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.
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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 Ontdek de Fascinerende Wereld van UFO's en UAP's: Jouw Bron voor Onthullende Informatie!
Ben jij ook gefascineerd door het onbekende? Wil je meer weten over UFO's en UAP's, niet alleen in België, maar over de hele wereld? Dan ben je op de juiste plek!
België: Het Kloppend Hart van UFO-onderzoek
In België is BUFON (Belgisch UFO-Netwerk) dé autoriteit op het gebied van UFO-onderzoek. Voor betrouwbare en objectieve informatie over deze intrigerende fenomenen, bezoek je zeker onze Facebook-pagina en deze blog. Maar dat is nog niet alles! Ontdek ook het Belgisch UFO-meldpunt en Caelestia, twee organisaties die diepgaand onderzoek verrichten, al zijn ze soms kritisch of sceptisch.
Nederland: Een Schat aan Informatie
Voor onze Nederlandse buren is er de schitterende website www.ufowijzer.nl, beheerd door Paul Harmans. Deze site biedt een schat aan informatie en artikelen die je niet wilt missen!
Internationaal: MUFON - De Wereldwijde Autoriteit
Neem ook een kijkje bij MUFON (Mutual UFO Network Inc.), een gerenommeerde Amerikaanse UFO-vereniging met afdelingen in de VS en wereldwijd. MUFON is toegewijd aan de wetenschappelijke en analytische studie van het UFO-fenomeen, en hun maandelijkse tijdschrift, The MUFON UFO-Journal, is een must-read voor elke UFO-enthousiasteling. Bezoek hun website op www.mufon.com voor meer informatie.
Samenwerking en Toekomstvisie
Sinds 1 februari 2020 is Pieter niet alleen ex-president van BUFON, maar ook de voormalige nationale directeur van MUFON in Vlaanderen en Nederland. Dit creëert een sterke samenwerking met de Franse MUFON Reseau MUFON/EUROP, wat ons in staat stelt om nog meer waardevolle inzichten te delen.
Let op: Nepprofielen en Nieuwe Groeperingen
Pas op voor een nieuwe groepering die zich ook BUFON noemt, maar geen enkele connectie heeft met onze gevestigde organisatie. Hoewel zij de naam geregistreerd hebben, kunnen ze het rijke verleden en de expertise van onze groep niet evenaren. We wensen hen veel succes, maar we blijven de autoriteit in UFO-onderzoek!
Blijf Op De Hoogte!
Wil jij de laatste nieuwtjes over UFO's, ruimtevaart, archeologie, en meer? Volg ons dan en duik samen met ons in de fascinerende wereld van het onbekende! Sluit je aan bij de gemeenschap van nieuwsgierige geesten die net als jij verlangen naar antwoorden en avonturen in de sterren!
Heb je vragen of wil je meer weten? Aarzel dan niet om contact met ons op te nemen! Samen ontrafelen we het mysterie van de lucht en daarbuiten.
A artist's picture of Ganymede's magnetosphere. Illustration Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI); Science Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Saur (University of Cologne, Germany)
We already know a decent amount about how planets form, but moon formation is another process entirely, and one we’re not as familiar with. Scientists think they understand how the most important Moon in our solar system (our own) formed, but its violent birth is not the norm, and can’t explain larger moon systems like the Galilean moons around Jupiter. A new book chapter (which was also released as a pre-print paper) from Yuhito Shibaike and Yann Alibert from the University of Bern discusses the differing ideas surrounding the formation of large moon systems, especially the Galileans, and how we might someday be able to differentiate them.
The Galilean moons form what is known as the circum-Jovian disc (CJD), and analogue of the circum-stellar disc (CSD) that surrounds the Sun, but instead has Jupiter at its center. The other 93+ non-Galilean moons around Jupiter also define the CJD, but their creation might be different due to the size differentials.
According to the paper, there are three main differences between the formation of planets and the formation of moons. Moon formation happens on a much faster time scale - around 10-100 times faster than planet formation. The system itself is also always gaining additional material from the CSD and losing it to whatever is at the center of the disk, which in the CJD’s case is Jupiter. And finally, there aren’t nearly as many examples of systems with multiple large moons as there are planetary systems, at least since the discovery of exoplanets 30 years ago. Jupiter and Saturn remain our only examples of large moon systems, and it will be awhile before any multi-exo-moon system will be found.
Fraser discusses the formation of our own Moon, which was dramatically different than that of the Galileans.
So what we can tell about the formation of these moon systems from the two we know about. The paper breaks the process down into a three-step process. First is the formation of the CJD, which includes gas and dust as well as moons. This was originally supported by a “minimum mass model” developed in the 1980s that assumed the disc was static and contained approximately the overall mass of the Galilean moons. In 2002, a new theory was developed that modeled the CJD as a “gas-starved disc” where the original CJD was relatively material poor but had plenty of additional material added to it by gravitational capture from the CSD.
That gravitational capture is believed to have played a key role in the formation of the Galilean moons and marks the second phase of their creation. However, Jupiter is a planet, and one of the requirements of a planet is that it clears its orbital path. Since Jupiter is the largest planet, it does so very effectively, which includes what astronomers consider “pebbles” (but on Earth could be considered a decent-sized boulder a few meters across).
One way for moons to accrete given this paucity of small material is by using even smaller material - small dust particles can make their way into the CJD without being disrupted by Jupiter, though there’s some debate about how effective this process is. Another method would be "planetesimal capture” where Jupiter’s gravity well catches the core of what would have ended up being a planet, but then ends up simply being one of the giant planet’s moons. They could have been gravitationally disturbed by Saturn, and then slowed in their orbit by running through the gas cloud surrounding early Jupiter that made up the CJD.
Fraser discusses the missions that will explore Jupiter's moons in more detail.
There are some differences in the Galilean moons themselves that can be used to prove or disprove these different formation theories. For example, Callisto isn’t in resonance with Jupiter at all, unlike the rest of its Galilean brethren. One potential theory for that is that Jupiter’s fourth moon was formed under different conditions, or maybe was hit by its own impactor that knocked it from its natural course. Callisto is again an outlier as it’s only partially “differentiated” (meaning it has a separate core, mantle, and outer shell), unlike its three compatriots. Some pebble accretion models think that Callisto is still early on in its formation journey and will eventually begin to look more like its peers.
But ultimately those questions, and many more about the formation of large moon systems, will be hard to answer without more data. The Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) mission will help shed some light on those questions, but even then it's still only one, or at the most two, data sets that we have available. Until exoplanet hunting telescopes become powerful enough to start finding exomoons as often as they currently find planets, many of these formation theories will remain untested. That data will eventually come along someday, and when it does it will help us understand some important parts of our own solar system better.
A scene from a visualization of the Lee-Lincoln scarp in Taurus-Littrow on the Moon. This scarp is evidence of moonquakes that sent rocks and landslides across the surface. Seismometers left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts recorded hundreds of events between 1969 and 1977, including 28 shallow moonquakes. The study narrowed the locations of these quakes and found that many of them occurred near scarps, implying that the forces creating the scarps also caused the quakes, and they continue to shape the lunar surface. The Lee-Lincoln scarp was only about 13 kilometers from one of the epicenters identified by the scientists. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
Our Moon is a seismically active world with a long history of quakes stretching back to its early history. It turns out those quakes can and will affect the safety of permanent base structures for anybody planning to explore and inhabit the Moon. That's one conclusion from a study of quakes along the Lee-Lincoln fault in the Taurus-Littrow valley where the Apollo 17 astronauts landed in 1972. “The global distribution of young thrust faults like the Lee-Lincoln fault, their potential to be still active and the potential to form new thrust faults from ongoing contraction should be considered when planning the location and assessing stability of permanent outposts on the Moon,” said Smithsonian senior scientist emeritus Thomas R. Watters, lead author of the paper.
They base their work on evidence of moonquakes in the region over the past 90 million years, largely in material gathered by the Apollo astronauts. Chunks of rocks and landslides are mute proof of the power of magnitude 3.0 quakes to shift the surface materials around. Along with other active faults on the Moon, the Taurus-Littrow rocks and landslides show that our lunar companion is likely still geologically active.
Why Lunar Seismicity?
Here on Earth, we get earthquakes all the time. By some estimates, our planet shakes about 55 times a day, although many of these tremors are so weak we don't feel them. They happen largely due to plate tectonics and volcanic activity. Plates slip past each other very gradually, which releases energy that gets dissipated as an earthquake. We all know about the really famous spots on Earth for that kind of action - the San Andreas Fault line, the Ring of Fire in the Pacific, and parts of southeast Asia, for example. Volcanic activity also spurs earthquakes when underground magma causes "shudders" as it moves. Recent events such as the ongoing Kilauea eruptions in Hawai'i and those near Grindavik, Iceland, cause swarms of earthquakes as a result of that magma movement.
However, that's not how it works on the Moon. The two most likely causes for lunar quakes are tidal pulling and the continual cooling and shrinking of the Moon. The tidal quakes happen because Earth's gravity pulls on the Moon, which results in deep quakes up to hundreds of miles inside. Weaker quakes originate closer to the surface and those are generally thought to be due to lunar shrinkage. Since the Moon formed billions of years ago, it has lost about 150 feet of its diameter due to the gradual cooling after its birth. There are also very minor temblors that happen when a meteoroid slams into the surface, or when surface rocks react to heating and cooling from the Sun. All this activity describes a world that is constantly shaking and shuddering.
This artist’s concept shows the Moon’s hot interior and volcanism about 2 to 3 billion years ago. It is thought that volcanic activity on the lunar near side (the side facing Earth) helped create a landscape dominated by vast plains called mare, which are formed by molten rock that cooled and solidified. As the Moon has continued to cool, it has shrunk and its surface contracted. That causes scarps and fault lines to form.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Quakes and Risks
To understand the risk of quakes to future bases, Watters and research partner Nicholas Schmerr of the University of Maryland, studied materials from the Apollo 17 landing site. These rock samples, along with other details about rock falls and landslides on the Moon, told them that there are thousands of young thrust faults on the Moon. They point to a continual evolution of surface units, many caused by earthquake activities that create lunar thrust faults. That happens when rocks are compressed and one block is pushed up over another, generally as a result of the ongoing contraction of the Moon.
According to Watters and Schmerr, mission planners are going to have to consider those fault lines and the ongoing related lunar quakes when planning bases on the Moon. Short-term missions, like the Apollo landing, which had astronauts on the Moon for nearly 2 weeks, didn't face much danger from a quake or two. However, permanent bases face significant chances of damage during a quake, simply due to numbers. “If astronauts are there for a day, they’d just have very bad luck if there was a damaging event,” Schmerr pointed out. “But if you have a habitat or crewed mission up on the Moon for a whole decade, that’s 3,650 days times 1 in 20 million, or the risk of a hazardous moonquake becoming about 1 in 5,500. It’s similar to going from the extremely low odds of winning a lottery to much higher odds of being dealt a four of a kind poker hand.”
Taurus-Littrow valley taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. The valley was explored in 1972 by the Apollo 17 mission astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt. They had to zig-zag their lunar rover up and over the cliff face of the Lee-Lincoln fault scarp that cuts across this valley.
Credits: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Planning for Quakes
It's not just habitats and science missions that could be damaged by lunar quakes. Russia, China, and the U.S. are planning to put nuclear power plants on the Moon. Such facilities could supply all the power anyone needs for bases and exploration, but they come with a safety price and could be quite susceptible to quake damage. That's why any these and other places need to be built with tough safety margins, and not located near any active fault lines. That's going to be a tall order, considering the extent of quakes and the numbers of fault lines that thread through the Moon.
