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❗️ Crew Dragon Launches to the ISS with Russian Alexander Gorbunov and American Nick Hague
The spacecraft has successfully reached orbit.
Despite having space for four crew members, Gorbunov and Hague embarked on the mission together. The two vacant seats will be occupied during the return flight by astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who arrived at the ISS in June on Boeing’s first Starliner spacecraft.
Video: #NASA
@science
For the first time in history, a photograph from the surface of Mars shows both Earth and Mars’ moon Phobos in a single frame! This unique image was captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover, offering an unprecedented view of our home planet alongside one of Mars’ moons from the Martian landscape.
@science #space #mars
Scientists Successfully Grow Tree from a 1,000-Year-Old Seed
In an extraordinary feat of botanical science, researchers have cultivated a tree from a seed that dates back to between 993 and 1202 AD. The seed was discovered in the 1980s in a cave within the Judean Desert. After extensive radiocarbon dating, the team confirmed its ancient origins.
The sapling, named “Shiba,” belongs to the rare Commiphora genus, which is still found across Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. DNA analysis suggests a potential connection to the fabled “Balm of Gilead,” a plant referenced in biblical texts for its medicinal properties.
It took 14 years for scientists to nurture the tree to its current height of three meters. However, it has not yet flowered or borne fruit, making it challenging to compare with contemporary species. Researchers speculate that its current environment may not be conducive to flowering and reproduction.
Historically, the resin from this tree was highly valued for its therapeutic qualities, being used in perfumes, medicines, and antidotes. The biblical “tzori,” a balm derived from this resin, was prized throughout the Roman Empire for its medicinal applications. Experts believe that in ancient times, this species might have been grafted onto the famed Judean balsam tree to enhance its properties.
This remarkable achievement not only sheds light on ancient horticultural practices but also offers a glimpse into the botanical diversity of biblical times.
@science
“AI will be like air: too cheap to measure.”
That’s what Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in his recent speech. He argued that AI is not just a new technology, but a complete platform shift in terms of scale and progress.
In the past 18 months, the cost of generating per token has decreased by 97%, and Pichai believes this trend will continue to accelerate.
Breaking news: Earth is habitable! A sensational discovery by the European spacecraft JUICE.
But seriously, while the probe was performing a gravity assist maneuver before its long journey to Jupiter, it analyzed our planet’s atmosphere. The Submillimeter Wave Instrument (SWI) detected elements essential for life: oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur, as well as ozone, carbon dioxide, and water. Meanwhile, the Moon and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer (MAJIS) captured infrared images of Earth’s surface, resulting in detailed temperature maps.
European scientists conducted this work not just for fun but to calibrate the instruments and ensure they are functioning properly.
The GIF shows how SWI scans Earth’s atmosphere.
Safe travels to Jupiter, JUICE!
#space #science
A group of scientists from China analyzed the composition of soil samples brought back from the far side of the Moon, according to China Central Television.
The lunar soil samples delivered by the “Chang’e-6” mission primarily consist of basalt, breccia, cementite, light-colored rocks, and glassy material. Basalt fragments make up 30% to 40% of the total sample volume. The minerals are mainly pyroxene, plagioclase, and ilmenite, with very little olivine present.
The mineralogical analysis revealed that the primary phase composition of the lunar soil samples is as follows: plagioclase (32.6%), pyroxene (33.3%), and glass (29.4%), with the glass content near the lower limit of samples retrieved during the Apollo missions.
Meet Henry, the oldest and largest Nile crocodile in the world kept in captivity. At 122 years old and measuring 5 meters in length, Henry resides in South Africa.
He has fathered 10,000 offspring and weighs nearly a ton!
#CheckThisOut #Wildlife #Crocodiles
🌌 Did you know?
A single teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh around six billion tons on Earth! Neutron stars are incredibly dense remnants of supernova explosions, packing more mass than our Sun into a sphere only about 20 kilometers across.
#science #astronomy #DidYouKnow
Symphonic Labs has developed a new Mac app that allows users to silently mouth words, and the app translates the movements into text. It currently works only with English and is an exciting tool for privacy-conscious users or even for spies, as it enables nearly silent speech recognition. The app reads lip movements and converts them into written text without the need for actual vocalization.
For more details, visit Symphonic Labs
Scientists in the U.S. have made biological tissues of live mice transparent using a solution of the dye tartrazine, which absorbs light. The dye was applied to the shaved scalp of the mouse, allowing researchers to visualize brain blood vessels with laser speckle contrast imaging. The solution also made the mouse's abdomen transparent, enabling direct observation of internal organs like the liver, intestines, and bladder. Remarkably, the effect is reversible by simply washing off the solution with water.
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Well, it's Monday... guess I'd better go for a walk
😀
“Economics” is the science that studies how societies allocate their limited resources to satisfy their unlimited wants and needs.
In economics, specifically when discussing investments, if you had invested $100 in Intel stock 27 years ago, today you would still have just $100.
