SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 157
NASA's Parker Solar Probe Touches the Sun
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made history by becoming the first spacecraft to touch the Sun. The probe, weighing 685 kilogrammes, flew within 6.1 million kilometres of the solar surface, achieving unprecedented speeds of over 692 kilometres per hour. This milestone marks a significant step in understanding solar phenomena and space weather, with implications for forecasting geomagnetic storms.
Moon's Volcanic Past Unveiled
New samples from China's Chang'e 6 mission to the Moon's far side reveal volcanic activity as recent as 2.8 billion years ago. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the Moon's geological history, suggesting a prolonged period of volcanism on its far side, distinct from earlier samples obtained from the near side.
Mapping the Milky Way
Astronomers have crafted a new stellar chart offering a more comprehensive map of our Milky Way galaxy. The study reveals the galaxy's formation in two distinct phases, with implications for understanding its structure and evolution. This research provides new insights into areas previously hidden from view.
00:00 This is space Time Series 27 episode 157 for broadcast on 30 December 2024
00:47 NASA's Parker Solar Probe flew closer to the sun than any other spacecraft
02:05 NASA launched Parker solar probe to touch the Sun in August 2018
10:04 New data from China's Chang'e 6 mission suggests lunar volcanism still active
13:09 Astronomers develop new stellar chart providing a more complete map of our Milky Way galaxy
16:45 New study claims drinking tea or coffee reduces risk of head and neck cancers
18:46 Scientists at Monash University have made a breakthrough in energy storage technology
20:57 Consumer magazine Choice has announced its shonky award winners for 2024
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✍️ Episode References
Parker Solar Probe
https://www.nasa.gov/content/parker-solar-probe
Chang'e 6 Mission
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2128-4
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24842579?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 this is spacetime series 27 episode 157
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 for broadcast on the 30th of December
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 2024 coming up on space time NASA's
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 Parker solar probe touches the sun new
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 Luna samples showed the moon was still
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 volcanically active just 2.8 billion
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 years ago and a new map unveiling the
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 Uncharted Milky Way galaxy all that and
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 more coming up on
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 SpaceTime welcome to SpaceTime with
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 steuart
00:00:32 --> 00:00:39 [Music]
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 Gary NASA's Parker solar probe has made
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 history flying closer to the Sun and
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 traveling faster than any other
00:00:53 --> 00:00:57 spacecraft ever the 685 kg vehicle
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 swooped down to within 6.1 million k of
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 the Sun in the process reaching speeds
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 of more than 692
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 kmph and that's fast enough to fly from
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 Washington DC to Tokyo in less than a
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 minute the probe flew more than seven
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 times closer to the Sun than any other
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 spacecraft the extreme close perhelion
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 flyby exposed Parker heat shield to
00:01:20 --> 00:01:24 scorching temperatures exceeding 930 de
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 celus yet the spacecraft's delicate
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 science instrument package protected
00:01:28 --> 00:01:29 behind the shield remained at a comfor
00:01:29 --> 00:01:33 comtable 29° C following its close
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 encounter with our local star Mission
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 managers at John's Hopkins Applied
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 Physics laboratory in LEL Maryland and
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 at the Godard space flight center in
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 Green Belt Maryland received a beacon
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 transmission from Parker through NASA's
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 deep space communication Center in
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 Cambra indicating that it had survived
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 the flyby and all spacecraft systems
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 were operating normally more detailed
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 Communications will have to wait until
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 the spacecraft's further away from the
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 Sun allowing radio Transmissions to Des
00:02:00 --> 00:02:01 scent without being scrambled by the
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 sun's intense ionizing
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 radiation launched back in August 2018 a
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 bort Delta 4 heavy from pad 37 at the
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 Cape canaval Air Force Space in Florida
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 Parker solar probe is on a 7-year
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 Mission studying the sun's outer
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 atmosphere the Corona and the constant
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 stream of charged particles flowing out
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 from the Sun in the solar wind this is
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 the region where space weather and
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 geomagnetic storms generated by sunspots
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 solar flares and coronal m ejections are
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 flung out into space and occasionally
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 towards the Earth Parker is tracing the
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 flow of the energy hitting the solar
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Corona and accelerating the solar wind
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 determining how energy from the lower
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 solar atmosphere is transferred to and
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 dissipated in the Corona and solar wind
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 it'll also observe the processes that
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 shape the non-equilibrium velocity
00:02:51 --> 00:02:52 distributions observed throughout the
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 heliosphere and how processes in the
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 croner affect the properties of the
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 solar wind in the heliosphere the
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 missions also studying the structure and
00:03:01 --> 00:03:02 dynamics of the plasma and magnetic
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 fields at the sources of the solar wind
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 how the magnetic field in the solar wind
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 Source regions connect to the
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 Photosphere below and the heliosphere
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 above determine if the sources of the
