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Inflatable Starshade for Habitable Exoplanets

2025-03-14 11:38:04 By Linda Martinez

An artist's illustration showcasing the innovative strategy put forward by the 2025 NIAC-selected Inflatable Starshade for Earth-like Exoplanets project.

John Mather
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

We will design the first family of ISEE’s (Inflatable Starshade for Earthlike Exoplanets) with sizes from 35 to 100 m diameter. A starshade would enable any telescope to observe exoplanets, a top priority for astronomy worldwide. Compared with other starshade concepts, we aim for a lower mass, cost and complexity, while still providing high performance and science yield (>100 targets). Our starshades would be compatible with the 6 m diameter Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) now being planned, as well as the world’s largest telescope, the 39 m diameter European Extremely Large Telescope now being built in Chile, working as part of the HOEE, (Hybrid Observatory for Earthlike Exoplanets), and other future telescopes. We need to observe oxygen at visible wavelengths and ozone at UV.

An ISEE, positioned between a target star and the telescope, would block the starlight without blocking the exoplanets. Starshades have perfect optical efficiency, they work with any telescope, and they can block the starlight much better than the requirement, for a star >1010 times brighter than the target.

The alternative technology employs an almost flawless and highly stable space telescope, similar to HWO, equipped with an internal coronagraph designed to block starlight from obscuring the planet's image. Coronagraphs offer significant benefits, including their compact size, ease of testing, and immediate availability. Nonetheless, existing coronagraphs have yet to achieve the necessary contrast levels. Additionally, the development of an ultraviolet coronagraph remains unfeasible. If the stringent requirements for extreme picometer stability and optical precision of HWO and its coronagraph could be eased by integrating a starshade, it would allow for the construction of HWO at a significantly reduced cost and lower risk. Therefore, if ultraviolet observations of exoplanets are crucial, utilizing a 35 m starshade in conjunction with HWO emerges as the sole viable option.

The HWO is set to be NASA's next major observatory and will feature a high-performance coronagraph designed for exoplanet observation. This decision has shifted the dynamics regarding the competing starshade technology. However, a starshade mission might still be deemed necessary under certain conditions: A. If the HWO and its coronagraph cannot be constructed and validated as needed; B. If the HWO needs to observe exoplanets in UV wavelengths, or if a 6 m HWO is insufficient to target the desired celestial bodies; C. If the HWO does not perform adequately after its launch, and servicing or instrument upgrades are not feasible; D. If HWO observations reveal that intriguing exoplanets are scarce, too far away, obscured by dense dust clouds surrounding their host stars, or cannot be fully analyzed with an upgraded HWO; or E. If HWO findings indicate that the next phase requires UV data, or a telescope significantly larger than what future HWO coronagraph enhancements can provide.

An inflatable starshade presents a solution to the primary challenge associated with traditional starshade designs: their complex mechanical structures. Historically, starshades have not been launched, as they require precise shapes and edges, along with accurate propulsion and positioning. Previous designs utilizing discrete components can be enlarged to meet the dimensions needed for HWO (35-60 m) and HOEE (100 m), but they tend to be bulky, difficult to prototype, and thus incur significant costs and risks. Our target mass budget is set at 250 kg for the 35 m HWO variant, 650 kg for the 60 m option, and 1700 kg for the 100 m HOEE model. We plan to refine our concepts and create comprehensive designs along with finite element models to assess strength, stiffness, stability, and thermal performance. Additionally, we will establish small-scale testing facilities to address challenges such as the bonding of large, high-strength material sheets within inflatable configurations. Key deliverables will encompass mass and power budgets, evaluations of strength and stiffness, and laboratory testing of essential components. We will also revise the mission concepts for HWO and HOEE in light of the new starshade specifications.
Depending on advancements in the HWO mission, starshades may be essential for enhancing our understanding of exoplanets. An inflatable starshade could facilitate their implementation.

