The mineral is similar to newgrablenovite, which was only identified a few years ago in basalt rock from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Both the lunar and terrestrial versions have the chemical formula (NH4)MgCl3·6H2O and similar crystal structures.

Since newgrablenovite can be studied here on Earth, the discovery of an almost identical mineral on the Moon can provide scientists with clues about where lunar water is hidden and how it got there, as well as insights into the history of lunar H2O.

The origin, presence, and distribution of water on the Moon remain a mystery. Scientists are eager to uncover this information because understanding where lunar moisture comes from and where it is currently located is a vital component of the Earth-Moon system’s history.

Moreover, knowing where water is located is crucial for future lunar exploration missions, as humans need water to survive.

Water has previously been found in older lunar samples, trapped in tiny glass beads formed when surface material melts. The detection of water signals in the light spectrum reflected from the Moon’s surface suggests there is much more to discover.

The discovery also points to a previously unknown source of water on the Moon—hydrated salts, which are much more stable than water ice.

This suggests that water could be accessible even in areas of the Moon that are frequently exposed to sunlight, reducing future reliance on water ice found deep within craters at the lunar poles.

The post Chinese Mission Discovers Significant Water-Rich Minerals on the Moon appeared first on CorD Magazine.

Scientists from China and Belgium utilized data collected by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft, which orbited Mercury from 2004 to 2015, to investigate the planet’s internal structure.

When Mercury formed around 4.5 billion years ago, its metallic core was completely liquid. Over time, this core gradually crystallized. The new study suggests that under extreme pressure, carbon dioxide present in the mantle transformed into diamond

The researchers propose that two key processes could have led to the formation of this diamond layer. “The first is the crystallization of a magma ocean, but this process likely contributed to the formation of only a very thin diamond layer on the surface of the core. The second, and most important, is the crystallization of Mercury’s metallic core,” explained Olivier Namur, a member of the research team.

Previously, scientists had hypothesized that more than a quadrillion tons of diamonds could be scattered beneath Earth’s surface. These minerals are believed to be buried over 160 kilometers deep, far beyond the reach of any human drilling technology.

This discovery on Mercury opens up new possibilities for understanding the planet’s formation and the processes that occur deep within its interior, adding a fascinating chapter to our knowledge of the solar system.

The post Diamond Layer Discovered Beneath Mercury’s Crust appeared first on CorD Magazine.

This landmark agreement is expected to significantly boost Serbia’s scientific community by fostering advancements within the BIO4 campus, a strategic biotechnology hub in Southeast Europe.

The memorandum outlines collaborative efforts to strengthen Serbia’s bio-economic startup ecosystem and enhance scientific research, education, and innovation in biomedicine and biotechnology. Minister Jelena Begovic hailed the agreement as a significant achievement for Serbia’s scientific ecosystem, noting Medtronic’s reputation for developing cutting-edge medical devices since its founding in 1949.

Medtronic, employing nearly 100,000 people globally and investing almost $3 billion annually in R&D, views this partnership as a testament to Serbia’s growing status as an innovation hub. Majid Kadumi, Medtronic’s senior vice president for EMEA, praised Serbia’s impressive scientific heritage and potential for future benefits.

The collaboration promises to leverage Medtronic’s extensive expertise and Serbia’s innovative capabilities, marking a major step forward in the region’s biomedical and technological landscape.

Photo: Zoran Petrović/nitra.gov.rs

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The Rubin Observatory is an advanced, integrated system featuring an 8-meter primary telescope, a high-resolution camera, and an automated data processing system, as detailed on the official website. The observatory is expected to collect around 20 terabytes of data daily, culminating in a 15-petabyte catalog over its decade-long survey.

This ambitious mission aims to enhance our understanding of dark matter and assess potential asteroid impact threats to Earth, as well as studying nearby stars and planets.

The post Chile to Install World’s Largest Astronomy Camera  appeared first on CorD Magazine.

This partnership enables the university and other Serbian scientific entities to contribute to this next significant phase in scientific and technological advancement, as articulated by Prof. Dr. Vladan Đokić, the university’s rector, and Dr. Michael Benedikt, the FCC study leader from CERN.

The University of Belgrade will be involved in the development of the FCC, a vast accelerator complex planned to span 90 to 100 kilometers, focusing on cutting-edge research in high-energy and particle physics. Key institutes and faculties from Belgrade and Novi Sad are part of the Serbian team engaged in significant CERN experiments and collaborations, reflecting Serbia’s active participation in global scientific research initiatives.

