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CRISPR-Cas systems, defense systems in bacteria, have become a plentiful source of technologies for molecular diagnostics. Researchers have now expanded this extensive toolbox further. Their novel method, called PUMA, enables the detection of RNA with Cas12 nucleases, which naturally target DNA. PUMA promises a wide range of applications and high accuracy.

Pulsars are the remnants of the explosion of massive stars at the end of their lives. The event is known as a supernova and as they rapidly spin they sweep a high energy beam across the cosmos much like a lighthouse. The alignment of some pulsar beams mean they sweep across Earth predictably and with precise regularity. They can be, and often are used as timing gauges but a team of astronomers have found subtle timing changes in some pulsars hinting at unseen mass between pulsars and telescopes—possibly dark matter entities.

The discovery in 1967 of pulsars has revolutionised our understanding of stellar evolution. The are formed during the collapse of supermassive stars at the end of their life. As the fusion in the core ceases, the inrushing stellar material crashing down onto the core compresses it to incredible density. The material that once made up the star is, through this process compressed into a sphere just a few tens of kilometres across. Pulsars are closely related to neutron stars which are formed though the same process and it is believed, the only difference is that one has a highly energetic beam that flashes across the Earth and one doesn’t. 

Visualization of a fast-rotating pulsar. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

A team studying pulsars has recently detected hints of potential dark matter objects through changes in pulsar timing events as they rotate. Professor John LoSecco from the University of Notre Dame, presented at the National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Hull and emphasised the precision of pulsar-based timekeeping. “Science has advanced with precise time measurement methods,” he noted, comparing Earth’s atomic clocks with pulsars in space. While gravitational effects on light have been understood for over a century, their applications in uncovering hidden masses remain largely unexplored until now.

Professor LoSecco and the team noted tiny deviations in the pulsar timing, suggesting that radio waves may be getting redirected around an unseen mass located somewhere between the pulsar and the telescope. LoSecco theorised that the masses could potentially be dark matter! 

By examining the delays and analysing the radio pulse arrivals (which were typically accurate to within a nanosecond) they explored the pathway of radio signals within the latest Parkes Pulsar Timing Array survey. Other telescopes involved in this initiative were the Effelsberg, Nançay, Westerbork, Green Bank, Arecibo, Parkes, and the Lovell telescope in Cheshire. Using this and Parkes data, the pulse arrival times were analysed.

The Arecibo Radio Telescope Credit: UCF

The results showed that the pulses occur regularly every three weeks across three observational bands. However, when dark matter causes delays in arrival times, these delays display distinct shapes proportional to the mass of the dark matter. Regions with dark matter slow down the passage of light and effect the pulsar timings. The Sun for example, could produce a delay of about 10 microseconds however the timing differences 10,000 times smaller.  A detailed examination of precise data from 65 ‘millisecond pulsars’ has identified approximately twelve instances suggestive of interactions with dark matter.

Source : How astronomers are using pulsars to observe evidence of dark matter

The post Pulsars are the Ideal Probes for Dark Matter appeared first on Universe Today.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has done it again. A team of astronomers have used it to map the weather on a pair of brown dwarf stars. Infrared light was analysed from the pair and its variation over time was measured. The team were able to generate a 3D picture of the weather and discovered gasses in the atmosphere like water vapour, methane and carbon dioxide. Swirling clouds of hot sand were also found with temperatures reaching as high as 950 C!

Weather on worlds beyond our solar system, is likely to be diverse and extreme. Some, like hot Jupiters (worlds that orbit close to their star and have high temperatures) or even brown dwarfs (failed stars) have temperatures high enough to vaporise metals with winds moving at thousands of kilometres per hour. Others, tidally locked planets, show strong contrasts between their hot, sunlit side and cold, dark side, creating intense atmospheric circulation. Advanced telescopes like JWST and space missions are revealing these weather systems, improving our understanding of planetary science. 

This artist’s concept shows what the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b could look like. Image Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

The team studied brown dwarfs, that are part of a binary system known as WISE 1049AB, the brightest and closest of their type to Earth. Brown dwarfs are celestial objects that bridge the gap between the largest planets and the smallest stars, typically ranging from 13 to 80 times the mass of Jupiter. They lack sufficient mass for sustained hydrogen fusion in the core but emit infrared radiation due to residual heat and fusion of deuterium and lithium. The WISE 1049AB system is about six light years away. 

