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 ALREADY 12 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS.
ON 06/04/2024 MORE THAN 1.951.050
VISITORS FROM 134 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...
27-11-2018
World’s First Genetically Modified CRISPR Babies Born in China
World’s First Genetically Modified CRISPR Babies Born in China
Here it is: the moment historians will look back upon as the dawn of Homo sapiens superior and the moment when us natural-borns get knocked down a peg on the social hierarchy. For decades, science fiction writers have foretold a future in which genetically-superior humans made possible by gene modification techniques will rise above us lowly normies with their enhanced intelligence and physiology, greater resistance to diseases, and stunning good looks of course. The prospect of editing the human genome has remained taboo, though, for longstanding ethical and moral reasons. Naturally, human-rights-optional China has ignored these and blazed ahead and given the world its first two genetically-modified superbabies whether we want them or not. It begins.
Evolution is just too slow.
This isn’t the first time Chinese scientists have tested CRISPR on humans. As early as 2015, Chinese researchers were already altering the genomes of human embryos in laboratories – embryos which were never gestated. Now, geneticists Southern University of Science and Technology, in Shenzhen have taken these techniques one step further by modifying the genomes of two embryos which were implanted into a human womb via in vitro fertilization. Those embryos are now two happy and healthy baby girls, Lulu and Nana. Scientists led by He Jiankui altered the girls’ genomes so that they will be immune to HIV – in theory. In statements made this week, He assures that the only changes made to the girls’ genomes were to the “doorway” which would allow HIV to potentially infect the girls. Who knows what unforeseen consequences might arise from the editing process, though?
The research has not yet been submitted for peer review and publication, so many scientists remain skeptical of the Chinese team’s claims. Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley who helped develop CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, warns that this trial is a “break from the cautious and transparent approach of the global scientific community’s application of CRISPR-Cas9 for human germline editing” adding that she and other scientists around the world are still “struggling to figure out what was done and also whether the process was done properly. We just don’t know yet.”
What will the future bring us now that we have the potential to alter the human genome as we see fit?
Many nations experimented with eugenics and other controlled breeding programs throughout the 20th century, but the advances made by CRISPR and other recent technologies let scientists remove all uncertainty from the equation (in theory) and edit the human genome on a gene-by-gene basis, opening the doors for all sorts of modifications with unknown long-term consequences.
While removing the chance for these girls to contract HIV can’t possibly be seen as a bad thing, this trial is the first to go over the apex and start sliding down the slipperiest of slopes. What’s next? Removing all cancer genes? Sure. Eradicating mental illnesses through removing their gene markers? Go right ahead. Creating an army of genetic Übermensch (more like 超人) capable of crushing genetically inferior opposing forces?
When Johnny Carson was host of the Tonight Show, comedians knew that they had made it to the top when the iconic comedy figure laughed and invited them to sit on his couch and talk. That happened to Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman and the comic who took Johnny’s place, Jay Leno. Today, the host is Jimmy Fallon and, while he’s not the designated bestower of success to comedians, he may be one to robots. On November 21st, Fallon sang a duet of “Say Something” with Sophia, the most sophisticated humanoid robot to date, and it was sufficiently impressive, creepy and frightening. Was this the sign that AI has made it? If not, how about the news from Houston that a scientist has created a HAL 9000, the villainous computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey? Has the takeover begun … or is it already over?
Say something, I’m giving up on you I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to you Anywhere, I would’ve followed you Say something, I’m giving up on you
After watching a demonstration of the latest robotic animal doing back flips and being made a fool of by a robot feeding him a tomato while he’s jogging (yes, AI has already taken over Letterman’s Stupid Human Tricks — see the entire video here), Hanson Robotics’ Sophia rolled out. She’s not a walking robot but her facial expressions and human hand and arm motions more than make up for the option that will undoubtedly be available soon, if the Little Sophia which was also brought out is any indication. Fallon is of course a good actor and looked like he was enjoying his duet with Sophia … or was he covering up his realization of what was actually happening?
Meanwhile, AI and robotics developer Pete Bonasso from Houston-based TRACLabs unveiled his new robot in the current edition of Science Robotics. In CASE: A HAL 9000 for 2021 and in an interview with Space.com, he explains how CASE — “cognitive architecture for space agents” – is “an intelligent agent, like HAL 9000, can plan and manage activities for a planetary base and can interact with users through a dialog management system.” And that’s just the prototype!
CASE is designed to plan and control activities and technological operations for a planetary colony base on three levels: hardware (life-support, power, transportation, pod bay doors), software (the AI for the hardware) and daily maintenance and emergencies (gas leaks, pod bay doors stuck, alien invasion). CASE is also able to interface with humans via visuals and speech and can make judgement calls (handy for refereeing Martian football games).
“Our colleagues and NASA counterparts are not concerned that our HAL might get out of control. That’s because it can’t do anything it’s not programmed to do.”
Bonasso has demonstrated CASE to NASA in a four-hour simulation of managing a planetary space station and no humans were harmed in the making of the model. However, it hasn’t yet been tried in the ultimate test … Beer Pong with Jimmy Fallon.
Should we be worried? Is it too late? If it is, who will help us fight back?
PASADENA, Calif. — Mars just welcomed a new robotic resident.-
NASA's InSight lander touched down safely on the Martian surface today (Nov. 26), pulling off the first successful Red Planet landing since the Curiosity rover's arrival in August 2012 — on the seventh anniversary of Curiosity's launch, no less.
Signals confirming InSight's touchdown came down to Earth at 2:53 p.m. EST (1953 GMT),eliciting whoops of joy and relief from mission team members and NASA officials here at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which manages the InSight mission. A few minutes later, the team received confirmation from the lander that it's functioning after the landing. [NASA's InSight Mars Lander: Full Coverage]
"It was intense, and you could feel the emotion," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who was in the control room here at JPL during the landing. "It was very, very quiet when it was time to be quiet and of course very celebratory with every little new piece of information that was received. It's very different being here than watching it on TV, by far, I can tell you that for sure now that I've experienced both."
Kris Bruvold, left, and Sandy Krasner react after receiving confirmation that the Mars InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars
Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA
But the tension hasn't completely dissipated and won't for a while yet: Mission team members won't know whether InSight successfully deployed its solar panels until 8:35 p.m. EST (0135 GMT on Nov. 27) at the earliest. Without those arrays extended, the lander cannot survive, let alone probe the Red Planet's interior like never before — the main goal of the $850 million InSight mission.
The agonizing delay is unavoidable; NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter won't be in position to relay the deployment confirmation to mission control until more than 5 hours after touchdown, agency officials said.
If the arrays do unfurl as planned, InSight will join a relatively select club. Less than 40 percent of all Mars missions over the decades have successfully arrived at their destination, be that an orbital path around the planet or its dusty red surface.
A long road to Mars
A diagram of NASA's InSight Mars lander and its science instruments to look inside the Red Planet.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech - Adrian Mann/Tobias Roetsch/Future Plc
InSight launched on May 5 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, in the first-ever liftoff of an interplanetary mission from the U.S. West Coast. (Florida's Space Coast is the traditional jumping-off point for such far-flung voyagers.)