Highly Recommended

The Exciting Mathematics of 2025 (Featuring Two Demonstrations of a Classic Greek Theorem)

Say goodbye to the tetrahedron and welcome the generalized enneadecagon! Welcome to 2025! A lovely year, filled with excellent things. Obviously, we’re not talking about the state of the planet – that’s pretty terrible, all things considered. But the math? That is delectable. The spatial design of 2025 One of the most straightforward observations about the upcoming year is that 2025 is a perfect square. Specifically, it can be expressed as 45 multiplied by 45, indicating that if we were to create a large square with each side measuring 45 units, the overall area would amount to 2025 square units.  View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Feel free to verify the numbers for yourself if you're skeptical. Image credit: ©IFLScience That’s not all, though: because it’s an odd square, it’s also a centered octagonal number – which, much like with square numbers, is precisely what it sounds like: it means we can draw a perfect octagon using exactly 2025 pieces. Let's delve into something even more intricate: 2025 is classified as an enneadecagonal number (for those who aren't familiar with geometric terminology, that's a shape with 19 sides). However, there's a catch – it happens to be a negative enneadecagonal number, specifically the -15th one, which makes it quite impossible to visualize.  We are confident in its accuracy because every enneadecagonal number can be expressed using the following formula: Nm = m(17m - 15)/2 and plopping m = -15 into this recipe gives us 2025. The titles of 2025 Along with square, octagonal, and enneadecagonal, 2025 has a few pretty names. It’s a powerful number: an integer m such that if p|m, then p2|m. The reason for that is fairly simple – it’s 452, which is equal to (32)2×52 – or in other words, every prime factor of it turns up at least twice. It’s classified as a refactorable number, or tau number, indicating that it can be divided by the total count of its divisors. For instance, consider the number 18: it has six divisors, which are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18, and it can be evenly divided by six. In the same vein, the number 2025 possesses 15 divisors, with one of them being 15. To enumerate them all, the complete list of divisors for 2025 includes 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 25, 27, 45, 75, 81, 135, 225, 405, 675, and 2025. Theorems from the year 2025 Let’s get onto the good stuff, shall we? We’ve already seen that 2025 is a perfect square, but dig a little deeper and we see some even prettier patterns. Forty-five, the number’s square root, is also a triangular number, and that means we can write it as a sum of consecutive numbers. Like this: 45 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9. This indicates that  2025 = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9)2,  which is nice for sure, but that’s not all. Thanks to Nicomachus, an ancient Greek follower of Pythagoras who lived between around 60 CE and 120 CE, we know that numbers that can be written like this – the squares of triangular numbers – also have another interesting property: they can be rewritten as the sum of the cubes of those same numbers. In other words, because  2025 = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9)2, we are also aware that  2025 = 13 + 23 + 33 + 43 + 53 + 63 + 73 + 83 + 93. Isn't that awesome?! There are several methods to demonstrate this – one of the most elegant is through this proof that doesn't require any words: View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Pretty cool, right? Photo credit: Cmglee, CC BY-SA 3.0, sourced from Wikimedia Commons. An alternative approach involves utilizing the characteristics of square and cube numbers directly. In reality, it is this method that earns old Nicomachus his recognition, rather than the mere observation of the theorem. His namesake result takes a step back and, in a technical sense, states the following: ∀n∈N>0 : n3 = (n2 − n+1) + (n2 − n+3) + … + (n2 + n−1). That might look… well, like it’s written in another language, and it sort of is, but really it just means that any number n cubed can be written as the sum of n consecutive odd numbers beginning at (n2 − n+1). Like this:  1 等于 1 8 can be expressed as the sum of 3 and 5. 27 can be expressed as the sum of 7, 9, and 11. 64 can be expressed as the sum of the numbers 13, 15, 17, and 19. 125 = 21 + 23 + 25 + 27 + 29 and so forth. Now, written out like that, you can probably see a nice pattern already, right? If you sum up the first k cubed numbers, you’re going to get 13 + 23 + 33 + … + k3 = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + … + (k2 − k+1) + (k2 − k+3) + … + (k2 + k−1). Now, let's examine square numbers. They exhibit a similar pattern and can be expressed in the following manner: 1 等于 1 4 可以表示为 1 加 3。 9 = 1 + 2 + 6 16 can be expressed as the sum of the first four odd numbers: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7. 25 = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 and so on – that is, the square of n is equal to the sum of the first n odd numbers.  But guess what? That sum we found before is precisely that – it’s the sum of the first (k2 + k)/2 odd numbers! In other words, 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + … + (k2 − k+1) + (k2 − k+3) + … + (k2 + k−1) = ((k2 + k)/2)2. So there’s just one thing left to prove, and that’s that (k2 + k)/2 is equal to the sum of the first k natural numbers. Luckily, that’s pretty easy – it’s the definition of a triangular number (or, if you prefer, you can do it visually:  View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The shaded area representing the triangular number is equal to half of the area of the n x (n+1) rectangle. Image credit: ©IFLScience However you prove it, though, the math doesn’t lie: the sum of (n cubes) equals the (sum of n) squared. And now is as good a time as any to rave about this nice little result, since 2025 proves it perfectly. Happy New Year!

