Astronomers have added three new moons to the Solar System. Both Uranus and Neptune have got new companions – well‚ new to us at least – although one was once observed back in 2002 before disappearing from our observations for 22 years. This brings the number of moons in our Solar System to 293.The new Uranian moon is provisionally known as S/2023 U1. Being only 8 kilometers (5 miles) across‚ it is believed to be the smallest moon of the icy planet. It orbits Uranus in 680 days and it is officially the 28th moon known to go around it. It will eventually be given a proper name‚ picked from one of Shakespeare’s plays like all the other moons of the ice giant. S/2023 U1 was discovered on November 4‚ 2023‚ but it was then found in archival images of the planet. All were from ground-based telescopes.“The three newly discovered moons are the faintest ever found around these two ice giant planets using ground-based telescopes‚” the discoverer‚ Carnegie Science’s Scott S. Sheppard‚ said in a statement. “It took special image processing to reveal such faint objects.”The detection of the Neptune moons had a more convoluted process. One of them was first seen in 2002 and then seen again in 2021. The second was discovered in 2021 as well. But it took several observations‚ including with some of the most sensitive ground-based telescopes on the planet. Neptune is 1.5 times further away from the Sun than Uranus‚ so observations are trickier.And these moons are small. The brighter of the two‚ S/2002 N5‚ is 23 kilometers (14 miles) in size and it goes around the planet every nine years. S/2021 N1 is around 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) and has an orbit of almost 27 years. They will be named after Nereids‚ sea nymphs in Greek mythology. There are now 16 confirmed moons of Neptune.“Once S/2002 N5’s orbit around Neptune was determined using the 2021‚ 2022‚ and 2023 observations‚ it was traced back to an object that was spotted near Neptune in 2003 but lost before it could be confirmed as orbiting the planet‚” Sheppard explained. The discovery of these moons shows that all giant planets in the Solar System have similar configurations of distant moons captured by gravity. All four giants had wildly different histories and yet they all showcase the same arrangement of distant satellites.“Even Uranus‚ which is tipped on its side‚ has a similar moon population to the other giant planets orbiting our Sun‚” Sheppard explained. “And Neptune‚ which likely captured the distant Kuiper Belt object Triton– an ice rich body larger than Pluto – an event that could have disrupted its moon system‚ has outer moons that appear similar to its neighbors."The observations allow astronomers to state that no new moons around Uranus and Neptune exist that are larger than 8 and 14 kilometers respectively. For Jupiter and Saturn‚ the limit is much lower‚ with 2 and 3 kilometers (1.2 and 1.8 miles) as the largest possible new moons yet to be discovered.

The Pentagon‚ the US Department of Defense powerhouse in Virginia‚ was the world's largest office building for over eight decades – but not anymore. That title has recently been yanked away by the Surat Diamond Bourse‚ a freshly opened diamond trading floor in western India.The Surat Diamond Bourse consists of nine towers‚ each with 15 floors‚ connected by a central spine. According to Morphogenesis‚ the architecture firm behind its design‚ the building encompasses 660‚451 square meters (7‚109‚045 square feet) of office space‚ surpassing the Pentagon’s floor space of 620‚000 square meters (6‚636‚360 square feet). As its name suggests‚ its prime business will be diamond dealing‚ housing the offices of over 4‚500 diamond traders. It will also feature a first-of-its-kind diamond mall‚ including 27 diamond jewellery showrooms.The structure was built with the environment in mind. While some of the office spaces will feature air conditioners‚ much of the complex will be self-shaded from the sun. Furthermore‚ it’s orientated to maximize natural ventilation from the wind‚ and features an extensive array of solar panels on its roof. The dazzling building was opened at an inauguration ceremony on December 17‚ 2023‚ attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It’s set to become the centerpiece of the Diamond Research and Mercantile City (DREAM)‚ an up-and-coming business district in Surat. Currently‚ much of the surrounding landscape is merely cleared land and constructed sites‚ but the area has aspirations of becoming the diamond capital of the world.                              IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.India is not even in the top 10 producers of diamonds in the world‚ but the city of Surat has risen to become an important hub in the diamond trade‚ where 90 percent of the planet’s processed diamonds are cut.In years gone by‚ diamond dealers would have to travel 241 kilometers (150 miles) southwards to Mumbai to do business‚ but the Surat Diamond Bourse hopes to save that commute and offer merchants a one-stop destination for trade. However‚ there are some reservations that the diamond trading mega-complex may be all glitz and no substance‚ according to The Times of India. Kiran Gems – an industry giant that played an instrumental role in the building’s development – relocated their HQ back to the Bharat Diamond Bourse in Mumbai just three months after moving to the Surat Diamond Bourse. This has led to some speculation about whether the grand plan will flop in the face of competition from Mumbai."There is always resistance to change. Even if Surat is not happening today‚ it will progress within five years‚" Tehmasp Printer‚ CEO of International Gemological Institute‚ told the Indian newspaper. "The good news is that the world-class infrastructure is ready. Now‚ the city needs to rev up‚ ensure better connectivity‚ get hotels‚ hospitals and schools"‚ he added.