InSight shared its Atlas V rocket ride with two briefcase-size cubesats called MarCO-A and MarCO-B, which have been making their own way to Mars over the past 6.5 months. The MarCO duo (whose name is short for "Mars Cube One") have been embarked on an $18 million demonstration mission, which seeks to show that tiny spacecraft can explore deep space.
NASA's InSight Mars lander captured its first image just moments after touching down on the Red Planet on Nov. 26, 2018
Credit: NASA TV
MarCO-A and MarCO-B also played a key role in today's excitement, relaying data from InSight to mission control here at JPL during the lander's harrowing entry, descent and landing (EDL) sequence.
And harrowing it was. InSight hit the thin Martian atmosphere at about 12,300 mph (19,800 km/h), nailing its entry angle of exactly 12 degrees. If the lander had come in any steeper than that, it would have burned up; any shallower, and it would have skipped off the atmosphere like a flat stone across a pond.
As the lander streaked through the Martian skies, its heat shield endured temperatures around 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius) — hot enough to melt steel. Atmospheric drag slowed InSight down tremendously, to about 1.7 times the speed of sound, at which point the lander deployed its supersonic parachute.
InSight soon fired up its small onboard thrusters to decelerate further, finally touching down on a flat equatorial plain called Elysium Planitia at around 5 mph (8 km/h). (These numbers are based on pre-landing modeling work by the InSight EDL team; the actual figures may end up being slightly different.)
All of this happened in just 6.5 minutes — InSight's total travel time in the Martian air, from atmospheric entry to touchdown. The lander's EDL sequence was a bit shorter than Curiosity's famous "7 minutes of terror" experience, which featured a rocket-powered sky crane that lowered the heavy, car-size rover onto the Martian surface on cables. (InSight's EDL mirrors that of NASA's Phoenix lander, which touched down near the Red Planet's north pole in May 2008. InSight's body is also based heavily on that of Phoenix; both landers were built for NASA by aerospace company Lockheed Martin.)
MarCO-A and MarCO-B didn't follow InSight onto the surface. The bantam probes flew right on by Mars, their work done and their place in history as the first interplanetary cubesats cemented. [NASA's Mars InSight Lander: 10 Surprising Facts]
"We believe that this is a really interesting technology overall, and we've really shown something unique in deep space that will allow us to further future missions in a compact and efficient way," MarCo-A mission manager Cody Colley of JPL said here yesterday (Nov. 25) during a pre-landing news conference.
Their work is probably done, I should say: It's possible that MarCO-A and MarCO-B could observe an asteroid or other celestial body if their paths bring them close enough, and if funding for an extended mission is granted, John Baker, NASA's program office manager for the MarCO mission, told Space.com.
Probing the Martian interior
As exciting as the landing was, it was just the prelude to the main event — InSight's science work on the Red Planet.
Over the next two Earth years, the lander will probe Mars' interior structure and composition in unprecedented detail. InSight will use two main science instruments to do this: a heat probe that will hammer itself up to 16 feet (5 meters) beneath the Martian surface, and a suite of three incredibly precise seismometers, which will be on the lookout for "marsquakes," meteorite strikes and other jolts.
"Incredibly precise" doesn't do these seismometers justice, actually.
"They can see vibrations with an amplitude of about the size of an atom — maybe a fraction of an atom," InSight principal investigator Bruce Banerdt, also of JPL, said during yesterday's news conference.
The seismometer suite is therefore encased in a vacuum chamber, to minimize disturbances that could muck up the data. In late 2015, the mission team detected a leak in this chamber. The leak was fixed, but not in time for InSight to launch in March 2016, as originally planned. Launch windows for Mars missions roll around just once every 26 months, so the lander had to wait until this past May to get off the ground.
The science team will also track InSight's position in space using the 789-lb. (358 kilograms) lander's communications gear. This information will allow scientists to measure the slight wobble of Mars' axis of rotation, which in turn will help them better understand the planet's core, NASA officials have said.
Together, all of this data will give scientists an unprecedented look at the Red Planet's interior.
"That is the goal of the InSight mission — to actually map out the inside of Mars in three dimensions, so that we understand the inside of Mars as well as we have come to understand the surface of Mars," Banerdt said.
And scientists can use Mars as a sort of laboratory to understand how rocky planets in general form, he added. That's because the Red Planet's insides have been more or less frozen in place since shortly after Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago. We can't look to Earth as a time capsule in this way because our planet's insides have been roiled continuously over the eons by plate tectonics, mantle convection and other processes.
InSight (whose name is short for "Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport") features an unusual degree of international cooperation. The burrowing heat probe was provided by the German Aerospace Center, and France's national space agency CNES led the consortium that developed the seismometer suite. [Mars InSight: NASA's Mission to Probe Red Planet's Core (Gallery)]
"A slow-motion mission"
Don't expect InSight to dazzle you with pretty pictures. The mission isn't interested in cool surface features, which explains why it landed on Elysium Planitia; the plain is smooth and flat with a paucity of boulders, boosting the odds of a safe landing (and of the burrowing heat probe being able to get deep down into the Martian dirt). And InSight is a lander, not a rover, so any photos that it takes over the course of its mission will depict the same terrain.
It'll also take a while for the spacecraft to get up and running on Mars. InSight will use its robotic arm to place the heat probe, the seismometer suite and a weather shield (which will surround the seismometers) on the ground.
No other Mars mission has done such an instrument deployment — science gear tends to be fixed to the bodies or arms of Red Planet spacecraft — and the InSight team wants to make sure they get it right. So, once they get a look at InSight's Martian surroundings, they'll practice the deployment over and over using a testbed lander here at JPL.
Actual deployment probably won't happen until two or three months from now, Banerdt said. And it'll take another month or so to calibrate the instruments for use on the Red Planet.
So, it'll be at least six months before the InSight team even "gets a glimmer of what we're looking for," Banerdt said. And it'll likely take the full two-year mission lifetime, or close to it, to get a really detailed look at the Martian interior.
"Once we get to the surface, InSight is a slow-motion mission," Banerdt said.
Space.com managing editor Tariq Malik contributed to this story from Pasadena. Senior writer Meghan Bartels contributed from New York City. Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate) is out now.
NASA made history on Nov. 26 with its newest Mars probe, the InSight Mars lander, will touch down on the flat plains of Elysium Planitia to study the Red Planet's core like never before. Armed with a crane, heat probe and seismometer, InSight will look deep to understand Marsquakes and other Martian secrets. See our full coverage of the mission below and visit Space.com to watch a post-landing conference live at 5 p.m. EST (2100 GMT)!
NASA has released a high-resolution view of InSight's first photo of Mars. Space.com's Mike Wall explains the Mars photo here (including its innovative cubesat delivery).
