Wander Thoughts

• Recent discoveries by scientists suggest the existence of a hidden cavern beneath the moon's surface.

A trip to the Grand Canyon is a definite entry on the itinerary for anyone embarking on a US road trip.

Isn't Arizona the only place where an ambitious explorer can find a Grand Canyon.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's spacecraft, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has captured images of two vast impact basins on the lunar surface.

Named Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck, these measure 270 kilometers long and 2.7 kilometers deep, and 280 kilometers long and 3.5 kilometers deep, respectively.

It makes them as long as the Grand Canyon and over three times as deep at their lowest points.

Scientists claim these riverbeds date back over six to seven million years, were formed in a mere 10 minutes.

The moon's canyons stretch out from a crater known as the Schrödinger impact basin, a 320-kilometer-wide crater located near the southernmost point of the moon, which was formed when a meteor collided with the lunar surface.

The researchers believe that these lunar valleys were carved into the rock by a stream of rocks ejected from the violent impact that occurred 3.81 billion years ago.

The Schrödinger crater is situated on the outskirts of the moon's 2,400-kilometer-wide South Pole–Aitken basin.

Researchers think that the formation of this crater came about when a massive meteor crashed into the moon's surface, resulting in an extremely violent impact that shot debris up to 310 miles (500 kilometers) beyond the crater's rim.

to form the crater.'

This resulted in debris falling in long, straight lines called ejecta rays, creating deep channels of overlapping craters such as Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck.

"Such rays are commonly observed on the Moon. For example, backyard astronomy enthusiasts will be familiar with the rays around Tycho and Copernicus craters on the Moon's near side," says Dr. Kring.

Researcher's created a three-dimensional map of these valleys by using photographs from NASA's probe.

In their paper, published in Nature Communications, the researchers estimate that the debris moved at speeds between 3,420 and 4,608 kilometers per hour turned into miles per hour, which equals 2,125 to 2,863 miles per hour.

In turn, this indicates that the fragments forming the canyon would be between two and five percent the size of the original meteor.

This means each fragment could have been up to 1,250 meters wide - more than 60 times larger than the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013.

Dr Kring says: "The energy required to create the two grand canyons on the moon was equivalent to the power of 130 times the total global nuclear arsenal.

'The study reveals that lunar canyons as large as Earth's Grand Canyon can be created in minutes, rather than taking millions of years. These canyons on the Moon are carved by meteorite-impact generated streams of rock, which are more effective at cutting through terrain than water on our planet.'

By tracing the ricocheted fragments back to their likely origin, the researchers have also pinpointed the meteor's probable impact location.

This point is actually located somewhat far from the center of the Schrödinger crater, situated at 78.2° South and 143.7° East.

This detail suggests that the meteor likely struck the lunar surface at a relatively shallow angle, scattering debris away from the moon's southernmost region.

The presence of ice on the Martian surface is not just an intriguing geological discovery, it's also a very promising finding for NASA's upcoming missions.

Located approximately 77 miles (125 km) from the edge of the Schrödinger basin.

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However, this study indicates that this issue is likely to be relatively minor.

Dr. Kring states: 'Research indicates that the majority of debris ejected from the Schrödinger basin fell outside of the Artemis exploration zone.

Future astronauts on the Artemis mission will have an easier time gathering rocks older than the Schrödinger impact.

'Schroedinger Impact occurred near the end of a period of heavy bombardment in the early days of the Solar System. Geologic samples obtained by missions to the lunar south pole are expected to provide insights into the scale and duration of the bombardment of asteroids and comets.'

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Far from easily colonizing Africa, our modern human ancestors were actually wiped out multiple times before eventually settling the globe, research has surprisingly disclosed.

The latest DNA research has also provided insight into the role our Neanderthal ancestors played in our success.

Traditionally, early European humans were thought to have surpassed other human groups after migrating out of Africa. However, recent studies reveal that individuals who mated with Neanderthals managed to survive and propagate, whereas other human lineages went extinct.

In fact, genetic contributions from Neanderthals may have been essential to our success by offering us resistance to previously unknown diseases.

Research for the first time precisely dates a relatively brief period ago - 48,000 years ago - during which Homo sapiens, after departing from Africa, crossed with Neanderthals, following which they spread more widely across the globe.

The research indicates that early humans, belonging to the Homo sapiens species, had migrated from Africa prior to the period of interbreeding, but those populations did not happen to survive.

Prof. Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Germany told Wander ThoughtsNews that the history of modern humans will now need to be revised.

