finally

China finally has a competitive desktop processor. Its problem is that it is six years behind Intel

by

China has your own alternative to processors for PCs, servers and data centers made by Intel, AMD and other companies. Loongson is one of the few Chinese companies that can manufacture advanced microprocessors. We have been following it for several years because in the current climate of geopolitical tension it has acquired more relevance than ever, and there is no doubt that its cruising speed is high. At the end of December 2022 this company launched its CPU 3A5000 32 corea general-purpose processor with LoongArch microarchitecture implemented by this company on the MIPS architecture. And in February 2024 it presented its LS3C6000 server processor, a CPU with DragonChain technology that could be scaled up to 64 cores. Its latest milestone is not the presentation of a new chip. The reason why we have decided to talk to you again about this Chinese company is that just a week ago it confirmed that it has distributed more than one million units of its flagship desktop processor, which represents a milestone in China’s efforts to build a self-sufficient semiconductor industry. The 3A6000 CPU has been designed and manufactured entirely in China Loongson implements its processors on the MIPS architecture, but the microarchitecture of these chips has been expressly designed by engineers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. By not using x86-64 or ARM architectures, this company has been able to continue refining its designs without being conditioned by US sanctions. Be that as it may, Loongson is dedicated to the design of microprocessors, but does not have the capacity to manufacture them itself. China recently had no alternative to US-made CPUs SMIC takes care of this (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp), what is the largest semiconductor manufacturer from China, in the same way that TSMC produces the integrated circuits designed by AMD, Apple, NVIDIA or Qualcomm. According to the publication Fast Technology, the third generation of Loongson chipsto which the 3A6600, 3B6600 and 3C6600 CPUs belong, has a performance comparable to that of the 12th Intel Core and 13th generation. Curiously, according to Fast Technology, the 3B6600 model in particular is the one that rivals these Intel CPUs and comparable AMD proposals. In fact, according to SCMP Loongson herself has acknowledged that the performance of her desktop processors is comparable to that of Intel chips launched around 2020. Six years is a long time in this sector, but it is important that we do not overlook that China recently did not have any alternative to US-made CPUs. This achievement by Loongson is part of Beijing’s effort to channel resources to reduce China’s dependence on foreign semiconductor technology. However, this strategy has been accelerated in response to restrictive export controls Americans who limit China’s access to advanced chips, integrated circuit design software and next-generation semiconductor manufacturing services. It will be interesting to see if Loongson finally catches up with Intel and AMD. Image | TSMC More information | SCMP In Xataka | China takes off in quantum computers: it already has the first dual-core and 200 qubits on the planet ready

Almost 2,000 years ago a man died with a mysterious case while fleeing Pompeii. We finally know his secret

