Astronomers who examined the sound waves from the Big Bang say that the Earth — and the entire Milky Way galaxy we call home — could be trapped in a huge void billions of light years across.
Their study, which was just presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in the UK, could solve one of cosmology's greatest mysteries: the Hubble tension, or why the older universe appears to be expanding more slowly than younger regions. (Whether it could also explain why our world is a humongous mess remains unclear.)
"The Hubble tension is largely a local phenomenon, with little evidence that the expansion rate disagrees with expectations in the standard cosmology further back in time," Indranil Banik, a cosmologist from the University of Portsmouth who led the research, said in a statement about the work. "So a local solution like a local void is a promising way to go about solving the problem."
Our universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, but precisely what rate is a matter of intense debate. When astronomers analyze the cosmic microwave background, the light leftover from the Big Bang and the oldest light in the universe, the rate is slower compared to that derived from observations in the nearby universe of Type Ia supernovas and luminous, pulsing stars known as Cepheids.
The discrepancy has become undeniable, and its implications are so profound that it's been dubbed a "crisis in cosmology." Is our understanding of the universe wrong? Is there some new physics we are yet unaware of?
Their study, which was just presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in the UK, could solve one of cosmology's greatest mysteries: the Hubble tension, or why the older universe appears to be expanding more slowly than younger regions. (Whether it could also explain why our world is a humongous mess remains unclear.)
"The Hubble tension is largely a local phenomenon, with little evidence that the expansion rate disagrees with expectations in the standard cosmology further back in time," Indranil Banik, a cosmologist from the University of Portsmouth who led the research, said in a statement about the work. "So a local solution like a local void is a promising way to go about solving the problem."
Our universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, but precisely what rate is a matter of intense debate. When astronomers analyze the cosmic microwave background, the light leftover from the Big Bang and the oldest light in the universe, the rate is slower compared to that derived from observations in the nearby universe of Type Ia supernovas and luminous, pulsing stars known as Cepheids.
The discrepancy has become undeniable, and its implications are so profound that it's been dubbed a "crisis in cosmology." Is our understanding of the universe wrong? Is there some new physics we are yet unaware of?
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A new excuse for why you can’t remember something: the memory moved.
Neuroscientists at Northwestern University recently published a study about changes in the hippocampus — a crucial part of the brain for spatial memory.
The paper sheds new light on a phenomenon first uncovered in 2013, when a study in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that neurons in the hippocampus alter their patterns over time — that memories related to place are literally moving around in the brain.
To conduct the experiment, mice were set on a treadmill flanked by screens on all sides. The screens showed the innards of a maze, which the mice were able to explore based on how they navigated the treadmill. A familiar scent was pumped in, while white noise was played in the background.
Though the mice were subjected to a number of cardio sessions over several days, the layout of the maze, the scent, and the noise for the control group remained the same throughout.
Using high-tech imaging devices to track brain activity in real-time, the researchers observed changes in the mice’s brains as they navigated the virtual environment.
Interestingly, the researchers found that this recently-uncovered neuron-shifting phenomenon, termed “representation drift,” occurred regardless of changes to the mouse’s environment.
The results would seem to dispel the idea that representation drift has mostly to do with a mouse’s surroundings.
Instead, the study authors hypothesize, representation drift could be the brain’s way of sorting new but familiar information as it collects it — like a return visit to your favorite restaurant.
Neuroscientists at Northwestern University recently published a study about changes in the hippocampus — a crucial part of the brain for spatial memory.
The paper sheds new light on a phenomenon first uncovered in 2013, when a study in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that neurons in the hippocampus alter their patterns over time — that memories related to place are literally moving around in the brain.
To conduct the experiment, mice were set on a treadmill flanked by screens on all sides. The screens showed the innards of a maze, which the mice were able to explore based on how they navigated the treadmill. A familiar scent was pumped in, while white noise was played in the background.
Though the mice were subjected to a number of cardio sessions over several days, the layout of the maze, the scent, and the noise for the control group remained the same throughout.
