Category: science

China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), referred to as the “artificial sun,” has achieved a new milestone in nuclear fusion research. The reactor maintained a continuous loop of plasma for 1,066 seconds, surpassing its previous record of 403 seconds. This breakthrough, reported on January 20, 2025, represents a significant step towards realising nuclear fusion as a near-limitless clean energy source. The achievement highlights advancements in sustaining plasma, a high-energy state of matter crucial for fusion reactions.

EAST’s Latest Milestone

As reported by Live Science, according to Chinese state media, EAST operates as a magnetic confinement reactor designed to sustain plasma for extended periods. The recent success was made possible by upgrades to the reactor, including an enhanced heating system with double the power. Song Yuntao, Director of the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the experiment as critical for future fusion power plants. Speaking to Chinese media, he emphasised the need for stable plasma operation over thousands of seconds to achieve continuous power generation.

Understanding Fusion Reactors

Nuclear fusion mimics the sun by fusing light atoms under intense heat and pressure to form heavier ones, releasing energy in the process. Unlike the sun, where immense pressure aids the reaction, Earth-based reactors rely on extremely high temperatures. Despite the promise of abundant and clean energy, fusion reactors currently consume more energy than they produce.

Global Efforts in Fusion Technology

China is a participant in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program, a multinational initiative aimed at advancing fusion research. ITER, located in France, is expected to begin operations in 2039 and will test sustained fusion. Data from EAST’s experiments will support ITER and other global projects.

The milestone achieved by EAST marks progress in fusion technology, though decades of research remain before its application in power generation becomes feasible.

A paralysed individual, aged 69, has successfully piloted a virtual drone using a brain-computer interface (BCI) that interprets neural signals. This innovative achievement has enabled the participant to navigate a video-game obstacle course by imagining specific finger movements. The breakthrough device, which bridges brain activity and real-time control, demonstrates potential applications for assisting those with mobility challenges to engage in intricate tasks. These developments mark significant progress in the application of BCIs for enhancing motor functions.

Breakthrough Detailed in Nature Medicine

According to a study published in Nature Medicine, the man, who had been paralysed in all four limbs following a spinal cord injury, controlled the virtual drone using neural signals linked to imagined movements of specific finger groups. The research relied on electrodes implanted in the participant’s left motor cortex, which had been placed during a prior operation in 2016. Algorithms were trained to decode the brain’s signals when he visualised moving his right thumb, different finger pairs, or combinations of them.

The researchers reported that the participant initially practised synchronising imagined movements with a virtual hand displayed on a screen, achieving a high degree of accuracy by hitting up to 76 targets per minute. Subsequently, the signals were connected to the drone’s navigation system, allowing him to steer it through a virtual basketball court, manoeuvring rings with precision.

Expert Insights on Potential Applications

Matthew Willsey, a neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the study, told Nature Medicine that the participant likened the experience to playing a musical instrument, requiring delicate adjustments to maintain control. Willsey noted that the research seeks to enable control of multiple movements simultaneously, potentially assisting activities such as typing or playing musical instruments.

John Downey, a BCI researcher from the University of Chicago, described the work as an important initial step in understanding hand control mechanisms. He highlighted the potential of this technology as a versatile tool for individuals with limited mobility. Researchers aim to enhance the system to decode signals for all ten fingers.

The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket ended with an explosion over the Atlantic Ocean, as confirmed by sources. Launched from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas on January 16, 2025, the 403-foot-tall spacecraft marked another significant step in SpaceX’s efforts to advance reusable rocket technology. The test featured successful stage separation and a return of the first-stage booster, Super Heavy, which was safely caught by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms in a controlled descent. However, communication with the upper stage was lost roughly eight minutes into the flight, leading to its eventual disintegration.

Details of the Incident

As per a report by Space.com, the upper stage, known as Ship, exploded over the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks and Caicos Islands approximately 8.5 minutes after launch. Visuals of the event, described by witnesses as a dramatic sky show, were shared widely across social media platforms, adding to the visibility of the anomaly. SpaceX referred to the explosion as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” and stated that data from the test would be analysed to identify the root cause.

Statements and Outcomes

In a statement issued on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX noted that while the upper stage failed, valuable insights were gained from the test. Emphasis was placed on improving the reliability of Starship in future iterations. Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, has consistently highlighted the importance of learning through frequent testing, an approach that has been fundamental to the company’s progress.

This flight also marked a second successful recovery of the Super Heavy booster using the “chopstick” system, following the initial demonstration during Flight 5 in October 2024. The development of such recovery methods remains central to SpaceX’s goal of creating fully reusable launch systems for both stages.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to review the flight data, with future launches aimed at addressing identified issues as per reports by space.com. The incident underscores the challenges inherent in developing new space technologies while demonstrating significant milestones in the ongoing advancement of the Starship programme.

