Science

As one way to shelter from temperature extremes, micrometeorites, radiation and other nuisances on the Moon or Mars, shelters are thought to be created in large caves that are formed from lava tubes. These are voids below the surface formed by lava flows from ancient volcanoes. Such tubes also exist on Earth, but on the Moon and Mars they should be more numerous given the weak gravity of these objects.

And scientists have paid attention to some noticed from orbit gaping holes that resemble entrances to such tubes. However, a closer examination of the objects and the subject as a whole makes it clear that not every such hole is a passage to a spacious cave.

One of the pits that interested scientists is located in the area of Mount Arsia, part of the complex of dormant volcanoes Farcida. Arsia is also a dead volcano. It rises with other giants above the plain Farsida, which is a field of frozen lava and on average rises above the rest of Mars about 10 kilometers.

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The great North American solar eclipse that took place on April 8 brought many fascinating images from astronomers and amateurs. And the most attentive managed to capture something special. This includes YouTube blogger and aerospace engineer Dustin Sandlin.

He, along with other eclipse hunters, shot video and photos of the April 8 eclipse. And when he was reviewing the material, he discovered several unusual objects that rushed past the disks of the Moon and Sun right during the eclipse. He shared the observations on his YouTube channel SmarterEveryDay.

Sadlin speculated that the video caught satellites flying by in low Earth orbit. He showed the footage to renowned astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who specializes in near-Earth objects, including those of artificial origin. McDowell initially put forward a version that in the frame hit some insects. Because the objects were moving too fast for satellites.

Later he made calculations, taking as a reference point the apparent size of the Sun’s disk. Calculated value of speed corresponds to the flight of a satellite in an orbit of 500 kilometers high, which looks quite plausible.

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Kyoto University Hospital is preparing for the first-ever human clinical trial of a tooth regrowth drug. The trial will run from September this year until August 2025. The trial subjects are 30 men aged 30 to 64 who are missing at least one molar tooth.

After the first phase of the trial, which will last 11 months, researchers will conduct tests on patients between the ages of 2 and 7 who are missing at least four teeth due to a birth defect (found in 1% of people).

The next step will be tests on patients who are missing one to five teeth due to environmental factors. Only after a thorough analysis of the results of all phases of the trials will a decision be made on whether to allow the drug to enter the market.

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Back in 2007, the first reports of unusual coloring of some cats appeared in Finland. They looked as if the printer where their pelts were “printed” had run out of toner. In many ways they had the features of a typical “tuxedo”: white chest, belly and paws. Less often such coloring was received by tortoiseshell and striped cats. The back was unusual in all cases: hairs on it have black color at the base and gradual transition to white at the tips.

Researchers who studied this new type of cat coloring, called it “salmiak” – because of its similarity to the color of salted licorice, common in Finland. Scientists at the University of Helsinki wanted to identify the genetic basis for this coloration.

To begin with, they examined the region of DNA responsible for typical feline colors. They looked for variations that affect the white color in the coat. However, no peculiarities were identified there. More data was needed for analysis.

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When the New Horizons probe flew close to Pluto in 2015 and photographed it, it became clear that this dwarf planet is much more interesting than one might expect. Various landforms indicate geologic processes that were active on Pluto in the past.

One of the most intriguing areas was the Sputnik Plain (Sputnik Planitia), which is an icy more-or-less flat area in the shape of a heart. This feature has attracted a lot of human attention to images of Pluto. Scientists have also become interested in this area.

A recent study by scientists from Washington University in St. Louis shows that a real ocean may be hiding under this icy plain. This sounds unusual when you consider that Pluto receives extremely little energy from the Sun and is small enough to retain the internal heat left over from its formation. Temperatures on Pluto drop to minus 220 degrees Celsius.

However, certain clues were found in the New Horizons data. In particular, the shape of Pluto corresponds to a body that has or had a liquid component in its interior. And relief formations indicate the presence of water ice beneath the surface. There are also signs of cryovolcanism, as a result of which ice is forced to the surface.

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