InSight beamed its first photo from the surface of Mars back to Earth just minutes after landing, courtesy of the tiny MarCO relay satellites that accompanied the spacecraft on its journey. NASA is still waiting to hear whether the lander successfully deployed its solar arrays.Share
Anticipation is high here at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for today's InSight Mars landing. Check out this awesome fascinator hat made by space reporter Mika McKinnon!
An artist's concept depicts NASA's InSight lander after it has deployed its instruments on the Martian surface.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Hurrah, NASA's sending another robot to Mars!
InSight is scheduled to touch down on Mars today (Nov. 26) at 3 p.m. ET, joining Mars' other robotic inhabitants: Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit (though only Curiosity is currently "live," sending signals back to Earth).
You may be wondering if InSight will meet native forms of life during its stay on Mars; alas, that question will remain unanswered. The hardy little lander won't be spending its time searching for signs of Martian microbes. Instead, InSight will send a probe to burrow several feet below the planet's surface.
In doing so, InSight will provide a never-before-seen glimpse into Mars' internal structure, which could help scientists figure out how Mars — and other rocky planets, like Earth — took shape in a young solar system. [Mars Insight Photos: A Timeline to Landing on the Red Planet]
On the surface, Mars is covered in red dust that is rich in iron oxide; this coating earned it the nickname "Red Planet." Even when viewed from Earth without a telescope, Mars appears reddish in color as it hangs amid the stars — in fact, its bloody appearance inspired ancient astronomers to name the planet after the Roman god of war, according to NASA.
However, this signature red color doesn't extend very far below the surface, as Curiosity discovered in 2013. After drilling about 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) into a rocky outcrop, the rover extracted rock dust that was light gray, offering a first look at subsurface material on Mars.
But InSight will explore far beyond that, sinking a "self-hammering" probe that will dig itself into the ground to a depth of 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters), for experiments measuring how the rock in the planet's interior conducts heat. [NASA's InSight Mars Lander: Full Coverage]
This is an image taken by an engineering model of NASA’s InSight lander during a rehearsal for instrument deployment in a Mars-like testbed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. A flight version of the Instrument Context Camera (ICC) that took this image is expected to take InSight’s first image on Mars.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit have already provided scientists with a wealth of data on Mars from samples collected on the planet's surface, revealing the composition of its minerals and showing that the planet might have been capable of supporting life in the distant past. Orbiting satellites have also revealed important puzzle pieces about Mars' climate makeup and orbit, and have even detected what are thought to be flows of salty liquid water.
But unlike these other missions, InSight — Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport — will gather information from inside the planet. In addition to the burrowing subsurface probe, InSight also carries seismometers that will measure "marsquakes" — tiny vibrations triggered by planetary activity under the planet's crust. As these tremors travel through rock, they reveal the thickness and composition of the planet's internal layers, NASA officials explained in a statement.
By mapping what Mars looks like on the inside, the InSight mission could also help to explain the violent processes that shaped other rocky planets in the solar system at the same time, William "Bruce" Banerdt, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the principal investigator for InSight, said in a video statement.
"InSight is a mission to Mars, but it's much, much more than a Mars mission. In some sense, it's like a time machine — it's measuring the structure of Mars that was put in place 4.5 billion years ago," Banerdt said.
"By studying Mars, we'll be able to learn more about Earth, Venus, Mercury, even the moon, even exoplanets around other stars," he added.
NASA 'tried to DESTROY images of pyramids and statues' found on Mars by Curiosity Rover
NASA 'tried to DESTROY images of pyramids and statues' found on Mars by Curiosity Rover
THE MARS Curiosity Rover has unearthed images "statues" hidden in the rocks of the Red Planet which NASA has tried to "cover up", according to conspiracy theorists.
Ancient astronaut theorists – who believe aliens visited Earth in prehistoric times – have claimed to have spotted a range of religious icons, including a statue of Buddha and a cross.
Satellite imagery expert Joseph White says the Rover’s images have been tampered with in order to keep these statues from being discovered by the public.
Speaking to the History Channel as part of their Ancient Aliens series, he said: “They [NASA] do so much to destroy these images.
“Basically, what they do is resize them down so that the detail is all lost.”
Author David Childress said: “Certain structures on Mars may be completely related to structures here on Earth.
“On Mars, we have structures that look like pyramids. There are standing stones and Stonehenge-type structures on Mars.”
David also points out a "structure" on Mars which looks like a Sphinx, as well as an object shaped eerily like a sarcophagus.
PROOF? Experts spot ancient structures on Mars (Pic: YOUTUBE/HISTORY)
Many of these unexplained objects have been spotted in an area known as The City, including a cluster of pyramids similar to the ones found in Egypt.
These pyramid-like mounds follow a similar pattern to the constellation of stars called the Pleiades – a constellation reflected in monuments on Earth.
On the topic, author Giorgio A. Tsoukalos said: “We have to ask ourselves ‘what civilisation built this and what happened to them?”
New episodes of Ancient Aliens are on free to air channel BLAZE™ every Wednesday at 9pm, Freeview Channel 63.
BOLDLY GOING Two briefcase-sized satellites, shown side by side in this artist’s rendering, will become the first tiny spacecraft to fly by Mars and act as communications relays for a lander.
JPL-CALTECH/NASA
The next spacecraft set to land on Mars is bringing its own communications team. InSight, a lander scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet on November 26, is accompanied by a pair of briefcase-sized spacecraft that will send details of the landing to Earth in almost real time.
The twin craft on this mission are CubeSats — tiny, inexpensive satellites that are easy to build and launch. CalledMars Cube One, or MarCO for short, they will fly past Mars as InSight lands, becoming the smallest spacecraft ever to be entrusted with a task as crucial as relaying landing information for a mission. Now nearing Mars, they are also already the first CubeSats to make it so far from Earth. If all goes well with InSight’s landing, future Mars missions could also be equipped with their own single-use comms team.
“A future where landers and rovers brought their own communications systems for landing, that would be fantastic,” says engineer Joel Krajewski of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and MarCO’s program manager.
InSight — short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport — will carry the first seismometer to Mars (SN: 5/26/18, p. 13). After touching down in a wide, flat plain called Elysium Planitia near Mars’ equator, the lander will sit perfectly still to listen to seismic waves and measure how heat flows through the Red Planet’s interior. The results will help scientists understand how Mars, and perhaps other rocky planets like Earth, formed around 4.5 billion years ago.
It will be only 6½ minutes between when InSight enters the Martian atmosphere, at a speed of nearly 1,000 meters per second, to the moment its legs touch the ground. The spacecraft will use a parachute and rockets aimed at the ground to slow to about 2.4 meters per second as it lands. Light-speed signals from the CubeSats or Insight itself will then take about eight minutes to travel between Earth and Mars, so by the time NASA engineers hear that InSight has entered Mars’ atmosphere, the spacecraft will be on the ground.
“Which is terrifying,” says engineer Farah Alibay, also of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Whether it landed softly or pretty hard, we won’t know. But we’ll know when you get that first bit of data, InSight’s already landed.”
