New Atlas

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New algorithm digs up 18 Earth-like exoplanets from old Kepler data

Michael Irving May 23, 2019

Another 18 exoplanets have been added to the haul, but the difference this time is that all of them are roughly Earth-sized – much smaller than the Neptune-sized average found so far. The discovery was made in old data, using a new and more sensitive algorithm.

An artist's impression of an Earth-sized exoplanet

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DoD awards contracts to create robotic suit that autonomously delivers trauma care

David Szondy May 22, 2019

The US Department of Defense has awarded contracts worth a total of US$7.2 million to develop an autonomous trauma care system called TRACIR that uses robotics, and artificial intelligence to autonomously treat battlefield casualties almost immediately.

Concept sketch of the TRAuma Care In a Rucksack (TRACIR) system

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Study shows how diet can prevent a mid-life microbiome crisis and improve brain health

Rich Haridy May 22, 2019

A fascinating new study is suggesting that a shift in gut bacteria in our middle-age could trigger a process that plays a role in cognitive decline in our later years. And diet may be the key to encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria that benefit healthy brain aging.

An animal study revealed prebiotic dietary interventions in middle-aged mice reduced signs of brain inflammation and ...

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Watery ancient Venus could have been rendered uninhabitable by its own oceans

Michael Irving May 22, 2019

Studies have shown that billions of years ago Venus might have been just as habitable as Earth. So what happened? New research has found that if ancient Venus was home to vast oceans, tidal drags may have slowed down the rotation of the planet and let it bake into the lifeless world we know today.

Simulations suggest that if ancient Venus had an ocean, tidal forces may have slowed the planet's ...

Space

Most of Earth's water came from a cosmic collision that formed the Moon

David Szondy May 22, 2019

According to research by planetologists at the University of Münster, the collision with a Mars-sized planetoid that formed the Moon 4.4 billion years ago brought with it almost all the water that makes our planet habitable.

Isotope analysis indicates that Earth's water may have arrived when the Moon was formed

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Xenon gas revealed to offer long-term protection following traumatic brain injury

Rich Haridy May 22, 2019

A study has affirmed the anesthetic xenon can help prevent long-term damage associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The research demonstrated in mice that if xenon is administered within a few hours of a TBI it can prevent brain tissue damage that would result in long-term cognitive problems.

The anesthetic gas, if administered within three hours of a head injury, could help prevent long-term ...

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NASA invites you to put your name on the Mars 2020 rover

Anthony Wood May 22, 2019

Members of the public can now sign up to have their name accompany NASA’s much anticipated Mars 2020 rover as it unravels the secrets of the Red Planet. The names will not be stored digitally within a chip, but instead etched upon one by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Artist's impression of the Mars 2020 rover on the surface of the Red Planet

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Bizarre celestial object spotted is one of the rarest in the galaxy

Michael Irving May 21, 2019

The cosmos is full of strange things, like planets made of diamond, mysterious radio bursts and quasars that shine like 600 trillion Suns. Now astronomers have spotted a bizarre star that may prove to be one of the rarest objects ever, with maybe as few as five or six of them in the galaxy.

A white dwarf star, which is at the heart of the strange new object

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Study suggests marijuana-derived CBD can play a role in treating heroin addiction

Rich Haridy May 21, 2019

A new study suggests CBD can reduce cravings and anxiety in subjects with a history of heroin use. The study doesn't imply CBD alone can help break an opioid addiction but instead points to the marijuana ingredient acting as a tool to help reduce cravings in those struggling with heroin addiction.

A study has found CBD reduced a person's cravings for heroin and anxiety associated with the ...

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Arthritic astronaut mice suggest space travel is bad for your joints

David Szondy May 21, 2019

An examination of the tissues of rodents that orbited the Earth in a Russian spacecraft revealed that the reduced load on their joints caused the breakdown of cartilage and signs of arthritis-like degradation.

Based on mice studies, damage to joint cartilage may be added to the list of health ...