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If Earth is so unremarkable in the grand scheme of things‚ where are all the aliens? A team of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has tackled the question by looking at the Great Filter theory‚ humanity's place in it‚ and our future as a species. In the paper‚ they warn that the filter "has the potential to eradicate life as we know it‚ especially as our rate of progress correlates directly to the severity of our fall"‚ in what they call the "most unsettling solution to Fermi’s Paradox".You may have heard of the Fermi Paradox‚ but if you haven't‚ here it is in a nutshell: Given the high probability that alien life exists out there in the universe because the Earth is not unique‚ why has nobody gotten in touch? If there are so many other civilizations out there‚ possibly at far more advanced stages than we are because of how long the universe has dragged on for (no offense universe‚ but get to the point)‚ why are they not doing what we're doing‚ sending out probes and desperately searching for other signs of life?One possible solution is the Great Filter. The hypothesis goes that before alien civilizations can make it to the point where they are able to leave their star system and begin colonizing their galaxy or even the universe‚ something happens to prevent them from doing so‚ or we'd see evidence for this in our own Milky Way. Whether this is the step from multi-cell life to animals that can use tools‚ or from where we are now to exploring the galaxy‚ we just don't know.What makes this so interesting is we wouldn't know if we are past the "great filter" or whether it's going to happen in our future. Could it be that most don't make it past single-cell life and we have already made it past this filter? Or at some point yet to come are we‚ like other alien civilizations out there‚ about to destroy ourselves before we are able to leave Earth‚ perhaps through war or using up our resources before we can escape?Writing in their paper‚ the team suggests that successfully making it through this "great filter" to become an interstellar species relies on us taking time to realize where we are now‚ and the apocalyptic threats that face us‚ including large-scale nuclear warfare‚ naturally occurring and engineered pathogens‚ artificial intelligence (AI)‚ asteroid impacts‚ and climate change. The paper identifies what levels of risk each currently poses‚ as well as what it would take to get through them in order to make it past the great filter (that is‚ assuming it is still ahead of us‚ and other alien species don't get wiped out before they have reached this point).The team is somewhat optimistic about nuclear threat‚ which they list as "perhaps the most obvious of Great Filters"‚ pointing at longer trends of a tendency against war (though they say we are still trapped in a "vicious circle") and towards (albeit imperfect) democracy and peace. Asteroids too are seen as a filter we can overcome using technology‚ such as the recent DART mission that saw NASA redirect an asteroid by slamming an asteroid into it. With regards to AI‚ the team says that steps must be taken now if we are to avoid this being our great filter‚ aka our demise. "Taking the guarded view‚ if and when AI does come to fruition it may well be too late to rely on empirical evidence gathered from its actual attitudes and behaviors towards the species which brought about its existence‚" they write.  "Prudence then strongly suggests we perform sooner rather than later what modeling can be done‚ evaluate the necessarily preliminary conclusions drawn and proactively plan for a peaceful approach to the possibility of sharing the Earth with a new technological entity."Ultimately‚ the team believes that in order to overcome these sizeable obstacles to getting past whatever filters lie ahead of us‚ humanity must commit to more long-term thinking. Part of this would be committing to the goal of becoming a Type 1 civilization‚ which can harness all the energy available on our planet from our host star."Setting our sights on becoming a Kardashev Type I civilization‚ perhaps achievable in little more than the time taken to go from the first practical steam-driven engines to the present‚ would be a ‘giant leap for humankind’ in the right direction‚" they conclude. "Attainment of Type I status would all but assure any Great Filter has been successfully overcome‚ unfolding an all but unlimited future for humanity."Ending on a positive note‚ the team thinks that going beyond a Type 1 civilization is possible too."To prepare for our journey‚ we can likely count on the inner Solar System remaining habitable for another few billion years‚ until the Sun begins to expand towards red giant status‚" they write. "Time enough for humanity to finally make other stars our home."The paper is uploaded to the ArXiv. An earlier version of this article was published in November 2022.

