Dit is ons nieuw hondje Kira, een kruising van een waterhond en een Podenko. Ze is sinds 7 februari 2024 bij ons en druk bezig ons hart te veroveren. Het is een lief, aanhankelijk hondje, dat zich op een week snel aan ons heeft aangepast. Ze is heel vinnig en nieuwsgierig, een heel ander hondje dan Noleke.
This is our new dog Kira, a cross between a water dog and a Podenko. She has been with us since February 7, 2024 and is busy winning our hearts. She is a sweet, affectionate dog who quickly adapted to us within a week. She is very quick and curious, a very different dog than Noleke.
DEAR VISITOR,
MY BLOG EXISTS NEARLY 13 YEARS AND 4 MONTH.
ON /30/09/2024 MORE THAN 2.230.520
VISITORS FROM 135 DIFFERENT NATIONS ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO MY BLOG.
THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF 400GUESTS PER DAY.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND HOPE YOU ENJOY EACH TIME.
The purpose of this blog is the creation of an open, international, independent and free forum, where every UFO-researcher can publish the results of his/her research. The languagues, used for this blog, are Dutch, English and French.You can find the articles of a collegue by selecting his category. Each author stays resposable for the continue of his articles. As blogmaster I have the right to refuse an addition or an article, when it attacks other collegues or UFO-groupes.
Druk op onderstaande knop om te reageren in mijn forum
Zoeken in blog
Deze blog is opgedragen aan mijn overleden echtgenote Lucienne.
In 2012 verloor ze haar moedige strijd tegen kanker!
In 2011 startte ik deze blog, omdat ik niet mocht stoppen met mijn UFO-onderzoek.
BEDANKT!!!
Een interessant adres?
UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN - DE ALLERLAATSTE NIEUWTJES
UFO's of UAP'S in België en de rest van de wereld In België had je vooral BUFON of het Belgisch UFO-Netwerk, dat zich met UFO's bezighoudt. BEZOEK DUS ZEKER VOOR ALLE OBJECTIEVE INFORMATIE , enkel nog beschikbaar via Facebook en deze blog.
Verder heb je ook het Belgisch-Ufo-meldpunt en Caelestia, die prachtig, doch ZEER kritisch werk leveren, ja soms zelfs héél sceptisch...
Voor Nederland kan je de mooie site www.ufowijzer.nl bezoeken van Paul Harmans. Een mooie site met veel informatie en artikels.
MUFON of het Mutual UFO Network Inc is een Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in alle USA-staten en diverse landen.
MUFON's mission is the analytical and scientific investigation of the UFO- Phenomenon for the benefit of humanity...
Je kan ook hun site bekijken onder www.mufon.com.
Ze geven een maandelijks tijdschrift uit, namelijk The MUFON UFO-Journal.
Since 02/01/2020 is Pieter ex-president (=voorzitter) of BUFON, but also ex-National Director MUFON / Flanders and the Netherlands. We work together with the French MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP.
ER IS EEN NIEUWE GROEPERING DIE ZICH BUFON NOEMT, MAAR DIE HEBBEN NIETS MET ONZE GROEP TE MAKEN. DEZE COLLEGA'S GEBRUIKEN DE NAAM BUFON VOOR HUN SITE... Ik wens hen veel succes met de verdere uitbouw van hun groep. Zij kunnen de naam BUFON wel geregistreerd hebben, maar het rijke verleden van BUFON kunnen ze niet wegnemen...
06-04-2018
Röntgenstraling blijkt grote bedreiging voor veel potentieel leefbare planeten
Röntgenstraling blijkt grote bedreiging voor veel potentieel leefbare planeten
Caroline Kraaijvanger
De straling maakt leven op het land van aardachtige exoplaneten wellicht onmogelijk.
Daarvoor waarschuwen onderzoekers nadat ze rode dwergen – sterren die kleiner en koeler zijn dan de onze en veelvuldig in de Melkweg voorkomen – bestudeerden. Ze presenteerden hun bevindingen gisteren tijdens een bijeenkomst in het kader van de European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Liverpool.
Exoplaneten De afgelopen jaren hebben astronomen met behulp van krachtige (ruimte)telescopen rond de 4000 planeten ontdekt die rond andere sterren cirkelen. Een aantal van deze planeten is ongeveer net zo groot als de aarde en bevindt zich in de zogenoemde leefbare zone. Dit is een denkbeeldige zone rond een ster waarin de temperatuur hoog genoeg is om te voorkomen dat eventueel water op het oppervlak van planeten in deze zone bevriest, maar ook weer niet zo hoog ligt, dat dat eventuele water verdampt.
Rode dwergen Veel van de tot op heden ontdekte potentieel leefbare planeten cirkelen echter rond rode dwergen. Zoals gezegd zijn deze sterren kleiner en koeler dan onze zon. Het betekent dat de leefbare zone – en dus ook de potentieel leefbare planeten die eromheen cirkelen – zich veel dichter bij deze sterren bevinden dan de aarde bij de zon. En die geringe afstand tussen die rode dwergen en potentieel leefbare planeten is zorgwekkend, als je bedenkt dat rode dwergen flinke hoeveelheden röntgenstraling af kunnen geven en met geladen deeltjes gevulde plasmawolken kunnen genereren. De grote vraag is dan ook of die planeten in de leefbare zone wel echt leefbaar zijn of door de röntgenstraling en plasmawolken gesteriliseerd zijn.
AD Leo Onderzoekers denken daar nu dus iets meer over te kunnen zeggen. Afgelopen maand waren ze er namelijk getuige van hoe de ster AD Leo – op zo’n 16 lichtjaar afstand van de aarde – een gigantische zonnevlam produceerde. Rond Ad Leo cirkelt sowieso een gasreus die zo’n 50 keer dichter bij zijn moederster staat dan de aarde bij de zon. Daarnaast vermoeden onderzoekers dat er op iets grotere afstand – in de leefbare zone – aardachtige planeten te vinden zijn. Natuurlijk zijn de onderzoekers nagegaan wat de zonnevlam met de gasreus van AD Leo heeft gedaan. En voorlopige resultaten wijzen erop dat de gasreus niet werd aangetast én dat de zonnevlam niet vergezeld ging door een plasmawolk. Dat laatste is goed nieuws voor eventuele levensvormen op grotere afstand van AD Leo, omdat plasmawolken in staat zijn om kleinere planeten van hun atmosfeer te ontdoen. Afgaand op wat de onderzoekers op en rond AD Leo hebben zien gebeuren, denken ze dat plasmawolken over het algemeen minder vaak ontstaan op deze kleinere rode dwergen.
“MOGELIJK MAAKT DE RÖNTGENSTRALING LEVEN OP HET LAND ZELFS ONMOGELIJK”
Röntgenstraling Dat klinkt allemaal heel positief. Maar de onderzoekers willen daar nog een belangrijke kanttekening bij plaatsen. Wanneer een ster een zonnevlam produceert, ontstaat onder meer röntgenstraling. En dat is dan weer heel slecht nieuws voor eventueel leven in het AD Leo-systeem. Berekeningen wijzen namelijk uit dat de röntgenstraling dwars door de atmosfeer van een aardachtige planeet zou reizen en dus het oppervlak zou bereiken. Het leven op het land zou daardoor ernstig worden aangetast. Mogelijk maakt de röntgenstraling leven op het land zelfs onmogelijk en kan het leven op dergelijke planeten rond rode dwergsterren alleen in de oceanen stand houden.
