Is There Life on Exoplanets?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description: 

Most of the planetary scientists believe that there can be at least one exoplanet in our Milky Way galaxy, which has life. They have also figured out that 20% of the sun-like stars that exist on the Milky Way are circled by planets, which has the same dimensions as Earth. These planets are located in habitable zones around the stars as well. Therefore, life on exoplanets has become a popular topic among planetary scientists in the modern world. 

The habitable zone of a planet can simply be defined as the area where the temperature is not too cold or too hot. These conditions help water to exist in those planets in the form of liquid. It is vastly known that life cannot survive without water in its liquid form. Therefore, while it has been figured out that there are about 2,000 exoplanets circling beyond our own sun, the possibility to have some sort of life in these planets depends on a variety of factors. The obliquity of the planet holds a prominent place among them. Obliquity can simply be defined as the angle of axis of a planet relative to its orbital axis around the parent starts.

The planet Earth has a low obliquity when compared to other planets. It rotates around an almost perpendicular axis of its own while rotating around the sun. Planetary scientists have figured out that the obliquity can vary from one planet to another. They believe that the planets with an extreme tilt have a very low chance of having life in it. 

Recently some research scientists as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology figured out that water exists on planets that have a very high obliquity as well. Therefore, we can keep some hope that life can exist in the planets with a high obliquity. They also figured out a shallow ocean with a depth of about 50m in a specific planet, which has a comfortable temperature. According to their calculations, the average temperature of that planet was about 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit per year. 

However, a planet with a high obliquity usually has an extreme and inhospitable climate. The North Pole would receive sunlight for a period of 6 months continuously and it would have to go through an unending night for the other six months. As a result, they believed that such a planet has a very little chance of having life. That’s mainly because the planet would freeze and boil throughout the year, which is really tough for life to exist. Nevertheless, this can differ under some conditions. For example, the oceans can store heat during the summer period and give it out during winter. This can create a somewhat mild climate in the planet. Therefore, we cannot neglect with extremely oblique planets by saying that they are not in a position to inhibit life. 

It has been assumed that the Milky Way has about 200 billion stars. In addition, it has been calculated that there are about 11 billion planets with “habitable” living conditions. All these consist of hydrogen gas and they are seething hot. The planetary systems have been established circling such stars. In fact, sticky and fine dust particles melt together to create rocky cores, which eventually turns into major planets. 

The very first exoplanet was discovered by research scientists 20 years ago. It was circling a sun like star and was named as 51 Pegasi b. Since then, they have discovered a large number of exoplanets, where most of them were smaller than their very first discovery. They even discovered an exoplanet, which is 150 smaller than 51 Pegasi b. 

Many different methods are being used by research scientists in order to discover new exoplanets in the Milky Way. The Doppler Shift method can be considered as the most popular one. This is an effective method, which can be used to discover giant planets that exist closer to fiery stellar planets. This is a sensitive method and is associated with a higher chance of discovering earth-like planets. 

Throughout the past two decades, scientists have figured out many other methods to discover exoplanets apart from the Doppler Shift method. The major drawback with the Doppler Shift method is that it cannot be used to discover smaller planets that have a wider orbit around the stars. However, the recently discovered methods are in a position to help the scientists with discovering such planets. At the end of 2015, they have been able to discover more than 1,900 exoplanets that belong to over 1,200 planetary systems. 

The Kepler Space Telescope of NASA helps a lot for the scientists to discover new exoplanets. It was launched back in 2009 and has discovered few thousand candidate planets up to now. Most of these candidate planets were confirmed as exoplanets by scientists. Several statistical methods such as the verification by multiplicity were used by the scientists to figure out whether they are in a position to inhibit life or not. The Kepler Space Telescope follows a unique methodology when discovering exoplanets. It differs a lot from the Doppler Shift method. This method searches for extremely small dips in stellar brightness when a specific orbiting planet passes ahead of the glaring face of parent star. 