by

Get in the situation. It’s any day of any month and you are at home doing something when suddenly you hear screams in the street. You look out the window and see people running away in terror. Not only that. In the distance you see how the ash and burning rock rise from a volcano that both you and the rest of your neighbors thought were immersed in unalterable lethargy. What would you do in the face of such a scenario? something similar They lived 1947 years ago the Pompeians. Now we finally know what one of the unfortunate people who did not manage to save himself did: hold on to your briefcase of doctor. When Vesuvius woke up. The ruins of Pompeii were discovered long ago several centuries and archaeologists have been unraveling its mysteries for decades, trying to know above all what happened that fateful August 24, 79 AD (some versions speak of October) in which Vesuvius erupted and condemned the city of Campania, along with other towns such as Herculaneum, Stabia and Oplontis, asphyxiated under a layer of ash. However, despite all the research and rivers of ink that have flowed on the subject in recent years, the ruins of Pompey continue to retain their ability to surprise us. A figure in Ortho dei Fuggiaschi. One of the corners that has aroused the most fascination is the Ortho dei Fuggiaschithe ‘Garden of the Fugitives’, where we have found the remains of some 13 victims of Vesuvius. The reason is very simple: thanks to the method archaeologist molding Giuseppe Fiorelli20 centuries later, their corpses continue to starkly reflect the desperation of those men, women and children who tried to save themselves while their city was eclipsed by a dense rain of ash and lapilli, the walls collapsed and Vesuvius spewed pyroclasts. We knew that the victims who ended up perishing in the Ortho dei Fuggiaschi were probably seeking refuge, we also have a fairly precise idea of What were your last moments like? before dying. Thanks to Fiorelli’s plaster mold method we can even visualize the scene. The big question is… Can we go further? Who were those people? What did they do? What did they do before leaving their homes on the run? They are fascinating questions. Especially because, before perishing, some victims of Vesuvius they left us clues about your routine. There are cases, for example, in which the scene suggests that the victims were carrying jewelry and coinswhich leads us to think that they were trying to keep their most valuable possessions safe, perhaps so as not to lose them. Perhaps to start a new life in an impulse not so different from the one we would have today. Clinging to the medicine cabinet. Now researchers have discovered another story in it Ortho dei Fuggiaschil. More than 70 years after the first excavations and thanks to the use of To be more precise, scientists have identified a small box of organic material with metal parts and a series of instruments “compatible with a medical kit.” For example, a slab of slate that could have been used to make medical or cosmetic substances and surgical instruments. The x-ray and tomography examination has also shown a cloth bag with bronze and silver coins and a mechanism with a toothed wheel that allowed the box to be closed. Those responsible for the site stand out Furthermore, the study was carried out without putting the molds at risk. The decline of a doctor? That is the hypothesis with which the researchers work, who believe that the briefcase gives us a clue as to who the person who died next to him was. “He was probably a doctor, a victim of the tragedy while trying to escape, taking with him some of the tools of his trade,” he explains in a statement the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, which insists that the instruments located inside the case provide us with “a valuable and rare clue about his profession.” “2,000 years ago there were people who were not limited to practicing medicine during office hours, but were doctors at all times, even when fleeing the eruption, which was thwarted by the pyroclastic cloud that reached the group of fugitives who were trying to leave the city through Porta Nocera,” reflect Gabriel Zuchtriegel. “This man took his instruments with him to be prepared to rebuild his life elsewhere thanks to his profession, but perhaps also to help others.” Images | Pompeii Archaeological Park In Xataka | 2,000 years later, Pompeii continues to reveal fascinating things: the latest is a blue room for unknown uses

Today the green turtles are finally out of danger

by

Halfway between South America and Africa, in the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean, a small volcanic point emerges that is the ascension island. For centuries, this piece of land was the scene of a systematic massacre, but today it represents one of the greatest success stories of marine conservation in the 21st century, culminating last October with a historic announcement that the green turtle has officially gone from being “endangered” to being classified as “least concern.” His story. To understand the magnitude of the Ascension phenomenon, you must first understand the journey since each season, thousands of green turtles They travel 2,300 kilometers from the coasts of Brazil to this remote island to spawnthat is, release their eggs. But… How do they manage to find this small island in an ocean as enormous as the Atlantic? A GPS. The famous biologist Archie Carr proposed in his day that these creatures use a kind of “olfactory GPS”, with which they were capable of find chemical fingerprints dissolved in the ocean currents that emanate from the island. Although the exact mechanics remain the subject of study, since genetic analyzes based on mitochondrial DNA leave no doubt that there are perfectly differentiated Atlantic populations and that of Ascension has a unique signature. In fact, studies indicate that turtles born in Ascensión travel throughout the American continent, representing between 43% and 47% of those captured on the coasts of Uruguay and entering the Patagonian Sea. A dark past. Since its discovery in 1501, Portuguese and British sailors saw Ascension not as a sanctuary, but as an all-you-can-eat buffet, as has been masterfully documented. in works as Ascension: The Story of a South Atlantic Island by Duff Hart-Davis. For centuries, common practices were “flipping” where sailors literally turned turtles over on the beach, immobilizing them to keep them alive with their fresh meat for months. Here there are historical testimonies such as that of chaplain John Ovington in 1691 who recounts the industrialized slaughter of these reptiles, which were sent alive to England to satisfy the demand for “turtle soup.” Something that brought the species to the brink of extinction. A turning point. It arrived in 1977, and coincides with the moment it began control and monitoring of this species on nesting beaches, reversing centuries of human impact. And the results indicate that while in 1977 3,752 nests were counted annually, today the island hosts more than 25,000 nests each year. Images | wirestock on Freepik In Xataka | We have been thinking for 40 years that Spain escaped Chernobyl because it was far away. AEMET has discovered that it was pure luck

