Use stars’ own light to park tiny spacecraft at an exoplanet
It’s all very well dreaming up technologies that will let us travel quickly to other star systems, but how do we apply the brakes on arrival?
Rene Heller of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and independent space researcher Michael Hippke now have an answer: we can slow down a solar sail-powered craft using the stars themselves.
The nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is over four light years away. Chemical propulsion technologies are too heavy to be practical – they would take 100,000 years to get there.
However, lasers fired from Earth can accelerate ultra-light solar sails made from graphene to around 20 per cent of the speed of light within a few minutes. That means an interstellar probe could reach the Alpha Centauri system – including the Earth-mass planet orbiting its companion star, Proxima Centauri – just 20 years after launch.
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It’s all very well dreaming up technologies that will let us travel quickly to other star systems, but how do we apply the brakes on arrival?
Rene Heller of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and independent space researcher Michael Hippke now have an answer: we can slow down a solar sail-powered craft using the stars themselves.
The nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is over four light years away. Chemical propulsion technologies are too heavy to be practical – they would take 100,000 years to get there.
However, lasers fired from Earth can accelerate ultra-light solar sails made from graphene to around 20 per cent of the speed of light within a few minutes. That means an interstellar probe could reach the Alpha Centauri system – including the Earth-mass planet orbiting its companion star, Proxima Centauri – just 20 years after launch.
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Telegraph
Use stars’ own light to park tiny spacecraft at an exoplanet
It’s all very well dreaming up technologies that will let us travel quickly to other star systems, but how do we apply the brakes on arrival? Rene Heller of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and independent space researcher Michael Hippke now…
We need to talk about school start times
Delaying school start times could help teenagers sleep better giving them a better chance for success. Researchers have found that students from schools that started earlier slept less, were less likely to meet the national sleep recommendations for their age were more often tired in the morning.
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Delaying school start times could help teenagers sleep better giving them a better chance for success. Researchers have found that students from schools that started earlier slept less, were less likely to meet the national sleep recommendations for their age were more often tired in the morning.
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Telegraph
We need to talk about school start times
Delaying school start times could help Canadian teenagers sleep better – giving them a better chance for success, according to McGill University researchers.In a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, the researchers found that students from schools…
This new mind-reading technology lets locked-in patients communicate
The technology to control a computer using only your thoughts has existed for decades. Yet we’ve made limited progress in using it for its original purpose: helping people with severe disabilities to communicate. Until now, that is.
A new study has shown that an alternative brain-computer interface technology can help people with 'locked-in syndrome' speak to the outside world. It has even allowed sufferers to report that they are happy, despite the condition.
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The technology to control a computer using only your thoughts has existed for decades. Yet we’ve made limited progress in using it for its original purpose: helping people with severe disabilities to communicate. Until now, that is.
A new study has shown that an alternative brain-computer interface technology can help people with 'locked-in syndrome' speak to the outside world. It has even allowed sufferers to report that they are happy, despite the condition.
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Telegraph
This new mind-reading technology lets locked-in patients communicate
The technology to control a computer using only your thoughts has existed for decades. Yet we’ve made limited progress in using it for its original purpose: helping people with severe disabilities to communicate. Until now, that is. A new study has shown…
Scientists have a plan to replace fossil fuels with nuclear fusion by 2030
Nuclear fusion is premised on building technology that would replicate the reaction that naturally powers our Sun - two light atoms, in this case, hydrogen, are fused together under extreme temperatures to produce another element, helium.
The process would release vast amounts of clean energy drawn from an almost limitless fuel source, with nearly zero carbon emissions.
However, it has yet to be done on a scale that would make it usable. Canadian scientists are hoping to change that, announcing plans to harness and develop nuclear fusion technology so they can deliver a working nuclear fusion plant prototype by 2030.
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Nuclear fusion is premised on building technology that would replicate the reaction that naturally powers our Sun - two light atoms, in this case, hydrogen, are fused together under extreme temperatures to produce another element, helium.
The process would release vast amounts of clean energy drawn from an almost limitless fuel source, with nearly zero carbon emissions.
However, it has yet to be done on a scale that would make it usable. Canadian scientists are hoping to change that, announcing plans to harness and develop nuclear fusion technology so they can deliver a working nuclear fusion plant prototype by 2030.
