Science / 8

NASA Believes There Could Be Life In Underground Caves On Mars

February 28, 2020

NASA's InSight lander has been on Mars for more than a year now, and it's slowly revealing new facets of the red planet's story. It carries a diverse assortment of scientific tools that have already managed to collect relevant data about the Red Planet, including dust devils.

Coronavirus: Airlift for Britons trapped in China 'under review'

February 27, 2020

It said it's working on arranging a bus service to help French citizens leave Wuhan. Britons Sophie and Jason, young graduates in Wuhan to teach English, said they had "been stuck in the house for four days". Officials are trying to trace around 2,000 people who have flown to the United Kingdom from Wuhan in the past fortnight. Many are comparing the new coronavirus to the SARS outbreak in 2003.

China Comprehensively Bans Wildlife Trade Over Virus

February 27, 2020

The Chinese government announced Monday (Feb. 24) that the country's wildlife-farming industry will be permanently shut down due to the coronavirus and that trade and consumption of wild animals will no longer be permitted. The announcement may pave the way for an amendment to the country's Wild Animal Protection Law, which now only proscribes consumption of a limited range of wild animals, such as state protected animals and those that have scientific research significance.

Earth Has Another Moon -for Now, at Least

February 27, 2020

That's because it's little more than an asteroid that just wandered too close, and got tangled up in Earth's gravitational pull. Most recently, Mike served as Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has been featured in USA Today, Time.com, and countless other web and print outlets.

Antarctica Heat Wave Causes Massive Ice Melting, NASA Satellite Images Show

February 27, 2020

The report noted is the hottest temperature recorded in Antarctica yet, with the second hottest temperature being 17.5°C. It's easy to forget that Antarctica is technically a desert, until you see it without snow. "This melt event on Eagle Island is a really startling reminder of what is happening every day, all around the planet", Antarctic researcher Dr Christina Hulbe, from the University of Otago, told 1 NEWS.

Virgin Galactic reports high interest in its space flights

February 27, 2020

Virgin Galactic has announced a new program to drive reservations for flights on its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane. In a news release , Virgin Galactic reported that 7,957 people have signed up on its website to register interest in such trips.

'First Non-Oxygen Breathing Animal' Accidentally Discovered by Scientists in Israel

February 27, 2020

After closer examination, the lack of this seemingly vital DNA was confirmed, and the scientists now believe that the organisms actually "de-evolved" over time, which is obviously quite freaky. That genetic downsizing possible poses a bonus for parasites like H. salminicola , which thrive by reproducing as shortly and as typically as attainable, Huchon stated.

‘Marsquakes’: NASA lander confirms seismic activity on red planet

February 27, 2020

InSight mission is not NASA's first attempt at recording marsquakes . The data meant volcanic flows occurred in the area within the last ten million years. "This is an entire new world of processes for us, and we're just now starting to learn how to categorize these various different signals", Banerdt said.

Norwegian energy giant Equinor ends Great Australian Bight oil exploration project

February 27, 2020

Equinor's detailed Environment Plan had been thoroughly assessed by Australia's independent regulator the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), who approved the proposed drilling activity in December a year ago.

NASA's 'Hidden Figure' Dies at 101

February 27, 2020

Before Neil Armstrong's historic flight, Johnson's flawless calculations also helped Alan B. Shepard Jr. become the first American in space in 1961, and John Glenn become the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Although Johnson always said her colleagues at NASA were kind and professional, there were nevertheless systematic and deep-seated biases against her at every step of her journey.

New £20 note enters circulation today

February 26, 2020

The 20-pound take note is the 3rd denomination to be switched from paper to plastic, subsequent a five-pound observe that includes former Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a 10-pound observe bearing the image of creator Jane Austen. There is also a silver foil patch containing a 3D image of the coronation crown. The shape of the large window is based on the shape of the fountains in Trafalgar Square.

Airburst-Causing Asteroid Currently Headed For Earth — NASA Alert

February 26, 2020

Examination of the asteroid known as 99942 Apophis for the Egyptian God of disarray once indicated that its 2029 zip by would carry it through a gravitational keyhole , a situation in Earth's gravity area that would tweak the asteroid's route so that on its subsequent flyby in the year 2036 it would seemingly render a shattering influence.

Heavy rainfall to hit after week of wintry showers

February 26, 2020

The Met Office issued the yellow warning for snow and ice from 10pm last night until 10am today , with weather conditions set to bring travel disruption across the region and country-wide. Rain and snow were expected to push north and east across the country "before giving way to some brighter weather" across the south and west of Britain later in the day, Mr Petagna said.