Light‚ as we perceive it‚ is an illusion. Without even considering all the light we cannot see‚ the white light we experience is a combination of endless shades that we categorize as seven colors. Occasionally‚ atmospheric phenomena can help free the colors‚ giving blue skies‚ red sunsets‚ and rainbows. And‚ occasionally‚ a green flash.This is usually associated with the setting or rising Sun‚ but it can happen with several light sources. And that includes planets. A photographer has captured Venus producing an incredible flash while taking a routine photograph of the planet as part of a wider skyscape.The crescent Moon (and earthshine) as well as Venus over Stockholm.Image courtesy of Peter Rosén“In fact my plan was to photograph a panorama of Venus and the Moon rising over Stockholm skyline early in the morning of the 8th of January‚ so I was ready with my camera before 7 AM (local time)‚” Peter Rosén told IFLScience. “It was well worth it as there was a beautiful Moon crescent showing some earthshine and higher up in the sky and on the left side‚ a very bright Venus.”The composition is really pretty. But the million-dollar shot was to come later. Rosén changed lenses to try and snap some higher-magnification views of Venus in quick succession. And in those multiple photograms of the Morning Star‚ the green flash was hiding.An animation showing the green flash from Venus.Image courtesy of Peter Rosén“I did not see anything unexpected until I scrutinized the images on the computer screen and saw this very distinct green flash‚” Rosén told IFLScience. “I immediately knew what it was as I had captured a green and slightly bluish flash on Mars in 2018.”If snapping green flashes on Venus and Mars were not enough‚ the skilled photographer has also captured the better-known one on the Sun. It usually occurs when the Sun is low on the horizon and the conditions are right. But the conditions for the flashes are not always the same.The green/blue flash of Mars as the atmosphere makes a pinch mirage.Image courtesy of Peter RosénThe general principle is that the light of the Sun is refracted‚ separating the colors. This is what happens normally in the atmosphere‚ scattering blue light and giving the sky its azure hue. In the green flash it's that color that is sent towards us. When it comes to conditions‚ in some cases‚ you need clean air with a surface warmer than the air above it. In others‚ you need hazy air. For others still‚ you need a mirage situation‚ where the Sun appears pinched. And it might be possible to get the green light without even seeing the green. Research suggests that a double hit from infrared photons on the same retina cells might create the impression of a bright neon green. 

After its brief resurrection‚ the upside-down SLIM Japanese lander has shut down for the lunar night‚ since it lacks the battery power to last long without refreshment from its solar panels. This raises the question‚ just how long is the lunar night? Also‚ does it matter whether you’re near the lunar equator or the poles?How to find out yourselfThe lunar day/night cycle takes just less than an Earthly month‚ but don’t take our word for it. The skeptically minded can investigate this for themselves. All that’s needed is a small telescope and a bit of patience. Indeed‚ you can do it even without the telescope if you’re happy for the results to be quite rough.All you need to do is pick an easily recognizable spot on the lunar surface‚ such as a crater‚ “sea” or tall mountain. It will be easiest if this is somewhere near the middle of the side of the Moon that faces Earth‚ but the point you pick can be anywhere.When the new Moon first becomes visible‚ the spot you’ve chosen will not be illuminated‚ unless you ignored our recommendation and chose something close to the eastern rim. Check each night (assuming no clouds) until you can see the spot in question lit up by the Sun’s rays‚ then note the date. It’s now dawn at your chosen lunar location.Keep checking each (Earthly) night until the spot disappears into darkness‚ and note that date as well. You’ve just measured the length of the day at your chosen landmark. Now wait until it is lit up again‚ and note this third date as well‚ giving you the length of the lunar night‚ and the combined day/night cycle.Besides a small telescope‚ you’ll have to get up at all sorts of odd hours during the waning part of the lunar cycle when the Moon rises late at night. You can see why for some people‚ “doing their own research” on topics like whether the Moon landings were real (hint‚ they were) involves spending a few hours on YouTube listening to people who’ve already sold them on anti-vax conspiracies. It’s so much easier.However‚ if you choose this approach‚ you will not only get to marvel at the beauty of the Moon (and maybe impress some neighbors)‚ you can also investigate more subtle questions.On Earth‚ the day/night cycle is 24 hours‚ but days and nights are not necessarily half that each. Away from the equator and the equinox‚ the day can be much longer‚ or much shorter‚ than 12 hours. At the poles‚ the cycle disappears entirely and is replaced by six months of light or darkness. The method described above allows us to check whether the same is true on the Moon. It’s very hard to observe the lunar poles‚ just as it is difficult to spot things at either side of the face turned to us. However‚ you can certainly do the experiment described somewhere at moderate latitude‚ such as the very bright crater Tycho (43° South).The full Moon with Tycho the bright lunar crater near the bottom‚ with lots of prominent rays around it.Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGSSpoilersCheat notes for those who aren’t planning the observations: unless you get close enough to the north or south pole that your ability to observe will be compromised‚ the lunar day and night will be close to even‚ at an average of 14 Earth days each.That’s because unlike the Earth’s axis‚ which is tilted at 23.4 degrees compared to the plane of our orbit‚ the Moon’s axial tilt is just 1.5 degrees‚ relative to the Earth-Moon system’s orbit around the Sun. It’s larger compared to the Moon’s orbit around the Earth‚ but that doesn’t matter for these purposes. This makes the day-night variation across the Moon very small.The tiny axial tilt has done future explorers a great service. It’s unlikely the coveted ice at the lunar poles would have survived if the tilt caused the Sun to rise higher at the poles during a lunar hemisphere’s summer. Even with the tilt‚ things get pretty hot by the end of the long lunar day‚ with temperatures as high as 121°C (250°F) recorded.On the other hand‚ overnight they can drop to -133°C (-208°F)‚ even in flat terrain. Polar craters get colder still with measurements from orbit being less than 30 degrees above absolute zero. After all‚ there is no atmosphere to redistribute the heat from the way winds do on Earth.Thanks to the Moon's axis‚ it also means that‚ rather than needing enough battery power to last the long and chilly lunar night‚ future bases could get their energy from a ring of power stations looping the lunar pole‚ even in what counts for winter.

