Stone Age Hunting Megastructure Discovered in Baltic Sea

 by Sergio Prostak

A team of archaeologists from Germany has discovered a submerged Stone Age megastructure in the Western Baltic Sea at a water depth of about 21 m. The structure was likely constructed by hunter-gatherer groups more than 10,000 years ago and ultimately drowned around 8,500 years ago; since then, it remained hidden at the seafloor, leading to a pristine preservation that will inspire research on the lifestyle and territorial development in the larger area.

An artist’s reconstruction of the Blinkerwall in the Bay of Mecklenburg, Germany.

Image credit: Michał Grabowski.

The Stone Age megastructure was discovered in the Bay of Mecklenburg, about 10 km northwest off Rerik, Germany.

The stonewall is made of 1,673 individual stones which are usually less than 1 m in height, placed side by side over a distance of 971 m in a way that argues against a natural origin by glacial transport or ice push ridges.

Dubbed Blinkerwall, it was built by hunter-gatherers that roamed the region after the retreat of the Weichselian Ice Sheet.

Enlarge / Morphology of the southwest–northeast trending ridge that hosts the Blinkerwall and the adjacent mound.

Running adjacent to the sunken shoreline of a paleolake (or bog), whose youngest phase was dated to 9,143 years ago, the structure was likely used for hunting the Eurasian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus).

“At the time, the entire population across northern Europe was likely below 5,000 people,” said Dr. Marcel Bradtmöller, a researcher at the University of Rostock.

“One of their main food sources were herds of reindeer, which migrated seasonally through the sparsely vegetated post-glacial landscape.”

“The wall was probably used to guide the reindeer into a bottleneck between the adjacent lakeshore and the wall, or even into the lake, where the Stone Age hunters could kill them more easily with their weapons.”

Morphology of the southwest-northeast trending ridge that hosts the Blinkerwall and the adjacent mound.

Image credit: Geersen et al., doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121.

The Blinkerwall represents one of the oldest documented man-made hunting structures on Earth, and ranges among the largest known Stone Age structure in Europe.

“Our investigations indicate that a natural origin of the underwater stonewall as well as a construction in modern times, for instance in connection with submarine cable laying or stone harvesting are not very likely,” said Dr. Jacob Geersen, also from the University of Rostock.

“The methodical arrangement of the many small stones that connect the large, non-moveable boulders, speaks against this.”

Using modern geophysical methods, the researchers created a detailed 3D model of the Blinkerwall and reconstructed the ancient landscape.

The site was also visited and inspected by a team of scientific divers from Rostock University and the State Authority for Culture and Monuments in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania on one occasion.

The dives primarily aimed at assessing the nature of the stonewall and to survey the surrounding seabed for the presence of possible archeological artifacts.

They concentrated on two locations, namely the western end of the structure and a large stone in the center where the Blinkerwall changes direction.

While neither artifacts or dateable organic material was found in the immediate vicinity of the two dive locations, a small timber sample was retrieved from the Holocene sediments about 10 m to the south of the structure.

3D model of a section of the Blinkerwall adjacent to the large boulder at the western end of the wall. Photographs were taken by Philipp Hoy, Rostock University. The scale bar at the top-right edge of the image is 50 cm.

Image credit: Geersen et al., doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121.

“Although numerous well-preserved archaeological sites from the Stone Age are known from the Bay of Wismar and along the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, these are located in much shallower water depths and mostly date to the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (7,000-2,500 BCE),” said Dr. Jens Auer, a researcher at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation.

“We have evidence for the existence of comparable stonewalls at other locations in the Mecklenburg Bight. These will be systematically investigated as well,” added Dr. Jens Schneider von Deimling, a researcher at Kiel University.

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

19-02-2024 om 23:27 geschreven door peter  

Multiple flights reported 'strange lights' in the sky over Quebec during one day in 2023

Early on Feb. 12, 2023, at least three different flights over Quebec reported(opens in a new tab) "seeing very strange lights in the sky, high above the flight paths" that were "moving in a rapid and irregular way."

"It looks like it's more than one and sort of circling," a crew member aboard a cargo flight from Chicago to Luxembourg told air traffic controllers in Canada, according to audio obtained by CTVNews.ca(opens in a new tab). "It's a bit weird."

•  Top science and technology headlines, all in one place(opens in a new tab)
•  The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App(opens in a new tab)

CTVNews.ca has identified at least 17 reports like these from 2023 in an online aviation incident database(opens in a new tab) maintained by Transport Canada, the federal transportation department. Those reports come from across the country and involve pilots and crew with WestJet(opens in a new tab), Air France(opens in a new tab), British Airways(opens in a new tab) and more(opens in a new tab). You can read all of the reports in an exclusive interactive map(opens in a new tab).

Selected incidents from the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), 2023

Since 2000, Transport Canada's database has logged more than 315,000 reports of civil aviation incidents. The cases below represent unusual "laser interference" and "CIRVIS/UFO" reports from 2023.

Note: Incident details are based solely on information available in the hyperlinked CADORS reports, including event descriptions that are quoted therefrom. Locations of some incidents are approximate and map markers may be based primarily on the location of the reporting aerodrome. Incident time is expressed in Zulu time, or 24-hour Greenwich Mean Time. Transport Canada notes that "for the most part, CADORS reports contain preliminary, unconfirmed data which can be subject to change." Last updated Jan. 25, 2024.

Map: Charlie Buckley, CTV NewsSource: Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)Created with Datawrapper

"Just to let you know there was a flight from the south… they saw the same thing roughly a half-an-hour ago," an air traffic controller told the Luxembourg-bound cargo flight on Feb. 12.

"So I guess we're not just dreaming then, huh?" the aviator said.

"No, you're not the first one tonight."

Roughly 24 hours later, air traffic controllers received another report, this time from an Edmonton to Yellowknife flight(opens in a new tab) operated by Air Tindi that "reported observing a rotating light" at 30,000 feet over northern Alberta.

When something similar was spotted near Yellowknife late on Jan. 29(opens in a new tab), air traffic controllers sent a "vital intelligence sighting" report to Norad, the joint Canada-U.S. air defence group.

"We're looking at two lights dancing around here, to the east of your field," a crew member aboard a Canadian North flight from Fort McMurray said as they approached Yellowknife on Jan. 29, according to air traffic control audio previously published by CTVNews.ca(opens in a new tab). "We're not crazy."

Increasingly referred to as "unidentified anomalous phenomena," or UAP for short, UFOs and unidentified flying objects have become the focus of U.S. congressional hearings(opens in a new tab) and official reports from both NASA(opens in a new tab) and the Pentagon(opens in a new tab). In Canada, the federal government's top scientific advisor has also launched the Sky Canada Project(opens in a new tab), which plans to release a public UAP report in 2024(opens in a new tab).

•  Document reveals first known Canadian UFO study in nearly 30 years now underway(opens in a new tab)

Transport Canada's aviation incident database contains reports on everything from bird strikes(opens in a new tab) to unruly passengers(opens in a new tab). Known as CADORS, it is also peppered with nearly three decades of strange sightings from civilians(opens in a new tab), soldiers(opens in a new tab), police officers(opens in a new tab), air traffic controllers(opens in a new tab) and pilots on medical(opens in a new tab), military(opens in a new tab), cargo(opens in a new tab) and passenger(opens in a new tab) flights.

