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Space

The JWST is already delivering on its promise to transform cosmology

Almost a year after its first images were released, the James Webb Space Telescope is living up to the hype, and its price tag, by revolutionising our understanding of the universe

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What looks much like craggy mountains on a moonlit evening is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on NASA???s James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals previously obscured areas of star birth. Called the Cosmic Cliffs, the region is actually the edge of a gigantic, gaseous cavity within NGC 3324, roughly 7,600 light-years away. The cavernous area has been carved from the nebula by the intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from extremely massive, hot, young stars located in the center of the bubble, above the area shown in this image. The high-energy radiation from these stars is sculpting the nebula???s wall by slowly eroding it away. NIRCam ??? with its crisp resolution and unparalleled sensitivity ??? unveils hundreds of previously hidden stars, and even numerous background galaxies. Several prominent features in this image are described below. ??? The ???steam??? that appears to rise from the celestial ???mountains??? is actually hot, ionized gas and hot dust streaming away from the nebula due to intense, ultraviolet radiation. ??? Dramatic pillars rise above the glowing wall of gas, resisting the blistering ultraviolet radiation from the young stars. ??? Bubbles and cavities are being blown by the intense radiation and stellar winds of newborn stars. ??? Protostellar jets and outflows, which appear in gold, shoot from dust-enshrouded, nascent stars. ??? A ???blow-out??? erupts at the top-center of the ridge, spewing gas and dust into the interstellar medium. ??? An unusual ???arch??? appears, looking like a bent-over cylinder. This period of very early star formation is difficult to capture because, for an individual star, it lasts only about 50,000 to 100,000 years ??? but Webb???s extreme sensitivity and exquisite spatial resolution have chronicled this rare event. Located roughly 7,600 light-years away, NGC 3324 was first cat

Environment

We need to go beyond net zero to reverse catastrophic climate damage

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Environment

We already have ethical options for replacing industrial farming

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Larry Brown, owner of Brown's Farm, which produces sustainable eggs for NestFresh, walks around the property in Gonzales, Texas, U.S., on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Farmers are betting they can profit further with specialty eggs by adding another layer of premiumization: eggs from a special type of sustainable farm that can be trumpeted as being better for the planet. Photographer: Mary Kang/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Health

We can treat age-related illness without calling ageing a disease

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Technology

With AI exploiting businesses’ data, when do we get paid and by whom?

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Health

As awareness of 'hidden' conditions rises, research must keep up

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Tackling ultra-processed food must focus on evidence and avoid stigma

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Regulating AI is going to be hard but big tech transparency is key

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Health

We must treat therapy with scientific rigour to see if it works

The number of people seeking psychotherapy is on the rise, but the field has long been seen as unscientific. It is time to approach it with the same diligence as we do other treatments

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Physics

Come explore the quantum realm – it isn’t as confusing as it seems

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Health

Banishing wrinkles could boost healthy ageing – so who pays the bill?

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Physics

Stephen Hawking’s parting shot is a fresh challenge to cosmologists

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Health

Genome technology is transforming healthcare but what should we allow?

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