Astronomy is full of puzzling objects‚ and an international team of researchers has just added another juicy one: A dense compact object that has been spotted orbiting a pulsar. This in itself is not that groundbreaking – but the mass of this object is puzzling. It is in the so-called mass gap. Researchers are either observing the heaviest neutron star known or the lightest black hole.When stars much heavier than the Sun go supernova‚ they can form two different types of objects. If they are not too big‚ they will collapse into a neutron star. Neutron stars are stellar objects made of only neutrons (the particles at the center of an atom with zero electric charge) and have an incredible density. A teaspoon of neutron star matter has a weight similar to that of a mountain.Neutron stars can have various properties. Pulsars are a type of neutron star that spin fast around their axis‚ emitting periodic pulsation. Millisecond pulsars such as the object in this study (called PSR J0514−4002E) spin hundreds of times per second. They act like some of the most precise clocks in the universe.The other dense object that a supernova can create is a black hole – an object so dense that nothing‚ not even light‚ can escape. Observations and theories put the heaviest possible neutron star at 2.2 times the mass of the Sun. The lightest black hole is expected to be around five times the mass of the Sun. In between‚ there’s the mass gap‚ where an object is expected to be a black hole unless we are missing something in the physics of neutron stars.The companion of the pulsar in this case has a mass between 2.09 and 2.71 times that of our Sun. It could be a system with a pulsar and a black hole; or one with neutron stars‚ one of which is pulsating. “Either possibility for the nature of the companion is exciting. A pulsar–black hole system will be an important target for testing theories of gravity and a heavy neutron star will provide new insights in nuclear physics at very high densities‚” co-author Professor Ben Stappers‚ from The University of Manchester‚ said in a statement.The pulsar spins (and so pulsates) 170 times every second‚ which has been observed with the MeerKAT radio observatory. By studying tiny variations of this rhythmic signal‚ researchers were able to estimate the properties of the system. The precision reached is incredible given that these two celestial bodies are 40‚000 light-years away.“Think of it like being able to drop an almost perfect stopwatch into orbit around a star almost 40‚000 light years away and then being able to time those orbits with microsecond precision‚” added Ewan Barr from Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy‚ who led the study with his colleague Arunima Dutta.The team believes that the companion is not the direct consequence of a supernova‚ but rather that it was originally two neutron stars‚ merging into this massive object. It might seem peculiar to have three neutron stars in a single system‚ but this object is in a globular cluster. This is a spherical collection of stars with a much higher density than other places in the galaxy‚ like our neighborhood. It’s common for many stars to interact in the globular clusters. Such interactions probably led to the formation of an incredible object. And while we don’t know exactly what it is yet‚ researchers are committed to finding out.“We're not done with this system yet‚” Arunima Dtta concluded. “Uncovering the true nature of the companion will [be] a turning point in our understanding of neutron stars‚ black holes‚ and whatever else might be lurking in the black hole mass gap.”A paper describing this research is published in the journal Science.

The world of robotics is an exciting place‚ especially when it comes to those robots that take inspiration from nature as a means to create something unique and impressive. A self-3D-printing‚ snake-like robot that grows longer as it moves (stop sniggering) in a similar manner to a vine has been created‚ opening up a mind-boggling avenue of possibilities for its use.Named the FiloBot by researchers at Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy‚ the robot is snake-like with a white head containing 3D printing technology‚ including a feeding mechanism and a plotting unit. As the head spins more mass is created‚ increasing the length of the robot behind. The body also contains a tube containing the 3D printer ink‚ which is a type of plastic. The tail end of the robot contains the inkwell‚ a pump‚ and a power source.    FiloBot can be programmed to grow towards the light or against gravity‚ drawing inspiration from climbing plants. The robot can also adapt its growth depending on the support available; for instance‚ where strong supports are present for the robot to climb up‚ it can develop a lighter body and faster growth. When the supports are weak or missing‚ it can produce a tougher body to allow it to support itself. The team suggests that this ability to use atypical growth can help the robot cross bumpy terrain and even gaps. These skills could be useful in scenarios such as disaster relief or measuring environmental pollution in hazardous areas. The embodied intelligence helps the robot respond to the physical challenges of different environments. The study is published in Science Robotics.

