Science
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Watch the first ever image of a black hole be livestreamed here
What does a black hole look like? Black, probably. And big. That sounds pretty vague, but as the gravitational forces of a black hole are so strong even light is overpowered by them, we've never had a comprehensive image of one before. Until now. Today, scientists from six cities around the world will unveil the first ever image of a black hole -- called Sagittarius A* -- and you can watch the historic announcement live online. (Update: the image has been released. Check it out here!)
The reality of pollution kills your dream of a flying car
You might want to forget about fantasies of taking your own flying car to work, at least for now. The University of Michigan and Ford have published a study indicating that electric flying cars wouldn't be as environmentally sustainable as cars for commutes less than 22 miles. While the vehicles themselves would be clean, the high amounts of electricity needed to run those vehicles would have to come from power plants -- and many of those plants currently emit greenhouse gases.
NASA enlists academia to develop autonomous space habitats
As NASA faces pressure to get astronauts to the Moon and considers human exploration of Mars, it will need to sort out a few major details -- like how to keep extraterrestrial habitats functioning even when there aren't any human occupants. To do this, NASA selected two new, university-led Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) and tasked them with developing automated Smart Habitats, or SmartHabs.
Facebook creates an AI-based map of Africa to help with crisis relief
Facebook has created AI-based population maps before, but it's now generating them on a truly massive scale. The social site is releasing new, ultra-detailed population density maps that cover the "majority" of Africa, helping relief agencies know where to go when providing aid. The technique is similar to what Facebook has used before, but tweaks to the formula kept the accuracy high even across Africa's 16 million square miles.
Digital music may not have saved the environment after all
Logic would suggest that music downloads and streaming are good for the environment. You're not buying physical copies, right? Not so fast -- there's a chance things could be worse. Researchers have published a study suggesting that greenhouse gas emissions are higher now than they were when physical media was all the rage. While going digital has reduced the amount of plastic, the combination of extra power demands and the sheer popularity of music (you can listen to virtually anything for $10 per month, after all) may have offset other gains. Where vinyl produced 346 million pounds of greenhouse gasses at its height in 1977, downloads and streaming are estimated to pump out 441 million to 772 million pounds.
Rocket Lab's Photon platform makes it easier to launch satellites
Rocket Lab isn't content with just carrying satellites into orbit... it wants to power the satellites, too. The company has unveiled a satellite platform, Photon, that handles much of the hard work. It looks simple, but it includes avionics, attitude control, data storage, propulsion and solar cell power in a package that can be customized for each mission. For the most part, Rocket Lab's partners will only have to worry about the payload, not the satellite keeping it in orbit.
The ISS is crawling with nasty bacteria
NASA scientists have found that the International Space Station (ISS), home to six astronauts, is infested with disease-inducing bacteria. Many of the organisms breeding on the craft's surfaces are known to form both bacterial and fungal biofilms that promote resistance to antibiotics. The NASA team published their findings in a new study -- the first comprehensive catalog of germs in closed space systems -- in the journal Microbiome. The biofilms ability to cause microbial-induced corrosion on Earth could also play havoc with the ISS' infrastructure by causing mechanical blockages, claim the researchers.
The Morning After: Is it Amazon vs. AirPods or Assistant?
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! While SpaceX tests another one of its rockets, we'll look back at news highlights including a milestone Gmail anniversary, the Impossible Whopper and rumors of an "ultimate" Xbox subscription package.
Get an up-close look at SpaceX's latest Starhopper test
Now that SpaceX started test firings and short "hop" tests on the launch pad at its Boca Chica, Texas site, it's apparently comfortable enough to show off the results. Tonight Elon Musk -- apparently unbothered by an internal investigation or ongoing wrangling with the SEC -- tweeted this two second clip of the snub-nosed "Starhopper" test vehicle that's on a short tether with one of the company's Raptor rocket engines mounted underneath. It's still not much of a trip, but the glimpse from up close is a preview of greater things to come. Eventually we should see test flights with the Phase 2 Starhopper that go much higher, similar to the progression of SpaceX's Grasshopper tests for the Falcon 9 a few years ago. All of this is necessary before we see the real Starship fly, so these small bites will have to do for now.
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft bombs Ryugu asteroid
Forget bullets, Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has detonated a bomb on the asteroid Ryugu to scoop up more samples. It deployed the device, known as the Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) -- a 14kg copper container attached to the Hayabusa2 and packed with plastic explosive -- in the hopes of creating a 10-meter-wide crater on the space rock. On Friday, the SCI separated from the craft at an altitude of 500m above Ryugu and hurtled to its surface at a speed of 2 kilometers per second (4,474 miles per hour).