😅
#science #economics
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, after spending three months in orbit instead of the planned week, has undocked from the ISS in unmanned mode due to engine issues and helium leaks. The Starliner will return cargo and waste to Earth within six hours. Meanwhile, its crew remains on the ISS until February and will be rescued by SpaceX.
@science
The BepiColombo spacecraft, a joint mission by ESA and JAXA, has captured the clearest images of Mercury to date, from just 165 km above its surface. Though the camera is monochrome and designed for navigation rather than high-quality images, it provided detailed views of the planet's southern hemisphere, including the 210 km-wide Vivaldi crater with its inner mountain ring. This marks the fourth of six flybys, with the mission set to enter Mercury's orbit in November 2026 for more in-depth exploration.
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🌞 Sunday Science Spotlight: Unveiling the Sun’s Fiery Heart!
Happy Sunday, science enthusiasts! ☀️ Did you know that at the core of our Sun, a breathtaking process called nuclear fusion is constantly at work? Every second, about 600 million tons of hydrogen are fused into helium, releasing an incredible amount of energy that powers our entire solar system!
Here’s a stellar fact: This energy takes a journey of about 93 million miles to reach Earth, providing the light and warmth that make life possible. Next time you feel the sunshine, remember—you’re basking in the glow of a star’s ancient and ongoing cosmic dance!
Keep exploring, stay curious, and let your passion for science shine as brightly as the Sun! 🔭🌌
Friends, attention!
I am going to take a break from social media for the sake of my mental health.
See you in two minutes.
😅
By 2050, Nearly 40% of Adolescents Could Suffer from Myopia
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Chinese scientists has revealed a startling trend: between 1990 and 2023, the prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) among children and adolescents surged from 24.32% to 35.81%. If this trajectory continues, by 2050, nearly 40% of adolescents worldwide—approximately 750 million individuals—could be affected by myopia.
Myopia typically develops in early childhood and often worsens as individuals progress into adolescence and adulthood. Younger schoolchildren are particularly susceptible to risk factors, and this vulnerability is even more pronounced in preschool-aged children due to critical periods of visual development.
The study's conclusions are drawn from data spanning 276 studies, encompassing over 5 million children and adolescents across 50 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Collectively, these studies recorded nearly 2 million cases of myopia.
One of the primary factors contributing to this rise, according to the researchers, is the increasing amount of time children spend in front of screens—be it computers, tablets, or smartphones. The recent COVID-19 pandemic may have further exacerbated the situation by necessitating more screen time for remote learning and reduced outdoor activities.
Implications: This growing public health concern underscores the need for proactive measures. Encouraging outdoor activities, limiting screen time, and regular eye check-ups could be vital steps in mitigating the risk of myopia in younger populations.
A viral video from an AI enthusiast is taking the internet by storm. Using neural networks, he’ve managed to generate incredibly realistic yet impossible deep-sea creatures. The mesmerizing footage showcases a range of fantastical monsters that push the boundaries of our imagination and demonstrate the power of AI in creative exploration.
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How can you test Starlink’s satellite laser communication system?
SpaceX came up with a truly unique method. For instance, how about playing the violin aboard a spacecraft while being accompanied by several orchestras on Earth—all in real-time!
During the Polaris Dawn mission, astronaut Sarah Gillis performed Rey’s Theme from Star Wars: The Force Awakens while aboard the Dragon spacecraft in orbit. Her performance was accompanied by orchestras from the United States, Brazil, Sweden, Venezuela, and several other countries. The result? A flawless test of the satellite system!
@science
The first space tourists to perform a spacewalk have successfully returned to Earth. The Polaris Dawn mission participants’ capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday, reaching an altitude of 700 km above the Pacific Ocean. Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis each took turns exiting the spacecraft through the hatch for their historic spacewalk. The entire operation was broadcast live.
@science #SpaceX
Scientists from the Ocean University of China have reconstructed Earth’s plate tectonics over the past 1.8 billion years.
They’ve condensed this vast timeline into an animation just one minute long! The animation showcases the movement of continents over nearly half of our planet’s history.
Around 200 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, Gondwana merged with North America, Europe, and Northern Asia to form the supercontinent Pangaea. Both Pangaea and Gondwana were composed of even older tectonic plates. The reconstruction then reveals the even earlier supercontinent Rodinia, which formed from the ancient supercontinent Nuna around 1.35 billion years ago.
#Science #Geology #PlateTectonics
A clear illustration: how the brain heals the heart. Essentially, this image represents a prototype of a new kind of medicine.
We see the hearts of mice 15 days after a heart attack. The ones on the right are significantly better preserved — they have more cardiac tissue and less fibrotic tissue. What’s the reason? The mice on the right had daily stimulation of a specific brain area: dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This reduced inflammation and enhanced healing in the heart. It also affected the liver, which began producing more of a protein that helps form new blood vessels in the damaged heart tissue. No direct treatment was applied to the heart itself; only brain cells were activated.
🔗 Article in Nature Cardiovascular Research
Of course, mice are not humans, and it’s important to remember this. However, there is reason for optimism, as this approach doesn’t depend on the differences in molecules, genes, and so on.
