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From the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the rise of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives and Artificial Intelligence, in this episode Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, and Michael Shermer challenge conventional narratives and explore how we can continue to move forward.

They discuss the state of democracy, autocracy, and the lessons learned from historical crises, while offering insights into how innovation, rationality, and education can lead us through challenging times.

This session was presented at FreedomFest 2024. To see more speeches and sessions from FreedomFest, visit freedomfest.com/civl.

If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support by making a $5 or $10 monthly donation.

A powerful new AI called o1 is the most dangerous that OpenAI has ever released, the firm claims – but who are these warnings for, asks Chris Stokel-Walker

Custom-made wool caps have enabled scientists to record electroencephalograms in awake cats for the first time, which could help assess their pain levels

A new study is providing new insights into how next-generation electronics, including memory components in computers, breakdown or degrade over time.

In a world where organizing a simple meeting can feel like herding cats, new research reveals just how challenging finding a suitable meeting time becomes as the number of participants grows. The study dives into the mathematical complexities of this common task, offering new insights into why scheduling often feels so impossible.

The Cassini mission’s samples from Saturn’s moon Enceladus have signs of various organic molecules that could be among the ingredients needed for life to get started

On January 1, 2024, a skeptic from Malawi named Wonderful Mkhutche shared a video1 of a witch-hunting incident that took place days before on December 28, 2023. In the video, a local mob is shown burying an elderly woman. According to local sources, the woman was accused of causing the death of a family member who had passed away the previous day. These accusations often arise after family members consult local diviners, who claim to be able to identify suspects. In this instance, a local vigilante group abducted the woman. They were in the midst of burying her alive as punishment for allegedly using witchcraft to “kill” a relative when the police intervened and rescued her.

While witch-hunting is largely a thing of the past in the Western world, the persecution of alleged witches continues with tragic consequences in many parts of Africa. Malawi, located in Southeastern Africa, is one such place. Mr. Mkhutche reports that between 300 to 500 individuals accused of witchcraft are attacked and killed every year.

The Malawi Network of Older Persons’ Organizations reported that 15 older women were killed between January and February 2023.2 Local sources suggest that these estimates are likely conservative, as killings related to witchcraft allegations often occur in rural communities and go unreported. Witch-hunting is not limited to Malawi; it also occurs in other African countries. In neighboring Tanzania, for example, an estimated 3,000 people were killed for allegedly practicing witchcraft between 2005 and 2011, and about 60,000 accused witches were murdered between 1960 and 2000.3 Similar abuses occur in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, where those accused of witchcraft face severe mistreatment. They are attacked, banished, or even killed. Some alleged witches are buried alive, lynched, or strangled to death. In Ghana, some makeshift shelters—known as “witch camps”—exist in the northern region. Women accused of witchcraft flee to these places after being banished by their families and communities. Currently, around 1,000 women who fled their communities due to witchcraft accusations live in various witch camps in the region.4

The belief in the power of “evil magic” to harm others, causing illness, accidents, or even death, is deeply ingrained in many regions of Africa. Despite Malawi retaining a colonial-era legal provision that criminalizes accusing someone of practicing witchcraft, this law has not had a significant impact because it is rarely enforced. Instead, many people in Malawi favor criminalizing witchcraft and institutionalizing witch-hunting as a state-sanctioned practice. The majority of Malawians believe in witchcraft and support its criminalization,5 and many argue that the failure of Malawian law to recognize witchcraft as a crime is part of the problem, because it denies the legal system the mechanism to identify or certify witches. Humanists and skeptics in Malawi have actively opposed proposed legislation that recognizes the existence of witchcraft.6 They advocate for retaining the existing legislation and urge the government to enforce, rather than repeal, the provision against accusing someone of practicing witchcraft.

Islam7 and Christianity8 were introduced to Malawi in the 16th and 19th centuries by Western Christian missionaries and Arab scholars/jihadists, respectively. They coerced the local population to accept foreign mythologies as superior to traditional beliefs. Today, Malawi is predominantly Christian,9 but there are also Muslims and some remaining practitioners of traditional religions. And while the belief in witchcraft predates Christianity and Islam, religious lines are often blurred, as all the most popular religions contain narratives that sanctify and reinforce some form of belief in witchcraft. As a result, Malawians from various religious backgrounds share a belief in witchcraft.

