Latest news with #UniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley
NDTV
09-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Hungry Black Hole Rips Apart And Swallows 'Hapless' Star 600 Million Light-Years Away
In a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie, scientists have captured a hungry black hole that is ripping up and gobbling a star that came in its wake. The tidal disruption event (TDE) took place 600 million light-years away and was caught by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing a spectacular burst of radiation after the black hole was done swallowing the 'hapless' star. As per NASA, out of around 100 TDE events recorded so far, this is the first time that an offset TDE has been identified. The one million-solar-mass black hole is not exactly in the centre of its host galaxy, where supermassive black holes are typically found consuming the surrounding material. 'AT2024tvd is the first offset TDE captured by optical sky surveys, and it opens up the entire possibility of uncovering this elusive population of wandering black holes with future sky surveys,' lead study author Yuhan Yao of the University of California at Berkeley said. Notably, a TDE happens when an infalling star is stretched or "spaghettified" by a black hole's immense gravitational tidal forces. A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-center captured in this @NASAHubble image. — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2025 Supermassive black hole lurking nearby What makes the finding more astonishing is the fact that it took place only 2,600 light-years from the more massive black hole at the galaxy's centre. That's just one-tenth the distance between our Sun and the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole. Strangely, the two supermassive black holes co-exist in the same galaxy, but are not gravitationally bound to each other as a binary pair. "The smaller black hole may eventually spiral into the galaxy's centre to merge with the bigger black hole. But for now, it is too far separated to be gravitationally bound," NASA stated. As for why the black hole had got off-centre, scientists theorised that the three-body problem might be the reason for its odd geography. . 'If the black hole went through a triple interaction with two other black holes in the galaxy's core, it can still remain bound to the galaxy, orbiting around the central region,' said Mr Yao. This is not the first time when a black hole has been spotted consuming a neighbouring or wayward star. In November last year, scientists discovered a black hole, named LID-568, devouring matter at a phenomenal rate -- over 40 times the theoretical limit, called the Eddington limit.
NDTV
09-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Black Hole That Swallowed Star 600 Million Light-Years Ago Found, NASA Shares Pic
NASA has released a stunning image of a black hole swallowing a star and causing a massive explosion. Although the cosmic event took place 600 million light-years ago, the burst of radiation has only reached us now, which appears like a bright dot. The space agency's Hubble Space Telescope captured the astronomical event, called a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE), and also confirmed it with observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Very Large Array radio telescope. Posting the image to X, NASA wrote, "A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-centre captured in this @NASAHubble image." A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-center captured in this @NASAHubble image. — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2025 Lead study author Yuhan Yao of the University of California at Berkeley said, "AT2024tvd is the first offset TDE captured by optical sky surveys, and it opens up the entire possibility of uncovering this elusive population of wandering black holes with future sky surveys." She further mentioned, "Right now, theorists haven't given much attention to offsetting TDEs. I think this discovery will motivate scientists to look for more examples of this type of event." How does a tidal disruption event (TDE) happen? A TDE happens when an infalling star gets too close to a black hole, which then stretches it like spaghetti due to its super-strong gravity. As the star falls apart, its pieces begin to orbit the black hole. This shredded material becomes extremely hot as it orbits, producing strong energy and light bursts that telescopes may detect as visible and ultraviolet light. Ryan Chornock, associate adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and a member of the ZTF team, said, "Tidal disruption events hold great promise for illuminating the presence of massive black holes that we would otherwise not be able to detect."
