A new map of the old Universe revealed around 4,000 unknown or early galaxies.

Our Universe came into existence almost 14 billion years ago, and now astronomers have pinpointed some 4,000 galaxies that were among the first to arrive on the scene. They were able to pinpoint their existence thanks to a new large-scale map of the universe – one of the most complex ever put together.

Astronomers Use Cosmic ‘Slicing’ Technique To Create New Map Of Early Universe

The map was presented at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science event which was held in Liverpool, England. Technical details about early galaxies were also outlined in two papers both released in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

It’s likely the young galaxies formed in a time frame of 11 billion to 13 billion years ago. Namely, they appeared about a billion years after the Big Bang expanded from a point of absolute singularity. A billion years is just the blink of an eye in astronomical terms. It is apparently still plenty of time, however, for thousands of new star-strewn galaxies to form.

The light we see today from these early galaxies is essentially a time-machine window into the unimaginably distant past. It’s possible that none of the galaxies shown in the 3D large-scale map still exist today. The stars that compose the body of these galaxies likely burned out or went nova eons ago.

Astronomers can determine the age of deep space objects by measuring the “red shift” in their light spectrum. The farther light travels, the more it gets stretched out causing a shift toward the red end of the spectrum.

Studying these thousands of early galaxies can yield vital clues about how galaxies formed. Specialists believe they have found a significant difference in the youthful galaxies. They appear to have formed stars in “bursts” rather than steady formation steps.

The innovative new map of the Universe employed telescopes with calibrated filters that essentially “sliced” gathered imagery into 16 parts. It also did it in such a way that different time periods were highlighted. This was chosen over the idea of gathering a single “present-moment” snapshot of the distant regions of space.

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It seems that the big noses of the Neanderthals helped them be more active.

Scientists taking advantage of 3D-modeling technology have been recreating “crash test” versions of Neanderthal skulls. Thanks to this, they now think they can explain why this extinct species of human beings had such a large nose.

The dominant facial structures of Neanderthals have long been a subject of interest and debate. The protruding brow ridge, the forward thrusting nose, and the weak chin would have made these people instantly recognizable as a different species of man.

Why Did the Neanderthals Have Such Big Noses

But why the difference? An obvious possible explanation is the bitter cold Ice Age environment they had learned to survive within for tens of thousands of years. That a large nose would be an advantage in breathing cold, dry air efficiently has been a popular suggestion.

But now it seems their big noses were no better at handling cold than our own.

Although the Neanderthal nose was found to be an efficient processor of cold air, scientists were surprised to discover that our smaller, modern-day human noses can do just as well. In some cases, these smaller noses might do even better than Neanderthals in frigid conditions.

Scientists also made a comparison with an early extinct human species, the Homo heidelbergensis. Here, the Neanderthal nose was clearly superior for cold-air breathing vis-à-vis our extinct relative.

So why did Neanderthal need those big noses? Further tests may have provided the best possible explanation. It turns out that the wide nostrils of Neanderthal made them world champion breathers.

That is, the sheer amount of oxygen they could move in and out of their lungs scored off the charts. Their breathing was easily twice as powerful as that of the Home sapiens sapiens.

This superior ability to oxygenate their bodies meant that Neanderthal would have had enormous stamina. This would have especially contributed to their ability to run over long distances, and also for long periods of time. It would have been helpful in hunting, as well as in keeping constantly active to stay warm in extreme cold.

“The take-home message from this is that the distinctive, projecting Neanderthal face is an adaptation linked with an extreme, high-energy lifestyle,” stated a researcher involved in the study.

Study findings were released in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 

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Scientists theorize that life forms might exist in the clouds of Venus.

Life on the planet Venus seems almost impossible. However, a study recently published in the scientific journal Astrobiology puts forth a new hypothesis. One that proposes that forms of life may live within the heavy cloud cover that blankets this planet.

How Could the Clouds of Venus Possibly Sustain Life?

Calling Venus “inhospitable” is a gross understatement. Its surface temperatures reach nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit. The dense clouds of Venus, full of sulfuric acid, ozone, and carbon dioxide keep heat from escaping back into space. Its atmospheric pressure is of around 1300 pounds per square inch, 90 times higher than that of Earth.