This is why the scientists' study of lunar paleoseismology is so important. Gathering evidence of past quakes (going back many millennia), as well as more recent ones, is going to help chart the safest places to build bases, habitats, and power plants. “If astronauts are there for a day, they’d just have very bad luck if there was a damaging event,” Schmerr added. “But if you have a habitat or crewed mission up on the Moon for a whole decade, that’s 3,650 days times 1 in 20 million, or the risk of a hazardous moonquake becoming about 1 in 5,500. It’s similar to going from the extremely low odds of winning a lottery to much higher odds of being dealt a four of a kind poker hand.”
A scene from a visualization of the Lee-Lincoln scarp in Taurus-Littrow on the Moon. This scarp is evidence of moonquakes that sent rocks and landslides across the surface. Seismometers left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts recorded hundreds of events between 1969 and 1977, including 28 shallow moonquakes. The study narrowed the locations of these quakes and found that many of them occurred near scarps, implying that the forces creating the scarps also caused the quakes, and they continue to shape the lunar surface. The Lee-Lincoln scarp was only about 13 kilometers from one of the epicenters identified by the scientists. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
Our Moon is a seismically active world with a long history of quakes stretching back to its early history. It turns out those quakes can and will affect the safety of permanent base structures for anybody planning to explore and inhabit the Moon. That's one conclusion from a study of quakes along the Lee-Lincoln fault in the Taurus-Littrow valley where the Apollo 17 astronauts landed in 1972. “The global distribution of young thrust faults like the Lee-Lincoln fault, their potential to be still active and the potential to form new thrust faults from ongoing contraction should be considered when planning the location and assessing stability of permanent outposts on the Moon,” said Smithsonian senior scientist emeritus Thomas R. Watters, lead author of the paper.
They base their work on evidence of moonquakes in the region over the past 90 million years, largely in material gathered by the Apollo astronauts. Chunks of rocks and landslides are mute proof of the power of magnitude 3.0 quakes to shift the surface materials around. Along with other active faults on the Moon, the Taurus-Littrow rocks and landslides show that our lunar companion is likely still geologically active.
Why Lunar Seismicity?
Here on Earth, we get earthquakes all the time. By some estimates, our planet shakes about 55 times a day, although many of these tremors are so weak we don't feel them. They happen largely due to plate tectonics and volcanic activity. Plates slip past each other very gradually, which releases energy that gets dissipated as an earthquake. We all know about the really famous spots on Earth for that kind of action - the San Andreas Fault line, the Ring of Fire in the Pacific, and parts of southeast Asia, for example. Volcanic activity also spurs earthquakes when underground magma causes "shudders" as it moves. Recent events such as the ongoing Kilauea eruptions in Hawai'i and those near Grindavik, Iceland, cause swarms of earthquakes as a result of that magma movement.
However, that's not how it works on the Moon. The two most likely causes for lunar quakes are tidal pulling and the continual cooling and shrinking of the Moon. The tidal quakes happen because Earth's gravity pulls on the Moon, which results in deep quakes up to hundreds of miles inside. Weaker quakes originate closer to the surface and those are generally thought to be due to lunar shrinkage. Since the Moon formed billions of years ago, it has lost about 150 feet of its diameter due to the gradual cooling after its birth. There are also very minor temblors that happen when a meteoroid slams into the surface, or when surface rocks react to heating and cooling from the Sun. All this activity describes a world that is constantly shaking and shuddering.
This artist’s concept shows the Moon’s hot interior and volcanism about 2 to 3 billion years ago. It is thought that volcanic activity on the lunar near side (the side facing Earth) helped create a landscape dominated by vast plains called mare, which are formed by molten rock that cooled and solidified. As the Moon has continued to cool, it has shrunk and its surface contracted. That causes scarps and fault lines to form.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Quakes and Risks
To understand the risk of quakes to future bases, Watters and research partner Nicholas Schmerr of the University of Maryland, studied materials from the Apollo 17 landing site. These rock samples, along with other details about rock falls and landslides on the Moon, told them that there are thousands of young thrust faults on the Moon. They point to a continual evolution of surface units, many caused by earthquake activities that create lunar thrust faults. That happens when rocks are compressed and one block is pushed up over another, generally as a result of the ongoing contraction of the Moon.
According to Watters and Schmerr, mission planners are going to have to consider those fault lines and the ongoing related lunar quakes when planning bases on the Moon. Short-term missions, like the Apollo landing, which had astronauts on the Moon for nearly 2 weeks, didn't face much danger from a quake or two. However, permanent bases face significant chances of damage during a quake, simply due to numbers. “If astronauts are there for a day, they’d just have very bad luck if there was a damaging event,” Schmerr pointed out. “But if you have a habitat or crewed mission up on the Moon for a whole decade, that’s 3,650 days times 1 in 20 million, or the risk of a hazardous moonquake becoming about 1 in 5,500. It’s similar to going from the extremely low odds of winning a lottery to much higher odds of being dealt a four of a kind poker hand.”
Taurus-Littrow valley taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. The valley was explored in 1972 by the Apollo 17 mission astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt. They had to zig-zag their lunar rover up and over the cliff face of the Lee-Lincoln fault scarp that cuts across this valley.
Credits: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Planning for Quakes
It's not just habitats and science missions that could be damaged by lunar quakes. Russia, China, and the U.S. are planning to put nuclear power plants on the Moon. Such facilities could supply all the power anyone needs for bases and exploration, but they come with a safety price and could be quite susceptible to quake damage. That's why any these and other places need to be built with tough safety margins, and not located near any active fault lines. That's going to be a tall order, considering the extent of quakes and the numbers of fault lines that thread through the Moon.
This is why the scientists' study of lunar paleoseismology is so important. Gathering evidence of past quakes (going back many millennia), as well as more recent ones, is going to help chart the safest places to build bases, habitats, and power plants. “If astronauts are there for a day, they’d just have very bad luck if there was a damaging event,” Schmerr added. “But if you have a habitat or crewed mission up on the Moon for a whole decade, that’s 3,650 days times 1 in 20 million, or the risk of a hazardous moonquake becoming about 1 in 5,500. It’s similar to going from the extremely low odds of winning a lottery to much higher odds of being dealt a four of a kind poker hand.”
This artist’s concept depicts planet TRAPPIST-1 d passing in front of its turbulent star, with other members of the closely packed system shown in the background. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI)
When global events set our minds to wondering if humanity has what it takes to persist, it's natural to wonder about other worlds, other life, other intelligent species, and if those others might be better suited to survive whatever Great Filters they face. Those are fanciful thoughts, but there's an underpinning of nuts-and-bolts thinking to them. It starts with identifying which planets in habitable zones around other stars might actually be habitable.
That begins with liquid water and a life-friendly atmosphere that can contain it.
The discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system generated a lot of excitement a few years ago. It contains seven roughly Earth-like worlds, and three or perhaps four of them are in the red dwarf's compact habitable zone. One of them, TRAPPIST-1 d, could host water on its surface, or at least on parts of its surface, according to some research. But without a suitable atmosphere, a planet can't retain surface water, and new observations from the JWST show that TRAPPIST-1 d does not have an Earth-like atmosphere.
The TRAPPIST-1 system compared to our Solar System. TRAPPIST-1 d is on the inner edge of the star's habitable zone.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The JWST observed two consecutive transits of TRAPPIST-1 d with its NIRSpec/PRISM instrument in November, 2022. Researchers from Canada, the UK, France, and the USA analyzed the data from those transits and concluded that the promising exoplanet does not have an Earth-like atmosphere. Their results are in a paper in The Astrophysical Journal titled "Strict Limits on Potential Secondary Atmospheres on the Temperate Rocky Exo-Earth TRAPPIST-1 d." The lead author is Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb of the University of Chicago and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) at Université de Montréal.
"While TRAPPIST-1 d may prove a barren rock illuminated by a cruel red star, the outer planets TRAPPIST-1e, f, g, and h, may yet possess thick atmospheres." - co-author Ryan MacDonald, University of St. Andrews.
"The nearby TRAPPIST-1 system, with its seven small rocky planets orbiting a late-type M8 star, offers an unprecedented opportunity to search for secondary atmospheres on temperate terrestrial worlds," the authors write in their research. "Here we present the first 0.6–5.2 μm NIRSpec/PRISM transmission spectrum of TRAPPIST-1 d from two transits with JWST."
TRAPPIST-1 d is right at the inner edge of TRAPPIST-1's habitable zone. It's a great target for transmission spectroscopy, and these JWST observations provide the first detailed transmission spectrum of the planet's atmosphere. Unfortunately, the spectrum is flat, meaning there are no detectable atmospheric features.
“Ultimately, we want to know if something like the environment we enjoy on Earth can exist elsewhere, and under what conditions. While the James Webb Space Telescope is giving us the ability to explore this question in Earth-sized planets for the first time, at this point we can rule out TRAPPIST-1 d from a list of potential Earth twins or cousins,” said lead author Piaulet-Ghorayeb in a press release.
The JWST failed to detect the types of molecules present in Earth's atmosphere like methane, carbon dioxide, and water. However, that doesn't completely rule out an atmosphere; there are a couple of other possibilities.
“There are a few potential reasons why we don’t detect an atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1 d. It could have an extremely thin atmosphere that is difficult to detect, somewhat like Mars. Alternatively, it could have very thick, high-altitude clouds that are blocking our detection of specific atmospheric signatures — something more like Venus. Or, it could be a barren rock, with no atmosphere at all,” Piaulet-Ghorayeb said.
Studying TRAPPIST-1 d and its atmosphere is about more than just ruling out its habitability. There's a greater scientific endeavor involved.
A visual comparison of Solar System orbits, TRAPPIST-1 orbits, and Galilean moon orbits.
Image Credit: By ESO/O. Furtak - http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1706b/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56526718
Red dwarfs, or M dwarfs, like TRAPPIST-1 are common, and are likely the most plentiful type of star in the Milky Way. They're known to host their share of rocky worlds where we can reasonably wonder if life persists. But red dwarfs are also known for their violent flaring, and TRAPPIST-1 is no exception. It flares every couple of days, and each year it emits between four and six superflares. This powerful flaring activity could shred any planetary atmospheres, rendering the TRAPPIST-1 planets inhabitable.
However, there's considerable uncertainty around red dwarf flaring and habitability. Some research shows that the planets couldn't retain atmospheres in the face of the coronal mass ejections coming from the star. But it's at least possible that some of these planets could retain their atmospheres. For example, powerful planetary magnetic fields could provide a protective barrier from the star's flaring. The JWST opens a path to understanding red dwarf flaring effects on atmospheres.
“Webb’s sensitive infrared instruments are allowing us to delve into the atmospheres of these smaller, colder planets for the first time,” said Björn Benneke of IREx at Université de Montréal, a co-author of the study. “We’re really just getting started using Webb to look for atmospheres on Earth-sized planets, and to define the line between planets that can hold onto an atmosphere, and those that cannot.”
The only features in the JWST's spectra are attributed to stellar contamination rather than atmospheric absorption. "Our precise transmission spectrum can be fully explained by stellar contamination alone, and therefore enables us to rule out cloud-free or thick atmosphere scenarios across a wide range of potential atmospheric metallicities," the authors write.
This artist's illustration of TRAPPIST-1 d is from several years ago when scientists wondered about its nature and if it could support liquid water.
Updated Feb. 2018, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76364484
A low molecular weight atmosphere is harder for a planet to retain, and these observations ruled out those types of hydrogen-dominated atmospheres. The observations also ruled out thicker atmospheres like Venus' or Titan's. The only things left are extremely thin atmospheres unlikely to bolster habitability, or atmospheres dominated by high clouds that mask molecular absorption features from the JWST. But the research effectively rules them out.
