Scientists Discover Evidence Of The Earliest Stars

On February 28th 2018, scientists announced in the Journal Nature that a faint radio signal from deep in the universe has revealed evidence that the first stars were born 180 million years after the big bang. The discovery was made by researchers at the University of Arizona, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Science Foundation, using a radio telescope in the Australian outback.

The first stars were formed from primordial hydrogen and helium. The researchers formulated a theory that this early star formation might have caused a slight dip in the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation. According to their theory this dip in the light left over from the big bang should be detectable. The team designed and built a kitchen table sized antennae which they called Experiment to Detect the Global EoR (Epoch of Reionization) Signatures or EDGES,


They took their antennae to the Murchison Radio-astronomy (MRO) in western Australia. The radio quiet facility allowed the team to use EDGES to scan frequencies that overlapped the FM band. EDGES was eventually able to spot the dip in the CMB at about 78 megahertz, which turned out to be twice the intensity that the researchers had expected. They further theorized that this could be due to the early hydrogen being cooled down by the presence of dark matter.

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Mayan City

On February 1st 2018, archaeologists in Guatemala announced that they have discovered the ruins of a previously undetected Mayan city. Their findings have yielded evidence of at least 60,000 unknown structures. Their discovery is being hailed as a, "major breakthrough," in Mayan archaeology, that reveals the pre-Colombian civilization as a more connected and complex society than most Mayan scholars had believed.   

The discovery was made possible through the use of Light Detection and Ranging or LiDAR. The archaeologists made aerial surveys of over 800 square miles of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala. The LiDAR system fires as many as 150,000 pulses of light a second when it scans a surface. Repeated scans gave the researchers the ability to create a topographical map of the region.

From the data that was retrieved, the archaeologists were able to determine that the region supported a civilization that was equal to that of the ancient Greeks or the Chinese. Francisco Estrada-Belli, an archaeologist from Tulane University said, the area was more densely populated than previously believed. He said, "It's no longer unreasonable to think that there were 10 to 15 million people there." 

Successful Launch Of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy

On February 6th 2018, SpaceX successfully launched it Falcon Heavy rocket into space. The rocket lifted off at 3:49 pm eastern time from launch complex 39A at Cape Canaveral Florida. With its launch, the Falcon Heavy became the most powerful rocket since the Saturn 5, which was used to lift the Apollo missions to the moon. It also made SpaceX the first private company to launch a vehicle of the Falcon Heavy's size and payload capacity.

The Falcon Heavy stands 23 stories tall. It uses three boosters that are based on Falcon 9 rockets that have 27 Merlin engines. These boosters can produce a combined 5 million pounds of thrust at lift off. The Falcon Heavy has a low Earth payload capacity of 140,700 pounds. It is also capable of  carrying 58,900 pounds to geostationary orbit, or it can carry 37,000 to Mars. The latter is the stated objective of Elon Musk, founder and chief executive of SpaceX.

On Its maiden flight, Mr Musk decided to send a red Telsa Roadster as its demonstration payload. The car was eventually placed into an orbit that will eventually take it into the asteroid belt. Meanwhile, the two main rocket boosters both returned to Earth for a synchronized landing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Dennis Edwards Dies

Former lead singer of the Temptations, Dennis Edwards died on February 1st 2018. He was 74. He died in Chicago from complications from meningitis. Mr Edwards joined the Temptations in 1968, replacing David Ruffin who had left the group for a solo career. He will be best remembered for his performances on the Temptations' hits, "I Can't Get Next To You," "Ball Of Confusion," and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone.

Mr Edwards was born in Fairfield Alabama 1943, but grew up in Detroit, where he sang in various gospel groups. He turned professional after attending the Detroit Conservatory of Music. In the early sixties he became a member of the Contours, who were best known for the hit, "Do You Love Me?" After joining the Temptations, he remained a member from 1968 to 1977, when he left the group to embark on a solo career.

Mr Edwards had a solo R&B hit with the song, "Don't Look Any Further," in 1984. He rejoined the Temptations several times through out the eighties. Mr. Edwards and the Temptations were inducted into the Rock Hall Of fame in 1989. Mr. Edwards is survived by his wife Barbara, five daughters, a son, and several grandchildren