All posts tagged: discovery

Unexpected black hole discovery is the most massive stellar object of its kind in our galaxy

Unexpected black hole discovery is the most massive stellar object of its kind in our galaxy

Published by skeptic

The biggest stellar black hole ever seen in the Milky Way galaxy has just been discovered by a collaboration of astronomers — and it’s the second-closest one to us, parked just 2,000 light-years away. Published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics today, researchers describe how their discovery, now named Gaia BH3 (or BH3, for short) was thanks to the “wobbling” wink of a companion star orbiting the black hole.  BH3, it should be noted, is not supermassive — thus not the most “massive” (in technical terms) in the galaxy. That would be Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way whose mass is about 4 million times that of the sun. BH3, on the other hand, is the most massive in its category of stellar black holes, which were created by the collapse of a star. The discovery promises to let astrophysicists study whether and how this nearby astronomical powerhouse may be pulling in matter from its surroundings. “No one was expecting to find a high-mass black hole lurking nearby, undetected …

Ancient discovery unveils a biblical view of life from 3,000 years ago

Ancient discovery unveils a biblical view of life from 3,000 years ago

Published by skeptic

The story behind this find isn’t just about its age but the biological treasure trove it held within. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have unearthed an ancient relic that offers a vivid snapshot of life nearly 3,000 years ago. However, it wasn’t a precious gem, intricate artifact, or a hidden scripture, but rather a seemingly mundane brick. The story behind this find isn’t just about its age but the biological treasure trove it held within. The Discovery Found amidst the ruins of a palace in modern-day Iraq, this brick dates back to the era of the Neo-Assyrian king, Ashurnasirpal II. Researchers swiftly dated the artifact thanks to inscriptions etched on its surface, revealing its creation between 879 – 869 BCE. Intriguingly, these dates coincide with what is believed to be the construction period of the palace where it was discovered. Archaeologists have recently recovered an ancient brick that turned out to be about 2900 years old. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) What’s intriguing is the context. Historical writings, including hieroglyphics, suggest that such bricks …

Surprising discovery links social anxiety to a specific gene

Surprising discovery links social anxiety to a specific gene

Published by skeptic

Researchers have added a new dimension to Tob’s repertoire: a potential sentinel against depression, fear, and anxiety. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) In the nuanced landscape of molecular biology, few genes have captured the intrigue of the scientific community as the Tob gene has. Discovered in 1996 in Professor Tadashi Yamamoto’s lab in Japan, Tob’s influence stretches from cancer proliferation to the intricate dance of the cell cycle and the subtleties of immune responses. “This research is about understanding stress-resilience,” Dr. Mohieldin Youssef, a pivotal figure in this groundbreaking study and a former PhD student in OIST’s Cell Signal Unit, elucidated. Prof. Yamamoto, leading the unit, has been at the helm of this discovery journey. “The presence of the gene helps with stress-resilience and if it’s removed, there’s an increase in depression, fear, and anxiety.” Tob, deriving its nomenclature from the Japanese verb “tobu,” to fly or jump, is an immediate-early gene, a classification speaking to its swift activation in the face of stimuli. The gene’s protein levels don’t just increase—they surge, reflecting its readiness to meet …

Breakthrough discovery ends the debate of what killed off the dinosaurs

Breakthrough discovery ends the debate of what killed off the dinosaurs

Published by skeptic

For centuries, one of the greatest paleontological debates centered on the demise of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) For centuries, one of the greatest paleontological debates centered on the demise of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Was it a giant asteroid or volcanic eruptions? Dartmouth researchers have turned the table by eliminating human bias and letting powerful processors decipher the mystery. New Model, Old Data: Published in the esteemed journal, Science, the Dartmouth study presents a groundbreaking modeling method powered by 130 interconnected processors. These processors, devoid of human interference, parsed vast amounts of geological and climate data, retracing the fossil record to pinpoint events leading to the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction. Alex Cox, the study’s primary author and a Dartmouth Earth Sciences graduate student, commented, “Most models move in a forward direction. We adapted a carbon-cycle model to run the other way, using the effect to find the cause… the model shows us how we got to what we see in the geological record.” At its peak, the amount of …

EastEnders’ Bernie Taylor makes exit decision after Keanu death discovery

EastEnders’ Bernie Taylor makes exit decision after Keanu death discovery

Published by Sam

EastEnders spoilers follow. EastEnders’ Bernie Taylor is set to exit Albert Square following the discovery of brother Keanu’s body. Viewers will know that Keanu was killed over Christmas in the culmination of The Six death mystery storyline, with the six women covering their tracks ever since. However, the walls have begun to close in this week after the discovery of Keanu’s body under the café floor, with Sharon arrested in the aftermath. Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes – BBC Related: 14 huge EastEnders spoilers for next week In new scenes set to air next week, Bernie will depart from Walford to pay a visit to mother Karen in Spain and inform her about Keanu’s death. The scenes come after Sharon is taken in by police, with Johnny Carter offering to represent her with an aim to protect his mum Linda from facing similar consequences. While she sticks to her story with the police, new evidence then comes to light that could mean trouble for Sharon. BBC Related: EastEnders’ Denise and Stacey caught out over Christmas Day Johnny …

