SETI is a generic acronym that stands for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Scientists doing SETI experiments are looking for proof, not merely of life elsewhere, but of intelligent beings in other star systems. How is it done? Scientists have realized that we can't find aliens by just flying to other planets. Although movies and … Continue reading Understanding SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Jupiter, the most massive planet in our solar system, has correspondingly humongous storms, some of which last for centuries. Some of these storms also generate terrific bolts of lightning, according to a new study by University of California, Berkeley scientists. Some flashes are 100 times more powerful than Earth's lightning and possibly much stronger. The … Continue reading Juno Spacecraft Reveals Jupiter’s Lightning Mysteries
Spintronics is an emerging field of basic and applied research in physics and engineering where the “neglected” magnetic degree of freedom of an electron, its spin, is envisaged to be exploited for classical and quantum information processing. While metallic spintronics has already delivered functional devices (GMR read heads in large capacity hard disk drives), and … Continue reading Understanding Spintronics: Key Challenges and Innovations
New simulations show that magnetic field interactions can decrease the distance between still-forming binary protostars. These results can help explain the characteristics of the binary star systems observed in the Milky Way. The results can also be extrapolated to binary black holes, giving insights into how supermassive black holes evolve. The work is published in … Continue reading New Simulations Reveal Binary Black Hole Formation Secrets
Tightly spaced planets inside an alien solar system known as Kepler-80 boast a rare orbital configuration. Mariah MacDonald, an undergraduate, and Darin Ragozzine, an assistant professor of physics and space sciences, both at Florida Institute of Technology, led the study. The unusual planetary array deepens the ongoing examination of similar systems known as STIPs (Systems … Continue reading Understanding Synchronized Orbits of Exoplanets in Kepler-80
Eirsat-1, the first fully Irish-designed satellite, was built by UCD staff and students as part of an educational programme by the European Space Agency. It is set to fall out of orbit this week and disintegrate in the atmosphere, marking the culmination of a pioneering UCD-led project that has nurtured a generation of home-grown space … Continue reading UCD’s Eirsat-1: Transforming Irish Space Science
Hot enough to melt metal and blanketed by a toxic, crushing atmosphere, Venus ranks among the most hostile locations in the solar system. But astronomers have reported the detection of two gases that could point to the presence of life forms lurking in the Venusian clouds. Findings presented at the national astronomy meeting in Hull … Continue reading Venus: The Hunt for Life in Harsh Conditions
Avi Loeb is not exactly someone whom one may call an outsider to the scientific community. As a reputed scholar and the longest serving chair of Harvard’s Department of Astronomy, he is a well-known and reputed physicist with many years of experience in astrophysics and cosmology. It is therefore somewhat surprising that in this book … Continue reading Is ʻOumuamua an Alien Artifact: Exploring Avi Loeb’s Controversial Theory