Witch-hunting also has a significant health aspect, as accusations of witchcraft are often used to explain real health issues. In rural areas where hospitals and health centers are scarce, many individuals lack access to modern medical facilities and cannot afford modern healthcare solutions. Consequently, they turn to local diviners and traditional narratives to understand and cope with ailments, diseases, death, and other misfortunes.10

While witch-hunting occurs in both rural and urban settings, it is more prevalent in rural areas. In urban settings, witch-hunting is mainly observed in slums and overcrowded areas. One contributing factor to witch persecution in rural or impoverished urban zones is the limited presence of state police. Police stations are few and far apart, and the law against witchcraft accusations is rarely enforced11due to a lack of police officers and inadequate equipment for intervention. Recent incidents in Malawi demonstrate that mob violence, jungle justice, and vigilante killings of alleged witches are common in these communities.

Another significant aspect of witch-hunting is its highly selective nature. Elderly individuals, particularly women, are usually the targets. Why is this the case? Malawi is a patriarchal society where women hold marginalized sociocultural positions. They are vulnerable and easily scapegoated, accused, and persecuted. In many cases, children are the ones driving these accusations. Adult relatives coerce children to “confess” and accuse the elderly of attempting to initiate them into the world of witchcraft. Malawians believe that witches fly around at night in “witchcraft planes” to attend occult meetings in South Africa and other neighboring countries.12

The persistence of witch-hunting in Africa can be attributed to the absence of effective campaigns and measures to eliminate this unfounded and destructive practice. The situation is dire and getting worse. In Ghana, for example, the government plans on shutting down safe spaces for victims, and the president has declined to sign a bill into law that would criminalize witchcraft accusations and the act of witch-hunting.

For this reason, in 2020 I founded Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) with the aim of combating witch persecution in Africa. Our mission is to put an end to witch-hunting on the continent by 2030.13 AfAW was created to address significant gaps in the fight against witch persecution in Africa. One of our primary goals is to challenge the misrepresentation of African witchcraft perpetuated by Western anthropologists. They have often portrayed witch-hunting as an inherent part of African culture, suggesting that witch persecution serves useful socioeconomic functions. (This perspective arises from a broader issue within modern anthropology, where extreme cultural relativism sometimes leads to an overemphasis on the practices of indigenous peoples. This stems from an overcorrection of past trends that belittled all practices of indigenous peoples). Some Western scholars tend to present witchcraft in the West as a “wild” phenomenon, and witchcraft in Africa as having domestic value and benefit. The academic literature tends to explain witchcraft accusations and witch persecutions from the viewpoint of the accusers rather than the accused. This approach is problematic and dangerous, as it silences the voices of those accused of witchcraft and diminishes their predicament.

Due to this misrepresentation, Western NGOs that fund initiatives to address abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs have waged a lackluster campaign. They have largely avoided describing witchcraft in Africa as a form of superstition, instead choosing to adopt a patronizing approach to tackling witch-hunting—they often claim to “respect” witchcraft as an aspect of African cultures.14 As a result, NGOs do not treat the issue of witch persecution in Africa with the urgency it deserves.

Likewise, African NGOs and activists have been complicit. Many lack the political will and funding to effectively challenge this harmful practice. In fact, many African NGO actors believe in witchcraft themselves! Witch-hunting persists in the region due to lack of accurate information, widespread misinformation, and insufficient action. To end witch-hunting, a paradigm shift is needed. The way witchcraft belief and witch-hunting are perceived and addressed must change.

AfAW aims to catalyze this crucial shift and transformation. It operates as a practical and applied form of skepticism, employing the principles of reason and compassion to combat witch-hunting. Through public education and enlightenment efforts, we question and debate witchcraft and ritual beliefs, aiming to dispel the misconceptions far too often used to justify abuses. Our goal is to try to engage African witchcraft believers in thoughtful dialogue, guiding them away from illusions, delusions, and superstitions.

The persistence of abuses linked to witchcraft and ritual beliefs in the region is due to a lack of robust initiatives applying skeptical thinking to the problem. To effectively combat witch persecution, information must be translated into action, and interpretations into tangible policies and interventions. To achieve this, AfAW employs the “informaction” theory of change, combining information dissemination with actionable steps.

At the local level, we focus on bridging the information and action gaps. Accusers are misinformed about the true causes of illnesses, deaths, and misfortunes, often attributing these events to witchcraft due to a lack of accurate information. Many people impute misfortunes to witchcraft because they are unaware of where to seek help or who or what is genuinely responsible for their troubles. This lack of understanding extends to what constitutes valid reasons and causal explanations for their problems.

