Photo of the day !!

'Ridiculously smooth': James Webb telescope spies unusual pancake-like disk around nearby star Vega — and scientists can't explain it
(NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, S. Wolff (University of Arizona), K. Su (University of Arizona), A. Gáspár (University of Arizona))

'Ridiculously smooth': James Webb telescope spies unusual pancake-like disk around nearby star Vega — and scientists can't explain it

The nearby bright star Vega is surrounded by a surprisingly smooth, 100 billion-mile-wide disk of cosmic dust, confirming that it is not surrounded by any exoplanets, JWST images reveal. And scientists cannot explain its lack of alien worlds.
 
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ADKq_NZFXgRXWcw-6KKIdRsXcflP7zDw2Jf8mF3x7TFbVHswYgs3PNiXNxN779KggFulQlwnh_T1HS1P-cOznn7fdSEHBsCNNODdCIuitrG0LKl7yqSUrnaf7wYykn9H187SgAVhJwAr-y3tmH8eXkFBl5z5H_ILzUrwY2qJUmd3HXnLzcWuc-ZcIAA77RVhulVMJD3XTKoqoX78WWiLAGSnAw9aNgJ_gJ10qVEvMzpK0dFakManDMkAsqvhf_PZ5uD1V8QnotlEVRe9gNqDH69EPnjd9O6wBwM8gx85azXC3k-jMO0ZHymh59wI0jrGMcI2yW_GNKrNwzOxAGOLLroUBFwWEyoJvGPzwcV1W8_g9NW34RWMqg=s0-d-e1-ft
History & Archaeology

'A flash of copper caught our attention': 4,000-year-old dagger discovered deep in Italian cave
(Davide Bonaduce)

'A flash of copper caught our attention': 4,000-year-old dagger discovered deep in Italian cave
Archaeologists say the finds will help them better understand the prehistoric people who lived or buried their dead in this Italian cave.
Health

Migraine molecules may drive endometriosis pain. Existing drugs might help.
(Grace Cary via Getty Images)

Migraine molecules may drive endometriosis pain. Existing drugs might help.
Pain-sensing neurons exchange signals with immune cells that drive endometriosis, sparking the pain associated with the condition, new research suggests.

Physics & Math

'Hawking radiation' may be erasing black holes. Watching it happen could reveal new physics.
(Geralt via Pixabay)

'Hawking radiation' may be erasing black holes. Watching it happen could reveal new physics.
Primordial black holes may be exploding throughout the universe. If we can catch them in the act, it could pave the way to new physics, a study suggests.
Technology

New 'wastewater' jet fuel could cut airplane emissions by 70%
(horstgerlach/Getty Images)

New 'wastewater' jet fuel could cut airplane emissions by 70%
Scientists have discovered how to convert wastewater into biofuel to cut plane emissions by 70% — creating a new sustainable version of aviation fuel using biomass and agricultural waste.


e n coueaging
eion sigh,where are yu
notime t spend xtra 14 billion
ehaes bilion not paltry milion a

on
not released yet
with a new rirle graciously bestowed on you great
well deservedentire country/so far hah​
 
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Today at Yale Environment 360, our contributing writer Fred Pearce explores how Brazil is seeking to create a green economy in the Amazon that would serve as a model for the world. The nation’s “bioeconomy” strategy aims for traditional rural communities to harvest foods and materials from the rainforest sustainably and sell them on international markets. When President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hosts the G20 summit in Brazil this month, he is expected to urge other world leaders to commit to this new economic vision. “We must ensure that taking care of the forest is more profitable than cutting down the trees,” Lula says. Read the article.

E360 depends on you, our readers, and there is no better time to show your support than right now. Give through December 31, and your donation to e360 will be doubled, thanks to NewsMatch, a national gift-matching campaign supporting nonprofit journalism. Please give today.

Roger Cohn
 
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terest means you could pay off the debt faster. Find out more

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ADKq_NZIlau0uFRXR_WfBKm9ZRuySRLPqOw2MxKv3XBuwhCFWFyz9QuGMHMSK1H2lwOQiBj65pVLazVLJJC9FQkyJRTz4KK-A8k9pV6dWyzpewGHuYtj9xrNo-830gQabmjfDCDW3xT9Cc8JEAZWTDdL3Lr7CE6BsdHpBahW_g9cNfVxBPGiuqxvKAQ5PhgQrJg74xXDE95mZLLlYsM0BW9nZcEBSyr-4sNeKiVK_rWkVPZNHdqWixFoZiDgkA5bZ6M314JlEFhfnGO9THvIMB02-qTsPlcfiYjDpZiTEte54WKAHY4xazfhw77S2lUdK12HO-XXLWb2KpwNfR03ePtWWHUbTw5OegY2HTEwhtCyNDSHWI16Bw=s0-d-e1-ft
Skywatching

Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more
Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more
(Starry Night / Jamie Carter)
Look southwest after dark; you'll see a bright 37%-illuminated waxing crescent moon approaching two shining points of light due south. The upper point will be the ringed planet Saturn, and below it will be Fomalhaut, the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, and just 25 light-years distant. At magnitude +1, it's one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
Full Story: Space(8/7)
Spaceflight

