Latest news with #spaceExploration
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
Will Elon Musk or Anyone Get People to Mars?
The Asia Trade Former NASA astronaut William McArthur talks about the future of space travel and if Elon Musk or anyone can get humans to Mars. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Science news this week: 'Super-vision' contact lenses and bacteria in space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This week's science news started off with an announcement from the office of former president Joe Biden, saying that the 82-year-old has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. This was followed by a first-of-its-kind study suggesting that hospital superbugs may thrive in these sterile environments by feeding off medical plastic. But the microbial stars of the science show this week were out of this world. A swab analysis from China's Tiangong Space Station revealed a new strain of bacteria that has never been seen before on Earth. The mysterious microbe, named Niallia tiangongensis after the space station, is a variant of a soil-dwelling species that causes sepsis. However, during its time in space it evolved some key adaptations that might help in the future of space exploration. And speaking of evolution, an unlikely discovery in Southeast Asia has offered new insights into the early ancestors of our own species. A construction project off the island of Java in Indonesia unearthed a cache of more than 6,000 prehistoric animal fossils from beneath the seafloor, as well as two believed to belong to an extinct human ancestor, Homo erectus. H. erectus evolved at least 2 million years ago and is thought to be the first species to develop human-like body proportions. It is also believed to be the first human species to migrate out of Africa, eventually ending up on the islands of Southeast Asia. However, there are many unanswered questions about the relationship between H. erectus and other early humans. The newly discovered 140,000-year-old fossils not only offer new insights into the tangled web of the human family tree but also hint at a cultural exchange between this long-lost species and our other ancestors. Discover more human history news —150,000-year history of Earth's magnetic field reveals clues about the climate when early humans were spreading out of Africa —Our teeth evolved from fish 'body armor' over 460 million years, scientists discover —Viking Age women may have wielded weapons when pregnant, sagas and ancient artifacts hint African elephants (Loxodonta africana) have the largest ears in the animal kingdom, growing up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) long and 4 feet (1.3 m) wide — that's about 17% of their body length. Yes, their large ears help to keep elephants cool. But their big ears have other uses too… Scientists have developed night-vision contact lenses that they claim can grant people "super-vision." The lenses use nanoparticles to absorb infrared frequencies of light before re-emitting them as wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum. The lenses are non-invasive and, unlike traditional night-vision goggles, they don't require a power source. In early tests, people wearing these contact lenses could perceive flickering infrared light and pick up on its direction — the flickering seemed more pronounced when the participants closed their eyes because near-infrared light penetrates our eyelids more effectively than visible light. The researchers envision their contacts being used for search and rescue operations and to improve vision for those with color blindness. Discover more technology news —AI benchmarking platform is helping top companies rig their model performances, study claims —Building quantum supercomputers: Scientists connect two quantum processors using existing fiber optic cables for the first time —Breakthrough stretchy battery moves like toothpaste and could power pacemakers and hearing aids —A dozen black holes may be 'wandering' through our galaxy — and they're the rarest type in the universe —'It epitomises the strangeness of Sutton Hoo': 6th-century bucket found at Anglo-Saxon ship burial holds human cremation —'Strange' star pulses detected in search for extraterrestrial intelligence —Our teeth evolved from fish 'body armor' over 460 million years, scientists discover On April 7, biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences announced that they had brought dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus) back from extinction. By genetically engineering cells from modern-day gray wolves (Canis lupus), the company claimed to have brought the animals back after disappearing from the planet 12,500 years ago. However, many were quick to criticize the claims, asserting that the white, fluffy pups were merely genetically modified gray wolves with a handful of dire wolf characteristics. More broadly, experts are skeptical about the company's mission to "de-extinct" animals, including dire wolves, dodos, Tasmanian tigers and woolly mammoths. Vincent Lynch, a genetics professor at the University of Buffalo, explained why these claims are not only misleading but potentially dangerous. If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best long reads, book excerpts and interviews published this week. —Exascale computing is here — what does this new era of computing mean and what are exascale supercomputers capable of? (Explainer) —'Cosmic fire' and Earthly ice: See the breathtaking winners of the Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2025 contest (Photo gallery) —Cat quiz: Can you get a purr-fect score? (Quiz) And something for the skywatchers: —May's best stargazing week has begun. How to see a lion, an upside-down bear, a mini 'planet parade' — and more. The recent launch of China's Zhuque-2E rocket left a giant "white streak" across the sky in at least seven U.S. states. The rocket released half a dozen satellites into orbit before re-entering the atmosphere. The luminous streak appeared at 1:24 a.m. ET on Saturday (May 17) and is thought to have resulted from a "fuel dump" at an altitude of around 155 miles (250 kilometers) before the rocket re-entered the atmosphere. The ejected fuel then froze into a ribbon of tiny crystals that reflected sunlight toward Earth, making it shine in the night sky. Want more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp, we're also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flipboard, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and LinkedIn.
