A new study managed to actually bring proof to the belief that looking at puppy images can have a positive effect on people. In doing so, it showed that this habit could actually help improve human relationships. It wasn’t only puppies that helped, bunny pictures were also noted to be useful.

Puppy Pictures to Help Improve the Mood?

Research on the matter was conducted by Florid State University researchers, led by James McNulty. The study’s primary target was to test and try to determine why some long-distance relationships break apart after some time. Or why industrialized countries have 30 percent to 50 percent divorce rates.

Study author took a novel approach in analyzing these statistics. They used their so-called “evaluative conditioning”. According to this, a person’s sense of satisfaction with their partner is influenced less by the particular person itself and more by outside factors.

For this reason, they studied the reactions to both negative and positive factors. While the first included things such as financial pressure, the latter included owning a pet.

“Psychologists have long known that misattribution processes can lead affect from one source to become associated with a different source,” stated the study authors.

So the researchers pretested a series of images, to figure out which had the most positive effect. This showed that puppy pictures, of photos of baby animals in general, have a positive effect.

Besides the baby animal pictures, the team also used “positive stimuli”, or example photographs with nature or sunsets. Or even used words such as “fabulous” or “wonderful”.

For the experiment itself, the researchers employed the help of 144 couples, all married for no more than 5 years and also under the age of 40. These were then split into two groups, one of the being asked to view the “positive stimuli” and puppy pictures, the other “neutral” stimuli.

After seeing the “positive” stimuli for 3 days over 6 weeks, members of the group had a more “positive automatic partner attitudes”. At least when compared to the control group. Even not necessarily happy combinations were noted to receive a small, positive boost when compared to the starting point of the experiment.

Study results are available in the journal Psychological Science.

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A team of scientists looked to gain further insight on the cat domestication process by carrying out a series of DNA tests. They did so as there is still much to learn about the domestication process of the once wild felines. This has also been hard to track, based just on fossil skeletons.

The new research looked at specific cat DNA markers and followed their spread throughout time and continents. In turn, this helped show when people started taking cats with them as they traveled, a possible sign of domestication.

Previous studies suggest that wild felines first started hanging around humans because of their habit of hunting rodents. As these latter converged around food sources, cats eventually started living alongside people and also getting tamer. However, it is still unclear when these fierce felines became house pets.

Cat Domestication Process in the Works some 10,000 Years Ago?

The new study strengthens the idea that felines were already in a domestication process more than 9,000 years ago. Researchers analyzed the DNA data collected from 209 ancient cats, the oldest having lived as far back as 9,000 years ago.

These samples come from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and even include Egyptian cat mummies. The team also compared and studied 28 modern wild cats from East Africa and Bulgaria.

This new study also concentrated on the ancient dispersal of cats. Besides confirming the first traces of domestication as being over 9,000 years old, results also showed that cats started becoming traveling partners.

Namely, the DNA samples studies indicated the presence of a distinct genetic signature in more than one location. First discovered in cats living on the Asian side of Turkey, this was then traced to Bulgaria, some 6,000 years ago. Then, it was found in Romania, over 5,000 years ago, followed by Greece, another 3,000 years ago.

This seems to indicate that cats started becoming traveling companions as they could have been taken by boat as the first farmers started colonizing Europe.

“The cat, being a territorial animal, does not move a lot on its own. Archaeological and historical records tell us that cats probably were translocated mostly through ships since the spread was relatively fast,” stated the team.

Still, more research will be needed though. For example, scientists will look to determine whether domesticated Egyptian cats come from the same branch or if a different process took place. Current study results are available in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

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Based on observations, a new study determined that last year, a surface ice area the size of Texas melted in West Antarctica. What is uncommon, besides the massive size of the event, is the prolonged period throughout which it lasted.

Namely, specialists noted that meltwater remained on surface areas for even as long as 15 days. Previous research indicates that meltwater streams can further accelerate and prolong the thawing effect caused by warming ocean waters.

Massive Surface Ice Melt to Spell Trouble?

The affected region is situated in West Antarctica and measures around 300,000 square miles. It also includes the Ross Ice Shelf, the as yet largest piece of floating ice in the world. Data for the study was collected back in the 2016 Antarctic summer or the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere.

The study was prompted by the increased levels of moisture in the air, recorded by a monitoring station. Following this report, researchers from several institutions started studying the event. One team, from the Ohio State University, analyzed the monitoring station recordings and then compared them to satellite data.

