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☆ Quasars reveal the early universe moved slower than it does now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Scientists have peered into the early days of the universe, when it was about 1 billion years old, and discovered that things moved in slow motion compared with now. Unlocking what happened during the early days of the universe can help scientists tackle the biggest mysteries about its origin, how it evolved and what the future holds. “This expansion of space means that our observations of the early universe should appear to be much slower than time flows today. While very bright, supernovas become much harder to observe at greater distances from Earth, which means that astronomers needed another source that would be visible deeper in the early universe. “What we have done is unravel this firework display, showing that quasars, too, can be used as standard markers of time for the early universe.”

Persons: Albert Einstein’s, ”, Geraint Lewis, Einstein, ” Lewis, Brendon Brewer Organizations: CNN —, University of Sydney’s School of Physics, Sydney Institute for Astronomy, University of Auckland

☆ Ferocious black holes reveal 'time dilation' in early universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists made that point anew on Monday in a study that used observations of a ferocious class of black holes called quasars to demonstrate "time dilation" in the early universe, showing how time then passed only about a fifth as quickly as it does today. The observations stretch back to about 12.3 billion years ago, when the universe was roughly a tenth its present age. Quasars - among the brightest objects in the universe - were used as a "clock" in the study to measure time in the deep past. Quasars are tremendously active supermassive black holes millions to billions of times more massive than our sun, usually residing at centers of galaxies. The explosion of individual stars cannot be seen beyond a certain distance away, limiting their use in studying the early universe.

Persons: Albert Einstein, Dr, Geraint Lewis, Lewis, today's, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: University of Sydney, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Scientists spot a planet that shouldn’t exist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Jupiter-like planet located 520 light-years from Earth may be an unlikely survivor after its host star had a temper tantrum. The gas planet is known as 8 UMi b and was named Halla after its initial discovery by Korean astronomers in 2015. The exoplanet orbits a giant star larger than our sun named Baekdu, located in the Ursa Minor, or “Little Bear,” constellation. Halla orbits Baekdu at a distance about half that between the Earth and the sun at 0.46 astronomical units, or 42,759,659 miles (68,815,020 kilometers). While our solar system only has one star, many stars across the universe exist in binary pairs.

Persons: Halla, “, ”, Dan Huber, Marc Hon, ” Huber, Tim Organizations: CNN, Ursa, Australian Research, University of Sydney, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Keck Observatory, Halla, Star Wars Locations: South Korea, Manoa, Canada, France, Hawaii, Mauna Kea

☆ Opioids may not work for back pain, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The authors found that in terms of effects on back and neck pain, opioids weren’t any more helpful than the placebo. More people in the opioid group had ongoing pain at weeks 26 and 52 than in the placebo group. The opioid group had worse mental health scores and more reports of nausea, dizziness and constipation than the placebo group. Opioids and painThe study authors and experts who weren’t involved in the new study have theories on why opioids weren’t found to be more helpful than the placebo. “The good news is most people with acute low back pain and neck pain recover within 6 weeks naturally.”The authors studied nonspecific back or neck pain, which is pain with an unknown cause.

Persons: haven’t, ”, Christine Lin, Lin, Naloxone, ” Lin, weren’t, Mark D, Sullivan, Jane C, Ballantyne, ” Sullivan, ” Dr, John Finkenberg, wasn’t, don’t, Finkenberg, ” Finkenberg Organizations: CNN, American Spine Society, University of Sydney, University of Washington Locations: Australia, Sydney, San Diego

☆ The Titan tragedy will join the Byford Dolphin accident as one of the most gruesome deep-sea incidents in history
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Titan tragedy joins the Byford Dolphin accident in history's most gruesome deep-sea incidents. It joins the Byford Dolphin accident of 1983 — another deep-sea chamber compression incident but with a very different set of circumstances that killed five and injured one. The Byford Dolphin incidentOn November 5, 1983, four divers — Edwin Coward, Roy Lucas, Bjørn Bergersen, and Truls Hellevik — returned from a deep-sea commercial mission near the Byford Dolphin oil rig. Graphic showing the layout of the living chambers and the diving bell where the Byford Dolphin accident happened. Unlike the divers near the Byford Dolphin oil rig, the Titan passengers didn't have any excess nitrogen in their blood.

