Keep your focus

Scientists once assumed that the best place to look for extraterrestrial life would be planets within their star ’s habitable, or “Goldilocks” zone, that narrow range of orbits where water remains liquid on a planet ’s surface. Around our Sun , the habitable zone stretches from just outside the orbit of Venus to just outside the orbit of Mars, with Earth squarely in the middle. But new research suggests scientists searching for habitable planets should look outside habitable zones — way outside. In a paper published Monday in the journal Nature astronomy, researchers from the universities of Bern and Zurich conclude that certain super Earth exoplanets — rocky planets between 2 and 10 times Earth’s mass —  could remain habitable for forms of life at distances 10 times that of Earth from the Sun. Some planets could even remain habitable for tens of billions of years after getting expelled from their solar system, becoming strange oases wandering interstellar … [Read more...] about No star, no problem: Rogue planets could incubate life for billions of years

It took more than 20 years to conceive of, design, build, test, launch, position, calibrate and commission Nasa ’s James Webb Space Telescope , and on 12 July, the world will begin to see the fruits of this scientific labor. That’s when Nasa will unveil the first images taken by the $10 billion space telescope, images that will include the deepest image of the cosmos ever taken. And that’s just the appetizer, Nasa’s associate administrator for the space agency ’s Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen said at a Wednesday press conference. Given Webb’s powerful optics — just about every view of the universe will be groundbreaking. “With this telescope, it’s really hard not to break records,” Dr Zurbuchen said. While Nasa officials revealed few details of the forthcoming Webb images on Wednesday, they provided some clues based on the known scientific priorities for the space telescope. It’s a scientific instrument designed to peer into the very earliest … [Read more...] about First Webb Telescope images on 12 July just an appetizer for more science

Scientists have successfully tested a device that is capable of converting infrared heat into electrical power . The device, described last week in the journal ACS Photonics, is based on technology similar to that used in night-vision goggles and may lead to new ways of harnessing the Sun ’s energy in the dark of night. While solar energy warms the Earth during daylight hours, it is lost into the coldness of space when the sun goes down. In the new study, scientists, including those from the University of New South Wales in Australia, have tested a device that can convert infrared heat into electrical power that uses a power-generation tool called a ‘thermo-radiative diode’, which is similar to the technology in night-vision goggles. “In the late 18th and early 19th century it was discovered that the efficiency of steam engines depended on the temperature difference across the engine, and the field of thermodynamics was born,” explains Nicholas Ekins-Daukes, … [Read more...] about New device converting infrared heat to electricity could lead to solar power at night

In July 2019, the asteroid 2019 OK came screaming out of the glare of the Sun where astronomers find it difficult to detect such small, faint objects, and passed within 45,000 miles of Earth while traveling at 5,487 miles per hour. That’s well inside the Moon’s average orbit of around 238,000 miles. Despite the close call, 2019 OK didn’t pose a threat to life on Earth, but asteroids like it one day could. That’s why scientists at the Arecibo radio astronomy observatory in Puerto Rico raced to make as many radar observations of the space rock as they could in the half hour or so it would remain in range of their antennas. They wanted to learn as much as possible about an asteroid that passed the Earth that closely and quickly. “It was a real challenge,” Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin, a University of Central Florida planetary scientist who was at Arecibo in 2019, said in a statement . “No one saw it until it was practically passing by, so when we got the alert, we … [Read more...] about ‘It was a real challenge’: Arecibo observatory classifies sneaky asteroid from 2019

A Georgia TikTok influencer is being investigated by local police after allegedly flashing her breasts at two children during a livestream. Kylie Strickland has over 260,000 followers on TikTok, where her account is now set to private. The influencer has become the center of controversy after a clip of her allegedly lifting her top and exposing her breasts to two young boys in a swimming pool circulated online. It was taken from a livestream on her own account. The ages of the children are currently unknown. Strickland's content usually focuses on humorous videos and have gained her over 7 million likes across her account. She is now in the middle of a mass backlash by TikTok users over the recent circulating video and allegations. Troup County Sheriff's Office began looking into reports of the video on June 28, explaining in a news release that they were "made aware of a TikTok video that had been circulated which appeared to show an adult female exposing her breast to two young … [Read more...] about Georgia TikTok influencer Kylie Strickland video investigated by police

