Astronomers have theorized that exoplanets can exist anywhere in the Universe. Here is some proof.

For the first time, scientists discover exoplanets in a galaxy far, far away

For the first time, astrophysicists have confirmed the existence of exoplanets beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Using a technique known as microlensing, the researchers revealed that there could be trillions of planets in a galaxy 3.8 billion light years away.

From article, (Using a technique called microlensing, astrophysicists at the University of Oklahoma have confirmed the existence of exoplanets beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Not just one or two, either — the scientific team has estimated that there are multitudes of planets, ranging in sizes comparable from the Moon to Jupiter, in the galaxy known as RX J1131-1231.

Findings from the research were recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. The image above shows the galaxy at the center, surrounded by four quasars. It’s estimated there are several trillion planets in that central red dot.

Moreover, these appear to be “rogue” planets not circling a star in a conventional solar system but roaming free around the far-off galaxy.

 “This is an example of how powerful the techniques of analysis of extragalactic microlensing can be,” said OU researcher Eduardo Guerras. “This galaxy is located 3.8 billion light years away, and there is not the slightest chance of observing these planets directly, not even with the best telescope one can imagine in a science fiction scenario. However, we are able to study them, unveil their presence and even have an idea of their masses. This is very cool science.”

Einstein theorized that astronomers could use microlensing to observe distant objects using the gravity of stars that are directly between them and the Earth, Terry Oswalt of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University told CNET. “When a star in the foreground passes exactly between us and a background star, gravitational microlensing results in a perfectly circular ring of light — a so-called ‘Einstein ring,'” he said.

The massive gravitational pull of an object like a star causes space to bend around it, and light from a more distant object would curve around it as well, resulting in a magnifying effect.

The astrophysicists used observations from NASA’s Chandray X-ray Observatory, a space telescope controlled by the Smithsonian. They then analyzed the results using the OU Supercomputing Center. Microlensing has been used to discover thousands of planets within the Milky Way before, but this is a new frontier.)

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CO2 to Ethanol. Part 2

Ethanol's next breakthrough? Turning greenhouse gas into fuel.

CLOSE Somewhere within the walls of a Tennessee lab, researchers stumbled upon an accidental finding that could potentially revolutionize the ethanol market hundreds of miles away in Iowa. Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory unintentionally uncovered a process that uses tiny bits of carbon and copper to convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into ethanol fuel.

From article, (Adam Rondinone, the senior scientist at Oak Ridge who led the study, said his team used a catalyst made of carbon, copper and nitrogen and applied voltage to trigger a chemical reaction. Researchers were surprised to find that the process transformed carbon dioxide into ethanol.

The process was replicated easily, he said, and the materials needed to perform it are relatively cheap and abundant.

Oak Ridge researchers are working on licensing the technology and hope to launch a large-scale demonstration project soon.

Saunders, who is studying for an MBA and a law degree, is among a group of four Iowa students investigating the economic potential of the discovery. While many factors remain uncertain, the initial results were encouraging, showing a potential market among ethanol producers. Plus, the process could prevent an untold amount of greenhouse gas from being released into the atmosphere.

That could be big news for Iowa, which leads the nation in ethanol production. In 2017, the state's 43 ethanol plants produced 4.2 billion gallons of ethanol, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

And because the process of converting carbon dioxide to ethanol requires an infusion of electricity, experts believe it makes the most sense when paired with solar or wind power, which oftentimes produce more energy than the grid demands. Wind and solar energy are not easily stored or transported, so an electricity-to-ethanol pathway could provide a new way of moving and using renewable energy.

 Like any grain distillation process, ethanol production creates carbon dioxide waste. And in large amounts.
Cooper said about one-third of the incoming feedstock by weight ends up as CO2 waste. About 15 to 20 percent of the gas is captured and sold to other industries, like soda manufacturers. But much of it is released into the atmosphere, he said.

"If we’re taking CO2 and converting it into a usable liquid fuel rather than venting it into the atmosphere, that’s a solution for the environment and for fighting climate change that is also now producing a liquid fuel," he said.

While he stressed that the technology is not yet proven on any commercial scale, Cooper said it does represent a pivot in the discussion on how to store and transport renewable sources of power.

"It is different," he said. "There really is nobody thinking about storing excess power generation as anything other than electricity in a battery."

While Oak Ridge's research has not received widespread attention, the ethanol industry is following its progress closely, said Geoff Cooper, executive vice president of the Renewable Fuels Association.

"It’s a remarkable discovery," he said. "Whether it’s commercially feasible or not, we don’t know. But it's something that is definitely worth looking into."

