Author: Todd Livingston

Every year, around 1,000 type Ia supernovae explode in the sky. These bursts of stars brighten and then fade in such a repetitive pattern that they are used as “constant candles”—objects so bright that astronomers can tell the distance to one of their appearances.Our understanding of astronomy is based on these candles. Consider two of the greatest mysteries of astronomy: How is the universe expanding? And why is the increase increasing? Attempts to understand both rely heavily on distance measurements made using type Ia supernovas.However, researchers do not know exactly what causes these unusual explosions—a mystery that worries experts. If…

Caffeine levels in your blood can affect the amount of fat you carry, which can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.These are the findings of a new study that used genetic markers to establish a definitive link between caffeine levels, BMI, and risk of type 2 diabetes.The research team, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Bristol in the UK, and Imperial College London in the UK, says that caffeine-free drinks can be investigated as ways to help reduce body fat.The researchers wrote: “High levels of caffeine in blood plasma are associated with…

Building rocky planets is a messy, dangerous, hot business. The planetesimals come together, which creates the heat and pressure of the newborn world.A nearby young star blasts them with high-energy radiation. This can “remove” any oceans, lakes, or rivers, which is a disaster if you are looking for places where life can exist or exist.This is because life needs water, and the planets around these stars are among those that can support life. But, this does not look promising if the radiation is wasted.Scientists at the University of Cambridge in the UK have developed a very complex model that describes…

“Permanent chemicals” are dangerous, ubiquitous, and indestructible. The problem can be solved, however, according to health experts and scientists, if the government bans the products in the house.On Tuesday, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued strict limits on six substances and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in drinking water.It’s the first time the government has moved to regulate PFAS, a group of thousands of chemicals used in everything from dental floss and toilet paper, to household chemicals and food packaging.PFAS, aka “persistent chemicals,” take years to leave the human body, which is a big problem because it’s been linked to several cancers, thyroid…

A study of large animals from 2021 revealed something interesting about yawning: Vertebrates with larger brains and more neurons tend to yawn longer.Researchers collected data on 1,291 different yawns from zoo visits and online videos, including 55 species of mammals and 46 species of birds. They found “strong correlations” between the length of an animal’s yawn and its brain size.”We went to several zoos with a camera and waited near the enclosure for the animals to yawn,” anthropologist Jorg Massen of the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands said in a statement in 2021. “That was very long.”The research could…

Europa is the most solid object in our Sun, thanks to its ice shell. But behind its smooth exterior, Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon appears to hold a secret – a deep, salty ocean that could harbor alien life.That ocean makes Europa a prime target for scientific research, including two separate orbiters that will launch to Jupiter in the next two years.And while it will be several years before any other probes arrive, scientists are already illuminating Europa in other ways, getting information from telescope observations, past broadcasts, lab experiments, and computer simulations.In a new study, researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory…

Ancolie Stoll likes one such place called Nilatangam, a 7.5 hectare tree plantation project started by her European ancestors when Auroville was first established.Nilatangam has tall trees from different parts of the world but of only a few species. It is not as thick and difficult as the forests of the sacred forests. Instead, the trees are well spaced, like garden plants, with walkways and plenty of space for the plants to grow naturally.Stoll works with Blanchflower and Baldwin in the garden and says that, in Nilatangam, he has recently planted a large variety of this type of green. In…

Two newly discovered genes have been linked to schizophrenia while a gene previously known to be associated with schizophrenia risk has also been linked to autism in a major new study.Scientists say the findings improve our understanding of brain diseases and could lead to new treatments.Importantly, this is the first known study to look at the risk of schizophrenia in different groups of people, especially those with African ancestry. It revealed a rare negative variant of the protein gene leads to the risk of schizophrenia in all species.As with many brain diseases, The causes of schizophrenia are varied and complex,…

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how the world we call home, with its big cities and peaceful gardens, was ruled by dinosaurs as big as buses and five-story buildings.But recent research has improved our understanding of why dinosaurs succeeded: the answer may lie in their unique bones, shaped like Aero chocolate.A Brazilian paleontologist, Tito Aureliano, discovered that hollow bones filled with air sacs were so important to the survival of dinosaurs that they changed several times over the generations.According to the study, air-powered skeletons evolved in three distinct lineages: the pterosaurs, the technically flightless reptiles, and two dinosaur lineages, the…

A team of scientists has discovered the secret that makes this bird glow.Kryptopterus vitreolus it creates a rainbow of colors on its sides as it moves through the water. This impressive light within its glass-like body makes the native of Thailand a popular choice among aquarium owners around the world.It also caught the attention of Qibin Zhao, an astrophysicist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, as he wandered into a water store. So like any scientist who wants to know more, he decided to study.(Qibin Zhao/Shanghai Jiao Tong University)In nature, the dancing rainbow known as iridescence is often caused…