First images from world's largest digital camera reveal galaxies and cosmic collisions
Astronomers have been eagerly anticipating the first images from the new observatory, with experts saying it could help solve some of the universe's most enduring mysteries and revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos.
'We're entering a golden age of American science,' Harriet Kung, acting director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, said in a statement.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is jointly operated by the Department of Energy and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
The facility, named after the American astronomer who discovered evidence of dark matter in the universe, sits atop Cerro Pachón, a mountain in central Chile. The observatory is designed to take roughly 1,000 images of the Southern Hemisphere sky each night, covering the entire visible Southern sky every three to four nights.
'Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the universe,' Brian Stone, chief of staff at the National Science Foundation, said in a statement.
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Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Doctor reveals the simple clue on your hand could predict whether you'll go bald
A doctor has revealed a mind-blowing clue hidden in your hands that could predict whether you're destined to lose your hair. In a now-viral video, Dr. Joe, M.D. broke down a fascinating new study that flips everything we thought we knew about baldness on its head. 'There is a new and incredibly easy way to determine whether a man is going to go bald,' the American health expert in the clip. 'This doesn't rely on any of those myths of baldness, such as the mother's or father's hairline or anything like that.' Instead, the answer may quite literally be in the palm of your hand. According to Dr Joe, it all comes down to the length of your fingers - specifically, how your ring finger compares to your index finger. 'If you have this one finding, you are six times more likely to go bald later in life,' he said. 'It's the length of your ring finger compared to your index finger.' According to Dr Joe, it all comes down to the length of your fingers - specifically, how your ring finger compares to your index finger. 'If you have this one finding, you are six times more likely to go bald later in life,' he said If you're wondering what exactly to look for, Dr. Joe states that if your ring finger is longer than your index finger, it means you were exposed to higher levels of testosterone before you were even born. This small detail could dramatically influence how your hair behaves later in life. 'This study shows that if your ring finger is longer than your index finger, you were exposed to more testosterone before you were born,' he explained 'As you age, your hair follicles become more sensitive to a hormone called DHT, and they shrivel and die.' The hormone DHT (short for dihydrotestosterone) is known to cause hair follicle miniaturisation, which is the slow shrinking of follicles until they stop producing visible hair. Some men are genetically more sensitive to DHT, and that sensitivity, according to the study Dr. Joe referenced, could be linked to prenatal testosterone exposure. 'That testosterone that you were exposed to before your birth… that makes you even more sensitive to DHT as you age and increases the likelihood of going bald,' he said. For a quick translation, the longer your ring finger is in comparison to your index finger, the more at risk you may be for androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness). The research Dr. Joe refers to - a study published in Dermatologic Therapy in early 2023 - examined the correlation between digit ratio (2D:4D) and androgenic alopecia. It found that a longer ring finger, indicating a lower 2D:4D ratio, was strongly associated with a higher risk of baldness, particularly in men. In fact, those with a lower ratio were up to six times more likely to experience significant hair loss. Howevver, while this digit ratio test is alarmingly accurate, it's not a guaranteed diagnosis. The findings merely shed light on a strong biological correlation. Still, TikTok users flooded the comments with their own discoveries, with many comparing fingers in disbelief. 'My ring finger is longer than my pointer finger, but only on my right hand,' one wrote. 'That's interesting. I asked all men in my family to send me a picture of their hands,' another commented. 'What about women? I have thinning hair and my ring finger is longer than my pointer finger.' 'The answer may literally be in the palm of your hands... Well, I guess… fingers,' he joked.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
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Coldplay kiss cam joke branded 'tone deaf' as Stroke Association issues apology
American tech company, Astronomer, made headlines worldwide after former executive Andy Byron was caught canoodling his colleague, Kristin Cabot, at a Coldplay concert in Boston The Stroke Association has apologised for making an 'offensive joke' following the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. American tech company, Astronomer, made headlines worldwide on the weekend after former executive Andy Byron was caught canoodling his colleague, Kristin Cabot, at the British band's gig in Boston. Andy, who is married to someone else - as is Kristin - has now resigned from his role. However, the memes and jokes, poking fun at the scandal are still all over the internet. Getting in on the action, the Stroke Association made its own joke when the clip went viral, sharing a snap of the canoodling colleagues with the caption: "Us: 'Nothing destroys live and families quicker than a stroke.' *Viva La Vida plays softly in the distance*. *Coldplay has entered the chat.