We’re listening
The MarCO CubeSats will watch InSight’s descent to the Martian surface (red line) and send details of the landing back to Earth, before continuing past the planet.
JPL-CALTECH/NASA
For most previous Mars landings, one of the large orbiters currently circling the Red Planet had to pause its data-taking to watch the event and send details to Earth. The orbiter that will be in the best position to watch InSight will be NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. While that spacecraft will observe the landing, it won’t be able to relay any details to Earth for at least three hours as its orbit takes the craft behind Mars from Earth’s point of view, blocking communications.
“Three to four hours is not long for most people, but it’s pretty long for us,” Alibay says. “Landing is the scariest part of your mission.” Waiting to hear about the spacecraft’s landing is like waiting for news about a loved one’s health, she says.
To avoid that waiting, the team sent the twin CubeSats. The spacecraft launched with InSight, but have been navigating through deep space on their own since May. The MarCO craft can change their trajectories by expelling compressed cold gas, similar to the way a fire extinguisher works — which earned them the nicknames Wall-E and Eve among the team, after the space-flying Disney robot characters. “We’ve demonstrated that a CubeSat can leave Earth orbit, survive the harsh environment of space and direct itself towards Mars,” Alibay says.
About five minutes before InSight hits the top of the Martian atmosphere, the two MarCO craft will position themselves to track the lander all the way to the ground, and send details back to Earth immediately. Each operates independently, backing each other up.
If all goes well, MarCO could set a precedent for future Mars missions. Existing Mars orbiters will be able to support two Mars missions launching in 2020 — NASA’s Mars 2020 rover and the ExoMars rover run by the European Space Agency and Russia’s space agency. But after that, the future is dim.
“Right now, there’s not an active plan for an orbiter beyond that time frame,” Krajewski says. Plus, existing orbiters have to burn fuel to get into the right position to watch other spacecraft land, which shortens the orbiters’ lives. Sending future spacecraft with their own CubeSat comms team could help scientists monitor landings without compromising the big orbiters’ science missions.
After InSight lands, MarCO’s job will be done. The tiny craft don’t have enough fuel or the right equipment to enter a long-term orbit around Mars. Instead, MarCO will “wave goodbye and continue along,” Krajewski says.
A RIVER RAN THROUGH IT The next NASA Mars rover will land at Jezero crater, a former lake bed that includes the remains of an ancient river delta (seen above in this composite image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
JPL-CALTECH/NASA, JHU-APL, MSSS, BROWN UNIV.
The next NASA Mars rover will hunt for signs of ancient life in what used to be a river delta, the agency announced on November 19.
The rover is expected to launch in July 2020 and to land on Mars around February 18, 2021. It will seek out signs of past life in the sediments and sands of Jezero crater, which was once home to a 250-meter-deep lake and a river delta that flowed into the lake.
“This is a major attraction from our point of view for a habitable environment,” said Mars 2020 project scientist Ken Farley of Caltech in a news conference discussing the site. “A delta is extremely good at preserving biosignatures.” Any evidence of life that may once have existed in the lake water, or even evidence that came from the river’s headwaters and flowed downstream, could be preserved in the rocks that are there today.
The 2020 rover’s design is similar to that of the Curiosity rover, which has been exploring a different ancient crater lake, Gale crater, since 2012 (SN: 5/2/15, p. 24). But where Curiosity has an onboard chemistry lab for studying the rocks and minerals in its crater, Mars 2020 will have a specialized backpack for sample storage. A future mission will pick up the cached samples and return them to Earth for more detailed study, possibly sometime in the 2030s.
“The samples will come back to the best labs — not the best labs we have today, but the best labs we will have then,” said science mission directorate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen of NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mars 2020 will also use a souped-up version of Curiosity’s landing system called Sky Crane, in which a hovering platform lowers the rover onto the ground with a cable. Mars 2020’s version will include a navigation system that will help it avoid hazards on the ground, like cliff faces and boulders.
Jezero crater is within striking distance of another site on scientists’ wish list. That region, called Midway, is just 28 kilometers away from Jezero and contains some of the most ancient rocks on Mars. At the final landing site selection workshop in October, scientists floated the idea of visiting both sites in one mission, a feat seen as ambitious but achievable. But a decision on that will have to wait until after the rover is safely on Mars, Farley said.
A group of Chinese researchers recruited couples in order to create the first gene-edited babies — a pair of twin girls born earlier this month. The controversial initiative aims to make babies resistant to certain diseases and pathogens, such as HIV infections.
The news was first reported by MIT Technology Review, which obtained official medical documents (1 and 2) filed by researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology, in Shenzhen.
According to the documents, the Chinese researchers want to use the gene-editing tool CRISPR to modify human embryos and then transfer them into women’s uteruses. They plan to edit the CCR5 gene in such a way as to potentially make the offspring resistant to HIV, smallpox, and cholera. Using the
The team led by He Jiankui previously carried out tests on fetuses as late as 24 weeks, or six months, into the pregnancy. Their first tests on human embryos in a dish were carried in 2015, causing an ethical debate among the scientific community.
Although gene editing on humans is prohibited in most countries (China has banned cloning but not human embryo gene editing specifically), He and colleagues seem nevertheless bent on experimenting with gene editing and human cells. The major concern is that any edits will be passed on to offspring, thus making their way into the gene pool. As such, potentially troublesome mutations could become relatively widespread. On the other hand, even if the gene editing process is flawless, any beneficial gene edits — such as enhanced resistance to disease and even intelligence — could result in unfair advantages and may open the door for eugenic practices.
Jiankui He.
Credit: SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
It’s all uncharted territory, and the long-term consequences of gene editing on humans can be unpredictable, which is why the scientific community advises caution. In stark contrast to this cautionary approach, He claimed that his team has “a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also make it an example.”
He says that the aim of the trial is not to cure or prevent an inherited disease, but rather to bestow traits that few people naturally have. Specifically, the ability to resist an infection with HIV, which some individuals from Western European populations have due to a rare CCR5 genetic mutation. This gene forms a protein doorway that allows HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to enter a cell; the mutation alters this doorway, physically blocking the virus from entering the cell.
According to the Associated Press, the Chinese researchers have altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatments, with one pregnancy being carried to term thus far. All the men involved in the trial had HIV, while the women did not. This claim, however, is unverified, and the work has yet to be published in any journal.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
The gene editing occurred during the lab dish fertilization (IVF) stage. The researchers first separated sperm from semen, the fluid which may contain HIV. A single sperm cell was joined with a single egg to form an embryo, which was subjected to gene editing via CRISPR. Once the embryos were 3 to 5 days old, some cells were removed and checked for editing. Overall, the Chinese researchers edited 16 of 22 embryos, out of which 11 embryos were used in six implant attempts, resulting in a single twin pregnancy. The couples could choose whether to use edited or unedited embryos for their pregnancy attempts.