It is believed, based on computer models of the planet’s evolution, that conditions on the surface were not always so unfavorable. Scientists also consider that Venus might have once been possibly able to support life on its surface.

Current observations show that UV light is being absorbed before it reaches the surface of the planet. As it is, this phenomenon cannot be accounted for on a purely chemical basis. The Astrobiology study expounds on ideas first proposed back in 1967.

These claim that as conditions on the surface of the planet became unfavorable for life on the ground, microscopic forms of life began to colonize the clouds of Venus. These could now be absorbing the UV light that hit the planet.

Although no water has been found on the surface of Venus, water vapor is plentiful in the atmosphere. The temperatures there are also presumably within the range that could support life.

Venus seems an unlikely place to find signs of life due to its harsh conditions. However, it has been theorized that microorganisms living in the clouds may account for the long-observed absorption of UV light. If science manages to prove there are, indeed, lifeforms on Venus, it may help us learn more about the evolution of life on Earth.

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NASA announced that the Parker Solar Probe will be able to carry your name to the stars.

Have you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to see the Sun up close? Your dream might very well come true as NASA announced that the Parker Solar Probe’s, humanity’s first attempt to study the star at a very close range, has been scheduled to launch sometime this year. The agency announced that the probe can also carry your name on its way to the Sun.

Parker Solar Probe to Permeate the Sun’s Atmosphere

According to Thomas Zurbuchen, associated administrator at NASA’s Science, the launch of the Parker Solar Probe is a milestone in space exploration, as no attempt has been made to study the Sun’s surface at close range.

The spacecraft is scheduled to set out some time this year and, according to the space agency, it will get within four million miles of the star’s surface. As Zurbuchen pointed out, the Parker Sun Probe has been designed and built to withstand high amounts of solar radiation and heat. Its thick thermal shield must protect the onboard instruments from temperatures as high as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 1372 degrees Celsius).

Upon entering the Sun’s atmosphere, the probe will relay back information pertaining to solar winds and clouds with charged particles. Moreover, the Parker Solar Probe will spend some time studying how energy and heat move through the Sun’s atmosphere.

Conclusion

NASA has also allowed the public to take part in this project. Until the 27^th of April, solicitors can visit the space agency’s website and ask their names to be taken to the Sun. More specifically, NASA will write all these names on a memory card which will be carried by the Parker Solar Probe for the duration of the mission.

Zurbuchen ended his statement by saying the probe’s findings will end six decades worth of hypotheses about the Sun’s inner workings.

Image source: JPL/NASA

The expansion rate of the Universe might be much faster than its current maximum speed.

Using the Hubble Telescope, NASA astronomers conducted a new series of measurements targeting the expansion rate of the universe. To their shock, this is much faster than originally calculated. The measures are based on the rate of change from the Big Bang, suggesting undiscovered physics may be at work. This is one of the potential explanations for this phenomenon.

New Measurements of the Expansion Rate of the Universe Require New Physics

The team undertaking this measurement project have already been working for over six years. Using stars to mark distances in space, scientists have been trying to determine the distance between galaxies. In doing so, they could also refine the rate of expansion of the universe.

Called the Hubble constant, finding a more precise version of the ratio between expansion and time could help scientists understand the nature of our universe as a whole, or at least glean some new light on it.

This latest set of results has expanded the range of the research by over 10 times the previous measurements. With them, it was determined that the new ratio for universal expansion was much higher than previously estimated.

First calculated by the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite almost a century ago, the rate the universe is expanding was clocked at 67 kilometers per second per megaparsec (or 3.3 million light years). A potential maximum was set at 69 kilometers per second per megaparsec.

The maximum value was shattered by the new research, with NASA calculating the rate of expansion at 73 kilometers per second per megaparsec. This would indicate that the universe is expanding much faster than previously thought. It is also pointing to something that shouldn’t actually be possible, at least based on our current discoveries and understanding.

With no clear answer as to how this can be true, scientists can only begin speculating. Some theorize it to be dark matter speeding up the process of expansion. Others think that an undiscovered subatomic particle may be to blame.

However, regardless of what is doing it, discovering the reason the universe expands and why it is doing so this quickly will no doubt open the door to all sorts of new discoveries after that.

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According to scientists, as the number of sunspots decreases, the sunlight will get dimmer.

