Science, Space, & Robotics - Page 183

Well, it looks like Elon Musk will have his chance of putting a "literal Dogecoin on the literal moon" with SpaceX awarded a $2.9 billion contract from NASA to build a lunar lander that will take Americans to the moon for the first time since 1972.

SpaceX won the NASA contract for the Artemis lunar lander, beating out the Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin (which worked with aerospace giants Lockheed Martin and defense contractor Dynetics). SpaceX might still have 'splosion issues with its Starship but NASA is confident the Musk-backed company has it in the bag.

NASA also liked the idea that Starship can be reused, which was a major decision in the US space agency choosing Musk's own SpaceX for the Artemis. SpaceX is already working with NASA on getting astronauts up and off the Earth and onto the International Space Station -- speaking of which, the next trip up there is in a few days on April 22.

It was only a few weeks ago the world's largest cargo ship, the Ever Given, blocked the Suez Canal in Egypt.

Now reports indicating that the ever given that has since been unblocked from the Suez Canal has been seized by Egypt authorities over the failure to pay I nearly $1 billion dollar debt. Since the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal, it caused a catastrophic loss in revenue as a ship that would ordinarily travel through the Suez Canal couldn't. Additionally, the Ever Given caused damage to the waterway, and the equipment used to free it, combined with the labor time, increased the total amount of money lost.

Reportedly, The Ever Given has been seized by Egyptian authorities until the ever-given owners pay the $900 million debt. The figure that is reportedly owed to Egypt represents the total compensation for the six-day blockage of the Suez Canal. Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), told Egyptian state television last week said, "The vessel will remain here until investigations are complete and compensation is paid. The minute they agree to compensation, the vessel will be allowed to move."

Allies have been warned by a think tank ground that estimates North Korea is stockpiling nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in an effort to eventually wipe out the west.

The report comes from a think tank research group, and it states that Kim Jong-un "appears to be building a nuclear weapon force capable of enabling peninsula dominance". The thing tank also goes on to warn that South Korea and US defenses need to be enhanced to sustain deterrence against North Korea.

The Sun Online reports that experts have told the publication that North Korea has been funding large cyber heists while also carrying out illegal trades and even selling weapons to terrorist groups in an effort to wipe out the west. Here's what the report states, "Looking ahead to the more serious nuclear weapon threat that North Korea might pose by 2027, the ROK (Republic of Korea) and the US are most likely to deter North Korean nuclear weapon use if they develop the capabilities to better defend themselves against North nuclear weapon use and to be able to defeat North Korea in whatever way it uses nuclear weapons."

In a private nursing home located in India, a woman gave birth to a baby that has two heads and three hands.

The case has been dubbed by doctors as "rare", as the baby is actually conjoined twins sharing the same body. The woman gave birth to a baby in the eastern state of Oshida, and shortly after the child was birthed, its condition began to deteriorate. As a result, it was moved to a different Hospital. Now, doctors have said that the baby was eating with two mouths and breathing with two noses, but in a singular body.

Dr. Debashis Sahoo, a pediatrician, told Odisha TV, "The newborn is eating with two mouths and breathing with two noses and is actually conjoined twin sisters who share a single body, three arms and two legs." Dr. Sahoo goes on to say that the baby was delivered by cesarean section, and the twins are joined at the chest and abdomen. Unfortunately, the parents of the baby are quite poor and unable to afford the treatments that the baby requires, such as separation surgery. As a result, the parents and our asking the local Government for help with the surgery costs.

Since there is an extremely large selection of streamers to choose from these days, ideas that make your stream unique can be the deciding factor between a viewer watching you or someone else.

Tim C. Inzana has taken a unique idea and executed upon it, and as a result has garnered a lot of attention of Twitch. Inzana has spent the first 100 days of 2021 locked in a shed with a constant livestream on Twitch running. Inzana has an offer, and plans to spend the rest of the year in his shed as a way to promote the offer.