Tests suggest that one twin had both copies of the altered gene and the other twin had just one altered copy. There was no evidence that suggests harm to other genes, according to He. People with only one copy of the CCR5 gene can still get HIV. Further pregnancies are on hold until the twin pregnancy is deemed safe.
Others say it could be a manmade UFO, such as a spy plane.
The news comes after apparent UFO sightings in Northern Ireland this month.
Dash-cam footage uploaded by Sandy Laverty, in Coleraine, and posted by conspiracy channel Disclose.TV, appears to capture two strange bright objects flying across the sky.
SPY PLANE: People claim the strange object could be a spy plane (Pic: YOUTUBE)
NOT THE FIRST TIME: The conspiracy theorists claim a UFO was spotted in lightning before(Pic: GETTY)
It also coincides with similar reports by pilots.
The first sighting recorded by a British Airways pilot flying a Boeing 747 jet from Montreal to Heathrow over Kerry was at 6.47am.
She described seeing an object coming up along the left-hand side of her aircraft before it "rapidly veered to the north".
IRAQI MINISTER: “OUR ANCESTORS TRAVELED TO SPACE 7,000 YEARS AGO”
IRAQI MINISTER: “OUR ANCESTORS TRAVELED TO SPACE 7,000 YEARS AGO”
The Sumerian people settled in Mesopotamia, currently in southern Iraq, from 5500 to 4000 BC.
Iraqi Transport Minister Kazem Finjan has claimed that the ancient Sumerians invented space travel (in present-day Iraq) 7,000 years ago. years, according to ‘The New Arab’.
The politician made this statement during a conference in the province of Di Qar, in the south of the country.
THE VISIT TO THE GOVERNORATE OF DHI QAR Iraqi Transport Minister Kazem Finjan said that Dhi Qar was the site of the first airport built 5,000 years ago by the Sumerians. At a press conference, Minister Finjan said that the Sumerian airport was used for space travel and helped the Sumerians to discover the planet Nibiru. The statements, which were made on September 30, were broadcast by Nasiriya TV, and NRT TV broadcast a shorter segment.
KAZEM FINJAN: “Maybe many people in the Governorate of Dhi Qar do not know that the first airport that was built on planet Earth, 5,000 years ago, before the Christian era, was built here in Dhi Qar, if you do not believe me, read the book of the great historian Zecharia Sitchin, who was an expert in Sumerian studies, read the books of Samuel Kramer, or the book written by HG Wells (sic) on this: the story begins with Sumer, spoke about the first airport built on the planet, it was in this place.
Samuel Kramer was a leading researcher of the Sumerians who was born in the Russian Empire and was forced to move to the United States. to study in Philadelphia.
The scientist analyzed the mythology of this ancient people and their ideas regarding our Solar System. Kramer died of cancer in the United States in 1990 and published numerous works.
Kazem Finjan have perplexed journalists about the supposed hiding of governments and space agencies in relation to contacts with foreigners and other phenomena.
NASA’s Future Spaceships Will Travel At 1 Million Miles Per Hour
NASA’s Future Spaceships Will Travel At 1 Million Miles Per Hour
NASA could be on the verge of a breakthrough. Currently, NASA is working on an advanced propulsion engine, that if cracked, can elevate our space travel to the next level. For decades, spacecraft have been stuck traveling at low chemical speeds, limiting our ability to research and explore space. However, now speeds of over one million miles per hour before 2050 are possible. The NASA institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) is funding two high potential concepts.
There are new ion drives being developed right now that could have power levels that are tens thousand times higher. Antimatter propulsion and multi-megawatt ion drives are being developed. The current speeds of spacecraft are quite low in space terms. The Voyager 1 spacecraft is moving at 38,000 mph (61,000 km/h).
This speed was achieved mostly by a chemical rocket but also with the assistance of gravity, using it to slingshot the spacecraft out of orbit. Juno, Helios I and Helios II managed to reach speeds of around 150,000 mph using gravitational boosts also. The recently launched Parker Solar Probe will reach 430,000 mph using the Sun’s gravity.
Gravitational boosts are our current best way of achieving higher speeds for our spacecraft. However, this method is also detrimental to our research and exploration as it takes a lot of time to work. It can take many months before the desired speed is achieved and the real mission starts.
The new methods will use 50000 ISP lithium ion thrusters, the first of which will be tested in 4 months. This is part of a NASA NIAC phase 2 study to use lasers to beam 10 megawatts of power into new ion drivers. The recent progress of lasers is largely unknown to the public.
The US military is developing lasers that can produce a whopping 100 kilowatts within the next two years.
Laser beam powered ion drives will be up to ten times faster than any previous ion drive. A spacecraft with this technology would take less than a year to get to Pluto.
Jet Propulsion Lab is building and ironing out the many components used in this system. The sail and the ion drives are finally coming together. The hardest part will be creating and sustaining the phased array lasers.
Testing voltage will be boosted up to 6000 volts. This will allow the ion drives to be directly driven, which eliminates the need for a lot of electronics and weight. These type of ion drives do have many technical challenges, but predictions show a well-funded project could be successful before 2040.
AFPInsight dringt vandaag met een snelheid van bijna 20.000 kilometer per uur de ijle atmosfeer van Mars binnen.
WETENSCHAP & PLANEET Als alles goed gaat, beleeft de reis van Marslander InSight vanmiddag een grootse finale. Mits de sonde een voorspoedige landing op het oppervlak van de rode planeet weet te maken. NASA’s ruim een miljard dollar kostende Marsverkenner is bijna zeven maanden onderweg geweest. De laatste uren zijn zenuwslopend.
TER INFO: Vanavond rond 21 uur zenden we de marslanding live uit via de stream van NASA.
Pas als de InSight met drie poten op de rode grond staat, is het eerste deel van de missie geslaagd. Iedereen die betrokken is bij het internationale project, houdt de adem in. Ook onze Belgische Koninklijke Sterrenwacht (Lees ook: Belg weet als eerste of het lukt, red). De afdaling van InSight, een compleet laboratorium dat de komende twee jaar inzicht moet verschaffen in de diepste geheimen van Mars, is niet bepaald simpel. Het kostbare apparaat komt met een snelheid van bijna 20.000 kilometer per uur de ijle atmosfeer van Mars binnen. In minder dan zeven minuten moet het ruimtetuig van die duizelingwekkende snelheid zien af te remmen naar bijna nul. De vluchtleiding op aarde kan slechts toekijken, ingrijpen is onmogelijk.
APHet onderzoek van InSight zal de opmars zijn naar bemande kolonies op de planeet.
Helse afdaling
De capsule waarin InSight zijn helse afdaling richting het oppervlak maakt, lijkt op die waarmee in de jaren zestig en zeventig ook de maanmissies terugkeerden: een conische vorm, met daaronder een gladde vlakke bodem. De onderkant van de lander is van cruciaal belang om InSight te beschermen tegen de enorme hitte die ontstaat bij het binnendringen van de Mars-atmosfeer. Afgezien van het hitteschild is ook de hoek waarin de landingscapsule de atmosfeer van Mars raakt, uiterst belangrijk. Die hoek moet exact 12 graden zijn. Is de hoek te klein, dan kaatst InSight af en duikt het de diepten van het heelal in. Is de hoek te groot, dan gaat de sonde door de wrijving met de lucht als een razende vuurbal ten onder. En de missie letterlijk in rook op.