“Astronomen wereldwijd spannen zich in om aardachtige werelden te vinden en de oude vraag of we alleen zijn in dit universum te beantwoorden,” stelt onderzoeker Eike Guenther. “Ons onderzoek suggereert dat planeten rond de meest voorkomende kleine sterren door toedoen van sporadische uitbarstingen van röntgenstraling geen geweldige plekken zijn voor leven, of in ieder geval voor leven op het land.” Op basis van vervolgonderzoek hopen Guenther en collega’s nog nauwkeurigere uitspraken te kunnen doen over de frequentie van deze röntgenuitbarstingen en de impact die deze op omringende planeten hebben.
In de toekomst verkennen we Mars mogelijk met robotische bijen
In de toekomst verkennen we Mars mogelijk met robotische bijen
Caroline Kraaijvanger
Dat idee wordt momenteel door NASA nader bestudeerd.
Zie je het al voor je? Een enorme zwerm Marsbijen scheert over het oppervlak, terwijl deze informatie verzamelt over de Marsatmosfeer en ondertussen fraaie luchtfoto’s maakt. Hoe tof is dat? Het kan zomaar werkelijkheid worden. De ‘Marsbij’ is namelijk één van de ideeën die momenteel binnen het NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program (kortweg NIAC) worden verkend.
Fase I Het idee zit momenteel in de eerste fase van dit programma, wat betekent dat het nog in de kinderschoenen staat. Tijdens deze eerste fase zal onder meer uitgezocht worden hoe zo’n Marsbij er dan uit moet zien en zich voort moet bewegen. Om dat te achterhalen, zal een prototype getest worden in een vacuümkamer met dezelfde luchtdichtheid als de Martiaanse atmosfeer. Als de Marsbij deze fase goed doorkomt, zal een tweede fase volgen waarin onder meer gekeken wordt naar hoe deze het beste kan landen en opstijgen en wat deze allemaal kan onderzoeken.
ROBOTISCHE BIJEN KUNNEN IN THEORIE IN HUN EENTJE OF ALS ONDERDEEL VAN EEN ZWERM EEN GROOT DEEL VAN MARS VAN DICHTBIJ VERKENNEN
Voordelen Dat NASA wel iets ziet in deze robotische bijen is goed te verklaren. Tot op heden moeten we het voor de verkenning van Mars doen met orbiters die in een baan rond Mars cirkelen óf Marsrovers die op Mars zelf rondrijden. Beide typen missies hebben al behoorlijk wat informatie opgeleverd, maar hebben ook hun beperkingen. Zo zijn de orbiters aardig ver van het oppervlak verwijderd en dus niet in staat om de kleinste details aldaar bloot te leggen. De Marsrovers kunnen dat wel, maar zijn vrij log en traag, waardoor ze maar een klein gebied kunnen bestuderen. Robotische bijen kunnen in theorie in hun eentje of als onderdeel van een zwerm een groot deel van Mars van dichtbij verkennen.
Nog meer voordelen Doordat de bijen bovendien klein van stuk zijn, kunnen ze ook vrij gemakkelijk en goedkoop naar Mars worden gelanceerd. En als één zo’n bij de geest geeft, is er geen man overboord; de rest van de zwerm kan de missie gewoon voortzetten.
Op dit moment denken de onderzoekers aan robotische bijen die niet veel groter zijn dan de hommel. Ze zouden uitgerust kunnen worden met tal van sensoren en een communicatiemodule. De door hen verzamelde data zouden ze af kunnen geven bij een basisstation op Mars. Dat kan bijvoorbeeld een Marsrover zijn. Die zet de informatie dan weer door naar de aarde. Tevens kan deze dienst doen als oplaadstation voor de hommeltjes. Of de robotische Marsbijen er ooit komen? Dat zal vervolgonderzoek binnen het NIAC uit moeten wijzen.
A huge UFO-like aircraft jolted school children in Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara island on Monday when it appeared to descend from the skies all of a sudden. The glowing circular object was filmed by a school teacher, who revealed that the children were screaming hysterically after witnessing the sight which they had only seen only in sci-fi Hollywood movies.
"This happened at about 2.35pm, when suddenly the students who were busy playing in the school yard, spontaneously screamed hysterically seeing unusual sights, I heard the children's voices, then came out to see and immediately recorded the phenomenon using my cell phone. I still don't know what it is. It could be some kind of rainbow. But people were very scared," she said, reports Daily Star.
Interestingly, none of those people who witnessed the incident was able to figure out the exact cause of this weird phenomenon. The teacher assured that it was not the sun obscured by clouds which resulted in this strange sighting as the object was too near and too large.
As the news of the strange phenomenon went viral, conspiracy theorists jumped to the conclusion that the glowing circular object is an alien UFO and claimed that aliens quite often visit earth to monitor the human activities.
Interestingly, Graham Hancock, a popular conspiracy theorist had also shared similar thoughts recently. He revealed that aliens are continuously monitoring us, and they are now planning to disclose their existence soon.
"Sightings all over the world are increasing at a dramatic rate. We are being watched and observed like a large planet-sized scale lab experiment, I am of the opinion that the other races visiting our planet are not hostile. After all, with the technology they must employ to travel vast distances etc, I'm sure they could wipe us out in the blink of an eye," said the conspiracy theorist.
He even posted a video of seven UFOs hovering near International Space Station which later went viral on the Internet.
School students in Indonesia scream hysterically seeing UFO descending from sky
Artist's illustration of Orion Span's planned orbiting hotel, Aurora Station.
Credit: Orion Span
Well-heeled space tourists will have a new orbital destination four years from now, if one company's plans come to fruition.
That startup, called Orion Span, aims to loft its "Aurora Station" in late 2021 and begin accommodating guests in 2022.
"We are launching the first-ever affordable luxury space hotel," said Orion Span founder and CEO Frank Bunger, who unveiled the Aurora Station idea today (April 5) at the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California. [In Pictures: Private Space Stations of the Future]
"Affordable" is a relative term: A 12-day stay aboard Aurora Station will start at $9.5 million. Still, that's quite a bit less than orbital tourists have paid in the past. From 2001 through 2009, seven private citizens took a total of eight trips to the International Space Station (ISS), paying an estimated $20 million to $40 million each time. (These private missions were brokered by the Virginia-based company Space Adventures and employed Russian Soyuz spacecraft and rockets.)
"There's been innovation around the architecture to make it more modular and more simple to use and have more automation, so we don't have to have EVAs [extravehicular activities] or spacewalks," Bunger said of Aurora Station.
Aurora Station will accommodate four paying guests and two crewmembers.
Credit: Orion Span
"The goal when we started the company was to create that innovation to make simplicity possible, and by making simplicity possible, we drive a tremendous amount of cost out of it," he told Space.com.
Orion Span is building Aurora Station itself, Bunger added. The company — some of whose key engineering players have helped design and operate the ISS — is manufacturing the hotel in Houston and developing the software required to run it in the Bay Area, he said.
Aurora Station will be about the size of a large private jet's cabin. It'll measure 43.5 feet long by 14.1 feet wide (13.3 by 4.3 meters) and feature a pressurized volume of 5,650 cubic feet (160 cubic m), Orion Span representatives said. For comparison, the ISS is 357 feet (109 m) long and has an internal pressurized volume of 32,333 cubic feet (916 cubic m).
Orion Span plans to add onto the original Aurora Station core over time as demand grows.
Credit: Orion Span
The private outpost will orbit at an altitude of 200 miles (320 kilometers) — a bit lower than the ISS, which is about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth on average. Right now, it's unclear how Aurora Station and its future occupants will get to orbit; Orion Span has yet to confirm any deals with launch providers, Bunger said.
