Posted on May 16, 2022 in Astrobiology, Climate Change, Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), Extraterrestrial Life, Future, Origin of Life, Planet Earth, Science, Science News, Standard Model of Physics, Technology
Today’s stories from our Pale Blue Dot range from A Periodic Table of All Animal Intelligence to How a Moon-Sized Deep Impact Affected Early Life on Earth, and much more. The Planet Earth Report provides descriptive links to headline news by leading science journalists about the extraordinary discoveries, technology, people, and events changing our knowledge of Planet Earth and the future of the human species.
The grand plan to create a periodic table of all animal intelligence –Animal minds are extraordinarily diverse, but a new attempt to categorize them aims to reveal the distinct nature of intelligence in everything from dolphins to bees – and even us, reports New Scientist.
“Simultaneously beautiful and terrifying” –Earth’s Astronomers on the Significance of the First Image of Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole, reports astrophysicist, Max Moe for The Daily Galaxy. Several of the world’s leading astronomers and scientists emailed their thoughts to The Daily Galaxy on the significance of the fist image by the Event Horizon Collaboration of our Galaxy’s supermassive black hole. Their comments validate Albert Einstein’s observation that “the scientific imagination is a preview of coming attractions.”
A new Earth rises –How did the planet replace the nation-state to become the prime political object of the 21st century? asks Aeon.com –“The so-called planetary turn marks a new way of thinking about our relationship to the environment. It also signals the emergence of a distinct governable object, which suggests that the prime political object of the 21st century is no longer the state, it’s the planet.”
How Much Is the Ocean Worth? Putting a price tag on the ocean might just save it, reports Nautilus. “In 2019, Ralph Chami, a financial economist with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), co-founded Blue Green Future to advocate for market values to nature’s regenerative services, from whales to seagrass meadows. After accounting for all the services a great blue whale provides, such as the 33 tons of carbon dioxide its body captures over its lifespan of—on average—60 years, the number Chami arrived at was $2 million per whale.
Giant sinkhole with a forest inside found in China –Species unknown to science could be hiding in this gaping hole, reports Live Science. “A team of speleologists and spelunkers rappelled into the sinkhole on Friday (May 6), discovering that there are three cave entrances in the chasm, as well as ancient trees 131 feet (40 m) tall, stretching their branches toward the sunlight that filters through the sinkhole entrance.”
Technosignature from Proxima Centauri — and why astronomers rejected it –The forensic analysis of a potential signal from another civilization reveals how challenging the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is likely to become, reports Astronomy.com.
Caesar’s favorite herb was the Viagra of ancient Rome. Until climate change killed it off, reports The Guardian. “Perfume, tonic – even love potion – silphium was prized by the ancient Romans, but in its success lay the seeds of its own downfall.”
How long-term space missions change the brain –-Data from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos suggest that long durations in space cause changes in the brain, some of which are linked to vision problems, reports Big Think.
‘Elon Musk’s Crash Course’ –Watch the new documentary on Friday, May 20, at 10 p.m. on FX and Hulu. “When it came to Tesla, the electric car company he took over in 2008, Musk “wanted to disrupt and revolutionize the auto industry,” reporter Neal Boudette said in a new documentary by The New York Times. “And Autopilot was kind of a halo.”
How long-haul travel may change –Post-Covid, airlines are rethinking long flights.
A mind-blowing explanation of symmetry–Basic and breath-taking – Dr. Frank Wilczek addresses symmetry’s critical role in nature’s laws and what we consider to be beautiful. Dr. Frank Wilczek is the newly announced recipient of the 2022 Templeton Prize, which, valued at over $1.4 million, is one of the world’s largest annual individual awards. Dr. Wilczek is celebrated for his investigations into the fundamental laws of nature that have transformed our understanding of the forces that govern our universe.
What’s Down the Road for Silicon? –Meet the new materials overpowering the electric economy, reports The New York Times. “Some novel, post-silicon devices are in use already, and better power electronics will become far more important in the future as much of our economy switches from fossil fuels to electricity. At a time when supply chains for silicon are severely kinked, these newer materials have boomed.”
Scientists Prove That Plants Can Grow in Soil From the Moon –The experiment is a milestone in the path to helping humans one day experience extended stays on the lunar surface, reports The Smithsonian.
What an experience! New Zealand Prof Shane Cronin has just returned from snorkeling over the Tonga underwater volcano that blew its top in January, reports BBC Science.
Puzzling Quantum Scenario Appears Not to Conserve Energy –By resolving a paradox about light in a box, researchers hope to clarify the concept of energy in quantum theory, reports Katie McCormick for Quanta.
‘Why are masks still worn in Japan and South Korea? –Covid cases are stabilizing in the countries but many may continue to wear face coverings, even if rules change, reports The Guardian.
How a Moon-Sized Deep Impact Affected Early Life on Earth, reports AASNOVA. “This story begins with a noteworthy event during the Hadean Eon: a now long-gone Mars-sized planet called Theia slammed into Earth. The massive impact blew off a large amount of debris that started to circle the new Earth–Theia merger and eventually formed the Moon.”
Six Things You Do Every Day That Science Can’t Explain, reports IFL Science. “Some of the things itcan’t explain are almost embarrassingly mundane. So here are six things you’ve almost certainly done in your daily life that, as it stands, defy science in some way.
FTX’s billionaire chief says bitcoin has no future as a payments network-“Cryptocurrency exchange FTX’s founder has said that bitcoin has no future as a payments network and criticized the digital currency for its inefficiency and high environmental costs, the Financial Times reported on Monday.”
Have Scientists Designed the Perfect Chocolate? –-Part of a burgeoning field of ‘edible metamaterials,’ Dutch physicists found that 3-D printed spiral-shaped candies give the ideal eating experience, reports The Smithsonian.
The Standard Model of Particle Physics May Be Broken – A Physicist at the Large Hadron Collider Explains, reports SciTechDaily.
Air-Conditioning Should Be a Human Right in the Climate Crisis, reports Scientific American. We need to protect vulnerable people from killer heat without destroying the environment.
Curated by The Daily Galaxy editorial Staff
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