The most recent 2023 reports come from within an hour of each other, when an Atlas Air flight from Chicago to Frankfurt(opens in a new tab) and a Air France flight from Los Angeles to Paris(opens in a new tab) separately reported "an unidentified object" and "an object ahead and above with 6-7 lights" near Toronto early on Dec. 3.

Transport Canada routinely cautions that such "reports contain preliminary, unconfirmed data which can be subject to change."

"These reports have no potential for regulatory enforcement and often fall outside the department’s mandate," a Transport Canada spokesperson previously told CTVNews.ca(opens in a new tab). "Reports of unidentified objects can rarely be followed up on as they are as the title implies, unidentified."

'Vital intelligence sightings'

Robert Powell is a Texas-based engineer and founding board member of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies(opens in a new tab), an international think-tank dedicated to applying scientific principles to UAP research.

"I suspect that these reports represent a small fraction of what pilots are seeing," Powell told CTVNews.ca. "Not only does the stigma of making a UAP report still exist, but the reporting form and the way it is handled would make it clear to any pilot that his report was simply filed away."

Most reports are provided to federal transportation officials by Nav Canada, a private non-profit company that owns and operates Canada's civilian air traffic control infrastructure.

•  Here's how the Canadian government and military handle UFO reports(opens in a new tab)

The company's aviation guidelines(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)direct pilots over Canada to immediately report "a vital intelligence sighting of any airborne and ground objects or activities that appear to be hostile, suspicious, unidentified or engaged in possible illegal smuggling activity." Known as "Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings" or CIRVIS reports, Nav Canada even puts "unidentified flying objects" at the front of a list of examples that also includes foreign submarines and warships. When such reports are made, Nav Canada typically alerts Transport Canada and a Norad-affiliated Royal Canadian Air Force squadron in North Bay, Ont(opens in a new tab).

"Nav Canada's Aviation Occurrence Reporting Procedure is used to address instances of unauthorized or unknown aircraft in NAV CANADA managed airspace," a company spokesperson told CTVNews.ca. "Nav Canada provides all information that it receives on these incidents to the Canadian government."

But unless there is a clear safety or security concern(opens in a new tab), there tends to be little to no follow-up from Canadian authorities.

"The Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Air Force do not typically investigate sightings of unknown or unexplained phenomena outside the context of investigating credible threats, potential threats, or potential distress in the case of search and rescue," a Canadian defence spokesperson previously told CTVNews.ca(opens in a new tab).

At least four incidents(opens in a new tab) appear to have met that criteria between 2016 and Feb. 2023, when a high-altitude Chinese balloon(opens in a new tab) and three unidentified objects(opens in a new tab) were shot down over North America.

•  Read 'Secret' memo for Trudeau on unidentified object shot down over Yukon(opens in a new tab)

A Jan. 31 Air Canada sighting of the balloon(opens in a new tab) over B.C. also appeared in Transport Canada's digital database(opens in a new tab).

'Unusual lights, moving erratically'

Some of the Canadian UAP cases from 2023 may have straightforward explanations, like a Jan. 6 Swoop fight from Abbotsford, B.C.(opens in a new tab) that "reported seeing a dozen or so white lights" near Hamilton, Ont., and a Feb. 17 report from a remote Northwest Territories airport(opens in a new tab) of "a string of lights about a mile long" – both possibly sightings of SpaceX Starlink satellites(opens in a new tab), which travel in lines of glowing dots. Other incidents involving flashing red and green lights could be drones with navigation lights, like reports filed in February(opens in a new tab) and March(opens in a new tab).

More than half of the unusual reports filed in 2023 were classified as "laser interference" incidents, while the rest were labelled as "CIRVIS/UFO" reports.

Examples of "laser interference" from 2023 include

• a Jan. 4 Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to Amsterdam(opens in a new tab) that reported "an unusual light pattern in the sky" above New Brunswick;
• a Feb. 7 cargo flight from Miami to Amsterdam(opens in a new tab) that "observed unusual lights, moving erratically" above them near Halifax;
• a Sept. 27 British Airways flight from Houston to London(opens in a new tab) that reported a flying "light above their flight level" off the coast of Nova Scotia;
• and an Oct. 24 WestJet flight from Edmonton to Halifax(opens in a new tab) that reported "an intense light seeming to come from the sun" over Quebec.

A Transport Canada spokesperson previously explained(opens in a new tab) that aviation reports are labelled "laser interference" when "an aircraft is targeted or reported seeing a laser beam or any other directed bright light source."

Powell, the UAP researcher, believes the "laser" label is being misapplied.

"The 'laser interference' explanation appears to be a catch-all category for pilot reports," Powell said. "Laser light sources would be below the aircraft and not above it."

CTVNews.ca has filed freedom of information requests to get more data on reports like these, which rarely feature more than a line or two of detail. For example, a publicly-available Jan. 11, 2023 report from an Exploits Valley Air Services flight(opens in a new tab) over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence simply describes "bright lights approximately 100 [nautical miles] from their position." An access to information request filed with Canada's Department of National Defence revealed a slightly longer report of "approx 4 bright lights moving around each other creating geometric shapes (triangle to hexagon)."

At least four flights have already reported unidentified objects and lights over Canada so far in 2024, including a Jan. 4 sighting from Porter Airlines(opens in a new tab), a Jan. 13 case involving a FedEx flight(opens in a new tab), and a Jan. 19 report from Flair Airlines and Air Canada(opens in a new tab). CTVNews.ca also previously documented 11 similar aviation cases from 2022(opens in a new tab).

From drones to balloons, satellites, meteorites, flares, paper lanterns and weather phenomena, many of the reports described in this article likely have ordinary and earthly explanations. But with little sign of official investigation or follow-up from Canadian officials, most cases remain unexplained. 

Donald "Spike" Kavalench is a retired Transport Canada surveillance pilot who also spent more than two decades flying for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

"Transport Canada, Nav Canada and the Department of National Defence need to work together to quickly and effectively respond to and investigate any UAP reports that could signify a potential threat to the flying public and potentially our national security," Kavalench told CTVNews.ca. "So far, that has not been done."

• Do you have an unusual document or observation to share? Email CTVNews.ca Writer Daniel Otis at daniel.otis@bellmedia.ca(opens in a new tab).

RELATED IMAGES

A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019.

(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

{ https://www.ctvnews.ca/ }

19-02-2024 om 22:35 geschreven door peter  

Bizarre UFO Encounters in the Skies: A Pilot’s Perspective

The enigma of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) continues to spark curiosity and debate among people worldwide. Among the most credible reports of these mysterious sightings come from those who spend a significant amount of their careers in the skies: pilots. Both military and civilian aviators have reported encounters with objects that defy conventional explanation, fueling speculation and intrigue about what really lies beyond our understanding.

One of the earliest recorded pilot encounters with a UFO dates back to June 24, 1947, when Kenneth Arnold, a pilot flying near the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, reported seeing nine bright, saucer-like objects speeding across the sky. This encounter is notable not only for its detail but also for introducing the term “flying saucers” to the public lexicon.

The credibility of pilot reports stems from their extensive training, experience, and familiarity with aerial phenomena, making them unlikely to be easily mistaken or deceived by optical illusions or known aircraft. Despite this, many pilots have faced skepticism and ridicule, often deterring them from coming forward with their experiences.

