Category: science

A potential method to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere has been identified, involving a material that could be used in agriculture. This approach utilises specific minerals to accelerate the natural process of carbon mineralisation, a method that could significantly impact carbon removal efforts. Research suggests that by modifying certain minerals, CO2 can be absorbed and locked into stable compounds much faster than traditional methods, potentially sequestering billions of tons annually. Scientists believe this innovation could complement existing climate mitigation strategies while benefiting agricultural practices.

Study Identifies Faster Carbon Capture Process

According to a study published in Nature, researchers have found that calcium silicates react with CO2 more efficiently than the traditionally used magnesium silicates. This reaction speed makes them a promising option for large-scale CO2 removal. The study, led by Stanford University chemist Matthew Kanan and postdoctoral researcher Yuxuan Chen, suggests that integrating these materials into agricultural soils could provide a dual benefit—enhancing soil quality while removing atmospheric CO2.

Mineral Conversion Could Enhance Efficiency

A method was developed to produce calcium silicates by heating a mixture of calcium oxide (CaO) and magnesium silicates at high temperatures. This process, which facilitates a mineral exchange, resulted in a material that binds CO2 thousands of times faster than natural weathering. Speaking to Science, Kanan noted that while magnesium silicates are abundant, calcium silicates are less available and require processing. The study outlines a technique to produce CaO from limestone, though capturing emissions from this process remains a challenge.

Practical Implications for Agriculture

Farmers currently use calcium carbonate to reduce soil acidity, applying about a billion tons annually. Replacing it with calcium silicate and magnesium oxide could serve the same purpose while also capturing CO2. Field trials have been initiated in Louisiana and New Jersey to assess potential impacts on soil health. According to reports, concerns regarding impurities in the minerals, such as trace metals, are being examined before large-scale implementation.

A metal detector search for World War II relics in a forested area of Poland has led to the discovery of a much older artifact—a broken sword believed to be nearly 2,000 years old. Found in the Jura region of southern Poland, the sword was intentionally shattered into three pieces and is thought to have belonged to a Germanic warrior from the Vandal tribes. The object is undergoing further examination to determine its exact historical significance.

Weapon Identified as a Double-Edged Spatha

As reported by Live Science, according to research conducted at the Częstochowa Museum, the unearthed sword has been identified as a spatha, a double-edged broadsword commonly used by mounted Germanic warriors during the Roman Empire. This style of weapon was widely employed from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE. Southern Poland, where the artifact was found, was home to the Przeworsk culture during this period, which included the Vandals.

Evidence of Ritualistic Weapon Destruction

In a statement to Live Science, Mariusz Włudarz, President of the Inventum Association, explained that the sword had been deliberately broken as part of a funeral ritual. As per reports, the warrior’s weapon was shattered and placed on a cremation pyre, a practice commonly observed in Przeworsk culture. Historical records indicate that damaged weapons, including bent swords and altered shields, were often buried with fallen warriors, a tradition possibly inherited from Celtic customs.

Ongoing Research and Preservation Efforts

Investigations are currently being carried out at the Częstochowa Museum to analyse the composition and history of the sword. The precise location of the discovery is being kept confidential while further searches in the area are conducted. Once initial research is completed, the artifact is expected to undergo conservation work before being placed on display at the Mokra Museum.

The discovery adds to existing archaeological evidence of burial traditions associated with Germanic tribes and may provide further insights into Vandal funerary customs and their interactions with the Roman Empire.

Satellites equipped with solar sails may soon improve early warnings for space weather events that could disrupt technological infrastructure on Earth. These sails, which harness light from the sun for propulsion, are being explored as a cost-effective alternative to traditional propulsion systems. Scientists believe this advancement could enhance monitoring of solar activity and provide earlier alerts for geomagnetic storms, reducing potential risks to power grids, satellites, GPS systems, and air traffic operations. Current space weather forecasting systems operate from a fixed point in space, but solar sail technology could allow satellites to move beyond conventional locations for improved data collection.

Advancement in Space Weather Forecasting

As reported by space.com, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Space Weather Observations, which manages operational satellite systems, solar sails could allow spacecraft to travel beyond the Earth-sun Lagrange Point One (L1). This location, approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, provides a stable position for solar observation. Irfan Azeem, Division Chief of the Research to Operations and Project Planning Division at NOAA, told Space.com that solar sails present a more efficient alternative to chemical propulsion, enabling satellites to move upstream of L1 for faster data retrieval. This could extend alert times for geomagnetic storms by up to 50 percent.

