Why earth is the only planet with life

After the rollout of the spectacular first images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, a fellow journalist emailed me a question: "Does Webb allow us to see the entire universe?" Of course not, I answered confidently - and then drew a blank. Hmmm. If this amazing new telescope can peer into the deepest recesses of the universe - nearly to the dawn of time! - why can't it see everything there is, or ever was? I did what I always do when astrophysically befuddled: I emailed Garth. Garth Illingworth is an astronomer at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He played a key role in dreaming up the Webb back in the late 1980s, knows everything there is to know about the telescope, and answers even my dumbest questions promptly and compassionately. "We can only see the part of the universe that is within the light travel time from us for the age of the universe - so what we can see lies within a huge ball (monstrous ball!), but it is not all of the universe," Illingworth … [Read more...] about The Webb telescope is astonishing. But the universe is even more so.

With the increase in the pace of development, the demand for minor minerals such as sand and gravel has crossed 60 million metric tons in India. This also makes it the second largest extractive industry on the planet, after water. However, while laws and monitoring have been made stringent for the mining of major minerals consequent to the unearthing of several related scams across the country, the fact is that rampant and illegal mining of minor minerals continues unabated. In many instances, one comes across gravel being removed from agricultural lands or fallow lands of the government near major highways or construction projects, as the contractor finds it easier and cheaper to do so even though the estimates for such work include the distance (called ‘lead’) to transport such gravel from authorised quarries. Issue of regulation Unlike major minerals, the regulatory and administrative powers to frame rules, prescribe rates of royalty, mineral concessions, enforcement, etc. are … [Read more...] about Tapping technology to check minor mineral plunder

Sixteen-year-old Sahil Jha is on a mission to save soil for the future generations. A native of Kolkata, Sahil started his journey on May 1 on his bicycle. He will travel 25,000 km through various States in one-and-a-half years to convey the message of protecting the soil. Sahil says the journey was motivated by a strong desire to spend his life doing something meaningful. The bicycle mission is to promote the Save Soil movement, which is supported by international agencies such as the United Nations. During the trip, awareness programmes are organised in schools and colleges, and meetings are held with influential people and representatives of society to bring public attention to the issue. He has met Governor Mohammed Arif Khan, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, Shashi Tharoor, MP, and Mr. Sujith Vijayan Pillai, MLA, during his trip. Sahil was in Thrissur for two days where he also met Mayor M.K .Varghese. He will now travel to Palakkad from Thrissur. According to the United … [Read more...] about On a bicycle mission to protect soil

Debris believed to have fallen from a Chinese space rocket landed near villages in Malaysia and Indonesia on Saturday, only days after a large object that reportedly came from an Elon Musk -owned spacecraft was found in Australia . Incidents of space debris falling to Earth are "getting more frequent," and that should be a matter of some concern, Dr. John Crassidis told Newsweek . Crassidis is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University at Buffalo. He has been studying space junk for 15 years and works with NASA and the U.S. Air Force to help the agencies monitor space debris. Along with real-life incidents involving these types of debris hitting Earth, space junk has also been on people's minds due to popular entertainment. Jordan Peele's recent hit sci-fi horror film Nope contains an element of falling objects from space, while past blockbusters like Wall-E and Gravity also depicted space debris. Discussing space junk in the real … [Read more...] about Expect more space junk from Elon Musk and other space travelers: Expert

Arizona’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Blake Masters, is right on Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-AZ) heels in the general election race, according to a poll. The Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll, commissioned by the Save Arizona PAC, was conducted between July 13-14 – before Masters clinched the nomination – and released Wednesday. “If the election for U.S. Senator were held today and the candidates were… Blake Masters, the Republican, and Mark Kelly, the Democrat, for whom would you vote?” participants were asked. Masters drew 44 percent of the response among likely general election voters, placing him within striking distance of Kelly, whom 49 percent said they would support. Another 7 percent are undecided. Among voters who have heard of both candidates, the poll showed a dead split with each candidate at 47 percent. Fabrizio, Lee & Associates also broke down how popular each candidate was among three different voter populations who rated border security, inflation, … [Read more...] about Poll: Republican Blake Masters on Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly’s Heels Arizona