In the meantime, the scientists at MIT spent their efforts in order to create a model of a highly oblique aqua-planet. This planet had the same dimensions of earth and it was positioned at a distance similar to the earth’s separation from sun. This 3D model simulated circulations among sea ice, atmosphere and ocean. The effects of winds and heat were also taken into consideration. They also created a motionless planet for comparison and discovered the possibility of having life in such a planet. They had the ability to control the obliquity of this planet and they discovered that the ocean absorbs heat during the summer period. 

Given the scientific evidence and ongoing research therefore it appears that it is not science fiction to believe in life in other planets. While there is still a long way to go before we start packing, we can keep our fingers crossed for the prospect of habituating an exoplanet in the near future.

KEEP READING: Dreaming About the Future of Space Tourism

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Space Travel and Exploration: Dreaming About the Future of Space Tourism

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Welcome fellow hustler! Busy morning? Here's what you need to know to start your day.

For ages mankind has dreamed of traveling the stars and visiting distant planets. Not just astronauts but civilians too. Over the years we have seen a few of these achievements come to fruition. People have been sent up to orbit the earth and collect data for scientists back on the planet. A select few have claimed the great achievement of setting foot on the moon. A rover was even sent to Mars and transmitted back pictures of the alien surface.

Even with all these advancements over the last 30 years, space exploration is still in its infancy. The recent crash of Virgin’s Space Ship Two can attest to that. Not only are the ‘kinks’ still being worked out, but what has been explored so far, is merely a drop in the ocean when compared to the billions and billions of stars that have yet to be reached. Aside from Mars and the Moon, our own solar system remains an unexplored mystery. With the future of space tourism hinging on uncertainty; what does this mean for the average citizen?

The taxpayer no longer foots the bill

When the idea of space travel was first put on the table, it was the taxpayer’s dollars that funded the missions. Politicians formed the plan, while the working class paid for it. With the introduction of private spaceflight, the politicians have no say and the American citizen isn’t left paying for everything. The only real restriction they have is how much money is available.

Failure is an option

Private companies can fail as much as they want, within reason. They aren’t tied to an ever shrinking budget like NASA was. Unfortunately, not every test is a success, just look at Virgin Galactic. The explosion of their Space Ship Two was a tragedy and devastating blow to private space flight; but this doesn’t mean they have to call it quits. And now that the politicians can’t step in and pull the funding, that’s one less hurdle they have to deal with. Virgin now has the option to try again, if the funds are there. 

Engineers play a bigger part

If one were to work for NASA as an engineer, they would be part of a larger team working together. With smaller teams being employed by private companies, it allows for a more hands on experience. The engineer actually gets to go in the field and fire the rockets, rather than sit behind a desk all day. Smaller teams and limited resources actually foster more creativity, making them almost like modern day MacGyver’s. 

The price of space travel will drop

The flight of a Virgin space plane costs $250,000. That’s nothing compared to the $12 million price tag of launching a satellite into orbit. On top of that, the rocket that sends it to space can only be used once. If the privately funded space planes can make it to orbit consistently, the price of space travel is going to be drastically reduced. A host of scientists are standing by waiting to run tests on these flights. Also, lower cost means more accessible tourism.

Hypersonic travel may finally happen 

Circumnavigating the globe will be achievable in an afternoon. The promise of sub-orbital travel has been talked about for a while now. Until these privately funded space flights came around, it has always been just out of reach. Right now $95,000 for a ticket still may not be for everyone, but as with any new technology it’s always expensive when it first hits that market. The first microwave cost about $5,000. Now you can pick one up for less than $50. The same thing will happen with sub-orbital flights. Once they hone the production process and discover cheaper ways to build these space planes, tickets may even be as cheap as regular commercial flights.

The view will be humbling

Every astronaut has said that seeing the planet against the infinite backdrop of space was not only awe inspiring, but life changing. What’s going to happen when an artist sees this for the first time? What happens when politicians and CEOs start to take these flights regularly? Will they be moved like the astronauts; or will it be business as usual? 