Biologically speaking‚ hybridization is defined as the breeding of two organisms from different species. This process creates a hybrid‚ an organism that’s a genetic mix of two different species.There are countless examples of hybrids in both the wild and captivity. A study from University College London suggested that up to 25 percent of plant species and 10 percent of animal species are involved in hybridization and introgression with other species.Examples of hybrid animalsAs one example‚ there are pizzly bears‚ hybrids born as a result of inter-species romping between a grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) and a polar bear (Ursus maritimus). These hybrid bears have become increasingly common in the North American wilderness due to climate change meddling with the bears’ natural range. Another example is the Narluga‚ a half-narwhal half-beluga. Scientists identified this hybrid for the first time in 2019 when they studied an unusual whale skull found on the roof of an Inuit toolshed in West Greenland’s Disko Bay. Analysis of its DNA showed that the individual’s mother was a narwhal and its father was a beluga.Occasionally‚ hybrids are actively created by humans. For instance‚ farmers have interbred domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) with Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) with the aim of creating an animal that resembles the early pigs that were first domesticated by humans in ancient times. There have also been examples where hybridization has occurred in captivity by accident. In 1978‚ a hybrid elephant called “Motty” was born at Chester Zoo in the UK‚ which had an African elephant (Loxodonta africana) for a father and an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) for a mother. Such a hybrid would never occur naturally because the two elephant species are separated by vast geographical distances in natural ranges on two different continents that do not connect.Even modern humans are the product of hybridization. Throughout our long history as a species‚ we have prolifically interbred with Neanderthals‚ a similar yet different species of hominin. The legacy of that canoodling still lives on today‚ with up to 3 percent of DNA in modern Europeans and East Asians coming from Neanderthals.How does hybridization work?You might have been taught at school that two different species cannot interbreed and create fertile offspring‚ but that's not always the case.It’s true in many scenarios: horses and donkeys can interbreed to create hybrid offspring‚ known as mules‚ but they will be infertile and unable to reproduce themselves. In other scenarios‚ however‚ animals of different species can interbreed and create fertile offspring. This is typically a case of chromosomal compatibility. Dogs‚ wolves‚ coyotes‚ and jackals are different species‚ but they all possess 78 chromosomes arranged in 39 pairs‚ allowing them to successfully interbreed with fewer hitches. Species must be closely related for hybridization to occur. You won’t have much luck trying to interbreed turtles with turtle doves because the two species are from vastly different branches of the evolutionary tree.Interspecific hybrids a typically created through interbreeding of two different species from within the same genus‚ a taxonomic category ranking used in biological classification that is above species but below family.There are always exceptions to the rule‚ though. For example‚ Motty the elephant's parents were each technically from a different genus‚ Loxodonta and Elephas.