Persons: — Edwin Coward, Roy Lucas, Bjørn Bergersen, Hellevik —, IFLScience, William Crammond, Giertsen, it's, Crammond, Martin Saunders, Stefan Williams, uncrewed submersibles, James Cameron, Cameron, It's, Williams Organizations: Titan, Service, Obscura, Divers Alert, of Forensic Medicine, Science Times, Daily Science, University of Sydney, Good Morning America, ABC News, Eiffel, NBC

He told reporters on Thursday the debris was consistent with "a catastrophic implosion of the vehicle." British Titanic explorer Dik Barton paid tribute to the work of his friend Nargeolet but noted issues raised with the design and maintenance of the craft. "Everyone's wise after the event, but as we're hearing before, unfortunately there were many red flags flying here," he said. He said sonar buoys used in the water for more than three days had not detected an implosion. The Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on its first voyage, killing more than 1,500 people aboard.

Persons: moviemaker Cameron, John Mauger, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate, Dawood, Shahzada, Suleman Dawood, Dik Barton, Nargeolet, OceanGate's, Guard's Mauger, Moviemaker James Cameron, we've, Cameron, Stefan Williams, Michael Guillen, Joseph Ax, Steve Gorman, Charlotte Greefield, Edmund Blair, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Titan, U.S . Coast Guard, Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, British Asian Trust, University of Strathclyde, U.S . Navy, Navy, Wall Street, British, Reuters, University of Sydney, Thomson Locations: North Atlantic, North, U.S, Scotland, British, Greece, Canada, France, Britain, submersibles, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, St, John's, Newfoundland

☆ Serving 'lunch' before midnight — and other ways airlines can help reduce jet lag
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

They also kept a daily health log before, during and for two weeks after test flights, it said. It means you start reducing the jetlag straight away," he said in a statement after the first test flight was conducted. For now, Postnova said, travelers shouldn't wait until they land to combat jet lag — rather, they should start the process as soon as their flight departs. An onboard 'wellbeing zone'The jet lag research is being conducted while Qantas awaits 12 Airbus 350 aircraft it ordered in May 2022. Passengers exercise during a Qantas test flight from New York to Sydney on Oct, 19, 2019.

Persons: University of Sydney's Charles Perkins, David Gray, Svetlana Postnova, Postnova, Alan Joyce, James D, Peter Cistulli, Joyce Organizations: Qantas, University of Sydney's, University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, Volunteers, Flight, Getty, CNBC, Morgan, University of Sydney, New, Flyers, Airbus Locations: Sydney, New York City, London, New York

☆ The IRS could recover $12 for every $1 spent on scrutinizing the ultra-wealthy's taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Economists find that every extra dollar spent on auditing the top 10% of taxpayers yields $12 in revenue. A new paper from economists at the Department of Treasury, Harvard University, and the University of Sydney looks at the return on investment from IRS audits from 2010 through 2014. They find that while it's much more expensive to audit the wealthiest tax payers, it's still a hearty return on investment. Auditing the top 1% yields $4.25 per dollar spent, and that number soars to $6.29 when auditing the top 0.1%. The findings illustrate how much money might be sitting untapped in what the IRS calls the tax gap — the chasm between taxes owed and taxes paid.

Persons: —, it's, Amy Hanauer, Hanauer, what's Organizations: Service, Department of Treasury, Harvard University, University of Sydney, Treasury Department, Taxation, Economic, Republican, IRS, Office

☆ Trying to cure jet lag? Try chili, chocolate, and stretching.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Australian airline Qantas is conducting test flights to find a cure for jet lag on long flights. Researchers for the Australian airline Qantas are working to find a cure for jet lag — and the answer may be on your plate. Project Sunrise flights offered "specific menu items including fish and chicken paired with fast-acting carbohydrates, as well as comfort foods like soups and milk-based desserts. The aim was to promote the brain's production of the amino acid tryptophan ('Tryp') to help passengers drift off more easily." Insider previously reported eating tart cherries, watermelon, and cucumbers may help air passengers sleep and wake easier and fight jetlag.