As part of the efforts to end witch-hunting, we highlight misinformation and disinformation about the true causes of misfortune, illness, death, accidents, poverty, and infertility. This includes debunking the falsehoods that charlatans, con artists, traditional priests, pastors, and holy figures such as mallams and marabouts exploit to manipulate the vulnerable and the ignorant. At AfAW, we provide evidence-based knowledge, explanations, and interpretations of misfortunes.

Our efforts include educating the public on existing laws and mechanisms to address allegations of witchcraft. We conduct sensitization campaigns targeting public institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities. Additionally, we sponsor media programs, issue press releases, engage in social media advocacy, and publish articles aimed at dispelling myths and misinformation related to witch-hunting in the region.

This article appeared in Skeptic magazine 29.2
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We also facilitate actions and interventions by both state and non-state agencies. In many post-colonial African states, governmental institutions are weak with limited powers and presence. One of our key objectives is to encourage institutional collaboration to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. We petition the police, the courts, and state human rights institutions. Our work prompts these agencies to act, collaborate, and implement appropriate measures to penalize witch-hunting activities in the region.

Additionally, AfAW intervenes to support individual victims of witch persecution based on their specific needs and the resources available. For example, in cases where victims have survived, we relocate them to safe places, assist with their medical treatment, and facilitate their access to justice. In situations where the accused have been killed, we provide support to the victims’ relatives and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

We get more cases than we can handle. With limited resources, we are unable to intervene in every situation we become aware of. However, in less than four years, our organization has made a significant impact through our interventions in Nigeria and beyond. We are deploying the canon of skeptical rationality to save lives, awaken Africans from their dogmatic and superstitious slumber, and bring about an African Enlightenment.

This is a real culture war, with real consequences, and skepticism is making a real difference.

About the Author

Leo Igwe is a skeptic and director of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches which aims to end witch-hunting in Africa by 2030. His human rights fieldwork has led to his arrest on several occasions in Nigeria.

References

1. https://bit.ly/3TyhZyc
2. https://bit.ly/3xiOmtD
3. https://bit.ly/3PMiovX
4. https://bit.ly/3vAPIze
5. https://bit.ly/43Iv24N
6. https://bit.ly/3IZamfu
7. https://bit.ly/3IYJvjR
8. https://bit.ly/3TVdzTz
9. https://bit.ly/3TVdCPf
10. https://bit.ly/3J0W8uz
11. https://bit.ly/3PHS7yM
12. https://bit.ly/4awJzTs
13. https://bit.ly/3IX6g7I
14. https://bit.ly/3Q7NIpp

The direction of cause and effect was brought into question for quantum objects more than a decade ago, but new calculations may offer a way to restore it

As RSV season rapidly approaches, some "real world" data out of France provides even more support for the RSV antibody shot for babies.

The post More Evidence Supports Infant RSV Shot Safety and Effectiveness first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.

Thanks to advances in weather simulation, forecasts of heatwaves and hurricanes could soon come with information about the extent to which they were fuelled by climate change

Scientists have announced a groundbreaking development in hydrogen ion barrier films using graphene oxide (GO) that lacks internal pores. This innovative approach promises significant advancements in protective coatings for various applications.

Ground-based interferometry on Earth has proven to be a successful method for conducting science by combining light from several telescopes into acting like a single large telescope. But how can a ultraviolet (UV)/optical interferometer telescope on the Moon deliver enhanced science, and can the Artemis missions help make this a reality? This is what a recently submitted study to the SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024 conference hopes to address as a team of researchers propose the Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI) that, as its name implies, could potentially be delivered to the lunar surface via NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions. This proposal was recently accepted as a Phase 1 study through NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program and holds the potential to develop revolutionary extremely high-angular resolution way of conducting science on other planetary bodies while contributing to other missions, as well.

Here, Universe Today discusses this incredible research with Dr. Gioia Rau, who is an Astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Program Director at NSF, regarding the motivation behind this study, significant takeaways from this work, next steps should this proceed past Phase 1, long-term goals regarding lunar surface locations, and how AeSI can advance our understanding of exoplanet habitability. Therefore, what was the motivation behind this study?

