Mars has enthralled us since time immemorial. The red dot in the night sky has represented God of War in some cultures and it has also given rise to tales of alien life. Mars is a planet that comes closest to resembling Earth in our solar system. The planet has an atmosphere, is almost the same as that of Earth, and it is just next door in the Solar System. It's no wonder that it appears to be the most likely candidate to start our hunt for alien life.

Perseverance, NASA's rover, is currently on the Martian surface. It is now hunting for signs of life on Mars' surface.

SuperCam, a bundle of instruments aboard Perseverance has already collected samples of Martian rocks and soil. It is hunting for signs of past life on the planet that is now just barren wastelands (as per our current understanding at least).

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It is already known that Mars had liquid water on its surface millions and millions of years ago. And the crater in which Perseverance made its landing in had a lake millions of years ago!

Where there is water, there is life. At least that's what our logic here on Earth says. Is it perfectly true even in case of celestial bodies? That's what is being ascertained.

The return to Earth years from now of the rocks and soil it retrieves "will give scientists the Holy Grail of planetary exploration," Jean-Yves le Gall, president of France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), which mostly built the mobile observatory, commented via a YouTube broadcast. &nbsp;

These "pieces of Mars", he said, may "finally answer this fascinating and fundamental question: was there ever life elsewhere than Earth?"

Our movies and books have been full of Martian invasions against Earth. Based on what we are hearing from Perseverance now, no invasion against Earth is being planned from the surface of Mars right now.

Jokes apart, even signs of ancient life on Mars would be a big discovery.&nbsp;

This will prove that we were not alone in this universe, and that life always finds a way even in harsh conditions.

(With AFP inputs)

Mars has enthralled us since time immemorial. The red dot in the night sky has represented God of War in some cultures and it has also given rise to tales of alien life.

Mars has enthralled us since time immemorial. The red dot in the night sky has represented God of War in some cultures and it has also given rise to tales of alien life. Mars is a planet that comes closest to resembling Earth in our solar system. The planet has an atmosphere, is almost the same as that of Earth, and it is just next door in the Solar System. It's no wonder that it appears to be the most likely candidate to start our hunt for alien life. Perseverance, NASA's rover, is currently on the Martian surface. It is now hunting for signs of life on Mars' surface. SuperCam, a bundle of instruments aboard Perseverance has already collected samples of Martian rocks and soil. It is hunting for signs of past life on the planet that is now just barren wastelands (as per our current understanding at least). × It is already known that Mars had liquid water on its surface millions and millions of years ago. And the crater in which Perseverance made its landing in had a lake millions of years ago! Where there is water, there is life. At least that's what our logic here on Earth says. Is it perfectly true even in case of celestial bodies? That's what is being ascertained. The return to Earth years from now of the rocks and soil it retrieves "will give scientists the Holy Grail of planetary exploration," Jean-Yves le Gall, president of France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), which mostly built the mobile observatory, commented via a YouTube broadcast. These "pieces of Mars", he said, may "finally answer this fascinating and fundamental question: was there ever life elsewhere than Earth?" Our movies and books have been full of Martian invasions against Earth. Based on what we are hearing from Perseverance now, no invasion against Earth is being planned from the surface of Mars right now. Jokes apart, even signs of ancient life on Mars would be a big discovery. This will prove that we were not alone in this universe, and that life always finds a way even in harsh conditions. (With AFP inputs)

NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars

Women who graced outer space and changed it forever

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy.

"Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble &nbsp;shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted.

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Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ 
 
Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAHubble?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAHubble</a> shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. 
 
Find out how it gets its blue glow: <a href="https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO">https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO</a> <a href="https://t.co/XRh9MMNyy7">pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1368687911600787457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy.

This means an&nbsp;interesting thing.

The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy.

This leads to another interesting bit.

The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us.

Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill. NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy. "Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted. Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. Find out how it gets its blue glow: https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7 — NASA (@NASA) March 7, 2021 × The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy. This means an interesting thing. The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy. This leads to another interesting bit. The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us. Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet that can be instrumental in the hunt for traces of life beyond the solar system, as per a new study.

The&nbsp;study, published in the prestigious journal Science&nbsp;discovered a new planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, which turns out to be an ideal candidate to seek an atmosphere there, and in fine, perhaps, traces of life around a star other than our Sun.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-confirm-existence-of-an-earth-size-exoplanet-303296">Astronomers confirm existence of an Earth-size exoplanet</a>

"The end of the road is finding biomarkers or biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets, which is signs of life on habitable Earth-like planets," said Jose Caballero, an astronomer at Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia and one of the co-authors of the study.

About 4,000 exoplanets have been discovered during the past 25 years and some have been found to have an atmosphere.

But these are "gaseous planets or icy planets," Caballero said, and planets the size of Earth have not been investigated yet.

The latest discovery opens up the possibility for researchers to study an exoplanet that is "rocky in nature, like the Earth," he said.

The name of the exoplanet is Gliese 486b and it is "only" 26 light-years away.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chain-of-resonance-six-alien-planets-with-rhythmic-movement-are-locked-in-a-rare-orbital-dance-362329">'Chain of resonance': Six alien planets with rhythmic movement are locked in a rare orbital dance</a>

It is about 30 per cent larger than Earth but with a mass 2.8 times that of our planet and is located in what is called a habitable zone around a star.

To identify it, researchers used two methods: "transit photometry" -- slight variations in a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it -- and "Doppler radial velocity," which measures the "wobbling" of stars from the gravitational pull of orbiting planets.

'Have to start with something'&nbsp;

Since Gliese 486b is very near its star, Gliese 486, it takes only slightly less than 1.5 days to complete an orbit around it.

"We surveyed about 350 small red-dwarf stars for signs of low-mass planets," said Trifon Trifonov, a researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the lead author of the study involving contributions from five continents.

Trifonov said Gliese 486b is not habitable with temperatures ranging around 430 degrees Celsius.

"The proximity to the red dwarf Gliese 486 heats the planet significantly, making its landscape hot and dry, interspersed with volcanos and glowing lava rivers," Trifonov said.

At the same time, Caballero said "if our planet has an atmosphere, then any planet at wider separation (from its star), and with roughly the same planet characteristics... will also have an atmosphere."

If it doesn't have an atmosphere then the other planets in the orbit will not be habitable either.

"We have to start with something," Caballero said.

Trifonov said Gliese 486b is a "remarkable discovery, which will likely become the 'Rosetta Stone' for atmospheric investigations of rocky exoplanets."

He is anxiously awaiting the deployment later this year of the James Webb Space Telescope.

It should allow researchers to tell no earlier than three years from now whether the exoplanet has an atmosphere and its composition.

And eventually, in a couple of decades, to tell whether there are any traces of life, Caballero said

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet that can be instrumental in the hunt for traces of life beyond the solar system, as per a new study. The study, published in the prestigious journal Science discovered a new planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, which turns out to be an ideal candidate to seek an atmosphere there, and in fine, perhaps, traces of life around a star other than our Sun.

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet that can be instrumental in the hunt for traces of life beyond the solar system, as per a new study. The study, published in the prestigious journal Science discovered a new planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, which turns out to be an ideal candidate to seek an atmosphere there, and in fine, perhaps, traces of life around a star other than our Sun. Also read| Astronomers confirm existence of an Earth-size exoplanet "The end of the road is finding biomarkers or biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets, which is signs of life on habitable Earth-like planets," said Jose Caballero, an astronomer at Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia and one of the co-authors of the study. About 4,000 exoplanets have been discovered during the past 25 years and some have been found to have an atmosphere. But these are "gaseous planets or icy planets," Caballero said, and planets the size of Earth have not been investigated yet. The latest discovery opens up the possibility for researchers to study an exoplanet that is "rocky in nature, like the Earth," he said. The name of the exoplanet is Gliese 486b and it is "only" 26 light-years away. Also read| 'Chain of resonance': Six alien planets with rhythmic movement are locked in a rare orbital dance It is about 30 per cent larger than Earth but with a mass 2.8 times that of our planet and is located in what is called a habitable zone around a star. To identify it, researchers used two methods: "transit photometry" -- slight variations in a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it -- and "Doppler radial velocity," which measures the "wobbling" of stars from the gravitational pull of orbiting planets. 'Have to start with something' Since Gliese 486b is very near its star, Gliese 486, it takes only slightly less than 1.5 days to complete an orbit around it. "We surveyed about 350 small red-dwarf stars for signs of low-mass planets," said Trifon Trifonov, a researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the lead author of the study involving contributions from five continents. Trifonov said Gliese 486b is not habitable with temperatures ranging around 430 degrees Celsius. "The proximity to the red dwarf Gliese 486 heats the planet significantly, making its landscape hot and dry, interspersed with volcanos and glowing lava rivers," Trifonov said. At the same time, Caballero said "if our planet has an atmosphere, then any planet at wider separation (from its star), and with roughly the same planet characteristics... will also have an atmosphere." If it doesn't have an atmosphere then the other planets in the orbit will not be habitable either. "We have to start with something," Caballero said. Trifonov said Gliese 486b is a "remarkable discovery, which will likely become the 'Rosetta Stone' for atmospheric investigations of rocky exoplanets." He is anxiously awaiting the deployment later this year of the James Webb Space Telescope. It should allow researchers to tell no earlier than three years from now whether the exoplanet has an atmosphere and its composition. And eventually, in a couple of decades, to tell whether there are any traces of life, Caballero said

Astronomers discover new exoplanet instrumental in hunt for traces of life beyond solar system

Recent inter-galactic discoveries that will blow your mind!

Astronomers have identified&nbsp;eerie stars of 'dark matter' that were behind the&nbsp;largest gravitational wave, in a recent study.

The study published in Physics Review Letters&nbsp;led by the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE) and the University of Aveiro shows that the heaviest black hole collision ever observed, produced by the gravitational-wave GW190521, might actually be something even more mysterious: the merger of two boson stars.&nbsp;

This would be the first evidence of the existence of these hypothetical objects that constitute one of the main candidates to form dark matter, which makes up 27 per cent&nbsp;of the Universe.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-identify-slime-mold-that-saves-memories-without-nervous-system-366847" hreflang="en">Scientists identify slime mold that saves memories without nervous system</a>

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime that travel at the speed of light. These originate in the most violent events of our Universe, carrying information about their sources.

Since 2015, mankind&nbsp;can detect and interpret gravitational waves thanks to the two LIGO detectors (Livingston and Hanford, USA) and Virgo (Cascina, Italy) detectors. To date, these detectors have already observed around 50 gravitational-wave signals.

All of these were originated in the collision and merger of two of the most mysterious entities in the Universe, black holes and neutron stars, allowing us to deepen in our knowledge about these objects.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/tremendous-implications-moons-biggest-crater-reveals-lunar-formation-secrets-364295" hreflang="en">'Tremendous implications': Moon's biggest crater reveals lunar formation secrets</a>

The team compared the GW190521 signal to computer simulations of boson-star mergers and found that these actually explain the data slightly better than the analysis conducted by LIGO and Virgo. The result implies that the source would have different properties than stated earlier.

According to Dr Calderón Bustillo: “First, we would not be talking about colliding black holes anymore, which eliminates the issue of dealing with a forbidden black hole. Second, because boson star mergers are much weaker, we infer a much closer distance than the one estimated by LIGO and Virgo. This leads to a much larger mass for the final black hole, of about 250 solar masses, so the fact that we have witnessed the formation of an intermediate-mass black hole remains true”.

Dr. Nicolás Sanchis-Gual, explains: “Boson stars are objects almost as compact as black holes but, unlike them, do not have a “no-return” surface. When they collide, they form a boson star that can become unstable, eventually collapsing to a black hole, and producing a signal consistent with what LIGO and Virgo observed. Unlike regular stars, which are made of what we commonly know as matter, boson stars are made up of what we know as ultralight bosons. These bosons are one of the most appealing candidates for constituting what we know as dark matter”.

The team found that even though the analysis tends to favour “by design” the merging black-holes hypothesis, a boson star merger is actually preferred by the data, although in a non-conclusive way.&nbsp;Prof. Jose A. Font&nbsp;from the University of Valencia says “Our results show that the two scenarios are almost indistinguishable given the data, although the exotic boson-star one is slightly preferred. This is very exciting since our boson-star model is as of now very limited and subject to major improvements. A more evolved model may lead to even larger evidence for this scenario and would also allow us to study previous gravitational-wave observations under the boson-star merger assumption”.

Professor&nbsp;Carlos Herdeiro, from the University of Aveiro, says that “one of the most fascinating results is that we can actually measure the mass of this putative new dark-matter particle and that a value of zero is discarded with high confidence. If confirmed by subsequent analysis of this and other gravitational-wave observations, our result would provide the first observational evidence for a long-sought dark matter candidate”.

Astronomers have identified eerie stars of 'dark matter' that were behind the largest gravitational wave, in a recent study. The study published in Physics Review Letters led by the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE) and the University of Aveiro shows that the heaviest black hole collision ever observed, produced by the gravitational-wave GW190521, might actually be something even more mysterious: the merger of two boson stars.

