Over 1,600 Fast Radio Bursts Caught Coming From A Single Source In Just 47 Days
The largest set of fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever has been released. FRBs are mysterious radio wave emissions, releasing the equivalent energy of what the Sun produces over months in under a second. Most FRBs flare once, making them hard to trace. Some repeat on a regular cycle, like FRB 121102, making it easier to predict and observe them. New observations caught 1,652 detections from FRB 121102 over the course of 47 active days.
Oldest Known Hominin Footprints Found On Crete Date Back 6 Million Years
Footprints fossilized on a beach in Crete from members of the extended human family are even more ancient than previously reported, making them the oldest direct evidence we have of bipedalism in our ancestry. Using the magnetic polarity of the layer in which the prints were found, and species abundance of accompanying marine organisms, researchers estimate the tracks are in sediments laid down 6.05 million years ago.
New Compound Selectively Kills Lyme Disease Bacteria, Eradication Could Be Possible
A new compound could prevent Borreliella burgdorferi from progressing Lyme disease from acute to long-term Lyme, halting the disease in its tracks. Hygromycin A is a known antimicrobial compound produced by another bacteria, and is potent against B. burgdorferi specifically. When researchers applied the compound to mice infected with Lyme disease, it cleared the infection whilst leaving the microbiome in a healthier state than current antibiotics.
Penguins Have Rare Ability To Match Squawks To Faces
Penguins can match their pals’ squawks to their physical appearance – a talent previously unknown in the avian kingdom (except, of course, for crows.) This ability – integrating various bits of information from all different senses – is a sign of higher-order cognitive function. This discovery provides valuable insights into the evolution of communication and cognition. This ability is thought to be a result of the African penguins’ natural territory and behavior.
At 90, William Shatner Is The Oldest Person To Go To Space
On Wednesday, legendary Star Trek actor William Shatner became the oldest person to go to space. The trip lasted 10 minutes and 17 seconds in total. The four-person crew reached an altitude of 107 kilometers (66 miles), experienced microgravity, and then came back down, landing in the Texas desert where Jeff Bezos met them with champagne. Shatner described going up to the edge of space as “the most profound experience I can imagine.”
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LISTEN NOW – Can We Achieve Unlimited Energy? New Podcast Episode Out Now
Humanity's ever-growing need for energy is not sustainable. The way we get power has to change. This week’s question is about a potential new approach. Can we master nuclear fusion and achieve unlimited energy? Join us for the latest episode of our podcast, IFLScience The Big Questions, where we talk to Dr Elise Delchambre of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor – the world's largest fusion experiment – about nuclear fusion and how it might change the world.
