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A recent study by researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment has examined the water quality effects of a historic lithium mine in North Carolina, specifically near Kings Mountain. Conducted by a team led by Avner Vengosh, a Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality, the study highlights the presence of elevated levels of lithium, rubidium, and cesium in waters connected to the mine site. Published in Science of the Total Environment, the findings provide critical insights into how abandoned lithium mines may affect local water resources.

Contaminants and Findings from the Study

The investigation revealed that concentrations of common contaminants such as arsenic, lead, copper and nickel remained below the standards established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, significant levels of lithium and less commonly encountered metals like rubidium and cesium were identified in groundwater and nearby surface water. These elements, while unregulated federally, were noted at concentrations atypical for natural water sources in the region.

In a statement given to SciTechDaily, Gordon Williams, the study’s lead author and PhD student at Duke University, said that the findings pose questions about the potential health and environmental effects of these metals. Laboratory tests simulating natural conditions also showed that the mine’s waste materials did not contribute to harmful acidic runoff, a phenomenon often associated with mining operations like coal extraction.

Future Lithium Exploration and Implications

The study emphasised that while the legacy mine’s impacts are documented, the environmental effects of active lithium extraction and processing remain unaddressed. Vengosh reportedly said that processing methods, which involve chemical treatments to extract lithium, could introduce new challenges for water quality in the area if mining operations resume.

Efforts are now underway to expand the research to include drinking water quality assessments across lithium-rich zones in North Carolina, as per the report. By analysing private wells and surface water, the researchers aim to provide further clarity on the long-term effects of lithium mining on local water systems.

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Rocket Lab Launches Kushinada-I: A Leap Forward for Japan’s SAR Network

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August 5, 2025

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Rocket Lab Launches Kushinada-I: A Leap Forward for Japan’s SAR Network

In early August 2025, Rocket Lab successfully launched QPS-SAR-12 (nicknamed Kushinada-I), a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite built by Japan’s iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space). This mission, called “The Harvest Goddess Thrives” in honor of a Japanese goddess of harvest and prosperity, was Rocket Lab’s fifth dedicated launch for iQPS. The 59-foot (18-meter) Electron rocket lifted the satellite into a 575-km circular orbit. QPS-SAR-12 will join an expanding constellation of SAR Earth-imaging satellites, enabling all-weather, day-and-night observation. The launch exemplifies Rocket Lab’s niche role in deploying small dedicated satellites and advances iQPS’s goal of a 36-satellite global SAR network.

The “Harvest Goddess Thrives” Mission

According to Rocket Lab’s press release, the Electron rocket lifts off on Aug. 5, 2025, from Mahia, New Zealand. The mission, nicknamed “Harvest Goddess Thrives,” carried the QPS-SAR-12 radar satellite (Kushinada-I) for iQPS. The 18-meter vehicle powered away at 12:10 a.m. EDT (4:10 p.m. NZT).The Electron injected Kushinada-I into a planned 575-km sun-synchronous orbit about 54 minutes after liftoff.

Kushinada-I honors a Shinto harvest goddess and is formally designated QPS-SAR-12. This was Rocket Lab’s fifth mission for iQPS and the 69th Electron flight overall. Rocket Lab is also developing a larger Neutron rocket and operates a suborbital test vehicle (HASTE) for hypersonic research.

iQPS SAR Constellation and Applications

By mid-2025, ten QPS-SAR satellites were in orbit, and Kushinada-I became the 12th launched. iQPS plans a total of 36 small SAR spacecraft. Each satellite carries high-resolution SAR capable of imaging through clouds or at night. The full constellation is designed to revisit any target region roughly every 10 minutes, providing near-real-time monitoring.

The SAR network will image both fixed terrain and moving objects (vehicles, ships or livestock). Rocket Lab notes this continuous data stream “has the potential to revolutionize industries and reshape the future,” unlocking economic insights and predictive analytics for agriculture, urban security and other markets.

