CaaC (John)

Space dust 'is like badly baked cherry cake' A team of astrochemists has recreated deep space in the laboratory and discovered that cosmic dust is more complex than previously thought. Twelve years of research at Heriot-Watt University has led to the conclusion each grain of interstellar dust behaves "like a badly assembled cherry cake". They were surprised to find that ice collects into lumps on the space dust rather than uniform layers. Researchers said the discovery could hold the key to life in the universe. Tiny flecks of space dust create spectacular cosmic formations such as the Eagle Nebula but they are more than just good looking. They control the process that forms stars and create the organic molecules from which life may evolve. In the deep cold of space, hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to create water molecules on the surface of the dust grains. At more than 250 degrees below the point at which water freezes you would expect it to take the form of immobile ice. FULL REPORT

Ancient 45,000-year-old quartz tools 'used to hunt animals up trees' are found in Sri Lanka - making them the oldest human-made implements ever found in South Asian rainforest SLIDES - 1/6 The oldest known tools from South Asian rainforests have been found in Sri Lanka — tiny, retouched stones called microliths that date back around 45,000 years. Archaeologists had previously thought that rainforests presented a barrier to the early spread of humankind. In comparison with the environments of Europe and Africa, these dense tropical surroundings are considerably more challenging to both travel through and inhabit. However, the discovery of these tools, which are believed to have been weapons to kill animals hiding in trees, suggests humanity spread more diversely than was thought. The tools — along with the formation of complex social structures — may have been key in letting humans adapt to life in the rainforest and nearly every habitat beyond. Archaeologist Oshan Wedage of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany and colleagues analysed microliths, from the west Sri Lankan cave of Fa-Hein Lena, that date back to around 48,000–45,000 years ago. The formation of microlithic tools are often associated with the production of composite, projectile weapons like spears, which are used by cultures with advanced hunting strategies. While these tools were common in Europe at this time, similar-aged microliths had not previously been found in South Asia or in a rainforest setting. 'We undertook detailed measurements of stone tools and reconstructed their production patterns at the site of Fa-Hien Lena Cave,' said Mr Wedage. This, he added, is 'the site with the earliest evidence for human occupation in Sri Lanka.' 'We found clear evidence for the production of "miniaturised" stone tools or "microliths" at Fa-Hien Lena, dating to the earliest period of human occupation.' While further research will be needed to determine exactly how these stone tools were used, the team believe that they were likely employed to hunt, capture and kill tree-dwelling prey like monkeys and tree squirrels. In addition, the researchers note that the tools found in the Fa-Hein cave bear a considerable similarity to those used by the local cultures as recently as around 4,000 years ago — suggest a long-term technological stability in the region. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/ancient-45000-year-old-quartz-tools-used-to-hunt-animals-up-trees-are-found-in-sri-lanka-making-them-the-oldest-human-made-implements-ever-found-in-south-asian-rainforest/ar-AAId4bS#image=6

Uncovering secrets of mystery civilization in Saudi Arabia A team of researchers is carrying out the first in-depth archaeological survey of part of Saudi Arabia, in a bid to shed light on a mysterious civilisation that once lived there. The Nabataean culture left behind sophisticated stone monuments, but many sites remain unexplored. The rock-strewn deserts of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia are known for their pitch-black skies, which allow stargazers to easily study celestial bodies without the problem of light pollution. But the region is becoming even more attractive for archaeologists. A long-lost culture known as the Nabataean civilisation inhabited the area starting from around 100 BC and persisted for some 200 years. While the Nabataeans ruled their empire from the stunning city of Petra in Jordan, they made Hegra (the modern Mada'in Saleh) in Al Ula their second capital. Now, archaeologists are planning to carry out the first in-depth survey of a chunk of land here that's roughly the size of Belgium. The large international team of more than 60 experts has started work on an initial, two-year project to survey the core area of 3,300 sq km in north-western Saudi Arabia. This is the first time such a large area of more or less scientifically uncharted territory has been systematically investigated. FULL REPORT

Ole, take note, Lingard left out of the England squad by Southgate!!!! SELL, SELL, SELL...

