Is the James Webb Space Telescope finding the furthest, oldest, youngest or first galaxies? An astronomer explains

THE CONVERSATION

Published: August 1, 2022 

We’ve now seen the first data from the James Webb Space Telescope. It has observed the atmospheres of distant planets, groups of nearby galaxies, galaxy light bent by unseen dark matter, and clouds of gas and dust in stellar nurseries.

We have also seen headlines claiming Webb has found “the oldest galaxies we have ever seen”, but what does that mean?

I’m a professional astronomer who studies old galaxies, and even I find this a little puzzling.

Looking far, looking back

One of the key science goals of Webb is to peer back in time and observe the early Universe. Webb can do this because, like all telescopes, it is a time machine.

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Light travels at 300,000 kilometres per second, so when we look at the Moon we are seeing it as it was a second ago. As the planets of our Solar System are millions or billions of kilometres away, we see them as they were minutes or hours ago.

Going further still, when we look at distant galaxies with telescopes we are often looking at light that has taken millions or billions of years to reach us. This means we are seeing these galaxies as they were millions or billions of years ago.

Read more: When you look up, how far back in time do you see?

What has James Webb seen?

The James Webb Space Telescope is able to see more distant galaxies than other telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope.

Like Hubble it is above the glowing and turbulent atmosphere of the Earth. However, whereas Hubble has a 2.3 metre mirror for focusing light, Webb has a vast 6.5 metre mirror formed from 18 hexagonal segments. Finally, Webb is optimised to detect infrared light, which is what we observe from the most distant galaxies as the expansion of the Universe has stretched ultraviolet and infrared light into the infrared

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James Webb has a vast segmented mirror that allows it to look into the distant past. NASA

Among the first data obtained by Webb were infrared images looking towards a cluster of galaxies called SMACS 0723.

The light from SMACS 0723 has taken 4.6 billion years to reach us, so we are seeing it as it was 4.6 billion years ago. That’s slightly older than the Sun and the Earth, which only formed 4.56 billion years ago.

In recent weeks, galaxies far beyond SMACS 0723 have gained attention. Webb has detected a number of galaxies in the direction of SMACS 0723 and other regions that could be so distant their light has taken 13.5 billion years to reach us.




I say “could” because more data will be needed to absolutely confirm their distances, but some of these galaxies are very compelling candidates (others less so).

As the light has taken 13.5 billion years to reach us, we are seeing these galaxies as they were 13.5 billion years ago. The Universe itself is 13.8 billion years old, so we could be seeing galaxies as they were just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

Maisie’s Galaxy may be one of the most distant celestial objects

 yet observed. Steve Finkelstein/Twitter

Young, old or early?

While these very distant galaxies have been advertised as the “oldest galaxies”, I find this a little confusing. We are actually seeing these galaxies as they appeared when they were very young, perhaps a hundred million years old or so.

It is true that these galaxies will be old now, but our own Milky Way galaxy is very old now too. While our Sun is 4.56 billion years old, many stars in our galaxy are 10 billion years old and some stars in the Milky Way are 13 billion years old.

The galaxy we live in, the Milky Way, is billions of years old. 

Caroline Jones/Flickr

Furthermore, the very distant galaxies Webb has spotted will look very different today. Galaxies grow by acquiring gas and dark matter, forming new stars and merging with other galaxies.

A small galaxy that was vigorously forming stars soon after the Big Bang may have ended up being the seed of a galaxy that today is very massive and stopped forming stars long ago. That small galaxy and its old stars could also have ended up being just part of a larger galaxy formed relatively recently by merging galaxies together.

A record set to fall

So should we call these most distant galaxies young or old? Perhaps neither.

James Webb is seeing the earliest galaxies yet observed – some of the first galaxies that formed soon after the Big Bang.

I have thrown in one last caveat – “yet observed”. Webb has only just begun its mission, and current analyses are based on data collected over hours.

With days’ worth of data, Webb will push its view out to fainter and further objects, and see yet-more-distant galaxies. The record for the most distant and thus earliest observed galaxy will probably tumble a few times before the year is out.

Author

Michael J. I. Brown
Associate Professor in Astronomy, Monash University
Disclosure statement
Michael J. I. Brown receives research funding from the Australian Research Council and Monash University.

Astronaut's Battlestar Galactica Starbuck cosplay in space thrills sci-fi convention fans 

By Scott Dutfield 

published 1 day ago

"I haven't seen any Cylons up here yet," astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti said.

