When astronauts head to Mars‚ they will experience time dilation. That's to be expected. In fact‚ your feet and your head experience time dilation‚ with your head aging ever so slightly faster than your feet. But how much time dilation will they experience (relative to Earth observers)?First off‚ let's check we're all on the same page. Time passes at different rates for different observers‚ depending on their relative speeds‚ and their proximity to (and strength of) nearby gravitational fields. Time dilation is the difference between time elapsed on two clocks due to these causes‚ as described by special relativity and general relativity.Gravity curves spacetime. The result is that the stronger gravity is near you‚ and the closer you are to the mass creating it‚ the slower time moves (from the standpoint of an observer‚ or whoever has the second clock. From your perspective‚ time ran at the usual speed). This is how your foot is younger than your old (relatively speaking) haggard head.            The further you get away from Earth's gravity – say‚ by working at the top of a skyscraper – the more pronounced the time dilation effect (compared to observers on the ground). It's not a huge effect‚ measuring just a tiny fraction of a nanosecond a year.For astronauts and cosmonauts living in zero-gravity environments for long stretches‚ the effect is more pronounced‚ but effectively canceled out by the speed at which spacefarers tend to travel. "Because astronauts and satellites orbiting the Earth are slightly further away from the centre of the planet (compared to people on the ground) they actually experience less gravitational time dilation. On its own this would mean astronauts' time would run faster‚" astronomer Colin Stuart explained for Ted Ed. "However‚ this effect is quite small because Earth's gravity is quite weak and so the time dilation due to their speed wins out and astronauts really do travel a tiny amount into their futures."When cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev became stranded in space for 803 days‚ 9 hours‚ and 39 minutes as the Soviet Union collapsed‚ he technically traveled 0.02 seconds into the future according to Universe Today. Heading to Mars on a 21-month round trip‚ astronauts will experience small amounts of time dilation. From their point of view‚ time will pass normally – while compared to Earth observers‚ there will likely be a few nanoseconds difference. Though the speeds will be faster than any human has traveled in history‚ in comparison to light speed – where time dilation effects get extremely pronounced – it is peanuts.If astronauts are to stay on Mars for extended periods of time‚ then the effect of gravitational time dilation gets within the realms of noticeable. According to The Illinois Physics Van‚ a human living exactly 80 years on Mars would die about 12 seconds earlier than if they lived exactly 80 years on Earth. But from their point of view‚ it wouldn't have felt like that‚ spacetime is just weird.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.

