James Webb Telescope: Largest ever map of the universe unveiled
Since its launch on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb telescope has captured incredible images of space and helped scientists learn more about the formation of galaxies, stars and planets over billions of years.And, now there is another discovery to add to the list.Scientists have used 255 hours of data from the telescope to unveil the largest map of the universe to date. The map features nearly 800,000 galaxies across 13.5 billion years of cosmic history.
This ground-breaking map was created by the Cosmic Evolution Survey collaboration (COSMOS) and covers a part of the sky about three times the size of the Moon. It includes amazing images and details of nearly 800,000 galaxies across billions of years.Because the James Webb telescope can see really faint light, it is able to spot galaxies that are very far away (which means they are billions of years old)Included in the map are galaxies and stars that are 13.5 billion years old.
The data for this map has existed for a while, but required expert analysis and a supercomputer to interpret it. Over the last two years, a team of international scientists have worked to turn the data into an interactive map which anyone can use to explore. The map will also help scientists learn and understand more about how the universe has changed since its beginning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Futurist who predicted the iPhone reveals date humans will cheat death
A leading futurist who accurately predicted the rise of the iPhone has now set the date for humanity's most phenomenal breakthrough yet, the ability to cheat death. Ray Kurzweil, a former Google engineering director, has long been known for his bold predictions about the future of technology and humanity. His forecasts often focus on the convergence of biotech, AI, and nanotechnology to radically extend human capabilities. Now, Kurzweil claims humanity is just four years away from its most transformative leap yet, achieving 'longevity escape velocity' by 2029. While some experts remain skeptical, Kurzweil's influence in Silicon Valley ensures his predictions continue to shape the broader conversation around life extension and the future of human health. Longevity escape velocity (LEV) is a hypothetical scenario where the rate of medical advancement outpaces the aging process, leading to an ever-increasing life expectancy. Kurzweil believes that threshold is within reach because of recent exponential growth in the fields of line gene editing, mRNA vaccines, drug discovery led by artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology. He pointed to the development of COVID-19 vaccines as proof of humanity's rapid progress. 'We got the COVID vaccine out in 10 months,' he said in an interview with Bessemer Venture Partners. 'It took two days to create it. Because we sequenced through several billion different sequences in two days,' Kurzweil added. The controversial idea has long stirred debate in tech and scientific circles, with many gerontologists and longevity experts warning that the science is not yet close to achieving such a feat. In recent study, researchers noted that while some treatments have extended lifespan in animals, translating those results to humans remains a major challenge. Others, like Charles Brenner, a biochemist at City of Hope National Medical Center known as a 'longevity skeptic,' have cautioned against the hype surrounding claims of defeating aging and life-extension theories. We can't stop aging, he told the crowd. We can not use longevity genes to stay young because getting older is a fundamental property of life. But Kurzweil insists the world is on the verge of achieving it, pointing to exponential advances in AI, nanotechnology, and regenerative medicine as indicators that 'longevity escape velocity' could be reached within the decade. The concept hinges on cutting edge medicine becoming universally accessible, something many experts warn is far from guaranteed. While it does not promise immortality, it does suggest that death from old age could be delayed indefinitely, as technology advances over time. 'There's many other advances happening,' Kurzweil said. 'We're starting to see simulated biology being used and that's one of the reasons that we're going to make so much progress in the next five years.' Kurzweil has built a career on predicting the future, with many of his past forecasts coming true during the exact year he stated it would happen. He correctly foresaw the rise of portable computing in the 1990s, predicted the internet boom in the mid-1990s, and a computer would defeat a chess grandmaster by 1997. A milestone reached when IBM's Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov that year. Still, critics argue that forecasting a future without death, is far more complex than spotting tech trends. Venki Ramakrishnan, a Nobel Prize winning biologist, explained in his book ' ' that aging happens because of many connected biological factors, not just one cause. This makes it a very complex problem. Unlike technology, which usually improves in clear and predictable steps, the process of aging is much harder to understand and predict. Even if longevity escape velocity is technically possible by 2029, experts warn that widespread access could be limited by socioeconomic and ethical challenges. The technology needed to extend life in this way, such as genetic reprogramming, precision medicine, or nanobots, is expensive and still largely experimental. Medical advancements have significantly improved life expectancies, but achieving longevity escape velocity is not the same as achieving immortality. Kurzweil acknowledged that broad adoption is a massive hurdle. 