APDe capsule waarin InSight afdaalt op Mars lijkt sterk op die van de Apollo-missien in de jaren zeventig.
Loodrecht omlaag
Ongeveer drieënhalve minuut nadat de capsule de Mars-atmosfeer raakt, gaat een parachute open die het ruimtevaartuig verder afremt. Vijftien seconden later blazen explosieven het hitteschild weg en maakt InSight zich op voor de daadwerkelijke landing. Na tien seconden strekt de sonde drie poten uit en bungelt nog een minuut of twee onder de parachute. 45 seconden voor de landing verlaat InSight de capsule en nemen zijn landingsraketten het laatste remwerk over. De boosters stoppen ook elke horizontale beweging van InSight, waardoor het ding uiteindelijk loodrecht omlaag komt. Met nog 15 seconden te gaan, is de snelheid dan nog slechts 2,5 meter per seconde en raakt het Marslab hopelijk soepel de grond.
APDrieënhalve minuut nadat de capsule de Mars-atmosfeer raakt, gaat een remparachute open.
Binnenkant
Komt InSight na intrede en afdaling met een vaart hoger dan 8 kilometer per uur op het oppervlak terecht, dan is het alsnog einde oefening. De sonde slaat te pletter en de missie is mislukt nog voor hij kan echt beginnen. Acht minuten na de, hopelijk geslaagde, landing komt het verlossende levensteken van InSight op Aarde aan.
De plek waar de InSight gaat landen, Elysium Planitia, is een kale vlakte net boven de evenaar van Mars. De vluchtleiding hoopt dat er weinig rotsen zijn of stenen liggen die een zachte landing kunnen dwarsbomen. Dat voor het weinig interessante landschap is gekozen, heeft nog een reden: het is InSight niet te doen om het oppervlak, zoals zijn voorgangers, maar om de binnenkant van Mars.
AFPAls alles goed gaat, komt InSight met een gangetje van 8 kilometer per uur neer op Mars.
Metersdiep boren
InSight gaat metersdiep in de bodem van Mars boren, zodat wetenschappers kunnen leren wat er onder het oppervlak zit en inzicht kunnen krijgen in de geschiedenis van de rode planeet. Dat boren gaat eenvoudiger op een ondergrond die waterpas staat. Doordat er geen schaduwen zijn, kunnen de zonnepanelen van de lander bovendien meer energie opwekken.
Een tweede taak van InSight is het registreren van bevingen op Mars. Het vermoeden is dat die bevingen er wel zijn, alleen anders dan op Aarde. Mars heeft geen tektonische platen zoals onze planeet, maar onderzoekers denken de komende jaren toch tientallen tot honderden bevingen waar te kunnen nemen. Ook die trillingen kunnen iets vertellen over het binnenste van Mars.
Met het oog op toekomstige bemande Marsmissies is het ook belangrijk om te leren wat de temperatuur op een bepaalde diepte is. Als de temperatuur onder het oppervlak warm genoeg is, zou water er in vloeibare vorm aanwezig kunnen zijn. Tot nu toe werd altijd aangenomen dat water slechts als ijs voorkomt. Vloeibaar water zou een verblijf op Mars aanzienlijk eenvoudiger maken.
APInSight gaat metersdiep de marsbodem inboren om de rode planeet te ontfutselen zijn geheimen te ontfutselen.
Maankolonie
NASA zet komend jaar de eerste stappen voor het stichten van een maankolonie. Een nieuw ruimtestation, The Gateway, moet als uitvalsbasis gaan dienen voor de eerste bewoners die ergens rond 2030 voet op de maan zullen zetten. De maankolonie kan de opmars zijn naar een kolonie op Mars, zoals techmiljardair Elon Musk graag wil. Een groot deel hangt af van wat InSights aan het licht gaat brengen. Mits hij veilig landt natuurlijk.
ANP Graphics
Ruimtekerkhof
NASA, dat in de jaren zestig de planeet al aandeed met de Mariner-missies, heeft overigens behoorlijk wat ervaring als het aankomt op Mars. Toch is het alweer zes jaar geleden dat de ruimtevaartorganisatie de rijdende verkenner Curiosity Rover op Marsiaanse bodem wist te zetten. Het succespercentage van sondes om heelhuids te landen, ligt op 40 procent.
Mars is vooral een waar kerkhof van mislukte missies. Diverse ruimtevaartorganisaties, waaronder naast Amerikaanse en Russische ook Europese, Indiase en Japanse bureaus, stuurden de afgelopen decennia 44 sondes naar Mars. Daarvan waren er 18 succesvol, met zeven geslaagde landingen. 23 missies mislukten en drie haalden wel de planeet zelf, maar faalden bij de landing.
APEen overzicht van de diverse landingsplekken van de Mars-missies die NASA ondernam.
MEDISCH Lulu en Nana zijn een IVF-tweeling van enkele weken oud. Volgens de Chinese wetenschapper He Jiankui uit Shenzhen zijn de meisjes de eerste genetisch gemanipuleerde baby’s ooit geboren. Jiankui benadrukt dat hij de controversiële ingreep enkel voor gezondheidsredenen wil toepassen. Als dit waar is, gaat het om een enorme evolutie in wetenschap en ethiek.
De Chinese wetenschapper zette een filmpje op YouTube waarin hij aankondigde dat de eerste gemanipuleerde kindjes al geboren zijn. In de video zegt hij dat de vader van de bewuste meisjes, Mark, hiv heeft. Dankzij de genetische aanpassing die Jiankui met zijn team doorvoerde bij de embryo’s tijdens de vruchtbaarheidsbehandelingen, zijn de baby’s nu zelf resistent tegen het hiv-virus.
De ingreep gebeurde met de veelbelovende en erg precieze CRISPR-techniek. Die laat toe om een enkel ongewenst gen door te knippen en te vervangen door een ander gen. In het geval van de tweeling was het de bedoeling om te voorkomen dat de meisjes ziek zouden worden door een mogelijke hiv-besmetting. Maar de ethisch omstreden techniek zou ook kunnen gebruikt worden om een zogenaamde designerbaby samen te stellen. Dan kan je als ouder de kleur van ogen en van haar kiezen, tot zelfs het niveau van intelligentie. Van die mogelijke toepassingen distantieert He Jiankui zich uitdrukkelijk in het filmpje.
Het is koffiedik kijken of de beweringen van He Jiankui kloppen. Er is nog geen gepubliceerde studie van de case en dus ook geen onafhankelijke controle van andere experts. De ouders wensen niet in de pers te komen en blijven anoniem. De aankondiging gebeurde in Hong Kong aan de vooravond van een internationaal congres over genetische manipulatie. Aan AP zei Jiankui: “Ik voel een enorme verantwoordelijkheid om niet alleen de eerste te zijn maar ook als voorbeeld te dienen.” Over het al dan niet toelaten van de omstreden techniek zei hij: “Het is de maatschappij die zal beslissen over de volgende stappen.”