Astronomers have identified eerie stars of 'dark matter' that were behind the largest gravitational wave, in a recent study. The study published in Physics Review Letters led by the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE) and the University of Aveiro shows that the heaviest black hole collision ever observed, produced by the gravitational-wave GW190521, might actually be something even more mysterious: the merger of two boson stars. This would be the first evidence of the existence of these hypothetical objects that constitute one of the main candidates to form dark matter, which makes up 27 per cent of the Universe. Also read| Scientists identify slime mold that saves memories without nervous system Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime that travel at the speed of light. These originate in the most violent events of our Universe, carrying information about their sources. Since 2015, mankind can detect and interpret gravitational waves thanks to the two LIGO detectors (Livingston and Hanford, USA) and Virgo (Cascina, Italy) detectors. To date, these detectors have already observed around 50 gravitational-wave signals. All of these were originated in the collision and merger of two of the most mysterious entities in the Universe, black holes and neutron stars, allowing us to deepen in our knowledge about these objects. Also read| 'Tremendous implications': Moon's biggest crater reveals lunar formation secrets The team compared the GW190521 signal to computer simulations of boson-star mergers and found that these actually explain the data slightly better than the analysis conducted by LIGO and Virgo. The result implies that the source would have different properties than stated earlier. According to Dr Calderón Bustillo: “First, we would not be talking about colliding black holes anymore, which eliminates the issue of dealing with a forbidden black hole. Second, because boson star mergers are much weaker, we infer a much closer distance than the one estimated by LIGO and Virgo. This leads to a much larger mass for the final black hole, of about 250 solar masses, so the fact that we have witnessed the formation of an intermediate-mass black hole remains true”. Dr. Nicolás Sanchis-Gual, explains: “Boson stars are objects almost as compact as black holes but, unlike them, do not have a “no-return” surface. When they collide, they form a boson star that can become unstable, eventually collapsing to a black hole, and producing a signal consistent with what LIGO and Virgo observed. Unlike regular stars, which are made of what we commonly know as matter, boson stars are made up of what we know as ultralight bosons. These bosons are one of the most appealing candidates for constituting what we know as dark matter”. The team found that even though the analysis tends to favour “by design” the merging black-holes hypothesis, a boson star merger is actually preferred by the data, although in a non-conclusive way. Prof. Jose A. Font from the University of Valencia says “Our results show that the two scenarios are almost indistinguishable given the data, although the exotic boson-star one is slightly preferred. This is very exciting since our boson-star model is as of now very limited and subject to major improvements. A more evolved model may lead to even larger evidence for this scenario and would also allow us to study previous gravitational-wave observations under the boson-star merger assumption”. Professor Carlos Herdeiro, from the University of Aveiro, says that “one of the most fascinating results is that we can actually measure the mass of this putative new dark-matter particle and that a value of zero is discarded with high confidence. If confirmed by subsequent analysis of this and other gravitational-wave observations, our result would provide the first observational evidence for a long-sought dark matter candidate”.

Astronomers detect eerie stars of 'dark matter' behind largest gravitational wave

The world is gearing up this weekend to witness 'Snow Moon' and now researchers from three universities have claimed the moon's connection with sleep deprivation.&nbsp;

A report by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Anthony R. Wood, cited a recent study that found that the sleeping reduces by 46 to 58 minutes as compared to regular sleeping on nights coming just ahead of the full moon. &nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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The researchers have found that people went through oscillation in their 29.5-day lunar cycle.

They also said that especially in the period when a full moon is approaching, people tend to sleep more in the evening when they prefer to delay it.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/phases-of-moon-dictate-our-sleep-patterns-study-359785">Phases of moon dictate our sleep patterns: Study</a>

Sleeping patterns and the duration of sleep depend upon the location, Horacio de la Iglesia, a Biology professor from the University of Washington, said.&nbsp;

The study also said that whether a person lives in a rural or urban region also has an impact on his sleep.&nbsp;

Conducted by researchers from the University of Washington, Yale University, and Argentina's National University of Quilmes, the study included 98 people from Formosa, a province in Argentina and 464 college students from Seattle.&nbsp;

The sleeping cycle data of one to two lunar cycles were extracted.&nbsp;

The study noted that the three communities involved in the research slept less during three to five days before a full moon arrives, UW News reported.

It showed that participants slept the least during the nights before the full moon.&nbsp;

The world is gearing up this weekend to witness 'Snow Moon' and now researchers from three universities have claimed the moon's connection with sleep deprivation.

The world is gearing up this weekend to witness 'Snow Moon' and now researchers from three universities have claimed the moon's connection with sleep deprivation. A report by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Anthony R. Wood, cited a recent study that found that the sleeping reduces by 46 to 58 minutes as compared to regular sleeping on nights coming just ahead of the full moon. Watch | The researchers have found that people went through oscillation in their 29.5-day lunar cycle. They also said that especially in the period when a full moon is approaching, people tend to sleep more in the evening when they prefer to delay it. Also read | Phases of moon dictate our sleep patterns: Study Sleeping patterns and the duration of sleep depend upon the location, Horacio de la Iglesia, a Biology professor from the University of Washington, said. The study also said that whether a person lives in a rural or urban region also has an impact on his sleep. Conducted by researchers from the University of Washington, Yale University, and Argentina's National University of Quilmes, the study included 98 people from Formosa, a province in Argentina and 464 college students from Seattle. The sleeping cycle data of one to two lunar cycles were extracted. The study noted that the three communities involved in the research slept less during three to five days before a full moon arrives, UW News reported. It showed that participants slept the least during the nights before the full moon.

Are you sleeping less ahead of Snow Moon? This study tells why

Those in their 20s or early 30s today can be safely be said to have been part of the generation who grew up playing video games for hours. Quick advent in tech, smooth graphics and great game development 90s onwards has given everyone a reason to indulge in gaming for hours unashamedly. It didn't matter if parents yelled or the sky fell.

The unparalleled joy of clearing that pesky level or beating that boss was something worth dying for (or not, if you had&nbsp;limited lives left in your game). Professional gamers literally earn millions and this gives everyone a shot at saying that this is not entirely a wasteful activity.

But pigs can play video games too.

This is not a snub to noobs (aka new gamers who.....are not that great in gaming) but a literal thing. A scientific study has found that with a little training, pigs can learn video games.

The research paper published by researchers from Purdue University and Comparitive Cognition Project has to do with these findings.

In the first half, the paper notes that earlier studies had already found that pigs "could solve multiple choice problems".&nbsp;

So what about video games?

Four pigs - Omlette, Hamlet, Ebony and Ivory were trained to play a game that could be played with&nbsp;an arcade-style joystick. The pigs were rewarded with food each time they completed a 'level'. &nbsp;

While the promise of food was&nbsp;a reward enough, it was found during the testing that the&nbsp;pigs started playing the game even when encouragement was just some kind words from the researchers. The food trays broke so reward could no longer be given, but the pigs continued to play the game.

Pigs kept on playing the game!

Researchers have been quoted as saying that it was no small feat that the pigs could link video game play with reward in the first place. The research paper has been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

The competency level of video game playing pigs was different of course. One pig could play the game much better than other pigs.

The game wasn't exactly anything complex. The pigs were not asked to play Grand Theft Auto or CounterStrike. They just had to move on-screen cursor and make it hit a wall in the game.

But the bottomline? Even pigs can play video games.

Take heart gamers. Unless pigs can compete in professional gaming competitions, your dreams of making it big can still be a reality.

Go play now!

Those in their 20s or early 30s today can be safely be said to have been part of the generation who grew up playing video games for hours. Quick advent in tech, smooth graphics and great game development 90s onwards has given everyone a reason to indulge in gaming for hours unashamedly.

Those in their 20s or early 30s today can be safely be said to have been part of the generation who grew up playing video games for hours. Quick advent in tech, smooth graphics and great game development 90s onwards has given everyone a reason to indulge in gaming for hours unashamedly. It didn't matter if parents yelled or the sky fell. The unparalleled joy of clearing that pesky level or beating that boss was something worth dying for (or not, if you had limited lives left in your game). Professional gamers literally earn millions and this gives everyone a shot at saying that this is not entirely a wasteful activity. But pigs can play video games too. This is not a snub to noobs (aka new gamers who.....are not that great in gaming) but a literal thing. A scientific study has found that with a little training, pigs can learn video games. The research paper published by researchers from Purdue University and Comparitive Cognition Project has to do with these findings. In the first half, the paper notes that earlier studies had already found that pigs "could solve multiple choice problems". So what about video games? Four pigs - Omlette, Hamlet, Ebony and Ivory were trained to play a game that could be played with an arcade-style joystick. The pigs were rewarded with food each time they completed a 'level'. While the promise of food was a reward enough, it was found during the testing that the pigs started playing the game even when encouragement was just some kind words from the researchers. The food trays broke so reward could no longer be given, but the pigs continued to play the game. Pigs kept on playing the game! Researchers have been quoted as saying that it was no small feat that the pigs could link video game play with reward in the first place. The research paper has been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The competency level of video game playing pigs was different of course. One pig could play the game much better than other pigs. The game wasn't exactly anything complex. The pigs were not asked to play Grand Theft Auto or CounterStrike. They just had to move on-screen cursor and make it hit a wall in the game. But the bottomline? Even pigs can play video games. Take heart gamers. Unless pigs can compete in professional gaming competitions, your dreams of making it big can still be a reality. Go play now!

Gamers listen up! Even pigs can play video games, study has found

Scientists recently discovered life where they least expected it!&nbsp;Organisms found beneath a boulder on an Antarctic ice shelf could change how we perceive life on our planet.

Scientist drilled a hole through the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf, which is at least 900-metre-thick. Soon after, they sent in a camera down the hole to look for mud on the seabed. But what they found will forever change what we know about life in the Antarctic. They found that many organisms called the boulder its home.

Researchers found at least 16 sponges, along with 22 unidentified animals which could include barnacles. This is historic because it marks the first sign of immobile life beneath an Antarctic ice sheet.

“There’s all sorts of reasons they shouldn’t be there,” Huw Griffiths from the British Antarctic Survey was quoted as saying by New Scientist.

Griffiths, who also analysed the clip believes that the animals are potentially filter feeders who survive on nutrients which are produced in the ice-cold water. The average temperature of this water is -2°Celsius.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/deadly-fungus-could-cause-a-pandemic-more-fatal-than-covid-19-scientists-warn-360692" hreflang="en">Deadly fungus could cause a pandemic more fatal than COVID-19, scientists warn</a>

What's mindblowing is how far the animals are from sources of nutrients. The boulder is situated 260 kilometres away from open water, where organisms that require sunlight can survive.

Griffiths also believes that the food consumed by the sponges probably comes from even farther off. Based on the little known about the region, it is suspected that the nearest source of sunlight is at least 600 kilometres away.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/archaeologists-find-unexpected-iron-age-settlement-in-oxfordshire-363766" hreflang="en">Archaeologists find unexpected iron age settlement in Oxfordshire</a>

Life in Antarctica then is more diverse than we previously thought, and also capable of adapting a bit easier than believed earlier

“We’ve discovered this isn’t some graveyard where a few things cling on, it’s more complicated than we thought,” &nbsp;Griffiths added.&nbsp;

Scientists recently discovered life where they least expected it! Organisms found beneath a boulder on an Antarctic ice shelf could change how we perceive life on our planet.

Scientists recently discovered life where they least expected it! Organisms found beneath a boulder on an Antarctic ice shelf could change how we perceive life on our planet. Scientist drilled a hole through the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf, which is at least 900-metre-thick. Soon after, they sent in a camera down the hole to look for mud on the seabed. But what they found will forever change what we know about life in the Antarctic. They found that many organisms called the boulder its home. Researchers found at least 16 sponges, along with 22 unidentified animals which could include barnacles. This is historic because it marks the first sign of immobile life beneath an Antarctic ice sheet. “There’s all sorts of reasons they shouldn’t be there,” Huw Griffiths from the British Antarctic Survey was quoted as saying by New Scientist. Griffiths, who also analysed the clip believes that the animals are potentially filter feeders who survive on nutrients which are produced in the ice-cold water. The average temperature of this water is -2°Celsius. Also read: Deadly fungus could cause a pandemic more fatal than COVID-19, scientists warn What's mindblowing is how far the animals are from sources of nutrients. The boulder is situated 260 kilometres away from open water, where organisms that require sunlight can survive. Griffiths also believes that the food consumed by the sponges probably comes from even farther off. Based on the little known about the region, it is suspected that the nearest source of sunlight is at least 600 kilometres away. Also read: Archaeologists find unexpected iron age settlement in Oxfordshire Life in Antarctica then is more diverse than we previously thought, and also capable of adapting a bit easier than believed earlier “We’ve discovered this isn’t some graveyard where a few things cling on, it’s more complicated than we thought,” Griffiths added.

Scientists discover life where it shouldn't exist in Antarctica

Smoking is injurious to health. There is no doubt about that and everyone should refrain from smoking. But other ailments connected with our lifestyle are increasingly giving competition to things that kill us. A new study has found that obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths than smoking in England and Scotland. The new research has been published in open-access journal BMC Public Health.

Between 2003 and 2017, the percentage of deaths attributable to smoking is calculated to have decreased from 23.1 per cent to 19.4 per cent while deaths attributable to obesity and excess body fat are calculated to have increased from 17.9 per cent to 23.1 per cent. The authors estimate that deaths attributable to obesity and excess body fat overtook those attributable to smoking in 2014.

"For several decades smoking has been a major target of public health interventions as it is a leading cause of avoidable deaths. As a result, the prevalence of smoking has fallen in the United Kingdom. At the same time the prevalence of obesity has increased. Our research indicates that, since 2014, obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths in England and Scotland than smoking," said Jim Pell (Glasgow University).

To examine changes in the prevalence of smoking, obesity and excess body fat in adults, the authors analysed data collected between 2003 and 2017 as part of the Health Surveys for England, and Scottish Health Surveys, on 192,239 adults across England and Scotland, who were 50 years old on average.

(With ANI inputs)

Smoking is injurious to health. There is no doubt about that and everyone should refrain from smoking. But other ailments connected with our lifestyle are increasingly giving competition to things that kill us.

Smoking is injurious to health. There is no doubt about that and everyone should refrain from smoking. But other ailments connected with our lifestyle are increasingly giving competition to things that kill us. A new study has found that obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths than smoking in England and Scotland. The new research has been published in open-access journal BMC Public Health. Between 2003 and 2017, the percentage of deaths attributable to smoking is calculated to have decreased from 23.1 per cent to 19.4 per cent while deaths attributable to obesity and excess body fat are calculated to have increased from 17.9 per cent to 23.1 per cent. The authors estimate that deaths attributable to obesity and excess body fat overtook those attributable to smoking in 2014. "For several decades smoking has been a major target of public health interventions as it is a leading cause of avoidable deaths. As a result, the prevalence of smoking has fallen in the United Kingdom. At the same time the prevalence of obesity has increased. Our research indicates that, since 2014, obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths in England and Scotland than smoking," said Jim Pell (Glasgow University). To examine changes in the prevalence of smoking, obesity and excess body fat in adults, the authors analysed data collected between 2003 and 2017 as part of the Health Surveys for England, and Scottish Health Surveys, on 192,239 adults across England and Scotland, who were 50 years old on average. (With ANI inputs)

Obesity killed more than smoking did: Study

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This alone tells us how far Pluto is. But FarFarOut takes 800 years to take a single round trip around the Sun! That means last time FarFarOut was where it today is, Genghis Khan was expanding its empire in Asia and was knocking on the doors of Europe.

