Connect with us

Published

on

Bitcoin registered a loss of 1.50 percent on national and international exchanges on Friday, and the oldest cryptocurrency was trading at the price point of $17,406 (roughly Rs. 14.4 lakh). BTC, in the last 24 hours, has effectively lost up to $328 (roughly Rs. 27,168) to trade at current prices. The cryptocurrency, so far in the last two months, has not been managed to trade above the level of $18,000 (roughly Rs. 14.90 lakh). More losses than gains were recorded on the crypto price charts, as the market opened for trade amid fluctuations on Friday.

Ether moved in alignment with Bitcoin and met with price dips. With a loss of 1.50 percent, ETH is trading at $1,270 (roughly Rs. 1.05 lakh), as per the crypto price tracker by Gadgets 360.

Most altcoins recorded minor price dips on Friday. These include Binance Coin, Cardano, Polygon, Litecoin, Solana, Tron, Uniswap, and Avalanche.

Interestingly, Shiba Inu minted profits and surpassed its rival Dogecoin that saw its price fall.

Shiba Inu was joined by a several stablecoins on the profit-making side of the crypto price charts. Tether, USD Coin, and Binance USD reeled in gains on Friday.

Polkadot, Monero, Bitcoin SV, Zcash, and Neo Coin also bagged small but significant profits.

“Binance’s BNB token came under selling pressure (down 7 percent) as rumour mills continued to shill the idea of massive withdrawals from the platform. Meanwhile, OkX’s OKB token was a gainer in Binance’s loss (up 9 percent), as it’s one of the few remaining large crypto exchanges. One of the top gainers for the week was Telegram’s TON (up ~30 percent last week) after their founder announced plans to launch a wallet and DEX,” Parth Chaturvedi, Crypto Ecosystem Lead, CoinSwitch told Gadgets 360.

The overall crypto market fell by 1.30 percent in the last 24 hours. At present, the total market valuation stands at $850 billion as per CoinMarketCap.

“Closer home, CRE8, an Indian Rupee denominated Virtual Digital Asset (crypto) index was down 2.1 percent in the past seven days. The Index value stood at Rs. 2,363.51 at 8 AM, December 16, 2022. BTC and ETH continue to be the top assets by market capitalisation,” Chaturvedi noted.


Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article. 

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Continue Reading

Science

Scientists Recreate Cosmic Ray Physics Using Cold Atom in New Laboratory Study

Published

on

By

Scientists Recreate Cosmic Ray Physics Using Cold Atom in New Laboratory Study

For the first time, researchers have managed to simulate a fundamental process of cosmic particle acceleration in a laboratory: the first series of discoveries that will transform our understanding of cosmic rays. Now, scientists from the Universities of Birmingham and Chicago have created a tiny, 100-micrometre Fermi accelerator, in which mobile optical potential barriers collide with trapped atoms, in a partial replica of how cosmic particles pick up energy in space. The technique not only replicates cosmic ray behaviour but also sets a new benchmark in quantum acceleration technology.

Lab-Built Fermi Accelerator Using Cold Atoms Validates Cosmic Ray Theory and Advances Quantum Tech

As per findings published in Physical Review Letters, this fully controllable setup demonstrated particle acceleration through the Fermi mechanism first proposed by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1949. Long theorised to underlie cosmic ray generation, the process had never been reliably replicated in a lab. By combining energy gains with particle losses, researchers created energy spectra similar to those observed in space, offering the first direct validation of Bell’s result, a cornerstone of cosmic ray physics.

In Fermi acceleration, ultracold atoms are accelerated to more than 0.5 metres per second using laser-controlled barriers. Dr Amita Deb, a coauthor and researcher at the University of Birmingham, mentioned, ‘Our chimney is more powerful than conventional quantum nano-measurements, which are the best acceleration tools in the world so far, and while its simplicity and small size can be compelling, its lack of a theoretical speed limit is the most attractive feature.’ The ultracold atomic jets could be readily controlled with high precision in the subsequent experiments.

This progress means that, for the first time, complicated astrophysical events like shocks and turbulence can be studied in a laboratory, lead author Dr Vera Guarrera stated. This opens new avenues for high-energy astrophysics and also for applications in quantum wavepacket control and quantum chemistry.

