discuss Science & Technology news & discussion

[CraigD]

Post and discuss interesting articles & videos about science and technology.

You don't need to be an expert - just interested in the wonders of modern science, technology, and the history of these fields.

Please keep it rational, and post articles from reputable sources.
Try not to editorialise headlines and keep the copy to just a paragraph with a link to the original source. When quoting excerpts from articles, I think the best method is to italicise the copy, and include a link to the source.

Have some fun with your comments and discussions... just keep the sources legitimate.

Other threads:
The Break Room has a number of other popular threads, so there is no need to post material here that is better suited to these other threads:

- Covid19-Coronavirus updates and news
- Conspiracy Thread Free For All
- The *religious* discussion thread

Please enjoy!

 

[koolishman]

Humans Evolved to Be the Water-Saving Ape

When you think about what separates humans from chimpanzees and other apes, you might think of our big brains, or the fact that we get around on two legs rather than four. But we have another distinguishing feature: water efficiency.

That’s the take-home of a new study that, for the first time, measures precisely how much water humans lose and replace each day compared with our closest living animal relatives.

Our bodies are constantly losing water: when we sweat, go to the bathroom, even when we breathe. That water needs to be replenished to keep blood volume and other body fluids within normal ranges.

And yet, research published March 5 in the journal Current Biology shows that the human body uses 30% to 50% less water per day than our closest animal cousins. In other words, among primates, humans evolved to be the low-flow model.

An ancient shift in our body’s ability to conserve water may have enabled our hunter-gatherer ancestors to venture farther from streams and watering holes in search of food, said lead author Herman Pontzer, associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University.

 

[CraigD]

Walker 'stunned' to see ship hovering high above sea off Cornwall

David Morris, who captured the extraordinary sight on camera, declared himself “stunned” when he noticed a giant tanker evidently floating above the water as he looked out to sea from a hamlet near Falmouth in Cornwall.

The effect is an example of an optical illusion known as a superior mirage. Such illusions are reasonably common in the Arctic but can also happen in UK winters when the atmospheric conditions are right, though they are very rare.

Amazing image!

Here's an interesting page describing the various types of optical illusions in the landscape.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/mirage.html

Such superior mirages are sometimes referred to as "looming" mirages or as fata morganas.

This probably accounts for stories of Flying Dutchman and some UFO sightings.

 

[CraigD]

If it ends like the last Starship SN10 landing, don't count on me

I'm thinking the same thing. As much as I would love to ride a rocket into space, the only platform I think I would feel safe trusting my life to would be the russian Soyuz rocket, with over 1,700 flights to date since 1966.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(rocket_family)

 

[Sutruk]

I'm thinking the same thing. As much as I would love to ride a rocket into space, the only platform I think I would feel safe trusting my life to would be the russian Soyuz rocket, with over 1,700 flights to date since 1966.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(rocket_family)

The Soyuz rocket follows the "Keep it simple" saying.

"The production of Soyuz launchers reached a peak of 60 per year in the early 1980s. It has become the world's most used space launcher, flying over 1700 times, far more than any other rocket. Despite its age and perhaps thanks to its simplicity, this rocket family has been notable for its low cost and high reliability."

 

[CraigD]

The Soyuz rocket follows the "Keep it simple" saying.

"The production of Soyuz launchers reached a peak of 60 per year in the early 1980s. It has become the world's most used space launcher, flying over 1700 times, far more than any other rocket. Despite its age and perhaps thanks to its simplicity, this rocket family has been notable for its low cost and high reliability."

And cheap!

Although SpaceX and others are trying to compete on the cost per Kg, I think Soyuz will likely remain the most affordable and reliable launch platform for the foreseeable future.

Oct 2018:

The basic price to launch Russia’s Soyuz-2.1 carrier rocket with the Fregat booster will stand at about $48.5 million, the Russian launch service provider, Glavkosmos Launch Services, has said.

The launch of the Soyuz-2.1 without the Fregat booster would cost about $35 million.

"Therefore, the delivery of 1 kg of cargo by a Soyuz-2 rocket will cost $20,000-30,000… which is below the average market price," the statement reads."

https://tass.com/science/1024055

I realise that I'm comparing apples and oranges, but STS Shuttle launches were costing around $450 million per launch to Low Earth Orbit where the ISS is stationed.

Artemis SLS launches to the Moon are expected to cost between $800 million to $1.6 billion depending on the configuration and the number built.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/09/tech/nasa-sls-price-cost-artemis-moon-rocket-scn/index.html

I've heard that adjusted for inflation, the Apollo Program's Saturn-V cost about ten times that back in the 60-70's?

 

[koolishman]

Sesame Seed Shell Byproduct Sesaminol is a Parkinson’s Disease’s Surprise Medicine

Summary: Sesaminol, a chemical byproduct of sesame seed shells, has neuroprotective properties against Parkinson’s disease.