Even though Richard Branson suffered a major set-back, this doesn’t leave him down and out. Without politicians calling the shots, they can go back to the drawing board and try again. This doesn’t mean that failure isn’t costly; this just means that without the threat of having funding pulled, they have a better chance of learning from their mistakes. Whatever Virgin is doing in the wake of this tragedy, people need to start seriously thinking about how space tourism will affect their lives and how it’s about to change the world.

RECOMMENDED: The Infinite Stretch of the Universe

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Feeling Unproductive at Work? A Video Game May Be the Best Solution

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

What if your company looked at the workflow coming in as an obstacle to be conquered rather than a task to be completed? The next paradigm shift in the business world may be turning the tedium of everyday work into a game or challenge that everyone is eager to participate in. 

The success of the corporate gaming craze has already begun to hit home, with Business News reporting that gamification can increase productivity by some 40%. How can you take advantage of games in order to generate better employee work efforts at the office?

Gaming as a Means of Testing

Taking on a new employee represents a major investment for the employer due to the time and resources needed to get them trained and up to speed on a new system. While there are few jobs out there that require you to fight one-on-one in a deathmatch or take down waves of attacking trolls, companies have figured out how to use video games as diagnostics and training tools for their new employees. 

CNN reports that institutions ranging from the Navy to IBM to NASA use video games to create simulations that require a participant to solve a problem or complete a diagnostic. How could your company benefit from combining testing and training with games? For starters, employees would be far more eager to show up for a workshop where they may be mentally challenged, or one where they can conquer their co-worker. When bringing in new employees, you could ensure better retention of company policies during training by keeping the content lively and engaging when presented in the form of a video game.

From One to the Other

Multi-tasking is one of the most valuable skills any worker can bring to a company, but not everyone can quickly go from one task to the next. A study by Psychology Today indicates that strategy games can help. When gamers make different choices commanding workers, powerful units, and economies, their brain improves at jumping from task to task. It's not just strategy games either. Mazes, memory games, and matching puzzles are very stimulating. 

Hidden object games from iWin, for example, require a gamer to look over different areas and use different clue-finding techniques to solve a visual puzzle. With a few games under their belt, employees can better make a decision when the best solution isn't immediately clear. This pays off when it comes to productivity for any company that has multiple deadlines per employee or per project. With gamification like strategy or hidden object games, employees can manage deadlines that conflict across time or space better than they could before, potentially resulting in projects that come in on time or ahead of schedule.

Snap Decisions

Fortune favors the bold, said Alexander the Great. It's a maxim that applies perfectly to the corporate world, even two thousand years later. Employees who have responsibility for making decisions can become more efficient at their job by—you guessed it—plugging into a console or PC in order to duke it out with their gun of choice. A first-person shooter title like Call of Duty has the potential to help a person make decisions at a faster pace due to the influence of having to pump the opposition full of lead before they return the favor. There's no compromise in the quality of these decisions, either. 

You don't have to worry that the first FPS-influenced conclusion you come to will be any worse than one you could mull over if you had more time to consider the various options. Employees need to make a bevy of snap decisions each day, ranging from the options that a marketing team uses to promote a product to a sales member who has to identify the best customers out there. With faster decisions comes less time wasted on second-guessing and scrutiny.

SEE ALSO: Game-Changing Reasons Why Parents Can Say Yes to Video Games

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Some Emergent Internet Applications

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

As the Internet grows day by day (by trillions of addresses) even more uses are made of it. Seriously, that's not a typo.

Here we look at two futuristic applications that are with us today; an Interplanetary Internet (known as InterPlaNet) and robots that are controlled by our own thoughts.

1. The Interplanetary Internet 

No, it is not science fiction. There really is an interplanetary internet, and its primary node is inside the International Space Station. In fact it has been operational since 2009, but it is now expected to take on an entirely new role as rumors emerge that NASA is working on new plans to develop a hovering moon base.

