☕️ Did the human kiss begin as an ape grooming ritual?

Good morning. If you feel like emigrating from Earth after the 2024 US election don’t panic, I’ve found the perfect remedy: Project Hyperion, a new design competition which is calling for submissions for the design of a crewed interstellar generation ship which will spend decades among the stars!

For the competition, a team of at least one architectural designer, one engineer, and one social scientist is tasked with designing the habitat of a generation ship, including its architecture, and system of societal organization.

The constraints applications must adhere to are as follows:

• The duration for the hypothetical mission is 250 Earth years from launch to arrival at the destination.

• The target destination is a rocky planet with an artificial ecosystem created by a precursor probe.

• The generation ship/habitat generates Earth equivalent gravity via rotation.

• The habitat will provide atmospheric conditions similar to Earth.

• The habitat shall protect its inhabitants from radiation and possible impacts.

• The ship should be able to accommodate 1000 +-500 people over the entire trip duration.

Some pro tips from a science fiction connoisseur:

• Privacy: How will the design of the ship ensure inhabitants can achieve privacy given they are going to be confined to a ship with hundreds of people?

• Mental health: How will the design of the habit mimic Earth's natural environment?

• Conflict resolution: How will the design of the habitat minimize potential conflict, and how will the social system deal with possible unethical behavior?

• Intimacy: How will the design of the ship allow for intimacy between inhabitants?

• Social Hierarchy: How will social roles be allocated/enforced?

• Connection to Earth: How will inhabitants maintain their connection to Earth?

Go channel that rage!

—Dylan J. Dance

SCIENCE

💋 Did the human kiss begin as an ape grooming ritual?. A new hypothesis suggests that kissing may have evolved from grooming behaviors observed in modern-day apes. Evolutionary psychologist Adriano Lameira posits that a lip-protruding, suction-like action during grooming may be the most ancient form of kissing, which later evolved into a symbol of affection in human society.

🌍 Earth underwent a massive, rapid melting period after the last global ice age, new study suggests. Virginia Tech-led research reveals that after the last ice age, Earth experienced a "plumeworld ocean" era, where extreme carbon dioxide levels forced a rapid global thaw. This transformation led to dramatic shifts in ocean chemistry and highlights the delicate balance of climate forces on Earth.

⚛️ Study identifies promising materials for fusion reactors. Scientists from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have conducted a comprehensive screening of potential materials for use in nuclear fusion reactors. Tungsten and tantalum are among the materials shortlisted, and further neural network simulations may better simulate the real-world reactor conditions.

❓ Quest for a deeper theory of fundamental particles hits a curious snag. Adding more Higgs bosons to the standard model results in mathematical inconsistencies, researchers report. This popular concept of extending the standard model faces challenges in maintaining the integrity of fundamental theories, leaving open questions about the true nature of matter.

🔬 It Might Be Possible to Detect Gravitons After All. Physicists have devised a new method that may allow the detection of gravitons—hypothetical particles that carry the force of gravity. By blending our understanding of gravitational waves with modern quantum technologies, this approach challenges long-held beliefs about the impossibility of detecting individual gravitons.

💡 Quest for a deeper theory of fundamental particles hits a curious snag. Recent analysis has found that adding extra Higgs bosons to the standard model of particle physics leads to mathematical inconsistencies. The findings highlight the challenges physicists face in expanding the standard model to explain phenomena like dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetry.

TECH

💻 Interpol disrupts cybercrime activity on 22,000 IP addresses, arrests 41. Interpol announced the arrest of 41 individuals and the takedown of 1,037 servers involved in cybercrime activities across 22,000 IP addresses. The international operation, named Synergia II, spanned 95 countries and focused on combating ransomware, phishing, and information stealers.

🚄 The hyperloop lives on as a 1/12th scale model in Switzerland. A Swiss team conducted a successful test of a 1/12th scale hyperloop model in Lausanne. Despite setbacks in developing full-scale hyperloop systems, this experiment could serve as a basis for future advancements, according to Swisspod CEO Denis Tudor. The test demonstrated a speed of 25.3 mph on a 120-meter circular track, equivalent to 88 miles on a full-scale hyperloop.

🕶️ Apple explores new direction with smart glasses for daily use. Apple is reportedly developing advanced smart glasses aimed at enhancing the day-to-day lives of its users. The glasses are rumored to integrate AR capabilities while looking as inconspicuous as a pair of prescription glasses, which could be a significant step towards broader consumer adoption of AR technology.