NASA’s alliance to finally understand dark matter

by

This week, NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, better known as the Roman Space Telescope. With its launch scheduled for September of this year at the earliest, it will become the space agency’s newest space telescope. It will coexist with others like Hubble or James Webbbut it has something that these don’t have. The ability to track vast expanses of the Universe at once. That’s what makes it special. Much more space. The Roman Space Telescope has 18 detectors that give it a panoramic view of space. It has been baptized with this name in honor of what is known as the mother of Hubble, for her important role in the development of this other space telescope. However, both have major differences. It is capable of looking at a field 100 times larger than that of Hubble. As a result, is expected that discovers tens of thousands of planets, billions of galaxies and stars and thousands of supernovae. An ideal companion for James Webb. The Roman Space Telescope also has advantages over the James Webb. If it is capable of analyzing a field 100 times larger than that of Hubble, in the case of James Webb exceeds it by 50 times. This allows you to observe without a clear objective on the part of the researchers. When exploring such large expanses, you may find something unexpected at any time. That’s where James Webb comes into play. And, although it can analyze less space at once, it is much more precise. Its mirrors are larger, so it captures more light and can discern more details. If the Roman detects something interesting, the James Webb analyzes it with a magnifying glass. Context matters. We have already seen that the James Webb can study the Roman detections with more precision. However, they can also help each other in the opposite direction, since the Roman is capable of providing context around James Webb’s objectives. Together to unravel dark matter. The biggest difference between the Roman Space Telescope and the James Webb compared to Hubble is that they can analyze space by focusing on emissions in the infrared spectrum, rather than visible light. As a result, it can see through cosmic dust, detect cold objects, and look further back in time. The latter is extremely useful for understanding the expansion process of the universe and, incidentally, unravel some mysteries about dark matter. The Universe expands. We have known for a long time that the universe is expanding. That is, the galaxies are moving away from each other, but not because they are moving, but because the space between them is stretched, like a balloon that is inflating. It is also known that this is happening more and more quickly. But why does it happen? It is not clear, but it is suspected that it may be due to dark matter. Supernovas that act as lighthouses. To better understand what is happening, it is important to measure very well how galaxies are separating. One of the ideal ways to do this is by using Ia supernova explosions as beacons. They are phenomena with a known maximum brightness, so they are used to measure distances, taking into account the analysis of their relative brightness from Earth or the place where a space telescope is located. The problem is that they only occur once every 500 years in the Milky Way. A telescope that measures in the infrared can travel very far back in time, but the James Webb only does so in small pieces. The Roman, on the other hand, can analyze such large areas that several of these explosions could be detected at the same time. That would allow several beacons to operate simultaneously to better map the Universe and understand why it is expanding as it does. Once the beacons were located, the James Webb would enter the game to do its detailed analysis. Together they can unravel very ancient mysteries of astrophysics. There is no one better than the other. Image | POT In Xataka | We have been studying the planets of TRAPPIST-1 for years with great hope. James Webb just knocked it down