The Sun has an 11-year cycle of highs and lows, one that scientists are predicting will have an extraordinary low-point in its next cycle. This unusually low point is expected to occur around mid-century or 2050.

The ‘grand minimum’, as it is being called, is an especially low point in the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which could lead to a noticeably dimmer world. People shouldn’t expect darkness, but reportedly, they might experience a miniature ice-age and a slowing of the effects of global warming.

What to expect during the next Grand Minimum of 2050

As fewer sunspots are created, the Earth begins approaching a grand minimum. There are more than 20 years of data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite mission documenting these patterns. More sunspots create a brighter, warmer Earth. In contrast, fewer ones create a noticeably dimmer planet.

This has happened before, centuries ago. The “Maunder Minimum” occurred, as it is known, occurred in between 1645 and 1715. Although England and parts of Europe experienced unusual freezing such as the Thames River and the Baltic Sea turning to ice, other areas such as Alaska and Greenland actually had warmer temperatures.

As the solar activity quiets down, Earth’s ozone layer thins. This creates erratic weather patterns. Overall, it is expected to be 7 percent cooler than the average temperature. The global air temperature is expected to be a few tenths of a degree Celsius cooler.

Will this stop the damaging effects of global warming? No, but it could slow down things. While the help of grand minimum is appreciated and gives humanity a lot of help, it does not stop global warming.

Also, these small advantages also come with disadvantages. The thing is, after a grand minimum, the sun heats back up again. When it does this, it is expected and believed that it will heat up more than ever.

Current study results were released in a paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 

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University of Manchester researchers discovered that the two mummified brothers from Egypt had different fathers.

A Manchester University might have just put a lid on a 4000-year old mystery involving two mummified brothers. DNA sequencing revealed Britain’s most popular mummies, might have had a different father. The two brothers are in the University of Manchester’s vaults since 1908.

Two Brothers Had Different Fathers

While it’s true that the two brothers who mummified and interred almost 4000 years ago shared the same mother, a new study bearing the University of Manchester’s seal has determined that not even this Egyptian family wasn’t sparred the drama that comes with the territory.

The mummified bodies belong to Nakht-ankh and Khnum-nakth, two priests from the Deir Rifeh region. Historical records show that the two mummified brothers were the sons of the region’s governor. Thus, upon their death, they’ve received a burial ceremony worthy of an Egyptian Pharaohs.

To this day, the bodies of Khnum-nakth and Nakth-ankh are regarded as the best-preserved mummies from the Egyptian Middle Kingdom. The discovery of the two mummified brothers is attributed to renowned British archaeologist Flinders Petrie, who opened their tomb in 1907.

One year later, the bodies would be shipped from Cairo to the University of Manchester, where Dr. Margaret Murray, the first female archaeologist, and her team would examine their remains.

A Most Startling Discovery

One hundred years later after Murray analyzed the mummies, another team of Manchester scientists took an interest in the two mummified brothers. Using gene sequencing technologies, the researchers were able to extract and isolate Y chromosome DNA and mitochondrial DNA from the remains.

As you know, mitochondrial DNA is used to determine an individual’s maternal line, while the later is used to determine the paternal line. The DNA sequencing revealed that the two mummified brothers shared the haplotype Mlal, which indicates that they’ve shared the same mother.

However, the Y chromosome DNA analysis revealed staggering differences in both cases, which clearly indicates that the two mummified brothers had different fathers.

As to the reason behind these results, the researchers have hypothesized that either the brother’s mother had an affair or that one of them was adopted.

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The actuators use liquid and oil to power some electrodes and perform movements

A team of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have created a revolutionary type of robotic muscles. They are strong and flexible at the same time, can perceive the movements they perform and, whenever they suffer damage, they can self-heal. However, what is best about them is probably the fact that they are extremely cheap to manufacture.

The robotic muscles are stronger than real muscle, and can heal on their own

The robotic muscles have been called actuators, and have drawn inspiration from real-life muscles. By creating robots equipped with this kind of actuators, researchers would allow them to perform movements just like humans.

To make the robotic muscles work, they filled some elastic material with electrodes made of hydrogel and with oil. Then, they applied some electricity, and the oil started moving around the electrodes. This way, the entire formation started contracting and relaxing just like real muscles, but a lot quicker.