One particularly compelling incident involved a group of P-51 Mustang pilots in 1948, led by Captain Thomas Mantell, who pursued a large, unidentified object flying at a high altitude. Mantell’s tragic crash during the pursuit added a layer of mystery and speculation regarding the nature of the object he was chasing. The official explanation, attributing the sighting to Venus, was met with skepticism, fueling theories of a cover-up and further embedding the UFO phenomenon in the realm of conspiracy and secrecy.

British pilots, too, have encountered unexplained aerial phenomena. Despite the tight-lipped approach of the British Air Ministry, stories of sightings by RAF pilots have leaked, revealing encounters with objects exhibiting capabilities beyond the technology of the time. One notable report came from a BOAC Captain in 1954, who described an encounter with multiple objects, including a large one that appeared to change shape, alongside his aircraft over the Atlantic.

The phenomena are not limited to visual sightings; radar operators have corroborated pilot reports, adding a technical layer of verification to these encounters. One of the most detailed cases occurred in New Zealand in 1978, involving multiple pilots and radar operators witnessing and tracking unexplained objects over the Kaikoura coastline. The incident was extensively documented, including film footage that fueled worldwide interest and debate.

Skeptics and researchers have offered various explanations for these sightings, ranging from atmospheric phenomena and optical illusions to misidentifications of planets or man-made objects. However, many encounters remain unexplained, with the objects’ advanced maneuverability and speeds suggesting technology far beyond our current capabilities.

VIDEO:

• Bizarre UFO Sightings Spotted By Pilots | Strange But True | Our Life

• https://youtu.be/q3VqhK7Iv6U

The persistence of these sightings, coupled with the high credibility of pilot witnesses, keeps the discussion about UFOs alive. While some sightings have been debunked or explained through natural or technological phenomena, others remain compelling mysteries, challenging our understanding of the world and perhaps, the universe. The pilots’ accounts contribute to a larger narrative that continues to intrigue and puzzle both the public and experts, keeping the door open to the possibilities of what might be out there, beyond the known boundaries of our skies.

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ 

19-02-2024 om 21:41 geschreven door peter  

De Odysseus-maanlander van Intuitive Machines heeft met succes de eerste beelden vanuit de ruimte naar de aarde gestuurd. Het robotachtige ruimteschip is sinds 15 februari onderweg naar de maan. Kort na de lancering verstuurde de Falcon 9-raket, gebouwd door SpaceX, enkele selfies met de aarde op de achtergrond.

{ https://newsmonkey.be/ }

19-02-2024 om 21:14 geschreven door peter  

De Odysseus-maanlander van Intuitive Machines heeft met succes de eerste beelden vanuit de ruimte naar de aarde gestuurd. Het robotachtige ruimteschip is sinds 15 februari onderweg naar de maan. Kort na de lancering verstuurde de Falcon 9-raket, gebouwd door SpaceX, enkele selfies met de aarde op de achtergrond.

Deze mijlpaal werd aangekondigd door het Amerikaans bedrijf Intuitive Machines via een bericht op X, waarop vier foto’s werden gedeeld. Intuitive Machines met hoofdkantoor in Houston werd opgericht in 2013 door het drietal Stephen Altemus, Kam Ghaffarian en Tim Crain. Het bedrijf verwacht minstens één keer per dag missie-updates te blijven geven op X.

Eerste onbemande maanlanding

Odysseus zal de eerste onbemande Amerikaanse maanlanding zijn sinds de Apollo-missies tussen 1961 en 1972. Het ruimteschip verkeert in perfecte conditie en is op weg naar een geplande landingspoging op 22 februari.

Intuitive Machines gebruikt voor hun motor een combinatie van vloeibare methaan en vloeibare zuurstof. Die combinatie wordt ook gebruikt voor de Raptor-raketmotoren van SpaceX, die de Starship-raket aandrijven. Starship is het ambitieuze project van SpaceX om mensen naar de maan en Mars te brengen.

Doel

Het doel van het bedrijf is het bereiken van een baan om de maan, een zachte maanlanding en communicatie vanaf de maan mogelijk maken. Intuitive Machines heeft ook drie NASA-contracten om ladingen naar het maanoppervlak te transporteren.

Bekijk de beelden hier

The post Maanlander Odysseus stuurt eerste foto’s vanuit de ruimte naar huis appeared first on Newsmonkey.

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/  }

19-02-2024 om 21:01 geschreven door peter  

Nukes Attract Not Only UFOs but Something Bone-Chilling, Revealed By Ex-Worker At Nuclear Depot In Nevada Desert

There has been a rise in the number of reported UFO sightings across many places in the United States since 2020. Moreover, officials have expressed concerns regarding the repeated occurrence of UFO sightings over military bases. Is there any possibility that these UFOs are controlling military actions?

Not so long ago, former US Air Force Captain Robert Salas claimed that UFOs are real and interfere in the military’s nuclear program. Additionally, former head of AATIP Luis Elizondo revealed that the U.S. Military created environments to attract UFOs to study them. He noted that there was much data that showed UFOs are interested in nuclear activities and the latest weaponry systems.

The UFO activity over US army bases has been observed since 1948, with the majority of incidents occurring at Malmstrom, Minot, F.E. Warren, Ellsworth, Vandenberg, and Walker AFBs between 1963 and 1996. Other sources stationed at Wurtsmith and Loring AFBs, where B-52 nuclear bombers were based during the Cold War era, also reported incidents.

In 1967, Captain Salas was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, when he received reports of a red glowing object hovering outside the front gate of the base. A security guard reported that the object had a saucer shape and was constantly hovering near the front gate.

At the same time, the missile system suffered a complete failure, with ten intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) going offline due to a “No-Go” (inoperable) condition, which caused several alarms to go off. After investigating the incident, a team of engineers from Boeing could not find any significant failures, engineering data, or findings that would explain how the missiles had been knocked off alert.

The cause of the failure remains unknown, but it was suggested that it could have been due to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) sent from an unknown source. Despite the severity of the situation, Salas believed that the UFO did not have hostile intentions because it could have caused permanent damage to the weapons system if it wanted to.

The incident was reported by a UFO researcher Robert L. Hastings, who collected information from various army personnel, including Staff Sgt. Louis D. Kenneweg, Airman 1st Class David Hughes, Staff Sgt. Joseph M. Chassey, and Lt. Col. Robert Peisher (USAF Ret.) in his 30 years of investigation.

A similar attraction of UFOs toward nuclear bases was noticed in Canada as well. A report from Winnipeg reveals that over 200 years, there have been 2,000 UFO sightings reported in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

In the mid-1970s, there were numerous UFO sightings all along the US-Canadian border, with Manitoba being one of the places where a large number of sightings occurred. These sightings included a high number of cattle mutilations and were often seen over restricted areas where nuclear activities were conducted.

Chris A. Rutkowski, a Canadian UFO researcher, has studied UFO sightings in Canada for over 25 years and concluded that Manitoba has a long history of close encounters with aliens. His UFO research, which contains 30,000 reports, has been donated to the University of Manitoba.

In 2017, author Grant Cameron published a book entitled “Charlie Red Star: True Reports of One of North America’s Biggest UFO Sightings,” in which he described in detail the largest UFO sightings in history witnessed by Manitobans. The province was stunned by the object known as “Charlie’s Red Star,” which was seen almost every night in 1975.

