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Comment A Good Reason (Score 1) 278

There is a very good reason to go to the moon: Experimentation. The moon is three days away, Mars, over 18 months, minimum. In an emergency, a 3 day trip beats 18 months plus any day. It is better to test ones hardware and habitats on the Moon, then head to Mars. i.e. If it works on the moon, which is more hostile than Mars, it will work on Mars.

Submission + - Extend Little-Used Zinc Battery Lifespan (goodnewsnetwork.org)

HammerOn1024 writes: Energy Materials.

Known as a âbase metal,â(TM) zinc is the 23rd most abundant mineral in the world, and is produced in large quantities in many of the worldâ(TM)s top mining nations and by many of the worldâ(TM)s largest gold and copper mining companies which end up with zinc as a common byproduct of their operations.

A firm like Southern Copper Corporation can generate gold, silver, zinc, and copper from a single pit, lithium is often mined from deposits of brine in once salt-rich areas, often without yielding any other materials.

âoeThis is truly a spectacular research result. We have shown that the chemical approach developed by Da Lei not only works, but is also controllable,â said Professor Roland A. Fischer, Chair of Inorganic and Metal-Organic Chemistry at the TUM School of Natural Sciences.

âoeAs fundamental researchers, we are primarily interested in new scientific principlesâ"and here we have discovered one. We have already developed a first prototype in the form of a button cell. I see no reason why our findings couldnâ(TM)t be translated to larger applications. Now, itâ(TM)s up to engineers to take up the idea and develop appropriate production processes.â

Submission + - SPAM: Simple, Cheap Food Dye Makes Skin Transparent

HammerOn1024 writes: A revolutionary new technique uses food dye to provide a âoewindowâ into the body by making skin transparent.

By applying a mixture of water and a common yellow food coloring called tartrazine, researchers made the skin on the skulls and abdomens of live mice see-through.

The ground-breaking technique, described in the journal Science, gives medics a new way to see organs within a body by rendering overlying tissues transparent to visible light.

Also known as Yellow Dye #5, the technique needs to be tested on humans, as certain food dyes have negative side effects.

But the process was reversible in tests with animals, and scientists say it may ultimately apply to several medical usesâ"from locating injuries to monitoring digestive disorders and identifying cancers.

Link to Original Source

Comment Re: oh good.... (Score 2) 103

Oh please! Boeing said it was going to beat SpaceX by a mile and trolled them for years. As to Starship blowing up, it's in development and Misk's method is VASTLY different to the rest of the Aerospace industry; They expect things to go wrong: Test-fix-test again. As to critisizing SpaceX, what planet do you live on? They get hammered all the time. Back under your bridge troll.

Submission + - Teens Invent Device that Removes Microplastics with Ultrasound Waves, Winning $5 (goodnewsnetwork.org)

HammerOn1024 writes: A pair of high schoolers invented a unique water filtration device that uses a wall of sound to hold back microplastic particles from running water.

In lab tests, the acoustic force from the high-frequency sound waves removed between 84% and 94% of the suspended microplastic particles in a single pass, and they are using the reward money from a prestigious prize to attempt to scale up their invention.

Without beating a dead horse, microplastic particles are everywhere on Earthâ"raining down from the jetstream, blowing up to the summit of Everest, and located at the deepest points of the ocean. Once ingested by humans they have been found to infiltrate every organ that has so far been examined for them.

Article continues at link.

Comment In the Trenches (Score 2) 38

Then you are going to get CONGRESS to get rid of burocratic oversight. Good luck with that. Having spent 30 plus years dealing with DoD procurement, the large elephants are accounting, contracts, expenditure reports and SOW generation. YEARS can go by trying to get a Statement Of Work through the system! YEARS! None of that is going away, so good luck with "speeding" things up.

Submission + - Worldâ(TM)s oldest calendar discovered in ancient temple may rewrite birth (studyfinds.org) 3