This analysis revealed the presence of a large melt event in the region, which spanned over 15 days. According to the research team, they suspect the El Niño as a possible cause behind the event. A particularly strong such phenomenon was taking place concomitantly with the melting.

Observations showed that, following its prolonged melting, some of the surface ice froze again. But scientists are concerned that this might not happen again in the future. They point out that, as the global average temperature is increasing, the effects of such a melting event may be quite serious.

The current surface ice melt did not lead to any problems. But once again, specialists state that an increasing number of such events could start changing the face of Antarctica. They could also result in a rise in sea water levels. These, in turn, could speed up the melting and generate a quite vicious melting circle.

Still, the study team points out that more research is needed to better understand the effects of surface ice melting and possibly start predicting them.

Current research results are available in the journal Nature Communications. 

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A new study is bringing evidence in favor of a decade’s old cause of speculations revolving around the Sun and the Nemesis, its twin. This new research advances the belief and claims that not only our Sun but also almost all sun-like stars are seemingly born with a companion.

For some decades now, scientists have been discussing the possibility that the Sun could have been born with a twin. This star was believed to have ‘jostled’ comets out of their usual paths because of its gravitational tug. The change in orbit could have also sent them hurtling towards Earth, so most saw it as the “evil twin” and started calling it Nemesis.

Nemesis: Neither Evil Nor an Exception

A new study took a closer look at the possibility of stars being born with a companion. In doing so, it also cleared up Nemesis’s name. It did so by suggesting that not only our Sun but all Sun-like stars are born with a twin.

According to the study team, Nemesis probably broke away from its more famous sibling. As it did so, it also probably melted away into the stellar population of the Milky Way galaxy some billions of years ago.

This new research was by Steven Stahler and Sarah Sadavoy from the University of California, Berkeley and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory respectively. Research results are based on observational tests. The team took to studying the Perseus molecular cloud, which is a vast star-forming region situated some 600 light-years from our planet.

Radio observations discovered 24 multistar systems, with many of them being binary, and also 45 single-star systems. They also found 55 young stars.

“The key here is that no one looked before in a systematic way at the relation of real young stars to the clouds that spawn them,” stated Stahler.

According to the team, all of the “wide binary” systems with separated stars were very young. A series of statistical models also followed. These analyzed and tried to account for the relative numbers of young single stars and also binaries. Results show that such values could be reached only if all stars initially formed as wide binaries.

Still, in the majority of cases, the stars seemingly either break apart or shrink “within a million years”. The team concludes that this was the most likely faith of or Sun and its Nemesis.

A study paper will be published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

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Jupiter has long since been considered the oldest planet in the solar system. However, researchers could not determine the exact period of its formation. Now, a recently released study claims to have managed just that. The study team states that they were able to date Jupiter’s formation by analyzing its neighboring nebular reservoirs.

Jupiter, the Oldest Planet, Formed just Some 1 Million Years after the Appearance of the Solar System

This latest study was carried out by an international team of scientists from both the Institut fur Planetologie at Germany’s University of Munster and also the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

They managed to offer an estimated date as to Jupiter’s formation by analyzing nebular reservoirs surrounding it. The team of researchers analyzed meteorites from two such areas. Namely, they studied their molybdenum and tungsten isotopes. In doing so, the scientists determined that the two nebular reservoirs separated permanently very early on in the history of the Universe.

More precisely, they must have been split apart about 1 to 3 million years after the solar system started forming.

“The most plausible mechanism for this efficient separation is the formation of Jupiter, opening a gap in the disc and preventing the exchange of material between the two reservoirs,” said Thomas Kruijer.

He is a researcher part of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory involved in the study.

Kruijer then added that Jupiter “is the oldest planet in the solar system” as its solid core must have formed a good deal before the dissipation of the solar nebula gas. These study results are also consistent with previous giant planet formation models.

Such simulations had already predicted that Jupiter was born and evolved first among the planets in our solar system. Still, they were unable to put an exact date as to when this process began. Jupiter’s gravitational pull and impressive mass are believed to have influenced the formation of our own planetary system.

By dating Jupiter, the oldest and largest planet, astronomers are hoping to build a clearer, more accurate timeline for the solar system and its evolution process.

The new analysis results are available in a paper in the journal PNAS.