"Therefore, we conclude that
thick cloud-free hydrogen-rich atmospheres are ruled out by our transmission spectrum;
thin H2-rich alternatives are strongly disfavored when considering TRAPPIST-1 d in the context of its formation and evolution under stellar irradiation; and
high-altitude clouds or hazes are not expected to form on TRAPPIST-1 d if it has a low-metallicity atmosphere," the researchers explain.
This work almost certainly eliminates TRAPPIST-1 d from a list of potentially habitable, water-supporting exoplanets. This is Nature, so TRAPPIST-1 d's elimination isn't absolutely certain. "Our observations cannot yet completely exclude other potential atmosphere scenarios for TRAPPIST-1 d which were predicted in the literature," the authors explain, noting that other research involving climate models hints at the possibility that the tidally-locked planet could form high-altitude water clouds at its terminator, blocking atmospheric absorption signals from view.
But what about the other planets in the system?
“All hope is not lost for atmospheres around the TRAPPIST-1 planets,” Piaulet-Ghorayeb said. “While we didn’t find a big, bold atmospheric signature at planet d, there is still potential for the outer planets to be holding onto a lot of water and other atmospheric components.”
However, the outer planets aren't the juicy scientific targets that planet d is. They're further from the star, and colder. Even the JWST's powerful instruments struggle in those conditions. While detailed spectra aren't available for those worlds, the researchers still reached some conclusion.
"We find that even complete atmosphere loss for TRAPPIST-1 d would not preclude atmosphere presence for the outer HZ planets TRAPPIST-1 e, f, and g," the authors write in their conclusion. Contrary to the inner planets, it's possible that these outer planets held onto their water "even if they initially accreted only a few Earth oceans of volatiles."
“Our detective work is just beginning. While TRAPPIST-1 d may prove a barren rock illuminated by a cruel red star, the outer planets TRAPPIST-1e, f, g, and h, may yet possess thick atmospheres," added Ryan MacDonald, a co-author of the paper, now at the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom, and previously at the University of Michigan. “Thanks to Webb we now know that TRAPPIST-1 d is a far cry from a hospitable world. We're learning that the Earth is even more special in the cosmos."
Being a human being means bearing witness to humanity's greatest, most triumphant moments of accomplishment and unity, but also to the depraved actions we take against one another. The minds of thinking people are bound to wonder if there are other worlds out there that host life. Each potentially habitable world is a glimmer of hope that humans, with all their struggles, are not the only intelligent species out there.
If we look to the heavens, and to exoplanets, for some kind of reprieve from humanity's troubles, TRAPPIST-1 d won't provide it. If this research is correct, its stricken from the list of hope-inspiring exoplanets.
What invaded our solar system? On July 1st, NASA's ATLAS telescope in Chile identified an unusual object soaring through our solar system. It was later determined that this strange celestial object originated from beyond our little corner of the universe.
Traveling at a remarkably high speed Originating from the constellation Sagittarius, scientists observed that the object traveled at a speed of more than 60 kilometers per second, or about 37 miles per second. That is incredibly fast!
A rare phenomenon According to researchers, this was the third interstellar visitor of this type ever identified by humanity, as highlighted by National Geographic.
Researchers gave the object a name Named 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar object was classified by researchers as a comet. However, a NASA webpage on the new interstellar object reported that the comet's size and physical properties are still being investigated.
What we know about the size of 3I/ATLAS Comet 3I/ATLAS's size was estimated at 10 to 20 kilometers (6 to 12 miles) in diameter, but could be smaller if it is composed of ice, which means the comet would also reflect more light.
Could 3I/ATLAS impact Earth? 3I/ATLAS reportedly does not pose a risk to the Earth and will pass by far from our planet at a distance of about 1.6 astronomical units (equivalent to about 240 million kilometers or 250 million miles), NASA reported.
The comet will pass close to Mars The newly discovered interstellar comet's closest approach to the Sun is expected to occur around October 30th, when it will be slightly closer to the orbit of Mars, according to current research on 3I/ATLAS.
A seven billion year old space rock According to astronomers, 3I/ATLAS might have formed long before our solar system existed. The comet reportedly has an estimated age of seven billion years, Deutsche Welle reported.
Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
The oldest comet ever observed Matthew Hopkins, lead author of a study on 3I/ATLAS, and an astronomer at the University of Oxford, explained in a statement published by the Royal Astronomical Society that the newly discovered interstellar object is very likely the oldest comet ever observed by humanity.
3I/ATLAS will be visible until September 3I/ATLAS should remain visible in the night sky through ground-based telescopes until September 2025. After that, it will be too close to the Sun to be observable from Earth.
Proximity to the Sun Deutsche Welle also reported that as the comet approaches the Sun, the heat from sunlight will warm its surface and trigger cometary activity, releasing gas and dust, with a bright 'aura' around it and a visible tail.
We might be able to see the comet again 3I/ATLAS is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun sometime in early December 2025, which will allow researchers to gather even more observations about the comet, NASA reported.
A unique opportunity to expand our knowledge "This is an object from a part of the galaxy we've never seen up close before," Professor Chris Lintott, co-author of the study, was quoted as saying by the Royal Astronomical Society.
The evolution of the comet Researchers are excited since interstellar comets like 3I/ATLAS can carry valuable clues about the origin of the universe and the star systems where these types of cosmic objects originate before making their way to us.
The world is watching "We're in an exciting time: 3I is already showing signs of activity," noted study co-author Dr. Michele Bannister, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.
The world's biggest telescopes are already investigating "The gases that may be seen in the future as 3I is heated by the Sun will test our model," Dr. Bannister added. "Some of the biggest telescopes in the world are already observing this new interstellar object."
Understanding the formation of the universe As highlighted by National Geographic, the researchers' goal is to identify the comet's composition in order to study how planets form, how other star systems evolve, and the diversity of materials present in the universe.
Guys check this out. A UFO shot past a kid in the background over the ocean as the mom recorded...wait for it...wait for it...in slow motion. Now this is the thing of dreams for most UFO researchers, however the quality of the UFO is so-so due to the distance away. It's moving fast, about 75-150 miles per hour. And it might have only been visible to the digital eye, meaning the human eye might not be able to see the UFO if it's cloaked, but the digital eye will.
Video was shot in super slow motion (Samsung mobile) I made a super slow-motion video of my daughter after reading about a man in the Malvern Hills who claimed he captured a UFO while playing with his dog. While reviewing the footage, I zoomed in on her face because she was making a hilarious expression. That’s when I noticed it — something moving from left to right across the screen.
NASA shuttle video shows UFO dodging “Star Wars” Weapons test
NASA shuttle video shows UFO dodging “Star Wars” Weapons test
NASA’s 1991 Discovery shuttle video shows UFOs making impossible maneuvers, evading a possible Star Wars railgun test. Evidence of secret tech?
In September 1991, NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery transmitted live video that has since become one of the most debated UFO clips ever recorded. The footage, later analyzed by independent researchers, shows glowing objects in orbit performing maneuvers far beyond the limits of known physics.
One object appears over Earth’s horizon, drifts smoothly, then suddenly reacts to a flash of light by accelerating at impossible speeds, estimated at over 200,000 mph while withstanding forces of 14,000 g’s. NASA officially dismissed the anomalies as ice particles or debris, but side by side comparisons with actual orbital ice show key differences: the objects make sharp turns, sudden accelerations, and fade in brightness in ways consistent with being hundreds of miles away, not near the shuttle.
Image analysis expert Dr. Mark Carlotto confirmed that at least one object was located about 1,700 miles from the shuttle, placing it in Earth’s atmosphere. At that distance, the object would be too large and too fast to be dismissed as ice or space junk.
The flash and two streaks seen in the video resemble the Pentagon’s “Brilliant Pebbles” concept, a railgun based missile defense system tested in the early 1990s. Researchers suggest the shuttle cameras may have accidentally, or deliberately, captured a live Star Wars weapons test in orbit.
The UFO easily evaded the attack, leading some to conclude that it was powered by a form of hyperdimensional technology capable of altering gravity.
Notably, following this 1991 incident, all subsequent NASA shuttle external camera feeds were censored or delayed, raising speculation that someone inside the agency allowed the extraordinary footage to slip out.
Tot nader order moeten we nog altijd wachten op het eerste bewijs van buitenaards leven, en al zeker op een persoonlijk bezoekje van aliens. Maar aan het einde van de jaren 80 en begin jaren 90 waren er in Wallonië toch enkele bizarre verschijnselen die in die richting leken te wijzen, brengt de documentaire Ufo’s boven België in herinnering.
In november 1989 zien twee rijkswachters een honderd meter lang, driehoekig toestel met felle lichten zweven boven een voetbalveld in Eupen. Tientallen andere buurtbewoners maken soortgelijke meldingen. Aangezien niemand weet wat het vliegende object precies is, wordt het gecategoriseerd als een ufo - unidentified flying object. In de daaropvolgende maanden komen nog meer meldingen binnen op andere plaatsen in de brede regio. SOBEPS, de Société belge d'étude des phénomènes spatiaux, wordt bij de zaak betrokken. De organisatie werd in 1971 in het leven geroepen om ufo-achtige fenomenen objectief en wetenschappelijk te onderzoeken en, hopelijk, te verklaren.
De docu Ufo's boven België probeert die bizarre ontwikkelingen van 35 jaar geleden te reconstrueren, voornamelijk aan de hand van getuigenissen van onderzoekers en wetenschappers die meewerkten aan het onderzoek naar de mysterieuze verschijningen. Onder hen fysicus Auguste Meessen van de UCLouvain, die geen andere uitleg zag dan buitenaards leven, maar ook ULB-prof Léon Brenig, die sceptischer uit de hoek komt.
CGI reconstruction of testimonies
Oogkleppen
De getuigenverslagen die in de film aan bod komen - en dat zijn er op den duur wel erg veel - worden opgesmukt met filmische reconstructies. Die doen in het beste geval denken aan unheimliche scènes uit The X-Files, maar voelen na een tijdje gewoon overbodig aan. Sterker wordt de docu wanneer de betrokkenen vandaag terugkijken op de gebeurtenissen, en de reacties en denkwijzen van toen door een hedendaagse bril beschouwen. Zo kreeg SOBEPS de kritiek dat ze te gretig zocht naar buitenaardse verklaringen, en dat die oogkleppen het onderzoek geen goed deden.
De oorzaak van de ufogolf werd nooit opgehelderd, en ook Ufo's boven België komt niet plots met nieuwe hypothesen op de proppen. Wel is het ongemeen boeiend te zien hoe de wetenschap danig wordt uitgedaagd door dergelijke schijnbaar onverklaarbare voorvallen, en hoe uiteenlopende partijen in periodes van crisis samenwerken, van universitairen over hobbyisten tot zelfs de luchtmacht.
Het beroemde beeld van een ogenschijnlijke UFO in de golf van 1990. In 2011 verklaarde de fotograaf Patrick Maréchal dat het een foto was van een polystyreen driehoek met vier gloeilampen
Ufo’s boven België. Bram Conjaerts en Maarten Bernaerts. Uit via Dalton Distribution. Vanaf 20 augustus in de cinema.
Hoe eerlijk zijn wetenschappelijke en populaire publicaties over de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven?
Hoe eerlijk zijn wetenschappelijke en populaire publicaties over de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven?
