[Electric planes might be a better idea than electric cars. I'm not fully sure, but I would think so. Jan]

A startup has unveiled its design for a fully electric passenger jet that can seat up to 90 passengers, with plans to launch it within the next 10 years.

The E9X concept, designed by the Dutch company Elysian, is a battery-powered plane that can fly up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge based on a theoretical battery pack of 360 watt-hours per kilogram — the standard measure of battery density. By contrast, a Tesla battery has a density of between 272 and 296 Wh/kg according to Inside EVs. With future improvements, the startup hopes to boost the plane’s range up to 620 miles (1,000 km).

The design of the E9X, and the core technology that powers it, is based on a collaboration with researchers at the Delft University of Technology, which produced two papers published Jan. 4 in the journal American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

The first paper focused on redefining assumptions around existing battery technology. Most literature suggests battery-electric aircraft are only feasible for shorter-range trips of up to 250 miles (400 km) with up to 19 passengers on board. As a result, most real-world efforts have focused on designing regional or inter-city electric aircraft.

These widely used assumptions likely stem from much earlier expectations and technological constraints, Simay Akar, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers senior member and the CEO and founder of AK Energy Consulting told Live Science.

In the paper, the study authors suggest that advances in battery technology mean that larger aircraft can house denser batteries. Meeting the design specifications, however, can’t be done with commercially available technology; it "would depend on breakthroughs in battery energy density, weight, and efficiency to achieve such ambitious goals," Akar said.

The study also argues that planes can be designed to be more aerodynamically efficient than previously thought — meaning they could generate more lift without increasing drag.

They performed calculations on high-level estimates from previous aircraft to show there’s a "design space" where both energy density and aerodynamic efficiency can "reach significantly higher values than often assumed."

They validated these assumptions by making more detailed estimates that incorporated each component of a plane — including onboard equipment and systems — to show that a hypothetical plane could fly once the breakthroughs are made.

The second paper outlined the rough dimensions of the 90-seater E9X aircraft, which would include batteries integrated into the wings, a low-wing configuration, as well as folding wingtips. The plane they designed has an energy consumption of 167 Wh per passenger-kilometer, meaning it takes 167 watt-hours to ferry each passenger a kilometer. This equates to "an environmental impact well below" kerosene, electro-fuelled sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), or hydrogen-based alternatives. The authors added this environmental impact is comparable to land-based modes of transport, such as today’s electric cars.

“High density battery technology is one of the challenges at this moment, because scaling up production and further improving density remain crucial for widespread adoption," said Akar. "360 Wh/kg energy density is a significant leap from current battery technology and crucial for an electric plane’s range. Also, ground infrastructure and regulations still need to adapt to accommodate electric aircraft prior to the targeted timeline.”

The E9X won’t be the first electric passenger aircraft to take flight, if and when it does in 2033. The first electric passenger plane was Eviation Alice, designed to accommodate up to nine passengers and two crew — with its manufacturer first testing a prototype in September 2022 ahead of a target date of 2027 for full production, company representatives said. It has a range of approximately 250 nautical miles (approximately 288 miles or 463 km).

Whether or not the company hits this date remains to be seen, but Eviation has struck agreements with carriers to ship the plane in the future — including a written agreement with the European regional airline flyVbird to supply 25 aircraft, with an option for a further 25 in the future.

Source: https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/elysian-largest-fully-electric-concept-plane-e9x-take-off-in-2033?utm_term=23709803-D360-4259-9C73-BE4FF46B5C71&lrh=eeb99ac19903b638bde682c575bd3d0872a9ced83f83db97fc733a25835de83a&utm_campaign=368B3745-DDE0-4A69-A2E8-62503D85375D&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FBF23F5A-E7C6-427F-B99F-33D860A85CF2&utm_source=SmartBrief

[This is cool. People are always coming up with something new. This could be cool. But I doubt we can reuse any of the disks or devices we used to access them with. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_yxsJuOMY

[This is interesting. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcH7fHtqGYM

Here in SA, I once went to a farm where there were small footprints in rock from the dinosaur age. It was amazing to see the footprints and how the small lizards’ tails had dragged through what was once clearly some mud by a river or lake. For me the most amazing thing I saw was on the coast near margate where you could see fossilized trees near the beach. Trees that used to exist, but which are now solid rock. I found it amazing, being close up and looking at it. I took many photos. You also get "fossil negatives" where the original thing died and rotted away (e.g. tree trunk) and then rock formed around it. The trees blew my mind – you could see them fallen down and you could even see tree rings. I have the photos.