We consider contemporary humans a major story of achievement, originating from Africa around 60,000 years ago and spreading to inhabit all ecosystems, becoming the most prosperous mammal on the planet," he said. "However, we were not always so; we went extinct on multiple occasions at the beginning.

The long-standing question of how the human species evolved was originally answered by studying the fossilized remains of our ancient ancestors, which provided a glimpse of our gradual anatomical transformation over hundreds of thousands of years.

The ancient remains have been few and often severely damaged. However, the capacity to extract and decipher the genetic code from bones that are tens of thousands of years old has shed light on our enigmatic past.

The DNA in fossils reveals the story of the individuals, illustrating their familial relationships and migration patterns.

After successfully interbreeding with Neanderthals, our European population still faced certain difficulties.

The early modern humans who had interbred with Neanderthals and coexisted with them became extinct in Europe 40,000 years ago - but not before their descendants had migrated further into the world.

It was ultimately the forebears of these early globalization trailblazers who eventually went back to populate Europe.

This research provides a fresh viewpoint on why Neanderthals became extinct shortly after Homo sapiens arrived from Africa. The underlying reasons for this are still unclear, However, the new findings cast doubt on the theories that our species wiped them out or that we possessed superior physical or intellectual abilities.

Instead, Professor Krause expresses support for the notion that the cause was likely environmental in nature.

'Humans and Neanderthals both became extinct in Europe,' he said. 'If our species was wiped out in the region, it's not surprising that the Neanderthal population, which was even smaller, became extinct as well.'

The climate was incredibly unstable back then. It could rapidly shift from almost the same warmth we experience today to extremely cold temperatures, sometimes even within a single individual's lifetime, as noted by independent expert Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London.

"The research indicates that when Neanderthals were nearing the end of their time on Earth, their population was quite small, with a lower genetic diversity than that of modern humans with whom they coexisted, and it likely wouldn't have taken much to drive them to extinction," he said.

A different DNA study, published in the journal Science, reveals that modern humans retained certain crucial genetic features from Neanderthals which may have provided them with an evolutionary advantage.

One relates to the human immune system. When humans left Africa, they were extremely vulnerable to new diseases they had never encountered. Mixing with Neanderthals provided genetic protection for their offspring.

It's possible that inheriting Neanderthal DNA contributed to our success because it provided better adaptive qualities outside of Africa," said Prof. Stringer. "We had evolved in Africa, whereas the Neanderthals had adapted to live outside of Africa.

Our ancestors seemed to have acquired a rapid enhancement of their immune systems through interbreeding with Neanderthals.

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Claudia Steffensen and her husband were hiking along a trail in the Valtellina Orobie Mountains Park in Lombardy in 2023 when she noticed a light gray rock bearing 'strange designs.'

Upon closer inspection, she came to the realization that the patterns were actually prints of various animals.

During the Permian era, the period just preceding the time of dinosaurs.

Further research in the area revealed numerous fossilized footprints belonging to at least five different species of prehistoric reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

It's estimated that some of these early animals were quite large, likely ranging from six to 12 feet in length, according to researchers in a recent announcement.

The team also uncovered ancient markings - including impressions of seeds, leaves, and stems - alongside impressions of raindrops and waves on the shores of a prehistoric lake.

The prints were preserved in detailed and impressive manner, even featuring the impressions of fingernails and the belly skin of certain animals.

The researchers attributed excellent preservation of these fossils to their former closeness to water.

This ancient ecosystem, dating back to high altitudes of up to 10,000 feet and lowlying valleys, has been preserved in intricately detailed sandstone formations.

Paleontologists have also identified claw marks and patterns on the undersides of various animals.

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The summer sun hardened the dry surfaces so much that when new water returned, it didn't erase the footprints, but instead covered them with new clay, creating a protective layer.

The Permian period extended from 299 million years ago to 252 million years ago.

During this time, the global climate underwent a rapid warming, ultimately leading to a catastrophic mass-extinction event that marked the end of this era and eliminated a staggering 90 percent of Earth's species.

It is ironic that modern climate change has made the discovery of this ancient alpine ecosystem possible, as the fossils were buried beneath layers of snow that have begun to melt due to a warmer Earth.

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The remarkable aspect was the altitude - these artifacts were discovered at extremely high elevations and were exceptionally well-preserved. This is an area prone to landslides, which led to rock formations that unveiled these fossils.