Dr. Rau tells Universe Today, “The motivation behind this study is to assess whether we can build and operate, in collaboration with the human Artemis Program, a large, sparse aperture observatory (interferometer) on the lunar surface and determine whether it is competitive with a previously developed free-flyer option. The end goal is to enable the study of our Universe at Ultra High Definition at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths with ~200x the angular resolution of HST! Ultraviolet observations are unobtainable from the Earth’s surface due to the overlying atmosphere and even in the visible the Earth’s atmosphere limits the ultimate resolution obtainable with ground-based interferometers.”

For the study, the researchers build off longstanding proposals for putting UV/optical interferometers in space, but due to the lack of infrastructure on the lunar surface, scientists have preferred using satellites and orbiters, which the researchers refer to as “free-flyers”. For AeSI, the researchers propose constructing a lunar interferometer using infrastructure being brought to the Moon via NASA’s Artemis Program with the goal of delivering advanced science regarding exoplanetary systems, including the surfaces of stars, their interiors, magnetic fields, space weather, and exoplanet habitability.

Artist’s rendition of six interferometers on the lunar surface being combined to simulate one, giant interferometers. (Credit: Figure 3/Rua et al. (2024))

To accomplish this, AeSI will be comprised of a 1-kilometer baseline UV/optical imaging interferometer near the lunar south pole, which is the landing region for the Artemis Program, specifically Artemis III. Along with the enhanced science, the team also promotes the project’s scalability, noting it can potentially be as large as 30 or more elements to serve as a single interferometer. Additionally, the team addresses several issues that could arise during this endeavor, including lunar dust, seismic activity, and the use of robotic aides as auxiliary support for construction. Therefore, what are the most significant takeaways from this study?

Dr. Rau tells Universe Today, “The most significant takeaways from this study are that the project is feasible, demonstrating that the visionary idea of our PI, Dr. Kenneth Carpenter (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center), can be realistically developed. The study provides important recommendations for further research and technology development, which will be crucial for advancing the project and addressing any technical challenges and further technology development needed.”

As noted, AeSI has been approved for a Phase 1 study (less than 4% success rate!) through NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, with NIAC having successfully helped advance technology within the aerospace industry since 1998, with its original name being NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts until it was closed in 2007. Only two years later, Congress requested the National Academy of Sciences to review why it was closed, which made recommendations going forward, resulting in the current NIAC program in 2011.

Since then, NIAC has contributed technological advancements in nanosatellites, planetary exploration, exoplanet spectroscopy, astrophysics, cosmology, solar science, human space exploration, and many others. These proposals go through three phases, with each phase enabling increased funding and time for the project. Therefore, given AeSI is a Phase 1 study, what are the next steps if it should be approved for advancement?

Dr. Rau tells Universe Today, “The next steps would involve seeking Phase 2 support from NIAC as well as exploring additional funding and resources. Phase 2 would focus on further developing and refining the initial 9-month study we are doing in Phase 1. We believe our visionary concept has the potential to revolutionize scientific research and provide a significant opportunity for technology demonstration on the lunar surface, therefore we truly hope we will obtain further support by NIAC and/or other supporting sources!”

Regarding long-term goals for AeSI, Dr. Rau tells Universe Today, “There are multiple constraints on locating interferometers on the lunar surface, in particular optical and UV ones! We describe this more in detail in the NIAC Phase 1 study final report, which will be public, and published early next year. Our project is currently planned to start with a stage 1 made of 15 rovers in an elliptical array configuration with a 1 km major axis. The observatory will evolve in later stages to an array of ~30 rovers with an enhanced hub to combine the beams from the larger number of rovers (mirror stations) and will provide extremely high angular resolution of celestial objects such as distant sun-like stars, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), exoplanets, cool evolved stars, and more!”

As noted, along with the enhanced science being conducted on stars, one of the science goals of AeSI will also be to ascertain the habitability of exoplanets, which comes as NASA has confirmed the existence of more than 5,700 exoplanets within our Milky Way Galaxy. Of these, almost 70 are currently designated to be in the ‘habitable zone’ of their parent star, with 29 of them potentially being terrestrial (rocky) worlds and the remaining 41 potentially being “water worlds” or mini-Neptunes. These potentially habitable worlds have been found to orbit within and outside the habitable zone, with some whose orbits take them both inside and outside the habitable zone during one orbit. Therefore, how could AeSI advance our understanding of exoplanet habitability?