FarFarOut is 132 astronomical units away from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = 150 million kilometres) and is just 400 kilometres across (250 miles) in size. It was discovered in 2018.

The story behind how it got its nickname is funny.

Before its discovery, another very distant space object was discovered in 2018. It was 124 astronomical units away from the Sun. The object was really far out, and a surprised exclamation from Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science gave it a nickname Farout.

And what's more distant than Farout? Yep. FarFarOut!

The distances involved in studying FarFarout are so huge that constant astronomical observations are needed to take place for several years just to plot its trajectory.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/life-on-mars-study-gives-fresh-evidence-to-back-the-claim-362767">Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim</a>

Talking about trajectory, FarFarOut has a weird orbit around the Sun. It is wildly oval. At its furthest, FarFarOut is 175 astronomical units away from the Sun while at its nearest, it is 27 astronomical units away.

Scientists think that Neptune's gravity is the reason why FarFarOut has such a wild orbit around the Sun.

It is expected that more interaction between Neptune and FarFarOut is likely in the future.

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This alone tells us how far Pluto is. But FarFarOut takes 800 years to take a single round trip around the Sun! That means last time FarFarOut was where it today is, Genghis Khan was expanding its empire in Asia and was knocking on the doors of Europe. FarFarOut is 132 astronomical units away from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = 150 million kilometres) and is just 400 kilometres across (250 miles) in size. It was discovered in 2018. The story behind how it got its nickname is funny. Before its discovery, another very distant space object was discovered in 2018. It was 124 astronomical units away from the Sun. The object was really far out, and a surprised exclamation from Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science gave it a nickname Farout. And what's more distant than Farout? Yep. FarFarOut! The distances involved in studying FarFarout are so huge that constant astronomical observations are needed to take place for several years just to plot its trajectory. Also Read | Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim Talking about trajectory, FarFarOut has a weird orbit around the Sun. It is wildly oval. At its furthest, FarFarOut is 175 astronomical units away from the Sun while at its nearest, it is 27 astronomical units away. Scientists think that Neptune's gravity is the reason why FarFarOut has such a wild orbit around the Sun. It is expected that more interaction between Neptune and FarFarOut is likely in the future.

Space object named 'FarFarOut' is the most distant thing in solar system

Six exoplanets with rhythmic movement&nbsp;in a planetary system 200-light years away have been found in a rare orbital dance known as the chain of resonance.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-a-new-planet-on-its-way-300479/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the&nbsp;European Southern Observatory's&nbsp;Very Large Telescope,&nbsp;the system could provide important clues about how planets, including those in the Solar System, form and evolve.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-cosmic-dust-that-holds-the-ingredients-for-star-birth-361703" hreflang="en">Scientists discover cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth</a>

The first time the team observed TOI-178, a star some 200 light-years away in the constellation of Sculptor, they thought they had spotted two planets going around it in the same orbit. However, a closer look revealed something entirely different.

Adrien Leleu from the Université de Genève and the University of Bern, Switzerland, who led a new study of the system published today in&nbsp;Astronomy and&nbsp;Astrophysics said: “Through further observations, we realised that there were not two planets orbiting the star at roughly the same distance from it, but rather multiple planets in a very special configuration.”&nbsp;

This means that there are patterns that repeat themselves as the planets go around the star, with some planets aligning every few orbits. A similar resonance is observed in the orbits of three of Jupiter’s moons: Io, Europa and Ganymede. Io, the closest of the three to Jupiter, completes four full orbits around Jupiter for every orbit that Ganymede, the furthest away, makes, and two full orbits for every orbit Europa makes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/we-can-enter-a-black-hole-but-it-will-be-a-lonely-journey-361210" hreflang="en">We&nbsp;can enter a black hole, but it will be a lonely journey</a>

More than just an orbital curiosity, this dance of resonant planets provides clues about the system’s past. “The orbits in this system are very well ordered, which tells us that this system has evolved quite gently since its birth,” explains co-author Yann Alibert from the University of Bern.

<h4 dir="ltr">Disorder in the rhythmic system</h4>

But even if the arrangement of the orbits is neat and well-ordered, the densities of the planets “are much more disorderly,” says Nathan Hara from the Université de Genève, Switzerland, who was also involved in the study. “It appears there is a planet as dense as the Earth right next to a very fluffy planet with half the density of Neptune, followed by a planet with the density of Neptune. It is not what we are used to.” In our Solar System, for example, the planets are neatly arranged, with the rocky, denser planets closer to the central star and the fluffy, low-density gas planets farther out.

“This contrast between the rhythmic harmony of the orbital motion and the disorderly densities certainly challenges our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems,” says Leleu.

<h4 dir="ltr">Combining techniques</h4>

To investigate the system’s unusual architecture, the team used data from the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS satellite, alongside the ground-based&nbsp;ESPRESSO instrument on ESO’s VLT and the&nbsp;NGTS&nbsp;and&nbsp;SPECULOOS, both sited at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.

Since exoplanets are extremely tricky to spot directly with telescopes, astronomers must instead rely on other techniques to detect them.

The main methods used are imaging transits, observing the light emitted by the central star, which dims as an exoplanet passes in front of it when observed from the Earth and radial velocities,&nbsp;observing the star’s light spectrum for small signs of wobbles which happen as the exoplanets move in their orbits. The team used both methods to observe the system: CHEOPS, NGTS and SPECULOOS for transits and ESPRESSO for radial velocities.&nbsp;

By combining the two techniques, astronomers were able to gather key information about the system and its planets, which orbit their central star much closer and much faster than the Earth orbits the Sun. The fastest (the innermost planet) completes an orbit in just a couple of days, while the slowest takes about ten times longer. The six planets have sizes ranging from about one to about three times the size of Earth, while their masses are 1.5 to 8 times the mass of Earth. Some of the planets are rocky but larger than Earth — these planets are known as Super-Earths. Others are gas planets, like the outer planets in our Solar System, but they are much smaller — these are nicknamed Mini-Neptunes.

Although none of the six exoplanets found lies in the star's habitable zone, the researchers suggest that, by continuing the resonance chain, they might find additional planets that could exist in or very close to this zone. ESO’s&nbsp;Extremely Large Telescope&nbsp;(ELT), which is set to begin operating this decade, will be able to directly image rocky exoplanets in a star’s habitable zone and even characterise their atmospheres, presenting an opportunity to get to know systems like TOI-178 in even greater detail.

&nbsp;

Six exoplanets with rhythmic movement in a planetary system 200-light years away have been found in a rare orbital dance known as the chain of resonance. According to the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, the system could provide important clues about how planets, including those in the Solar System, form and evolve.

Six exoplanets with rhythmic movement in a planetary system 200-light years away have been found in a rare orbital dance known as the chain of resonance. According to the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, the system could provide important clues about how planets, including those in the Solar System, form and evolve. Also read: Scientists discover cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth The first time the team observed TOI-178, a star some 200 light-years away in the constellation of Sculptor, they thought they had spotted two planets going around it in the same orbit. However, a closer look revealed something entirely different. Adrien Leleu from the Université de Genève and the University of Bern, Switzerland, who led a new study of the system published today in Astronomy and Astrophysics said: “Through further observations, we realised that there were not two planets orbiting the star at roughly the same distance from it, but rather multiple planets in a very special configuration.” This means that there are patterns that repeat themselves as the planets go around the star, with some planets aligning every few orbits. A similar resonance is observed in the orbits of three of Jupiter’s moons: Io, Europa and Ganymede. Io, the closest of the three to Jupiter, completes four full orbits around Jupiter for every orbit that Ganymede, the furthest away, makes, and two full orbits for every orbit Europa makes. Also read: We can enter a black hole, but it will be a lonely journey More than just an orbital curiosity, this dance of resonant planets provides clues about the system’s past. “The orbits in this system are very well ordered, which tells us that this system has evolved quite gently since its birth,” explains co-author Yann Alibert from the University of Bern. Disorder in the rhythmic system But even if the arrangement of the orbits is neat and well-ordered, the densities of the planets “are much more disorderly,” says Nathan Hara from the Université de Genève, Switzerland, who was also involved in the study. “It appears there is a planet as dense as the Earth right next to a very fluffy planet with half the density of Neptune, followed by a planet with the density of Neptune. It is not what we are used to.” In our Solar System, for example, the planets are neatly arranged, with the rocky, denser planets closer to the central star and the fluffy, low-density gas planets farther out. “This contrast between the rhythmic harmony of the orbital motion and the disorderly densities certainly challenges our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems,” says Leleu. Combining techniques To investigate the system’s unusual architecture, the team used data from the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS satellite, alongside the ground-based ESPRESSO instrument on ESO’s VLT and the NGTS and SPECULOOS, both sited at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. Since exoplanets are extremely tricky to spot directly with telescopes, astronomers must instead rely on other techniques to detect them. The main methods used are imaging transits, observing the light emitted by the central star, which dims as an exoplanet passes in front of it when observed from the Earth and radial velocities, observing the star’s light spectrum for small signs of wobbles which happen as the exoplanets move in their orbits. The team used both methods to observe the system: CHEOPS, NGTS and SPECULOOS for transits and ESPRESSO for radial velocities. By combining the two techniques, astronomers were able to gather key information about the system and its planets, which orbit their central star much closer and much faster than the Earth orbits the Sun. The fastest (the innermost planet) completes an orbit in just a couple of days, while the slowest takes about ten times longer. The six planets have sizes ranging from about one to about three times the size of Earth, while their masses are 1.5 to 8 times the mass of Earth. Some of the planets are rocky but larger than Earth — these planets are known as Super-Earths. Others are gas planets, like the outer planets in our Solar System, but they are much smaller — these are nicknamed Mini-Neptunes. Although none of the six exoplanets found lies in the star's habitable zone, the researchers suggest that, by continuing the resonance chain, they might find additional planets that could exist in or very close to this zone. ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which is set to begin operating this decade, will be able to directly image rocky exoplanets in a star’s habitable zone and even characterise their atmospheres, presenting an opportunity to get to know systems like TOI-178 in even greater detail.

'Chain of resonance': Six alien planets with rhythmic movement are locked in a rare orbital dance

Astronomers have discovered&nbsp;cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study.

The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights&nbsp;how&nbsp;NASA's Hubble Space Telescope&nbsp;has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe.

These opaque, dark knots of gas and dust are called "Bok globules," and they are absorbing light in the centre of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/we-all-come-from-star-dust-is-no-longer-just-a-saying-and-scientists-agree-311418">'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree!</a>

The globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok, who proposed their existence,&nbsp;can become perturbed and form small pockets where the dust and gas are highly concentrated.

&nbsp;These small pockets become gravitationally bound and accumulate dust and gas from the surrounding area. If they can capture enough mass, they have the potential of creating stars in their cores; however, not all Bok globules will form stars.&nbsp;

Near the globules are bright blue stars, members of the young open cluster IC 1590. The cluster is made up of a few hundred stars. The cluster's core, off the image towards the top, is a tight grouping of extremely hot, massive stars with an immense stellar wind. The stars emit visible and ultraviolet light that energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas in NGC 281. This gas then becomes superheated in a process called ionization, and it glows pink in the image.

The Bok globules in NGC 281 are located very close to the centre of the IC 1590 cluster. The exquisite resolution of these Hubble observations shows the jagged structure of the dust clouds as if they are being stripped apart from the outside. The heavy fracturing of the globules may appear beautifully serene but is in fact evidence of the harsh, violent environment created by the nearby massive stars.

The Bok globules in NGC 281 are visually striking nonetheless. They are silhouetted against the luminous pink hydrogen gas of the emission nebula, creating a stark visual contrast. The dust knots are opaque in visual light. Conversely, the nebulous gas surrounding the globules is transparent and allows light from background stars and even background galaxies to shine through.

These images were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005. The hydrogen-emission image that clearly shows the outline of the dark globules was combined with images taken in red, blue, and green light in order to help establish the true colour of the stars in the field. NGC 281 is located nearly 9,500 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia.

Astronomers have discovered cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study. The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights how NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe.

Astronomers have discovered cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study. The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights how NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe. These opaque, dark knots of gas and dust are called "Bok globules," and they are absorbing light in the centre of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281. Also read: 'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree! The globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok, who proposed their existence, can become perturbed and form small pockets where the dust and gas are highly concentrated. These small pockets become gravitationally bound and accumulate dust and gas from the surrounding area. If they can capture enough mass, they have the potential of creating stars in their cores; however, not all Bok globules will form stars. Near the globules are bright blue stars, members of the young open cluster IC 1590. The cluster is made up of a few hundred stars. The cluster's core, off the image towards the top, is a tight grouping of extremely hot, massive stars with an immense stellar wind. The stars emit visible and ultraviolet light that energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas in NGC 281. This gas then becomes superheated in a process called ionization, and it glows pink in the image. The Bok globules in NGC 281 are located very close to the centre of the IC 1590 cluster. The exquisite resolution of these Hubble observations shows the jagged structure of the dust clouds as if they are being stripped apart from the outside. The heavy fracturing of the globules may appear beautifully serene but is in fact evidence of the harsh, violent environment created by the nearby massive stars. The Bok globules in NGC 281 are visually striking nonetheless. They are silhouetted against the luminous pink hydrogen gas of the emission nebula, creating a stark visual contrast. The dust knots are opaque in visual light. Conversely, the nebulous gas surrounding the globules is transparent and allows light from background stars and even background galaxies to shine through. These images were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005. The hydrogen-emission image that clearly shows the outline of the dark globules was combined with images taken in red, blue, and green light in order to help establish the true colour of the stars in the field. NGC 281 is located nearly 9,500 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia.