But, one of the greatest places on earth for fossils is in the semi-desert known as the Kalahari. That used to be a sea bed. some of the wildest craziest fossils ever found were found there including impossible fossils like jelly fish in what is now solid rock. (My suspicion is that this was created through very high speed, intensive catastrophic events).

Virus-free.www.avast.com

[I can't over stress the critical importance of this. This is what we really need and this will lead to unbelievable things. With this we are heading towards the greatest breakthrough since nuclear physics. This is even bigger than that. With this, we can head across the universe. Once we figure out how gravity actually works … insane things will be possible. This is something I've mentioned many times in the past. We need to know HOW gravity actually works. This is the first true breakthrough ever. Jan]

Scientists are a step closer to unraveling the mysterious forces of the universe after working out how to measure gravity on a microscopic level.

Experts have never fully understood how the force that was discovered by Isaac Newton works in the tiny quantum world. Even Einstein was baffled by quantum gravity and, in his theory of general relativity, said there is no realistic experiment that could show a quantum version of gravity.

But now physicists at the University of Southampton, working with scientists in Europe, have successfully detected a weak gravitational pull on a tiny particle using a new technique.

They claim it could pave the way to finding the elusive quantum gravity theory.

The experiment, published in Science Advances, used levitating magnets to detect gravity on microscopic particles—small enough to border on the quantum realm.

Lead author Tim Fuchs, from the University of Southampton, said the results could help experts find the missing puzzle piece in our picture of reality.

He added, "For a century, scientists have tried and failed to understand how gravity and quantum mechanics work together. Now we have successfully measured gravitational signals at a smallest mass ever recorded, it means we are one step closer to finally realizing how it works in tandem.

"From here we will start scaling the source down using this technique until we reach the quantum world on both sides. By understanding quantum gravity, we could solve some of the mysteries of our universe—like how it began, what happens inside black holes, or uniting all forces into one big theory."

The rules of the quantum realm are still not fully understood by science—but it is believed that particles and forces at a microscopic scale interact differently than regular-sized objects.

Academics from Southampton conducted the experiment with scientists at Leiden University in the Netherlands and the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies in Italy.

Their study used a sophisticated setup involving superconducting devices, known as traps, with magnetic fields, sensitive detectors and advanced vibration isolation. It measured a weak pull, just 30aN, on a tiny particle 0.43mg in size by levitating it in freezing temperatures a hundredth of a degree above absolute zero—about –273 degrees Celsius.

The results open the door for future experiments between even smaller objects and forces, said Professor of Physics Hendrik Ulbricht also at the University of Southampton.

He added, "We are pushing the boundaries of science that could lead to new discoveries about gravity and the quantum world.

"Our new technique that uses extremely cold temperatures and devices to isolate vibration of the particle will likely prove the way forward for measuring quantum gravity.

"Unraveling these mysteries will help us unlock more secrets about the universe’s very fabric, from the tiniest particles to the grandest cosmic structures."

More information: Tim Fuchs et al, Measuring gravity with milligram levitated masses, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2949. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk2949

Journal information: Science Advances

Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-closer-quantum-gravity-theory.html

Searching for liquid water on exoplanets is the key to finding life among the stars, and now, scientists have proposed a new strategy that might improve the chances of finding it.

In the new study, published Dec. 28 in the journal Nature Astronomy, researchers hypothesized that if the atmosphere of an exoplanet has less CO2 than its neighbors, there may be vast quantities of water on its surface — or even life.

Currently, finding liquid water on planets outside the solar system is a major challenge. Of the 5,000 or so exoplanets we’ve discovered, liquid water hasn’t been confirmed on any. The best scientists can do is detect traces of water in exoplanet atmospheres and determine whether planets could theoretically support water in the liquid state.

"We know that initially, the Earth’s atmosphere used to be mostly CO2, but then the carbon dissolved into the ocean and made the planet able to support life for the last four billion years or so," study co-lead author Amaury Triaud, professor of exoplanetology at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., said in a statement.

Once carbon is dissolved in the oceans, tectonic activity then locks it away in Earth’s crust, creating an effective carbon sink. This is partly why our planet has significantly lower CO2 levels compared with our neighbors — Earth’s atmosphere is around 0.04% CO2, whereas the atmospheres on Venus and Mars are both over 95% CO2.

If scientists observe a similarly low-carbon atmosphere on an exoplanet, it could indicate the presence of vast oceans similar to our own, the researchers said.

Looking for CO2 is easier than finding liquid water. CO2 absorbs infrared radiation very well, meaning it produces a strong signal that scientists can detect.

It’s also possible to perform this technique with existing telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Ground-based observations should also be possible because of the specific wavelength CO2 is measured at — whereas Earth’s atmosphere can torpedo experiments at other wavelengths by partially absorbing the signals.