NBC Sports
07-05-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Ryan Murphy soaks in life changes while keeping his feel for the water
Nine-time Olympic medalist Ryan Murphy has a lot on his plate these days. That still includes swimming, just in a different capacity than he's used to. Murphy, 29, has taken a break from competition since the Paris Games, where he earned a medal of every color for a second consecutive Olympics. He still plans to bid for a fourth Olympic team in 2028, and could return to racing as early as 2026. 'There's always a trade-off,' said Murphy, who swam at every major international meet from 2014 through 2024. 'These competitions are awesome, and they're a lot of fun. But this is a time where I really want to be present in my personal life.' Murphy and wife Bridget welcomed their first child , daughter Eevi, on Jan. 24. Her name is Finnish. Bridget's dad is from Finland. 'I feel bad when I'm talking to other parents because she's actually such a chill little baby,' Murphy said. 'She's been sleeping well. She's been eating well. She seems happy. She's smiling a lot. So life is good.' Later in the winter, Murphy began working as an investor with Norwest Venture Partners on their growth equity team. He goes into Bay Area offices four days a week. 'I know what I want to do post-swimming,' said Murphy, who owns a degree in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley. 'So this is a great opportunity to lean in there and kind of start getting some reps.' With all his life changes since the Olympics — including opening a Goldfish Swim School in his native Northeast Florida in October — Murphy is still working out seven times a week (three times in the pool), just not at the Olympic level for the moment. 'I'm trying to stay in good enough shape that when I go back to swimming full-time, I can kind of try to hit the ground running, and I'm not starting from zero,' he said. Murphy and longtime coach Dave Durden met last September to review the 2024 Olympic season and start mapping out the 2028 Olympic cycle. They're excited about the addition of the 50m backstroke to the Olympic program and the potential to mix up training to possibly attack all three distances: 50m, 100m and 200m backstrokes. In the past, seven of Murphy's nine swimming workouts per week were geared toward the 200m. 'The intensity is going to start to ramp up in 2026,' said Murphy, who swept the Olympic 100m and 200m back golds in 2016. 'I don't think we've totally locked in whether there's a full competition schedule in 2026. I feel like that's kind of an open negotiation. I think from the training side and from the preparedness side, I think I'll be ready to go in 2026. But if that's competing or not, I haven't fully made a decision on that.' Murphy, who turns 30 on July 2, can join his old rivals in extending backstroke success that deep into a career. Matt Grevers swam at three World Championships in his 30s, collecting nine medals from 2015-19. David Plummer made his Olympic debut at age 30, taking 100m back bronze in 2016 and joining the 21-year-old gold medalist Murphy on the podium. 'As a competitor, it's hard for me to be like, I'm going to hold back in this year, and not try to compete at a nationals (June 3-7) and a world championships,' Murphy said. 'Because, when I'm in training, that's kind of where my head starts going, but I have to be intentional with how I approach these four years. If I was going absolutely full throttle for the four years, I don't think that would be good for me in 2028. Ultimately, number one goal is trying to impact the podium in 2028 and then working backwards from that.'
CBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
A 'madman' penalty: Are Trump's actions eroding U.S. economic power?
Here's some candid, non-academic language to describe an unusual pattern in American markets, brought to you by a monetary-policy historian. Stocks? Down. The U.S. dollar? Same. Demand for U.S. bonds? Also sinking. This isn't supposed to happen — not all three at once. But Barry Eichengreen sees a historic reaction where there's really one common theme: a collapse in faith in the United States. "Global investors have concluded that there is a madman in the White House, and that the lunatics have gained control of the asylum," said Eichengreen, a historian at the University of California at Berkeley who studies currencies and central banks. "The damage is clearly beyond repair." Washington is trying to glue back the pieces of a humpty-dumpty month — when U.S. President Donald Trump introduced the highest tariffs in over a century, then walked some back, then, unhappy with interest rates, threatened to fire the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve, before ruling it out, even as White House staff were reportedly studying replacement options. WATCH | Calculated or not? Did Trump really just levy a 245% tariff on China? 7 days ago Duration 25:31 Recent history has shown that political interference in the central bank, and interest rates, can have a catastrophic effect on inflation. It's just not supposed to happen in the United States of America — the world's largest economy; holder of the world's most important currency, a currency that supports the safest investment on Earth: U.S. debt bonds. In recent weeks, investors fleeing the stock market did not do what they normally do: Leap into the safe embrace of the U.S. dollar and U.S. government debt. Some analysts compared the combination of events to what you'd normally see in a developing economy. Risky assets, safe assets and the currency, all struggling at the same time. "The United States was more than just a nation. It's a brand. It's a universal brand — whether it's our culture, our financial strength, our military strength," said Ken Griffin, a Republican mega-donor and the CEO of Citadel, to the World Economy Summit in Washington on Wednesday. "And we're eroding that brand right now.