroids are just space rocks measuring some kilometres across. But a direct hit and they cause mayhem for any living thing that's present on a planet. They have potential to wipe out life off the face of the planet or at least dramatically alter the dominance of species.

Asteroids are just space rocks measuring some kilometres across. But a direct hit and they cause mayhem for any living thing that's present on a planet. They have potential to wipe out life off the face of the planet or at least dramatically alter the dominance of species. Dinosaurs that ruled the Earth millions of years ago were mostly eliminated in a single asteroid strike. Dinos ruled every food chain and food web on the planet and were THE most dominant species. Their extinction paved way for mammals to evolve safely and ultimately for us humans to be the masters of our planet. Another such asteroid hit may well spell doom for humankind. It's good that we have our eyes in form of giant telescopes scanning the space for any oncoming danger. An asteroid caused a scare in the scientific community earlier this year when it was declared that it may hit Earth in 2023. Astronomers in Arizona discovered the asteroid on 6 January 2022. The asteroid was 70 metres across and was called '2022 AE1.' It was predicted that it would hit the Earth on 4 July 2023. Astronomers worldover scrambled to take a look at the space rock which potentially could end human race on Earth. Follow up observations were made. To add to the scare, chances of the asteroid hitting the Earth were found to increase as the days went by. It was given one of the highest ranks on Palermo Scale, a measure scientists use to assess impact risk. Full Moon meant the space rock could not be tracked for next one week. But when astronomers were able to track it again, they gave a sigh of relief as the analysis of the whole data revealed that a direct hit with Earth was unlikely. "In my almost ten years at ESA I've never seen such a risky object," said Marco Micheli, astronomer at ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC). He was quoted by ScienceAlert.

Asteroid possibly hitting Earth has been revealed to be safe

Astronomers have a bold new theory to explain how Earth transformed itself from a fiery, carbon-clouded ball of rocks into a planet capable of sustaining life.

The research, published in Nature, has been conducted by Yale University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

The theory covers Earth’s earliest years and involves “weird” rocks that interacted with seawater in just the right way to nudge biological matter into existence.

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“This period is the most enigmatic time in Earth history,” said Jun Korenaga, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Yale and co-author of a new study.

Most scientists believe that Earth began with an atmosphere much like that of the planet Venus. Its skies were filled with carbon dioxide,&nbsp;more than 100,000 times the current level of atmospheric carbon,&nbsp;and Earth’s surface temperature would have exceeded 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Biological life would have been unable to form, much less survive, under such conditions, scientists agree.

"Somehow, a massive amount of atmospheric carbon had to be removed," says planetary scientist Yoshinori Miyazaki, who is now working at the California Institute of Technology.

“Because there is no rock record preserved from the early Earth, we set out to build a theoretical model for the very early Earth from scratch.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-a-u-turn-scientists-say-black-hole-on-our-cosmic-doorstep-does-not-exist-458308" hreflang="en">In a U-turn, scientists say black hole on our cosmic doorstep does not exist</a>

Miyazaki and Korenaga combined aspects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and atmospheric physics to build their model. Eventually, they settled on a pretty bold proposition: early Earth was covered with rocks that do not currently exist on Earth.

“These rocks would have been enriched in a mineral called pyroxene, and they likely had a dark greenish color,” Miyazaki said. “More importantly, they were extremely enriched in magnesium, with a concentration level seldom observed in present-day rocks.”

Miyazaki said magnesium-rich minerals react with carbon dioxide to produce carbonates, thereby playing a key role in sequestering atmospheric carbon.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-only-chance-in-catastrophe-astronomers-are-developing-ingenious-system-to-pulverise-asteroids-458293" hreflang="en">'Earth's only chance in catastrophe': Astronomers are developing ingenious system to pulverise asteroids</a>

The researchers suggest that as the molten Earth started to solidify, its hydrated, wet mantle, the planet’s 3,000-kilometres-thick rocky layer, convected vigorously. The combination of a wet mantle and high-magnesium pyroxenites dramatically sped up the process of pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere.

In fact, the researchers said the rate of atmospheric carbon sequestration would have been more than 10 times faster than would be possible with a mantle of modern-day rocks, requiring a mere 160 million years.

“As an added bonus, these ‘weird’ rocks on the early Earth would readily react with seawater to generate a large flux of hydrogen, which is widely believed to be essential for the creation of biomolecules,” Korenaga said.

The effect would be similar to a rare type of modern, deep-sea thermal vent, called the Lost City hydrothermal field, located in the Atlantic Ocean.&nbsp;

The Lost City hydrothermal field’s abiotic production of hydrogen and methane has made it a prime location for investigating the origin of life on Earth.

“Our theory has the potential to address not just how Earth became habitable, but also why life emerged on it,” Korenaga added.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Astronomers have a bold new theory to explain how Earth transformed itself from a fiery, carbon-clouded ball of rocks into a planet capable of sustaining life. The research, published in Nature, has been conducted by Yale University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Astronomers have a bold new theory to explain how Earth transformed itself from a fiery, carbon-clouded ball of rocks into a planet capable of sustaining life. The research, published in Nature, has been conducted by Yale University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The theory covers Earth’s earliest years and involves “weird” rocks that interacted with seawater in just the right way to nudge biological matter into existence. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? “This period is the most enigmatic time in Earth history,” said Jun Korenaga, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Yale and co-author of a new study. Most scientists believe that Earth began with an atmosphere much like that of the planet Venus. Its skies were filled with carbon dioxide, more than 100,000 times the current level of atmospheric carbon, and Earth’s surface temperature would have exceeded 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Biological life would have been unable to form, much less survive, under such conditions, scientists agree. "Somehow, a massive amount of atmospheric carbon had to be removed," says planetary scientist Yoshinori Miyazaki, who is now working at the California Institute of Technology. “Because there is no rock record preserved from the early Earth, we set out to build a theoretical model for the very early Earth from scratch.” Also read | In a U-turn, scientists say black hole on our cosmic doorstep does not exist Miyazaki and Korenaga combined aspects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and atmospheric physics to build their model. Eventually, they settled on a pretty bold proposition: early Earth was covered with rocks that do not currently exist on Earth. “These rocks would have been enriched in a mineral called pyroxene, and they likely had a dark greenish color,” Miyazaki said. “More importantly, they were extremely enriched in magnesium, with a concentration level seldom observed in present-day rocks.” Miyazaki said magnesium-rich minerals react with carbon dioxide to produce carbonates, thereby playing a key role in sequestering atmospheric carbon. Also read | 'Earth's only chance in catastrophe': Astronomers are developing ingenious system to pulverise asteroids The researchers suggest that as the molten Earth started to solidify, its hydrated, wet mantle, the planet’s 3,000-kilometres-thick rocky layer, convected vigorously. The combination of a wet mantle and high-magnesium pyroxenites dramatically sped up the process of pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere. In fact, the researchers said the rate of atmospheric carbon sequestration would have been more than 10 times faster than would be possible with a mantle of modern-day rocks, requiring a mere 160 million years. “As an added bonus, these ‘weird’ rocks on the early Earth would readily react with seawater to generate a large flux of hydrogen, which is widely believed to be essential for the creation of biomolecules,” Korenaga said. The effect would be similar to a rare type of modern, deep-sea thermal vent, called the Lost City hydrothermal field, located in the Atlantic Ocean. The Lost City hydrothermal field’s abiotic production of hydrogen and methane has made it a prime location for investigating the origin of life on Earth. “Our theory has the potential to address not just how Earth became habitable, but also why life emerged on it,” Korenaga added. (With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers have a new theory on how former 'fireball' Earth became habitable

Scientists in China have found evidence of a 40,000 years old culture just 100 miles away from Beijing. The stone-age culture was populated by now-extinct relatives of human species. These hominins made use of a pigment called Ochre and crafted blade-like tools from stone.

The site of excavation is located in Nihewan Basin. It is a depression in northern, mountainous region in China. The site is called Xiamabei

The researchers found evidence of the culture about 8 feet below ground. The layer of silt they found was found to be 39,000 to 41,000 years old based on carbon dating and more techniques of analysis.

In this sediment, the researchers found hundreds of mammal bones, lithics, tools and more.

"The remains seemed to be in their original spots after the site was abandoned by the residents," said Shixia Yang, co-first author Shixia Yang as quoted by Live Science.

"Based on this, we can reveal a vivid picture of how people lived 40,000 years ago in Eastern Asia."

"This is the earliest-known ochre workshop for East Asia," co-senior author Francesco d'Errico told Live Science.

The researchers found that Ochre was used as an additive to be used in processing hides and also as an adhesive that was used to affix handles to stone tools.

Scientists in China have found evidence of a 40,000 years old culture just 100 miles away from Beijing. The stone-age culture was populated by now-extinct relatives of human species.

Scientists in China have found evidence of a 40,000 years old culture just 100 miles away from Beijing. The stone-age culture was populated by now-extinct relatives of human species. These hominins made use of a pigment called Ochre and crafted blade-like tools from stone. The site of excavation is located in Nihewan Basin. It is a depression in northern, mountainous region in China. The site is called Xiamabei The researchers found evidence of the culture about 8 feet below ground. The layer of silt they found was found to be 39,000 to 41,000 years old based on carbon dating and more techniques of analysis. In this sediment, the researchers found hundreds of mammal bones, lithics, tools and more. "The remains seemed to be in their original spots after the site was abandoned by the residents," said Shixia Yang, co-first author Shixia Yang as quoted by Live Science. "Based on this, we can reveal a vivid picture of how people lived 40,000 years ago in Eastern Asia." "This is the earliest-known ochre workshop for East Asia," co-senior author Francesco d'Errico told Live Science. The researchers found that Ochre was used as an additive to be used in processing hides and also as an adhesive that was used to affix handles to stone tools.

