Good Morning! 🌞 

Ever wondered how the sphere in Vegas actually works? This video explains it!

Earth Sciences

Asteroid from the Ocean?

Asteroid Bennu, recently sampled by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, may have originated from a water world, according to new research.

In 2020, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected a sample of regolith—rocks and dust—from Bennu and brought it back to Earth, traveling 200 million miles. Researchers hoped the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) sample would reveal secrets of the solar system's past and the prebiotic chemistry that might have led to life on Earth.

An early analysis, published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, found that Bennu's regolith contains carbon, nitrogen, and organic compounds, essential for life. This composition offers a glimpse into the early solar system, with the rocks remaining unchanged for over 4.5 billion years.

However, the sample also contained magnesium-sodium phosphate, which wasn't detected in previous remote sensing data. This suggests Bennu might have splintered off from a small, primitive ocean world. "The presence of phosphates and other elements suggests a watery past for Bennu," said Dante Lauretta, co-lead author of the study and OSIRIS-REx principal investigator.

Meanwhile, scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified an ocean world candidate, K2-18b, 120 light-years away in the constellation Leo. This "sub-Neptune" planet, believed to be 8.6 times larger than Earth, shows signs of a water ocean under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, supported by the abundance of methane and carbon dioxide and a shortage of ammonia detected.

Environment

Buoy to Protect Ocean-Life

During a routine clean-up by the non-profit Tangaroa Blue, GPS-tracking buoys were found washed up on Australian beaches. These buoys, manufactured in Spain by Satlink, were discovered in large numbers on the Cape York coast near Australia’s northeastern tip.

Instead of discarding them as e-waste, Tangaroa Blue founder Heidi Tait secured permission from Satlink to repurpose the buoys for tracking 'ghost nets'—abandoned fishing nets that drift through the ocean, trapping sea life. These nets, often left behind after snagging on reefs or being displaced by weather, pose a significant threat to marine life and require specialized equipment to remove.

Tait organized a coalition of Australian mariners, including national park staff, Indigenous rangers, commercial fishermen, and charter boats, to use the buoys for tracking these ghost nets. By attaching a buoy to a found net, they can be precisely located and retrieved.

Project ReCon, a collaboration between Satlink, Tangaroa Blue, and around 100 commercial fishing vessels, aims to address this issue. Supported by The Nature Conservancy and The Pacific Community, the project has expanded to eight countries. As a result, Tait and her coalition have already removed three ghost nets, including one over 3 metric tons, and a 150-foot-long mooring rope.

Culture

12 Year-Old Prodigy

Suborno Bari, a 12-year-old, has graduated from Malverne High School in Malverne, New York, after skipping grades 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11. He is the youngest graduate in the school's history. Despite his intelligence, he says his peers have always embraced him.

Suborno's family ensured he spent most of his school hours socializing with kids his age to develop normally. He attended core classes at an 8th-grade level in the local middle school and then joined a 5th-grade classroom for electives and activities. Rebecca Gottesman, the director of K-12 school counseling at Malverne Union Free School District, met Suborno in 4th grade and considers him the most impressive student in her 25-year career.

"Every year, school counselors are asked if a student is one of the most exceptional they’ve ever seen. I can say without a doubt that Suborno is the most exceptional student I’ve ever met academically," Gottesman told ABC's 'Good Morning America.' "He's really a prodigy." Suborno's peers have always treated him like any other student, despite knowing his talents.

This summer, Suborno will head to New York University on a scholarship, planning to double major in physics and math. He aims to help others understand and love math and science, not just pursue them for profit or parental pressure.

Support Daily Upsider!

Help our mission to share positive, meaningful news! Your support keeps us going without the need to bombard you with annoying ads!

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

I am four times as old as my daughter. In 20 years time I shall be twice as old as her. How old are we now?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
What goes up and down but cannot move?

The Answer:
Stairs

Chris Hostetler got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.