Sutherland spaceport plans cover 'extensive' site A proposed spaceport would be built on an "extensive" site in a relatively "untouched landscape", according to a planning report. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is heading up the Space Hub Sutherland project. Ahead of seeking planning permission in December, HIE has given Highland Council notice of what is proposed. A control centre, launchpad complex and "antenna farms" are planned for the site of about 815 acres (330 ha). Also proposed are a rocket assembly building, launch towers and security fencing. Landowner In the report to councillors, local authority planning officials said the satellite launch facility was planned for an area of "sweeping" moorland and peat bog wetland, known as "flows". The nearest "significant" artificial structures are the A838 road and the ruins of a house. The report will be discussed at next week's meeting of Highland Council's north planning applications committee. Melness Crofters Estate owns the land on the Moine Peninsula, south-east of Tongue, and has agreed to HIE's development of it once planning permission has been secured. HIE and other private companies, including aerospace firm Orbex, have said the project would create more than 100 jobs. The venture is opposed by some who live in the area. They have raised concerns about the spaceport's impact on the environment. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-49905163

Snorkeler films rare underwater encounter with large elephant seal off the coast of Cape Town VIDEO

Same here really it's been pretty quiet the last two years, a couple of years back we had 3 young ones knock at our flat door asking for money for Halloween, the wife told them no, and next time call with your parents and gave them sweets instead, never saw them again after that, the same as Guy Fawkes or Christmas Carol singers, if they are with adults that we recognise then we will give them dosh.

Bloody hell, its nearly that time of the year again and I would imagine the wife will be doing the normal as usual and go out and buy a load of sweets, bag them and wait for 'Trick or Treaters' knocking at the door, mind you, the last two years it has been pretty quiet for T&Ts, and lots of bags of sweets left over for our grandsons.

Fucking stupid alright, he was just having a joke with his best mate.

Bernardo Silva: Man City forward charged by FA over Benjamin Mendy tweet Manchester City's Bernardo Silva has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over a tweet he sent to team-mate Benjamin Mendy. Silva compared Mendy to the character on a packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal. He is alleged to have committed an "aggravated breach" of FA rules because it included reference "to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin". Portugal playmaker Silva, 25, has until Wednesday, 9 October to respond. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49906026

UK weather forecast: Temperatures close to zero before 105mph Hurricane Lorenzo VIDEO Hurricane Lorenzo, the most powerful far east Atlantic tempest on record, is heading straight for the UK. Lorenzo's remnants will smash into the UK on Thursday night, bringing strong winds and heavy rain which will continue on Friday. Today should provide a brief respite from the terrible weather, with bright and dry conditions expected across the country, although there are still 34 flood warnings - and 150 alerts - in place in England. Temperatures will reach highs of 15C today, after dropping to lows of 1C in parts of Scotland earlier this morning. FULL REPORT

Collecting polar bear footprints to map family trees Scientists from Sweden are using DNA in the environment to track Alaskan polar bears. The technique which uses DNA from traces of cells left behind by the bears has been described as game-changing for polar bear research. It's less intrusive than other techniques and could help give a clearer picture of population sizes. Environmental DNA (eDNA) comes from traces of biological tissue such as skin and mucus in the surroundings. Scientists and now conservationists are increasingly using such samples to sequence genetic information and identify which species are present in a particular habitat. It's often used to test for invasive species or as evidence of which animals might need more protection. In another application of the technique, geneticist Dr Micaela Hellström from the Aquabiota laboratory in Sweden worked with WWF Alaska and the Department of Wildlife Management in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) to collect snow from the pawprints of polar bears. They tested the technique on polar bears in parks in Sweden and Finland. FULL REPORT

FFS man, don't let sentiment get the best of you, I don't drive but I have heard how whiplash can be potentially dangerous, you might feel ok now but internal injuries can be short /long term aftershocks, the human body especially the back and neck area are vital and one vertebra just knocked a wee bit out of alignment could cause you problems later on, don't feel sorry for the guy in question but just think about it, if YOU who rammed into the back of him he could or might have taken YOU to court!!