Cameron claims that Manitoba UFO sightings have connections to nuclear weapons because 35 years later, he found out that the government secretly installed nuclear missiles and other weapons in restricted areas just south of the border. He believes that the sightings stopped after the missiles had been removed in November. The author thinks that the nuclear technology that humans possess could be created after extraterrestrial contact. (click here to read the full article

{ https://www.howandwhys.com/ }

19-02-2024 om 01:34 geschreven door peter  

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

19-02-2024 om 01:13 geschreven door peter  

“Traditionally, designers use the materials available to them to design a new device or a machine. The problem with that is that the range of available material properties is limited. Some properties that we would like to have just don’t exist in nature,” study co-author and professor of biomechanical engineering, Dr. Amir Zadpoor, explained in a press release by Delft University. 

“Our approach is: tell us what you want to have as properties and we engineer an appropriate material with those properties. What you will then get is not really a material but something in-between a structure and a material, a metamaterial.”

Metamaterials are materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These engineered composites can defy conventional material properties by deriving their unique characteristics from a structure’s geometry rather than molecular composition. 

Metamaterials are currently employed in various industries, serving practical purposes such as improving antenna performance in telecommunications and controlling sound waves for noise reduction or focusing in acoustic engineering. Recent advancements include creating the world’s first genuine “one-way glass,” showcasing metamaterials, versatility, and potential for innovative applications.

In 2006, two research papers published in Science demonstrated that metamaterials could be used to manipulate the propagation and transmission of specified light frequencies and electromagnetic radiation to render an object invisible. 

Recent publications from Sandia National Laboratories, the U.S. Naval Institute, and Northrop Grumman have discussed the military potential of metamaterials, suggesting the possibility of creating real-life versions of the fictional “Klingon Cloaking Device” or “Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak.” However, despite ongoing research efforts, practical metamaterial cloaking technology has yet to be publicly demonstrated thus far.

This most significant challenge in developing novel metamaterials stems from solving the so-called “inverse problem” or calculating the specific geometry needed to produce desired properties.  

“Even when inverse problems were solved in the past, they have been limited by the simplifying assumption that small-scale geometry can be made from an infinite number of building blocks,” lead author Dr. Helda Pahlavani explained. “The problem with that assumption is that metamaterials are usually made by 3D printing and real 3D printers have a limited resolution, which limits the number of building blocks that fit within a given device.”

Enter Deep-DRAM: an AI-driven modular framework combining deep learning models, generative models, and finite element simulations to address these challenges head-on. 

Researchers say Deep-DRAM stands out by tackling the inverse design problem from a new angle, enabling the creation of materials with tailored properties such as double auxeticity (materials that expand in two directions when stretched) and high stiffness. 

Dr. Pahlavani underscored the importance of Deep-DRAM being able to overcome previous constraints, stating, “We can now simply ask: how many building blocks does your manufacturing technique allow you to accommodate in your device? The model then finds the geometry that gives you your desired properties for the number of building blocks that you can actually manufacture.”

In a paper published in the journal Advanced Materials, researchers detailed how the application of Deep-DRAM extends beyond theoretical advancements, showcasing real-world implications through extensive simulations and 3D-printed specimens.

Researchers note that the framework’s ability to generate microarchitectures resistant to fatigue and fracture highlights Deep-DRAM’s potential to produce metamaterials that are not only innovative but also durable and reliable for practical applications.

This focus on durability differs from most existing metamaterial designs, which often fail after repeated use. 

“So far, it has been only about what properties can be achieved,” Dr. Zadpoor described the current processes for developing metamaterials. “Our study considers durability and selects the most durable designs from a large pool of design candidates. This makes our designs really practical and not just theoretical adventures.”

Researchers say that one of the remarkable aspects of Deep-DRAM is its modular design, allowing for the integration of various computational models to solve complex design problems efficiently. This modular approach accelerates the design process and minimizes computational costs, making it an attractive option for a wide range of applications.

The implications of the innovative Deep-DRAM framework extend far beyond the laboratory, offering tangible solutions to real-world challenges. With the ability to tailor durable metamaterials to specific needs, industries ranging from healthcare to aerospace could benefit immensely from this recent marriage of Artificial intelligence and material science. 

Assistant Professor Dr. Mohammad J. Mirzaali, who also served as a corresponding author of the study, says the potential of metamaterials is limitless. However, because their optimal design has historically relied on intuition and trial and error, the metamaterials’ full potential has never been truly realized.  

Yet, researchers believe the AI-driven inverse design process of Deep-DRAM could revolutionize the development of metamaterials, opening avenues for applications such as orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, soft robots, adaptive mirrors, and exosuits.

“We think the step we have taken is revolutionary in the field of metamaterials,” said Dr. Mirzaali. “It could lead to all kinds of new applications.” 

• Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement executive, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the Intelligence Community and topics related to psychology. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @LtTimMcMillan.  Tim can be reached by email: tim@thedebrief.org or through encrypted email: LtTimMcMillan@protonmail.com 

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/ }

19-02-2024 om 00:59 geschreven door peter  

Private Odysseus moon lander beams home 1st photos from space

A pioneering moon lander has beamed home its first photos from the final frontier.

Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus moon lander deploys from the second stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on Feb. 15, 2024.

(Image credit: NASA TV)© Provided by Space

Intuitive Machines' robotic Odysseus spacecraft snapped a few selfies with Earth in the background shortly after its Feb. 15 launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket — and we can all check them out.

"Intuitive Machines successfully transmitted its first IM-1 mission images to Earth on February 16, 2024. The images were captured shortly after separation from @SpaceX's second stage on Intuitive Machines' first journey to the moon under @NASA's CLPS initiative," the Houston-based company wrote Saturday (Feb. 17) in a post on X that shared four of the photos.

Related: 

• Missions to the moon: Past, present and future

CLPS is the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which puts agency science instruments on private robotic moon landers like Odysseus. These instruments are designed to collect data that will aid NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a crewed base near the lunar south pole by the end of the 2020s.

Odysseus is carrying six NASA experiments and technology demonstrations, along with six private payloads, on its current IM-1 mission.

IM-1 wasn't the first CLPS effort to get off the ground. That distinction goes to the debut flight of Peregrine, a moon lander built by Pittsburgh company Astrobotic, which launched last month atop a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket.

That launch went well, but Peregrine suffered a fuel leak shortly after separating from the rocket's upper stage. The lander couldn't reach the moon, so its handlers steered it to a controlled destruction in Earth's atmosphere on Jan. 18. 

Things have been going better for Odysseus. The lander is healthy and communicating with mission control as it heads toward the moon for a planned Feb. 22 touchdown attempt, Intuitive Machines has said.

Odysseus' various systems are performing normally, including its engine, which just aced a crucial checkout in deep space.

"Intuitive Machines flight controllers successfully fired the first liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine in space, completing the IM-1 mission engine commissioning. This engine firing included a full thrust mainstage engine burn and throttle down-profile necessary to land on the moon," the company said in an X post on Friday evening (Feb. 16).

Success on the upcoming landing try would be historic; no private spacecraft has ever touched down softly on the moon.

Odysseus' liquid methane-liquid oxygen combination, by the way, is also employed by SpaceX's Raptor engines, which power the company's giant new Starship rocket. Starship, which SpaceX is developing to get people to the moon and Mars, is being prepped for its third test flight, which could take place in the coming weeks.

