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.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
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."
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."
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
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
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
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
The Earth Is Due For A Geomagnetic Pole Reversal
On January 26th 2018, Undark.org posted an excerpt from a book written by science journalist Alanna Mitchell, that make the case for a shift of the Earth's magnetic poles. She says that the magnetic poles shift or flip once every 200,000 to 300,000 years, and that we are over due as one hasn't happen for nearly 780,000 years. The Earth's magnetic field protects our planet from harmful solar and cosmic radiation by deflecting high energy particle off into space.
According to Ms. Mitchell readings from the European Space Agency's SWARM satellite system, which were launched in 2013, coupled with data from Germany's CHAMP satellite were used by researchers to take measurements of the Earth's crustal magnetization. Their findings help them to discover that the Earth's magnet field is in a permanent state of flux. They also learned that the earth's magnetic field tried to shift but failed about 40,000 years ago.
If a pole shift were to occur in the not to distant future, it could be very bad for life on Earth. Scientists haven't been able to determine when a pole reversal would take place. They do however, believe that pole shifts happen slowly and could possibly take anywhere from a couple of months to thousands of years. During a pole shift, our planet would be left unprotected and the ozone layer depleted. High energy particles and ultra violet rays would not only damage our electrical systems but could also cause man to go the way of the Dinosaurs.
According to Ms. Mitchell readings from the European Space Agency's SWARM satellite system, which were launched in 2013, coupled with data from Germany's CHAMP satellite were used by researchers to take measurements of the Earth's crustal magnetization. Their findings help them to discover that the Earth's magnet field is in a permanent state of flux. They also learned that the earth's magnetic field tried to shift but failed about 40,000 years ago.
If a pole shift were to occur in the not to distant future, it could be very bad for life on Earth. Scientists haven't been able to determine when a pole reversal would take place. They do however, believe that pole shifts happen slowly and could possibly take anywhere from a couple of months to thousands of years. During a pole shift, our planet would be left unprotected and the ozone layer depleted. High energy particles and ultra violet rays would not only damage our electrical systems but could also cause man to go the way of the Dinosaurs.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
The Chinese Produce First Cloned Monkeys
On January 24th 2018, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, China, announced in the journal, Cell, that they have successfully cloned two Macaque monkeys. The monkeys represent the first time that a primate has been successfully cloned. They were born eight weeks and six weeks ago through the use of the same process that was used to clone Dolly the sheep in 1996. The monkeys names are Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua.
The scientists involved in the cloning used the DNA from a single fetal tissue cell which was then inserted into an egg that had its DNA removed. The DNA and Egg were then fused together using chemicals. Then, a small amount of electricity was used to get the dividing process to begin, which was continued until an embryo was formed. A surrogate mother of the same species was then chosen to carry the embryo to term.
A total of 181 embryos were created, with 79 of the embryos yielding pregnancies. Only Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were born. The researchers are aware of the concerns over the application being used for human cloning, and say that they only intent to clone monkeys to use in biomedical research.
The scientists involved in the cloning used the DNA from a single fetal tissue cell which was then inserted into an egg that had its DNA removed. The DNA and Egg were then fused together using chemicals. Then, a small amount of electricity was used to get the dividing process to begin, which was continued until an embryo was formed. A surrogate mother of the same species was then chosen to carry the embryo to term.
A total of 181 embryos were created, with 79 of the embryos yielding pregnancies. Only Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were born. The researchers are aware of the concerns over the application being used for human cloning, and say that they only intent to clone monkeys to use in biomedical research.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
NASA Develops Space Navigation System
On January 11th 2018, NASA announced that it has successfully tested an autonomous x-ray navigation system. The system is called Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer or NICER, and it is an orbital observatory that is currently attached to the exterior of the International Space Station. NICER monitors the clock work like pulses that are emitted by rapidly rotating neutron stars know as pulsars.
NICER works on a principle similar to the Global Positioning System, or (GPS) that uses atomic clocks mounted on satellites that orbit the Earth. It, however, as an x-ray telescope, uses x-rays to probe the nature of ultra dense matter. In November of 2017, a research team used pulsars that rotate thousands of times a second (millisecond pulsars), to determine the location of an object that was traveling at thousands of miles an hour through space.
NASA believes that the development of the NICER technology will make the navigation of automated deep space missions much more accurate. Current deep space missions rely on what's know as the Deep Space Network or DNS, which is a global system of radio antennas.
NICER works on a principle similar to the Global Positioning System, or (GPS) that uses atomic clocks mounted on satellites that orbit the Earth. It, however, as an x-ray telescope, uses x-rays to probe the nature of ultra dense matter. In November of 2017, a research team used pulsars that rotate thousands of times a second (millisecond pulsars), to determine the location of an object that was traveling at thousands of miles an hour through space.
NASA believes that the development of the NICER technology will make the navigation of automated deep space missions much more accurate. Current deep space missions rely on what's know as the Deep Space Network or DNS, which is a global system of radio antennas.
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