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News & Science Thread

If humans are going to send tiny probes across the vast distances of space, the designs of their sails will need to strike a delicate balance of mass, strength, and reflectivity. Now engineers have invented a nanomaterial that might just do the trick, helping us push space probes closer to light speed. 

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/new-nanomaterial-silica-silicon-solar-sail-technology

 

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We might have just discovered the missing link between the brain and gut

 

“Scientists now believe that a surprising array of conditions, including appetite disorders, obesity, arthritis, and depression, may get their start in the gut. But it hasn't been clear how messages in this so-called ‘second brain’ spread from our stomachs to our cerebrum.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/we-might-have-just-discovered-the-missing-link-between-the-brain-and-gu...

 

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Scientists just created a magnetic field that takes us closer than ever before to harnessing nuclear fusion

 

“Now, we're closer than ever before to making it happen — physicists from the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) say they've produced the strongest-ever controllable magnetic field.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-created-a-super-powerful-magnet-that-takes-us-one-step-...

 

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

"In summary, the only viable way of breaking the light barrier may be through General Relativity and the warping of space time. However, it is not known if negative matter exists, and whether the wormhole will be stable. To solve the question of stability, you need a fully quantum theory of gravity, and the only such theory which can unite gravity with the quantum theory is string theory (which is what I do for a living). Sadly, the theory is so complex that no has been able to fully solve it and give a definitive anwer to all these questions. Maybe someone reading this blog will be inspired to sovle string theory and answer the question whether we can truly break the light barrier."

 

https://bigthink.com/dr-kakus-universe/what-travels-faster-than-the-speed-of-light

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Scientists say they've come up with a way to test once and for all whether the Big Bang actually happened

 

“But thanks to a new study by a team of astronomers from Harvard University and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), scientists may have a new means of testing one of the key parts of the Big Bang cosmological model.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-say-they-ve-come-up-with-a-way-to-test-once-and-for-all-whet...

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

Guess which single word will convince other humans you're not a robot

 

“If you were trying to convince another human that you yourself are also human, what would you say? Probably something about emotions, right? That might work - but other humans are more likely to believe your humanity if you talk about bodily functions.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/minimal-turing-test-convince-humans-not-a-robot-one-single-word-poop

 

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US woman finds extremely rare scare noodle with two heads in her garden

 

“A woman in Virginia found a bizarre surprise in her flower bed last week: a copperhead snake with not one, but two heads on a single body. According to experts, it's an incredibly rare find.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/two-headed-bicephalic-copperhead-snake-agkistrodon-contortrix-virginia

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This Teenager Survived Almost 50 Days Adrift At Sea In A Floating Wooden Hut

 

“He had rations to last just one week. But somehow an Indonesian teenager who drifted out to sea in a floating wooden shack managed to survive 49 days before being rescued by a passing freighter.

 

“Aldi Novel Adilang, from the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi, endured a terrifying ocean voyage when the remote fishing hut he was stationed on broke free from its moorings and drifted over 1,900 kilometres (about 1,200 miles) out into the sea.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-indonesian-teenager-survived-almost-50-days-adrift-sea-floating-wo...

 

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NASA just released new data on why Earth wobbles as it spins on its axis

 

“NASA scientists have combined data on our planet's rotation with a number of sophisticated models to find that melting ice is a major cause of a strange drift in our planet's wobbling spin.

 

“Yes, our love of fossil fuels hasn't just given Earth an extra blanket, it's literally throwing the entire globe off balance. The blame isn't entirely on our shoulders, though – they also found the sloshing of molten rock deep beneath our feet plays a significant role.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-explains-20th-century-changes-earth-spin-axis-drift

 

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Top mathematician says he's solved a 160-year-old maths problem worth $1 million

 

“One of the world's most renowned mathematicians showed how he solved the 160-year-old Riemann hypothesis at a lecture on Monday - and he will be awarded US$1 million if his solution is confirmed.

 

“Sir Michael Atiyah, who has won the two biggest prizes in mathematics - the Fields Medal and Abel Prize - took the stage at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany on Monday to present his work.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/top-mathematician-sir-michael-atiyah-solved-a-160-year-old-1-million-ma...

 

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Scientists have identified the driving force behind all your darkest impulses

 

“In a new study, psychologists from Germany and Denmark have mapped this driving force behind all our darkest impulses, and given it a name. Meet D, the newly identified Dark Factor of Personality.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-identified-driving-force-behind-all-your-darkest-impulses-pe...

 

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NASA's Opportunity was spotted from Mars orbit, but things are looking bleak

 

“When a global dust storm began to envelope Mars about 100 days ago, Opportunity stopped getting enough sunlight to its solar panels. This triggered it to go to sleep on June 10 and conserve battery power, which the rover needs to run heaters that protect its circuits from blistering Martian cold.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/satellite-photo-has-captured-nasas-opportunitys-probable-final-resting-...

 

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I recently watched a television programme that said black holes were in question. I wish we had more photos of these objects.