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is capable of reaching orbital speeds that are 23 times faster than the speed of sound.

The 320-foot-high rocket will not be launching any satellites throughout the mission. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is now scheduled for launch on Monday at 1 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The first launch of the New Glenn has been postponed by 24 hours because of unfavorable weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, which was the intended landing area for the New Glenn booster. "Due to ongoing adverse sea state conditions for the booster landing, we are postponing our NG-1 launch by one day, now scheduled for no sooner than January 13. The three-hour launch window remains unchanged, starting Monday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC)," Blue Origin announced on X. Reusable initial phase Earlier, the launch was scheduled for January 10 and then January 12. The New Glenn rocket, which was being developed for almost a decade, has a reusable first stage like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.The 320-foot-high rocket will not be launching any satellites throughout the mission. However, it’s carrying a payload, which is a test version of Blue Origin’s new “Blue Ring” spacecraft platform. The company will make efforts to recover the rocket’s first stage on Monday morning as the booster lands in the Atlantic Ocean on its Landing Platform Vessel 1. Called Jacklyn, the barge is nicknamed after the mother of Jeff Bezos, who is the founder of Blue Origin. Capturing the booster. The payload for this mission is the Blue Ring Pathfinder. This spacecraft will test Blue Ring’s core flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities as part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Orbital Logistics prototype effort.   “Our key objective is to reach orbit safely. We know landing the booster on our first try offshore in the Atlantic is ambitious—but we’re going for it,” said the company in a statement. Jarrett Jones, Senior Vice President of New Glenn, emphasized that this marks the inaugural flight of New Glenn, and the team has engaged in extensive preparations leading up to this moment. The procedure “However, no level of ground testing or mission rehearsals can truly substitute for the experience of flying this rocket. The moment has come to take to the skies. Regardless of the outcome, we will gain insights, improve, and utilize that knowledge for our upcoming launch,” Jones stated. “This marks our inaugural flight, and we have put in extensive preparation,” stated Jarrett Jones, Senior Vice President of New Glenn. “However, nothing can substitute for the experience of actually flying this rocket, despite all the ground tests and mission simulations we’ve conducted. The moment has come to take to the skies. Regardless of the outcome, we will gain insights, make improvements, and use that information for our upcoming launch.” During the launch, after burning through most of its fuel, the booster will detach from the upper portion of the rocket, which includes the vehicle’s nose cone, or payload fairing, that’s designed to shield cargo during liftoff. The booster will then use fins and strakes — or winglike attachments that flare out from its top and base, respectively — to help guide itself toward its landing target, a seafaring recovery platform, reported CNN. Ignition test In late December 2024, New Glenn achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting an integrated launch vehicle hotfire test, marking the last major step before its inaugural flight. The NG-1 mission is set to transport a Blue Ring Pathfinder as its initial payload. The seven-engine hotfire lasted 24 seconds and marked the first time Blue Origin operated the entire flight vehicle as an integrated system. The multi-day test campaign leading up to the hotfire included numerous inert functional and tanking tests. The integrated launch vehicle included the first and second stages of the NG-1 flight vehicle, and a payload test article comprised of manufacturing test demonstrator fairings, a high-capacity fixed adapter flight unit, and a 45,000 lb payload mass simulator.  According to Blue Origin, the official NG-1 Wet Dress Rehearsal showcased the ultimate launch protocols that precede the hotfire engine test. “All seven engines performed nominally including at 100% thrust for 13 seconds. The test also demonstrated New Glenn’s autogenous pressurization system, which self-generates gases to pressurize GS1’s propellant tanks,” said the company in a statement. Reports revealed that New Glenn’s two engines, optimized to function in the vacuum of space, should fire up and propel the vehicle to speeds necessary to enter orbit — typically around 17,500 miles per hour, or nearly 23 times the speed of sound.

