Scientists Find Evidence of Dyson Spheres?

Welcome to the very first edition of our brand-new publication — the Weekly White Pill! Each week we’ll be covering the most interesting stories and developments across the worlds of science, space, and technology, bringing everything you might have missed throughout the past week directly to your inbox. We hope you enjoy it.

— spor & White Pill (check out more of their work here)

Space

Astronomers have pinpointed seven potential Dyson sphere candidates within 1,000 light-years, using recent astronomical survey data. Dyson spheres, theorized by Freeman Dyson in 1960, are massive structures that an advanced civilization might build to harness the total energy output of their star. The seven M-dwarf stars identified show anomalies that could fit this profile, though the researchers of course cautioned against jumping to such conclusions.

So why the possibility of Dyson spheres? The observations were unusual in their infrared signatures and not easily explained away by natural phenomena like gas or dust disks. Not long ago, similar excitement arose over another star – Tabby’s Star – because its unexplained light dips, mirroring the same sort of findings researchers observed with these seven candidates. While natural explanations often account for such anomalies, the study is representative of an ongoing effort in astrophysics to better understand our cosmic neighborhood – and maybe, just maybe, identify some large-scale extraterrestrial engineering.

A home away from home? A potentially habitable exoplanet named Gliese 12 b has been discovered just 40 light-years away. Orbiting a cool, red dwarf star, this Earth-sized planet completes an orbit in 12.8 days. Researchers estimate its surface temperature to be about 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius), making it one of the cooler exoplanets discovered to date and potentially suitable for liquid water.

Gliese 12 b's proximity makes it a prime candidate for further study, particularly with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which can allow researchers to analyze its atmosphere. By studying starlight that passes through a planet's atmosphere, scientists can determine its chemical composition, including gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. This would also go a long way in assessing its potential habitability. Maybe Gliese 12 b will prove a viable candidate for colonization some day in the not-too-distant future?

South Korea is going to the Moon and beyond. South Korea is ambitiously targeting a Mars landing by 2045, with its President, Yoon Suk Yeol, announcing a $70 billion investment in space exploration over the next few decades. The newly established Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) will lead these efforts, aiming to land a homegrown probe on the moon by 2032 and eventually plant the South Korean flag on Mars.

Key projects lined-up include expanding participation in the Artemis 3 mission, a moon landing planned for 2026, and collaborating with domestic private sector companies like Hanwha Aerospace and Perigee Aerospace. With the successful launches of its lunar orbiter Danuri and Nuri rocket, South Korea seems poised to become a major player in space exploration. Read more about their ambitions here.

New ways of mapping the Moon. Brown University researchers have developed an enhanced mapping technique called shape-from-shading, which significantly improves the precision of lunar surface maps. This method estimates the three-dimensional shape of the moon's terrain by analyzing light patterns in two-dimensional images. The improved technique addresses previous limitations like complex lighting conditions and misaligned images, automating much of the process with advanced algorithms.

More from Space:

• Voyager 1 has resumed sending usable data from two of its four science instruments after months of transmitting gibberish, NASA announced. (Source)

• Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund launched the Neo Space Group to develop the kingdom's satellite and space industry, marking the sovereign wealth fund’s first investment in the space sector. (Source)

• With help from the Insight Mars mission, NASA's Farside Seismic Suite will be sent to the far side of the moon in 2026 to measure “moonquakes” and provide the first ever seismic data from that region. (Source)

• Japanese researchers have built the world's first wooden satellite. It'll be launched to space on a SpaceX rocket this September. (Source)

Science

Petabytes of synapses! Researchers have created a high-resolution map of all the cells and connections in a cubic millimeter of human brain tissue, revealing unprecedented details of brain structure. Led by Dr. Jeff Lichtman at Harvard and Dr. Viren Jain at Google Research, the team used electron microscopy to image over 5,000 tissue slices, resulting in a whopping 1.4 petabytes of data. They reconstructed almost every cell—more than 57,000 of them—including neurons and glia. Interestingly, glial cells outnumbered neurons 2-to-1.

Using ML, the study also identified nearly 150 million synapses, with some neurons forming multiple synapses with the same target cell, suggesting significant functional connections. Read the full study here.

Turning CO2 into methane. Researchers from Japan and Poland have developed a novel method to convert CO2 emissions from small boilers into methane, significantly reducing their environmental impact. Published in the Journal of CO2 Utilization, the study introduces a distributor-type membrane reactor (DMR) that supports both chemical reactions and gas separation, specifically designed for small-scale applications like boilers. The design also employs a distributed feed approach to enhance CO2 distribution across the membrane, preventing overheating and optimizing methane production.

The research team, led by Professor Mikihiro Nomura and Professor Grzegorz Brus, used numerical simulations and experimental studies to refine the reactor design. They found that a CO2 concentration similar to that emitted by boilers (around 15%) significantly improved methane production, achieving about 1.5 times more output than reactors using pure CO2.

Additionally, larger reactors were more effective at hydrogen availability, though they required precise temperature control to avoid overheating. The environmentally-conscious should be psyched as such an approach could offer a sustainable solution for converting greenhouse gas emissions into usable methane fuel, with potential applications in both residential and small-scale industrial settings.

