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Jeff Bezos created history on Tuesday when he successfully travelled to the edge of space and returned in the spacecraft developed by his company, Blue Origin. Over two decades after Bezos established the space company, he was accompanied by a crew of three others in the New Shepard spacecraft on his maiden journey to space. After the flight that lasted roughly 10 minutes, the capsule landed in West Texas at about 8:22 a.m. local time. The spacecraft made its way the Karman line — considered to be the edge of space — at an altitude of 100 kilometres above the Earth.

At the end of the journey, Bezos simply said: “best day ever!” He then added, “My expectations were high and they were dramatically exceeded.”

The billionaire was accompanied on the flight by his 53-year-old brother, Mark Bezos, 82-year-old former pilot Wally Funk, as well as an 18-year-old Oliver Daemen. The crew held the distinction of having the world’s richest, the world’s oldest and the world’s youngest persons to have visited space.

Upon hitting zero gravity, the crew was seen floating within the capsule, celebrating the experience. In awe of what she was witnessing, Funk said, “Oh my word, look at the world!” presumably looking out the window at Earth below. But it was Bezos who had viewers in splits when he was heard asking the crew, “Who wants a Skittle?”

In his first interview upon landing, Bezos said, “I am not talented enough to describe this in words,” adding that it was “beyond” what he dreamt the Earth would look like. At a loss of words to describe the spectacle he had witnessed, Bezos said, “Maybe we need to send a poet up or something. Someone who would be better at describing it.”

Speaking after the flight, Bezos said that he wanted to thank the employees and customers of Amazon, the company he founded. The former Amazon CEO said, “I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all this. So, to every Amazon customer out there and every Amazon employee thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

When asked to sum up the experience, Bezos exclaimed, “Oh my god!” He also added that the zero-gravity experience felt “normal… so serene and peaceful… a very pleasurable experience.” He said that the most profound part of the experience was watching the Earth and that the “fragility” of the planet surprised him.

On being asked why he was investing such money in space, Bezos said, “What we are doing is building a road to space so future generations can build a future.” The aim was to “slowly over decades, to move all heavy industries and polluting industries to space to keep the planet the gem that it is.”

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Mealworms Can Eat Plastic, But Study Shows Limited Impact on Pollution Crisis

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December 4, 2024

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Mealworms Can Eat Plastic, But Study Shows Limited Impact on Pollution Crisis

An experiment conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia has revealed the limited potential of mealworms in addressing plastic pollution. The study, published in Biology Letters on December 4, estimated that 100 mealworms would take approximately 138 days, or 4.5 months, to consume a single disposable face mask made from polypropylene. The findings underscore the challenges of relying on insect larvae for large-scale plastic degradation as per various reports.

Plastic Pollution and Microplastics: A Growing Concern

The research focused on microplastics, which are plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimetres and linked to severe health issues such as increased risks of heart attacks and strokes, as suggested by prior studies. Earlier experiments had demonstrated the ability of several insect species, including yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and superworms (Zophobas atratus), to degrade various types of plastics. However, most of those studies utilised powdered or pure forms of plastic, rather than the manufactured items people use daily, as reported by researchers.

Real-World Testing and Observations

Led by ecologist Dr Michelle Tseng, the team opted for a more realistic approach by using disposable face masks containing additional materials from manufacturing processes. To encourage consumption, the plastic was processed into microbits and blended with wheat bran. According to Dr Tseng in a statement, the insects readily consumed this mixture, termed “face-mask granola.”

No significant reduction in the insects’ lifespan was observed. However, questions regarding the safety of using these larvae as feedstock in agriculture, particularly for poultry, were raised. Dr Tseng noted that mealworms consuming large amounts of microplastics may not remain safe for further use in food chains, as reported.

Challenges and Future Directions

The feasibility of using mealworms for large-scale plastic degradation remains doubtful due to the slow consumption rate. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asia alone reportedly used 2 billion face masks per day, highlighting the impracticality of such a solution. Researchers have suggested that exploring the microbial composition of these insects could lead to advancements in waste breakdown technologies. Nonetheless, reducing plastic usage is emphasised as the most effective approach to managing this environmental crisis.

