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A bright fireball streaked across the skies above four U.S. states at 11 p.m. on November 9, likely originating from a SpaceX Starlink satellite.The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 36 different reports of the fireball as it passed over Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, with sightings primarily around Oklahoma City and the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.According to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and satellite tracker at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the object was likely a Starlink satellite from SpaceX burning up in Earth’s atmosphere as it re-entered. The satellite was most likely Starlink-4682, one of 54 satellites launched in 2022 as part of the Starlink 4-23 mission.
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The extended summer season driven by climate change has made the white Alba truffle, priced higher than gold, increasingly difficult to grow and even scarcer.The Alba truffle, or white truffle, primarily found in the town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, is renowned for its strong aroma and unique, slightly sweet taste, with hints of garlic. Known as the "king of mushrooms" due to its high nutritional value and unmistakable fragrance, just a thin slice can elevate the flavor of any dish. This scarcity and its distinct flavor make it even pricier than lobster or gold.
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Chinese scientists have identified a change in magnetic field strength between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, potentially due to an impending magnetic pole reversal.The magnetic field above North America is weakening at an unusually fast pace, while the field over the Eastern Hemisphere is strengthening, according to a research team led by Professor Fang Hanxian at China’s National University of Defense Technology, reported by Interesting Engineering on November 8. Scientists are investigating the cause, suspecting it may be linked to a geomagnetic pole reversal from the Western to Eastern Hemisphere.
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Satellite images reveal that Mesyatsev Island, once a large ice floe in the Arctic, may have completely melted due to climate change.A group of high school and university students discovered the disappearance of Russia’s Mesyatsev Island in the Arctic by comparing satellite images as part of the RISKSAT educational project at the Moscow Aviation Institute, Live Science reported on November 8.Mesyatsev Island was an ice and dust formation located near the larger Eva-Liv Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago—a Russian Arctic island chain consisting of around 190 islands in the Arctic Ocean. This small island was once an ice cap connected to its larger neighbor Eva-Liv but may have detached before 1985, according to a study published in the journal Geosciences in 2019.
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During World War II, the Chrysler air raid siren was used to clear fog for aircraft operations by causing mist to coalesce into rain.The Chrysler air raid siren was massive—roughly the size of a car, measuring 3.7 meters long, 1.8 meters high, and weighing around 2.7 tons. This enormous siren was powered by a 180-horsepower, 8-cylinder gasoline engine, which drove a two-stage air compressor and a rotary chopper. The compressor pushed 73.9 cubic meters of air per minute at nearly 0.5 kg/cm² through the rotary chopper to create sound. The compressed air escaped through six giant horns at a speed of 644 km/h, generating an incredibly loud noise measured at 138 dB from 30 meters away. No other warning device could match the siren's volume.
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A selfie from the MP42 satellite reveals a 6mm hole in its solar panel, highlighting the serious issue of space debris.Lithuanian satellite manufacturer NanoAvionics discovered the small hole in a photo taken by the MP42 satellite's onboard camera, Space reported on November 6. The satellite has been orbiting Earth since April 2022. The image, captured by MP42 in late October, was shared by NanoAvionics on the social platform X.
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The area surrounding the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant is now teeming with wildlife, offering a unique site for scientists to study.Almost 40 years ago, on April 26, 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine marked a tragic event in human history. Toxic clouds spread, exposing approximately 8.4 million people to nuclear radiation, resulting in over 250,000 cancer cases and around 100,000 deaths.The Soviet Union established the 2,700-square-kilometer "Chernobyl Exclusion Zone" around the plant, erecting a fence with a 30-kilometer radius and barring public access due to contamination. Besides the ongoing human toll, the Chernobyl disaster devastated the landscape, severely impacting local wildlife and infrastructure.
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Nearly 40 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, entering the room that holds the "Elephant’s Foot" is still lethal, with its threat potentially persisting for centuries.Spending just 300 seconds in the same room with the "Elephant’s Foot" would mean a person has only two days left to live. This deadly object is a hardened, two-meter-wide lava-like mass formed from the melted core of Chernobyl's nuclear reactor. Due to extreme radiation levels, only a few photos of the Elephant’s Foot exist, according to the Mail.
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In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster released the largest amount of radioactive material into the environment in human history. This event devastated all forms of life in the area, yet researchers are still uncovering the long-term effects of this exposure on wildlife in Ukraine today. A recent study published in Biology Letters indicates that for eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis), prolonged radiation exposure appears to have no significant impact on their lifespan, according to IFL Science.
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Thirty-seven years ago, a radioactive source within an abandoned medical device in Goiânia, Brazil, exposed over 112,000 residents of the city to the risk of radiation contamination.An abandoned radiotherapy capsule, later mistaken for scrap metal and sold, set off a chain of events that led to over 112,000 people being screened for radiation exposure and four fatalities, according to IFL Science.