The post Belgrade University Partners with CERN on Future Circular Collider Project appeared first on CorD Magazine.

This recognition celebrates their exceptional contributions to the scientific community.

Ana Dobrota, a Doctor of Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Physical Chemistry in Belgrade, has been recognized for her significant research in her field. Isidora Kešelj, an assistant professor in Animal Physiology at the Department of Biology and Ecology of the Faculty of Sciences, focuses on solutions for male infertility. Milica Radaković, based at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad, is renowned for her work on climate change and environmental studies.

The awards were presented by Jelena Begović, Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Goran Milašinović, President of the Serbian Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, and Ana Popara, Director for Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for the Adria Balkan region and Romania at L’Oréal.

Minister Begović highlighted the program’s success, which, over 13 years, has awarded 38 women with a total of 20 million dinars, encouraging them to continue their research work. She noted that while women represent 33.3% of scientists, only 4% have received Nobel Prizes.

In Europe, only 18% of women hold high academic positions. In Serbia, women constitute 50% of the student body and doctoral graduates. Remarkably, women lead nine out of the eleven institutes at the University of Belgrade.

The L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ program has recognized 4,000 women from 116 countries since its inception. Seven laureates have gone on to win Nobel Prizes, including two this year.

Ana Popara emphasized the honor of having three Serbian women receive the award this year, joining a special global community. The national award ceremony, part of the 13th cycle of the L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ program, was organized by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, the Serbian Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, and L’Oréal Balkan. Each laureate receives €5,000 to support their research projects.

Photo: nitra.gov.rs

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The two-day event will culminate with a panel of robots taking questions from journalists on Friday in the world’s first human-robot press conference.

“The idea is to showcase their capabilities, opportunities and challenges to start a global dialogue on robotics for good,” said Frederic Werner, Head of Strategic Engagement, at the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ahead of the Geneva ‘AI for Good’ event where up to 5,000 people are expected.

Robots may take off in the next five years in the same way that generative artificial intelligence (AI) behind bots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT has hit the mainstream this year, he added.

“You have the inflection point where material science, battery life, network connectivity, AI and machine learning, all these things will converge to basically make robotics more accessible than they are now,” he said.

U.N. agencies are already using AI such as the World Food Programme’s HungerMap project which pools data to identify areas sliding towards hunger. It is also developing remote-controlled trucks to deliver emergency aid in danger zones.

The World Health Organization is working on a benchmarking system to ensure the accuracy of AI disease diagnoses.

“The SDGs, let’s say regrettably, are failing and I do believe that AI can help rescue them before it’s too late,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary General, ahead of the July 6-7 conference.

The ITU brings together 193 countries and over 900 organisations including universities and companies like Huawei Technologies and Google. It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits and is involved with setting standards for artificial intelligence.

Source: reuters.com

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CERN, as a pioneering institution in fundamental physics research, spearheads the expansion of our understanding of the universe through scientific exploration, technological advancements and collaborative endeavours. By pushing the boundaries of knowledge and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, CERN actively drives innovation, blazing the trail for future breakthroughs. CERN’s physicists and engineers utilise state-of-the-art scientific instruments to explore the fundamental particles that comprise matter. By accelerating subatomic particles and causing them to collide at near-light speeds, they gain insights into particle interactions and uncover the fundamental laws of nature. The primary objective is to push the boundaries of human knowledge by delving into the intricate components that form our universe.

Serbia became CERN’s 23rd Member State on 24th March, 2019, though its association with the organisation dates back to its time as part of the former Yugoslavia, which was one of the 12 founding Member States in 1954. Serbian physicists and engineers played an active role in early CERN projects, contributing to the development of facilities like the SC, PS and SPS.

CERN’s collaborative environment drives innovation. Its technologies have had far-reaching impacts in healthcare, environmental protection, aerospace, cryptography and more

During the 1980s and ‘90s, Serbian physicists participated in the DELPHI experiment at CERN’s LEP collider. In 1991, Serbia and CERN established an International Cooperation Agreement, facilitating Serbia’s engagement in various projects. This includes participation in the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, collaboration in the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, and involvement in the ACE and NA61 experiments.

Serbia’s primary involvement with CERN today centres around the ATLAS and CMS experiments. Serbia additionally contributes to research conducted at the ISOLDE facility, encompassing studies ranging from nuclear physics to astrophysics. Serbia also participates actively in design studies for future particle colliders, such as the FCC (Future Circular Collider) and CLIC (Compact Linear Collider), which have the potential to become flagship projects for CERN.