🌊 Seal whisker-inspired sensor monitors ocean turbulence. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new sensor inspired by seal whiskers to monitor ocean turbulence. By mimicking the unique twisted cylindrical shape of seal whiskers, these sensors can detect changes in underwater turbulence more sensitively than traditional sound wave technology, which can disturb marine life. This technology is vital for advancing offshore wind energy monitoring and safety.

MEDICAL

🩺 Diabetes risk soars for adults who had a sweet tooth as kids. Research shows that adults who had a high-sugar diet during childhood are more prone to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Studying the effects of sugar rationing in 1950s UK, scientists found that early-life sugar exposure had long-lasting impacts on metabolic health, providing new insights into dietary effects across lifetimes.

🧠 Critical link between myelin repair failure and neuron damage in multiple sclerosis. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that blocking certain protein pathways can prevent neuron death in mouse models with multiple sclerosis. This study reveals why failed myelin repair leads to severe neuronal damage and suggests new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.

🦠 Why finding bird flu in a U.S. pig for the first time is raising new worries. For the first time, H5N1 bird flu has been found in a U.S. pig, sparking concerns about the animal acting as a mixing vessel for flu viruses. The ability of both bird and human influenza viruses to infect pigs raises fears of new hybrid strains capable of spreading among humans.

SPACE

🔭 NASA's Parker Solar Probe to glimpse Venus' surface tomorrow before historic sun encounter. NASA's Parker Solar Probe will perform a final swing past Venus, bringing it closer to the sun than any human-made object has ever been. Scientists aim to use this close flyby to capture detailed images of Venus' surface, while the gravity assist will help the probe achieve a record-setting distance from the sun.

🚀 China's new spaceship is a blatant ripoff of SpaceX's Starship. China's Long March 9 rocket design is drawing comparisons to SpaceX's Starship. This newly revealed spacecraft, intended to be a reusable rocket for lunar missions by 2030, appears to borrow heavily from SpaceX's blueprints, sparking debates on China's approach to space innovation and competition.

🌌 Astronomers spot unusually synchronized star formation in ancient galaxy for the 1st time. For the first time, astronomers have observed synchronized star formation in an ancient galaxy called NGC 1386. Roughly 61 groups of young stars formed simultaneously, arranged like "pearls on a ring" around the galaxy's center. This discovery challenges the conventional belief that star formation significantly decreases as galaxies age.

CLIMATE

🌧️ Delhi wants artificial rain to tackle worsening air pollution. Facing severe air pollution, Delhi's government is considering using artificial rain to alleviate the deteriorating air quality. Environment Minister Gopal Rai is pushing for cloud seeding to combat the hazardous pollution levels that spike each winter due to cold air trapping pollutants from vehicle emissions, farm fires, and other sources.

WORLD

🎼 Bach, Mozart, or jazz: Scientists provide a quantitative measure of variability in music pieces. Scientists at MPI-DS analyzed over 450 jazz improvisations and 99 classical compositions to study variability in music. They found that while classical pieces exhibit high initial autocorrelation, improvisational pieces like jazz offer more surprises. This quantitative measure could help understand how emotions are evoked by music.

🌐 North Korean soldiers deployed to Ukraine reportedly 'gorging' on uncensored internet's porn. According to a report, North Korean soldiers stationed near Ukraine have gained unprecedented access to an uncensored internet. With North Korea's typically restricted internet access, many soldiers are reportedly "gorging" on pornography and getting a glimpse into life beyond the strict government censorship.

💣 Polling location bomb threats traced to Russian emails, FBI reports. The FBI has issued a warning after multiple polling locations across Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin received fake bomb threats believed to originate from Russian email domains. Although none of the threats were deemed credible, the goal appears to be creating chaos and sowing doubt during the US election, according to officials.

🤖 Meta's military AI project raises ethical concerns. A recent report by The New York Times reveals that Meta is working on a project to develop AI capabilities for military use. This partnership with US defense agencies has raised questions about the ethical implications of big tech’s involvement in military operations and sparked debate on the role of AI in warfare.

🐱 Physicist and his cat 'reveal' the equation of cat motion. A physicist at the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics has developed an equation to describe cat movement, inspired by his own cat, Eme. The equation models a cat's behavior in response to human presence, providing an amusing yet insightful way to understand classical mechanics through feline interactions.

Thanks for reading!