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Meanwhile, in Dobrzyn, Hili is eating herself healthy:

A: What are you eating?
Hili: Grass, it helps with digestion.

Ja: Co ty jesz?
Hili: Trawę, wspomaga trawienie.

Gotta love the title of this paper: “A critical hit: Dungeons and Dragons as a buff for autistic people“. Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop roleplaying game where a small group of people each play characters adventuring in an imaginary world run by the dungeon master (DM). (That explanation was probably not necessary for the majority of readers here, but just to be thorough.) The game has just celebrated its 50th anniversary, which was even commemorated by official US stamps.

The game certainly has a very different reputation today than it did in the 70s and 80s. Back then it was seen as the exclusive domain of extreme geeks and nerds, mostly males who needed a distraction from the fact that they had no chance of finding a girlfriend. This was never true, but that was the reputation. In the 80s things got even worse, with D&D being tied to the “satanic panic” of that decade. The game was blamed, mostly by fundamentalist religious groups, for demon worship, witchcraft, and resulting in suicides and murder. I still remember when the school board in our town had a debate about whether or not the game should be banned from school grounds. The adults having the conversation had literally no idea what they were talking about, and filled the gaps in their knowledge with their own vivid imaginations.

In reality D&D and similar roleplaying games are perfectly wholesome and have a lot of positive attributes. First, they are extremely social. They are especially good for people who may find social interactions challenging or at least very demanding. While roleplaying you are in a social safe-space, where you can let aspects of your personality out to play. The game is also mostly pure imagination. Other than a few aids, like dice for random outcome generation, maps and figures, the adventure takes place in the minds of the players, helped along by the GM. The game can therefore help people develop social connections and social skills, and to learn more about themselves and close friends.

When you get deeper into the game (and for older players), especially when you DM, the game is very creative. It can involved various knowledge and skills sets, such as history, literature, geology and geography, culture, language, art, and whatever science you want to use to add depth and flavor to your game. For example, I learned a great deal about the nature and structure of language from an article in Dragon Magazine, written by a linguist, designed to help DMs write more believable and realistic fake languages. The game can also be very tactical – literally simulating combat in any scenario imaginable.

Over this same time psychologists and therapists have realized the potential benefits of roleplaying in the therapy setting. Roleplaying can be used to do cognitive behavioral therapy, teach new skills, identify negative patterns, build confidence, and even treat trauma.

So it is no surprise that today roleplaying, including games like D&D, are being studied for their potential therapeutic benefits. The autistic population also makes sense as a target for this approach. The study essentially had autistic subjects play D&D with a researcher acting as DM for 6 weeks. They were then interviewed to explore their experience and any potential effects. Study author Dr Gray Atherton, says about the results:

“There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, with some of the biggest suggesting that those with it aren’t socially motivated, or don’t have any imagination. Dungeons and Dragons goes against all that, centering around working together in a team, all of which takes place in a completely imaginary environment. Those taking part in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on a different persona and share experiences outside of an often-challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it in their daily lives.”

This simultaneously confronts potential misconceptions about autism and roleplaying games. Many autistic people are very social, they just find it very demanding and challenging to navigate social interactions. So they have a desire they find hard to satisfy, which can be frustrating and isolating. Roleplaying games gives them the opportunity to have the social interaction they crave, in a manageable small group, in a semi-structured format they find easier to handle. This gives them the opportunity to build social skills and confidence they otherwise would not have.

Of course, these potential benefits can apply to everyone. Public speaking really is the number one fear in the world, affecting up to 75% of people by some surveys. Roleplaying can build confidence in performing in front of others, and not panicking when the spotlight is on you. Live action roleplaying (LARP) games can give you this experience in front of larger audiences, with the “protection” of playing, not yourself, but another character. I have experienced this myself, and attribute part of my ease with public speaking to my LARPing experience.

Having lived through the 50 year arc of roleplaying games as an active participant, I am happy to see it now being celebrated for its many positive aspects, and having shed much of the shame and stigma previously attached to it. This is probably largely because today’s adults likely played the game when they were younger. The simple fear of the unknown is no longer very relevant. Also, D&D has benefited from the overall rise in geek culture. There are extremely popular shows like Stranger Things, which features a group of kids, bonding over D&D, translating skills they learned in the game to deal with real-life monsters and mysteries.

I also hope that studies like this one will increase the application of roleplaying games to help the autistic community deal with the challenges they face.