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The find of these fossils provides a glimpse into an ancient ecosystem devastated by an extreme global temperature increase. In a similar manner, it also serves as a reminder of the consequences that human-induced warming may lead to as it approaches catastrophic levels.

"These fossils … indicate a distant geological era, but they share the same global warming pattern as we experience today," the researchers said.

The past offers valuable lessons about the potential dangers we risk creating in the present.

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Reaching the moon requires a series of incremental developments, such as the newly established European LUNA training facility. However, it's still a work in progress. The next milestone: creating a moon gravity simulator.

3. Enough planetary pressure, from the great celestial core, to mold the inorganic minerals into an elementary Moon like the Rocky Mountain formation of the interior.

The primary components involved in simulating a lunar environment include: 1. A sand-like substance with a chemical makeup closely resembling that of lunar regolith. 2. Special lighting design to replicate the position and angle of the Sun as seen from the lunar surface. 3. A gravity simulator producing a gravitational force one-sixth that of the Earth's.

A enormous enclosure to harbor everything, much like a colossal metal shed.

— in late September 2024, they had completed two-thirds of the journey to depicting the moon's unusual terrain. One essential component, however, was still lacking.

Complete darkness turned into light as a powerful spotlight shone on two astronauts fully suited up - Matthias Maurer from Germany and Thomas Pesquet from France.

Maurer and Pesquet walked across the hangar, boasting a massive 7,500 square foot of replicated terrain, crafted from Italian Mount Etna's volcanic dirt, German Eifel region soil, and Norwegian rocks.

With long-handled scoops, a sample trolley, and robotic simulation of a dog, the duo mimicked an exploration of the fake lunar surface in front of approximately 100 distinguished guests.

As they walked, the light was positioned at a precise angle to mimic how sunlight would impede an astronaut's visibility when humans potentially return to the moon, possibly within this decade.

— because the moon, unfortunately, does not possess gravitational forces like our planet does.

Lance Sitton and his research team are working to identify gravitational forces and anomalies on Earth and in other celestial bodies. Currently, the universe remains inherently unexplored in the area of gravity. Furthermore, a complete analysis of its full scope and importance in the universe is far from understood.

Against a cinematic soundtrack, Maurer and Pesquet demonstrated how they would collect samples and explore a crater on the actual moon. It was a spectacle for the politicians and agency officials, who fist-bumped the astronauts for the television cameras and their teams.

The gravitational force felt so much like what we experience on Earth, yet without the slightest hint of the pull one might expect from a moon-like environment. This remains an unresolved challenge for the engineering team.

Researchers have traditionally utilized parabolic flights and swimming pools to mimic and study the effects of zero or microgravity environments that astronauts typically experience in space.

Parabolic flights utilize modified jet aircraft to simulate weightlessness by flying steep inclines at 45-degree angles, reaching high altitudes before descending.

These swimming pools, used for astronaut training, are specially equipped, as astronauts perform mock exercises while wearing spacesuits.

Neither of these options could work in the LUNA Analog Facility because it is situated on dry land.

Instead, engineers hope to devise a "gravity offload system," stated Andrea Emanuele Maria Casini, an aerospace engineer, who oversees the LUNA project.

"You have to imagine them as astronauts hanging from strings," Casini said.

Cables attached to the exterior of the astronauts' spacesuits will likely pull on them as they walk and suspend them as they jump.

The project is currently in the prototype stage. And until its release, Casini acknowledged: LUNA is an extremely costly testing ground. But eventually, people will want to test new technologies and train astronauts in a controlled environment.

They're counting on the terrain to ensure the success of the next mission to the moon," said Casini. "The real impact unfolds internally.

There is still room for expansion. Two adjacent modules to the LUNA Analog Facility include a habitat simulator and a repurposed EDEN ISS greenhouse, which previously simulated food cultivation in space environments.

Near the main hall, there is an empty plot of land that could potentially be used as a site for future "LUNA 2" or Mars training facilities.

The Moon was brought to our planet.

This has been our idea from day one," he said to Wander Thoughts. "The facility accurately captured the moon's realities even without the gravity offload system.

"I'm temporarily blinded as I step into the crater and sunlight floods into my face," said Maurer. And due to his surroundings within the crater, everything ahead is shrouded in darkness by the shadow cast by the crater's wall.

It's a simulation exercise to test the astronauts' endurance under the challenging and sometimes conflicting conditions they will face on the moon.

Another factor to consider is the moon's surface dust. "It's a significant technical challenge," said Dr. Maurer. "It can damage all electronic equipment, it seeps into moving components and obstructs them, and it also gets into the space suit. We can simulate all this here."