Aurora Station will accommodate four paying guests and two crewmembers; these latter personnel will likely be former astronauts, Bunger said. Most of the guests will probably be private space tourists, at least initially, but Orion Span will be available to a variety of customers, including government space agencies, he added.
And the space hotel will get bigger over time, if everything goes according to plan. As demand grows, Orion Span will launch additional modules to link up with the original core outpost, Bunger said.
"Our long-term vision is to sell actual space in those new modules," he said. "We're calling that a space condo. So, either for living or subleasing, that's the future vision here — to create a long-term, sustainable human habitation in LEO [low Earth orbit]."
Orion Span isn't alone in seeking to carve out this path. Several other companies, including Axiom Space and Bigelow Aerospace, also aim to launch commercial space stations to Earth orbit in the next few years to meet anticipated demand from space tourists, national governments, researchers and private industry. (Other private players, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are developing vehicles to take paying customers to and from suborbital space, and are scheduled to begin commercial operations soon.)
If you've got $80,000 to spare, you can put a (fully refundable) deposit down on an Aurora Station stay beginning today. Folks who fly up will undergo a three-month training program, the last portion of which will occur aboard the space hotel itself, Bunger said. To learn more, go to www.orionspan.com.
NASA has announced their intent to fund research which will send a swarm of Robot bees up to Mars to explore the red planet. Sputnik spoke to Sethu Vijayakumar, Professor of Robotics at the University of Edinburgh, and former judge of the BBC's robot wars, about the 'swarm' technology format.
Space Bees: Expert Explains NASA's Idea to Send Swarm of Robots to Mars
Sputnik: What is it about the bee as an insect that would make it a good model for NASA's Mars exploration?
Sethu Vijayakumar: Mars exploration is an interesting topic because you need different kinds of tools depending on what you want to do with it. There is an interesting trade off when you talk about robotics: between power, agility and the capability. These are an example of a system, which are completely agile, very power efficient, but in terms of capabilities, it might be quite limited. The bees will probably be good at sensing, and probably good at covering a few local areas around it before it has to get back to home base. So I think that the bees are a good model for scenarios where you want local exploration and then data being processed at a mother ship.
Sputnik: What other innovations are around and using this 'swarm' technology?
Sethu Vijayakumar: This concept of swarm robotics is not new. People have applied that to various domains. For example at the Edinburgh Center for Robotics, we are now heading a new project that is funded by the UK government that is called ORCA hub, (Offshore Robotic-assisted Certification of Assets).
If you think about an offshore oil rig, and you want to certify if it is working properly, the way to do it is by using a combination of these robotic censors. So things that are top heavy, things that are very small and agile, like mini drones. The whole concept is to try and create an information network that will cover and send back information about the health of the asset. We can also do this underwater.
A project we have been involved in, there is a mother-ship, or floating device on the surface and small AUV's that dive underneath the ocean floor. The devices look at the asset integrity of a structure underwater and then again report back. So the concept of having a mother-ship and then small swarms going out, collecting information and aggregating the information back where the compute power is much more.
This method has been around and it's being deployed in various domains. I think Mars is an interesting domain, it's probably the first time they are planning to put bees up there, but the technique is one that has been applied in other areas before.
Sputnik: Can we see the Robot Bee coming in to land on Earth any time soon?
Sethu Vijayakumar: There are some interesting application domains. Just take an example of a commercial aircraft coming in after a long inter-pacific flight, crossing the Atlantic, and then coming into a hangar.
At the moment what happens is that a person will go around looking for physical damage, looking for cracks and leaks. The future of something like that is certainly automated inspection. For two reasons: Firstly, the economic benefits. Having a multiple swarm of robots doing what is a pre-prescribed pattern of behavior is much more economically viable. Second case is the reliability. Humans can make errors.
There can be fatigue, there can be mistakes, but in robotic systems, if you are to program it, you get back the relevant coverage and information. There are already some scenarios like inspection in constrained environments, where I think bees can be a big factor.
Another domain which can be quite powerful is the area of agriculture. We are seeing more and more food production and security issues being dealt with by using robots, for harvesting and for looking at the health of plants.
Bees are a great way of getting around fields without having to worry about uneven terrain, wheels getting stuck in mud and so on. We are already seeing agri-robotics in terms of food security, but I think flying robot bees would be a great application domain for that.
UFO Caught On Live Cam Raises Speculations That Extraterrestrials Will Reveal Themselves Soon
UFO Caught On Live Cam Raises Speculations That Extraterrestrials Will Reveal Themselves Soon
Online UFO community has come into frenzy anew after an alien life allegedly spotted heading into the atmosphere of the Earth.
Space researcher Graham revealed that extraterrestrials would reveal themselves soon as he discovered proof suggesting that such thing will happen soon.
Speaking on the video clip that allegedly shows seven UFOs, he said that sightings across the globe are increasing significantly. He added that aliens have been watching and observing Earth and human race like a giant planet-sized scale lab experiment. He noted though that the alien visitors are not hostile.
He explained that these space aliens are very advanced considering they managed to travel vast distances and that they could wipe humanity without any problem.
And the fact humans still exist on Earth, these aliens are either here to help or observe, according to Graham. However, Graham cautioned that humans could soon come face-to-face with aliens. He said that world leaders and the ET’s agreed on the timescale for disclosure, which could happen within the next 15 years.
He explained that the disclosure would have a significant impact as a way of life, medicines, and technology can change unity and peace.
He said that calling those aliens as watchers or observers are correct. He further stressed that there might be other hostile races that have been protecting the Earth and its inhabitants, which is very reassuring.
Graham found the proof during a live feed from the ISS on March 31. He then uploaded it to his YouTube channel Conspiracy Depot.
He claimed to have spotted several UFOs between 11.20 and 11.50 pm.
However, many others believe there may be a more reasonable explanation.
The sightings took place at around the same time China’s satellite Tiangong-1 was dropping sharply towards the Earth.
Stargazers Spot Aliens on Chinese Probe's Photos (VIDEO)
Stargazers Spot Aliens on Chinese Probe's Photos (VIDEO)
ET hunters and conspiracy theorists now claim that we are not alone in the universe, but that there are aliens who actually live inside the Moon and that they even created our natural satellite.
Poring over photos of the Moon’s surface taken by China’s Chang’e 3 lunar probe, Scottish UFOlogist George Graham discovered what he says looks like a human-built structure and a hidden alien spaceship, the TeCake online technology news blog reported.
Among the many videos referencing aliens, which Graham has posted on YouTube, there are two distinct ones that show anomalies on the lunar surface.
The other video features a flying saucer-like object hidden behind a rock.
It is not the first time that conspiracy theorists have talked about the existence of alien life on the Moon. Previously, they have claimed to spot several suspicious activities, UFOs, and mysterious buildings to support their claim.
Some UFOlogists believe that the Moon is not our satellite but a base created by aliens to keep a constant eye on humans.
According to a NASA study conducted in 1962, the Moon’s inner surface is thinner than its outer one.
Another theory purports that because the Moon is hollow inside, extraterrestrials could be using it as a base from where they watch over what people down on Earth are doing.
Heeft een Chinese sonde een ruimteschip vastgelegd op de maan? Deze Schotse ufoloog beweert van wel
Heeft een Chinese sonde een ruimteschip vastgelegd op de maan? Deze Schotse ufoloog beweert van wel
Alienjagers en complottheoretici claimen niet alleen dat er buitenaards leven is, maar ook dat er aliens op de maan leven en dat ze onze natuurlijke satelliet hebben gemaakt, zo schrijft het Russische persbureau Sputnik.