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 solar wind are steady or intermittent
00:03:15 --> 00:03:16 how structures in the corona evolve into
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 the solar wind explore mechanisms that
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 accelerate and transport energetic
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 particles and determine the roles of
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 shocks magnetic reconnection waves and
00:03:26 --> 00:03:27 turbulence in the acceleration of
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 energetic particles you see
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 understanding how these processes work
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 will help scientists better forecast
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 geomagnetic storms and also determine
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 their severity earlier the observations
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 will also help astronomers trying to
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 determine one of the sun's Biggest
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 Mysteries why the corona reaches
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 searingly hot temperatures of will over
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 a million de C when the sun's surface or
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Photosphere has a temperature of just
00:03:52 --> 00:03:56 6 de C to achieve its perahan Close
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 Encounter of the sun Parker undertook a
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 series of seven gravity Fist flybys of
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 the planet Venus the last on November
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 the 6th this slew the spacecraft speed
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 enough to allow it to set course on an
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 intercept with the Sun the Christmas Eve
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 flyby of the sun was the first of three
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 record setting close approaches the next
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 will be on March the 22nd followed by a
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 third on June the
00:04:20 --> 00:04:25 19th this report from NASA TV liftoff of
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 the mighty Delta 4 heavy rocket in
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 August 2018 in Cape canav Florida
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 NASA launched Parker solar probe to
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 touch the sun after spending a few years
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 spiraling closer to our star the
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 spacecraft has finally
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 arrived this is amazing par probe is
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 touching the Sun and this is nor aafi
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 the project scientist of the mission he
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 has been waiting for this moment since
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 the beginning of his career this is a
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 dream come trip one of the major goals
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 for the par Sol mission is to fly
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 through the solo Corona and we are doing
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 that now so what does it mean to touch
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 the sun to answer that we need to look
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 at the sun structure unlike Earth the
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 Sun doesn't have a solid surface it's a
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 giant ball of hot plasma that's held
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 together by its own
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 gravity solar material flows out from
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 the surface but around the sun it's
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 bound by the Sun's gravity and magnetic
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 field this material forms the sun's
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 atmosphere the corona eventually some of
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 this hot and fast solar material es Apes
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 the pole of the Sun and gushes out into
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 space as solar wind the boundary that
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 marks the edge of the sun's atmosphere
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 is known as the alane critical surface
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 we didn't know exactly where this
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 boundary was but for the first time in
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 history a spacecraft has crossed it
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 Parker solar probe ventured into the
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 corona touching solar material still
00:05:51 --> 00:05:55 bound to the Sun the wispy Corona is too
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 faint to see most of the time but it's
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 revealed during total solar eclipses for
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 centuries we've been studying the sun's
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 atmosphere during eclipses because it's
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 important for understanding how a star
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 influences life in the solar system but
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 much about the corona remains a mystery
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 two of the most challenging scientific
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 mysteries in astrophysics occurred in a
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 region that we call solar Corona the
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 first mystery is about the temperature
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 the corona is about 300 times hotter
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 than the Photosphere the visible surface
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 of the Sun below secondly there's a
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 constant stream of particles flowing
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 from the Sun known as the solar wind it
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 accelerates up to millions of miles hour
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 out of the Corona and we don't know how
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 solar wind can disrupt our satellites
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 and Technology to better protect them we
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 need to go where the solar wind starts
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 in the corona so heading there has been
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 a key goal of NASA's for a while we
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 first proposed the idea of sending a
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 spacecraft to the sun in
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 1958 we didn't have the technology to
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 withstand the journey until the 2000
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 since its launch in 2018 Parker has been
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 heading towards our star then in April
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 2021 during Parker's eighth orbit around
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 the Sun the spacecraft was around 20