Serbia’s participation in CERN is a vital component of its strategy to implement the Smart Specialisation Strategy and drive scientific and industrial advancements. However, the industrial return to Serbia – when compared with all its membership dues to CERN – has so far been minimal. One of the ways to balance the two directions of this cooperation is to revive the development and application of accelerator technologies in Serbia, specifically through the completion of the construction of the TESLA Accelerator Installation at the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, which should be approved by the government of Serbia. Furthermore, the feasibility of establishing the Southeast European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies, which received support from CERN in 2017, within the scope of the Berlin Initiative for the Western Balkans, should be remade with the possible return to TESLA as its core.

The LHCP2023 meeting in Belgrade marked the first inperson event of the conference series since the pandemic, at which LHC experiments presented numerous new and intriguing physics results

Given the significance of CERN’s potential for society and its own Member States, it is crucial for experts and the general public to gain deeper insights.

We had the privilege of interviewing Joachim Mnich, director for research and computing at CERN, to discuss some of the major developments in this regard. Our interview began by addressing the recent conference that was held in Belgrade during May.

What are the major takeaways from the LHCP 2023 Conference that was held in Belgrade in May?

– The LHCP2023 meeting in Belgrade was the first in-person event of this conference series after the pandemic. More than 350 scientists attended the conference, including a large number of young people. The LHC experiments presented many new and interesting physics results.

The large data sample collected so far, together with improved analysis techniques, often based on machine learning, allow for the establishing of very rare processes and increasing the precision of measurements. Examples are the observation of very rare decay modes of the Higgs boson and the precise determination of the mass inof the W boson, an important parameter of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Could you briefly explain to our readers, who are generally neither experimenters nor theorists, the major value of these scientific advances in terms of this endeavour’s industrial impact?

– Scientific advances are based on new technologies, in the case of the LHC in the areas of particle accelerators and detectors, as well as information technology. Key technologies employed at the LHC span a very wide range, including examples like cryogenics and vacuum technology, precision mechanics, micro-electronics and artificial intelligence.

Fundamental research might seem distant from our everyday lives, but CERN is a unique collaborative environment that provides a fertile ground for innovation. The world wide web, for instance, was invented at CERN. More recently, CERN technologies have impacted healthcare, environmental protection, the aerospace industry, cryptography and more…

Fundamental research might seem distant from our everyday lives, but CERN is a unique collaborative environment that provides fertile ground for innovation. The world wide web, for instance, was invented at CERN

Education is also at the core of CERN’s mission: young scientists and engineers at CERN are trained on such modern technologies. After their career in research, the majority of them bring their knowledge and experience to industry and business.

What is the next step you are working on in terms of scientific advancements? How have the technologies you rely on evolved to enable this?

– We are preparing an upgrade of the LHC to increase the rate of particle collisions by a factor 5-10. This so-called High Luminosity LHC, or HL-LHC for short, will start operating in 2029 and will enable experiments to study even rarer processes, giving a more detailed and sharper view of the Higgs boson.

We will perhaps be able to shed light on the mysterious Dark Matter, which is five times more abundant in the Universe than ordinary matter, but which only interacts with it very weakly. To make this step in enhancing the science potential, new and stronger super-conducting magnets based on new materials have to be developed.

The detectors also have to be upgraded to take advantage of the higher collision rate. Finer and more precise detectors are required to reconstruct the collisions in a much more complicated environment. One example are detectors with a very good time resolution below a tenth of a billionth of a second. Another key development required is radiation hard electronics, which has to withstand a much higher dose than current detectors for many years.

New environmentally-friendly cooling technologies are being developed to improve the capacity while at the same time reducing the environmental footprint of the detectors.

The post New Insights On The Horizon appeared first on CorD Magazine.

When I completed my pharmacy studies at the Faculty of Medicine and began my doctoral studies at the Faculty of Technology, where I was also employed in the Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, I very often received comments that, as a pharmacist, I didn’t belong in engineering. That certainly didn’t feel nice, but it very quickly became a huge advantage and the wind in my sails. I first learned to overcome such situations and utilise them for my personal development, while that also turned out to be a professional advantage. Specifically, entering a new field meant that I very quickly had to learn and master new things, which helped me view all scientific problems from at least two different perspectives. I also rapidly overcame my fear of the unknown and developed the courage to go further in a new area.