40,000 year-old stone-age culture found in China

A few months ago, scientists announced the indirect detection of the nearest black hole to Earth. But another team is now suggesting a different explanation for this stellar puzzle.

From the earliest spectra of HR 6819, scientists identified this source as a bright, early-type Be star,&nbsp;a hot star with emission lines, likely due to the accretion of a circumstellar disk of material.

Thomas Rivinius, a Chile-based ESO astronomer and lead author on that paper, said “Not only is it normal, but it should be that results are scrutinised,” he says, “and a result that makes the headlines even more so.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-only-chance-in-catastrophe-astronomers-are-developing-ingenious-system-to-pulverise-asteroids-458293" hreflang="en">'Earth's only chance in catastrophe': Astronomers are developing ingenious system to pulverise asteroids</a>

Rivinius and his colleagues were convinced that the best explanation for the data they had, obtained with the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope, was that HR 6819 was a triple system, with one star orbiting a black hole every 40 days and a second star in a much wider orbit.&nbsp;

But a study led by Julia Bodensteiner, then a PhD student at KU Leuven, Belgium, proposed a different explanation for the same data: HR 6819 could also be a system with only two stars on a 40-day orbit and no black hole at all.&nbsp;

This alternative scenario would require one of the stars to be “stripped”, meaning that, at an earlier time, it had lost a large fraction of its mass to the other star. &nbsp;

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a>

“We had reached the limit of the existing data, so we had to turn to a different observational strategy to decide between the two scenarios proposed by the two teams,” says KU Leuven researcher Abigail Frost, who led the new study published today in Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.

To solve the mystery, the two teams worked together to obtain new, sharper data of HR 6819 using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI).&nbsp;

“The VLTI was the only facility that would give us the decisive data we needed to distinguish between the two explanations," says Dietrich Baade, author on both the original HR 6819 study and the new Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics paper.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mexico-to-send-mini-robots-to-moon-for-soil-exploration-in-scientific-first-457927" hreflang="en">Mexico to send mini-robots to Moon for soil exploration in scientific first</a>

Since it made no sense to ask for the same observation twice, the two teams joined forces, which allowed them to pool their resources and knowledge to find the true nature of this system.

“The scenarios we were looking for were rather clear, very different and easily distinguishable with the right instrument,” says Rivinius.&nbsp;

“We agreed that there were two sources of light in the system, so the question was whether they orbit each other closely, as in the stripped-star scenario, or are far apart from each other, as in the black hole scenario.”

“MUSE confirmed that there was no bright companion in a wider orbit, while GRAVITY’s high spatial resolution was able to resolve two bright sources separated by only one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Sun,” says Frost.&nbsp;

“These data proved to be the final piece of the puzzle, and allowed us to conclude that HR 6819 is a binary system with no black hole.” &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A few months ago, scientists announced the indirect detection of the nearest black hole to Earth. But another team is now suggesting a different explanation for this stellar puzzle.

A few months ago, scientists announced the indirect detection of the nearest black hole to Earth. But another team is now suggesting a different explanation for this stellar puzzle. From the earliest spectra of HR 6819, scientists identified this source as a bright, early-type Be star, a hot star with emission lines, likely due to the accretion of a circumstellar disk of material. Thomas Rivinius, a Chile-based ESO astronomer and lead author on that paper, said “Not only is it normal, but it should be that results are scrutinised,” he says, “and a result that makes the headlines even more so.” Also read | 'Earth's only chance in catastrophe': Astronomers are developing ingenious system to pulverise asteroids Rivinius and his colleagues were convinced that the best explanation for the data they had, obtained with the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope, was that HR 6819 was a triple system, with one star orbiting a black hole every 40 days and a second star in a much wider orbit. But a study led by Julia Bodensteiner, then a PhD student at KU Leuven, Belgium, proposed a different explanation for the same data: HR 6819 could also be a system with only two stars on a 40-day orbit and no black hole at all. This alternative scenario would require one of the stars to be “stripped”, meaning that, at an earlier time, it had lost a large fraction of its mass to the other star. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? “We had reached the limit of the existing data, so we had to turn to a different observational strategy to decide between the two scenarios proposed by the two teams,” says KU Leuven researcher Abigail Frost, who led the new study published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics. To solve the mystery, the two teams worked together to obtain new, sharper data of HR 6819 using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). “The VLTI was the only facility that would give us the decisive data we needed to distinguish between the two explanations," says Dietrich Baade, author on both the original HR 6819 study and the new Astronomy & Astrophysics paper. Also read | Mexico to send mini-robots to Moon for soil exploration in scientific first Since it made no sense to ask for the same observation twice, the two teams joined forces, which allowed them to pool their resources and knowledge to find the true nature of this system. “The scenarios we were looking for were rather clear, very different and easily distinguishable with the right instrument,” says Rivinius. “We agreed that there were two sources of light in the system, so the question was whether they orbit each other closely, as in the stripped-star scenario, or are far apart from each other, as in the black hole scenario.” “MUSE confirmed that there was no bright companion in a wider orbit, while GRAVITY’s high spatial resolution was able to resolve two bright sources separated by only one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Sun,” says Frost. “These data proved to be the final piece of the puzzle, and allowed us to conclude that HR 6819 is a binary system with no black hole.” (With inputs from agencies)

In a U-turn, scientists say black hole on our cosmic doorstep does not exist

Podcasts aren't a new thing, but their popularity skyrocketed during pandemic years. As lockdowns became a norm, people consumed more media indoors. And that included podcasts. Preference for audio interaction was also evident from the rise of apps like Clubhouse.

People were able to establish a connection of a sort with podcast presenters who, maybe in many cases, were only human voice those in isolation had access to.

A new study has thrown light on an interesting aspect. The study says that whether or not you would establish 'perceived intimacy' with the podcast presenter or guests depended on how you heard the podcast.

As per the study, those who heard a particular podcast on headphones were more likely to empathise with the presenter than those who heard the same podcast on speakers.

The study was carried out by UC San Diego's Rady School, UCLA, and UC Berkeley.

The participants in the study were made to listen to a speech by a CEO whose company made visual information available to blind persons. The question was, should the CEO be nominated for an award?

The participants who heard the speech on headphones were more likely to say yes (30 per cent) than those who heard the podcast on speakers.

Researchers think that reason behind this is “in-head localization”. As sound from earphones/ headphones are imagined by listener to be coming from inside his/her head, the sounds “trigger a feeling of greater closeness to the person speaking to you”.

This research will be published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Podcasts aren't a new thing, but their popularity skyrocketed during pandemic years. As lockdowns became a norm, people consumed more media indoors. And that included podcasts.

Podcasts aren't a new thing, but their popularity skyrocketed during pandemic years. As lockdowns became a norm, people consumed more media indoors. And that included podcasts. Preference for audio interaction was also evident from the rise of apps like Clubhouse. People were able to establish a connection of a sort with podcast presenters who, maybe in many cases, were only human voice those in isolation had access to. A new study has thrown light on an interesting aspect. The study says that whether or not you would establish 'perceived intimacy' with the podcast presenter or guests depended on how you heard the podcast. As per the study, those who heard a particular podcast on headphones were more likely to empathise with the presenter than those who heard the same podcast on speakers. The study was carried out by UC San Diego's Rady School, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. The participants in the study were made to listen to a speech by a CEO whose company made visual information available to blind persons. The question was, should the CEO be nominated for an award? The participants who heard the speech on headphones were more likely to say yes (30 per cent) than those who heard the podcast on speakers. Researchers think that reason behind this is “in-head localization”. As sound from earphones/ headphones are imagined by listener to be coming from inside his/her head, the sounds “trigger a feeling of greater closeness to the person speaking to you”. This research will be published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Listening podcast on headphones than on speaker may make you connect more with presenters: Study

Scientists are reporting a glow of X-Ray after a mega collision between two neutron stars. The strange glow is visible more than three years after the collision that resulted in what is called kilonova explosion. This X-Ray glow has been called "uncharted territory" by scientists.

It is being put for that the glow may have resulted from shockwave of the collision slamming into dust present in this region of space. Another theory is that the glow &nbsp;is generated due to ejecta of the explosion falling back into the new object, most likely a black hole

"We have entered uncharted territory here in studying the aftermath of a neutron star merger," said Northwestern’s Aprajita Hajela, who led the new study. “We are looking at something new and extraordinary for the very first time. This gives us an opportunity to study and understand new physical processes, which have not before been observed.”

The merger of the neutron stars led to a massive explosion. This explosion, called a kilonova blast is 1000 times brighter than a classical nova.

Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers observed X-ray emissions from a jet moving very close to the speed of light produced by the neutron star merger. Starting in early 2018, the jet’s X-ray emission steadily faded as the jet continued to slow and expand. Hajela and her team then noticed from March 2020 until the end of 2020, the decline in brightness stopped, and the X-ray emission was approximately constant in brightness

The study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Scientists are reporting a glow of X-Ray after a mega collision between two neutron stars. The strange glow is visible more than three years after the collision that resulted in what is called kilonova explosion.

Scientists are reporting a glow of X-Ray after a mega collision between two neutron stars. The strange glow is visible more than three years after the collision that resulted in what is called kilonova explosion. This X-Ray glow has been called "uncharted territory" by scientists. It is being put for that the glow may have resulted from shockwave of the collision slamming into dust present in this region of space. Another theory is that the glow is generated due to ejecta of the explosion falling back into the new object, most likely a black hole "We have entered uncharted territory here in studying the aftermath of a neutron star merger," said Northwestern’s Aprajita Hajela, who led the new study. “We are looking at something new and extraordinary for the very first time. This gives us an opportunity to study and understand new physical processes, which have not before been observed.” The merger of the neutron stars led to a massive explosion. This explosion, called a kilonova blast is 1000 times brighter than a classical nova. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers observed X-ray emissions from a jet moving very close to the speed of light produced by the neutron star merger. Starting in early 2018, the jet’s X-ray emission steadily faded as the jet continued to slow and expand. Hajela and her team then noticed from March 2020 until the end of 2020, the decline in brightness stopped, and the X-ray emission was approximately constant in brightness The study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Afterglow of a possible kilonova explosion creates a buzz

Past can be a pain but nostalgia often brings a delightful relief. Everyone likes to think of good ol' days once in a while. And this sure evokes happiness, lifts our mood and sometimes makes us meet life with a renewed vigour.