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 solar radi or 8 million mil from the
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 sun's surface when it crossed into the
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 corona this is a huge milestone it took
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 us over six decades to come to this
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 point as Parker entered the corona its
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 whisper instrument took images streams
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 of plasma surrounded the space craft and
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 Parker's other instruments detected that
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 the magnetic conditions had
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 changed outside the corona solar wind
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 gushes out pushing solar material away
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 at high speeds so that it can't return
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 back to the sun's surface inside the
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 corona the sun's magnetic field becomes
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 much stronger solar material is slower
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 and Tethered to the Sun instead of a
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 smooth divide Parker found that the
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 boundary between these two sides is
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 wrinkly these bumpy ridges are created
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 from huge flows of plasma traveling out
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 of the corona scientists are not sure
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 why this happens but as Parker gets
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 closer we're finding more clues before
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 entering the corona Parker had seen
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 kinks in the solar wind where it would
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 momentarily double back on itself
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 scientists called these features in the
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 solar wind switchbacks but no one knew
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 how or where they formed in 2021 the
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 spacecraft finally tracked switchbacks
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 to one of their Origins
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 as Parker got even closer to the Sun it
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 detected bursts of
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 switchbacks scientists traced these
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 bursts all the way to the visible
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 surface of the
00:08:39 --> 00:08:43 Sun here we see distinct cells as heat
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 rises beneath these convection cells
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 churn and create funnels of magnetic
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 energy above the
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 surface scientist found that switchbacks
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 form inside these funnels before Rising
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 into the Corona and
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 Beyond this is only one piece of the
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 switchbacks puzzle though exactly how
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 they form is still unknown Parker will
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 keep looking for Clues as it explores
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 our sun the only star we can study up
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 close the sun is also the only star
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 known to support life so understanding
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 it is critical as we search for life
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 beyond our solar system that will link
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 directly into the question are we alone
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 in this universe and that is one of the
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 biggest question for Humanity to to
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 answer
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 this is spacetime still to come new
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 lunar sample showed that the moon was
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 still volcanically active 2.8 billion
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 years ago and scientists have used
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 computer simulations to provide an
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 accurate map of the Uncharted Milky Way
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 galaxy all that and more still to come
00:09:47 --> 00:09:53 on SpaceTime
00:09:53 --> 00:10:01 [Music]
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 new data from China's changy 6 sample
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 return mission to The Far Side of the
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 Moon suggest that its Landing site was
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 still volcanically active just 2.8
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 billion years ago Which is far more
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 recently than previously thought the
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 findings reported in the journal Nature
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 claimed there was volcanic activity on
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 the basaltic m in this region over a
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 period of at least 1.4 billion years
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 Luna samples returned to Earth by the
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 Apollo lunar and Changi 5 missions have
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 established that volcanism took place on
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 the N Side of the Moon between 4 and 2
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 billion years ago however the lack of
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 samples from the moon's Far Side means
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 that it's not been possible until now to
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 confirm the timing of volcanic activity
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 for this region earlier this year the
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 Changi 6 Mission retrieved samples from
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 the Apollo Basin located in the North
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 Eastern region of the South Pole atakan
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 Basin an area believed to have the
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 thinnest crust on the moon thereby
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 providing scientists with an opportunity
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 to study farside volcanism researchers
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 analyzed fragments of bassal contained
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 in two samples of soil or regli
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 collected by changy 6 using a process
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 called lead lead dating which measures
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 two different lead isotopes that
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 determine the age of samples the authors
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 analyzed a total of 108 basaltic