I can say that my international experience and connections with transnational teams, which have differing approaches and expertise, helped me the most on my scientific journey. Closing ourselves off in a secure environment and only working with what we know certainly won’t lead to innovation, but that is unfortunately very prevalent in academic circles, in my opinion. Stepping into the unknown can be scary, because the lack of knowledge makes you feel insecure. However, after a certain period, when you feel like you’ve actually expanded your skills, research area etc., you are greatly encouraged and desire to continue that personal and professional development.

Another thing I consider as being crucial to my development is the team. Namely, after defending my doctoral thesis, my colleague and I formed a team with operating principles that differed from those of traditional teams. This approach that guides me implies giving young people in science space for creativity, freedom and new ideas. This is what I needed, and it very quickly resulted in me becoming independent in my research.

I’m proud of our work in the field of microalgae, where we succeeded in marrying scientific expertise from the fields of pharmaceuticals and green technologies, microalgal biotechnology, engineering in wastewater treatment and organic chemistry

When I began working with scientists from Portugal with expertise in the microalgae field, I knew very little about microalgae. They similarly lacked any knowledge of my field of green solvents and extractions. Despite huge difference in terms of years of experience between us, we simply sat together and all presented our ideas equally. Saying “I don’t know a lot about this, but I want to learn” is halfway to success in scientific projects and ideas. Openness to new ideas and completely different approaches, abandoning safe and familiar frameworks, is that which brings innovation in science. And that’s why I’m proud of our work in the field of microalgae, where we succeeded in marrying scientific expertise from the fields of pharmaceuticals and green technologies microalgal biotechnology, engineering in wastewater treatment, and organic chemistry. That motivated and encouraged me greatly, such that I now enter new projects with ease and huge enthusiasm.

I also believe that joint approaches and activities are key to responding to the global challenges we currently face. Scientists truly have a great responsibility to offer solutions. However, scientific reactions alone aren’t enough. It is necessary to broaden participation, promote endeavour, and harmonize activities of all groups, governments, policymakers, and the general population. Mutual understanding and respect among all participants, and the opportunity for everyone’s voice to be heard, is key to success, and I hope that, as a society, we will improve this.

The post Cooperation Is Key To Success appeared first on CorD Magazine.

The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development was officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UN GA) on December 2, 2021, following a proposal from the Union for Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

During the event, which brought together representatives of UN member states, observers, and various organizations, Ambassador Dušan Vujačić, First Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of Serbia to the UN in New York, proposed that the UN GA proclaim the period from 2024 to 2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainability. Apart from Mr. Vujačić, the delegation of Serbia included Ms. Jelena Delić, Second Secretary in the Mission, and Dr. Nebojša Nešković, Vice President of the World Academy of Art and Science.

Ambassador Vujačić emphasized the importance of international collaboration and urged other countries to join Serbia’s efforts in promoting scientific research for sustainable development. To solidify the proposal, Serbia committed to preparing a draft resolution to be submitted to and approved by the UN GA by the end of August 2023.

The proposal received immediate support from H.E. Csaba Kőrösi, the President of the UN GA.

The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainability aims to mobilize scientific institutions globally and foster cooperation among them to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development. The proposal signifies a major step towards fostering a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Serbian government’s decision to actively participate in the event and propose the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainability highlights the country’s commitment to scientific advancement and its determination to contribute to global sustainable development efforts.

You can read the full report here

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The University of Kragujevac, which includes 12 faculties and the Institute for Information Technologies, with its 1,330 researchers, gets the opportunity to be the first to be part of the implementation process of the eNauka information system.

The opening of the eNauka portal in full capacity, for all active researchers in the Republic of Serbia, is expected during the summer of 2023.

The goal of the publicly available eNauka portal is to monitor the scientific performance of researchers and institutions in the Republic of Serbia and is intended for the unified display of scientific production, the field of work of researchers, their achievements as well as the achievements of scientific and research organiсations, according to the announcement.

The post eNauka Portal Kicks Off appeared first on CorD Magazine.

Many microorganisms that can do this have already been found, but they can usually only work at temperatures above 30C (86F). This means that using them in industrial practice is prohibitively expensive because of the heating required. It also means using them is not carbon neutral.

Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute WSL have found microbes that can do this at 15C, which could lead to a breakthrough in microbial recycling. Their findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

Dr Joel Rüthi from WSL and colleagues sampled 19 strains of bacteria and 15 of fungi growing on free-lying or intentionally buried plastic kept in the ground for one year in Greenland, Svalbard and Switzerland. They let the microbes grow as single-strain cultures in the laboratory in darkness at 15C and tested them to see if they could digest different types of plastic.

