All posts tagged: radiation

Radiation ‘cavity’ near the moon could lower astronaut exposure to cosmic radiation

Radiation ‘cavity’ near the moon could lower astronaut exposure to cosmic radiation

Published by Jenni Sidey

For a few hours each lunar day, the radiation environment near the moon quietly shifts. Measurements now suggest that parts of the moon’s orbit pass through a region where harmful cosmic radiation drops noticeably. The effect is not dramatic, but it is consistent. And for astronauts, even a modest reduction could matter. Data from China’s Chang’e-4 lander point to what researchers describe as a “cavity” in space, a zone where galactic cosmic rays thin out. The finding, published in Science Advances, adds a wrinkle to how scientists understand the space between Earth and its nearest neighbor. A dip in radiation, tied to lunar time The change appears during the moon’s local morning, specifically a few hours after lunar sunrise. During that window, lower-energy cosmic ray protons fall by about 20 percent compared with later periods in the lunar day. The Chang’e-4 lunar probe, photographed from the Yutu-2 rover. The measuring device from Kiel is located on the left behind the antenna. (CREDIT: CNSA/CLEP) That drop showed up repeatedly across 31 lunar cycles, using data collected …

Tehran strikes near Israeli nuclear center as Trump threatens attacks on Iranian power plants – POLITICO

Tehran strikes near Israeli nuclear center as Trump threatens attacks on Iranian power plants – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Iranian state TV said Saturday’s strikes by Tehran were a response to an attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility earlier in the day, according to the BBC. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said the fact that ballistic missiles evaded Israeli defenses and struck near the nuclear research site appears to signal “a new phase” in the war. “If Israel is unable to intercept missiles in the heavily protected Dimona area, it is, operationally, a sign of entering a new phase of the conflict,” he posted on social media network X. “Israel’s skies are defenseless.” He added that the “time has come to implement the next pre-planned schemes,” without providing further details. Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said the strikes did not represent a new threat. “The air defense systems operated but did not intercept the missile. We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he wrote on X. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had been a “very difficult evening,” and vowed to “continue to strike our enemies on all fronts.” The International Atomic Energy …

Scientists create light-activated nanoparticles that safely eradicate tumors and cancer cells

Scientists create light-activated nanoparticles that safely eradicate tumors and cancer cells

Published by Jenni Sidey

Scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed an innovative use for nanotechnology in the field of cancer research. Their multidisciplinary team, led by Biology Associate Professor Mazin Magzoub, is focused on utilizing this technology to enhance the precision of cancer treatment while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Their work focuses on new developments in the use of light in Photothermal Therapy (PTT), which uses heat generated by light to kill cancerous tumor cells. Traditional methods used to treat cancer are chemotherapy and radiation. However, PTT offers potential ways to directly target tumor cells while also eliminating the collateral damage that occurs when using chemotherapy or radiation treatments. To build a targeted approach to PTT, the NYU Abu Dhabi research team designed very small nanoparticles responsive to near-infrared (NIR) electromagnetic (EM) radiation, enabling the clinician to heat the tumor from within. Additionally, the research team designed and synthesized nanoparticles capable of delivering heat directly to the tumor cells. Near-Infrared Light And Nanoparticle Design NIR light is ideal for this type of application because it …

Radioactive animals don’t glow — but do show the power of radiation

Radioactive animals don’t glow — but do show the power of radiation

Published by skeptic

Anthropocene: Term coined by scientists to describe the age in which humans have been the strongest force of change on the planet. It is generally believed to date from at least the dawn of the Nuclear Age (in the middle 1940s), and possibly even earlier — from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s. atomic: Having to do with atoms, the smallest possible unit that makes up a chemical element. biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things. boar: A term for the male of some mammals, including pigs and bears. calcium: A chemical element and alkali metal common in minerals of the Earth’s crust and in sea salt. It is also found in bone mineral and teeth, and can play a role in the movement of certain substances into and out of cells. cancer: Any of more than 100 different diseases, each characterized by the rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. The development and growth of cancers, also known as malignancies, can lead to tumors, pain and death. cell: …

Complex building blocks of life form spontaneously in space, study finds

Complex building blocks of life form spontaneously in space, study finds

Published by Jenni Sidey

The chemical foundations of life could be found in the frigid pockets of molecular clouds that exist in the space between stars, rather than on any planetary bodies. At the University of Aarhus in Denmark and HUN-REN Atomki, an institution located in Hungary, researchers Sergio Ioppolo and Alfie Hopkinson sought to recreate the conditions found in space. They sought to determine if the process of forming peptides from amino acids could occur through chemical processes similar to what takes place between dust grains in the interstellar medium. To create an environment similar to interstellar space, the team built a small experimental chamber where they placed glycine, the simplest form of an amino acid, in the chamber, which was kept at -260 °C. The reaction between the glycine and radiation was similar to that which occurs on the surface of dust grains in interstellar space. “Previous research has demonstrated that simple amino acids, such as glycine, can be produced in interstellar regions. However, our current investigation is focused on the potential for developing more complicated molecules …