Researchers plan to find out how different behaviour affects energy cutoffs and acceleration rates. A compact Fermi accelerator of this type could be a cornerstone for studies of fundamental physics and also connect to emerging technologies such as atomtronics.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


Amazon Introduces Rewards Gold Cashback Program Ahead of Prime Day 2025 Sale



Elon Musk Says Grok Chatbot Is Coming to Tesla Vehicles by Next Week

Continue Reading

Science

Scientists Say Dark Matter Could Turn Failed Stars Into ‘Dark Dwarfs’

Published

on

By

Scientists Say Dark Matter Could Turn Failed Stars Into ‘Dark Dwarfs’

Astronomers now propose that “failed stars” known as brown dwarfs could be powered by dark matter. Dark matter makes up about 85 percent of the universe’s matter but does not shine; it interacts only via gravity. Brown dwarfs form like stars but lack enough mass to ignite fusion. The theory suggests brown dwarfs in galaxy centers might trap dark matter in their interiors. When that dark matter annihilates, it releases energy that heats the star, turning the dwarf into a brighter “dark dwarf.” If such objects exist, finding them would give scientists a new clue to the nature of dark matter.

Dark Matter in Failed Stars

According to the new model, dense brown dwarfs at the centers of galaxies act like gravity wells that accumulate dark matter. Because dark matter interacts only via gravity, it naturally drifts to galactic cores, where it can be captured by star. As University of Hawai‘i physicist Jeremy Sakstein explains, once inside a star dark matter can annihilate with itself, releasing energy that heats the dwarf. The more dark matter a brown dwarf collects, the more energy it outputs. Crucially, this effect only works if dark matter particles self-annihilate (as with heavy WIMPs); lighter or non-interacting candidates like axions would not create dark dwarfs.

They propose using a chemical signature: a dark dwarf should hold on to lithium-7 that normal brown dwarfs burn away. The researchers say powerful telescopes like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope might already be sensitive enough to spot cool, dim dark dwarfs near the Milky Way’s center. Detecting even one would strongly suggest that dark matter is made of heavy, self-interacting particles (like WIMPs).

In related work, Colgate astrophysicist Jillian Paulin coauthored studies of ancient “dark stars” fueled by dark matter, while SLAC physicist Rebecca Leane and collaborators have shown that dark matter capture could heat brown dwarfs and exoplanets – a process called “dark kinetic heating”. Together, these ideas highlight how even dim, unusual stars could illuminate the nature of dark matter.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


Apple Takes Fight Against $587 Million EU Antitrust Fine to Court



Apple Loses Top AI Models Executive to Meta’s Hiring Spree

Continue Reading

Science

New Gel-Based Robotic Skin Feels Touch, Heat, and Damage Like Human Flesh

Published

on

By

New Gel-Based Robotic Skin Feels Touch, Heat, and Damage Like Human Flesh

Researchers have created a novel electronic “skin” that could let robots experience a sense of touch. This low-cost, gelatin-based material is highly flexible and durable and can be molded over a robot hand. Equipped with electrodes, the skin detects pressure, temperature changes, and even sharp damage. In tests it responded to pokes, burns and cuts. Unlike conventional designs that use separate sensors for each stimulus, this single “multi-modal” material simplifies the hardware while providing rich tactile data. The findings, published in Science Robotics, suggest it could be used on humanoid robots or prosthetic limbs to give them a more human-like touch.

Multi-Modal Touch and Heat Sensing

According to the paper, unlike typical robotic skins, which require multiple specialized sensors, the new gel acts as a single multi-modal sensor. Its uniform conductive layer responds differently to a light touch, a temperature change or even a scratch by altering tiny electrical pathways. This design makes the skin simpler and more robust: researchers note it’s easier to fabricate and far less costly than conventional multi-sensor skins. In effect, one stretchy sheet of this material can replace many parts, cutting complexity while maintaining rich sensory feedback.

Testing the Skin and Future Applications

The research team tested the skin by casting the gel into a human-hand shape and outfitting it with electrodes. They put it through a gauntlet of trials: blasting it with a heat gun, pressing it with fingers and a robotic arm, and even slicing it open with a scalpel. Those harsh tests generated over 1.7 million data points from 860,000 tiny conductive channels, which fed into a machine-learning model so the skin could learn to distinguish different types of touch.

UCL’s Dr. Thomas George Thuruthel, a co-author of the study, said the robotic skin isn’t yet as sensitive as human skin but “may be better than anything else out there at the moment.” He noted that the material’s flexibility and ease of manufacture as key advantages. Moreover, the team believes this technology could ultimately help make robots and prosthetic devices with a more lifelike sense of touch.

Continue Reading

Trending