But can nostalgia have real, physiological benefits? A study says yes.

The study was made by Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this study, volunteers were given heat stimulus. This heat stimulus could be slightly painful at times.&nbsp;

At the same time. They were shown images from their childhood that evokes nostalgia. They were asked to rate the pain they felt from the heat stimulus.

It was observed by the researchers that a strong nostalgia provided some sort of pain relief to the volunteers. This was especially apparent when the level of pain within the ranges decided for the study was low.&nbsp;

The relief brought about by nostalgia did not have a profound effect, however, when the pain intensity was higher. Researchers think that this was so because pain of higher intensity took up more cognitive resources of the mind.

"The more nostalgic the participants felt, the less pain they perceived," said the research team in its paper as quoted by ScienceAlert.

Past can be a pain but nostalgia often brings a delightful relief. Everyone likes to think of good ol' days once in a while. And this sure evokes happiness, lifts our mood and sometimes makes us meet life with a renewed vigour.

Past can be a pain but nostalgia often brings a delightful relief. Everyone likes to think of good ol' days once in a while. And this sure evokes happiness, lifts our mood and sometimes makes us meet life with a renewed vigour. But can nostalgia have real, physiological benefits? A study says yes. The study was made by Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this study, volunteers were given heat stimulus. This heat stimulus could be slightly painful at times. At the same time. They were shown images from their childhood that evokes nostalgia. They were asked to rate the pain they felt from the heat stimulus. It was observed by the researchers that a strong nostalgia provided some sort of pain relief to the volunteers. This was especially apparent when the level of pain within the ranges decided for the study was low. The relief brought about by nostalgia did not have a profound effect, however, when the pain intensity was higher. Researchers think that this was so because pain of higher intensity took up more cognitive resources of the mind. "The more nostalgic the participants felt, the less pain they perceived," said the research team in its paper as quoted by ScienceAlert.

Nostalgia can even shield you from physical pain, says a study

A new model of artificial intelligence has shown hidden turbulence in the atmosphere of the Sun.

The research, published in Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics, shows multi-scale deep learning for estimating horizontal velocity fields on the solar surface.

The sun,&nbsp;essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium,&nbsp;is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan.&nbsp;

Its diametre is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius).

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"We developed a novel convolutional neural network to estimate the spatial distribution of horizontal velocity by using the spatial distributions of temperature and vertical velocity," wrote a team of researchers led by astronomer Ryohtaroh Ishikawa of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

"This led to efficient detection of spatially spread features and concentrated features. [..] Our network exhibited a higher performance on almost all the spatial scales when compared to those reported in previous studies."

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Elevated magnetic activity associated with sunspots can lead to solar flares, coronal mass ejections - large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere - and other electromagnetic phenomena that can affect Earth, for example disrupting satellites and communications and endangering astronauts.

"By comparing the results of the three convection models, we observed that the rapid decrease in coherence spectrum occurred on the scales that were lower than the energy injection scales, which were characterized by the peaks of the power spectra of the vertical velocities. This implies that the network was not appropriately trained to reproduce the velocity fields in small scales generated by turbulent cascades," they wrote in their paper.

"These challenges can be explored in future studies."

The researchers compared data on similar stars to historical records of the sun’s activity. These records included about 400 years of observational data on sunspots and about 9,000 years of data based on chemical element variants in tree rings and ice cores caused by solar activity. These records indicated the sun has not been much more active than it is now. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A new model of artificial intelligence has shown hidden turbulence in the atmosphere of the Sun. The research, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, shows multi-scale deep learning for estimating horizontal velocity fields on the solar surface.

A new model of artificial intelligence has shown hidden turbulence in the atmosphere of the Sun. The research, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, shows multi-scale deep learning for estimating horizontal velocity fields on the solar surface. The sun, essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium, is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diametre is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius). Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? "We developed a novel convolutional neural network to estimate the spatial distribution of horizontal velocity by using the spatial distributions of temperature and vertical velocity," wrote a team of researchers led by astronomer Ryohtaroh Ishikawa of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. "This led to efficient detection of spatially spread features and concentrated features. [..] Our network exhibited a higher performance on almost all the spatial scales when compared to those reported in previous studies." Also read | Astronomers map 1 million space objects that have never been spotted before Elevated magnetic activity associated with sunspots can lead to solar flares, coronal mass ejections - large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere - and other electromagnetic phenomena that can affect Earth, for example disrupting satellites and communications and endangering astronauts. "By comparing the results of the three convection models, we observed that the rapid decrease in coherence spectrum occurred on the scales that were lower than the energy injection scales, which were characterized by the peaks of the power spectra of the vertical velocities. This implies that the network was not appropriately trained to reproduce the velocity fields in small scales generated by turbulent cascades," they wrote in their paper. "These challenges can be explored in future studies." The researchers compared data on similar stars to historical records of the sun’s activity. These records included about 400 years of observational data on sunspots and about 9,000 years of data based on chemical element variants in tree rings and ice cores caused by solar activity. These records indicated the sun has not been much more active than it is now. (With inputs from agencies)

New artificial intelligence model shows hidden turbulence in Sun's atmosphere

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has captured an image of a tiny and delicate mineral 'flower' on Mars.

“We’re finding things on Mars that are tantalizingly interesting, but we would really need more evidence to say we’ve identified life,” said Paul Mahaffy, who served as the principal investigator of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) chemistry lab aboard Curiosity.

“So we’re looking at what else could have caused the carbon signature we’re seeing, if not life.”

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The object found by NASA is a mineral formation, with delicate structures that formed by minerals precipitating from water.

“The hardest thing is letting go of Earth and letting go of that bias that we have and really trying to get into the fundamentals of the chemistry, physics, and environmental processes on Mars,” said Goddard astrobiologist Jennifer L. Eigenbrode, who participated in the study.

“We need to open our minds and think outside the box,” Eigenbrode said, “and that’s what this paper does.”

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Unlike Earth, Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field to shield it from the high-energy particles whizzing around in space. That radiation can wreak havoc on human health, and it can seriously compromise the life support systems that Mars astronauts will depend on, as well.

Based on data from Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector researchers are finding that using natural materials such as the rock and sediment on Mars could offer some protection from this ever-present space radiation.&nbsp;

The 1-tonne rover touched down inside an ancient impact basin in August 2012. It quickly discovered a region inside the Gale Crater landing site that was chemically and geologically suited for the same kind of rock-eating microbes commonly found on Earth. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has captured an image of a tiny and delicate mineral 'flower' on Mars. “We’re finding things on Mars that are tantalizingly interesting, but we would really need more evidence to say we’ve identified life,” said Paul Mahaffy, who served as the principal investigator of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) chemistry lab aboard Curiosity.

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has captured an image of a tiny and delicate mineral 'flower' on Mars. “We’re finding things on Mars that are tantalizingly interesting, but we would really need more evidence to say we’ve identified life,” said Paul Mahaffy, who served as the principal investigator of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) chemistry lab aboard Curiosity. “So we’re looking at what else could have caused the carbon signature we’re seeing, if not life.” Also read | Astronomers map 1 million space objects that have never been spotted before The object found by NASA is a mineral formation, with delicate structures that formed by minerals precipitating from water. “The hardest thing is letting go of Earth and letting go of that bias that we have and really trying to get into the fundamentals of the chemistry, physics, and environmental processes on Mars,” said Goddard astrobiologist Jennifer L. Eigenbrode, who participated in the study. “We need to open our minds and think outside the box,” Eigenbrode said, “and that’s what this paper does.” Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? Unlike Earth, Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field to shield it from the high-energy particles whizzing around in space. That radiation can wreak havoc on human health, and it can seriously compromise the life support systems that Mars astronauts will depend on, as well. Based on data from Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector researchers are finding that using natural materials such as the rock and sediment on Mars could offer some protection from this ever-present space radiation. The 1-tonne rover touched down inside an ancient impact basin in August 2012. It quickly discovered a region inside the Gale Crater landing site that was chemically and geologically suited for the same kind of rock-eating microbes commonly found on Earth. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Curiosity rover captures image of mineral 'flower' on Mars

In a new study, astronomers have mapped 1 million space objects that have never been spotted before.

The research, conducted by Durham University in England in collaboration with a team of international scientists, has been published in 'Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics'.

It reveals an astonishingly detailed radio image of more than 4.4 million objects and a very dynamic picture of our Universe.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a>

"This project is so exciting to work on. Each time we create a map our screens are filled with new discoveries and objects that have never before been seen by human eyes. Exploring the unfamiliar phenomena that glow in the energetic radio Universe is such an incredible experience and our team is thrilled to be able to release these maps publicly," said astronomer Timothy Shimwell of ASTRON and Leiden University.

He further said, "This release is only 27 per cent of the entire survey and we anticipate it will lead to many more scientific breakthroughs in the future, including examining how the largest structures in the Universe grow, how black holes form and evolve, the physics governing the formation of stars in distant galaxies and even detailing the most spectacular phases in the life of stars in our own Galaxy."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/after-sighting-of-cube-lunar-rover-discovers-mysterious-glass-spheres-on-moon-455731" hreflang="en">After sighting of 'cube,' lunar rover discovers mysterious glass spheres on Moon</a>

The prominent group of scientists used the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), a pan-European radio telescope, to map more than a quarter of the northern sky.