We finally know when their 1.2 and 1.3 nm chips will arrive

by

TSMC has revealed which photolithography will be ready for large-scale chip manufacturing over the next three years. The largest producer of semiconductors of the planet has made its itinerary official just a few hours ago during its North American Technology Symposium, which was held yesterday in Santa Clara (USA). And the technologies it has presented put an unappealable reality on the table: this Taiwanese company is determined to continue leading the integrated circuit manufacturing industry. To achieve this in 2029, it will have the A12 and A13 integration technologies ready for large-scale production, which are nothing more than derivatives of its A14 photolithography. From a commercial point of view these will be TSMC’s first 1.2 and 1.3 nm technologies, although it is important that users do not overlook that nanometers no longer faithfully reflect the length of the logic gates or another physical parameter, such as the distance between the transistors. Each chip manufacturer handles them very freely, which prevents users from directly comparing the lithographs they try to “sell” us. The disconnection between the nomenclature and the physical reality of integrated circuits is now almost absolute, but nanometers are still useful to identify the degree of development of each photolithography within the portfolio of each semiconductor manufacturer. Having said this, it is worth investigating what TSMC is preparing. A technical feat: A12 and A13 without using ASML’s High-NA machines Kevin Zhang, TSMC’s deputy chief operating officer, has clarified something very important: “I am amazed by our R&D team. They continue to find ways to drive technological development without using ASML UVE High-NA equipment. Someday we may have to use them, but right now we can continue to reap the benefits of current EUV technology without moving to High-NA which, as we all know, is extremely expensive.” That’s impressive. TSMC is going to continue developing very competitive lithography over the next three years without resorting to High-NA machines. The A13 lithography will be the result of the refinement of the A14 In the slide that we publish below these lines we can see that in 2028 TSMC’s most advanced lithographic node for the consumer market will be the A14, which will use GAA transistors (Gate-All-Around) second generation. Mass production of consumer chips with A13 lithography will start in 2029 and will take A14 integration technology as its base platform. This simply means that the A13 lithography will be the result of the refinement of the A14. According to TSMC, the A13 integration technology is an optical optimization of the A14, which in practice will allow it to achieve a 6% higher transistor density while maintaining compatibility between the two. On the other hand, N2U lithography will arrive in 2028, which is also aimed at the consumer market. It will be an extension of the N2 platform (2 nm) and will deliver performance, again according to TSMC forecasts, between 3% and 4% higher than N2P, as well as consumption between 8% and 10% lower. Finally, A12 lithography will arrive in 2029 with the A13, although it will be mainly intended for chips for data centers. It will use, like A13, second generation GAA transistors and NanoFlex Pro technology. The latter will allow IC designers to use fast cells for the critical parts of the GPU that need speed, and dense or efficient cells for the rest, thus optimizing the chip area down to the last millimeter. NanoFlex Pro is one of the innovations with which TSMC seeks to protect its technological leadership with the purpose that its chip customers for artificial intelligence (AI), such as Nvidia, AMD or Cerebras, continue to turn to it and not to Samsung or Intel. Image | TSMC More information | TSMC | Tom’s Hardware In Xataka | Japan wants to end the Netherlands’ leadership in lithography equipment. This is your plan to get it

the spectacular technology that finally turns fencing into a spectacle

by

The tip of a foil in a professional fencing competition moves faster than the human eye can follow, and that limitation has condemned the sport to a secondary role in broadcasts for decades. A Japanese studio has been working since 2012 on an answer that combines 4K cameras, deep learning and augmented reality. This April 25, it debuts in its first professional competition, in Los Angeles. It’s difficult to follow. Fencing has rules like right of way in foil and saber, used to determine who wins the point when both fencers touch the opponent’s body at the same time, forcing the spectator to follow movements of the weapon in fractions of a second. According to the Rhizomatiks official technical documentationthe tip of the weapon takes up just a few pixels even captured in 4K, and the blade deforms so much when flexing that classic image processing methods cannot follow it clearly. How it works. This visualization system is called Fencing Visualized and is born from an alliance between the Japanese studio Rhizomatiksdirected by Daito Manabe (known for collaborations with Björk, Perfume and the closing ceremony of Rio 2016), the agency Dentsu Lab Tokyo and the fencer Yuki Ota, the first Japanese Olympic medalist in the discipline. The idea germinated from previous work with dancers in which the team used motion capture and high-speed cameras to draw graphics on the bodies on stage. The official phase began in 2013 and the concept already appeared in Tokyo’s bid video for the 2020 Games. Early versions of the system depended on retroreflective markers attached to the weapon: In 2014 it was tested live during the Yuki Ota Cup and in 2017 the balls were replaced with reflective tapes so as not to hinder the shooter. From reflective markers to deep learning. The technical leap has come now, when the team has worked to introduce the system in official competitions without interfering with the athletes’ competition equipment, mainly weapons. Therefore, in 2016 they rewrote motion detection with the help of deep learning. According to the engineer Kye Shimizuthe solution is a multistage network based on YOLO v3, fed by 24 4K cameras on both sides of the track, and whose results are crossed to estimate the position of the tip. This new version without physical markers debuted as an exhibition at the 71st Japan National Championships in 2018 and was seen in official competition a year later. The next milestone was Tokyo 2020, where the technology was deployed on site during the Games. That time at the Olympic Games is, in fact, what has allowed it to be sold to other competitions. Money. The American premiere on April 25 responds to a commercial logic adopted by the World Fencing League (WFL) that organizes the event, a professional league founded at the end of 2025 by three-time Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson. The competition brings together twelve athletes in mixed teams with a total distribution of $100,000 in prizes. The WFL itself describes the installation as a system of blade tracking with AI intended to make new viewers understand the action instantly. In other words: the league is interested in ensuring that, as a television show for all audiences, each round is understood intuitively, without knowing the regulations. More visions of the future. Fencing Visualized It is not an isolated case: There are systems like Hawk-Eye in tennis and cricket, Second Spectrum as the official optical tracking provider for the NBA and Premier League, or semi-automated offside in football. But the tiny tip of a saber is a more demanding problem than tracking a ball. On the other hand, this vision of the future also fits into the trend that the IOC has been promoting for years with Alibaba Cloud and Intel, and which turned Paris 2024 into the first end-to-end 8K broadcast with multi-camera 3D replay. The Los Angeles 2028 Games are a good space for this system to be integrated into the audiovisual dissemination of this sport. In Xataka | We have been living with robots for years that beat us at chess. Now we have robots that beat us at tennis

