NASA New Horizon’s spacecraft has just produced one of the most astonishing images yet of Pluto’s surface, depicting the dwarf planet’s so-called “twilight zone.”

Mountains, vast plains of nitrogen ice, and even a methane cloud are all visible in the new image produced by NASA from the spacecraft’s July 14, 2015 flyby, according to a NASA statement.

The image was captured at about 13,400 miles from the surface — about 19 minutes after New Horizons was at its closest point to Pluto at about 7,800 miles from the surface. Data and images have been uploading to NASA at a trickle due to the immense distance between the spacecraft and Earth. New Horizons is on its way to explore an object in the Kuiper Belt.

The image shows a backlit twilight view of the dwarf planet, filtering sunlight through the layers of Pluto’s atmosphere and making it possible to see a mountain range and the dwarf planet’s plains.

It also appears to capture a low-lying cloud in the atmosphere, the first to be identified via New Horizons’ photographs. The night side of Pluto appears to have a rugged terrain of valleys and peaks.

“The inset at top right shows a detail of Pluto’s crescent, including an intriguing bright wisp (near the center) measuring tens of miles across that may be a discreet, low-lying cloud in Pluto’s atmosphere; if so, it would be the only one yet identified in New Horizons imagery,” the statement reads. “This cloud – if that’s what it is – is visible for the same reason the haze layers are so bright: illumination from the sunlight grazing Pluto’s surface at a low angle. Atmospheric models suggest that methane clouds can occasionally form in Pluto’s atmosphere. The scene in this inset is 140 miles (230 kilometers) across.

“The inset at bottom right shows more detail on the night side of Pluto,” it continues. “This terrain can be seen because it is illuminated from behind by hazes that silhouette the limb. The topography here appears quite rugged, and broad valleys and sharp peaks with relief totaling 3 miles (5 kilometers) are apparent. This image, made from closer range, is much better than the lower-resolution images of this same terrain taken several days before closest approach. These silhouetted terrains therefore act as a useful ‘anchor point,’ giving New Horizons scientists a rare, detailed glimpse at the lay of the land in this mysterious part of Pluto seen at high resolution only in twilight. The scene in this inset is 460 miles (750 kilometers) wide.”

The discovery of what appeared to be mysterious structures in 20 feet of water off the coast of the Greek island of Zakynthos intrigued archaeologists, so they took a closer look … and were absolutely amazed at what they found.

No, tourists who were snorkeling near the island didn’t actually discover a lost city, even though the formations appeared to resemble cobblestones and cylinders built in ancient Greece. Instead, scientists think these structures were built entirely by tiny microbes, according to a University of East Anglia statement.

Archaeologists dove down to the “ruins” to take a look themselves after hearing the rumors from tourists. While the structures were intriguing, they noticed it lacked one feature: a complete lack of any indication that humans were ever there. That means no broken pottery, no coins, no nothing that would suggest a human settlement.

So they began looking at other options, and examined the mineral content of the structures. What they found is that they contained a mineral called dolomite — a byproduct of microbes that consume methane gas. This made the answer clear: it wasn’t an ancient city, it was an ancient leak of methane, and microbes had swarmed around these leaks and left their cement-like excrement all around it.

“We investigated the site, which is between two and five meters under water, and found that it is actually a natural geologically occurring phenomenon,” Lead author Prof. Julian Andrews, from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, said in the statement. “The disk and doughnut morphology, which looked a bit like circular column bases, is typical of mineralization at hydrocarbon seeps – seen both in modern seafloor and palaeo settings. We found that the linear distribution of these doughnut shaped concretions is likely the result of a sub-surface fault which has not fully ruptured the surface of the sea bed. The fault allowed gases, particularly methane, to escape from depth. Microbes in the sediment use the carbon in methane as fuel. Microbe-driven oxidation of the methane then changes the chemistry of the sediment forming a kind of natural cement, known to geologists as concretion.”

Engineers have developed an alternative to the ponderous lenses used in telescopes, microscopes, smartphones, cameras, and other devices: a novel ultra-thin planar lens or “metalens.” Currently, there aren’t any commercially available lenses that can replace the standard stacked lens option with a singular compact thin substitute.