More from Science:

• North American researchers have developed a reusable, light-sensitive sponge that can be used to clean up marine oil spills, even in cold northern waters. The invention is a huge step forward for potential environmental efforts and should act as a good reminder of how innovation can be brought to bear on our planet’s most pressing problems. (Source)

• And there’s more. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and IIASA recently developed a method that uses soil bacteria to reduce agricultural nitrous oxide emissions by one-third. This could cut significant greenhouse gas emissions from food production. (Source)

• Neuroscientists have identified the brain network responsible for stuttering, involving key nodes like the putamen, amygdala, and claustrum, potentially paving the way for targeted medical treatments in the future. (Source)

Tech

Coffeezilla unleashes Part 1 and Part 2 of his Rabbit takedown. First it was MKBHD. And now YouTuber and scam investigator Coffeezilla is coming after Rabbit, creator of the R1, accusing the company of deceptive marketing for their new handheld AI device. In two new YouTube videos, Coffeezilla, claimed that Rabbit’s “Large Action Mode;” (LAM), which the company touts as the groundbreaking model behind its R1 device, is essentially just a scripted version of chatGPT. That’s right, there’s nothing really there, he claims.

Rabbit of course tried to downplay his initial findings, before then gaslighting him completely. Coffeezilla's continued investigation revealed that the company's claims of a new AI model are just patently false, aside from all the other issues with the R1. He alleges that the core selling point of Rabbit R1 is built on a lie, potentially constituting consumer fraud. This controversy comes after the company secured over $20 million in pre-orders based on what are clearly exaggerated capabilities. Not a good look, Rabbit.

Elon Musk's AI startup xAI is planning to build a supercomputer. It will power the next version of its AI chatbot, Grok, targeting completion by fall 2025. The supercomputer will use Nvidia’s H100 GPUs and is expected to be at least four times larger than the biggest existing GPU clusters. This initiative may involve a partnership with Oracle, although both xAI and Oracle have yet to comment. (Full story here.)

Musk revealed that training the current Grok 2 model required about 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, and future models will need up to 100,000 H100 chips. He also mentioned the potential for a significant technological advancement with a 300,000 B200 GPU cluster planned for next summer. This development positions xAI as a formidable competitor to OpenAI and Google in the AI space.

Would you like a third thumb? A recent study published in Science Robotics highlights the development and use of a "Third Thumb," a robotic, prosthetic extra thumb. Created by Dani Clode at the University of Cambridge, this device is worn under the pinky finger and controlled by pressure sensors under the big toes. The right toe moves the thumb across the hand for gripping, while the left toe pulls it against the fingers for added strength.

During the 2022 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, 98% of the 596 participants, aged 3 to 96, were able to use the Third Thumb effectively within a minute. Besides looking pretty damn cool, for users the device would increase their range of movement, improve grasping large objects, and expand carrying capacity, giving them all sorts of new functional abilities. Researchers are now focusing on making the Third Thumb accessible for a diverse range of users.

Electronic spider silk. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed an eco-friendly method to print adaptive sensors, inspired by spider silk, directly onto biological surfaces like skin or flower petals. These "electronic spider silk" fibers are smaller than a human hair and can conform to various surfaces without being noticeable. Made from a biocompatible polymer, the fibers were tested on human fingers and dandelion seedheads, showing high-quality sensor performance while remaining imperceptible.

The cool new technology would allow for the creation of wearable sensors that don’t interfere with the skin's natural sensations, offering potential applications in health monitoring, virtual reality, and environmental monitoring.

More from Tech:

• A team of MIT researchers have “developed a modular fabrication process to produce a quantum system-on-chip which integrates an array of artificial atom qubits onto a semiconductor chip.” (Source)

• Researchers have created a new tool called 3D-MuPPET to track pigeons in 3D space - without attaching any sort of physical tracker to them. Using 2D keypoint detection and triangulation, it can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings, making it easier to study the behavior of birds and other animals in the wild. (Source)

• Engineers at the University of Washington have developed an AI system called Target Speech Hearing that allows users wearing headphones to look at a speaker for 3-5 seconds to "enroll" them, then cancels all other sounds and plays only the enrolled speaker's voice in real-time, even in noisy environments. “The team is working to expand the system to earbuds and hearing aids in the future.” (Source)

• Elon Musks’ Starlink internet service is a go in the African nation of Zimbabwe. Citizens had apparently been smuggling loads of terminals into the country without government approval, leading to a crackdown, but that looks to finally be over with the government’s telecom regulator approving Starlink’s license to operate in the country. In 2021, only 34.8% of Zimbabwe's population had access to the internet. (Source)

• China established a third state-backed fund worth $47.5 billion to boost its semiconductor industry, aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in semiconductors and addressing concerns over U.S. export controls. (Source)

• New research published in Nature demonstrates the creation of “synthetic bone” which the team designed using machine learning and 3D printing. The new material could revolutionize orthopedic treatments by replicating the functionalities of human bone, for example in treating femur injuries, which is a notoriously difficult injury to repair as it requires invasive surgery and often results in complications. (Source)

There’s undoubtedly so many more incredible white pills we could’ve brought your attention to — the world of space, science, and technology is just too vast and too fascinating to touch on them all. But we hoped you enjoyed this inaugural edition of the Weekly White Pill! And we look forward to seeing you again next week with another batch of the latest innovations, discoveries, and so so much more.

Thanks!