Scientists discover cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth

In a first, astronomers of the&nbsp;NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS&nbsp;have found&nbsp;a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries.

The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.&nbsp;The system,&nbsp;also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus.

TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own.

Like Kepler, TESS&nbsp;uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them.

Researchers&nbsp;analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they&nbsp;identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system.

The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities.&nbsp;

The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem.

As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems.&nbsp;

Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission.

The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot. The system, also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own. Like Kepler, TESS uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them. Researchers analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system. The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities. The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem. As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems. Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission. The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

Astronomers find a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries

Our sleep patterns are affected by the pushes and the pulls of moon tides, as per the latest study published in Science Advances.

The findings of the study reflect that in the days leading up to the full moon, people go to bed later and sleep less. A lunar cycle takes 29.5 days to complete.

Changes in each participant’s sleep duration across the lunar cycle ranged from 20 to more than 90&nbsp;min and did not differ considerably between groups.

The&nbsp;participants of the study live&nbsp;in environments&nbsp;ranging from a rural setting with and without access to electricity in indigenous Toba/Qom communities in Argentina to a highly urbanised postindustrial setting in the United States.

Sun and moon data for the Ingeniero Juárez region through the dates of recording were obtained from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory HORIZONS Web-Interface

It is primarily moonlight available during the first hours of the night that is more likely to drive changes in the onset of sleep. In contrast, moonlight late in the night, when most individuals are typically asleep, should have little influence on sleep onset or duration.

While the sun is the most important source of light and synchronizer of circadian rhythms for almost all species, the moonlight also modulates nocturnal activity in organisms.

Moonlight is so bright to the human eye that it is entirely reasonable to imagine that, in the absence of other sources of light, this source of nocturnal light could have had a role in modulating human nocturnal activity and sleep.

Before the availability of artificial light, the moonlight was the only source of light sufficient to stimulate nighttime activity; still, evidence for the modulation of sleep timing by lunar phases is controversial.

The study shows that sleep starts later and is shorter on the nights before the full moon when moonlight is available during the hours following dusk.&nbsp;

Both the duration and the time of sleep onset showed a clear modulation throughout the moon cycle that was evident in the whole population, as well as in the individual communities.&nbsp;

The study predicts that&nbsp;in communities without access to electricity, moonlit nights would be associated with increased nocturnal activity and decreased sleep.

The amplitude of the lunar phase effect on sleep parameters appears to be stronger the more limited the access to electric light is.&nbsp;

Our sleep patterns are affected by the pushes and the pulls of moon tides, as per the latest study published in Science Advances. The findings of the study reflect that in the days leading up to the full moon, people go to bed later and sleep less.

Our sleep patterns are affected by the pushes and the pulls of moon tides, as per the latest study published in Science Advances. The findings of the study reflect that in the days leading up to the full moon, people go to bed later and sleep less. A lunar cycle takes 29.5 days to complete. Changes in each participant’s sleep duration across the lunar cycle ranged from 20 to more than 90 min and did not differ considerably between groups. The participants of the study live in environments ranging from a rural setting with and without access to electricity in indigenous Toba/Qom communities in Argentina to a highly urbanised postindustrial setting in the United States. Sun and moon data for the Ingeniero Juárez region through the dates of recording were obtained from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory HORIZONS Web-Interface It is primarily moonlight available during the first hours of the night that is more likely to drive changes in the onset of sleep. In contrast, moonlight late in the night, when most individuals are typically asleep, should have little influence on sleep onset or duration. While the sun is the most important source of light and synchronizer of circadian rhythms for almost all species, the moonlight also modulates nocturnal activity in organisms. Moonlight is so bright to the human eye that it is entirely reasonable to imagine that, in the absence of other sources of light, this source of nocturnal light could have had a role in modulating human nocturnal activity and sleep. Before the availability of artificial light, the moonlight was the only source of light sufficient to stimulate nighttime activity; still, evidence for the modulation of sleep timing by lunar phases is controversial. The study shows that sleep starts later and is shorter on the nights before the full moon when moonlight is available during the hours following dusk. Both the duration and the time of sleep onset showed a clear modulation throughout the moon cycle that was evident in the whole population, as well as in the individual communities. The study predicts that in communities without access to electricity, moonlit nights would be associated with increased nocturnal activity and decreased sleep. The amplitude of the lunar phase effect on sleep parameters appears to be stronger the more limited the access to electric light is.

Phases of moon dictate our sleep patterns: Study

Scientists have resolved the mystery of bizarrely&nbsp;dimming star Boyajian's star saying that the ''alien megastructure''&nbsp;is not alone.

The <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.06313">study</a> conducted by&nbsp;astronomers led by Logan Pearce of the University of Arizona has been published in the Astrophysical Journal.

"In this work, we use three epochs of Keck/NIRC2 astrometry spanning five years to revisit the status of the close companion to KIC 8462852, and show that they are a common proper motion pair and a gravitationally bound binary system," the team said in a statement.

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In picture: KIC 8462852 surrounded by a ring of dust/NASA

As per astrologers,&nbsp;KIC 8462852, also known as&nbsp;Boyajian's star, seems to have a binary companion that could be contributing to its irregular dips in its brightness.&nbsp; The two stars are 880 astronomical units away from each other.

“The binary companion may influence the long-term evolution of the system,”&nbsp;the astronomers wrote in their new paper.&nbsp;

Ever since&nbsp;Tabetha Boyajian's discovery 15 the star has perplexed experts. It's a yellow-white dwarf star which is around 1,470 light-years away.

The inconsistency in its brightness had ruled out its chances of being an exoplanet. It also blocked all wavelengths equally

Scientists have now settled upon&nbsp;the most possible explanation of it being thin dust and debris from broken-up comets.

Scientists have resolved the mystery of bizarrely dimming star Boyajian's star saying that the ''alien megastructure'' is not alone. The study conducted by astronomers led by Logan Pearce of the University of Arizona has been published in the Astrophysical Journal.

Scientists have resolved the mystery of bizarrely dimming star Boyajian's star saying that the ''alien megastructure'' is not alone. The study conducted by astronomers led by Logan Pearce of the University of Arizona has been published in the Astrophysical Journal. "In this work, we use three epochs of Keck/NIRC2 astrometry spanning five years to revisit the status of the close companion to KIC 8462852, and show that they are a common proper motion pair and a gravitationally bound binary system," the team said in a statement. In picture: KIC 8462852 surrounded by a ring of dust/NASA As per astrologers, KIC 8462852, also known as Boyajian's star, seems to have a binary companion that could be contributing to its irregular dips in its brightness. The two stars are 880 astronomical units away from each other. “The binary companion may influence the long-term evolution of the system,” the astronomers wrote in their new paper. Ever since Tabetha Boyajian's discovery 15 the star has perplexed experts. It's a yellow-white dwarf star which is around 1,470 light-years away. The inconsistency in its brightness had ruled out its chances of being an exoplanet. It also blocked all wavelengths equally Scientists have now settled upon the most possible explanation of it being thin dust and debris from broken-up comets.

Scientists resolve mystery of Boyajian's Star, say 'alien megastructure' is not alone

Astronomers have peered out into the vast expanse and discovered what they believe is the oldest, most distant galaxy till date.

Called GN-z11, the galaxy is&nbsp;13.4 billion light-years or 134 nonillion kilometers away from us.

The galaxy has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Nobunari Kashikawa, a professor at the department of astronomy at the University of Tokyo.

Kashikawa said&nbsp;“From previous studies, the galaxy GN-z11 seems to be the farthest detectable galaxy from us, at 13.4 billion light years, or 134 nonillion kilometers (that’s 134 followed by 30 zeros). But measuring and verifying such a distance is not an easy task.”

“We looked at ultraviolet light specifically, as that is the area of the electromagnetic spectrum we expected to find the redshifted chemical signatures,” said Kashikawa. “The Hubble Space Telescope detected the signature multiple times in the spectrum of GN-z11. However, even the Hubble cannot resolve ultraviolet emission lines to the degree we needed. So we turned to a more up-to-date ground-based spectrograph, an instrument to measure emission lines, called MOSFIRE, which is mounted to the Keck I telescope in Hawaii.”

The MOSFIRE captured the emission lines from GN-z11 in detail, which allowed the team to make a much better estimation on its distance than was possible from previous data.

As per&nbsp;the most widely accepted cosmological models, the Universe began with a Bang&nbsp;Bang almost 13.8 billion years ago. The Cosmic Dark Ages began 370 thousand years after this and continued for another 1 billion years.

At this time, the only light sources were the photons released before&nbsp; Cosmic Microwave Background or those released by neutral nitrogen atoms. The shifting of light of the photons due to&nbsp;the expansion of the Universe is called the redshift where the wavelength of light is elongated.

MOSFIRE discovered that that&nbsp;GN-z11's levels of redshift indicates that it existed 400 million years after the Bang Bang.

Astronomers have peered out into the vast expanse and discovered what they believe is the oldest, most distant galaxy till date. Called GN-z11, the galaxy is 13.

Astronomers have peered out into the vast expanse and discovered what they believe is the oldest, most distant galaxy till date. Called GN-z11, the galaxy is 13.4 billion light-years or 134 nonillion kilometers away from us. The galaxy has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Nobunari Kashikawa, a professor at the department of astronomy at the University of Tokyo. Kashikawa said “From previous studies, the galaxy GN-z11 seems to be the farthest detectable galaxy from us, at 13.4 billion light years, or 134 nonillion kilometers (that’s 134 followed by 30 zeros). But measuring and verifying such a distance is not an easy task.” “We looked at ultraviolet light specifically, as that is the area of the electromagnetic spectrum we expected to find the redshifted chemical signatures,” said Kashikawa. “The Hubble Space Telescope detected the signature multiple times in the spectrum of GN-z11. However, even the Hubble cannot resolve ultraviolet emission lines to the degree we needed. So we turned to a more up-to-date ground-based spectrograph, an instrument to measure emission lines, called MOSFIRE, which is mounted to the Keck I telescope in Hawaii.” The MOSFIRE captured the emission lines from GN-z11 in detail, which allowed the team to make a much better estimation on its distance than was possible from previous data. As per the most widely accepted cosmological models, the Universe began with a Bang Bang almost 13.8 billion years ago. The Cosmic Dark Ages began 370 thousand years after this and continued for another 1 billion years. At this time, the only light sources were the photons released before Cosmic Microwave Background or those released by neutral nitrogen atoms. The shifting of light of the photons due to the expansion of the Universe is called the redshift where the wavelength of light is elongated. MOSFIRE discovered that that GN-z11's levels of redshift indicates that it existed 400 million years after the Bang Bang.

Scientists discover the oldest, most distant galaxy till date

Groundwater is a precious commodity. Although there abundance of water on Earth, a very very tiny fraction of its freshwater. This means that we have limited water to drink. Scarcity of water is an issue in itself but now a study has found that land is sinking world over due to excessive removal of groundwater.&nbsp;

The study has been carried out by American Association for the Advancement of Science nad has been published in the journal Eureka Alert! The study has been funded by the UNESCO.

As per the study, the majority of the 635 million inhabitants of subsistence-susceptible areas are located in Asia. Subsistence simply means that the ground is sinking. As per a Guardian report, countries like Mexico, India and China are rapidly draining groundwater to meet the food demand.

Economic growth has also been cited as one of the reasons for greater demand for groundwater.

The study has highlighted some scary facts.

It says that Jakarta has sunk by 2.5 metres in last decade. This is a huge thing considering changes in Earth's surface to the tune of mere centimetres are considered significant. The study notes that 25 per cent of the Netherlands is below sea level and more areas are under threat of subsidence.

The phenomenon mentioned in the study when coupled with rising sea levels due to global warming can prove to be horrible for global population in years to come.

The study has called for policy changes to tackle the situation.

Groundwater is a precious commodity. Although there abundance of water on Earth, a very very tiny fraction of its freshwater. This means that we have limited water to drink.

Groundwater is a precious commodity. Although there abundance of water on Earth, a very very tiny fraction of its freshwater. This means that we have limited water to drink. Scarcity of water is an issue in itself but now a study has found that land is sinking world over due to excessive removal of groundwater. The study has been carried out by American Association for the Advancement of Science nad has been published in the journal Eureka Alert! The study has been funded by the UNESCO. As per the study, the majority of the 635 million inhabitants of subsistence-susceptible areas are located in Asia. Subsistence simply means that the ground is sinking. As per a Guardian report, countries like Mexico, India and China are rapidly draining groundwater to meet the food demand. Economic growth has also been cited as one of the reasons for greater demand for groundwater. The study has highlighted some scary facts. It says that Jakarta has sunk by 2.5 metres in last decade. This is a huge thing considering changes in Earth's surface to the tune of mere centimetres are considered significant. The study notes that 25 per cent of the Netherlands is below sea level and more areas are under threat of subsidence. The phenomenon mentioned in the study when coupled with rising sea levels due to global warming can prove to be horrible for global population in years to come. The study has called for policy changes to tackle the situation.

Land is sinking fast world over because of excessive groundwater removal: Study

Scientists have revealed&nbsp;that while haemoglobin appeared independently in several species, it actually descends from a single gene transmitted to all by their last common ancestor.

The findings of the study by scientists from CNRS, Universite de Paris and Sorbonne Universite, in association with others at the University of Saint Petersburg and the University of Rio de Janeiro, were published in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.

Having red blood is not peculiar to humans or mammals. This colour comes from haemoglobin, a complex protein specialised in transporting the oxygen found in the circulatory system of vertebrates, but also in annelids (a worm family whose most famous members are earthworms), molluscs (especially pond snails) and crustaceans (such as daphnia or 'water fleas').

Earlier, it was considered&nbsp;haemoglobin since&nbsp;appeared in&nbsp;diverse species,&nbsp;it must have been 'invented'&nbsp;several times during evolution.

However,&nbsp;recent research has shown that all of these haemoglobins born 'independently'&nbsp;actually derive from a single ancestral gene.

