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$160 million is a lot of money, especially when you consider its not just money. It's lost dreams, careers, and discoveries.

The post Open Letter II: President Levin, There Are Now 160 Million Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Have Censored We Want Them Infected Doctors first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

Fossil teeth of extinct megalodon sharks have grooves made by other megalodon teeth, hinting at violent encounters between these giant predators

The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and NTT Research, Inc., a division of NTT, announced the publication of research showing an application of machine-learning directed optimization (ML-DO) that efficiently searches for high-performance design configurations in the context of biohybrid robots. Applying a machine learning approach, the researchers created mini biohybrid rays made of cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) and rubber with a wingspan of about 10 mm that are approximately two times more efficient at swimming than those recently developed under a conventional biomimetic approach.

The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and NTT Research, Inc., a division of NTT, announced the publication of research showing an application of machine-learning directed optimization (ML-DO) that efficiently searches for high-performance design configurations in the context of biohybrid robots. Applying a machine learning approach, the researchers created mini biohybrid rays made of cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) and rubber with a wingspan of about 10 mm that are approximately two times more efficient at swimming than those recently developed under a conventional biomimetic approach.

Researchers demonstrated the first fully 3D-printed, droplet-emitting electrospray engine. The low-cost device can be fabricated more quickly than traditional thrusters, potentially from on board a spacecraft, and could enable CubeSats to perform precise, in-orbit maneuvers, aiding space research projects.

Researchers demonstrated the first fully 3D-printed, droplet-emitting electrospray engine. The low-cost device can be fabricated more quickly than traditional thrusters, potentially from on board a spacecraft, and could enable CubeSats to perform precise, in-orbit maneuvers, aiding space research projects.

Hypervelocity stars have been seen before but NASA scientists have just identified a potential record-breaking exoplanet system. They found a hypervelocity star that has a super-Neptune exoplanet in orbit around it. This discovery could reshape our understanding of planetary and orbital mechanics. Understanding more about these fascinating high velocity stars challenges current models of stellar evolution. However it formed, its amazing that somehow, it has managed to hang on to its planet through the process!

High-velocity stars travel through space at extraordinarily high speeds, often in excess of hundreds of kilometres per second. These rapidly moving stars are usually expelled from their galaxies due to gravitational forces, perhaps from close encounters with supermassive black holes or other stars. Some of them move so fast that they can break free from the Milky Way’s gravitational pull. It’s important to study them as they offer crucial insights into the dynamics of our Galaxy, interactions with black holes, and even the distribution of dark matter across the cosmos.

The positions and reconstructed orbits of 20 high-velocity stars, represented on top of an artistic view of our Galaxy, the Milky Way. Credit: ESA (artist’s impression and composition); Marchetti et al. 2018 (star positions and trajectories); NASA / ESA / Hubble (background galaxies)

Details of the discovery were published in a paper that was authored by lead astronomer Sean Terry in The Astronomical journal. It tells of the discovery of what the team think is a super-Neptune world that is in orbit around a star with a low mass. The system is travelling at an estimated 540 kilometres per second! If it were aligned with our own Solar System and the star was where our Sun was, then the planet would sit somewhere between the orbits of Venus and Earth. Terry, who is a researcher at the University of Maryland and said “it will be the first planet ever found orbiting a hypervelocity star.” 

Finding objects like this in space is tricky. This object was first seen in 2011 following analysis of data from the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics survey that had been conducted by the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. The study had been on the lookout for evidence for exoplanets around distant stars. 

The star-filled sky in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope photo lies in the direction of the Galactic centre. The light from stars is monitored to see if any change in their apparent brightness is caused by a foreground object drifting in front of them. The warping of space by the interloper would momentarily brighten the appearance of a background star, an effect called gravitational lensing. One such event is shown in the four close-up frames at the bottom. The arrow points to a star that momentarily brightened, as first captured by Hubble in August 2011. This was caused by a foreground black hole drifting in front of the star, along our line of sight. The star brightened and then subsequently faded back to its normal brightness as the black hole passed by. Because a black hole doesn’t emit or reflect light, it cannot be directly observed. But its unique thumbprint on the fabric of space can be measured through these so-called microlensing events. Though an estimated 100 million isolated black holes roam our galaxy, finding the telltale signature of one is a needle-in-a-haystack search for Hubble astronomers.

The presence of a mass between Earth and a distant object creates these microlensing events. As such a mass passes between us and a star, its presence can be revealed through analysis of its light curve. In the 2011 data, the signals revealed a pair of celestial bodies and allowed the researchers to calculate that one was about 2,300 times heavier than the other. 

The 2011 study suggested the star was about 20 percent as massive as the Sun and a planet 29 times heavier than Earth. Either that, or it was a nearer planet about four times the mass of Jupiter, maybe even with a moon. To learn more about the object the team searched through data from Keck Observatory and the Gaia satellite. They found the star, located about 24,000 light years away so still within the Milky Way. By comparing the location of the star in 2011 and then ten years later in 2021, the team were able to calculate its speed. 

Having calculated the speed of the star to be around 540,000 kilometres per second, the team are keen to secure more observations in the years ahead. If it is around the 600,000 kilometres per second mark then it’s likely to escape the gravity of the Milky Way and enter intergalactic space millions of years in the future. 

Source : NASA Scientists Spot Candidate for Speediest Exoplanet System

The post A Hyper Velocity Star Found with an Exoplanet Hanging on for Dear Life appeared first on Universe Today.

Finding alien life may have just got easier! If life does exist on other worlds in our Solar System then it’s likely to be tiny, primative bacteria. It’s not so easy to send microscopes to other worlds but chemistry may have just come to the rescue. Scientists have developed a test that detects microbial movement triggered by an amino acid known as  L-serine. In lab testing, three different types of microbes all moved towards this chemical and could be a strong indicator of life.