It’s been a rocky road for Japan’s SLIM lunar lander ever since it touched down on the Moon’s surface. Having made a record-breaking landing with a bump that jeopardized its entire mission‚ it made a comeback‚ rejuvenated by the Sun’s rays. But now‚ it faces its toughest challenge yet: surviving the freezing lunar night. This may or may not be the end of the mission‚ but before it slipped into power-down mode it made sure to grab some final incredible images of the Moon’s surface to send home.On January 19‚ after a nail-biting nearly two-hour wait‚ Japan confirmed its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) had successfully soft-landed on the Moon‚ making Japan the fifth nation to do so. However‚ from the get-go‚ the team on the ground knew something was up. It had nailed its precision landing inside the Shioli Crater and deployed its two rovers – two of its main mission goals – but the lander’s solar panels were not harvesting sunlight and it was running on just batteries.An incredible photo taken by one of the rovers revealed the lander had landed on its nose‚ meaning the solar panels were not in the right position to pick up the Sun’s rays. There was a good chance‚ however‚ that if they waited for the Moon to go around the Earth‚ the change in angle would mean the sunlight could reach the lander's solar cells and start charging. Nearly 10 days after it landed‚ it did indeed come back to life‚ reestablishing contact and sending back new photos.Since then‚ the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been scanning the lunar surface and taking images using SLIM's Multi-Band Camera (MBC) to analyze the rocky composition‚ even managing to observe more targets than planned. However‚ yesterday the space agency confirmed SLIM has powered down as it has entered the dormancy period during the two-week lunar night‚ where no sunlight will reach its panels.               IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Now‚ JAXA will have to wait out the long lunar night‚ which lasts around 14.5 Earth days‚ and where temperatures can plummet to -130°C (-208°F). If SLIM survives‚ light and temperature conditions should improve around February 15 and JAXA will try and make contact again.If it does‚ then it can continue with its science missions‚ exploring the surrounding area of Shioli crater‚ which sits in the larger Cyrillus crater on the near side of the Moon. If it doesn't‚ then it has already made history with the most precise landing on another world. SLIM aimed to land within 100 meters (330 feet) of its target area – for context‚ Perseverance's landing target area on Mars was 7.7 kilometers by 6 kilometers (4.8 by 4.1 miles) – and JAXA has since confirmed it landed within just 55 meters (180 feet)‚ a phenomenal achievement.  The lunar night is not historically kind to landers‚ and many are not built to last it. If SLIM wakes up in two weeks' time‚ its mission has already been fulfilled – but it will continue to observe and analyze the chemical composition of the rocks it sees on the lunar surface to help solve the mystery of the origin of the Moon.    

While fossilized plants turn up fairly often in the fossil record‚ they are usually preserved as a trunk or the odd leaf‚ giving little idea of what the whole tree might have looked like. Newly discovered fossilized trees from New Brunswick‚ Canada however have enough in the record to reveal that they had a very surprising appearance that has never been seen before. “The way in which this tree produced hugely long leaves around its spindly trunk‚ and the sheer number over a short length of trunk‚ is startling‚” said Robert Gastaldo of Colby College in Waterville‚ Maine in a statement.Ferns and palm trees are seen in the fossil record – and while this new plant resembles a palm‚ Sanfordiacaulisis is thought to be 350 million years old‚ which outdates the existence of palms known in the fossil record by 300 million years. Palm tree leaves usually cluster at the top in small numbers‚ but the new fossil tree is thought to have had over 250 large leaves not just at the top of the plant but growing around the trunk too.“Sanfordiacaulis preserves more than 250 leaves around its trunk‚ with each partially preserved leaf extending 1.75 meters from it‚” Gastaldo said.The tree had a trunk of around 16 centimeters (6.2 inches) in diameter‚ with leaves that started growing around the trunk in a spiral branching pattern with very dense growth‚ resulting in a voluminous crown at the top of the tree. Researcher Olivia King with the newly discovered fossil.Image Credit: Matt Stimson“We estimate that each leaf grew at least another meter before terminating. This means that the ‘bottle brush’ had a dense canopy of leaves that extended at least 5.5 meters (or 18 feet) around a trunk that was non-woody and only 16 centimeters (or 0.5 feet) in diameter. Startling to say the least‚” said Gastaldo.The team thinks that the fossils were preserved because of an earthquake that caused these trees to be buried along the margin of a rift lake. One specimen was discovered seven years ago‚ and now four more complete specimens of the same plant found nearby have been unearthed as well. One of the specimens shows how the leaves departed from the tip of the tree.“Any fossil tree with an intact crown is a rarity in the history of life‚” Gastaldo said. “Having the crown leaves attached to a trunk‚ by itself‚ begs the questions what kind of plant is it‚ how is that plant organized‚ And is it some form that continues to the present‚ or is it outside of the ‘normal’ concept of a tree? All of these questions‚ and more‚ led to this multi-year endeavor.” Why the tree might have had such an unusual leaf arrangement is still up for debate. The researchers think it could be that the leaves were so long in order to capture as much light as possible so the plant could outcompete other smaller plants in the same habitat. The team thinks this is some of the earliest evidence of trees growing at different levels‚ known as sub-canopy-tiering. “The history of life on land consists of plants and animals that are unlike any of those that live at the present‚” Gastaldo said. “Evolutionary mechanisms operating in the deep past resulted in organisms that successfully lived over long periods of time‚ but their shapes‚ forms‚ growth architectures‚ and life histories undertook different trajectories and strategies. Rare and unusual fossils‚ such as the New Brunswick tree‚ is but one example of what colonized our planet but was an unsuccessful experiment.”This spectacular and unusual fossil reveals that vegetation in the Early Carboniferous was much more complex than previously thought. If you can't get enough of plants doing something a bit unexpected‚ check out these zombie ferns. The paper is published in the journal Current Biology.