Using high-tech imaging devices to track brain activity in real-time, the researchers observed changes in the mice’s brains as they navigated the virtual environment.
Interestingly, the researchers found that this recently-uncovered neuron-shifting phenomenon, termed “representation drift,” occurred regardless of changes to the mouse’s environment.
The results would seem to dispel the idea that representation drift has mostly to do with a mouse’s surroundings.
Instead, the study authors hypothesize, representation drift could be the brain’s way of sorting new but familiar information as it collects it — like a return visit to your favorite restaurant.
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A mysterious Bitcoin wallet just cashed out $54,000 worth of crypto bought 14 years ago — now valued at a jaw-dropping $9.5 billion. That’s a profit of 17 million percent.
Whales — long-term holders of massive Bitcoin stashes — have been stirring as the coin hits record highs. Just last week, one moved nearly $8 billion after a 14-year dormancy, while another turned $16,000 into $2 billion.
The reason for the sudden activity isn’t clear, but it coincides with Trump’s new crypto-friendly policies and Bitcoin’s surge to an all-time high of $122,838.
Whales — long-term holders of massive Bitcoin stashes — have been stirring as the coin hits record highs. Just last week, one moved nearly $8 billion after a 14-year dormancy, while another turned $16,000 into $2 billion.
The reason for the sudden activity isn’t clear, but it coincides with Trump’s new crypto-friendly policies and Bitcoin’s surge to an all-time high of $122,838.
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Two Tesla influencers were riding in a brand new Model Y “Juniper,” a refreshed version of the automaker’s most popular car, when they came across an object in the road ... and the car’s “Full Self-Driving” mode barreled right into it.
It was especially awkward because they were just 60 miles into what was supposed to be a cross-country trip demonstrating the greatness of the technology. Neither passenger was hurt, but the car took a beating.
It was especially awkward because they were just 60 miles into what was supposed to be a cross-country trip demonstrating the greatness of the technology. Neither passenger was hurt, but the car took a beating.
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Astronomers are still analyzing data on 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system — and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.
While many think it’s a comet, new findings suggest it’s far from ordinary. In a recent (yet-to-be peer-reviewed) study, researchers using the European Very Large Telescope’s UVES instrument found that 3I/ATLAS has an “extreme abundance ratio” of nickel to iron in its gas plume — a signature unseen in typical comets or even 2I/Borisov, the interstellar comet discovered in 2019.
At such cold distances, nickel and iron shouldn’t vaporize at all — making their presence deeply puzzling. The UVES data showed nickel in every observation, while iron only appeared when 3I/ATLAS came within about 2.6 astronomical units of the Sun.
In short, 3I/ATLAS continues to defy expectations as it races through our solar system.
#Space #Interstellar
While many think it’s a comet, new findings suggest it’s far from ordinary. In a recent (yet-to-be peer-reviewed) study, researchers using the European Very Large Telescope’s UVES instrument found that 3I/ATLAS has an “extreme abundance ratio” of nickel to iron in its gas plume — a signature unseen in typical comets or even 2I/Borisov, the interstellar comet discovered in 2019.
At such cold distances, nickel and iron shouldn’t vaporize at all — making their presence deeply puzzling. The UVES data showed nickel in every observation, while iron only appeared when 3I/ATLAS came within about 2.6 astronomical units of the Sun.
In short, 3I/ATLAS continues to defy expectations as it races through our solar system.
#Space #Interstellar
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🚀 Are We Surrounded by “Blazing” Alien Metasocieties? 🌌
Astronomer Brian Lacki from Breakthrough Listen suggests some galaxies might blaze with technosignatures — signals from countless alien civilizations.
It’s a bold new take on the Fermi Paradox: if life is common, why haven’t we found it? Lacki argues that some galaxies could host billions of inhabited worlds while others remain silent.
Instead of hunting individual civilizations, he proposes searching for radio emissions from entire galaxies — a cosmic census of advanced life.
✨ Maybe the universe has been talking all along — we just weren’t listening.