Dr. Rau tells Universe Today, “AeSI will provide a deeper insight into the characteristics of the parent stars in distant exoplanetary systems. By analyzing these stars more thoroughly, we can gain a better understanding of the conditions that influence the habitability of their orbiting planets. This includes examining the interactions between planets and their stars, which can significantly impact the potential for life on these exoplanets.”

As NASA prepares to send humans back to the Moon for the first time since 1972 with the Artemis Program, it’s important to note the incredible science that can be accomplished with the infrastructure established by Artemis. Therefore, with ground-based interferometry from the Earth being a long established and successful scientific field having contributed to better understanding radio astronomy, solar physics, nebulas, galaxies, and exoplanets, AeSI provides a unique opportunity to conduct revolutionary science, images of distant stars with the highest angular resolution ever, on other planetary bodies while testing new technologies, as well.

Dr. Rau concludes by telling Universe Today, “AeSI will provide the very first ultra-high angular resolution views of the Universe in the ultraviolet (UV). This is a huge leap for so many aspects of astrophysics, from understanding magnetic activity in stars and its impact on surrounding planets, to detailed studies of exoplanets, space weather, AGN, stellar astrophysics and more! AeSI’s high-angular resolution ultraviolet and optical observations will open new frontiers in astrophysics, offering a richer and more detailed picture of the universe’s most energetic and enigmatic components.”

How will AeSI help enhance UV/optical interferometry in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

Additional Links:

SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024

The post Artemis Missions Could Put the most Powerful imaging Telescope on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.

Every year, the “Astronomy Photographer of the Year” competition provides incredible images of our night sky — whether they are stunning views of distant galaxies or dramatic photos of aurorae or other views from our home planet. This year is no different, and the awards were just announced at a special presentation at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich (ROG), England for the incredible 16th year of the competition. The event is sponsored by the ROG, supported by Liberty Specialty Markets and in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine. For the 2024 competition there were over 3,500 entries from 58 countries.

Above is the overall winner, Ryan Imperio from the USA for his photograph, Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse. This unusual and stunning photo captures the progression of Baily’s beads during the 2023 annular eclipse.

“This is an impressive dissection of the fleeting few seconds during the visibility of the Baily’s beads,” said one of the judges for the competition, meteorologist Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn. “This image left me captivated and amazed. It’s exceptional work deserving of high recognition.”

Baily’s beads are an effect that occurs when gaps in the Moon’s rugged terrain allows sunlight to pass through in some places just before the total phase of the eclipse begins and also just as the eclipse is ending. These can be challenging to capture because of how briefly they are visible.

The winning photographer, in a press release about the competition, Ryan Imperio said, “The images selected each year are absolutely astonishing and I am both thrilled and honoured to have my photo among them. I had hoped my image would be shared in some way but never expected to be selected as a winner, let alone Overall Winner!”

Here are the winners in each category:

Aurorae Winner of the Aurorae category: Queenstown Aurora © Larryn Rae (New Zealand)

This stunning photo was captured by Larryn Rae in New Zealand, with this view of the Aurora Australis seen above the mountains in Queenstown. It is a 19-image panorama showing a compilation of all the fast-moving beams that lit up the sky in February 2023. The photographer used an astro-modified camera to capture all the pink hues of the aurora which makes for an incredibly dynamic final image. 

Our Moon Winner of the Our Moon Category: Shadow peaks of Sinus Iridum © Gábor Balázs (Hungary) This picture of the Moon shows Sinus Iridum, also known as the ‘Bay of Rainbows,’ a 260-kilometer diameter bay bordered by several smaller craters. Gábor Balázs from Hungary used a monochrome camera with a filter to capture the area. The crater visible in the upper right corner, Pythagoras. Galaxies Winner of the 2024 Galaxies category: Echoes of the Past © Bence Tóth, Péter Feltóti (Hungary)

Bence Tóth and Péter Feltóti from Hungary combined forces for this image, showing the galaxy NGC 5128 and its surrounding tidal wave system and powerful jets of radiation and particles, which travel close to the speed of light. This galaxy can only be seen from the southern hemisphere, so the photographers traveled to Namibia to capture the image.

People and Space Winner of the 2024 People and Space category: High-Tech Silhouette © Tom Williams (UK)

I never tire of seeing images of the International Space Station (ISS) transiting another solar system body. Here, Tom Williams from the UK, captured the ISS crossing the field-of-view in just 0.2 seconds! The Sun was active and a prominence right next to the station’s transit location can be seen.