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Could dark matter come from a mirror world or the cosmic horizon?

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August 5, 2025

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Could dark matter come from a mirror world or the cosmic horizon?

Now there are two more options available for theoretical physicists mulling over the mystery of what dark matter is, and with them come another two pointers towards how to narrow down our search. UC Santa Cruz Professor of Physics Stefano Profumo published a paper examining whether dark matter was always there or instead could have come from a ‘mirror world’ or the edge of space ballooning along with the rest of the universe. Whatever its truth, it would produce dark matter that does not interact with ordinary particles and significantly modify our modern view of the cosmos.

New Theories Suggest Dark Matter Emerged from a Mirror World or Cosmic Horizon Radiation

As per Physical Review D reports, Profumo’s July study theorises that dark matter could form in a shadow sector that mirrors known particles and forces yet remains completely undetectable. The theory is like quantum chromodynamics (QCD), but the dark sector has new quarks and gluons, and it imagines that heavy “dark baryons” are being held together by gravity. This debris could have collapsed into Planck-mass black hole–type objects that would be undetectable but still able to influence the universe’s structure thanks to gravity.

His earlier May study, published in the same journal, suggests another path: that dark matter particles might have been emitted from the universe’s expanding cosmic horizon. It allows for a brief epoch of formation, thermal synthesis of stable cold dark matter, which decouples from the standard model following inflation, and is consistent with quantum field theory in curved spacetime. That ties in neatly with the radiation from black holes and implies that other universes resembling our own might have started out as invisible seeds of matter.

Profumo stressed that these are speculative-theory-specific hypotheses, based on physics principles already there for dark matter or other gravitational channels or quantum phenomena beyond the standard model.

UC Santa Cruz is leading the way in connecting quantum concepts to astrophysics, developing new models to potentially solve a challenging scientific puzzle.

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Sun Roars Back with Three M-Class Flares in 24 Hours

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August 5, 2025

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Sun Roars Back with Three M-Class Flares in 24 Hours

After three weeks of calm, the Sun roared back to life on Aug. 3–4, 2025, unleashing three moderate M-class solar flares in just 24 hours. These midday flares – including a 2.9-M flare on Aug. 3 and two more (M2.0 and M1.4) on Aug. 4, all erupted from sunspot region AR 4168. While not as intense as the largest X-class events, M-class flares are still powerful bursts of radiation capable of briefly disturbing Earth’s upper atmosphere. Experts say we may see minor effects, such as short-lived radio blackouts or a brush of auroras at high latitudes.

Solar Eruptions Ignite

According to space weather website SolarHam.com’s post on X, the flares marked a sudden end to a 22-day quiet spell on the Sun. Sunspot AR 4168, a magnetically complex region, rapidly grew active and unleashed the chain of flares. According to Space.com, the M2.9 flare at 10:01 a.m. EDT on Aug. 3 was the first moderate flare since mid-July, and it was followed by M2.0 and M1.4 flares on Aug. 4.
Each flare released intense X-rays and ultraviolet light.

M-class flares are ten times more energetic than the more common C-class flares, although far weaker than the most extreme X-class eruptions. Scientists noted that these eruptions likely hurled two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) into space, which are huge clouds of charged particles that can impact Earth if they arrive.

Potential Earth Effects

Scientists say these eruptions should have only minor impacts on Earth. By NOAA’s space-weather scale, M1–M4 flares correspond to R1–R2 (minor) radio blackouts, so any HF radio outages would be weak and brief. Satellite communications and power grids are expected to be unaffected.
However, the ejected CMEs may still skim past Earth.

EarthSky reports a possible glancing blow around Aug. 5–6, which could trigger a minor G1 geomagnetic storm. That could briefly light up auroras at high latitudes (for example, far-northern Europe or Canada). So far models suggest only a small chance of impact. In other words, NOAA forecasters classify this as a minor event, unlikely to cause disruptions.

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