Image Source: JPL/NASA

NASA is planning on launching a small sounding rocket capable of creating multicolored clouds in the night sky. Initially, this should have taken off on May 31, but several factors led to its being postponed for June 12 and, most recently, June 13.

The sounding rocket should now take off Tuesday, June 13^th, at around 9 p.m. EDT or June 14, 2 a.m. GMT. Weather permitting, the resulting colored clouds should be visible along the U.S. East Coast.

The Wallops launch tonight has been scrubbed because of cloudy skies. We are scheduled to count tomorrow night. Watch for updates

— NASA Wallops (@NASA_Wallops) June 13, 2017

 

Multicolored Clouds to Study Particle Motions

NASA is looking to launch Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket. This was initially set to take off on May 31, but its launch has been postponed six times since then. The most recent delays came earlier this week, on Sunday and Monday. Sunday night’s postponement was caused by a boat straying into the impact hazard zone.

According to the latest NASA update, the June 12 take off was rendered impossible by the cloud coverage at both of its observatories. So the agency will be giving it another go on Tuesday, June 13. The launch window is set for in between 9:04 p.m. to 9:19 p.m. In general, the launching period began on June 11 and will end on June 16.

NASA is looking to launch this sounding rocket to test out a new system. Some 5 minutes after takeoff, the rocket will be deploying in the air ten canisters, each about the size of a soft drink. These contain cupric oxide, barium, and strontium. Their interaction will help generate blue-green and red multicolored clouds.

The agency will be looking to study the efficiency of its multi-canister ampoule ejection system. Its development will reportedly allow scientists to gather data over a much larger area than currently possible. At the same time, the multicolored clouds will allow researchers to track the movement of particle motions in space.

These colored clouds should be visible along the mid-Atlantic coastline, from North Carolina to New York. Those wishing to view the spectacle up close can watch the live coverage, broadcast on the Ustream site. Or they can join others at the Wallops Visitor Center, which will be open starting at 8 p.m. on the night of the launch. Live updates as to the launch are available on both the Wallops Twitter and Facebook pages.

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As he was out diving in the night off the coast of Bali, a man was surprised to note “a walking” fish which seemed to be moving around the seafloor on its own pair of legs. While most specialists agree that this strange creature was most likely a stingfish, they are still baffled as to its exact species.

The Walking Fish A Stingfish or Something Else?

The bizarre fish was spotted by Emeric Benhalassa, a French cook and passionate diver. He recounts that he noticed something odd moving on the seafloor during a night dive off the coast of Bali in Indonesia. After taking a closer look, Benhalassa placed it as most likely being a type of stingfish. This is the most venomous species of fish known on Earth.

“The stingfish came to meet me probably thanks to the light. It was “bizarre and pretty … I thought that this could please the Internet,” stated Benhalassa for National Geographic.

Specialists took notice of this weird and took a look of their own at the video captured by the diver. Based on the images, most of them agreed that this must be some sort of stingfish part of the Minous genus.

Still, stingfish quite evidently lack feet as we know them. Instead, the species present parts in their pectoral fins that must have separated throughout their evolution. These are used for probing the mud in search of worms and crustaceans.

As it is, although the walking fish has been given a genus, they are still quite baffled as to what could be its species.

This is quite difficult to determine without holding or at least observing the fish itself.

So some consider that this specimen could be a Minous trachycephalus or striped stingfish. Other disagree and point out it could be a painted stinger. Or even a M. quincarinatus or whitetail goblin fish.

At the same time, some pointed out the possibility that this walking fish might be an entirely new species altogether.

It remains to be determined if this is a new find or just a rather peculiar specimen. Still, as Benhalassa and scientists point out, the Earth’s waters still are full of mysterious so there are many things left to discover.

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Searching in the remote deserts of Morocco, a group of Moroccan and European scientists discovered five individual skeletons that may well be the earliest Homo sapiens remains ever found until now.

Initial dating puts them at 315000 years old, surpassing the previous record by over 100,000 years. The team also found charcoal and fairly sophisticated stone tools, which may be evidence of the use of fire. But as with any discovery, it is not without its controversy.

Earliest Homo Sapiens Fossils Ever Discovered

While the first forms of humans, the Homo genus of binomial nomenclature, appeared over a million years ago, when and how our particular branch, the Homo sapiens, appeared is a matter of some debate. The oldest confirmed fossils of Homo sapiens were discovered in East Africa, and dating places them at around 200,000 years old.

