Daily Archives: November 2, 2024

Ocean full of alien life could be hiding on nearby icy moon system, say scientists in ‘incredibly surprising’ discovery

AN ocean full of alien life could be hiding on an icy moon system not far from earth, in what scientists have called an “incredibly surprising” discovery.The moon, named Miranda, orbits the planet Uranus – just 1.7 billion miles away in our very own solar system.2Scientists have discovered that Miranda, a moon orbiting Uranus, may have a hidden ocean full of alien lifeCredit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech2Uranus has 13 known rings and around 27 moonsCredit: YouTube/Olhar DigitalIt is now believed to have a hidden ocean, trapped under a layer of ice, according to a recent study.The presence of water on the moon means it could harbour alien life.No extra-terrestrial life has ever been discovered by scientists, but it could include intelligent, non-human beings.The ocean could be as large as 62 miles deep, underneath an icy crust that’s 19 miles thick.Read more Tech News Planetary scientist Tom Nordheim, who did the study along with fellow scientists Caleb Strom and Alex Patthoff, expressed his astonishment at the findings.He said: “To find evidence of an ocean inside a small object like Miranda is incredibly surprising.”It helps build on the story that some of these moons at Uranus may be really interesting – that there may be several ocean worlds around one of the most distant planets in our solar system, which is both exciting and bizarre.”Mr Strom echoed: “The suggestion of an ocean inside one of the most distant moons in the solar system is remarkable.”The trio used images captured by a Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986 to technologically map out Miranda’s geological past.As they modelled the moon’s contours, they saw shapes on the its surface similar to a patchwork. Mystery of ‘alien song’ in deepest point on Earth SOLVED after eerie audioThey believe this could signal that a subsurface ocean may have been formed between 100 and 500 million years ago.Equally remarkable was the discovery that this ocean might have stayed warm enough to remain liquid, despite the moon being a significant distance from the Sun.This is due to a friction build-up between Miranda and about 27 neighbouring moons also orbiting Uranus – generating heat.Mr Nordheim urged for further research in this area, adding that he and his colleagues were “squeezing the last bit of science we can from Voyager 2’s images”.It comes as Nasa discovered mysterious green dots on Mars, which could also point to the presence of alien life.Meanwhile, the space agency also described the planet Kepler-70b, which is also believed to possibly have alien life, as “another circle of hell” – with temperatures “hotter than the Sun”.

Recognition at last for Tom Bacon, the scientist you’ve never heard of who helped put men on the moon

It has been nearly 70 years since Francis Thomas Bacon developed a source of clean green energy that would help power the first moon landing and change the course of history.Yet, few are aware of the Cambridge-based engineer, known as Tom, whose invention of the first working hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell helped send Apollo 11 to the moon. His pioneering work is still a source of inspiration for scientists working on renewable energy solutions today.Now, the charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future is seeking to shine a light on Bacon’s remarkable achievements by honouring him with a blue plaque at his former home in Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire.Bacon’s fuel cells – nicknamed “Bacon Cells” by Nasa in his honour – provided secondary power for the Apollo missions, producing electricity for the communications, air conditioning and lights, as well as water for the astronauts.“Normally, in the course of time, a battery runs down and you’ve got to recharge it,” Bacon told BBC Radio 4, shortly before the moon landings in 1969. “Now, [with] this device, as long as you go on feeding hydrogen and oxygen into it, and you remove the water formed, it will go on generating power indefinitely – and the astronauts drink the water.”View image in fullscreenThe efficiency and high energy density of the fuel cells played such an integral role in the success of the Apollo missions that President Richard Nixon told Bacon: “Without you, Tom, we wouldn’t have gotten to the moon.”Sam Stranks, professor of energy materials and optoelectronics at Cambridge University, said: “He was a pioneer. Fuel cell technology was extremely important to the space programme, because as long as you can continuously supply the gases, you can keep producing electricity.” This is vital in a remote location like outer space. “Obviously, there’s no easy means to get electricity there.”Bacon’s legacy is still inspiring scientists working on new technologies for solar power, hydrogen generation and battery storage today, Stranks said, and fuel cells remain “very relevant” as a potential way of providing green electricity and emergency power, particularly in remote places.They could also power the electric engines of long-haul trucks and ships in the future, avoiding the need for impossibly large and heavy rechargeable batteries and fulfilling a dream Bacon shared in his BBC radio interview. “I always hoped it would be used for driving vehicles about,” he said, before predicting: “In a modified form, it is going to come.”Stranks said: “I see him very much as a visionary and an unsung hero. The fuel cell is a sustainable power solution that foreshadows today’s clean energy efforts and was decades ahead of its time.”A direct descendent of the Elizabethan philosopher and empiricist Francis Bacon, he began researching fuel cells while working for an engineering firm in 1932, a few years after graduating from Cambridge with a third-class degree in mechanical sciences.Nearly a century earlier, the physicist William Grove had demonstrated the theoretical concept of fuel cells in 1839, but failed to generate much electricity. Excited by the huge potential, Bacon secretly started conducting experiments with the highly flammable gases, on his employer’s premises.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionTold to either stop or leave, he quit his job and devoted his life to engineering a solution to this complex problem, working first at Cambridge University, then Marshalls, a local manufacturer.He later revealed in his BBC interview that it was unclear for decades what the practical use of his invention would be, and he struggled to fund his research as a result. Then, in 1962, Nasa decided to develop his alkaline fuel cell for the Apollo programme and a US company invested $100m in the project.“British engineers have some of the most brilliant ideas, but turning those ideas into commercial successes is what then often fails, and Bacon faced this,” said Cambridge professor Clemens Kaminski, head of the chemical engineering and biotechnology department where Bacon once worked. “Yet he persevered.”After they returned to Earth, astronauts Neil Armstong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins met Bacon at Downing Street and presented him with a signed photograph of Armstrong’s famous first “small step” on the moon.Outside the scientific community, however, Bacon, who died in 1992, is not very well known, Kaminski said. “He was an incredibly modest and quiet man. His delight was solving problems and coming up with real solutions for the benefit of society.”

