technical updates

Two seemingly opposite spiritual practices -- Buddhist jhana meditation and the Christian practice of speaking in tongues -- have more in common than previously thought, a new study suggests. While one is quiet and deeply focused, and the other emotionally charged and expressive, both appear to harness the same cognitive feedback loop to create profound states of joy and surrender. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/NKxdEFa

Using mathematical modeling, researchers have discovered that rate-induced tipping, which can happen if an environment changes too fast, can happen even in Daisyworld, a simple daisy-filled ecological model. If the planet heats up or cools down too quickly, all the daisies will go extinct, even if they would otherwise have been able to survive just fine under those conditions. This discovery mirrors similar observations found in other models and observed in real-life ecosystems. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/BI0UHXo

Rocket Lab will launch a high-resolution imaging satellite for the company Blacksky this evening (Feb. 18), and you can watch the action live. from Latest from Space.com https://ift.tt/DKFAhwe

Lobster-eye satellite Einstein Probe captured the X-ray flash from a very elusive celestial pair. The discovery opens a new way to explore how massive stars interact and evolve, confirming the unique power of the mission to uncover fleeting X-ray sources in the sky. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/1WI7DTf

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 23 Starlink satellites today (Feb. 18) and then land in the Atlantic Ocean near The Bahamas —a first for the company. from Latest from Space.com https://ift.tt/bBPW9nJ

Aging is a privilege, but it also brings risks -- including an increased likelihood of developing age-related diseases including cancer. Researchers have now created a landmark atlas of how healthy breast tissue ages, revealing key cellular, molecular, and genetic changes that may tip the balance toward breast cancer development. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9dY8S0e