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Quick Chemistry fact: Some metals explode in water!

Metals like sodium and potassium react explosively with water due to the rapid formation of hydrogen gas and heat.

Earth Sciences

Lunar Time Zone

As interest in lunar settlements grows, timekeeping in space has become increasingly complex. On the moon, seconds tick slightly faster due to gravity variations, resulting in a 56-microsecond discrepancy per Earth day. While this might seem minor, it accumulates over time, prompting NASA and its international partners to develop a dedicated "lunar time scale" instead of merely establishing a new time zone. This system will ensure accurate timekeeping for astronauts and missions on the moon.

A White House directive requires NASA to finalize this lunar time system by the end of 2026, coinciding with plans to return astronauts to the moon. A lunar-specific time framework is crucial, as the moon's day consists of 14 days of continuous sunlight followed by 14 days of darkness. NASA’s targeted landing site in the south polar region includes areas of permanent light or shadow, further complicating timekeeping.
Unlike the International Space Station, which can rely on Earth time due to its gravitational balance and high-speed orbit, lunar missions require precise timekeeping for navigation, coordination, and exploration. NASA has experience managing clocks on GPS satellites and deep-space missions, using oscillators that sync with Earth time. However, the unique lunar environment necessitates a fresh approach to ensure seamless timekeeping.

Cheryl Gramling from NASA believes that creating a lunar time scale presents a valuable opportunity. Insights gained from this endeavor could pave the way for accurate time systems in future missions to Mars and beyond.

World News

Malaria-Free After 4,000 Years

Egypt, one of the world’s 15 most populous nations, has officially been certified malaria-free after a century of efforts.

Malaria, which kills nearly 600,000 people each year, mostly in Africa, has not been transmitted in Egypt for three consecutive years. This milestone proves that Egyptian health authorities can maintain control over the disease. “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization, but the disease that plagued the pharaohs is now history,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The WHO praised Egypt’s government and citizens for eliminating the disease, noting that Egypt is now the second country in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region to be declared malaria-free. Malaria has a long history in Egypt, dating back to 4,000 BCE, with evidence of the disease found in ancient mummies, including Tutankhamun. The prevalence of malaria was once as high as 40% along the Nile River.

Efforts to combat malaria in Egypt began in 1923 when the government restricted agricultural activities near settlements. Egypt joins only 44 countries, including the UAE and Morocco, that have been declared malaria-free by the WHO. “This is not the end of the journey but the start of a new phase,” said Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, stressing the need for continued surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment. Malaria diagnosis and treatment are free for all residents in Egypt, and health professionals are trained to detect and screen cases, including at the borders. A strong partnership with neighboring countries, including Sudan, has helped prevent the return of malaria in Egypt.

Environment

Plants Absorb 31% More Carbon

A recent study has shown that plants worldwide absorb 37 billion more metric tons of carbon than previously thought. This revised estimate suggests that every tree planted to combat climate change is 31% more effective than previous Earth carbon models indicated, which could significantly improve future climate predictions.

The Earth’s carbon cycle involves major systems, including exchanges between the atmosphere and oceans, and another critical exchange with plant ecosystems known as Terrestrial Gross Primary Production (GPP). GPP, a measure of the carbon plants absorb each year through photosynthesis, was originally estimated in the 1980s to be around 120 petatons (1 petaton = 1 billion metric tons) per year.
A team from Cornell University, with support from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), re-evaluated GPP using updated methods. Instead of relying on satellite observations—often hindered by cloud cover, especially in the tropics—the researchers used high-resolution environmental monitoring towers. Additionally, they tracked carbonyl sulfide (OCS) molecules, which are absorbed by plants similarly to CO₂ but are easier to measure within leaf tissue and chloroplasts.

The team gathered plant data from resources like ORNL's LeafWeb database, which compiles photosynthesis rates from scientists worldwide. With this approach, the researchers recalculated GPP to 157 petatons per year, comparable to the emissions from 37.36 billion internal combustion vehicles.
The revised model revealed that tropical rainforests store far more carbon than previously estimated, a critical finding given their cloud-covered environments. The researchers emphasize that these insights into carbon storage, particularly in biomass-rich forests, are vital for future climate predictions.

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