A 102-year-old shares her simple, science-backed skincare secrets — and they don’t include antiaging creams

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A 102-year-old shares her simple, science-backed skincare secrets — and they don’t include antiaging creams

Serafina Kenny

2024-11-02T10:02:02Z

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Deborah Szekely shared her skincare secrets.

Rancho La Puerta

Deborah Szekely is 102 years old and works three days a week.She attributes her fitness and plump skin to her lifestyle.She shared the things she does that have helped her reduce wrinkles and sun spots.

GARDEN GUIDE: Notes from the Garden Lab: Contributions to science from the Pollinator Haven Garden

I have always taken the philosophy that gardens are living classrooms, full of lessons we can learn if we can just spare a few moments to stop and observe what it is trying to tell us. You can see how plants grow, what insects visit and when, how the weather affected the timing of things, and you can be humbled by how each day is different. Even though no day is the same, there is still a wealth of knowledge and data that we can get from our gardens and the Pollinator Haven Garden behind the McSwain Center off Tramway Road is no different. We’d like to share what we’ve found with you!Garden Management Philosophy

Porn, the science of addiction and when viewing it becomes a problem

There’s no denying that the porn business is booming. One analysis shows that in 2023, the adult entertainment market was valued at more than $172 billion – with its growth expected to reach close to $250 billion by 2030. The industry has become so prevalent that, of the 40 most visited websites worldwide, five of them are adult sites. And while many individuals and couples enjoy pornography, for some, it can become disruptive to their life in a similar way that alcohol consumption can become a problem.Here’s how to know if viewing porn is disrupting your life and how to stop viewing it if you feel it has become a problem. What does a porn addiction look like?Porn use can become a problem the way any activity or behavior becomes an issue if done in excess. “Any behavior which has become compulsive or lacking in impulse control can have negative effects on a person’s life whether in personal distress or as interference in social, interpersonal or occupational functioning,” says Eli Coleman, a professor emeritus in the department of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. And pornography can bring an added layer of frustration, he says, because it’s sometimes accompanied “by moral incongruence, conflict with religious values, or conflict between couples in terms of their own value systems.” Signs of problematic porn use include “persistent consumption of porn despite negative consequences such as interference with work, romantic relationships, friendships, or adversely impacting a person’s health,” explains Rory Reid, a sexual health research psychologist at the UCLA department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences.For example, he says he’s had patients who have lost their jobs because they continued to look at porn in the workplace despite multiple warnings from supervisors. Other times it has caused relationship strain or dissatisfaction. “Some patients also report that they objectify women or men rather than see them as human beings and attribute doing so to their viewing pornography,” he adds. Other signs that porn use may have become problematic include neglecting personal hygiene or care, looking at it in inappropriate places such as at school, a sex life that is no longer fulfilling, or not being able to stop watching it despite wanting to. Is porn addictive?These and other indicators demonstrate how porn can become not only problematic, but also habit forming – though calling it an “addiction” is “an area of substantial, protracted controversy and debate” among behavioral psychologists, explains David Ley, a clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist based in New Mexico. One reason for the disagreement is that it’s known that porn doesn’t affect the brain or body the same way alcohol or drugs do. “An alcoholic going cold turkey can have seizures and die because their brain has become physiologically dependent on the alcohol,” explains Ley, “but no one has ever had seizures or died from not getting to watch porn when they want to.” At the same time, porn can become a compulsive sexual behavior akin to someone feeling like they can’t stop eating or developing any type of eating disorder. “Like eating, sexual behavior is a basic appetitive drive that can become dysregulated,” says Reid. Pornography use can also be considered addictive the way gambling can be. “Gambling disorder has been classified as an addictive disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, but the jury of science is still deliberating whether pornography problems should be classified as an addictive disorder,” says Reid. Still, he says the World Health Organization has already created a diagnostic classification for “Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder” – which can include pornography use and may evolve into categorizing porn as an addiction, he explains. Regardless of whether that happens or not, “many patients do seek help from healthcare providers citing an inability to reduce, stop, or control their use of porn – and these individuals report that their behavior feels like an addiction to them,” Reid explains. How to stop porn addictionSuch individuals can get help a number of ways that most commonly include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) – two forms of psychotherapy that are overseen by a trained professional. “It is important for people who are concerned about their pornography behavior to seek assessment from someone who has specialized training in assessing and diagnosing sexual disorders,” says Coleman.Reid explains that CBT is helpful by challenging the “irrational thoughts related to porn use,” and that ACT can help patients take action in their desires to stop. He says that several studies have also found that mindfulness meditation can also be useful in helping patients “cope with cravings, stress, and reducing impulsive urges to use porn.”Other common advice for putting an end to a porn problem include avoiding places or situations that commonly trigger the desire, diminishing your ease of access by setting internet filters on your phone, tablet or computer, or by seeking help from a trusted friend who can act as a sponsor of sorts the way Alcoholics Anonymous recommends to its members.No matter which avenue you pursue, Coleman says it’s essential not to shame yourself and to develop self-compassion as you work through your goals and progress. “Multiple unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop a pornography problem can be discouraging,” echoes Reid, “but such attempts also reflect perseverance and persistence to change.” In such cases, he says, hope, healing, and progress can still occur. “Most people don’t develop a pornography problem overnight and overcoming a pornography problem can also take time,” he explains. “Professional help from a knowledgeable therapist who can assist you in cultivating realistic goals along with a support community can be invaluable in your journey to overcome a pornography problem.”