European space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti floats in weightlessness dressed as actor Katee Sackhoff's Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica on the International Space Station in July 2022. (Image credit: European Space Agency)

An astronaut on the International Space Station has once again brought cosplay to the cosmos in a new video message to sci-fi fans while dressed as Starbuck from the TV series "Battlestar Galactica."

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) shared the pre-recorded video from the International Space Station with crowds attending FedCon — a science fiction and fantasy conversion held in Germany back in early June.

Thousands of fans flock to the convention each year to meet stars of sci-fi movies and TV shows, show off their cosplay creations and attend lectures by real-world scientists.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of FedCon, the crowd was presented with a video message from Cristoforetti, dressed as the Viper pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (portrayed by Katee Sackhoff ) from the beloved 2004-2009 TV series "Battlestar Galactica," during one of ESA's talks.

In the video, Cristoforetti sports the iconic look of the character; complete with reverse tank top and shiny dog tags, which were gently floating in microgravity.

Along with wishing both attendees and her ESA colleagues well during the convention, Cristoforetti suggests that Starbuck might have been bored with Earth and journeyed back into space, following the show's finale and the character's uncertain future.

"I haven't seen any Cylons up here yet," Cristoforetti confirmed in the video, giving us all peace of mind that the fictitious villains aren't circling the space station.

This isn't the first time Cristforetti has taken science fiction into space. During her first mission aboard the ISS back in 2015, Cristoforetti was dressed as coffee-loving Captain Janeway from "Star Trek: Voyager" to celebrate the arrival of the first espresso machine aboard the station.

Also, in June last month, Cristoforetti perfectly recreated Sandra Bullock's character Dr. Stone from the smash-hit movie "Gravity," gliding effortlessly through the halls of the space station.

ESA shared Cristoforetti's video message on YouTube with a description that concluded, "While we may not yet have invented a faster-than-light drive as used in Battlestar Galactica, ESA turns science fiction into science fact every day, exploring and studying the near-Earth environment, the solar system, and the universe beyond, to innovate, inform, and inspire."

South Korean companies move to greener and affordable metaverse office spaces

Start-up Zigbang offers online working space that allows real conversation.

ByJoohee Cho and Hakyung Kate Lee
July 31, 2022

Inside South Korea’s global metaverse office spaces
Zigbang, a South Korean start-up, launched the virtual office program ‘Soma,’ which offers an online working space that allows real conversation.

SEOUL, South Korea -- A unicorn start-up company based in South Korea is offering office spaces for rent for companies wanting to go completely paperless and relocate to a more sustainable and affordable space—the metaverse.

Zigbang launched the virtual office program ‘Soma’ in May. Inside this metaverse known as the ‘Soma World’ stands the main building for working, a convention center that can accommodate up to 3,000 people, a networking hub, and the Zigbang headquarters. As the physical restraints of an offline workspace are gone, employees who work for an office inside the Soma can log in from any city or country with an internet connection.

“[Working inside Soma] is basically like meeting in the real world, but actually virtual. So there's the convenience of being far apart but still being together,” David Kim, Business development manager of Soma, told ABC News.

Zigbang employees have a conversation in front of the PropTech Tower inside the Soma world.
Zigbang

More than 2,000 people work inside the PropTech Tower, a 30-story building leased to 20 global and domestic companies. Users can work in their office with their colleagues, spend time in a shared lounge to network with other companies, or even take a virtual stroll by the deck.

Zigbang is not the only company investing in the futuristic working environment. Tech giants Meta and Microsoft are working on future workspaces using Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technology. Online world pioneers like Teamflow and Gather also provide a means of work calls and work discussions in the virtual space.

But Zigbang says Soma has an edge on the rivals by offering the most realistic office setting possible for its users. While getting rid of the physical restraints of commuting to work, Soma offers a working environment that makes everyone feel engaged. Avatars would have their walk to office spaces rather than jumping from room to room with a single click. Instead of sending instant chats, employees casually talk to each other with their own voices as they would in an actual office.

Zigbang employee works alone inside a pod placed within the shared lounge of the Soma world hub.
Zigbang

“Soma also has great strength in ESG management, a recent global issue. It can greatly help protect the environment by implementing a paperless working environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from commuting,” Sunwoong Lyuh, Zigbang's Vice President, explained to ABC News.

Zigbang, sponsored and partially funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Startups, has also become an example as part of the government's initiative to support beginning enterprises to meet ESG goals set by the United Nations.