They deployed state-of-the-art data processing algorithms on high-performance computers all over Europe to process 3,500 hours of observations that occupy 8 petabytes of disk space - the equivalent to roughly 20,000 laptops.

This is by far the largest data release from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-believe-liquid-jewels-rain-on-this-sizzling-exoplanet-that-has-metal-vapour-clouds-455491" hreflang="en">Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds</a>

Durham University scientist, Dr. Leah Morabito, said, "We've opened the door to new discoveries with this project, and future work will follow up these new discoveries in even more detail with techniques, which we work on here at Durham as part of the LOFAR-UK collaboration, to post-process the data with 20 times better resolution."

The research team found about a million objects that have never been seen before with any telescope and almost four million objects that are new discoveries at radio wavelengths.

The vast majority of these objects are billions of light-years away and are either galaxies that harbour massive black holes or are rapidly growing new stars.

Rarer objects that have been discovered include colliding groups of distant galaxies and flaring stars within the Milky Way.

The findings present a major step forward in astrophysics and can be used to search for a wide range of signals, such as those from nearby planets or galaxies right through to faint signatures in the distant Universe.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a new study, astronomers have mapped 1 million space objects that have never been spotted before. The research, conducted by Durham University in England in collaboration with a team of international scientists, has been published in 'Astronomy & Astrophysics'.

In a new study, astronomers have mapped 1 million space objects that have never been spotted before. The research, conducted by Durham University in England in collaboration with a team of international scientists, has been published in 'Astronomy & Astrophysics'. It reveals an astonishingly detailed radio image of more than 4.4 million objects and a very dynamic picture of our Universe. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? "This project is so exciting to work on. Each time we create a map our screens are filled with new discoveries and objects that have never before been seen by human eyes. Exploring the unfamiliar phenomena that glow in the energetic radio Universe is such an incredible experience and our team is thrilled to be able to release these maps publicly," said astronomer Timothy Shimwell of ASTRON and Leiden University. He further said, "This release is only 27 per cent of the entire survey and we anticipate it will lead to many more scientific breakthroughs in the future, including examining how the largest structures in the Universe grow, how black holes form and evolve, the physics governing the formation of stars in distant galaxies and even detailing the most spectacular phases in the life of stars in our own Galaxy." Also read | After sighting of 'cube,' lunar rover discovers mysterious glass spheres on Moon The prominent group of scientists used the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), a pan-European radio telescope, to map more than a quarter of the northern sky. They deployed state-of-the-art data processing algorithms on high-performance computers all over Europe to process 3,500 hours of observations that occupy 8 petabytes of disk space - the equivalent to roughly 20,000 laptops. This is by far the largest data release from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey. Also read | Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds Durham University scientist, Dr. Leah Morabito, said, "We've opened the door to new discoveries with this project, and future work will follow up these new discoveries in even more detail with techniques, which we work on here at Durham as part of the LOFAR-UK collaboration, to post-process the data with 20 times better resolution." The research team found about a million objects that have never been seen before with any telescope and almost four million objects that are new discoveries at radio wavelengths. The vast majority of these objects are billions of light-years away and are either galaxies that harbour massive black holes or are rapidly growing new stars. Rarer objects that have been discovered include colliding groups of distant galaxies and flaring stars within the Milky Way. The findings present a major step forward in astrophysics and can be used to search for a wide range of signals, such as those from nearby planets or galaxies right through to faint signatures in the distant Universe. (With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers map 1 million space objects that have never been spotted before

Spring is popularly taken to be a pleasant time in colder countries at higher latitudes. The period provides relief from the freezing, long nights and days are just fine.

Dinosaurs would be the last animals to love the season of joy as the deadly asteroid that struck the Earth wiping out more than 75 per cent of life on the planet. The powerful, fearful beasts who ruled almost every food chain on the planet saw their hold vanish in one-stroke.

We know that an asteroid hit the Earth. We know that it caused major mayhem. But a group of scientists has answered 'when' did the killer asteroid strike. In which season of the year, to be precise.

The scientists say that the killer asteroid struck the Earth when it was springtime in Northern Hemisphere. In Southern Hemisphere, it was fall (or autumn).

The timing of the asteroid strike mattered for recovery of species in both hemispheres. Although life in both hemispheres was nearly wiped out, animals in Northern Hemisphere were especially affected. This was because springtime is usually season of mating and reproduction for many species. The amount of food that is consumed is more than during other seasons of the year.

Asteroid strike and subsequent imapct on global climate resulting into food shortage hit these animals hard.

This was evident as life in the Southern Hemisphere recovered faster than that in Northern Hemisphere after the impact.

The study has been published in journal Nature.

Spring is popularly taken to be a pleasant time in colder countries at higher latitudes. The period provides relief from the freezing, long nights and days are just fine.

Spring is popularly taken to be a pleasant time in colder countries at higher latitudes. The period provides relief from the freezing, long nights and days are just fine. Dinosaurs would be the last animals to love the season of joy as the deadly asteroid that struck the Earth wiping out more than 75 per cent of life on the planet. The powerful, fearful beasts who ruled almost every food chain on the planet saw their hold vanish in one-stroke. We know that an asteroid hit the Earth. We know that it caused major mayhem. But a group of scientists has answered 'when' did the killer asteroid strike. In which season of the year, to be precise. The scientists say that the killer asteroid struck the Earth when it was springtime in Northern Hemisphere. In Southern Hemisphere, it was fall (or autumn). The timing of the asteroid strike mattered for recovery of species in both hemispheres. Although life in both hemispheres was nearly wiped out, animals in Northern Hemisphere were especially affected. This was because springtime is usually season of mating and reproduction for many species. The amount of food that is consumed is more than during other seasons of the year. Asteroid strike and subsequent imapct on global climate resulting into food shortage hit these animals hard. This was evident as life in the Southern Hemisphere recovered faster than that in Northern Hemisphere after the impact. The study has been published in journal Nature.

Dinosaur-killing asteroid struck Earth in springtime, say scientists

Galaxies are huge. Really huge. Our Milky Way galaxy is so huge that it would take light (at 300,000 kilometres per second) would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other.

If you thought that was huge, wait till you imagine galaxy clusters. These are groups of galaxies and they often collide with each other. The shockwaves such collisions would generate would be quite massive. But exactly how massive?

Sample this, a shockwave of such a collision that took place billions of years ago is measuring 6.5 million light-years across! This means that this shockwave is many many times larger than entire Milky Way Galaxy!

The shockwave is travelling through space at speed of 1,500 kilometers per second (930 miles per second). The particular galaxy cluster that caused the shockwave is called Abell 3667. At least 550 galaxies are associated with it.

This shockwave is visible in radio wavelength. It has been observed by a team of astronomers using MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.

"These structures are full of surprises and much more complex than what we initially thought," says astronomer Francesco de Gasperin of the University of Hamburg. He was quoted by South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Galaxies are huge. Really huge. Our Milky Way galaxy is so huge that it would take light (at 300,000 kilometres per second) would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other.

Galaxies are huge. Really huge. Our Milky Way galaxy is so huge that it would take light (at 300,000 kilometres per second) would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. If you thought that was huge, wait till you imagine galaxy clusters. These are groups of galaxies and they often collide with each other. The shockwaves such collisions would generate would be quite massive. But exactly how massive? Sample this, a shockwave of such a collision that took place billions of years ago is measuring 6.5 million light-years across! This means that this shockwave is many many times larger than entire Milky Way Galaxy! The shockwave is travelling through space at speed of 1,500 kilometers per second (930 miles per second). The particular galaxy cluster that caused the shockwave is called Abell 3667. At least 550 galaxies are associated with it. This shockwave is visible in radio wavelength. It has been observed by a team of astronomers using MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. "These structures are full of surprises and much more complex than what we initially thought," says astronomer Francesco de Gasperin of the University of Hamburg. He was quoted by South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Superhuge shockwave bigger than Milky Way galaxy is travelling through space

Chinese rover Yutu-2 has discovered mysterious glass spheres on the far side of the moon. The paper detailing the discovery has been published in Science Bulletin.

"Collectively, the peculiar morphology, geometry, and local context of the glass globules are consistent with being anorthositic impact glasses," the researchers write in their paper.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-resolve-mystery-of-cube-spotted-on-moons-dark-side-443232">Also read |&nbsp;Astronomers resolve mystery of 'cube' spotted on Moon's dark side</a>

"As the first discovery of macroscopic and translucent glass globules on the Moon, this study predicts that such globules should be abundant across the lunar highland, providing promising sampling targets to reveal the early impact history of the Moon," they write.

It comes after sighted a cube-like object on the horizon about 80 metres (87 yards) from its location that fanned speculation over what it could be and inspired a host of memes by Chinese internet users.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/milestones-chinas-space-dreams-from-ground-zero-upwards-392152">Also see |&nbsp;'Milestones': China's space dreams from ground zero upwards</a>

The solar-powered Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit" in Chinese, will cover the distance of 80 metres in two to three lunar days, according to Our Space, or two to three Earth months.

The robotic rover has been operating in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin since its deployment in January 2019.

The mission was a historic first, with no other nation having landed on the far side of the moon until then.

With the moon tidally locked to Earth - rotating at the same speed as it orbits our planet - most of its "dark side" is never visible to those on Earth. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Chinese rover Yutu-2 has discovered mysterious glass spheres on the far side of the moon. The paper detailing the discovery has been published in Science Bulletin.