De Schotse ufoloog George Graham heeft op foto’s die zijn gemaakt door de Chinese maansonde Chang’e 3 naar eigen zeggen een kunstmatige structuur en een verborgen ruimteschip ontdekt.
Basis
Het is niet voor het eerst dat complottheoretici zich hebben uitgelaten over het bestaan van buitenaards leven op de maan. Eerder claimden ze UFO’s en mysterieuze gebouwen op de maan te hebben ontdekt.
Sommige ufologen menen dat de maan geen natuurlijke satelliet is, maar een basis gebouwd door aliens om de mensen in de gaten te houden.
Hol
Over de maan is nog weinig bekend. Ondanks 109 maanmissies weten we niet zeker of de maan van binnen hard, vloeibaar of een combinatie van beide is.
Volgens één theorie is de maan hol van binnen en een basis die buitenaardsen gebruiken om de mensheid te observeren, aldus het persbureau.
ThinkstockExperts inzake artificiële intelligentie vrezen dat de Zuid-Koreaanse universiteit met een wapenfabrikant samenwerkt om een leger autonome robots te ontwikkelen die "de doos van Pandora zou openen." Illustratiebeeld.
Experts op het vlak van artificiële intelligentie (AI) boycotten een Zuid-Koreaanse universiteit die volgens hen in samenwerking met een wapenfabrikant een geheim leger van robots aan het ontwikkelen is. Het Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kaist) zou samen met wapenfabrikant Hanwha Systems robots ontwikkelen die, zo menen de academici, de doos van Pandora zouden openzetten en “de derde revolutie in oorlogsvoering” zouden ontketenen.
57 academici uit 30 landen waarschuwen dat de universiteit de technologie op punt stelt om een leger van robots te ontwikkelen dat de hele mensheid kan vernietigen. De specialisten ondertekenden een brief waarin ze stellen de universiteit te boycotten en hun zorg uiten over de plannen.
Doos van Pandora
Ze noemen die “de doos van Pandora” en stellen dat AI en robots niet mogen gebruikt worden als oorlogswapens. Het nieuwe AI-wapenlabo van de Kaist-universiteit werd in februari operationeel. Het werd gebouwd in samenwerking met Hanwha Systems, de belangrijkste wapenfabrikant in Zuid-Korea. “Eens deze doos van Pandora opengaat, zal het moeilijk zijn ze weer te sluiten”, stellen de professoren.
De brief werd opgesteld door professor Toby Walsh van de universiteit van Sydney en is gericht aan professor Shin Sung-chul, voorzitter van de Kaist-universiteit. “Het is betreurenswaardig dat een prestigieus instituut als Kaist de wapenwedloop wil opdrijven”, zo stelt Walsh.
“Daarom verklaren we openlijk dat we elke samenwerking met Kaist zullen boycotten tot de voorzitter van de universiteit garanties voorlegt - die we hebben gevraagd maar niet hebben gekregen - dat het centrum geen autonome wapens zonder betekenisvolle menselijke controle zal ontwikkelen.”
Autonome wapens zullen de derde revolutie in oorlogsvoering inluiden. Ze zullen ervoor zorgen dat oorlogen sneller worden uitgevochten en op een grotere schaal dan ooit tevoren. Ze hebben bovendien het potentieel terreurwapens te worden
Uit de brief die door 57 academici werd ondertekend
De reden voor de boycot en de veroordeling van de universiteit is de bezorgdheid over het potentieel van AI-wapentuig. “Indien ze ontwikkeld worden, zullen autonome wapens de derde revolutie in oorlogsvoering inluiden”, zo staat in de brief. “Ze zullen ervoor zorgen dat oorlogen sneller worden uitgevochten en op een grotere schaal dan ooit tevoren. Ze hebben het potentieel terreurwapens te worden.”
Gisteren reageerde de universiteit bij monde van voorzitter Shin Sung-chul, die stelt dat Kaist geen dergelijke droids ontwikkelt. “We hebben niet de intentie dodelijke autonome wapens of robots te maken. Als academisch instituut voeren we mensenrechten en ethische waarden hoog in het vaandel. Kaist zal geen onderzoeksactiviteiten verrichten die tegen de menselijke waardigheid ingaan.”
Robots aan grens met Noord-Korea
Professor Walsh verklaarde tegenover CNN dat hij “grotendeels tevreden” is met de reactie van Kaist. “Maar ik heb toch nog enkele vragen omtrent hun intenties.” De boycot blijft voorlopig van kracht. Dat betekent dat de academici Kaist niet zullen bezoeken of leden van de universiteit als gast ontvangen. Ze zullen ook geen bijdragen meer leveren aan eender welk onderzoeksproject waarbij Kaist betrokken is.
Volgende week debatteren 123 lidstaten van de Verenigde Naties over autonoom wapentuig. 22 landen eisen een absoluut verbod op dergelijke wapens.
Het Zuid-Koreaanse leger heeft al een team robots aan de grens met Noord-Korea. De Samsung SGR-A1 draagt een machinegeweer met een autonome modus, maar wordt tot nog toe via cameralinks door mensen bediend.
WETENSCHAPNASA heeft twee teams van wetenschappers de opdracht gegeven om een robotbij te ontwerpen die zal kunnen ingezet worden voor de verkenning van Mars. De piepkleine drones moeten een stuk handiger en voordeliger zijn dan de logge Marsrovers.
Een onderzoeksteam aan de universiteit van Alabama werkt in opdracht van NASA samen met een groep van Japanse wetenschappers aan het ontwerp van de vliegende microrobots.
NASA wil dat de ‘Mars bees’ of Marsbijen, zoals ze officieel genoemd worden, gelanceerd worden door een rover, die dienst zal doen as een soort van mobiele basis en laadstation.
Het lichaam van de Marsbijen zal lijken op dat van een hommel, terwijl ze beweeglijke, cicadenachtige vleugels krijgen; die zijn optimaal om stijgkracht te genereren in de dunne, ijle atmosfeer van de Rode Planeet. De zwaartekracht van Mars bedraagt immers slechts één derde van die van de aarde.
NASA
Dankzij hun beweeglijke vleugels zullen de minirobots lichter zijn en kunnen wetenschappers ook meer exemplaren tegelijkertijd inzetten. De bijen zullen bovendien in kleine zwermen worden uitgezet. Als één van de microdrones sneuvelt, is dat bijgevolg geen al te zwaar verlies.
De Marsbijen zullen niet alleen het terrein van Mars in kaart brengen, maar ook stalen verzamelen van de ijle lucht van de planeet, in de hoop op methaangas – een mogelijk teken van leven – te stoten. NASA’s Curiosityrover heeft in het verleden al kleine hoeveelheden van het gas gedetecteerd, maar voorlopig is nog onduidelijk of het van biologische oorsprong is.
ReutersZelfportret van NASA's Curiosityrover op Mars in 2013.
Het onderzoek, dat op 30 maart door NASA werd bekendgemaakt, zit momenteel in Fase 1, waarbij wordt gefocust op ht ontwerp van de vleugels, de beweging van de drone en het optimale gewicht. De eerste prototypes zullen getest worden in een vacuüm laboratorium met een luchtdichtheid die vergelijkbaar is met die op Mars.
In Fase 2 worden hun beweeglijkheid, windresistentie, stijg- en landingsvermogen, energievoorziening en teledetectie onder de loep genomen. Het zal nog jaren duren voor de technologische insecten aan hun ruimteverkenning kunnen beginnen.
