Category: Scoop.it

The Sun is nothing special when comparing it with other stars, there are stars that are smaller but there are also stars that have unimaginable sizes. Stephenson 2–18 is arguably the largest star known at this time. It lies 18,900 light-years from the Earth. But remember, light travels 1,080 million kilometers per hour or 9.46 trillion kilometers in a year, yes this star is very far away by our standards. How can we visualize the size of Stephenson 2–18 when comparing it to the Sun? This gigantic star has a diameter that is 2,150 times that of the Sun. The Sun has a diameter of 1,392,680 kilometers, so using a simple sum the diameter of Stephenson 2–18 works out at 2,994,262,000 kilometers.

 

When we use large numbers it becomes difficult for us to comprehend. Replace the Sun with Stephenson 2-18 so it is in the same position in the Solar System, that would be very bad news for all the planets, especially the five closest to the Sun and possibly the sixth planet Saturn, they would all be inside the giant star. In the above image, our sun is only 3 pixels big.

Read the full article at: medium.com

The journey of commissioning the Webb telescope continues this week with the successful cooling of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), through the critical ‘pinch point,’ down to its final operating temperature of less than 7 kelvins (-447 degrees Fahrenheit, or -266 degrees Celsius). This was a precondition to completing the seventh and final stage of the mirror alignment process.  The next steps include initial check-outs of MIRI and continue on to the final stages of multi-instrument, multi-field alignment with all four science instruments.

 

Webb will investigate star and planet formation and will study planets around other stars, which are known as extrasolar planets, or exoplanets. Knicole Colón, Webb’s deputy project scientist for exoplanet science, discusses the discovery space of exploring new worlds beyond our solar system. Dr. Colón brings a unique perspective as she is also the project scientist for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a mission that has found many exoplanet targets that Webb will observe.

 

Read the full article at: blogs.nasa.gov

Over the years, we have been making good progress in tapping underground spaces, from utility lines to rail lines and roads, to meet the many and growing needs of our urban environment. There are also extensive underground pedestrian links in areas like Marina Bay, which enhance connectivity and allow people to walk in comfort.

As evident in many urban cities, the use of underground space has largely been developed on a first-come-first-served basis. Over time, this hinders further expansion and optimal use of underground space.

By planning and safeguarding the space upfront and with the help of technology, we can unlock the potential of underground space and make better use of it. …

Read the full article at: www.ura.gov.sg

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has directly photographed evidence of a Jupiter-like protoplanet forming through what researchers describe as an “intense and violent process.” This discovery supports a long-debated theory for how planets like Jupiter form, called “disk instability.”

 

Direct images of protoplanets embedded in disks around infant stars provide the key to understanding the formation of gas giant planets such as Jupiter. Using the Subaru Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers just found evidence for a Jovian protoplanet around AB Aurigae orbiting at a wide projected separation (~93 au), probably responsible for multiple planet-induced features in the disk. Its emission is reproducible as reprocessed radiation from an embedded protoplanet. They also identified two structures located at 430–580 au that are candidate sites of planet formation.

 

These data reveal planet formation in the embedded phase and a protoplanet discovery at wide, >50 au separations characteristic of most imaged exoplanets. With at least one clump-like protoplanet and multiple spiral arms, the AB Aur system may also provide the evidence for a long-considered alternative to the canonical model for Jupiter’s formation, namely disk (gravitational) instability.

Read the full article at: www.nasa.gov

“Most people know that blockchain is the official technology for digital currencies. However, few people or industry experts know that blockchain technology is empowering various enterprises and industries… One of the enterprises empowered by blockchain technology is online learning.”

Read the full article at: elearningindustry.com

“Most people know that blockchain is the official technology for digital currencies. However, few people or industry experts know that blockchain technology is empowering various enterprises and industries… One of the enterprises empowered by blockchain technology is online learning.”

Read the full article at: elearningindustry.com

If we ever encounter intelligent life beyond Earth, the first question we are most likely to ask is “How can we effectively communicate?” As we approach the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Arecibo message — humanity’s first attempt to send out a message capable of being understood by extraterrestrials — the question feels more urgent than ever. Advances in remote sensing technologies have revealed that the vast majority of stars in our galaxy has planets and that many of these exoplanets appear capable of hosting liquid water on their surface—a prerequisite for life as we know it. The odds that at least one of these billions of planets has produced intelligent life seem favorable enough to spend some time figuring out how to say “hello.”

 

Read the full article at: www.scientificamerican.com

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says we’ll eventually work all day in virtual reality. I think he’s wrong; here’s why….

Read the full article at: www.computerworld.com

Read the full article at: www.computerworld.com

Robotics News

This is the future of robots! Every year they are getting more and more sophisticated. Right now, this is the most realistic robot in the world. It can hold conversations with you using Artificial Intelligence, and even remark on the world around it.

Credit Supercar Blondie

Read the full article at: www.technology-in-business.net