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Researchers have identified a four-carbon sugar called erythroulose in a cloud of gas and dust at the Milky Way’s center (as shown by the Spitzer Space Telescope).
Credit: NASA, California Institute of Technology, Susan Stolovy (SSC, California Institute of Technology)
Astronomers have discovered erythroulose, a complex four-carbon sugar, in molecular clouds near the Milky Way’s core, marking a significant finding outside our solar system. This discovery suggests that sugars essential for the development of early DNA and RNA could be transported to asteroids or comets during the formation of star systems. According to Izasquun Jiménez Serra, an astronomer and co-author of the study, these celestial bodies may have brought these crucial organic materials to Earth approximately 4 billion years ago during intense asteroid impacts.
Nature | 5-minute read
Reference: Natural Astronomy paper
In a fascinating study, researchers trained participants to write with their elbows, revealing that handedness isn’t solely an innate preference. An article on Science Alert highlights that individuals who taped a pen to their arm showed no difference in performance whether using their dominant or non-dominant hand. The key insight from neurologist and co-author Ahmet Arak is that one hemisphere of the brain excels at controlling movements, shaped by years of practice. “The dominant arm isn’t inherently better,” he explains.
Reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper
A newly deciphered mathematical formula from a Mayan ruin in Xultun, Guatemala, sheds light on the contributions of a renowned Maya mathematician and astronomer named Sak Tarn Wax, whose work reflects advanced mathematical concepts previously unseen in Maya texts. Archaeologist Heather Hurst noted that the playful expression of various calendar systems reveals a notable degree of mathematical flexibility.
Nature | 5-minute read
Reference: Ancient paper
The final hieroglyph translates to “say so,” concluding with the name Sak Tahn Waax, indicating the authorship or credit of the calculations—implying mathematicians were recognized in Maya society. (Franco D. Rossi) Other/Ancient (CC-BY-NC)
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