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Is Gravity how the universe stores information?

Is Gravity how the universe stores information?

Astronomers find gold in cosmic flares

Coffee Table Science
May 04, 2025

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Welcome to this edition of Over a Cup of Coffee!

In this newsletter

Deorbiting satellites pose a threat to climate and …
Astronomers find ‘gold’ within massive cosmic flar …
A severe drop in North American bird numbers
Gravity offers more support for the simulated univ …
- More interesting reads this week

Deorbiting satellites pose a threat to climate and ozone layer

A new study warns that the increasing emissions from expired satellites burning up in the atmosphere could significantly hinder long-term ozone hole recovery and worsen climate change. Currently, over 9,000 satellites orbit Earth, performing crucial tasks like weather tracking, communication, navigation, and Earth observation. This number is projected to surge to over 60,000 by 2040.

Satellites have a limited life span of 5 years. Due to this, the primary method of satellite disposal is atmospheric burn-up. It releases pollutants, including aerosolized aluminum, into Earth's atmosphere. Researchers simulated the consequences of the growing emissions from expired satellites by modeling an annual release of 10,000 tonnes of aluminum oxide by 2040. This amount is projected to result from the atmospheric burn-up of approximately 3,000 satellites annually, assuming a 60,000-satellite fleet.

The results show that the increasing amount of satellite reentry material at high latitudes could trigger substantial temperature anomalies up to 1.5°C in the middle to upper atmosphere. It will also reduce wind speeds and cause ozone depletion, along with impeding ozone hole recovery. While the impact of aluminum is being studied, the release of other metals such as titanium, lithium, iron, and copper from decaying satellites also warrants investigation, as their effects are currently unquantified.

The insights were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres.

Astronomers find ‘gold’ within massive cosmic flares

For a long time, the only known cosmic event powerful enough to forge "jewelry shop" elements was the collision of neutron stars. However, new evidence points to a second scenario. A giant flare, initially detected in 2004, emanating from a highly magnetic neutron star, has now revealed signatures of the r-process, the cosmic forge of heavy elements. This magnetar flare, 20 years after its discovery, remains mysterious. It unleashed more energy than our Sun emits in a million years. While traced to a nearby magnetar, a second, fainter signal followed the initial outburst after 10 minutes, adding to the enigma.

Astronomers initially didn't connect the magnetar afterglow to the r-process. However, in 2017, the first direct evidence of the r-process was found in the aftermath of a neutron star merger, confirming this event as a source of heavy elements like gold. However, neutron star mergers couldn't explain the total amount of heavy elements. They tend to happen later in the galaxy's history.

Re-examining the 2004 flare, researchers found strong evidence of the r-process. The afterglow's radiation precisely matched theoretical predictions for the gamma rays emitted as rare atoms transform into heavy elements like gold. These results confirm that the r-process doesn't have a single source. It can occur in various astrophysical environments.

Scientists now anticipate studying heavy element formation in unprecedented detail. Unlike the distant 2017 merger, closer future magnetar flares could allow detection of individual elements.

The insights were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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A severe drop in North American bird numbers

In studying bird population trends in North America, Cornell Lab researchers uncovered unexpected patterns. What's particularly striking is that bird numbers are dropping most significantly in the places where they are most common. The research showed that for 83% of the bird species studied, the proportion of their population disappearing is larger in these abundant areas.

Researchers analyzed 36 million eBird observations, a volunteer-driven effort, and satellite environmental data for 495 North American bird species over 15 years (2007-2021). The current study examines recent bird population trends in very small areas (27 by 27 km), offering the most detailed analysis ever conducted across such a wide expanse of North America.

The team noted that increasing populations are positive signs. Areas with growing numbers where birds are scarce might indicate successful conservation or potential for recovery.

The study's detailed maps will help conservation and policy efforts to protect declining birds – something the authors stress is vital to change the current downward trends.

The study was published in Science.

Gravity offers more support for the simulated universe theory

A leading scientist in physics from the University of Portsmouth, Dr. Melvin Vopson presents that gravity, or the force that pulls things together, could be how the universe computes things. The scientist proposes that gravity could arise from how the universe keeps track of information about matter.

Applying a principle about information dynamics, he suggests that objects in space might be drawn to each other as the universe tries to maintain information in an orderly and compressed way.

Dr. Vopson's latest research shows how tiny space cells can store data, giving matter its properties and location in a simulated space-time. Empty cells are a "0," matter-filled cells are a "1." This is just like how a video game or virtual reality program would be designed. He explains that if a cell can hold more than one particle, the system will naturally move them together into one larger particle within that cell.

The research proposes a new idea about gravity: it could be the universe's way of simplifying information. Gravity might act like a computational process that makes matter organize itself to keep information encoding in space-time less complex. The broader impact of this research touches on key physics ideas like black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and the link between gravity and quantum information. The question of a simulated universe remains unanswered.

The study was published in AIP Advances.

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