Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin takes 80-year-old adventurer on flight into space
The space tourism mission, known as NS-34, was the 34th flight for the New Shepard programme.
The 10-minute journey, which also included cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun, launched on Sunday.
Sun had previously bid $28 million for his seat on the flight.
Watch the video in full above.
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The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Scientists recreate universe's first molecule to crack 13-billion-year-old mystery
Scientists have recreated the first molecule ever to form and found that it likely played a much bigger role in the birth of early stars than previously thought. The universe was unimaginably hot and dense immediately after it formed about 13.8 billion years ago, and cooled down seconds later to form the first elements, hydrogen and helium, albeit in a completely ionised form. It then took another 380,000 years for the temperature in the early universe to drop enough for neutral atoms to form by combining with free electrons to pave the way for the first chemical reactions. The first molecule created this way is thought to be helium hydride ion (HeH+), formed from a neutral helium atom and ionised hydrogen. Helium hydride's origin also marked the beginning of a chain reaction that led to the formation of molecular hydrogen (H2), which is by far the most common molecule in the universe, scientists say. Although the infant universe at this point was transparent due to the binding of free electrons, there were still no light-emitting objects, such as stars. Researchers found that this ancient helium hydride molecule helped cool the universe over a process lasting several hundred million years before the first stars ignited. Stars are powered by nuclear fusion in which light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a tremendous amount of energy. However, for any early contracting gas cloud of a protostar to collapse to the point where nuclear fusion can begin, heat must be dissipated via collisions between atoms and molecules, which then emit this energy in the form of photons. But below 10,000C, this process becomes ineffective for the dominant hydrogen atoms. So researchers have long considered helium hydride ions as a potentially important candidate for cooling in the formation of the first stars. These ancient molecules could facilitate further cooling by emitting additional energy through rotation and vibration, particularly at low temperatures. The concentration of helium hydride ions in the universe was likely key to the effectiveness of early star formation, the study found. New research, published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, used a special ultra-cold lab setup to mimic conditions from over 13 billion years ago that led to the formation of these molecules. The study recreated conditions similar to those in the early universe for the first time at the Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) instrument at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik – a globally unique lab set up for investigating molecular and atomic reactions under space-like conditions. In the research, scientists superimposed HeH⁺ ions stored in a 35-metre-diameter storage ring for up to just a minute at a few kelvins (-267C) with a beam of neutral hydrogen atoms. They studied how the collision rate varied with temperature and found that, contrary to earlier predictions, the rate at which this reaction proceeds does not slow down with decreasing temperature. 'Previous theories predicted a significant decrease in the reaction probability at low temperatures, but we were unable to verify this in either the experiment or new theoretical calculations by our colleagues,' said study co-author Holger Kreckel from the MPIK. The findings suggest the reactions of HeH⁺ with hydrogen were far more important for chemistry in the early universe than previously thought.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Archaeologists uncover 800-year-old bones with strange details & they offer a surprising insight into Aztec life
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered ancient bones that offer a surprising insight into the Aztec era. Historians noticed details on the remains, suggesting they may have served an unusual purpose. 3 3 Archaeologists carried out an in-depth analysis of 29 prehistoric human bones discovered along the southern Texas coast. Unusual markings on the skeletal remains suggest they may have carried out a purpose beyond death. Unusual details Historians suggested that the group of hunter-gatherers who once inhabited the area likely created music by transforming the human bones into instruments. Dr. Matthew Taylor, who works as a biological anthropologist at Georgia's Augusta University, identified a musical rasp fashioned from a human humerus while studying the artefacts. IFLScience reported that the item, which was part of a museum collection, resembled an omichicahuaztli, which is an instrument that was used by pre-Hispanic Mexican cultures, including the Aztecs. The remains date back to the Late Prehistoric era (AD 700-1500) in North America, according to an in-depth analayis published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. "Late Prehistoric South Texas (1300-1528 AD) was characterised by hunter-gatherer habitation," Dr. Taylor wrote. "Forager peoples lived in the region from Paleoindian times up to and beyond European contact and never adopted agriculture." He added that inhabitants of southern Texas and the associated Gulf Coast "have been historically documented since AD 1528". The analysis of the 29 bones found that 27 were made from either the arm or the leg. 'Once in a century' Pompeii discovery as ancient luxury SPA is saved from ashes with thermal baths & stunning mosaic Meanwhile, the remaining two objects were constructed from rib bones. According to archaeologists, the instruments were typically crafted using what's known as the "groove-and-snap" method. This involves sawing a groove around a bone's circumference before breaking it in half. "This process is labour intensive and represents hours of work," Dr. Taylor wrote. He emphasised the meticulous manual effort behind crafting these skeletal artifacts. Potential links Historical objects fashioned from human bone are often thought to signify practices like honouring ancestors or displaying war trophies. However, Dr. Taylor pointed out that such interpretations don't align with other archaeological findings from the region. The musical rasp made from an upper arm bone featured 29 carefully carved notches and decorative geometric patterns. One of the most intriguing discoveries, this instrument appeared to have been played by scraping another object along the grooves. While unique to South Texas, similar instruments are well-documented in central Mexican histories. Typically carved from human thigh bones, these objects are decorated with comparable designs. Dr. Taylor speculated the Texan rasp "may represent an emulation of Mexican religious practices." He pointed to a possible contact or influence between Indigenous tribes occupying the South Texas coast and the Aztec empire. "Whatever their original provenance, it is quite apparent that the Late Prehistoric inhabitants did not regard the handling of human remains as taboo," he concluded. "Although some may wish to equate the presence of these artefacts with the existence of cannibalism, this report does not support or refute that hypothesis." More on archaeology The remains of a lost Roman city have been uncovered on a popular holiday island. And the lost tomb of a 1,700-year-old king was uncovered in Mayan temple. Plus, the eerie "hybrid" skull that belonged to a "half human, half neanderthal girl". An ancient lost city from 3,500-years-ago that played home to the oldest civilization in the Americas' was uncovered in Peru. And AI has deciphered a hymn on a 4,000-year-old clay tablet, which is said unlock the mystery of the ancient city of Babylon. 3
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin takes 80-year-old adventurer on flight into space
An 80-year-old thrill-seeker, Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal, was among the crew on the latest rocket ride operated by Jeff Bezos ' Blue Origin. The space tourism mission, known as NS-34, was the 34th flight for the New Shepard programme. The 10-minute journey, which also included cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun, launched on Sunday. Sun had previously bid $28 million for his seat on the flight. Watch the video in full above.