During a hike in the Swiss Alps, he stumbled upon an unusual 20th-century wagon embedded in a receding glacier.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Andrew Mayovskyy - stock.adobe.com - for illustrative purposes only. In the Swiss Alps, the retreat of glaciers is revealing items that have been trapped in ice for hundreds of years. To date, archaeologists have unearthed artifacts from World War I, arrows dating back 1,300 years, and the preserved bodies of hikers who went missing long ago. In November of last year, a hiker named Sergio Veri stumbled upon what seemed to be a two-wheeled bamboo cart from the 20th century. However, archaeologists are still uncertain about its true nature. While strolling through the Splügen Pass in the Swiss Alps, close to the Switzerland-Italy border, Veri stumbled upon a peculiar device. The elevated route links Switzerland's Hinterrhein valley to Italy's Valle San Giacomo. He spotted the cart amidst the thawing Schwarzhorn Glacier. According to a social media update from the Canton of Graubünden, “The wagon-style design, featuring two wheels and crafted from bamboo sticks and laces, is estimated to be fairly recent, likely dating back to the 20th century.” The mysterious object has left specialists puzzled. Abandoned in the heights of the Alps, it is constructed from bamboo and secured with cords, a detail that stands out. However, bamboo is not indigenous to Switzerland and only made its way to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Incorporating this material introduces an intriguing element that obscures the purpose and background of the object. The presence of bamboo suggests that the artisans had access to foreign resources. The Archaeological Service of Graubünden has yet to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the cart. They are reaching out to the community for assistance, inviting anyone who possesses knowledge regarding the object's function or how it was made to get in touch with them directly. Since that time, social media users have been buzzing with theories about the purpose of the bamboo structure. Some have proposed that it might have served as a cart for smuggling goods during World War I, while others believe it could be an early climbing apparatus utilized by adventurers or researchers, or perhaps even a component of a 20th-century aircraft. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Andrew Mayovskyy – stock.adobe.com – for illustrative purposes only Several commenters concurred on the wagon's utility, suggesting that it likely facilitated the movement of supplies. "Given that the wheels appear unsuitable for supporting a heavy load for an extended period, I suggest that it was an early form of a winch designed to help transport supplies uphill," one individual noted. "It's a type of pull cart, designed for a person or mule to walk ahead of it, constructed from bamboo to ensure it's lightweight for navigating mountain trails and rough landscapes," added another. The Splügen Pass boasts a rich historical background that is important to consider. During the Roman period, it functioned as a significant trade route, as evidenced by historical sources such as the Roman Tabula Peutingeriana. With glaciers around the globe melting at an accelerating pace, it's anyone's guess what discoveries archaeologists might unearth next. More About:News

Experts indicate the age at which you're most inclined to form lasting friendships.

Researchers have provided insights into why friendships formed during this period tend to endure for a significant length of time. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. I think we can all acknowledge that having friends is incredibly valuable. Yes, family is also important, but some studies have suggested that it is friendships that make more of a positive impact on your life - lifespan in particular. For example, a 2005 study in Australia found that people who had more friends than other participants tended to outlive those with fewer by 22 percent, Inc. reported last year. A separate study revealed that those with strong social ties had a 50 percent better chance of survival. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Research indicates that individuals with robust social connections tend to have a longer lifespan (Getty Stock Image) As you age, you begin to realize that friendships can be transient; however, there are a handful of individuals who will remain your companions for a lifetime. According to experts, it ultimately boils down to timing. Research has shown that most people will at least maintain adolescent friendships into adulthood, reports The i In fact, a recent study conducted by the newspaper found that 83 percent of Brits over the age of 30 are still friends with people they befriended at school or college. Adolescence is typically characterized as the period ranging from ages 10 to 24. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Studies indicate that friendships formed during teenage years tend to endure throughout a person's life (Getty Stock Image). It seems that there are compelling reasons why the friendships you build during that period are more likely to endure over the course of your life. Experts have described this moment as a 'pivotal time'. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Cambridge University, stated: "Adolescence represents a crucial phase for forming friendships, and the bonds created during this period can last for many years." "It is a period of our lives in which we undergo large changes in our sense of self, and particularly our ‘social self’ - the way we depict ourselves to other people. This includes what peer group we want to be part of and our social relationships." View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Certain individuals maintain lifelong friendships (Getty Stock Image) The bonds of friendship established between the ages of 10 and 24 are strengthened because 'the brain is designed to prioritize new experiences' during this developmental phase. Many of these experiences will be linked to the friends we shared them with, making them deeply embedded in our memories. It is also proposed that the friends you make during that period play a significant role in shaping who you grow into as an adult. Blakemore stated, "During adolescence, the brain exhibits a high degree of plasticity and adaptability, especially in areas associated with social functions." "This indicates that your social surroundings, including the individuals near you and your relationships with peers, could significantly influence the growth and development of your brain."