De zoektocht naar buitenaards leven, ook wel astrobiologie genoemd, is een fascinerend en complex veld dat zowel wetenschappelijke als populaire belangstelling wekt. In dit rapport wordt onderzocht in hoeverre wetenschappelijke en populaire publicaties eerlijk zijn over deze zoektocht. Hierbij wordt ingegaan op de aard van de informatie, de mogelijke vooroordelen, de rol van media en de interpretatie van de resultaten. Het doel is om een genuanceerd beeld te schetsen van de betrouwbaarheid en transparantie van de berichtgeving over buitenaards leven.
IS DAAR INTELLIGENT LEVEN OP EEN ANDERE PLANEET?
Inleiding
De zoektocht naar buitenaards leven is een van de meest intrigerende wetenschappelijke onderwerpen van onze tijd. Sinds de ontdekking van exoplaneten en de ontwikkeling van geavanceerde telescopen en ruimtemissies, groeit de hoop dat er elders in het universum leven bestaat. Wetenschappelijke publicaties, zoals artikelen in tijdschriften als Nature en Science, proberen deze zoektocht te documenteren op een objectieve en feitelijke wijze. Tegelijkertijd spelen populaire media, zoals kranten, televisie, en internet, een grote rol in het verspreiden van informatie over buitenaards leven. Echter, de vraag rijst of deze media en wetenschappelijke publicaties altijd eerlijk en transparant zijn over de kansen, onzekerheden en bevindingen.
Wetenschappelijke publicaties: objectiviteit en beperkingen
Wetenschappelijke publicaties worden gekenmerkt door een hoge mate van objectiviteit en strenge kwaliteitscontrole, doorgaans via peer review-processen. Deze processen zorgen ervoor dat onderzoeksmethoden, data en conclusies kritisch worden beoordeeld door vakgenoten voordat ze gepubliceerd worden. Een belangrijk principe binnen de wetenschap is de focus op bewijs en reproduceerbaarheid: de bevindingen moeten herhaalbaar zijn en gebaseerd op solide gegevens. Hierdoor streven wetenschappers ernaar om hun resultaten eerlijk en transparant te presenteren, inclusief eventuele onzekerheden en beperkingen.
In het kader van de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven betekent dit dat onderzoekers voorzichtig zijn met het trekken van conclusies. Bijvoorbeeld, bij de ontdekking van mogelijke biosignaturen op Mars door rover-missies wordt altijd benadrukt dat verdere verificatie noodzakelijk is voordat definitieve uitspraken kunnen worden gedaan. Daarnaast worden onzekerheden en alternatieve verklaringen expliciet benoemd, wat de wetenschappelijke integriteit versterkt.
Toch zijn er ook gevallen waarin resultaten overdreven of te optimistisch worden geïnterpreteerd. Dit kan onder invloed staan van publicatiedruk, de wens om de media-aandacht te vergroten of het publiek te enthousiasmeren. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de berichtgeving over mogelijke signalen van buitenaardse beschavingen via projecten zoals SETI. Hoewel de wetenschappelijke aanpak streng blijft, krijgen dergelijke ontdekkingen vaak een sensationeel karakter in de media. Hierdoor worden de complexiteit, onzekerheden en de voorlopige aard van de bevindingen soms onderschat of verkeerd gepresenteerd, wat de objectiviteit van de wetenschap onder druk kan zetten.
Populaire media: sensatie en interpretatie
In populaire media wordt wetenschappelijke informatie vaak gepresenteerd op een wijze die gericht is op het entertainen en informeren van een breed publiek. Dit leidt er vaak toe dat complexe wetenschappelijke bevindingen worden vereenvoudigd, en dat de aandacht wordt gericht op sensationele aspecten. Een veelvoorkomend fenomeen is de sensationalisering van berichten over buitenaardse verschijnselen, zoals UFO-waarnemingen en buitenaardse ontmoetingen. Hoewel er zelden sluitend bewijs is voor dergelijke gebeurtenissen, krijgen ze ruime media-aandacht, wat bij het publiek de indruk kan wekken dat de kans op buitenaards leven groter is dan wetenschappelijk ondersteund.
Daarnaast worden wetenschappelijke resultaten soms uit hun context gehaald of verkeerd geïnterpreteerd om een spannender verhaal te creëren. Een bekend voorbeeld hiervan is de berichtgeving over de "Wow! Signal" uit 1977, dat door sommige media werd gepresenteerd als mogelijk bewijs van buitenaardse communicatie. In werkelijkheid was de interpretatie van dit signaal zeer voorzichtig, en werd het niet definitief toegeschreven aan buitenaardse bronnen. Wetenschappers waarschuwen dat het overdrijven van dergelijke bevindingen de geloofwaardigheid van de wetenschap kan ondermijnen en het publieke begrip kan vertroebelen.
Daarnaast spelen pseudowetenschappelijke publicaties en sensatiezoekers een rol in het versterken van misverstanden. Door het overdrijven van de waarschijnlijkheid of de betekenis van bepaalde bevindingen, kunnen complottheorieën en wantrouwen tegenover de wetenschap toenemen. Dit onderstreept het belang van kritische berichtgeving en wetenschappelijke precisie in de media, om een juiste interpretatie van onderzoeksresultaten te bevorderen en het vertrouwen in wetenschap te behouden. Kortom, de tendens van sensatie en interpretatie in populaire media kan leiden tot vertekende percepties van wetenschappelijke realiteit en het belang van kritisch mediagebruik benadrukt hierbij de noodzaak tot betrouwbare verslaggeving.
Transparantie, onzekerheden en de rol van wetenschap
De berichtgeving over buitenaards leven is een complex onderwerp dat niet alleen afhankelijk is van wetenschappelijke bevindingen, maar ook van hoe deze informatie wordt gepresenteerd aan het publiek. Een essentieel aspect van eerlijke en betrouwbare communicatie is het erkennen van onzekerheden en beperkingen binnen de wetenschap. In wetenschappelijke publicaties wordt dit meestal expliciet gedaan door te benadrukken dat er tot nu toe geen definitief bewijs is gevonden voor het bestaan van buitenaards leven. Ze beschrijven vaak dat de beschikbare gegevens voorlopig indicatief zijn en dat verdere studie noodzakelijk is om conclusies te bevestigen. Deze transparantie draagt bij aan een genuanceerd beeld en helpt de lezer te begrijpen dat de wetenschap een proces van voortdurende ontdekking is, waarin voorlopige bevindingen kunnen veranderen naarmate er meer bewijs beschikbaar komt.
Echter, in de praktijk lijkt deze nuance niet altijd door te dringen tot de media en het grote publiek. Populaire media hebben de neiging om de resultaten van wetenschappelijke studies te sensationaliseren. Resultaten worden vaak gepresenteerd als doorbraken of bevestigingen, zelfs wanneer de onderliggende wetenschappelijke bevindingen nog in een voorlopige fase verkeren. Hierdoor krijgt de lezer de indruk dat buitenaards leven al zeker is aangetoond, terwijl de werkelijkheid veel genuanceerder is. Deze tendens kan leiden tot misverstanden over de stand van de wetenschap en het ontstaan van onrealistische verwachtingen bij het publiek. Mensen kunnen gaan geloven dat het bewijs voor buitenaards leven slechts een kwestie van tijd is, terwijl de feitelijke situatie veel onzekerheid bevat.
De rol van de media is hierin cruciaal. Sensationalistische berichtgeving, gericht op het aantrekken van kijkers en lezers, onderdrukt vaak de voorzichtigheid en nuance die wetenschappers in hun publicaties proberen te behouden. Wetenschappelijke communicatie vereist dat men de complexiteit en onzekerheid van onderzoeksresultaten duidelijk maakt, maar journalisten kiezen soms voor een meer sensationeel narratief dat de emoties en verwachtingen van het publiek aanspreekt. Dit spanningsveld tussen wetenschappelijke voorzichtigheid en mediapropaganda kan bijdragen aan een verkeerd beeld van de wetenschappelijke voortgang en kan het vertrouwen in wetenschap ondermijnen.
Binnen de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap bestaat er ook discussie over de manier waarop resultaten moeten worden gecommuniceerd. Sommige onderzoekers pleiten voor een meer voorzichtige en genuanceerde presentatie, vooral wanneer het gaat om voorlopige bevindingen die nog niet door meerdere studies bevestigd zijn. Zij benadrukken dat het belangrijk is om transparant te zijn over de onzekerheden, zodat de publieke perceptie niet wordt vervormd en het vertrouwen in wetenschappelijke integriteit wordt behouden. Aan de andere kant zijn er wetenschappers die vinden dat het belangrijk is om de publieke interesse en hoop op buitenaards leven niet te onderdrukken. Zij stellen dat het stimuleren van nieuwsgierigheid en het geloof in de mogelijkheid van buitenaards leven de motivatie voor verdere wetenschappelijke inspanningen kan versterken. Deze benadering kan bijdragen aan het genereren van meer financiering en publieke steun voor onderzoek, zelfs als de resultaten nog niet definitief zijn.
Kortom, de communicatie over buitenaards leven moet zorgvuldig en transparant zijn, waarbij de onzekerheden en voorlopige aard van de bevindingen worden erkend. Het is van groot belang dat zowel wetenschappers als media zich bewust zijn van de invloed die zij hebben op de publieke perceptie. Het stimuleren van een genuanceerde berichtgeving draagt bij aan een geïnformeerd publiek dat realistische verwachtingen heeft over de mogelijkheden en beperkingen van de wetenschap. Alleen door openheid over onzekerheden en het vermijden van sensationele verhalen kan de geloofwaardigheid van de wetenschap worden behouden en kunnen misverstanden worden voorkomen.
De rol van pseudowetenschap en complottheorieën
De rol van pseudowetenschap en complottheorieën in de context van buitenaards leven vormt een belangrijk aandachtspunt binnen de hedendaagse wetenschappelijke en maatschappelijke discussies. Hoewel de reguliere wetenschap gebaseerd is op empirie, reproduceerbaarheid en kritische evaluatie, bestaat er ook een breed scala aan pseudowetenschappelijke theorieën en complottheorieën die zich richten op buitenaardse activiteiten en contacten. Deze theorieën worden vaak gekenmerkt door een gebrek aan solide bewijs, selectieve interpretaties van gegevens en het gebruik van emotioneel geladen taal die inspelen op angst, nieuwsgierigheid en wantrouwen.
Een opvallend kenmerk van pseudowetenschappelijke claims over buitenaards leven is dat ze zich vaak verspreiden via internet en sociale media. Hierdoor kunnen desinformatie en complottheorieën zich razendsnel verspreiden onder een breed publiek. Een veelgehoorde theorie is bijvoorbeeld dat overheidsinstanties buitenaardse contacten verbergen voor het publiek. Voorstanders van deze ideeën stellen dat officiële instanties informatie onderdrukken of manipulerende verklaringen geven, wat kan leiden tot wantrouwen jegens wetenschappelijke en overheidscommunicatie. Deze verhalen worden versterkt door anekdotisch bewijs, vermeende geheime documenten en interpretaties van onduidelijke waarnemingen, waardoor ze moeilijk te weerleggen lijken voor mensen die al sceptisch staan tegenover officiële bronnen.
De impact van pseudowetenschap en complottheorieën op de samenleving is niet te onderschatten. Ze ondermijnen het vertrouwen in de wetenschap en kunnen leiden tot wantrouwen ten opzichte van wetenschappelijke instituten en overheidsorganisaties. Bovendien kunnen ze bijdragen aan het ontstaan van angst en verwarring, vooral wanneer sensationele claims worden gedeeld zonder kritische beoordeling. Dit is vooral zorgelijk in een tijd waarin wetenschappelijke inzichten cruciaal zijn voor het aanpakken van grote maatschappelijke vraagstukken, zoals klimaatverandering en technologische ontwikkeling, inclusief de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven.