"It’s a really nice way of doing this. And it’s also not going to involve a massive investment of telescope time, which is really important because that’s extremely precious to our community," said Sarah Casewell, a lecturer in the school of physics and astronomy at the University of Leicester in the U.K., who wasn’t involved in the research.

Tantalizingly, another scenario could contribute to an atmosphere low in carbon: life itself. The main ways life on our planet captures carbon are through photosynthesis and making shells, and around 20% of all carbon capture on Earth is caused by biological processes.

"Despite much early hopes, most of our colleagues had eventually come to the conclusion that major telescopes like the JWST would not be able to detect life on exoplanets. Our work brings new hope," study co-lead author Julien de Wit, assistant professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in the statement. "By leveraging the signature of carbon dioxide, not only can we infer the presence of liquid water on a faraway planet, but it also provides a path to identify life itself," de Wit said.

JWST found the unambiguous signature of water on exoplanet WASP-96B. A new technique may make it even easier for telescopes like JWST to find water.

Although the approach looks like it’ll work in principle, there may still be hurdles, as it’s not clear how many terrestrial exoplanets also have atmospheres. "Finding the perfect system to test this on might turn out to be a little bit more challenging than we previously thought," Casewell told Live Science.

But as researchers keep discovering more exoplanets, more atmospheres will also be spotted. And this technique could help figure out whether they could sustain life.

Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/exoplanets/scientists-have-a-new-way-to-find-oceans-and-possible-alien-life-on-distant-planets?utm_term=23709803-D360-4259-9C73-BE4FF46B5C71&lrh=eeb99ac19903b638bde682c575bd3d0872a9ced83f83db97fc733a25835de83a&utm_campaign=368B3745-DDE0-4A69-A2E8-62503D85375D&utm_medium=email&utm_content=693D9F89-1F77-42AD-93A3-F277A9DD4E59&utm_source=SmartBrief

Researchers have retrieved human DNA from a Paleolithic pendant and discovered that it belonged to a Siberian woman who lived roughly 25,000 years ago.

This is the first time scientists have successfully isolated DNA from a prehistoric artifact using a newly developed extraction method, according to a study published Wednesday (May 3) in the journal Nature.

In 2019, archaeologists discovered the thumbnail-size pendant buried inside Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia. This cave is famous for once housing Neanderthals, the mysterious Denisovans and even modern humans, according to fossil and DNA evidence. The pendant is further evidence of the cave’s human occupation. Measuring roughly 0.79 inch (2 centimeters) long, the pierced deer tooth contained a single hole, which was likely drilled so that the wearer could hang it around their neck.

Because teeth are highly porous, they’re more likely to retain traces of DNA, such as from skin cells or sweat, compared with other materials, making them a good candidate for the team of international scientists to test the new method. To help "preserve the integrity" of the artifact while isolating the DNA, they designed the method to be nondestructive, according to a statement.

This new technique involved using a soft spatula to carefully remove any leftover sediment from the cave before submerging the artifact into a buffer bath of sodium phosphate, which released the ancient DNA gradually beginning at the surface level and then deeper into the tooth. The researchers then increased the temperature of the liquid incrementally, beginning at room temperature, and swapping out the liquid multiple times until the human and deer DNA were released from the artifact, according to the study.

"The amount of human DNA [recovered] from using this method was mind blowing for me," study author Elena Essel, a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, told Live Science in an interview. "I expected to only get a bit of human DNA, but we had more than enough to tell the human and animal DNA apart."

A deer tooth with a hole at its top. It sits on a black background next to a ruler.

While Essel said it would take further examinations to know specifically the source of the DNA — be it from sweat, blood or another biological form — the researchers were able to compare it with known human populations and determined that both the woman and the deer, a species of elk (Cervus canadensis) known as wapiti, lived sometime between 19,000 and 25,000 years ago and that the woman was of Siberian heritage.

"Time-wise it fits," Essel said, "and geographically, the location of where the artifact was found fits."

Essel thinks this new method of DNA extraction could potentially be used on a variety of ancient artifacts, including tools, ornaments and other items once touched by humans.

"We think we can extract DNA from all types of artifacts using this method," Essel said. However, it’s important that archaeologists wear proper equipment not just in the lab but during excavations, such as "gloves and masks to avoid cross contamination from their own DNA."

Source: https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/25000-year-old-human-dna-discovered-on-paleolithic-pendant-from-siberian-cave?utm_term=23709803-D360-4259-9C73

The universe could be younger than we think, based on the motions of satellite galaxies that reveal how recently they have fallen into a galaxy grouping.