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 fragments and they found that around 99%
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 of these fragments were around 2.8
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 billion years old they also found one
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 fragment contain High alumin bassal
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 which was around 4.2 billion years in
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 age implying that volcanism was active
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 on the far side of the moon for at least
00:11:36 --> 00:11:40 1.4 billion years however the majority
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 of the studied bassal fragments did have
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 consistent formation ages of around 2.8
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 billion years the authors suggest that
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 this represents the edge of the main
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 volcanic episode at least at the changy
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 6 Landing site making it a surprisingly
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 young eruption Zone and not recognized
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 from observations taken from samples
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 from the lunar near side side Changi 6
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 was beijing's sixth robotic lunar
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 exploration Mission and China's second
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 Luna sample return Mission the flight
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 was launched back in May from the wing
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 Chang satellite launch Center on Hanan
00:12:12 --> 00:12:15 Island the Lander and Rover touched down
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 on the Luna Far Side on June the 1st the
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 Lander's robotic scoop and drill then
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 took samples of the Luna reg with a
00:12:22 --> 00:12:27 total mass of 1, 1935. 3 G this was
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 placed in an ascender module mounted on
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 top of the Lander That Was Then launched
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 back up into lunar orbit where it docked
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 with the orbital module and transferred
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 the samples to an atmospheric re-entry
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 module which returned them to Earth
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 parachuting down in the inner Mongolian
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 desert on June the
00:12:43 --> 00:12:47 25th this is spacetime still to come
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 astronomers have developed a new Stellar
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 chart providing a more complete map of
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 our Milky Way galaxy and later in the
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 science report a new study finds that at
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 least one in 127 people are on the
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 autism spectrum all that and more still
00:13:02 --> 00:13:09 to come on
00:13:09 --> 00:13:16 [Music]
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 SpaceTime astronomers have developed a
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 new Stellar chart providing a more
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 complete map of our Milky Way galaxy the
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 findings reported on the prepress
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 physics website AR i.org suggest that
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 the Galaxy was formed in two very
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 distinct phases manifested by different
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 age chemical abundance relations the
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 inner disc located well within the
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 radius of the Sun formed relatively
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 quickly during the early stages of the
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 Galaxy's Evolution probably around 12
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 billion years ago then around 6 to 7
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 billion years ago the thinner outer disc
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 began to assemble rapidly expanding the
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 radial extent of the Galaxy and shaping
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 its present structure until now a roners
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 have sort of roughly determined the size
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 and shape of our Milky Way galaxy by
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 measuring distances to the Stars inside
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 it that they can see the trouble is
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 that's a bit like trying to see the
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 entire Forest when you're stuck in the
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 middle of the trees and so you're really
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 not getting a full complete picture and
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 this discrepancy is due to a fundamental
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 limitation in our observations
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 originating from our position in the
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 central plane of the Milky Ways disc see
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 our location limits the volume of
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 potentially observed stars that
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 depending on how bright they appear also
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 a large proportion of the Milky Way is
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 completely obscured from our view by the
00:14:35 --> 00:14:39 gas dust and stars of the galactic bulge
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 it means that we cannot see or know
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 what's on the other side of the Galaxy
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 beyond the galactic center but by
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 peering into the cosmic dance of stars
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 the study's lead author Sergey kaposi
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 from The labnet Institute for
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 astrophysics in partam together with
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 colleagues have unraveled the complex
00:14:56 --> 00:14:58 structure of our galaxy it works like
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 this this assuming that each of the
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 observed stars that we can see
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 represents a larger population of stars
00:15:04 --> 00:15:07 representing the same rough orbit around
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 the galactic center the authors have
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 used this to reconstruct the properties
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 of the Hidden Stars filling in the gaps
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 if you will in the galactic disc in the
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 process finding some of the secrets of
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 our Galaxy's past present and future the