{ https://www.space.com/ }

18-02-2024 om 23:44 geschreven door peter  

Through the Artemis Program, NASA intends to send astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo Era. But this time, they intend to stay and establish a lunar base and other infrastructure by the end of the decade that will allow for a “sustained program of lunar exploration and development.” To accomplish this, NASA is enlisting the help of fellow space agencies, commercial partners, and academic institutions to create the necessary mission elements – these range from the launch systems, spacecraft, and human landing systems to the delivery of payloads.

With NASA funding, a team of engineers from the University of Arizona College of Engineering (UA-CE) is developing autonomous robot networks to build sandbag shelters for NASA astronauts on the Moon. The designs are inspired by cathedral termite mounds, which are native to Africa and northern Australia’s desert regions. Their work was the subject of a paper presented at the American Astronautical Society Guidance, Navigation, and Control (AAS GNC) Conference, which took place from February 1st to 7th in Littleton and Breckinridge, Colorado.

The team was led by Associate Professor Jekan Thanga of the UA-CE Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, who is also the head of the Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration (SpaceTREx) Laboratory and the NASA-supported Asteroid Science, Technology and Exploration Research Organized by Inclusive eDucation Systems (ASTEROIDS) Laboratory. He and his team are partnering with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Canadian space robotics company MDA to create the LUNAR-BRIC consortium, which is developing the technology for the Artemis Program.

Per the Artemis Program, NASA will land astronauts around the lunar south pole with the Artemis III mission, currently scheduled for 2026/27. By the end of the decade, they plan to build the infrastructure for long-duration stays, like the Lunar Gateway and the Artemis Base Camp. The latter element consists of a Foundation Lunar Habitat (FLH), the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), and a Habitation Mobility Platform (HMB). However, they will also need semi-permanent safe shelters while they search for optimal locations to build permanent habitats.

Consistent with NASA’s vision for future space exploration, a key element in this plan is to leverage local resources for building materials and resources – a process known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). For their concept, Thanga and his team investigated whether sandbags filled with lunar regolith could be used instead of traditional building materials to build lunar infrastructure. This includes housing, warehouses, control towers, robot facilities, landing pads, and blast walls to protect lunar buildings as spacecraft conduct takeoffs and landings.

Thanga was first inspired by a YouTube video showing the work of Iranian-born American architect Nader Khalili, best known for designing structures that incorporate unconventional building materials. This includes his development of SuperAdobe sandbag construction to create structures for the developing world and emergency situations. During the 1980s, the late architect proposed building sandbag structures on the Moon and other extraterrestrial locations. Thanga incorporated the concept of insect “skyscrapers” into Khalili’s ideas, specifically the tall-standing cathedral termite mounds.

These mounds are common in African and Australian deserts and are important in regulating the subterranean nest environment. As Thanga described in a UA College of Engineering News release:

“In the case of the termites, it’s very relevant to our off-world challenges. The extreme desert environments the termites face are analogous to lunar conditions. Importantly, this whole approach doesn’t rely on water. Most of the moon is bone-dry desert. Learning about that helped direct me toward distributed systems for construction.”

Thanga has long been interested in applying insect social systems to distributed robot networks where machines are organized by swarm intelligence to work cooperatively without human intervention. In their system, the robots embed sensors and electronics in sandbags, fill them with lunar regolith, and then use these to assemble the structures in place. Some sensors provide location data to help the robots place the sandbags, while others provide communication capabilities and environmental information to warn of potential dangers.

These include moonquakes, which result from heating and cooling during every lunar day and night (which last 14 days each). The temperature swings during this cycle are also a potential hazard, ranging from -183 to 107 °C (-298 to 224 °F) between day and night. Because the Moon is an airless environment, there’s also the threat of micro-meteors that bombard the surface at an average speed of 96,560 km/h (60,000 mph). The lack of an atmosphere (and a magnetosphere) also means the lunar surface is exposed to considerably more solar radiation and cosmic rays.

These buildings meet NASA’s requirements for the Artemis Program by reducing the amount of material that must be transported to the Moon while protecting the harsh lunar environment. NASA has granted Thanga and his team $500,000 for lunar surface projects through the agency’s Space Technology Artemis Research program (M-STAR), part of the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). NASA has also provided $1 million annually for UA student research projects over the last five years through a MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO). Said Thanga:

“The goal is to raise the participation of underrepresented groups in aerospace. And these are hands-on, student-centric projects. This lab offers me the exact environment – it’s startup culture. I’m leading a team and working with multidisciplinary people. I’m glad I’m here.”

Thanga and Sivaperuman Muniyasamy, an aerospace engineering doctoral student and first author on the paper describing the technology, presented their idea during a classified session of the AAS GNC. “By publishing the paper at the conference, we’re gaining feedback from other experts that really helps us move forward,” said Muniyasamy. “It’s no accident this team has an academic partner, a commercial partner, and a government agency,” Thanga added. “Given the challenges, part of the path is for us to collaborate.”

Beyond the team’s plans for lunar habitats, the LUNAR-BRIC consortium plans to produce many concepts that will support the creation of a space economy. In addition to leading a team of eight undergraduate and master’s students working on lunar surface projects, Muniyasamy plans to launch a space mining company after completing his Ph.D. As he noted, NASA plans to build facilities for long-term habitation and industry within a few years of the successful landing of Artemis III that will enable (among other things) environmentally responsible lunar and asteroid mining

Thanga and his student team worked with the university commercialization arm (Tech Launch Arizona) to file patents on the robotic system and the distributed computer processing networks that link the proposed structures and robots.

Further Reading: 

• The University of Arizona

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

18-02-2024 om 22:02 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

18-02-2024 om 21:16 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

18-02-2024 om 20:50 geschreven door peter  

Whether or not you agree that Pluto isn’t a planet, in many ways, Pluto is quite different from the classical planets. It’s smaller than the Moon, has an elliptical orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune at times, and is part of a collection of icy bodies on the edge of our solar system. It was also thought to be a cold dead world until the flyby of New Horizons proved otherwise. The plucky little spacecraft showed us that Pluto was geologically active, with a thin atmosphere and mountains that rise above icy plains. Geologically, Pluto is more similar to Earth than the Moon, a fact that has led some to reconsider Pluto’s designation as a dwarf planet.

Astronomers still aren’t sure how Pluto has remained geologically active. Perhaps the gravitational interactions with its moon Charon, or perhaps interior radioactive decay. But regardless of the cause, the general thought has been that Pluto is an exception, not a rule. Other outer worlds of similar size and composition are likely dead worlds. But a new study shows that isn’t the case for at least two dwarf planets, Eris and Makemake.

This new study doesn’t rely on high-resolution images like we have for Pluto. Our current observations of Eris and Makemake show them only as small, blurry dots. But we do have spectral observations of these worlds, which is where this study comes in.

The team looked at the spectral lines of molecules on the surface of these worlds, most specifically that of methane. Methane, or CH₄ has two important variants. One is composed of standard hydrogen atoms, while the other contains one or more atoms of a type of hydrogen known as deuterium. Deuterium has a nucleus containing a proton and neutron rather than just a proton, and this skews the spectrum of methane a bit. From the spectral observations, the team could measure the D/H ratio for methane on both worlds.

Thisratio is determined by the source of the methane. If Eris and Makemake are dead worlds, then the methane they have stems from their origin more than 4 billion years ago, and the D/H level should be on the higher end. On the other hand, if the surface methane was generated through an interior process and vented through active geological processes, then the D/H ratio should be lower. The team found that the ratio is most consistent with thermogenic and abiotic mechanisms, suggesting that both Eris and Makemake are active worlds, or at least were active in geologically recent times.

