🖖 ...Is That a Hand in Space?

Good morning. It’s been a week of awe and discovery. Astronomers have captured a breathtaking new image of a nebula shaped like a giant hand reaching through space, deepening the mysteries of our universe.

And in the fight against Alzheimer’s, scientists have confirmed that a tiny protein can dismantle the toxic clumps linked to the disease, offering new hope for future treatments.

—Stephanie S

Astronomers have unveiled a stunning new image of the nebula MSH 15-52, which appears to show a giant hand reaching through space. This cosmic structure is powered by a pulsar, the dense remnant of an exploded star, located about 17,000 light-years from Earth.

The image combines X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra Observatory with new radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array, revealing unprecedented detail and color.

Researchers are intrigued by the nebula’s sharp X-ray boundary, which lacks the expected radio signal, deepening the mystery of this celestial phenomenon.

Further study is needed to understand the complex relationship between the pulsar and the surrounding supernova debris.

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered that the protein midkine can prevent the toxic clumping of amyloid beta, a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease.

Their research shows midkine stops amyloid beta from forming harmful assemblies in the brain, offering new hope for treatment strategies.

This breakthrough could lead to drugs that mimic midkine’s protective effects, potentially slowing or preventing Alzheimer’s progression.

The findings mark a promising step forward in the fight against dementia.

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We’re at 960,406 letters and need your help to hit 1 million, sign up today to make a lasting difference!

The world’s largest solar telescope in Hawaii has captured the most explicit images ever of a solar flare, revealing details never seen before. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope imaged coronal loops within a flare four times the size of Earth, with some loops as narrow as 13 miles.

These findings could reshape our understanding of the Sun’s magnetic structure and help improve space weather forecasting.

It’s a breakthrough that lets scientists see the Sun’s “forest” as individual “trees,” opening new realms for solar research.

Happy 73rd Birthday to Medea Benjamin, one of America’s leading peace activists. As the co-founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace, she has spent decades challenging U.S. wars, drone strikes, and foreign regime-change policies, regardless of which political party held power. She also founded Global Exchange, a pioneering fair trade organization.

Benjamin’s activism has taken her to war zones and protests worldwide, from creating the Occupation Watch Center in Baghdad to leading delegations in Pakistan against U.S. drone strikes. Honored with the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize and the Gandhi Peace Award, she remains a fearless and consistent voice for peace and justice.

Other notable September 10 events:

1823: Simón Bolívar was named President of Peru.

1960: Mickey Mantle hit baseball’s longest home run—an estimated 643 feet.

1991: Nirvana released Smells Like Teen Spirit, launching grunge into the mainstream.

2008: The Large Hadron Collider was powered up in Switzerland, beginning the world’s largest physics experiment.

🌊 Colorado: Botanic gardens across nine countries competed in Denver to see whose giant water lily pads could hold the most weight.

🚔 Pennsylvania: A Pittsburgh police officer bought a train ticket for a stranded deaf man who lost his bus, luggage, and cash, helping him get home safely.

🪐 International: Astronomers have discovered a rare quadruple star system containing not one, but two elusive brown dwarfs orbiting a pair of red dwarf stars.

🪨 Taiwan: A Dutch design firm has created new tourist infrastructure at Jialeshui Geopark that blends seamlessly into the natural rock formations.

🚲 USA: After a Kansas teen unknowingly bought a stolen dirt bike with money he earned all summer, the rightful owner started a fundraiser to reward his hard work and help him get a new one.

— George Bernard Shaw

Each day unfolds with new wonders and bright reminders of life’s beauty. Here are five reasons today is an incredible time to be alive.

👂 AI Translators: AI-powered hearing aids (and soon, the new AirPods) can now translate languages in real time, enabling smoother conversations.

🧠 Memory Advances: New Alzheimer’s treatments are slowing progression, giving patients and families more quality time together.

🌽 Better Crops: Bioengineered crops are reducing pesticide use while improving yields and nutritional content.

🌬️ Offshore Power: Ocean-based wind farms are providing clean energy to millions of homes with minimal land use.

📱 Accessible Devices: Inclusive tech design is making smartphones more straightforward to use for seniors and people with disabilities.

At Oxford, scientists have developed a bee superfood that helps hives stay strong for months, even through tough conditions. With pollinators under pressure worldwide, this breakthrough could be a sweet lifeline for our buzzing friends.

👉 Catch this, along with other wild discoveries and bright ideas, in this week’s episode of Good News To Go.

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