You may have heard some buzz about a mysterious exoplanet called K2-18 b. This distant world‚ located 120 light-years away from Earth‚ has been the subject of much speculation and excitement in recent years‚ especially after the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2021. The JWST is the most powerful space telescope ever built‚ capable of observing the faint infrared light from distant stars and planets. One of its main goals is to study the atmospheres of exoplanets – planets orbiting other stars – and look for signs of life‚ such as oxygen‚ methane‚ or other organic molecules. K2-18 b is one of the prime targets for JWST‚ because it is a rare type of exoplanet known as a “hycean” world. Hycean planets are larger and more massive than Earth‚ but smaller and less dense than gas giants like Jupiter. They have thick hydrogen-rich atmospheres and deep oceans of liquid water on their surfaces. These conditions could make them ideal habitats for life‚ even more so than Earth-like planets. But has JWST already found evidence of life on K2-18 b? That’s what some people believe‚ based on a cryptic statement made by British astronaut Tim Peake in 2020. In an interview with The Sun‚ Peake said: “Potentially‚ the James Webb telescope may have already found [alien life]… it’s just that they don’t want to release or confirm those results until they can be entirely sure‚ but we found a planet that seems to be giving off strong signals of biological life.” James Webb Telescope Peake did not name the planet he was referring to‚ but many assumed it was K2-18 b‚ since it was one of the most promising candidates for life at the time. Peake’s statement sparked a lot of excitement and curiosity among astrobiologists and space enthusiasts‚ who wondered if he had some insider information or was simply speculating. However‚ before you get too excited‚ you should know that there is no official confirmation or announcement from NASA or ESA (the agencies behind JWST) that they have found life on K2-18 b or any other exoplanet. In fact‚ JWST has not even observed K2-18 b yet‚ as it is still undergoing testing and calibration in orbit. According to Knicole Colon‚ the deputy project scientist for JWST at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center‚ JWST has not found definitive evidence of life on an exoplanet. She told Ars Technica: “It is anticipated that JWST observations may lead to the initial identification of potential biosignatures that could make habitability more or less likely for a given exoplanet.” “Future missions will be needed to conclusively establish the habitability of an exoplanet.” In other words‚ JWST will only be able to detect some clues that could indicate the presence or absence of life on an exoplanet‚ but not prove it conclusively. It will take more observations and analysis from other telescopes and missions to confirm or rule out the existence of alien life. So what can we expect from JWST when it comes to K2-18 b? Colon said that JWST will observe K2-18 b in 2024‚ as part of its Early Release Science program. This program will showcase some of the first scientific results from JWST and demonstrate its capabilities to the scientific community and the public. JWST will use its Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument to measure the spectrum of light coming from K2-18 b as it passes in front of its host star. This will reveal the chemical composition and structure of its atmosphere‚ and possibly detect some biosignatures. However‚ Colon cautioned that detecting biosignatures on K2-18 b will not be easy‚ because its hydrogen-rich atmosphere makes it harder to see through than Earth-like atmospheres. She said: “Hydrogen-dominated atmospheres are more challenging to observe with JWST because they are more opaque than atmospheres with lower mean molecular weight (such as Earth’s atmosphere).” “This means that there are fewer wavelength regions where we can probe deeper into the atmosphere and potentially detect biosignatures.” She also noted that K2-18 b is not a perfect analog for Earth‚ because it is much larger and hotter than our planet. It receives about four times more radiation from its star than Earth does from the Sun‚ which could affect its climate and chemistry. Therefore‚ even if JWST detects some biosignatures on K2-18 b‚ such as oxygen or methane‚ they may not necessarily indicate life. They could also be produced by non-biological processes‚ such as photochemistry or volcanism. Colon said: “Detecting biosignatures on exoplanets is not a simple yes or no answer. It requires careful interpretation of the data and comparison with models and observations of other planets (including our own).” “Ultimately‚ we need to build up a statistical sample of exoplanets with different characteristics and look for trends and outliers that could point to the presence or absence of life.” So‚ while K2-18 b remains a fascinating and promising world to explore‚ we should not jump to conclusions based on rumors or speculation. JWST will soon give us a glimpse into its atmosphere‚ but it will take more time and effort to determine if it is truly habitable or inhabited. Until then‚ we can only wonder and hope that we are not alone in the universe. The post Is there life on K2-18 b? What James Webb telescope might know appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Joe Biden's presidency is bursting with all the swagger and success of Jimmy Carter. There are even six American hostages in Israel. His polling is absolutely dismal. But Carter faced a rough primary season with Ted Kennedy in 1980. The Democrats and their media allies have suppressed all primary opponents for Biden. The polls clearly suggest broad distaste for this president. On Sunday‚ ABC This Week host Jonathan Karl was breaking the bad news to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “Our poll this morning has Biden's approval rating at 33 percent. That's historically low.” (He left out the 58 percent disapproval.) Karl added only 31 percent approve of Biden’s handling of the economy. But all Karl could ask Pritzker was “How does he turn that around?” Does anyone think if Trump had an approval rating of 33 percent in 2020‚ Jon Karl wouldn’t ask a Republican how on Earth anyone expects him to win‚ and suggest he would help his party best by taking himself out of the race? For his part‚ Pritzker tried to accentuate the positive. So Karl unloaded another number: “Just 28 percent think that President Biden has the mental sharpness to effectively serve for another term. So how does he address those concerns‚ those very real concerns that voters have?” Later in the interview‚ Karl offered a number from a different network‚ that CBS found 68 percent disapprove of Biden’s handling of the border. And yet he asked “How does the president address this going forward?” Naturally‚ this spurred Pritzker to repeat all his attacks on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for sending illegal immigrants to Illinois.  So why isn’t there major opposition to Biden? Start with this ugly fact: pro-Biden media outlets don’t want to give opponents any air time. Then there are the individual states blocking Biden opponents from getting on the ballot. ABCNews.com reported in December on some of those antics. In late November‚ Florida Democrats “quietly” submitted a list of candidates to their Secretary of State – and only Biden was on it. The move is expected to cause a cancellation of a primary. Democracy triumphs again? The campaigns of Rep. Dean Phillips‚ Marianne Williamson‚ and Cenk Uygur sounded the alarm over this “authoritarian” and “unconstitutional” decision‚ but you wouldn’t know from watching TV. Nothing died in darkness! You can’t prove it was Biden! The same thing happened in North Carolina and Tennessee and Massachusetts – Biden alone was “the list.” Perversely‚ a spokesman for North Carolina’s Democrat Party told the Biden challengers they did not reach the standards for their nomination: a candidacy that is "generally advocated and recognized in the news media."   Phillips complained to Politico that since declaring his candidacy on October 27‚ he hasn’t been interviewed once on MSNBC‚ or the big Sunday talk shows. CNN’s had him on‚ but not in a “town hall” setting like the Republicans this cycle‚ or congressman candidates like Eric Swalwell and Seth Moulton in the last cycle. The Republicans have held five debates‚ and the Democrats have had zero‚ even if polls show voters would like to see Biden debate (to see how spry he is). As Dean Phillips complained‚ “How can Democrats say we’re fighting for democracy…yet removing me from the ballot in Florida and North Carolina?…How can you say you are for free speech and protecting freedom and democracy and not even consent to doing one debate?” These would be great questions for reporters. But the people who march around touting themselves as the guardians of democracy are the ones squashing this primary race like a barrel of grapes. 