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Sam Altman On Harvesting Star Power
There's a new wrinkle in the connection between the artificial intelligence race, and the drive to explore deep space. It's getting a shot in the arm today with a headline from The Information that Sam Altman is talking about Dyson spheres, and colonizing the light cone. For most of us who aren't NASA nerds, this is all Greek. What is the light cone, and how do you colonize it? And what is a Dyson sphere? But in the end, these kinds of previously theoretical technologies are becoming more viable with actual experimentation aimed at gleaning energy from the stars. A Dyson sphere is a theoretical construct formulated by Freeman Dyson circa 1960, where some existing system would harness power from a nearby star, and send it somewhere else – presumably, to Earth. Some of the leading theories on Dyson spheres have suggested that it would be a series of satellites, and not a single unit, that would scoop up that power and transfer it across deep space. 'Dyson spheres … suffer from a fatal flaw: They are catastrophically unstable,' writes Paul Sutter at LiveScience. 'But now an engineer claims to have figured out a way to stabilize these structures — and all it takes is two stars.' Sutter chronicles some of the work of Colin McInnes, an engineer at the University of Glasgow, who suggests that with the right star duo, and stable gravitation, a Dyson sphere may be viable. But there's still the question of sending that power to ground: McInnes's work was based, not specifically on human aims, but on any civilization, (like alien lizards for example,) making one of these contraptions. How would humans do this? With the understanding that cabling cannot be used to transfer or direct the energy in question, that leaves the technique of electromagnetic radiation. However, as of 2023, we actually have the first experiment of its kind to successfully transmit power to the Earth in this way – it's called MAPLE, and it was developed at Cal Tech. 'To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever demonstrated wireless energy transfer in space, even with expensive rigid structures,' said Dr. Ali Hajimiri, Co-Director of the Space-Based Solar Power Project, in a press statement. 'We are doing it with flexible, lightweight structures and with our own integrated circuits. This is a first!' So that brings the Dyson sphere one more step towards reality. As for the 'light cone,' deep space insiders point out that it's a term to denote that vast stretch of space to which light could emanate from the Earth. In other words, if you can construct Dyson spheres around stars, you could do that anywhere in the light cone. And you could call that a 'colony,' since you're harvesting natural commodities - in this case, star power. We're probably going to hear more about how the head of OpenAI and other pioneering innovators are talking about this kind of space exploration and energy capture. At the same time, Altman and crew are engaged in this effort toward nuclear fusion, as an alternative way to provide large amounts of power for data centers and LLM operations. So deep space is likely going to be a focus for business and government in this decade. Stay tuned for more.
Forbes
11-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
A New Star Will Soon Appear In The Sky — All About T Coronae Borealis
A drawing star map pointing T CrB in Corona Borealis with a red pencil Have you heard about the nova? Called T Coronae Borealis, also known as T CrB or the 'Blaze Star,' this very dim point of light in the eastern night sky after dark is set to dramatically brighten sometime in 2025. When it does, it will become visible to the naked eye for the first time since 1946 and for the last time until about 2105. A 'recurrent nova" — a star system that brightens briefly every 80 years or so — it's the only one of its kind that does so within the span of a human lifetime. However, unless you know what you're looking at and how to find it, you'll likely miss it. Here's everything you need to know n about T Coronae Borealis, in numbers: T Coronae Borealis is to stars — an expanding red giant star and a small, dense white dwarf star. As it expands, the former is spewing hydrogen onto the latter's surface. When the temperature of the white dwarf reaches around 18 million degrees Fahrenheit (about 10 million degrees Celsius), there's a thermonuclear explosion — and a new star in the sky for a few days. Crucially, the white dwarf is not destroyed, and the 80-year-long process begins again. That's how far away this event will take place. Although the star will seem to erupt in real-time, the explosion happened around 3,000 years ago. Traveling at light speed, it takes that long for T Coronae Borealis' light to reach us. It's the same for all stars — even the sun's light is eight minutes old. Everything you see has already happened — including the thermonuclear flash on T Coronae Borealis. That's how long it's been since the last eruption in 1946. Before that, it was 1866 — we have the records from previous generations of astronomers. Of course, the fact that it's 3,000 light-years distant means it's almost certainly undergone a further 37 thermonuclear explosions, the light of which is on its way to us. A red giant star and white dwarf orbit each other in this animation of a nova similar to T Coronae ... More Borealis. T T Coronae Borealis lies just outside Corona Borealis, a small, crown-shaped arc of seven stars whose name translates to Northern Crown. It's a small and little-known yet beautiful constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. The exact location of T Coronae Borealis is just outside the curve of stars, close to faint Epsilon Coronae Borealis. Find it now so you'll notice the sudden change when it does "go nova." To find Corona Borealis, start with orangish Arcturus in the constellation Boötes and Vega in Lyra — two of the five brightest stars in the entire sky — and look in between for the constellation Corona Borealis. Look east about an hour after dark, and you'll see it as a crescent. When it does flash, T Coronae Borealis will leap from +10 magnitude — which is beyond human sight — to +2 magnitude. That's about the same brightness as Polaris, the North Star, the 48th brightest star in the night sky. T Coronae Borealis will be visible to the naked eye for a few nights. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