Daarnaast roept de verspreiding van dergelijke theorieën ook ethische vragen op. Wetenschappers en journalisten dragen een grote verantwoordelijkheid in het eerlijk en transparant communiceren over hun bevindingen. Het overdrijven van resultaten of het verspreiden van sensationele claims zonder voldoende bewijs kan niet alleen het vertrouwen in de wetenschap schaden, maar ook leiden tot onnodige angst en verwarring onder het publiek. Het is daarom van belang dat mediakanalen en wetenschappelijke tijdschriften zich bewust blijven van de ethische verplichtingen om accurate, genuanceerde informatie te presenteren.
Samenvattend, pseudowetenschap en complottheorieën spelen een significante rol in de publieke perceptie van buitenaards leven. Ze vormen een gevaar voor een geïnformeerde samenleving en ondermijnen het vertrouwen in de wetenschap. Het is essentieel dat onderzoekers, journalisten en beleidsmakers samenwerken om feitelijke en betrouwbare informatie te verspreiden en het publiek te wijzen op de gevaren van desinformatie. Alleen door kritisch denken en ethisch verantwoorde communicatie kan het vertrouwen in de wetenschap worden behouden en kunnen misverstanden over buitenaards leven worden teruggedrongen.
Conclusie
De zoektocht naar buitenaards leven wordt zowel in wetenschappelijke publicaties als in de media vaak gekenmerkt door een spanningsveld tussen de wens om nieuwe ontdekkingen te delen en de noodzaak tot voorzichtigheid en transparantie. Wetenschappelijke publicaties streven doorgaans naar objectiviteit en eerlijkheid, hoewel er altijd ruimte is voor interpretaties en beperkingen. Populaire media daarentegen kunnen geneigd zijn om de complexiteit en onzekerheid te overschaduwen door sensationele verhalen en simplificaties, wat de perceptie van de publieke opinie beïnvloedt.
Het is daarom essentieel dat zowel wetenschappers als journalisten zich bewust zijn van hun verantwoordelijkheden. Transparantie over onzekerheden en de context van bevindingen moet centraal staan om een realistisch beeld te schetsen van de stand van de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven. Daarnaast is het belangrijk dat de publieke communicatie niet alleen gebaseerd is op feiten, maar ook op ethische principes die eerlijkheid en integriteit waarborgen.
Kortom, hoewel er in de wetenschap vaak gestreefd wordt naar een betrouwbare en genuanceerde presentatie van resultaten, worden deze vaak in een minder genuanceerde vorm gedeeld door de media. Het versterken van de wetenschap-communicatie en het kritisch blijven ten opzichte van sensationalistische verhalen kunnen bijdragen aan een meer evenwichtig en geïnformeerd publiek. Alleen door een gezamenlijke inspanning kunnen we een beter begrip en een realistisch beeld krijgen van de zoektocht naar buitenaards leven. Het is van groot belang dat zowel wetenschappers als media zich bewust zijn van hun rol in het vormen van de publieke perceptie en dat ze hun communicatie afstemmen op principes van eerlijkheid, transparantie en ethiek.
Allereerst moeten wetenschappelijke publicaties en communicatie gericht zijn op het zorgvuldig en genuanceerd presenteren van onderzoeksresultaten. Dit betekent dat wetenschappers zich bewust moeten zijn van de beperkingen en onzekerheden die inherent zijn aan voorlopig bewijs. Het gebruik van heldere taal die de context en de probabilistische aard van ontdekkingen benadrukt, kan helpen om onrealistische verwachtingen te voorkomen. Daarnaast is het cruciaal dat wetenschappelijke tijdschriften en onderzoeksgroepen zich houden aan richtlijnen voor ethische communicatie, waarbij het vermijden van overdrijving en sensatie belangrijk is om het vertrouwen van het publiek niet te ondermijnen.
Tegelijkertijd moeten mediakanalen zich inzetten voor het brengen van evenwichtige en genuanceerde berichtgeving. Sensationalistische verhalen, hoewel aantrekkelijk voor het grote publiek, kunnen de complexiteit en onzekerheid van wetenschappelijke bevindingen onderdrukken. Het is daarom essentieel dat journalisten en mediaprofessionals samen met wetenschappers werken om de juiste context te bieden, kritische vragen te stellen en de nuances te benadrukken. Door het gebruik van betrouwbare bronnen en het vermijden van overdreven claims, kan de media bijdragen aan een beter geïnformeerde samenleving die kritisch kan omgaan met informatie over buitenaards leven.
Daarnaast speelt de rol van pseudowetenschap en complottheorieën een grote rol in de publieke perceptie. In een tijdperk waarin sociale media snel en breed informatie verspreiden, worden niet-wetenschappelijke theorieën over buitenaardse contacten en geheime overheidsdeals vaak populairder dan feitelijke wetenschappelijke bevindingen. Deze verhalen worden gekenmerkt door gebrek aan bewijs, emotioneel geladen taal en selectieve interpretatie van gegevens, wat het vertrouwen in officiële communicatie ondermijnt. Het is daarom van belang dat wetenschappers en communicatieprofessionals actief tegen desinformatie optreden door het bieden van duidelijke, feitelijke en toegankelijke informatie.
Ethiek vormt hierbij een rode draad. De verantwoordelijkheid van wetenschappers en media ligt in het waarborgen van correctheid en integriteit in de communicatie over buitenaards leven. Overdrijving of het verspreiden van sensationele claims kan niet alleen het publieke vertrouwen schaden, maar ook leiden tot onnodige angst, verwarring en wantrouwen. Transparantie over de onzekerheden en beperkingen van wetenschappelijke bevindingen is daarom essentieel om een realistisch en gebalanceerd beeld te schetsen.
Tot slot is het van belang dat het publiek kritisch leert omgaan met informatie over buitenaards leven. Media en wetenschappers kunnen hierin een belangrijke rol spelen door educatie en het stimuleren van een gezonde scepsis. Het ontwikkelen van mediawijsheid en het aanleren van kritische denkvaardigheden bij het publiek kunnen helpen om desinformatie te herkennen en te weerleggen.
{ PETER2011 }
16-08-2025 om 17:23
geschreven door peter
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:ALIEN LIFE, UFO- CRASHES, ABDUCTIONS, MEN IN BLACK, ed ( FR. , NL; E )
How honest are scientific and popular publications about the search for extraterrestrial life?
How honest are scientific and popular publications about the search for extraterrestrial life?
Scientists have examined scientific articles and media publications from the last 30 years devoted to the search for extraterrestrial life. They analyzed in which aspects and promises scientists were overly optimistic, and in which journalists distorted everything.
Is there life on other planets?
Research into extraterrestrial life
So far, no life has been found beyond Earth, but publications about the prospects for such research continue to appear one after another. And not only in scientific publications, but also in popular media. At the same time, it is difficult to give a simple answer as to whether modern science is really sure of its existence.
Researchers from Leiden University attempted to figure this out. In a study recently published in PLOS One, they took a bunch of studies, press releases, and newspaper articles on the subject from 1996 to 2024 and analyzed what they were overly optimistic about and what they were not.
The total number of articles analyzed was 630. Most of them were in English, although there were also publications in Spanish and Portuguese. In particular, sources included The New York Times (United States), The Guardian (United Kingdom), Folha and Estadão (Brazil), Público (Portugal), and El País (Spain).
Is there any exaggeration?
Researchers found that most often the distortion concerned the conditions necessary for life to exist outside Earth, i.e., the question of the “key condition.” However, speculation about the results of research and the prospects for detecting life was relatively rare.
The study showed that expectations regarding technology helping to find life beyond Earth are relatively high. They appear in about a third of news articles, a fifth of press releases, and a tenth of scientific articles. The promise of rapid development in astrobiology in the near future was also quite widespread. Approximately one-fifth of press releases and news articles contained such content.
However, there are very few promises to find extraterrestrial life in publications, at least in those that appeared in peer-reviewed journals. There is much more manipulation in newspaper publications. Press releases remained largely neutral except for the part about the research results, which were usually exaggerated.
The study also reveals that expectations for the search for life are more closely linked to the study of exoplanets than to the study of the Solar System, and are much higher than for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
There is indeed a lot of speculation. However, according to the authors of the study, this is not such a bad thing. After all, there is so much unknown in the Universe, and in order to develop new bold theories, we need to move beyond what we see here and now.
The exact location of the most distant known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0. Source: Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach via CNN Newsource
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have detected traces of oxygen in the extremely distant and ancient galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, whose light has been traveling toward us for 13.4 billion years. This means that we see it as it was when the Universe was less than 300 million years old. Previously, it was believed that heavy elements such as oxygen could not have appeared at that time.
The discovery indicates that at least two generations of stars have already been born and died in this galaxy, scattering “metals” (as astronomers call all elements heavier than helium) throughout space. This is very fast by cosmic standards and contradicts older models, which assumed that such enrichment would take hundreds of millions of years.
ALMA was able to determine the distance to this galaxy very accurately, with an error of only 0.005%. It turned out that the gas in it contained about 20% of the “metals” found in the Sun, and the movements of the ionized gas hinted at a large halo of dark matter.
“I was amazed by the unexpected results, because they opened up a new perspective on the early phases of galaxy evolution,” said Stefano Carniani from the Scuola Normale Superiore University in Pisa.
This discovery is forcing scientists to rethink their theories about the formation of the first galaxies. Perhaps the star systems of that time formed and exploded much faster and more energetically than researchers had assumed.
Scientists plan to study this galaxy using the James Webb Telescope and the future Very Large Telescope to understand whether it was a cosmic “wunderkind” or whether there were many such early and mature galaxies in the Universe.
Terry Hunt, professor of archaeology at the University of Arizona, told Good Morning America: 'We think we know all the moai, but then a new one turns up, a new discovery, and in this case, it's in the lake, at the statue quarry.
'There have been no moai found in the dry lakebed before, so this is a first.'
The newly discovered moai is among the smallest found, suggesting that many more could be hidden within the reeds.
Each moai honors a person, usually a leader, and many are topped with eye stones at their resting place. The largest stands over 30 feet tall and weighs up to 86 tons.
Salvador Atan Hito, vice president of Ma'u Henua, the Indigenous group managing the island's national park, said: 'For the Rapa Nui people, this is a very, very important discovery.
'Because it's here in the lake and nobody knew it existed, even our ancestors, our grandparents didn't know about this one.'
Located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, Easter Island was first settled by humans around AD 1200, who built its famous enlarged head statues, called moai
Archaeologists uncovered another new statue in 2023 (pictured), which would found lying face-down
Hunt and Hito said the current dry conditions may help archaeologists discover more moai in the lakebed.
'Under the dry conditions that we have now, we may find more,' Hunt told GMA.
'They've been hidden by the tall reeds that grow in the lake bed, and prospecting with something that can detect what's under the ground surface may tell us that there are more moai in the lakebed sediments.
'When there's one moai in the lake, there's probably more.'
For the past decade, Hunt and his colleagues and students have created an inventory of 981 moai on the island, complete with precise GPS locations and measurements.
Many moai remain in a quarry near Rano Raraku, the now-dry crater lake where the newest statue was found, in various stages of completion.
There's no doubt Easter Island (pictured) in the southern Pacific is geographically one of the most isolated places on Earth
The Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, between AD 1,250 and 1,500
The largest, called Te Tokanga or 'The Giant' in the Rapa Nui language, was never finished and lies on its back, measuring 63 feet long and weighing an estimated 90 to 100 tons.