#FermiParadox #AlienLife #SETI #Technosignatures #SpaceExploration #Astrobiology #Cosmos #ScienceNews
Astronomer Brian Lacki from Breakthrough Listen suggests some galaxies might blaze with technosignatures — signals from countless alien civilizations.
It’s a bold new take on the Fermi Paradox: if life is common, why haven’t we found it? Lacki argues that some galaxies could host billions of inhabited worlds while others remain silent.
Instead of hunting individual civilizations, he proposes searching for radio emissions from entire galaxies — a cosmic census of advanced life.
✨ Maybe the universe has been talking all along — we just weren’t listening.
#FermiParadox #AlienLife #SETI #Technosignatures #SpaceExploration #Astrobiology #Cosmos #ScienceNews
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Video recently released by Don Pettit, a career NASA astronaut who recently returned from a 208-day stint aboard the International Space Station, shows multiple convoys of Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellites crisscrossing each other over the horizon.
The satellite convoys were “very visible,” Pettit wrote in response to a social media question. “Many were as bright as Jupiter, they would flash from 1 to 10 seconds,” he added.
#space #spacex #NASA
The satellite convoys were “very visible,” Pettit wrote in response to a social media question. “Many were as bright as Jupiter, they would flash from 1 to 10 seconds,” he added.
#space #spacex #NASA
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Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb remains skeptical about the true nature of 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever spotted passing through our solar system. While most astronomers consider it a typical comet made of ice and carbon dioxide, Loeb believes there’s still something unusual about it.
In a recent blog Q&A, he estimated a 30–40% chance that 3I/ATLAS isn’t entirely natural — suggesting it *could* even be a technological artifact disguised as a comet, a kind of “Trojan Horse” from beyond our solar system.
However, Loeb admits his views might change once new data arrives. The ESA’s Juice spacecraft and NASA’s Juno mission will both make close approaches to 3I/ATLAS soon, offering fresh observations as it nears the Sun — the phase when comets are most active and volatile. These insights could finally reveal whether 3I/ATLAS is just another comet… or something far stranger.
#Interstellar #Space #Nasa
In a recent blog Q&A, he estimated a 30–40% chance that 3I/ATLAS isn’t entirely natural — suggesting it *could* even be a technological artifact disguised as a comet, a kind of “Trojan Horse” from beyond our solar system.
However, Loeb admits his views might change once new data arrives. The ESA’s Juice spacecraft and NASA’s Juno mission will both make close approaches to 3I/ATLAS soon, offering fresh observations as it nears the Sun — the phase when comets are most active and volatile. These insights could finally reveal whether 3I/ATLAS is just another comet… or something far stranger.
#Interstellar #Space #Nasa
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A Chinese rocket booster that was part of a Long March 2 launch tumbled back to Earth and exploded in a massive orange fireball as it impacted the ground.
The fireball from the crash was visible from miles away, but authorities declared the launch a success, saying the test satellite comfortably reached low earth orbit.
Read more about China’s space ambitions at the link in our bio.
#Space #News
The fireball from the crash was visible from miles away, but authorities declared the launch a success, saying the test satellite comfortably reached low earth orbit.
Read more about China’s space ambitions at the link in our bio.
#Space #News
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Some people are so shameless, you almost have to respect it.
After getting caught using AI by leaving in hallucinated quotes and citations in his court filings, defense lawyer Michael Fourte then submitted a brief explaining his AI usage .... which was also written with a large language model.
As @404mediaco reports, the plaintiff’s legal team first caught the mistakes, which included inaccurate or completely made up citations and quotations, and filed a request to sanction Fourte. In his opposition to the sanctions motion, Fourte submitted a document that contained more than double the amount (!!) of made-up or erroneous citations.
After getting grilled on it, Fourte admitted he “did use AI.” He also, in practically the same breath, said he took “full responsibility” for the AI-generated nonsense — but also tried to pass off some of the blame on some additional staff he’d brought on the case. Classic.
Later, he said, “I never said I didn’t use AI. I said that I didn’t use unvetted AI.”
After getting caught using AI by leaving in hallucinated quotes and citations in his court filings, defense lawyer Michael Fourte then submitted a brief explaining his AI usage .... which was also written with a large language model.
