Latest news with #BrighamYoungUniversity
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Florida Tech withdraws from Cape Canaveral rocket-noise study, citing its narrow scope
Citing insufficient pricing and scope of research, the Florida Institute of Technology has withdrawn from a partnership with the city of Cape Canaveral to monitor potential impacts of rocket launches on buildings and infrastructure. This $10,019 study, which the Cape Canaveral City Council approved in April, called for Florida Tech to install sensors — including sound level meters, accelerometers and air quality monitors — at a handful of buildings across Cape Canaveral and collect data before, during and after rocket launches. But upon further review, Florida Tech withdrew because "the $10,000 cost and narrow purview are insufficient to appropriately examine the issues at hand," university spokesperson Wes Sumner said. Specifically, Sumer said a more robust study using more sensors in more locations — including weather sensors — would better address the complexities at play. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral "Florida Tech initially estimates that cost for an appropriately detailed study could be $100,000 or more. The ongoing work from faculty at (Brigham Young University) into the acoustics of rockets, for example, which has produced multiple journal articles, alludes to the broader effort needed for more meaningful, impactful data," Sumner said in an email. Why study rocket launch acoustics? In a news post, City Hall staffers said Cape Canaveral residents are concerned about the possibility of long-term structural damages such as cracking, foundation settling and shattered windows — particularly in light of increasing launch rates and rocket sizes. Florida's Space Coast remains on track to crack the 100-launch barrier for this first time this year. "The City's goal in pursuing this research was to determine the long-term impacts on the built environment of repeated rocket launches with ever more powerful launch vehicles, and we still wish to accomplish this," Zachary Eichholz, chief resilience manager for the city of Cape Canaveral, said in an email. "It is currently exploring alternative means to conduct this research, including future initiatives with FIT and other research teams at other universities," Eichholz said. Last week, U.S. Air Force officials collected environmental comments during public hearings in Titusville, Cape Canaveral and Cocoa about SpaceX's proposal to start launching up to 76 Starship-Super Heavy rocket systems per year — with up to 152 sonic-boom-producing landings — at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Those Starship-Super Heavy future liftoffs from Launch Complex 37 would occur 9 miles from Cape Canaveral's closest condominium and 10.4 miles from City Hall, Eichholz said. SpaceX did not respond to messages seeking comment for this story. Space Force, SpaceX, NASA conducting bigger study in CA In terms of scope, a far-larger research collaboration is tracking rocket sonic-boom data this year near Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This study involves the Space Force, BYU, California State University-Bakersfield, SpaceX, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. A network of about 25 monitoring stations is dispatched across 500 square miles of California's central coast, collecting data to create a three-dimensional sound map. "It's like trying to catch lightning in a bottle," Kent Gee, who chairs BYU's Department of Physics and Astronomy, said in a Space Force press release. "All launches generate sonic booms; however, their audibility to the public is influenced by several factors, including the launch trajectory, the size of the rocket, and atmospheric conditions.' Specifically, the California coastal region's multiple "microclimates" add to the complexities, and Gee said launches with nearly identical flight paths can produce vastly different noise levels on the ground. The press release said this variability "has sent researchers on a quest to unravel the complex interplay between rocket trajectories, weather conditions, and topography." Air Force shares Starship-Super Heavy sound details An Air Force 176-page draft environmental impact statement said Starship-Super Heavy noise would represent "a community annoyance" for residential neighborhoods in Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, Titusville and Merritt Island — particularly during Super Heavy booster landings. During last week's public hearings, mention was made of SpaceX's proposed actions to reduce noise impacts using sound suppression technology: A water deluge system would spray large volumes of water onto the launch pad during liftoff, absorbing acoustic energy and converting it to steam — significantly reducing sound intensity. Flame trenches beneath the launch pad would redirect and disperse exhaust and sound energy away from sensitive areas. In addition, SpaceX will coordinate with Space Launch Delta 45 to alert the public in advance of launches and potential sonic booms via websites and social media. If a sonic boom causes suspected property damage, Air Force meeting materials said building owners could launch a formal claims process by contacting the Space Launch Delta 45 public affairs office. Compensation would be provided in accordance with FAA regulations, the Commercial Space Launch Act and other relevant law and policy. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida Tech withdraws from rocket-noise study with city of Cape Canaveral Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
These 2 behaviors help those moving into adulthood thrive
Emerging adults can find their 20s a place to begin flourishing or a period that could lead them to crash and burn. It turns out that early adult decisions in their 20s don't stay there, but follow them into their 30s. It hinges on life choices. But which ones set a person up for success in the future? And just avoiding negative ones doesn't mean you'll flourish. A new study says you have to actively choose to do positive things, as well. The study was published in the journal Emerging Adulthood. According to researchers from Brigham Young University, getting more education and volunteering in one's 20s are two choices that rank high when it comes to how good one's relationships, sense of well-being and life satisfaction will be in one's 30s. But they're not the only choices possible. The years from 18 to 29 provide opportunities for all kinds of things, including experimenting with sex or substances, dabbling in crime and choosing careers. With a break from parental controls, young people can set their schedules, pick or reject jobs, eat what they want and choose where and with whom to live. Study co-author Larry Nelson, a BYU family life professor, described the 20s as a time of instability and excitement and change. Friends are graduating and moving away from each other. Young adults may get married. They move during this age more than at any other time in their lifespan. They choose jobs or careers or majors and change them, too. 