“A company based in the metaverse dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of a workplace that may include everything from transportation used during the commute to work to office supplies like pen and paper in everyday office life,” the Ministry of Environment’s global media spokesperson Minjo Chun told ABC News.

As of now, companies that are based inside Soma are not obliged to pay rent or maintenance fees to Zigbang.


“Soma is not charging any rent to the companies leasing space inside the Soma world,” Lyuh told ABC News. “Our focus is on providing the new working experience of ‘face-to-face remote work’ to as many companies as possible.”

ABC News' Eunseo Nam and Hyerim Lee contributed to this report.

WIDE ANGLE: ETHEREAL, EVOCATIVE AND INVENTIVE

Lorna Piatti-Farnell Published July 31, 2022  

Keen observers of popular culture will have become aware of the recent inclusion of Kate Bush’s 1985 song Running Up That Hill into the storyline of the widely-watched Netflix show Stranger Things. As a result of this inclusion, Kate Bush’s classic song was catapulted (again) into the mainstream musical scene, experiencing a true resurgence in popularity and ranking highly in download charts around the world.

Kate Bush herself provided a response by issuing a rare message on social media about the whole affair, not only declaring her enthusiasm over Stranger Things, but also her gratitude for its ability to bestow “a new lease of life” upon her now famous song.

As a result of the boost in popularity of Running Up That Hill, there has been great talk of a whole new group of music listeners from the Gen Z demographic “discovering” Kate Bush’s work, and becoming instantly enamoured with it.

An anecdotal look would seem to suggest that, somehow, Kate Bush is reaching greater fame in 2022 than she did during the 1980s, a prolific creative period that many would rank (unkindly) as the peak of her musical journey. And yet, while there is no denying the instant hold that Kate Bush’s music seems to be having on current listeners, there is definitely something strange in suggesting that her fame was only moderate in previous decades.

Why the music of Kate Bush spans generations

In and Out of the Mainstream

Since her debut in the late 1970s, Kate Bush has released over 25 UK Top 40 singles, including Babooshka (5th, 1980), Hounds of Love (18th, 1986), Rubberband Girl (12th, 1993), The Red Shoes (21st, 1994), and King of the Mountain (4th, 2005).

The 2022 impact of Stranger Things on fans of her music only signals cycles of discovery, re-discovery, and re-appreciation that have been characteristic of Kate Bush’ music and performances ever since she first broke on to the scene as a decidedly avant-garde artist in 1978. Her now well-known hit Wuthering Heights, reached number one in the UK Singles charts.

So, one is left to wonder as to the reason for Kate Bush’s longstanding appeal. While there are likely many different reasons for this — undoubtedly including the ever-changing circumstances of individual music listeners — there are certainly aspects of Kate Bush’s music, performances and perhaps even persona that feed her enduring attraction.

Experimental and Innovative

Kate Bush’s music was undoubtedly experimental and innovative in the late ’70s and ’80s. Its seemingly open disregard for the dominant musical trends of the time conferred upon her songs a certain out-of-time quality, which transformed and materialised into a timeless appeal.

Her music’s refusal to fit into strict categories of genre and audience classification is perhaps what makes it able to seemingly morph according to situation, attuning itself to changing tastes, and squeezing itself into the evolving bounds of cultural relevance.

In addition to the very particular sound qualities of her music, one must also consider the visual appeal of Kate Bush’ actual performances. Her music videos, where she is known to display arresting, sinuous choreographies and floating gowns, create a dream-like atmosphere.

While a touch of the late ’70s and ’80s can certainly be spotted in her videos, with the typical soft-focus lenses of the time making an obvious appearance, her performances are beautifully strange and suggestively haunting. The choreography seen in the video for Wuthering Heights is particularly well-known in this respect. Here, Kate sports an arresting, floaty red dress, and dances lithely in a natural landscape, incorporating mesmerising movements into her routine, while a light mist surrounds her.

The recurring combination of unconventional sounds and visuals is arguably what established Kate Bush as a distinct icon: one who is not only instantly recognisable for her almost intoxicating individuality, but who is also seemingly unfettered by the restrictions of time or space.

A Contemporary Icon

There is no doubting the fact that Kate Bush’s lyrics speak to a variety of identities and desires. She has been credited as an extremely influential figure by contemporary artists such as Lady Gaga, Tori Amos, and Florence + The Machine.

