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An artist’s conception of a supernova explosion. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / ESA / Hubble / L. Calcada In space, things frequently go boom. And recently, on Oct. 9, astronomers observed an extraordinarily colossal boom. NASA’s Swift Observatory, which is specifically designed to spot the most powerful known explosions in the universe today — called gamma-ray bursts — detected an extremely strong such burst.

We have a serious e-waste problem, according to the international waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) forum. This year alone, 5.3 billion mobile phones will go to landfills, the organization told the BBC on Friday.

Precious minerals left to waste

This means that a lot of the precious minerals that cannot be extracted from waste electronics, such as the copper in wire or the cobalt in rechargeable batteries, will have to be mined, a notoriously polluting activity.

From raspberry notes to rum and nail polish ones. Some call it a ‘space party,’ while others say ‘it stinks.’

Doctoral researcher in Astrobiology and professional perfumer, Marina Barcenilla, creates the scents of space based on astrochemistry and reports by astronauts.

Interesting Engineering (IE) report on the range of smells available including which represent the entire journey around Earth’s orbit to the center of the Milky Way. By tapping into the intimate relationship between olfaction (the sense of smell) and memory, the project aims to break communication barriers between science and the public.


Angel_nt/ iStock.

If (or when) human exploration of our planetary neighbours goes ahead, this is a question that future colonists would have to tackle.

What do you need to make your garden grow? As well as plenty of sunshine alternating with gentle showers of rain — and busy bees and butterflies to pollinate the plants — you need good, rich soil to provide essential minerals. But imagine you had no rich soil, or showers of rain, or bees and butterflies. And the sunshine was either too harsh and direct or absent — causing freezing temperatures.


4FR / iStock.

The researchers behind the study cultivated the fast-growing plant Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of lunar regolith (soil) brought back from three different places on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts.

These findings indicate that liver cell repair and tissue regeneration are occurring.

The liver is known for its ability to regenerate. It can completely regrow itself even after two-thirds of its mass has been surgically removed. But damage from medications, alcohol abuse or obesity can eventually cause the liver to fail. Currently, the only effective treatment for end-stage liver disease is transplantation.

However, there is a dearth of organs available for transplantation.


Liver — Organ/iStock.

The first-of-its-kind meta-analysis synthesized the results of 80 different scientific research.


Jikaboom/iStock.

Unsurprisingly, the duration of the impairment depends on the dose of THC, whether it was inhaled or taken orally, the frequency of the individual’s consumption, and the requirements of the work being performed while intoxicated, according to a press release published by the University of Sydney.

When will this ongoing saga end?

Elon Musk is under federal investigation over his takeover deal for Twitter, yahoo!


The focus of the investigation remains unclear

This would seem rather odd as at the beginning of the month, Musk agreed to finally purchase Twitter at his original offer of $54.20 a share, leading to a $44 billion deal.