| From: Don Green | 9/13/2023 11:37:56 AM | | | | | | James Webb Telescope Spots Evidence of Plankton Living on Alien Ocean Planet
dg>>> able to spot molecule dimethyl sulfide on an earth-like planet 120 light-years away???
The molecule dimethyl sulfide naturally occurs from phytoplankton on Earth. Now the James Webb Space Telescope has detected the molecule's emissions on an exoplanet called K2-18 b.
 Illustration of K2-18 b (Credits: Illustration: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI), Science: N. Madhusudhan, Cambridge University)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has spotted evidence of potential life on a hydrogen-rich ocean planet based 120 light-years away.
The planet is called K2-18 b and it orbits a dwarf star in the so-called “ habitable zone,” a distance where conditions might be right for life to exist. The space telescope recently analyzed the light emitted from the planet to discern its chemical composition.
According to NASA, the findings reveal the presence of “carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide,” which are all building blocks to life on our own planet. In addition, the telescope may have detected the presence of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the planet’s atmosphere.
“On Earth, this is only produced by life. The bulk of the DMS in Earth’s atmosphere is emitted from phytoplankton in marine environments,” NASA noted.
(Credit: NASA)
The space agency will need to observe K2-18 b more to validate the findings. But if true, it could mean a plankton-like organism—which on Earth act as a crucial food source for other marine life—is present on the alien world.
However, K2-18 b is quite different from Earth. To start, it's about 8.6 times larger. The data from the James Webb Space telescope also suggests K2-18 b is a hydrogen-rich world covered with an ocean surface, making it a “Hycean exoplanet.” That said, it’s possible the planet’s surface is too hot for life, or for it to sustain a liquid ocean, NASA added.
“The planet's large size — with a radius 2.6 times the radius of Earth — means that the planet’s interior likely contains a large mantle of high-pressure ice, like Neptune, but with a thinner hydrogen-rich atmosphere and an ocean surface,” the space agency said. (In contrast, Earth's atmosphere is made up mostly of nitrogen and oxygen.)
The space telescope was able to discern the planet’s chemical composition by taking a spectrum, which involves dissecting the emitted light from K2-18 b’s atmosphere. Although other telescopes have taken spectrums of K2-18 b before, James Webb features more powerful sensors, which allowed astronomers to gather more data of the planet’s atmosphere.
"These results are the product of just two observations of K2-18 b, with many more on the way,” University of Cambridge astronomer Savvas Constantinou told NASA. “This means our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets.” |
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| From: Don Green | 9/18/2023 4:48:33 PM | | | | | | Browser tabs tend to multiply, and finding your way back to a specific browser tab can be a challenge. But there's a better way.
This tip gives you a way to quickly find any open tab in just a few keystrokes. It offers a nice bird's-eye view of all your open browser tabs, too.
This works onboth Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Windows Intelligence subscriber Dave N. shares an incredibly useful keyboard shortcut for cutting through the tab clutter:
In either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+A. You'll see a pop-up menu with a list of all your open browser tabs and recently closed browser tabs. Type to search them, and press Enter to go to one.
You can even use this trick if you don't plan on searching: Pressing Ctrl+Shift+A will show you a nice list of all your open tabs across all your open browser windows, so you can see everything at a glance — and even close the tabs you don't need anymore, right from this menu.
In Google Chrome, you can also click that down arrow to the left of the minimize button at the top-right corner of the browser window to view this tab list.
(Unfortunately, this keyboard shortcut doesn't work in Mozilla Firefox, though you can click the down arrow to the left of the minimize button at the top-right corner of your Firefox window to view a list of all your open tabs.) |
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| From: Don Green | 9/19/2023 8:36:40 PM | | | | | | Why Safari is no longer my browser of choice on MacOS - and what I use instead
Safari is a good browser, but there are certain behaviors that make it too frustrating to use as the default browser.
zdnet.com |
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| To: Don Green who wrote (1385) | 9/21/2023 2:47:56 PM | | From: Zen Dollar Round | | | | Of the two problems mentioned in that article with Safari, neither one is an issue for me.
If I want to make sure to open a link in a new tab, I simply right-click and choose that option from the contextual menu.
The second problem with Safari telling me a site it using too much memory is rare for me, and I tend to think it has to do with how much RAM is installed on the Mac. The author doesn't indicate how much RAM is in his MacBook.
He is correct though that it should not occur and other browsers don't have the same problem.
I'm glad he didn't recommend Google's Chrome browser (he recommended using Opera). I kicked Chrome to the curb years ago for being both a memory hog and over concerns for my privacy. |
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| To: Don Green who wrote (1387) | 9/21/2023 4:58:47 PM | | From: Zen Dollar Round | | | | I think at one time I had over 100, but I keep two Safari windows open and right now there are about 30 divided between both.
With too many tabs open I can't see the tab titles to know what's on them at a glance, so it becomes counterproductive to me. |
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| From: Don Green | 9/21/2023 8:08:01 PM | | | | | | Put Microsoft Office 2021 on Your PC or Mac for Less Than $35
Through Sept. 24, new users can enjoy this special deal on Microsoft's top-rated productivity apps.
Whatever work you do on a computer, Microsoft Officehas probably been helping you for decades. Secure lifetime access to that familiar suite of apps on your Macor Windowsdevice for only $34.97 through Sept. 24, and say goodbye to recurring software fees.
Thanks to this Deal of the Week, you'll score top-rated Microsoft productivity apps for less. Both the Mac Home & Business edition and the Windows Professional version will give you access to (and updates for):
Word for all your documentation needs
PowerPoint for developing visual presentations
OneNote for robust digital notetaking and organizing
Teams for communicating in real-time, seamlessly, with remote colleagues
Excel for reliable budgeting and data analysis spreadsheets
Outlook for managing your calendar, contacts, and email
The Windows license is for the Professional suite, so it also includes lifetime use of Publisher and Access.
Some important caveats are worth noting. For one, Mac users must update their OS to Big Sur version 11 to enjoy this deal, while Windows users must have Windows 10 or 11 as their OS. The software is not compatible with Parallels Pro or other virtual machines.
Additionally, regardless of version, you can only redeem the license on one device. Finally, this is not the same thing as Microsoft 365, but the one-and-done purchase through this Microsoft Office 2021 deal can save you both hassle and money over time.
Through Sept. 24 at 11:59 pm Pacific, get Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021or Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windowsfor just $34.97.
Prices subject to change. |
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