Sci-tech
Black hole named 'Powehi' by Hawaii university professor
The name comes from the University of Hawaii and language professor Larry Kimura , according to a news release from the school. The newspaper reports the word meaning "the adorned fathomless dark creation" or "embellished dark source of unending creation" comes from the Kumulipo, an 18th Century Hawaiian creation chant. [Full Article...]
2 children dead, many homes damaged as storms pummel South
The children were pronounced dead at the scene. The National Weather Service said preliminary information showed an EF-3 tornado touched down with winds of 140 miles per hour (225.3 kph). Severe storms will develop later Saturday in eastern Texas, Louisiana and western MS that will likely tap into strong wind shear and develop unsafe supercells in the afternoon hours. [Full Article...]
At least four killed in powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes in South
University spokesman Sid Salter said some debris, possibly carried by the tornado, was found on campus, but no injuries were reported and no buildings were damaged. The rash of storms then headed east, where it claimed the life of a Louisiana teen. Tour leader Amanda O'Brien said that after some confusion, American Airlines representatives were able to get them on their way to Beijing late Sunda... [Full Article...]
Recently imaged black hole gets its name
According to the Event Horizon Telescope , the worldwide collaboration behind the black hole image project, two of the eight telescopes used to capture the black hole image are stationed in Hawaii. The groundbreaking photo was published on Wednesday. Earlier this week, an worldwide team of scientists published the first-ever photo of a black hole, procured via the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) ... [Full Article...]
Launch Alert: Falcon Heavy Ready For Thursday Launch Attempt
Now, not only did SpaceX land three rocket boosters yesterday after their Falcon Heavy launch, but they have also received a NASA contract for an asteroid redirect mission. As with past launches, SpaceX livestreamed the launch; the video is available to watch any time below. "Three for three boosters today", a SpaceX webcast commentator said. [Full Article...]
Scientists Add Human Genes to Monkeys' Brains to Study Cognitive Evolution
The experiment, which was conducted at the Kunming Institute of Zoology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences with the help of US researchers at the University of North Carolina, involves inserting a human version of Microcephalin ( MCPH1 ), a gene that is believed to play a role in the development of human brains, into the brains of 11 rhesus monkeys, according to AFP . [Full Article...]
'Twins Study' decodes impact of stay in space on human body
For nearly a year USA astronauts and uniform twins Scott and Mark Kelly inhabited life as distant as Earth and space. Mark provided a baseline for observation on Earth, and Scott provided a comparable test case during the 340 days he spent in space aboard the International Space Station for Expeditions 43, 44, 45, and 46. [Full Article...]
Giant Stratolaunch aircraft lands initial flight
Stratolaunch, which was founded by Allen, is vying to be a contender in the market for air-launching small satellites. According to Allen, who died October 15, 2018, this system would make satellite launches much easier and faster. It must theoretically be used to carry and drop at altitude a small rocket that will then light its engine, and will propel to space to place satellites in orbit. [Full Article...]