MUSICIANS
Playing a musical instrument can help to keep your brain
in shape in old age, researchers in Canada have found. The
effect is thought to be due to the fact that playing an
instrument requires many brain systems to work together.SARNIE-LOVING SPACEMEN
Bread is a no-no on the ISS because crumbs can wreak
havoc with delicate machinery. But now the German Bake
in Space project has produced a special dough that
produces crumb-free bread. Make mine a cheese and
pickle.MIND WANDERERS
Those who struggle to focus on the task in hand are less
likely to maintain perseverance and passion in their
long-term goals, researchers at the University of
Waterloo have found. Now, what was I just doing...?PRIESTS
Holy macaroni! German engineers have created a robot
priest. Dubbed BlessU-2, the bot can administer
blessings in five languages. It was built for an exhibition
about the history of the church, and is designed to spark
debate about its future.BAD MONTHGOOD MONTHDid life on Earth begin in the Sun?
Methyl isocyanate, a vital ingredient
for life that is involved in the
synthesis of the peptides and amino
acids that form proteins, has been
found in a region where infant, Sun-
like stars are being formed.
Molecules of methyl isocyanate
were detected in the multiple star
system IRAS 16293-2422 by two
teams of astronomers using the
ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/
submillimeter Array) telescope in
Atacama, Chile. IRAS 16293-2422
is a region of intense star-forming
activity that lies some 400 light-years
from Earth, in the constellation of
Ophiuchus. The compound’s unique
chemical fingerprint was detected in
dense inner regions of the cocoon of
dust and gas that surrounds very
young stars.
“These protostars are very similar
to the Sun at the beginning of its
lifetime, with the sort of conditions
that are well suited for Earth-sized
planets to form,” said researcher
Rafael Martín-Doméneach. “By
finding prebiotic molecules in this
study, we may now have another
piece of the puzzle in understanding
how life came about on our planet.”
Tantalisingly, the team’s
measurements suggest the
chemicals essential for life may be
found throughout the Universe.
“Our lab experiments show that
methyl isocyanate can be produced
on icy particles under very cold
conditions similar to those in
interstellar space,” said researcher
Niels Ligterink. “This implies that this
molecule is likely to be present near
most young solar-type stars.”KEY INGREDIENT
FOR LIFE FOUND
AROUND INFANT
STARS
Methyl isocyanate is an
essential precursor to life- and may be a by-product of
star formation
SPACE