Persons: —, University of Sydney's Charles Perkins, Alan Joyce, James D Morgan, jetlag, Peter Cistulli, Cistulli Organizations: Australian, Qantas, Service, University of Sydney's, University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, Sunrise, Qantas Passengers, Passengers, Sleep, University of Sydney Locations: New York, London, Sydney, Australia

☆ Australia’s ‘Trial of the Century’ Stains Its Most Decorated Soldier
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The case had been called Australia’s trial of the century. And though it centered on a claim of defamation, it grappled with a more consequential question: Was the country’s most decorated living soldier a war criminal? The judgment was a rare victory for the news media in a country whose notoriously harsh defamation laws have been criticized for favoring accusers. “Australia has a reputation for being very plaintiff friendly,” said David Rolph, a professor of media law at the University of Sydney. “Here we’ve got a comprehensive victory for the newspapers — that’s not something that you see in every defamation case in Australia.”

Persons: Ben Roberts, Smith, Roberts, ”, David Rolph, we’ve Organizations: “, University of Sydney Locations: Australia, Afghanistan, “ Australia

☆ Malaysia investigating possible looting of World War II British shipwrecks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Police, the Malaysian Marine Department and the National Heritage Department would investigate to see if the shells are from World War II, according to the report. Authorities are investigating whether shells found on the ship are from World War II, Malaysian state media said. Murky lawSalvaging of sunken World War II wrecks around the Pacific is not a new problem. In 2017, Dutch, British and US authorities reported that naval vessels sunk in the World War II Battle of the Java Sea had been salvaged without permission. Steel from World War II shipwrecks can have special value because it is was produced before the first nuclear explosions on Earth.

☆ How can you tell if someone isn’t really into doing you a favor?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Every two minutes or so, all over the world, someone asks someone else for a small favor. But what happens in those rare instances when someone declines to do a favor? Even when humans decline a request for a favor, they almost never say the word no out loud. Now, maybe that's true, and if they keep doing it, pretty quickly you won't be that person's friend anymore." "When our responses to crises work well, we're doing things like evoking a specific social identity.

LOS ANGELES, May 3 (Reuters) - Hollywood writers have for decades penned sci-fi scripts featuring machines taking over the world. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing film and television scripts. A spokesperson for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is negotiating the contract on behalf of the studios, did not comment. The dispute over AI is one of several issues that led Hollywood’s film and TV writers to strike Monday, marking the first work stoppage in 15 years. Screenwriter John August, a member of the WGA negotiating committee, said writers have two concerns regarding AI.

☆ Researchers just created the largest-ever database of how we interact on Zoom. Here are their tips for making everyone like you on video chats.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

The result is the largest-ever database of one-on-one Zoom conversations. And while the average loudness of speakers didn't change across bad or good conversations, the "good" talkers varied their decibel levels more than the "bad" talkers did. The machine found that women rated as better Zoom conversationalists tended to be more intense. Good conversationalists are those who appear more engaged in what their partners are saying. Studying Zoom calls may help us have better conversations on Zoom.

☆ Science has finally figured out how fast and loud you should talk on Zoom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

The result is the largest-ever database of one-on-one Zoom conversations. It may shed new light on what we talk about when we talk about talking today — the conversation of the future. And while the average loudness of speakers didn't change across bad or good conversations, the "good" talkers varied their decibel levels more than the "bad" talkers did. The machine found that women rated as better Zoom conversationalists tended to be more intense. Good conversationalists are those who appear more engaged in what their partners are saying.

☆ America's broken housing market is making millennials and Gen Z lonelier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Loneliness is a perceived lack of connection — the discrepancy between the social connection someone has and the connection they want. Holt-Lunstad's widely-cited research has found that loneliness and social isolation have health impacts comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. People who live in communities with more walkable neighborhoods, shared space, greenery, and diverse types of housing, feel more socially connected and less lonely. In her work, Peavey has come up with six design strategies for creating third spaces — places that aren't home, work, or school — to facilitate social connection. But neighborhoods need to be dense and walkable in order for people to easily access these places because cars and physical distance get in the way.

☆ Analysis: Australia prepares more assertive military stance to deter conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The review examined how Australia could better integrate with its AUKUS partners the United States and Britain, as well as other allies, the government has said. Changing that equation is crucial to the future of Australia's military, they said. Campbell said Australia's defence forces would enhance how they could operate alongside partners, but has ruled out foreign bases on its soil and will always retain control of its forces. Even as it beefs up its military, Australia says China will remain an important trade partner. One of the world's top LNG exporters, Australia's top gas customers last year were Japan, China and South Korea.

