Show stealer rings of Saturn will disappear in three months

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Saturn’s rings will disappear in three months

Saturn's rings are certainly one of the most striking features in our solar system. The rings are made up of billions of tiny particles of ice and rock, and they span hundreds of thousands of kilometers across. From Earth, they appear as a wide band encircling the planet.

Saturn is tilted 26.73 degrees which plays a significant role in the view of rings from Earth. As the planet moves our viewpoint changes. During some phases the rings are seen with full width whereas at times they appear as thin band. On March 25, 2025 an event called ‘ring plane crossing’ will occur. During this event the thin edges of the rings will aim towards the Earth.

The rings will appear to have completely vanished. At the time of this alignment, Saturn’s tilt and location will match up, resulting into the disappearance of the rings.

In absence of the rings, Saturn will look like a pale-yellow sphere through the telescopes. However, the grand display will reappear in November 2025 with the shifting of positions of the planets.

The insights were published in the journal JDR Planets.

Viruses are saved in your brain that may come back

Research at Tufts University and the University of Oxford has shown that there is a connection between head trauma and the reactivation of dormant viruses in the brain. It was also revealed that our bodies host dormant viruses, such as, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and varicella-zoster virus. These viruses reside in neurons and glial cells and do not cause any harm.

The researchers used brain organoids, miniature 3D brain models grown in a lab, to investigate the effects of head trauma. It was observed that mechanical injury to these organoids could reactivate latent herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a which remains dormant in the nervous system after an initial infection.

It is believed that this reactivation of HSV-1, along with the resulting inflammation, could play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. The results show that concussions might also awaken dormant viruses in the brain. This research highlights the potential importance of antiviral medications as early preventive treatments after head trauma to mitigate the long-term risks.

Insights of the findings are published in the journal Science Signaling.

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Possibility for the existence of third type of particle

In the realm of quantum mechanics, particles are broadly categorized into two fundamental types:

• Fermions: These particles obey the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which states that no two identical fermions can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. They surround particles that build atoms, such as electrons and quarks.

• Bosons: Unlike fermions, bosons do not abide by the Pauli Exclusion Principle. Multiple bosons can occupy the same quantum state. They act as force carriers like photons and gluons.

It is interesting to know that there's a fascinating exception to the strict fermion-boson classification in two dimensions: anyons. Anyons possess a statistical parameter that can take on any fractional value between 0 (bosons) and 1/2 (fermions). This means their behaviour when exchanged with another particle is neither purely bosonic nor purely fermionic.

When two anyons are exchanged, their wave function acquires a phase factor that depends on the angle of the exchange. This phase factor can be any fractional value, leading to a spectrum of behaviours beyond the simple bosonic (no phase change) or fermionic (phase change of π) cases.

Anyons have the potential for revolutionary applications in quantum computing. Their unique properties could be harnessed to create robust and powerful quantum computers that are more resistant to errors than those based on conventional qubits. Anyons are a theoretical prediction that has been experimentally observed in certain systems, such as the fractional quantum Hall effect.

The findings were shared in the journal Nature.

Is time an illusion?

Is there going to be a tomorrow or not is a tricky question to answer. But we never doubt the existence of the present time. However, researchers argue that our belief in ‘now’ might just be a matter of perception. It is claimed that time may not exist in the fundamental way as we believe.

Einstein's theories of relativity, particularly special relativity, challenge the absolute nature of time as we commonly perceive it. Special relativity shows that simultaneity is relative and depends on the observer's frame of reference. If two observers are moving relative to each other, they might disagree on whether two events happened simultaneously.

Time dilation is another concept that counters our conventional belief of time. Special relativity predicts that time passes differently for objects moving at different speeds. A moving clock ticks slower than a stationary clock, according to an observer at rest. This effect, known as time dilation, becomes noticeable at speeds close to the speed of light.

Some interpretations of relativity, like the block universe model, suggest that all moments in time exist simultaneously in a four-dimensional spacetime block. In this view, the past, present, and future are equally real, and our perception of a flowing present is an illusion.

These concepts challenge our intuitive understanding of time as a linear progression. However, it's important to note that Einstein's theories don't necessarily imply that all moments are equally real.

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Thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Adya