This base (called EML-2) would be situated 60,000 kilometres away from the dark side of the moon at what is called a Lagrange Point. There are a number of such points close to the earth’s orbit where all the gravitational pulls even out, creating gravity neutral regions where space craft can effectively be parked without the need of any fuel to keep them there. 

Astronauts aboard EML-2 would be able to control robotic vehicles on the surface of the moon in real time rather than the three second delay when controlling them from earth. The concept has now been tested by controlling a prototype moon rover on earth via the interplanetary internet. 

2. Your mind in a machine 

VGo is a robot. It attends school and goes from lesson to lesson using a camera. It is surrogate of a young boy who, because of allergies, cannot attend school himself. He controls the robot over the internet and takes part in school lessons and communicates with his friends through it. He is not unique. Such virtual travellers are becoming common place; they save lives in operating theatres and take them in wars; they even carry out nine to five jobs.

Currently they are controlled by mice and keyboards, but the next generation will be controlled by thought alone. As well as sight and sound they will send back to the user senses of touch and smell. Effectively we will be able to become completely immersed in an alternative location; effectively we will be the mind in a remote robotic body.

You can buy basic ones now for under £10,000. To control it remotely over the internet you just need access to a computer and web camera and people are using them for such purposes as touring museums and visiting family. They are being trialled in hospitals for remotely checking on patients. 

A prototype has been built that is controlled remotely over the internet by a person wearing a body suit and controlling one just by thought has been demonstrated using a MRI brain scanner.

Final Words

As broadband continues to develop, ever more uses will be made of it that extend far further than downloading movies and social networking. Perhaps future broadband deals will include the option to add a robot that we can send off to work while we put our feet up. 

*by andreascy*

The Smartest People in the World

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

How can we measure how smart somebody is? Can we even agree on one way to measure? From the following list, we can see some common characteristics of smart people. What do you think "smart" means?

Is it just your IQ points? IQ, or intelligence quotient, is simply how well you score on an intelligence test. This measurement is easy because there's a specific number to look at. But someone could do very well on a test and not really do anything with their intelligence. Is that smart?

Is it accomplishments? Many people we think are "smart" are people who win Nobel prizes, come up with new theories, or write a highly praised or popular book. We especially praise accomplishments at a young age - people who go to college, or become the best in the world at something, younger than most people could. 

Many people would say it's probably a combination of all three. The people on our "Top 10" list tend to combine IQ and accomplishments.

What measures brainpower? Who would you add to the list?
RECOMMENDED READ: 6 Ways to Nurture Learning for Digital Natives
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Remembering Neil Armstrong

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

History will remember Neil Armstrong, foremost, as the first human to step foot on another heavenly body. But his NASA family and many admirers worldwide will forever appreciate him for more than just that one, albeit world-changing, accomplishment. 

Neil A. Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. He began his NASA career in Ohio.

After serving as a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1955. His first assignment was with the NACA Lewis Research Center (now NASA Glenn) in Cleveland. Over the next 17 years, he was an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator for NACA and its successor agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

As a research pilot at NASA's Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., he was a project pilot on many pioneering high speed aircraft, including the well known, 4000-mph X-15. He has flown over 200 different models of aircraft, including jets, rockets, helicopters and gliders.

Armstrong transferred to astronaut status in 1962. He was assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission. Gemini 8 was launched on March 16, 1966, and Armstrong performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space.

As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface.

Armstrong subsequently held the position of Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. In this position, he was responsible for the coordination and management of overall NASA research and technology work related to aeronautics.

He was Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati between 1971-1979. During the years 1982-1992, Armstrong was chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc., Charlottesville, Va.

He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California. He holds honorary doctorates from a number of universities.

Armstrong was a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Royal Aeronautical Society; Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the International Astronautics Federation.

He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco. He served as a member of the National Commission on Space (1985-1986), as Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (1986), and as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Peace Corps (1971-1973).