Significant discoveries have been made at the ancient site of Kurd Qaburstan in Iraq, shedding light on Mesopotamian history. Artefacts including clay cuneiform tablets, a game board, and structural remains have been unearthed by a team led by Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, an associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida. The findings are believed to date back to the Middle Bronze Age, around 1800 BCE, and may provide fresh perspectives on the daily lives, literacy, and socio-political connections of the people from this ancient civilisation.

Insights from Recent Findings

According to the research conducted at Kurd Qaburstan, the clay tablets are the first of their kind to be discovered in the region. Preliminary analysis suggests they hold valuable information about the city’s residents and the historical events they faced, as reported by phys.org. Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, an associate professor of history at UCF, shared with phys.org that studying names, word choices and writing styles may offer an enhanced understanding of cultural identity and literacy in northern Mesopotamian cities.

The Middle Bronze Age in northern Iraq remains under-researched due to historical biases and limited prior excavations. The ongoing work aims to provide a narrative from the perspective of the city’s inhabitants, rather than relying on external accounts, as noted by the lead researcher.

Exploring a Forgotten Urban Center

Excavations at the site have uncovered monumental architecture, human remains, and evidence of destruction, hinting at significant historical events. A newly identified lower town palace, revealed through geophysical surveys, is being closely studied to determine its administrative significance. Artefacts found in the palace, including pottery and animal remains, suggest a more nuanced understanding of social and economic structures, with signs of private wealth and dietary diversity among the city’s population.

Future Research Potential

The site is hypothesised to be the ancient city of Qabra, a regional hub mentioned in Old Babylonian records. While definitive identification is ongoing, findings from the tablets and architectural remains bolster this theory. As reported by phys.org, researchers expect further analysis to uncover details about possible warfare and societal dynamics, potentially rewriting aspects of Mesopotamian history. Work at Kurd Qaburstan is set to continue in 2025, with hopes of revealing more historical secrets from this fascinating period.

A supermassive black hole in a galaxy located 100 million light-years away has drawn the attention of astronomers with its unusual behavior. Observations have revealed a steady increase in the frequency of X-ray flashes, starting at intervals of 18 minutes and accelerating to seven minutes over two years. This phenomenon, linked to the black hole named 1ES 1927+654, marks a significant discovery in the study of black hole activity.

Unprecedented Phenomenon Observed

According to the research shared at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, the observed X-ray oscillations are believed to originate from a compact white dwarf orbiting close to the black hole’s event horizon. As reported by phys.org, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggest that this white dwarf might be maintaining a precarious orbit near the black hole, which is approximately one million times the mass of the Sun. Megan Masterson, a physics graduate student at MIT and co-lead of the study, explained that such proximity to a black hole without falling in has not been observed before.

Insights into Black Hole Dynamics

The oscillations were detected using the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton observatory, which measures X-ray emissions from extreme cosmic environments. The findings point to the possibility that the white dwarf’s gravitational waves, resulting from its orbit, could be detectable by future observatories, such as NASA’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). As reported by phys.org, Erin Kara, an associate professor of physics at MIT, highlighted that the white dwarf’s shedding of material into the black hole may be preventing it from crossing the event horizon.

Continued observations are expected to provide further understanding of the dynamics between black holes and nearby celestial objects. Researchers aim to monitor this unique system with advanced telescopes and gravitational wave detectors, promising new insights into the physics of the universe.

Astronomers recently observed a rare cosmic event where a supermassive black hole, located approximately 408 million light-years away, consumed one star from a binary system while the other narrowly escaped. This unusual phenomenon, known as a double-flash tidal disruption event (TDE), occurred in the galaxy WISEA J122045.05+493304.7. These powerful events, visible from billions of light-years away, typically involve a single flare, but the designated event ASASSN-22ci is notable for producing two flares, sparking interest in its origins and implications for black hole research.

A Unique Event Observed

According to a study published in the pre-print journal arXiv, ASASSN-22ci was first detected in February 2022, appearing as a typical TDE. However, a second flare was observed 720 days later, making it one of the few documented instances of repeated TDEs.

Researchers theorise this might have resulted from a process called Hills capture, where a supermassive black hole disrupts a binary star system. In such cases, one star is ejected at high velocity, while the other remains bound in an elongated orbit around the black hole, undergoing repeated tidal disruptions.

Investigating the Black Hole’s Activity

Data from ultraviolet and X-ray observations revealed the black hole responsible for ASASSN-22ci has an estimated mass of about three million times that of the sun. While the star involved in these flares likely has a mass similar to the Sun, it remains uncertain if it had a companion that escaped. Scientists believe the similarity between the two flares indicates that the same star might have been disrupted twice during its orbit.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Researchers predict a third flare could occur in early 2026 if the star survives another close encounter with the black hole. This anticipated event would provide astronomers with a rare opportunity to observe and study the earliest phases of a TDE in unprecedented detail, shedding light on the mechanics of black hole interactions with stars