Lifeboat Foundation

Six archival Chandra observations are matched with eight sets of radio data and studied in the context of the outflow method to measure and study the spin properties of |$\rm {Sgr ~A^{*}}$|⁠. Three radio and X-ray data sets obtained simultaneously, or partially simultaneously, are identified as preferred for the purpose of measuring the spin properties of |$\rm {Sgr ~A^{*}}$|⁠. Similar results are obtained with other data sets. Results obtained with the preferred data sets are combined and indicate weighted mean values of the spin function of |$F = 0.62 \pm 0.10$| and dimensionless spin angular momentum of |$a_* = 0.90 \pm 0.06$|⁠

A robotic AI-Chemist@USTC makes useful Oxygen generation catalyst with Martian meteorites. (Image by AI-Chemist Group at USTC)

Immigration and living on Mars have long been depicted in science fiction works. But before dream turns into reality, there is a hurdle man has to overcome — the lack of essential chemicals such as oxygen for long-term survival on the planet. However, hope looms up thanks to recent discovery of water activity on Mars. Scientists are now exploring the possibility of decomposing water to produce oxygen through electrochemical water oxidation driven by solar power with the help of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts. The challenge is to find a way to synthesize these catalysts in situ using materials on Mars, instead of transporting them from the Earth, which is of high cost.

To tackle this problem, a team led by Prof. LUO Yi, Prof. JIANG Jun, and Prof. SHANG Weiwei from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), recently made it possible to synthesize and optimize OER catalysts automatically from Martian meteorites with their robotic artificial intelligence (AI)-chemist.

Published 9 seconds ago.

From the very beginning, warp drive has been a major part of Paramount’s Star Trek franchise for the simple reason that it explains how our characters can traverse the galaxy faster than the speed of light. Warp drive has changed a lot over the years, so we decided to see which ship would get from Earth to Jupiter quicker: the Enterprise NX-01 captained by Jonathan Archer, the Enterprise NCC-1701 captained by James T. Kirk, or the Enterprise 1701-D captained by Jean-Luc Picard. The answer is simple: Picard’s ship is the clear winner.

Scientists have found that light-activated oxidizing nanoparticles can whiten teeth without causing damage.

“JWST is revolutionizing exoplanet characterization, providing unprecedented insights at remarkable speed,” said Dr. Leen Decin.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s most powerful telescope ever built, continues to dazzle with its scientific findings both within and outside our solar system. Most recently, an international team of researchers used JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to analyze the atmosphere of WASP-107b, a Neptune-like exoplanet located approximately 211 light-years from Earth and orbits its parent star in just 5.7 days.

Using MIRI, the team identified water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and silicate sand clouds swirling around in the atmosphere of WASP-107b, which is considered a “fluffy” exoplanet since its mass is close to Neptune’s, but its overall size is closer to Jupiter, making it unique compared to the gas giants of our solar system. The findings were published today in the journal Nature.

Continue reading “Exoplanet WASP-107b: A Fluffy Giant with Water, Sulfur Dioxide, and Silicate Sand Clouds” »

Scientists from Centogene, a company focused on rare and neurodegenerative diseases, along with their collaborators at University College London and elsewhere have published a study that links the Acyl-CoA Binding Domain Containing 6 (ACBD6) gene to new forms of early-onset dystonia and parkinsonism. The study is published in Brain in a paper titled, “Bi-allelic ACBD6 variants lead to a neurodevelopmental syndrome with progressive and complex movement disorders.”

Using whole exome sequencing data from 45 patients—23 males and 22 females between the ages of 1 and 50 years old—the researchers identified several novel and ultra-rare bi-allelic predicted loss-of-function variants in ACBD6, which are linked to a unique neurodevelopmental syndrome. The condition is accompanied by complex and progressive cognitive and movement disorders such as dystonia in 94% of cases and parkinsonism in older patients or about 32% of cases.

To test the association between ACBD6 and the syndrome, the researchers used zebrafish and frog knockouts. According to tests described in the paper, they observed similar phenotypes to those of affected individuals such as movement disorders, seizures, and facial dysmorphology in the zebrafish models. Their observations of the effects in zebrafish suggest “a combination of muscle and neuronal degeneration leading to movement abnormalities” resulting from the loss of the gene. When they assessed the effects of inactivating the gene in frogs, they observed reported failures in cell movement during gastrulation as a result of the gene’s loss.

Hopefully without a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” this time.

Scientists discovered a strange virus called MiniFlayer that latches onto a larger virus called MindFlayer in soil collected in Maryland.

3D printing is advancing rapidly, and the range of materials that can be used has expanded considerably. While the technology was previously limited to fast-curing plastics, it has now been made suitable for slow-curing plastics as well. These have decisive advantages as they have enhanced elastic properties and are more durable and robust.

The use of such polymers is made possible by a new technology developed by researchers at ETH Zurich and a US start-up. As a result, researchers can now 3D print complex, more durable robots from a variety of high-quality materials in one go. This new technology also makes it easy to combine soft, elastic, and rigid materials. The researchers can also use it to create delicate structures and parts with cavities as desired.