Eris is about the same size as Pluto, so it isn’t too surprising that it’s a geologically active world given what we now know about Pluto. But Makemake is much smaller, about 60% the size of Pluto. If Makemake is an active world, then it is likely that other dwarf planets such as Haumea are as well. If that’s the case, then most if not all dwarf planets are geologically active. As the authors suggest, it might be worth sending a probe or two to the outer worlds for more study.

Reference: 

• Glein, Christopher R., et al. “Moderate D/H ratios in methane ice on Eris and Makemake as evidence of hydrothermal or metamorphic processes in their interiors: Geochemical analysis.” Icarus (2024): 115999.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

18-02-2024 om 20:33 geschreven door peter  

UFO Communication with an Eyewitness at Lake Superior

In the realm of unexplained phenomena, few topics capture the imagination quite like unidentified flying objects (UFOs). A particularly intriguing incident took place in June 2019 near the storied waters of Lake Superior, where an individual’s encounter with mysterious orbs not only challenged conventional explanations but also hinted at the possibility of communication between humans and these enigmatic entities.

The Encounter

Erik Rintamaki, known for his discovery of a unique type of rock called yooperlites, ventured out one evening in search of these stones. Armed with a specific type of blacklight to illuminate these rare finds, he unexpectedly became the witness to something far more unusual than fluorescent minerals. Glowing orbs appeared in the night sky, capturing his attention and setting the stage for an extraordinary experience. Unlike any typical aircraft or natural celestial body, these lights exhibited unusual behavior, moving in a synchronized fashion without making any sound.

Expert Analysis

The incident prompted a detailed examination by experts across various fields. Video forensic analysis confirmed the authenticity of the footage, ruling out digital manipulation or the use of computer-generated imagery. Astronomers and aviation analysts weighed in, considering and dismissing conventional explanations such as drones, which typically display different lighting patterns, or astronomical bodies like Venus, which could not account for the observed characteristics of the orbs.

One of the most compelling aspects of Rintamaki’s encounter was the apparent interaction between the eyewitness and the unidentified objects. As described by Alexis Brooks, an author familiar with UFO phenomena, instances where UFOs seem to respond to human observation are not unheard of. This encounter seemed to echo such instances, with the orbs appearing to move towards Rintamaki as if acknowledging his presence and possibly attempting communication.

Skepticism and Open Questions

Despite thorough analysis, skepticism remains. Some experts suggested optical illusions or misinterpretations of natural phenomena might explain the encounter. For instance, Marc D’Antonio, an astronomer and video effects designer, proposed that the orbs’ behavior could be attributed to the camera’s focus adjustments in low light conditions, a common issue that can create misleading effects.

VIDEO:

• UFO COMMUNICATES WITH AN EYEWITNESS (S2) | The Proof Is Out There | The UnXplained Zone
• https://youtu.be/VidgAwWcdqU

The Lake Superior UFO encounter stands as a testament to the enduring mystery of UFOs. While the exact nature of the orbs remains unidentified, the possibility of an attempted communication adds a fascinating layer to the narrative. This incident underscores the complex relationship between human perception, technology, and the unknown. Whether these orbs were natural phenomena, undisclosed human-made technology, or indeed something more extraordinary, they remind us of the vastness of our universe and the limits of our understanding.

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

18-02-2024 om 20:11 geschreven door peter  

Calling occupants...Can you guess which leading royal was fascinated with interplanetary craft? He was a regular subscriber to Flying Saucer Review!

By IAN LLOYD

Whether it was removing the back of a watch to see quite how the mechanism worked or haranguing a visiting bishop about the sermon he’d just preached, Prince Philip was famed for his enquiring mind.

What isn’t generally known is that among the Duke’s multifarious interests was a fascination with the paranormal, in particular, UFOs.

This stretched as far back as the beginning of the Queen's reign, when he became a regular subscriber to Flying Saucer Review.

Prince Philip looks up to the skies at King's College, Newcastle in 1951. Is he expecting aliens?

Winston Churchill, was moved to write an excitable memo to the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Cherwell: 'What does all this stuff about flying saucers amount to?

Earth versus the Flying Saucers! Prince Philip was keen to get to the bottom of it all

Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten, left, wrote to his eldest daughter Patricia that he was convinced UFO's 'come from another planet'. Philip listens intently

In the late 1940s and early 50s there was a spate of apparent UFO sightings mainly in the USA, that were widely reported in the press. 

The Air Ministry had 'a UFO Desk' to record reports of interplanetary craft. Even the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was moved to write an excitable memo to the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Cherwell: 'What does all this stuff about flying saucers amount to? What can it mean? What is the truth? Let me have a report at your convenience. WSC 28 July 1952.' 

Churchill wasn't the only member of the establishment concerned with it. Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten, wrote to his eldest daughter Patricia that he was convinced UFO's ' come from another planet' and that they 'were not ‘aeroplanes’ with silly little almost human pilots but are themselves the actual inhabitants: Martians, Venusians, Jupiterians or what have you.' 

He even wrote a detailed report of an alleged sighting over his own Broadlands estate witnessed by a retired British Army Sergeant, Frederick Briggs, who was working as a bricklayer on the estate and who 'says he saw a large craft that looked like a child’s top hovering over a field. He says a column came down from the centre of the craft, and there appeared to be a humanoid figure descending with the pillar.' 

A swayed Mountbatten thought Briggs 'did not give the impression of being the sort of man who would be subject to hallucinations, or would in any way invent such a story.'

The other influence on Philip's extra-terrestrial quest was a member of his own household, Sir Peter Horsley, the Duke's equerry from 1949-56. 

Horsley had been a Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Strike Command during the war, someone whose honesty and integrity should have been in no doubt. 

Having said that he was a man who was subject to the odd paranormal encounter. After his Mosquito aircraft was shot down during a mission, the recovering Horsley believed he had received messages from several of his fellow officers who were, in fact, all dead.

The equerry clearly won Philip over to his point of view. The Duke asked him to follow up any credible reports of sightings and invited witnesses to Buckingham Palace to personally give their accounts. 

He even wrote to Timothy Good, a renowned Ufologist, pointing out 'there are many reasons to believe that they exist.'

It is unclear just how convinced the prince was about UFOs or whether it was another example of his ever-enquiring mind, keeping its options open.

Certainly Sir Peter Horsley drew the line at telling his boss about his meeting with what he claimed was a real-life alien at a flat in London. 

The extraterrestrial chap called himself 'Mr Janus' and said he could read minds. Horsley recalled in his memoirs “He didn't say he was a visitor from another planet – but I had that impression.

'I believe he was here to observe us. I never saw him again.'

During their meeting Mr Janus said he wanted to meet Prince Philip – who he described as 'a man of great vision, a person of world renown, and a leader in the realm of wildlife and the environment.

Is this what they look like? A 'UFO sighting' in Winona, Missouri in 1957

There was a supposed sighting at Broadlands, the family home of Mountbatten

Prince Philip watching equerry Sir Peter Horsley trying to load a camera

Prince Philip was a subscriber to Flying Saucer Review

He is a man who believes strongly in the proper relationship between man and nature which will prove of great importance in future galactic harmony.' 