Planets, Comets and Asteroids Winner of the 2024 Planets, Comets and Asteroids category: On Approach © Tom Williams (UK)

Here’s another winner by Tom Williams in the UK! This false-color composite shows the phases of Venus on approach to inferior conjunction, which is when Venus and the Earth appear close on the same side of the Sun. Tom used ultra-violet and infrared filters, enabling view of the intricate cloud structure within Venus’ upper atmosphere to be revealed. Williams explained that despite Venus’s rotation period being many months long, the atmosphere is far from stationary, circling the planet in around four days. This makes UV imaging of Venus particularly interesting as the planet is much more dynamic than it otherwise would be if viewed in the visible spectrum.

Skyscapes Winner of the 2024 Skyscapes category: Tasman Gems © Tom Rae (New Zealand)

Another stunner from the dark skies of New Zealand! Tom Rae shot this photograph of the rugged peaks of the Tasman Valley, showcasing the incredible features of the southern hemisphere summer night sky. It includes the hydrogen clouds of the Gum Nebula (central red region) and various other regions of active star formation stretched throughout the fainter arms of the Milky Way. This part of the night sky that tends to be less photographed, due to the faintness of the Milky Way band.

Stars and Nebulae Winner of the Stars and Nebulae category: SNR G107.5-5.2, Unexpected Discovery (The Nereides Nebula in Cassiopeia) © Marcel Drechsler, Bray Falls, Yann Sainty, Nicolas Martino, Richard Galli (Germany, USA, France, France, France)

This incredible photo came as the result of a group effort of several amateur astronomers around the world, who collected 3,559 frames, from 260 hours of exposure time with telescopes on three continents. The team worked to explore and photograph a previously unknown gigantic supernova remnant (SNR) in the center of the famous constellation Cassiopeia. The team was led by Professor Robert Fesen from the USA. The fact that amateurs have made such a discovery is a testament to how important their role has become in today’s astronomy.

Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer Winner of the 2024 Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer: SH2-308: Dolphin Head Nebula © Xin Feng, Miao Gong (China)

Two new photographers from China teamed up to capture SH2-308 (the Dolphin Head Nebula). This target poses a challenge because is at a low angle in the sky and can only be shot for five hours a day. This image took ten days of shooting and post-processing with PixInsight

Young Astrophotographer Winner for the 2024 Young Astrophotographer category: NGC 1499, A Dusty California © Daniele Borsari (Italy), aged 14

I love this category every year and have never failed to be impressed with the up-and-coming amateur astrophographers! 14-year-old Daniele Borsari from Italy captured image of California Nebula, NGC 1499, an emission nebula in the constellation of Perseus. It’s located at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth and it’s visible thanks to the ionization of gases by the blue giant star ??Persei (Menkib). Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation Winner of the 2024 Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation: Anatomy of a Habitable Planet © Sergio Díaz Ruiz (Spain)

Alien world? Nope, this is planet Earth, as you’ve never seen it.  This incredibly creative image was made by mixing the 16 bands monitored by the GOES-18 weather satellite to encode land masses, oceans and atmospheric features as different colors.

Nancy’s Personal Favorite From the 2024 People and Space category, Highly Commended: Big Brother is Watching You © Matt Jackson (USA)

This image is my own personal favorite of this year’s competition. Matt Jackson from Montana in the USA set up a timelapse for just one hour, and you can see the trails of all the satellites that flew over the field of view in that short time. The photographer said he chose this subject matter to highlight his concerns related to privacy and the power that comes from controlling technology — not to mention the ‘pollution’ of the night sky with the growing prevalence of Earth-orbiting satellites.

See all the winners, runners-up and highly commended photos on the ROG website.

If you happen to be in the UK, there will be an exhibition of all the images opening at the National Maritime Museum on Friday September 13, 2024.

If you are impressed — or inspired — by these images, consider joining next year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition!

The post And the Winner is…. Astronomy Photographers of the Year 2024 Announced appeared first on Universe Today.

ALS, the most common form of motor neuron disease, can take a long time to diagnose, but a blood test could help doctors spot the condition sooner

From drunk worms to mammals that breath through their anuses, founder Marc Abrahams on the winners of this year's Ig Nobel prizes, for research that "makes people laugh, then think"

On Tuesday, September 10th, at 5:23 a.m. EST (03:23 p.m. PST), the Polaris Dawn mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a crew of four to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This mission is the first of three that comprise the Polaris Program, a private spaceflight program organized by entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman and financed by SpaceX. Since launching, the Resilience Crew Dragon spacecraft has flown higher than any crewed mission since the Apollo Era and passed through parts of the Van Allen radiation belt.