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Telegraph
Scientists have a plan to replace fossil fuels with nuclear fusion by 2030
Nuclear fusion is premised on building technology that would replicate the reaction that naturally powers our Sun - two light atoms, in this case, hydrogen, are fused together under extreme temperatures to produce another element, helium. The process would release…
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A quantum phase transition has been observed for the first time
For the first time, physicists have experimentally observed a first-order phase transition occur in a quantum system - verifying years of theoretical predictions.
Phase transitions are something that we see on a daily basis, when our ice melts into water, or steam evaporates from a boiling kettle. While these transitions are easy for us to observe, phase transitions also happen on the very tiny, quantum scale, where they play an important role in physics. But, up until now, no one had ever witnessed one experimentally.
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For the first time, physicists have experimentally observed a first-order phase transition occur in a quantum system - verifying years of theoretical predictions.
Phase transitions are something that we see on a daily basis, when our ice melts into water, or steam evaporates from a boiling kettle. While these transitions are easy for us to observe, phase transitions also happen on the very tiny, quantum scale, where they play an important role in physics. But, up until now, no one had ever witnessed one experimentally.
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Telegraph
A quantum phase transition has been observed for the first time
For the first time, physicists have experimentally observed a first-order phase transition occur in a quantum system - verifying years of theoretical predictions. Phase transitions are something that we see on a daily basis, when our ice melts into water…
Experts have come up with 23 guidelines to avoid an AI apocalypse
It's the stuff of many a sci-fi book or movie - could robots one day become smart enough to overthrow us? Well, a group of the world's most eminent artificial intelligence experts have worked together to try and make sure that doesn't happen.
They've put together a set of 23 principles to guide future research into AI, which have since been endorsed by hundreds more professionals, including Stephen Hawking and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
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It's the stuff of many a sci-fi book or movie - could robots one day become smart enough to overthrow us? Well, a group of the world's most eminent artificial intelligence experts have worked together to try and make sure that doesn't happen.
They've put together a set of 23 principles to guide future research into AI, which have since been endorsed by hundreds more professionals, including Stephen Hawking and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
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Telegraph
Experts have come up with 23 guidelines to avoid an AI apocalypse
It's the stuff of many a sci-fi book or movie - could robots one day become smart enough to overthrow us? Well, a group of the world's most eminent artificial intelligence experts have worked together to try and make sure that doesn't happen. They've put…
Radiation levels in the Fukushima reactor are soaring unexpectedly
The radiation levels inside Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor No. 2 have soared in recent weeks, reaching a maximum of 530 sieverts per hour, a number experts have called "unimaginable".
Radiation is now by far the highest it has been since the reactor was struck by a tsunami in March 2011 - and scientists are struggling to explain what's going on.
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The radiation levels inside Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor No. 2 have soared in recent weeks, reaching a maximum of 530 sieverts per hour, a number experts have called "unimaginable".
Radiation is now by far the highest it has been since the reactor was struck by a tsunami in March 2011 - and scientists are struggling to explain what's going on.
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Telegraph
Radiation levels in the Fukushima reactor are soaring unexpectedly
The radiation levels inside Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor No. 2 have soared in recent weeks, reaching a maximum of 530 sieverts per hour, a number experts have called "unimaginable". Radiation is now by far the highest it has been since…
Astronomers spot a strange, supersonic space cloud screeching through our galaxy
While focussing on the remains of an exploded star roughly 10,000 light-years away, a team of Japanese astronomers have stumbled across a mysterious cloud of molecules tearing through the Milky Way. So quickly, in fact, they’ve nick-named it the unknown phenomenon the 'Bullet'.
The cause of this cloud’s ridiculous speed isn’t clear, but so far all signs suggest it's been sent hurtling through space thanks to a rogue black hole.
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While focussing on the remains of an exploded star roughly 10,000 light-years away, a team of Japanese astronomers have stumbled across a mysterious cloud of molecules tearing through the Milky Way. So quickly, in fact, they’ve nick-named it the unknown phenomenon the 'Bullet'.
The cause of this cloud’s ridiculous speed isn’t clear, but so far all signs suggest it's been sent hurtling through space thanks to a rogue black hole.