An ancient ceremonial megalith dated to 4‚750 years ago has been discovered in the Peruvian Andes. The find is older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt and represents one of the oldest circular plazas in the region.Unearthed at an archaeological site called Callacpuma in northern Peru’s Cajamarca valley‚ the plaza measures around 18 meters (60 feet) across and features concentric walls of large‚ free-standing‚ vertically placed megalithic stones‚ the likes of which have never been seen before in the Andes.Having been the subject of archaeological interest for nearly 60 years‚ the site has now been excavated and subjected to radiocarbon dating‚ placing its construction between 2632 and 2884 BCE‚ during the Late Preceramic period. This dating makes the plaza one of the earliest examples of monumental‚ megalithic architecture in the Americas.“This structure was built approximately 100 years before the Great Pyramids of Egypt and around the same time as Stonehenge‚” Associate Professor Jason Toohey‚ who led the project‚ said in a statement.As well as Stonehenge‚ other famous megaliths‚ constructed using large stones placed upright with no mortar‚ include Göbekli Tepe – the world's oldest megalithic site – as well as its lesser-known "sister site" Karahan Tepe.The Callacpuma plaza measures around 18 meters (60 feet) in diameter and was built using a construction method previously unseen in the Andes.Image credit: Jason TooheyThe Andean megalith‚ archaeologists believe‚ probably had a ceremonial function and continued to be used as a ritual space‚ at least periodically‚ through the Initial period (1800 BCE-900 BCE) and Early Horizon (900-200 BCE).“It was probably a gathering place and ceremonial location for some of the earliest people living in this part of the Cajamarca Valley‚” Toohey explained. “These people were living a primarily hunting-and-gathering lifestyle and probably had only recently begun growing crops and domesticating animals.”The Late Preceramic period‚ during which the plaza at Callacpuma was built‚ “was a time of socioeconomic transition in the Andes‚” the study authors write. People on the central coast exchanged fish‚ while communities inland grew some food and industrial crops‚ and in the northern highlands those who built the plaza “may have begun to experiment with food production” while still largely foraging for food. The discovery‚ the team writes‚ represents “a shifting social world” and is “a critical early example of collective construction‚ place building‚ and social integration among people in the Andes.”The study is published in the journal Science Advances.