Drink water right before going to sleep? Science has finally clarified whether it is a good idea or a terrible enemy of sleep

by

Before going to sleep, some people may have an almost standardized ritual in which they should drink one or two glasses of water, and also have a backup on the bedside table in case they get thirsty in the middle of the night. But there are also many questions about whether it is positive to drink water before sleeping for eight hours or if it is counterproductive by forcing us to get up in the middle of the night. And here science has something to say. It has benefits. What is clearly known is that during the night our body does not go into a total pause, but rather continues with an active metabolism even though it is attenuated. That is why we lose approximately half a liter of water simply due to evaporation when breathing and sweating, and to compensate for this, hydration can be the best ally. It is investigated. A Japanese studio published this same year analyzed a group of middle-aged men to conclude that drinking 280 ml of water just before going to bed significantly reduces morning depressive mood and improves well-being upon waking up. But it is not the only one, because a 2025 crossover trial with 15 healthy adults found a relationship between drinking fluids before sleeping and the duration and quality of sleep. REM phasewhich is what makes us truly rest. And it makes sense, because adequate hydration favors the release of vasopressin, a key hormone for regulating the biological clock and preventing tissue dehydration during deep sleep. And it is essential, because it can translate into less fatigue and headaches in the morning. He has problems. It will not always be beneficial to have this habit, since the main enemy of drinking water at night is nocturiawhich is the need to wake up to urinate during the night. And although the total time we spend awake is not drastically altered, because it is only a few minutes, there is an interruption in sleep. It depends on the quantity. Logically, drinking a glass of water is not the same as drinking a whole bottle before going to sleep. That is why when you go over half a liter of water there is a possibility that some pre-existing problems such as chronic insomnia will worsen or even increase the risk of falls when getting up in the dark. How to do it. There are a series of tips that we can follow to stay hydrated during sleep and they are summarized in the following points: You should limit yourself to drinking around a quarter of a liter of water in the final part of the day to avoid overfilling your bladder. The last glass of water should be drunk two hours before going to sleep. Maintain good hydration throughout the day to avoid reaching the end of the day with a major hydration problem. Images | krakenimages.com on Freepik In Xataka | There are people obsessed with magnesium as a supplement when the best way is to put it directly into your diet

We knew there was water on the Moon, but not why some craters were empty. Finally we have the answer