The search for primitive alien life focuses on finding simple organisms, like microbes or bacteria that can survive in extreme environments. Scientists target places like Mars or moons of the outer planets like Europa (Jupiter,) and Enceladus (Saturn,) where liquid water and energy sources might exist. By studying extremophiles on Earth—organisms that seem to thrive in harsh conditions—researchers can gain clues about where and how to look for extraterrestrial life. Advanced technologies, including chemical sensors and microscopic imaging, are being developed to detect signs of life on future space missions.

Europa captured by Juno

One of the great challenges is exactly what to look for. One aspect of life be it primative or advanced, is the ability to move independently. The process where a chemical causes an organism to move in response is known as chemotaxis and it this that a team of researchers in Germany are interested in. They have developed a new method for creating the chemotactic movement in some of the most basic forms of life here on Earth. The team published their results in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences. 

The team undertook experiments with three different types of microbe, two of them were bacteria and one was an archaea – a single celled microorganism. Each one has the capability of surviving in the types of extreme environments that might be found in space. One of the microbes has the catchy name Bacillus Subtilis and is known to be able to survive temperatures up to 100°C while others can survive down to -2.5°C. Each of the microbes responded, moving toward the chemical L-serine. The positive response from the microbes gives scientists a great insight into searching for organisms that are living on other worlds in our Solar System. 

Image of a tardigrade, which is a microscopic species and one of the most well-known extremophiles, having been observed to survive some of the most extreme environments, including outer space. (Credit: Katexic Publications, unaltered, CC2.0)

The scientists used a microscope slide that contained two separate chambers that were separated by a thin membrane. The sample microbes were placed on one side with L-serine placed on the other. The concept is simple, if the microbes are alive, they will move toward the chemical. On a future space mission however, it may need some slight refinements, chiefly it would need to work without human interaction. 

It’s not the first time the chemical has been used to trigger movement in primative life and is thought to exist beyond the confines of Earth. Its presence beyond our home planet suggest that it may also be useful in helping the search for alien life. If L-serine does exist on other worlds in our Solar System then it may induce movement in microbes and may therefore help us to find that life. 

Source : Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that gets microbes moving

The post Efforts to Detect Alien Life Advanced by Simple Microbe Mobility Test appeared first on Universe Today.

New findings explain the Phoenix cluster's mysterious starburst. Data confirm the cluster is actively cooling and able to generate a huge amount of stellar fuel on its own.

A research team has developed two new autonomous navigation systems for cyborg insects to better navigate unknown, complex environments. The algorithms utilized only simple circuits that leveraged natural insect behaviors, like wall-following and climbing, to navigate challenging terrain, such as sandy, rock-strewn surfaces. For all difficulties of terrain tested, the cyborg insects were able to reach their target destination, demonstrating the potential of cyborg insects for surveillance, disaster-site exploration, and more.

A research team has developed two new autonomous navigation systems for cyborg insects to better navigate unknown, complex environments. The algorithms utilized only simple circuits that leveraged natural insect behaviors, like wall-following and climbing, to navigate challenging terrain, such as sandy, rock-strewn surfaces. For all difficulties of terrain tested, the cyborg insects were able to reach their target destination, demonstrating the potential of cyborg insects for surveillance, disaster-site exploration, and more.

DNA hydrogels are biocompatible drug delivery systems for targeted therapeutic interventions. Conventional DNA hydrogels, formed with many DNA nanostructure units, lead to increased preparation costs and design complexities.

Physicists and biomedical engineers unlocked new properties in capillary waves thanks to superhydrophobicity.

Is it possible to tile a surface with a single shape in such a way that the pattern never repeats itself? In 2022, a mathematical solution to this 'Einstein problem' was discovered for the first time. Researchers have now also found a chemical solution: a molecule that arranges itself into complex, non-repeating patterns on a surface. The resulting aperiodic layer could even exhibit novel physical properties.

Is it possible to tile a surface with a single shape in such a way that the pattern never repeats itself? In 2022, a mathematical solution to this 'Einstein problem' was discovered for the first time. Researchers have now also found a chemical solution: a molecule that arranges itself into complex, non-repeating patterns on a surface. The resulting aperiodic layer could even exhibit novel physical properties.

Traditional black holes, as predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity, contain what are known as singularities, i.e. points where the laws of physics break down. Identifying how singularities are resolved in the context of quantum gravity is one of the fundamental problems in theoretical physics. Now, a team of experts has described the creation of regular black holes from gravitational effects and without the need for the existence of exotic matter required by some previous models.

When analyzing odorants in food or their raw materials, the formation of artifacts can significantly distort the results. In a new comparative study, researchers have shown that the injection method in gas chromatographic odorant analysis has a decisive influence on the formation of artifacts. On-column injection proved to be the gold standard, while solvent-free methods performed significantly worse.

What if time is not as fixed as we thought? Imagine that instead of flowing in one direction -- from past to future -- time could flow forward or backward due to processes taking place at the quantum level. This is the thought-provoking discovery made by researchers, as a new study reveals that opposing arrows of time can theoretically emerge from certain quantum systems.

What if time is not as fixed as we thought? Imagine that instead of flowing in one direction -- from past to future -- time could flow forward or backward due to processes taking place at the quantum level. This is the thought-provoking discovery made by researchers, as a new study reveals that opposing arrows of time can theoretically emerge from certain quantum systems.

Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new study suggests. The researchers found that mice in a nine-week program of reduced movement experienced cartilage thinning and cellular clustering, both early indicators of arthritis. But mice that performed jump training three times a week showed the opposite effect -- thicker, healthier cartilage with normal cellular structure.