AP
De collega’s van He Jiankui reageren verdeeld. Sommigen vinden het hiervoor nog veel te vroeg. Ze benadrukken dat het over de bouwinstructies van de mens gaat waarmee je niet zomaar wat kan gaan experimenteren. Maar de bekende geneticus van Harvard University, George Church, verdedigde de poging om de genen aan te passen in het geval van hiv. Hij noemde het “gerechtvaardigd”, omdat hiv een “grote en groeiende bedreiging voor de volksgezondheid” is.
Tot nu toe werd de CRISPR-techniek enkel toegepast op planten en dieren, en bij volwassen mensen om een dodelijke ziekte te bestrijden. De invloed van zo’n ingreep op menselijke patiënten bleef beperkt tot die persoon zelf. Maar de genetische aanpassingen die nu zouden gerealiseerd zijn bij embryo’s kunnen mogelijk erfelijk zijn voor nakomelingen. In de VS is dit soort van genetische modificaties daarom verboden. En omdat er een risico bestaat op schade voor andere genen. China verbiedt zelf ook het klonen van mensen, maar niet genetische manipulatie op zich. Bij de aangekondigde medische wereldprimeur was wel een Amerikaanse wetenschapper betrokken.
He Jiankui beweert dat hij zeven koppels van wie de man besmet is met hiv dezelfde behandeling gaf. Tot nu toe kwam het tot één zwangerschap. De andere pogingen zijn voorlopig on hold gezet omdat het team de tweelingmeisjes eerst verder wil opvolgen.
MEDISCH Lulu en Nana zijn een IVF-tweeling van enkele weken oud. Volgens de Chinese wetenschapper He Jiankui uit Shenzhen zijn de meisjes de eerste genetisch gemanipuleerde baby’s ooit geboren. Jiankui benadrukt dat hij de controversiële ingreep enkel voor gezondheidsredenen wil toepassen. Als dit waar is, gaat het om een enorme evolutie in wetenschap en ethiek.
De Chinese wetenschapper zette een filmpje op YouTube waarin hij aankondigde dat de eerste gemanipuleerde kindjes al geboren zijn. In de video zegt hij dat de vader van de bewuste meisjes, Mark, hiv heeft. Dankzij de genetische aanpassing die Jiankui met zijn team doorvoerde bij de embryo’s tijdens de vruchtbaarheidsbehandelingen, zijn de baby’s nu zelf resistent tegen het hiv-virus.
De ingreep gebeurde met de veelbelovende en erg precieze CRISPR-techniek. Die laat toe om een enkel ongewenst gen door te knippen en te vervangen door een ander gen. In het geval van de tweeling was het de bedoeling om te voorkomen dat de meisjes ziek zouden worden door een mogelijke hiv-besmetting. Maar de ethisch omstreden techniek zou ook kunnen gebruikt worden om een zogenaamde designerbaby samen te stellen. Dan kan je als ouder de kleur van ogen en van haar kiezen, tot zelfs het niveau van intelligentie. Van die mogelijke toepassingen distantieert He Jiankui zich uitdrukkelijk in het filmpje.
Het is koffiedik kijken of de beweringen van He Jiankui kloppen. Er is nog geen gepubliceerde studie van de case en dus ook geen onafhankelijke controle van andere experts. De ouders wensen niet in de pers te komen en blijven anoniem. De aankondiging gebeurde in Hong Kong aan de vooravond van een internationaal congres over genetische manipulatie. Aan AP zei Jiankui: “Ik voel een enorme verantwoordelijkheid om niet alleen de eerste te zijn maar ook als voorbeeld te dienen.” Over het al dan niet toelaten van de omstreden techniek zei hij: “Het is de maatschappij die zal beslissen over de volgende stappen.”
AP
De collega’s van He Jiankui reageren verdeeld. Sommigen vinden het hiervoor nog veel te vroeg. Ze benadrukken dat het over de bouwinstructies van de mens gaat waarmee je niet zomaar wat kan gaan experimenteren. Maar de bekende geneticus van Harvard University, George Church, verdedigde de poging om de genen aan te passen in het geval van hiv. Hij noemde het “gerechtvaardigd”, omdat hiv een “grote en groeiende bedreiging voor de volksgezondheid” is.
Tot nu toe werd de CRISPR-techniek enkel toegepast op planten en dieren, en bij volwassen mensen om een dodelijke ziekte te bestrijden. De invloed van zo’n ingreep op menselijke patiënten bleef beperkt tot die persoon zelf. Maar de genetische aanpassingen die nu zouden gerealiseerd zijn bij embryo’s kunnen mogelijk erfelijk zijn voor nakomelingen. In de VS is dit soort van genetische modificaties daarom verboden. En omdat er een risico bestaat op schade voor andere genen. China verbiedt zelf ook het klonen van mensen, maar niet genetische manipulatie op zich. Bij de aangekondigde medische wereldprimeur was wel een Amerikaanse wetenschapper betrokken.
He Jiankui beweert dat hij zeven koppels van wie de man besmet is met hiv dezelfde behandeling gaf. Tot nu toe kwam het tot één zwangerschap. De andere pogingen zijn voorlopig on hold gezet omdat het team de tweelingmeisjes eerst verder wil opvolgen.
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Alle mensen zijn voortgekomen uit slechts twee volwassenen. Hebben Adam en Eva echt bestaan?
Alle mensen zijn voortgekomen uit slechts twee volwassenen. Hebben Adam en Eva echt bestaan?
Alle moderne mensen stammen af van één enkel stel dat 100.000 tot 200.000 jaar geleden leefde, zo zeggen wetenschappers.
Ze analyseerden de genetische ‘barcodes’ van vijf miljoen dieren en kwamen tot de conclusie dat de mensheid is voortgekomen uit twee volwassenen na een catastrofe waarbij bijna alle soorten uitstierven.
Deze barcodes, stukjes DNA die in levende cellen kunnen worden gevonden, suggereren dat niet alleen mensen, maar ook negen op de 10 diersoorten in diezelfde periode zijn ontstaan.
Wetenschappers analyseerden de genetische "barcodes" van 5 miljoen dieren en 100.000 vershillende soorten
Vraagtekens
De wetenschappers, Mark Stoeckle en David Thaler, concludeerden dat 90 procent van alle diersoorten die vandaag de dag leven, zo’n 250.000 jaar geleden tegelijkertijd is ontstaan.
Ze trekken daarmee de menselijke evolutie in twijfel.
“Deze conclusie is erg verrassend en ik heb er zo hard tegen gestreden als ik maar kon,” zei Thaler.
Kort
De onderzoekers hebben geen idee waarom de mens zo ‘kort’ geleden weer overnieuw moest beginnen.
