Newton 'did' come up with his theory of gravity, but he was not hit on the head by an apple. He, actually, observed an apple falling from a tree and was inspired to think about the forces that govern the motion of falling objects and thus dicovered gravity.
Back to the point, welcome to my blog. In this weekly write up on current science affairs/news, I try to delve into the exciting current science events and research that happened in the past week or so, trying to explore the latest technologies anbreakthroughs/events that occurred in science.
Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply a science enthusiast, this article will provide you an engaging and informative insights and update you about the fascinating research that happened in the field of science past week.
 |
| Current science news of week/Jan Week 4 www.mufawad.com |
In today's blog, you will read about whether earth's core has really stopped rotating, Our old friend; a comet visited us again after 50000 years, Discovery of mummified crocodiles in Egyptian grave, How two billion tonnes CO2 were removed from atmosphere, Why we need to set a clock on moon, Last but not least a robot which changes state to move from one place to another.
2 Billion Tonnes of carbon removed from Atmosphere in 2022 - Carbon Dioxide Removal report
A report published on January 19, 2023 namely 'Report on carbon dioxide removal' estimated that 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide was removed from atmosphere in 2022.
 |
| Pic source: Getty Images |
The report points out that mostly conventional methods are being used in CDR which include plantation, restoring forests and soil management. However, only meagre 0.1% of carbon removal is achieved by newer technologies such as power plants that capture and store emissions, Direct air capture technologies that extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and Biochar, also called as biological charcoal which absorbs net carbon from the atmosphere.
But at the same time, the report suggests that this was not enough to meet Paris agreement (2016) aim of limiting global warming to not more that than 2°C above Pre-Industrial levels.
It argues that focus should not only be on the carbon dioxide removal but also on reducing the emissions itself. If the emissions are not reduced, the world will need to remove further 0.96 billion more tonnes of carbon dioxide each year by 2030. By 2050, this will would rise even more, to around 4.8 billion tonnes above 2020 levels.
Therefore, deep emission cuts are need of tye hour alongside with scaled up and novel methods of carbon removal, says scientists, to stop global warming.
Mummified crocodiles found in Egyptian Tomb
Ten crocodiles were recently found in an Egyptian tomb in mummified form at Qubbat al-Hawa on the west bank of the River Nile.
 |
| Pic Source: CNN |
These mummified crocodiles are estimated to be about 2500 years old. The crocodile are said to have played an important role in Egyptian culture as it is known that crocodiles were mummified ritualistically to honour "Sobek", a fertility god. They were also source of food and medicine for ancient egyptians.
It is pertinent to mention that Mummified animals such as cats, baboons, dogs are commonly found in Egyptian tombs. Even crocodile have earlier been dug up from the tombs but most of them have been found to be juveniles.
Another significant aspect about the new finding is that these crocodiles are mostly adults and in proper shape. Five of them are only heads, other four with few missing body parts where as one crocodile about seven feet long was found with complete body parts.
The crocodiles were found covered with linen that was eaten by insects, but no resins. Normally, animal and human mummies have been found wrapped in linen bandages and resin.
The absence of resin indicates that the crocodiles were probably mummified before the Ptolemaic period, which lasted between 332 B.C. and 30 B.C. as resins are said to have been used from Ptolemaic period onwards.
The researchers also identified that the crocodiles belonged to two different species i.e C. suchus and C. niloticus, based on skull and bony plates.
Astronomers to set own clock on the moon
On 11 december 2022, the spacecraft Orion reached back to earth and splashed into Pacific ocean post Artemis I mission. The mission is part of $93-billion plan to put astronauts back on the Moon by 2024 in Artemis II, Artemis III and so on. It will not be wrong to say that the moon is back into the limelight for the Space agencies.
 |
| Pic Source: Wikipedia |
However there is a problem and that is the Moon doesn’t currently have own time. The Lunar missions use UTC/Zullu Time, known earlier as Greenwich mean time. This practice works 'Ok' for independent missions, but, according to astronomers, it will be problematic for multiple spacecrafts coordinating together and with space agencies on ground.
So, stakeholders in space research worldwide met recently to define "Lunar Time" at Netherlands. An official universalized lunar time would benifit established space agencies as well as private companies who otherwise would have to come up with their own innovative solutions.
The need for lunar time also arisies from the plans to create a Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) for the Moon by 2030, which will be similar to GPS, for precise location tracking of the crafts on/near the moon.
