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US President Donald Trump has reached out to SpaceX founder Elon Musk for assistance in facilitating the return of two American astronauts—Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore—who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. The astronauts, who originally planned for a 10-day mission, have remained in space due to technical difficulties with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was initially designated for their return. Musk confirmed that SpaceX would undertake the mission, stating that the astronauts had been left aboard the ISS for an extended period by the previous administration of President Joe Biden.

Mission complications and NASA’s response

According to reports, NASA had already enlisted SpaceX months ago to facilitate the return of Williams and Wilmore as part of the Crew-9 mission. The original plan involved launching four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, but adjustments were made to accommodate the two astronauts. Instead, only one astronaut and one cosmonaut were sent in September 2024, leaving space for Williams and Wilmore’s return.

However, a delay occurred in December 2024 when SpaceX required additional time to prepare the Dragon capsule for the upcoming Crew-10 mission. As a result, Crew-9, which included Williams and Wilmore, was postponed until late March 2025. Despite concerns about their prolonged stay, NASA has maintained that the astronauts are in good health and spirits and are not stranded.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s statements

Elon Musk, in a post on X, stated that SpaceX had been requested to expedite the return of the astronauts and that arrangements were being made. He criticised the Biden administration, describing the delay as avoidable. On Truth Social, Donald Trump commented that SpaceX would be conducting the mission soon and wished Musk success, though no specific timeline was provided.

Sunita Williams speaks about her extended stay

As reported, Sunita Williams, aged 59, described adjusting to microgravity for such an extended period. She mentioned that she was trying to recall the feeling of walking, as she had not done so in several months. Despite the delay, she confirmed that she remained in good health while awaiting the return mission.

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New Study Uses Math to Decode Creativity and Idea Formation

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January 31, 2025

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New Study Uses Math to Decode Creativity and Idea Formation

A new research study has examined the mathematical principles governing creativity and innovation, shedding light on how novel ideas emerge. By analysing data across different domains, researchers have identified patterns that could refine the understanding of how individuals and societies generate new concepts. The study investigates two types of novelty—discovering an entirely new element and forming unique combinations of existing elements. The findings could be crucial in fields such as science, literature, and technology, where innovation plays a vital role in advancement.

Mathematical Framework for Creativity

According to the study published in Nature Communications, researchers introduced a framework to model how new ideas emerge. Led by Professor Vito Latora from Queen Mary University of London, the team focused on higher-order novelties—combinations of familiar elements that create something new. Speaking to Phys.org, Prof. Latora stated that the study is part of a broader effort to understand the mechanisms underlying creativity, aiming to identify factors that contribute to the success of ideas, products, and technologies.

A mathematical model called Edge-Reinforced Random Walk with Triggering (ERRWT) was developed to simulate how people discover and combine elements. Unlike traditional random walks, which assume equal probability for each step, ERRWT strengthens frequently used connections and triggers new links when novel combinations occur. This process mirrors real-world discovery, where repeated exposure to certain elements increases the likelihood of making new associations.

Analysing Patterns Across Domains

The research team applied the ERRWT model to three distinct datasets—music listening habits from Last.fm, literary texts from Project Gutenberg, and scientific publications from Semantic Scholar. The findings revealed that while individuals might have similar rates of discovering new elements, the sequences in which they arrange them differ significantly.

For music listeners, certain users developed unique listening patterns despite discovering the same number of new songs. In literature, writers frequently created new word pairings rather than introducing entirely new words. Scientific papers, particularly titles, demonstrated a higher tendency for novel word combinations compared to narrative texts.

Predicting Innovation with Heaps’ Law

The study also highlighted that the process of novelty creation follows Heaps’ law, a power-law relationship describing how new elements and combinations emerge over time. By applying this principle, researchers could predict different rates of innovation across disciplines. The results indicated that while some fields prioritise the discovery of individual elements, others focus on recombining existing ones in unique ways.

Implications for Future Research

The findings suggest that understanding how creative processes unfold could help refine strategies for fostering innovation. Prof. Latora noted that studying novelty creation is essential for identifying factors that contribute to the rise and decline of trends, products, and ideas. Future research aims to expand the model by incorporating a social component, which could provide insights into how external influences shape creative developments.