"When I came to you with those calculations‚ we thought we might start a chain reaction that might destroy the entire world‚" J. Robert Oppenheimer says to Albert Einstein at the end of Oppenheimer and the beginning of many Oppenheimer remixes. “What of it?” Einstein asks‚ to which Oppenheimer replies “I believe we did."Oppenheimer is talking metaphorically‚ of course‚ referring to a world beginning to arm itself to the teeth with weapons that could destroy the world many times over. But before the first nuclear bomb was launched‚ as referenced in the film‚ physicists were concerned that the blast could set the atmosphere on fire‚ and literally destroy the world. Key concerns‚ raised by theoretical physicist Edward Teller at a recruitment meeting in California‚ were that a reaction may become sustained‚ as it is in the Sun."The fear of Teller was that a fission bomb's detonation process might involve rapid local heating of the atmosphere in which‚" a new paper on the topic outlines‚ "because of a possible lack of cooling capability‚ the temperature might rise to such a point that the 14N nitrogen nuclei in the atmosphere might fuse with each other or with other light atmospheric isotope components‚ such as 1H hydrogen‚ 12C carbon‚ or 16O oxygen."The Manhattan Project had the foremost physicists of the time to figure it out. In 1942‚ Oppenheimer took a train to see Arthur Compton‚ Nobel Prize winner and expert in radiation physics‚ to try and get some answers. Or at least‚ the best answers available without experimental data (blowing up a big bomb and seeing if the planet sets on fire).Compton remembered the meeting years later‚ and spoke about Oppenheimer's fears."Hydrogen nuclei‚" Arthur Compton explained to American Weekly in 1959‚ "are unstable‚ and they can combine into helium nuclei with a large release of energy‚ as they do on the sun. To set off such a reaction would require a very high temperature‚ but might not the enormously high temperature of the atomic bomb be just what was needed to explode hydrogen?"There was also the possibility that the same thing could happen in the oceans. "And if hydrogen‚ what about hydrogen in sea water? Might not the explosion of the atomic bomb set off an explosion of the ocean itself? Nor was this all that Oppenheimer feared. The nitrogen in the air is also unstable‚ though in less degree. Might not it‚ too‚ be set off by an atomic explosion in the atmosphere?"This‚ of course‚ while ending the war‚ would do so a little too permanently‚ given that man‚ woman‚ and fish would be killed in the resulting reaction."It would be the ultimate catastrophe‚" Compton continued. "Better to accept the slavery of the Nazis than to run the chance of drawing the final curtain on mankind."Compton‚ however‚ told Oppenheimer that it would not occur in atmospheric conditions. Radiation cooling would always be too fast for such a reaction to be sustained‚ as Teller later wrote a report classified until 1979."The energy losses to radiation always overcompensate the gains due to reactions‚" he wrote in the report‚ adding "It is impossible to reach such temperatures unless fission bombs or thermonuclear bombs are used which greatly exceeds the bombs now under consideration."We now know through experimental data‚ including tests that forged "forbidden" quasicrystals‚ that sustained reactions in the oceans and atmosphere are not triggered by nuclear explosions. However‚ as the new paper written by Michael Wiescher and Karlheinz Langanke points out‚ the initial teams missed a key reaction. Though they had been concerned by 14N the most‚ given nitrogen's abundance in the atmosphere‚ they did not consider the 14N(n‚p)14C reaction‚ which produced 14C in abundance."The radiocarbon peak in our atmosphere decreases quickly because this long-lasting carbon isotope gets absorbed by plants through the carbon cycle. As a result‚ it becomes a part of all biological materials for thousands of years‚" the team concludes. "This radiocarbon remains in our bodies‚ serving as a lasting reminder of the human hubris leading to the development of nuclear weapons that Oppenheimer wanted to caution against."The paper is published in Natural Sciences.