How to observe the rare comet that will be visible from Earth this month

If it's not to your liking, you can always choose to wait an additional 160,000 years. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The universe is brimming with intriguing celestial objects and various marvels, and you could have the chance to witness one in just a few days. If, for some reason, you don’t know the names of every rock moving through the infinite vacuum of space, then you might have missed the upcoming news. Comet G3 ATLAS (C/2024) is on its way, and you could have the chance to see it! Don’t worry if the name doesn’t sound familiar; it was just discovered not long ago. It was discovered in early April 2024 and was the third comet found that month and identified by the facility Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), according to PEOPLE. As for where it came from, Space.com reports that it's believed to have originated from Oort Cloud, which is comprised of millions of tiny icy objects estimated to be 10 trillion miles from the Sun. Nevertheless, astronomers suggest that spotting it in the night sky could be more challenging than one might think. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The comet is anticipated to shine more brightly than Venus (Getty Stock Image) On January 13, the comet is anticipated to reach its perihelion, signifying that it will be at its nearest position to the Sun. At this time, the comet will come within approximately 8.3 million miles of the Sun. The same day, it's also predicted to reach its closest point to Earth. This time around, many more people can catch a glimpse of it in the clear sky using rather basic technology, binoculars or a telescope - and if visible, it'll look like a bright star with a white or golden color, Space.com says. Although both the Northern and Southern hemispheres will have opportunities to see it, those in the Southern hemisphere will find it easier to catch a glimpse. According to the Sky and Telescope Organization, skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere might have the ability to spot the comet 'extremely low in the southwestern sky' from about January 15 to 18. The Planetary Society reports that while some experts anticipate the comet may disintegrate as it approaches the Sun, recent studies suggest that Comet G3 has experienced similar encounters before. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. With fairly simple technology, you should be able to identify it (Getty Stock Image) Data indicates that it is estimated to follow an orbit of roughly 160,000 years, suggesting it has undertaken an extraordinary journey. This challenging orbit suggests that the comet has probably endured at least one close encounter with the Sun in the past. While it's tough to predict a comet's visibility, Forbes reports that the comet is said to be shining at -4.5 magnitude, which is brighter than Venus. Although some may view this as a negative indication, comet observer John Bortle shared with Space.com that there have been reports of 'unusual' characteristics, including a 'shadow of the nucleus', which typically does not indicate any disruption. Bortle remarked, "I believe the odds of it surviving are roughly equal, around 50:50." It's definitely worth a try.

Elon Unleashes Cybertrucks, Combines Forces from SpaceX and Tesla for Humanitarian Mission in LA/Malibu

