Researchers have discovered the first evidence that collisions between black holes produce “ringing” vibrations. Newly merged black holes are unbalanced, but they quickly settle into the lowest energy shape, which is a sphere. In the same way that a bell rings at specific frequencies determined by its shape, stable black holes vibrate and emit gravitational waves at frequencies determined by their mass and spin. Reanalysis of data from the largest black hole merger ever detected in 2019 suggests it produced a black hole with a mass 250 times that of the Sun – significantly more massive than originally proposed by initial analysis.
Disability Lawsuit in the Molecular Biology World
The long-running legal case between ribonucleic acid researcher Vivian Chong and her former employer, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), has finally reached court. Chong alleges that HHMI, one of the largest funders of medical research, discriminated against her by failing to provide reasonable accommodations and withdrawing her funding after she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. The institute denies Chong’s claims. Disability advocates say the case is of great importance for other disabled scientists who have long struggled for recognition and empathy in a field with narrow definitions of success.
Dolphins Sense Electric Fields
Glass dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can sense electricity using the pits left by their whiskers when they touch. “Everyone thought these structures were useless,” said animal scientist and study partner Guido Dinhardt. His team trained two captive dolphins to place their snouts near submerged electricity and swim away when they sensed an electric field. Researchers found that dolphins’ sensitivity to electricity is similar to that of penguins. Sensing electricity can help animals locate fish hidden in sand on the seafloor or navigate in the ocean using the Earth’s magnetic field.
Bio-Ring Detects Sex Hormone in Sweat
A typical bio-ring worn as a ring can detect minuscule amounts of the hormone estradiol in sweat. The hormone plays a key role in fertility and sexual health, and there is a “strong demand for technologies that give people more information about their menstrual and fertility status,” according to biomedical engineer and study partner Wei Gao. The ring generates a small current to initiate sweat production, then draws the fluid into a small reservoir. Aptamers – single-stranded DNA molecules – bind to estradiol to detect the hormone in just 10 minutes.
Microbes and Climate
An editorial in the journal Nature Microbiology suggests that all climate crises are “driven by microbes, disrupted by microbes, or solvable by microbes.” It’s time to recognize their impact, according to coral microbiome ecologist Raquel Pexoto. In a special issue focused on microbes and climate, the journal highlights different aspects of microbes and climate, including the spread and emergence of infectious diseases, how microbial interactions are altered by the environment, and the urgent need to include this field in climate discussions.
The Climate Theory of Everything
The “Climate Theory of Everything” proposes that the move towards a greener world promises success in nearly all areas, according to BusinessGreen editor James Murray. For example, build well-insulated homes in walkable communities, and you’ll not only achieve economic growth, but also lower energy bills, improved energy security, better health, reduced risks, lower insurance costs, less fragmented communities, greater entrepreneurial spirit, and lower emissions. It’s also a process through which many failures can be renewed – the slow path towards global peace, and a promise of a better world for our children. In a comprehensive and personal article, Murray explains why the United Nations Climate Conference COP28 currently being held in Dubai is still worthy of support.
Place
Work
Louis de Grandpré works as an ecologist with the Canadian Forest Service, currently in an exchange program with the Pisamit people of the First Nation in Nitassinan, the traditional land of the Innu Indigenous people. The methods of logging non-native trees have completely altered the structure of forests, with old growth in some areas reduced by half over the past 30 years. “I am not against logging, but I am against the speed at which it is happening here,” says de Grandpré.
Quote of the Day
“Science provides a great reason to go to Mars – but not for permanent settlement.” Most of the reasons put forth in the ethical literature on space for settling a large number of people on Mars do not withstand scrutiny, says astrobiologist Kirsty Leto and philosophers Oskari Siivola and Mikko Pomala.
On Friday, Liv Penguinson was enjoying the sea waves at a recreational area in Hawaii. Did you find the penguin? When you are ready, here is the answer.
Thank you for reading,
Flora Graham, Senior Editorial Director, Nature Briefing
With contributions from Katrina Kramer and Sarah Tomlin
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