Armstrong was decorated by 17 countries. He was the recipient of many special honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the Congressional Gold Medal; the Congressional Space Medal of Honor; the Explorers Club Medal; the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy; the NASA Distinguished Service Medal; the Harmon International Aviation Trophy; the Royal Geographic Society's Gold Medal; the Federation Aeronautique Internationale's Gold Space Medal; the American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award; the Robert J. Collier Trophy; the AIAA Astronautics Award; the Octave Chanute Award; and the John J. Montgomery Award.

Armstrong passed away on Aug. 25, 2012 following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was 82. August 2012

For someone involved in one of the most famous events in world history Armstrong was a very private person. He kept to himself as much as he could. But after he died, his family put out a statement which said : "When you see the moon smiling down on you, look up and think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."
A public memorial service for Armstrong is being planned for early September in Washington, DC. 

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NASA ScienceCasts : Hidden Magnetic Portals Around Earth

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Hello lovelies! 

If you're Tech addicts like us, then you'll enjoy our tweets and website updates! Follow us today and receive our news first! And don't forget to Smash that Like Button! ;) 

I simply love it when Science Fiction becomes reality! Universe is perfect, we just have to discover it. And today we have some interesting news for you out there. 

A NASA-sponsored researcher at the University of Iowa has developed a way for spacecraft to hunt down hidden magnetic portals in the vicinity of Earth. These portals link the magnetic field of our planet to that of the sun. Nice right? Check out the video below for more:

Have something to add to this story? What do you think about these mysterious portals that connect earth to the sun? Share it in the comments. 

*by andreascy*

Sarah Parcak : Archeology from space

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

In this short talk, TED Fellow Sarah Parcak introduces the field of "space archeology" - using satellite images to search for clues to the lost sites of past civilizations.

For more talks visit :
http://www.ted.com

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Science NASA : Why Won't the Supernova Explode?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

A question has been troubling astronomers : Why won't the supernova explode? 

Although real stars blow up, the best computer models of dying stars do not result in much of a bang. 

NASA has launched a new observatory named "NuSTAR" to seek out the missing physics of exploding stars.

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Nasa SPS-ALPHA: The First Practical Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large PHased Array

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Welcome Googler! 

The idea of space-based solar power has been in research since the early 1970s. I believe this is a doable technology (today) and an inevitable technology that will happen (at some point) and it offers the only large scale chance we have of reducing CO2 from coal use and therefore mitigating climate change.

Here is a cool video that describes John Mankin's vision of the future, that was presented at the National Press Club in Washington DC by the NSS, and is part of the recent NSSO Study:

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General Motors and Nasa : Developing a Robotic Glove - Making a Human Hand Stronger

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

A robotic glove for more enhanced operation of hand tools by U.S. astronauts as well as autoworkers is being developed by NASA and General Motors. 

The device, called K-glove or Robo-Glove, feature finger actuators for grasping support to human fingers. The pressure sensors in the fingertips detect when the user is grasping a tool, resulting in synthetic tendons automatically pulling the fingers into a gripping position and holding them in that position until the sensor is released.

"Initial testing of the Robo-Glove indicates the wearer can hold a grip longer and more comfortably," the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said. 

"For example, an astronaut working in a pressurized suit outside the space station or an assembly operator in a factory might need to use 15 to 20 pounds of force to hold a tool during an operation but with the robotic glove they might need to apply only 5 to 10 pounds of force." 

The Robo-Glove resulted from NASA and GM's Robonaut 2 project, which launched the first humanoid robot into space. In developing the robot, it was given hands with unprecedented dexterity, which has resulted in the new development effort.

"The prototype glove offers my spacesuit team a promising opportunity to explore new ideas, and challenges our traditional thinking of what extravehicular activity hand dexterity could be," said Trish Petete, division chief, Crew and Thermal Systems Division, NASA's Johnson Space Center. 

Dana Komin, GM's manufacturing engineering director, Global Automation Strategy and Execution, said: "When fully developed, the Robo-Glove has the potential to reduce the amount of force that an autoworker would need to exert when operating a tool for an extended time or with repetitive motions. In so doing, it is expected to reduce the risk of repetitive stress injury."