by

It’s been a while since It is known that there is water on the Moon. However, accessing it is quite complicated. To begin with, so far only water in the form of ice has been detected. But also, it’s not clear what the best places to look are. There are some clues, but exceptions keep appearing that baffle scientists. That’s why, the study recently carried out by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder It has been very illuminating. Frozen water hidden in the shadows. The missions that have detected ice on the Moon have located it in the depths of the craters of the lunar south pole. Mostly, in something known as cold traps. These are places that are permanently in shadow, so that the very high temperatures that are reached during the day, of more than 120ºCthey cannot evaporate the water. An essential resource for lunar colonization. The detection of water on the Moon was a great milestone at the time, since it would make it easier for lunar colonizers to use water to cover basic needs in the future. They could use it for drinking, but also, for example, it would be possible separate hydrogen from oxygen through hydrolysis and use it as fuel. Let us remember that the formula of water is H2O, two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It’s not that easy. Some craters containing ice have already been detected, like the Cabeus. We could think that all the craters of the south pole that are found in cold traps, like this one, will serve as water sources. Unfortunately, the task is not so simple. It is known that several craters in this situation do not contain water, so another pattern must be sought to help future lunar colonizers know where to look. A question of orientation. The authors of the study just published relied on two types of data. On the one hand, the surface temperature data provided by the Diviner instrument of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). On the other hand, the results of a series of computer simulations on lunar evolution. Studying all of this together revealed something interesting. That the orientation of the Moon has not always been the same. Its relative inclination with respect to the Earth has changed slightly over billions of years, so that what is in shadow today may not have been in the past. That’s why there are craters in cold traps that don’t have water. The older the better. Something that these scientists have also observed when reviewing previous studies is that the oldest craters at the lunar south pole are more likely to house water. Therefore, the ideal is to look for ancient craters that are located at the south pole and in cold traps. The number of likely places to search is greatly reduced. In fact, there is already a candidate following this premise: the Haworth crater. According to the models, it has been in shadow for 3 billion years. We will have to check it. The authors of this study are already designing an instrument, called Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System (L-CIRiS), to analyze this and other candidate craters for water ice. NASA plans to deploy it near the lunar South Pole at the end of 2027. It will be a good way to detect the best lunar water sources with an eye on future long-term missions on our satellite. The more the ground is prepared, the better. Image | Xataka | The “hidden” side of the Moon has been a mystery for decades: China already has a chemical map to shed light

We have been debating for years whether it is better to go to the gym in the morning or in the afternoon. Physiology finally has the answer

by

In the world of sports there is an eternal debate about the best time to exercise. On the one hand, there are those who defend tooth and nail that get up early to train At six in the morning it activates the metabolism for the rest of the day. On the other hand, there are those who claim that the body only performs at its maximum after leaving work late in the day. Who is right? The answer, as is often the case in exercise physiology, has different nuances, since if we turn to scientific literature, recent studies and controlled trials, we will discover that the best schedule depends on the biology, objectives and internal clock of each athlete. And something that is already known is that our biology does not function in a flat manner during the day, but is governed by circadian rhythms. Here, science already indicates that body temperature and neuromuscular performance reach their maximum peak in the afternoon, generally between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Although the key here is whether this can translate into more muscle in the long term. The concrete studies. In 2019, a group of scientists public a meta-analysis that confirmed that, indeed, baseline muscle strength is greater in the afternoon. However, for early risers, they also pointed out that, if consistency is maintained at the same schedule, the long-term gains in strength and muscle mass are similar, regardless of the schedule, because the human body ends up adapting to what is asked of it. But there is a fairly clear exception, as stated in a study published in 2016. Here, after 24 weeks follow-upit was shown that there is a greater gain in muscle mass in the legs if training is done in combination of bodybuilding and weights. The morning situation. If the goal you have set is not to lift the maximum weight possible, but rather to improve cardiovascular health or combat insulin resistance, the balance tips towards the morning, as confirmed by a study published in 2024 that analyzed patients with metabolic syndrome who performed intense aerobic exercise. Here it was seen that training in the morning achieved a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 4% compared to only 1% in the afternoon group. Additionally, the early risers group experienced a 14% improvement in insulin resistance, compared to 4% for the evening group. Furthermore, narrative reviews suggest that morning exercise helps advance sleep phases and improve the lipid profile. It depends on each person. But beyond what the population averages say, we must take into account the genetic and behavioral component of each person, and above all their chronotype. In this way, people who get up early naturally perform better in the morning, while those who perform better at night, if they are forced to train at six in the morning, the truth is that they will have greater fatigue and a worse perception of effort. The conclusion. Although science finds specific metabolic benefits in the morning and performance peaks in the afternoon, general reviews agree on an insurmountable rule of thumb: the best time to train is the one in which you can maintain long-term adherence. The hormonal peak in the afternoon is of no use if your work obligations prevent you from going to the gym regularly or it means a great sacrifice to radically change the routine you are following. Images | Drazen Zigic In Xataka | Science already knows what is the best “gasoline” to create new neurons: physical exercise