(From the sounds of it, even the most cynical reader would have to admit that, if aliens do exist, they are pretty well clued up about the British royal family.)

Not all the establishment was as willing to consider Horsley's point of view as Prince Philip. 

When his memoirs were published in 1997, a senior official at the Ministry of Defence commented, 'How unfortunate that the public will learn that the man who had his finger on the button of Strike Command was seeing little green men.'

The late Queen was also made aware that there could be something out there. In March 2009 a UFO researcher in Victoria, Australia, sent a letter to Buckingham Palace addressed directly to 'Your Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'.

The message was equally direct: 'I am writing to you to inform you Madam that the British Government continues to refuse to reveal the truth behind their files and reports of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). 

The writer informed the Queen that there was more to UFOs than 'weather balloons, airplanes, helicopters, lights, or natural phenomena' and said they had tried to contact various UK government departments, from the RAF, MoD and even MI5, to persuade them of the 'seriousness of this UFO security issue'. 

It continued: “As I am writing this letter to you Your Majesty, I contemplate whether or not you will see reason and if you will choose to act Madam?"

The letter ended by urging 'as a UFO researcher, I must highly recommend you act now Your Majesty. 

'You are capable of deciding your own destiny. The question is Your Majesty, which path will you choose?

Another possible UFO sighting, this time in San Francisco in 1956

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip view the Apollo 14 module and Space Shuttle model during tour of the Rockwell International space facility in 1983

Prince Philip  meets a man in a space suit during a visit to the Lyndon B Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas,  1966

'I await your immediate action and response to this serious UFO issue. "I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant.'

The Queen’s Private Secretary replied on her behalf: 'Although this is not a matter in which Her Majesty would intervene, the letter has been passed to the Secretary of State for Defence, so that this approach to the Queen may be known and consideration given to the points raised in the letter.'

The MoD wrote to the researcher saying that although the Government took the defence of UK airspace very seriously, there was no evidence that UFOs were a threat to national security.

Whether the Queen did act, per instructions, and discuss the threat of a UFO invasion with the powers that be remains a mystery, but it would have been good to be a fly on the wall when she mentioned it to the Duke.

• Ian Lloyd is author of The Duke: 100 Chapters in the Life of Prince Philip, published by The History Press

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

18-02-2024 om 01:13 geschreven door peter  

Three UFOs Over Southern Florida Highway, Feb 14, 2024, Video, UFO Sighting News.

 

Date of sighting: Feb 14, 2024

Location of sighting: southern Florida, USA

 

Watch this video below, click to make it full screen. The three UFOs might actually be a single large UAP. If that is so, then it's a larger triangle craft of about 300 meters across! This is undeniable proof that aliens exist in Florida. 

Scott C. Waring

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

17-02-2024 om 22:53 geschreven door peter  

Nick Pope is a British journalist, media commentator, and former civil servant. He is best known for his work with the British Government’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), where he was involved in investigating reports of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) from 1991 to 1994. During his tenure at the MoD’s UFO desk, Pope’s responsibilities included researching and investigating UFO sightings and reports, evaluating their potential defense significance, and determining whether they could be attributed to known objects or phenomena.

After leaving the MoD, Nick Pope became a well-known figure in the UFO community, often speaking at conferences, writing books, and appearing on television programs related to UFOs and the unexplained. He has authored several books on UFOs and extraterrestrial phenomena, including “Open Skies, Closed Minds” and “The Uninvited.” His work has contributed to public discussions on the topic, and he is often sought after by the media for his expertise and insights into UFO sightings and investigations.

• https://youtu.be/urTN10ny3n4

Pope has positioned himself as an advocate for greater transparency and seriousness in the study of UFOs, urging governments and organizations to consider the implications of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) seriously. His unique perspective as a former government insider who has also embraced the UFO research community has made him a notable and somewhat controversial figure within both the mainstream and the UFO enthusiast circles.

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

17-02-2024 om 22:13 geschreven door peter  

Gebruikt Poetin zijn kernwapens weldra in de ruimte?

Rapporten van Amerikaanse inlichtingendiensten duiden op een mogelijke inzet van een Russisch nucleair systeem in de ruimte.

De aard van dit Russische project is nog niet duidelijk, maar het vormt deze week alvast het onderwerp van een intens politiek debat in de Verenigde Staten. Op basis van de beschikbare informatie zou het een nucleair aangedreven of nucleair bewapend antisatellietsysteem van het Kremlin kunnen zijn.

En volgens The New York Times zou dit kernwapen in de ruimte worden gebruikt om civiele communicatie te vernietigen of om andere landen in de gaten te houden.

Het is onduidelijk of deze nieuwe waarschuwing verband houdt met de Russische lancering van de Sojoez-raket met geheime vracht van het Ministerie van Defensie op 9 februari.

Republikeinse en Democratische leiders van de Senaatsinlichtingencommissie onthulden dat ze deze informatie hadden gevolgd, maar dat het moeilijk zou zijn om de specifieke berichtgeving vrij te geven zonder gevoelige bronnen bloot te leggen.

• (FM/Source: The New York Times/Photo: Unsplash)

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/ }

17-02-2024 om 21:48 geschreven door peter  

3D-printer heeft communicerend hersenweefsel gemaakt

© Aangeboden door Business AM

Het is Amerikaanse onderzoekers gelukt om ge-3D-print hersenweefsel te laten communiceren en functioneren als een echt menselijk hersennetwerk.

Om beter te begrijpen wat er in de hersenen gebeurt van iemand met bijvoorbeeld de ziekte van Alzheimer of Parkinson, zijn driedimensionale hersenmodellen nodig. Zo’n model lijkt namelijk goed op natuurlijk menselijk weefsel – meer dan cellen in een petrischaaltje.

3D-printers worden al een aantal jaren gebruikt om menselijk weefsel in 3D na te maken, ook voor hersenen. Maar het blijkt nog knap lastig om de communicatie van de cellen in het weefsel te zien. Amerikaanse onderzoekers van de Wisconsin-Madison Universiteit zijn er met een paar aanpassingen eindelijk in geslaagd.

Dikke inkt

Een 3D-printer bouwt laagjes één voor één op elkaar. Dat kan in verschillende vormen en met verschillende materialen, afhankelijk van het doel. Voor het 3D-printen van hersenweefsel wordt een bio-inkt gebruikt. Dat is een natuurlijke gel waar stamcellen in zitten en die lijkt op menselijk hersenweefsel.

Voorheen maakten onderzoekers hersenweefsel na door de bio-inkt in laagjes op te stapelen in een verticale structuur. Na het 3D-printen voegden ze er voedingsstoffen en zuurstof aan toe. De stamcellen kunnen zich vervolgens ontwikkelen tot zenuwcellen en groeien naar elkaar toe, om een groot communicerend netwerk te vormen. Tenminste, dat is het idee. Tot nu toe is het nog niet gelukt om met deze methode ook echt functionerend hersenweefsel na te bootsen.

Hetgeen waar onderzoekers tegenaan lopen, is dat de gebruikte gel te dik is. De cellen blijven dan namelijk aan elkaar plakken, waardoor voedingstoffen zich minder makkelijk verspreiden en dat remt de groei van zenuwen. Er ontstaat dan ook geen functionele verbinding tussen de zenuwcellen, zoals in echt hersenweefsel, dus ook geen communicatie tussen deze lagen.