WETENSCHAPSinds het verdwijnen van de legendarische Concorde in 2003 is er geen supersonisch passagiersvliegtuig meer geweest. Maar dankzij NASA komt daar verandering in. De Amerikaanse ruimtevaartorganisatie heeft vliegtuigbouwer Lockheed Martin deze week opdracht gegeven een toestel te ontwikkelen dat sneller gaat dan het geluid, maar zonder ‘sonic boom’, de oorverdovende knal waarmee het doorbreken van de geluidsbarrière gepaard gaat.
Met de zogeheten X-plane zou een vlucht van New York naar Londen nog maar drie uur duren. Het toestel moet gaan vliegen op ruim 16 kilometer hoogte met een kruissnelheid van 1500 kilometer per uur.
Met de opdracht is een bedrag van 202 miljoen euro gemoeid. De bedoeling is dat de supersonische jet in 2021 zijn eerste testvluchten gaat uitvoeren boven bewoonde gebieden in de VS, om te bepalen of het geluidsniveau acceptabel is. Volgens NASA zal het doorbreken van de geluidsbarrière niet harder klinken dan het dichtvallen van een autoportier. Vluchten met passagiers zijn niet eerder voorzien dan 2035.
While looking over some Russian rocket archives, I found a greenish UFO near a rocket upon its launch. This happened just a few weeks ago and as you can see, the UFO was semi transparent. It was cloaked, but the sudden burst of light from the engines reviewed its location for a few seconds. This is proof that aliens watch our technological growth carefully.
Its also possible that America has keep the alien secret so long because they are using the alien tech...like this green UFO to observe and record activities of their enemies...like Russia. The country with the best tech, controls the world.
It's long been theorized that the first detection of extraterrestrial intelligence will come from radio waves. But it's possible that what's out there may go well beyond what anyone has dreamed to look for until now.
In 1961, scientist Frank Drake wrote down a simple-looking equation for estimating the number of active, technologically-advanced, communicating civilizations in the Milky Way. From first principles, there was no good way to simply estimate a number, but Drake had the brilliant idea of writing down a large number of parameters that could be estimated, which you would then multiply together. If your numbers were accurate, you'd arrive at an accurate figure for the number of technologically advanced civilizations that humanity could communicate with, within our own galaxy, at any given moment. It's a brilliant idea in concept, but one that's become less and less useful as we've learned more about our Universe. As it stands today, the Drake equation is broken, but we know enough about the Universe to construct an even better framework.
Wikimedia Commons user Lucianomendez
The possibilities of having another inhabited world in our Milky Way are incredible and tantalizing, but if we want to know whether it's real or not, we absolutely have to get the science right.
The Drake equation, to be specific, said that the number of civilizations (N) we have at any given time within our galaxy, is equal to the product of seven different unknown quantities from astronomy, geology, biology, and anthropology, each of which build off of the previous element. They are:
R∗, the average rate of star formation,
fp, the fraction of stars with planets,
ne the average number stars-with-planets that have one that could support life,
fl, the fraction of those planets that developed life,
fi, the fraction of life-bearing planets that developed intelligent life,
fc, the fraction of these intelligence-having planets that are technologically communicative across interstellar space, and
L, the length of time such a civilization can broadcast-or-listen.
Multiply these numbers all together, in theory, and that will give you the number of technologically advanced, broadcasting civilizations we have in the Milky Way today.
NASA Ames / JPL-Caltech
An artist's rendition of a potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star. But we might not have to find another Earth-like world to find life; our own solar system may have all the ingredients we need. We simply don't know how ubiquitous life is.
Only, there are huge problems with this setup. There are a number of unspoken assumptions that simply writing down the equation this way makes, that simply don't reflect reality. Problems for its modern-day usefulness include:
The fact that the equation was written before the Big Bang was validated and the Steady State model was disfavored.
The equation assumes that only one planet per star system could support life.
That intelligent, technologically advanced life will never spread to other worlds.
And that broadcasting-and-listening-for radio signals is the method by which an intelligent species would choose to communicate across interstellar space.
That last assumption, in particular, was the motivation for SETI — the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (with radio dishes) — which has, of course, come up empty.
ESO/C. Malin
The Atacama Large Millimeter submillimeter Array (ALMA) are some of the most powerful radio telescopes on Earth. They are only one small part of the array forming the Event Horizon Telescopen and can image the Magellanic Clouds (shown here) and all of the stars in the southern sky, unlike most northern hemisphere observers.
This doesn't mean, however, that there aren't other worlds out there with intelligent life on them! Despite our uncertainties about what's out there or whether/how they might attempt to search for or contact us, the possibility of intelligent, communicative, or spacefaring extraterrestrials is one of tremendous interest to not only scientists, but all of humanity. Many of the steps of the Drake equation may be problematic, and they contain the major issue that there are huge uncertainties associated with them: so large that they render any conclusion about N, the number of civilizations within our galaxy, meaningless. But it's 2018 now, and there are a huge number of things we know about our galaxy and our Universe that we didn't know in 1961. Here's a better approach.
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration
A stellar nursery in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. By surveying star clusters and field stars in and out of our galaxy, as well as measuring the extent of the Milky Way, we can simply determine the number and types of stars that exist.
1.)Ns: the number of stars in our galaxy.
Why estimate the rate of star formation when we can simply look at the number of stars we have today? We know how large our galaxy is, how thick it is, how large the central bulge is, and what their mass distribution is. Based on what we can observe with extremely powerful all-sky and pencil-beam (where you look at one narrow region very deeply) surveys, we can simply state that there are between 200 and 400 billion stars in our galaxy. An uncertainty that's only a factor of 2 is pretty good, and tells us that we have a very optimistic starting point: each star has a chance for success. Let's pick the larger number here.
NASA Ames/ W Stenzel
Illustration of the planet-finding space telescope, Kepler, from NASA. Kepler has found thousands of planets around stars in the Milky Way, teaching us about the mass, radius, and distribution of worlds beyond our Solar System.
2.) fp: the fraction of stars with planets.
This is one we can keep from the original Drake equation, but in the aftermath of Kepler, it isn't all that interesting. Why? Because it's close to 100%! The fraction of stars with planets around them, based on the number of stars we've surveyed and what we've learned about them, is somewhere in the ballpark of at least 80%. To say "the fraction of stars with planets" is 1 is a nice, easy victory for the optimists out there.
NASA
Moon and clouds over the Pacific Ocean, as photographed by Frank Borman and James A. Lovell during the Gemini 7 mission. Earth, around our Sun, has the right conditions for life. But what about other stars?
3.) fH: the fraction of stars with the right conditions for habitability.
This gets more interesting now! Of the major classes of stars, how many of them have worlds that could support life? A star like our Sun — with our Sun's mass, radius, and lifetime — could do it, as evidenced by our existence. But what about a more massive star? At some point, they'll be massive enough to burn through their fuel too quickly, and intelligent life could never arise.
On the other end, a low-mass star may be too unstable, flaring and blowing off a planet's atmosphere, or with little enough ultraviolet light that life cannot arise. We might worry about if there are enough heavy elements to support life on a world, or if a certain location in the galaxy renders the environment too chaotic for life. These may be unknowns, but we can probably safely say that at least a quarter, or 25%, of stars in our galaxy can have a potentially habitable planet.
ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/L. Calçada (ESO) & NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team
Sugar molecules in the gas surrounding a young, Sun-like star. The raw ingredients for life may exist everywhere, but not every planet that contains them will develop life.
4.) np: the number of worlds around habitable stars with the right conditions for life.
