☕️ Life on Uranus Moons Now

Good morning. I loved reading about the father-daughter duo who won the race to decode the fake extraterrestrial message sent from Mars to test humanity. If you missed it, let me recap it for you.

The signal, transmitted in May 2023 from the European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), was part of an innovative art project called "A Sign in Space," led by media artist Daniela de Paulis, who serves as artist in residence at both the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute and the Green Bank Observatory.

After more than a year of dedicated effort, Ken and Keli Chaffin managed to decipher the mysterious message, which appeared as white dots arranged in five distinct clusters against a black background.

Their breakthrough revealed that the signal represented five amino acids—the fundamental building blocks of life.

The pair discovered that the message contained movement patterns suggesting cellular formation and life forms.

Initial signal extraction came within just 10 days of transmission, with a community of 5,000 citizen scientists successfully pulling the message from the raw radio signal data.

The more complex task of actually decoding the signal's meaning took over a year, with the Chaffins spending countless hours running simulations and following their scientific intuition.

Pretty cute that the epic contest was won by a father-daughter duo!

—Dylan J. Dance

SCIENCE

🐠 National Geographic Scientists Discover 'World's Largest' Coral on Expedition to Solomon Islands. Scientists say they have discovered the world's largest coral — measuring longer than a blue whale — on an expedition to the Solomon Islands. The coral, found by the Pristine Seas marine scientists, measures 34 meters wide and 5.5 meters high. "It was like finding the world's tallest tree," said Enric Sala. The discovery provides hope for coral conservation amid climate challenges.

🌌 New Research Prompts Rethink on Chances of Life on Uranus Moons. Uranus and its moons may not be as lifeless as previously thought, according to new findings from re-analysis of Voyager 2 data. The presence of subsurface oceans could mean conditions suitable for life, providing a fresh perspective on these outer solar system bodies. Dr. William Dunn from University College London said, "These results suggest that the Uranian system could be much more exciting than previously thought. There could be moons there that could have the conditions that are necessary for life."

🌀 Proposed Experiment to Test Whether Gravity Behaves as a Quantum Entity. Physicists are planning an experiment to determine if gravity can behave as a quantum entity when measured. This tabletop experiment aims to resolve longstanding questions about whether gravity aligns more with general relativity or quantum mechanics. "If successful, this experiment could be a significant step towards the development of a grand unified theory of physics," said lead researcher Farhan Hanif.

🚨 Scientists Discover Laser Light Can Cast a Shadow. Can light itself cast a shadow? It may sound like a philosophical riddle, but researchers have found that under certain conditions, a laser beam can indeed cast a shadow. "Laser light casting a shadow was previously thought impossible since light usually passes through other light without interacting," said researcher Raphael Abrahao. This breakthrough could pave the way for new applications involving lasers.

🧬 Meet Evo, the DNA-Trained AI that Creates Genomes from Scratch. Scientists have introduced Evo, a new AI model trained on billions of genetic sequences. Evo can design new proteins and even microbial genomes, showcasing a powerful advance in biotechnology, similar to how ChatGPT creates content. "We don't have to wait for evolution to create a new Cas9," said lead researcher Brian Hie of Stanford University.

TECH

📉 Amazon Shuts Down Secret Project to Develop Fertility Tracker. Amazon has ended a secret project to create an at-home fertility tracking device as part of its Grand Challenge moonshot incubator. The project faced technical challenges and rising costs. "Following a recent review, we've decided to discontinue this project within Grand Challenge," said Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan.

🪳 Robot Designed to Mimic the Abilities of Dung Beetle Displays Impressive Object Manipulation Skills. A newly developed robot inspired by dung beetles can manipulate and move large objects relative to its size, thanks to an innovative modular, neural-based system. The robot's ability to traverse uneven terrain could be useful in search-and-rescue missions. "Our work could inspire other roboticists to look at other natural forms of locomotion when building robots of the future," said lead researcher Binggwong Leung.