The astronomers observed the light output and how it changed over time to develop a picture of cloudy regions as they rotated into and out of view. This was then visualised as light curves – plots showing how the brightness of each object varies over time. Using this information allowed them to create 3D image of the weather on the objects covering a span of five to seven hours, one day on the brown dwarfs. Not only did they capture and plot light curves but to understand the chemical composition of the atmosphere they explored the different wavelengths of light that were being emitted.

The 3D weather information could help develop a better understanding of brown dwarfs and how they can provide insight into the missing link between planets and stars. The latest study takes previous research work which focussed largely on snapshots of the atmosphere on just one side and expands upon them. Trying to improve the model of atmospheric changes is challenging though because brown dwarfs rotate quickly and the weather can change swiftly. 

Artist impression of the James Webb Space Telescope

Using JWST to observe regions of the the infrared spectrum which are not accessible from Earth helps to develop new areas for study including the evolutionary process of brown dwarfs. This study, which was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society will enable more detailed studies of brown dwarfs and the mechanisms that drive them. 

The team is excited about the results. Not just having helped understand more about brown dwarfs but also to help develop techniques and technologies that might help build a clearer picture of the weather on exoplanets in years to come. 

Source : Scorching storms on distant worlds revealed in new detail

The post Webb Maps the Weather on the Closest Brown Dwarfs to Earth appeared first on Universe Today.

Astronauts sometimes struggle to consume enough nutritious food on the ISS because it tastes bland. But astronaut food is of high quality and designed to be palatable and to meet nutrition needs. What’s the problem?

NASA has two facilities devoted to astronaut food: the Space Food Systems Laboratory at Johnson Space Center in Houston and the Space Food Research Facility, also in Texas. Both facilities support the production and development of astronaut food— including menus, packaging, and hardware—for all of NASA’s space programs. There’s even an Advanced Food Research Team looking ahead to future space missions that will travel beyond the ISS and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

Astronauts have a variety of foods available to them. Foods range from freeze-dried or dehydrated foods like scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes to “canned” type foods like ravioli and meatloaf to irradiated foods like smoked turkey. They even have unprepared foods like nuts and granola bars.

But despite these dedicated efforts to provide a variety of quality foods with enjoyable tastes, astronauts regularly report that their food tastes bland in space.

Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University are using Virtual Reality to research the cause of this problem. They’ve published a study in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology that presents their results. Its title is “Smell Perception in Virtual Spacecraft? A Ground-Based Approach to Sensory Data Collection.” The lead researcher is Julia Low from the School of Science at RMIT.

“The incredible thing with this VR study is that it really does go a very long way to simulating the experience of being on the space station.”

Gail Iles, study co-author, RMIT

Scientists—and the rest of us—know that the senses of smell and taste are linked. They’re both based on chemistry. Taste buds on our tongues sense the five basic flavours: umami, sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The olfactory sensors in our noses sense thousands of odours. Our brains combine all of these signals, and people who’ve lost their sense of smell report that food tastes bland.

Have astronauts lost their sense of smell? Are their senses of smell and taste altered somehow aboard the ISS?

“Contextual factors shape the overall food consumption experience,” the authors write in their paper. “Extreme consumption contexts like outer space present logistical, ethical and financial challenges for food sensory evaluation. Yet, these evaluations are necessary as the sensory aspects of palatability and variety enhance psychological and behavioural outcomes in space,” they write. Behavioural outcomes are particularly important in space for obvious reasons, and NASA and other space agencies are keenly interested in positive outcomes.

In this study, the researchers looked at three powerful food aromas: almond extract, vanilla extract, and lemon essential oils. They tested how 54 adults perceived these distinct aromas under normal Earth conditions and under VR-simulated International Space Station conditions.

This image shows the simulated ‘space laboratory’ utilized during the Virtual Reality experimental block for odour evaluation. A virtual sample appeared when subjects interacted with the red button on the box labelled ‘RMIT University’ (mimicking a sensory tasting booth hatch concept). Image Credit: Low et al. 2024

The results showed that two of the aromas, vanilla and almond, were perceived more intensely in the simulated ISS environment. The lemon scent was unchanged. The researchers found a sweet chemical in common in vanilla and almond called benzaldehyde. They think this chemical could be involved in the change in perceptions, alongside an individual’s sensitivity to the particular aroma.