'This doesn't mean you're going to live forever. A 10-year-old might have decades of potential, but they could still die tomorrow,' he said. There are limits. Randomness still plays a role. Cancer, for example, isn't a single disease but hundreds of mutations with no universal cure. While self-driving cars may reduce accidents, they won't eliminate them. Equally concerning is the disparity in global health care. Diseases like tuberculosis, which has a known cure, still kill more than a million people annually because treatments are unevenly distributed. The last few years have seen major breakthroughs in life-extension science. mRNA technology is now being adapted for cancer vaccines. CRISPR gene editing is being used in clinical trials to treat hereditary blindness and sickle cell disease. Meanwhile, researchers are growing entire organs in labs and experimenting with reversing aging in mice using cellular reprogramming techniques. AI is also accelerating biology. DeepMind's AlphaFold project solved one of biology's biggest puzzles, predicting how proteins fold in a feat that could revolutionize drug discovery. These advances are what Kurzweil cites as evidence that the human clock may soon start ticking backwards. Still, the idea of LEV captures something deeper, a human desire to defy mortality, to stay a step ahead of the inevitable. Kurzweil is not promising a magic pill or overnight change. He is predicting a tipping point in the near future, when medical progress starts to outpace aging in small, accumulating ways. If his timeline holds true, the early 2030s could mark the beginning of a very different relationship with aging, one in which dying of old age is no longer an assumed endpoint.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Hidden link between cancer and guilty pleasures every American secretly indulges in
A sip of wine. A craving for pizza. A full calendar. These may seem like harmless aspects of life - but a scientist has revealed how they could be putting you on the brink of developing cancer. Dr Raphael Cuomo, a University of California, San Diego medical professor, claims chronic stress, fast food and alcohol and drugs are a near-surefire way to set yourself up for a cancer diagnosis later in life. In his new book, Crave: The Hidden Biology of Addiction and Cancer, the expert noted that the body's repetitive desire to indulge in junk food and addictive behaviors drives the body to the deadly condition. The professor told 'Crave reveals how modern habits like vaping, binge-eating, and daily cannabis use hijack our biology. 'These behaviors quietly damage the body's ability to repair itself. Over time, they open the door to cancer. It is not about genetics or bad luck. It is about the choices we make every day.' Over 600,000 Americans and more than 150,000 Brits die of various cancers every year. As of 2025, The American Cancer Society estimates there are over 2million new cancer cases diagnosed annually. After studying 'millions of patient records' from across the University of California hospitals and spending months reviewing studies on cancer biology, Dr Cuomo revealed what he says are the top habits most likely to cause cancer. Fast food The expert called eating fast food 'slow poison' - noting that its effects cannot be seen immediately but can cause long-term damage. Earlier this year, researchers tested more than 300 foods sold at restaurant chains and in grocery stores across America for two microscopic toxins that have been linked to cancer, infertility and autism. They found that of all fast food restaurants, the salad chain Sweetgreen and Starbucks scored poorest. Sweetgreen's Chicken Pesto Parm Salad and Starbucks' matcha latte was found to contain the highest amount of phthalates, a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and transparent. Phthalates are commonly used in food packaging materials and studies have shown they imitate the body's hormones and interfere with the production of - and response to - natural hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Some phthalates have been linked to certain cancers, particularly breast cancer and lymphoma. However, Dr Cuomo pointed towards fiber consumption as a critical part of reversing damage as it can help improve gut bacteria, reduce inflammation and keep cells healthy. Smoking and drinking Smoking causes about 30 percent of overall cancer deaths in the US and is a leading cause of lung, brain, neck and bladder cancer. Alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including breast, colon, liver and