@Sharon L wrote:

I recently watched a television programme that said black holes were in question. I wish we had more photos of these objects.


 The existence of black holes is pretty much solid. While we cannot really see one from close, both math and experiment pretty much agree on their existence.

 

A direct photo of a black hole won't be possible since, by essence, these objects emit no light. They can, however, be observed indirectly through their effects on their environment.

 

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

CERN scientists say the LHC has confirmed two new particles, and possibly discovered a Third

 

“Protons consist of two up quarks and one down quark, while neutrons consist of one up quark and two down quarks, for instance. But the two new particles discovered have a slightly different composition.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/cern-large-hadron-collider-beauty-experiment-two-new-bottom-baryon-part...

 

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We just received more mind-melting photos and a video from the surface of an asteroid

 

“If that wasn't awe-inspiring enough, JAXA has just released not only more images, but even a small video from Ryugu's surface, and all their footage is mind-meltingly wonderful.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/japan-s-rover-just-sent-back-mind-melting-new-video-and-photos-from-the...

 

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Cats are actually terrible at controlling some rat populations, study shows

 

“On a study of cats performed in New York city, researchers found that the feline hunters, despite their famed hunting prowess, only rarely hunted rats - which could put a pin in the idea of using cats to deal with a growing rat problem, as has been proposed for Chicago.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/feral-cats-new-york-city-norway-rat-predation-urban-ecosystem

 

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@Rene K wrote:

@Sharon L wrote:

I recently watched a television programme that said black holes were in question. I wish we had more photos of these objects.


 The existence of black holes is pretty much solid. While we cannot really see one from close, both math and experiment pretty much agree on their existence.

 

A direct photo of a black hole won't be possible since, by essence, these objects emit no light. They can, however, be observed indirectly through their effects on their environment.

 


  The first direct image of a black hole event horizon is expected to be released later this year, so watch this space. 

Creating hallucinations without drugs is surprisingly easy

 

“And yet, those 100 billion or so neurons are also incredibly fragile.

 

“If the tiniest thing goes wrong with a particular connection - maybe something misfires, or a certain neural pathway is blocked - things can fall apart very quickly.

 

“And, oddly enough, even without any injuries or structural malfunctions, the human brain can get weird all by itself - turns out, it's surprisingly easy to trick it into seeing and hearing things that aren't actually there.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/how-to-create-hallucinations-without-drugs-surprisingly-easy-science

 

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We've just found the source of some of the most powerful light beams ever detected

 

“Matter ejected from a spinning disc of doom surrounding a black hole a mere 15,000 light years away has produced some of the most energetic rays of light ever witnessed from an object of its kind.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/milky-way-microquasar-producing-unusual-high-energy-gamma-rays

 

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Wikipedia rejected an entry on this physicist because she wasn't famous enough. Well, she just got the Nobel Prize

 

“Nobel Prize-winning scientist Donna Strickland did not have a Wikipedia page until she became a Nobel laureate, and earlier attempts to write a page for her were rejected because she was not famous enough.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/in-may-wikipedia-rejected-an-entry-on-a-physics-nobel-laureate-because-...

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Aid to farmers or bioweapon? DARPA's "Insect Allies" program under scrutiny

 

https://gizmodo.com/scathing-report-accuses-the-pentagon-of-developing-an-a-1829525862/amp

Ravindra, I tried to emulate your formatting. I apologize for inconsistencies.

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"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce

Wind farms could have a local climate warming effect, says Harvard study

 

“This warming effect is a local effect, as Miller told Business Insider. That's different from the global warming and climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/wind-power-creates-local-warming-says-new-study-but-help-globally

 

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China put secret spy microchips in servers used by Apple and Amazon, says explosive report

 

"China secretly inserted surveillance microchips into servers used by major technology companies, including Apple and Amazon.com, in an audacious military operation likely to further inflame trade tensions between the United States and its leading source of electronics components and products, Bloomberg Businessweek reported Thursday morning."

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/china-inserted-surveillance-microchip-in-servers-used-by-amazon-and-app...

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Scientists just created quantum artificial life for the first time ever

 

“Encoding behaviours related to self-replication, mutation, interaction between individuals, and (inevitably) death, a newly created quantum algorithm has been used to show that quantum computers can indeed mimic some of the patterns of biology in the real world.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-simulate-artificial-life-in-quantum-algorithm-for-first-time

 

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Everything is weird right now, but here are some really good things happening on the planet

 

“We don't need to tell you world news is pretty grim right now - if you use social media, it's nigh on impossible to avoid articles about bubbling permafrost, drug-resistant gonorrhoea, and deadly obesity treatments. And that's just the science headlines.

 

“But despite all the doom and gloom, in reality there are a whole bunch of incredible people doing really good things around the world right now. Sometimes they just don't get as much press as they deserve.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/good-news-happening-in-the-world-right-now-science-nature-everything-su...

 

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Banksy painting self destructs right after selling at auction for $1.4 million

 

“The bidding climbed to US$1.4 million, an amount that tied the artist's own auction record from 2008. Finally, a hammer pounded to signify the end of the auction.