Mensen blijken niet alleen verrassend veel op elkaar te lijken, maar ook op alle andere soorten.
Vogels
Zo verschilt het mitochondriale DNA van duiven en mensen maar heel weinig van elkaar.
“In termen van cultuur, levenservaringen en andere dingen verschillen we van elkaar, maar als je naar de biologie kijkt lijken we heel erg op vogels,” zei dr. Stoeckle.
Het onderzoek is verschenen in het tijdschrift Human Evolution.
Comm. Sgt. Maj. Robert O. Dean – UFOs, ETs Among Us, Deep Underground Bases, & Disclosure
Comm. Sgt. Maj. Robert O. Dean – UFOs, ETs Among Us, Deep Underground Bases, & Disclosure
Robert “Bob” Dean is an officer and a gentleman. Bob discussed all aspects of his military career, contact with extraterrestrials and even described his experience aboard an alien ship. The UFO topic is proud to have Bob Dean as one of its most important ambassadors. Bob came disclosed a few stories that he has not shared before. We are honored to have Bob Dean on the show.
Deux OVNI brillants dans le ciel Californien le 21 novembre 2018 (vidéo)
Deux OVNI brillants dans le ciel Californien le 21 novembre 2018 (vidéo)
Date de l’observation: 21 nov. 2018 Lieu de l’observation: Californie, États-Unis Source: MUFON #96518
Scott C. Waring:
Voici quelques images brutes d’un OVNI qui sort tout droit du ciel au-dessus de la Californie cette semaine. L’OVNI brille de mille feux et descend lentement du ciel. Au début, il ressemble à un météore, mais sa chute est trop lente pour en être un. Des images déconcertantes, c’est le moins que l’on puisse dire. Le fait est que deux ovnis existent et se succèdent, donc ils veillent l’un sur l’autre. Une sorte de copilote, comme ils l’ont fait dans l’US / Navy pour les pilotes afin de les tenir à l’écart des ennuis. Manifestement contrôlé intelligemment.
Le témoin oculaire déclare:
Quelques amis à moi et moi étions assis sur mon porche en train de fumer des cigarettes quand nous avons remarqué quelque chose qui tombait du ciel, au début c’était un météore, mais ensuite nous avons remarqué qu’il s’est arrêté et a commencé à aller sur le côté après avoir plané pendant un moment. Un autre objet est apparu à côté.
HOW AND WHERE TO WATCH NASA'S INSIGHT FINALLY LAND ON MARS
NASA/JPL-CALTECH
HOW AND WHERE TO WATCH NASA'S INSIGHT FINALLY LAND ON MARS
ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26th, following a six-month journey across hundreds of millions of miles of deep space, NASA’s InSight spacecraft will arrive at Mars in suitably dramatic fashion, hitting the top of the planet’s atmosphere at 12,300 miles per hour—several times faster than a speeding bullet—shortly before 12:00 pm PST (3:00 pm EST).
If all goes as planned, it will take InSight (short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport) just seven minutes to decelerate completely and alight on Mars’ surface. The planet’s atmosphere will do a lot of the work, aided in turn by InSight’s parachute, descent thrusters, and shock-absorbing legs. If NASA can pull it off, it will be the agency’s eighth successful landing on the red planet.
NASA and others will be broadcasting news of InSight’s approach, entry, descent, and landing all day long. Here are the best places to keep tabs on Monday’s proceedings in person and online.
Watch on WIRED
Tune in here Monday to catch two live feeds from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The first will feature live interviews with mission experts between 3:00 am and 7:00 am PST (6:00—10:00 am EST), followed by live landing commentary and news briefings from scientists and engineers between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm PST (2—3:30 pm EST). The second will be an uninterrupted feed of cameras from inside JPL Mission Control, featuring mission audio only, during the same time window. Notification of the landing is expected to arrive at Mission control around noon PST, but if communication with the spacecraft is delayed, NASA might not know InSight’s status for hours or even days. For this reason, the agency has penciled in a post-landing news conference for no earlier than 2:00 pm PST.
Watch in Person
From the NASDAQ Screen in Times Square, to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, to the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen, Germany, live viewing parties will be taking place all over the world on November 26th. NASA has compiled a handy list of no fewer than 80 such events, complete with addresses and contact information. The agency is updating the list daily, so if you don’t see anything near you today, be sure to check back in the days ahead. You can also check with your local museum to see if they’ll be hosting a landing party. If you’ve never been to a watch party for a Mars landing, we highly recommend it. After all: They don’t happen very often!
Learn More About the Mission
InSight launched on May 5th from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, making it NASA’s first interplanetary mission to lift off from the West Coast, rather than Cape Canaveral in Florida. Why the swap? Chalk it up to the evolving nature of launch logistics
The term cloud iridescence – aka irisation – comes from Iris, the Greek personification of the rainbow. True iridescent clouds are relatively rare. Here’s what causes them.
Ken Christison wrote on November 18, 2018: “We had some beautiful iridescence in the clouds late this afternoon. Seen from northeastern North Carolina.” Thank you, Ken!
Sky watchers often report seeing rainbow colors in clouds. There are various kinds ofhalosand colored arcsand even truerainbowsyou might see associated with clouds, but – if the rainbow-like colors are randomly distributed, and if the sun is nearby – what you’re seeing is likely an iridescent cloud.
These sorts of clouds are caused by especially tiny ice crystals or water droplets in the air. Larger ice crystals produce lunar or solar halos, but tiny ice crystals or water droplets cause light to be diffracted – spread out – creating this rainbow-like effect in the clouds.
The images on this page are mostly via the EarthSky community. Our thanks to all who contributed!
Kino Obusan caught these iridescent clouds – one on the right and one on the left – on July 15, 2016, from Batangas, Philippines. “It was my first time to see a rare cloud phenomenon like this.” Thank you, Kino!
Our friend Dave Walker in the UK caught another iridescent cloud in 2013. He wrote, “There’s been a lot of very high cloud recently, always a cue for me to look out for more atmospheric optics.”
The best way to see an iridescent cloud is to place the sun itself behind some foreground object, a building or mountain, for example. Other aids are dark glasses, or observing the sky reflected in a convex mirror or in a pool of water. EarthSky Facebook friend Duke Marsh captured this image in 2012 in New Albany, Indiana.
Charles Loyd wrote in 2014: “I was outside and my 9-year-old daughter looked up and asked why there was a rainbow in the clouds … “
The moon with Jupiter and iridescent clouds, seen over Greece in 2015 by Nikolaus Pantazis.
The colors in an iridescent cloud tend to be subtle and are usually pastel, but in some cases they can be vivid. Here is cloud iridescence captured by George Quiroga in Boynton Beach, Florida, in 2012.
Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Bottom line: You might on occasion see a rainbow-like cloud. They’re fairly rare, but people do spot them, and we sometimes receive photos of them. They’re caused by the presence of very tiny ice crystals or water droplets in the air, which cause light to be diffracted (spread out).
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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 73 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Ufologie en andere esoterische onderwerpen.
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Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
Tariq Malik
