Science, Space, & Robotics - Page 65

Paleontologists have uncovered the fossilized remains of a massive dinosaur in Portugal, potentially the largest dinosaur fossil found in Europe, if not the entire world.

The ribs pictured each measure about 3 meters (9.8 feet) long and are thought to be from a sauropod. The remains were found in the garden of a house near Pombal, Portugal after the owner of the house first started finding remains in his garden while digging to clear the way for an extension in 2017. The homeowner contacted paleontologists after his discovery, and Portuguese and Spanish paleontologists have since uncovered the ribs and other bones from the sauropod starting in August 2022.

NASA is currently sitting on the launch pad with its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket awaiting approval to launch the Artemis 1 mission to the Moon.

NASA has taken to its social media to announce that its Artemis 1 mission is currently undergoing an "unplanned hold" as the team works on issue with engine 3 that's located on the SLS's core stage. Tuning into the NASA livestream above it was explained that there was a hydrogen leak that caused a temperature failure. The issue is currently being investigated leading up to the launch window opening in approximately 30 minutes from this articles posting time.

Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica recently took to Twitter to write that he is hearing rumors that "today's a scrub", while also saying that "no confirmation yet". Following up on Berger's initial tweet the senior space editor replied 30 minutes later by writing, "I'd consider this more than a rumor now".

NASA has confirmed that its DART spacecraft is on the right path to colliding with a large asteroid called Dimorphos, in a first-of-its-kind planetary defense mission.

NASA is about to collide a small high-speed spacecraft with an asteroid in an attempt to change the asteroid's orbit around its larger parent asteroid. The binary asteroid system is Didymos, the larger asteroid, and Dimorphos, the small, but still large asteroid that NASA has selected for its target. The space agency is attempting a world's first planetary defense technique and, if proven effective, will become a weapon in the Earth's arsenal to defend against dangerous asteroids.

In a new update on NASA's blog, Andy Rivkin, the DART investigation team co-lead at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, said that the measurements that were conducted by the DART team in early 2021 were proven correct, as new observations have confirmed that NASA doesn't need to perform any course changes as the spacecraft is already "right on target". Collision date is locked in for September 27.

Branding matters for businesses, and in particular, to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who revealed over the weekend that he "agonized" over his choices for both his businesses.

In response to a tweet asking, 'where have all the serifs gone?' Musk said it was maybe 'times for new roman', which was followed up by an individual commenting on Tesla's font, describing it as "pretty sweet". Musk replied to the comment and said that he "somewhat agonized" over the fonts for both Tesla and SpaceX, saying that he "loves fonts tbh". Musk said that there are some similarities between Tesla and SpaceX fonts, in particular, the decision to implement negative space.

Another of Musk's followers replied to the thread and complimented the 'X' in SpaceX, with sparked a reply from Musk, who wrote that the swoop of the X is "meant to represent the rocket's arc to orbit". BusinessInsider reports that the Tesla logo is meant to resemble a cross-section of an electric motor. In other Elon Musk news, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO has warned that there is a bigger threat to humanity than global warming.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is making waves with its new observations as the observatory has recently discovered CO2 on an exoplanet.

NASA has taken to its blog and social channels to announce that Webb has captured the very first evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside of our solar system. The space agency explains that Webb's observations of a gas giant planet named WASP-39 b, a planet orbiting a Sun-like star approximately 700 light years from Earth. NASA writes that this evidence gives researchers important insights into how planet formation and how Webb can be fine-tuned to detect CO2 in the atmosphere of other planets.

WASP-39 b is about one-quarter the size of Jupiter, with a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter. Additionally, the planet operates at a temperature of 1,600 Fahrenheit, with previous observations from other NASA telescopes such as Hubble and Spitzer revealing the presence of water vapor, potassium, and sodium within WASP-39 b's atmosphere. Using Webb's high-tech infrared instruments, researchers have now confirmed the presence of carbon dioxide, paving the way for Webb's continuous effort to probe exoplanet atmospheres in search of their chemical composition.