Young people today don’t drink as much alcohol as their millennial‚ Gen X‚ and boomer predecessors. The question is: why not? A new editorial from scientists in Australia and Sweden says there are many potential factors in play‚ but as of now we simply don’t have enough research to know for sure.It used to be millennials who were blamed for the decline of everything from department stores‚ to cable TV‚ to raisins‚ of all things. But frankly‚ we’re older now‚ we’re tired‚ and – if research is to be believed – we’re not even getting any‚ so it’s time the heat fell on someone else for a change.Gen Z‚ the first generation to grow up surrounded by internet culture and social media‚ has come of age‚ and as these young adults have started to take their places in the world‚ scientists have picked up on some curious trends – one being‚ they’re consuming less alcohol than their forebears. Introducing a special issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Review‚ a group of researchers have laid out what we know – and crucially‚ what we don’t – about what’s driving them away from drink.Gen Z have been described as “the sober-curious generation”‚ but that doesn’t mean they’re all tee-total. Research by Mintel in 2023 found that Gen Zers considered alcohol as more of an “occasional treat” rather than the “regular‚ relaxing refreshment” it often is for older generations.In the new editorial‚ Michael Livingston‚ from the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University‚ and colleagues point to one study that found this decline in alcohol consumption was not spread evenly across the generation: “the decline in drinking has been driven more strongly by boys than girls‚ leading to a narrowing (or even over-turning) of the gender gap in drinking.”But while gender may be a contributing factor‚ personality apparently is not‚ as another upcoming study found‚ with declines in alcohol consumption occurring across all major personality trait groupings.As to the why of it‚ a number of possibilities have been put forward. One trend suggests that youths may be switching from alcohol and other substances towards cannabis. With more places tentatively moving towards legalization‚ cannabis consumption may be becoming more socially acceptable. Indeed‚ data suggests that cannabis use is not in decline among young people.The Mintel data also shone a light on the fact that the youngest consumers may be more concerned about the emotional impacts of drinking‚ like the dreaded “hangxiety”‚ or its lack of nutritional content‚ instead preferring less calorific soft drink alternatives.  But while drinks manufacturers may be dismayed by the data‚ it does beg the question: if Gen Z are dodging the booze‚ are they also managing to dodge some of its negative health consequences?The data on this is conflicted. One of the studies mentioned in the editorial used Swedish data and found a reduction in alcohol disorders‚ alcohol poisonings‚ and other acute harm in line with the reduction in consumption. However‚ this is in contrast to some other previous work that found the opposite‚ such as a 2020 study that concluded more young people (both millennials and the oldest Gen Zers) in the US were being hospitalized with alcohol-related liver disease.“The papers in this issue point to important ongoing avenues of research – more work is needed to understand how harm trends reflect drinking trends‚ to better assess how illicit drug use fits into the broad story of declining youth drinking and‚ especially‚ to fully flesh out the positives and negatives of a decline in youth drinking that appears to be strongly associated with concerns about risk‚” the researchers concluded.“With the changes in youth drinking being so profound‚ older theories often used to understand youth substance use are likely to be outdated‚” they add‚ stating that a more comprehensive view on this issue will be necessary if we are to help our young people – and the generation coming after – better navigate their changing relationship with alcohol.The editorial is published in Drug and Alcohol Review. 

In 1950‚ deep within the untamed jungles of the Congo‚ archaeologists stumbled upon the perplexing Ishango Bone‚ a discovery that has intrigued the minds of archaeologists‚ historians‚ and mathematicians for numerous decades. Unearthed at the Ishango Fishermen’s Village‚ this artifact transcends the ordinary‚ potentially being an ancient mathematical device dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era. The Upper Paleolithic period saw the coexistence of various cultures and groups with distinct linguistic and artistic expressions. Although specific details about the societies inhabiting the region during this time are limited due to the lack of written records‚ archaeologists have found evidence of social structures‚ trade networks‚ and belief systems that shaped the daily lives of these early human communities. The curved bone‚ adorned with dark brown hues and measuring approximately 10 centimeters in length‚ unveils astonishing engravings. At one end‚ a sharp piece of quartz is affixed‚ possibly indicating its use for intricate engraving‚ sparking various theories and contemplations among researchers. Some propose that the series of markings‚ meticulously arranged in three columns‚ might represent a method of counting or even simple mathematical operations. The bone’s surface contains multiple columns of engravings. The exact number of columns varies between different sources‚ but there are generally three to four primary columns that have been identified. Each column contains different sets of notches and symbols‚ arranged in distinct patterns. The engravings on the Ishango Bone display a level of precision and deliberate craftsmanship. The lines are straight and neatly etched into the bone’s surface‚ suggesting a skilled hand and a purposeful creation process. The bone’s aesthetics may indicate that it was not merely a utilitarian object but one that held cultural or symbolic value. Alternatively‚ others posit that these enigmatic marks could have served as a means to measure time or even functioned as a primitive lunar calendar. Discovered by the Belgian explorer Jean de Heinzelin de Brocourt‚ the Ishango Bone captivated the scientific community’s attention and now resides at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. To safeguard its significance‚ numerous forms and copies have been created. While the bone’s age remains a point of contention among archaeologists‚ many experts estimate it to be around 20‚000 years old. The inscriptions continue to astonish mathematicians‚ suggesting the existence of ancient number systems and potentially even lunar calendars. Despite a myriad of theories and interpretations‚ the Ishango Bone persists as mystery‚ challenging contemporary notions about the mathematical prowess of Upper Paleolithic societies. The post Ishango Bone: A 20‚000-Year-Old Mathematical Mystery appeared first on Anomalien.com.

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The UN's World Mosquito Program last year announced plan to release billions of gene-edited mosquitos in Brazil.