Chinese rover Yutu-2 has discovered mysterious glass spheres on the far side of the moon. The paper detailing the discovery has been published in Science Bulletin. "Collectively, the peculiar morphology, geometry, and local context of the glass globules are consistent with being anorthositic impact glasses," the researchers write in their paper. Also read | Astronomers resolve mystery of 'cube' spotted on Moon's dark side "As the first discovery of macroscopic and translucent glass globules on the Moon, this study predicts that such globules should be abundant across the lunar highland, providing promising sampling targets to reveal the early impact history of the Moon," they write. It comes after sighted a cube-like object on the horizon about 80 metres (87 yards) from its location that fanned speculation over what it could be and inspired a host of memes by Chinese internet users. Also see | 'Milestones': China's space dreams from ground zero upwards The solar-powered Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit" in Chinese, will cover the distance of 80 metres in two to three lunar days, according to Our Space, or two to three Earth months. The robotic rover has been operating in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin since its deployment in January 2019. The mission was a historic first, with no other nation having landed on the far side of the moon until then. With the moon tidally locked to Earth - rotating at the same speed as it orbits our planet - most of its "dark side" is never visible to those on Earth. (With inputs from agencies)

After sighting of 'cube,' lunar rover discovers mysterious glass spheres on Moon

The wide, open Universe is filled with frenzied activity. Collisions of galaxies are one of the oft-seen phenomena. The idea of galaxies, comprising billions of stars, colliding with another galaxy appears horrific to imagine. We may think of loud boom, bangs just like in the movies.

But such collisions are often less eventful than universe-shattering drama we imagine in our minds. But there is a lot of tug-of-war involved when two galaxies collide. And depending upon which one packs more punch, a single galaxy may emerge victorious or the mishmash of stellar material may give rise to a wholly new galaxy.

But what&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope has clicked has puzzled the scientists. A head-on collision of two galaxies has formed a weird-looking triangle shape&nbsp;in space.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-with-three-moons-of-its-own-found-for-the-first-time-454794">Asteroid with three moons of its own found for the first time</a>

So meet our two contenders in the ring. On the right in a spiral galaxy named NGC 2445. On the left is another spiral galaxy but with a name NGC 2445. Both of these galaxies are colliding. By the looks of it, scientists say that NGC 2444 (galaxy in left corner) is winning the tug-of-war and drawing material out of the right-hand side galaxy.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-believe-liquid-jewels-rain-on-this-sizzling-exoplanet-that-has-metal-vapour-clouds-455491">Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds</a> 
 
This has caused newly minted stars from the right-hand side galaxy to leave their places and get arranged in a starnge triangle shape. The triangle is still witnessing a star-birthing frenzy because the right-hand side galaxy has a lot of gas, a necessary fuel needed for birth of new stars.

But what puzzles the scientist is the triangle formed by the stars moving towards the right-hand side galaxy.

Astronomer Julianne Dalcanton of the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York was quoted by NASA when he said that star-formation rings are formed quite commonly at the time of collisions between two galaxies. But this particular collision does not depict a 'ring' but a star-forming triangle. This,&nbsp;in her opinion, is 'weird'.

The wide, open Universe is filled with frenzied activity. Collisions of galaxies are one of the oft-seen phenomena. The idea of galaxies, comprising billions of stars, colliding with another galaxy appears horrific to imagine.

The wide, open Universe is filled with frenzied activity. Collisions of galaxies are one of the oft-seen phenomena. The idea of galaxies, comprising billions of stars, colliding with another galaxy appears horrific to imagine. We may think of loud boom, bangs just like in the movies. But such collisions are often less eventful than universe-shattering drama we imagine in our minds. But there is a lot of tug-of-war involved when two galaxies collide. And depending upon which one packs more punch, a single galaxy may emerge victorious or the mishmash of stellar material may give rise to a wholly new galaxy. But what Hubble Space Telescope has clicked has puzzled the scientists. A head-on collision of two galaxies has formed a weird-looking triangle shape in space. Also Read | Asteroid with three moons of its own found for the first time So meet our two contenders in the ring. On the right in a spiral galaxy named NGC 2445. On the left is another spiral galaxy but with a name NGC 2445. Both of these galaxies are colliding. By the looks of it, scientists say that NGC 2444 (galaxy in left corner) is winning the tug-of-war and drawing material out of the right-hand side galaxy. Also Read | Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds This has caused newly minted stars from the right-hand side galaxy to leave their places and get arranged in a starnge triangle shape. The triangle is still witnessing a star-birthing frenzy because the right-hand side galaxy has a lot of gas, a necessary fuel needed for birth of new stars. But what puzzles the scientist is the triangle formed by the stars moving towards the right-hand side galaxy. Astronomer Julianne Dalcanton of the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York was quoted by NASA when he said that star-formation rings are formed quite commonly at the time of collisions between two galaxies. But this particular collision does not depict a 'ring' but a star-forming triangle. This, in her opinion, is 'weird'.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope clicks colliding galaxies forming a strange space triangle

Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds.

This study, published in&nbsp;Nature Astronomy, is a big step in deciphering the global cycles of matter and energy in the atmospheres of exoplanets.

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, an international collaboration of scientists led by Thomas Mikal-Evans from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, investigated the atmospheric properties of the hot Jupiter WASP-121 b.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a>

Astronomers had discovered this exoplanet in 2015 in the constellation Puppis at a distance of 855 light-years. Its mass is about 20 per cent&nbsp;greater than that of Jupiter, while WASP-121&nbsp;b has a diameter that is nearly twice as large.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-hubble-space-telescope-clicks-colliding-galaxies-forming-a-strange-space-triangle-455686">NASA's Hubble Space Telescope clicks colliding galaxies forming a strange space triangle</a> 
 
By including measurements from the dayside hemisphere, they determined how water changes physical states when moving between the hemispheres of the exoplanet WASP-121 b. While airborne metals and minerals evaporate on the hot dayside, the cooler night side features metal clouds and rain made of liquid gems.

This study is a big step in deciphering the global cycles of matter and energy in the atmospheres of exoplanets.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/breakthrough-in-physics-artificial-intelligence-successfully-controls-plasma-in-nuclear-fusion-experiment-455165" hreflang="en">'Breakthrough in Physics': Artificial Intelligence successfully controls plasma in nuclear fusion experiment</a>

Scientists have discovered more than 4,300 exoplanets. Some have been large gas planets akin to Jupiter. Others have been smaller, rocky Earth-like worlds, the kind considered candidates for harboring life, but currently available scientific instruments tell us little about their atmospheres.

"Despite the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, we've only been able to study the atmospheres of a small fraction due to the challenging nature of the observations," says astronomer Thomas Mikal-Evans of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

"We're now moving beyond taking isolated snapshots of specific regions of exoplanet atmospheres, to study them as the 3D systems they truly are," he adds.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-chart-milky-ways-dramatic-history-in-new-map-454668" hreflang="en">Astronomers chart Milky Way's dramatic history in new map</a>

The chemical composition of an atmosphere can tell a lot about a planet and its habitability. Scientists are interested in looking at the combination of gases in the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets, with a mix of oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane like that of our own planet a potential indication of life.

"The amount of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere provides clues on where these kinds of planets form," Mikal-Evans explains

"We saw this water feature and mapped how it changed at different parts of the planet's orbit."&nbsp;

"That encodes information about what the temperature of the planet's atmosphere is doing as a function of altitude."

"These winds are much faster than our jet stream, and can probably move clouds across the entire planet in about 20 hours," says astrophysicist Tansu Daylan of MIT.

(With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds. This study, published in Nature Astronomy, is a big step in deciphering the global cycles of matter and energy in the atmospheres of exoplanets.

Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds. This study, published in Nature Astronomy, is a big step in deciphering the global cycles of matter and energy in the atmospheres of exoplanets. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, an international collaboration of scientists led by Thomas Mikal-Evans from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, investigated the atmospheric properties of the hot Jupiter WASP-121 b. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? Astronomers had discovered this exoplanet in 2015 in the constellation Puppis at a distance of 855 light-years. Its mass is about 20 per cent greater than that of Jupiter, while WASP-121 b has a diameter that is nearly twice as large. Also Read | NASA's Hubble Space Telescope clicks colliding galaxies forming a strange space triangle By including measurements from the dayside hemisphere, they determined how water changes physical states when moving between the hemispheres of the exoplanet WASP-121 b. While airborne metals and minerals evaporate on the hot dayside, the cooler night side features metal clouds and rain made of liquid gems. This study is a big step in deciphering the global cycles of matter and energy in the atmospheres of exoplanets. Also read | 'Breakthrough in Physics': Artificial Intelligence successfully controls plasma in nuclear fusion experiment Scientists have discovered more than 4,300 exoplanets. Some have been large gas planets akin to Jupiter. Others have been smaller, rocky Earth-like worlds, the kind considered candidates for harboring life, but currently available scientific instruments tell us little about their atmospheres. "Despite the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, we've only been able to study the atmospheres of a small fraction due to the challenging nature of the observations," says astronomer Thomas Mikal-Evans of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. "We're now moving beyond taking isolated snapshots of specific regions of exoplanet atmospheres, to study them as the 3D systems they truly are," he adds. Also read | Astronomers chart Milky Way's dramatic history in new map The chemical composition of an atmosphere can tell a lot about a planet and its habitability. Scientists are interested in looking at the combination of gases in the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets, with a mix of oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane like that of our own planet a potential indication of life. "The amount of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere provides clues on where these kinds of planets form," Mikal-Evans explains "We saw this water feature and mapped how it changed at different parts of the planet's orbit." "That encodes information about what the temperature of the planet's atmosphere is doing as a function of altitude." "These winds are much faster than our jet stream, and can probably move clouds across the entire planet in about 20 hours," says astrophysicist Tansu Daylan of MIT. (With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers believe liquid jewels rain on this sizzling exoplanet that has metal vapour clouds

Scientists were successfully able to control plasma in nuclear fusion experiment by using artificial intelligence.

Nuclear fusion comes from the fusing of two atoms at very high temperatures, which then release energy.