[1/3] Students walk past stalls during the orientation week at The University of Sydney, in Camperdown, Australia February 15, 2023. 'BIG RUSH'The shortage has meanwhile jumpstarted one of the few subsets of Australian residential property, the student accommodation sector, that languished during COVID. Before 2020, Chinese students accounted for about 40% of the A$40 billion ($27 billion) Australia made educating foreigners annually. But China's reopening has raised the issue about the availability of beds in a "welcome sign" for investors, said Brad Williams, managing director of AMP Capital's diversified infrastructure trust, Australia's third-largest owner of purpose-built student accommodation. Tomas Johnsson, CEO of UniLodge Australia, the country's biggest operator of purpose-built student accommodation, said some developers were even paying more to speed up construction.

☆ Analysis: Why public health officials are not panicked about bird flu
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They say the attributes that have made this virus thrive in wild birds likely make it less infectious to people. Although the exact changes required for a bird flu virus to become easily transmissible in people are not known, a pair of landmark studies done a decade ago offer some clues. Mink have both avian and human-type receptors, but avian receptors are scarce in humans and located deep in the lungs. That change is a must if a bird flu virus is to spread easily in people. None of the experts discounted the possibility that H5N1 or another avian flu virus could mutate and spark a pandemic, and many believe the world has not seen its last flu pandemic.

☆ China has to figure out how to care for 400 million people over the age of 60 by 2040 — and it's off to a rocky start
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

By 2040, it's expected to have 400 million people above the age of 60 — more people than in the entire US. "It's obvious that relying on contributions from medical insurance schemes to fund age care services is not likely to be viable in the longer term," she said. Alzheimer's is quickly rising as a concern in China, Luk said. "Is China aging rapidly? Beijing has been pressuring the private sector into building daycare centers, wards, and other age care infrastructure to shore up gaps in local government finances, Gu said.

Due to the tiny size of the capsule and the huge distances involved, authorities warn the chances of finding it are slim. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/APHow rare is it to lose a radioactive device? Radiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported throughout Western Australia on a daily basis without any issues. A conveyor belt transports iron ore at the Gudai-Darri mine operated by the Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, June 21, 2022. At that rate, the capsule could be radioactive for the next 300 years, said Deb from RMIT University.

SYDNEY, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Australia is preparing for the arrival of thousands of Chinese students, the education minister said on Monday, days after China's education ministry warned students enrolled overseas that online learning would no longer be recognised. Tens of thousands remain offshore after pandemic restrictions and strained diplomatic relations led many to return home. Phil Honeywood, chief executive officer at International Education Association of Australia, an advocacy body for international education in Australia, said there were currently about 40,000 Chinese students still offshore. "We anticipate a lot of Chinese students will be scrambling as we speak to get on flights to Australia. The move by China's Ministry of Education has been met with anger from Chinese students.

WELLINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The shock resignation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who altered the face of global politics when she was elected the world's youngest female head of state, throws a spotlight on the demands faced by women in power. "We need people like Jacinda Ardern in politics. [1/2] New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during the Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, July 8, 2022. "Certainly she really challenges the male stereotype of being a prime minister." Former Prime Minister Helen Clark said Ardern had done an "extraordinary job" in leading New Zealand through major crises.

☆ Just a couple minutes of vigorous activity several times a day might lower one's risk of death
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Aria-Bendix-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Aria Bendix | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

"For years, everybody assumed that the health benefits of physical activity required at least 10 minutes," she said. Previous research from the University of Sydney has also found that vigorous physical activity is associated with lower rates of heart disease. A 2019 study also determined that stair climbing was associated with a lower risk of death among older men. Current U.S. guidelines say adults need 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, such as brisk walking, riding a bike or playing tennis. "There are just so many ways you can incorporate physical activity into a normal lifestyle," DiPietro said.

But it is spreading across finance, energy, retail and aviation, threatening to push up labour costs in industries facing supply-chain bottlenecks and worker shortages. The turmoil is especially pronounced because union power was curtailed in Australia under laws in place since the 1990s. In the year to June, the average Australian wage rose 2.6%, compared with inflation of 6.1%, according to official data. Despite seven interest-rate hikes since May, inflation is set to climb further before subsiding in 2023, the government says. But in the current climate in Australia, workers are in no mood to back down.

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