Researchers from the Institut Jacques Monod (CNRS/Universite de Paris), the Laboratoire Matiere et Systemes Complexes (CNRS/Universite de Paris), the Station Biologique de Roscoff (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite), the Universities of Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), conducted this research on Platynereis dumerilii, a small marine worm with red blood.

It is considered to be an animal that evolved slowly, because its genetic characteristics are close to those of the marine ancestor of most animals, Urbilateria. Studying these worms by comparing them with other species with red blood has helped in tracing back to the origins of haemoglobins.

Urbilateria is the last common ancestor of bilaterians, that is,&nbsp;animals with bilateral (left-right) symmetry and complex organs, apart from species with a simpler organisation such as sponges and jellyfish.&nbsp;

The research focused on the broad family to which haemoglobins belong: globins, proteins present in almost all living beings that `store` gases like oxygen and nitric oxide. But globins usually act inside the cells because they do not circulate in the blood like haemoglobin.

This work shows that in all species with red blood, it is the same gene that makes a globin called 'cytoglobin'&nbsp;that independently evolved to become a haemoglobin-encoding gene. This new circulating molecule made oxygen transport more efficient in their ancestors, who became larger and more active.

Scientists now want to change scale and continue this work by studying when and how the different specialized cells of bilaterian vascular systems emerged.

Scientists have revealed that while haemoglobin appeared independently in several species, it actually descends from a single gene transmitted to all by their last common ancestor.

Scientists have revealed that while haemoglobin appeared independently in several species, it actually descends from a single gene transmitted to all by their last common ancestor. The findings of the study by scientists from CNRS, Universite de Paris and Sorbonne Universite, in association with others at the University of Saint Petersburg and the University of Rio de Janeiro, were published in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. Having red blood is not peculiar to humans or mammals. This colour comes from haemoglobin, a complex protein specialised in transporting the oxygen found in the circulatory system of vertebrates, but also in annelids (a worm family whose most famous members are earthworms), molluscs (especially pond snails) and crustaceans (such as daphnia or 'water fleas'). Earlier, it was considered haemoglobin since appeared in diverse species, it must have been 'invented' several times during evolution. However, recent research has shown that all of these haemoglobins born 'independently' actually derive from a single ancestral gene. Researchers from the Institut Jacques Monod (CNRS/Universite de Paris), the Laboratoire Matiere et Systemes Complexes (CNRS/Universite de Paris), the Station Biologique de Roscoff (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite), the Universities of Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), conducted this research on Platynereis dumerilii, a small marine worm with red blood. It is considered to be an animal that evolved slowly, because its genetic characteristics are close to those of the marine ancestor of most animals, Urbilateria. Studying these worms by comparing them with other species with red blood has helped in tracing back to the origins of haemoglobins. Urbilateria is the last common ancestor of bilaterians, that is, animals with bilateral (left-right) symmetry and complex organs, apart from species with a simpler organisation such as sponges and jellyfish. The research focused on the broad family to which haemoglobins belong: globins, proteins present in almost all living beings that `store` gases like oxygen and nitric oxide. But globins usually act inside the cells because they do not circulate in the blood like haemoglobin. This work shows that in all species with red blood, it is the same gene that makes a globin called 'cytoglobin' that independently evolved to become a haemoglobin-encoding gene. This new circulating molecule made oxygen transport more efficient in their ancestors, who became larger and more active. Scientists now want to change scale and continue this work by studying when and how the different specialized cells of bilaterian vascular systems emerged.

A single gene 'invented' haemoglobin several times: Study

Scarab insects from New Guinea, seaweed from the Falklands, and another type of monkey found on an extinct volcano in Myanmar are among 503 species recently recognized by scientists at the Natural History Museum.&nbsp;

In geological finds by&nbsp;Natural History Museum&nbsp;in 2020 include&nbsp;species previously unknown to science incorporates naming new lichens, wasps, barnacles, smaller than usual tarantulas, and a lungless worm salamander.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-and-rediscovered-species-found-in-pristine-andes-of-bolivia-350360/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"In a year when the worldwide mass of biodiversity is being exceeded by human-made mass it seems like a competition to record what we are losing," said Dr. Tim Littlewood, leader overseer of science at the Natural History Museum. "500 and three newfound species reminds us we speak to a solitary, curious, and colossally amazing species with the destiny of numerous others in our grasp."&nbsp;

Researchers have named almost 2m various types of life on Earth however there might be undeniably more than the 8.7m species recently assessed, with DNA barcoding strategies uncovering up to this point unsuspected variety in apparently comparable animals.&nbsp;

Improbable spots of destiny have assumed a part in certain revelations. Another parasitic worm, Pseudoacanthocephalus goodmani, was found in the dung of a throaty frog after the land and water proficient was inadvertently flown from its local Mauritius to Cambridge in a vacationer's baggage, in any event, enduring a cycle in a clothes washer prior to being spotted.&nbsp;

The historical center's assortment of 80m examples has additionally helped some new disclosures. One new animal types, a lungless worm lizard, Oedipina ecuatoriana, is known uniquely from a solitary example gathered over 100 years back and kept by the historical center. These creatures of land and water tunnel through rainforest soils and inhale through their skin.&nbsp;

Ken Norris, head of life sciences at the Natural History Museum, said the assortments assisted researchers with being sure they were discovering animals that were new to science. "These revelations go to show the essential job that regular history assortments around the globe keep on playing in depicting new species and the shrouded variety that is contained inside the assortments," he said.&nbsp;

The most staggering disclosure of 2020 was the popa langur, Trachypithecus popa, another type of monkey that was recently mistaken for another species. It lives on a wiped out spring of gushing lava in Myanmar and was recognised utilising skins and bones that have been in the gallery's assortment for more than 100 years. It is now viewed as basically imperiled, with simply 200 to 260 people left in nature.&nbsp;

"We trust that the naming of the species will help in its preservation," said Roberto Portela Miguez, senior vertebrate guardian at the exhibition hall, who assisted with portraying the new species.&nbsp;

It has been a decent year for finding more land and water proficient and reptile species, with the gallery's researchers assisting with distinguishing a peaked reptile from Borneo, two new types of frog and a great nine new snakes, including Trimeresurus davidi, a lovely lime-green snake.&nbsp;

Another kelp species found, Corallina chamberlainiae, a sensitive glancing ocean growth found in crisp south Atlantic waters off the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha, uncovers an availability between these spots in spite of the islands being 2,500 miles (4,000km) separated.&nbsp;

The most various new revelations were among the request for creepy crawlies, with 170 new species recognized, including a companion of scarab insects from New Guinea, riffle bugs from Brazil and a minute bog adoring bug from Malawi.&nbsp;

The historical center's specialists likewise recognized 70 new wasp species and three new honey bees, including Bombus tibeticus, one of the most noteworthy dwelling types of honey bee on the planet, found at 5,640 meters (18,500ft) above ocean level on the Tibetan level in Mongolia. There have additionally been nine new types of moths, six new types of centipedes, nine flatworms, one butterfly and 10 bryozoans, little oceanic animals once in a while known as "greenery creatures".&nbsp;

The exhibition hall's researchers have additionally this year named 122 new fossil species and 10 new minerals – which is critical given that there are just around 6,000 known types of mineral.&nbsp;

One of the new minerals, kernowite, is emerald green thus far found in only one area – down an old mine in Cornwall that has since been shut and based on.

Scarab insects from New Guinea, seaweed from the Falklands, and another type of monkey found on an extinct volcano in Myanmar are among 503 species recently recognized by scientists at the Natural History Museum.

Scarab insects from New Guinea, seaweed from the Falklands, and another type of monkey found on an extinct volcano in Myanmar are among 503 species recently recognized by scientists at the Natural History Museum. In geological finds by Natural History Museum in 2020 include species previously unknown to science incorporates naming new lichens, wasps, barnacles, smaller than usual tarantulas, and a lungless worm salamander. "In a year when the worldwide mass of biodiversity is being exceeded by human-made mass it seems like a competition to record what we are losing," said Dr. Tim Littlewood, leader overseer of science at the Natural History Museum. "500 and three newfound species reminds us we speak to a solitary, curious, and colossally amazing species with the destiny of numerous others in our grasp." Researchers have named almost 2m various types of life on Earth however there might be undeniably more than the 8.7m species recently assessed, with DNA barcoding strategies uncovering up to this point unsuspected variety in apparently comparable animals. Improbable spots of destiny have assumed a part in certain revelations. Another parasitic worm, Pseudoacanthocephalus goodmani, was found in the dung of a throaty frog after the land and water proficient was inadvertently flown from its local Mauritius to Cambridge in a vacationer's baggage, in any event, enduring a cycle in a clothes washer prior to being spotted. The historical center's assortment of 80m examples has additionally helped some new disclosures. One new animal types, a lungless worm lizard, Oedipina ecuatoriana, is known uniquely from a solitary example gathered over 100 years back and kept by the historical center. These creatures of land and water tunnel through rainforest soils and inhale through their skin. Ken Norris, head of life sciences at the Natural History Museum, said the assortments assisted researchers with being sure they were discovering animals that were new to science. "These revelations go to show the essential job that regular history assortments around the globe keep on playing in depicting new species and the shrouded variety that is contained inside the assortments," he said. The most staggering disclosure of 2020 was the popa langur, Trachypithecus popa, another type of monkey that was recently mistaken for another species. It lives on a wiped out spring of gushing lava in Myanmar and was recognised utilising skins and bones that have been in the gallery's assortment for more than 100 years. It is now viewed as basically imperiled, with simply 200 to 260 people left in nature. "We trust that the naming of the species will help in its preservation," said Roberto Portela Miguez, senior vertebrate guardian at the exhibition hall, who assisted with portraying the new species. It has been a decent year for finding more land and water proficient and reptile species, with the gallery's researchers assisting with distinguishing a peaked reptile from Borneo, two new types of frog and a great nine new snakes, including Trimeresurus davidi, a lovely lime-green snake. Another kelp species found, Corallina chamberlainiae, a sensitive glancing ocean growth found in crisp south Atlantic waters off the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha, uncovers an availability between these spots in spite of the islands being 2,500 miles (4,000km) separated. The most various new revelations were among the request for creepy crawlies, with 170 new species recognized, including a companion of scarab insects from New Guinea, riffle bugs from Brazil and a minute bog adoring bug from Malawi. The historical center's specialists likewise recognized 70 new wasp species and three new honey bees, including Bombus tibeticus, one of the most noteworthy dwelling types of honey bee on the planet, found at 5,640 meters (18,500ft) above ocean level on the Tibetan level in Mongolia. There have additionally been nine new types of moths, six new types of centipedes, nine flatworms, one butterfly and 10 bryozoans, little oceanic animals once in a while known as "greenery creatures". The exhibition hall's researchers have additionally this year named 122 new fossil species and 10 new minerals – which is critical given that there are just around 6,000 known types of mineral. One of the new minerals, kernowite, is emerald green thus far found in only one area – down an old mine in Cornwall that has since been shut and based on.

UK researchers discover 503 new species previously unknown to science

Ever wondered during Chemistry class why there were almost no new elements discovered than those already in the periodic table? Well, it may have led you to believe that humans have found everything there is about nature. But just when we become comfortable in such a thought, nature spins out a surprise and we realise we are yet to grasp the full wonder.

A sample of rock was collected from a mine in Cornwall, England some 220 years ago. It was catalogued as something else and kept in London's Natural History Museum since 1964. But now it has been found that sample contained an entirely new species of minerals.

The new mineral has been named Kernowite, after the Cornish language word Kernow which means a county. The mineral was found by a team at Natural History Museum.

The county of Kernow is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. But a mine was active in St Day village in the county between 1790 and 1909.

The mine has now been demolished and there is a housing complex at the location.

This means that there is no way to go back and collect more rock samples.&nbsp;

Given all this, it amazes us to think that new minerals are still being discovered in year 2020 and nature has many secrets still to be discovered.

Ever wondered during Chemistry class why there were almost no new elements discovered than those already in the periodic table? Well, it may have led you to believe that humans have found everything there is about nature.

Ever wondered during Chemistry class why there were almost no new elements discovered than those already in the periodic table? Well, it may have led you to believe that humans have found everything there is about nature. But just when we become comfortable in such a thought, nature spins out a surprise and we realise we are yet to grasp the full wonder. A sample of rock was collected from a mine in Cornwall, England some 220 years ago. It was catalogued as something else and kept in London's Natural History Museum since 1964. But now it has been found that sample contained an entirely new species of minerals. The new mineral has been named Kernowite, after the Cornish language word Kernow which means a county. The mineral was found by a team at Natural History Museum. The county of Kernow is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. But a mine was active in St Day village in the county between 1790 and 1909. The mine has now been demolished and there is a housing complex at the location. This means that there is no way to go back and collect more rock samples. Given all this, it amazes us to think that new minerals are still being discovered in year 2020 and nature has many secrets still to be discovered.

Rock collected 220 years ago turns out to be an entirely new mineral

Witnessing snowfall is not something all Indians can experience all time. And for some of us, snow and shape of snowflakes is something we see only in cartoons and fairy tales. But anyone who sees a picture of snowflake is sure to be transfixed for a while.

It's a unique design, perfect structure bearing resemblance to a hexagon. The pristine form makes us amazed at nature's craftsmanship.

But did you know snowflakes are like human fingerprints in a sense no two of them are alike? Yes they have a hexagonal structure but there is an exact science behind the shape of snowflakes.

A snowflake forms when an extremely cold water droplet freezes on dust particle or pollen. As it falls to the ground, each snowflake encounters different atmospheric conditions. It turns into a crystal.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/rock-collected-220-years-ago-turns-out-to-be-an-entirely-new-mineral-351971">Rock collected 220 years ago turns out to be an entirely new mineral</a>

As the crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes on the primary crystal. This gives rise to formation of new crystals. This is visible in the form of six arms of the snowflake. There is an actual classification system for snowflakes and crystal shapes.

The classes are: stellar dendrites, sectored plates, rimed crystals, hollow columns, needles, spatial dendrites, capped columns and irregular forms.

