135572
#Science telegram channel Best science content in telegram Our subscribers geo: https://t.me/science/3736
Hydra Under the Microscope
The hydra preys on invertebrates, most often small crustaceans. It extends its tentacles, waiting patiently for its target. When the prey touches the tentacles, it is struck by the hydra’s stinging cells.
#Hydra #Microscopy #MarineBiology #Invertebrates #Zoology #Science
Photos of Earth Captured After the Launch of the “Hera” Probe
The first color images of Earth were taken from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle shortly after liftoff. Meanwhile, the black-and-white shots, where Earth appears small, were captured by the “Hera” probe itself from a staggering distance of 1.6 million kilometers.
#falcon
#space
#science
How Did the Term “Bug” Originate in Programming?
In 1947, operators of one of the earliest computers, the Mark II at Harvard University, encountered an unexpected issue: a moth had become trapped in one of the machine’s relays, causing it to malfunction.
The operators removed the insect and taped it into the technical logbook, noting that a “bug” (referring to the moth) had been found. From that point on, the term “bug” became synonymous with errors or glitches in programs and systems, firmly embedding itself in the language of computer science.
#ProgrammingHistory #ComputerScience #TechTrivia #SoftwareDevelopment #MarkII #BugOrigin
#science
Why should an organism, like the green crab spider (Diaea dorsata), have two eyes? In nature, eye number often evolves based on specific environmental and survival needs. Many spiders, for example, have multiple eyes (usually eight), allowing them to detect movement and focus on prey from various angles, even in low light.
In the case of this spider, its visual system with multiple eyes maximizes its ability to detect predators and prey across its environment, providing a critical survival advantage. So, while many creatures, including humans, have two eyes for a stereoscopic vision that enhances depth perception, spiders need a broader field of vision due to their predatory and defensive strategies.
In an image captured at 20x magnification by Pavel Blachowicz, this green crab spider, adorned with eyes, shows how evolution has tailored its visual apparatus for survival in its habitat.
Ocean Currents off the Coast of the Americas
This visualization was created using satellite imagery and ocean data collected by NASA. The green hues represent cooler temperatures, while the white, yellow, and red colors indicate warmer areas.
🌍 @science
The giant, perfectly circular area you’re referring to is indeed quite striking and often prompts imaginative explanations like alien activity. However, this circular shape is entirely man-made. It surrounds Mount Taranaki, an extinct stratovolcano in New Zealand, within a forest reserve whose borders were established by humans. The distinct boundary between the lush forest of the reserve and the surrounding farmlands creates this almost perfect circle visible from space. The reserve’s purpose is to protect the ecosystem around the volcano, and the contrast between the preserved forest and agricultural land results in the striking shape.
Читать полностью…
Today, SpaceX successfully caught its Super Heavy booster for the first time using “mechanical arms.”
Читать полностью…
Wow, those new Ilon Musk bots are awesome!
@science #robots
Severe geomagnetic storms, reaching up to G4 class or even higher, are expected on Earth from Thursday to Friday. These storms could also be the longest-lasting of the year.
Читать полностью…
In 1963, Polaroid’s chemists marked a breakthrough in photography.
For over 15 years, they tested more than 5,000 different reagents, all with the goal of perfecting the process of color printing.
#history #science
People seem to have stopped fearing ichthyosaurs altogether – now they’re regarded as the first evolutionary attempt at creating dolphins. But ichthyosaurs came in many forms – some were very large, very predatory, and very toothy.
The reputation of ichthyosaurs as true monsters can be restored, for example, by the Himalayasaurus, despite its name, found in Tibet in the 1970s (not entirely despite the name, its full name is Himalayasaurus tibetensis) – even present-day Tibet was once the ocean floor. This leviathan reached 15 meters in length and weighed about 35 tons, making it one of the largest predators in the planet’s history.