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. On November 21, 2019, Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, showcased the newly revealed all-electric, battery-powered Cybertruck at the Tesla Design Center located in Hawthorne, California. (Frederic J. Brown - AFP / Getty Images) Elon Musk revealed that both Tesla and SpaceX have allocated resources and staff to assist those affected by the fires in Los Angeles, as residents are forced to evacuate and face the loss of their homes. Musk shared on Sunday evening via X that Tesla and SpaceX staffers are “driving around areas in greater LA/Malibu that are in tough shape with free WiFi, drinks & snacks.” Tesla & SpaceX personnel are driving around areas in greater LA/Malibu that are in tough shape with free WiFi, drinks & snacks https://t.co/304vjlXSoc — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 13, 2025 He shared a post from Tesla that outlined a “summary of initiatives” undertaken by the electric vehicle company to assist both its employees and the wider community. Those endeavors proved to be remarkably extensive. Tesla is providing housing accommodations, transportation, and meals for employees who had their homes “lost or destroyed” amid the historic fires. The company successfully restored all Supercharger locations to operation, with the exception of the Pasadena Supercharger, which was situated in the heart of the fire. Beyond those responses, Tesla deployed two Megapack Chargers, which are essentially massive energy storage units that help with grid reliability, on Friday to “relieve congestion in Thousand Oaks for evacuation & families losing power due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs.” The company deployed another unit the next day to Altadena “for first responder support, providing power & Starlink connectivity.” Tesla has dispatched an additional two Megapack Chargers to San Bernardino and is in the process of installing more in the Palisades, the areas that suffered the greatest damage from the recent fires. Mobile Powerwall Units have been set up in Altadena and Topanga Canyon with assistance from various nonprofit organizations to supply power for devices and refrigerators. Additionally, several Cybertrucks equipped with Starlink are stationed across the city, including in Altadena, Pasadena, Zuma Beach, and Malibu. The Cybertrucks are equipped with compartments filled with water and snacks. To put it differently, Tesla, SpaceX, and Musk have made significant efforts to support not just their employees, but also the entire community. Musk did the same after hurricanes destroyed large parts of the southeastern United States a few months back. However, the initiatives in California proceed in spite of some lingering tensions with the state's Democratic leadership. In November, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a proposal to provide rebates for electric vehicles, excluding Teslas. This decision has faced significant criticism, with many viewing it as a form of political revenge against a billionaire adversary who has recently allied with the Republican Party. Musk called the exclusion of Tesla “insane,” especially because the company is the only car producer to make electric vehicles in the Golden State, according to a report from the New York Post. In summary, while California's leaders chose to distance themselves from Musk, he remained loyal to the state. Even as Newsom whines about his enemies politicizing the fires, Musk going out of his way to help the state is about as unpolitical a move as he possibly could have made. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Lemurs Face Extinction Threat, Even with Their Remarkable Genetic Diversity

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Sergiy - stock.adobe.com - for illustrative purposes only The development of lemurs is regarded as distinctive since they underwent evolution in complete seclusion on the island of Madagascar millions of years ago. The island boasted a variety of ecosystems, featuring lush tropical forests in the eastern region and arid, dry landscapes in the southwestern part. This resulted in a variety of lemur species, from tiny mouse-sized creatures to massive sloth-like varieties. The lemurs we are familiar with today are small, have large eyes, and inhabit trees. Over 100 species inhabit Madagascar, showcasing significant genetic diversity among them. However, a staggering 90 percent face the threat of extinction. A group of researchers from Spain aimed to uncover the reasons behind the critical endangerment of numerous lemur species, even though they exhibit significant genetic diversity. To achieve this, they analyzed the genomes of 162 lemurs representing 50 distinct species found throughout Madagascar. Their research uncovered the ways in which ecological elements, changes in climate, and recent human actions have influenced the genetic diversity of lemurs throughout history. "According to Joseph Orkin, the lead researcher of the study, 'As climate changes intermittently linked previously isolated environments, lemurs from various species and groups began to interbreed, exchanging genetic material that enhanced their overall diversity.'" "Additionally, it seems that the species with the greatest diversity are those that have fragmented populations spread throughout various ecosystems on the island. This trend of isolation followed by reconnection appears to be enhancing and redistributing genetic diversity across the entire island." Recent human actions have significantly contributed to the decline of lemur populations. Evidence indicates that factors such as deforestation, the growth of human populations, and changes in hunting methods are closely linked to the onset of dramatic decreases in lemur numbers. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Sergiy – stock.adobe.com – for illustrative purposes only The exact timeline of the first human arrival in Madagascar remains unclear, but it is believed that their population started to increase around a millennium ago. By the 1700s, the island had undergone considerable transformations in its environment. “Upon examining the genetic data related to population decreases, we consistently identified two notable inflection points occurring approximately 1,000 and 300 years ago. It was quite remarkable to observe such a distinct correlation between the periods of human population growth and the reduction in lemur populations,” Orkin remarked. These results may play a vital role in influencing future conservation strategies. The reduction of habitats and deforestation pose significant risks to lemurs by decreasing their population numbers and disrupting the natural links between habitats that facilitated gene flow. In the absence of varied genetic exchanges, the likelihood of inbreeding increases, thereby heightening the risks for species that are already at a disadvantage. Madagascar is just one of many regions worldwide experiencing a decline in biodiversity. The growing human population is driving this issue on a global scale. By increasing our understanding of how human actions impact biodiversity, we can discover more effective ways to safeguard it. The details of the study were published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. More About:Animals

