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A robot set a record by assembling a Rubik’s cube in 305 ms, and ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records. This is almost ten times less than the record set by a human.
The honor of creating such a fast model belongs to Japanese engineers. They equipped their brainchild with several motors that work in conjunction with each other and are able to move the puzzle sectors literally lightning fast.
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Once upon a time, modern humans were just one of a species of intelligent hominids roaming the planet. Today we are alone, and the vanished Neanderthals, our “evolutionary cousins,” remain largely mysterious to science. But at least five surprising facts about them have been discovered.
1. Neanderthals and modern humans have significant overlap in DNA, so many modern humans have 1 to 4% Neanderthal genetics (mostly Europeans and Asians).
2. Neanderthals were far from being as slow and phlegmatic as they are usually portrayed in primitive pictures in textbooks. They were skillful hunters, skillful tool makers and highly intelligent.
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A fossilized fragment of the skin of Psittacosaurus, a partially feathered dinosaur, has brought scientists a new discovery: these creatures had skin covered with both feathers and scales. Such “zoning” of the skin cover changed the ideas about the evolutionary transition from scaly to pinnate skin.
The fossil was found back in 1922, but only modern technology has made it possible to properly see the structure of the creature’s skin. The dinosaur lived 135-120 million years ago, when the transition from lizards to birds took place. Previously, experts believed that Psittacosaurus had plumage only on the tail, but it turned out that the skin cover on the entire body varied. It was soft on plumed areas and scaly on bald areas. Thus, reptilian skin was more functional in the early stages of plumage evolution.
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Researchers from the PRC safely thawed brain tissue that had been cryopreserved and did not damage it.
Cryogenic freezing of the body represents a potential method of achieving immortality. However, brain tissue reacts negatively to subzero temperatures. Since brain cells are 80 percent water, ice crystals may form during cryopreservation, damaging the cells.
Chinese experts have figured out how to harmlessly freeze brain tissue. For 21 days they have been growing brain cells in petri dishes. Then the organoids were soaked in different mixtures and subjected to freezing in liquid nitrogen. The samples were then thawed for 14 days. During this period, experts monitored which of them were least damaged.
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Giant viruses have been found in Yellowstone springs. Perhaps analyzing them will shed light on how life began on the early Earth.
The formation of these geothermal springs was thought to have occurred about 15 millennia ago. However, as it turned out, it actually happened 1.5 billion years ago.
Specialists examined deoxyribonucleic acid from Lemonade Creek, a hot acidic spring in Yellowstone, where the temperature is 43 °C. According to the results, it contained a sequence of archaea, algae and microbes that included 3,700 viruses. 2/3 of them belonged to the giant ones.
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On Saturday, the sky over Spain and Portugal lit up with a bright blue flash. In all likelihood, the nighttime show was caused by a large meteorite that burned up in the atmosphere.
People in both countries filmed the spectacular phenomenon on their cell phones and video recorders and shared the video on social media.
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Earth is not the only celestial body that experienced the effects of extreme space weather last week, during a powerful geomagnetic storm. Comet Ponce-Brooks also fell victim to the solar ejection.
The effect of a coronal mass ejection impact can be seen in a photograph taken on May 15 using a remotely operated telescope in Hakos, Namibia.
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Against the backdrop of upcoming expeditions to the Moon and Mars, specialists from the American institute MIT are searching for solutions for astronauts, capable of giving them the ability to effectively rise to their feet after a fall. Thus, engineers have developed an exoskeleton called SuperLimbs, which includes a pair of additional robotic arms.
It is envisioned that the robotic limbs will be attached to the lower part of the spacesuit backpack, where, in addition to the life support system, they will be fitted with the actuators and control system for the device. This system will detect whether the astronaut has fallen and provide him with additional support by means of an extra pair of arms, which will allow him to rise to his feet unhindered from a lying or sitting position with a minimum loss of oxygen and energy.
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The European space agency ESA, in a publication on its official website, reports that the BepiColomobo spacecraft has failed in its trajectory correction maneuver on its way to Mercury.
It is noted that the project ESA and Japanese JAXA failed to produce the maneuver at the end of April this year because it lacked propulsion thrust, which, in turn, was due to a lack of available energy for the engine.
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After some calm on the Sun occurred new flares of the highest class. Thus, on May 27, recorded flare X-2.9, May 29 – flare X-3.
Many remember the sensational spot group 3664, which caused a series of magnetic storms and auroras May 10-12. It produced the largest flare since 2017 X-8.7 before retreating to the Sun’s backside on May 14.
Nothing major has happened since then. And now new brightening events. Is 3664 really back?
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