 

Side note: In this article I refer to “autistic people” rather than following the more common format of “people with autism”. This is at the request of people in the autism community, who see themselves not as “typical people with autism” but “neurodiverse autistic people”. It is not something they have, but central to who they are.

The post Roleplaying Games May Help Autistic People first appeared on NeuroLogica Blog.

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted six strange worlds the size of planets that formed like stars – and the smallest may be building its own miniature solar system

Turns out that the cause of death known as excited delirium is not an actual cause of death at all.

A research group has developed an innovative approach to creating anti-counterfeiting labels for high-value goods. Their findings enhance the security of the currently used cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) by adding fluorescent dyes to produce florescent CLCs (FCLCs). Using this unique technology, the group created unique labels with almost impossible-to-counterfeit security features. These advanced labels are designed to protect valuable items, important documents, and sensitive products by generating distinctive visual patterns that are difficult to replicate without specialized tools and knowledge.

A research group has developed an innovative approach to creating anti-counterfeiting labels for high-value goods. Their findings enhance the security of the currently used cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) by adding fluorescent dyes to produce florescent CLCs (FCLCs). Using this unique technology, the group created unique labels with almost impossible-to-counterfeit security features. These advanced labels are designed to protect valuable items, important documents, and sensitive products by generating distinctive visual patterns that are difficult to replicate without specialized tools and knowledge.

A quantum mechanical trick called 'spin squeezing' is widely recognized to hold promise for supercharging the capabilities of the world's most precise quantum sensors, but it's been notoriously difficult to achieve. In new research, physicists describe how they've put spin squeezing within better reach.

A quantum mechanical trick called 'spin squeezing' is widely recognized to hold promise for supercharging the capabilities of the world's most precise quantum sensors, but it's been notoriously difficult to achieve. In new research, physicists describe how they've put spin squeezing within better reach.

Using evolution as a guiding principle, researchers have successfully engineered bacteria-yeast hybrids to perform photosynthetic carbon assimilation, generate cellular energy and support yeast growth without traditional carbon feedstocks like glucose or glycerol. By engineering photosynthetic cyanobacteria to live symbiotically inside yeast cells, the bacteria-yeast hybrids can produce important hydrocarbons, paving new biotechnical pathways to non-petroleum-based energy, other synthetic biology applications and the experimental study of evolution.

Simulating particles is a relatively simple task when those particles are spherical. In the real world, however, most particles are not perfect spheres but take on irregular and varying shapes and sizes. Simulating these particles becomes a much more challenging and time-consuming task.

As electronic devices continue to get smaller and smaller, physical size limitations are beginning to disrupt the trend of doubling transistor density on silicon-based microchips approximately every two years according to Moore's law. Molecular electronics -- the use of single molecules as the building blocks for electronic components -- offers a potential pathway for the continued miniaturization of small-scale electronic devices. Devices that utilize molecular electronics require precise control over the flow of electrical current. However, the dynamic nature of these single molecule components affects device performance and impacts reproducibility.

As electronic devices continue to get smaller and smaller, physical size limitations are beginning to disrupt the trend of doubling transistor density on silicon-based microchips approximately every two years according to Moore's law. Molecular electronics -- the use of single molecules as the building blocks for electronic components -- offers a potential pathway for the continued miniaturization of small-scale electronic devices. Devices that utilize molecular electronics require precise control over the flow of electrical current. However, the dynamic nature of these single molecule components affects device performance and impacts reproducibility.

One of NASA’s core mission objectives, though not explicitly stated in its charter, is to educate Americans about space exploration, especially students. As part of that mission, NASA hosts a number of challenges every year where teams of students compete to come up with innovative ideas to solve problems. The agency recently announced the next round of one of its standard yearly challenges—the Human Lander Challenge.

The Human Lander Challenge occurs every year, and objectives vary based on the specific problem related to human landers NASA is trying to solve. This year, the focal problem is cryogenic fluid storage.

Currently, no technology exists to store cryogenic fluid in space for long periods, but any lander mission would need to store cryogenic fuel for months. Typically, cryogenics would boil away in that time frame, but large amounts will be required to fuel landers or orbiting stations. Particular problems could focus on low-leakage components, large-scale insulation, or propellant transfer technologies. 

Recruitment vide for the Human Lander Challenge.
Credit – Human Lander Challenge YouTube Channel

To address that problem, NASA is turning to teams of undergraduate or graduate students at some of the top universities in the world. Since this competition repeats annually, some universities have a pedigree of competing in and winning the challenge. This year, the top three teams were from the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and the University of Colorado-Boulder, all of which would potential field teams to compete this year. 