The results showed that the bacterial strains belonged to 13 genera in the phyla actinobacteria and proteobacteria, and the fungi to 10 genera in the phyla ascomycota and mucoromycota.

The plastics tested included non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE) and the biodegradable polyester-polyurethane (PUR) as well as two commercially available biodegradable mixtures of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and polylactic acid (PLA).

None of the strains were able to digest PE, even after 126 days of incubation on these plastics. But 19 strains (56%), including 11 fungi and eight bacteria, were able to digest PUR at 15C, while 14 fungi and three bacteria were able to digest the plastic mixtures of PBAT and PLA.

Rüthi said: “Here we show that novel microbial taxa obtained from the ‘plastisphere’ of alpine and arctic soils were able to break down biodegradable plastics at 15C. These organisms could help to reduce the costs and environmental burden of an enzymatic recycling process for plastic.”

He said it was surprising that a large fraction of the tested strains were able to degrade at least one of the tested plastics.

The scientists also tested for the best performers and found that they were two uncharacterised fungal species in the genera neodevriesia and lachnellula, which could digest all of the tested plastics except PE.

While plastics have only been in wide use since the 1950s, microbes can degrade polymers because they resemble some structures found in plant cells.

Source: theguardian.com

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The Hakuto-R lander has snapped its first photos since launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday morning (Dec. 11), representatives of ispace, the Tokyo-based company that operates the spacecraft, announced early Tuesday morning (Dec. 13).

“While initial checkout operations continue in ispace’s Mission Control Center (MCC), we have also received the first images taken by our lander-mounted camera! This is an image of the Earth about 19 hours after separation from the launch vehicle,” ispace said via Twitter.

“What looks like a crescent moon here is actually the Earth. In the lower right, you can see a plate showing our Hakuto-R corporate partners (as of March 2022),” the company added in another tweet.

While initial checkout operations continue in ispace’s Mission Control Center (MCC), we have also received the first images taken by our lander-mounted camera!

This is an image of the Earth about 19 hours after separation from the launch vehicle. pic.twitter.com/BcM6mrw1Qb

— ispace (@ispace_inc) December 13, 2022

If all goes according to plan, Hakuto-R will arrive at the moon in April, pulling off the first-ever soft lunar touchdown for a Japanese spacecraft. The lander will then deploy a small rover called Rashid for the United Arab Emirates’ space agency.

But ispace isn’t looking that far ahead yet. This is a test flight, the first-ever mission for ispace, and the company is taking things slowly. The mission team is checking off boxes one by one — and Hakuto-R is hitting its marks so far.

To date, the team has established communications with the lander and gotten it into a stable orientation with a consistent power supply. Team members also have “confirmation that there were no deficiencies in the lander’s core systems,” ispace wrote in an update on Monday (Dec. 12).

Hakuto-R’s journey will lay the foundation for many more missions to come, if all goes according to ispace’s plan. The company intends to launch its second mission to the lunar surface in 2024 and its third — a flight for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program — a year later.

After that, ispace is targeting two moon missions a year, company founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada told Space.com recently.

“Our vision is to establish an economically viable, sustainable ecosystem in cislunar [space],” Hakamada said.

Hakuto-R didn’t ride to space alone on Sunday. The Falcon 9 also lofted Lunar Flashlight, a briefcase-sized NASA spacecraft that will hunt for water ice from orbit around the moon.

Source: space.com

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Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee, announced that the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to Svante Pääbo for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.

Humanity has always been intrigued by its origins. Where do we come from, and how are we related to those who came before us? What makes us, Homo sapiens, different from other hominins?

Through his pioneering research, Svante Pääbo accomplished something seemingly impossible: sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal, an extinct relative of present-day humans. He also made the sensational discovery of a previously unknown hominin, Denisova. Importantly, Pääbo also found that gene transfer had occurred from these now extinct hominins to Homo sapiens following the migration out of Africa around 70,000 years ago. This ancient flow of genes to present-day humans has physiological relevance today, for example affecting how our immune system reacts to infections.

Pääbo’s seminal research gave rise to an entirely new scientific discipline; paleogenomics. By revealing genetic differences that distinguish all living humans from extinct hominins, his discoveries provide the basis for exploring what makes us uniquely human.

Read more about this year’s Nobel prize.

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