The lenses used today are curved and are stacked on top of each other to correct image distortions and present a clear image without corruptions accounting for the long telephoto lenses and their large microscope contemporaries, according to a Tech Times report.

Researchers associated with Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) created the first planar lens, which is optimized for light’s complete color spectrum. And it has the ability to resolve nanoscale features. A thin construction of tiny waveguides called “metasurface” bends the light that passes through the lens, resembling the curved component of lenses today.

To create the lens, they used titanium dioxide at its core, comprising the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures. Essentially, the metalens has a more advanced focusing capability than today’s curved counterparts. In fact, the lens is being hailed as a revolutionary product with the power to operate within light’s visible spectrum hinting that it could be a permanent substitute for current lenses.

“In the near future, metalenses will be manufactured on a large scale at a small fraction of the cost of conventional lenses, using the foundries that mass produce microprocessors and memory chips,” said Federico Capasso, a Robert L. Wallace professor of Applied Physics.

Study participants already filed patents for the novel metalens and are pursuing commercial opportunities to further the world’s first planar lenses. Capasso added, “But our lenses, being planar, can be fabricated in the same foundries that make computer chips. So all of a sudden the factories that make integrated circuits can make our lenses.”

The research was originally published in the June 3rd edition of the journal Science. 

Image credit: Federico Capasso

Researchers now have the capacity to engineer a synthetic human genome, but the prospect is drawing waves of controversy. Two schools of thought have splintered on the subject. Some scientists see the potential in such research while critics insist on discussing the moral implications a little further before embarking.

The stigma comes after an exclusive conference held at Harvard University among scientists earlier in May. Investigators maintained that the meeting’s secrecy was because they didn’t want public discourse yet on a sensitive scientific paper, Tech Times reports.

“I think it’s a brilliant project. If you want to do this, it’s going to be on the same scale as the Human Genome Project, it’s going to need some big funding agencies and hundreds and hundreds of researchers around the world,” Paul Fremont, a synthetic biologist at Imperial College London and participant at the meeting iterated.

Yet the current technology is still too premature to move forward with the venture. Investigators are brainstorming solutions, and one of them is to develop segments of code to execute certain functions, which would save significant costs.

Creating a human genome from scratch is an enterprise that would take over a decade to complete costing billions of dollars. Scientists are aiming to raise $100 million from a lineup of supportive institutions.

Some researchers worry that the concentrated effort on creating a human genome would limit other areas of research. Proponents, however, of HGP-write content that the work will significantly advance the study of genetics.

George Church of Harvard Medical School said, “Exponential improvements in genome engineering technologies and functional testing provide an opportunity to deepen the understanding of our genetic blueprint and use this knowledge to address many of the global problems facing humanity.”

HGP-write supports assert that their research will enlighten the processes of genes in influencing biological functions. New research could spawn effective drug treatments for a slew of conditions. Scientists are focused on synthesizing a segment of roughly 1 percent of the human genome to determine if such a project is possible.

The information and knowledge acquired from the advancements of HGP-write will be made transparent to the public at no cost. The segments of genes selected for investigation are those that will probably yield solutions to medical research.

But dissenters are concerned about the possible slippery slope of having such knowledge leading to designer babies or even eugenics programs. At this point in time, scientists don’t even have the aptitude to insert a working synthetic genome into a viable cell of any select mammal.

A species of pale, blind, aquatic salamanders call olms, nicknamed “dragons” due to their long, slender bodies, are hating inside Postojna Cave in southwestern Slovenia. Olms lay their eggs only once or twice a decade, even though they live as much as 100 years.

Earlier this year researchers found 50 to 60 eggs in the cave. Only 22 viable eggs are left, but the first has just hatch. Biologists around the world are dancing with excitement, because very few olm eggs typically hatch, normally only about two out of 500 eggs because of decay spreading through the nest and predators.

The team is keeping a close eye on the eggs to see which one will be the next baby dragon. The first hatchling shot out of the egg and swam around the aquarium, finally coming to rest at the bottom. The hatchings happen quickly making it difficult to catch the birth on film.

