Jan 18th, 2021 - Astronomers have detected a strange signal coming from a group of neutron stars that could be the fingerprints of a long-sought elementary particle – and maybe even dark matter. An unexplained excess of X-rays hints at axions, hypothetical “ghost” particles that could solve several long-standing physics puzzles. When massive stars go supernova, they can leave behind neutron stars – extremely dense cores with powerful magnetic fields. A group of neutron stars nicknamed the Magnificent Seven was expected to produce ultraviolet light and low-energy X-rays, but a few years ago ... [Read More]

Jan 18th, 2021 - COPYRIGHT © 1998 - 2021 SCITECHDAILY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All 468 Stars in Milky Way Stellar Stream Theia 456 Are Related – “It’s Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack” Examination of Theia 456 finds its nearly 500 stars were born at same time. The Milky Way A stellar stream is a rare linear pattern — rather than a cluster — of stars. After combining multiple datasets captured by the Gaia space telescope, a team of astrophysicists found that all of Theia 456’s 468 stars were born at the same time and are traveling in the same direction across the sky. “Most stellar clusters ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2021 - New research suggests that some beetles are adept at hiding their food from competitors. Some beetles go to great – and disgusting – lengths for their children. They scout for a dead mouse or bird, dig a hole and bury it, pluck its fur or feathers, roll its flesh into a ball and cover it in goop – all to feed their future offspring. Now scientists think that goo might do more than just slow decay. It also appears to hide the scent of the decomposing bounty and boosts another odor that repels competitors. “It helps them to hide their resource from others," said Stephen Trumbo, who ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2021 - Jan. 17 (UPI) -- California-based Virgin Orbit made its first successful flight to orbit Sunday using a rocket launched from a plane over the Pacific Ocean, announcing later that the satellites aboard were released successfully. The rocket soared into space at 2:40 p.m. EST after the company's Cosmic Girl aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400, released it from beneath a wing. "Payloads successfully deployed into our target orbit!," Virgin Orbit tweeted at 5:29 p.m. "We are so, so proud to say that LauncherOne has now completed its first mission to space, carrying 9 CubeSat missions into Low ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2021 - Florida Posted: Updated: TAMPA (WFLA) – The Florida Department of Health reported 11,093 new COVID-19 cases Sunday afternoon. Additionally, over one million vaccinations have been administered across the state. So far 915,897 people have received their initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 91,819 people have received their second dose. New cases reported (1,571,279 total since start of pandemic): Sunday: 11,093 Saturday: 12,119 Friday: 16,875 Thursday: 13,720 Wednesday: 13,990 Percent positive : The Florida Department of Health said it received 143,327 PCR or antigen lab results from ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2021 - Tiny gems help scientists shed light on thermal conductivity. Using tiny diamonds, or nanodiamonds, scientists have worked out how to measure heat transfer inside living cells – something they say that until now has proved difficult. “A cell’s thermal conductivity – the rate that heat can flow through an object if one side is hot and another is cold – has remained mysterious,” says Taras Plakhotnik from the University of Queensland, co-author of a study published in the journal Science Advances . But understanding this is critical to clarify how internal heat is generated and ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2021 - Most stars in the universe today are found in massive galaxies called ellipticals, named for their stretched-out-circle shape. Unlike our own galaxy, which is a spiral with arms extending out from the center, the edges of elliptical galaxies are smooth. At first glance, these galaxies might seem like simple systems. However, they are among the most mysterious objects in the cosmos. Elliptical galaxies host extremely old stars and are not forming new stars. Exactly how these dead galaxies form is a question both observational and theoretical astronomers have tried to answer for a long time . ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2021 - Covid-19 Live Updates: Biden Official Warns U.S. Virus Deaths Will Pass 500,000 Within Weeks States are reeling after the Trump administration’s vaccine promises unravel. The world is bracing for a surge of virus variants that are more contagious. RIGHT NOW Phil Spector, the imprisoned music legend, spent his last days suffering with Covid. Follow our live news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, vaccine and variants here . Biden’s incoming chief of staff warns that the virus death toll will reach 500,000 by the end of February. Officials in the incoming Biden administration braced the ... [Read More]