Interested teams will compete in two rounds. The first round of judging will take place in March 2025, and twelve teams will be notified of their invitation to the final round in April. That final round will take place at a forum held in Huntsville, Alabama, in late June next year. 

Between now and then, though, teams will able to submit a notice of intent, get their questions answered by NASA experts, and have to submit a proposal. The finalists will receive a cash award to continue their work, involving a full technical paper and slide deck to be presented at the forum. 

Fraser discusses the options for the eventual Artemis lander.

Details about the challenge are posted on its website. It’s being run through the agency’s Human Landing System Program directorate and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace. If you’re looking for inspiration, the challenge team has also posted a motivational video about the opportunities the challenge presents.

Any technology planned for a detailed assessment would need to be about 3-5 years from maturity, which would align well with the Artemis mission’s timelines. However, it remains to be seen if any solutions will be adopted into the mission architecture. If they are, some students will say they’ve participated in the most challenging human space endeavor in almost 60 years—that’s a pretty good resume builder, if nothing else.

Learn More:
NASA – 2025 Human Lander Challenge
NASA – NASA Announces Winners of Inaugural Human Lander Challenge
UT – NASA Wants Heavy Cargo Landers for the Moon
UT – NASA is Pushing Back its Moon Landings to 2026

Lead Image:
Graphic of the Human Lander Challenge.
Credit – NASA / NIA

The post NASA Announces the 2025 Human Lander Challenge appeared first on Universe Today.

A single ytterbium atom, cooled down to extreme temperatures and manipulated with laser beams, could reveal how gravity affects quantum objects

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain on board the International Space Station until February, returning to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon. NASA announced its decision over the weekend, citing concerns about the safety of the Boeing Starliner capsule due to helium leaks and thruster issues. The troublesome Starliner is slated to undock from the ISS without a crew in early September and attempt to return on autopilot, landing in the New Mexico desert.

NASA said this allows them and Boeing to continue gathering test data on Starliner during its uncrewed flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for the crew.

“Decisions like this are never easy, but I want to commend our NASA and Boeing teams for their thorough analysis, transparent discussions, and focus on safety during the Crew Flight Test,” Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate said in a NASA press release. “We’ve learned a lot about the spacecraft during its journey to the station and its docked operations. We also will continue to gather more data about Starliner during the uncrewed return and improve the system for future flights to the space station.”

Boeing’s CTS-100 Starliner taking off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 5th, 2024. Credit: NASA

Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, flew to the ISS in June on Starliner for the long-awaited Boeing Crew Flight Test. The two astronauts are not strangers to long-duration missions, as they have both served on ISS expeditions and they will now officially join the Expedition 71/72 crew on board the space station. Their ride home is scheduled to launch in late September with two astronauts instead of the usual four to make room for Wilmore and Williams to return home with the two Crew-9 members in February 2025.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator said at the briefing on Saturday.

The decision is especially disappointing for Boeing, as the company has been plagued with problems with its airplanes and was counting on Starliner’s first crewed trip to revive the troubled spacecraft program, which has suffered years of delays due to issues with Starliner. The company had asserted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests both in space and on the ground.

Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule docked to the Harmony module’s forward port at the International Space Station on July 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

While Boeing did not participate in Saturday’s news conference, they released a statement saying, “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft.” The company said it is preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful return.

NASA and Boeing identified the helium leaks during the flight to the ISS, and the thruster issues after the spacecraft experienced issues with its reaction control thrusters as Starliner approached the space station on June 6.

“Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work, including reviewing a collection of data, conducting flight and ground testing, hosting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts, and developing various return contingency plans,” NASA said in their press release. “The uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence does not meet the agency’s safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, thus prompting NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.”

The seven Expedition 71 crew members gather with the two Crew Flight Test members for a team portrait aboard the space station. In the front from left are, Suni Williams, Oleg Kononenko, and Butch Wilmore. Second row from left are, Alexander Grebenkin, Tracy C. Dyson, and Mike Barratt. In the back are, Nikolai Chub, Jeanette Epps, and Matthew Dominick. Photo credit: NASA

The fact that Starliner will return home without a crew is not an issue, as is designed to operate autonomously and previously completed two uncrewed flights. This mission is the second time the Starliner has flown to the ISS and the third flight test overall. During the first uncrewed test flight (OFT-1), which took place back in December 2019, the Starliner launched successfully but failed to make it to the ISS because of software issues. After making 61 corrective actions recommended by NASA, another attempt was made (OFT-2) on May 22nd, 2022. That flight successfully docked to the ISS, staying there for four days before undocking and landing in the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

This first crewed flight of Starliner was supposed to validate the spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), with the hope of it working alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to make regular deliveries of cargo and crew to the ISS. The launched was delayed when parachute and other issues cropped up, including a helium leak in the capsule’s propellant system that scrubbed a launch attempt in May. The leak eventually was deemed to be isolated and small enough to pose no concern. But more leaks occurred following liftoff, and five thrusters also failed.

