Scientists have found that Neanderthals did not disappear because of consanguineous marriages, established that the recently discovered interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is the same age as the Universe, and also stated that the articles of the great physicist Max Planck were mistakenly deleted by modern algorithms. About these and other science news in the weekly NM review.
Why were the scientific papers of one of the most famous physicists in history deleted?
Recently, two old works of the famous physicist Max Planck were withdrawn (officially declared invalid) on the electronic platform of a famous scientific publishing house. This event caused great surprise in the scientific community, since Planck is one of the founders of quantum physics, and his works have long become classics.
Scientists involved in natural science decided to study archival data in detail in order to understand the reasons for such an unexpected step. It turned out that the articles were not removed due to fraud or falsification of results, as is most often the case today. The main reason was that these works were at one time published in several different journals at the same time.
The study’s authors explain that in the early twentieth century, this practice was normal—scientists often published their papers in multiple publications so that more people would read them. However, modern automatic plagiarism checking systems do not take into account the historical context and flag such texts as copyright infringement. As a result, the historical legacy of the great scientist suffered due to soulless computer algorithms.
Neanderthals did not become extinct due to inbreeding
For a long time it was believed that one of the main reasons for the disappearance of Neanderthals was degeneration due to inbreeding (inbreeding). It was assumed that they lived in small isolated groups, which led to the accumulation of diseases and reduced survival. However, a recent discovery disproves this popular theory.
To reach this conclusion, scientists carefully studied DNA extracted from the bones of 27 ancient people. These Neanderthals lived in the territory of modern France and Belgium shortly before their disappearance – about 45 thousand years ago. Experts used new computer analysis methods to reconstruct their family tree.
The results showed that this group of Neanderthals was genetically healthy and diverse. They actively communicated and had offspring with their neighbors, successfully avoiding marriages between relatives. This means that the real reason for their extinction lies in something else – for example, sudden climate change or an inability to compete for resources with direct human ancestors.
An interstellar comet turned out to be an incredibly ancient guest
Astronomers have discovered that an interstellar comet called 3I/ATLAS, flying through our solar system, is a real cosmic grandma. This celestial body, about 2.5 km in diameter, is completely unlike any comet that scientists have ever observed near Earth.
Data from the modern James Webb Space Telescope helped make this discovery. Scientists analyzed the comet’s chemical composition using spectroscopy (a method of studying the light that an object emits or absorbs). It turned out that it consists of exotic substances unfamiliar to us, completely uncharacteristic for our corner of space.
Based on these unique chemical features, the researchers were able to calculate its age. They concluded that comet 3I/ATLAS formed about 12 billion years ago. Thus, it is almost the same age as the Universe itself and is certainly considered the most ancient object ever seen in our planetary system.
How to turn coffee grounds into useful fuel in 90 seconds
Millions of tons of coffee waste, which is thrown away around the world every year, can now become an excellent source of energy. Specialists from South Korea have come up with an innovative way to quickly and efficiently transform ordinary coffee grounds into environmentally friendly fuel.
Scientists achieved this result by treating waste with high-temperature plasma (ionized gas heated to enormous temperatures). In a special installation, the grounds from the coffee machine were heated to 800–900 degrees Celsius. Thanks to this process, all excess moisture evaporated in just a minute and a half, turning the coffee residue into a dense, energetic material.
The resulting biochar has a very high carbon content, and its energy content is about a third higher than that of unprocessed coffee grounds. In addition, scientists have discovered that such innovative fuel contains almost no sulfur, which means that when it is burned, much less pollutants will be released into the atmosphere.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel @newsmakerlive. Everything that is important to know right now about Moldova and the region quickly appears there.
Want to support what we do?
You can contribute to quality journalism by supporting us one-time through the E-commerce system from maib bank or by taking out a monthly subscription to Patreon! This way you will become part of changing Moldova for the better. Thanks to your support, we will be able to implement even more new and important projects and remain independent. No matter how you support us, you will receive a small gift. Follow the link to become our partner. It’s not difficult and even pleasant.