Researchers also took inspiration from the variety of human muscles, and created more types of actuators, each of them performing a different movement. They called these robotic muscles HASEL, which is an acronym for Hydraulically-Amplified Self-healing Electrostatic. However, they are superior to biological muscles as they are stronger, faster, and more flexible.

This technology is extremely cheap

Even the researchers were amazed they could develop such a technology. Eric Acome, the author of one of the studies, explained what is unique about the robotic muscles.

“The ability to create electrically powered soft actuators that lift a gallon of water at several times per second is something we haven’t seen before.”

These muscles are special because they are also self-healing. This property is given by the liquid placed inside of them, which also confers them a lot more advantages than those mechanisms using solids. In the end, the material which keeps the liquid, the oil, and the electrodes is extremely cheap. It is a type of polymer similar to the one used for potato chips bags, and can be manufactures for only 10 cents.

Researchers published two studies on the robotic muscles, one in the journal Science and the second in the journal Science Robotics.
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The iridescence of male peacock spiders is hard to imitate artificially

The techniques used by animals to woo their partners and convince them to mate are known to be quite elaborate, but some are truly exquisite. A species of peacock spiders, for instance, use probably the most advanced wooing system in the form of a series of colors displayed like a rainbow on its body. The color positioning and design is so amazing that it might help researchers develop a new chromatic technology.

Rainbow peacock spiders bear an intricate display of colors on their bodies

Scientists have always been fascinated by this unique display on the bodies of rainbow peacock spiders. They were especially surprised by the iridescence of these colors, which they decided to study with the help of a series of advanced measurements, such as electron microscopy, scatterometry, or hyperspectral imaging.

After the analysis was done, researchers used all the measurements they had collected and put up a 3D simulation of the patterns on the back of rainbow peacock spiders. This way, they could identify the source of iridescence. Their abdomen is covered in 3D scales, which produce the light effect through diffraction.

The iridescence produced by their scales is hard to imitate by an artificial system

The interaction between the 3D formations and the colors causes light to become isolated into separate wavelengths. This is an example of an extremely complex mechanism, which can really work as an inspiration for scientists. At the moment, the actual optical processes are difficult to be mimicked by humans. However, by taking a close look at how they work, they can find out how to apply the same principles to their mechanisms.

Rainbow peacock spiders are a natural wonder. Apart from displaying the bright display of colors, they can also produce iridescence better than any artificial mechanism could ever do. Even after a thorough understanding of the processes, it would be impossible to precisely reproduce it artificially. However, knowing how they work can improve plenty of optical systems we use today.

The study on the bright display of the rainbow peacock spiders was published in the journal Nature Communications.
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The dinosaur eggs might turn into reality the dream of bringing back the dinosaurs

Several Chinese workers were working on the construction site of a school in Jiangxi, in the southeastern part of the country, when they made a breathtaking discovery. In the ground, there lay buried 20 dinosaur eggs in a perfect oval shape. Many scientists have been dreaming of bringing dinosaurs back from the dead, and their wish is now one step closer to being fulfilled.

The dinosaur eggs reveal how diverse the Chinese environment used to be

China has been one of the main locations of dinosaur discoveries for a long period of time. In fact, this is not even the first time when dinosaur eggs are being unearthed in the country. Some time ago, paleontologists found 200 fossilized eggs which belonged to a winged species of dinosaurs called pterosaurs.

These eggs dated back to the late Triassic up until the end of the Cretaceous period. The recently unearthed dinosaur eggs are also from the Cretaceous, which is revealed by the black shells covering them. This discovery is essential for establishing the history of dinosaurs in the area, revealing that China might have harbored over 20 species of dinosaurs.

The discovery might help researchers in extracting dinosaur DNA

Also, the dinosaur eggs might help researchers in their attempt to revive the reptiles. They have recently discovered a tick preserved in amber together with a dinosaur feather, and tried to extract DNA from this sample. They hoped that the parasite still had some dinosaur blood inside its bowels. This attempt wasn’t successful, as the fossil was 99 million years old.

Their idea was extremely ambitious. At first, they only wanted to extract dinosaur blood and sequence some DNA from it. Then, they thought they might transplant this DNA into an empty egg, which had already got its own DNA extracted from it. Now, they found some well-preserved dinosaur eggs, which might help them with their attempts to get their hands on fresh dino DNA.
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