NASA Records 'Hottest Temperature' in Antarctica, Shows Shocking Images of Melting Snow

February 25, 2020

But on February 21, NASA released data showing the startling impacts of the Antarctic warmth on Eagle Island , which is located near the tip of the Peninsula. Pelto also notes that the source of this melt event - persistent high temperatures significantly above freezing - is not typical of Antarctic weather patterns.

Methane Gas Emissions Could Be More Intense Than Previously Thought

February 22, 2020

Fossil methane can be emitted via natural geologic seeps or as a result of humans extracting and using fossil fuels. Methane happens to be the second-largest anthropogenic after carbon dioxide (CO2) gas and originates from human activity.

Bloomberg Says Women Can Be Released From NDAs

February 22, 2020

His move came just two days after the billionaire New Yorker, who joined the race for the Democratic nomination belatedly but has vastly outspent his rivals, was sharply challenged by one of those rivals, Senator Elizabeth Warren , to release the women from their NDAs.

Fighting Doomsday: MIT Scientists Find New Way To Deflect Killer Asteroids

February 21, 2020

The official plan to avoid the impacts of near-Earth objects involves firing nuclear weapons at them, which is not a very popular option. Its like a preemptive strike, with less mess.. It is also listed as a potentially hazardous object. Compared to the other types of asteroids, Apollos are probably the most unsafe due to their Earth-crossing orbits.

Water restrictions scaled back as dam levels continue to rise

February 20, 2020

The team is working closely with Sydney Water and NSW Health. Ms Pavey said water quality had been managed by extensive testing and filtration to catch debris. Some 200mm of rain fell in the catchment in the past week alone. Under Level 1 water restrictions, residents and businesses are banned from leaving hoses running unattended, washing vehicles and buildings with a hose that isn't fitted with a trigger nozzle or using standard sprinklers and watering systems.

SpaceX will launch private citizens into orbit around Earth

February 20, 2020

Space Adventures is a boutique space tourism business that focuses on helping the ultra-wealthy look down on the rest of humanity in new ways (from space). There's no word yet on how much a ticket will cost each passenger. Boeing is also developing a crew capsule called Starliner , meant to transport USA astronauts to the ISS, which could also send tourists into space.

Humans are releasing way more methane than we thought

February 20, 2020

The Global Carbon Project, an worldwide research collaboration that Jackson chairs, is finishing up its own review of the Earth's methane budget, expected this spring. Methane emitted into the atmosphere can be sorted into two categories-fossil or biological-based on its signature of the isotope carbon-14. There's an upside to all of this: the findings additionally suggest that there's a good larger alternative to rein in how a lot methane we launch.

Flood-hit residents braced for further flooding as rivers threaten barriers

February 20, 2020

Warning that extreme weather conditions like Storm Dennis will become more frequent and severe as the climate crisis deepens, the Labour Leader has called the government's response to recent flooding "wholly inadequate", accusing ministers of failing to grasp the scale of the climate crisis.

SpaceX plans to send tourists to space by 2021

February 19, 2020

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement that the mission would "forge a path to making spaceflight possible for all people who dream of it". No professional pilot or astronaut will be required, Tearne said, because the Dragon is fully autonomous. Others, like Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte , made it to the ISS with the space travel company for $35 million, but using Russian equipment.

Clean electricity can be generated 'out of thin air' with this device

February 19, 2020

The wires are related to electrodes and perform electricity employing naturally present h2o vapour in the air. The researchers say that the present technology of Air-gen gadgets is in a position to energy small electronics; they usually anticipate to deliver the invention to business scale quickly.

Dodgers' Turner: 'Out of touch' Manfred set weak precedent for cheating

February 18, 2020

Hinch in favor of James Click and Dusty Baker, respectively. When asked why he hadn't stripped the Astros of their 2017 World Series title over the cheating scandal, Manfred referred to the league's championship trophy as a "piece of metal".

Betelgeuse star is Dimming and Have Chance to Explode

February 18, 2020

Betelgeuse began to dim late previous year with astronomers noting it was the dullest it had been since observations of the star began decades earlier - this prompted suggestions it could be preparing to explode in a supernova. He added their expertise of red supergiants stays incomplete, and that is nonetheless a piece in progress; hence, so surprises could still happen. Betelgeuse is so near and so big that telescopes here on Earth are able to reveal the surface of the star as a disk, seeing ...

Green breakthrough: Microbiologists generate power 'out of thin air'

February 18, 2020

The wires are connected to electrodes and conduct electricity using naturally present water vapour in the air. This new technology developed in Yao's laboratory does not pollute the environment, it can be renewed and low cost. Decades ago, scientists discovered an unusual microbe, G. sulfurreducens , which cannot only produce magnetite without oxygen, but it can also make bacterial nano-wires that conduct electricity .