🧮 IBM Boosts the Amount of Computation You Can Get Done on Quantum Hardware. IBM has made incremental improvements across its quantum computing hardware and software, allowing for more efficient computations. These upgrades bring us closer to a point where quantum hardware can outperform classical computers for specific tasks. "The improvements we made allow us to handle deeper quantum circuits with fewer errors," said IBM VP Jay Gambetta.

HEALTH

🎶 Study Explores How Brain Waves Reflect Melody Predictions While Listening to Music. A study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute reveals that our brains predict melodies, with different brain waves encoding musical expectations. This research may help understand why music evokes emotions and cognitive responses. "Our results show that melodic expectation metrics improve the EEG reconstruction accuracy in all frequency bands below the gamma range," said lead researcher Juan-Daniel Galeano-Otálvaro.

👶 Maternal Stress Linked to Increased Early Onset Epilepsy in Children. A new study from Japan has linked maternal psychological distress during pregnancy to a higher risk of early onset epilepsy in children. Findings emphasize the importance of stress reduction during pregnancy. "Environmental adjustments to promote relaxation in pregnant women are needed," said lead researcher Yuto Arai.

🔬 New Lens System for Endoscopes Could Allow Physicians to See Inside the Body Like Never Before. Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new metalens system that could make endoscopes smaller and more effective, providing a clearer, real-time view deep inside the body. "We are trying to extend the eyes of the surgeon or the physician deeper into the body," said Eric Seibel, a UW research professor in mechanical engineering.

SPACE

🌌 New Dark Matter Theory May Explain Galaxy Formation. A new dark matter theory proposes that dark matter interactions could play a crucial role in galaxy formation. This theory might answer lingering questions about how galaxies, including our Milky Way, took shape over billions of years. The new model aligns well with recent astronomical observations, offering a compelling insight into the structure of the universe.

🤖 A Space Walking Robot Could Build a Giant Telescope in Space. The universe has a lot of dark corners that need to be peered into. That's why researchers are proposing the idea of a space-walking robot to assemble a 25-meter-wide telescope in space. The E-Walker robot, which has seven degrees of freedom, could be a game changer for future in-space assembly missions. "This research is timely given the constant clamor for high-resolution astronomy and Earth observation," said researcher Manu H. Nair.

CLIMATE

🌡️ What Carbon Dioxide 'Jumps' from Antarctic Ice Say About Climate Change. Analysis of air bubbles trapped in Antarctic ice cores has revealed sudden 'jumps' in CO₂ concentrations that occurred naturally over the past 500,000 years. These jumps, triggered by disruptions in ocean currents, hint at possible future climate risks. "These changes could lead to additional CO₂ emissions, on top of human-made emissions," said lead researcher Etienne Legrain.

WORLD

🐨 Koala Home Invader Rummaging in Bedroom Startles Adelaide Couple Returning Home from Work. An Adelaide couple was welcomed home by an unusual intruder: a koala rummaging through their bedroom. The marsupial, which entered through a doggy door, ended up leaping on their bed before being coaxed outside. "I thought, 'Oh my god, there is a koala in my bedroom'," said Fran Dias Rufino. The koala was eventually persuaded to leave, climbing a tree in the back garden.

🛑 US Hacker Sentenced Over Bitcoin Heist Worth Billions. A hacker has been sentenced to five years in a US prison for laundering billions of dollars in stolen Bitcoin from the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange. Ilya Lichtenstein, who was involved in the 2016 theft of nearly 120,000 Bitcoin, expressed remorse and stated his hope to help fight cybercrime in the future. "It’s important to send a message that you can’t commit these crimes with impunity," said district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

🎨 British Museum Given Its Most Valuable Gift Ever with Chinese Ceramics. The British Museum is to receive what is believed to be the highest-value gift ever received by a UK museum with the acquisition of £1bn worth of Chinese ceramics. The collection, donated by the Sir Percival David Foundation, will add a special dimension to the museum's Chinese artifacts. "These celebrated objects add a special dimension to our own collection," said Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum.

Thanks for reading!