Unavoidably, there is a lot of nostalgia involved in the constant re-discovery of Kate Bush’s music as well, especially for those fans whose memories are attached to her songs from different moments in time. And yet, there also seems to be something more peculiar at play. Kate Bush’s music has a certain nostalgic feel to it, even if new fans and listeners do not have any actual memories of the past associated with her songs.

There is an intimate sense of longing that is interlaced within the fabric of her work: a desire to feel, to experience and to find oneself, which makes her performances so captivating. It is perhaps this definitive characteristic that maintains Kate Bush’s multi-generational appeal, as her music continues to speak to a multitude of fans across the years.

The writer is a Professor of Film, Media, and Popular Culture at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand
Republished from The Conversation

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 31st, 2022

IGNORED THE 'HIGH RISK' WARNING

Crypto clients beg for their cash back after lender Celsius' crash

AFP Published July 31, 2022  

Celsius Network logo and representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration. - Reuters

An Irishman at risk of losing his farm. An American having suicidal thoughts. An 84-year-old widow's lost life savings: People caught in the meltdown of crypto lender Celsius are pleading for their money back.

Hundreds of letters have poured in to the judge overseeing the firm's multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy and they are heavy with anger, shame, desperation and, frequently, regret.

“I knew there were risks,” said a client whose letter was unsigned. “It seemed a worthwhile risk.”

Celsius and its CEO Alex Mashinsky had billed the platform as a safe place for people to deposit their crypto currencies in exchange for high interest, while the firm lent out and invested those deposits.

But as the value of highly volatile crypto currencies plummeted — bitcoin alone has shed over 60 percent since November — the firm faced mounting troubles until it froze withdrawals in mid-June.

The company owed $4.7 billion to its users, according to a court filing earlier this month, and the endgame is unclear.

The letters — posted to a public online court docket — come from around the world and recount tragic results of users' money being frozen.

“From that hard-working single mom in Texas struggling with past-due bills, to the teacher in India with all his hard-earned money deposited in Celsius — I believe I can speak for most of us when I say I feel betrayed, ashamed, depressed, angry,” wrote one client who signed their letter EL.

Also read: Small players lose faith in crypto after sell-off

While the letters vary in their level of sophistication about the crypto world — from self-confessed novices to all-in evangelists — and the monetary impacts range from a few hundred dollars to seven-figure sums, nearly all agree on one thing.

“I have been a loyal Celsius customer since 2019 and feel completely lied to Alex Mashinsky,” wrote a client who AFP is not identifying to protect his privacy.

“Alex would talk about how Celsius is safer than banks.”

Many of the letters point to the CEO's AMA (Ask Mashinsky Anything) online chats as key to their confidence in him and the platform, which presented itself as stable until days before it froze users' funds.

Repeated assurances before fall

“Celsius has one of the best risk management teams in the world. Our security team and infrastructure is second to none,” the firm wrote on June 7.

“We have made it through crypto downturns before (this is our fourth!). Celsius is prepared,” the firm wrote.

The message also said the company had the reserves to pay its obligations, and withdrawals were being processed as normal.

One client, who reported having $32,000 in crypto locked up at Celsius, noted the impact.

“Right up until the end, the retail investor received assurance,” the client wrote to the judge.

But that changed quickly, and on June 12 Celsius announced the freeze: “We are taking this action today to put Celsius in a better position to honor, over time, its withdrawal obligations.” Some clients got the news in a message from the company.

“By the time I finished the e-mail, I had collapsed onto the floor with my head in my hands and I fought back tears,” wrote one man who had about $50,000 in assets with Celsius.

The clients who said they were hardest hit, including a man who said he placed $525,000 he got from a government loan on Celsius, disclosed they had considered killing themselves.

Others reported heavy stress, lack of sleep and feelings of deep shame for putting their retirement savings or their children's college money into a platform that was far riskier than they knew.

“As a private unregulated company, Celsius does not come under any requirement for disclosure,” is how the Washington Post summarized the situation.

Celsius did not reply to a request for comment on the clients' letters.

For people like one 84-year-old woman, who only had her roughly $30,000 in crypto savings on Celsius for a month, their hope lies in the bankruptcy proceedings.

“It's just not unusual for people to come out of something like this with zero,” said Don Coker, an expert witness on banking and finance.

“Obviously I feel sorry for anyone who loses an investment like this, but it is just something where they need to be aware of the risks,” he said.