Ukraine Produced Rocket Lifts Off, Takes Supplies To International Space Station

February 18, 2020

The Cygnus spaceship will return with approximately 3,400 kilograms of cargo to the International Space Station . That is a part of their Industrial Resupply Providers 2 contract with NASA and the 13 supply run to the Worldwide Area Station.

Covid-19 death toll in China rises by 105

February 17, 2020

Health officials reported 1,933 new cases and 100 new deaths in Hubei on Sunday. With confirmed cases in the Hubei region still increasing at a rapid rate and the number of total cases in China expected to hit 100,000 in the short-term, the effectiveness of the lockdown has started to be questioned.

Skittles And Manchego Blast Off To Satisfy Space Station Crew Cravings

February 17, 2020

In this Saturday , November 2, 2019 photo provided by Space Cargo Unlimited, researchers with Space Cargo Unlimited prepare bottles of French red wine to be flown aboard a Northrop Grumman capsule. PT) today atop Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket. Packed among those supplies are some tasty morsels for the astronauts, including three kinds of hard cheese (by special request), as well as Lindt chocolates (chili chocolate and sea salt flavor) and other candy just in time for Valentine's Day ...

NASA eyes new missions for Venus moons of Jupiter Neptune

February 16, 2020

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory would manage the project, and JPL's Suzanne Smrekar would be the mission's principal investigator. "Researching any one of those celestial bodies can help unlock the secrets of the way that it, and many others like it, was from the cosmos".

Coronavirus: Death Toll Reaches 1,527, Egypt Confirms First Case

February 16, 2020

The biggest cluster outside China is on a quarantined cruise ship off Japan, with 285 infections now as dozens more cases were confirmed. A top Chinese health official said efforts to prevent and control the virus outbreak reached its most crucial stage as the virus epicentre Hubei province continues to grapple with growing fatalities over a month after the virus outbreak even though the cases began dropping in rest of China.

Orange Weather Warning given for Limerick

February 16, 2020

The Ocean Prediction Center reportedly said that as the storm strengthens into Sunday , the region can expect to see winds up to 98 miles per hour and waves with possible heights of more than 100 feet. Around 20-40 mm of rain will fall widely with 50-80 mm likely across parts of northern and southern England. Elsewhere, a Royal Navy warship has been dispatched to help in an urgent search for a man in the sea off the Kent coast.

Christina Koch's record-setting spaceflight may help in the future

February 16, 2020

When she finally made it home, her beloved pup, LBD (Little Brown Dog), couldn't contain her excitement. Moments later, as Koch makes her way inside, she's greeted with lots of hugs and kisses. Koch tweeted a video of her dog welcoming her home on Thursday as she walked through the front door of her home. The mission gave researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman.

United Kingdom faces storm battering for second weekend in a row

February 16, 2020

British Airways also cancelled flights. According to the Met Eireann website, the storm will bring with it "Southwest winds with mean speeds of 60 to 80 km/h with severe gusts of up to 120km/h, strongest on exposed hills and coasts, with a risk of coastal flooding".

Norfolk bracing itself again as Storm Dennis set to hit | Weather

February 15, 2020

Storm Dennis has landed and is causing widespread flooding across the country this afternoon. The warning is in place until midnight, with more heavy rain forecast on Sunday. Travel has also been disrupted as Storm Dennis approaches, with a small number of flights cancelled to and from Dublin Airport. Authorities have warned that flooding is likely to be worse as the ground is already saturated.

Mayor of China's Wuhan expects another 1,000 virus cases in the city

February 15, 2020

Health officials say the USA has five confirmed cases of the new pneumonia-like virus from China. Part of the reason the committee didn't think it qualified was because of the limited number of cases outside of China. So far, all of the deaths have been in China. The World Health Organisation this week stopped short of calling the outbreak a global health emergency, but some health experts question whether China can contain the epidemic.

BP Announces Plan To Become Net Carbon Zero By 2050

February 15, 2020

The British company says it is aiming to be a net zero company in its global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. The European Commission launched a public debate about the EU's upcoming Climate Law on Tuesday (28 January), with a view to enshrining the bloc's 2050 "climate neutrality" target into binding legislation before the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow later this year.

The largest turtle ever

February 15, 2020

The animal would have resembled, in length and weight, a midsized auto. The beast, whose name means "stupendous turtle" in Latin, lived between seven million and 13 million years ago in the ancient wetlands that eventually turned into the Amazon rainforest in Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia.