Source: Osaka City University

Sesame seed oil, used by many for its nutty aroma and high burn-point, is made by extracting the fatty oils from sesame seeds, with the empty shells thrown out as waste. In a literal instantiation of the age-old adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, researchers discovered that a chemical called sesaminol, abundant in this waste, has protective effects against Parkinson’s disease.

“Currently there is no preventive medicine for Parkinson’s disease”, states OCU Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa, “we only have coping treatments”. Associate Professor Kojima-Yuasa led her research group through a series of experiments to understand the effects of sesaminol on in vitro and in vivo Parkinson’s disease models.

Open Sesame!

 

[koolishman]

Mammoths Co-Existed with Early Americans in New England, Study Suggests

The so-called Mount Holly mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) lived approximately 12,800 years ago in what is now New England, a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States, and potentially overlapped with the first human settlers of the region, according to new research from Dartmouth College.

The Mount Holly mammoth discovered during railroad construction in the summer of 1848 is the most complete and best documented set of proboscidean remains from Vermont, but remained undated.

One molar, two tusks, and an unknown number of bones were excavated from a hilltop bog near Mount Holly.


They took a 3D scan of the material prior to taking a small (one gram) sample from the broken end of the rib bone.

They then sent the sample to the Center for Applied Isotope Studies at the University of Georgia for radiocarbon dating and a stable istotopic analysis.

“The Mount Holly mammoth was one of the last known occurring mammoths in the Northeast,” Dr. DeSilva said.

“The radiocarbon date for the fossil of 12,800 years old overlaps with the accepted age of when humans may have initially settled in the region, which is thought to have occurred during the start of the Younger Dryas.”

 

[CraigD]

Mammoths Co-Existed with Early Americans in New England, Study Suggests

The so-called Mount Holly mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) lived approximately 12,800 years ago in what is now New England, a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States, and potentially overlapped with the first human settlers of the region, according to new research from Dartmouth College.

The Mount Holly mammoth discovered during railroad construction in the summer of 1848 is the most complete and best documented set of proboscidean remains from Vermont, but remained undated.

One molar, two tusks, and an unknown number of bones were excavated from a hilltop bog near Mount Holly.


They took a 3D scan of the material prior to taking a small (one gram) sample from the broken end of the rib bone.

They then sent the sample to the Center for Applied Isotope Studies at the University of Georgia for radiocarbon dating and a stable istotopic analysis.

“The Mount Holly mammoth was one of the last known occurring mammoths in the Northeast,” Dr. DeSilva said.

“The radiocarbon date for the fossil of 12,800 years old overlaps with the accepted age of when humans may have initially settled in the region, which is thought to have occurred during the start of the Younger Dryas.”

Impressive beasts!

Now we just need to find fossils of these guys...

 

[Cannuck]

Mammoths Co-Existed with Early Americans in New England, Study Suggests

The so-called Mount Holly mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) lived approximately 12,800 years ago in what is now New England, a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States, and potentially overlapped with the first human settlers of the region, according to new research from Dartmouth College.

Asteroid collision likely caused a global reset

Recent crater discoveries in Greenland, declining pollen and platinum in dust samples suggest that a catastrophic asteroid collision around 12,800 years ago caused many large mammals to become extinct in North America, South America, and Europe. This period is usually referred to as the Younger Dryas.

Some extraordinary species of large animals also became extinct in South Africa, not necessarily exactly 12 800 years ago, but near that period. This megafauna extinction includes a giant African buffalo, a large zebra, and a very large wildebeest.

The Younger Dryas period is the return to glacial conditions, which temporarily reversed the gradual climatic warming after the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 BP.

https://curiosmos.com/global-reset-...find-evidence-of-mass-extinction-by-asteroid/

 

[CraigD]

Asteroid collision likely caused a global reset

Recent crater discoveries in Greenland, declining pollen and platinum in dust samples suggest that a catastrophic asteroid collision around 12,800 years ago caused many large mammals to become extinct in North America, South America, and Europe. This period is usually referred to as the Younger Dryas.

Some extraordinary species of large animals also became extinct in South Africa, not necessarily exactly 12 800 years ago, but near that period. This megafauna extinction includes a giant African buffalo, a large zebra, and a very large wildebeest.

The Younger Dryas period is the return to glacial conditions, which temporarily reversed the gradual climatic warming after the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 BP.

https://curiosmos.com/global-reset-...find-evidence-of-mass-extinction-by-asteroid/

I've been searching for studies of a platinum spike in Australia's geological record at that time but can't find much. I suspect Australia is too far away from Greenland for the impact to have left a signature.

It's debatable, but Australia may have got off to an early start with human induced extinction events. Megafauna became extinct roughly 50,000 years ago when the earliest humans first arrived in Australia.

