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Earth In 2024: The International Space Station (ISS) has captured more than 825,000 images of Earth so far in 2024, documenting our planet’s changing landscapes. NASA has shared that over 5.3 million photos have been taken from the space station since it began operations, contributing significantly to studies of urban light patterns, lightning activity, and natural disasters. In 2024 alone, these images were instrumental in analysing 14 major natural disaster events, from hurricanes and floods to volcanic eruptions.

Expedition 71, one of the most prolific missions in the ISS’s history, contributed over 630,000 images, marking the highest number of photographs taken during a single mission.

According to NASA, the Crew Earth Observations (CEO) program is at the heart of this effort. Equipped with digital handheld cameras, astronauts photograph Earth from their vantage point 200 miles above the surface. The program focuses on documenting both human-induced changes — such as urban expansion and reservoir construction — and natural phenomena, including hurricanes and wildfires.

Boom Supersonic has revealed that the XB-1, the supersonic demonstrator for the Overture program, took off on a flight equipped with a shark skin-like underbelly, which reduces drag, fuel consumption, and emissions.

In its latest update to various stakeholders, Boom Supersonic shed some light on the XB-1’s eighth flight, which happened on November 16. The company stated that during the flight, it managed to confirm that the aircraft had performed safely at speeds of Mach 0.80 with the stability augmentation system being turned off.

“Our findings take us closer to solving a long-standing mystery in astronomy that will redefine our understanding of how galaxies were created in the early universe.”

The team’s research was published on Wednesday (Dec. 4) in the journal Nature.

The team made their breakthrough using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). ALMA is the largest astronomical project in existence comprised of 66 radio antennas situated in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

PRESS RELEASE — Thirty years ago, the University of the Andes made the first internet connection in Colombia, and on Tuesday, December 3, the country’s first quantum computer will be unveiled. This acquisition marks a turning point in education and technological research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and enhancing ongoing efforts by researchers at the University of the Andes and other institutions.

The University’s Faculties of Science and Engineering announced the arrival of the device, which will enable students and professors to explore fundamental aspects of quantum computing. This emerging technology seeks to solve problems and process information differently by leveraging the laws of quantum physics.

Professor Julián Rincón, a theoretical physicist, explains that this quantum computer employs a technique known as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and operates at room temperature. This makes it particularly suitable for educational purposes, as it is easy to assemble and provides a straightforward way to test fundamental concepts. “This isn’t just a faster conventional computer; it’s a completely new way of processing information, based on the laws of quantum physics,” he clarifies.

A new vortex electric field with the potential to enhance future electronic, magnetic and optical devices has been observed by researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and local partners.

The research, “Polar and quasicrystal vortex observed in twisted-bilayer molybdenum disulfide” published in Science, is highly valuable as it can upgrade the operation of many devices, including strengthening memory stability and computing speed.

With further research, the discovery of the vortex electric field can also impact the fields of quantum computing, spintronics, and nanotechnology.

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The Arctic is likely to become “ice-free” by midcentury—and could pass that grim milestone much sooner—unless much more is done to combat climate change.

By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News

CLIMATEWIRE | By the end of the decade, the Arctic Ocean could see its first ice-free day on record — even with modest levels of global warming.

The study of the gut microbiome, which is the total of all the microbes living in the intestines, has been shown to not only play an important role in the health of the bowel itself, but also in the health of distant organs such as the lungs. Lung cancer is one of the diseases that is often difficult to treat successfully. Rohan Kubba from the California Northstate University, Elk Grove, USA, believes that by studying the gut microbiome he can understand more about how anti-cancer treatments affect the gut–lung axis, and how the variations found in patient microbe populations are associated with treatment outcomes.

The microbiome consists of thousands of species including bacteria, fungi, and viruses (microbiota). Each person has an entirely unique network of microbiota, most of them living in their gut but also on the skin, mouth, and lungs. Each person’s microbiome is formed by a combination of factors, including but not limited to exposure to microorganisms during natural birth, consuming their mother’s milk, and later on in life, environmental factors such as diet.

Gut microbiome and disease.