Amazon plans to launch thousands of internet satellites
Amazon wants to launch thousands of low Earth orbit satellites to offer internet connection across the planet. With Project Kuiper, it aims to deploy 3,236 satellites to cover areas where about 95 percent of the global population live. Details otherwise are scant so far, including the estimated timeline for bringing the network online or how much the project will cost. Amazon confirmed the plans after GeekWire unearthed filings for it.
Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument lenses get their first look at space
Scientists are one step closer to precisely 3D mapping the galaxy and better understanding dark energy. For years, a team of more than 70 international organizations have been building the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which will allow us to see the sky in a way we never have before. Earlier this week, DESI reached a "first light" milestone when scientists produced the first focused images with the instrument's precision lenses. The images show the Whirlpool Galaxy -- an estimated 23 million light years from Earth.
SpaceX's 'Starhopper' test vehicle takes a short Raptor-powered trip
As SpaceX proceeds with development of its Starship vehicle, it's first testing out the spacecraft's Raptor engines. Today a stubby Starhopper test vehicle mounted with a single engine -- as opposed to the more advanced Phase 2 version shown above -- completed its first tethered hop of just a few inches at the Texas launch site, as spotted by nearby observers. Elon Musk tweeted "All systems green" after the test, which may not have gone far but recalls the early days of Grasshopper rocket tests before we got used to the sight of Falcon 9 rocket engines returning to Earth after successful launches. Musk previously said that suborbital test flights would require three of the engines -- the final version of Starship f.k.a BFR will have more -- and we'll be waiting to see when that happens.
Boeing delays its first Starliner test flight until August
For a while, Boeing and SpaceX have been neck-and-neck in their race to provide the first commercial space travel. That might be changing, as NASA and Boeing announced they'll delay the first uncrewed flight test of Boeing's Starliner. The spacecraft will now launch in August -- a full year after it was first scheduled to takeoff.
Boston Dynamics' acquisition will help its robots see in 3D
While Boston Dynamics' robots make for fascinating -- sometimes disturbing -- internet videos, they haven't quite crossed into everyday life. That could change sooner rather than later. Boston Dynamics took a big step toward bringing its box-moving (and running, jumping, dishwashing) robots into the real world with its acquisition of Kinema Systems.
NASA says satellite that India shot down may threaten the ISS
NASA chief Jim Bridenstine called India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible, terrible thing" that could endanger astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Addressing employees, he said a missile that shot down a satellite created at least 400 pieces of orbital debris, including 60 larger than 6 inches in size. While the satellite was well below the ISS, 24 of the pieces were blasted above its apogee, creating a potential risk. "It's unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is," Bridenstine said.
NASA is testing Jupiter moon probe's data-beaming antenna
What the Europa Clipper finds when it starts orbiting Jupiter's icy moon won't be of any use to us if it can't send data back to Earth. In order to beam back information from that far into the solar system, the Clipper will be equipped with a high-gain antenna (HGA) that the space agency is currently testing. NASA is evaluating a full-scale 10-foot-tall prototype of the HGA -- a directional antenna that allows precise targeting of radio signals -- at the Experimental Test Range (ETR) at NASA's Langley Research Center.
Researchers designed a shape-shifting airplane wing
If you've had a window seat next to the wing of an airplane, you've probably watched as flaps on the wing engage and disengage as a plane takes off and lands. That's because in each phase of flight -- take off, landing, cruising and maneuvering -- the ideal wing parameters vary. Until now, we've made do by modifying rigid wings with hinged surfaces. But imagine if the entire wing could change shape -- that's what researchers led by NASA and MIT are working towards.
Discovery streaming service will be the main home for BBC nature shows
Discovery is widening the scope of its streaming service plans, although it might not be great news for nature buffs. The network has unveiled a deal with BBC Studios that will see the BBC's history, nature and science documentaries form one of the "pillars" of a Discovery streaming service due to launch by 2020. On top of that, the service will be the exclusive streaming home for BBC nature docs outside of the UK, Ireland and China, including series like Blue Planet, Life and Planet Earth -- it's not clear what will happen with existing titles on sites like Netflix, but you might not want to count on them sticking around.
The Morning After: AirPower is out and Genesis Mini is in
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Welcome to your weekend! The Sega Genesis and iPad Mini are back, AirPower is out and Valve has a lot of news to share. If you need to catch up on everything Apple announced then look no further. Also, we drifted in a Lamborghini this week. It just seemed worth mentioning again.