Nocturnal Bull Ants Navigate Using Polarised Moonlight

 

Recent studies have revealed that nocturnal bull ants, specifically Myrmecia pyriformis and Myrmecia midas, utilise polarised moonlight for navigation during foraging. This discovery, made by researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney, marks a unique adaptation in these insects. Unlike many nocturnal animals that rely solely on moonlight, these ants can detect polarised light patterns, aiding their orientation even in dim conditions.

About Polarisation in Light

Light consists of electromagnetic waves. These waves oscillate in various directions. When light travels through the atmosphere, it gets scattered by particles. This scattering causes the light to become polarised, meaning it oscillates in a specific direction. Both sunlight and moonlight can be polarised, but the patterns they create differ . Polarised light provides a stable reference point, which can serve as a natural compass for animals that can detect it.

Ants and Navigation

Prior research established that these bull ants navigate using polarised sunlight. However, as daylight fades, they must adapt to nocturnal conditions. The current study indicates that these ants can detect polarised moonlight throughout the lunar cycle. They adjust their paths based on the e-vector pattern of the light, which changes with the moon’s position. This ability is particularly useful during the waxing and full moon phases when moonlight intensity is higher.

Experimental Findings

Researchers conducted experiments by projecting linearly polarised light onto the ants. They observed how the ants adjusted their paths in response to changes in the light’s e-vector. The study demonstrated that the ants could alter their heading under various moonlight conditions. Notably, during the full moon, the ants displayed the most substantial shifts in direction. Conversely, these shifts decreased during the waning phases, suggesting that the intensity of moonlight influences their navigation.

Significance of Findings

This research is only the second instance of an animal being found to use polarised moonlight for orientation. The first was the dung beetle. The ability of these bull ants to navigate using polarised moonlight opens new avenues for understanding animal navigation. It raises questions about how other species might utilise similar strategies to orient themselves in low-light conditions.

website: popularscientist.com

#NocturnalBullAnts 

#MoonlightNavigation 

#PolarisedLight 

#InsectNavigation 

#NighttimeForagers

Solar Coronal Holes Influence Indian Summer Monsoon

 

Recent studies have provided vital information about solar coronal holes and their effects on space weather and the Indian summer monsoon. Coronal holes, identified as dark regions in X-ray and extreme ultraviolet images of the Sun, are characterised by open magnetic field lines. These features play important role in understanding the interplanetary medium and the dynamics of space weather.

About Coronal Holes

• Coronal holes are low-density areas on the Sun’s surface.
• Discovered in the 1970s, they are sources of fast solar wind that can reach speeds between 450 to 800 km/sec.
• The open magnetic field lines in these regions allow charged particles to escape more freely into space.
• This high-speed solar wind can interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing geomagnetic storms and other disturbances.

Influence on Space Weather

The interaction between solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field can lead to various space weather phenomena. Geomagnetic storms can disrupt satellite operations and affect communication systems. The disturbances also impact the Earth’s ionosphere, which is crucial for radio wave propagation.

Coronal Holes and Monsoon Rainfall

Recent research indicates that coronal holes may also influence the Indian summer monsoon. A physics-based study suggests that the radiative effects of coronal holes, alongside the well-known influence of sunspots, contribute to the variability of monsoon rainfall. Understanding these influences is essential for predicting weather patterns.

Thermal and Magnetic Field Structures

The thermal and magnetic field structures of coronal holes have now been characterised in detail. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics used eight years of data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). They found no latitudinal variation in the temperature structure of coronal holes. However, they observed that the strength of the magnetic field increases from the solar equator towards the poles.

Research Findings

The study revealed two findings. Firstly, the consistent temperature structure suggests that coronal holes likely originate from the Sun’s deep interior. Secondly, the increasing magnetic field strength indicates that coronal holes may be formed through the superposition of Alfven wave perturbations. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of coronal holes.

Importance of Continued Research

As the effects of space weather become increasingly relevant, ongoing research into coronal holes is vital. About their thermal and magnetic properties can enhance predictions of their impact on Earth. This knowledge is crucial for safeguarding satellite operations and improving weather forecasting.

website: popularscientist.com

#SolarActivity 

#CoronalHoles 

#IndianMonsoon 

#SpaceWeather 

#ClimateImpact 

#SunEarthInteraction 

#MonsoonDynamics 

#AstroClimate

ISRO Develops World’s Largest Vertical Propellant Mixer

 

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has made advancement in its quest for self-reliance within the space sector. On February 13, 2025, ISRO announced the successful development of a 10-tonne Vertical Planetary Mixer, the largest of its kind for solid propellants globally. This innovative equipment was designed and manufactured in collaboration with the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) in Bengaluru. This development is poised to enhance the production of solid rocket motors.

