Science Trends

 The European Space Agency revealed recently that an alien signal has been delivered to Earth for the first time. Reportedly, on Wednesday 9 p.m.,. the ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) flashed an encoded message to Earth from its orbit around Mars, simulating the reception of a genuine communication from an extraterrestrial civilization. A Sign in Space project creator Daniela de Paulis stated that receiving a message from an extraterrestrial civilization would be a profoundly transformative experience for all of humanity. A group of worldwide experts, space scientists, and artists were assembled by Paulis, an artist in residence at the SETI Institute, to produce a project that explored the process of understanding and decoding an extraterrestrial message. The signal was picked up by the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in Italy, the Allen Telescope Array in California, and the Very Large Array in New Mexico.People and groups are b...

  Source: Dick Jones Communications Summary: According to a recent study by evolutionary psychologists, the tendency to fall asleep first after sex is associated with greater partner desire for bonding and affection. Sleep versus cuddling: science is finally weighing in on what happens after sex. According to a recent study by evolutionary psychologists at the University of Michigan and Albright College in Pennsylvania, the tendency to fall asleep first after sex is associated with greater partner desire for bonding and affection. "The more one's partner was likely to fall asleep after sex, the stronger the desire for bonding," explains Daniel Kruger, research fellow at the University of Michigan, and lead author of the study. The study, published in December in the  Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology , examined 456 participants, who completed anonymous online surveys assessing experiences and desires with one's partner after sex. Participants th...

  Source: Columbia University Irving Medical Center Summary: Taking a daily multivitamin may help slow age-related memory decline, a new study has found. Taking a daily multivitamin supplement can slow age-related memory decline, finds a large study led by researchers at Columbia University and Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard. "Cognitive aging is a top health concern for older adults, and this study suggests that there may be a simple, inexpensive way to help older adults slow down memory decline," says study leader Adam M. Brickman, PhD, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Many older people take vitamins or dietary supplements under the assumption that they will help maintain general health. But studies that have tested whether they improve memory and brain function have been mixed, and very few large-scale, randomized trials have been done. Study methods In the current study, more than 3,500 adults (mostly...

  Source: University of Colorado at Boulder Summary: Engineers have designed a new class of 'microrobots' several times smaller than the width of a human hair that may be able to treat human illnesses like interstitial cystitis -- a painful bladder disease that affects millions of Americans. An example: a  Biological targeting: example of targeted killing of cancer cells through synthetic lethality by exploiting genetic differences in the BRCA genes between normal and cancer cells using conventional small-molecule drugs (PARP inhibitors).  b  Physical targeting: engineering drug-delivery systems that can reach and deliver cargo to cancer over normal cells, based on passive/targeted diffusion of nanoparticles that can vary in their make-up (organic and inorganic materials), and display a wide range of physical properties (top). Drug loading, targeting and shielding of nanoparticles can be achieved in distinct ways, as illustrated for nanoliposomes as a key example (bo...

  The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET), aboard the Kibo's Exposed Facility (EF) of the International Space Station, has been on a mission to measure the flux of cosmic ray particles since 2015. In a new study, an international team of researchers report the results of a direct measurement of the cosmic ray helium spectrum using the data collected by CALET. In contrast to the single power-law that was previously believed to exist, analysis of the flux data collected between 2015 and 2022 reveals that the energy distribution of cosmic ray helium nuclei follows a Double Broken Power Law. Much of our understanding of the Universe and its mysterious phenomena is based on theoretical interpretations. In order to deepen the understanding of distant objects and energetic phenomena, astronomers are looking at cosmic rays, which are high-energy charged particles composed of protons, electrons, atomic nuclei, and other subatomic particles. Such studies have revealed that cosmic rays co...

  The system, named TOI-2096, consists of two planets orbiting a cool star in a synchronized dance at approximately 150 light-years from Earth. Date: May 25, 2023 Source: University of Liege Summary: A study presents the detection of a system of two planets slightly larger than Earth orbiting a cold star in a synchronized dance. Named TOI-2096, the system is located 150 light-years from Earth. This system, located 150 light-years from Earth, is one of the best candidates for a detailed study of their atmosphere with the JWST space telescope. A study led by researchers of the University of Liège and the CSIC -- using observations from NASA's TESS telescope -- presents the detection of a system of two planets slightly larger than Earth orbiting a cold star in a synchronized dance. Named TOI-2096, the system is located 150 light-years from Earth. The discovery is the result of a close collaboration between European and American universities and was made possible by the US space missio...

Date: May 25, 2023 Source: Oregon Health & Science University Summary: New animal research is helping explain why at least five people have become HIV-free after receiving a stem cell transplant, and may bring scientists closer to developing what they hope will be a widespread cure for the virus that causes AIDS. A new study describes how two nonhuman primates were cured of the monkey form of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant. It also reveals that two circumstances must co-exist for a cure to occur and documents the order in which HIV is cleared from the body. New research from Oregon Health & Science University is helping explain why at least five people have become HIV-free after receiving a stem cell transplant. The study's insights may bring scientists closer to developing what they hope will become a widespread cure for the virus that causes AIDS, which has infected about 38 million people worldwide. Published today in the journal  Immunity , the OHSU-led stud...