Interestingly, a person’s mindset and emotions also play a role in their perception of the aromas.

“A greater sense of loneliness and isolation may also play a role, and there are implications from this study around how isolated people smell and taste food,” Low said.

Scientists have examined these issues before, not only in space but in confined, isolated Antarctic research stations. They’ve found that people in these environments can experience a significant change in their sense of smell. “These findings may hint at the potential impact of such environments on olfactory function,” they write.

This image shows the embedded questionnaire within the Virtual Reality context that appears after a subject interacts with a virtual sample. Image Credit: Low et al. 2024.

The low-gravity environment also affects astronauts. “Space travellers have noted a shift in taste perception, indicating that food is less flavourful/tasteful in space,” the authors write. “This change is initially linked to microgravity-induced fluid shifts, potentially affecting olfactory abilities.”

On Earth, the planet’s powerful gravity draws body fluids downward. In a microgravity environment in space, more fluids can collect in the head. When fluids collect in the nasal passages, it can hinder an astronaut’s senses of smell and taste. When combined with the stress of isolation and confinement, and with the conditions inside the spacecraft, like humidity and the presence of airborne compounds, the result can be bland food.

These fluid effects dissipate after a few weeks on board the ISS. Yet astronauts still report not enjoying their food. “Astronauts are still not enjoying their food even after fluid shift effects have gone, suggesting that there’s something more to this,” Low said.

“One of the long-term aims of the research is to make better-tailored foods for astronauts, as well as other people who are in isolated environments, to increase their nutritional intake closer to 100%,” lead researcher Julia Low said. This could extend to elders in nursing homes and could lead to more personalized food aromas to make nutritious food more palatable. (And if you’re of a dystopian frame of mind, could be used to make Soylent Green more tasty.)

“What we’re going to see in the future with the Artemis missions are much longer missions, years in length, particularly when we go to Mars, so we really need to understand the problems with diet and food and how crew interact with their food,” said Gail Iles. Iles is one of the study’s co-authors, an Associate Professor at RMIT, and a former astronaut trainer. “The incredible thing with this VR study is that it really does go a very long way to simulating the experience of being on the space station. And it really does change how you smell things and how you taste things.”

Food chemistry expert and Associate Professor Jayani Chandrapala is another of the study’s co-authors. Chandrapala emphasized the role that benzaldehyde, the common chemical compound in vanilla and almond, played in the results.

“In our study, we believe that it’s this sweet aroma that gives that highly intensive aroma within the VR setting,” said Chandrapala from the School of Science.

By combining taste and aroma perception, emotional settings, and VR, this study tackles one of the seldom-discussed aspects of future space travel beyond LEO. Discussions about long-term missions to Mars often focus on protecting astronauts from hazards like radiation, loss of bone density, and muscle atrophy. But nutrition is also foundational to mission success. A successful journey to Mars and back depends on getting as many details right as possible.

But these results extend to people in isolated settings here on Earth, too.

“The results of this study could help personalize people’s diets in socially isolated situations, including in nursing homes, and improve their nutritional intake,” Low said.

“These findings present opportunities for innovation in ground-based space sensory research and personalized eating experiences, refining immersive tools for future studies,” the authors write in their conclusion. “Such methods may expand beyond space applications, benefitting populations experiencing isolation and/or confined conditions, such as the elderly living alone, military personnel and individuals with limited mobility.”

The post Astronauts Struggle To Eat Their Space Food and Scientists Want to Know Why appeared first on Universe Today.

The hidden semiconductor abilities of diamonds could help power grids and electric vehicles manage far greater amounts of electricity more efficiently

Researchers have developed a new technique that pairs artificial intelligence and X-ray science.

Researchers have developed a new technique that pairs artificial intelligence and X-ray science.

The crew of NASA’s first Mars habitat simulation, CHAPEA 1, exited their Earth-based environment after 378 days on July 6 at 5 p.m. EDT. Greeted by friends, family, mission team members and project directors, the crew of four expressed gratitude and optimism about their time in isolation and the data collected, which will contribute to the future goal of putting boots on Mars.