Earlier today, the crew carried out the first private spacewalk in the history of spaceflight!

SpaceX and the Polaris Dawn crew have completed the first commercial spacewalk!

“SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” — Mission Commander @rookisaacman during Dragon egress and seeing our planet from ~738 km pic.twitter.com/lRczSv5i4k

— Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 12, 2024

Footage of the spacewalk was taken from Isaacman’s helmet camera and shared via the Polaris Program’s X account. The footage shows mission commander Jared Isaacman egressing from the spacecraft’s forward hatch. Then, amid the raucous cheers from the mission controllers, we see Isaacman looking down on planet Earth from an altitude of about 738 km (~460 mi). He can be heard in the video recording saying, “SpaceX, back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”

The footage then switched to the spacecraft’s nosecone camera, which shows Isaacman emerging from the forward hatch against the background of Earth.

In addition to Isaacman, the crew included mission pilot Scott Poteet, a retired pilot from the United States Air Force (USAF); mission specialist and SpaceX senior space operations engineer Sarah Gillis; and mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon, SpaceX’s lead space operations engineer and mission director. This was the first flight for all crewmembers, except for Isaacman, who is returning to space for a second time after the successful Inspiration4 mission – the first all-civilian space mission that flew from September 16th to 18th in 2021.

In addition to performing the first commercial spacewalk and testing the SpaceX-designed Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuits – an upgraded version of the intravehicular (IVA) suit – the mission’s main objective is to better understand the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health. To this end, the spacecraft is orbiting through parts of the Van Allen radiation belt while multiple sensors actively monitor the crew’s health. Upon their return, they will also submit biological samples, which will be analyzed and kept in a long-term Biobank.

The crew will also test Starlink’s laser-based communications in orbit to provide data for future space communications systems. All of this research is intended to advance our understanding of the hazards of long-duration spaceflight and develop the necessary technologies to enable extended missions to the Moon and Mars in the coming decades. The Polaris Dawn mission will return to Earth on September 15th after spending five days in space.

The post See a First-Person View of the First Private Spacewalk appeared first on Universe Today.

Experiments show that viewers can usually identify video deepfakes of famous politicians – but fake audio and text are harder to detect

Taking inspiration from enzymes, chemists have developed a catalyst to simplify the synthesis of ethers, key functional components of many drugs, foods, personal care items and other consumer goods. The catalyst puts the two chemical ingredients in just the right proximity and position to come together, bypassing the need for the steps and quantities required under standard synthesis protocols.

If you enjoyed this summer’s display of aurora borealis, thank the Sun’s corona. The corona is the Sun’s outer layer and is the source of most space weather, including aurorae. The aurora borealis are benign light shows, but not all space weather produces such harmless displays; some of it is dangerous and destructive.

In an effort to understand space weather and the solar corona, the National Science Foundation aimed the world’s most powerful solar telescope, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, at the corona to map its magnetic fields.

Space weather affects Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. It includes solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CME), and the solar wind.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of electromagnetic energy that can damage satellites and disrupt radio communications and are frequently associated with sunspots. CMEs are ejections of plasma from the corona that collide with the magnetosphere, causing geomagnetic storms and aurorae and, when powerful enough, disrupting power grids. The solar wind is a constant stream of charged particles that streams from the solar corona and causes aurorae. Since the solar wind never stops, it can also change the orbit of satellites.

The solar corona is made of plasma, and though it’s quite dim, it’s very hot.

This image shows the Sun’s layers in false colour for clarity. Solar prominences are precursors to CMEs, though not all prominences escape the corona to become CMEs. Image Credit: By Kelvinsong – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23371669

Scientists know the large role the solar corona plays in space weather, but they don’t understand how the Sun’s magnetic fields drive it. However, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) has successfully mapped the corona’s magnetic field for the first time. Understanding the magnetic field is critical for understanding and predicting space weather.

The results are in a new paper titled “Mapping the Sun’s coronal magnetic field using the Zeeman effect.” It’s published in the journal Science Advances, and the lead author is Thomas Schad, an associate astronomer at the National Solar Observatory, the organization that operates the DKIST.

“This breakthrough promises to significantly enhance our understanding of the solar atmosphere and its influence on our solar system.”