Many people claim to have seen the elusive creature in the forests of North America. But what if there is a simpler explanation for these sightings? What if bigfoot is actually a black bear? That is the hypothesis of a new study by Floe Foxon‚ published in the Journal of Zoology. The study is a comprehensive analysis of the factors that influence the frequency of bigfoot sightings across the US and Canada. The study used data from various sources‚ including the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization‚ which maintains a geo-tagged database of reported sightings‚ the Canadian and US governments‚ which provide estimates of the black bear population and the forested area in each state or province‚ and the national census‚ which gives information on the human population density. Researchers found that there is a strong correlation between bigfoot sightings and the local black bear population. For every 1‚000 bears‚ the probability of a bigfoot sighting increases by about 4 percent. This correlation holds even after controlling for other factors‚ such as the amount of forested land and the number of people living in the area. The study also found that bigfoot sightings tend to occur more often in regions where black bears have a wider range of colors‚ from golden brown to deep reddish‚ as well as black. Researchers suggests that many people may mistake black bears for bigfoot‚ as they have similar colors‚ sizes‚ and behaviors. Black bears can weigh up to 600 pounds and stand up to six feet tall on their hind legs. They also frequent the forested areas that are supposedly bigfoot’s favored terrain. They can walk upright for short distances and sometimes make vocalizations that sound like grunts or howls. The study cites an example of a reported bigfoot sighting that said that pictures were obtained but‚ “One of the pictures looks like a bear.” The study concludes that “if bigfoot is there‚ it could be a bear.” The study does not rule out the possibility that bigfoot exists‚ but it casts doubt on the reliability of eyewitness accounts. The post Study finds a link between Bigfoot sightings and bear populations appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Have you ever wondered what happens when you die? Is there an afterlife‚ or do you simply cease to exist? Many people believe that death is the end of everything‚ but some physicists have a different perspective. They argue that death is not only impossible‚ but also illogical‚ based on the principles of quantum physics. Quantum physics is the branch of science that studies the nature of reality at the smallest scales of matter and energy. It reveals that the world is not made of solid objects‚ but of waves and particles that can exist in multiple states at once…. This premium content is for PLUS+ members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post The impossibility of death according to quantum physics appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Have you ever noticed how your dog seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to judging people? It’s a common belief that dogs can sense the true nature of humans. If your furry friend reacts negatively to someone new‚ it’s not unusual for you to feel a bit wary of that person too.... The post Studies show that dogs can tell if someone is a ‘bad’ or ‘untrustworthy’ person appeared first on Animal Channel.

Yesterday‚ I was ready to predict that Joe Scarborough would open today's Morning Joe with the clip of Donald Trump confusing Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi‚ saying that on January 6th‚ he had offered Haley 10‚000 troops. But then Ron DeSantis announced his withdrawal from the race. Huge political news! So there went my prediction.  But no! Despite the DeSantis withdrawal‚ Scarborough did indeed open today's Morning Joe with that clip of Trump confusing Haley and Pelosi. It's a sign of just how desperately Scarborough wants to offset Biden's blatant senility by beating the drum‚ as we noted last week‚ of Trump supposedly being "dazed and confused." He's channeling all the hardened Democrats using the Twitter hashtag #DementiaDon.  But in its second half-hour‚ today's show eventually got around to the DeSantis news--and did so with a nasty smirk. Katty Kay kicked things off. You might imagine that BBCer Kay represents the more refined wing of the liberal media. But there she was with a mocking laugh as she suggested to Charlie Sykes that they do a DeSantis post-mortem‚ "before we consign him to oblivion and forget his name." Klassy Katty! Scarborough took it from there. His theme was that Trump is "Fat Elvis‚" the  "sweaty Fat Elvis" of 1977‚ and that's what his fans want. Thus‚ they were not going to switch to a knock-off Fat Elvis in the person of DeSantis. According to Scarborough‚ DeSantis needed to find another lane‚ but never did so. Scarborough was so enthralled with his Fat Elvis analogy that he proclaimed it a "perfect‚ perfect analogy. Because who in the hell is going to go see a knock-off of Donald Trump 2024?"  Trump as Fat Elvis is a classic analogy for liberal snobs like Scarborough who summer on Nantucket. After all‚ in their eyes‚ people who loved past-his-prime Elvis were just those dumb Southerners‚ and bumpkins from across the fruited plain. Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 1/22/24 6:37 am ET KATTY KAY: Charlie‚ let's do a little bit of the post-mortem before we consign him to oblivion and forget his name [laughs.] Let's do a bit of a postmortem on Ron DeSantis. . . .  JOE SCARBOROUGH: It seems to me that you‚ you‚ you have a choice. You have to pick a lane. And Donald Trump had the MAGA lane‚ had the extreme MAGA lane. And so‚ here you had Fat Elvis '77‚ and you had Ron DeSantis saying‚ I'm going to go to Vegas‚ and I'm going to fill that lane‚ right? Why‚ why? Like‚ if you can't‚ if that lane's already filled‚ then do the Beatles! If you can't do the Beatles‚ do Dylan. If you can't do the Dylan‚ be the Fifth Dimension. Be anybody‚ but don't try to be Fat Elvis! [Shouts] They got that on the strip! MIKA BRZEZINSKI: A lot of it. SCARBOROUGH: [Still shouting] They got a lot of it‚ right? You're never going to get people -- MIKA: So much. SCARBOROUGH: -- Heilemann‚ if somebody has followed Elvis since '57‚they're not going to drive to Vegas in '77 and say‚ "Hey‚ I'm going to go see the Fat Elvis imitator." No! They're going to see Elvis! And they're going to get the sweaty‚ fat guy with‚ you know‚ pulling off‚ pulling off the -- you know‚ throwing his scarves into the crowd.  And people think‚ like‚ I'm joking. No‚ this is a perfect‚ perfect analogy. Because who in the hell is going to go see a knock-off of Donald Trump 2024?

