Science

The milestone is something unprecedented in the history of space exploration.

China’s Chang’e-6 probe has successfully lifted off from the moon, delivering samples taken on the back side of the Earth’s satellite, an unprecedented feat in space exploration, the country’s state-run press reported Tuesday.

The milestone represents a new step in China’s ambitious space program , which has already become the first country to place a probe on this part of the moon and plans to send a manned mission to the satellite in 2030 .

“The takeoff module of China’s Chang’e-6 probe took off from the lunar surface Tuesday morning, delivering samples collected on the back side of the moon, ” state-run Xinhua news agency reported , citing the administration of China’s National Space Agency . (CNSA).

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The Red-necked Goatfoot, a species of bird that arrived in Spain from Africa, is the bird that arrived with amputations.

A scientific team led by the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) has found out why some migratory birds arrive in Spain with amputated toes: the explanation lies in the African army ant that sticks to the feet of the red-necked goatfoot, a species of bird that arrived in Spain from Africa.

Researchers analyzed forensic evidence to document this “curious interaction” between birds and ants, in which both parties showed “bad behavior,” the Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The study was carried out in the Doñana Natural Zone (Huelva) as part of a long-term monitoring program focused on the nocturnal migratory bird, the red-necked goatherd.

In the study population, every year they found goats that were missing parts of their toes or toes entirely on one or both feet, which also happens with other migratory species, although the cause of the amputations has always been a “mystery”.

The first clues came in 2015 when a goat was caught with severe injuries to one toe. In this case, the amputation was not complete, but the toe was still attached to the rest of the foot by a small strip of skin, and at one end of the toe they found something that looked like a small piece of jaw, apparently from an ant , although the remains found could not be identified due to their poor condition.

“We waited patiently for six long years to find another similar case that would allow us to take identifiable samples from the one that was undoubtedly responsible for the mysterious amputations,” explained Carlos Camacho , first author of the study and researcher Ramón y Cajal of the Doñana Biological Station.

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The image of Anders, who died at the age of 90, gave us our first long-range view of the planet

Former Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders , who in 1968 took the iconic photo showing the Earth rising above the moon’s horizon, died this Friday at the age of 90 when the small plane he was traveling in crashed in Seattle, NASA confirmed.

“In 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission, Will Anders gave humanity one of the most precious gifts an astronaut can give. “He visited the threshold of the moon and helped us all see something else: ourselves,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in the Apollo 8 program.” X-account of the agency. “He embodied the lessons and purpose of exploration. He will be missed,” he said.

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The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, admitted that it was difficult to bring Starmus back to the islands and that everything possible will be done to ensure that it does not leave again. The competition has a budget of three million euros.

The festival Starmus , combining science and music, will return to the Canary Islands for the eighth time after four outside the islands and will take place from April 26 to 30, 2025 with a budget of three million euros and under the name “Festival Starmus-La Palma. Island of Stars” .

The competition, founded by researcher Garik Israelyan of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) and musician and physicist Brian May , was first held in 2011 between La Palma and Tenerife with the participation of the Apollo Neil astronauts. Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, Bill Anders and Charlie Duke, as well as Soviet space-age cosmonauts such as Alexei Leonov and Viktor Gorbatko.

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Every year, Bilbao becomes the capital of science for two days, where prestigious researchers are welcomed and honored who, through their discoveries, perseverance and dedication, improve our lives in many ways, making advances in curing diseases, developing technologies or tackling climate change and other challenges facing humanity. They are winners of the Frontiers of Knowledge Awards presented by the BBVA Foundation (17 in total in this issue) and belong to some of the most prestigious universities in the world.

The award ceremony took place this Thursday at the Euskaldun Palace and was attended by about a thousand guests. This is the fifth time the Fronteras Awards gala has been held in Bilbao, which is now in its 16th year and has eight nominations, six of which are dedicated to scientific and environmental disciplines, one to economics and finance, and another to music and opera. .

Each of the nominations is awarded with a financial prize of 400,000 euros and is a real tribute to a union not used to fame, despite the relevance of its work. These days, posters with their faces are distributed all over the city.

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