According to measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) by the European Space Agency’s Planck mission, the universe is about 13.8 billion years old. This calculation is based on what’s known as the Standard Model of cosmology, which describes a flat universe dominated by dark energy and dark matter and which is expanding at an accelerating rate.

The Standard Model is then used as a basis for supercomputer simulations that can depict the growth of large-scale structure in the universe — galaxies, galaxy clusters and huge chains and walls of galaxies.

Canada IMS
However, these models have now run afoul of new measurements of the motions of pairs of galaxies that don’t tally with what the simulations are telling us.

In a new study, astronomers led by Guo Qi from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied pairs of satellites in galaxy groups.

Galaxy groups are small collections of galaxies, such as our own Local Group, in which a few large galaxies are joined by a swarm of smaller ones. Like larger galaxy clusters, these galaxy groups form where filaments in the cosmic web of matter that spans the universe meet, with smaller galaxies moving along the filaments before falling into a group.

Using observations made by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) of 813 galaxy groups within about 600 million light-years from Earth, Qi’s team focused on the most massive galaxy in each group and measured how pairs of satellites on opposite sides of that galaxy moved.

They found that the fraction of satellite galaxies that were counter-rotating with respect to each other — in other words, orbiting the large galaxy in opposite directions — is higher than predicted by computer simulations of large-scale structure, such as the Millennium Simulation and the Illustris TNG300 model, which are both based on the Standard Model as described by the Planck mission.

This is a natural state of affairs if the satellites have just fallen into orbit around the larger galaxy of the group. But over time, galaxy groups and clusters should reach a dynamically relaxed state, with most satellites co-rotating. If galaxy groups and clusters coalesced when the Standard Model suggests they should have, then the fraction of counter-rotating satellites should be smaller. The fact that they are a greater fraction of satellites is a problem for the Standard Model.

“We found in the SDSS data that satellite galaxies are just accreting/falling into the massive groups, with a stronger signal of ongoing assembly compared to simulations with Planck parameters,” Qi told Space.com in an email.

In other words, it seems that the satellite galaxies have only recently fallen into their respective groups.

“This suggests that the universe is younger than that suggested by the Planck observations of the CMB,” said Qi. “Unfortunately, this work cannot estimate the age of the universe in a quantitative manner.”

This is because there is still too much leeway in the motions of the satellite pairs and models of how groups form to be able to place a firm figure on how much younger than 13.8 billion years these results suggest that the universe is.

If correct, then the new findings imply that something is amiss in the Standard Model, and that some of our assumptions about the universe must be wrong. In fact, one cosmic paradox that scientists are currently investigating could be the answer.

The expansion rate of the universe is defined by a number called the Hubble constant. Planck measured the Hubble constant to be 67.8 kilometers per second per megaparsec — in other words, every megaparsec volume of space is expanding by 67.8 kilometers (42.1 miles) every second. (One megaparsec is about (3.26 million light-years.) Based on this expansion rate, cosmologists are able to calculate the universe’s age as 13.8 billion years by rewinding the clock.

However, observations of the redshift of Type Ia supernovae, which are exploding white dwarfs, give the value of the Hubble constant as 73.2 kilometers (45.5 miles) per second per megaparsec. With this expansion rate, rewinding the clock would give a younger age of 12.6 billion years.

Both measurements of the Hubble constant are considered to be unimpeachable, and yet they differ drastically. This paradox has become known as the "Hubble tension."

“This of course could be related to the Hubble tension problem,” said Qi when asked whether the younger age suggested by satellite pairs in galaxy groups is support for the faster rate of expansion from the supernova measurements.

However, there are other hurdles to overcome. If we lower the age of the universe too much, then astronomers will find themselves in the awkward position of having stars that are known to be older than the universe itself.

Perhaps the explanation lies with other aspects of the Standard Model. For example, the model is heavily dependent upon dark matter, but so far scientists do not know what dark matter is. Other researchers argue that dark matter does not exist at all, and that its gravitational effects can be explained by a modification of the laws of gravity at low accelerations, such as those experienced by satellite galaxies orbiting at greater distances. Qi’s team did find that satellite pairs at larger orbital radii are more likely to be counter-rotating.

Right now, more data would be welcome. The same phenomenon should hold for larger galaxy clusters, said Qi, but clusters tend to be farther away and the limited sample size and poorer quality of data currently make any measurement inconclusive.

The universe is ancient, whichever age value is correct, but these new results suggest that it may be able to claw some of its youth back.

The new findings were published on Jan. 22 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Source: https://www.space.com/universe-younger-than-thought-galaxy-motion

[The spacecraft is 14 feet tall. It's quite tall and thin. The Moon's South Pole is pretty special. Since there's no air on the moon the craft will always be stable. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgVWGWEjsks

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K515uMQQzV4