New Mission Underway

A project named Solar Cruiser, a collaboration between NOAA and NASA, is focused on developing a full-scale solar sail spacecraft. The sail, spanning 1,653 square metres, is designed to be deployed with four individual quadrants. NOAA has reported that the construction of the quadrants is expected to be completed by February 2026, with plans to secure a rideshare launch by 2029. Scientists are optimistic about the impact of this technology in space weather forecasting, as it could provide earlier detection of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, ultimately improving preparedness for disruptive space weather events.

A new robotic system capable of planetary exploration through tethered jumping has been developed by researchers at the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The robot, named SPLITTER (Space and Planetary Limbed Intelligent Tether Technology Exploration Robot), has been designed as a modular, multi-robot system composed of two quadrupedal robots connected by a tether. The system, expected to be presented at the IEEE Aerospace Conference (AeroConf) 2025, has been designed to navigate low-gravity environments such as the moon and asteroids. Reports indicate that the robotic system can perform successive jumps while collecting scientific data, providing an alternative to conventional planetary rovers and drones.

SPLITTER’s Design and Capabilities

According to the study published on the arXiv preprint server, SPLITTER consists of two Hemi-SPLITTER robots connected by a tether, forming a dumbbell-like structure. The tether enables mobility and stability during mid-air travel, eliminating the need for additional attitude control mechanisms such as gas thrusters or reaction wheels. The system has been designed to dynamically alter its inertia by adjusting limb positions and tether length, ensuring stability during flight. The development of SPLITTER was driven by the limitations of traditional planetary rovers, which are often slow and cumbersome, and the impracticality of drones due to the absence of atmospheric conditions on celestial bodies like the moon and asteroids.

Mechanism Behind SPLITTER’s Motion

Reports suggest that SPLITTER incorporates an inertial morphing mechanism based on a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) to regulate its orientation during mid-air movements. The concept is based on the Tennis Racket Theorem, also known as the Dzhanibekov effect, which describes how objects with asymmetric inertia undergo spontaneous rotational flips. Yusuke Tanaka, lead author of the study, told Tech Xplore that the technique allows aggressive stabilization of the robot’s mid-air flight through controlled inertia adjustments. It has been suggested that this method significantly enhances the efficiency of planetary exploration by ensuring stability without relying on external force mechanisms.

Potential Applications and Future Research

The research team has indicated that SPLITTER could be deployed in planetary exploration missions as a swarm of robots, allowing extensive and unstructured terrain to be efficiently traversed. The tether mechanism could also enable one unit to explore craters or caves while the other remains anchored, providing support. Dennis Hong, director of RoMeLa and principal investigator of the project, told Tech Xplore that ongoing research is focusing on improving the hardware, including new actuators and sensing mechanisms. Future studies are expected to further validate the inertial morphing mechanism through high-fidelity simulations, with the long-term goal of enhancing SPLITTER’s capabilities for real-world space applications.

Two mysterious light sources detected on the outskirts of the Large Magellanic Cloud have been identified as previously unknown supernova remnants. The discovery was made using the European Space Agency’s X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton after observations revealed unexpected X-ray emissions. Supernova remnants are formed when massive stars explode, creating shock waves that ionise and compress surrounding interstellar matter. The detection of these remnants in an area where supernovae are rarely found has raised new questions about the distribution of ionised gas in this dwarf galaxy.

Identification of J0624-6948 and J0614-7251

According to a study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, the two supernova remnants, J0624-6948 and J0614-7251, were observed as distinct circular structures in visible-light imaging. The newly released images from ESA show these remnants in the lower-left portion of the Large Magellanic Cloud, with J0624-6948 appearing in orange and J0614-7251 in blue. As reported by space.com, previously identified supernova remnants in the galaxy were marked with yellow crosses. The study explains that for a supernova to leave behind a remnant, the explosion must occur in a region containing ionised gas, typically found in dense star-forming areas rather than in the outskirts of a galaxy. The brightness and size of the newly detected remnants align with other confirmed cases in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Impact on Understanding of Galactic Structures

In an official statement ESA scientists noted that these findings suggest a higher concentration of ionised gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud than previously estimated. The research proposes that interactions between the Milky Way, the Small Magellanic Cloud, and the Large Magellanic Cloud could be influencing the movement and compression of interstellar material. It is suggested that gravitational forces between these galaxies may be altering gas distribution, leading to unexpected regions of star formation and supernova activity.