Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya could lose up to 75 per cent of its glaciers by the year 2100 if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, revealed a study published by the Science journal. Glacier loss refers to the reduction of ice mass in glaciers and ice sheets. This loss primarily results from increased temperatures causing melting, sublimation (water evaporating directly from ice), and icebergs breaking apart. If countries succeed in limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, 40-45 per cent of glacier ice in the Himalayas and the Caucasus could be preserved. At 2 degrees celsius of warming, these areas could lose nearly all their ice, with only 10-15 per cent of their 2020 glacier levels remaining. Melting raises sea levels, and affects water resources downstream including their ecosystemic biodiversity.
The mysterious and ancient Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are similar in shape and scale to the Alps, but not visible due to being trapped beneath kilometres of ice. First discovered using seismic techniques in 1958, the Gamburtsev Mountains are buried beneath the highest point of the East Antarctic ice sheet. While most mountain ranges are eventually worn down by erosion or tectonic events, the Gamburtsev Mountains are preserved by a deep layer of ice, making it one of the best-preserved mountain belts on Earth. Mountains are formed by the collision of two tectonic plates and continue to change over time. However, Antarctica has been stable all this time, prompting the scientists to look for the secret behind it. New research reveals the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains were born over 500 million years ago during Gondwana’s formation.
Dolphins use various sounds, such as burst pulses and whistles, to communicate. There are two broad categories of whistles: signature whistles (distinctive whistle types that are unique to each individual) and non-signature (the rest). Dolphins use the unique frequency patterns of their signature whistles to broadcast their identity. They develop these signals when they are young and maintain them throughout their lives. The signature whistles are individually learned “labels” that are like human names in many ways, in terms of the information they transmit, a useful analogy may be human faces. Humans carry identity information in our fixed facial features. At the same time, we transmit a lot of additional information, including emotional and contextual cues, through more transient facial expressions. Like signature whistles, our faces combine stability and variability in their “information package”.
Mental well-being has become a crucial concern in today's fast-paced world, with rising stress and lifestyle demands impacting nearly every aspect of life. Now, researchers have developed a groundbreaking temporary tattoo that can measure mental strain by decoding brainwaves, offering a lightweight, wireless alternative to bulky headgear. This technology may help track the mental workload of workers like air traffic controllers and truck drivers, whose lapses in focus can have serious consequences. The e-tattoo offers an objective alternative by analysing electrical activity from the brain and eye movement in processes known as electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG). Unlike EEG caps that are bulky with dangling wires and lathered with squishy gel, the wireless e-tattoo consists of a lightweight battery pack and paper-thin, sticker-like sensors. These sensors feature wavy loops and coils, a design that allows them to stretch and conform seamlessly to the skin for comfort and clear signals.
