Lots of interesting findings for such a short time on the job.
Indeed, it's a long overdue mission to have a seismograph on the red planet.
For one, this answers the question of how Mars could be seismically active without tectonic activity.
This (AFAIK) is at least partially due to it still cooling, thus shrinking.
But the magnetometer readings raise another mystery. Why is the field stronger on the surface than orbital readings would suggest.
It is a very good hypothesis that a magnetic field is generated as a result of a solidifying core in rocky planets (e.g. Earth), Mars has long lost it's magnetic field, which got kind of frozen in it's iron reach crust in various ways, with various concentrations - as it's expected to not have a uniform magnetic field. On Earth we can learn about magnetic reversals from the rocks (versed geologists please expand).
It would be nice to have a couple dozen of these probes
Agree, especially that the ones we have (the orbiters) are not getting younger and are in most of the cases past they warranty.
It will just become another flu variant you have to get a jab for. The only reason it's hitting so hard now is because nobody had time to prepare and whip up a vaccine for it. Give six months of lead time, and this problem goes away.
Quite an optimistic view, however:
- FDA approval for a new vaccination takes much longer than 6 months (we're talking about a new virus here)
- this new virus mortality is at the moment at about 2%, whilst influenza is at about 0.1% (200 x more)
- this virus seems more contagious (reported cases of infecting through eyes)
- there are also more severe cases than for influenza, which combining with all the above might result in shortages of medications and hospital places, thus more deaths
In short, it's not just another influenza.
Personally I think this technology is very useful and will revolutionize our life, but it has to be used wisely and more importantly people have to be aware of it's shortcomings as we humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize inanimate objects - it should be taught at schools, that it's not really intelligent, just a more sophisticated tool good at limited tasks, yet still having no knowledge or understanding of it.
Thank you for all the details, it's really interesting (the gravitational waves detection) - especially with regard to recently suggested possible prove for Hawking BH description, which might result in detectable echos.
I have a less scientific question though: considering the Alcubierre drive (I know all the drawbacks - it's just a theoretical question) - would such a drive generate any detectable signal from some reasonable distance, let's say few parsecs?
Also a more scientific one: would it be possible to use the Big Bang generated waves to detect the size and expansion of the early Universe in a similar way as the barionic oscillations are used, if so, would LISA be enough for this?
Did your 15 year old iPad come with a time machine? LOL
You're right, and I appologize for the mistake - 10 years, as it's the iPad 1st generation The device was announced and unveiled on January 26th, 2010 at a media conference..
On the other hand:
- my Nexus6p flag phone went dark about a month after it's warranty expired, turned out the main board died - fixing was not worth it
- my Pixel phone battery suddenly (during a week) went from holding more than a day to about 20 minutes about 3 months after warranty
- fixed the phone above myself with a new battery, however about 2 years of me having the phone I received a message that this phone no longer will be getting any updates
- yet, my 15 years old iPad (yes - the generation 1) is still working and kept getting upgrades as long as was capable of handling them
Things are not black and white.
The linked article does not provide any references except a twitter, additionally the use of phrases such as "unknown or unanticipated", "picked up unexpectedly by the LIGO" (as all such events by their nature are unanticipated) make me very skeptical regarding this revelation, which seems to be purposely over-hyped.
Additionally I have not found anything of this nature on other science services, except one mention of newly detected merger of a neutron start and a black hole, and one event which was registered only by one detector, hence they cannot pinpoint (triangulate) it's location.
Would be glad to have some reference to something more specific.
Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. -- George Orwell