The team made a similar discovery in 2023, finding another new moa that measured five feet by six inches long and was found face up in the ground.
Hunt said the statue's eye sockets had been carved, which is historically the final step in a moai's construction before display.
The base is also flat, rather than sloped, to help with moving the statue.
Researchers believed that the ancient Rapa Nui people likely moved the moai statues by 'walking' them upright using ropes to rock and pivot the statues forward in a controlled, rocking motion.
This method, supported by experiments and oral traditions, allowed them to move these massive statues across the island without dragging them on sleds or rollers.
Hunt frequently uses cell phones and drones for 3D imaging of the moai.
He is also exploring the use of ground-penetrating radar to detect hidden moai or structures underground, particularly in the Rano Raraku lakebed.
Historically, the original inhabitants, known as the Rapa Nui, were believed to have been completely shut off from the wider world.
However, a study released in July by researchers in Sweden challenged the long-held narrative.
Pictured, ahu (a central stone platform) on Mo’orea, Windward, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean
They said the 63.2-square-mile island in the southern Pacific was not quite as isolated over the past 800 years as previously thought.
The island was populated with multiple waves of new inhabitants who bravely traversed the Pacific Ocean from west to east. 'Easter Island was settled from central East Polynesia around AD 1200-1250,' study author Professor Paul Wallin at Uppsala University told the Daily Mail.
'The Polynesians were skilled sailors, so double canoes were used.'
For their study, the team at Uppsala University compared archaeological data and radiocarbon dates from settlements, ritual spaces and monuments across Polynesia, the collection of more than 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The experts point out that ahu stone platforms were historically constructed at Polynesian islands further to the west.
These rectangular clearings were communal ritual spaces that, in some places, remain sacred to this day.
'The temple grounds ahu [also known as marae] exist on all East Polynesian islands,' Professor Wallin added.
Archaeologists believe they will uncover more statues in the future
The team agreed that an early population of people spread from the west of the Pacific to the east before encountering Easter Island and populating it around AD 1200.
They argued that Easter Island was populated several times by new seafarers, and not just once by a single group that remained isolated for centuries, as previously assumed.
'The migration process from West Polynesian core areas such as Tonga and Samoa to East Polynesia is not disputed here,' they say in their paper.
'Still, the static west-to-east colonization and dispersal suggested for East Polynesia and the idea that Rapa Nui was only colonized once in the past and developed in isolation are challenged.'
Based on their evidence, they also think ahu originated on Easter Island before the trend spread east to west across other western Polynesian islands during the period of AD 1300-1600.
It was only after this that the Polynesian islands, including but not limited to Easter Island, might have become isolated from each other.
It went through the roof, HAVC duct, and left a hole in the floor the size of a cherry tomato.
Planetary geologist Scott Harris concluded the space rock formed 4.56 billion years ago, roughly 20 million years before Earth.
'It belongs to a group of asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that we now think we can tie to a breakup of a much larger asteroid about 470 million years ago,' Harris said.
The homeowner said he continues to find specks of space dust scattered around his living room from the impact.
The meteorite shot through a man's home in Georgia. He gave the fragments to scientists who revealed their findings this week
The 23 gram fragment showed the meteorite is about 20 million years older than Earth
'A mysterious extraterrestrial visitor now has a permanent home and identity, thanks to University of Georgia (UGA) researchers,' the team shared in a press release.
'Multiple fragments, which tore through a residential roof in Henry County, were turned over to a UGA planetary geologist and impact expert to determine.'
Before breaking into fragments small enough to analyze, the meteor, known as a bolide, was recorded entering Earth's atmosphere at an incredible cosmic velocity.
This massive space rock hurtled toward McDonough at speeds exceeding the speed of sound.
'When they encounter Earth, our atmosphere is very good at slowing them down,' Harris said.
'But you're talking about something that is double the size of a 50-caliber shell, going at least 2,236 miles per second. That's like running 10 football fields in one second.'
Using optical and electron microscopy to examine the fragments, Harris identified the meteorite as a Low Metal (L) ordinary Chondrite.
This classification indicates the meteorite likely formed 4.56 billion years ago in an oxygen-rich environment.
The meteorite still had enough impact to go through a man's roof and his HVAC duct, leave a solid dent in his floor and make a sound and vibration equivalent to a close-range gunshot
The tiny space rock was traveling at amazing speeds, enough to smash through a roof, HVAC duct and ceiling
This is the 27th meteorite recovered in Georgia in history, and the sixth witnessed fall.
Harris said the fragment broke the sound barrier when it entered the Earth's atmosphere.
Several metro Atlanta city and county officials relayed reports of a 'fireball' sighting from the sky on June 26
'I'm not crazy! I just saw a huge ball of fire fall from the sky in East Tennessee around the Cherokee National Forest!' a firefighter wrote on X.
'Anyone else see it? Right around 12:20pm ET. Very cool but a little unnerving given the current times!'
While some speculated it could have been a falling aircraft, the firefighter described it as 'like a mini sun falling with a tail of fire.'
In Georgia, one resident said they not only saw the object, but heard it pass overhead and felt the ground shake when it hit.
The National Weather Service confirmed the many reports across the Southeast US saying: 'It is not certain, but the satellite-based lightning detection shows a streak within cloud-free sky over the NC/VA border, over Gasbury, VA.
'This streak was detected between 12:51 to 12:56 pm.'
Hundreds of reports of a possible fireball were submitted to the American Meteor Society website from Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, which are still pending.
A flaming object was seen streaking across the skies of several southern states, sparking panic and confusion, as no explosion or fire were reported on the ground
'This was the middle of the day, and it just came out of nowhere,' according to one fireball report on the American Meteor Society from Perry, Georgia.
A report submitted by Ashley R from Suwanee, Georgia read: 'I thought it was a missile.'
Brian S from Alpharetta, Georgia said: 'It was full daylight, no clouds, and still it was very bright. I heard a muffled and slight boom sound, maybe 30 seconds later, but that could be unrelated.'
He added that he saw a 'smoke trail that quickly fell apart.'
Marc Tozer of Georgia shared on Facebook: 'Stone mountain here and it made a booming sound, house shook with a long rumble. Dogs went crazy.'
Another Georgia local posted: 'House totally rumbled, sounded like a log rolling off the roof, thought nukes were coming...'
WRDW, an Atlanta news source, reported that black smoke was seen south of I-20, although it may be from a controlled burn, first responders said.
These unusual remains, notable for having three fingers and three toes, sparked wild speculation. Some claimed they were aliens, others argued they represent an unknown human species, while many scientists concluded an elaborate hoax.
Today, around two dozen of these bodies are undergoing scientific examination.
Researchers have claimed the mummies retain preserved tissue, muscles, and organs. Notably, one of the specimens was pregnant at the time of death.
Jesse Michels, podcast host of American Alchemy, recently visited the site and shared his findings with the Daily Mail, putting the idea that they are 'aliens' to rest.
'I found no evidence that they are not from Earth,' he said, suggesting the mummies might represent a previously unknown subterranean species.
Michels also noted that a bioinformatics expert analyzed the publicly available DNA and identified a gene mutation linked to a congenital condition that causes digit deformations in humans.
This offers a possible natural explanation for the creatures' unusual anatomy.
Podcast host Jesse Michels explored the location and spoke to the Daily Mail, debunking claims of the mummies being extraterrestrial
Bioinformatics specialist Alaina Hardie explained she initially sought to 'falsify the hypothesis' that a genetic mutation could cause such digit anomalies.
'I found a list of 50 genes involved in the pathway,' Hardie said. 'There is a mutation in one of those genes, called Gli3, that is associated with polydactyly.'
Polydactyly, the presence of extra digits, has been identified in archaeological remains in Peru before, suggesting it existed in ancient civilizations.
Genetic analysis revealed that the DNA samples from the mummies mostly matched human genetic profiles, despite some contamination and technical challenges common in ancient DNA research.
The scientific team used advanced ancient DNA extraction techniques to carefully isolate genetic material from the mummies' bone and muscle tissues.
Researchers then employed genome sequencing and bioinformatics tools to reconstruct the genetic profiles and identify mutations.
Due to the degraded and fragmented nature typical of ancient samples, the team cross-checked findings against known terrestrial organisms and environmental DNA to differentiate genuine ancient sequences from noise.
While some DNA fragments could not be immediately identified, further processing indicated these were likely from known terrestrial organisms or sample quality issues.
Jesse Michels highlighted that a bioinformatics expert examined the accessible DNA data and discovered a gene mutation associated with a congenital disorder causing digit abnormalities in humans. The mummies feature only three fingers on each hand
Jesse Michels pointed out a tribe in northern Zimbabwe with ectrodactyly, known as 'Ostrich Foot Syndrome,' a congenital condition causing digit deformities
The analyzed samples included bone and muscle tissue from a mummy known as 'Victoria,' a headless humanoid specimen, confirming the human origin of the DNA.
Michels highlighted a tribe in northern Zimbabwe where a congenital condition called ectrodactyly, or 'Ostrich Foot Syndrome,' exists.
This disorder results in the absence of one or more central digits, creating a cleft or V-shaped gap in the hand or foot.
'There are these mutations rendered adaptive in certain environments and persist over time,' Michels said in his documentary. 'So it could be just that, which would be remarkable all on its own.'
While polydactyly does not align with the three-fingered mummies, ectrodactyly is more of a match.
José Zace, chief of the medical division for the Mexican Navy and part of the team studying the mummies, found that the larger bodies contain 70 percent known DNA, while the rest is completely different.
In the case of Montserrat (pictured), researchers hypothesized that the cause of death was a significant trauma sustained over an extended period
The mystery surrounding the bizarre ' alien ' mummies found in Peru has deepened after scientists said they discovered a fetus inside the womb of one of the 'corpses'. CT scans (pictured) captured the fetus lying on its back
Dr David Ruiz Vela, a lead expert investigating the remains, suggested the mummies could be hybrids.
He proposed that 'Maria,' one of the specimens, has mixed traits resulting from natural migration and interbreeding events between different primate or human species across Asia and Africa, spanning a broad timeframe from 250,000 to 2,500 years ago.
To uncover the mummies' origins, Michels plans to enlist Colossal Biosciences, an American biotechnology and genetic engineering company, to conduct deeper DNA analysis.
Colossal recently made headlines for efforts to bring the dire wolf back from extinction using genetic engineering.
Jamie Maussan and some Mexican lawmakers became the subject of international ridicule when he presented two boxes with supposed mummies found in Peru in front of Mexico's congress
Mummies were confiscated at an airport. Lab testing showed they were fake. But the owner said they were replicas to sell to tourists
'They need permission from the Peruvian government,' Michels said. 'If the government won't allow a top American biotech company to use their proprietary ancient DNA testing techniques on these mummies, then I don't know what else you need to understand their position on the subject.'
The mummies first gained international attention in 2022 when journalist Jamie Maussan showcased several tiny beings in Mexico's Congress, proclaiming their authenticity.
At a subsequent meeting, a group of doctors supported the claim that the bodies were once living organisms. Some experts reportedly studied five similar specimens for over four years.
However, in 2023, the mummies were declared a hoax after another journalist was found with two small 'mummies' that turned out to be dolls. Manuel Caceres had made wooden figurines inspired by the mummies to sell to tourists. These were confiscated at Lima airport and sent for lab analysis.
Forensic archaeologist Flavio Estrada, who led the investigation, stated that the claims that the specimens are extraterrestrial are 'totally false.'