The streamer says he will lock himself in an empty room for 5 to 10 years and fill it with the art he creates, while livestreaming 24/7 on Twitch. Additionally, Inzana said he will give his buyer a custom frame designed by him while he is locked in the room. Inzana said, "The artwork is me creating the artwork. It would be like seeing a blank space transform into this colorful space." The prices are as follows; 5 years locked in a room = $5 million. 10 years locked in a room = $10 million, which is only available to a single buyer.

Elon Musk said 4 years ago that he wanted to end languages for human beings with brain implants with his company Neuralink, fast forward to 2020 and Musk said human trials of the brain implant were coming... and now they have a monkey playing pong with his mind. Wow. Check it out:

9-year-old monkey Pager learns how to control the computer and use the joystick to move the ball around on the screen to match up with the orange square, and gets rewarded when he does this with a "tasty banana smoothie, delivered through a straw". While Pager learns how to play the game, the Neuralink team have been pulling data from the chip in his brain.

Once Pager is familiar with the control system, Neuralink disconnected the joystick and Pager was still playing Pong -- but with just his brain. The brain-computer interface, or BCI, is doing the rest -- allowing Pager to control the computer with just his thoughts. The team at Neuralink say this is going to be perfect technology for those who have lost a limb and get a prosthetic installed, which they will eventually be able to control through a BCI.

For many years, astronomers have been questioning some of the fundamental parts of the universe, and now we have discovered the key component that can answer those questions.

According to a report from the BBC, scientists have collided atoms together and have found sub-atomic particles called muons. Researchers found that these sub-atomic particles don't behave under the current theory of sub-atomic particle physics, which leads researchers to believe that there is another force of nature influencing this sub-atomic particle.

At the moment, researchers agree that there are four fundamental forces of nature; gravity, electricity, magnetism, and two nuclear forces. All of these forces of nature help us measure and understand the universe. If researchers can prove the existence of a fifth force of nature, then it may explain some burning questions in many different scientific fields. If you want to watch a quick video on this topic/discover, check out this link here.

Two days an image from NASA went somewhat viral as thousands of people were interested in how Mars produced a "rainbow" with no water in its atmosphere.

The above image shows what seems to be to the normal eye a perfect rainbow hovering in the martian sky. This was quite puzzling to some people, as there shouldn't be any rainbows on Mars considering the lack of raindrops in the sky and how thin the atmosphere is. So, what are we looking at if it isn't a martian rainbow?

The answer is a bit of a mood-killer if you get excited about space things. Since there were so many people questioning the image that NASA released, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab gave an accurate answer to Futurism. JPL media relations specialist Andrew Good confirmed, "What you're seeing there is a lens flare. We have sunshades on the front Hazcams, which were considered mission critical (since we need them for driving forward, and we're usually driving forward)."

An announcement has come from a state health department has urged residents to stay indoors as a possibly serious threat has emerged.

According to an announcement from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on Tuesday, a resident of Barry County, Michigan, has been suspected of contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). EEE is a potentially deadly mosquito-borne illness, and the Michigan resident isn't the only case of the disease, as 22 horses across 10 counties have been confirmed to have contracted EEE.

Due to the spread of the disease, authorities have urged Michigan residents to stay indoors after dark so they are protected against any potential mosquitos that could be carrying the disease. To counter the threat these mosquitos bring, the MDHHS has confirmed it will be spraying pesticide over high-risk areas in the state, which include the 10 counties that have confirmed cases in horses. The distribution of this pesticide is aimed at controlling the population of mosquitos in the respective areas.

While COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed out to millions of people around the country, one top virus expert has warned that the US is about to enter a "new pandemic".

Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said on Sunday that in many ways, he believes that "we're almost in a new pandemic", as a result of the new strains of COVID-19 spreading. Dr. Osterholm explains that the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom is of much concern to public health experts for the following reasons.