Island reveals a rising tide of plastic waste A remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean has helped reveal the scale of the problem of plastic waste facing our seas. Some 75% of bottles washed ashore on Inaccessible Island, in the South Atlantic, were found to be from Asia - with most made in China. Researchers said most of the bottles had been made recently, suggesting they had been discarded by ships. An estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year. But this figure just covers land-based sources. The team from South Africa and Canada, writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), said that it had been assumed that most of the debris found at sea was coming from the land. However, the scientists said the evidence suggested otherwise. "When we were [on the island, called Inacessible Island] last year, it was really shocking how much drink bottles had just come to dominate," explained lead author Peter Ryan, director of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. During litter surveys on the island, which is a World Heritage Site, the scientists examined 3,515 debris items in 2009 and 8,084 debris items in 2018. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) drinking bottles were the most common type of debris and had the fastest growth rate among debris, increasing at 14.7% each year since the 1980s. The oldest container, found in 2018, was a high-density polyethene canister manufactured in 1971. Yet most bottles were date-stamped within two years of washing ashore. "Once you get into it you can learn quite a lot even from bottles that don't have labels on," Prof Ryan added. "They've got dates on, they've got manufacturer's marks and once you know different manufacturers you can work out where they come from," he told BBC News. "What was really shocking was how the origin had shifted from largely South American, which is what you would expect from somewhere like Inaccessible Island because it's downwind from South America to predominantly Asian. "In fact, during the three months that we were on the island it was 84% of the bottles that washed up were from Asia." Ship to shore? The combination of the fact that the bottles were from Asia, particularly China, and the fact that they were manufactured too soon to have drifted there on the global oceanic currents, suggested that they were being discarded by passing vessels. "My initial thought was that it was going to be fishing fleets. Fishing boats tend to be a little bit more Wild West than the merchant fleets as a rule, but the fact that it's primarily Chinese doesn't really fit with that because the predominant fishing fleets in the South Atlantic are Taiwanese and Japanese," Prof Ryan observed. "I think the evidence is pretty strong that it's coming from merchant shipping," he suggested. "It is where we've seen the really big increase in shipping, particularly from South America to Asia over the last decade or so. It came as a bit of a shock to me because I had assumed that the merchant fleets would be reasonably compliant [to international agreements not to throw waste overboard]." Prof Ryan said that he would be interested to hear what the international shipping sector made of the findings, adding: "I think we need to look quite carefully at better monitoring and enforcement of regulations." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49885220

Congrats buddy, stiff parts n all.

Porto coach Vitor Matos is in advanced talks to join Jurgen Klopp's coaching staff at Liverpool. (Liverpool Echo)

Scientists spot gas on ‘alien’ comet from another galaxy in world first A visitor to our solar system became the subject of headlines around the world in 2017 after the cigar-shaped rock now named `Oumuamua flew past our sun. Now a second visitor has arrived - named Borisov after the amateur astronomer who spotted it. It’s believed not to come from our solar system, but from another, unknown one - and scientists have detected gas molecules on it. The find will make it easier to understand such future visitors - and even how our solar system compares with others in our galaxy. "For the first time we are able to accurately measure what an interstellar visitor is made of, and compare it with our own Solar System", said Professor Alan Fitzsimmons of the Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen's University Belfast. Comet Borisov was discovered by Crimean amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov in August. Observations over the following 12 days showed that it was not orbiting the Sun, but was just passing through the Solar system on its own path through our galaxy. By 24 September it had been renamed 2I/Borisov, the second interstellar object ever discovered in our Solar System by astronomers. Researchers used the William Hersch Telescope (WHT) to detect the faint light of the comet - and the gas contained within. The gas detected was cyanogen, made of a carbon atom and a nitrogen atom bonded together. It is a toxic gas if inhaled, but it is relatively common in comets. The team concluded that the most remarkable thing about the comet is that it appears ordinary in terms of the gas and dust it is emitting. It looks like it was born 4.6 billion years ago with the other comets in our Solar system, yet has come from an - as yet - unidentified star system. Unlike the first such object discovered two years ago, 1I/'Oumuamua, this object appeared as a faint comet, with a surrounding atmosphere of dust particles, and a short tail. Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen’s University Belfast said, ‘Our first attempt was on Friday 13 September, but we were unlucky and were thwarted by the brightness of the sky so close to the Sun. But the next attempt was successful.’ ‘A spectrum allows us to detect individual types of gas by their spectral fingerprints. We received the data at midday and by 5 pm that evening we knew we had successfully detected gas for the first time.’ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/scientists-spot-gas-on-alien-comet-from-another-galaxy-in-world-first/ar-AAI4ui9?MSCC=1569924383&ocid=chromentp

David Copperfield, tv Series the wife recorded and I am quite enjoying it, it was funny seeing Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney - Only Fools & Horses) acting in it as the criminal Uria Heep, I was just waiting for Del Boy to appear next with Uncle Albert and Trigger trying to flog some dodgy goods.