Columbia Basin Inhabitants Excited After Spotting Daytime Meteor and Space Debris

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Chris Hansen Numerous residents of the Columbia Basin are abuzz after allegedly witnessing what they believe to be a meteor streaking across the sky over the weekend. The majority of the sightings were reported in the Quincy region, where at least one individual claimed to have witnessed a bright object leaving a lengthy trail of smoke in the sky on Saturday afternoon. Although many of the witnesses believed it to have been a meteor, there are no official reports of sightings from the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA), or private agencies such as The Aerospace Corporation's Debris Sightings log. While it's possible the object may have been a meteor, it's just as likely that it was a form of space junk, although no official sightings have yet been registered with agencies such as the Center for Orbital & Reentry Debris or the AstriaGraph site at the University of Texas.

The meme "Will Smith enjoying a plate of spaghetti" marks the inaugural AI benchmark meme.

Perhaps the sole one? View pictures in App save up to 80% data. AI video generators have made significant strides in their brief history, and an unexpected benchmark that many of us use to gauge this advancement has—due to various reasons—manifested as videos of Will Smith enjoying spaghetti. As one user pointed out on flight simulation forum AVSIM in late September 2024, these videos have become an AI benchmark. The difference in quality between the original AI-generated Will Smith eating spaghetti video—which went viral after it was posted to the r/stablediffusion subreddit by u/chaindrop in March 2023—and subsequent iterations—is stark. The AI improved significantly in movement, detail, and realism. About a year apart between these “Will Smith Eating Spaghetti” videos. Wild progress and can’t believe this became the AI-generated video Turing Test. pic.twitter.com/65UONEXhzg— Bearly AI (@bearlyai) January 5, 2025 So significantly that nearly a year after the initial nightmarish iteration went viral on X.com, the actor shared a parody video of himself pretending to be an AI-generated rendering eating spaghetti—and people were unsure of what was real, and what was AI. Which is arguably when it crossed over from viral video to meme. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The reason behind Will Smith eating spaghetti becoming the unofficial standard for AI video generation remains a mystery. From a technical standpoint, it's quite a challenging task. AI generators have consistently struggled with accurately depicting food (which frequently appears distorted), hands (which seldom show the right number of fingers), and the intricacies of the eating process as a whole. Additionally, the abundance of noodles adds another layer of complexity for the AI to manage. But culturally speaking, as with any meme, the why doesn’t so much matter. It is as much a method of communication as it is an inside joke. Much like the Utah Teapot of the late ’70s and ’80s—a famous 3D model and computer graphics benchmark that was kind of a pre-meme meme—Will Smith eating spaghetti videos have become a cultural reference that breaches the gap between tech and pop culture. It has become an AI litmus test for the layman, a way for the culture at large to participate and track developments in the latest big tech wave. 2023 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti was comically gruesome. 2024 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti is plausible. 2025 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti might not be recognizable as AI at all (the actor’s real-life parody of the spaghetti-eating videos is undoubtedly hastening this certainty, providing generators with more exact data to replicate). At which point AI benchmarks will become more difficult to articulate and define, and memes will continue to feel more niche as the social internet grows increasingly fragmented. Tutto passa.

Amendment 93: The deadline for the A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign Proposal has been postponed to February 12, 2025.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign is intended to identify and characterize novel physical processes and interactions that can be measured by and benefit from observations of water surface elevations over land, ocean, and land-ocean boundaries from SWOT, as well information from ocean salinity data and other relevant ocean products. ROSES-2024 Amendment 93 delays the proposal due date for A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign to February 12, 2025. On or about January 10, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024 Questions concerning A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign may be directed to Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer at [email protected]. Continue Discovering Explore Additional Subjects from NASA