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After a lifetime of avoidance, avid baker Catherine de Lange discovers that puff pastry isn't hard to make –you just need a bit of time

The Leftovers follows those left behind after 140 million people vanish, unaccountably, in The Departure. The parallels with the covid-19 pandemic are obvious in this jewel of a TV show, says Bethan Ackerley

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Feedback looks into new research into whether air passengers need to worry about collisions with birds, and is relieved to discover no real animals were used in the experiments

Babies cannot tell us what they are experiencing, so it is hard to know what they are conscious of. But new research suggesting they perceive the world consciously could change how we care for them, says Claudia Passos-Ferreira

Michael Schindhelm's exhibition explores the possibilities and perils of living healthily for centuries – or at least much longer than today

There should be some kind of Constitutional amendment that puts up a wall between science and religion, just like the First Amendment that puts up a wall between government and religion. The incursion of religion into science is never helpful, and is often harmful. It has, for example, led to creationism. (I don’t object so much to the reverse incursion, since science has often disproven assertions of believers (creationism, Adam and Eve, the Exodus out of Egypt, and so on.) Maybe there should be a membrane that allows a one-way leakage of science into religion but prevents the reverse movement.,)

Here’s a new letter in Nature (click headline to access) noting not only the large difference in methodology between seeking “truth” in science vs. religion, but also using the high proportion of nonbelieving scientists (compared to the general public) as evidence for the incompatibility of the two areas. (Matthew sent me this to “cheer me up”.)

The link to the Conlon article is here, and that to the NAS survey is here. 

I discuss in Faith Versus Fact how the more accomplished a scientist is, the more likely they are to be nonbelievers. For example, here’s a quote from page 12 of my book:

Finally, if religion and science get along so well, why are so many scientists nonbelievers? The difference in religiosity between the American public and American scientists is profound, persistent, and well documented. Further, the more accomplished the scientist, the greater the likelihood that he or she is a nonbeliever.  Surveying American scientists as a whole, Pew Research found 33% who admitted belief in God, while 41% were atheists (the rest either didn’t answer, didn’t know, or believed in a “universal spirit or higher power”).  In contrast, belief in God among the general public ran at 83% and atheism at only 4%. In other words, scientists are ten times more likely to be atheistic than other Americans. This disparity has persisted for over eighty years of polling

When one moves to scientists working at a group of “elite” research universities, the difference is even more dramatic, with just over 62% being either atheist or agnostic, and only 23% who believed in God—a degree of nonbelief more than fifteenfold higher than the general public.

Sitting at the top tier of American science are the members of the National Academy of Sciences, an honorary organization that chooses only the most accomplished scientists in the United States. And here nonbelief is the rule: 93% of the members are atheists or agnostics, with only the remaining 7% believing in a personal God. This is almost the reverse of the data for “average” Americans.

I then go on to discuss why accomplishment as a scientist is negatively correlated with religiosity. Two explanations immediately stick out, and I think both are at play in these results. But I’ll let readers think up their own reasons.

By the way, the same pattern is seen in UK scientists. A fuil 87% of the members of The Royal Society are atheists or agnostics, while about 49% of Brits believe in God. But I think that 50% would be quite a bit higher if you added Brits who “believe in a higher power”.

 

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Satellites in orbit use rocket propulsion to maintain their altitude. These engines require fuel to power their chemical or ion engines but when the fuel runs out, the orbit slowly erodes with the satellite re-entering the atmosphere. A new type of electrical propulsion has been developed that has no need for onboard fuel. Instead it syphons air particles out of the atmosphere and accelerates them to provide thrust. Much like an ion engine but this time, the fuel source is air making it ideal for low Earth orbits. 

Tracing back the invention of the rocket takes us to ancient China around the 13th Century. Gunpowder propelled arrows were in use for military purposes and, known as ‘fire arrows’ were fired at enemy troops. In the 20th Century, rocket propulsion moved forward thanks to key players like Robert Goddard who has been hailed the father of modern rocketry. 

Dr. Robert Goddar with on his early rockets in Roswell

In 1926 Goddard invented the world’s first liquid fuelled rocket which led to a new breed of controllable rocket engines. The advent of the rocket engine in all its flavours has enabled human exploration of the Moon and a multitude of robotic explorers throughout the Solar System. 

The team based at the Surrey Space Centre hope that their new design will allow satellites to orbit at lower altitude and whilst they will experience more atmospheric drag, the plentiful supply of air will allow them to adjust. The concept can help with climate monitoring and modelling, satellite communication and Earth observations. 

At the low altitude orbits, the air is thin but the air powered electric propulsion can still harness the air as a propellant. The idea is very similar to ion engines that typically use Xenon gas as a fuel. Xenon ions are accelerated by a series of charged plates to high velocity and exit the engine producing small amounts of thrust. The new air propulsion works in a very similar way. The adjustments due to drag from friction imposted on the thin air will be constant but directly harvesting the fuel from the air outside means fuel will never run out.

A view of Earth’s atmosphere from space. Credit: NASA

Fundamental to the success of the engine is the air intake which collects gas molecules and directs them to the thruster. The molecules of air are then ionised by the thruster so that they can be manipulated by electrogmagnetic fields. Solar arrays and batteries will provide the power needed to ionise and accelerate the ionised air molecules at high velocities. As the air escapes from the thruster they produce thrust to drive the engine forwards. 

The team is made up of academics and engineers from Surrey Space Centre and Surrey’s Centre for Aerodynamics and Environmental Flow. The UK Space Agency have sponsored the team with £250k funding for a year. This will help them to progress the concept into full design, testing and orbital mechanics analyses. If successful in the coming years we may well see air powered satellites in orbit about the Earth. 

Source : New air-breathing spacecraft to provide better Earth observation and quicker communications

The post Next Generation Satellites Might Skim the Atmosphere, Using Air as a Propellant appeared first on Universe Today.

Researchers have successfully used a new robot system to improve treatment for debilitating eye disease.

Researchers have successfully used a new robot system to improve treatment for debilitating eye disease.

A team has developed printable, highly efficient light-emitting metasurfaces.

A team has developed printable, highly efficient light-emitting metasurfaces.

Flexible piezoelectric sensors are essential to monitor the motions of both humans and humanoid robots. However, existing designs are either are costly or have limited sensitivity. In a recent study, researchers tackled these issues by developing a novel piezoelectric composite material made from electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers combined with dopamine. Sensors made from this material showed significant performance and stability improvements at a low cost, promising advancements in medicine, healthcare, and robotics.

Flexible piezoelectric sensors are essential to monitor the motions of both humans and humanoid robots. However, existing designs are either are costly or have limited sensitivity. In a recent study, researchers tackled these issues by developing a novel piezoelectric composite material made from electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers combined with dopamine. Sensors made from this material showed significant performance and stability improvements at a low cost, promising advancements in medicine, healthcare, and robotics.

AI detects prostate cancer more often than radiologists. Additionally, AI triggers false alarms half as often. This was a large-scale study where an international team transparently evaluated and compared AI with radiologist assessments and clinical outcomes.

AI detects prostate cancer more often than radiologists. Additionally, AI triggers false alarms half as often. This was a large-scale study where an international team transparently evaluated and compared AI with radiologist assessments and clinical outcomes.