In the study, published in Nature, scientists have recreated these extreme conditions is by using a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped vacuum surrounded by magnetic coils, that is used to contain a plasma of hydrogen that is hotter than the core of the Sun.&nbsp;

However, the plasmas in these machines are inherently unstable, making sustaining the process required for nuclear fusion a complex challenge.

For example, a control system needs to coordinate the tokamak's many magnetic coils and adjust the voltage on them thousands of times per second to ensure the plasma never touches the walls of the vessel, which would result in heat loss and possibly damage.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-conducts-nuclear-fusion-experiment-for-artificial-sun-439314">Also read |&nbsp;China conducts nuclear fusion experiment for 'artificial sun'</a>

To help solve this problem and as part of DeepMind’s mission to advance science, researchers collaborated with the Swiss Plasma Centre at EPFL to develop the first deep reinforcement learning (RL) system to autonomously discover how to control these coils and successfully contain the plasma in a tokamak, opening new avenues to advance nuclear fusion research.

Using a learning architecture that combines deep RL and a simulated environment, they produced controllers that can both keep the plasma steady and be used to accurately sculpt it into different shapes.&nbsp;

This “plasma sculpting” shows the RL system has successfully controlled the superheated matter and - importantly - allows scientists to investigate how the plasma reacts under different conditions, improving our understanding of fusion reactors.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/british-scientists-major-breakthrough-on-nuclear-fusion-energy-451933/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"This AI is, in my opinion, the only way forward," said physicist Gianluca Sarri from Queen's University Belfast.

"There are so many variables, and a small change in one of them can cause a big change in the final output. If you try to do it manually, it's a very lengthy process."

Scientists have been working for decades to try to develop fusion energy as a viable power source.&nbsp;

Unlike the burning of fossil fuels or the fission process of existing nuclear power plants, fusion offers the prospect of abundant energy without pollution, radioactive waste, or greenhouse gases.

While nuclear fusion could revolutionise energy production, with pilot projects targeting energy output at 10 times the input, no fusion project has up to now created a net energy increase. Critics say commercially viable fusion always remains fifty years in the future.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Scientists were successfully able to control plasma in nuclear fusion experiment by using artificial intelligence. Nuclear fusion comes from the fusing of two atoms at very high temperatures, which then release energy.

Scientists were successfully able to control plasma in nuclear fusion experiment by using artificial intelligence. Nuclear fusion comes from the fusing of two atoms at very high temperatures, which then release energy. In the study, published in Nature, scientists have recreated these extreme conditions is by using a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped vacuum surrounded by magnetic coils, that is used to contain a plasma of hydrogen that is hotter than the core of the Sun. However, the plasmas in these machines are inherently unstable, making sustaining the process required for nuclear fusion a complex challenge. For example, a control system needs to coordinate the tokamak's many magnetic coils and adjust the voltage on them thousands of times per second to ensure the plasma never touches the walls of the vessel, which would result in heat loss and possibly damage. Also read | China conducts nuclear fusion experiment for 'artificial sun' To help solve this problem and as part of DeepMind’s mission to advance science, researchers collaborated with the Swiss Plasma Centre at EPFL to develop the first deep reinforcement learning (RL) system to autonomously discover how to control these coils and successfully contain the plasma in a tokamak, opening new avenues to advance nuclear fusion research. Using a learning architecture that combines deep RL and a simulated environment, they produced controllers that can both keep the plasma steady and be used to accurately sculpt it into different shapes. This “plasma sculpting” shows the RL system has successfully controlled the superheated matter and - importantly - allows scientists to investigate how the plasma reacts under different conditions, improving our understanding of fusion reactors. "This AI is, in my opinion, the only way forward," said physicist Gianluca Sarri from Queen's University Belfast. "There are so many variables, and a small change in one of them can cause a big change in the final output. If you try to do it manually, it's a very lengthy process." Scientists have been working for decades to try to develop fusion energy as a viable power source. Unlike the burning of fossil fuels or the fission process of existing nuclear power plants, fusion offers the prospect of abundant energy without pollution, radioactive waste, or greenhouse gases. While nuclear fusion could revolutionise energy production, with pilot projects targeting energy output at 10 times the input, no fusion project has up to now created a net energy increase. Critics say commercially viable fusion always remains fifty years in the future. (With inputs from agencies)

'Breakthrough in Physics': Artificial Intelligence successfully controls plasma in nuclear fusion experiment

Scientists have found that ancient 'mega floods' tilted direction of Earth's crust as per a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The glacial Lake Missoula outburst floods are among the largest known floods on Earth. Dozens of these floods scoured the landscapes of eastern Washington during the last Ice Age, almost 18 thousand years ago, forming what is known as the Channeled Scabland.&nbsp;

In this study, researchers have explored how changes in topography due to the solid Earth’s response to ice sheet loading and unloading influenced the history of mega flood routing over the Channeled Scabland. They found that the deformation of the Earth’s crust played an important role in directing the erosion of the Channeled Scabland.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-chart-milky-ways-dramatic-history-in-new-map-454668" hreflang="en">Astronomers chart Milky Way's dramatic history in new map</a>

"We used relatively simple, yet plausible, numerical experiments to test whether glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) could have had a substantial impact on flood routing and erosion for two major scabland tracts, Cheney-Palouse and Telford-Crab Creek," write the authors of the study.

"To this end, we modeled GIA to reconstruct the topography of the Channeled Scabland at different times during the period of Ice Age flooding."

"People have been looking at high water marks and trying to reconstruct the size of these floods, but all of the estimates are based on looking at the present-day topography," said lead author Tamara Pico, assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-hidden-passageway-beneath-panama-through-which-wind-from-earths-middle-layer-blows-440199">Also read |&nbsp;Scientists discover hidden passageway beneath Panama through which wind from Earth's middle layer blows</a>

"GIA caused crustal deformation in the Channeled Scabland with rates up to 10 millimeters per year, orders of magnitude above regional tectonic uplift rates and, therefore, may have influenced flood routing," note the authors.&nbsp;

"The course of ancient, glacial outburst floods was likely influenced by glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA), and reconstructing these events informs our understanding of how floods shape landscapes on Earth and Mars," they added.&nbsp;

"When you are there in person, it's crazy to think about the scale of the floods needed to carve those canyons, which are now dry," says Pico.&nbsp;

"Scientists were not the first people to look at this," she says. "People may even have been there to witness these floods." 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have found that ancient 'mega floods' tilted direction of Earth's crust as per a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists have found that ancient 'mega floods' tilted direction of Earth's crust as per a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The glacial Lake Missoula outburst floods are among the largest known floods on Earth. Dozens of these floods scoured the landscapes of eastern Washington during the last Ice Age, almost 18 thousand years ago, forming what is known as the Channeled Scabland. In this study, researchers have explored how changes in topography due to the solid Earth’s response to ice sheet loading and unloading influenced the history of mega flood routing over the Channeled Scabland. They found that the deformation of the Earth’s crust played an important role in directing the erosion of the Channeled Scabland. Also read | Astronomers chart Milky Way's dramatic history in new map "We used relatively simple, yet plausible, numerical experiments to test whether glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) could have had a substantial impact on flood routing and erosion for two major scabland tracts, Cheney-Palouse and Telford-Crab Creek," write the authors of the study. "To this end, we modeled GIA to reconstruct the topography of the Channeled Scabland at different times during the period of Ice Age flooding." "People have been looking at high water marks and trying to reconstruct the size of these floods, but all of the estimates are based on looking at the present-day topography," said lead author Tamara Pico, assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz. Also read | Scientists discover hidden passageway beneath Panama through which wind from Earth's middle layer blows "GIA caused crustal deformation in the Channeled Scabland with rates up to 10 millimeters per year, orders of magnitude above regional tectonic uplift rates and, therefore, may have influenced flood routing," note the authors. "The course of ancient, glacial outburst floods was likely influenced by glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA), and reconstructing these events informs our understanding of how floods shape landscapes on Earth and Mars," they added. "When you are there in person, it's crazy to think about the scale of the floods needed to carve those canyons, which are now dry," says Pico. "Scientists were not the first people to look at this," she says. "People may even have been there to witness these floods." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists find ancient 'mega floods' tilted direction of Earth's crust

We are generally comfortable with the idea of planets revolving around stars or satellites of individual planets. But many of us are yet to wrap our heads around an asteroid having its own moons.

But one of the millions of asteroids in our solar system has now got the recognition of being an asteroid with three very own satellites. The asteroid is named 130 Elektra or just Elektra.

"Elektra is the first quadruple system ever detected," wrote a team of astronomers led by Anthony Berdeu of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand in their paper.

"This new detection … shows that dedicated data reduction and processing algorithms modeling the physics of the instruments can push their contrast limits further."

Asteroid Elektra is 260 kilometers (160 miles) across. It was first discovered in 1873. However, its first moon named S/2003 (130) 1 was discovered 130 years later. Its second moon S/2014 (130) 1 was discovered in 2014. Discovery of the third moon has made this an interesting system.

Discovering asteroids is a tough task to start with. Asteroids are much much smaller than planets and are dimly illuminated by sunlight. Satellites of asteroids (if any) are harder to detect still as they may appear very tiny specks of light, often outshone by their parent asteroid.

We are generally comfortable with the idea of planets revolving around stars or satellites of individual planets. But many of us are yet to wrap our heads around an asteroid having its own moons.

