#4 — India creates history by landing rover at Moon's south pole

India's Chandrayaan-3 has successfully landed on the moon's south pole, marking a historic achievement. This accomplishment made India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, joining the ranks of the US, China, and the former Soviet Union. The mission, launched on July 14, included the Vikram lander's meticulously executed descent to the moon's surface. With this achievement, India not only reached the moon but also became the first nation to achieve a landing near the moon's south pole. Prime Minister Modi congratulated the ISRO team, highlighting the mission's global significance. The successful landing was celebrated with enthusiasm across the nation, and the rover deployed by the lander will soon begin in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its 14 Earth-day mission.

Read more from Space.com.

A "rare" giraffe, without spots!

A rare baby giraffe was born without spots at Brights Zoo in Tennessee, USA. This brown female giraffe is believed to be the only solid-coloured reticulated giraffe in the world. Despite lacking spots, the giraffe is healthy and already stands at 6 feet tall. The absence of spots means she lacks the camouflage and cooling effects that spots provide for regular giraffes. The zoo is holding a naming contest for the giraffe, while wild giraffe populations face significant threats and decline.

Read more from SmithsonianMag.

Pioneering eye scans detect early signs of Parkinson's disease

Researchers have uncovered early indications of Parkinson's disease up to seven years before symptoms manifest, utilizing three-dimensional eye scans. These scans, commonly employed by optometrists, harbour subtle insights into bodily and cerebral health. Through artificial intelligence analysis, scientists identified thinning in the layer of inner ganglion cells within the retinas of individuals with established Parkinson's disease. This breakthrough has the potential to usher in earlier diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's, potentially transforming the approach to tackling this condition.

Read more at the University College London and Neurology.

Carbon emissions making everything 4 times more expensive, according to a new study

• A study from the University of Sussex Business School reveals that every ton of carbon is now four times more damaging to the world than it was a decade ago.
• The study, published in Nature Climate Change, is based on extensive analysis spanning four decades of research.
• The "social cost of carbon" refers to the economic cost that comes from carbon emissions affecting human health, agriculture, sea level rise, property damage, energy consumption, labour productivity, etc.
• Over 5,900 estimates from 207 papers were analyzed using innovative statistical methods, showing a need for more stringent climate policies due to increasingly pessimistic assessments of climate change impacts.
• The social cost of carbon is estimated to increase by 2.2% each year, with every ton of carbon being four times more damaging now than a decade ago.
• The study highlights the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reevaluate carbon pricing.

Read more from The University of Sussex and Nature Climate Change.

This is how photons "yin-yang" 😉

Scientists have employed a new technique called biphoton digital holography to visualize and capture the image of two entangled light particles in real time, resembling a quantum "yin-yang" symbol. This method, which utilizes an ultra-precise camera, has the potential to accelerate future quantum measurements significantly. Unlike traditional methods, this approach encodes higher-dimensional information into manageable segments, allowing for faster and more efficient results. The researchers achieved this breakthrough by capturing the interference pattern of the entangled photon state and revealing a striking image of the intertwined particles. This technique holds promise for advancing quantum research, according to the researchers.

Read more from the University of Ottawa and Nature Photonics.

Ancient mummified bees found in perfect preservation 🐝

A remarkable discovery unveils hundreds of mummified bees preserved within their cocoons, dating back nearly 3,000 years, in a new paleontological site on Portugal's Odemira coast 🇵🇹. These rare cocoons, which escaped decomposition due to their organic makeup, offer intricate details about bee anatomy, gender, and even maternal pollen supply. The find sheds light on a past climate that might have contributed to the bees' demise, presenting insights for understanding climate change resilience strategies.

Read more at The New York Times and Papers in Palaeontology.

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