esophageal cancer. About 20,000 people die of alcohol-related cancers annually. Researchers in Germany found that a combination of drinking and smoking significantly raises the risk of colon cancer in young Americans. They analyzed two dozen studies comparing regular drinkers and smokers to people who abstained from both. Just 100 cigarettes in a person's lifetime - the equivalent of one per week for two years - was linked to a 59 percent higher risk of colon cancer compared to people who have never smoked. They also found drinking alcohol every day raised the risk of developing early-onset colon cancer by 39 percent, even if it's just one or two drinks per day. Alcohol and smoking have both been linked to cancer in the past, as they release chemicals that destroy DNA and cause cells to mutate. And each can of beer or glass of wine per day further increased the chance by an additional two percent. In his book, the professor noted that deep sleep is the 'most underestimated tool' to improve damage caused by addictions, such as smoking and drinking. He explained that during consistent deep sleep, the body performs critical tasks such as repairing tissues, regulating hormones, consolidating memory and clearing metabolic waste. Stress A 2024 study presented at the United European Gastroenterology Week by a group of Chinese researchers noted that a combination of chronic stress and anxiety has been linked to colorectal cancer in young people. They explained when a body is under frequent stress, a number of healthy bacteria that live in the gut start dying off, making it easier for cancer to move in. When these bacteria die off, tumors grow more quickly, leading to more aggressive, rapidly growing colorectal cancers. Research from Trinity College in Ireland has suggested these bacteria support the body's immune system, can protect against virus and bacteria and prevent damage in gut cells. Apart from this, chronic stress can lead to increased levels of cortisol and other stress hormones in the body that can promote cancer growth and its spread to various parts of the body. A constant state of stress can also weaken the immune system's ability to effectively fight off cancer cells. However, Dr Cuomo believes that there are ways to break free from all addictions and prevent cancer development in the body. He told 'The real threat is not a single cocktail or slice of cake. It is the craving that drives you back again and again. 'That craving is what wears down your body's defenses. I tell people to test their control. 'Start with one week of abstention. Not forever. Just seven days. That short reset reveals a lot. 'You learn what your body depends on. During that time, focus on physical recovery. Sleep deeply. Move your body. Eat real food. 'Spend time with people you trust. Addiction thrives in isolation. Recovery begins with reconnection.'
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How a snap of your dog on your desk can reduce anger and calm an office spat
As man's best friend, dogs have long been known to have a calming influence on their owners. But just having a picture of your pooch on your desk may be enough to reduce anger – and even violence - in the workplace by one third, scientists have found. A simple photograph of a cute pet dampens aggression and make fisticuffs with co-workers less likely. It is not clear whether the image itself has the pacifying effect, or whether those who choose to have a picture of their pet at work are less likely to be angry and aggressive more generally. But previous research has shown that owning a dog can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and increase levels of the so-called 'cuddle hormone', oxytocin. One theory put forward by the researchers is that an image of a cute pooch dampens down the body's fight or flight response when faced with threatening situations. 'These results provide the first empirical evidence that the presence of dogs decreases anger and aggression in humans,' said the researchers, from the State University of New York. 'Images of one's pet dog could be used to help improve cooperation among co-workers in the workplace and help them deal with conflict and anger in healthier and more socially acceptable ways. Having a picture of your pooch on your desk may be enough to reduce anger – and even violence - in the workplace by one third, scientists have found 'This could lead to lower employee turnover, which could save employers time and money by not having to consistently hire new employees when previous employees resign due to interpersonal conflict and negative emotions. 'The benefits to employees, co-workers, and employers could be substantial.' The research involved 400 people, who were either exposed to noise designed to provoke anger, or told they had been insulted at work. Those with pictures of their pet in the office were one third less angry when faced with these scenarios, and two thirds less likely to want to resort to physical harm in retaliation for an insult. But writing in the journal Anthrozoös, the researchers cautioned that it may not work with dogs associated with aggression, such as 'chow chows or pit bulls'.