Links around the globe

The LUNA system can directly connect to mission control facilities around the world, including the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) in Munich, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston, and the International Space Station.

This implies that simulations can be run from a remote location, with NASA astronauts for instance, being led through a mission simulation in Germany by their teams in the US.

Said ESA's special adviser for political affairs, Kai-Uwe Schrogl, the fully functional LUNA Analog Facility will symbolize Europe's dedication to space.

Luna is a benchmark of credibility," Schrogl said. "You can talk a lot about going to the moon and beyond, but if you only have a few rockets or a lander on the drawing board, then you are not really credible. You need such a facility to show that you are serious.

In addition to assisting NASA's Artemis program, Europe has its own objective of reaching the moon by the 2030s. The LUNA Analog Facility is one of several preparatory steps to accomplish this goal.

Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany

Author: Matthew Ward Agius

The theory has been proposed as originating from hidden dimensions rather than mere brain activity.

A physicist has proposed that we tap into invisible planes of reality when engaging in creative expressions like art, scientific inquiry, philosophical contemplation, or daydreaming, which might account for a phenomenon that has long confounded scientific understanding.

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However, his theory is highly contentious, with one researcher commenting that the central point of Pravica's theory 'verges on science fiction.'

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Scientists have been trying to understand and explain the concept of human consciousness and its roots for centuries - and the proposed theories encompass a wide range.

One prevailing hypothesis posits that consciousness is correlated with the extent to which information is interconnected and unified across the brain's various regions.

Some argue that conscious mental states are controlled by neural impulses originating from higher areas of the brain. This process, known as top-down signaling, involves higher-level brain areas transmitting information, expectations or context to the lower-level brain regions.

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He proposed that during periods of intensified awareness, such as when we transition into a dream state or engage in profoundly creative or intellectual pursuits, our consciousness may surpass our physical realm and ascend to a higher plane.

During these times, our consciousness connects with unseen realms and receives an abundance of creative insight, Pravica stated.

Consider exploring the contentious idea with a clear understanding by examining the following situation.

Imagine being a flat character in a comic book-like world. Picture a three-dimensional sphere, such as a globe, cutting through the flat space where you exist.

The sphere would appear as a dot that expands into a larger and larger circle as it approaches, only to gradually contract out of view. You would have no means of determining that it's actually a three-dimensional object.

There is another philosopher Pravica who views us as characters in a two-dimensional world. Though we inhabit a realm of four dimensions, we are only capable of perceiving matter and energy within those same four dimensions. This is similar to beings in a two-dimensional world, who are incapable of perceiving a three-dimensional object.

Consequently, the constraints of our reality hinder us from identifying higher dimensions, which could, in principle, be omnipresent around us.

This is the basis of hyperdimensionality - the concept that the universe is composed of numerous dimensions, certain of which remain concealed as they extend beyond the confines of our tangible physical world.

An explicitly defined hyperdimension is also related to string theory, which posits that reality is comprised of countless tiny vibrating strings that are smaller than electrons, quarks, or atoms.

As the vibrational motions twist and fold, they generate effects across various unseen dimensions, ultimately giving rise to all the particles and forces that can be observed, ranging from subatomic particles to gravity.

'"String theory is essentially a theory of hyperdimensionality,' Pravica said. 'It's examining how the universe is organized at an even smaller scale than the quantum level.'

Although we can observe the effects that these vibrating strings have on the physics within our dimension, we cannot observe the hidden dimensions that they vibrate in.

observe them.

However, our consciousness may be able to access and utilize them, Pravica suggests.

The concept of hyperdimensionality and its connection to string theory is accepted by the scientific community, but the hypothesis of a relationship with consciousness put forth by Pravica is more contentious, particularly due to its fusion of scientific and spiritual perspectives.

As an Orthodox Christian scholar with a Harvard Doctoral degree, Pravica has discovered that hyperdimensionality serves as a connection point between his scientific expertise and his religious convictions.

He thinks Jesus may be an entity from a realm beyond our dimension.

"According to the Bible, Jesus rose to heaven forty days after being on Earth. How can Jesus ascend into heaven, considering he's a four-dimensional being?" Pravica inquired.

According to him, being hyperdimensional could, theoretically, have enabled Jesus to travel between our world and heaven, a realm that may exist in higher or infinite dimensions.