HammerOn1024 writes: EDINBURGH, Scotland â" Researchers have uncovered what might be the worldâ(TM)s oldest solar calendar at GÃbekli Tepe, a 12,000-year-old archaeological site in southern Turkey. This ancient timekeeping system, etched into stone pillars, could be more than just a way to track the seasons â" it might also serve as a memorial to a catastrophic comet strike that changed the course of human history. GÃbekli Tepe, often called the worldâ(TM)s first temple, has long fascinated archaeologists with its massive stone pillars adorned with intricate carvings. The temple dates back to around 10,000 BCE, predating the invention of writing by thousands of years. Its builders were thought to be hunter-gatherers, yet they somehow managed to construct massive stone circles with pillars weighing up to 20 tons. The siteâ(TM)s purpose has long puzzled archaeologists, but this fresh analysis of these mysterious symbols, published in the journal Time and Mind, suggests an unexpected purpose: a sophisticated calendar that tracked both lunar and solar cycles. âoeIt appears the inhabitants of GÃbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, which is to be expected given their world had been devastated by a comet strike,â says Dr. Martin Sweatman from the University of Edinburghâ(TM)s School of Engineering, who led the research, in a media release. Home â Historical News Worldâ(TM)s oldest calendar discovered in ancient temple may rewrite birth of civilization By StudyFinds Staff â Reviewed by Chris Melore Research led by Martin B. Sweatman, University of Edinburgh Aug 06, 2024 Fact Checked Share: Pin Facebook Tweet Yummly Email GÃbekli Tepe calendar Carvings at GÃbekli Tepe are thought to represent the world's oldest calendar. (Credit: Dr. Martin Sweatman) EDINBURGH, Scotland â" Researchers have uncovered what might be the worldâ(TM)s oldest solar calendar at GÃbekli Tepe, a 12,000-year-old archaeological site in southern Turkey. This ancient timekeeping system, etched into stone pillars, could be more than just a way to track the seasons â" it might also serve as a memorial to a catastrophic comet strike that changed the course of human history. GÃbekli Tepe, often called the worldâ(TM)s first temple, has long fascinated archaeologists with its massive stone pillars adorned with intricate carvings. The temple dates back to around 10,000 BCE, predating the invention of writing by thousands of years. Its builders were thought to be hunter-gatherers, yet they somehow managed to construct massive stone circles with pillars weighing up to 20 tons. The siteâ(TM)s purpose has long puzzled archaeologists, but this fresh analysis of these mysterious symbols, published in the journal Time and Mind, suggests an unexpected purpose: a sophisticated calendar that tracked both lunar and solar cycles. âoeIt appears the inhabitants of GÃbekli Tepe were keen observers of the sky, which is to be expected given their world had been devastated by a comet strike,â says Dr. Martin Sweatman from the University of Edinburghâ(TM)s School of Engineering, who led the research, in a media release. GÃbekli Tepe Left: Plan of Enclosures Aâ"D at GÃbekli Tepe. Right: Pillar 43 at GÃbekli Tepe, Enclosure D. Image courtesy of Alistair Coombs. (Credit: Time and Mind) So, what exactly did these ancient sky-watchers see, and how did they record it? The key lies in V-shaped symbols carved into the pillars. One pillar, known as Pillar 43, seems to be particularly significant. Sweatman interprets each âoeVâ to represent a single day, allowing his team to count a full solar year of 365 days on this pillar alone. This calendar consists of 12 lunar months, plus the additional 11 days to align with the solar year â" a system known as a lunisolar calendar. This concept of intercalation, or adding days to keep a calendar in sync with the seasons, was previously thought to have originated much later in history. What makes this discovery truly remarkable is its age. If confirmed, this calendar predates other known lunisolar calendars by thousands of years, pushing back our understanding of ancient timekeeping and astronomical knowledge. The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, seems to have held special significance for the people of GÃbekli Tepe. They marked this important day with a unique symbol: a âoeVâ worn around the neck of a bird-like creature, thought to represent the constellation visible during the summer solstice at that time. GÃbekli Tepeâ(TM)s location and age place it at a crucial juncture in human history â" right at the transition between the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age) periods. This was a time of immense change, as humans began to settle in permanent communities and develop agriculture. The presence of such an advanced timekeeping system at this pivotal moment suggests that astronomical knowledge may have played a crucial role in this transition.

Submission + - SPAM: Dragon Rescue For Starliner Crew Looking More Likely

HammerOn1024 writes: It's looking more likely that test pilots Sunni Williams and Butch Wilmore won't be going Boeing for their trip back to earth from the International Space Station. Instead, there are reports now leaking out of NASA that a SpaceX Dragon capsule will do a quick turnaround launch from Cape Canaveral to pick them up and take them home. Before that can happen, the problem-plagued Starliner crew capsule that took them to the ISS will be sent back empty to make room for the Dragon to dock. Several space publications are reporting anonymous sources as saying there's at least an even chance the Starliner will be considered too risky for an occupied reentry.

The decision will likely be announced soon because there's a long-scheduled Dragon flight scheduled to bring four long-term tenants to the ISS on Aug. 18. The sources are now saying that flight, dubbed Crew Nine, will be pushed to Sept. 24 and two pilots will take their capsule to the ISS for the sole purpose of picking up Williams and Wilmore, who NASA continues to insist are not "stranded" on the station. The Crew Nine mission is supposed to take three NASA astronauts and one Russian to the ISS for a six-month rotation. The Starliner has major issues with its maneuvering thrusters and has sprung at least five helium leaks.

Link to Original Source

Submission + - Musk To Move SpaceX HQ From California To Texas (aviationweek.com)

HammerOn1024 writes: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk plans to move the companyâ(TM)s headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas, citing a newly enacted law in California banning school districts from notifying parents if their child identifies as transgender as the âoefinal strawâ prompting his decision.

Submission + - NTSB Provides Update on Dali Crash Investigation (gcaptain.com)

HammerOn1024 writes: If that is a harsh environment Wago block the NTSB pulled, it will be a rarity, and a tragedy:

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an update regarding its investigation into loss of power on board the containership Dali and its subsequent allision with Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The update from NTSB is part of an ongoing investigation and does not contain any conclusions about the cause of the incident.

Preliminary findings released in May revealed that during Daliâ(TM)s ill-fated departure from the Seagirt Marine Terminal, electrical breakers HR1 and LR1 unexpectedly tripped when the ship was about three lengths away from the Francis Scott Key Bridge. This resulted in a total blackout, affecting the shipâ(TM)s lighting and most equipment.
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Comment I Wonder If (Score 1) 90

Hummm... so we have two items of interest: One that's been around for a long time and this new tasty tidbit. So, what if the two are related? 1) Where's all the anti-mater? 2) Are Primordial Black Holes (PBH) Dark Matter? So let's combine the two: Most of the anti-mater collapsed to form the PBH. Obviously, there's a timing issue between the two... at the moment.

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