Thomas Schad, NSO

Thomas Schad is the lead author of the new paper but has been working with the DKIST for several years. In a 2023 paper, Schad and his co-authors explained that “The possibility of measuring coronal magnetic fields from the Zeeman-effect-induced circular polarization has been a generational goal for understanding the Sun’s outer atmosphere.”

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope is a four-meter solar telescope on the island of Maui, Hawai’i. It’s the largest solar telescope in the world. Image Credit: National Solar Observatory.

To do this, DKIST relies on one of its primary instruments, the Cryogenic Near-Infrared Spectropolarimeter (cryo-NIRSP). The Cryo-NIRSP is uniquely suited for polarimetric observations of the solar corona. In 2023, Schad and his co-authors explained that “One of the main Cryo-NIRSP goals is to routinely and sensitively measure coronal intensities, velocities, densities, and magnetic fields with unprecedented temporal, spatial, and polarimetric resolution.”

The Zeeman effect allows the DKIST to measure the fields by observing spectral line splitting. Spectral lines are like ‘fingerprints,’ and they result from either the absorption or emission of light by specific atoms or molecules. In the presence of a static magnetic field, spectral lines are split. The splitting gives researchers insight into the Sun’s magnetic properties.

Astronomers have attempted to study the Zeeman effect and spectral line splitting in the past, but the observations lacked detail and regularity. The DKIST has changed that.

The problem with observing the Sun’s corona is its faintness compared to the rest of the Sun. The corona is about one million times fainter than the solar disk, and the corona was only observable during a solar eclipse. The DKIST uses coronagraphy to create artificial eclipses, bringing the corona into view. That lets the telescope see the extremely faint polarized signals, which are a staggering one billion times fainter than the disk.

“The Inouye’s achievement in mapping the Sun’s coronal magnetic fields is a testament to the innovative design and capabilities of this trailblazing unique observatory,” said Schad. “This breakthrough promises to significantly enhance our understanding of the solar atmosphere and its influence on our solar system.”

This figure illustrates some of the research’s results. The top panel is a composite image from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and its Atmospheric Image Assembly, and the bottom panel is from DKIST. The black dotted lines show solar radii. Together, the images show that polarization amplitude increases inside the dense coronal structures above the surface of the corona. ?B stands for Bohr magneton, a way of expressing the strength of a magnetic field in units. DN/s stands for Data Numbers per second, a way of measuring changes in solar activity over time. Image Credit: Schad et al. 2024.

Coronal Mass Ejections are the most dangerous type of space weather. Earth’s magnetosphere has a protective effect, but CMEs can slam into it and overwhelm it, creating a geomagnetic storm. The most powerful geomagnetic storm we know of is the Carrington Event of 1859. At that time, the USA’s telegraph was new, and the storm disabled parts of it. It also started fires and injured some people.

In our modern satellite age, a storm that powerful could be devastating. If we can predict them, we can harden our satellites and power grids and minimize the effects. By understanding how the Sun’s coronal magnetic fields work, scientists hope to be able to anticipate when a powerful CME is coming our way.

“Just as detailed maps of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere have enabled more accurate weather prediction, this thrillingly complete map of the magnetic fields in the sun’s corona will help us better predict solar storms and space weather,” said Dr. Carrie Black, NSF program director for the NSO. “The invisible yet phenomenally powerful forces captured in this map will propel solar physics through the next century and beyond.”

The overplotted lines in this figure from the research show the direction of linear polarization in the Sun’s corona. The scale on the right shows the percentage of polarized amplitudes of the magnetic lines. Image Credit: Schad et al. 2024.

“Reconstructing the 3D distribution of coronal plasma and its embedded magnetic stresses remains essential for understanding coronal energetics,” the authors explain in their research. “These first reported maps of the coronal Zeeman effect, made possible by DKIST, unveil the wealth of information that polarimetric diagnostics provide for the solar corona, particularly for its key driver: the magnetic field.”

These results go beyond just the Sun and local space weather. This detailed knowledge will build our understanding of stars in general.

“Mapping the strength of the magnetic field in the corona is a fundamental scientific breakthrough, not just for solar research, but for astronomy in general,” said NSO Director Christoph Keller. “This is the beginning of a new era where we will understand how the magnetic fields of stars affect planets, here in our own solar system and in the thousands of exoplanetary systems that we now know about.”

The post Groundbreaking New Maps of the Sun’s Coronal Magnetic Fields appeared first on Universe Today.

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