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Telegraph
Astronomers spot a strange, supersonic space cloud screeching through our galaxy
While focussing on the remains of an exploded star roughly 10,000 light-years away, a team of Japanese astronomers have stumbled across a mysterious cloud of molecules tearing through the Milky Way. So quickly, in fact, they’ve nick-named it the unknown phenomenon…
Scientists have found a crazy new way to print on paper using light
A new method for printing on paper using light promises to be much cheaper, and easier on the environment than the traditional ink-based printing we're used to.
Scientists have developed a special nanoparticle coating that's easy to apply to normal paper and changes colour when ultraviolet (UV) light shines on it. The colour change can be reversed when the coating is heated to 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit), and allows for up to 80 rewrites.
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A new method for printing on paper using light promises to be much cheaper, and easier on the environment than the traditional ink-based printing we're used to.
Scientists have developed a special nanoparticle coating that's easy to apply to normal paper and changes colour when ultraviolet (UV) light shines on it. The colour change can be reversed when the coating is heated to 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit), and allows for up to 80 rewrites.
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Telegraph
Scientists have found a crazy new way to print on paper using light
A new method for printing on paper using light promises to be much cheaper, and easier on the environment than the traditional ink-based printing we're used to. Scientists have developed a special nanoparticle coating that's easy to apply to normal paper…
Newly discovered 'radiation clouds' could pose extra risks to frequent flyers
Researchers have found evidence of mysterious 'radiation clouds' in Earth's stratosphere, which could expose passengers and crew on commercial flights to significantly higher levels of radiation than we realised.
For years now, researchers have known that increased exposure to cosmic rays at high altitudes is an unfortunate side effect of airflight, but the discovery of localised radiation clouds means travellers could be receiving twice as much radiation – or more – when passing through these isolated pockets of air.
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Researchers have found evidence of mysterious 'radiation clouds' in Earth's stratosphere, which could expose passengers and crew on commercial flights to significantly higher levels of radiation than we realised.
For years now, researchers have known that increased exposure to cosmic rays at high altitudes is an unfortunate side effect of airflight, but the discovery of localised radiation clouds means travellers could be receiving twice as much radiation – or more – when passing through these isolated pockets of air.
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Telegraph
Newly discovered 'radiation clouds' could pose extra risks to frequent flyers
Researchers have found evidence of mysterious 'radiation clouds' in Earth's stratosphere, which could expose passengers and crew on commercial flights to significantly higher levels of radiation than we realised. For years now, researchers have known that…
Dragonfly wings can rip apart bacteria without antibiotics
Special bacteria-killing surfaces constitute a highly active area of research and development. Strategies to construct them vary widely.
One group of researchers has infused a slippery surface with molecules that disrupt bacterial communication. Others have shown that silver nanoparticle coatings can destroy bacteria. Yet another group used black silicon to create a surface that resembled a tiny 'bed of nails' (nanopillars), which physically rip bacteria apart.
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Special bacteria-killing surfaces constitute a highly active area of research and development. Strategies to construct them vary widely.
One group of researchers has infused a slippery surface with molecules that disrupt bacterial communication. Others have shown that silver nanoparticle coatings can destroy bacteria. Yet another group used black silicon to create a surface that resembled a tiny 'bed of nails' (nanopillars), which physically rip bacteria apart.
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Telegraph
Dragonfly wings can rip apart bacteria without antibiotics
Special bacteria-killing surfaces constitute a highly active area of research and development. Strategies to construct them vary widely. One group of researchers has infused a slippery surface with molecules that disrupt bacterial communication. Others have…
NASA suggests nothing could survive on our nearest Earth-like planet
NASA has come up with a new model for figuring out whether a distant planet could be considered habitable. And when we apply it to the recently discovered rocky world orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour, Proxima Centauri b, we might have to rule it out as a suitable home for alien life.
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NASA has come up with a new model for figuring out whether a distant planet could be considered habitable. And when we apply it to the recently discovered rocky world orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour, Proxima Centauri b, we might have to rule it out as a suitable home for alien life.
