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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.

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.

A new study on common food aromas may help explain why astronauts report that meals taste bland in space and struggle to eat their normal nutritional intake. This research has broader implications for improving the diets of isolated people, including nursing home residents, by personalizing aromas to enhance the flavor of their food.

Carbon capture is a promising approach for mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Different materials have been used to capture CO2 from industrial exhaust gases. Scientists developed hybrid CO2 capture materials containing sodium carbonate and nanocarbon prepared at different temperatures, tested their performance, and identified the optimal calcination temperature condition. They found that the hybrid material exhibits and maintains high CO2 capture capacity for multiple regeneration cycles at a lower temperature, making it cost- and energy-effective.

When natural gas leaks from a subsurface pipeline, a ground cover of water/snow saturation, asphalt paving or a combination of these can cause the gas to migrate away from the leak site up to three to four times farther than through dry soil, a new study has found. A research team also found that these surface conditions can impact the speed of the leaked gas, as well, traveling 3.5 times faster than an equivalent leak under dry soil conditions.