… We put that brand at risk," he said. WATCH | An 'evermore unbalanced' global economy: 'China needs to change' its economic model, U.S. treasury secretary says 16 hours ago Duration 3:39 U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking at an event hosted by the Institute of International Finance, says the 'persistent overreliance' on the U.S. for consumer demand is creating an 'evermore unbalanced' global economy, citing China's export-heavy economy as an 'unsustainable' model. ceo "It can take a very long time to remove the tarnish on a brand.… It can be a lifetime to repair the damage." Here, there are differences of opinion. Clearly, the Trump administration is trying to repair that damage. All those above-mentioned indicators have eased up a bit the last couple of days, as the administration softens the tone on its global trade war and on the Federal Reserve. The administration is reportedly considering cutting back some of the China tariffs, which are massive, surpassing 140 per cent on some products, triggering an eye-watering collapse in shipping over recent days. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that negotiations are "active" with China. "Tariff negotiations are going very well. We're dealing with many, many countries," he said. But on the same day his treasury secretary told reporters the U.S. and China aren't actually talking yet. Meanwhile, some countries say it's unclear what the U.S. actually wants. So the tremors won't end overnight. "This isn't a short-term adjustment; it's a paradigm shift that we expect will extend well beyond the president's four-year term," said a research briefing this week from Oxford Economics, referring to the newer, more protectionist era. "Indeed, history shows that even when protectionist measures such as tariffs and non-tariff barriers are removed, it can take decades to roll them back fully as niche groups that stand to gain from protectionism form powerful lobbies." It's not just that stocks are down — with the S&P 500 down over eight per cent this year, even after a little rally this week. The U.S. dollar has plunged a staggering nine cents against the Euro since Trump took office. It's even down two cents against the Canadian dollar, against all expectations. Shockingly, and most disturbingly, the demand for U.S. debt appeared shaky, with the 10-year U.S. treasury bonds up half a cent, though it's softened a bit. There are different views on how bad this actually is. Another expert, Steven Kamin, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think-tank, agrees with other diagnoses about what unleashed the unusual trading patterns. Things got "so crazy," he said, "that investors got scared and pulled away from the [U.S.] dollar as well." But he's not certain about how far things will go. Kamin's not so worried about stock-market fluctuations. And as for bonds, he's watching the broader economy to assess whether its current valuations are normal. Then there's a fundamental issue at the heart of the global financial system: the status of the U.S. dollar, for generations the world's reserve currency. The widespread use of the greenback in international transactions and in foreign central bank holdings has created an inexhaustible appetite for it. That inexhaustible appetite allows the U.S. to spend more money than it has, run up monster debt, and keep issuing bonds with confidence there will always be buyers. Kamin, a former director of the Federal Reserve's division of international finance, isn't worried about that status ending. "Clearly the dollar dominates," he said. "Some people are saying this current episode rings the death knell for its particular role. That's very unlikely.… The world can't turn on a time." The U.S. dollar is still king. It still accounts for 57 per cent of the currencies held by foreign central banks. Its share has receded a bit over the decades, and again in recent years, but there is no evident replacement candidate for transactions and bond investments. There's a bit of a debate in Washington about whether the U.S. should actually welcome, at the least, a cheaper dollar, on the belief it would help its manufacturing workers produce goods at more competitive prices. But that's a minority view. The prevailing consensus in Washington is that the U.S. gains more than it loses from a mighty dollar. "We continue to have a strong-dollar policy," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday, voicing that view. "I think the U.S. will always, in my lifetime, be the reserve currency. I'm not sure anyone else wants it.… For export economies, it's a lot of pressure." Eichengreen may not be a fan of the Trump administration's handling of the economy. But here he agrees with Trump's treasury secretary: the strong dollar helps, more than hurts, the U.S. The benefits, he said, include lower debt costs for the government, convenience value for U.S. banks and firms trading in their own currency, insurance in a crisis where it's a rare asset that grows, and the power to levy sanctions against using your banks. And he fears American politicians are messing it all up. When asked whether the U.S. was in real danger of losing the reserve-currency status, he said: "We are." "When the competence and even rationality of a country's policymakers is cast into doubt, its currency loses its safe haven and reserve currency status," he said, noting that the dollar's share in central bank reserves has already been slowly declining, about 0.5 per cent per year, for a quarter-century.
