🚗 History in Motion: The Birth of the First Gasoline-Powered Car

On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz made history by receiving a patent for what is widely regarded as the first commercially viable gasoline-powered car—the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. This groundbreaking invention marked the beginning of the automotive era and set the foundation for modern motoring.

Benz's Motorwagen was a marvel of its time, featuring elements that are still synonymous with today's vehicles. It boasted a robust chassis, an internal combustion engine, electric ignition, a carburetor, a cooling system, transmission, and brakes—precursors to the sophisticated systems in modern cars.

However, one notable omission was a reliable steering mechanism. This challenge led to the Motorwagen's unique three-wheeled design, sacrificing a second wheel for better maneuverability—a clever workaround that highlights Benz's resourcefulness.

Over five years, approximately 25 units of this pioneering vehicle were produced and sold. Unfortunately, none have survived, leaving us with only historical accounts and a replica at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. This reproduction stands as a testament to Benz's legacy and the ingenuity of early automotive pioneers.

As we reflect on this milestone, it's remarkable to consider how far automotive technology has evolved—from the three-wheeled marvels to the sleek, efficient machines of today. Here's to Carl Benz, the father of the gasoline engine and the man who ignited the spirit of motoring innovation. 🚗💨

#Science #Innovation #CarlBenz #AutomobileHistory #MercedesBenzMuseum

Researchers at EvolutionaryScale have utilized an advanced AI model, ESM3, to design a novel green fluorescent protein named esmGFP. This protein’s genetic sequence is only 58% similar to its closest known counterpart, indicating a significant divergence that would have taken over 500 million years to evolve naturally. This breakthrough not only showcases the potential of AI in accelerating molecular design but also opens avenues for advancements in medical research and biotechnology.

Otter Gang Wars in Singapore

In Singapore, rival otter clans are battling for territory in the city’s waterways. These intelligent animals form tight family groups, defending prime locations through dramatic chases and skirmishes. As their numbers grow, so does the competition. Who will dominate the otter underworld?

Watch Earth Live from the ISS – Now in 4K! 🌍🚀

The International Space Station (ISS) now offers a live 4K stream of breathtaking views of Earth! Perfect for a moment of meditation, the feed provides a stunning perspective from space.

The system includes three cameras:
🔹 A wide-angle view capturing Earth’s vast horizon.
🔹 A detailed view covering an area of 240×180 km.
🔹 A docking camera that monitors spacecraft arrivals and departures.

Since the ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes, the stream goes dark every 45 minutes when night falls. During these gaps or signal losses, previously recorded footage is played.

Tune in and experience our planet like never before! 🌌📡

At this very moment, somewhere in the world, robots are being trained to replace athletes. Their training is based on datasets from Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. 🚀🤖 #FutureOfSports #AI
@science

A Historic First: Russian Cosmonaut Defends Thesis from Space

For the first time in history, a Russian cosmonaut has successfully defended a scientific thesis from aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Hero of Russia Ivan Vagner presented his master’s dissertation remotely, with a live video feed shared by Alexey Komissarov, the rector of RANEPA. His research focused on improving the efficiency of government organizations, offering practical recommendations for optimization.

Wolves Respect Borders Better Than Humans? 🐺🗺️

This map shows GPS tracking data from wolves belonging to six different packs. The fascinating part? They strictly respect territorial boundaries—there’s almost no overlap between their ranges.

#science #ecology #wildlife

Crowd Movement Follows a Vortex Pattern, Physicists Find

Crowds don’t move chaotically—physicists from École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (France) have shown that large groups of people form rotating vortices instead.

The researchers analyzed crowd dynamics during the San Fermín festival in Spain, using balcony-mounted cameras and computational models. Unlike previous studies that treated crowds as clusters of individual agents, they modeled the crowd as a dense, fluid-like continuum.

As the crowd filled the square, it reached a critical density of 4 people per square meter, triggering the slow formation of overlapping vortices. When density rose to 9 people per square meter, new vortices appeared every 18 seconds. Interestingly, participants were likely unaware they were moving in circles.

🔗 Study in Nature

DARPA Plans to Build Structures Directly in Space

Instead of launching massive structures from Earth, DARPA’s NOM4D program aims to build them directly in orbit using advanced manufacturing. This could revolutionize space construction by eliminating launch constraints like weight and size.

- What will they build?
Large antennas, solar arrays, and reflectors—assembled or even printed in space.

This tech could lead to orbital factories and lunar bases, using materials from the Moon or asteroids. If successful, it’s a major step toward a true space economy.

🔗 More: The Debrief

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How Tears Dry

Tears are 98% water, with the remaining 2% containing salts, glucose, proteins, and lipids. As they evaporate, water disappears first, leaving behind tiny crystalline traces.

Interestingly, emotional tears contain more proteins than reflex tears (like from cutting onions), affecting how they dry. A little chemistry in every tear! 🔬💧

1914 Europe map

“Vacation-Style” Beaches on Mars?
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars, revealing evidence of “vacation-style” beaches with sand and waves. Using data from the Zhurong Mars rover, scientists identified hidden layers of rock under the planet’s surface, suggesting the presence of an ancient northern ocean. This finding offers the clearest evidence yet that Mars once had a significant body of water and a more habitable environment for life.
“We’re finding places on Mars that used to look like ancient beaches and ancient river deltas,” said Benjamin Cardenas, assistant professor of geology at Penn State. “We found evidence for wind, waves, no shortage of sand — a proper, vacation-style beach.”
The Zhurong rover’s ground-penetrating radar allowed scientists to explore the Martian subsurface, revealing formations similar to those found on Earth’s beaches. This discovery paints a picture of ancient habitable environments capable of supporting microbial life.
Read more about this fascinating discovery here: Penn State University Article

Dark Matter: Measured at Last! 🌌

For the first time, scientists directly measured the amount of dark matter in our part of the Milky Way! 🛸 Using pulsars—spinning cosmic lighthouses—they detected the faint gravitational pull of this invisible substance.

🔬 The result? Less than 1 kg of dark matter exists in a volume the size of Earth! 🤯 Even though dark matter dominates the universe, locally it’s incredibly sparse.

💡 This breakthrough helps us map dark matter in our galaxy, refine theories of gravity, and better understand the unseen forces shaping the cosmos. The invisible is becoming visible!

🚀 Metal Made in Space Lands on Earth for the First Time! 🌍✨

The European Space Agency (ESA) has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in space manufacturing! For the first time in history, a piece of metal produced in microgravity has been successfully returned to Earth.

This achievement is part of the ElectroMagnetic Levitator (EML) experiment, which studies the behavior of metals and alloys in space. In microgravity, materials can be created with properties that are impossible to achieve under Earth’s gravity, opening up new possibilities for advanced manufacturing.

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A view of Earth from the first privately-owned spacecraft to successfully land on the Moon in history.
On March 2, 2025, the Blue Ghost lander, developed by Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace, successfully landed in the Moon’s Mare Crisium region. This marks the first time a private spacecraft has achieved a fully successful lunar landing.