@science
Scrollin’ through your feed, look what’s next to see,
A world of knowledge, it’s waiting here for free.
AI is risin’, tech is in the air,
Let’s break it down, let’s learn, we’ll take you anywhere!
From the stars above, to the microchip inside,
The future’s callin’, come along for the ride.
Knowledge is power, it’s time to light the flame,
Tell your friends, spread the word, they’ll never be the same.
#Science in the air, can you feel it now?
We’re changin’ the world, let’s show ‘em how.
Subscribe, share, let it flow,
The more you know, the further you’ll go!
Science in the air, tell everyone you see,
The future’s bright, and it’s all for you and me!
AI’s evolving, solving mysteries untold,
Technology’s a key, and the future we’ll behold.
Every time you share, you’re sparking a new light,
One click away from makin’ someone’s mind take flight!
From the code we write, to the stars above,
Let’s build the future with knowledge and love.
Together we’re strong, now’s the time to unite,
Share the channel, we’ll all take flight!
@Science in the air, can you feel it now?
We’re changin’ the world, let’s show ‘em how.
Subscribe, share, let it flow,
The more you know, the further you’ll go!
Science in the air, tell everyone you see,
The future’s bright, and it’s all for you and me!
Join the wave of change, it’s happening here,
With AI and science, there’s nothin’ to fear.
So hit that share, pass the knowledge along,
Together we’ll rise, it’s where we belong.
Science in the air, can you feel it now?
We’re changin’ the world, let’s show ‘em how.
Subscribe, share, let it flow,
The more you know, the further you’ll go!
Science in the air, tell everyone you see,
The future’s bright, and it’s all for you and me!
Yeah, science in the air, come join the ride,
With knowledge and tech, let’s take it worldwide.
Read, share, grow, and dream,
Together we’ll create the ultimate team!
@science
Scientists have made progress in uniting general relativity and quantum physics, two theories that traditionally clash. A new approach considers gravity as an "emergent" phenomenon, arising from quantum interactions rather than a fundamental force. This breakthrough could potentially lead to a unified theory of quantum gravity, bridging the gap between our understanding of the cosmos at both massive and tiny scales.
For more details, you can read the full article here
Termites of the species *Neocapritermes taracua* from French Guiana have a unique defense mechanism where they "explode" to protect their colony. These termites carry toxic "backpacks" containing the BP76 enzyme, which remains in a stable form until mixed with secretions during a threat. The enzyme's copper-based structure and sugar molecules keep it stable until needed. Once triggered, the explosive reaction releases a deadly toxin, immobilizing or killing attackers, though the termite itself perishes in the process.
#science
BMW, in collaboration with Aeromine Technologies, is testing bladeless wind generators on rooftops to improve sustainability at its facilities globally. These systems use an aerodynamic design that captures and amplifies airflow from building rooftops. The first "stationary" wind energy system in the UK has been installed at BMW’s Oxford plant, marking a significant step in eco-friendly energy solutions for industrial use.
@science -#tech
Take care of your pelicans over there 😅
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❤️ Thanks everyone for your support and love!
Last month I got interviewed by police for 4 days after arriving in Paris. I was told I may be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram, because the French authorities didn’t receive responses from Telegram.
This was surprising for several reasons:
1. Telegram has an official representative in the EU that accepts and replies to EU requests. Its email address has been publicly available for anyone in the EU who googles “Telegram EU address for law enforcement”.
2. The French authorities had numerous ways to reach me to request assistance. As a French citizen, I was a frequent guest at the French consulate in Dubai. A while ago, when asked, I personally helped them establish a hotline with Telegram to deal with the threat of terrorism in France.
3. If a country is unhappy with an internet service, the established practice is to start a legal action against the service itself. Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach. Building technology is hard enough as it is. No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools.
Establishing the right balance between privacy and security is not easy. You have to reconcile privacy laws with law enforcement requirements, and local laws with EU laws. You have to take into account technological limitations. As a platform, you want your processes to be consistent globally, while also ensuring they are not abused in countries with weak rule of law. We’ve been committed to engaging with regulators to find the right balance. Yes, we stand by our principles: our experience is shaped by our mission to protect our users in authoritarian regimes. But we’ve always been open to dialogue.
Sometimes we can’t agree with a country’s regulator on the right balance between privacy and security. In those cases, we are ready to leave that country. We've done it many times. When Russia demanded we hand over “encryption keys” to enable surveillance, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Russia. When Iran demanded we block channels of peaceful protesters, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Iran. We are prepared to leave markets that aren’t compatible with our principles, because we are not doing this for money. We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated.
All of that does not mean Telegram is perfect. Even the fact that authorities could be confused by where to send requests is something that we should improve. But the claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue. We take down millions of harmful posts and channels every day. We publish daily transparency reports (like this or this ). We have direct hotlines with NGOs to process urgent moderation requests faster.
However, we hear voices saying that it’s not enough. Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.
I hope that the events of August will result in making Telegram — and the social networking industry as a whole — safer and stronger. Thanks again for your love and memes 🙏