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Bionic technology
A new bionic technology has given amputees new hope to feel warmth and cold again in their phantom hands or limbs. The technology was developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. When sensors are placed onto the skin of the residual limb, amputees can feel hot or cold sensations in their phantom hands and fingers and have been able to differentiate between plastic, glass and copper. This technology does not need to be implanted. It has undergone testing for more than two years now. The research team says the next step would be to test the device on a larger scale before combining it with other technologies to improve tactile sensations for amputees.
Deep sea discovery
China has announced the discovery of two major shipwreck sites at a depth of 1,000 meters underwater in the northwest slope of the South China Sea. The sites were discovered in October 2022, using the Deep Sea Warrior manned submersible and the Exploration One ship. One shipwreck site contains a vast collection of porcelain artifacts, dating back to the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It covers an area of over 10-thousand square meters on the seabed. The second shipwreck contains well-preserved timber, which was likely amongst goods transported to China. Scientists are planning to carry out archaeological excursions in the next year.
Axiom Mission 2
U.S. space company SpaceX has launched another crew of private astronauts to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule carrying the four-member crew blasted off from the Kennedy Space Station last Saturday. The crew include two Americans, and two mission specialists from Saudi Arabia. They are scheduled to spend about eight days in the space station, performing over 20 science and technology experiments in areas such as human physiology and physical sciences. The mission, code-named Ax-2, is Axiom Space’s second all-private astronaut mission following the first mission in 2022.
New York is sinking
Scientists have warned the combined weight of New York City’s buildings is causing the metropolis to sink. They estimate the mass of the 1.08 million buildings within the city equals around 762 billion kilograms. The weight poses greater inundation challenges for the city as sea levels rise caused by climate change. Scientists warn the change in New York is about 1 to 2 millimeters a year. They say every millimeter of subsidence is equivalent to moving a year ahead in time when it comes to rising sea levels.