'There's a lot of instability in their lives and complete autonomy to do what they want,' he said. Past generations, he noted, typically married younger and that marriage produced some structure. Young men in previous generations were more likely than now to transition into adulthood in the military, which provides a lot of structure. Young women had very rigid role expectations and now have more choices. So many choices, good and bad Nelson said while he celebrates the greater range of choices, it can be challenging without any structure and 'they're doing all that with a brain that's not yet fully developed. So that combination of things mean that the 20s is the peak period for a lot of challenging things,' including risky sex and reckless driving, substance use, onset of mental illness, criminal behavior, different eating habits, self harm and more. He said young people can thrive or find themselves with criminal records, addictions, health problems and fewer friends if they're not careful. But Nelson said that research shows many young people don't see it that way. They believe their 20s are a time for experimenting, including with things that might be risky. Nor are emerging adults choosing to be good or to take chances. Choices are complex and varied. One can be both a volunteer and a criminal. So Nelson and his co-authors considered what each choice in the 20s contributed to well-being in the 30s, finding education and volunteering were particularly strong at predicting good relationships, life satisfaction and a sense of overall well-being. The study notes that while many experts agree emerging adulthood is a distinct developmental period, little work has examined how it impacts later development. The researchers note some limitations, including the fact that people in the survey were asked to remember their 20s and what they did some years later. But while most studies of people in their 20s utilize a kind of captive audience of college students, Nelson noted the strength of a more representative group of 20-somethings. Tracking behavior over time The researchers surveyed almost 5,000 adults between the ages of 30 and 35, using a nationally representative online survey, and asked them to reflect on the things they did in their 20s. Past activity categories included items like volunteering, education, video game use, criminal activity and risky sex. 'We didn't want to only focus on negative behaviors,' Nelson said in the study's background material. 'The absence of floundering does not mean the presence of flourishing. Just because someone avoids negative behavior doesn't mean they are doing well, that they've found purpose. They need to be proactively doing positive things, too.' Flourishing end points in the study included life and relationship satisfaction, emotional health and general hope for the future, as well as overall regret about the past and poor emotional health. Factors like gender, income and ethnicity were controlled for to get a clear picture, he said. Of all the behaviors studied, education and volunteering were clearly linked to positive feelings in the study participants' 30s. The research suggests, Nelson said, that young adults can add elements to their future that will enhance their lives. The 20s are an exciting time, but looking ahead and caring for others are very good steps. Parents can help, too, he said, by steering their children toward positive activities like volunteering. More powerful than you think Nelson said that the researchers found that things one would expect to be good for certain reasons have other, broader goods. For instance, education might be expected to help one land a better job, but they found it also helps with relationships and emotional health and overall well-being. People who volunteer don't just get to put it on their resume and hope it helps find a job. 'It's tied to your emotional and relationship well-being years down the road,' he said. Volunteering offers something special to emerging adults, he added, noting that young people can fall into a trap of doing what they want in the moment and focusing just on themselves. Volunteering, on the other hand, helps young people think of others, too, and bolsters relationships. They become less self-centered and more interconnected. Negative behaviors proved to also be more powerful than a young person might expect. Those with criminal behavior had more regret and less life satisfaction. Those who'd engaged in risky sex had lower relationship satisfaction and emotional health. BYU professors Mallory Millett and Laura Padilla-Walker were co-authors on the study, along with former master's student Melanie Lott. Nelson said the study builds on previous work he's done with Padilla-Walker, tracking 18- and 19-years-olds over seven years to identify positives and negatives in behavior and identifying risk factors and outcomes. Solve the daily Crossword
Tom's Guide
20-07-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Study reveals this type of exercise lowers your biological age by 9 years
If you're looking to pause time, we've got good news — when it comes to biological aging, that's the aging process that happens inside your cells, sweating can help. Specifically, sweating due to high-impact exercise, which can lower your biological age by nearly a decade, according to researchers. The study, conducted at Brigham Young University and published in the Preventive Medicine medical journal, looked at the data of more than 5,800 adults aged 20-84. The study looked at the participants' biological age by examining the length of their telomeres — these are the protective DNA caps at the end of chromosomes. Telomeres prevent your DNA from getting damaged; they shorten as we get older, and shortened telomeres are often associated with age-related diseases. The measurement is taken through blood samples. The researchers found that people who consistently performed high levels of physical activity, specifically high-impact activity, had longer telomeres than those with sedentary lifestyles. For the study, to be highly active, women had to engage in 30 minutes of jogging per day and 40 minutes for men, five days a week. They concluded that regular high-impact exercise added nine years of reduced cellular aging. 'If you want to see a real difference in slowing your biological aging, it appears that a little exercise won't cut it,' exercise science professor Larry Tucker said. 'You have to work out regularly at high levels.' Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If you're new to jogging, it can be difficult to know where to start. Mixing jogging with walking intervals as you get fitter and build up your distance, also known as Jeffing, can be beneficial. Here's everything you need to know about Jeffing, and a round-up of the best running shoes on the market. That said, if you're not a runner or you're worried about the impact of running on your joints, high-intensity training doesn't have to involve pounding the sidewalk or hours on the treadmill. HIIT training, cycling sprints on a stationary bike, taking a spin class, or using the rowing machine in the gym all count as high-intensity exercise. Find the one that works for you, and you'll increase your cardiovascular fitness while lowering your biological age. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Boston Globe
15-07-2025
- Science
- Boston Globe
Great Salt Lake is disappearing. New Englanders should be concerned.