In a latest discovery, scientists from the University of Miami have found a deadly pool at the bottom of Red Sea. The pool can kill anyone who swims into it. A study suggests that an underwater vehicle was used to find the brine lake. It was located 1.7 kilometres below the surface. The scientists have explained that a brine pool is a depression in the floor of the sea which is filled with highly concentrated salt water and other chemical elements. The scientists further added that the area is saltier than the surrounding ocean. Speaking to Live Science, lead researcher Sam Purkis said brine pools are “among the most extreme environments on Earth”, and “any animal that strays into the brine is immediately stunned or killed”. He further explained that fish, shrimps and eel use this place for hunting. “Until we understand the limits of life on Earth, it will be difficult to determine if alien planets can host any living beings,” Purkis said. As per the researchers, discovering such … [Read more...] about Deadly Pool Found at the Bottom of Red Sea Can Kill Anyone Who Swims into it

Rhee Shin-hyung The author is a professor in the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Seoul National University and president of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea. The United States sent its most advanced naval frigate to Japan and Joseon Korea in the mid-19th century to demand the opening of the countries. It was a side-wheel steamer — a hybrid of a wooden hull and masts and iron for the steam boiler and engine — that crossed the Pacific. An ill-fated and famous ocean liner — the Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912 — had wing propellers, but was powered by gigantic steam engines instead of internal combustion engines. The ships powered by internal-combustion engines and four-bladed screw propellers these days have a history of about a century. Vessels have evolved and sea carriers are dramatically changing in the 21st century — along with all the supply chains. If not for tests, many would wish to go back to their school days. … [Read more...] about From student to teacher in shipbuilding

This article is from the archive of our partner . The score for Oblivion , written by French electronic band M83, pulses and swells beautifully throughout Joseph Kosinski's film, crescendoing to thundering Hans Zimmer heights (with perhaps a little too much of his Inception bwaammmp sound) and softening into Michael Giacchino-esque plaintive piano plinking. It's a terrific score, propulsive and moody, and Kosinski showed good taste in hiring the band — just as he did when he commissioned Daft Punk to score his Tron: Legacy . He also smartly reteamed with his Tron cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who recently won an Oscar for working miracles in Life of Pi . Oblivion is sleek and gorgeous, smooth and matte-finish, full of watery grays and cool blues. And the film's digital effects — giving us a broken moon and the windswept barren expanse of an Earth gone to seed — are employed with a subtle and particular hand. What I'm saying is that the movie looks and sounds great. … [Read more...] about Not Even Tom Cruise Can Save ‘Oblivion’

AFP Stockholm, Sweden   ● Wed, August 10, 2022 2022-08-10 17:40 0 b2587592dd54281f57bdb7dba90d9cc6 2 Europe study,climate-change,chemical-pollution,water,drinking Free Rainwater everywhere on the planet is unsafe to drink due to levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS that exceed the latest guidelines, according to a new study by Stockholm University scientists. Commonly known as 'forever chemicals' because they disintegrate extremely slowly, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) were initially found in packaging, shampoo or makeup but have spread to our entire environment, including water and air. "There is nowhere on Earth where the rain would be safe to drink, according to the measurements that we have taken," Ian Cousins, a professor at the university and the lead author of the study published in Environmental Science and Technology, told AFP . A compilation of the data since 2010 that his team studied showed that "even in Antarctica or the … [Read more...] about Rainwater everywhere unsafe to drink due to chemicals: study

Click here to read the full article. The archetypal portrayal of heroic fathers is one of good, upstanding men teaching the sons who look up to them fundamental life lessons. But writer-directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (“Catfish”) expand on this conceit in “ Secret Headquarters ,” their family-friendly feature for the Paramount+ streaming service. Centered on a teen who discovers his aloof, neglectful father is the world’s most formidable superhero, this action-adventure delivers a modicum of skill and smarts, though it ultimately winds up as forgettable as its generic title. Fourteen-year-old Charlie (Walker Scobell) is used to his dad Jack ( Owen Wilson ) abandoning their plans for work. From baseball games to big school achievements, his father has missed out on every important event. Only Charlie doesn’t know his put-upon pop is busy saving the world, one disaster at a time. A decade prior, Jack unwittingly became a part of something extraordinary when a … [Read more...] about ‘Secret Headquarters’ Review: Paramount+ Superhero Series-Starter Comes Up Less Than Super