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Feb 11, 2023

The strange number 1/137 shows up everywhere in physics. What does it mean?

Posted by in category: physics

Does it have a deeper significance — or is it just a number? Unfortunately for physics enthusiasts, 1/137 is no more significant than 3.14.

Feb 11, 2023

Can Machine Learning Translate Ancient Egyptian Texts?

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

A new program aims to use AI to help academics and the public decipher hieroglyphs. Here’s an inside look at how—and whether—it works.

Feb 11, 2023

Scientists discover a rare neurological disease involving cellular recycling

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health, neuroscience

The new disease could provide insights into how the cell’s recycling system contributes to a healthy brain. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a new neurological condition characterized by issues with motor coordination and speech. They identified three children with the condition, two siblings and an unrelated child.

Feb 11, 2023

A Blast Chiller for the Quantum World

Posted by in categories: particle physics, quantum physics

Through optomechanical experiments, scientists aim to delve into the boundaries of the quantum realm and lay the groundwork for the creation of highly sensitive quantum sensors. In these experiments, everyday visible objects are coupled to superconducting circuits through electromagnetic fields.

To produce functional superconductors, these experiments are conducted inside cryostats at a temperature of around 100 millikelvins. However, this is still far from low enough to truly enter the quantum world. In order to observe quantum effects on large-scale objects, they must be cooled to nearly absolute zero.

Absolute zero is the theoretical lowest temperature on the thermodynamic temperature scale. At this temperature, all atoms of an object are at rest and the object does not emit or absorb energy. The internationally agreed-upon value for this temperature is −273.15 °C (−459.67 °F; 0.00 K).

Feb 11, 2023

Skeleton Found in Italy Cave Yields Oldest Neanderthal DNA

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

These molecules, which could be up to 170,000 years old, could one day help yield the most complete picture yet of Neanderthal life.

The calcite-encrusted skeleton of an ancient human, still embedded in rock deep inside a cave in Italy, has yielded the oldest Neanderthal DNA ever found.

Feb 11, 2023

SpaceX to break pad turnaround record in support of Starlink

Posted by in categories: internet, space

To launch another pair of Starlink stacks to orbit this week, SpaceX will break its all-time launch pad turnaround record. The first launch, Starlink Group 5–4, is currently scheduled to lift off at 12:10 AM EST (05:10 UTC) on Sunday, Feb. 12, pending a forecasted 20% chance of acceptable weather.

If the launch target holds, the mission will break the record for both Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and the overall record across all three Falcon 9 launch pads. The second mission, Starlink Group 2–5, is slated to launch at 8:32 AM PST (16:32 UTC) on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Feb 11, 2023

Hycean Planets & Ice Worlds

Posted by in categories: alien life, futurism

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Our telescopes find new exoplanets and reveal deeper details about them everyday, unveiling massive hydrogen-rich atmosphere planets and icy worlds which may be able to harbor life even far from any star.

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Feb 11, 2023

Adults, Children Do Not Experience Time in the Same Way; Here’s Why

Posted by in category: neuroscience

While time may be a worldwide constant, it can be quite tricky. Several individuals have felt like childhood summers were extremely long in comparison to how they experience the same 3 months as adults. Though individuals can argue about time perception and the factors that dilate and compress time, it is possible to look into it experimentally.

Time Perception Is Different For Adults and Children

Continue reading “Adults, Children Do Not Experience Time in the Same Way; Here’s Why” »

Feb 11, 2023

NASA Might Finally Solve the Million-Degree Mystery of the Sun’s Corona

Posted by in category: energy

This vibrant new image of the Sun is a treasure trove of science.


NASA and JAXA caught high-energy activity on the Sun. The result is a colorful new image.

Feb 11, 2023

Another tech giant paying millions to get out of office leases

Posted by in categories: finance, futurism

Google announced in last week’s earnings call that it would pay millions of dollars to consolidate office leases across the globe.

“In the first quarter of 2023, we expect to incur approximately $500 million of costs related to exiting leases to align our office space with our adjusted global headcount look,” Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat said. “We will continue to optimize our real estate footprint.”

Many of the lease terminations will be in the Bay Area. “We’re ending leases for a number of unoccupied spaces, and will work to consolidate under-utilized spaces in the future,” Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont wrote SFGATE in an email. “Our campuses remain a cornerstone of our culture, but we’re working to ensure we invest in real estate efficiently and that our investments match the current and future needs of our hybrid workforce.”