The first two prototype gloves were produced last year. The prototype weighs about 2 pounds and is powered by an off-the-shelf lithium-ion power-tool battery.

Check also more teamed works from General Motors and Nasa on the video below:

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SEE ALSO: General Motors : Advanced Tech Window

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NASA Issues Call for Visionary Advanced Technology Concepts

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

NASA's Space Technology Program is looking for far-out ideas. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts, or NIAC, program is seeking proposals for revolutionary concepts with the potential to transform future aerospace missions. Proposed concepts should enable new capabilities or significantly alter current approaches to launching, building and operating space systems. 

NIAC projects are chosen for their innovative and visionary characteristics, technical substance, and early development stage -- ten years or more from use on a mission. NIAC's current portfolio of diverse and innovative ideas represents multiple technology areas, including power, propulsion, structures and avionics.

"NIAC is a forward-looking program that captures what's great about America's space program," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "NASA is looking for futuristic concepts that may enable leaps forward in how we work in and explore the space frontier. Equally important, we're asking for ideas from all sources: American citizen-inventors or educators working out of their garage to the visionary small business owners fueling our nation's economy."

 

This second call for proposals follows last summer's inaugural selection of Phase I concepts, which are now under study. Due to the tremendous response and large number of submissions received from last year's NIAC call for proposals, this year's Phase I solicitation will incorporate a two-step process. 

 

NIAC will accept short proposals, limited to two pages in length, until Feb. 9. After review, NASA will invite those whose concepts are of interest to the agency to submit a full proposal of no more than ten pages. Full proposals will be due April 16.

 

NASA expects to fund approximately 15 proposals in this year's Phase I process. Those selected will receive up to $100,000 for one year to advance the innovative space technology concept and help NASA meet current operational and future mission requirements. Selection announcements are expected this summer. The solicitation is open to all U.S. citizens and researchers working in the United States, including NASA civil servants.

 

The number of awards will depend on the strength of proposals and availability of appropriated funds. The number of Phase I awards also will be balanced with NASA's selection of Phase II awards. Phase II awards will be selected from Phase I concepts submitted last year that the agency decides to advance. 

 

Past NIAC Phase I proposals have included a broad range of imaginative and creative ideas, including: changing the course of dangerous orbital debris; a spacesuit that uses flywheels to stabilize and assist astronauts as they work in microgravity; the use of 3-dimensional printing to create a planetary outpost; microbial fuel cell technology for powering tiny robot explorers; and other innovative propulsion and power concepts needed for future space mission operations.

 

NASA's early investment and partnership with creative scientists, engineers and citizen inventors will pay huge technological dividends and help maintain America's leadership in the global technology economy.

 

NIAC is part of NASA's Space Technology Program, managed by the Office of the Chief Technologist. To view the NASA Research Announcement for this NIAC Phase I solicitation, and for more information about NIAC and NASA's Space Technology Program, visit this link.

SEE ALSO: NASA Is Seeking For New Astronauts

Stay tuned for more interesting news!

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Never-seen footage of Challenger disaster

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. Twenty-six years after the explosion of Challenger, a new video of the tragedy has surfaced.

According to The Huffington Post, a man named Jeffrey Ault was visiting Florida with his parents and shot Super-8 film footage as the Challenger launched and caught not only the explosion itself, but the sounds of people's reactions upon finding out what had occurred.

In the video, the crowd apparently does not realize the Challenger has exploded right after it occurs, aside from a woman's scream, but upon hearing the announcement that a major malfunction has occurred, those gathered begin to react to the situation.

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Kinect Weighs Astronauts In Zero Gravity

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Astronauts will soon be able to stay fit thanks to a body tracking camera system built into Microsoft's Kinect gaming sensor, which helps calculate their weight in zero gravity, just by looking at them.