Joe Rogan thinks Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would make a "good president" which has surprised fans who remember he supported Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for president in the 2020 race. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience , the comedian and podcast host praised DeSantis for his "admirable" work as governor of Florida, pointing out the positive impact he believes he's had in the state. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk also recently came out in support of DeSantis as well. "All this stuff is happening while we have a dead man as president," Rogan said, referencing President Joe Biden . He went on to praise DeSantis' reaction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , touting it as a success. During the Democratic presidential primaries in 2020, Rogan said he'd "probably vote for Bernie," adding, "I like him a lot." Rogan's recent approval of DeSantis didn't go down well with many online, drawing a furious reaction from critics of the Florida governor. Many … [Read more...] about Joe Rogan fans surprised to see him go from Bernie Sanders to Ron DeSantis

I have only two regrets in life: turning back just short of the summit while climbing Mt. Everest; and not joining the military when young. For an ultra-nationalist patriot like me, not having defended my country in Siachen is hard to digest. So I had my hopes pinned on the Jalpath scheme. But it drowned in government lethargy. Then I thought I would enlist when the Vayupath scheme is announced. But that one never took off. When I heard about Agnipath , I thought I’d finally get my chance to join the army and shoot the momos out of the bad guys across the border. Unfortunately, the Agnipath scheme’s upper age limit is 23. So once again, I’ve had to submerge my idli of anticipation in the sambar of disappointment and swallow the kashayam of frustration. ALSO READ: IAF receives over 1.83 lakh applications under Agnipath scheme in six days But I am not alone. Millions of young patriots feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong — I believe Agnipath is a great scheme. But that … [Read more...] about Satire | Some ideas to improve Agnipath

The changing geopolitical scenario in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) had led to “international rivalries, competition and clash of interests” and it was important for India to protect its interests in this area, said National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on Wednesday, while calling for seamless coordination among all stakeholders involved in the maritime domain. He stated that the maritime domain was a multilateral construct and a nation “cannot unilaterally decide” in the maritime domain. He was addressing the first meeting of the Multi-Agency Maritime Security Group (MAMSG) chaired by the newly appointed National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) Vice-Admiral Ashok Kumar (Retd.) which for the first time brought together maritime security coordinators from all 13 coastal States and Union Territories (UTs) as well as other stakeholders. “In the national security discourse, maritime security has its own specific emphasis,” Mr. Doval said. Stating that land borders and … [Read more...] about Changing geopolitical scenario in Indian Ocean Region, important to protect our interests: NSA Ajit Doval

YINCHUAN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Dawukou District in the city of Shizuishan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is known for the saline and alkaline land located at the foot of Helan Mountain that is very hostile to agriculture. The district, part of an old coal-mining region that closed five years ago, has taken up the challenge of transforming the local economy, embracing green agriculture despite the poor soil and lack of water. Shizuishan was one of the 10 coal mining bases authorized by the Chinese government in the 1950s when large-scale coal mines were built at the foot of Helan Mountain. All the mines were shut down in 2017 due to the damage they caused to the local environment and farmland. In recent years, backed by a government campaign of "building a prosperous countryside," local farmers have been working on ecological recovery, turning the vast tracts of saline and alkaline land into a base for vegetable farming and fish breeding. In Zaoxiang Village, … [Read more...] about Across China: Farmers breathe life into soil in old coal-mining area

In telecommunication, India lagged to adopt newer technology. However, once the technology entered India, it disrupted the market, making India the world’s largest and cheapest telecom market, with world-class infrastructure and connectivity. India, today, is amongst the largest telecom markets in the world with over a billion subscribers and more than 80% mobile penetration. Similarly, Electric Vehicles (EVs) picked up in India 2021 onwards, with catapulted support from the much-strategized FAME II. On an average, India accounts for more than 1.5M new 2wheeler (2w) retail sales every month, which is around 80% of overall automotive sales. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to transition to clean mobility. In terms of oil dependency, 2ws are responsible for around 62% of total petrol demand in India. With focused policy interventions and emerging technologies in the space of EVs, innovative business models will lead the transition and disrupt traditional markets. We believe … [Read more...] about How Proliferation of Battery Swapping in EV Market Will Benefit Customers, Provide Level-Playing Field