Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Doctors usually recommend at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night, with sleep deprivation in individuals linked to conditions such as Alzheimer's and heart disease. However, a recent study suggests that not everyone with a shorter sleep cycle had underlying health conditions. A rare genetic mutation might be the reason why some 'lucky' individuals are able to function well despite only managing four to six hours of sleep at night, a new study has claimed. This mutation affects the sleep-wake cycle, leading to less sleep and potentially more deep sleep. The study identified one of these mutations, named SIK3-N783Y. The study findings could lead to new therapies for sleep disorders and improve sleep quality in individuals.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have detected a “Space Jaws”-a wandering supermassive black hole caught in the act of swallowing a sun 600 million light-years from Earth. This rare cosmic event, known as a tidal disruption event (TDE) and designated AT2024tvd, unfolded not at the center of its galaxy, but surprisingly offset, revealing a previously hidden population of roaming black holes. What sets AT2024tvd apart is its location. While most supermassive black holes-and nearly all previously observed TDEs-sit at the heart of galaxies, this one is offset by 2,600 light-years from the galactic center. There, a much larger black hole, 100 million times the Sun’s mass, dominates as an active galactic nucleus. The two black holes coexist in the same galaxy but are not gravitationally bound as a pair, making this discovery even more intriguing.
Researchers have discovered a link between caffeine levels in the blood and body fat. According to the study, higher caffeine levels may be associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The study found that genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with lower BMI and whole-body fat mass. Furthermore, higher plasma caffeine concentrations were linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, with approximately half of this effect attributed to BMI reduction. A daily intake of 100 mg of caffeine has been estimated to increase energy expenditure by around 100 calories, potentially lowering the risk of obesity.
CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have successfully transformed lead into gold, albeit momentarily. During high-energy collisions of lead nuclei, researchers observed the formation of gold nuclei, realizing an age-old alchemical aspiration through modern physics. These experiments, conducted as part of the ALICE project, provide valuable insights into the fundamental forces and conditions present shortly after the Big Bang. With the dawn of nuclear physics in the 20th century, it was discovered that heavy elements could transform into others, either naturally, by radioactive decay, or in the laboratory, under a bombardment of neutrons or protons. Near-miss collisions between high-energy lead nuclei at the LHC generate intense electromagnetic fields that can knock out protons and transform lead into fleeting quantities of gold nuclei.