Boston Globe
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Harvard attracts new donors as funding fight with Trump administration intensifies
She settled on giving Harvard $1,500. 'They took a stand, and I wanted to support that in a stronger way than I would ever do,' Taylor, 42, said. 'I loved what the president of Harvard [said], how they explained what they were standing for. And I thought, 'Oh, thank goodness. Maybe this will build a movement.'' She isn't alone. In the days since the Trump administration put a hold on Harvard's funding and said it would seek to revoke the school's tax-exempt status – stakes that were further raised Monday when Harvard Advertisement In recent days, officials updated Harvard's website to focus on the school's research initiatives, whose benefits extend well beyond the student body. Suzanne Hilser-Wiles, a managing director at Huron Consulting Group who helps institutions of higher education with fundraising, said it is critical for universities like Harvard to stress their broader impacts – particularly for the wealthiest donors, who can move 'the needle more quickly.' Advertisement The smaller gifts given as a form of public protest have a different value. 'Having a really engaged constituency and having them be part of the support and the messaging … that's incredibly impactful,' Hilser-Wiles said. Many Harvard alumni have felt moved to give to their alma mater for the first time. 'I always thought, 'Oh, Harvard has so much money, they don't need me to give them money,'' said Linda Haverty Rugg, who earned a PhD in comparative literature from the school in 1989 and went on to spend five years as associate vice chancellor for research at the University of California at Berkeley. Rugg was one of few people from her Nebraska hometown to leave the Midwest for school. Thanks to Harvard's endowment, which paid for fellowships and teaching opportunities, she graduated debt-free. Eight of her relatives and her junior-high science teacher flew to Boston for the graduation ceremony. It bothers her when Harvard is characterized as elitist because she knows many graduates with stories like hers. Rugg views the $100 donation she made last week as a symbolic gesture, but hopes it will inspire others to do the same. 'You want to send a message to Harvard: 'Don't give up,'' she said. ''The people that you sent out into the world, we are here, you know, and we are ready to come and try to help you.' Below a Facebook post about her donation, a handful of Rugg's acquaintances – alumni and not – said they would also donate to Harvard for the first time. Roberto Diaz, who received his PhD in Spanish from the school in 1991, told the Globe he earmarked his $100 for two purposes: a Harvard research center near Florence where he and his late husband, also a Harvard graduate, visited while on vacation, and a bucket titled 'Presidential Priorities.' Advertisement Diaz said he has been impressed with the two lawyers retained by Harvard President Alan Garber. 'So if they want to take my little money and give it to the lawyers, I would be happy,' he said. Another new donor, a federal contractor whose business has been hurt by the Trump administration's cuts, said the president's interest in Harvard's academic policies is 'ironic' considering his work to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. 'He did away with that, but now he wants to dictate how education is run in the country,' said the worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to his position. 'I honestly am totally against that.' While Harvard's fundraising surged in 2021 and 2022, it has dipped since, and the federal funding freeze marks the latest in a string of financial hits. According to Harvard's 2024 financial report, total gifts have decreased by nearly a quarter-billion dollars since 2022, with a 15% drop from 2023 to 2024. In early 2024, hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, a Harvard grad who's donated more than $500 million dollars to the school, said he was pausing his support amid concerns over Harvard's handling of antisemitism on campus. Griffin declined to comment when asked by the Globe if his position has changed in light of the federal funding freeze. The Wall Street Journal reported that university officials have been connecting with other major donors in recent days, including businessman and politician Michael Bloomberg, investor David Rubenstein and hedge fund manager John Paulson. The three all declined to comment to the Globe. Advertisement Della Heiman, a Miami-based Jewish entrepreneur who graduated from Harvard Business School in 2014, said she admired the university's fortitude as they resisted Trump's demands, which the president attributed to the school's mishandling of antisemitism during protests and in classrooms. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, Heiman has been critical of the university's response to antisemitism, but she said she believes the institution has made meaningful strides in protecting Jewish students. She views the Trump administration's financial pressure as a power grab that has 'nothing to do with the welfare of the Jewish people' and threatens the independence of a place where students can debate without feeling unsafe. 'My hope is that what comes out of this for all universities is being able to foster nuanced conversation, tolerance, openness, and curiosity, because I fear that we are losing all those concepts with this society, and it's quite terrifying,' she said The Trump administration's tactics are being felt far beyond Boston. Laura McGarry, managing principal at Graham-Pelton, a nonprofit consulting firm, said higher education clients whose funding has yet to be impacted are seeking guidance on how to engage with donors. Her main advice: stay the course and keep your mission at the forefront. Engaging with donors, even those giving small amounts, can build a more robust base for the future. 'We've captured the attention and the inspiration of these people,' she said. 'How do you grow that and sustain that?' Advertisement Tricia Nadolny can be reached at