Egg producing plant shut down after discovery of H5N1 bird flu

Egg producing plant shut down after discovery of H5N1 bird flu

Published by skeptic

A producer of fresh eggs in the United States has temporarily shut down a plant in the southwestern state of Texas after the H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected in chickens. Cal-Maine Foods issued a statement Tuesday that it had destroyed about 1.6 million egg-laying hens and another 337,000 young hens, equaling 3.6% of its total flock, after the virus was detected at the plant. The company said it was working with government officials at all levels and other industry groups to “mitigate the risks of future outbreaks.” The company said there is no known risk of bird flu associated with eggs, and that none have been recalled. Tuesday’s announcement came a day after Texas health officials announced that a person who had worked on a dairy farm with cows infected with bird flu tested positive for the virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said this is the first case of a person catching bird flu from dairy cattle. A person in the western state of Colorado tested positive for bird flu in …

Michael Douglas left stunned at 79 by discovery about famous family, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is a fan

Michael Douglas left stunned at 79 by discovery about famous family, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is a fan

Published by skeptic

Michael Douglas may just have the ability to create an impact in his blood, as the star joins the latest episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. The actor, 79, featured in a teaser snippet shared ahead of the episode’s release in which the host reveals to him that one of his famous ancestors actually has a statue in his name. Michael was shown a photograph of Colonel John Neilson, one of his ancestors, being a descendant through his mother Diana Dill, whose own mother was Ruth Neilson. © Getty ImagesMichael is actually a descendant of Colonel John Neilson “That’s my great-great-great-great grandfather,” he remarked, but was surprised to discover that a statue in his honor existed at Monument Square Park in New Brunswick. “Have you ever seen that?” the host asked, and Michael, who was in a daze, responded: “No, I never knew what to look for!” and was then told about Colonel Neilson’s legacy. “On July 9, 1776, John stood on a table in the middle of a tavern in New Brunswick, …

Skich starts with discovery for mobile games, moves on to third-party app store

Skich starts with discovery for mobile games, moves on to third-party app store

Published by skeptic

Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the gaming industry’s top leaders? Learn more about GamesBeat Summit sponsorship opportunities here.  Skich started out as a discovery and recommendation app for mobile games and it has traction for that. But with new regulations in effect for the app stores, it’s now creating its own alternative app store. The app is made for the age of swiping left or right, and it lets you express your interest in games. You can sort, collect, launch and delete games as you wish. Skich can make recommendations for the best game of the week for you, and it tries to figure out what the best ones are. Skich has attracted around 100,000 users, growing organically by about 25% month-to-month. The team also launched its web-based product and it is growing the audience organically too. GB Event GamesBeat Summit Call for Speakers We’re thrilled to open our call for speakers to our flagship event, GamesBeat Summit 2024 hosted in Los Angeles, where we will explore the theme of …

Life-changing discovery could revolutionize treatment for children with multiple sclerosis

Life-changing discovery could revolutionize treatment for children with multiple sclerosis

Published by skeptic

The current treatment options available for children with MS are limited, with only one therapy being classified as highly effective. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) A groundbreaking research study, considered the largest of its kind worldwide, has uncovered a crucial finding regarding children diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). According to the study conducted at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), it was discovered that early treatment with high-efficacy therapies, similar to those used for adults, yields better outcomes for pediatric MS patients. The current treatment options available for children with MS are limited, with only one therapy being classified as highly effective. However, the observational study from RMH suggests that administering high-efficacy treatments to pediatric patients during the early stages of their diagnosis can significantly mitigate the risk of developing severe disabilities later in life. Tracking disability states against time in the study. (CREDIT: the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health) Dr. Sifat Sharmin, a Research Fellow at RMH’s Neuroimmunology Centre and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Medicine, highlighted the findings of the study, stating, “We found that …

Orange is the new black hole: “Milestone” discovery of Milky Way vortex reveals freaky spirals

Orange is the new black hole: “Milestone” discovery of Milky Way vortex reveals freaky spirals

Published by skeptic

If you’ve never seen a gigantic electric-orange donut made of neatly ordered spiraling magnetic fields, spinning around the edges of a supermassive black hole in the Milky Way galaxy, this is your lucky click of the day. The mega-monster black hole, called Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), is just 26,700 light-years away — and its astonishing mass is about 4.3 million times greater than our Sun. In a milestone discovery that promises to rock the entire astronomical study of black holes, scientists just served up the first images ever seen of a mesmerizing portal right at the heart of our home galaxy.  There are two things even freakier than seeing vibrating magnetic fields of plasma-light around our galaxy’s black hole. First, we’ve known about Sgr A*’s parabolic space-donut since 2022, but had no idea it was literally just vibing (magnetically speaking). And second, Sgr A* isn’t even the fattest hole we’ve seen. In fact, the reason Sgr A*’s magnetic spiral-field is shaking up the astrophysics world is because it looks just like the one scientists found …