'The conclusion is simple: they are dolls assembled with bones of animals from this planet, glued with modern synthetic adhesives,' Estrada said, arguing his case.
'Therefore, they were not assembled during pre-Hispanic times. They are not extraterrestrials; they are not aliens.'
Despite this, Michels said Caceres is suing the government for $3 million following the controversy.
Scientists are urging NASA to send a message to a mysterious interstellar object before it is too late.
The object, known as 3I/ATLAS, is traveling on a rare retrograde path and will reach its closest point to the sun on October 29, 2025, which Harvard physicist Avi Loeb suggested could be an ideal window for a covert approach on Earth.
The physicist told the Daily Mail that he wants to beam, 'Hello, welcome to our neighborhood. Peace!'
'The only way to reach it now is with a beam of light,' Loeb explained, suggesting a radio message could be sent in hopes of detecting a response.
Loeb warned that if the object is an alien probe, it could reach Earth by Christmas 2025, giving humanity only months to prepare for a possible encounter.
However, he also acknowledged the risks, noting that any intelligent life aboard might see the signal as a threat.
'A visitor to our backyard, like 3I/ATLAS, can easily enter our home planet, Earth, within a travel time of less than a few months,' Loeb said.
A Harvard physicist is calling on NASA to beam a message to the interstellar object hurting through space before it is too late
'There were claims of a tail,' Loeb said, 'but since 3I/ATLAS is accelerating and its current size is not much larger than the angular resolution of Earth-based telescopes, it is not easy to avoid fictitious elongation of the image as a result of the object's motion.'
He also questioned the object's unusual lack of gas emissions and its precise, retrograde trajectory, which aligns suspiciously well with the inner solar system.
Loeb has developed what he calls the 'Loeb Scale', a ranking system to evaluate the likelihood that an object is artificial, and gave 3I/ATLAS a six out of ten.
That suggests it is more likely than not to be engineered, though he emphasized that this score may change as more data becomes available.
'During an exchange with 3I/ATLAS, we could use the Turing Test as a measure of the intelligence with which we communicate, as long as the two sides develop a common language for communication,' Loeb shared in a blog post.
'Our side of the communication channel can be assisted by our most advanced artificial intelligence systems to decode the messages we receive.
The scientist noted that there is not enough data to rule out that the object is not of alien origin and Earth should communicate with it as a precaution
Avi Loeb has remained adamant that something about 3I/ATLAS does not add up. He said its retrograde orbit, meaning it's moving against the flow of the solar system, is oddly aligned with Earth's path
'But as anyone who went on a blind date knows, exchanging text messages could be a very different experience than an actual encounter 'in person.''
Among his more provocative theories, Loeb suggested 3I/ATLAS could be an alien mothership releasing small probes to intercept Earth.
'The more likely scenario from an engineering perspective involves a mothership that releases mini-probes which perform a reverse Oberth maneuver to slow down at perihelion and intercept Earth,' Loeb wrote.
This type of maneuver uses the sun's gravitational pull at the object's closest approach to adjust the trajectory efficiently, enabling the probes to reach Earth without large amounts of fuel.
Chris Lintott, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, dismissed Loeb's theory as 'nonsense on stilts,' calling it 'an insult to the exciting work going on to understand this object.'
However, Loeb said his analysis remains rooted in observational data.
His latest paper, based on ground-based telescope readings between July 2 and 29, revealed reddening colors in 3I/ATLAS, usually interpreted as surface dust or organic compounds.
Loeb noted that spectroscopic data from this and three previous studies show no signs of atomic or molecular gas in a coma, a feature typically expected in comets.
While the reddening may suggest dust, it could also mean the object simply has a naturally red surface, much like D-type asteroids or other ancient space rocks.
'Continued monitoring around perihelion is necessary to track changes in activity and color,' the study concluded, 'which will provide insights into the evolution of interstellar materials under solar radiation.'
The Eye of Sauron is an integral part of the Lord of the Rings series.
The flaming, floating fiery eyeball, positioned atop a dark tower in Mordor, is a symbol of the Dark Lord's all–seeing power and vigilance.
Now, experts have detected a similarly terrifying vision in real life.
But rather than looking for Frodo or the Ring, it seems to be peering directly at us from deep space.
The image is of a phenomenon called a cosmic jet, which is an extremely powerful stream of plasma and energy emitted from celestial objects.
This particular one comes from a blazar – a type of galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole.
The PKS 1424+240 blazar is one of the brightest in the sky despite being located billions of light–years away.
And as well as a foreboding picture, the discovery may have helped researchers solve a decades–long cosmic puzzle.
Using 15 years of ultra–precise radio observations, researchers were able to stitch together a deep image of the jet at unparalleled resolution
Fans of fantasy might notice that the image bears a striking resemblance to the Eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings
The blazar has long baffled astronomers as its cosmic jet appeared to move slowly, despite it being one of the brightest sources of high–energy gammas rays and cosmic neutrinos ever observed.
This contradicted the belief that only the fastest jets could be behind such exceptional brightness.
Using 15 years of ultra–precise radio observations from the Very Long Baseline Array – a system of 10 radio telescopes – researchers were able to stitch together a deep image of the jet at unparalleled resolution.
'When we reconstructed the image, it looked absolutely stunning,' lead author Yuri Kovalev, from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, said.
'We have never seen anything quite like it—a near–perfect toroidal magnetic field with a jet, pointing straight at us.'
Since the jet is aligned almost exactly in the direction of Earth, its high–energy radio emissions are dramatically amplified.
'This alignment causes a boost in brightness by a factor of 30 or more,' co–author Jack Livingston said.
'At the same time, the jet appears to move slowly due to projection effects—a classic optical illusion.'
Far from being a flattering moniker, the Eye of Sauron represents the Dark Lord's terrifying omnipotence and terrible gaze in J. R. R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings novels
This head–on view also gave scientists the extremely rare opportunity to peer directly into the heart of the blazar's jet.
Radio signals helped the team map out the structure of the jet's magnetic field, revealing it is likely helical (a spiral) or toroidal (doughnut–shaped).
This structure likely plays a key role in accelerating particles to extreme energies, the researchers said.
Black holes are so dense and their gravitational pull is so strong that no form of radiation can escape them - not even light.
They act as intense sources of gravity which hoover up dust and gas around them. Their intense gravitational pull is thought to be what stars in galaxies orbit around.
How they are formed is still poorly understood. Astronomers believe they may form when a large cloud of gas up to 100,000 times bigger than the sun, collapses into a black hole.
Many of these black hole seeds then merge to form much larger supermassive black holes, which are found at the centre of every known massive galaxy.
Alternatively, a supermassive black hole seed could come from a giant star, about 100 times the sun's mass, that ultimately forms into a black hole after it runs out of fuel and collapses.
When these giant stars die, they also go 'supernova', a huge explosion that expels the matter from the outer layers of the star into deep space.
'The Shroud has type AB blood, identified as Semitic, present in only six percent of the population, confirmed as human and male, ruling out animal blood or a hoax,' Dr Johnston said.
'You would have to actually kill someone if you were trying to reproduce the shroud because we have premortem and post-mortem blood all over the shroud,' said Dr Johnston.
The presence of both pre- and post-mortem blood on the Shroud is unusual, suggesting processes inconsistent with natural decomposition, interpreted by some as aligning with resurrection accounts.
A blood analysis of the Shroud found a rare AB blood type that is present in only six percent of the population
Dr Jeremiah Johnston, a biblical scholar, said the blood found on the Shroud shows it was laid over a tortured man
The AB blood type was first documented in 1982 by Italian biographer Dr Pierluigi Baima Bollone and colleagues, who analyzed a sample from the Shroud's pierced side.
Subsequent testing also detected M, N, and S antigens in blood from the foot area, confirming the blood was unquestionably human.
The researchers tested the samples in two ways to figure out the blood type.
First, they checked for antibodies by putting the fibers on slides, keeping them cold at about 39°F for a long time, adding A1 or B red blood cells and letting them sit for 30 minutes.
They looked at the slides under a regular microscope and later used a powerful electron microscope after preserving the fibers in alcohol and coating them with gold.
Then the team tested for antigens, particles that stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies, using a mixed agglutination method.
They kept the slides cold for 24 hours with anti-A and anti-B serums, washed them several times with saltwater and a cow protein solution, added A1 or B red blood cells, and checked them under a regular microscope, followed by electron microscope checks.
The results showed the Shroud's bloodstained fibers had both A and B antigens but no antibodies, pointing to type AB blood. The clean Shroud fibers had no antigens, proving they were free of blood.
The AB blood type was first identified in 1982 by Dr. Pierluigi Baima Bollone and colleagues from a sample on the Shroud’s pierced side. Later tests also found M, N, and S antigens on the feet, confirming the blood was unmistakably human
Dr Johnston also told Carlson that the Sudarium of Oviedo in Spain, which is the facecloth that John's Gospel talks about that covered his face, was also found to have type AB blood.
There is no image on this cloth. Only stains are visible to the naked eye, although more is visible under the microscope.
However, Dr Kelly Kearse, an immunologist who has extensively studied the Shroud of Turin, has expressed skepticism about the claim that the blood on the Shroud is type AB.
Dr Kearse argued that the methods lacked proper controls and could produce false positives due to contamination, such as bacteria, or degradation of the blood over centuries.
'Regarding tests to determine blood type, it could be AB, but I really don't think there's any solid scientific evidence to back that up,' he wrote in a 2020 study.
Dr Johnston estimated there are roughly 700 wounds visible on the Shroud.
The shroud first appeared in 1354 in France. After initially denouncing it as a fake, the Catholic church has now embraced the shroud as genuine. Pictured, the burial cloth was on display in 1998 in the Cathedral of Turin for the first time in 20 years
'This was a very badly wounded man, pints of type AB blood, all over it,' he said, noting that the injuries align with what is known about Roman crucifixions.
Dr Johnston also highlighted the image itself, a faint, full-body imprint of a bearded man.
'The image on the Shroud is only two microns thick and does not penetrate through the cloth,' he explained.
'If this were a hoax, painted or dyed, the material would have soaked through completely.
'Instead, the image is so thin we could shave it off with a razor. Even the world's best scientists are baffled.'
He suggested the imprint could have formed through a sudden chemical reaction triggered by an immense burst of energy, possibly corresponding to the moment of the Resurrection.
Paolo Di Lazzaro, a physicist and laser specialist at ENEA Laboratories near Rome, spent five years studying the Shroud.
His team managed to recreate the chemical change in the linen fibers using a massive burst of 34 trillion watts of energy.
This 'cold' energy, lasting just a quarter of a billionth of a second, altered the linen's structure to form the image on the Shroud, Dr Johnston explained.
Measuring 14 feet long, the linen was first publicly displayed in the 1350s and presented as the actual burial cloth of Christ.
While 1988 radiocarbon dating placed its origin between 1260 and 1390 AD, Dr Johnston contends that only a contaminated corner patch, not the original linen, was tested.
'The actual linen has never been radiocarbon dated, just the upper-left corner patch, which was contaminated,' he said.
Dr Johnston described the Shroud as 'the most lied about and misunderstood artifact in the world' and thanked Carlson for the opportunity to share his findings.
It's a concept that currently only exists in sci–fi movies.
But scientists in China are developing the world's first 'pregnancy robot' capable of carrying a baby to term and giving birth.
The humanoid will be equipped with an artificial womb that receives nutrients through a hose, experts said.
A prototype is expected to be released next year, with a selling price of around 100,000 yuan (£10,000).
Dr Zhang Qifeng, who founded the company Kaiwa Technology, is developing the machine.