As @404mediaco reports, the plaintiff’s legal team first caught the mistakes, which included inaccurate or completely made up citations and quotations, and filed a request to sanction Fourte. In his opposition to the sanctions motion, Fourte submitted a document that contained more than double the amount (!!) of made-up or erroneous citations.
After getting grilled on it, Fourte admitted he “did use AI.” He also, in practically the same breath, said he took “full responsibility” for the AI-generated nonsense — but also tried to pass off some of the blame on some additional staff he’d brought on the case. Classic.
Later, he said, “I never said I didn’t use AI. I said that I didn’t use unvetted AI.”
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New images from the Nordic Optical Telescope show that the debris “tail” of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has shifted to face the Sun — forming an “anti-tail,” a known optical illusion caused by our viewing angle and the Sun’s gravity.
However, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, known for his theories on alien technology, suggests a different explanation. In his latest blog, he speculates the anti-tail might represent a spacecraft applying “braking thrust” to slow down near the Sun — an idea he credits to colleague Adam Hibberd of the Institute for Interstellar Studies.
However, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, known for his theories on alien technology, suggests a different explanation. In his latest blog, he speculates the anti-tail might represent a spacecraft applying “braking thrust” to slow down near the Sun — an idea he credits to colleague Adam Hibberd of the Institute for Interstellar Studies.
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3I/ATLAS has dramatically intensified its mass loss after emerging from behind the Sun. New images show a huge anti-tail and a “smoking” trail stretching millions of miles. According to Avi Loeb, the comet’s jets likely lasted 1–3 months — and its mass shedding jumped from hundreds of pounds per second in August to around 4.4 million pounds per second near perihelion.
#Space #Astronomy #3IATLAS
#Space #Astronomy #3IATLAS
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A Russian firm unveiled a humanoid robot dubbed Aldol during a flashy showcase in Moscow, only for it to fall on its face. Figuratively *and* literally.
All to the iconic soundtrack of Rocky, no less.
📽: @drivegreen_livegreen
#futurism #robot #Ai
All to the iconic soundtrack of Rocky, no less.
📽: @drivegreen_livegreen
#futurism #robot #Ai
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Australia is generating so much solar power that it's now giving it out for free. Residents in three of the country's states — New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia, representing approximately 14 million people, or roughly half of the country’s population — will be receiving at least three hours of free solar power every day, even if they don’t have panels mounted to their roofs.
The federal government even suggested that Australians should use the period to use their most electricity-intensive appliances, from air conditioners to electric car chargers — a renewable energy boon that less sunny parts of the world can only dream of, @guardian reported.
The initiative was designed to ensure that excess power during peak times doesn’t go unused. With countries making strides in building out solar farms and more households installing solar panels, there’s plenty of energy to go around. However, storing all of this power for later use remains a major logistical challenge.
To even out energy usage during the day, when solar power generation hits its peak, the government is hoping to encourage residents to shift their maximum usage — which conventionally isn’t in the middle of the day — to when there’s a surplus.
The federal government even suggested that Australians should use the period to use their most electricity-intensive appliances, from air conditioners to electric car chargers — a renewable energy boon that less sunny parts of the world can only dream of, @guardian reported.
The initiative was designed to ensure that excess power during peak times doesn’t go unused. With countries making strides in building out solar farms and more households installing solar panels, there’s plenty of energy to go around. However, storing all of this power for later use remains a major logistical challenge.
To even out energy usage during the day, when solar power generation hits its peak, the government is hoping to encourage residents to shift their maximum usage — which conventionally isn’t in the middle of the day — to when there’s a surplus.
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The interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS is back in view after swinging behind the Sun — and new observations are only deepening the mystery. Astronomers have spotted its strange “anti-tail,” a jet of material pointing *toward* the Sun instead of away from it. Most experts say it’s just dust dynamics… but one Harvard astronomer thinks there might be more going on.
