Posted on Feb 9, 2021 in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Science, Space
The Galaxy Report brings you twice-weekly news stories of space and science that have the capacity to provide clues to the mystery of our existence and add a much needed cosmic perspective in our current Anthropocene Epoch.
Why some scientists believe life may have started on Mars –Prominent scientists in different fields say that there are clues that life could have started on the red planet, reports Nicole Karlis for Salon. The answer may be provided by NASA’s Perseverance rover, which will parachute through thin Martian air, marking a new era in red planet exploration on February 18.
“There’s Something We’re Missing About the Universe” –The problem of the missing mass, observed NASA, “has gotten to the point where it is more than just a problem. It is an embarrassment, an obstacle to understanding such things as the structure of galaxies, the evolution of clusters of galaxies, and the ultimate fate of the universe,” reports The Daily Galaxy–Great Discoveries Channel.
‘It Seems That I Know How the Universe Originated’ –“Thoughts of the infinite have mesmerized and confounded human beings through the millennia.” The theoretical physicist Andrei Linde may have the world’s most expansive conception of what infinity looks like, reports Alan Lightman for The Atlantic.
Astronomers Detect Strange, Never-Before Seen Activity From a Newly Discovered Star –New observations of a very unusual and mysterious star located approximately 15,000 light-years away from Earth have revealed a bizarre pattern of stellar activity that astronomers say they’ve never witnessed before, Reports Science Alert.
Life on Venus? The Picture Gets Cloudier –Despite doubts from many scientists, a team of researchers who said they had detected an unusual gas in the planet’s atmosphere were still confident of their findings, reports The New York Times.
“Shape-Shifting Cosmos” — Physicists Seek the Question to Which the Universe is the Answer –In 2013, one of the leading particle physicists of his generation, Nima Arkani-Hamed at the Institute for Advanced Studies found that the amplitudes of certain particle collisions are encoded in the volume of a gem-like geometric object, which they named the amplituhedron, that makes reference to neither space nor time, raising questions about the meaning of physics and the nature of reality, reports The Daily Galaxy–Great Discoveries Channel.
Harvard Astronomer Avi Loeb Says Aliens Have Visited, and He’s Not Kidding –In conversation, the Harvard University professor explains his shocking hypothesis—and calls out what he sees as a crisis in science, reports Lee Billings for Scientific American. In conversation, the Harvard University professor explains his shocking hypothesis—and calls out what he sees as a crisis in science. “Throughout the expanse of space and over the lifetime of the universe, are there now or have there ever been other sentient civilizations that, like ours, explored the stars and left evidence of their efforts?” asks Loeb. His answer is a profound “yes”.
Tensions rise as rival Mars probes approach their final destination –Anxious moment for scientists in US, China and UAE as spacecrafts enter crucial stages of long journey to red planet, reports The Guardian.
Galaxy-Size Gravitational-Wave Detector Hints at Exotic Physics –Recent results from a pulsar timing array, which uses dead stars to hunt for gravitational waves, has scientists speculating about cosmic strings and primordial black holes, reports Adam Mann for Scientific American.
The Daily Galaxy Editorial Staff
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