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 authors have shown that instead of
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 relying Solly on observations of
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 individual Stars the entire orbits of
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 real stars can be used to represent the
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 structure and dynamics of the Galaxy as
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 a whole see as stars move around the
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 galactic center they serve as a tool for
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 mapping regions of the Galaxy that are
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 beyond the direct line of sight of
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 telescopes including areas on the other
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 side of the Galaxy using a model for the
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 Milky Way's Mass distribution and The
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 observed positions and velocities of
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 stars the authors not only calculated
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 the orbits of stars on the far side of
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 the Galaxy but more importantly they
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 measured how much mass should be
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 associated with each orbit using a novel
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 Tech technique applied to a large sample
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 of stars with spectroscopic parameters
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 from the apey survey which is part of
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 the slown digital all Sky survey the
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 author's map Stella kinematics across
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 the Milky Way and this includes the
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 intricate motion of stars in the
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 galactic bar region and by
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 reconstructing Stellar orbits using real
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 Milky Way stars with accurately
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 determined parameters the authors
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 Quantified the Galaxy's Mass weighted
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25 chemical abundances and AG structure and
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 this approach bypasses the challenges
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 posed by the dense inner regions and
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 interstellar medium Extinction
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 delivering a comprehensive view of
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 Stellar populations including previously
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 unobservable areas on the far side of
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 the Galaxy I mean it's still only a
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 guess but it's the most accurate we have
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45 so far and it's based on known physics
00:16:45 --> 00:16:49 this is spacetime
00:16:49 --> 00:17:02 [Music]
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 and time now to take a brief look at
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 some of the other stories making use in
00:17:05 --> 00:17:09 science this week with a science report
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 a new study claims that drinking tea or
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 coffee has a direct association with a
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 lower risk of developing head and neck
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 cancers the findings reported in the
00:17:18 --> 00:17:20 journal cancer are based on deto
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 analysis of 14 previous studies that
00:17:22 --> 00:17:25 included around 9 people with cancer
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 and close to
00:17:26 --> 00:17:29 15 people without the authors found
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 that people who drank more than four
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 cups of caffeinated coffee daily had
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36 177% lower odds of having neck and head
00:17:36 --> 00:17:39 cancers overall 30% lower odds of having
00:17:39 --> 00:17:42 a mouth cancer and 22% lower odds of
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 having throat cancer compared to people
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 who didn't drink coffee and drinking
00:17:46 --> 00:17:49 decaf or tea was also linked to lower
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 odds of having these cancers but in
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 lower percentages compared to those who
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 drank caffeine filled
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 coffee a new study has found that an
00:17:57 --> 00:18:00 estimated 61 .8 million people around
00:18:00 --> 00:18:02 the world that's roughly one in every
00:18:02 --> 00:18:06 127 people are on the autism spectrum
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 the findings reported in the Lancet
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 medical journal are based on Australian
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 Le research using 2021 data the most
00:18:12 --> 00:18:15 recent for which accurate information's
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 available the new figures are
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 substantially higher than previous
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 estimates of around 1 in 271 people that
00:18:21 --> 00:18:24 was based on 2019 data but the authors
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 say this was mainly due to them changing
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 their approach to exclude studies that
00:18:28 --> 00:18:31 prob underestimate the rates of autism
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 the new study also found that autism
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 spectrum disorder was most common in
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 people under 20 were ranked within the
00:18:37 --> 00:18:40 top 10 causes of non-fatal Health burden
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 emphasizing the need for early detection
00:18:42 --> 00:18:44 and developmental support for people on
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 the
00:18:45 --> 00:18:48 Spectrum scientists at Melbourne's mes
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 University have made a huge breakthrough
00:18:50 --> 00:18:53 in energy storage technology which could
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 significantly Advance the global shift
00:18:55 --> 00:18:58 away from fossil fuels the new discovery
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 reported in the the journal Nature
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 centers around new thermal energy
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 storage materials which could provide a
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 more sustainable solution to one of the
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 major challenges in renewable energy
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 storage how to store large amounts of
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 energy inexpensively and sustainably
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 after all if you rely on renewable
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 energy sources and the wind doesn't blow
00:19:16 --> 00:19:18 and the sun doesn't shine you need to
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 rely on stored energy and no matter what
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 the pro Renewables people tell you there