The director of human evolution at the prestigious Max Planck Institute in Germany, Jean-Jacques Hublin, led the new team that discovered the skull, bones, and tools.

“This material represents the very root of our species,” he said in their study released in the journal Nature, “the oldest Homo sapiens ever found in Africa or elsewhere.”

There is, of course, a counter view. Rick Potts of the human origins program at the Smithsonian believes that parts like the cranium and facial shape are not quite developed enough example to be a modern human.

Potts stated that these new remains discovered in Morocco are a sort of “snapshot”. He considers that they are solely a part of the transition process from ‘archaic’ to modern humans.

He suggests these may only be a step in the gradual path toward modern humans. So the fossils may not necessarily represent an undiscovered ancestor or the beginning of our species, but more likely an unknown phase.

While there are questions as to whether these are the earliest Homo sapiens remains ever discovered, there is little doubt, or none at all, that they are extremely close. At 315000 years old, they are a fantastic find as it is.

Hublin’s paper in the journal Nature was also accompanied by an analysis of the discovery and research results from another team as well.

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The latest images from the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter or MRO are yet another source of wonder as scientists spotted a giant hole in the planet’s “Swiss cheese terrain”. Still, researchers are yet unsure what may have caused this formation, and the possibilities are quite varied.

 The Giant Hole Seems Deeper Than Expected

NASA’s MRO has been orbiting Mars ever since March 2006. During this time, it captured and beamed back detailed images of the planet’s surface and its dynamic environment. For example, it managed to take a picture of dust devils and also of the crash site of ESA’s Schiaparelli lander.

Now, the Orbiter offered yet another cause of debates through its latest images. The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment or HiRISE camera took a picture of a giant hole in the “Swiss cheese terrain” area.

HiRISE offers a look at Martian objects which are larger than 3 feet in size and around 125 to 250 miles above the planet’s surface. According to the image details, in the photograph, this hole is 19.7 inches per pixel. Scaled to its real-life dimensions, that would make it some hundreds of across.

Although pits and craters pocket the entire area, these new photos seem to indicate that the newly spotted hole is larger and deeper than most. Researchers have already pointed out the many possible sources of marks on Mars’s terrain. These include meteorite strikes and collapsing lava tubes, as the planet was shown to have hosted an increased volcanic activity.

Still, at least for the moments, scientists are unsure whether this new pit is an impact crater or if it may be a collapse pit. As it is, researchers will probably be casting a closer look at the formation.

According to the NASA, the MRO image shows that it is late summer in Mars’s Southern Hemisphere. “So the Sun is low in the sky and subtle topography is accentuated in orbital images.”

This light also indicates the presence of ice at the bottom of this giant hole.

Image Source: JPL/NASA

A team of scientists is currently investigating what they are calling “the most unexplored environment” here on Earth. Namely, they are carrying out a month-long expedition targeting the deep sea waters of Australia. In a conference held this week, they revealed some of their discoveries, which include a faceless fish and much more.

The Faceless Fish is Newly Spotted but Previously Recorded

The mission team is traveling aboard “The Investigator” along the eastern seaboard of Australia. This left Launceston in Tasmania on May 15 and headed north, towards the Coral Sea.

Since its commence, the researchers have been looking at the species living their lives 2.5 miles deep within the cold and dark oceanic waters. To do so, they have been using deep-sea cameras, sonars, and nets.

Thanks to them, the team was able to detect various creatures, ranging, according to reports, from the beautiful to the bizarre. One example belonging to the latter is a faceless fish. However, this is not the first sighting of such a strange fish.

Granted, it was reported only once before, back in 1873. At the time, it was spotted by the pioneering crew of the HMS Challenger somewhere off Papua New Guinea. Tim O’Hara, the new mission’s chief scientist, offered some details about this latest sighting.

“It [the faceless fish] hasn’t got any eyes or a visible nose and its mouth is underneath,” stated O’Hara, who is aboard the ship.

He then added that, because of the huge depths in which it lives, its lack of eyes is quite to be expected. O’Hara points out that the lack of light forces such species to produce their own light. Mostly, this happens thanks to bioluminescence.

Besides this still unusual fish, the team also observed puffed-up coinfish, deep sea eels, bright red spiky rock crabs, and blind sea spiders, to name only a few.

O’Hara said that this newly collected data will help improve science’s understanding and view of the Australian deep-sea habitats. It will also contribute to discovering its biodiversity and the processes sustaining it.

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