Satellite survives impact with object in space, takes selfie
Satellite survives impact with object in space, takes selfie
(NanoAvionics)
A tiny puncture discovered in the solar panel of a small satellite orbiting Earth highlights the seriousness of the orbital clutter problem. Lithuania-based satellite manufacturer NanoAvionics discovered the 0.24-inch-wide (6-millimeter) hole in footage captured by an on-board camera of its MP42 satellite, which has been orbiting the planet since April 2022. The satellite captured the image on Oct 24, and NanoAvionics released it on X on Wednesday, Oct 30.
Full Story: Space(11/5)

Science & Astronomy

NASA coronagraph will measure temp., speed of solar wind
NASA coronagraph will measure temp., speed of solar wind
(CODEX Team/NASA)
We're about to learn more about the solar wind, thanks to NASA's newly launched Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX). CODEX is a solar coronagraph that arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (Nov. 5) aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule. A coronagraph is an instrument that blocks out harsh light from the sun, to better expose regions around the sun - such as its outer atmosphere, known as the corona - for direct observation.
Full Story: Space(11/6)
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SpaceX

Dragon is about to do something it's never done before
Dragon is about to do something it's never done before
(NASA)
SpaceX will boost the space station for the first time Friday (Nov. 8), as the company prepares to eventually kill the orbiting complex. A Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) will fire its engines for 12.5 minutes on Friday (Nov. 8), NASA officials said at a press conference Monday (Nov. 4). Other spacecraft have done this before, but it will be a first for a SpaceX capsule -- and an important precursor to a bigger Dragon vehicle that will one d


seen the light mebeee
 
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Death of alien-hunting Arecibo Telescope traced to cable issues 3 years earlier, 'alarming' report finds
(Michelle Negron, National Science Foundation)
Death of alien-hunting Arecibo Telescope traced to cable issues 3 years earlier, 'alarming' report finds
A scathing new report points to unclear protocols and multiple failures to raise alarms at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico before the collapse of the site's radio telescope in 2020.
Animals

Incredibly rare, ghostly white shark discovered off Albania
(Photographs Andrej Gajić, Sharklab ADRIA, study funded by the Explorers Club Expedition Grant “What lurks in the depths?!”)
Incredibly rare, ghostly white shark discovered off Albania
A ghostly white angular roughshark found near Sazan Island, Albania, is the first example of leucism ever recorded in the species.

Chemistry

Scientists just got 1 step closer to creating a 'superheavy' element that is so big, it will add a new row to the periodic table
(Getty Images)
Scientists just got 1 step closer to creating a 'superheavy' element that is so big, it will add a new row to the periodic table
Scientists have discovered a new way of creating superheavy elements by firing supercharged ion beams at dense atoms. The team believes this method could potentially help synthesize the hypothetical "element 120," which would be heavier than any known element.
Technology

Holographic-inspired lenses could unlock '3rd dimension of imaging' in future VR headsets and smart glasses
(Andrew Brookes/Getty Images)
Holographic-inspired lenses could unlock '3rd dimension of imaging' in future VR headsets and smart glasses
Future VR headsets could use a new type of lens inspired by holographic devices. The bilayer bifocal lens relies on external voltage to change the intensities in the foci.
Daily Quiz
 
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Book Excerpt: How Circadian Rhythms Make Life on Earth Tick


By Lynne Peeples

Circadian rhythms are essential to all living things. For humans, our inner clocks regulate everything from the ebb and flow of hormones to the rise and fall of blood pressure and heart rate, and help our digestive and metabolic systems to gear up ahead of time for meals and to handle other activities. Read on »







The Nobel Prizes Tell a Story About Scientific Discovery


By C. Brandon Ogbunu

The Nobel Prizes have long been celebrations of scientific innovation. In this month’s Selective Pressure column, C. Brandon Ogbunu explores how this year’s awards have highlighted the increased relevance of technology and magnified existing questions about where — and how — scientific discovery happens. Read on »







Are Schools With Armed Police Actually Safer?


By Rod McCullom

In 2022, more than 41,000 U.S. schools employed at least one officer. But recent research has questioned whether such policing actually promotes safety, and shows that the approach increases punitive measures. While districts re-think their policies, Chicago — which removed all officers from schools this year — is charting a new course. Read on »







An Honest Discussion of Covid Vaccine Side Effects Is Overdue


By Anthony Flint

Severe side effects of Covid-19 vaccinations, like Guillain-Barré syndrome, are very rare. But, writes journalist Anthony Flint, the government currently does not sufficiently document or provide compensation for such cases. Doing so it vital to improving vaccines and engendering trust in vaccine safety. Read on »







The Great American Nuclear Weapons Upgrade


By Ramin Skibba

A $1.7 trillion military program is advancing the American nuclear arsenal. While some analysts argue that the program is crucial to building — or rebuilding — a formidable arsenal that deters other nuclear powers, other say it raises questions for both nuclear deterrence and arms control. Read on »



smike from undark
wha's undastk,i camilla al t..... ponder huhduh
 
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A massive environmental calamity rocked the ancient Mediterranean. It took millions of years for the ecosystem to recover.​
by Moira Donovan • 700 words / 3 mins