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Climate Change Causes Decline in Rice Quality Across East Asia, New Study Suggests

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December 4, 2024

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Climate Change Causes Decline in Rice Quality Across East Asia, New Study Suggests

A decline in rice quality across East Asia has been attributed to climate warming, according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters. The research, led by Dr Xianfeng Liu of Shaanxi Normal University in China, highlights the vulnerability of rice—a dietary staple for billions—to rising temperatures. Using 35 years of data from Japan and China, the team analysed how various climate factors affect the “head rice rate” (HRR), a critical measure of rice quality based on the proportion of intact grains after milling.

Key Climate Factors Impacting Rice Quality

The study identified warmer nighttime temperatures as the primary driver behind reduced rice quality, as per reports. For Japan, HRR began declining at night temperatures exceeding 12 degrees Celsius, while for China, the threshold was 18 degrees celsius. Elevated nighttime temperatures during flowering and grain development phases were found to hinder photosynthesis and starch accumulation, causing more grains to break during processing.

Reportedly, solar radiation emerged as the second most significant factor, with higher radiation levels linked to reduced HRR. Other contributing factors included reduced precipitation and increased daytime vapor pressure deficit, with HRR declining when the latter exceeded 0.5–1 kPa.

Projected Declines in Rice Quality

As per multiple reports, projections under moderate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios suggest that rice quality will continue to deteriorate. Between 2020 and 2100, HRR is expected to decline by up to 1.5 percent in Japan and 5 percent in China, with the impact intensifying after 2050 under higher emissions. Southern regions in both countries, closer to the equator and more vulnerable to rising nighttime temperatures, face the greatest challenges.

Implications for Food Security

The findings raise concerns over the adaptability of rice cultivars to climate change. Southern provinces in China, the nation’s primary rice-growing regions, may struggle to mitigate these impacts, posing risks to food security, human nutrition, and economic stability. The study underscores the urgent need for climate-resilient agricultural practices and crop varieties to safeguard global rice supplies.

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Fourth Planet in Kepler-51 System

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December 4, 2024

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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Fourth Planet in Kepler-51 System

A recent study published in The Astronomical Journal has revealed the discovery of a fourth planet in the Kepler-51 system, an already remarkable planetary system known for hosting three ultra-low-density “super-puff” planets. This discovery was made by a research team led by Dr Jessica Libby-Roberts, a postdoctoral fellow at Penn State’s Centre for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, and Dr Kento Masuda, Associate Professor of Earth and Space Science at Osaka University. The finding suggests that the gravitational influence of the newly identified planet, named Kepler-51e, explains unexpected variations in the transit timings of the system’s known planets.

Unexpected Findings During Observations

As per a report by Phys.org, the researchers initially aimed to study Kepler-51d using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) but observed its transit occurring two hours earlier than predicted. This significant deviation prompted further analysis of data from NASA’s Kepler and TESS telescopes, Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories such as the Apache Point Observatory (APO) and Palomar Observatory, as per reports. According to the team, only a four-planet model could account for the observed transit timing variations.

Insights Into the Kepler-51 System

Kepler-51e is believed to have a mass comparable to the existing planets in the system, following a relatively circular orbit of approximately 264 days. However, its classification as a “super-puff” remains uncertain due to the lack of transit data needed to calculate its radius and density. The inner three planets, known for their extremely low densities, continue to intrigue scientists. The team noted that accounting for the fourth planet alters previously estimated masses of the inner planets, slightly increasing their values while maintaining their status as super-puffs.

Future Implications of the Study

Dr Libby-Roberts, in a statement, indicated the potential for further exploration, stating that Kepler-51e’s orbit, located just inside the system’s habitable zone, suggests the possibility of additional planets or complex gravitational interactions. Continued observations may uncover planets farther from the star, contributing to the search for potentially habitable worlds. Researchers are also analysing data from JWST to study the atmospheric composition of Kepler-51d, which may shed light on the formation mechanisms of such unusual planets.

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