This is something we've learned a tremendous amount about from our exoplanet studies, but tremendous questions remain. What makes a world habitable? In the early solar system, Venus, Earth, and Mars all had similar conditions. In the outer Solar System, worlds like Enceladus and Europa, with sub-surface oceans, may have underwater life. In systems with gas giants at Earth-like locations, large moons could see life arise on them. Although the uncertainties are very large here, I think it's a fair estimate to say that of the stars which can have a potentially habitable world, on average there will be one world that clearly has the best chance for life. That's the world we're interested in, and so we'll say np = 1.
At this point, by the way, we can multiply those first four numbers together to get an estimate for the number of worlds with good chances at life within our galaxy: 100 billion. That's a promising start.
NASA, 1996
Structures on ALH84001 meteorite, which has a Martian origin. Some argue that the structures shown here may be ancient Martian life.
5.) fl: the fraction of these worlds where life arises.
This is a great time to line up with Drake again, because this is one of the great unknown questions in the search for life beyond Earth. Of all the potentially habitable worlds, how many of them take that first incredible step, where life arises from non-life? Or, if primitive life originates in interstellar space, how many worlds see life take hold on the surface, in the oceans, or in the atmosphere? We don't even know the answer for our own Solar System, where it's arguable that we may have as many as 8 other worlds where life arose at some point. Life may be common; optimistically, it may have a 10% chance of arising from non-life. Or, alternatively, it could be exceedingly rare: a one-in-a-million shot or worse.
ESA, HEXOS and the HIFI consortium; E. Bergin
Signatures of organic, life-giving molecules are found all over the cosmos, including in the largest, nearby star-forming region: the Orion Nebula. Someday soon, we may be able to look for biosignatures in the atmospheres of Earth-sized worlds around other stars.
The uncertainties here are huge, and any number that you can pick is as ill-motivated as any other. Someday in the future, we'll have the capability of performing our first tests, however. When our telescope technology enables us to determine the atmospheric contents of worlds, we can look for the presence or absence of biosignatures like methane, molecular oxygen, and carbon dioxide. It will be indirect evidence, but it should be an incredible step towards inferring whether worlds have life on them or not. If we say there's a 1-in-10,000 chance that a potentially habitable world has life on it, as good a guess as any, that means there are 10 million worlds in the Milky Way where life exists.
Biolin Scientific
Ligand-gated Q-cells are essential channels with multiple biological applications, and are particularly needed for the human body to function. Single celled organisms can reproduce very quickly, but in order to develop complex functions and structures, multicellular organisms are required.
6.) fx: the fraction of life-having worlds with complex, differentiated organisms.
Defining life as "intelligent" or not is a hazy prospect at best, as even the top scientists still argue over the classification of dolphins, great apes, octopi, and many other organisms as intelligent or not. What no one will argue about, however, is whether an organism is complex and differentiated: with different body parts with different functions and structures, in a macroscopic, multicellular arrangement. It took billions of years of life thriving on Earth until we evolved the first multicellular organism, and then hundreds of millions of years more until we developed gender in reproduction; without both, out-competing single-celled life would be impossible, as they'd out-evolve the larger forms of life.
Wikimedia Commons user Mike R
A bonobo 'fishing' for termites is an example of a complex, differentiated organism that uses primitive tools. It may not count as a scientifically/technologically advanced species, but it certainly counts as multicellular, differentiated, and highly interesting from an astrobiological perspective.
Again, Earth is our only laboratory for this, but let's be optimistic in the absence of evidence, and assume there's a 1-in-1,000 chance that a world that starts with a primitive, replicating, information-encoding strand of life can lead to something like the Cambrian explosion. That gives us 10,000 worlds in the Milky Way teeming with diverse, multicellular, highly differentiated forms of life. Given the distance between the stars, that means there's likely another planet where this has occurred just a few hundred light years away.
NASA
Alan Chinchar's 1991 rendition of the proposed Space Station Freedom in orbit. Any civilization that creates something like this would definitely count as scientifically/technologically advanced.
7.) ft: the fraction of those worlds which presently house a scientifically/technologically advanced civilization.
This is a superior question to the ones asked by the Drake equation. Who cares if this is the first or the tenth time a technologically advanced civilization arose? Who cares if they're using radio waves? Who cares if they blow themselves up or self-extinct, or whether they have spacefaring ambitions or not? The big question is whether there are extraterrestrials who are intelligent the way we're intelligent, and that means scientifically and technologically advanced.
NASA / JPL / University of Arizona / Max Planck Institute / Spaceflight / Marco Di Lorenzo, Kenneth Kremer / Phoenix Lander
The 'holy cow' mosaic of the Mars Phoenix mission, with revealed water-ice clearly visible underneath the lander's legs. In order to learn the maximum amount possible about the presence or absence of life on a world, you absolutely must touch down and look, explicitly, for the surefire signatures.
There's no evidence for this anywhere other than Earth, of course, which means there's a huge range of possibilities. It could be easy, like 1% of them get there, or it could be a freak coincidence that humanity arose at all, and the odds could be more like one-in-a-billion. Here on Earth, it's been about 500,000,000 years since the Cambrian explosion, and we've only had a technologically advanced species on the planet for less than 1,000 years. Assuming humanity lasts for a few thousand more in this state, that means that Earth will have spent 1-in-100,000 of our time with complex, differentiated organisms in a technologically advanced state.
Even with 10,000 such worlds in the Milky Way, there's only approximately a 10% chance, under these estimates, that another scientifically/technologically advanced civilization exists at the same time as us.
Dennis Davidson for http://www.nss.org/
Once intelligence, tool use and curiosity combine in a single species, perhaps interstellar ambitions become inevitable.
But with all that said, it's those last three numbers — fl, fx, and ft — that have such large uncertainties that make accurate estimates an impossibility right now.
Knowing how many worlds there are out there in the Milky Way with life on them, and finding even one, would have tremendous implications for our existence, and for understanding our place in the Universe. Taking even the next step, and learning that there were complex, differentiated, large organisms on a world, like we have with the fungal, animal, and plant kingdoms on Earth, would revolutionize what's possible. And finally, the chance we'd have to have communication, visitation, and a knowledge exchange with a scientifically or technologically advanced alien species would forever alter the course of humanity. It's all possible, but there's so much more we need to know if we ever want to find out. We must take these steps; the rewards are too great if there's even a chance of learning these answers.
Astrophysicist and author Ethan Siegel is the founder and primary writer of Starts With A Bang! His books, Treknology and Beyond The Galaxy, are available wherever books are sold.
With the development of SpaceX’s Big Fucking Rocket (BFR)potentially underway the dream of sending humans to Mars has never been more alive. Elon Musk even has ideas on how the Martian government could operate, but before we establish the Democratic Republic of Mars we have to figure out where exactly the first space colonists would set up shop.
It turns out the age-old real estate mantra location, location, location is extraordinarily important when you’re trying to establish a settlement on a partially inhospitable planet. That’s why two scientists at the Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands have created an animated map that pinpoints the best spots for future cosmic explorers to begin constructing the first Martian metropolis.
This atlas of the red planet is centered around the fact that interplanetary citizens will need suitable soil for their crops. Growing food like potatoes in space is far from just a cool science fiction concept from The Martian. Wieger Wamelink and his partner Line Schug divided swaths of the planet’s surface depending on the composition of the soil. The less heavy metals found in the ground, the better it is for farming.
Map of the ideal landing sites on Mars from a plant perspective. Blue colors indicate high potentials, with the darkest blue as the best sites; red colors indicate less good sites with dark red as the worst.
