It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
In-depth chemical analysis of three key 12th century medieval bronze doors by Barisanus of Trani uncovers which is the oldest and reveals how they were made
Article title: The 12th century bronze doors of Barisanus of Trani in Trani, Ravello and Monreale
Author countries: Austria, Germany, Italy
Funding: This research was funded in whole by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [10.55776/P-34477-G]. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright license to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. There was no additional external funding received for this study.
The 12th century bronze doors of Barisanus of Trani in Trani, Ravello and Monreale
Article Publication Date
26-Mar-2025
SPACE/COSMOS
Mice flown on the International Space Station in microgravity experience bone loss mostly in weight-bearing bones, which might help inform human acclimation to spaceflight
MicroCT images of the femoral head bone and cartilage in ground control (GC) versus spaceflight (FLT), showing premature secondary ossification in microgravity.
Article title: 37-Day microgravity exposure in 16-Week female C57BL/6J mice is associated with bone loss specific to weight-bearing skeletal sites
Author countries: US
Funding: Supported by NASA Space Biology Grant NNH14ZTT001N14-14SF to EACA. The funder did not play any role in the study design, data collection, analysis and manuscript preparation, or in the decision to submit for publication. https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/programs/space-biology/
37-Day microgravity exposure in 16-Week female C57BL/6J mice is associated with bone loss specific to weight-bearing skeletal sites
Article Publication Date
26-Mar-2025
Introducing 'Between a Rocket & a Hard Space': the ISS National Lab’s new podcast exploring the future of space innovation
Podcast episodes will be available through major platforms like Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and many others—bringing the excitement of space-based research to the masses
International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), March 26, 2025 – The International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory is launching a bold new way to bring the excitement of space-based research down to Earth—introducing Between a Rocket & a Hard Space, the official ISS National Lab podcast. This podcast series dives deep into the discoveries, innovations, and people shaping the future of space, with the first episode now available.
The podcast’s name is a nod to the challenges and complexities of exploring the space environment, with recognition of the far-reaching benefits space-based R&D may bring. Going beyond the launch pad, Between a Rocket & a Hard Space offers exclusive insights from scientists, engineers, and visionaries leveraging the unique environment of low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. to push the boundaries of research and technology development. But that’s just the beginning. We’ll also hear from policymakers driving the industry forward, financial experts fueling the space economy, and communicators working to inspire the next generation of explorers.
Hosted by Patrick O’Neill, public affairs and outreach lead for the ISS National Lab, Between a Rocket & a Hard Space makes space science engaging and accessible for all audiences. Since 2012, O’Neill has led communications for every space station resupply mission featuring ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads, working alongside hundreds of researchers and innovators. Now, he brings that firsthand experience and insight to each episode.
In the first episode, O’Neill sits down with ISS National Lab Chief Scientific Officer Michael Roberts to explore the groundbreaking science happening on the orbiting outpost and its real-world impact on medicine, technology, and industry. Roberts will provide an insider perspective into how microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. is unlocking advancements in drug development, regenerative medicine, advanced materials, and in-space manufacturing.
Episodes of Between a Rocket & a Hard Space will be available through many major listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, and Castbox. This initial episode and future series installments will explain how the science happening in space today is shaping a better tomorrow for all of us.
The ISS National Lab provides access and opportunity for researchers to leverage the unique space environment for the benefit of humanity and to enable commerce in space. To learn more about ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations flown on NASA-funded Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Program missions, visit our Missions and Launches webpage.
The innovative team of engineers and scientists from NASA, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, and more than 40 other partner organizations across the country that created the Parker Solar Probe mission has been awarded the 2024 Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). This annual award recognizes the most exceptional achievement in aeronautics and astronautics in America with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles in the previous year.
"Congratulations to the entire Parker Solar Probe team for this well-earned recognition," said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. "This mission's trailblazing research is rewriting the textbooks on solar science by going to a place no human-made object has ever been and advancing NASA’s efforts to better understand our solar system and the Sun's influence, with lasting benefits for us all. As the first to touch the Sun and fastest human-made object ever built, Parker Solar Probe is a testament to human ingenuity and discovery."