Octopuses are truly fascinating creatures‚ known for their remarkable intelligence. Just a quick search online will reveal countless instances of their incredible abilities. These eight-armed‚ ink-squirting wonders are not only brainy but also experts at solving problems. Their feats of intelligence are almost human-like‚ making them a subject of endless fascination. Their problem-solving skills are... The post Man rescues octopus only to receive ‘thank you’ that leaves him dumbfounded appeared first on Animal Channel.

In the spirit of Whose Line Is It Anyway?‚ CBS’s After Midnight is a reboot of Comedy Central’s quasi-game show @Midnight that the network chose to replace The Late Late Show with James Corden. The show‚ executive produced by Stephen Colbert‚ selected young Netflix fixture Taylor Tomlinson to be the host and after ten episodes‚ it is time to see how the show’s politics match up with its traditional talk-show counterparts. There is one bit of good news for those wanting their late night comedy to feature less liberalism. Through ten episodes‚ After Midnight has featured 38 political jokes‚ which comes out to 3.8 per episode which is considerably less than the other five daily late night shows.  However‚ of those 26 have been directed towards conservatives‚ six toward liberals‚ and six towards those that could be deemed non-partisan. That comes out to 68 percent. If those trends hold‚ it would make After Midnight two percentage points more liberal than 2023 Jimmy Fallon‚ but much more liberal than 2023 James Corden. It would also be less liberal than 2023 Colbert‚ Seth Meyers‚ Jimmy Kimmel‚ and The Daily Show.  Tomlinson may be a liberal‚ but so far she has avoided wearing her liberalism on her sleeve. The most overtly political Tomlinson has gotten was mocking certain Trump supporters trying to take down Taylor Swift which then inspired a game where guests tried to come up with political song titles‚ some of which were more partisan than others‚ but none of which targeted the left.     Another segment focused on when Ron DeSantis withdrew from the GOP primary‚ but that was focused on his Winston Churchill misquotation. In that segment‚ Tomlinson made a self-deprecating joke that she was doing “politics things” because she has previously stated she stays away from political comedy because it is not something she feels she can speak authoritatively about‚ “I’m just very like — what’s going on in my life right now? What‚ in my experience and personally‚ do I feel like I have some authority to talk about?” But beyond puns and other relatively tame jokes‚ some of the jokes against conservatives on After Midnight are indirect attacks‚ meaning that‚ for example‚ abortion is not explicitly mentioned‚ but beneath the surface there is a critique of pro-life ideology. For example‚ Tomlinson showed the following 2019 clip of a mentally ill Brazilian woman angrily shoving a priest and asked for a trigger warning to go along with it to which Marcella Arguello answered‚ “your body‚ her choice.”   Woman pushes Priest off stage during a mass live broadcast pic.twitter.com/eE8I1pKByj — More Crazy Clips (@MoreCrazyClips) January 22‚ 2024   If Tomlinson claims to avoid talking politics because she does not consider herself an authority on the topic‚ what she does feel like she has the authority to speak about is her upbringing in a devoutly conservative Christian family. Tomlinson got into comedy as part of a church class‚ but since then‚ she has not only moved away from the church comedy circuit—one could say she actually got fired— but from the church itself saying‚ “the truth is‚ I didn’t feel like I was [religious] for a really long time.” She accuses the church of being too weak on mental health issues—Tomlinson lost her mother to cancer when she was eight years old despite her prayers and her father quickly remarried—and too judgmental. To wit‚ she also spends a lot of time attacking Christian sexual ethics and “purity culture” and the most mean-spirited joke thus far is probably Tomlinson struggling to control herself when Sophie Buddle narrated a video about a day in the life of a billionaire's wife‚ but the "joke" was that it was really about masturbation and Biblical understandings of sexual morality:     To date‚ After Midnight has been a mixed bag‚ a result helped by the show’s nature as an improv game show that gets its material from what happens on the internet instead of the news. Whether that changes as the show and Tomlinson become more established and we see more of the news and political side of the internet in segments like the Trump-Swift one is to be seen. What hurts the show is Tomlinson’s tendency to bring on comedians who share her worldview‚ so when politics or religion do come up‚ it is more liberal. Whatever path After Midnight chooses to go down‚ NewsBusters will be here to document it either way.