How a solar radiation storm created January 2026’s aurora

How a solar radiation storm created January 2026’s aurora

Published by Jenni Sidey

Sign up for the Starts With a Bang newsletter Travel the universe with Dr. Ethan Siegel as he answers the biggest questions of all. Starting on the night of January 19, 2026, planet Earth was treated to a global show that had only been seen once before in the 21st century: a spectacular auroral display that wasn’t triggered by a solar flare or by a coronal mass ejection, but instead by a completely different form of space weather known as a solar radiation storm. Whereas solar flares normally involve the ejection of plasma from the Sun’s photosphere and coronal mass ejections typically involve accelerated plasma particles from the Sun’s corona, a solar radiation storm is simply an intensification of the charged ions normally emitted by the Sun as part of the solar wind. Only, in a radiation storm, both the density and speed of the emitted particles get greatly enhanced. We’re currently still in the peak years of our current sunspot cycle: the 11-year solar cycle that’s been tracked for centuries, where “peak years” see …

It’s time to stop teaching the biggest lie about Hawking radiation

It’s time to stop teaching the biggest lie about Hawking radiation

Published by Jenni Sidey

Sign up for the Starts With a Bang newsletter Travel the universe with Dr. Ethan Siegel as he answers the biggest questions of all. For many good reasons, black holes are among the most studied objects in the entire Universe. Initially predicted back in the late 18th century in the context of Newtonian gravity, black holes were shown to arise in the context of general relativity as early as 1916. Astrophysically, they can be formed when gas clouds collapse, when the cores of stars implode, or when two neutron stars collide, among other mechanisms. They have been observed via numerous methods: from electromagnetic emissions that arise from matter around them, from the motion of stars or binary companions around them, and from the gravitational waves they emit when two of them merge together. But perhaps, most remarkably of all, it was shown in the early 1970s that black holes cannot endure forever, but will eventually evaporate due to the continuous spontaneous emission of radiation that emerges from them: Hawking radiation. But how does Hawking radiation …

Where radiation measurement becomes knowledge

Where radiation measurement becomes knowledge

Published by skeptic

At Politecnico di Milano, radiation measurement becomes knowledge, from neutrons to ultrafast beams, from dosimetry to tomography, bridging fundamental research and real-world applications. Nuclear Measurements Laboratories (NMLs) focus on studying, applying, and developing methods to exploit or measure radiation fields of different types and properties. Based at Politecnico di Milano, NMLs transform neutrons, photons, and charged particles from ‘invisible agents’ into measurable, traceable information, supporting research, radiation protection, and nuclear applications. Most activities are funded through national and international projects and span spectrometry, dosimetry and microdosimetry of complex and mixed radiation fields, nuclear signal analysis, and the development of innovative detection systems and data workflows. Active neutron spectrometry in complex fields Neutrons represent a particularly demanding frontier, especially under extreme conditions such as those found in fusion facilities, high-energy radiation fields, or pulsed beam environments. The NMLs address these challenges by developing novel active neutron spectrometers, both isotropic and direction-sensitive, through an iterative cycle of advanced simulation (e.g., FLUKA-based modelling) and rigorous experimental validation. One illustrative example is DIAMON: a compact, direction-aware, isotropic, and active …

From bone damage to solar radiation – inside the lab trying to protect the astronauts of the future | Science, Climate & Tech News

From bone damage to solar radiation – inside the lab trying to protect the astronauts of the future | Science, Climate & Tech News

Published by skeptic

Space is an alien environment for humans. Our bodies are built for gravity; take it away and there are profound changes to our biology. Muscles and bones that keep us upright on Earth become weak. Body fluid that’s normally pooled in our legs floods into our upper body, changing the shape of the heart and damaging the eyes. And genes that are inactive on Earth suddenly switch on. Others go silent. These are some of the lessons learned from 25 years of studying astronauts living and working on the International Space Station (ISS). Image: The International Space Station seen from a docking craft. Pic: NASA And they are challenges that scientists must do their best to overcome as humans embark on a new era of space exploration, venturing beyond the relative safety of Earth’s orbit for the first time in more than half a century. Overcoming the bodily challenges of space Four astronauts will launch on a test flight around the moon within weeks. They will pave the way for future missions that will land …