The temperature at which the crystal forms and humidity in the air determines the basic shape of the crystal.

Snowflake on its own is a delicate, beautiful structure but in large quantities, it can even bring a megacity to a halt. Beauty of nature indeed.

Witnessing snowfall is not something all Indians can experience all time. And for some of us, snow and shape of snowflakes is something we see only in cartoons and fairy tales.

Witnessing snowfall is not something all Indians can experience all time. And for some of us, snow and shape of snowflakes is something we see only in cartoons and fairy tales. But anyone who sees a picture of snowflake is sure to be transfixed for a while. It's a unique design, perfect structure bearing resemblance to a hexagon. The pristine form makes us amazed at nature's craftsmanship. But did you know snowflakes are like human fingerprints in a sense no two of them are alike? Yes they have a hexagonal structure but there is an exact science behind the shape of snowflakes. A snowflake forms when an extremely cold water droplet freezes on dust particle or pollen. As it falls to the ground, each snowflake encounters different atmospheric conditions. It turns into a crystal. Also Read | Rock collected 220 years ago turns out to be an entirely new mineral As the crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes on the primary crystal. This gives rise to formation of new crystals. This is visible in the form of six arms of the snowflake. There is an actual classification system for snowflakes and crystal shapes. The classes are: stellar dendrites, sectored plates, rimed crystals, hollow columns, needles, spatial dendrites, capped columns and irregular forms. The temperature at which the crystal forms and humidity in the air determines the basic shape of the crystal. Snowflake on its own is a delicate, beautiful structure but in large quantities, it can even bring a megacity to a halt. Beauty of nature indeed.

Why snowflakes have their unique shape

Australia is land of creatures that may not always be as sweet lookimg as Kangaroos. Videos of scary spiders living inside Aussie houses do rounds on social media periodically. So its perhaps fitting that scientists would identify a giant crocodile or something there. This is exactly what has happened.

A new species of a crocodile, informally called the 'Swamp King' has been identified by the scientists in Australia. The crocodile lived in prehistoric times, about 5.33 and 2.58 million years ago.

The croc was&nbsp;more than 16 feet (five metres) long and was one of the top predators in Australia, as per press release from University of Queensland.

The creature has been named Paludirex vincenti. Paludirex means swamp kingt in Latin while 'vincenti' honours Geoff Vincent, who first found the fossiled skull of the crocodile.

Just to get a sense of how scary this crocodile was, it should be mentioned that it had more heavy-set skull than largest living crocodile today. This may also translate to greater bite force.

As per the university, Paludirex vincenti was one of top predators in Australia and was able to eat giant prehistoric marsupials.

However, the reason why this crocodile went extinct is not yet known.

Australia is land of creatures that may not always be as sweet lookimg as Kangaroos. Videos of scary spiders living inside Aussie houses do rounds on social media periodically.

Australia is land of creatures that may not always be as sweet lookimg as Kangaroos. Videos of scary spiders living inside Aussie houses do rounds on social media periodically. So its perhaps fitting that scientists would identify a giant crocodile or something there. This is exactly what has happened. A new species of a crocodile, informally called the 'Swamp King' has been identified by the scientists in Australia. The crocodile lived in prehistoric times, about 5.33 and 2.58 million years ago. The croc was more than 16 feet (five metres) long and was one of the top predators in Australia, as per press release from University of Queensland. The creature has been named Paludirex vincenti. Paludirex means swamp kingt in Latin while 'vincenti' honours Geoff Vincent, who first found the fossiled skull of the crocodile. Just to get a sense of how scary this crocodile was, it should be mentioned that it had more heavy-set skull than largest living crocodile today. This may also translate to greater bite force. As per the university, Paludirex vincenti was one of top predators in Australia and was able to eat giant prehistoric marsupials. However, the reason why this crocodile went extinct is not yet known.

'Swamp King' croc identified in Australia

Imagine you’re a pepper plant. You need water and nutrients. Luckily, you can grow roots that grab that stuff from the soil and pipe it back to you. So far, so good.

There’s just one problem. Your neighbor — also a pepper plant — needs the same things. There’s only so much to go around. What’s your move?

For years, researchers have looked into the tangled problem of root competition, coming up with diverse and sometimes conflicting findings about how plants strategically arrange their roots when the dirt gets crowded. A paper published this month in Science details a new model that appears to reconcile this confusion by accounting for the spatial distribution of roots along with their prevalence. In initial tests performed by the paper’s authors, real plants played by the rules the model laid out.

It takes energy and materials to grow and maintain a root. Ideally, a plant will get more resources out of its roots than it spends on their construction and upkeep. Plants can sense the concentration of water and nutrients in particular soil patches, and apportion roots accordingly, to maximize their yield.

For a solitary plant, this is simple enough. But when other plants are around, the calculus changes. Researchers have borrowed tools from game theory — a way to analyze and optimize decision making, used by everyone from financial analysts to actual gamers — to try to figure out exactly how.

One model, published in 2001, predicted that plants growing close together end up in a “tragedy of the commons,” with each individual in a shared space making more roots than a lone plant would, but also getting fewer rewards. Some real-world experiments matched this model, finding that plants with neighbors did create more root mass than those growing on their own.

But other studies have found the opposite: that competing plants invested less in roots. And others still found no appreciable difference.

“There was all this controversy,” said Ciro Cabal, a doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University and the lead author of the new study.

Cabal wondered whether that model, and others like it, might be missing a component. They treated all roots the same, no matter their distance from the plant’s stem. But in reality, the farther a root grows from the plant, the more costly it is to produce and maintain.

So he and his co-authors built a new model to account for that. “We incorporated space,” he said. “And we found this new theory.”

In their model, a plant facing competition will underproduce those more expensive, wide-ranging roots that might otherwise overlap with a neighbor’s. But it will overproduce roots closer to home, effectively consolidating power and preventing any “I drink your milkshake” style plays.

Whether plants with neighbors over- or underproduce roots compared with solo plants depends on how far apart the two competing plants are, Cabal said. So those findings from previous studies that seemed to contradict each other are “all possible according to our model.”

Next, the researchers brought this hypothetical math down to earth. They planted sweet peppers in containers — some alone, and some in twos about four inches apart — and stained the roots of the rival peppers with dyes, to differentiate them. After a few months, they mapped out where and how densely each plant’s roots had grown, and found it matched the model. The paired peppers grew more roots that stayed close to home, and fewer that went farther away, compared with the peppers that had containers to themselves.

The new model “provides an excellent baseline prediction for how root systems might behave in the presence of neighbors,” and brings together hypotheses and findings that previously seemed contradictory, said Jochen Schenk, a professor of plant biology at California State University Fullerton who was not involved in the study.

But he cautions against overgeneralizing about its findings.

“I would not accept the claim that a single test with one plant species can tell us what plants will do in general,” he said.

Different species may respond to each other in different ways. Recent research also suggests that other life-forms, such as fungi and microbes, bear on how some plants interact underground.

Even Cabal did not expect that his model and experiment would correspond so neatly. While he expects real-world cases to challenge the particulars of the model, “I truly believe that the principle we present is true,” he said. Next, he plans to try his experiment in the wild, on a few species of Mediterranean shrub.

If this strategy does turn out to be widely used by plants, people could use it to incorporate more accurate estimates of plant biomass into climate models, Cabal said. And if it’s possible, breeding some of the competitiveness out of plants could also improve yields in agriculture. Farmers are often stymied by self-interested crops that put their energy into roots instead of fruits.

Cabal and his co-authors also modeled what he called a “cooperative solution” to the nutrient-sharing problem. In this scenario, “each plant is not being selfish — it’s not maximizing its own reward,” he said. Instead, the plants collectively position their roots to produce the most nutrient uptake for the least investment overall.

Alas, experimentally, “we didn’t find it in these plants,” he said.

For now, it’s every pepper for itself.

Imagine you’re a pepper plant. You need water and nutrients. Luckily, you can grow roots that grab that stuff from the soil and pipe it back to you. So far, so good.

Imagine you’re a pepper plant. You need water and nutrients. Luckily, you can grow roots that grab that stuff from the soil and pipe it back to you. So far, so good. There’s just one problem. Your neighbor — also a pepper plant — needs the same things. There’s only so much to go around. What’s your move? For years, researchers have looked into the tangled problem of root competition, coming up with diverse and sometimes conflicting findings about how plants strategically arrange their roots when the dirt gets crowded. A paper published this month in Science details a new model that appears to reconcile this confusion by accounting for the spatial distribution of roots along with their prevalence. In initial tests performed by the paper’s authors, real plants played by the rules the model laid out. It takes energy and materials to grow and maintain a root. Ideally, a plant will get more resources out of its roots than it spends on their construction and upkeep. Plants can sense the concentration of water and nutrients in particular soil patches, and apportion roots accordingly, to maximize their yield. For a solitary plant, this is simple enough. But when other plants are around, the calculus changes. Researchers have borrowed tools from game theory — a way to analyze and optimize decision making, used by everyone from financial analysts to actual gamers — to try to figure out exactly how. One model, published in 2001, predicted that plants growing close together end up in a “tragedy of the commons,” with each individual in a shared space making more roots than a lone plant would, but also getting fewer rewards. Some real-world experiments matched this model, finding that plants with neighbors did create more root mass than those growing on their own. But other studies have found the opposite: that competing plants invested less in roots. And others still found no appreciable difference. “There was all this controversy,” said Ciro Cabal, a doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University and the lead author of the new study. Cabal wondered whether that model, and others like it, might be missing a component. They treated all roots the same, no matter their distance from the plant’s stem. But in reality, the farther a root grows from the plant, the more costly it is to produce and maintain. So he and his co-authors built a new model to account for that. “We incorporated space,” he said. “And we found this new theory.” In their model, a plant facing competition will underproduce those more expensive, wide-ranging roots that might otherwise overlap with a neighbor’s. But it will overproduce roots closer to home, effectively consolidating power and preventing any “I drink your milkshake” style plays. Whether plants with neighbors over- or underproduce roots compared with solo plants depends on how far apart the two competing plants are, Cabal said. So those findings from previous studies that seemed to contradict each other are “all possible according to our model.” Next, the researchers brought this hypothetical math down to earth. They planted sweet peppers in containers — some alone, and some in twos about four inches apart — and stained the roots of the rival peppers with dyes, to differentiate them. After a few months, they mapped out where and how densely each plant’s roots had grown, and found it matched the model. The paired peppers grew more roots that stayed close to home, and fewer that went farther away, compared with the peppers that had containers to themselves. The new model “provides an excellent baseline prediction for how root systems might behave in the presence of neighbors,” and brings together hypotheses and findings that previously seemed contradictory, said Jochen Schenk, a professor of plant biology at California State University Fullerton who was not involved in the study. But he cautions against overgeneralizing about its findings. “I would not accept the claim that a single test with one plant species can tell us what plants will do in general,” he said. Different species may respond to each other in different ways. Recent research also suggests that other life-forms, such as fungi and microbes, bear on how some plants interact underground. Even Cabal did not expect that his model and experiment would correspond so neatly. While he expects real-world cases to challenge the particulars of the model, “I truly believe that the principle we present is true,” he said. Next, he plans to try his experiment in the wild, on a few species of Mediterranean shrub. If this strategy does turn out to be widely used by plants, people could use it to incorporate more accurate estimates of plant biomass into climate models, Cabal said. And if it’s possible, breeding some of the competitiveness out of plants could also improve yields in agriculture. Farmers are often stymied by self-interested crops that put their energy into roots instead of fruits. Cabal and his co-authors also modeled what he called a “cooperative solution” to the nutrient-sharing problem. In this scenario, “each plant is not being selfish — it’s not maximizing its own reward,” he said. Instead, the plants collectively position their roots to produce the most nutrient uptake for the least investment overall. Alas, experimentally, “we didn’t find it in these plants,” he said. For now, it’s every pepper for itself.

How selfish are plants? Let’s do some root analysis

We know that animals like bears go into hibernation, or prolonged periods of sleep to survive unforgiving winters in polar regions and other cold places. But we humans don't feel the need to sleep for weeks or months at a time right? All we need to do is wear appropriate clothes?

That may be the reality for us in modern times but researchers have now said that early humans hibernated to survive through winter.

The research has been published in the scientific journal L’Anthropologie. In their research, Juan-Luis Arsuaga and Antonis Bartsiokas of Democritus University of Thrace in Greece have based their theory on study of bones found in &nbsp;Sima de los Huesos (The pit of bones), a cave in northern Spain that contains&nbsp;fossilised remains of bones of early humans that inhabited the region half a million years ago.

The cave is a mass grave, say researchers who have found large number of remains of bones and human teeth. These belonged to Neanderthal humans.

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The bones show a peculiarity. The bone show signs that their growth was disrupted. This shows seasonal variation, as per the researchers. This, say the researchers, shows that the bone growth was disrupted for several months in a year. This disruption was due to hibernation, they say.

These humans found themselves “in metabolic states that helped them to survive for long periods of time in frigid conditions with limited supplies of food and enough stores of body fat” say the researchers in their paper. In essence, the researcher say that these humans hibernated during winter months to cope with extreme cold and shortage of food.

The researchers admit that this may sound like science fiction but point out that mammals such as bushbabies and lemurs do this.

“This suggests that the genetic basis and physiology for such a hypometabolism could be preserved in many mammalian species including humans,” say the researchers.

We know that animals like bears go into hibernation, or prolonged periods of sleep to survive unforgiving winters in polar regions and other cold places. But we humans don't feel the need to sleep for weeks or months at a time right?