The device he envisions is not simply an incubator but a humanoid that can replicate the entire process from conception to delivery, Asian media outlets report.
He said the artificial womb technology is already in a 'mature stage' and now needs to be implanted in the robot's abdomen, 'so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy'.
With regards to ethical and legal issues, he said: 'We have held discussion forums with authorities in Guangdong Province and submitted related proposals while discussing policy and legislation.'
The humanoid will be equipped with an artificial womb that receives nutrients through a hose, experts said (AI–generated image)
The development is reminiscent of the 2023 film The Pod Generation, where a tech giant offers couples the option of using detachable artificial wombs or 'pods' to share pregnancy
Experts have not yet provided any specifics on how the egg and sperm are fertilised and implanted in the artificial womb.
Dr Zhang's revelations were made during an interview shared on Duoyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
News of the development sparked intense discussion across Chinese social media, with critics condemning the technology as ethically problematic and unnatural.
Many argued that depriving a foetus of maternal connection was cruel, while questions were raised about how eggs would be sourced for the process.
However, many showed support for the innovation, viewing it as a means to spare women from pregnancy–related suffering.
One wrote: 'Many families pay significant expenses for artificial insemination only to fail, so the development of the pregnancy robot contributes to society.'
The 'biobag' provided everything the foetus needed to continue growing and maturing, including a nutrient–rich blood supply and a protective sac of amniotic fluid.
In trials, researchers have shown that premature lambs kept in artificial wombs not only survived but put on weight and grew hair (pictured)
After 28 days of being in the bag, the lambs – which otherwise would likely have died – had put on weight and grown wool.
While the biobag acts like an incubator, allowing premature individuals to grow in an environment similar to the womb, scientists hope the pregnancy robot will be able to support the foetus from conception to delivery.
Since the 1970s, feminist activists such as Andrea Dworkin have been strongly opposed to the use of artificial wombs on the grounds that it could lead to the 'end of women'.
In 2012, Ms Dworkin wrote: 'Women already have the power to eliminate men and in their collective wisdom have decided to keep them.
'The real question now is, will men, once the artificial womb is perfected, want to keep women around?'
In 2022 a group of researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia – who have been developing artificial wombs – published an article on the ethical considerations of technology.
The researchers wrote: 'A concern is that it could lead to the devaluation or even pathologizing of pregnancy, and may diminish women's experience of deriving meaning, empowerment, and self–fulfillment from this unique aspect of female biology.'
Earlier this year, however, a survey showed that 42 per cent of people aged 18–24 said they would support 'growing a foetus entirely out of woman's body'.
Artificial wombs, like this concept showcased by Eindhoven University in 2019, allow a child to be raised without a biological mother. In a survey conducted by the think–tank Theos, 42 per cent of people aged 18–24 said they would support 'growing a foetus entirely outside of a woman's body'
The development is reminiscent of the 2023 film The Pod Generation, where a tech giant offers couples the option of using detachable artificial wombs or 'pods' to share pregnancy.
If it comes to fruition, the humanoid pregnancy could be seen as a tool to help tackle rising rates of infertility in China.
Reports suggest the rates of infertility in China rose from 11.9 per cent in 2007 to 18 per cent in 2020.
In response, local governments in China are including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization treatments in medical insurance coverage to support childbirth for infertile couples.
Around 10 per cent of all pregnancies worldwide result in premature labour - defined as a delivery before 37 weeks.
When this happens, not all of the baby's organs, including the heart and lungs, will have developed. They can also be underweight and smaller.
Tommy's, a charity in the UK, says this can mean so-called preemies 'are not ready for life outside the womb'.
Premature birth is the largest cause of neonatal mortality in the US and the UK, according to figures.
Babies born early account for around 1,500 deaths each year in the UK. In the US, premature birth and its complications account for 17 per cent of infant deaths.
Babies born prematurely are often whisked away to neonatal intensive care units, where they are looked after around the clock.
What are the chances of survival?
Less than 22 weeks is close to zero chance of survival
22 weeks is around 10%
24 weeks is around 60%
27 weeks is around 89%
31 weeks is around 95%
34 weeks is equivalent to a baby born at full term
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Categorie:SF-snufjes }, Robotics and A.I. Artificiel Intelligence ( E, F en NL )
World's first robot OLYMPICS get off to a rocky start: Humanoids from 16 nations crash and collapse as they attempt to compete in boxing, athletics, and football
It sounds like an event from the latest science fiction blockbuster.
But the world's first robot Olympics have officially kicked off in China this week.
The three–day event, called the World Humanoid Robot Games, will see humanoid robots from 16 countries compete across a range of events.
The AI bots will go head–to–head in sports such as football, track and field, boxing, and table tennis.
They'll also tackle robot–specific challenges – from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services.
However, human athletes can rest easy for now.
At one of the first events – five–aside football – 10 robots the size of seven–year–olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse.
Meanwhile, over in the athletics, one mechanical racer barrelled straight into a human operator, who was dramatically knocked to the ground.
It sounds like an event from the latest science fiction blockbuster. But the world's first robot Olympics has officially kicked off in China this week
The three–day event, called the World Humanoid Robot Games, will see humanoid robots from 16 countries compete across a range of events
At one of the first events, five–aside football, 10 robots the size of seven–year–olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse
The teams come from countries including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, with 192 representing universities and 88 from private enterprises.
The games began in Beijing today, with over 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they competed in events from the 100–metre hurdles to kung fu.
'We come here to play and to win. But we are also interested in research,' said Max Polter, a member of HTWK Robots football team from Germany, affiliated with Leipzig University of Applied Sciences.
'You can test a lot of interesting new and exciting approaches in this contest.
'If we try something and it doesn't work, we lose the game.
'That's sad but it is better than investing a lot of money into a product which failed.'
In a 1,500–metre race, domestic champion Unitree's humanoids stomped along the track at an impressive clip, easily outpacing their rivals.
The fastest robot, witnessed by AFP, finished in 6:29:37.
In a 1,500–metre race, the humanoids stomped along the track at an impressive pace
The teams come from countries including the United States, Germany, and Brazil, with 192 representing universities and 88 from private enterprises
The Beijing municipal government is among the organising bodies for the event, underscoring the emphasis Chinese authorities place on the emerging robotics industry and reflecting the country's broader ambitions in AI and automation
China's robotics push also comes as the country grapples with an ageing population and slowing economic growth
However, it's worth pointing out that this is a far cry from the human men's world record of 3:26:00.
The Beijing municipal government is among the organising bodies for the event, underscoring the emphasis Chinese authorities place on the emerging robotics industry and reflecting the country's broader ambitions in AI and automation.
China's robotics push also comes as the country grapples with an ageing population and slowing economic growth.
The sector has received government subsidies exceeding $20 billion over the past year, while Beijing plans to establish a one trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund to support AI and robotics startups.
China has staged a series of high–profile robotics events in recent months, including what it called the world's first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing, a robot conference and the opening of retail stores dedicated to humanoid robots.
However, the marathon drew criticism after several robot competitors emitted smoke during the race and some failed to complete the course, raising questions about the current capabilities of the technology.
Still, while some may view such competitions and events as publicity stunts, industry experts and participants see them as crucial catalysts for advancing humanoid robots toward practical real–world applications.
Morgan Stanley analysts in a report last week noted a surge in attendance to a recent robot conference from the general public compared to previous years, saying this showed 'how China, not just top government officials, has embraced the concept of embodied intelligence.'
China has staged a series of high–profile robotics events in recent months, including what it called the world's first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing, a robot conference and the opening of retail stores dedicated to humanoid robots
'We believe this widespread interest could be instrumental for China's continued leadership in the humanoid race, providing the necessary talent, resources, and customers to boost industry development and long–term adoption,' they said.
Booster Robotics, whose humanoid robots are being used by a Tsinghua University team in the football competition, views soccer as an effective test of perception, decision–making and control technologies that could later be deployed in factories or homes.
'Playing football is a testing and training ground for helping us refine our capabilities,' said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics.
Fresh claims about the infamous 2004 'Tic Tac'UFO encounter are reigniting fierce debate over the true nature of the mysterious craft observed by US Navy pilots off the coast of Southern California.
Journalist and UFO investigator Ross Coulthart has sparked controversy by asserting that the craft, captured on video and later released by the Pentagon, is actually advanced man-made technology developed by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.
Coulthart suggested the craft may have been operated psionically, controlled through advanced mental or neurological means, and could be the product of reverse-engineering non-human technology recovered by the US government.
Coulthart, who has long investigated UAP secrecy, suggested the encounter was part of a covert military program rather than an alien visitation.
'I now know categorically that the Tic Tac is Lockheed Martin technology,' he claimed, adding that multiple similar craft were spotted over several days, possibly indicating advanced tests of this classified technology.
Yet Lee suspected such claims are deliberate misdirection aimed at hiding the true extraterrestrial origins of these crafts.
He noted historical records, including the 1561 Nuremberg 'cylindrical flying objects' and the 1890s US 'airship wave,' as evidence of long-standing unexplained aerial phenomena beyond human capabilities.
'There is a strong chance that what we are seeing is beyond human technology, and attempts to explain it as secret military hardware serve only to distract the public,' Lee said.
Some experts, like Dr Ajaz Ali from Ravensbourne University, caution that many UFO sightings stem from advanced but earthly technology.
One of the pilots, Cmdr. David Fravor, later reported observing a white, capsule-shaped craft
Cold War-era reconnaissance missions by the US and Soviet Union, such as U-2 spy plane flights, and modern drone developments have often been mistaken for extraterrestrial craft.
'The shapes and behaviors of modern drones and spy aircraft closely mimic those reported in UFO encounters,' Ali said, noting that declassified documents have linked covert aerial operations to the rise of UFO lore.
Despite decades of investigation, the true identity of the Tic Tac craft remains a mystery, fueling an ongoing clash between believers in secret military tech and advocates of alien visitation theories.
'It's possible we'll never fully understand this intelligence,' Lee concluded. 'It may be far beyond anything we currently comprehend.'
However, the mystery of the Tic Tac remains unsolved, leaving both believers in extraterrestrial intelligence and advocates of secret military technology debating what exactly is flying above our heads.
'It's conceivable that it was being operated neuro-meditatively, psionically, by a human psionic,' Coulthart said.
'It makes no scientific sense to me that the Tic Tac UFO is Lockheed Martin technology,' Lee told the Daily Mail.
'There have been many documented sightings throughout history of the same type of craft, even before the technological age.
'These sightings are well-documented. There was definitely something technological in their skies, but it wasn't ours.
'What it is or where it comes from, I do not know. That is the question we are all trying to answer.'
Lee agreed that there may be attempts to reverse-engineer alien technology and suspects that the reporting around the Tic Tac sighting is intended to divert attention from this.
He claimed efforts to portray such craft as secret military technology are designed to prevent the public from realizing that aliens regularly visit Earth.
'I suspect the US military is diverting us away from what they actually know about this technology, which is most likely extraterrestrial in origin,' he said.
'However, I'm also sure that reverse engineering programs are ongoing—this has been confirmed to me by a senior intelligence contact in the UK military, though with limited success.'
'There are a lot of so-called UFO experts making wild claims, all wanting to be the messiah who brings us the truth, but the reality is we do not know, and maybe never will fully understand what this intelligence is. It may be far beyond anything we can comprehend.'
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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.
Op deze blog vind je onder artikels, werk van mezelf. Mijn dank gaat ook naar André, Ingrid, Oliver, Paul, Vincent, Georges Filer en MUFON voor de bijdragen voor de verschillende categorieën...
Veel leesplezier en geef je mening over deze blog.