The team said, “Our first baby dragon managed to shoot into life in a single attempt. This is one of the reasons why the infrared camera footage is invaluable both for biologists and the general public; in fact, olm hatching has never been filmed before.

Another reason for worldwide scientific excitement is that the Postojna eggs are the only ones people can actually visit. No one has ever found them in the wild outside the Slovenia cave.

Olms grow to about 13.5 inches long and have four small limbs. They look like pink worms with tiny arms. They have no eyesight, searching for foot through smell and feel. They can go for up to a decade with no food. The baby that just hatched will reach maturity in about 15 years.

The nickname “dragon” came from Slovenian researcher Janez Vajkard Valvasor in 1689. He first described them as baby dragons in a book titled The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola. He said the baby dragons would eventually be washed into the sea where they would mature and spend their lives under the earth’s crus. The notion was not dispelled until the 1800s when researchers discovered the olms were actually amphibians.

photo credit Grotte Hohle

Chytrid disease is a fungal illness that is threatening to wipe out entire populations of salamanders and newts, and wildlife officials are warning pet owners that importing the creatures may spread the disease to North America. University of Saskatchewan amphibian expert Natacha Hogan said the disease originated in Asia, but has managed to spread to areas in the United Kingdom and Europe.

The disease is caused by a fungus, and it is nearly 100 percent lethal. The fungus, which is known as B.sal, causes wart-like lesions on the skin. As it progresses, the animal becomes lethargic, stops eating, loses control of body movements and then dies. The fungus has not yet been spotted in North America, but the U.S. has already implemented strict regulations on the trade of salamanders and newts.

Hogan said that the problem basically originates in the pet trade. “It’s when you start moving salamanders; this is what this spread has been attributed to. There have been millions of salamanders imported — how many kids own fire belly newts from a pet store.”

The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) is comparing the B.sal threat to a similar fungal disease that nearly wiped out an entire species of frogs in Central and South America, and also to white nose disease, which decimated entire colonies of bats across North America. They are encouraging pet owners to safeguard against the illness.

“If you must keep salamanders or newts as pets, ensure they are from locations where (the fungus) is not present and only buy from reputable suppliers,” CWHC said in a press release. “Make sure any water or cage wastes are properly disinfected with bleach before discarding them. Always seek appropriate veterinary care for sick pet salamanders and newts.”

Hogan had further advice: Do not handle wild salamanders and never release pet salamanders or newts into the wild. If a pet is not wanted any more, return it to the store.

A troubling trend of tourists attempt to take the perfect selfie with wildlife is causing injuries to the animals and the tourists as well, says an article on csmonitor.com, and officials are advising people to discontinue the quest.

Particularly when it comes to baby seals.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning people that the process of taking that supposedly cool vacation photo with a seal pup could lead to a disaster for either the pup or the photographer.  In the case of some larger and more aggressive animals, the encounter may even lead to death.

Just last year, a woman and her daughter were attempting to take selfies in front of a group of bison that were only standing about six yards from the couple.  One of the bison charged and ran down the mother, and she became the fifth person to be injured in an attack by a bison in 2015.

More recently, beachgoers in Argentina pulled a baby Franciscana dolphin from the surf and passed the animal around among the gathering crowd before leaving the dolphin to die in the sand.  The social media sharing of the photos and videos led to a cry of outrage from conservation and animal rights groups around the world.

About a week later, a shark was dragged from the ocean near Palm Beach, FL, and pinned on the beach while selfie photos were taken.  Fortunately, in this case, another man released the shark back into the ocean and it appeared neither the shark nor the man received any injuries.

New seal mothers often leave their newly-born pups on the beach while hunting and feeding, and NOAA officials are worried the pups will be harmed by potential photo takers.

“Getting too close to a wild animal puts you – and the animal – at risk,” NOAA warns. “It is normal for a mother seal to leave her young pup alone on the beach for up to 24 hours while she feeds.”

Seal pups are often too trusting and may even wander near humans.  The risk is that the mother will return and see the humans as a threat to her or her youngster and may abandon the pup to fend for itself.  Additionally, seals have quite a powerful bite and could cause significant damage.

NOAA recommends you stay at least 150 feet from any seals to avoid confrontations and risk the the animals and yourself.