Horizontale structuur

De Amerikaanse onderzoekers hebben het nu anders aangepakt. Met de 3D-printer plaatsten ze het weefsel in een horizontale structuur naast elkaar – in plaats van een verticale. Dat zorgt voor meer stevigheid, waardoor een dikke gel niet meer nodig is.

Bio-inkt gemaakt van een dunnere gel maakt de structuur van het geprinte weefsel zacht, maar is nog steeds stevig genoeg om één geheel te blijven. De onderzoekers hebben met de nieuwe gel verschillende onderdelen van het hersenweefsel naar elkaar toe laten groeien om een hecht netwerk te vormen. Alleen op die manier kan er communicatie tussen de cellen plaatsvinden, en dat maakt het een belangrijke doorbraak. Dat vertelt Regina Luttge, microsysteemonderzoeker en groepsleider neuro-nanoscale engineering aan de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, aan KIJK.

Parkinson en alzheimer

Met deze doorbraak kunnen wetenschappers beter onderzoeken hoe hersencellen met elkaar communiceren. Bijvoorbeeld bij hersenziekten zoals alzheimer en parkinson zit er een aanpassing in sommige hersencellen. Experts weten wat die aanpassing is, maar niet hoe de hersenen zich daarna gedragen. Met het ge-3d-printe hersenweefsel is dat binnenkort een stuk beter te onderzoeken.

Bron:

• Kijk Online

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-be/ }

17-02-2024 om 21:16 geschreven door peter  

Dina Sanichar: The Feral Boy Raised by Wolves and the Inspiration Behind Mowgli in The Jungle Book

When Dina came to the orphanage, everyone noticed that he acted like he was raised by wild animals. Missionaries immediately noticed that he could not stand straight or talk, and he preferred raw meat instead of cooked food. Reverend Erhardt Lewis, who was in charge of the orphanage, had a tough job trying to help Dina fit into regular society. Teaching him how to talk, wear clothes, and act like a regular person was very hard, and there were big challenges ahead.

Dina did not follow regular human rules. He did not like wearing clothes and preferred to move on all fours. People tried to teach him how to act in society, but he could only make sounds like an animal. Reverend Lewis, who was trying to understand Dina’s difficult childhood, called him an “imbecile.”

People tried to make Dina more like humans by teaching him to walk on two legs, wear clothes, and do other human things. But Dina did not like these changes and still preferred living like a wild animal. His unusual habits, like smoking tobacco, showed that he was trying to deal with his struggle between the wild and human ways of life.

Dina’s tale became more interesting when he became friends with some other wild children at the orphanage. Their friendship was special because they all had similar experiences and understood one another’s wild ways. This connection helped them find comfort during tough times in society. Reverend Lewis noticed this special bond between Dina and his feral friends, highlighting their shared understanding that went beyond the challenges of their unusual upbringing.

In 1895, Dina Sanichar passed away, but his story continued to be remembered, going beyond the orphanage where he lived. Even though he struggled to fit into human society, his life had a lasting impact on discussions about feral children and the balance between civilization and the wild.

Dina’s life is part of a bigger picture – the discovery of feral children in 19th-century India. The high number of such cases makes us question how society saw these children and the difficulties they faced when trying to adapt from the wild to human life. Dina’s experiences reflect the challenges that feral children in that era went through.

In 1894, Rudyard Kipling wrote “The Jungle Book,” drawing inspiration from India’s diverse culture. Although it is unclear if Dina directly influenced the character named Mowgli, many stories about feral children during Kipling’s time hint at a cultural background that might have shaped the fictional narrative. The jungle, both in real life and in stories, becomes a place where the line between wild and civilized blurs.

Dina Sanichar’s life is a bit of a mystery, and there are different stories about his early years. Some people wonder if he was left alone in the jungle because he had physical or mental problems. When we look at other cases of kids growing up in the wild, it is clear that it is both fascinating and tough for them to fit into human society.

Whether Dina is seen as a real-life Mowgli or just a unique wild child, his story makes us think about the thin line between civilization and the wild. His life was full of difficulties, but he showed strength in facing them, making us rethink what it means to be human. As we explore the mix of truth and tales about Dina, we are left thinking about the human spirit’s ability to adapt and the mysteries in our shared past. Dina’s life echoes as proof that our spirit can endure, even with an unusual upbringing.

Dina’s story is not only one from late 19th-century India. During that time, other wild children were found, each facing their challenges fitting into human society. Unfortunately, Dina’s mental growth was limited, and he died at 29, likely due to tuberculosis made worse by his addiction to tobacco.

Let us explore some stories of feral children beyond India. Among others, we have Marina Chapman, who survived with capuchin monkeys, Sidi Mohamed, who spent time with ostriches, and a touching tale of an Argentinian toddler raised by wild cats. These stories highlight how these children can adapt and stay strong. Each case shows that humans have a special ability to connect with different animals.

Marina Chapman – Raised by Monkeys

One remarkable case is of Marina Chapman, who was kidnapped at the age of five and abandoned in the Colombian jungle. Lucky enough to be adopted by a group of capuchin monkeys, Marina learned survival skills from them. In five years, she was rescued by hunters, sold to a brothel, and later escaped to establish a life in England. Despite skepticism, scientific studies and a documentary support her extraordinary story.

Ostrich Boy – Birds Cared for him

Sidi Mohamed, known as the “ostrich boy,” wandered off from his North African family at a young age and found refuge with ostriches. They nurtured him, teaching him survival skills. At the age of 12, he was reunited with his family by ostrich hunters.

Toddler Kept Alive by Cats

In 2008, Argentinian police discovered a one-year-old boy surrounded by eight wild cats. The cats had kept him alive during winter, showing surprising compassion by providing warmth and bringing him scraps of food. The boy, separated from his homeless father, was rescued, emphasizing the unexpected bond between feral cats and humans.

The Dog Boy from Chile

Abandoned by his mother at 10 or 11, the “Dog Boy” in Chile was adopted by a group of dogs. He lived with them, imitating their behavior, and scavenging for food together. When found by the police, he exhibited signs of intense depression and aggression, emphasizing the challenges of reintegrating feral children into human society.

Ng Chhaidy – 38 Years Living in the Jungle

Ng Chhaidy went missing in the jungle at the age of 4 and was rediscovered 38 years later in Myanmar. Remarkably, she exhibited human-like behavior, demonstrating the adaptability of the human psyche to life in the wild.

Ramachandra – The Human Amphibian

In India, around 1960, there was a sad story about a boy named Ramachandra. His life was similar to an amphibian, a creature that can live both in water and on land. People first heard about him in 1973, and he was “rescued” in 1979. Ramachandra lived near rivers infested with crocodiles, catching and eating raw fish, showing that he had partly adapted to a life different from humans.

He liked eating raw food and living by the river. But in 1982, something terrible happened. He approached a woman, probably not understanding human rules, and had a tragic end. The woman, feeling scared, poured boiling water on him, and he died.

Ramachandra’s life reminds us of the challenges that feral children face when trying to live in human society after growing up in the wild. His story shows how hard it is to fit into two very different worlds, and it ended sadly because of the tough experiences he had.

These stories show how strong and flexible people can be when they grow up in the wild. Even though the stories are amazing and sad, they highlight how hard it is for these individuals to fit back into human society. The age when they learn language and social skills is really important, and it shows that we need different ways to help kids who grew up in the wild have happy lives.

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17-02-2024 om 00:00 geschreven door peter