Scientists already knew of complicated ways of converting carbon dioxide into ethanol, Cooper said. But Oak Ridge discovered a way to do it in a single step with only one catalyst.

"Obviously, when you’re removing steps and removing additional processes, you’re going to be able to do this more economically," he said. "So that’s why I think this is an important breakthrough with significant potential."

While ethanol plants release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, they are hardly alone. Carbon pollution is rampant across many industries, Rondinone said. And a new process of creating fuel from pollution could significantly curb the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere.

Eventually, Oak Ridge's technology could be deployed to factories across the globe, capturing their carbon emissions and turning them into storable, transportable fuel. Already, other researchers are looking into ways of capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide, Rondinone said.

"While this might be a drop in the bucket initially," he said, "the hope is, if it's successful, it will grow and it will contribute to a new type of energy economy where we will continuously recycle CO2 from the atmosphere rather than digging up CO2 from the ground."

Rondinone cautions that new technologies can succeed or fail for a variety of reasons. But for now, he remains optimistic.

"If we’re successful in getting this technology to market, I think it could be a significant development," he said. "If it works, it could be transformational.")

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Building homes out of soil, water, sandbags, barbed wire, and a shovel? Sounds like something to be done on the Moon or Mars? Yes, but also here on Earth.

Originally Designed for Life on Mars, These Homes Could Redefine Sustainable Architecture

Walking up to the Cal-Earth Institute in Hesperia, California, a set of beehive-style domes seem to be growing out of the earth. At first glance, they bear a resemblance to Pierre Cardin's Palais Bulles, the site of Dior's 2016 resort show on the Cote d'Azur, or contemporary sculptures that you would see installed at Art Basel, but, as visually intriguing as they might be, these SuperAdobes have nothing to do with exhibiting modernist aesthetics.

From article, (In theory, all you need is soil, water, sandbags, barbed wire, and a shovel. Combine these materials with ancient earth-building techniques, and a habitable shelter becomes a reality.

It all began in 1974 when the late Iranian-born architect and founder of Cal-Earth Nader Khalili became determined to find housing solutions for people with no money and limited resources. “When I started this journey, there were over 800 million people in the world who were either refugees, homeless, or were living a few steps away from disaster,” he said in a 2008 interview.

Khalili, who was formerly focused on designing high-rises in Los Angeles and Tehran, spent five years traversing the Iranian desert via motorcycle to learn how indigenous communities lived and built. He found homes that had been constructed using the earth itself, and not a lot else.

That discovery eventually led Khalili to work with NASA, developing concepts for future human settlements on the moon and Mars. He created prototypes that would later become the standard SuperAdobe template. The prospect of migrating to outer space sounds apocalyptic, but Khalili concluded that, if his new form of building were to catch on, humans would at least know how to set up new homes if they were forced into planetary relocation.

Dastan and his sister Sheefteh are devoted to carrying on their father’s vision. “We want to empower the individual to be able to recognize that no matter what happens: war, natural disaster, economic collapse, they will be able to build themselves a home that works in harmony with nature, has a minimal carbon footprint, is fireproof, earthquake-resistant, and hurricane-proof,” Dastan says.

With its amorphous buildings, Cal-Earth hopes to provide some of that help. The non-profit organization teaches its students (which include philanthropists, curious architects, and builders of varying backgrounds) the art of making SuperAdobes—a method that is intentionally simple, using raw elements and basic architectural principles. 

“It’s all about using what’s available to you in that situation,” Khalili’s son Dastan, President of Cal-Earth, explains. “When you’re building with natural materials, you’re addressing what may occur in those environments—a storm, a meteorite, whatever it may be—you’re thinking sustainably and using what’s already there.”

 It’s remarkable that such durability is possible without the integration of modern technology, but proof of concept is evident in California, where four SuperAdobes situated in the heart of the recent wildfires remained completely unharmed as many of the surrounding structures were reduced to dust.
Another example of the concept’s resilience is in Nepal, which suffered a devastating earthquake in 2015. “We had a student that built an orphanage using the SuperAdobe principle,” Dastan explains. “It withstood two earthquakes while the entire town around it was leveled; it basically became ground zero for everybody, but the orphanage only had cosmetic damage.”

The SuperAdobe approach seems especially relevant today, as the world is faced with mounting refugee crises and and natural disasters. “Climate change is already making parts of our planet uninhabitable and people are being forced to consider abandoning their homes and communities,” says Dr. Elizabeth Ferris, a Research Professor for International Migration at Georgetown University. “Depending on the extent to which global warming continues, millions more people are likely to find themselves looking for new homes in the next few decades.”)

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