Satellite Images Suggest US Avoided Iran's Nuclear Reactors
Notably absent from the latest International Atomic Energy Agency's damage report are three research reactors operating at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology and Research Center. One of the so-called miniature neutron source reactors, made by China in 1991, runs on 900 grams (2 pounds) of bomb-grade uranium.
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
When does the body really start aging? The answer may surprise you.
When does aging really shift into overdrive? A new study suggests it may be sooner than you think. Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied proteins in tissue taken from about 70 people ages 14 to 68, according to the study published July 25 in the journal Cell. These proteins give scientists a window of when the aging process may begin on a cellular level, said Dr. Thomas Blackwell, associate dean for graduate medical education and professor of medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Proteins are created in a 'factory' using instructions from messenger RNA, he said. A sign of aging is when the cells' ability to make proteins correctly and efficiently starts to break down. By looking at tissues taken from organs throughout the body, including the heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, skin and muscles, researchers determined that aging starts to accelerate from 45 to 55. They also found that organs aged at different rates. For example, the spleen, aorta (the body's main artery) and adrenal gland (responsible for producing hormones) showed signs of aging at around 30. The aorta also saw the biggest changes in protein levels around the ages of 45 and 55. 'This is just a beautiful roadmap that gives us an initial overview of organ aging,' said Neville Sanjana, associate professor of biology, neuroscience and physiology at New York University and a faculty member at the New York Genome Center. The study's findings could have a lot of implications in future research into treatments for chronic conditions related to aging that would not only add decades to patients' lifespan, but also their health span, which is the period of a person's life spent in good health, he said. 'To me, that's exciting,' Sanjana said. 'This kind of data generation is so powerful for folks who want to do things like bioengineering and creating new kinds of therapies to restore healthy aging.' For Blackwell, the study also shows that patients still have the chance to change their aging trajectory later in life – 'but the window is short,' he said. The best ways to add healthy years to your life are to maintain a healthy level of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, don't smoke and drink "very little," Blackwell said. Research has shown diet, exercise, genetics and, sometimes, luck, impact longevity. However, the new study suggests people may still see benefits from changes later in life. 'Starting at 45 to 50, you could gain as much as 10 years of healthy life and this study just shows the truth of that at a cellular level,' he said. Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aging: Body starts changing after 50. Here's what happens. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
NASA races to put nuclear reactors on Moon and Mars
The United States is rushing to put nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, and hopes to launch the first system by the end of the decade. A new NASA directive -- first reported by Politico and seen by AFP on Tuesday -- calls for the appointment of a nuclear power czar to select two commercial proposals within six months, framing the push as crucial to outpacing a joint Chinese-Russian effort. Signed by acting NASA chief Sean Duffy, who is also US transportation secretary, the July 31 memo is the latest sign of the agency's shift towards prioritizing human space exploration over scientific research under President Donald Trump's second term. "Since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s," it says. "The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first." The idea of using nuclear energy off-planet is not new. Since 2000, NASA has invested $200 million towards developing small, lightweight fission power systems, though none have progressed towards flight readiness, according to the directive. The most recent effort came in 2023 with the completion of three $5 million industry study contracts that focused on generating 40 kilowatts of power, enough to continuously run 30 households for ten years. Unlike solar power, fission systems can operate around the clock -- invaluable during the weeks-long lunar nights or Martian dust storms. Advances in technology have made such systems increasingly compact and lightweight. NASA formally committed to using nuclear power on Mars in December 2024 -- the first of seven key decisions necessary for human exploration of the Red Planet. Based on feedback by industry, surface power needs should be at least 100 kilowatts to support "long-term human operations including in-situ resource utilization," meaning things like life support, communications, and mining equipment to collect surface ice. It assumes the use of a "heavy class lander" that carries up to 15 metric tons of mass, and targets a "readiness to launch by the first quarter of FY30," meaning late 2029. NASA's Artemis program to return to the Moon and establish a lasting presence near the south pole has faced repeated delays. The timeline for Artemis 3, the first planned crewed landing, has slipped to 2027, a date few see as realistic given the planned lander, SpaceX's Starship, is far from ready. China meanwhile is targeting 2030 for its first crewed mission and has proven more adept at meeting its deadlines in recent years. ia/des Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
9 hours ago
- CNN
NASA wants US to be the first nation to put nuclear reactor on the moon
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has directed the agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Expediting work to place a reactor on the lunar surface to help power moon exploration efforts would keep the United States ahead of China and Russia, both of which have 'announced on at least three occasions' a joint effort to develop such a project by the mid-2030s, according to a directive dated July 31 and obtained by CNN. If another country were to achieve this feat first, it could declare a 'keep-out zone' that would effectively hold the US back from its goal of establishing a presence on the lunar surface through NASA's Artemis program. The agency's Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2027, is expected to return humans to the surface of the moon for the first time in more than five decades. But the program still has several milestones in order to reach that target. 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Duffy told reporters at a news conference Tuesday on drones. 'And to have a base on the moon, we need energy.' Duffy's orders also call for an executive within 30 days to lead the program. Politico was the first to report the new directive. NASA has previously worked on similar projects in collaboration the Department of Energy and others, including a fission surface power project that would provide the moon with at least 40 kilowatts of power — enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years, according to the NASA website. A nuclear reactor would assist with long stays on the moon, but the newly unveiled plans do not yet specify when a base could be built. Lunar surface power needs are at least 100kWe for long-term human operations, according to estimates cited by NASA. 'Energy is important, and if we're going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,' Duffy said. The directive is Duffy's first big initiative since he was named NASA's acting administrator in July, an extra job he's been criticized for accepting alongside Secretary of Transportation, an agency that has had a tumultuous year navigating aviation safety incidents. He also issued a second directive last Thursday that could accelerate efforts to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station. NASA will seek more proposals within 60 days, and at least two companies will be awarded a contract within six months of the agency's request for proposals, according to the directive. The order changes the way the agency awards contracts by adding some flexibility. The aging International Space Station has experienced problems with leaks in recent years and is expected to be retired by 2030.