NASA and Boeing will work together to adjust end-of-mission planning and Starliner’s systems to set up for the uncrewed return in the coming weeks. Starliner must return to Earth before the Crew-9 mission launches to ensure a docking port is available on station.

“Starliner is a very capable spacecraft and, ultimately, this comes down to needing a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft.”

The post NASA Decides to Play it Safe. Wilmore and Williams are Coming Home on a Crew Dragon in February appeared first on Universe Today.

On January 20th, 2024, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) made history when its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) made a soft landing on the Moon, becoming the first Japanese robotic mission to do so. This small-scale lander was designed to investigate the origins of the Moon and test technologies that are fundamental to exploring the low-gravity lunar environment. Unfortunately, mission controllers lost contact with the lander after April 28th, 2024, and have spent the last few months trying to reestablish communications.

Previous attempts occurred during the lander’s operational periods between May and July but were unsuccessful. On August 23rd, JAXA announced that it had concluded operations with the SLIM mission. As the mission team reported on the SLIM mission’s Operation Status page after the final communication attempt was made:

“Fifth communication attempt after overnight (Day-6 operation). As with last month, we continued to try to receive a signal from SLIM, but unfortunately we were unable to confirm any radio waves. We considered the possibility that the onboard program had been improperly rewritten due to the effects of a solar flare, and attempted to resume communication by sending a regular program in the direction of SLIM, but we were unable to receive any radio waves from SLIM. Thank you for your support so far.”

A lunar surface scan mosaic image captured by the SLIM-mounted MBC (left) and its enlarged view (right). Credit: JAXA/Ritsumeikan University/The University of Aizu

During its time on the lunar surface, SLIM accomplished many scientific objectives and exceeded expectations in many ways. The soft landing was a high-precision maneuver with a position error of just 10 meters (~33 ft) from the landing site, constituting the world’s first successful pinpoint landing. In addition, the lander’s Multi-Band Camera (MBC) successfully performed spectral observations on ten different lunar rock samples in ten wavelength bands. Last, but not least, the mission remained operational for three lunar nights, which was not part of the original mission parameters.

JAXA also indicated that a detailed summary of SLIM’s achievements will be compiled and released shortly. “We extend our deepest gratitude to all parties involved in the development and operation of SLIM for their cooperation and support, as well as all those who encouraged the mission,” they said.

Further Reading: JAXA

The post JAXA Officially Wraps Up its SLIM Lander Mission appeared first on Universe Today.

Researchers identified two brain networks that help us anticipate and identify transitions in music – and these networks look different in musicians and non-musicians

An AI-powered model found that approaching intersections more slowly could lower yearly US carbon emissions by up to around 123 million tonnes

The first spacecraft to use gravity assist was NASA’s Mariner 10 in 1974. It used a gravity assist from Venus to reach Mercury. Now, the gravity assist maneuver is a crucial part of modern space travel.

The latest spacecraft to use gravity assist is the ESA’s JUICE spacecraft.

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its JUICE spacecraft on April 14, 2023. Its eventual destination is the Jovian system and its icy moons, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede. But it’s a long journey, and the spacecraft took a shortcut by travelling close to Earth and the Moon and using their gravity to gain momentum and change trajectory.

It’s the first spacecraft ever to use the Earth and the Moon for a gravitational slingshot, and it captured some images to share with us.

JUICE stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, and it’s on a mission to study three moons with suspected oceans buried under layers of ice. It’s got a long way to go, and on long-duration missions, economical use of propellant is critical. This Earth-lunar slingshot maneuver is all about saving propellant.

“The gravity assist flyby was flawless, everything went without a hitch, and we were thrilled to see Juice coming back so close to Earth,” says Ignacio Tanco, Spacecraft Operations Manager for the mission.

At its closest approach to Earth, JUICE passed overhead of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean at only 6840 km (4250 miles) altitude. It was a risky maneuver but one that saved the mission between 100 and 150 kg of propellant.