Recently, they found a relative of the Himalayasaurus, with much smaller teeth, which, nevertheless, managed to bite off the tail of another massive marine reptile and swallowed the rest, somehow managing to eat something about two-thirds of its own size. It seems that the Himalayasaurus could have swallowed an average-sized Tyrannosaurus rex whole, without even biting off the tail! However, it would have been difficult for them to meet – the Himalayasaurus lived in the Triassic period, 215 million years ago, meaning that less time has passed between T. rex and us than between Himalayasaurus and T. rex.
I’m not sure what it was swallowing instead of Tyrannosaurs, but it is believed that this Triassic sea titan was the strongest of all known Mesozoic predators.
@science
A MASSIVE X7.1 Solar Flare Has Occurred on the Sun—it became the second most powerful in the last seven years.
Scientists are expecting strong geomagnetic storms rated G3 to G5 and auroras across the entire Northern Hemisphere.
An enormous plasma ejection will hit Earth on the night from Friday to Saturday.
China set a world record by organizing the largest drone show in history. A total of 7,598 UAVs were launched simultaneously, all controlled from a single laptop.
#drones #china #tech
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Emu Foot: Spot the Difference
In 2008, American scientists studied the fossilized remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and concluded that the closest living relatives of the mighty T-Rex are none other than ostriches and chickens. Evolution certainly knows how to surprise!
#ScienceFacts #TyrannosaurusRex #Paleontology #Evolution #Ostrich #Chickens #Dinosaurs #Emu #ScienceChannel #InterestingFacts #Science
🚀 The Largest Prime Number Ever Discovered!
The GIMPS project has identified the 52nd Mersenne prime, which is now the largest known prime number. This mathematical giant has the form and spans more than 40 million digits! The discovery was made possible through distributed computing, with thousands of volunteers worldwide contributing their computing power.
Think you can find the next record-breaking prime? Join the hunt and become a part of mathematical history!
🔗 Learn more at Mersenne.org
Why Men and Women Experience Pain Differently
It is well-known that men and women perceive pain and respond to analgesics in distinct ways.
A recent study involved 98 participants, both healthy individuals and those suffering from chronic lower back pain. They were trained in pain-relieving meditation techniques. Some participants received a high dose of naloxone—a drug that blocks opioid receptors—before meditating to improve their well-being.
In men, naloxone completely neutralized the pain-relieving effects of meditation. In contrast, for women, it even slightly enhanced the relief. Meditation showed significant benefits for participants with back pain who did not receive naloxone.
The study concludes that men rely on opioid receptors for pain relief, while women engage other biological mechanisms to manage pain.
#Science #PainResearch #GenderDifferences #Meditation #Neuroscience #Health
If you’re wondering, no, this isn’t a scene from the latest Alien movie.
What the fisherman is holding is a wolf eel, a fascinating creature found in the northern Pacific Ocean. It can grow up to 2.5 meters long!
Despite its fearsome appearance, the wolf eel mainly feeds on crustaceans and mollusks and rarely hunts fish.
#CheckThisOut #ScienceIsCool #OceanLife #WildCreatures
#science
The Fascinating Legacy of Red Hair in Europe: A Genetic Time Capsule
Читать полностью…
📊 Survey Results: Geographic Distribution of Our Readers 🌍
We asked, and more than 2,000 of you responded! Here are the current results showing where our readers are located:
1️⃣ Central & South Asia (India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, etc.) - 26%
2️⃣ Western Europe (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, etc.) - 11%
3️⃣ Eastern Europe & Russia (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, etc.) - 10%
4️⃣ North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) - 10%
5️⃣ Middle East & North Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, etc.) - 10%
6️⃣ Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, etc.) - 9%
7️⃣ Northern & Southern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Italy, etc.) - 8%
8️⃣ East & Southeast Asia (China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.) - 8%
9️⃣ Central & South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, etc.) - 6%
🔟 Australia & Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) - 2%
Thank you to everyone who participated! It’s amazing to see how diverse our community is. 🌏✨
@science
Scientists have developed a pill that could replace exercise and dieting.
The drug, called LaKe, activates muscle metabolism and improves endurance by mimicking the effects of prolonged physical activity.