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Unusual Globular Cluster System Found in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy FCC 224

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January 31, 2025

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Unusual Globular Cluster System Found in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy FCC 224

A team of researchers has observed an ultra-diffuse galaxy, FCC 224, uncovering an unusual system of globular clusters. The galaxy, located in the Fornax cluster approximately 65 million light-years away, has been found to host luminous and overmassive globular clusters. The study, conducted using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and supported by spectroscopic data from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI), has provided insights into the formation and evolution of this galaxy and its star clusters. The findings indicate a single-burst star formation history, with the globular clusters displaying unique characteristics in terms of mass, size, and brightness distribution.

Overmassive Globular Cluster System Identified

According to the study published on the arXiv pre-print server, FCC 224 is a quiescent ultra-diffuse galaxy estimated to be around 10 billion years old. It has a major axis effective radius of roughly 6,160 light-years and a stellar mass of approximately 200 million solar masses. Observations have revealed that the galaxy hosts 12 exceptionally bright globular clusters, with some showing absolute magnitudes around -9.0 mag. The total mass of these clusters is estimated to be 3.8 million solar masses, accounting for nearly 2 percent of the galaxy’s stellar mass, which is significantly higher than expected for a galaxy of this size.

Distinctive Features of the Globular Clusters

As reported by phys.org, the study found that the globular clusters in FCC 224 closely resemble the galaxy’s diffuse starlight, exhibiting a narrow color range and lacking a significant color gradient. This suggests that the galaxy underwent a single, intense star formation period. Researchers also noted that these clusters have relatively small sizes, with half-light radii ranging between 7.8 and 15.6 light-years. The globular cluster population appears to be radially mass-segregated, with brighter clusters concentrated toward the galaxy’s center.

Implications and Future Research

Findings from the study indicate that FCC 224 possesses an unusual globular cluster system with characteristics that challenge conventional expectations. The research team has suggested that further theoretical studies will be needed to explain the origins of these distinctive properties and the role they play in the galaxy’s evolution.

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New Study Finds Active Lunar Tectonics, Challenges Moon’s Dormancy



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New Study Finds Active Lunar Tectonics, Challenges Moon’s Dormancy

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January 31, 2025

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New Study Finds Active Lunar Tectonics, Challenges Moon’s Dormancy

A recent analysis of lunar surface features has challenged long-standing assumptions about the moon’s geological dormancy. Findings indicate that small ridges on the far side of the moon may have formed within the last 200 million years, suggesting that tectonic processes are still at play. The study’s conclusions point to ongoing activity beneath the lunar surface, which could have significant implications for future lunar exploration efforts and the placement of infrastructure on the moon.

Study Reveals Active Lunar Tectonics

According to the study published in The Planetary Science Journal on January 21, 2025, a team of researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Maryland identified 266 previously undocumented small ridges on the moon’s far side. These ridges, found in volcanic regions estimated to have formed 3.2 to 3.6 billion years ago, appear to be significantly younger than other known lunar surface features.

Jaclyn Clark, Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Maryland’s Department of Geology, said in a statement released by the University of Maryland that crater counting was employed to estimate the ridges’ ages. He added that the more craters a surface has, the older it is; the surface has more time to accumulate impact marks and after counting the craters and observing ridges cutting through existing impact sites, it was determined that these formations were active within the last 160 million years.

Implications for Future Lunar Exploration

Observations suggest that the ridges on both the near and far sides of the moon may have originated from the same geological forces, including the moon’s gradual shrinking and orbital shifts. Decades-old data from Apollo missions had previously detected shallow moonquakes, and researchers now believe these ridges may be linked to similar seismic events.

Clark highlighted the importance of these findings for future missions, stating that tools like ground-penetrating radar could provide deeper insights into the moon’s subsurface. She emphasised that understanding the moon’s active geology is crucial when planning the placement of astronauts and equipment on its surface.

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Gemini in Google Sheets Gets Updated With Data Analysis and Visualising Tools



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