We are generally comfortable with the idea of planets revolving around stars or satellites of individual planets. But many of us are yet to wrap our heads around an asteroid having its own moons. But one of the millions of asteroids in our solar system has now got the recognition of being an asteroid with three very own satellites. The asteroid is named 130 Elektra or just Elektra. "Elektra is the first quadruple system ever detected," wrote a team of astronomers led by Anthony Berdeu of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand in their paper. "This new detection … shows that dedicated data reduction and processing algorithms modeling the physics of the instruments can push their contrast limits further." Asteroid Elektra is 260 kilometers (160 miles) across. It was first discovered in 1873. However, its first moon named S/2003 (130) 1 was discovered 130 years later. Its second moon S/2014 (130) 1 was discovered in 2014. Discovery of the third moon has made this an interesting system. Discovering asteroids is a tough task to start with. Asteroids are much much smaller than planets and are dimly illuminated by sunlight. Satellites of asteroids (if any) are harder to detect still as they may appear very tiny specks of light, often outshone by their parent asteroid.

Asteroid with three moons of its own found for the first time

Astronomers have charted the Milky Way's dramatic history in a new map.

The study, published in 'The Astrophysical Journal,' was led by Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.&nbsp;

The sun, located roughly 26,000 light years from the supermassive black hole residing at the centre of the galaxy, formed about 4.5 billion years ago.

"The dynamical atlas of the Milky Way mergers that we present here provides a global view of the galaxy formation in action," the researchers write in their paper.

"Thus, our study contributes to the initial steps of unraveling the full hierarchical build-up of our galaxy, and also understanding the origin of the globular clusters and stellar streams of the Milky Way halo."&nbsp;

"With such a wealth of information, we will be able to explore the 'temporal' aspect of galactic archeology by building an understanding of the 'chronological' merging history of the Milky Way."

The researchers have unveiled a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way - home to more than 100 billion stars including our sun - providing a comprehensive chart of its structure: a stellar disk comprised of four major spiral arms and a bar-shaped core region.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a>

Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe. The new map was formulated using precise measurements of the distance from the sun to 2,400 stars called “Cepheid variables” scattered throughout the galaxy.

“Cepheids are ideal to study the Milky Way for several reasons,” added University of Warsaw astronomer and study co-author Dorota Skowron. “Cepheid variables are bright supergiant stars and they are 100 to 10,000 times more luminous than the sun, so we can detect them on the outskirts of our galaxy. They are relatively young - younger than 400 million years - so we can find them near their birthplaces.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chinese-long-march-3c-rocket-to-crash-into-moon-instead-of-spacexs-falcon-9-453309" hreflang="en">It's a Chinese rocket, not one from SpaceX that will crash on Moon, says astronomer</a>

The astronomers tracked the Cepheids using the Warsaw Telescope located in the Chilean Andes. These stars pulsate at regular intervals and can be seen through the galaxy’s immense clouds of interstellar dust that can make dimmer stellar bodies hard to spot.

The map showed that the galaxy’s disk, far from flat, is significantly warped and varies in thickness from place to place, with increasing thickness measured further from the galactic center. The disk boasts a diameter of about 140,00 light years. Each light year is about 6 trillion miles (9 trillion km).

(With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers have charted the Milky Way's dramatic history in a new map. The study, published in 'The Astrophysical Journal,' was led by Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

Astronomers have charted the Milky Way's dramatic history in a new map. The study, published in 'The Astrophysical Journal,' was led by Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. The sun, located roughly 26,000 light years from the supermassive black hole residing at the centre of the galaxy, formed about 4.5 billion years ago. "The dynamical atlas of the Milky Way mergers that we present here provides a global view of the galaxy formation in action," the researchers write in their paper. "Thus, our study contributes to the initial steps of unraveling the full hierarchical build-up of our galaxy, and also understanding the origin of the globular clusters and stellar streams of the Milky Way halo." "With such a wealth of information, we will be able to explore the 'temporal' aspect of galactic archeology by building an understanding of the 'chronological' merging history of the Milky Way." The researchers have unveiled a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way - home to more than 100 billion stars including our sun - providing a comprehensive chart of its structure: a stellar disk comprised of four major spiral arms and a bar-shaped core region. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe. The new map was formulated using precise measurements of the distance from the sun to 2,400 stars called “Cepheid variables” scattered throughout the galaxy. “Cepheids are ideal to study the Milky Way for several reasons,” added University of Warsaw astronomer and study co-author Dorota Skowron. “Cepheid variables are bright supergiant stars and they are 100 to 10,000 times more luminous than the sun, so we can detect them on the outskirts of our galaxy. They are relatively young - younger than 400 million years - so we can find them near their birthplaces.” Also read | It's a Chinese rocket, not one from SpaceX that will crash on Moon, says astronomer The astronomers tracked the Cepheids using the Warsaw Telescope located in the Chilean Andes. These stars pulsate at regular intervals and can be seen through the galaxy’s immense clouds of interstellar dust that can make dimmer stellar bodies hard to spot. The map showed that the galaxy’s disk, far from flat, is significantly warped and varies in thickness from place to place, with increasing thickness measured further from the galactic center. The disk boasts a diameter of about 140,00 light years. Each light year is about 6 trillion miles (9 trillion km). (With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers chart Milky Way's dramatic history in new map

It is perhaps a scary thought for humankind to consider itself the only intelligent life sitting on this blue planet hurtling in space. Perhaps search for intelligent alien life has been a major preoccupation of scientific communities and even governments for decades. Projects after projects have not yielded any sign of aliens but relying on the statistical probability of there being intelligent life on at least one of billions of planets in space, we've pressed on with our search.

But a comprehensive sky scan has again met with disappointment as intelligent alien life was not found.

Detection of radio waves is one of the ways to search for alien life. By our scientific logic, a civilization achieves radio transmission early in its technological development.

The sky scan was carried out using Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Australia. The sensors to receive any radio signals were pointed at our galactic centre as it is the place within our galaxy with maximum concentration of stars and planets. So the probability of detecting intelligent alien life is higher.&nbsp;

Radio waves are also produced naturally by celestial bodies. So the sky scan looked for technosignatures. These are effects generated by use of technology by the alien civilization.

The scan was aimed at 144 exoplanetary systems but it also completed a blind scan of 3 million stars near the galactic centre. The researchers involved in the serach mentioned in their paper that no technosignature was detected.&nbsp;

But does this conclusively prove that there no alien life at all? No.

Non-detection of technosignatures in this particular sky scan does not mean that there are no more technosignatures to be detected. If not advanced, life may even exist on alien planets in the form of microbes. We are just yet to stumble upon a conclusive proof.

It is perhaps a scary thought for humankind to consider itself the only intelligent life sitting on this blue planet hurtling in space. Perhaps search for intelligent alien life has been a major preoccupation of scientific communities and even governments for decades.

It is perhaps a scary thought for humankind to consider itself the only intelligent life sitting on this blue planet hurtling in space. Perhaps search for intelligent alien life has been a major preoccupation of scientific communities and even governments for decades. Projects after projects have not yielded any sign of aliens but relying on the statistical probability of there being intelligent life on at least one of billions of planets in space, we've pressed on with our search. But a comprehensive sky scan has again met with disappointment as intelligent alien life was not found. Detection of radio waves is one of the ways to search for alien life. By our scientific logic, a civilization achieves radio transmission early in its technological development. The sky scan was carried out using Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Australia. The sensors to receive any radio signals were pointed at our galactic centre as it is the place within our galaxy with maximum concentration of stars and planets. So the probability of detecting intelligent alien life is higher. Radio waves are also produced naturally by celestial bodies. So the sky scan looked for technosignatures. These are effects generated by use of technology by the alien civilization. The scan was aimed at 144 exoplanetary systems but it also completed a blind scan of 3 million stars near the galactic centre. The researchers involved in the serach mentioned in their paper that no technosignature was detected. But does this conclusively prove that there no alien life at all? No. Non-detection of technosignatures in this particular sky scan does not mean that there are no more technosignatures to be detected. If not advanced, life may even exist on alien planets in the form of microbes. We are just yet to stumble upon a conclusive proof.

Scan of millions of stars finds no signs of intelligent alien life

'How far will you go for me?' is perhaps the most cliched question lovers ask each other just to tease. By this literal measure, humpaback whales should be called the most ardent lovers on the planet. Because a study says that they swim across oceans crossing more than 3000 miles just to find a mate.

For this study, the scientists took a look at and analyzed more than 450,000 pictures of whales in the wild in order to track movements of the animal. Scientists found that the whales travelled thousands of miles in search of a mate.

The researcher tracked two distinctive males that had unique markings on their tails. They were observed off the western coast of Mexico and near Hawaii in a span of less than two months. The distance between these two oceanic regions is 3700 miles. The time taken by the whales to swim the distance revealed that they were swimming a bit faster than their typical speed of 2.5 miles per hour.&nbsp;

"They might just be traveling the ocean like it's their own backyard," said James Darling of the Whale Trust Maui in Hawaii and an author on the study. He was quoted by The New Scientist.

So next time you have to go the extra mile for your significant other, don't crib too much. Just try to keep up with the race to be a good lover. You probably would never win it. Doesn't hurt to try,&nbsp;eh?

'How far will you go for me?' is perhaps the most cliched question lovers ask each other just to tease. By this literal measure, humpaback whales should be called the most ardent lovers on the planet.

'How far will you go for me?' is perhaps the most cliched question lovers ask each other just to tease. By this literal measure, humpaback whales should be called the most ardent lovers on the planet. Because a study says that they swim across oceans crossing more than 3000 miles just to find a mate. For this study, the scientists took a look at and analyzed more than 450,000 pictures of whales in the wild in order to track movements of the animal. Scientists found that the whales travelled thousands of miles in search of a mate. The researcher tracked two distinctive males that had unique markings on their tails. They were observed off the western coast of Mexico and near Hawaii in a span of less than two months. The distance between these two oceanic regions is 3700 miles. The time taken by the whales to swim the distance revealed that they were swimming a bit faster than their typical speed of 2.5 miles per hour. "They might just be traveling the ocean like it's their own backyard," said James Darling of the Whale Trust Maui in Hawaii and an author on the study. He was quoted by The New Scientist. So next time you have to go the extra mile for your significant other, don't crib too much. Just try to keep up with the race to be a good lover. You probably would never win it. Doesn't hurt to try, eh?