Even during missions that last just a few weeks spacefarers can lose up to 15 per cent of their body mass because their muscles atrophy due to lack of use. To prevent this physical decline, crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) typically spend 2 hours exercising per day. Monitoring weight in space is not easy, though, since traditional scales don't work in orbit.

The problem was partially solved in 1965 by William Thornton, an American astronaut and doctor who came up with a way to measure objects using oscillating springs. Astronauts still use a similar device today, in which they have to mount a stool fitted with a spring that raises and lowers the stool at a frequency that depends on the mass it is acting against.

The trouble is that this system is bulky and a lot of energy is required to power the moving stool, using up two of the space station's most limited resources. Now Carmelo Velardo, a computer scientist at Eurecom in Alpes-Maritimes, France, says his new system could simply be integrated into the station itself.

"Something that you could easily put inside the walls of the space station would free up the space for other equipment or experiments," Velardo says.

Along with colleagues at the Italian Institute of Technology's Center for Human Space Robotics in Torino, he used the Kinect's depth-sensing ability to create a 3D model of an astronaut. Then the team ran their calculation using a statistical model that links weight to body measurements based on a database of 28,000 people. Velardo's estimates are 97% accurate, corresponding to an average error of just 2.7 kilograms, which is comparable to the current method used on board the ISS.

"This technique appears feasible, although not without some effort," says John Charles, chief scientist on NASA's human research programme in Houston, Texas. He says that microgravity shifts water around inside astronauts' bodies, which means their density may not match the assumptions in the model.

Charles adds that combining the idea with the existing weighing system might prove more beneficial, as the Kinect measures body volume while the stool measures mass. "The combination would provide insights into changes in body density that might be illuminating," Velardo agrees.

The Kinect system has yet to be tested in space, due to the high cost of launching new equipment. But Velardo hopes to try it out soon aboard a parabolic aircraft flight that simulates the microgravity found in orbit. He will present the research at the Emerging Signal Processing Applications conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, this month. 

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30 Stunning Photos of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is a 27 kilometer (17 mile) long particle accelerator straddling the border of Switzerland and France. Here is a collection of photographs from CERN, showing various stages of completion of the LHC and several of its larger experiments, over the past several years.

(1) 

(1) Combining two major ATLAS inner detector components. The semiconductor tracker is inserted into the transition radiation tracker for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. These make up two of the three major components of the inner detector. They will work together to measure the trajectories produced in the proton-proton collisions at the centre of the detector when the LHC is switched on. Photo taken on February 22nd, 2006. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN)

(2) 

(2) Views of two step of an ultrasound and induction welding to interconnection between two LHC magnet at sector 3-4 during repair operation on March 26th, 2009. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

(3)

(3) Visible damage to the LHC magnets in sector 3-4 of the LHC on November 12th, 2008. On September 19th, 2008, as the LHC was being switched on, a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator's magnets caused a large helium leak, which violently vented 6 tons of helium into the tunnel. The resulting temperature rise damaged some 53 magnets. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(4) Detail of some of the damage done to the LHC magnets in sector 3-4 on September 19th, 2008. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(5) Moving and placement of a quadrupole at sector 3-4 in the LHC tunnel on April 30th, 2009. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(6) A replacement magnet for LHC sector 3-4 being lowered in the tunnel on January 19th, 2009. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(7) Moving and placement of a quadrupole at sector 3-4 in the LHC tunnel on April 30th, 2009. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(8) Transporting a quadrupole through sector 3-4 in the LHC tunnel on April 30th, 2009. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(9) Installation of a new dipole in the LHC tunnel at sector 3-4 on April 6th, 2009. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(10) Detail of one of the LHC's 18-kW 4.5-K refrigerator units, part of the larger cryogenic system used to maintain superfluid helium temperatures of about 1.9k (-271.25° Celsius or -456.25° Fahrenheit). Photograph taken on April 28th, 2008. (Mona Schweizer, © CERN) 

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(11) The silicon strip tracker of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) nears completion. Shown here are three concentric cylinders, each comprised of many silicon strip detetectors (the bronze-coloured rectangular devices, similar to the CCDs used in digital cameras). These surround the region where the protons collide. (© CERN) 