For years, Great Salt Lake has been This is not just a Advertisement Great Salt Lake is the foundation of northern Utah's ecosystem. Its water evaporates and may fall as rain or snow, helping to sustain life nearby, including in Salt Lake City. Precipitation, and mountain snowmelt in particular, return water to the lake. Now, the cycle is faltering. Thanks to warming temperatures, snowpack is turning to water vapor, reducing the amount that flows into Utah's rivers and, eventually, the lake. Population growth means more and more water is diverted from the lake's tributaries. None of this is good news: No other Advertisement If the lake disappears, it would not only wreck ecosystems but also poison the Salt Lake Valley. Industrial waste dumped into the lake has contributed to dangerous amounts of heavy metals. As water levels drop, windstorms blow over stretches of exposed lakebed and carry 'I've got lung problems from the dust coming from the lake,' says Steve Clyde, a lawyer who has spent decades working on Utah water issues. My own family has been affected, too: When an unexpected storm blew dust into Salt Lake City while my mom was mountain biking, she inhaled it and passed out on a cliffside. A desiccated lake could harm more than just Utahns. Particulate matter from its dry lakebed, such as Dust clouds have even been known to travel between continents. Just last month, dust blown from the Ben Abbott, an ecology professor at Brigham Young University, says dust from Great Salt Lake could wreak havoc over thousands of miles. At similar lakes, such Mar Chiquita Lake in Argentina or the dried-up Owens Lake in California, he's seen dust plumes 'affect soil health and public health at a very large scale.' Great Salt Lake is larger than either of those, so its consequences could be worse. Advertisement New Englanders are familiar with air quality problems originating far away: In recent years, dangerous particulate matter from To save it, more water must reach the lake — about New Englanders concerned about potential impacts on air quality can consider asking their congressional representatives to get involved. Brian Steed, Utah's governor-appointed Great Salt Lake commissioner, says his state would 'absolutely welcome any assistance' from leaders here. In 2024, the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the Advertisement Flying over what's left of the lake, childhood memories cycled through my mind. Growing up, it was always there — just as the White Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee are fixtures of life here. The fact that it could disappear felt absurd. But there it was, vanishing in real time. 'Oftentimes, people think of Great Salt Lake as a Utah problem,' Steed says. 'In reality, it's an international one.' He's right. Because if the lake vanishes, the impact would be felt not only by Utahns, but people building lives and memories wherever they are. Adelaide Parker can be reached at Follow her on X Adelaide Parker can be reached at
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jaime King engaged to Austin Sosa
Jaime King is engaged to businessman Austin Sosa. The White Chicks actor was spotted with a new diamond on her ring finger as she ran errands in West Hollywood, California. King has largely kept her romance under wraps, and her new fiancé is private on social media. Sosa is an investment banker who graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah, according to his LinkedIn profile. One of King's few posts that mentions Sosa includes a photo of her and her sons, Leo, nine, and James, 11. "My God, I am the luckiest and most great mother ever. Thank you to Pammy, Chase, Austin, Gwendolyn and Carlos. Family forever," she wrote. A source told People magazine: "She is very close with his family and was staying with his parents after she moved out of her Los Angeles apartment earlier this year." King shares her two boys with her ex-husband Kyle Newman. The former couple tied the knot in 2007, but the Hart of Dixie alum filed for divorce from Newman in May 2020 after 13 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalised in September 2023. In March this year, Newman was granted sole physical custody of their sons.