Private space company Rocket Lab has revealed its plans to send a small spacecraft into Venus' atmosphere to analyze it for signs of life.

A new study published in the Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics details Rocket Lab's plan to send a Photon satellite deep within Venus's atmosphere to measure its atmospheric composition and geologic history. The results from the mission will give researchers a better idea of the history of Venus and the planet contains the necessary ingredients for life.

The private space company cites its recent success with its CAPSTONE launch and proposes using its reliable Electron launch vehicle to send a small spacecraft that's equipped with an autofluorescing nephelometer (AFN). This instrument is designed to shine a laser onto the many particles within Venus' atmosphere, and if the laser hits a molecule that fluoresces, it's likely organic. An example of this would be the amino acid tryptophan, which is known to have fluorescent properties. Rocket Lab's spacecraft is only small, measuring in at just 2.2 pounds.

Elon Musk has once again taken to his personal Twitter account to warn about a great threat to civilization that he believes isn't talked about enough.

Musk took to his Twitter account on Friday, August 26, to state that population collapse due to low birth rates is a bigger threat to humanity than global warming. This isn't the first time Musk has warned about declining birthrates, as the SpaceX and Tesla CEO shared data from The Wall Street Journal back in June that showcased birthrates across the US failing to hit "sustainable" levels for more than 50 years.

In the same post, Musk shared a video of him stating that population collapse will be the biggest problem the world will face in 20 years, with birthrates exponentially slowing down and the rate of death increasing. Musk emphasized his recent statement of declining birthrates being a bigger problem than global warming by writing, "mark these words", while also acknowledging that global warming is a significant issue that shouldn't be entirely ignored. "(And I do think global warming is a major risk)", wrote Musk.

A new study by researchers from the Stat University of New York has explored the exact components of what makes up tattoo ink and how it can impact the human body.

Dr. John Swierk, the chemist who led the study spoke to the Daily Mail and explained that typical tattoo ink is comprised of two things; one or more pigments, which is either a molecular compound or a solid substance that gives the color. The other aspect of tattoo ink is the carrier package, which help deliver the pigments into the skin. Carrier packages are typically alcohol-based fluids.

The researchers analyzed 56 different tattoo inks that are renowned as common, the study looked at the tattoo inks chemical composition and if they are correctly specified on the label of the product, how the pigments react when exposed to light, and how using them impacts skin. According to the study, several of the inks were found to have chemical compounds that weren't listed on the bottle, with 23 of them containing azo-compounds and one containing ethanol.

NASA is currently doing its final checks on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as the agency gears up for the launch of its Artemis 1 mission.

The SLS rocket is scheduled to launch on August 29 and will be the first step in NASA's return to the surface of the Moon. Artemis 1 will be NASA's reconnaissance mission, where the SLS rocket will carry the Orion capsule on a journey around the Moon and back to Earth, gathering vital information for the following Artemis missions. The launch will mark the first test flight of NASA's largest rocket yet, the 322-foot-tall SLS rocket, which will also deploy a satellite throughout its mission.

The Orion capsule is outfitted with sensors to data gathering instruments that will relay all information back to Earth for officials to take into account when preparing for Artemis 2, a crewed mission around the Moon, and Artemis 3, a crewed landing on the Moon. To bring the most immersive experience they can to the launch of Artemis 1, NASA has partnered with Meta and Felix & Paul Studios to livestream the unmanned launch.

China Central Television (CCTV) has shared footage from its ever-growing Tiangong space station, captured using a camera on one of its robotic arms.

The first module launched to make up the Tiangong space station was the Tianhe core module, which entered orbit on April 29th, 2021, and was followed by the Wentian module, which joined Tianhe on July 24th, 2022. Both modules came equipped with their own robotic arm, with Tiangong carrying an arm 33 feet (10 meters) long and Wentian bringing an arm measuring 19.6 feet (6 meters).

The larger of the two arms has a camera, which the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has recently used to inspect the exterior of the space station and "ensure it is ready to move the Wentian lab module from its current docking bay to its permanent dock." In the footage captured by the robot, you can see Earth's ocean and clouds as the station orbits 236 miles (380 kilometers) above the surface.