The egress event at the Johnson Space Center was initiated by Deputy Director Steve Koerner, who expressed sincere gratitude to the team and their families and highlighted the crucial data gathered over the course of the project. The four crew members included Mission Commander Kelly Haston, Flight Engineer Ross Brockwell, Medical Officer Nathan Jones, and Science Officer Anca Selariu. NASA astronaut and Deputy Director of Flight Operations Kjell Lindgren ceremonially opened the habitat door, officially bringing the team out of isolation.

Koerner remarked on the mission’s significance: “Mars is our goal. As global interests and capabilities in space continue to expand, America is poised to lead.” The mission, primarily focused on nutrition-based science but included cross-disciplinary experiments that simulated various aspects of life on Mars. “They’ve been separated from their families, placed on a carefully prescribed meal plan, and undergone a lot of observation. By growing and harvesting their own vegetables, dealing with communication delays and conducting simulated Mars walks, this team has helped us obtain crucial information as we prepare to return to the moon and on to Mars,” Koerner added.

Principal Investigator Grace Douglas reiterated her thanks on behalf of NASA to the team and their families for their incredible sacrifice. “This project has enabled the collection of thousands of data points, yielding a unique and valuable integrated dataset in a Mars-realistic simulation. These data will provide unprecedented insight into how engineers, scientists, and astronauts can work together to achieve mission objectives while maintaining health and performance for the success of future human missions to Mars.”

Douglas also thanked the science, engineering, and mission control teams who worked tirelessly to support the crew and ensure data integrity for mission success. The development of this analogue mission was a unique challenge for the engineering teams. Director of Engineering Julie Kramer White noted, “From working with the teams to outfit the habitat, whether it was Mars walks, robotic operations, or habitat maintenance—planned and unplanned—the analogues are crucial in understanding what it’s going to take and if our architectures will work when plans meet reality.”

One of the key reasons for conducting missions like CHAPEA 1 is their ability to gather critical data in a controlled, safe environment. By simulating Mars-like conditions on Earth, researchers can test the limits of human endurance, develop effective countermeasures for potential health risks, and fine-tune the technological systems necessary for long-term space missions. This controlled setting allows for rigorous experimentation and monitoring without the immediate dangers posed by actual space travel. The information obtained from these simulations is invaluable; it helps identify potential issues and solutions before committing resources to more dangerous and expensive missions beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

This approach not only enhances the safety and well-being of future astronauts but also ensures that every step taken towards Mars is based on robust scientific evidence and meticulous planning. As Douglas pointed out, the data collected from CHAPEA 1 will provide unprecedented insights into maintaining health and performance, which are crucial for the success of future human missions to Mars. By testing scenarios and gathering data on Earth, NASA can mitigate risks, improve mission outcomes, and ultimately, make human exploration of Mars a safer and more achievable goal.

Mission Commander Kelly Haston expressed pride and gratitude for the experience, noting the support from her crew, friends, family, and partner. Flight Engineer Ross Brockwell highlighted the importance of sustainable living principles learned during the mission. Medical Officer Nathan Jones shared his appreciation for the opportunity and the crew’s camaraderie and Science Officer Anca Selariu emphasized the mission’s role in uniting and inspiring humanity.

NASA also conducts isolation research across multiple projects, such as the Human Exploration Research Analog, expeditions to Antarctica, and other simulation environments, in addition to human spaceflight missions aboard the International Space Station. These efforts aim to achieve specific and essential research objectives that will guide future human expeditions to the Moon and Mars. The CHAPEA simulated missions stand out because they examine the effects of prolonged isolation and confinement, incorporating Mars-like communication delays with Earth – up to 44 minutes roundtrip – and resource constraints pertinent to Mars, including a more restricted food system compared to what can be supported on the space station and in other simulation environments.

The completion of CHAPEA 1 is a significant milestone as NASA prepares for future Mars missions. Stay tuned for CHAPEA Mission 2 next year and CHAPEA Mission 3 in 2027, as the journey to Mars continues.

Learn more about CHAPEA: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/chapea/

The post Volunteers Complete a Simulated Year on Mars appeared first on Universe Today.