We know that animals like bears go into hibernation, or prolonged periods of sleep to survive unforgiving winters in polar regions and other cold places. But we humans don't feel the need to sleep for weeks or months at a time right? All we need to do is wear appropriate clothes? That may be the reality for us in modern times but researchers have now said that early humans hibernated to survive through winter. The research has been published in the scientific journal L’Anthropologie. In their research, Juan-Luis Arsuaga and Antonis Bartsiokas of Democritus University of Thrace in Greece have based their theory on study of bones found in Sima de los Huesos (The pit of bones), a cave in northern Spain that contains fossilised remains of bones of early humans that inhabited the region half a million years ago. The cave is a mass grave, say researchers who have found large number of remains of bones and human teeth. These belonged to Neanderthal humans. Also Read | Will ghost sharks vanish before scientists can study them? The bones show a peculiarity. The bone show signs that their growth was disrupted. This shows seasonal variation, as per the researchers. This, say the researchers, shows that the bone growth was disrupted for several months in a year. This disruption was due to hibernation, they say. These humans found themselves “in metabolic states that helped them to survive for long periods of time in frigid conditions with limited supplies of food and enough stores of body fat” say the researchers in their paper. In essence, the researcher say that these humans hibernated during winter months to cope with extreme cold and shortage of food. The researchers admit that this may sound like science fiction but point out that mammals such as bushbabies and lemurs do this. “This suggests that the genetic basis and physiology for such a hypometabolism could be preserved in many mammalian species including humans,” say the researchers.

Early humans may have hibernated to survive harsh winters

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence. Scientists continue to look into the space to study it primarily and to seek signs of whether we are not alone in this universe.

Now, an international team of scientists has received radio signals from a planet far far away. The planet is located in the star system named Tau Bootis which is 51 light-years away. The system contains a binary star and an exoplanet.

The team is led by Jake Turner (postdoctoral researcher in Cornell University), Philippe Zarka (Observatoire de Paris - Paris Sciences et Lettres University) and Jean-Mathias Griessmeier from Université d’Orléans.

The observation and the research has been published in scientific journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.

“The signal is from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We make the case for an emission by the planet itself. From the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions,” said Jake Turner. He was quoted by Cornell University

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If the research and observation is confirmed through follow-up observations, this is likely to open new ways for us to study alien worlds both, to check for extraterrestrial life and also to tap their viability for human habitation.

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence. Scientists continue to look into the space to study it primarily and to seek signs of whether we are not alone in this universe. Now, an international team of scientists has received radio signals from a planet far far away. The planet is located in the star system named Tau Bootis which is 51 light-years away. The system contains a binary star and an exoplanet. The team is led by Jake Turner (postdoctoral researcher in Cornell University), Philippe Zarka (Observatoire de Paris - Paris Sciences et Lettres University) and Jean-Mathias Griessmeier from Université d’Orléans. The observation and the research has been published in scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. “The signal is from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We make the case for an emission by the planet itself. From the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions,” said Jake Turner. He was quoted by Cornell University Watch: NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space If the research and observation is confirmed through follow-up observations, this is likely to open new ways for us to study alien worlds both, to check for extraterrestrial life and also to tap their viability for human habitation.

Aliens calling? Scientists receive radio signals from faraway planet

2020 has given us a lot to clutch our heads and scream. While coronavirus pandemic was the major reason, the year will live in infamy due to many horrible reasons. And just as when we thought we were slipping past its grip, the news has arrived that five asteroids are slated to make a close call to Earth in a single week. And two of them are going to flyby at a distance less than that between Earth and the Moon

Remember what happened last time an asteroid struck Earth? It wiped out 95 per cent of life on the planet including the dinosaurs who were the dominant species then.

No prize for guessing which dominant species on Earth will be wiped out now if a space rock is to strike our planet at a speed of thousands of kilometres per hour

So let's take a look

Asteroid 2020 XF4 is just 11 metres across but its superspeed gives it a deadly momentum. It's a good thing then it is going to miss the Earth. However, it will come closer to Earth than the Moon. It will fly past Earth at a distance of 343,047 km. Distance between Earth and the Moon is 386,000 km

Asteroid 2020 VY1 is slightly bigger. This 24-metre space-rock will fly by at a distance of 5 million kilometres.

Then there is asteroid 2020 XS5 which will hurtle past Earth at distance of 2 million km&nbsp;

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However, asteroid 2020 XX3 will come much much closer. It will give Earth a miss at only 57 thousand kilometres. This distance may appear to be a lot but considering measurements in Space, this is not much.

Finally, asteroid 2020 XF3 will pass by Earth. But it will cut a wide berth at 6.9 million kilometres.

Let's hope the year 2020 does not have any more surprises.

2020 has given us a lot to clutch our heads and scream. While coronavirus pandemic was the major reason, the year will live in infamy due to many horrible reasons.

2020 has given us a lot to clutch our heads and scream. While coronavirus pandemic was the major reason, the year will live in infamy due to many horrible reasons. And just as when we thought we were slipping past its grip, the news has arrived that five asteroids are slated to make a close call to Earth in a single week. And two of them are going to flyby at a distance less than that between Earth and the Moon Remember what happened last time an asteroid struck Earth? It wiped out 95 per cent of life on the planet including the dinosaurs who were the dominant species then. No prize for guessing which dominant species on Earth will be wiped out now if a space rock is to strike our planet at a speed of thousands of kilometres per hour So let's take a look Asteroid 2020 XF4 is just 11 metres across but its superspeed gives it a deadly momentum. It's a good thing then it is going to miss the Earth. However, it will come closer to Earth than the Moon. It will fly past Earth at a distance of 343,047 km. Distance between Earth and the Moon is 386,000 km Asteroid 2020 VY1 is slightly bigger. This 24-metre space-rock will fly by at a distance of 5 million kilometres. Then there is asteroid 2020 XS5 which will hurtle past Earth at distance of 2 million km Watch: NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space However, asteroid 2020 XX3 will come much much closer. It will give Earth a miss at only 57 thousand kilometres. This distance may appear to be a lot but considering measurements in Space, this is not much. Finally, asteroid 2020 XF3 will pass by Earth. But it will cut a wide berth at 6.9 million kilometres. Let's hope the year 2020 does not have any more surprises.

Five asteroids to make close call to Earth this week

Scientists in California have discovered&nbsp;caves holding the first evidence of humans taking hallucinogens, in the latest study.

The&nbsp;hallucinogenic trance was left behind by indigenous Californians who painted a pinwheel and a big-eyed moth on the ceilings.

This strange "pinwheel," is likely a portrayal of the sensitive, white bloom of Datura wrightii, an amazing drug that the Chumash public took for formal purposes as well as for therapeutic and extraordinary ones, as per another examination.&nbsp;

The moth is likely a type of bird of prey moth, known for its "loopy" inebriated trip in the wake of slurping up Datura's nectar, the specialists said.&nbsp;

Radiocarbon dating shows the cave was used on and off again from about 1600 to the late 1800s.&nbsp;What's more, Indigenous individuals utilized the cavern for some different purposes: The archeologists additionally discovered shot focuses and a bolt shaft straightener - demonstrating the cavern may have filled in as a spot for getting ready chasing apparatuses. Similarly, ground seeds and creature remains propose the cavern was utilized for food planning, stockpiling, and collective dinners.&nbsp;

Indigenous individuals around the globe, including ancient cultures in Siberia, North America, and South America, are known to have taken psyche modifying substances, said Patrick McGovern, the logical head of the Biomolecular Archeology Project at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, who was not engaged with the examination.&nbsp;

Bitten globs that people adhered to the cavern's roof gave more proof of these antiquated outings; these as long as 400-year-old irregularities, known as quids, contained the brain adjusting drugs scopolamine and atropine, which are found in Datura, the scientists said.&nbsp;

The discovering marks "the primary away from for the ingestion of drugs at a stone workmanship webpage, for this situation, from Pinwheel Cave, California," the analysts wrote in the examination, distributed online today (Nov. 23) in the diary Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.&nbsp;

Scientists in California have discovered caves holding the first evidence of humans taking hallucinogens, in the latest study. The hallucinogenic trance was left behind by indigenous Californians who painted a pinwheel and a big-eyed moth on the ceilings.

Scientists in California have discovered caves holding the first evidence of humans taking hallucinogens, in the latest study. The hallucinogenic trance was left behind by indigenous Californians who painted a pinwheel and a big-eyed moth on the ceilings. This strange "pinwheel," is likely a portrayal of the sensitive, white bloom of Datura wrightii, an amazing drug that the Chumash public took for formal purposes as well as for therapeutic and extraordinary ones, as per another examination. The moth is likely a type of bird of prey moth, known for its "loopy" inebriated trip in the wake of slurping up Datura's nectar, the specialists said. Radiocarbon dating shows the cave was used on and off again from about 1600 to the late 1800s. What's more, Indigenous individuals utilized the cavern for some different purposes: The archeologists additionally discovered shot focuses and a bolt shaft straightener - demonstrating the cavern may have filled in as a spot for getting ready chasing apparatuses. Similarly, ground seeds and creature remains propose the cavern was utilized for food planning, stockpiling, and collective dinners. Indigenous individuals around the globe, including ancient cultures in Siberia, North America, and South America, are known to have taken psyche modifying substances, said Patrick McGovern, the logical head of the Biomolecular Archeology Project at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, who was not engaged with the examination. Bitten globs that people adhered to the cavern's roof gave more proof of these antiquated outings; these as long as 400-year-old irregularities, known as quids, contained the brain adjusting drugs scopolamine and atropine, which are found in Datura, the scientists said. The discovering marks "the primary away from for the ingestion of drugs at a stone workmanship webpage, for this situation, from Pinwheel Cave, California," the analysts wrote in the examination, distributed online today (Nov. 23) in the diary Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists discover caves holding first evidence of humans taking hallucinogens

Scientists have been warning for years that climate change is a very real threat that mankind faces. But many, including prominent world leaders have ignored this. This&nbsp;may have resulted in inadequate response to the problem and we may be at a point of no return. These fears may be true according to researchers who say that global warming will continue even if greenhouse gas emissions responsible for it are reduced to zero.

"According to our models, humanity is beyond the point-of-no-return when it comes to halting the melting of permafrost using greenhouse gas cuts as the single tool," lead author Jorgen Randers, a professor emeritus of climate strategy at the BI Norwegian Business School, told AFP.

The researchers have published their finding in the journal Scientific Reports.

So what's the way to stop global warming?

According to the researchers, the only way to do it is to extract greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and store them so that they do not go back into it.

Using a stripped-down climate model, Randers and colleague Ulrich Goluke projected changes out to the year 2500 under two scenarios: the instant cessation of emissions, and the gradual reduction of planet warming gases to zero by 2100.

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In an imaginary world where carbon pollution stops with a flip of the switch, the planet warms over the next 50 years to about 2.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- roughly half-a-degree above the target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement -- and cools slightly after that.

Earth's surface today is 1.2C hotter than it was in the mid-19th century, when temperatures began to rise.

The findings of the researcher if absolutely accurate, does not sound well for the future of humanity as it means that we do not have any way to stop a process that may lead to melting of polar ice-caps and increasing sea levels that may see many megacities around the world going underwater.

But many scientists are contesting the claims made in the study and also the method by which the study was conducted.

Mark Maslin, a professor of climatology at University College London, also pointed to shortcomings in the model, known as ESCIMO, describing the study as a "thought experiment."

"What the study does draw attention to is that reducing global carbon emissions to zero by 2050" -- a goal championed by the UN and embraced by a growing number of countries -- "is just the start of our actions to deal with climate change."

(With AFP inputs)

Scientists have been warning for years that climate change is a very real threat that mankind faces. But many, including prominent world leaders have ignored this.

Scientists have been warning for years that climate change is a very real threat that mankind faces. But many, including prominent world leaders have ignored this. This may have resulted in inadequate response to the problem and we may be at a point of no return. These fears may be true according to researchers who say that global warming will continue even if greenhouse gas emissions responsible for it are reduced to zero. "According to our models, humanity is beyond the point-of-no-return when it comes to halting the melting of permafrost using greenhouse gas cuts as the single tool," lead author Jorgen Randers, a professor emeritus of climate strategy at the BI Norwegian Business School, told AFP. The researchers have published their finding in the journal Scientific Reports. So what's the way to stop global warming? According to the researchers, the only way to do it is to extract greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and store them so that they do not go back into it. Using a stripped-down climate model, Randers and colleague Ulrich Goluke projected changes out to the year 2500 under two scenarios: the instant cessation of emissions, and the gradual reduction of planet warming gases to zero by 2100. Also Read | UK firm plans to turn moon rock into oxygen, building materials In an imaginary world where carbon pollution stops with a flip of the switch, the planet warms over the next 50 years to about 2.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- roughly half-a-degree above the target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement -- and cools slightly after that. Earth's surface today is 1.2C hotter than it was in the mid-19th century, when temperatures began to rise. The findings of the researcher if absolutely accurate, does not sound well for the future of humanity as it means that we do not have any way to stop a process that may lead to melting of polar ice-caps and increasing sea levels that may see many megacities around the world going underwater. But many scientists are contesting the claims made in the study and also the method by which the study was conducted. Mark Maslin, a professor of climatology at University College London, also pointed to shortcomings in the model, known as ESCIMO, describing the study as a "thought experiment." "What the study does draw attention to is that reducing global carbon emissions to zero by 2050" -- a goal championed by the UN and embraced by a growing number of countries -- "is just the start of our actions to deal with climate change." (With AFP inputs)

Reducing greenhouse gas emission even to zero won't stop global warming: Study

A decade ago, a band of astronomers set out to investigate one of the oldest questions taunting philosophers, scientists, priests, astronomers, mystics and the rest of the human race: How many more Earths are out there, if any? How many far-flung planets exist that could harbor life as we know it?

Their tool was the Kepler spacecraft, which was launched in March 2009 on a 3-1/2-year mission to monitor 150,000 stars in a patch of sky in the Milky Way. It looked for tiny dips in starlight caused by an exoplanet passing in front of its home star.

“It’s not E.T., but it’s E.T.’s home,” said William Borucki when the mission was launched in March 2009. It was Borucki, an astronomer now retired from NASA’s Ames Research Center, who dreamed up the project and spent two decades convincing NASA to do it.

Before the spacecraft finally gave out in 2018, it had discovered more than 4,000 candidate worlds among those stars. So far, none have shown any sign of life or habitation. (Granted, they are very far away and hard to study.) Extrapolated, that figure suggests that there are billions of exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. But how many of those are potentially habitable?