Three new studies have been published on Mars' terrain in the journals Science and Science Advances.

Researchers from Purdue University have analyzed data from NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, which discovered grains of olivine on Mars' surface, adding some green to the endless red Martian landscape. Known as the Red Planet, scientists expected to find minerals and materials of a similar shade when Perseverance first landed on Mars. However, the rover found something unexpected after landing in the Jezero Crater, which once held a large lake when Mars had liquid water, air, and a magnetic field.

Scientists expected to find sedimentary rocks inside the crater, but instead found many volcanic rocks. Much of the rocks are composed of large grains of olivine, one of Earth's most abundant minerals, which makes up more than half of the upper mantle, and is known for tinting numerous Hawaiian beaches green. The Perseverance rover is examining samples up to nearly 4 billion years old, which have remained almost pristine.

A study on the planet titled "TOI-1452 b: SPIRou and TESS Reveal a Super-Earth in a Temperate Orbit Transiting an M4 Dwarf" has been published in The Astronomical Journal.

Researchers from the University of Montreal have an exoplanet, meaning a planet outside of our solar system, orbiting the TOI-1452 dwarf star, which is part of a binary star system in the Draco constellation, roughly 100 light-years from Earth. The exoplanet is dubbed TOI-1452 b and exists within its host star's habitable zone, where it is just the right temperature for liquid water to exist on its surface.

It is known as a super-Earth because it is about 70% larger than Earth and approximately five times as massive, but with a potentially solid surface. The planet may also mark the first discovery of an ocean planet, as its density is consistent with a world with a very deep ocean. However, it could also be a large, rocky planet with little or no atmosphere.

The director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, Dr. Lori Glaze, announced NASA's rough plans for a mission to Uranus.

Dr. Glaze spoke about the potential Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) mission during a virtual community town hall meeting on August 18th as part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's decadal survey. The decadal survey is the result of polling the scientific community on what it believes its top research priorities should be, completed every ten years.

Reports indicate that a former partner of Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, is auctioning off photographs of Musk when he was in college.

According to Daily Mail, the ex-girlfriend of Musk is Jennifer Gwynne, who was in a relationship with Musk for a period of time when both were attending the University of Pennsylvania in the 90s. Gwynne, who is now 48 years old, is living in South Carolina and said that she has decided to auction off photographs of Musk to fund her stepson's college tuition. Speaking to Daily Mail, Gwynne told the publication that her relationship with Musk was "sweet", but that Elon resisted being affectionate.

The never-before-seen photographs showcase a young Elon seemingly doing what every college student does at one point, goofing around in a messy college dorm room with friends over a few drinks. The former partner discussed her thoughts on her ex-boyfriend's current life, saying that she isn't personally a fan of his public persona and that she doesn't believe he enjoys the "high profile" lifestyle. Gwynne went on to say that she doesn't agree with a lot of what Musk says now, while simultaneously acknowledging that "he is brilliant, a once in a multigenerational mind".

Fast food chains are certainly interested in providing customers with as much food as they can while keeping costs down and one way to do that is to automate the process.

Automating the process of food construction can come in various ways, and one new way that has recently gone viral on TikTok is a robot designed to make hot dogs for paying customers, allowing the restaurant chain to keep selling products without any employee present. The above video showcases a robot named Robbie, which was built for a paid partnership between robotics company VeloxAlpha and Poland's largest convenience chain, Zabka Polska.

Robbie has been rolled out to several Zabka Polska locations across Poland, with officials from VeloxAlpha claiming that Robbie is the "first of its kind of the market" that aims to create a "user-friendly" system that will be "available 24-7 for everyone". However, there seem to be some apparent issues with Robbie's technique, as the above video shows the robot failing completely at preparing a hotdog for a customer. The video has since been viewed more than 12 million times, with some TikTok users commenting, "it's his first day on the job" and "it ain't much, but it's honest work".

A two-year adventure to capture the Moon in never-before-seen detail has revealed a stunning singular image that is made up of more than 200,000 separate images.