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has introduced legislation to cut the federal funding of the Department of Homeland Security’s dystopian censorship activities following a string of bombshell MRC exposés. MRC Free Speech America uncovered how the DHS awarded $700‚000 in anti-terrorism grant money to the University of Rhode Island’s Media Education Lab (the “Rhode Island Lab”) to promote censorship and leftist propaganda in America’s classrooms. Notably‚ MRC also revealed last year how the DHS exploited an anti-terrorism grant program to fund a leftist initiative against the right by the University of Dayton‚ which included an effort to compare Christians‚ Republicans and conservatives to militant Nazis.  Hawley aims to end this DHS grant funding once and for all through new legislation‚ according to Fox News. “‘My bill simply bars Secretary Mayorkas from funneling taxpayer dollars to programs dedicated to targeting this Administration’s political opponents‚’” Hawley summarized. Hawley’s legislation‚ titled the “Ending DHS Funding for Liberal Propaganda Act‚” addresses the DHS’s effort to crush free speech through the infamous “Targeted Violence &; Terrorism Prevention Grant Program” (TVTP). Notably‚ MRC Free Speech America discovered the original TVTP grant to the University of Dayton that produced the now-infamous “Pyramid of Far-Right Radicalization” ranking Republicans‚ conservatives and Christians on a scale of extremism that included neo-Nazi and fascist groups. MRC was also the first to uncover the DHS’s grant to the Rhode Island Lab for “counter-propaganda” against conservatives. Fox reported that the Hawley bill targets “any programming relating to countering narratives or views on political topics‚ including COVID-19‚ vaccination‚ media bias‚ immigration‚ and crime.” Biden’s administration has gone rogue using your taxpayer dollars to fund leftist propaganda. Much needed legislation from @HawleyMO based on MRC’s censorship investigation. https://t.co/f0p5FpOQXq — Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) January 22‚ 2024 Indeed‚ Hawley cited the University of Rhode Island's Media Education Lab‚ funded by TVTP‚ to create “counter-propaganda” against conservatives‚ Fox News explained. In a previous letter to Mayorkas‚ Hawley insisted: “This is an outrageous use of federal funds and abuse of power." The senator added‚ "All these funds should be clawed back by the federal government immediately‚ and anyone involved in making this grant should be fired.” Hawley clearly meant it.  Fox News attributed the major legislative development to the Media Research Center's public records investigations. Fox News specifically cited MRC's report on the TVTP-funded effort to compare conservatives‚ Christians‚ and Republicans with neo-Nazis as one of the foundations for Hawley's new bill. MRC’s public records investigation efforts also exposed the State Department partnering with German censors to train teachers how to indoctrinate students against conservative news and ideas. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency and an equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Right now‚ there are conflicts raging in Ukraine and Israel‚ with a new front opening up in Yemen. Now is the time for strong American leadership to restore order and end these conflicts. The world does not work when the United States does not lead. To prove that‚ note that few people remember Warren Christopher these days. He was an ineffective secretary of state and leader. In the early months of the Bill Clinton administration‚ he traveled to Europe “to consult with our allies and friends on a course of action” to stop the killing in the former Yugoslavia. “We’re ready to play our part‚ but others must be as well‚” Christopher said. There is no reason to trust Airbus with our national defense contracts. The Europeans were not prepared to play a part. Instead‚ the killing went on for years‚ with the city of Sarajevo being destroyed and more than 100‚000 people killed. It was only when the U.S. military got involved that the parties came to an Air Force base in Dayton and agreed to stop the violence. American power delivered peace. We still see that today. You may not have heard much about it‚ but in the Red Sea‚ Yemeni Houthi rebels are attacking international shipping. The U.S. Navy is preventing those attacks from shutting down global commerce. On a recent day‚ “the U.S. military’s Central Command‚ along with forces from the UK‚ claimed they shot down 18 drones‚ two anti-ship cruise missiles‚ and one anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthi rebels‚” reported the Independent in London. American power protects the world. It goes without saying that the weapons used to shoot down the Houthi attacks were made in the USA. Our country is the only one that can build such high-tech weapons and the only one that can deploy military forces virtually anywhere at any time. But we can’t take this dominance for granted. It isn’t a coincidence. It is the result of a deliberate plan to promote American weapon manufacturing. This matters‚ because a European company now wants to play a larger role in American military planning. “Airbus Group SE is a company based in the Netherlands that is active in the aerospace and defense industry‚” Reuters explains. It already has several defense contracts in the United States and wants to add more. Airbus is now planning to bid for a part of a contract to build an Air Force refueling tanker. “The A330 U.S.