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(12) An automated magnetic tape vault at CERN computer center, seen on September 15th, 2008. The tapes are used to store the complete LHC data set, from which a fraction of the data is copied to overlying disk caches for fast and widespread access. The handling of the magnetic tape cartridges is now fully automated, as they are racked in vaults where they are moved between the storage shelves and the tape drives by robotic arms.(Claudia Marcelloni; Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(13) Final work is done on the detectors inside the L3 magnet of the ALICE experiment on July 10th, 2008. (Mona Schweizer, © CERN) 

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(14) View of the CMS Detector before closure on August 17th, 2008. (Maximilien Brice; Michael Hoch; Joseph Gobin, © CERN) 

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(15) Portrait of Lyn Evans, LHC project Leader, on December 3rd, 2008. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(16) Shielding of the L3 magnet, ALICE experiment on July 10th, 2008 (Mona Schweizer, © CERN) 

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(17) Final preparations on a replacement magnet ready to be lowered into sector 3-4 on November 27th, 2008. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(18) A tunnel with part of one of the beam dumps of the LHC at point 6. Beam dumps are absorption mechanisms where the powerful beams can be extracted completely from the LHC, consisting of a 7m segmented carbon cylinder, 700mm in diameter, contained in a water-cooled steel cylinder, surrounded by about 750 tons of concrete and iron shielding. The sign at top warns of the presence of helium, argon and/or nitrogen in nearby pipes - gases that (if they leaked out) could displace oxygen and cause unconsciousness. (Maximilien Brice; Claudia Marcelloni, © CERN) 

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(19) Insertion of a Time Of Flight (TOF) module in the upper part of the spaceframe for the ALICE experiment. Charged particles in the intermediate momentum range are identified in ALICE by the TOF detector. The time measurement, in conjunction with the momentum and track length measured by the tracking detectors is used to calculate the particle mass. (Mona Schweizer, © CERN) 

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(20) Detail of the LHCb Magnet, seen on September 5th, 2008. (Peter Ginter, © CERN) 

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(21) A collimater for the LHC. The powerful LHC collimation system protects the accelerator against damage due to unavoidable regular and irregular beam loss. (Claudia Marcelloni, © CERN) 

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(22) View of the LHC machine in the tunnel at the junction part with the beam dump at point 6 on July 25th, 2008. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(23) View of the CMS Detector before closure, on August 17th, 2008. (Maximilien Brice; Michael Hoch; Joseph Gobin, © CERN) 

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(24) Last views of the L3 magnet before its closure on June 28th, 2008. Installation of the mini frame of ALICE on 15 May 2009. (Maximilien Brice; Mona Schweizer, © CERN) 

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(25) Closing of the 30-inch-thick, 430 ton L3 door on the I side, ALICE experiment, on June 11th, 2008. (Mona Schweizer, © CERN) 

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(26) A radiofrequency chamber of the LHC. Radiofrequency chambers give a kick to the protons once per circuit to increase their speed. Original here. (Wikimedia user Rama / CC BY-SA) 

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(27) A fireman examines emergency exit signage in the LHC tunnel on February 21st, 2008, during an exercise with French, Swiss and CERN firemen. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(28) Work on the ATLAS semiconductor tracker barrel. Precision work is performed on the semiconductor tracker barrel of the ATLAS experiment. The semiconductor tracker will be mounted in the barrel close to the heart of the ATLAS experiment to detect the path of particles produced in proton-proton collisions. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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(29) Integration of the three shells into the ATLAS pixel barrel, the innermost tracking device of the experiment. (Claudia Marcelloni, © CERN) 

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(30) Installing the ATLAS calorimeter in November of 2005. The eight torodial magnets can be seen on the huge ATLAS detector with the calorimeter before it is moved into the middle of the detector. This calorimeter will measure the energies of particles produced when protons collide in the centre of the detector. (Maximilien Brice, © CERN) 

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