Normally, Missions point out the location of satallites using radio signals but with umpteen number of missions planned by different countries across globe, such arrangements won't be enough according to scientists.
Lunar GNSS would also place dedicated satellites around the Moon, each containing their own atomic clock named 'Satnav'. Thus, Moon missions would need an official lunar time to cooperate and communicate between these satallites, since all of them have to confirm to one sort of time reference.
NASA and ESA are also developing internet for moon and solar system called LunaNet. LunaNet would enable satellite navigation, communication and computing systems to form network similar to the Internet, regardless of which nation installs them. So, first creating the lunar time will be indispensable for such system.
The issue which bothers astronomers is whether single universal lunar time shall be used everywhere or shall it be divided into time zones that link to the Sun’s position in the sky.
Furthermore, defining lunar time may not be as simple as it is thought. The issue with the Moon is that its gravitational pull is weaker than Earth’s, meaning that, to an observer on Earth, a lunar clock would run faster than the Earth. The clock’s speed would also change depending on its position on the lunar surface, because of the Moon’s rotation. That thing also needs to be contemplated with.
Has Earth's core started rotating in different direction.
The Earth consists of three layers i.e the crust, mantle and core, each seperated by interlayer and intralayer discontinuities.
Recently, a study published in Nature Geoscience suggested that Earth’s inner core has started spinning slower than the surface.
 |
| Pic Source: Showmetech.com |
It was in 1960s, when scientists 'for the first time' discovered that the inner core rotates faster than the planet’s mantle, the layer just above the outer core by one tenth of a degree per year. This phenomenon is called super rotation.
However, other group of scientists believed that the super rotation was a discreet and periodic rather than continuous, where as few others argue that super-rotation does not exist at all.
However last year, it was reported in a study that from 1961 to 1972, the Earth’s inner core underwent a 'Subrotation’ i.e rotated relatively slower than the mantle. Only after 1972, did it speed up and begin to super-rotate again.
Now, it has been found from another study of the earthquakes between 1995 and 2021 that the inner core has again halted its spin relative to the mantle by around 2009 and has again gone into the sub-rotation phase.
Whether the relative change in the rotation of core affects earths magnetic field, gravitation, changes in the length of a day on Earth need to be studied.
Metal robot can melt its way out of tight spaces to escape
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania led by Carim Al Majidi created a robot that not only shifts its shape but also alters between liquid and solid state.
 |
| Pic source: New Scientist |
The minature robot is made from a mix of liquid metal i.e Gallium and microscopic magnetic fillings made of neodymium, iron and boron and can stretch, move and melt.
It can liquefy and reform, allowing itself to work at normally inaccessible places and even escape through cages.
The researchers made the millimetre-sized robot from a mix of the liquid metal gallium and microscopic pieces of a magnetic material made of neodymium, iron and boron.
These robots can support objects 30 times of their own mass. To make it stretch, move, or even jump, the researchers have to put it under external magnetic force.
Curiously, when Majidi and his colleagues used an alternating magnetic field, these robot generated electric currents. The conduction of these currents through the robot’s body heated and melted it.
Exploiting further their flexibility, the team also made two robots carry and solder a small light bulb onto a circuit board. In another experiment inside an artificial stomach, the researchers applied magnetic fields to make the robot approach an object, melt over it and drag it out.
The team also shaped the robot like a Lego, then made it escape from a cage by Liquefication, giving legitimacy to the headlines that how a metal robot can melt its way out of tight spaces to escape.
Rare green comet to pass by the Earth by end of January
A rare green coloured comet named C/2022 E3, will fly by the earth by the end of January and will be closest to the earth on 2nd February.
The comet spends most of its time on the outermost edges of the solar system, in what is known as 'Oort cloud'.
 |
| Pic Source: Futurism.com |
It will pass as near as 45 million kilometres to the Earth i.e about one fifth of the distance between Earth and Mars.
The comet completes an orbits around the Sun in around 50000 years and the last time it moved across our home planet was when Humans were fighting with Neanderthals for their survival.
By 1st/2nd February, the comet would be visible with the naked eye and is expected to remain visible 'via aids' till the middle of the month before it slips away back towards the Oort cloud.
The comet was first spotted by astronomers at Zwicky Transient Facility in California in March 2022, near Jupiter. It appears green because its contains rare diatomic carbon gas.