Storm Dennis - vigilance advised ahead of further severe weather this weekend

February 15, 2020

Paul Davis, principal meteorologist at the Met Office , said: "With Ciara the rain was heavy but swift". The worst-hit areas could see between 120-140mm of rainfall and gusts of up to 80mph over the weekend, the Met Office said. Over the course of the winter so far, 7% of 400 river gauges have set new records for water height. "Keep away from cliffs as cliff falls are more likely in these conditions".

Astronaut Christina Koch posts heartwarming video of reunion with dog

February 15, 2020

Koch posted to social media , along with a video of her dog, LBD , going wild as the astronaut returned home to Galveston. "Not sure who was more excited", Koch captioned the video. As the pooch smothered her with love and affection, giving kisses, Koch too was overwhelmed to see the dog's reaction. We see another aspect of how the human body is affected by microgravity for the long term.

Rajendra Pachauri, former IPCC head accused of sexual harassment, dies aged 79

February 15, 2020

The IPCC and the former USA vice-president Al Gore were awarded the 2007 Nobel for their efforts to expand knowledge about anthropogenic climate change and lay the foundations for counteracting it. The FIR in the case was registered on alleged charges of sexual harassment under the IPC sections 354, 354 (a), 354 (d) (molestation) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Remarkable image of two mice brawling wins wildlife photography award

February 15, 2020

A picture depicting two little mice fighting over some left over crumbs taken in a subway station has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 55 Lumix People's Choice Award . The winning image will be displayed in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the museum until it closes on May 31, 2020. Another notable entry, Matching Outfits , shows a stunning freeze frame of a female jaguar and her cub with a meal of anaconda suspended between them, a la Lady and the Tramp .

Antarctica temperatures reach 69 degrees for the first time ever, scientists say

February 14, 2020

It comes at the same time as another record-breaking high at the bottom of the world, a reading of 18 degrees Celsius at Esperanza Base last week , the highest recorded temperature on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was almost two degrees higher than the previous record of 67.64 degrees set 37 years ago. "It's a data point", he said. What's happening: Per the NWS, the effects of the system will be "far-reaching" and impact travel in a vast area that's likely to affect millions of people.

NASA spots massive asteroid approaching Earth on February 15

February 14, 2020

Asteroid PZ39 will approach the planet on Saturday, February 15, on what has been called a "close approach". The experts have labelled the approaching massive space rock as a potentially hazardous asteroid due to its unsafe orbit and massive size.

Recurring radio signals heard from space after 16 days

February 14, 2020

There was no mention of extraterrestrial life as a possibility for the radio bursts . In the traced pattern, it used to send radio wave bursts for a period of four days, stopped for a period of 12 days, then this entire process was repeated.

'Ghost' of mysterious hominin found in West African genomes

February 14, 2020

He admitted that the mystery DNA didn't belong to Neanderthals or other known groups, such as Denisovans , and said that he and his co-author Arun Durvasula believe it is from a new group entirely. "Those are all questions which would be fantastic to start thinking about". More information is required by the researchers to believe that the ghost population descends from the ancestors of Neanderthals.

Watch astronaut Christina Koch meet her dog after a year apart

February 14, 2020

The astronaut posted a sweet video on her Twitter of the moment when she was greeted by her dog after returning home. The video shows the anxious puppy wagging a storm and madly scratching a glass door when Koch approaches. You can also include "proud father father" at the top of your resume. The record spaceflight saw Koch participate in more than 200 scientific investigations , including a look at how such a long term in space physically affects a woman.

Astronaut welcomed home by excited pooch after a year in space

February 14, 2020

Koch landed in Kazakhstan on February 6 with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexader Skvortskov. It's clear her adorable doggo is ecstatic to finally have her home. The electrical engineer-turned astronaut said she counted herself lucky to not have suffered more serious ailments. "We are celebrating our 20th year of continuous presence aboard the International Space Station in low Earth orbit this season, and we are on the point of sending the first ...

NASA looking to hire more astronauts for next moon mission

February 14, 2020

So starting on March 2, the agency will be accepting applications for its next class of astronauts. They are required to have a master's degree in the science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) field. NASA has announced its graduate degree in engineering, physics, computer science, biology and mathematics as a prerequisite. Additionally, candidates need a minimum of two years' professional experience, or, in the case of pilots, 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time.

Officials Confused After Finding A New Virus That Has No Recognizable Genes

February 13, 2020

The experts who discovered the Yaravirus named it after Iara or Yara , a lovely mermaid-like from Brazilian belief that would attract sailors to live undersea with her forever. Of the 74 genes, only six were distantly related to known genetic material from other microorganisms, making it hard for researchers to work out where it came from and to what species it's related to.

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