The above image was captured by two astrophotographers, Andrew McCarthy and planetary scientist Connor Matherne and according to the pair, this is "the most ridiculously detailed picture" of the Moon yet. The 174-megapixel image is made up of more than 200,000 separate images and showcases the true colors of the Moon that are typically unobservable from Earth. The Moon's surface features a reddish tinge on one side while the other is a gunmetal blue color.

The red color can be traced back to iron and feldspar oxidization that's caused by errant oxygen atoms from the Earth. While the Moon certainly looks different here when compared to typical images, the colors seen in the above image are more accurate to the Moon's true colors. Since our eyes aren't sensitive enough to view the colors, Matherne performed color correction on the image, increasing the saturation to bring out the red and blue we can now see.

A study on the new water map titled "A Mars Orbital Catalog of Aqueous Alteration Signatures (MOCAAS)" has been published in the journal Icarus.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a new map of Mars that shows mineral deposits from across the Red Planet, using data collected by the ESA's Mars Express OMEGA (Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activite) instrument and the CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars) instrument aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The map charts the locations and amounts of aqueous minerals, typically clays and salts, produced by rocks that came into contact with water and became chemically altered.

Different elements in volcanic rocks on Earth lead to varied clay formations on Earth, such as iron and magnesium leading, resulting in smectite and vermiculite, respectively. When volumes of water are larger, rocks can be altered more substantially, carrying away soluble material and leaving clays such as kaolin with high aluminum concentrations.

The European Southern Observatory's (ESO's) La Silla Observatory has spotted a rare phenomenon over Chile's Atacama Desert known as red sprites.

Red sprites are large-scale electric discharges, similar to lightning, that occur high above thunderstorm clouds, about 50 to 90 kilometers (31 to 56 miles) into the atmosphere. They often occur in clusters, appearing as bright red-orange flashes that are sometimes mistakenly called upper-atmospheric lightning. However, they aren't as hot as true tropospheric lightning and are more like the discharges within fluorescent tube lights.

The above photo, taken by the ESO's 3.6-meter (11.8 feet) telescope at the La Silla Observatory, shows red sprites appearing rather low in the sky, though this is only due to the camera's perspective. The rest of the sky takes on a green hue, which is the result of a phenomenon known as airglow, where the atmosphere itself emits a faint amount of light. It is usually only noticeable in very dark skies with little light pollution. It results from electrons recombining with nitrogen and oxygen atoms at night after sunlight splits them apart during the day.

A Stanford Professor has claimed there is an active coverup on the government possessing technology that has come from another planet.

Dr. Garry Nolan, an immunologist at Stanford that recently became involved in UFOs and their disclosure, has sat down for an interview where he discussed his role in working with the government on analyzing and studying individuals that encountered UFOs. According to Nolan, there is a group of people that were involved in recovering UFO debris for secret government programs, and these individuals will soon be coming forward to reveal what they know.

The Stanford professor says that he "knows" there has been an "active coverup" of authorities, claiming that he has spoken to important people who are about to "whistleblow on it". The interviewer noted that the Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced the creation of a new office dedicated to studying Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) or UFOs, and that an analysis will be conducted starting from 1947 onwards - the date of Roswell.

A startup company based out of Silicon Valley called Sanas plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to modify the voices of workers in call centers to remove their accents.

The company's demo features the voice of a man with an Indian accent, reading through a call center script in a simulated customer interaction. Enabling the slider on screen to use Sanas' technology seamlessly switches from obviously human audio to a processed version that finds itself in the uncanny valley. The voice is still noticeably synthesized, but the Indian accent is gone and replaced with a more Americanized or "white" accent.

Sanas launched in August 2021 and has already received large amounts of funding, with $32 million in funding secured during a Series A funding round in June 2022. The company's founders, three former students of Stanford University, claim the funding is the largest amount ever put towards a speech technology service. The company eventually wants to offer more voices for its accent translation, expand to changing voices during video and audio calls, and potentially even work on films or television shows.