Scientists are working to emulate whale waste, which they say could fertilize the ocean and sequester carbon.​
by Sandy Ong • 1,200 words / 6 mins​


What We’re Reading​
Because we’ve read more than enough journalism about elections in recent weeks, we’ll share some poetry instead: this gorgeous compilation of more than 500 responses to a prompt asking readers what will not change in their lives, no matter how the political winds blow. (Reasons to be Cheerful)

Speaking of poetry, Sarah Gilman—who has written, edited, and illustrated many Hakai Magazine stories over the years—shared this brief illustrated poem, reminding us to look for light in times of darkness. (Last Word on Nothing)

For perhaps the first time in 10,000 years, Indigenous residents living along the Yukon River in Alaska haven’t been able to fish for either chinook or pink salmon after consecutive years of low runs caused managers to shut down the fisheries. In some places, “culture camps” have replaced fish camps, as tribal communities try to keep traditions alive without the species and practices that helped define them. (High Country News)

In an era when scientists can identify which species of fish live in a stream simply by examining the DNA in a vial of stream water, biology has become ever more reliant on technology. Yet a growing number of wildlife enthusiasts are going old school: the ancient art of tracking is experiencing a revival. (Smithsonian)

Legendary Canadian wildlife biologist and writer Karsten Heuer died at his home in Alberta earlier this week after contracting multiple system atrophy, a rare neurological disease. (Rocky Mountain Outlook, The Narwhal)​





Rhyme Time is a weekly puzzle exclusively for our newsletter readers. Each week, we provide a cryptic clue and you guess the answer, which will be two rhyming words with the same number of syllables. For example, the clue “The hour of the day for writing couplets” has the answer “rhyme time.”

Last week’s clue was “A bag to carry things while you sail,” and the answer is “boat tote.” Congrats to Joe K., Robin R., Will E., Glen H., Sande M., Brittany B., Matt W., Om S., Monika H., and Brian S. for being the first to guess correctly. Our puzzle master also gave his
🦭
of approval to these alternate answers from readers: float tote, tack sack, and tack pack.

This week’s clue is “To give glowing comments to mantas and their kin.” Send your guess, just for fun, by replying to this email. The answer will be revealed in our next newsletter.​



North Beach is right across the street from my place on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. I like to nip over daily, sometimes between meetings or to catch a nice long walk as the sun goes down. I took this picture in late September when a clear day between the wind and rain of an atmospheric river and the dregs of Typhoon Pulasan offered a lucky view of the sunset.

The dynamics of kelp and wrack tell a story about the seasons, and this season is definitely about storms, and the beachward end to many a kelp frond. It looked like the ocean swell was grabbing the kelp and bowling it onto the beaches: rock, holdfast attachment, kelp, and all. They were strewn all over the beach and I thought this one rock looked particularly like a bowling ball.

— Margot Hessing-Lewis

See where the photo was taken on Google Maps.

Submit your coastal snapshots for inclusion in the newsletter by replying to this email.
 
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Image
Introducing the latest collector’s item from the Abbey Road Shop - the second-generation George Martin Action Figure made in collaboration with Lightning Boltz!

Sir George Martin CBE, legendary producer and composer often hailed as the 'Fifth Beatle', played an instrumental role in shaping the sound of the ‘60s at Abbey Road, pushing the boundaries of creativity alongside names like The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey and Spike Milligan.
Image
To commemorate his incredible legacy this exclusive, limited-edition action figure comes in a classic black-and-white 1960s style complete with Vitavox B50 microphone – the iconic handset Martin used to communicate with bands from the control room during recording sessions.
Limited to just 100 units worldwide, these unique pieces of art have been expertly designed and hand-crafted by artist David McGurk.

Own a piece of music history with this highly collectible action figure made to celebrate Martin’s musical genius and his lasting impact on music makers around the world.
PR
 
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November 10, 2024​


As the days get shorter and winter draws near, we’ve been dreaming about some of the most vibrant, sun-drenched corners of the world. At the top of our list are three warm-weather trips taking place this winter: a relaxing 8-day escape to sun-drenched Southern Italy; a deeply immersive wildlife experience in the tropical rainforests of Borneo; and a journey across the kaleidoscopically colorful cities of Rajasthan.

Which warm-weather escape is calling to you?

Stay Curious,
The AO Adventures Team
 
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Dragon fires thrusters to boost ISS orbit for the 1st time
(NASA/Don Pettit)

For the first time, Dragon performed an orbit-raising maneuver to stabilize the ISS's trajectory in low-Earth orbit. Such maneuvers are routine for the orbital lab, which requires periodic boosts to maintain its altitude above Earth and prevent its orbital decay into the planet's atmosphere. Historically, this has been accomplished using Russia's Soyuz and Progress vehicles, and other spacecraft, but, for the first time, it has been performed SpaceX's Dragon.
Full Story: Space(11/8)
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