Incredible footage reveals more than 100 'perfectly preserved' Roman amphorae used to store olive oil and wine in a 1,700-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Majorca SLIDES - 1/7 Incredible footage reveals a Roman shipwreck containing more than 100 perfectly preserved amphorae that underwater archaeologists are painstakingly recovering. The wreck — which experts have dated back to around 1,700 years ago — was found off of the coast of Mallorca back in July 2019. Based on some of the inscriptions on the long, two-handled jars, the archaeologists believe that the amphorae were used to store fish sauce, oil and wine. However, researchers will not be able to open them to check until they have finished preservation work that will stop the salt in the seawater cracking the jars. The wreck was found off of the coast of Mallorca's Can Pastilla Beach in July after local resident Felix Alarcón and his wife spotted pottery shards on the seabed. After investigating, archaeologists found the Roman boat buried in the seabed mere feet from the shore. In a press conference, archaeologist Sebastian Munar of the Balearic Institute of Maritime Archaeology Studies said that the amphorae were perfectly conserved in the ship's hold. The vessel is around 33 feet (ten metres) long and 16 feet (five metres) wide. The merchant ship is thought to have been carrying its wares between Mallorca and the Spanish mainland. Experts think that the Roman vessel sank around 1,700 years ago — although likely not as a result of a storm, given the excellent preservation of its fragile cargo. With the assistance of the Spanish navy and national police divers, archaeologists have removed the jars, however, the wreck itself is to be left on the seafloor. © Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited The wreck was found off of the coast of Mallorca's Can Pastilla Beach in July after local resident Felix Alarcón and his wife spotted pottery shards on the seabed The amphorae on-board the vessel have been transferred to the Museum of Mallorca, where experts will be analysing and restoring the spectacular artefacts. 'The amphorae are now in swimming pools where they are being desalinated and we think this process will last about four months,' Mallorca council heritage director Kika Coll told CEN. 'This process is important because the salt crystallises and can break the amphorae.' 'The amphorae have spent 1,700 years underwater and we do not want to make mistakes.' 'Once we are able to translate the inscriptions, we will learn more about the merchants, the products they transported and where they came from.' https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/incredible-footage-reveals-more-than-100-perfectly-preserved-roman-amphorae-used-to-store-olive-oil-and-wine-in-a-1700-year-old-shipwreck-off-the-coast-of-majorca/ar-AAHZ3ho#image=1

Elon Musk unveils spacecraft he says can go to Mars and return to Earth © 2019 Getty Images BOCA CHICA, TX - SEPTEMBER 28: Space enthusiasts look at a prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019, in Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas. The Starship spacecraft is a massive vehicle meant to take people to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images) Elon Musk has unveiled a SpaceX spacecraft designed to carry a crew and cargo to the moon, Mars or anywhere else in the solar system and land back on Earth perpendicularly. In a live-streamed speech from SpaceX’s launch facility near the southern tip of Texas, Mr Musk said the space venture’s Starship is expected to take off for the first time in about one or two months and reach 65,000 feet before landing back on Earth. © Provided by The Press Association Elon Musk and the planet Mars (Brian Lawless/Nasa/PA) He said it is essential for the viability of space travel to be able to reuse spacecraft and that it is important to take steps to extend consciousness beyond our planet. A crowd watched as Mr Musk spoke from a stage in front of the large spacecraft, which has a reflective, metal exterior. Mr Musk said Saturday marked the 11th anniversary of a SpaceX rocket reaching orbit for the first time. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/elon-musk-unveils-spacecraft-he-says-can-go-to-mars-and-return-to-earth/ar-AAI0VMj?li=BBoPWjQ

