Lifeboat Foundation

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed the first additive manufacturing slicing computer application to simultaneously speed and simplify digital conversion of accurate, large-format three-dimensional parts in a factory production setting.

The technology, known as Slicer 2, can help widen the use of 3D printing for larger objects made from metallic and composite materials. Objects the size of a house and beyond are possible, such as land and aquatic vehicles and aerospace applications that include parts for reusable space vehicles.

Slicing software converts a computer-aided design, or CAD, digital model into a series of two-dimensional layers called slices. It calculates print parameters for each slice, such as printhead path and speed, and saves the information in numerically controlled computer language. The computer file contains instructions for a 3D printer to create a precise 3D version of the image.

The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers report in the journal The Innovation that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as −196°C, high levels of gamma radiation, and simulated Martian conditions involving these three stressors combined. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope.

“Our study shows that the environmental resilience of S. caninervis is superior to that of some of highly stress-tolerant microorganisms and tardigrades,” write the researchers, who include ecologists Daoyuan Zhang and Yuanming Zhang and botanist Tingyun Kuang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments, laying the foundation for building biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth.”

Gravitational wave research has helped scientists learn more about a famous 2,000-year-old mechanical computer.

This research highlights that both early melting-volatilization and late accretion of volatile-rich materials are integral to understanding the distribution of nitrogen in silicate Earth. These insights open new avenues for understanding the origins of volatiles on Earth.

A team of researchers led by Professor Wang Wenzhong from the University of Science and Technology of China’s School of Earth and Space Sciences, in partnership with international experts, examined how nitrogen isotopes fractionate during the formation and evolution of terrestrial planets. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.

Currently, the academic community primarily holds two models regarding the accretion of volatiles on Earth: the “Late Veneer” model and the “Early Evolution” model.

Wei Zhang, Qing Liang, Xiujuan Li, Lai-Peng Ma, Xinyang Li, Zhenzhen Zhao, Rui Zhang, Hongtao Cao, Zizhun Wang, Wenwen Li, Yanni Wang, Meiqi Liu, Nailin Yue, Hongyan Liu, Zhenyu Hu, Li Liu, Qiang Zhou, Fangfei Li, Weitao Zheng, Wencai Ren, Meng Zou, Discovery of natural few-layer graphene on the Moon, National Science Review, 2024;„ https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae211.

Earth gets second sun In 1.3 million years, Earth will have a kind of second sun because the star Gliese 710 will approach 1.1 light years from Earth and we would see it the same size as Jupiter. The bad thing is that this cosmic alteration can cause an episode on our planet like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Auf dem Wüstenplanet „Tatooine “aus der „Star Wars ”-Filmreihe geht die Sonne zweimal auf. Etwas ähnliches steht in 13 Millionen Jahren auch unserem Planeten bevor: Dann bekommt die Erde eine zusätzliche Sonne – wenn auch nur vorübergehend.

When ultrafast electrons are deflected, they emit light—synchrotron radiation. This is used in so-called storage rings in which magnets force the particles onto a closed path. This light is longitudinally incoherent and consists of a broad spectrum of wavelengths.

Its high brilliance makes it an excellent tool for materials research. Monochromators can be used to pick out individual wavelengths from the spectrum, but this reduces the radiant power by many orders of magnitude to values of a few watts only.

But what if a storage ring were instead to deliver monochromatic, coherent light with outputs of several kilowatts, analogous to a high-power laser? Physicist Alexander Chao and his doctoral student Daniel Ratner found an answer to this challenge in 2010: if the electron bunches orbiting in a storage ring become shorter than the wavelength of the light they emit, the emitted radiation becomes coherent and therefore millions of times more powerful.

“Automated logistics roads are designed to get the most out of road space by utilizing hard shoulders, median strips, and tunnels beneath the roadway,” Muramatsu explained.

ALSO READ: A New 6G device is Created by Japan That is 20 times Faster Than 5G Technology

The project involves installing automated conveyor belts in tunnels beneath major highways, on above-ground tracks in the middle of roads, and along hard shoulders. This innovative approach aims to optimize existing road space and enhance freight movement efficiency.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off on June 5 — the start of a test flight that was expected to last just a week or so.