Significance of Solid Propulsion

Solid propulsion is vital for India’s space transportation systems. Solid rocket motors require precise mixing of sensitive and hazardous ingredients. The new vertical mixer will improve the efficiency and safety of this process. Enhanced mixing capabilities will lead to better quality propellants, which are essential for the success of space missions.

Technical Specifications of the Mixer

The vertical mixer has a weight of 150 tonnes. It measures 5.4 metres in length and has dimensions of 3.3 metres in breadth and 8.7 metres in height. It features multiple hydrostatically driven agitators. The system is remotely operated through a PLC-based control system integrated with SCADA stations. This advanced technology ensures precision in the mixing process, crucial for solid propellant production.

Collaboration and Development Process

The project was a collaborative effort between the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) and CMTI. The development involved partnerships with academia and industry experts. Factory-level acceptance tests have been successfully completed, confirming the mixer’s operational capabilities. This teamwork reflects India’s commitment to encouraging innovation in space technology.

Impact on Indian Space Missions

The introduction of the vertical mixer is expected to revolutionise the production of solid rocket motors. It will enhance productivity and throughput. This advancement aligns with India’s broader initiative to achieve self-reliance in critical technologies. ISRO’s commitment to innovation is evident in this project, marking another milestone in India’s space capabilities.

website: popularscientist.com

#ISRO 

#SpaceTechnology 

#PropellantMixer 

#MadeInIndia 

#Innovation 

#Aerospace

Mpox Clade Ib Outbreak in DRC

 

The mpox clade Ib outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has raised public health concerns since its emergence in September 2023. Recent genomic and epidemiological studies indicate that this outbreak is primarily linked to sexual activity among professional sex workers in densely populated urban areas. As of January 2025, over 9,500 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, with a case fatality rate of 3.4%.

Mpox Variants

There are two main types (clades) of mpox: Clade 1 and Clade 2. Each clade has subtypes that differ in transmission and severity.

Clade 2b (Global Outbreak, 2022-Present):

• Caused a major outbreak in 2022, spreading globally.
• Over 100,000 cases reported worldwide.
• Low fatality rate in Europe (4 deaths per 10,000 cases).
• Primarily affected gay & bisexual men and other men who have sex with men in the UK.

Clade 1a (Endemic in the DRC):

• Found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for years.
• Spread through contact with animals or their meat.
• More deadly than Clade 2, especially among children.
• Transmits within households and healthcare settings.

Clade 1b (New Deadlier Strain, 2023):

• More transmissible and has a higher fatality rate.
• Spreads within sexual networks and among close contacts.
• Originated in DRC and has spread to neighboring countries.
• UK detected an imported case on October 30, 2024, from affected regions.

Epidemiological Overview

The mpox clade Ib outbreak began in South Kivu, where 670 cases were documented from September 2023 to June 2024. The majority of cases were in females, comprising 52.4% of hospital admissions. In contrast, only 15.5% of suspected cases involved children under 16 years. This demographic shift marks the outbreak’s unique characteristics compared to previous incidents in the DRC.

Transmission Dynamics

The study conducted revealed that 83.4% of hospitalised cases reported recent sexual contact. Most of these interactions occurred in bars, suggesting that social venues play important role in the virus’s spread. The genomic analysis indicates multiple ongoing transmission chains, underscoring the complexity of the outbreak.

Clinical Manifestations

Among the hospitalised patients, there were seven reported deaths, predominantly among young adults aged 20-30 years. The presence of mpox lesions was noted in one foetus, indicating potential vertical transmission. Furthermore, 14 pregnant women were hospitalised, with a high rate of miscarriage observed.

Genomic

The genomic sequencing of 58 mpox genomes revealed various clusters and sub-clusters of the virus. The presence of APOBEC3 mutations suggests ongoing human-to-human transmission. These findings indicate that the outbreak is not a singular event but rather a series of interconnected incidents with diverse origins.