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Archaeologists have reconstructed the face of a young woman, buried 400 years ago, who was suspected of being a vampire.A team from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland discovered the remains of the woman, nicknamed "Zosia," in an unmarked cemetery. Her remains were notable for the iron sickle placed across her neck. Zosia’s left big toe was bound with a large padlock, a practice rooted in the belief that dangerous individuals possessed both good and evil sides. This measure was intended to prevent an evil spirit from escaping and turning the deceased into a vampire. Zosia, who died at around 18 to 20 years of age, likely suffered from a condition that caused fainting spells and other health issues. She is one of dozens believed by nearby villagers to be a vampire
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The state of Nevada in the United States has the ideal combination of topography, climate, and geological activity to become a significant global lithium production hub.In Clayton Valley, a vast basin in Nevada’s Esmeralda County, turquoise-colored pools sit amid brown mountain ranges. Such basins and mountains stretch across the state, from west to east. However, the still waters in Clayton are man-made and rich in lithium.Silver Peak, a small former silver mining town in this remote valley, became Nevada’s first lithium production site in 1966, decades before lithium gained importance as a key metal for renewable energy and national security. The facility, run by Albemarle Corporation, produces 5,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually, according to Live Science.
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The Shenzhou 18 spacecraft, carrying three Chinese astronauts, returned to Earth on November 4 after a six-month mission in space.Astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu have been stationed on the Tiangong space station since April 25. After 192 days in orbit, they concluded their mission on November 3, landing at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia at 1:24 a.m. Beijing time (0:24 a.m. Hanoi time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). All three astronauts were reported to be in good health and exited the capsule at 2:14 a.m. local time.
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American scientists have discovered that atmospheric rivers have been gradually shifting toward the poles over the past 40 years, triggering significant changes in global weather systems.Atmospheric rivers, responsible for transporting moisture across Earth’s upper atmosphere, have moved their positions in recent decades—a fundamental shift that could reshape weather patterns and precipitation levels worldwide.Research from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) reveals that atmospheric rivers in both hemispheres have shifted approximately 6° to 10° toward the poles over the past four decades. This shift means that regions affected by these atmospheric rivers now lie further north in the Northern Hemisphere and further south in the Southern Hemisphere than they previously did. The study was published in Science Advances.
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The United States and China are at the forefront of missions aiming to return humans to the Moon, with both countries inviting other nations to join in their ambitious space visions.Lunar missions have become synonymous with the "space race." During the Cold War, the contest between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to achieve the first "small step" on the Moon symbolized a strategic and symbolic battle for global dominance in political, technological, military, and ideological realms.
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Bronze Age armor was sturdy enough to protect Mycenaean warriors in battle 3,500 years ago, according to a study published on May 22 in the journal PLOS One.Researchers used a replica of the armor discovered in 1960 in Dendra, a village near the ancient Greek city of Mycenae, and enlisted 13 navy soldiers from the Greek military to test its durability.For decades, archaeologists wondered if this armor, which includes a boar-tusk helmet and a torso plate of interlocking bronze pieces, was robust enough for combat. "Since its discovery, the question has remained whether the armor was only used for ceremonial purposes or if it was meant for actual battle," said Andreas Flouris, a physiology professor at the University of Thessaly, Greece, and lead researcher. "The Dendra armor is considered one of the oldest complete sets of Bronze Age armor in Europe."
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The shoes on a kneeling archer in the Terracotta Army display remarkable craftsmanship, showcasing the advanced skills of artisans during the Qin dynasty.Fifty years after its discovery, China’s famous Terracotta Army is gradually revealing its secrets. Since the life-sized clay figures were first found by a group of farmers digging a well, these sculptures have provided intriguing insights into the soldiers of the Qin dynasty, the first to unify China in 221 BCE under Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
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A Thracian warrior, likely from a wealthy and powerful family, was buried with numerous gold items, weapons, and his warhorse.
A team of archaeologists discovered a treasure trove of artifacts in the tomb of a Thracian warrior in the village of Kapitan Petko Voyvoda near Topolovgrad, Bulgaria. The treasure includes a gold necklace, gold crown, gold rings, and even a knife adorned with gold and semi-precious stones, all buried beside the remains of a Roman-era warrior dating back to the early 1st century, Ancient Origins reported on August 24. -
To this day, researchers have yet to uncover the location of Genghis Khan’s tomb or determine the cause of his death.The death of Genghis Khan is shrouded in mystery. He passed away in the summer of 1227 during a campaign against the Western Xia along the upper reaches of the Yellow River in Yinchuan. However, scholars still do not know how he died. One theory, recorded by Marco Polo, suggests Genghis Khan died from battle wounds inflicted by his enemies; another theory from The Secret History of the Mongols (a work written later about the Mongol royal family) claims he fell from his horse while hunting.
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The tomb of Cyrus the Great, built over 2,500 years ago, is considered the oldest structure with an effective earthquake-resistant design.In ancient Greece and Persia, a construction technique was developed in which materials like clay and ceramics were placed between the ground and the foundation. This design allowed the layers to slide over one another during ground tremors, reducing earthquake damage, according to Amusing Planet. Known as base isolation, this technique remains one of the most effective methods for protecting buildings from earthquakes today. The earliest known example of base isolation is the tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) in Iran.
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