EverythingScience

World's first astronaut with disability to begin training Former UK Paralympian John McFall, a surgeon for the UK's NHS public health service, was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) last year when it announced its new class of astronauts. Shortly after his selection last year, McFall stated, "The message I would give to future generations is that science is for everyone and space travel hopefully can be for everyone." He will spend the next two years forming part of a feasibility study carried out by ESA and NASA to assess the conditions required for people with disabilities to go to space. Article @EverythingScience

New type of computer memory could greatly reduce energy use and improve performance Researchers have developed a new design for computer memory that could both greatly improve performance and reduce the energy demands of internet and communications technologies, which are predicted to consume nearly a third of global electricity within the next ten years. The researchers developed a device that processes data in a similar way as the synapses in the human brain. The devices are based on hafnium oxide, a material already used in the semiconductor industry, and tiny self-assembled barriers, which can be raised or lowered to allow electrons to pass. This method of changing the electrical resistance in computer memory devices, and allowing information processing and memory to exist in the same place, could lead to the development of computer memory devices with far greater density, higher performance and lower energy consumption. Article @EverythingScience

One step closer to growing naturally decaffeinated coffee beans Who doesn’t like a cold or a hot cup of joe in the morning? Probably people who have a caffeine sensitivity. But for regular drinkers of bean juice, it can spell the difference between a good day and a bad day. Decaf iced vanilla latte! Decaf espresso! shout the Starbucks baristas as they take customers’ orders. Because coffee can lead to issues like anxiety and high blood pressure, a lot of people opt for decaffeinated options. Decaffeination removes about 97 percent of the caffeine from the coffee beans and is more expensive to produce than regular coffee, according to data from the National Coffee Association. Article @EverythingScience

Synthetic human embryos created for the first time For the first time, researchers have created synthetic human embryos from stem cells, pushing us into an ethical gray area but offering the promise of important insights into the critical early stages of human development. The synthetic embryos, which are not the product of natural sexual reproduction but engineered from stem cells in a laboratory setting, could provide medical researchers with critical insights into the first few weeks of embryonic development, during which a host of genetic disorders are thought to manifest. Article @EverythingScience

Scientists found evidence of a whole new way for stars to die An international team of astrophysicists set out to investigate the origins of a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) and stumbled upon a long-hypothesized but never-before-observed type of star death. Most GRBs originate from exploding stars or neutron star mergers, but the newly observed example came from a GRB designated 191019A that formed when stars or stellar remnants in the environment surrounding a supermassive black hole collided near the core of an ancient galaxy. Article @EverythingScience

Phosphorus detected in Saturn’s moon Enceladus’ water ocean Phosphorus is one of the key ingredients of life here on Earth and is a building block of the DNA molecule. Finding phosphorus containing molecules in the water plumes from the south pole of Enceladus is therefore a big deal! 🌐 Dr. Becky @EverythingScience

‍On June 19th at 19:34 UTC, ESA's BepiColombo spacecraft, which is in the midst of its seven-year journey to Mercury, successfully completed its third flyby of the solar system’s innermost planet. Article by Justin Davenport (Bubbinski) ⬇️ https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/06/bepicolombo-flyby-3/ Source: @haygenwarren

Stone walls uncovered along the Nile reveal ancient engineering marvel An international team of researchers has revealed a groundbreaking discovery along the banks of the River Nile in Egypt and Sudan. This incredibly long-lived hydraulic technology played a crucial role in enabling communities to grow food and thrive in the challenging landscapes of Nubia for over 3000 years. Their findings shed light on an extraordinary network of river groynes — stone walls built perpendicular to a river bank intended to break water flow and sediment erosion. Article @EverythingScience

Generative AI models are encoding biases and negative stereotypes in their users, say researchers Article @EverythingScience

Intel releases 12-qubit silicon quantum chip to the quantum community Article @EverythingScience

Robot-assisted deep brain stimulation surgery could treat epilepsy A neurosurgeon in Canada has become the first in the nation to perform robot-assisted deep brain stimulation surgery on a patient suffering from epilepsy with success. “They’ve all been successful, all patients have been able to go home a day or two after the procedure,” told the news outlet Dr. Jonathan Lau, who practices neurosurgery at London Health Sciences Centre’s University Hospital. Article @EverythingScience

The Next Atlantis: Is New York City Sinking? Discover the future of New York City as it grapples with an alarming reality: it is sinking. In this revealing exploration, the latest research from the US Geological Survey unveils the profound impact of climate change and human activity on one of the world's most iconic cities. By the year 2100, melting glaciers may cause the city to sink up to a meter and a half, an unsettling prospect for Lower Manhattan that stands only 1-2 meters above sea level. 🌐 Interesting Engineering @EverythingScience

New salty gel can harvest pure water from dry desert air A remarkable new material from Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers can pull a record amount of moisture from even the driest desert air and convert it into ultrapure, potable water. The new material is made from a naturally absorbent substance known as a hydrogel, which can absorb a large volume of water and retain its three-dimensional structure. Article @EverythingScience

Scientists put 'G-strings' on tiny frogs to track their movement Why would scientists put pants on a frog? Biologist Andrius Pašukonis says it’s a good way to track where they’re headed. “Miniature tracking tags have been used on amphibians and other animals before but tracking tiny mobile frogs in the rainforest required reimagining the tag design and the tracking methods,” said Pašukonis in a press release. “One of the biggest challenges has been designing and perfecting a frog harness that can fit a frog as small as two centimeters (less than an inch)!” Article @EverythingScience

Watch a worm jump onto a bumblebee along an electrical field 🌐 Science X @EverythingScience

Researchers discover that worms use electricity to jump In nature, smaller animals often attach themselves to larger ones to "hitch a ride" and save energy migrating large distances. Researchers show how microscopic worms can use electric fields to "jump" across Petri plates or onto insects, allowing them to glide through the air and attach themselves, for example, onto naturally charged bumblebee chauffeurs. Article @EverythingScience

World's first astronaut with disability to begin training Article @EverythingScience

World's first cosmic-ray GPS can detect underground movement Cosmic rays are high-energy particles originating from outer space, including sources such as the sun, distant galaxies, supernovae, and other celestial bodies. Although we can't see or feel cosmic rays directly, they constantly bombard the Earth from outer space. In fact, these particles are so abundant that scientists estimate one cosmic ray hits one square centimeter of the Earth's surface every minute! Scientists study cosmic rays to learn about the universe and how particles interact at high energies. A team of scientists have successfully demonstrated the world's first cosmic-ray GPS to detect movement underground and in volcanoes which can potentially aid in future search-and-rescue missions. Article @EverythingScience

Giant Paint-Eating Snails Spotted in Florida, Putting State Agriculture at Risk Article @EverythingScience

Giant Paint-Eating Snails Spotted in Florida, Putting State Agriculture at Risk Article @EverythingScience