This lunar-Earth flyby isn’t JUICE’s only gravity-assist maneuver. Next August, it will slingshot past Venus, and on September 26th and January 2029, it will slingshot past Earth. All these gravity-assist maneuvers will give JUICE momentum for its journey to Jupiter. JUICE will reach Jupiter in 2031, and because of all of these maneuvers it will have more propellant left when it gets there.

JUICE has completed its first gravity-assist maneuver and, in one year, will perform another one with Venus. Credit: ESA. Acknowledgements: Work performed by ATG under contract to ESA. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

“Thanks to very precise navigation by ESA’s Flight Dynamics team, we managed to use only a tiny fraction of the propellant reserved for this flyby. This will add to the margins we keep for a rainy day, or to extend the science mission once we get to Jupiter,” said Ignacio Tanco, Spacecraft Operations Manager for the JUICE mission.

Modern orbiters bristle with science instruments, antennae, and cameras. JUICE is no exception. Among all its instruments and science cameras, it carries two monitoring cameras called JMCs, or JUICE Monitoring Cameras. They’re 1024×1024 pixel cameras with different fields of view. Their job is to monitor the spacecraft’s booms and antennae, and their job was especially critical when they were deployed after launch.

The ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer has two Juice Monitoring Cameras, or JMCs, to provide snapshots with different fields of view. Their main job is to monitor components of the spacecraft, but they captured images of Earth and the Moon during the recent flyby. Image Credit: ESA (acknowledgement: work performed by ATG under contract to ESA) LICENCE: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

During the flyby, JUICE used its JMCs to capture images of the Earth and the Moon.

JUICE Monitoring Camera 2 captured this image of the Moon as it flew past it on August 10th. “A closer look reveals a casual ‘photobomber’ – Earth shows itself as a dark circle outlined by a light crescent at the top centre of the image, peeking out from behind the spacecraft structure (look just above the fuzzy blue blob, which itself is a ghost image caused by the reflection of sunlight),” the ESA writes. CREDIT
ESA/Juice/JMC. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Simeon Schmauß & Mark McCaughrean. LICENCE: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

It also used eight of its ten instruments to collect scientific data from Earth and all ten for the Moon.

“The timing and location of this double flyby allows us to thoroughly study the behaviour of Juice’s instruments,” explains Claire Vallat, Juice Operations Scientist.

JMC 1 captured this image of the Moon during the lunar flyby. CREDIT: ESA/Juice/JMC. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Simeon Schmauß & Mark McCaughrean. LICENCE: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

JUICE’s main science camera is JANUS, a high-resolution optical camera. Its role is to capture detailed images of the surface of Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. The JUICE team used JANUS to capture more than 400 preliminary views of the Earth and the Moon.

“After more than 12 years of work to propose, build and verify the instrument, this is the first opportunity to see first-hand data similar to those we will acquire in the Jupiter system starting in 2031,” says Pasquale Palumbo, a researcher at INAF in Rome and principal investigator of the team that designed, tested and calibrated the Janus camera.

The Moon’s pockmarked surface as revealed by JANUS. Image Credit:

“Even though the flyby was planned exclusively to facilitate the interplanetary journey to Jupiter, all the instruments on board the probe took advantage of the passage near the Moon and Earth to acquire data, test operations and processing techniques with the advantage of already knowing what we were observing,” said Palumbo.

Earth was imaged at dawn on August 20, 2024, by the JANUS optical camera aboard JUICE. The image shows the island of Hawai’i (the dark spot on the left), the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago in the central Pacific of the United States. The view is very low, after a short while the Earth left the field of view of JANUS. Credits: JANUS team (INAF, ASI, DLR, CSIC-IAA, OpenUniversity, CISAS-Università di Padova and other international partners)

These early-mission images are whetting our appetite for when the real fun starts in seven years. JUICE will reach the Jovian system in July 2031 and will do 35 flybys of the gas giant’s icy moons. Then, in December 2034, it will enter orbit around Ganymede.

There is growing evidence that Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto have warm, salty oceans buried under thick layers of ice. These are prime targets in our search for life. But, maddeningly, we don’t know for sure if they could support life or even if the oceans are real.

Hopefully, JUICE can tell us. But it can’t do that without these risky, early-mission maneuvers.

The post After a Boost from Earth and the Moon, Juice is On its Way to Venus and Beyond appeared first on Universe Today.

The hunt for particles of dark matter has been stymied once again, with physicists placing constraints on this mysterious substance that are 5 times tighter than the previous best