Public Health Implications

The rapid spread of mpox clade Ib necessitates urgent public health interventions. Enhanced surveillance, targeted health education, and support for affected communities are crucial. The data emphasises the need for a comprehensive approach to manage and contain the outbreak effectively.

website: popularscientist.com

#Mpox 

#CladeIb 

#DRCOutbreak 

#PublicHealth 

#InfectiousDiseases

Earth’s solid metal core may be soft on the outside: Study

 

Recent studies have provided new insights into the structure and dynamics of Earth's inner core, challenging previous assumptions about its solidity and uniformity.

Viscous Deformation of the Inner Core's Surface

A study from the University of Southern California suggests that the near surface of Earth's inner core may undergo viscous deformation, altering its shape over time. This deformation is likely caused by interactions between the turbulent molten outer core and the solid inner core. Such interactions indicate that the boundary between the inner and outer core is more dynamic than previously thought.

Softness of the Inner Core's Material

Research from the University of Texas at Austin reveals that the iron comprising Earth's inner core exhibits unexpected softness under extreme pressures and temperatures. The study found that deep within the Earth, solid iron becomes surprisingly soft because its atoms can move much more than previously imagined. This suggests that the inner core's material is less rigid and more malleable than once believed.

Implications for Earth's Magnetic Field

These findings have significant implications for our understanding of Earth's magnetic field. The movement and deformation of the inner core can influence the dynamics of the outer core, where the geodynamo generates Earth's magnetic field. A more deformable inner core could affect the flow patterns of the molten outer core, potentially impacting the behavior and stability of the magnetic field.

In summary, the inner core is not a static, rigid sphere but a dynamic region with a deformable surface and surprisingly soft material properties. These discoveries enhance our comprehension of Earth's interior and its magnetic field generation.

Website: popularscientist.com

#EarthCore 

#Geophysics 

#MetalCore 

#ScientificDiscovery 

#EarthScience 

#Geology 

#Research 

#PlanetaryScience

Scientists announce the highest-energy neutrino ever detected

 

On February 13, 2023, the ARCA detector of the KM3NeT (Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope) project, located deep beneath the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily, Italy, detected the most energetic neutrino ever observed. This neutrino, designated KM3-230213A, possessed an estimated energy of approximately 220 petaelectronvolts (PeV), or 220 million billion electronvolts. 

Detection Details

The ARCA detector identified this extraordinary event by observing a high-energy muon produced from the interaction of the neutrino with matter near the detector. The muon's trajectory was reconstructed using the recorded times and positions of the initial hits on the photomultiplier tubes within the optical modules. The muon's measured energy was approximately 120 PeV, with an uncertainty ranging from +110 PeV to −60 PeV. Given the muon's near-horizontal trajectory—0.6 degrees above the horizon—and its immense energy, it is inferred that it originated from a cosmic neutrino of even higher energy, estimated at 220 PeV.

Implications and Significance

This groundbreaking detection provides the first evidence that neutrinos of such ultra-high energies are produced in the universe. Neutrinos are subatomic particles with extremely low mass and weak interactions with matter, making them challenging to detect. Their ability to traverse vast cosmic distances unimpeded allows them to serve as "cosmic messengers," offering insights into the most energetic and catastrophic events in the cosmos.

The discovery of KM3-230213A suggests that these ultra-high-energy neutrinos may originate from different cosmic accelerators than their lower-energy counterparts. Alternatively, this event could represent the first detection of a cosmogenic neutrino, produced from interactions between ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and background photons in the universe.

Scientific Significance

• This is the first evidence of neutrinos at such extreme energies in the universe.
• Neutrinos are nearly massless, elusive particles that rarely interact with matter, allowing them to travel across the cosmos unimpeded.
• Detecting ultra-high-energy neutrinos helps scientists trace the most energetic cosmic events, such as:
  • Supermassive black holes
  • Active galactic nuclei (AGN)
  • Gamma-ray bursts
  • Exploding stars (supernovae)
• Scientists suspect this neutrino might be a cosmogenic neutrino, produced when ultra-high-energy cosmic rays interact with cosmic background radiation.

 The KM3NeT Project

KM3NeT is a European research infrastructure currently under construction, designed to host a network of neutrino detectors in the deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The project comprises two main detectors: ARCA (Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) and ORCA (Oscillation Research with Cosmics in the Abyss). ARCA, situated near Sicily, is optimized for detecting high-energy neutrinos, while ORCA, located off the coast of France, focuses on low-energy neutrinos. These detectors consist of numerous optical modules arranged in vertical detection lines, designed to observe the Cherenkov light emitted when neutrinos interact with the surrounding water.