Some Dreamtime oral stories can be tied to human memories of ancient megafauna.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_megafauna

Edit.

Quaternary extinction
The earliest casualties were incurred at 130,000 BCE (the start of the Late Pleistocene), in Australia ~ 60,000 years ago, in Americas ~ 15 000 years ago, coinciding in time with the early human migrations.[1][2] However, the great majority of extinctions in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas occurred during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene epoch (13,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE). This extinction wave did not stop at the end of the Pleistocene, continuing, especially on isolated islands, in human-caused extinctions, although there is debate as to whether these should be considered separate events or part of the same event.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternary_extinction

 

[CraigD]

Microsoft Edge just got a killer upgrade Chrome can’t match

Microsoft’s Edge browser just got a whole lot more appealing. After entering preview four months ago, Microsoft will roll out vertical tabs to all users this month.

Web browser designers have coalesced around the idea that tabs belong in a horizontal bar along the top, reducing the amount of space for a site to appear in, and increasing the need for scrolling. With ultra-wide monitors becoming increasingly popular, Microsoft believes there’s a better way.

Browser history is also getting reworked. Rather than taking up a whole page, it’ll now appear as a drop-down menu on the toolbar, and it can be pinned to the side for convenience’s sake.

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/microsoft-edge-just-got-a-killer-upgrade-chrome-cant-match


Microsoft Edge has a slick new tool to solve complex math problems

Microsoft is testing a powerful new Math Solver tool for Edge that will solve any formula on a webpage for you.

The adoption of the Chromium engine by Microsoft Edge has seen the once-maligned browser coming on in leaps and bounds. After initially playing catch-up with the likes of Chrome and Firefox, Microsoft is now starting to introduce completely unique features that really make the browser stand out from the crowd.

The testing ground for many of the new features and options that ultimately make their way to the main release version of Edge are the Canary builds. The latest addition to the browser sees the arrival of Math Solver – but only for some users.

The first option is to manually type out a problem using your keyboard – and an extended on-screen keyboard – but there is also a selection tool available to you. Using a lasso tool, you can draw around a formula or equation you have encountered online, much like selecting a portion of an image in an image editor. Math Solver then uses OCR (optical character recognition) to read the problem, convert it into a form readable by Edge, and then solve it for you.

https://www.techradar.com/au/news/microsoft-edge-has-a-slick-new-tool-to-solve-complex-math-problems

 

[CraigD]

Ernst Udet's amazing landing

German WW1 Ace Ernst Udet performs a dead stick loop and side slip landing hitting a narrow road dead center.

 

[CraigD]

Humans Evolved to Be More Water-Efficient Than Other Primates, But We Don't Know Why

Humans have evolved big, energy-hungry brains that require us to consume many more calories than our closest animal relatives. The same, however, does not appear to hold for our water intake.

Compared to apes, a surprising new study has found our bodies churn through far fewer fluids on a daily basis.

Researchers found that, on average, humans processed 3 litres, or about 12 cups, of water a day. Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas living in a zoo, on the other hand, go through nearly twice that much.

The results were somewhat unexpected. Since humans have 10 times as many sweat glands as chimps, and are, on the whole, much more active than apes, you'd expect us to lose more water every day, not less.

Yet even when accounting for outside temperatures, body size, and activity levels, humans still required less water to maintain a healthy equilibrium.

"Compared to other apes, humans in this study had substantially lower water turnover and consumed less water per unit of metabolised food energy," the authors write.

This suggests early hominins somehow evolved a way or ways to conserve their bodily fluids, allowing them to travel from the rainforest to more arid regions. Exactly how that was achieved remains unclear.

"Even just being able to go a little bit longer without water would have been a big advantage as early humans started making a living in dry, savannah landscapes," explains the study's lead author and evolutionary anthropologist Herman Pontzer from Duke University.

https://www.sciencealert.com/humans...ink-far-less-water-than-our-primate-relatives

 

[Cannuck]

Billion dollar Space tourism Industry - Luxury, artificial gravity, and size. There is no equal.

Voyager Station space hotel is planning to open a luxury space hotel by 2027. Not certain on its room rate, but compared to other proposed public space missions, it will likely come at a steep cost. For example, Virgin Galactic plans to launch ordinary passengers into space at $250,000 per person, per trip...the ultimate getaway for those who just have too much money

https://voyagerstation.com/

 

[CraigD]

Earth’s magnetic field broke down 42,000 years ago and caused massive sudden climate change

The world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun’s behaviour. That’s the key finding of our new multidisciplinary study, published in Science.