"This is a virus that is now 50 to 100 percent more transmissible or infectious than the previous viruses. This is a virus that causes 50 to 60 percent more severe illnesses, and so what at one time wasn't as much of a problem-for example, in cases in young adult-are now becoming very serious cases. This is really a fourth wave, you might call it, with somewhat of a different picture than we've seen in the past waves of the pandemic."

Back in late February, NASA's new Mars rover safely touched down on the Red Planet, and now it's hard at work uncovering the mysteries of a new baron world.

Looking at the official Twitter account for the Perseverance rover, we can see that the rover is speaking from a first-person view and that it has recently found a strange rock that has scientists back on Earth puzzled. From the string of tweets that the Perseverance rover has sent, it's apparent that scientists aren't quite sure what or where this uniquely looking space rock has come from.

In one reply from Perseverance, it's stated that the team of scientists has proposed many different hypotheses about the rock, a couple of which are as follows; "is it something weathered out of the local bedrock? Is it a piece of Mars plopped into the area from a far-flung impact event? Is it a meteorite?". At the moment, your guess is as good as NASA's until more research into the strange rock is completed.

Russian researchers found two ancient nematodes (roundworms) in the Siberian permafrost, and now those worms have defrosted and returned back to life.

A new report from The Siberian Times indicates that Russian scientists "defrosted" and subsequently revived two roundworms that had been frozen in the Arctic permafrost for a staggering 40,000 years. Now that these worms have come back to life through a slow defrost, they are now the oldest living animals on the planet.

One research paper suggests that one worm originally came from an ancient squirrel burrow that was in a permafrost wall of the Duvanny Yar outcrop in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River. This worm is around 32,000 years old, and the other worm was found near Alazeya River earlier in 2015 and is around 41,700 years old. To read more on this interesting story, check out this link here for more information.

Sometimes it's nice to take a slow morning walk, and during that morning walk, you usually aren't expecting to find something that is truly confusing.

Well, a resident of Hoboken, New Jersey, was out for a morning stroll in a park near the Hudson River when she spotted hundreds of worms forming a spiral on the sidewalk. Tiffanie Fisher, a local councilperson, shared the images on her Twitter, calling the strange assortment of worms a "wormnado". Locals quickly began commenting on the images, one saying it "looks like a portal out of a horror movie".

Kevin Butt, a soil ecology expert at the University of Central Lancashire, said, "In short, worms have likely come to the soil surface due to excess rainwater, have been unable to burrow down due to movement on to a hard surface and the shape seen may well be a function of the water draining away, rather than specific behaviour of the earthworms."

Researchers discovered that back in 1582, a huge solar storm hit Earth and appeared in the skies over Europe and Asia.

Now, researchers are saying that a similar-sized solar mega-storm could hit Earth again this century, but this time around, it could rain destruction on the planet, knocking out power grids across the globe. Researchers from Cornell University discovered eyewitness reports of the previously mentioned 1582 solar storm and found that these old reports were similar to reports of modern-day solar storms that occurred back in 1909 and 1989.

According to the reports from back in 1582, the solar storm lasted for three days, and onlookers saw a "fiery red show in the sky". Additionally, Pero Ruiz Soares, an eyewitness of the 1582 solar storm, noted, "All that part of the sky appeared burning in fiery flames; it seemed that the sky was burning." Researchers believe that a solar storm of this magnitude occurs roughly every hundred years, which means that one is expected to happen sometime in the 21st century.

One of the White House health advisors has said that there is a "message" problem regarding what vaccinated people can now do.

That White House health advisor is Dr. Michael Osterholm, who recently stated that COVID-19 vaccines are not complete protection against the virus, thus the recommendation of fully vaccinated people avoiding air travel if it's "nonessential". Here's what Dr. Osterholm said, "It's not perfect, it's not 100 percent [protection from COVID-19]".