 

“Right then, the painting's canvas began scrolling downward, seeming to pass through its elaborate gilded frame — and reappearing below in neat, vertical strips. Later, Sotheby's would explain that a shredder was hidden inside the frame.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/banksy-painting-self-destructs-right-after-selling-at-auction-for-1-4-m...

 

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For decades, this rock was used as a doorstop. Turns out it's a $100K meteorite

 

“The sixth largest meteorite recorded in Michigan has just been brought to the attention of experts over 80 years after its discovery.

 

“After living a humble life as a 10 kilogram (22 pound) doorstop in a local farm, the space rock is now getting the attention it deserves.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/an-80-year-old-farm-doorstop-turned-out-to-be-an-extremely-valuable-met...

 

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NASA is looking at how to contain a supervolcano that could wipe out humanity

 

“Below Yellowstone National Park, there's a huge magma reservoir that's responsible for all the geysers and hot basins, bubbling away - and it's precisely this reservoir that has the potential to destroy humanity.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-is-looking-at-how-to-contain-a-volcano-that-may-wipe-out-humanity-...

 

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@Ravindra B wrote:

NASA is looking at how to contain a supervolcano that could wipe out humanity

 

“Below Yellowstone National Park, there's a huge magma reservoir that's responsible for all the geysers and hot basins, bubbling away - and it's precisely this reservoir that has the potential to destroy humanity.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-is-looking-at-how-to-contain-a-volcano-that-may-wipe-out-humanity-...

 


Supervolcanos are is one of the few things that really scare me. You can fight meteorites, but supervolcanos?

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

Leaked report says new Apple Macs have a secret 'kill switch' triggered by this simple action

 

“Leaked documentation reveals new Macs contain a hidden mechanism designed to make them inoperative if they are independently repaired, reports show.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/leak-new-apple-macs-secret-kill-switch-prevent-repairing-t2-imac-pro-ma...

 

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Google spent months hiding a security breach affecting the data of Google+ users

 

“Google kept quiet for more than six months about its discovery of a bug that put at risk the personal data of hundreds of thousands of Google+ users, the company said Monday, a delay that could spark a new round of regulatory and political scrutiny.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/google-kept-a-bug-secret-for-months-that-risked-google-users-privacy

 

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Major climate report just issued a dire warning, but everyone's going to ignore it anyway

 

“Humanity is on a crash course with the natural world, and for decades, climate scientists have been throwing up stop sign after stop sign.

 

“But no matter how many warnings we receive - and let's be honest, at this point we have had far too many - no one is willing to put their foot down and pump the brakes.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/climate-catastrophe-closer-than-thought-ipcc-report

 

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Incredible 'lost world' of underwater volcanoes discovered deep in the ocean

 

“Hidden below the waves off the east coast of Australia, scientists have discovered a 'lost world' of epic volcanic peaks buried under the Tasman Sea, never before seen with human eyes.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/incredible-lost-world-underwater-volcanoes-discovered-deep-ocean-tasman...

 

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For the first time, we have confirmation that Earth's core is actually solid

 

“Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) zeroed in on a low amplitude 'J-phase' seismic wave that passes through the planet's core, allowing them to finally put constraints on its solidity.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/seismic-j-phase-shear-wave-detection-reveals-elastic-solid-inner-core

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From beyond the grave, Hawking issues his final predictions on God and superhumans. Here's what experts think

 

“Hawking raised eyebrows when he claimed that powerful people will hack their genes to become smarter, stronger, and longer-lived. Eventually, he writes in his new book, the rest of us will ‘die out, or become unimportant.’”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/from-beyond-the-grave-hawking-issues-his-final-predictions-on-god-and-s...

 

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China is about to open the world's longest sea bridge, and it's absolutely ridiculous

 

“At more than 34 miles (54 kilometres) long, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is part of a master plan to create a global science and technology hub by connecting two Chinese territories, Hong Kong and Macau (the world's largest gambling center), to nine nearby cities.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/opening-china-longest-sea-bridge-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-greater-bay-are...

 

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Experimental drug cocktail yields greatest lifespan extension ever seen in animals

 

“Pioneering research into anti-ageing mechanisms in animals has almost doubled the lifespan of the test subjects used in the experiments.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/experimental-drug-cocktail-yields-greatest-lifespan-extension-ever-seen...

 

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A $500 million museum just revealed its priceless Dead Sea Scrolls are fakes

 

“They were treasured as five weathered survivors of the Dead Sea Scrolls: priceless fragments of a sacred scripture so ancient, it's older than the Old Testament.

 

“The only problem is they're fakes. In a gigantic blunder, the US$500 million Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC has revealed five of its highly coveted Dead Sea Scrolls fragments are actually forgeries – and acknowledged other Scrolls relics in its collection could be rip-offs too.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/new-500-million-museum-reveals-priceless-dead-sea-scrolls-fakes-forgeri...

 

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