Humpback whales swim more than 3000 miles to find a lover, says study

Scientists at Harvard University have created an artificial fish that flaps its tail using energy generated from cells of human heart. The fish is made of plastic, paper, gelatin and two strips of heart muscle cells. The experiment was carried out by Harvard scientists along with those from Emory University.

The findings from the study have been published in the journal Science. Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has even tweeted about the study posting a video of the artificial fish swimming around.

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This artificial fish is powered by human heart cells.<a href="https://t.co/aioJKFDZft">https://t.co/aioJKFDZft</a> <a href="https://t.co/6c5nIbA1sn">pic.twitter.com/6c5nIbA1sn</a>
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&nbsp;

The researchers hope to gain insights about advancing understanding about improvements in pacemakers.

“The benefit of this fish project is that we are still trying to master the craft of using live cells as an engineering substrate,” said Kit Parker as quoted by The Guardian. He is one of the lead authors of the study.

“The heart is extremely complex and it’s not enough to mimic the anatomy,” added Parker, a Seas professor. “One must recreate the biophysics in order to have the robust behavior required of building engineered hearts for children born with malformed hearts.”

Parker has expressed hopes that the teams becomes successful in keeping these cells and tissues alive for more than four and a half months.

Scientists at Harvard University have created an artificial fish that flaps its tail using energy generated from cells of human heart. The fish is made of plastic, paper, gelatin and two strips of heart muscle cells.

Scientists at Harvard University have created an artificial fish that flaps its tail using energy generated from cells of human heart. The fish is made of plastic, paper, gelatin and two strips of heart muscle cells. The experiment was carried out by Harvard scientists along with those from Emory University. The findings from the study have been published in the journal Science. Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has even tweeted about the study posting a video of the artificial fish swimming around. This artificial fish is powered by human heart cells.https://t.co/aioJKFDZft pic.twitter.com/6c5nIbA1sn — Harvard SEAS (@hseas) February 11, 2022 × The researchers hope to gain insights about advancing understanding about improvements in pacemakers. “The benefit of this fish project is that we are still trying to master the craft of using live cells as an engineering substrate,” said Kit Parker as quoted by The Guardian. He is one of the lead authors of the study. “The heart is extremely complex and it’s not enough to mimic the anatomy,” added Parker, a Seas professor. “One must recreate the biophysics in order to have the robust behavior required of building engineered hearts for children born with malformed hearts.” Parker has expressed hopes that the teams becomes successful in keeping these cells and tissues alive for more than four and a half months.

Scientists use human heart cells to power an artificial fish

As we launch more and more satellites, the issue of space debris is becoming graver. Defunct, even disintegrating satellites still revolving in orbits around Earth can cause grat damage to the ones that are functioning. This space debris, travelling at very high speeds can also be dangerous for astronauts aboard International Space Station (ISS). With thousands of planned satellite launches, space debris is going to be a major issue creating potential impediments in humankind's spacefaring aspirations.

In what can be called a unique approach to manage the problem of space debris, the European Space Agency (ESA) has set up a laser station in Spain. The Izana-1 laser ranging station set up in Tenerife, Spain will make use of the laser to move space debris away.

The station will be part of European Optical Nucleus Network, which will be the first optical communications network. Lasers from this network will not just shine light on the space debris but will be able to gently nudge them in a different orbit around the Earth. They may come in handy to avoid collision between piece of space junk and a multimillion dollar satellite.

The staion, its lasers and telescopes have undergone months of testing till now. The station will be upgraded in next two years, making it perform the functions that are expected of it.

The ESA is planning to set up several of such stations across the continent.

As we launch more and more satellites, the issue of space debris is becoming graver. Defunct, even disintegrating satellites still revolving in orbits around Earth can cause grat damage to the ones that are functioning.

As we launch more and more satellites, the issue of space debris is becoming graver. Defunct, even disintegrating satellites still revolving in orbits around Earth can cause grat damage to the ones that are functioning. This space debris, travelling at very high speeds can also be dangerous for astronauts aboard International Space Station (ISS). With thousands of planned satellite launches, space debris is going to be a major issue creating potential impediments in humankind's spacefaring aspirations. In what can be called a unique approach to manage the problem of space debris, the European Space Agency (ESA) has set up a laser station in Spain. The Izana-1 laser ranging station set up in Tenerife, Spain will make use of the laser to move space debris away. The station will be part of European Optical Nucleus Network, which will be the first optical communications network. Lasers from this network will not just shine light on the space debris but will be able to gently nudge them in a different orbit around the Earth. They may come in handy to avoid collision between piece of space junk and a multimillion dollar satellite. The staion, its lasers and telescopes have undergone months of testing till now. The station will be upgraded in next two years, making it perform the functions that are expected of it. The ESA is planning to set up several of such stations across the continent.

Soon, a laser fired from Earth may move space debris away

Scientists have taught cockatoos to play 'golf', according to a study published in Scientific Reports.

Using more than one tool simultaneously to achieve an end has played a significant role in the development of human technology.&nbsp;

Typically, it depends on a number of specific and often complex spatial relations and there are thus very few reported cases in non-human animals for example, specific nut-cracking techniques in chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/no-kidding-goldfish-actually-drove-a-vehicle-on-land-443297">Also read |&nbsp;No kidding: Goldfish actually drove a vehicle on land</a>

The innovative strategies underlying the innovation and spread of tool manufacture and associative tool use across tool-using animals is an important milestone towards a better understanding of the evolution of human technology.&nbsp;

In this study, scientists tested Goffin’s cockatoos on a composite tool problem, the ‘Golf Club Task’, that requires the use of two objects in combination (one used to control the free movement of a second) to get a reward.

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Why are these 3 styles important? Because the way these cockatoos use tools is much more similar to ours than that of the New Caledonian crows 
 
Here you can see Figaro and Fini solving it, each with their own peculiar and particular style. <a href="https://t.co/VUk6ksXW28">pic.twitter.com/VUk6ksXW28</a>
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Goffin's cockatoos are ideal non-primate models to study the origins of complex tool innovations. Despite not being dependent on tool obtained resources in the wild, in captivity they have proven to be highly capable of innovating solutions to physical problems using tools.

The flexible approach to tool-related problems both in captivity as well as in the wild suggests that this species’ tool use behaviour is largely innovative.

"This suggests that the birds were able to immediately identify and memorize the necessary steps upon their initial success," the researchers explained in their paper, "a pattern that is inconsistent with typical associative learning progressions yet strongly consistent with previous Goffin problem-solving performances."

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Extra: Pipin's technique (previously left out because of a limit on Twitter videos). 
 
Pipin is unique in the group (he is a former alpha, but he is one of those charismatic alphas that F. de Waal tells us about in his talks), he inserts tools using his legs <a href="https://t.co/SjbXADAhA7">pic.twitter.com/SjbXADAhA7</a>
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"One of the most amazing aspects of the process was to observe how these animals each invented their own individual technique in how to grip the stick and hit the ball, sometimes with astonishing dexterity," said first author biologist Antonio Osuna-Mascaró from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.

"While this study is the first to show that cockatoos can coordinate tools to solve a problem, it also feeds into our ongoing work with children," said University of Birmingham developmental psychologist Sarah Beck.

"Comparing such different species helps us understand how humans and some other species develop impressive technological skills."

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have taught cockatoos to play 'golf', according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Using more than one tool simultaneously to achieve an end has played a significant role in the development of human technology.

Scientists have taught cockatoos to play 'golf', according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Using more than one tool simultaneously to achieve an end has played a significant role in the development of human technology. Typically, it depends on a number of specific and often complex spatial relations and there are thus very few reported cases in non-human animals for example, specific nut-cracking techniques in chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys. Also read | No kidding: Goldfish actually drove a vehicle on land The innovative strategies underlying the innovation and spread of tool manufacture and associative tool use across tool-using animals is an important milestone towards a better understanding of the evolution of human technology. In this study, scientists tested Goffin’s cockatoos on a composite tool problem, the ‘Golf Club Task’, that requires the use of two objects in combination (one used to control the free movement of a second) to get a reward. Why are these 3 styles important? Because the way these cockatoos use tools is much more similar to ours than that of the New Caledonian crows Here you can see Figaro and Fini solving it, each with their own peculiar and particular style. pic.twitter.com/VUk6ksXW28 — Tay (@BioTay) February 8, 2022 × Goffin's cockatoos are ideal non-primate models to study the origins of complex tool innovations. Despite not being dependent on tool obtained resources in the wild, in captivity they have proven to be highly capable of innovating solutions to physical problems using tools. The flexible approach to tool-related problems both in captivity as well as in the wild suggests that this species’ tool use behaviour is largely innovative. "This suggests that the birds were able to immediately identify and memorize the necessary steps upon their initial success," the researchers explained in their paper, "a pattern that is inconsistent with typical associative learning progressions yet strongly consistent with previous Goffin problem-solving performances." Extra: Pipin's technique (previously left out because of a limit on Twitter videos). Pipin is unique in the group (he is a former alpha, but he is one of those charismatic alphas that F. de Waal tells us about in his talks), he inserts tools using his legs pic.twitter.com/SjbXADAhA7 — Tay (@BioTay) February 8, 2022 × "One of the most amazing aspects of the process was to observe how these animals each invented their own individual technique in how to grip the stick and hit the ball, sometimes with astonishing dexterity," said first author biologist Antonio Osuna-Mascaró from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. "While this study is the first to show that cockatoos can coordinate tools to solve a problem, it also feeds into our ongoing work with children," said University of Birmingham developmental psychologist Sarah Beck. "Comparing such different species helps us understand how humans and some other species develop impressive technological skills." (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Scientists teach cockatoos to play 'golf' using a puzzle box

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