Researchers used machine learning to generate highly detailed maps of over 100 million individual trees from 24 sites across the U.S. These maps provide information about individual tree species and conditions, which can greatly aid conservation efforts and other ecological projects.

Tantalizing evidence of potential dark matter objects has been detected with the help of the Universe's 'timekeepers'. These pulsars -- neutron stars which rotate and emit lighthouse-like beams of radio waves that rapidly sweep through space -- were used to identify mysterious hidden masses. Pulsars earned their nickname because they send out electromagnetic radiation at very regular intervals, ranging from milliseconds to seconds, making them extremely accurate timekeepers.

A new technique estimates the reliability of a self-supervised foundation model, like those that power ChatGPT, without the need to know what task that model will be deployed on later.

A new technique estimates the reliability of a self-supervised foundation model, like those that power ChatGPT, without the need to know what task that model will be deployed on later.

Astronomers have uncovered what appear to be 21 neutron stars in orbit around stars like our Sun. The discovery is surprising because it is not clear how a star that exploded winds up next to a star like our Sun.

Delivery systems in body continuously move materials between cells. Hijacking these systems allowed scientists to improve loading and delivery of therapeutic proteins. Biophysical principles could be used to enable more cost-effective loading of biological cargo into cell-derived delivery systems. Engineered molecules loaded up to 240 times more protein than other loading methods.

Scientists have made major strides in predicting rapidly intensifying storms over the past decade, but even the best tech can't keep up as climate change fuels rapidly intensifying storms

The Perseid meteor shower lasts from mid-July until the end of August, and it is one of the most impressive displays of shooting stars there is – here is your guide to spotting it

One of the biggest lacunae on Wikipedia is its lack of an entry on Natasha Hausdorff, a London barrister and expert on international law who happens to work with the UK Lawyers for Israel. She has a sterling background:

She holds law degrees from Oxford and Tel Aviv Universities and was a Fellow in the National Security Law Programme at Columbia Law School. Natasha previously worked for Skadden Arps, in London and Brussels and clerked for the President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Chief Justice Miriam Naor, in Jerusalem. She regularly briefs politicians and international organisations and has spoken at Parliaments across Europe and at the United Nations.

Hausdorff is, along with Douglas Murray, one of the most eloquent and articulate spokespeople for Israel.  In this Triggernometry interview, highlighted by a reader today, and which I watched during lunch, Hausdorff debunks several of the Big Lies that propel opposition to Israel: Genocide, Apartheid, and Occupation—all at bottom expressions of antisemitism and, according to Hausdorff, expressions of modern “blood libel.”

I have watched so much Hausdorff that her arguments here aren’t that new to me, but I love to hear her speak. Like Pinker, she speaks in complete sentences and paragraphs. For those of you who don’t know how international law applies to Hamas vs. Israel, you could do worse than watch this one-hour interview of Hausdorff with hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster . The hosts don’t ask softball questions, but they do allow the interviewee to express her views.  Don’t miss the Jew-hating Palestinian propaganda clips interpolated in the interview!

As for me, I’m sick to death today of the endless hatred and bickering about politics, hatred that doesn’t seem to be diminishing despite everybody’s calls for comity after the assassination attempt on Trump. Rather than express my own malaise and grumpiness, I’ll just ask readers to read and follow the posting Roolz if they haven’t. Please pay attention to the rules about civility towards other commenters and the host, as well as the rule about dominating threads.

And now, I give you someone who’s always civil. I’ll be back tomorrow with, I hope, a better disposition, as well as a science post and who knows what else.

Research achieves scientific breakthrough in understanding cell division.

Our immune system is always on alert, detecting and eliminating pathogens and cancer cells. Cellular control mechanisms cause diseased cells to present antigens on their surface like signs for the immune system. For analysis of the necessary complex antigen processing and transport processes in real time, researchers have developed a 'cage' that is opened with light to release trapped antigens at a specific place and time.

Researchers have been the first to demonstrate that not just individual bits, but entire bit sequences can be stored in cylindrical domains: tiny, cylindrical areas measuring just around 100 nanometers. As the team reports, these findings could pave the way for novel types of data storage and sensors, including even magnetic variants of neural networks.