As of the end of 2024, ARCA had 33 detection lines installed, with more than 10% of the detector operational and actively collecting data. The successful detection of KM3-230213A underscores the potential of KM3NeT to advance our understanding of high-energy astrophysical phenomena and the origins of cosmic rays.

This landmark observation opens new avenues for research in neutrino astronomy and provides a unique perspective on the most energetic processes occurring in the universe.

Website: popularscientist.com

#HighestEnergyNeutrino 

#NeutrinoDiscovery 

#AstroparticlePhysics 

#KM3NeT 

#CosmicMessengers 

#PhysicsBreakthrough 

#ScienceNews

 

Scientists Just Made Bacteria 1000x Bigger – And Discovered Something Incredible

 

By combining MERFISH imaging with expansion microscopy, researchers have unlocked a new way to study bacteria at the single-cell level.

This allows them to see how bacteria activate different genes in response to their environment, offering insights into microbial behavior, antibiotic resistance, and infection strategies.

How Bacteria Organize Their Activities

How do bacteria — whether beneficial ones in our bodies or harmful disease-causing strains — coordinate their activities? A recent study has provided new insights by combining advanced genomic-scale microscopy with an innovative technique to track which genes bacteria activate in different conditions and environments. Published recently in the journal Science, this breakthrough is set to advance bacterial research significantly.

Jeffrey Moffitt, PhD, and his colleagues at the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (PCMM) at Boston Children’s Hospital used MERFISH, a molecular imaging technique Moffitt helped develop, to analyze messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in thousands of individual bacteria at once. This method not only mapped gene expression on a massive scale but also revealed how spatial factors influence which genes bacteria turn on — something never before achieved.

Overcoming the Challenges of Imaging Bacteria

However, the team first had to overcome a major challenge: bacterial RNAs, or the bacterial transcriptome, are densely packed inside tiny cells, making them difficult to distinguish and image. “It was a complete disaster, we couldn’t see anything,” says Moffitt.

Borrowing a technique developed in the laboratory of Ed Boyden, PhD, at MIT— expansion microscopy — they embedded the samples in a special hydrogel. They anchored the RNAs to this gel and changed the chemical buffer in the gel. This triggered it to swell, expanding the sample 50- to 1000-fold in volume. “All the bacterial RNAs become individually resolvable,” Moffitt says.

Why Measure Bacterial Gene Expression?

Until now, scientists have averaged bacterial behavior across a given bacterial population. The ability to determine what genes individual bacteria are using can give powerful new insights into bacterial interactions, virulence, stress responses, the ability to resist antibiotics, the ability to form biofilms like those in catheters and more.

“We now have the tools to answer fascinating questions about host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions,” Moffitt says. “We can explore how bacteria might communicate and compete for spatial niches and define the structure of microbial communities. And we can ask how pathogenic bacteria adjust their gene expression as they infect mammalian cells.”

Bacterial-MERFISH can also provide insights into bacteria that are difficult to grow in a culture dish. “Now we don’t have to culture them, we can just go image them in their native environment,” Moffitt says.

Single-Cell Insights into Bacterial Survival Strategies

Several experiments the team performed illustrate the kinds of questions that bacterial-MERFISH can answer. For example, Moffitt and colleagues were able to show that individual E. coli, when starved of glucose, try utilizing alternative food sources one after another, altering their gene expression in a specific sequence. Taking a series of genomic snapshots over time enabled the team to piece together this survival strategy.

The team also got insights into how bacteria organize their RNAs within their cells, which may be important in how different aspects of gene expression are regulated. Finally, they showed that intestinal bacteria tap different genes depending on their physical location in the colon.

A New Era in Bacterial Research

“The same bacteria could be doing very different things over a space of tens of microns,” Moffit says. “They’re seeing different environments and responding differently to them. It was very difficult to address such variation before, but now we can answer the types of questions people have been dreaming about.”

website: popularscientist.com

#BacterialBreakthrough 

#MERFISH 

#ExpansionMicroscopy 

#MicrobialMysteries 

#GeneExpression 

#AntibioticResistance 

#SingleCellBiology 

#ScientificDiscovery 

#MicrobiologyRevolution 

#BacteriaResearch