The James Webb Telescope has finally discovered Saturn’s best kept secret

by

Saturn has become a headache for scientists since the Cassini probe in 2004 took action of its rotation speed that did not coincide with the figures accepted in the scientific community. Little by little, new data has been discovered that helps explain this inconsistency, but it has been necessary for the James Webb Space Telescope to come into play to find the definitive answer. Cassini’s incoherence. In 2004, the Cassini probe took advantage of its visit to Saturn to measure some important dataas its rotation speed. Normally this is calculated by analyzing parameters that occur periodically, such as radio emission pulses. It is a very consolidated method, which has been used to calculate the rotation rate of many planets. With Cassini, it was expected to obtain a figure that would coincide with what the Voyager 2 probe had previously taken in 1981. However, to the surprise of the scientists who studied the data, the numbers didn’t add up. A mysterious push. A planet cannot speed up or slow down without an external force driving it. There should be something driving those changes in rotation speed. Or, at the very least, some unknown factor that was falsifying the results. All this was a mystery until 2021, when a team of scientists from the University of Leicester published a study in which new clues were provided. The auroras enter the scene. For a month, scientists at the University of Leicester measured infrared emissions in Saturn’s upper atmosphere. This allowed them to map a series of variable fluxes of activity in the ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere in which ionized particles are abundant. That is, atoms that have gained or lost electrons and have acquired a negative or positive charge, respectively. These flows were related to the formation of auroras. However, there was something strange. Unlike on other planets, including Earth, a good part of these auroras were produced by the action of rotating winds within Saturn’s own atmosphere, not only by the influence of the magnetosphere. A reminder about the auroras. The auroras are formed when charged particles interact with the atoms that make up a planet’s atmosphere, exciting them and causing the emission of light. Normally, these charged particles come from solar activity, as happens on Earth, or from volcanic eruptions on nearby moons, as happens on Jupiter. Be that as it may, they are concentrated in a region external to the planets, known as the magnetosphere. In the case of Saturn, the 2021 study showed that auroras were also forming within the planet’s own atmosphere. On Earth, auroras are formed by solar activity A puzzle still incomplete. The interaction of molecules and atoms in the atmosphere with charged particles does not only cause the emission of light. It also causes the emission of radiation in other regions of the spectrum. For example, radio pulses. Let us remember that these pulses are the ones that were used to measure the rotation of Saturn. The auroras could be falsifying them. These auroras, as we have seen so far, are produced by the action of rotating winds in Saturn’s own atmosphere. But where do those winds come from? The rock star arrives. The James Webb Space Telescope is the rock star of space telescopes. A state-of-the-art instrument, capable of reaching where other telescopes could not. Therefore, thanks to him, the necessary measurements could be taken to find the origin of Saturn’s winds. Specifically, it has captured the glow caused in the infrared by a molecule in Saturn’s upper atmosphere, called trihydrogen cation. This is very useful, because it acts as a kind of thermometer. It is very susceptible to environmental conditions, so its ionization state helps to know the surrounding temperature. By carefully analyzing its state in different regions of Saturn’s northern hemisphere, it has been possible to make a map of both temperatures and particle density. The missing piece. The temperature and particle density patterns match those predicted in a series of computer models 10 years ago. In these models, these patterns originated when the auroras themselves acted as a heat source. The endless cycle. What happens is this: the auroras, with all their display of light and radiation, heat the atmosphere at a specific point. This heating causes the movement of particles between points at different temperatures, generating a wind charged with electricity. This wind, in turn, propels electrically charged particles, which cause more auroras to form. It’s a vicious circle or, as the authors of the study explaina planetary heat pump. A perfect system that feeds itself. And, of course, the mysterious external factor that upset scientists trying to measure Saturn’s rotation. Image | NASA | Bruce Waters (Wikimedia Commons) | Vincent Guth (Unsplash) In Xataka | James Webb has been detecting red dots in the universe for years: the only problem is that we don’t know what they are

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.