On Dec. 24, 2024, Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the Sun, passing deep within the Sun’s corona, just 3.8 million miles above the Sun’s surface and at a top speed of close to 430,000 mph, ushering in a new era of scientific discovery and space exploration.
“This award is a recognition of the unrelenting dedication and hard work of the Parker Solar Probe team. I am so proud of this team and honored to have been a part of it,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By studying the Sun closer than ever before, we continue to advance our understanding of not only our closest star, but also stars across our universe. Parker Solar Probe's historic close approaches to the Sun are a testament to the incredible engineering that made this record-breaking journey possible."
Three novel aerospace technology advancements were critical to enabling this record performance: The first is the Thermal Protection System, or heat shield, that protects the spacecraft and is built to withstand brutal temperatures as high as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The Thermal Protection System allows Parker’s electronics and instruments to operate close to room temperature.
Additional Parker innovations included first-of-their-kind actively cooled solar arrays that protect themselves from overexposure to intense solar energy while powering the spacecraft, and a fully autonomous spacecraft system that can manage its own flight behavior, orientation, and configuration for months at a time. Parker has relied upon all of these vital technologies every day since its launch almost seven years ago, in August 2018.
“I am thrilled for the Parker Solar Probe team on receiving this well-deserved award,” said Joe Westlake, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. “The new information about the Sun made available through this mission will improve our ability to prepare for space weather events across the solar system, as well as better understand the very star that makes life possible for us on Earth.”
Parker’s close-up observations of solar events, such as coronal mass ejections and solar particle events, are critical to advancing our understanding of the science of our Sun and the phenomena that drive high-energy space weather events that pose risks to satellites, air travel, astronauts, and even power grids on Earth. Understanding the fundamental physics behind events which drive space weather will enable more reliable predictions and lower astronaut exposure to hazardous radiation during future deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
“This amazing team brought to life an incredibly difficult space science mission that had been studied, and determined to be impossible, for more than 60 years. They did so by solving numerous long-standing technology challenges and dramatically advancing our nation’s spaceflight capabilities,” said APL Director Ralph Semmel. “The Collier Trophy is well-earned recognition for this phenomenal group of innovators from NASA, APL, and our industry and research partners from across the nation.”
First awarded in 1911, the Robert J. Collier Trophy winner is selected by a group of aviation leaders chosen by the NAA. The Collier Trophy is housed in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
“Traveling three times closer to the Sun and seven times faster than any spacecraft before, Parker’s technology innovations enabled humanity to reach inside the Sun’s atmosphere for the first time,” said Bobby Braun, head of APL’s Space Exploration Sector. “We are all immensely proud that the Parker Solar Probe team will join a long legacy of prestigious aerospace endeavors that redefined technology and changed history.”
“The Parker Solar Probe team's achievement in earning the 2024 Collier is a shining example of determination, genius, and teamwork,” said NAA President and CEO Amy Spowart. “It’s a distinct honor for the NAA to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable team that turned the impossible into reality.”
Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA’s Living With a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living With a Star program is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Applied Physics Laboratory designed, built, and operates the spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA.
By Geoff Brown Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Radiation belt electron wisp inside South Atlantic anomaly due to terrestrial VLF transmitter observed by MSS-1
Panel (a) shows the trajectory of MSS1-A crossing the SAA on a geographic map, the color indicates the integral flux of 40-750 keV electrons, accompanied by L-shell contour lines. The star marks the start position of the trajectory. Panel (b) shows the spectrogram of the electron omni differential flux, the wisp can be seen as an energy-dispersed spike. The real-time L-shell is shown with the white dashed line along the ordinate on the right. Panel (c) presents the electron omni differential flux of several energy bands with lines of different colors. Panel (d-f) are in the same format, capturing observations from MSS1-B approximately 8 minutes later.