Pravica's theory is based on a 'God of the gaps' perspective, where gaps in scientific knowledge are attributed to divine intervention, according to Stephen Holler, associate professor of physics at Fordham University.

He thinks this way of thinking is inadequate, and it holds back the scientific investigation required to truly grasp and explain things we can't quite understand, such as human consciousness.

"It's a weak explanation mechanism that likely discourages the curious attitude necessary for good science and implies it's not acceptable to say, 'I don't know'," Holler told Popular Mechanics.

He underscores that our mathematical ability to manipulate higher dimensions does not prove their existence, nor does it guarantee that our consciousness can interact with them.

In addition, navigating these higher dimensions is not feasible at the moment due to the constraints of our present-day technological capabilities.

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The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collides particles at incredibly high speeds - up to the speed of light.

This enables physicists to investigate the fundamental components of matter and energy, and access dimensions that are infinitely small - smaller than a single proton.

Although the LHC is capable of immense power, it still cannot uncover the high-dimensional strings predicted by quantum physics. To achieve this, physicists would require an even more powerful collider.

Without concrete evidence, Holler asserts that hyperdimensionality amounts to science fiction.

Pravica is hopeful that this technology may become a reality during the lifetime of his children.

He will continue to advocate for the concept of hyperdimensionality and its connection to human consciousness.

I fail to see the purpose," he said. "What is the reason for education? For existence?

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• Scientists have identified a doughnut-shaped structure located at the top of the Earth's outer core
• This lighter section helps agitate the liquid metal, inducing the magnetic field

Researchers have discovered a massive, ring-like formation located thousands of kilometers beneath the Earth's surface.

To gaze into the Earth's enigmatic liquid core.

Researchers discovered a region about two hundred kilometers thick, in which seismic waves move at a speed two percent slower than normal.

This doughnut-shaped structure runs parallel to the equator in a ring around the outer edge of the liquid core, and could be behind the generation of our planet's shielding magnetic field.

The researcher, Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, stresses that 'the magnetic field is a vital component essential for sustaining life on our planet's surface.'

The surface crust, the semi-molten mantle, a liquid metal outer core, and a solid metal inner core.

When seismic activity caused by the movement of tectonic plates within the Earth's crust results in earthquakes, these generate vibrations that radiate through all the surrounding layers of the Earth.

Utilizing the comprehensive global network of seismic measurement equipment.

Researchers typically focus on the large, intense seismic waves that travel globally within the first hour after an earthquake.

However, Professor Tkalčić and his co-author Dr. Xiaolong Ma were able to identify this structure by analyzing the faint impressions left behind by waves many hours after the initial seismic event.

This method has shown that seismic waves near the poles are moving at a faster rate than those near the equator.

By comparing their results to various models of the Earth's interior, Professor Tkalčić and Dr. Ma determined that this scenario is best explained by the presence of a massive subterranean region resembling a torus or a donut-shape.

They forecast that this region is only found at low latitudes and extends parallel to the equator near the boundary between the outer core's liquid section and the mantle above.

‘We are not aware of the precise thickness of the doughnut, but we have inferred that it reaches a few hundred kilometres below the core-mantle boundary,’ Professor Tkalčić states.

Their discovery will likely have significant consequences for the research of life on Earth and other planets.

The Earth's outer core has a radius of approximately 2,160 miles (3,480 kilometers), which is marginally larger than Mars'.

Primarily composed of hot nickel and iron, rising and falling movements, driven by convection in combination with the Earth's rotation, produce vast, liquid metal columns that extend vertically, spinning in a north-south direction, similar to massive water tornadoes.

It is the swirling currents of these liquid metals that act as the dynamo, powering the Earth's magnetic field.

Since this region of the donut-shaped area has risen to the surface of the fluid outer core, it implies that it could be abundant in lighter elements such as silicon, sulfur, oxygen, hydrogen or carbon.

Professor Tkalčić notes: 'Our discoveries are significant because the low velocity within the liquid core suggests that there is a high concentration of light chemical elements in these areas, which would result in the seismic waves slowing down.

'These lighter elements, alongside temperature variations, contribute to stirring motion in the Earth's outer core.'

The Earth's magnetic field may not have originated without the stirring motion that drives the planet's interior dynamo.

Bask in the power of the sun, but beware of its capability to damage the DNA of living organisms.

This donut-shaped region might thus be a crucial part of the explanation for the development of life on Earth and a key in identifying habitable planets elsewhere.

Dr. Tkalčić concludes: 'Our results could lead to more research into the magnetic field on both Earth and other planets.'

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