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 is simply not enough stored energy
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 capacity now or anytime in the next 100
00:19:27 --> 00:19:30 years to fill all the Gap the newly
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 discovered material integrates three MDS
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 of energy storage creating a tridle
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 system that stores thermal energy with
00:19:36 --> 00:19:39 unprecedented efficiency the material a
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 mixture of boric and cinic acids under
00:19:42 --> 00:19:45 go a transition at around 150° cus and
00:19:45 --> 00:19:48 can store a record-breaking 600 m per
00:19:48 --> 00:19:50 cubic meter of energy which is almost
00:19:50 --> 00:19:52 two times higher than many existing
00:19:52 --> 00:19:55 materials this novel trial system opens
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 up new possibilities for the carot
00:19:56 --> 00:19:58 battery Cutting Edge energy store
00:19:58 --> 00:20:01 storage technology a canop battery
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 converts electrical energy into thermal
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 energy for storage and then back to
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 electrical energy when it's needed in
00:20:07 --> 00:20:10 this design the new material acts as the
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 key component for storing the thermal
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 energy and it can withstand over a th000
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 heating and cooling Cycles the key to
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 the material's performance is its
00:20:18 --> 00:20:20 ability to store energy through three
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 mechanisms
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24 simultaneously first it stores sensible
00:20:24 --> 00:20:27 heat as it warms up then during melting
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 of the mixture the boric acid it
00:20:28 --> 00:20:30 undergoes a chemical reaction that
00:20:30 --> 00:20:32 further stores energy and the chemical
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 reaction is highly reversible allowing
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36 this material to be used over and over
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39 again without degradation that's a major
00:20:39 --> 00:20:42 breakthrough in thermochemical TS
00:20:42 --> 00:20:44 materials importantly the material is
00:20:44 --> 00:20:46 both lowcost and environmentally
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 friendly boric acids a flame retardant
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 substance derived from Boron ores anic
00:20:51 --> 00:20:54 acid a biobased chemical is inexpensive
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 and sustainably
00:20:56 --> 00:20:59 resourced the popular consumer magazine
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 Choice has announced its much
00:21:00 --> 00:21:02 anticipated shanki Award winners or
00:21:02 --> 00:21:04 should that be losers for
00:21:04 --> 00:21:07 2024 the shanks recognized the worst of
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 the world's products and services from
00:21:09 --> 00:21:11 the past year Tim menum from Australian
00:21:11 --> 00:21:14 skeptic says one of the 2024 winners are
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 so-called grounding socks yeah the nice
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18 Australian ISM I think is shuny means
00:21:18 --> 00:21:21 sort of dodgy another Australian ismism
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 that yeah I mean it's not very good I
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 mean it's less than that his promis it
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 does not work and they normally they
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 deal with a lot of Technologies and
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 products that are put for even some
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 services at times with this latest one
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 one of the shunky winners was grounding
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 socks oh I've heard of these yes they're
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 supposed to relieve your electric charge
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 the idea is comes from this earthing or
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 grounding movement which has been around
00:21:40 --> 00:21:43 what 30 years orere well be on the
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 ground especially right on you go it on
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 the grass and you rub your sort of bare
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 feet and that will extract all the
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 Surplus electrons out of your body or
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 whatever all the magnetic impulses and
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 take it away you'll ground yourself and
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 so static will disappear one of the
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 problems is as soon as you stop doing it
00:21:57 --> 00:21:59 you static will increase anyway these
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 are socks which you plug in I don't
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 think you can walk very far you plug
00:22:02 --> 00:22:04 into a power socket and it will drain
00:22:04 --> 00:22:07 the electrical charge via your feet and
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 know sort of longish socks bous style
00:22:09 --> 00:22:11 socks and the choice people which are
00:22:11 --> 00:22:13 very much sici based they have a huge
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 laboratory which I've been to which is
00:22:14 --> 00:22:16 fascinating and a lot of people they
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 working there to actually assess
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19 products everything from soap powders to
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 grounding socks and what they say is
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 that these things are supposed to offer
00:22:22 --> 00:22:25 you faster healing pain alleviation
00:22:25 --> 00:22:28 anti-aging and mood elevation and the
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 evidence say these people are put
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 forward is purely anecdotal oh I feel
00:22:31 --> 00:22:34 better whatever it's purely qualitative
00:22:34 --> 00:22:36 and unreliable therefore they're saying
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 there's no evidence for this sort of
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 thing at all that it's not going to have
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 any lasting effect if it has any effect
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 at all and one of the problems they also
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 point out is that the cord that attaches
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 the sock to the power socket keeps
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 breaking so you wear it twice and it's G
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 broken off which is nice to have a bare
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 wire attached to a power socket hanging
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 around and so apart of the fact that it
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 doesn't work it also might be dangerous
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 so they definitely gave this an award
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59 the grounding socks and saying they
00:22:59 --> 00:23:01 really not worth it that's Tim mum from
00:23:01 --> 00:23:04 Australian
00:23:04 --> 00:23:17 [Music]
00:23:17 --> 00:23:20 Skeptics and that's the show for now
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