A far cry from the chill vibes of Dave the Diver‚ Mintrocket's new top-down multiplayer Wakerunners is channeling the camera of League of Legends‚ and the hero-style roster of FPS icons like Apex Legends and Overwatch. Continue reading Dave the Diver devs’ new game is League of Legends meets Overwatch MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MOBAs‚ Best multiplayer games‚ Upcoming PC games

How do you sign up for Smite 2 alpha playtest? Smite 2 was revealed in an exciting announcement during the tenth Smite World Championships‚ with new and old Gods being revamped in Unreal Engine 5.2 for greater impact‚ better visuals‚ and more immersive gameplay. Smite 2 alpha playtest sign-ups opened immediately following the reveal‚ which was well received by attendees at the esports event. While Smite 2 is still in early development‚ our time with the game so far has assured us that this is a huge step up for Smite that fans will love‚ despite the controversy surrounding Smite 2 skins. If you can’t wait to test out the alpha playtest for one of the best MOBAs around‚ here’s what you need to know about the Smite 2 alpha test. Continue reading How to sign up for the Smite 2 alpha playtest MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MOBAs‚ Best multiplayer games‚ Upcoming PC games

The best thin and light laptops offer the best in portability‚ whether you're away from your desk or on the move. Portability doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice power‚ either. Today’s small laptops for gaming combine lightweight materials‚ sophisticated cooling tech‚ and smaller components to deliver comparable gaming performance to bigger laptops and the best gaming PCs.  We rate the latest Asus Zephyrus G14 series of Asus gaming laptops. It offers a gorgeously light chassis surrounding blisteringly powerful hardware that’ll set you up for years to come. Expect to pay a premium for the latest in benchmark-busting performance‚ though. If you’re more budget-focused‚ the MSI GF63 Thin cleverly blends a high-end RTX GPU with slightly lower-spec hardware‚ but at under $1‚000/£1‚000‚ it’s an absolute steal. Compact laptops are usually thinner than 1 inch and under 2 kg in weight. Design is important if you want a sleek laptop that could look the part in the office or library and still have pride of place as a mainline gaming rig. You'll also need to consider the capabilities of its GPU and CPU and display quality — size‚ resolution‚ refresh rate‚ and pixel density. All the compact gaming laptops in this guide have at least 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of disk drive space. Continue reading Best thin and light laptops 2024: game on the go MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

The best Acer gaming laptops give you a fine balance between price and performance. We're trying and testing Acer's full range of gaming machines‚ from its budget-focused Nitro range to the premium‚ powerful Predator lineup. Whichever one of the best Acer gaming laptops you choose‚ you’ll need to consider whether it will spend its life on the move or plugged in on a desk. Equally‚ if it’s not going to be used purely for gaming‚ you should think about what connectivity and features you need to make your non-gaming endeavors fruitful. Continue reading Best Acer gaming laptops in 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best gaming monitor

Baldur’s Gate 3 director and Larian CEO Swen Vincke says all distribution platforms switching to paid subscription models will see the discoverability of new games become “savage.” Vincke also champions the notion that “content will always be king‚” adding that it’ll become harder to see good content if every platform relies on the subscription model. Continue reading Baldur’s Gate 3 boss says gamers don’t want mass subscriptions MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds‚ BG3 mods‚ Baldur's Gate 3 classes

Microsoft has unveiled CoPilot Pro‚ a premium version of its CoPilot AI application that amps up the AI-powered usefulness of the app to include much more direct access to text and image generation‚ relegating non-Pro users to only access these features in non-peak times. The new CoPilot Pro also adds CoPilot assistance to Microsoft 365‚ including Word‚ Excel‚ Outlook‚ PowerPoint‚ and OneNote‚ allowing you "to create‚ edit‚ and communicate faster." Continue reading Microsoft’s premium CoPilot AI service is here‚ but it’s not cheap MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Microsoft DirectX Raytracing‚ Microsoft Hololens hands-on‚ Windows Game Mode preview