This means the heavy metal-rich areas around the highest point on Mars, a colossal volcano known as Olympus Mons, can’t sustain vegetation. While a low-lying plain on the planet’s northern hemisphere named Acidalia Planitia, is perfectly suited for a farm. This region is chock-full of ice and regolith — or Martian sand — which can be used as agricultural resources.
“High levels of heavy metals in the soil and strong radiation make a location unsuitable for establishment,” says Schug in a statement. “While we see high temperatures or calcium levels and a relatively flat terrain as positive.”
So it seems like if we ever do make it to the red planet, the first condos on our planetary neighbor will almost certainly be found in a Martian prairie.
Vast Black Hole Swarm May Surround Milky Way's Heart
Vast Black Hole Swarm May Surround Milky Way's Heart
By Charles Q. Choi, Space.com Contributor
The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way is surrounded by a swarm of smaller black holes, according to new research. Scientists were able to pinpoint at least 12 black hole binaries, where a black hole is siphoning material from a companion star.
Credit: Columbia University
A swarm of thousands of black holes may surround the giant black hole at the heart of our galaxy, a new study finds.
At the hearts of most, if not all, galaxies are supermassive black holes with masses that are millions to billions of times that of the sun. For example, at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, lies Sagittarius A*, which is about 4.5 million solar masses in size.
A key way in which scientists think supermassive black holes grow is by engulfing stellar-mass black holes each equal in mass to a few suns. Learning how that growth process works is vital to understanding the effects they can have on the evolution of their galaxies. [Deepest-Ever X-Ray Image Captures Countless Black Holes (Photo)]
A view of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, taken with the Chandra X-ray Observatory (circled in green). The black hole is visible as a bright spot because it is emitting some of its occasional X-ray flares. Surrounding it are other X-ray sources caused by binary systems with smaller black holes.
Credit: Nature and Hailey, et. al.
For decades, astronomers have looked for up to 20,000 black holes that previous research predicted should be concentrated around the Milky Way's core. Sagittarius A* is surrounded by a halo of gas and dust that provides the perfect breeding ground for massive stars, which can then give rise to black holes after they die, said study lead author Chuck Hailey, co-director of the astrophysics lab at Columbia University in New York. In addition, the powerful gravitational pull of Sagittarius A* can pull in black holes from outside this halo, he added.
"The Milky Way is really the only galaxy we have where we can study how supermassive black holes interact with little ones because we simply can't see their interactions in other galaxies," Hailey said in a statement. "In a sense, this is the only laboratory we have to study this phenomenon."
However, until now, researchers failed to detect such a heavy concentration of black holes, called a "density cusp." "There are only about five dozen known black holes in the entire galaxy — 100,000 light-years wide — and there are supposed to be 10,000 to 20,000 of these things in a region just six light-years wide that no one has been able to find," Hailey said in the statement. "There hasn't been much credible evidence."
Black holes absorb anything that falls into them, including light (hence, their name), making them difficult to spot against the dark background of space. Instead, to detect black holes, scientists generally look for ones with nearby companion stars. In such binary systems, the black hole may be tearing apart its partner, giving off radiation in the process.
In the past, failed attempts to find the density cusp focused on looking for strong bursts of X-rays that are thought to come from instabilities in so-called "accretion disks" of gas and dust that spiral off from companion stars into black hole partners. However, the galactic center is about 26,000 light-years from Earth, and "black hole binaries only very rarely emit big enough bursts of X-rays to easily see at such a great distance as the galactic center — maybe once every 100 or even 1,000 years," Hailey told Space.com.
Instead, Hailey and his colleagues looked for the steadier, less-energetic X-rays given off by accretion disks when the binaries are relatively inactive. Using archival data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, they detected a dozen such X-ray binaries within about one parsec, or about 3.26 light-years, from the galactic core, findings they detailed in the April 5 issue of the journal Nature.
By analyzing the properties and spatial distribution of these X-ray binaries, the researchers extrapolated that 300 to 500 X-ray binaries may lurk in the core of the Milky Way, and about 10,000 isolated black holes without companion stars may also lurk there. "I am really excited to find that there are bunches of black holes in the galactic center," Hailey said.
These findings may also "significantly advance gravitational-wave research because knowing the number of black holes in the center of a typical galaxy can help in better predicting how many gravitational-wave events may be associated with them," Hailey said in a statement. "All the information astrophysicists need is at the center of the galaxy."
However, the researchers cautioned that making estimates regarding the number of black holes in the galactic core is complicated by the fact that there are likely other sources of X-rays from the center of the galaxy, such as pulsars. Future X-ray observatories may be able to distinguish these different kinds of X-ray sources, Hailey said.
"The next generation of X-ray observatories should have very sharp eyes, like Chandra, but also be able to detect much fainter objects at the galactic center," Hailey said.
The Crab Nebula as seen by five different observatories
(animation; 10 May 2017).
Phosphorus, denoted by the symbol P in the periodic table, is the 11th most common element on Earth. It is fundamental to all living things, being essential for the creation of DNA, cell membranes, and for bone and teeth formation in humans. According to a new study by astronomers at Cardiff University, there seems to be far less of this precious element lurking in the rest of the universe than we used to think. If extraterrestrial life is similar to that on Earth, then the odds of it existing have just depreciated considerably.
P is for life
Phosphorus is one of just six chemical elements that are thought to be indispensable to the functioning of Earth organisms. Phosphorus cannot be manufactured or destroyed, and there is no substitute or synthetic version of it available. Astronomers claim that phosphorus in created in supernovae, which are massive explosions of dying stars. Dr. Jane Greaves of Cardiff University observed that the observed amounts of phosphorus in the universe don’t match the computer models, and naturally wondered what this implies for life on other planets given the unpredictable nature of phosphorus production.
Using the William Herschel Telescope, sited on La Palma in the Canary islands, Greaves and colleagues probed the famous Crab Nebula in infrared for signs of phosphorus and iron. The first element supports life, while the second is a major part of our planet’s core. The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant around 6500 light years away in the direction of the constellation of Taurus.
This was only the second study of phosphorus from supernovae ever made. The first such study looked at the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant. By comparing phosphorus content from both supernovae, the researchers concluded that there seems to be far less phosphorus in the Crab Nebula than in Cas A. The latter is the explosion of a rare type of supermassive star, which might explain the discrepancy in phosphorus content.
More observations by different telescopes could reveal more insight and complete some of the missing pieces of the puzzle. For instance, it could be that there are some phosphorus-rich regions in the Crab Nebula that astronomers have overlooked. But, so far, these preliminary results suggest that the amount of phosphorus blown into space can vary wildly. In the future, the researchers plan on studying more supernovae to establish how common it is to find supernova remnants that lack phosphorus.
“The route to carrying phosphorus into new-born planets looks rather precarious. We already think that only a few phosphorus-bearing minerals that came to the Earth—probably in meteorites—were reactive enough to get involved in making proto-biomolecules,” Greaves said in a statement.
‘If phosphorus is sourced from supernovae, and then travels across space in meteoritic rocks, I’m wondering if a young planet could find itself lacking in reactive phosphorus because of where it was born? That is, it started off near the wrong kind of supernova? In that case, life might really struggle to get started out of phosphorus-poor chemistry, on another world otherwise similar to our own.”
The findings were presented this week at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science in Liverpool.
The Hidden Secrets of Cholula, The Largest Pyramid On Earth
The Hidden Secrets of Cholula, The Largest Pyramid On Earth
The Largest Pyramid on Earth isn’t the Great Pyramid of Giza. Halfway around the world, in modern-day Mexico lie the ruins of a majestic ancient structure which rightfully holds the title as the largest pyramid ever built.
