Lifeboat Foundation

The Sun’s next 11-year solar cycle has been detected in internal sound waves, even though the current Cycle 25 is at its solar maximum and won’t end until mid-2025. This peak period increases sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections, sending more electromagnetic energy towards Earth.

Even though the Sun is only halfway through its current 11-year solar cycle, the first rumblings of the next one have already been detected in sound waves inside our home star.

This existing cycle is now at its peak, or ‘solar maximum’ — which is when the Sun’s magnetic field flips and its poles swap places — until mid-2025.

Artistic representation of hyper-Raman optical activity: twisted light (red helices) incident on molecules arranged on a helical scaffold (white dots) produce hyper-Raman scattering spectra (multicoloured light patches) that express ‘chirality’ (patches in spiral patterns and broken mirror). Credit: Ventsislav Valev and Kylian ValevAn international team of scientists, led by physicists from the University of Bath, has demonstrated a new optical phenomenon that could significantly impact various fields, including pharmaceutical science, security, forensics, environmental science, art conservation, and medicine.

Molecules rotate and vibrate in very specific ways. When light shines on them it bounces and scatters. For every million light particles (photons), a single one changes colour. This change is the Raman effect. Collecting many of these color-changing photons paints a picture of the energy states of molecules and identifies them.

Yet some molecular features (energy states) are invisible to the Raman effect. To reveal them and paint a more complete picture, ‘hyper-Raman’ is needed.

Durham University researchers discovered an extraordinarily detailed 520-million-year-old fossil, Youti yuanshi, revealing significant evolutionary insights into early arthropods’ complex anatomy and development.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Durham University has unveiled an exceptionally rare and detailed fossil named Youti yuanshi, providing a glimpse into one of the earliest ancestors of modern insects, spiders, crabs, and centipedes.

This fossil dates back over 520 million years to the Cambrian period, when the major animal groups we know today were first evolving. This fossil belongs to a group called the euarthropods, which includes modern insects, spiders, and crabs. What makes this fossil so special is that the tiny larva, no bigger than a poppy seed, has its internal organs preserved in exceptional quality.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a new microscopy method that uses atom probe tomography to observe atomic-scale changes in materials. This advancement enhances understanding of materials properties and could lead to stronger alloys for aerospace, more efficient semiconductors, and better magnets for motors.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a new microscopy method using atom probe tomography to explore atomic-level changes in materials, promising significant advances in materials science and engineering.

A new microscopy technique enables researchers to observe minute changes in the atomic structure of crystalline materials, such as advanced steels used in shipbuilding and custom silicon for electronics. This method has the potential to enhance our understanding of the fundamental origins of material properties and behavior.

NRL scientists have discovered new semiconductor nanocrystals with bright ground-state excitons, potentially revolutionizing light-emitting devices and resolving the dark-exciton problem.

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have confirmed the identification of a new class of semiconductor nanocrystals with bright ground-state excitons. This significant advancement in optoelectronics was recently published in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal, ACS Nano.

The groundbreaking theoretical research could revolutionize the development of highly efficient light-emitting devices and other technologies.

NASA and Boeing are meticulously analyzing recent testing data of the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system to ensure its readiness for undocking and safe return from the International Space Station.

The teams are working on finalizing undocking procedures, ensuring system reliability, and conducting simulations. Additionally, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are assisting with various tasks aboard the station, maintaining continuous communication with mission control.

Testing and analysis of starliner’s propulsion system.

A UCSF study reveals that higher inflammation levels in young adults are associated with poorer cognitive performance in midlife, underscoring the importance of lifestyle choices in reducing inflammation and preventing cognitive decline.

Higher levels of inflammation in young adults, associated with factors like obesity, physical inactivity, chronic illness, stress, and smoking, are linked to decreased cognitive function in midlife, according to a new study from UC San Francisco.

Researchers previously linked higher inflammation in older adults to dementia, but this is one of the first studies to connect inflammation in early adulthood with lower cognitive abilities in midlife.

Researchers have discovered a new pathway used by cancer cells to infiltrate the brain and developed a promising therapy that targets this pathway with CAR T cells.

Their study showed significant preclinical success in increasing survival and eradicating tumors in animal models of glioblastoma and other brain cancers.

A team of Canadian and American research groups led by the Singh Lab at McMaster University have discovered a new pathway that is used by cancer cells to infiltrate the brain. The research also reveals a new therapy that shows promise in blocking and killing these tumors.

Evidence for potential dark matter objects has been detected using pulsars, which are neutron stars emitting regular beams of radio waves.

These beams were analyzed by Professor John LoSecco, revealing variations and delays that indicate the presence of unseen mass, likely dark matter. LoSecco utilized data from the PPTA2 survey, involving precise measurements from several radio telescopes. The study found around a dozen instances where dark matter likely influenced pulsar signals. This research not only helps in understanding dark matter but also improves pulsar timing data for other astronomical studies.

Detecting Dark Matter With Pulsars