Somerset human remains 'as old as Cheddar Man' Two boxes of human remains rediscovered after 55 years have been found to be as old as the Cheddar Man - Britain's oldest complete skeleton. The bones were discovered in a cave in Cannington Park Quarry near Bridgwater, Somerset, in the 1960s. Soon after they "disappeared", and were recently found at Somerset Heritage Centre near Taunton, Cotswold Archaeology said. Radiocarbon dating has shown them to be more than 9,000 years old. Osteoarchaeologist Sharon Clough, of Cotswold Archaeology, said the results were "very surprising" as the bones were originally thought to be Roman and from a cemetery near to where they were discovered in 1964. They were placed in boxes and transferred between museums, including London's Natural History Museum, before they were misplaced. "It was a bit of a mystery, I'd assumed they had been archived with the rest of the dig from the post-Roman cemetery," Ms Clough said. "But they'd been picked out of the rubble in the cave and weren't seen as part of the main dig so they were only mildly interesting and were archived and forgotten about." They were eventually tracked down to Somerset before undergoing carbon dating. Ms Clough described the remains, from at least seven individuals, as "some of the oldest known humans to inhabit this country". She said two thigh bones, from an adult and an under 18, were found to be more than 9,000 years old "which places both of the bones very clearly in the early Mesolithic". Cheddar Man lived in the Somerset area 9,000 years ago and was buried in Cheddar Gorge, where his skeleton was discovered in 1903. Ms Clough said Mesolithic human remains are "extremely rare discoveries" in this country. "Cheddar man has all the bits but we only have a lot of long bones, a few cranial parts and a couple of pieces of the pelvis," she said of the latest discovery. "But it's very exciting to find human remains of this date." She added the cave was "completely destroyed" by quarrying in the 1990s, so the bones are the "only surviving evidence for what now appears to have been a rare Mesolithic burial site". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-49739955

Ajax hopes to agree an improved contract with Real Madrid target Donny van de Beek in an attempt to fend off interest in the 22-year-old Netherlands midfielder. (Voetbal International - in Dutch)

Welcome to TF365 buddy, you have a lot of Liverpool guys in here who will look after you, what part of Malasia are you from? you should go and introduce yourself in Here, keep posting.

Chandrayaan-2: India Moon probe made 'hard landing', says Nasa India's Moon rover, which lost contact moments before it was to touch down on the lunar surface earlier this month, had a "hard landing", Nasa has said. New pictures from a Nasa spacecraft show the targeted landing site of the Vikram rover, but its precise location "has yet to be determined". The images were taken at dusk and were not able to locate the lander. India would have been the fourth nation to make a soft landing on the Moon. Chandrayaan-2 was due to touch down at the lunar South Pole on 7 September, over a month after it first took off. It approached the Moon as normal until an error occurred about 2.1km (1.3 miles) from the surface, Indian space officials said. On Friday, Nasa tweeted the images of the targeted landing site of the Indian module. Nasa said the targeted site was located about 600km (370 miles) from the South Pole in a "relatively ancient terrain". "[The agency's] Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) passed over the landing site on 17 September and acquired a set of high-resolution images of the area; so far the team has not been able to locate or image the lander," the space agency said in a statement. "It was dusk when the landing area was imaged and thus large shadows covered much of the terrain; it is possible that the Vikram lander is hiding in a shadow. The lighting will be favourable when LRO passes over the site in October and once again attempts to locate and image the lander." India's first Moon mission - Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 - carried out the first and most detailed search for water on the lunar surface using radars. What was this mission all about? Chandrayaan-2 (Moon vehicle 2) was the most complex mission ever attempted by India's space agency, Isro. "It is the beginning of a historical journey," Isro chief K Sivan said after launch in July. The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) carried within its belly a 27kg Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil. India's grand ambitions in the second Moon mission The rover (called Pragyan - wisdom in Sanskrit) had the capacity to travel 500m from the lander in its 14-day life span and would have sent data and images back to Earth for analysis. The mission would have focused on the lunar surface, searching for water and minerals and measuring moonquakes, among other things. Why would it have been significant? A soft landing on another planetary body - a feat achieved by just three other countries so far - would have been a huge technological achievement for Isro and India's space ambitions writes science writer Pallava Bagla. He adds that it would also have paved the way for future Indian missions to land on Mars, and opened up the possibility of India sending astronauts into space. For the first time in India's space history, the interplanetary expedition was led by two women - project director Muthaya Vanitha and mission director Ritu Karidhal. It is also a matter of national pride - the satellite's lift-off in July was broadcast live on TV and Isro's official social media accounts. The mission has also made global headlines because it's so cheap - the budget for Avengers: Endgame, for instance, was more than double at an estimated $356m. But this isn't the first time Isro has been hailed for its thrift. Its 2014 Mars mission cost $74m, a tenth of the budget for the American Maven orbiter. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-49848638