Said to have been erected by the giant Xelhua, according to Aztec Mythology, this ancient structure is believed to have taken ten centuries to build.
The pyramid of Cholula, in the state of Puebla, is the most massive building erected by man, not even the pyramids of Egypt, (although higher) occupy so many cubic meters of material.
It was allegedly built by a giant who wanted to build a pyramid that reaches to heaven, says mythology; but archaeologists are convinced that thousands of builders participated in its construction, taking them at least ten centuries to complete.
The site itself is shrouded in magic and mystery.
Model of the city and Great Pyramid of Cholula. Cholula Museum, Puebla, Mexico.
( CC BY SA 4.0 )
The ancient archaeological site of Cholula has been the center of study four archaeologists end exporter from all around the world.
In this article, we bring you the most important facts about the archaeological site home to the largest and most massive pyramid on the surface of the planet.
One of the most important facts, which many people are unaware of is thatthe great pyramid of Cholula is larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The pyramid of Giza, in Egypt, occupies 2 million 500 thousand cubic meters, but the pyramid of Cholula comprises 4 million 500 thousand cubic meters, which makes it the largest building built by man.
Mythology says Giants built it.
According to mythology, in ancient times, the earth was inhabited by giants, but after a massive flood swept over the Earth, all died except Xelhua, who in gratitude, built what we know today as Cholula, one of the most massive pyramids in the world. This giant wanted to build a gigantic pyramid that reached to the heavens.
But Tonacatecutli, father of all the gods, saw this as an offense and launched a rock from the heavens in the killing off many of the builders, causing the construction to halt.
The last excavations done inside the pyramid of Cholula to explore the interior of this massive structure were conducted from 1966 to 1974, led by Miguel Messmacher.
However, exploration was halted for two reasons: the possibility that explorations would cause the entire Pyramid to collapse, and because of the risk of damaging the foundations of the church that was built at the top, which is protected by INAH.
Because there aren’t any written documents, no one knows when the pyramids construction process began.
However, archaeologists believe that it was in 300 BC or at the beginning of the Christian era when thousands of workers started erecting one of the most massive pyramids on the planet.
Bottoms up!
Meet the Mural of Drinkers.
Discovered at a depth of nearly eight meters, the Mural of Drinkers happens to be one of the largest pre-Columbian murals ever discovered in Mexico, having a total length of 57 meters.
The subject of the mural is a feast, featuring personages drinking what is most likely pulque.
Seven Pyramids, not one.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula or the Tlachihualtepetl as its also known, was the product of seven superimposed pyramids, each of which covered the whole of the previous pyramid. This motivated the gradual enlargement of the base, which reached up to four hundred and fifty meters on one side, reaching a height of sixty-six meters.
The current appearance of the great pyramid of Cholula is that of a massive hill on top of which a Catholic church was built, dedicated to the Virgin of the Remedies.
Are aliens real? Grim discovery raises doubts about existence of extraterrestrial life
Are aliens real? Grim discovery raises doubts about existence of extraterrestrial life
Jasper Hamill
The Crab Nebula, a supernova explosion 6,500 light years from Earth
(Photographer: Dr Jane Greaves/University of Cardiff)
The universe could be a more lonely place than we ever imagined. A new study has cast doubt on the existence of alien life after discovering that a chemical called phosphorus is less abundant than anyone expected
The element is vital to energy storage and transfer in cells, and is part of the chemical backbone of DNA.
Phosphorus is created in supernovae, exploding massive stars at the end of their lives.
But the new research suggests that typical supernovae may not provide the conditions needed for forging the element.
Earth may be unusually lucky, because it happened to be situated close enough to the ‘right’ kind of supernova.
Astronomer Dr Jane Greaves, from the University of Cardiff, said: ‘The route to carrying phosphorus into new-born planets looks rather precarious.
‘We already think that only a few phosphorus-bearing minerals that came to the Earth, probably in meteorites, were reactive enough to get involved in making proto-biomolecules.
‘If phosphorus is sourced from supernovae, and then travels across space in meteoritic rocks, I’m wondering if a young planet could find itself lacking in reactive phosphorus because of where it was born?
‘That is, it started off near the wrong kind of supernova? ‘
In that case, life might really struggle to get started out of phosphorus-poor chemistry, on another world otherwise similar to our own.’
The evidence comes from observations of two supernova ‘remnants’, Cassiopeia A (Cas A) and the famous Crab Nebula.
The team used the UK’s William Herschel Telescope on La Palma, Canary Islands, to look for signatures of phosphorus and iron from the Crab Nebula, the aftermath of a supernova explosion 6,500 light years away in the constellation of Taurus.
A previous study had searched for phosphorus from Cas A, 11,000 light years away.
for 35 years Comparing results from the two observations showed much less phosphorus from the Crab Nebula than Cas A, which came as a surprise.
Dr Phil Cigan, another of the Cardiff astronomers, said: ‘The two explosions seem to differ from each other, perhaps because Cas A results from the explosion of a rare super-massive star.’
The findings were presented at the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science meeting in Liverpool.
The scientists now plan to continue their search to see if other supernova remnants also lack phosphorus.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
UFO researchers release video of strange craft hovering in night sky over NC town
What are the politics of U.F.O.s? Hillary Clinton said she believed in giving wider access to government records related to U.F.O.s and extraterrestrial life. Listen to what other presidents had to say about aliens and Area 51. McClatchyNew York Times
The video, shot at night, features a hovering v-shaped object illuminated by six lights.
"Whatever it is, it seems to be dropping," says the unidentified man behind the camera. "I'd like to know what the heck those six lights are."
The YouTube channel The Hidden Underbelly referred to the object as as a "huge mother ship."
The black and white video is nearly five minutes long. It was posted April 3 on YouTube by the Mutual UFO Network. The video is credited to the UFO Institute.
Among the commenters on the footage was Chris Lo, who posted: "I live in NC near there. If I see it I will shoot at it. I do not come in peace."
A site known as the National UFO Reporting Center says there have been more than 20 reported strange sightings in North Carolina. Among them is one reported in Charlotte on March 18, when someone reported "round orange balls flying over my backyard with no sound."
North Carolina is among the top 10 states in the country for UFO sightings, with several recent reports in Charlotte and the Lake Norman area, according to the National UFO Reporting Center in Davenport, Wash.
Conspiracy theorists have suggested some of the sightings are actually experimental military craft such as TR-3B, an anti-gravity space craft that hovers. Such theories seem plausible, given the presence of Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force in eastern North Carolina.
However, Military.com says the craft "doesn't exist officially."
Strange unidentified flying object over Manchester, UK 3-Apr-2018
Strange unidentified flying object over Manchester, UK 3-Apr-2018
Strange bright object caught on tape over Manchester in United Kingdom earlier this month.
Witness report:
This UFO was spotted over Heywood Manchester. This footage was captured with an Ipad on the 3rd of April of the 2018. The family dog started barking when he saw this scary UFO sighting. The light grew as it came towards the family as they took photo’s with their Iphones. These photo’s failed but the video footage was great. This great disc shaped UFO was being filmed with their smart phones. The object seemed to be turning into a light ring. They zoomed into the object what gives us the amazing the amazing image .This footage offer some of the best video evidence ever of UFO encounter ever.
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Over mijzelf
Ik ben Pieter, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Peter2011.
Ik ben een man en woon in Linter (België) en mijn beroep is Ik ben op rust..
Ik ben geboren op 18/10/1950 en ben nu dus 74 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
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Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