Dr. Osterholm also said that there is a problem with conveying this message to the public, stating, "We do have a problem right now from a public health standpoint nuancing that message." As for what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, fully vaccinated people can safely travel but are still recommended to wear masks.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is still in action capturing astonishing images of planets, galaxies, and other celestial sights.

Above we have an image of the Veil Nebula, and as BGR mentions, it looks like the image was created using special effects, but it's not. This is Mother Nature at her finest. On NASA's post, it details that the Veil Nebula is 2,100 light-years away from Earth and that the nebula was created as a result of a death of a star that is estimated to be 20 times the mass of our Sun.

What we are seeing in the image is ionized gas that has been left over after the star detonated around 10,000 years ago. While it may take some billions of years, eventually, all of this gas will clump together into tighter and tighter pieces. Dust and other materials in space will also clump together, which may form a brand new planetary system, and thus the cycle of stars and planets. For more information on this story, check out this link here.

A new challenge is circulating on the very popular app TikTok, and this new trend is called the "Blackout Challenge".

Reports have surfaced about Joshua Haileyesus, a 12-year-old boy from Colorado who attempted the blackout challenge but was found by his brother passed out on the bathroom floor. Joshua reportedly used a shoelace to choke himself to the point of blacking out and losing consciousness. Doctors have told the family that Joshua will not recover.

Joshua's father, Haileyesus Zeryihun, said, "Told me the bad news that he's not going to survive, he's not going to make it. I was begging them on the floor, pleading to see if they can give me some time, not to give up on him. If I just give up on him, I feel like I'm just walking away from my son." The father of the family warned that these types of "challenges" have serious consequences and that children should be taught how to decipher dangerous challenges from safe ones.

Apple has just announced that it will be building a huge new "grid-scale" energy-storage facility in California, where the iGiant will be storing 240 megawatt-hours of energy.

The company will be tying this new grid-scale energy-storage facility directly from its 130-megawatt solar farm, which Apple built to power daytime energy requirements for its HQ in Cupertino, California. Apple adds that it will see 110 of its manufacturing partners moving to 100% renewable energy -- a move Apple is pushing along its entire supply chain and products to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Apple explains: "Sharing the experience gained through Apple's own transition to 100 percent renewable energy with its suppliers, the company introduces suppliers to resources and training materials with country-specific information to guide them in their transition to renewables".

NASA's new Mars rover recently touched down on the Red Planet not to long ago, but Perseverance isn't the only rover scouring the surface of Mars.

Don't forget about Curiosity, which touched down on the surface of Mars back in 2012. Curiosity is still exploring nearly 10 years later, and to remind you just how good Curiosity is at it's job, NASA has released what could be the best selfie ever taken on Mars. Above, you can see the rover positioned in front of a rock feature known as Mont Mercou.

Additionally, the image also showcases wind-beaten rocks that Curiosity is sitting on as well as dunes of dark sand in the background. On top of that, if you check out the full-resolution image, or have keen eyes, you can spot a hole that has been drilled by Curiosity to take samples of the Red Planets rock material. Here's what NASA states, "Curiosity's drill powderized the sample before trickling it into instruments inside the rover so the science team could get a better understanding of the rock's composition and what clues it might offer about Mars' past."

One of the largest cargo container ships in the entire world has turned sideways and has blocked all traffic in Egypt's Suez Canal.

On Wednesday, officials said that the MV Ever Given, a cargo container ship that conducts trade between Asia and Europe, has become grounded in the man-made waterway that divides Africa from the Sinai Peninsula. According to GAC, the reason the cargo ship turned sideways is because it suffered "a blackout while transiting in a northerly direction."

According to a statement from the Evergreen Marine Corp, a Taiwan-based shipping company that controls the cargo ship, the ship turned sideways because it was overcome by strong winds as it began to enter the Suez Canal. Evergreen Marine Corp also notes that none of the containers have fallen from the ship. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, which manages the Ever Given, said, "All crew are safe and accounted for. There have been no reports of injuries or pollution." However, management said that the ship never lost power.