According to him, 3I/ATLAS could be firing thruster-like jets to accelerate out of the solar system faster than gravity alone would allow. If true, that would make it the second interstellar object in a row to behave in unusual, non-comet-like ways.
Natural phenomenon — or something else entirely?
The debate is just getting started. 🚀✨
#3IATLAS #Interstellar #SpaceMystery #Astronomy #CosmicPhenomena #AstroNews #ScienceUpdate #SpaceTalk #DeepSpace #Cosmos
According to him, 3I/ATLAS could be firing thruster-like jets to accelerate out of the solar system faster than gravity alone would allow. If true, that would make it the second interstellar object in a row to behave in unusual, non-comet-like ways.
Natural phenomenon — or something else entirely?
The debate is just getting started. 🚀✨
#3IATLAS #Interstellar #SpaceMystery #Astronomy #CosmicPhenomena #AstroNews #ScienceUpdate #SpaceTalk #DeepSpace #Cosmos
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A team of astronomers say they may have detected dark matter, the invisible substance thought to make up over 85 percent of all matter in the universe, for the first time in history. The claim is controversial, and the findings, published in a new study in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, will need to be borne out by further observations.
But at least until it gets picked apart by other physicists, it’s one of the most exciting developments in the hunt for this omnipresent specter haunting the cosmos.
In their study, the team analyzed fifteen years worth of data that NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope took in an overlooked region near the center of the Milky Way, and found a halo of gamma rays that couldn’t be explained by its surroundings. “The gamma-ray emission component closely matches the shape expected from the dark matter halo," Totani said in a statement.
The intensity of the emissions, the astronomers found, matches the emissions predicted from the annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles, suggesting that the particles have a mass around 500 times that of a proton. “It turns out that dark matter is a new particle not included in the current standard model of particle physics,” Totani added
But at least until it gets picked apart by other physicists, it’s one of the most exciting developments in the hunt for this omnipresent specter haunting the cosmos.
In their study, the team analyzed fifteen years worth of data that NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope took in an overlooked region near the center of the Milky Way, and found a halo of gamma rays that couldn’t be explained by its surroundings. “The gamma-ray emission component closely matches the shape expected from the dark matter halo," Totani said in a statement.
The intensity of the emissions, the astronomers found, matches the emissions predicted from the annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles, suggesting that the particles have a mass around 500 times that of a proton. “It turns out that dark matter is a new particle not included in the current standard model of particle physics,” Totani added
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Wi Fi networks can now detect human presence and movement through walls by analyzing subtle signal changes, turning wireless waves into a powerful sensing tool without cameras or visual data.
This works using Wi Fi Channel State Information, which tracks tiny variations in phase, amplitude, and timing as signals bounce off the human body, while multiple devices send and receive data that machine learning models learn to interpret accurately in real time.
It is still experimental, but it could reshape search and rescue, elder care, and smart buildings by enabling privacy friendly security systems that sense presence, breathing, and movement without relying on cameras at all.
#AI #Tech #Future_Tech #Innovation
This works using Wi Fi Channel State Information, which tracks tiny variations in phase, amplitude, and timing as signals bounce off the human body, while multiple devices send and receive data that machine learning models learn to interpret accurately in real time.
It is still experimental, but it could reshape search and rescue, elder care, and smart buildings by enabling privacy friendly security systems that sense presence, breathing, and movement without relying on cameras at all.
#AI #Tech #Future_Tech #Innovation
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Nature solved engineering problems millions of years before humans 🌍🧬
Flight, sonar, night vision, cooling, self-healing, navigation, and energy efficiency already exist in biological systems.
Birds, bats, plants, insects, and even termites outperform many human designs.
Evolution is the original R&D lab — and the smartest technologies are built by learning from nature, not competing with it.
#nature #technology #science #engineering #innovation
Flight, sonar, night vision, cooling, self-healing, navigation, and energy efficiency already exist in biological systems.
Birds, bats, plants, insects, and even termites outperform many human designs.
Evolution is the original R&D lab — and the smartest technologies are built by learning from nature, not competing with it.
#nature #technology #science #engineering #innovation
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