Additionally, the pill reduces fat levels and provides other health benefits—much like running a 10-kilometer race.
Initial tests on mice have already shown positive results, and the next step will be human trials.
👍 — This is exactly what we need!
A comet passes by the Sun!
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), which under certain conditions is currently visible to the naked eye, has been captured by the SOHO spacecraft. In the center of the image, the Sun is obscured by a coronagraph, while solar eruptions can be seen all around.
#science #space #comet
🚀✨ A Rare Celestial Visitor is Approaching Earth! 🌌🌠
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, a comet discovered in 1965, is making its closest approach to Earth this month – a sight that won’t happen again for thousands of years! This icy wanderer will be visible through binoculars or small telescopes, offering a rare chance to catch a glimpse of a comet that’s been traveling through the cosmos for millions of years.
Mark your calendars for mid-October, when it will be closest to us, passing at a distance of about 33 million miles (53 million kilometers). The best viewing time will be just before dawn, as it appears near the constellation Cancer.
🌠 Fun fact: Comets like Tsuchinshan-ATLAS are considered “time capsules” from the early solar system, containing ancient materials that date back billions of years.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the mysteries of the universe! 🪐🔭 #CometTsuchinshanATLAS #Astronomy #Stargazing #SpaceExploration #CosmicWonders
We are continuing our survey to learn more about where our readers are from. The interim results can be seen in the chart here. It’s amazing to see that Science is being read in all corners of the globe! Thank you for your support and participation!
@science
#science
Exploring Ancient Life in 2-Billion-Year-Old Rocks
Scientists have made an extraordinary discovery in the Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa, where 2-billion-year-old rocks host microbial life. These microorganisms have thrived deep underground, inside mineral-filled veins, without sunlight or significant external energy sources. Advanced imaging techniques, including infrared and electron microscopy, revealed colonies of microbes in clay-sealed veins, indicating that these ancient environments could have supported life for billions of years.
A Robotic Hand That Detaches and Crawls—But Don’t Be Alarmed, It’s All Part of the Plan!
Engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and MIT have unveiled a five-fingered robotic hand that can detach from its main manipulator and crawl independently. Operating autonomously, the hand can grasp objects beyond the reach of the primary robot, then return and reattach itself.
Each finger of the robotic hand has four degrees of freedom and can bend in both directions relative to the plane of the hand. The developers used a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal number of fingers and their placement on the cylindrical palm.
In the basic configuration, the autonomous hand uses only two fingers to grasp and hold one, two, or even three objects, while the remaining fingers are employed for locomotion.
This innovation could be extremely useful for working in confined spaces.
@science
Mars’ Olympus Mons May Awaken!
A new study of Martian gravity conducted by an international team of astronomers has revealed a large area of weaker gravity beneath the Tharsis Plateau, where Olympus Mons is located.
This is most likely a giant magmatic plume extending about 1,600 km—essentially, a flow of lava slowly rising from the planet’s interior.
In the future, this process may well lead to an eruption of the largest volcano in the Solar System, dormant for millions of years. Moreover, three neighboring smaller volcanoes might also become active.
The summit of Olympus Mons stands at an altitude of 22 km, effectively beyond the Martian atmosphere. Therefore, it would eject smoke and lava into space. However, according to scientists’ forecasts, the volcano itself would be completely destroyed by this eruption, should it occur.
Robo-Dog Conquers Vertical Ladders
A method has been developed to train a quadruped robot to climb ladders. By combining hook-like grippers with reinforcement learning algorithms, researchers achieved a 90% success rate on slopes ranging from 70° to 90°. The climbing speed has been increased by 232 times compared to previous models.
The robot adapts to different ladder parameters and remains stable against external disturbances. Remarkably, the system requires no additional tuning when transitioning from simulation to a real robot. The climbing gait resembles that of humans: the hind legs generate lifting force while the front legs provide stability.
Pros: No need to walk it.
Cons: Can't hide, can't escape.
#robotics #climbingrobots
@science