MOUNTAINEERING: HIGH FIVES AND HATS OFF

Shazia Hasan Published July 31, 2022 

   

Samina Baig

Samina Baig and Naila Kiani broke the cloud cover and the rocky ceiling to scale new heights and summit the world’s second highest peak, K2.

Maybe they can’t hear the cheering and applause right now because they are so high up in the mountains, but Samina Baig and Naila Kiani’s great feat of becoming the first two Pakistani women to summit K2 last week is also being celebrated by other Pakistani sportswomen. Here they are, sending their congratulatory messages to the two.

Noorena Shams
(squash player):

“It was incredible to see Samina and Naila summiting K2,” says squash player Noorena Shams. “A perfect act of resilience, strength, determination and ambition. They are simply paving the way for other girls across the nation to follow.”

The young squash player who hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also shares that, in her village, most of the women climb hills to get wood, etc. “My mother, my khala [maternal aunt] also used to climb hills in their childhood. It used to be an adventure to climb the hills every time we used to visit our native village.

“But of course I have always dreamed of free mobility for women. They do not have to climb hills only to get timber. That is a struggle in my area. We can’t have hikes without purpose,” she concludes.

Sportswomen of Pakistan rejoice over the recent achievement of mountain climbers Samina Baig and Naila Kiani, who became the first women of their country to summit K2

Tushna Patel
(off-road race driver):

Pakistan’s first female rally driver Tushna Patel says she is proud to have talent such as Baig’s and Kiani’s in Pakistan. “And the government should support this talent so that more and more sports people can bring pride to us on an international level,” she says.

“Samina and Naila have played a great role in promoting mountain climbing along with the image of Pakistan globally. Talent like theirs needs to be tapped into at a younger age, where it can be trained to achieve great honours worldwide,” she adds.

“I myself being the first Pakistani off-road female racer feel that there is a lack of government support and there is more hidden talent to be discovered in this country. I was lucky to have a supportive husband to help me achieve what I have in a truly male-dominated sport, but I am also proud that because of me, a lot of other women are now participating in rally driving. I salute these women for their achievement and wish them more and more success for their future endeavours. Pakistan Zindabad!”

Bismah Maroof
(cricketer):

The captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, playing in Ireland at the moment, also sent her congratulations to Samina and Naila via a voice message sent to Eos. “Many congratulations to Samina Baig and Naila Kiani on becoming the first two Pakistani women to summit K2. It is a huge achievement and more power to you both,” she said.

Fatima Hussain
(javelin thrower):

National javelin champion Fatima Hussain says she was recently hiking in Muzaffarabad when she got the news about Samina and Naila. “I was so happy to learn of their achievement. And being a woman and a Pakistani, my happiness doubled and tripled. I pray that they make the country proud even more in the future, too,” she says.

“Quite frankly, I find hiking in the hills so difficult and challenging that I have all the more respect for anyone who goes beyond that and climbs mountains. Samina and Naila are very brave to have chosen this adventure,” she adds.

Nisha Sultan
(netball captain):

The captain of Pakistan’s women netball team Nisha Sultan also felt overjoyed by the achievement of the two mountain climbers. “I’m so happy for them and for my country,” she says. “Like me, Samina Baig also hails from Gilgit-Baltistan. And having an adventurous spirit myself, I can also see myself learning mountain climbing from her one day.”

For Naila, she said that Naila’s playing several sports and being a multitasker like her makes her identify with her also. “Naila is also a boxer, I hear. I also enjoy other sports such as throwball besides netball. Maybe if we meet, I can also teach both our mountain climbers netball and throwball,” she says.

Anita Karim
(Mixed martial artist)

Pakistan’s mixed martial artist Anita Karim, who also hails from Gilgit-Baltistan like one of the two mountain climbers, says that she is in Thailand at the moment but she congratulated both Samina and Naila on Instagram the moment she heard about their great climb. “I congratulate and applaud both the women on the milestone and full respect to Samina Baig for paving a path for young females to push towards their vision and work hard to achieve it,” she says.

Mehwish Khan
(footballer)

The first international goal scorer for Pakistan in women’s football, Mehwish Khan says that she is in awe of all mountain climbers because she herself has high anxiety. “I am afraid of heights so I am amazed to hear of people summiting some of the highest peaks of the world. And Samina and Naila are the best among them, because they are also women,” she laughs.

“I would like to congratulate them both. They are a true inspiration for all women and not just in Pakistan, but around the world. They have proved how strong women can be. May God Almighty bless them with more success,” she says.

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 31st, 2022