Technologies

Astronomers have 12 new tools to study dark matter mysteries

A dozen stellar streams have entered the chat.

Studying dark matter is complicated. In reality, the best way to think about the phenomenon is as transparent matter. We can’t seem to see it, and it doesn’t interact with light, so essentially, it’s invisible to us.

But scientists haven’t backed down from the challenge. To date, they’ve come up with numerous unique ways to unveil the elusive stuff, as well as theories to explain it — and in a paper published Tuesday in the Astrophysical Journal, a team of experts just added several new tools to the dark matter quest’s arsenal.

They discovered a dozen never-before-seen stellar streams, or sparkly, yet pulverized, remnants of ancient dwarf galaxies and star clusters orbiting the Milky Way. For eons, the Milky Way’s gravitational pull has been disrupting such river-like structures’ paths and eventually forcing them to merge with it.

In other words, our home galaxy has been feasting on its neighboring cosmic cul-de-sacs as though they’re well-placed buffets. «As our galaxy is getting older, it is getting fatter,» Ting Li, a professor at the University of Toronto and lead author of the paper, said in a statement. «This study gives us a snapshot of the Milky Way’s feeding habits, such as what kinds of smaller stellar systems it ‘eats.'»

So, where does dark matter tie in?

Well, stellar streams offer a roundaboutway of deriving information of the universe’s hidden building blocks by providing adjacent clues. For instance, astronomers can measure the streams’ orbital speed, rotation trajectory, chemical composition and shape to see what isn’t present.

«Think of a Christmas tree,» Geraint F. Lewis, a professor at the University of Sydney and author of the paper, said in a statement. «On a dark night, we see the Christmas lights, but not the tree they are wrapped around. But the shape of the lights reveals the shape of the tree. It is the same with stellar streams — their orbits reveal the dark matter.»

The logic is fitting, as the only reason we even know dark matter and dark energy exists is due to a sort of indirect reasoning: According to scientists’ calculations, all the universe’s normal matter can’t explain how most galaxies are held together and all the universe’s normal energy can’t account for it’s continuous expansion. We call the missing piece of the expansion puzzle dark energy, and of the structure puzzle, dark matter.

As per the team, the more stellar streams we can find, the closer we may be to understanding the nature of the universe’s mysterious side. In fact, that’s part of why Li and collaborators initiated a program called the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey to dedicate themselves to locating as many as possible. Along with data from the European Gaia mission — which aims to chart an ambitious 3D map of our galaxy — that’s how the research team found the new, promising stellar streams.

Further down the line, Li said, stellar streams may prove critical in figuring out how the Milky Way came to be in the first place, after the Big Bang. «For me, this is one of the most intriguing questions, a question about our ultimate origins,» Li said.

Technologies

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

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Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.