*" READ MORE: Coldplay kiss cam scandal: CEO's wife 'hiding' at $2.4m mansion 100 miles from marital home Responding to the post on Threads, many were appalled, with Sector Communications Consultant Tom Fishenden telling the Civil Society: 'I wouldn't be surprised if this one post has turned off some donors from the organisation." However, the Stroke Association has now deleted the post and apologised for its "huge lapse in judgement". Taking to LinkedIn, Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association said: "On Friday we shared a post on Threads that used a viral moment to highlight the devastating impact of stroke. Whilst typically we would try to raise awareness of stroke in a way that aligns with the style and tone of the relevant social platform, capitalising on someone else's misfortune, in a way which also caused offence amongst some stroke survivors, was ill-informed and a huge lapse in judgment, for which we are extremely sorry." Conceding that the post was "short-sighted", Bouverie continued: "This isn't how we usually speak about stroke — a condition that changes lives in an instant and leaves a deep impact on survivors, families and carers. The post was shortsighted and undermined the severity of the condition which we deeply regret. "We're also sorry for how we initially responded to criticism. It didn't show the empathy or thoughtfulness that our community rightly deserves from us and that we pride ourselves on. We removed the post from Threads and are taking action to guarantee this can never happen again." Following the furore, which is now global news, cheating multi-millioanire Byron 's wife is reportedly hiding out at the family's $2.4million Maine mansion while holding crisis talks over the future of their marriage. Megan Byron, 50, is said to be laying low at their luxury property in Kennebunk, 106 miles away from their $1.4million marital home in Northborough, Massachusetts after her husband was caught looking cosy with his colleague. Byron and the company's HR boss Cabot were caught "all over each other" at the British band's gig before their secret was revealed to the world. The former CEO was captured with his arms wrapped around Ms Cabot as they snuggled up before Coldplay frontman Chris Martin accidentally exposed their extra-marital romance. The clip has now racked up millions of views online, but fresh footage has allegedly shown the pair snogging before their public outing. As the scandal continues to rumble on, with Mr Byron resigning from his position at Astronomer, his wife is thought to be surrounded by loved ones in the wake of her husband's misdemeanour.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Two NHS drugs slows and could REVERSE devastating Alzheimer's, ‘exciting' study finds
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO NHS drugs could be combined to treat, and even reverse, the most common form of dementia, scientists claim. A pair of cancer drugs have been identified as a powerful duo that may tackle Alzheimer's disease, after scientists sifted through 1,300 approved medicines. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Alzheimer's was reversed in mice Credit: Alamy The American team used cutting-edge computer tools to match the gene changes seen in Alzheimer's patients with medicines that reverse those effects. They found that two cancer drugs, both already available on the NHS, reduced brain degeneration in mice with the disease, and even brought back their memory. The study, from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), first looked at how Alzheimer's alters the activity of individual brain cells. They then searched for existing drugs that trigger the opposite changes, with the aim of rewiring damaged neurons and brain cells called glia. And when they tested the top two candidates, letrozole and irinotecan, in lab mice, the results were impressive. One theory of how Alzheimer's comes about is that sticky proteins - like amyloid-beta - start clumping together in the brain years before symptoms appear. These toxic clumps block communication between brain cells and trigger inflammation, eventually causing the cells to die. Some scientists believe this buildup is the root cause of Alzheimer's, so clearing it could stop the disease in its tracks. When combined, the cancer drugs not only halted brain cell damage but also undid toxic clumps of proteins, restored memory and reversed the disease's genetic footprint. Prof Marina Sirota, senior author, said: 'We're excited that our computational approach led us to a potential combination therapy for Alzheimer's based on existing FDA-approved medications.' Common painkiller used for back pain ups risk of dementia by 29%, scientists warn She added: 'Alzheimer's disease comes with complex changes to the brain, which has made it tough to study and treat — but our tools opened up the possibility of tackling that complexity directly.' The scientists then trawled through the anonymised medical records of 1.4million over-65s and found those already taking the cancer drugs were less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Dr Yaqiao Li, the study's lead author, said: 'Thanks to all these existing data sources, we went from 1,300 drugs, to 86, to 10, to just five. 'In particular, the rich data collected by all the UC health centres pointed us straight to the most promising drugs. It's kind of like a mock clinical trial.' Letrozole is typically used to treat breast cancer, while irinotecan is prescribed for colon and lung cancer. Both are already used in the UK. 'So exciting' Prof Yadong Huang, co-senior author, said: 'Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health. 'This makes it very challenging for drug development - which traditionally produces one drug for a single gene or protein that drives disease.' He added: 'It's so exciting to see the validation of the computational data in a widely used Alzheimer's mouse model.' The breakthrough, published in the journal Cell, could fast-track trials in humans. Prof Sirota said: 'If completely independent data sources, such as single-cell expression data and clinical records, guide us to the same pathways and the same drugs and then resolve Alzheimer's in a genetic model then maybe we're onto something.' She added: 'We're hopeful this can be swiftly translated into a real solution for millions of patients with Alzheimer's.' Alzheimer's causes a relentless decline in cognition, learning, and memory. But decades of research have only produced two FDA-approved drugs, neither of which can meaningfully slow the decline. In the UK, no disease-modifying drugs are currently approved or available. Instead, the UK relies on symptom-managing drugs, such as Donepezil and Rivastigmine.