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Telegraph
NASA suggests nothing could survive on our nearest Earth-like planet
NASA has come up with a new model for figuring out whether a distant planet could be considered habitable. And when we apply it to the recently discovered rocky world orbiting our nearest stellar neighbour, Proxima Centauri b, we might have to rule it out…
NASA wants to put a lander on Europa’s surface to look for life
The search for life on Europa is inching closer to reality. NASA has released a report outlining an initial set of objectives for a proposed mission to the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon.
The primary objective of this mission, the report says, is to search directly for evidence of life. Europa has been a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life since the mid-1990s when the Galileo orbiter indicated that a huge saltwater ocean may exist beneath its icy crust.
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The search for life on Europa is inching closer to reality. NASA has released a report outlining an initial set of objectives for a proposed mission to the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon.
The primary objective of this mission, the report says, is to search directly for evidence of life. Europa has been a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life since the mid-1990s when the Galileo orbiter indicated that a huge saltwater ocean may exist beneath its icy crust.
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Telegraph
NASA wants to put a lander on Europa’s surface to look for life
The search for life on Europa is inching closer to reality. NASA has released a report outlining an initial set of objectives for a proposed mission to the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon. The primary objective of this mission, the report says, is to search…
El Niño has an uncle that could send global warming into overdrive
You've probably heard about El Niño, the climate system that brings dry and often hotter weather to Australia over summer.
You might also know that climate change is likely to intensify drought conditions, which is one of the reasons climate scientists keep talking about the desperate need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the damaging consequences if we don't.
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You've probably heard about El Niño, the climate system that brings dry and often hotter weather to Australia over summer.
You might also know that climate change is likely to intensify drought conditions, which is one of the reasons climate scientists keep talking about the desperate need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the damaging consequences if we don't.
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Telegraph
El Niño has an uncle that could send global warming into overdrive
You've probably heard about El Niño, the climate system that brings dry and often hotter weather to Australia over summer. You might also know that climate change is likely to intensify drought conditions, which is one of the reasons climate scientists keep…
'Superflares' Likely Made Proxima b Uninhabitable Long Ago
The nearby alien planet Proxima b is not a great candidate to host life as we know it, a new study suggests.
Immensely powerful flares from Proxima b's parent star likely stripped some of life's key building blocks from the Earth-size alien world's atmosphere long ago, according to the study, which investigated the life-hosting potential of planets circling the small, dim stars known as red dwarfs.
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The nearby alien planet Proxima b is not a great candidate to host life as we know it, a new study suggests.
Immensely powerful flares from Proxima b's parent star likely stripped some of life's key building blocks from the Earth-size alien world's atmosphere long ago, according to the study, which investigated the life-hosting potential of planets circling the small, dim stars known as red dwarfs.
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Telegraph
'Superflares' Likely Made Proxima b Uninhabitable Long Ago
The nearby alien planet Proxima b is not a great candidate to host life as we know it, a new study suggests. Immensely powerful flares from Proxima b's parent star likely stripped some of life's key building blocks from the Earth-size alien world's atmosphere…
TIL of a monk who had taken an old book written by Archimedes, erased the contents, and wrote over it with prayers. Scientists have determined that that monk erased a previously unknown book by Archimedes, that laid out the foundations of Calculus thousands of years before Newton and Leibniz.
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SpaceX is about to send a lethal superbug into orbit
SpaceX is preparing to launch a lethal, antibiotic-resistant superbug into orbit on February 14, to live its days in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS).
The idea is not to weaponise space with MRSA - a bacterium that kills more Americans every year than HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, emphysema, and homicide combined - but to send its mutation rates into hyperdrive, allowing scientists to see the pathogen's next moves well before they appear on Earth.
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SpaceX is preparing to launch a lethal, antibiotic-resistant superbug into orbit on February 14, to live its days in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS).
The idea is not to weaponise space with MRSA - a bacterium that kills more Americans every year than HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, emphysema, and homicide combined - but to send its mutation rates into hyperdrive, allowing scientists to see the pathogen's next moves well before they appear on Earth.
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Telegraph
SpaceX is about to send a lethal superbug into orbit
SpaceX is preparing to launch a lethal, antibiotic-resistant superbug into orbit on February 14, to live its days in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). The idea is not to weaponise space with MRSA - a bacterium that kills more…