After crunching Kepler’s data for two years, a team of 44 astronomers led by Steve Bryson of NASA Ames has landed on what they say is the definitive answer, at least for now. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal.

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Kepler’s formal goal was to measure a number called eta-Earth: the fraction of sunlike stars that have an Earth-size object orbiting them in the “goldilocks” or habitable zone, where it is warm enough for the surface to retain liquid water.

The team calculated that at least one-third, and perhaps as many as 90%, of stars similar in mass and brightness to our sun have rocks like Earth in their habitable zones, with the range reflecting the researchers’ confidence in their various methods and assumptions. That is no small bonanza, however you look at it.

According to NASA estimates there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, of which about 4 billion are sunlike. If only 7% of those stars have habitable planets — a seriously conservative estimate — there could be as many as 300 million potentially habitable Earths out there in the whole Milky Way alone.

“We want to be very conservative in case nature has any surprises regarding habitability,” said Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and one of the authors of the report. “So we are lowballing the estimates intentionally.”

On average, the astronomers calculated, the nearest such planet should be about 20 light-years away, and there should be four of them within 30 light-years or so of the sun.

“It took 11 years from launch to publication, but this is it,” said Natalie Batalha, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who directed the Kepler mission during most of its life and was one of the authors of the new paper, in a triumphant email. “This is the science result we’ve all been waiting for — the reason that Kepler was selected for flight in December 2001.”

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The new result means that the galaxy is at least twice as fertile as estimated in one of the first analyses of Kepler data, in 2013. That finding, by Andrew Howard, Erik Petigura and Geoffrey Marcy, who were not part of the Kepler team, concluded that about one-fifth of sunlike stars harbored planets in their habitable zones.

Batalha said that one improvement this time around was the addition of data from the European GAIA satellite, which has measured the position and brightness of 1 billion stars. That knowledge allowed the Kepler scientists to more precisely chart the habitable zones of their stars.

Another improvement was better handling of the statistics, although, as Batalha noted, “surveys are inherently incomplete. You can’t call up every citizen; you can’t observe every star.”

In the case of Kepler, that limitation was serious. The spacecraft’s orientation system failed before Kepler could complete its prime survey, which limited it to detecting planets that had orbital periods of less than about 700 days — about twice the duration of an Earth year.

In an email, David Charbonneau, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said he was slightly skeptical of the results: “The Kepler Mission didn’t detect many (arguably, any) true Earth analogues, i.e. planets with the same radius as Earth AND orbiting at the same period, and hence receiving the same amount of light, AND orbiting sun-like stars.”

As Batalha said at the time, “We don’t yet have any planet candidates that are exact analogues of the Earth in terms of size, orbit or star type.” We still don’t. As a result, the astronomers had to extrapolate data from the planets they did see.

Although these Kepler planets are Earth-size — one-half to 1 1/2 the radius of Earth — and are presumably rocky, nobody knows what they are like in any detail, nor whether anything does, or could, live on them. They are too far away for further study. So far we know of only one planet, our own, that harbors life.

But there are plenty of opportunities yet to find one. The Kepler measurement of eta-Earth only pertains to stars like the sun, but in the galaxy those stars are vastly outnumbered by smaller, dimmer stars known as red dwarfs. One-quarter to one-half of red dwarfs also harbor habitable-zone planets, according to work by Courtney Dressing, now at the University of California, Berkeley, although some astronomers worry that radiation flares from such stars would doom any life trying to get started there. Red dwarf planets were not included in the new analysis of eta-Earth.

The red dwarf planets are relevant to the search for life because Kepler has passed the torch to a spacecraft called the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, which was launched in 2018 to scour the entire sky for exoplanets within a few hundred light years of Earth — the local neighborhood. So far TESS has discovered 66 new exoplanets and has cataloged more than 2,000 candidates.

Most of those planets were expected to be found circling red dwarfs, said George Ricker, an astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal investigator for the mission, in an email: “Since about three-fourths of the stars in the solar neighborhood are M dwarfs, that leaves open a very large discovery space for TESS in the decade ahead!”

Batalha said that young scientists in the future might yet find a way to improve the value of eta-Earth; “until then, this will be the de facto standard.”

The value of eta-Earth is an important and hitherto unknown factor in a mathematical expression known as the Drake equation. It is used by astronomers to estimate how many technological civilizations might exist in the galaxy — and that we might be able to contact by radio or other means some cosmic day.

It’s time to move on the next factor in the Drake equation for extraterrestrial civilizations: the fraction of these worlds on which life emerges. The search for even a single slime mold on some alien rock would revolutionize biology, and it is a worthy agenda for the next half-century as humans continue the climb out of ourselves and into the universe in the endless quest to end our cosmic loneliness.

A decade ago, a band of astronomers set out to investigate one of the oldest questions taunting philosophers, scientists, priests, astronomers, mystics and the rest of the human race: How many more Earths are out there, if any?

A decade ago, a band of astronomers set out to investigate one of the oldest questions taunting philosophers, scientists, priests, astronomers, mystics and the rest of the human race: How many more Earths are out there, if any? How many far-flung planets exist that could harbor life as we know it? Their tool was the Kepler spacecraft, which was launched in March 2009 on a 3-1/2-year mission to monitor 150,000 stars in a patch of sky in the Milky Way. It looked for tiny dips in starlight caused by an exoplanet passing in front of its home star. “It’s not E.T., but it’s E.T.’s home,” said William Borucki when the mission was launched in March 2009. It was Borucki, an astronomer now retired from NASA’s Ames Research Center, who dreamed up the project and spent two decades convincing NASA to do it. Before the spacecraft finally gave out in 2018, it had discovered more than 4,000 candidate worlds among those stars. So far, none have shown any sign of life or habitation. (Granted, they are very far away and hard to study.) Extrapolated, that figure suggests that there are billions of exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. But how many of those are potentially habitable? After crunching Kepler’s data for two years, a team of 44 astronomers led by Steve Bryson of NASA Ames has landed on what they say is the definitive answer, at least for now. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. Also Read | Scientists uncover oldest evidence of 'slingshot' tongue Kepler’s formal goal was to measure a number called eta-Earth: the fraction of sunlike stars that have an Earth-size object orbiting them in the “goldilocks” or habitable zone, where it is warm enough for the surface to retain liquid water. The team calculated that at least one-third, and perhaps as many as 90%, of stars similar in mass and brightness to our sun have rocks like Earth in their habitable zones, with the range reflecting the researchers’ confidence in their various methods and assumptions. That is no small bonanza, however you look at it. According to NASA estimates there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, of which about 4 billion are sunlike. If only 7% of those stars have habitable planets — a seriously conservative estimate — there could be as many as 300 million potentially habitable Earths out there in the whole Milky Way alone. “We want to be very conservative in case nature has any surprises regarding habitability,” said Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and one of the authors of the report. “So we are lowballing the estimates intentionally.” On average, the astronomers calculated, the nearest such planet should be about 20 light-years away, and there should be four of them within 30 light-years or so of the sun. “It took 11 years from launch to publication, but this is it,” said Natalie Batalha, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who directed the Kepler mission during most of its life and was one of the authors of the new paper, in a triumphant email. “This is the science result we’ve all been waiting for — the reason that Kepler was selected for flight in December 2001.” Also Read | Did we just discover the Moon's long-lost sibling? The new result means that the galaxy is at least twice as fertile as estimated in one of the first analyses of Kepler data, in 2013. That finding, by Andrew Howard, Erik Petigura and Geoffrey Marcy, who were not part of the Kepler team, concluded that about one-fifth of sunlike stars harbored planets in their habitable zones. Batalha said that one improvement this time around was the addition of data from the European GAIA satellite, which has measured the position and brightness of 1 billion stars. That knowledge allowed the Kepler scientists to more precisely chart the habitable zones of their stars. Another improvement was better handling of the statistics, although, as Batalha noted, “surveys are inherently incomplete. You can’t call up every citizen; you can’t observe every star.” In the case of Kepler, that limitation was serious. The spacecraft’s orientation system failed before Kepler could complete its prime survey, which limited it to detecting planets that had orbital periods of less than about 700 days — about twice the duration of an Earth year. In an email, David Charbonneau, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said he was slightly skeptical of the results: “The Kepler Mission didn’t detect many (arguably, any) true Earth analogues, i.e. planets with the same radius as Earth AND orbiting at the same period, and hence receiving the same amount of light, AND orbiting sun-like stars.” As Batalha said at the time, “We don’t yet have any planet candidates that are exact analogues of the Earth in terms of size, orbit or star type.” We still don’t. As a result, the astronomers had to extrapolate data from the planets they did see. Although these Kepler planets are Earth-size — one-half to 1 1/2 the radius of Earth — and are presumably rocky, nobody knows what they are like in any detail, nor whether anything does, or could, live on them. They are too far away for further study. So far we know of only one planet, our own, that harbors life. But there are plenty of opportunities yet to find one. The Kepler measurement of eta-Earth only pertains to stars like the sun, but in the galaxy those stars are vastly outnumbered by smaller, dimmer stars known as red dwarfs. One-quarter to one-half of red dwarfs also harbor habitable-zone planets, according to work by Courtney Dressing, now at the University of California, Berkeley, although some astronomers worry that radiation flares from such stars would doom any life trying to get started there. Red dwarf planets were not included in the new analysis of eta-Earth. The red dwarf planets are relevant to the search for life because Kepler has passed the torch to a spacecraft called the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, which was launched in 2018 to scour the entire sky for exoplanets within a few hundred light years of Earth — the local neighborhood. So far TESS has discovered 66 new exoplanets and has cataloged more than 2,000 candidates. Most of those planets were expected to be found circling red dwarfs, said George Ricker, an astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal investigator for the mission, in an email: “Since about three-fourths of the stars in the solar neighborhood are M dwarfs, that leaves open a very large discovery space for TESS in the decade ahead!” Batalha said that young scientists in the future might yet find a way to improve the value of eta-Earth; “until then, this will be the de facto standard.” The value of eta-Earth is an important and hitherto unknown factor in a mathematical expression known as the Drake equation. It is used by astronomers to estimate how many technological civilizations might exist in the galaxy — and that we might be able to contact by radio or other means some cosmic day. It’s time to move on the next factor in the Drake equation for extraterrestrial civilizations: the fraction of these worlds on which life emerges. The search for even a single slime mold on some alien rock would revolutionize biology, and it is a worthy agenda for the next half-century as humans continue the climb out of ourselves and into the universe in the endless quest to end our cosmic loneliness.

Looking for another Earth? Here are 300 million, maybe

Scientists have uncovered the&nbsp;oldest evidence of a 'slingshot' tongue in&nbsp;99 million-year-old amphibians.

Albanerpetontids, known for their ''ballistic tongues'', are predators&nbsp;are an extinct clade of Middle Jurassic-Pliocene and primarily Laurasian amphibians.

Researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History believe that their findings,&nbsp;published in the journal Science, redefine how tiny animals are fed.

Albanerpetontids are characterised by numerous osteological features, including fused frontals; an interdigitating intermandibular joint; nonpedicellate marginal teeth tipped with tricuspid, chisel-shaped crowns; and modified "cervical" vertebrae that superficially resemble the atlas-axis complex in mammals.

“This discovery adds a super-cool piece to the puzzle of this obscure group of weird little animals. Knowing they had this ballistic tongue gives us a whole new understanding of this entire lineage,” said&nbsp;Edward Stanley, a co-author of the study and the director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s digital discovery and dissemination laboratory.

Amphibians have three distinct lineages:&nbsp;frogs, salamanders, and limbless caecilians.

Researchers believe albanerpetontids, which date back to 165 million years may be the fourth&nbsp;lineage of amphibians.

According to&nbsp;Susan Evans, another co-author of the study and a professor of vertebrate morphology and palaeontology at University College London,&nbsp;“If the earliest albanerpetontids also had ballistic tongues, the feature has been around for longer than the earliest chameleons, which likely date back to 120m years ago.”

Fossils of albanerpetontids have been known since the mid-19th century&nbsp;and for over a century were interpreted as belonging to salamanders.

Albanerpetontids are of interest in their own right because they were a moderately successful clade that contained at least three genera and a dozen species, with a known temporal range of about 160 million years and a geographic distribution that encompassed Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

Scientists have uncovered the oldest evidence of a 'slingshot' tongue in 99 million-year-old amphibians. Albanerpetontids, known for their ''ballistic tongues'', are predators are an extinct clade of Middle Jurassic-Pliocene and primarily Laurasian amphibians.

Scientists have uncovered the oldest evidence of a 'slingshot' tongue in 99 million-year-old amphibians. Albanerpetontids, known for their ''ballistic tongues'', are predators are an extinct clade of Middle Jurassic-Pliocene and primarily Laurasian amphibians. Researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History believe that their findings, published in the journal Science, redefine how tiny animals are fed. Albanerpetontids are characterised by numerous osteological features, including fused frontals; an interdigitating intermandibular joint; nonpedicellate marginal teeth tipped with tricuspid, chisel-shaped crowns; and modified "cervical" vertebrae that superficially resemble the atlas-axis complex in mammals. “This discovery adds a super-cool piece to the puzzle of this obscure group of weird little animals. Knowing they had this ballistic tongue gives us a whole new understanding of this entire lineage,” said Edward Stanley, a co-author of the study and the director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s digital discovery and dissemination laboratory. Amphibians have three distinct lineages: frogs, salamanders, and limbless caecilians. Researchers believe albanerpetontids, which date back to 165 million years may be the fourth lineage of amphibians. According to Susan Evans, another co-author of the study and a professor of vertebrate morphology and palaeontology at University College London, “If the earliest albanerpetontids also had ballistic tongues, the feature has been around for longer than the earliest chameleons, which likely date back to 120m years ago.” Fossils of albanerpetontids have been known since the mid-19th century and for over a century were interpreted as belonging to salamanders. Albanerpetontids are of interest in their own right because they were a moderately successful clade that contained at least three genera and a dozen species, with a known temporal range of about 160 million years and a geographic distribution that encompassed Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

Scientists uncover oldest evidence of 'slingshot' tongue

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