-MRTT is a reliable choice for the U.S. Air Force: one that will deliver affordability‚ proven performance and unmatched capabilities‚” an Airbus spokesman claimed. Set aside the fact that the Air Force has an American-made tanker that is effectively doing the job right now and consider whether Airbus is even reliable. Any company will claim its products are good. But Airbus has a history of cheating. Just four years ago‚ Airbus agreed to pay more than $3.9 billion in fines after being accused of bribery in the United States‚ France‚ and Great Britain. “Airbus engaged in a multi-year and massive scheme to corruptly enhance its business interests by paying bribes in China and other countries and concealing those bribes‚” an assistant U.S. attorney explained. It was the largest global foreign bribery resolution at that time. Before that‚ in 2019‚ the U.S. government earned the largest arbitration award in World Trade Organization history‚ resolving a disagreement with the European Union over illegal subsidies that its government was paying to Airbus. “For years‚ Europe has been providing massive subsidies to Airbus that have seriously injured the U.S. aerospace industry and our workers. Finally‚ after 15 years of litigation‚ the WTO has confirmed that the United States is entitled to impose countermeasures in response to the EU’s illegal subsidies‚” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said at the time. There is no reason to trust Airbus with our national defense contracts. The world has learned the hard way that we can’t depend on a European company to protect us. We need American power and American manufacturing to do that. Airbus should stay in Europe and try to help the the continent improve its military outlook. They need all the help they can get to slow the influence of Russia. Meanwhile‚ America’s safety must be made in the USA.

A software engineer for Google was reportedly found covered in blood after allegedly murdering his wife in their California home‚ according to a press release from the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office. The attack occurred on January 16.The authorities were called for a welfare check at Liren Chen's home in Santa Clara‚ California‚ which is just a few miles outside Google's headquarters in Silicon Valley. Chen‚ 27‚ and his wife‚ Xuanyi Yu‚ were both employed by the tech giant at the time of the horrific incident.Officials were alerted to the residence by an unidentified acquaintance of Chen who "expressed concern" about the couple on January 16. The acquaintance became worried after seeing Chen through a window staring "motionless on his knees" with "his hands in the air‚" according to the release.Chen refused to pick up his phone or answer the door when the authorities arrived on the scene. After gaining entrance into the home‚ officers said Chen was at the scene of the murder. His right hand was "extremely swollen and purple‚" and his wife's body was not too far away‚ according to Fox News Digital.Authorities noted that Yu suffered serious "blunt force injuries" to her head‚ which may have been the cause of death. The authorities also mentioned that Chen had blood splattered all over his "clothing‚ legs‚ arms‚ and hands and scratches on his arm."Chen was soon arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors said Chen faces prison time if he is convicted of the crime. "Domestic violence deaths have been falling in our county‚ but that does not measure the depth and destructiveness of the violence‚" District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "Anyone who feels that they or someone else is being abused by their partners‚ please reach out your local law enforcement agency. You are not alone. We can help.""We are shocked and deeply saddened by what has happened to Xuanyi‚" Google spokesperson Bailey Tomson said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with her family at this time‚ and we will work to provide support to them and to co-workers who are processing this tragic news."Chen's arraignment was pushed back to January 22 because he is still in the hospital. Chen and Yu both studied in China at Tsinghua University and at the University of California San Diego‚ according to Fox News Digital.A motive has not yet been determined in the case.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!