This research work was conducted by Professor Zong and his team at Peking University and State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science, Macau University of Science and Technology. They developed the Medium-energy Electron Spectrometer onboard the Macao Science Satellite – 1, which enabled a comprehensive measurement of the full pitch angle distribution at Low-Earth-Orbit. The Macao Science Satellite - 1 (MSS) comprises two satellites orbiting the Earth at an inclination of 41°. MSS1-A follows a circular orbit at an altitude of 450 km, while MSS1-B's orbit is elliptical, ranging between 450 and 500 km in altitude.
With energetic electron observation from MSS-1, they report the initial observation of a 'wisp' precipitation with peak intensity detected inside the South Atlantic Anomaly. The South Atlantic Anomaly is a region within near-Earth space where the geomagnetic field is significantly weaker and the flux of energetic particles is higher compared to other areas. This anomaly poses a space weather hazard to Low-Earth-Orbit satellites.
Evidence has been found that Very Low Frequency (VLF) waves emitted by the powerful ground VLF radio transmitter in Australia, known as NWC, can scatter the pitch angle of energetic electrons in the inner radiation belt. This scattering directs electrons into the drift loss cone, forming a 'wisp,' which is characterized by its peak intensity outside the South Atlantic Anomaly region (SAA), and a 'rift' with minimal intensity within the SAA.
With MSS-1 data, however, the researchers found unusual peak ‘wisp’ instead of minimum inside SAA related to NWC. The researchers attribute the 'wisp' within the anomaly to a specific pitch angle range just outside the drift loss cone, a measurement that was unattainable by previous satellites. Moreover, the researchers distinguished between the trapped and precipitating electron populations. The analysis, directly derived from the ratio of these populations, revealed that approximately 2-5% of trapped electrons will be lost in this specific wisp due to the influence of the ground VLF transmitter. The results not only complement existing evidence of energetic electron pitch angle scattering facilitated by the ground VLF transmitter but also provide a quantitative estimation of its impact.
See the article:
Sun, Y., Liu, Y., Zong, Q. et al. Radiation belt electron wisp inside South Atlantic Anomaly due to terrestrial VLF transmitter observed by MSS-1. Science China Earth Sciences, 68(2): 538–548 (2025), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-024-1465-x
While sneaking up on prey, cuttlefish employ a dynamic skin display to avoid detection in last moments of approach, researchers at the University of Bristol have found.
Maintaining camouflage while moving is a challenge faced by many pursuit predators. In this study published today in Science Advances, the team uncovered a novel form of motion camouflage, whereby the broadclub cuttlefish pass dark stripes downwards across their head and arms to disguise their hunting manoeuvres.
Lead author Dr Matteo Santon from the University of Bristol’sSchool of Biological Sciences said: “Camouflage has predominantly been studied as an adaptation that prey use to hamper their detection or recognition from predators, and almost exclusively focused on still prey as motion tends to disrupt camouflage.”
Senior author Dr Martin How explained: “Most cuttlefish rely on stealth to sneak up on prey. Due to their fast colour-changing skin, these remarkable animals have a wider range of options than most when it comes to camouflage while moving.”
By taking a prey crab’s eye-view, the scientists were able to show that the passing-stripe display is camouflaging the predator while hunting. Their findings suggest that the visual system of the prey may be overwhelmed by the strong motion produced by the stripes, causing them to fail to detect the looming cues of the approaching predator.
Dr Santon added: “To our eyes this dynamic display looks very conspicuous, standing out strongly from the background, but it is exploiting the effect of the strong dynamic motion cues produced by the rhythmic passing stripes to deceive the prey.”
And there is more. This species can produce at least three other types of elaborate hunting displays. This is an astonishing variety of adaptations for sneaking up on prey.”
He now plans to focus on how the other displays function, and to investigate what makes cuttlefish choose one hunting display over another.
He said: “It was a truly magical experience seeing this species hunting in the wild for the first time. Watching this cuttlefish hunting with the passing-stripe display is like being mesmerised by the tricks of a skilled illusionist.”