This last major geomagnetic reversal triggered a series of dramatic events that have far-reaching consequences for our planet. They read like the plot of a horror movie: the ozone layer was destroyed, electrical storms raged across the tropics, solar winds generated spectacular light shows (auroras), Arctic air poured across North America, ice sheets and glaciers surged and weather patterns shifted violently.

During these events, life on earth was exposed to intense ultraviolet light, Neanderthals and giant animals known as megafauna went extinct, while modern humans sought protection in caves.

For reasons still not entirely clear, magnetic pole movements can sometimes be more extreme than a wobble. One of the most dramatic of these pole migrations took place some 42,000 years ago and is known as the Laschamps Excursion – named after the village where it was discovered in the French Massif Central.

The Laschamps Excursion has been recognised around the world, including most recently in Tasmania, Australia. But up until now, it has not been clear whether such magnetic changes had any impacts on climate and life on the planet. Our new work draws together multiple lines of evidence that strongly suggest the effects were indeed global and far-reaching.

Read on...

https://theconversation.com/earths-...d-caused-massive-sudden-climate-change-155580

 

[CraigD]

Billion dollar Space tourism Industry - Luxury, artificial gravity, and size. There is no equal.

Voyager Station space hotel is planning to open a luxury space hotel by 2027. Not certain on its room rate, but compared to other proposed public space missions, it will likely come at a steep cost. For example, Virgin Galactic plans to launch ordinary passengers into space at $250,000 per person, per trip...the ultimate getaway for those who just have too much money

https://voyagerstation.com/

They are going to have to price it to fill those rooms, so the cost will come down

Make a reservation and Investment links are included on the site!

 

[Cannuck]

They are going to have to price it to fill those rooms, so the cost will come down

Make a reservation and Investment links are included on the site!

No doubt they'll get some heavy investment. It's a facinating precision build...the "billionaires club", too rich for my blood, lol.

 

[CraigD]

No doubt they'll get some heavy investment. It's a facinating precision build...the "billionaires club", too rich for my blood, lol.

So this is the Von Braun Station rebranded as Voyager?

 

[Cannuck]

So this is the Von Braun Station rebranded as Voyager?

Yup, they've got it down to a science: https://orbitalassembly.com/

I'm more of a down-to-earth kinda guy, lol. I'm considering a build for next winter, this architecture is more like my style...

 

[Sutruk]

Billion dollar Space tourism Industry - Luxury, artificial gravity, and size. There is no equal.

Voyager Station space hotel is planning to open a luxury space hotel by 2027. Not certain on its room rate, but compared to other proposed public space missions, it will likely come at a steep cost. For example, Virgin Galactic plans to launch ordinary passengers into space at $250,000 per person, per trip...the ultimate getaway for those who just have too much money

https://voyagerstation.com/

That looks very nice, just like Interestellar movie. But I guess that torque or rotational force won't be exactly like Earth's gravity. I would recomend anyone there to have enough Dimenhydrinate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimenhydrinate for all their holiday up there.
I definitely would not be between the people testing that wheel of fortune A malfunction on that wheel and you can have a hard dance up there

Artificial gravity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_gravity#Centripetal_force

• 
  
  • The Coriolis effect gives an apparent force that acts on objects that move relative to a rotating reference frame. This apparent force acts at right angles to the motion and the rotation axis and tends to curve the motion in the opposite sense to the habitat's spin. If an astronaut inside a rotating artificial gravity environment moves towards or away from the axis of rotation, they will feel a force pushing them towards or away from the direction of spin. These forces act on the semicircular canals of the inner ear and can cause dizziness, nausea and disorientation. Lengthening the period of rotation (slower spin rate) reduces the Coriolis force and its effects. It is generally believed that at 2 rpm or less, no adverse effects from the Coriolis forces will occur, although humans have been shown to adapt to rates as high as 23 rpm.[4] It is not yet known whether very long exposures to high levels of Coriolis forces can increase the likelihood of becoming accustomed. The nausea-inducing effects of Coriolis forces can also be mitigated by restraining movement of the head.

This form of artificial gravity has additional engineering issues:

• 
  
  
  • Kinetic energy and angular momentum: Spinning up (or down) parts or all of the habitat requires energy, while angular momentum must be conserved. This would require a propulsion system and expendable propellant, or could be achieved without expending mass, by an electric motor and a counterweight, such as a reaction wheel or possibly another living area spinning in the opposite direction.
  • Extra strength is needed in the structure to keep it from flying apart because of the rotation. However, the amount of structure needed over and above that to hold a breathable atmosphere (10 tons force per square meter at 1 atmosphere) is relatively modest for most structures.
  • If parts of the structure are intentionally not spinning, friction and similar torques will cause the rates of spin to converge (as well as causing the otherwise stationary parts to spin), requiring motors and power to be used to compensate for the losses due to friction.
  • Depending upon the spececraft's configuration a pressure seal between stationary and rotating sections might be required.