Wombat Poop Is Cube-shaped. Yes, You Read That Right! Wombats, The Australian Marsupials, Have Uniquely

Wombat poop is cube-shaped. Yes, you read that right! Wombats, the Australian marsupials, have uniquely shaped droppings.

The peculiar cube shape is thought to help prevent the poop from rolling away, allowing it to mark its territory more effectively. Scientists have even studied the structure of wombat feces for its potential application in manufacturing and construction!

Does a plane have a horn? Let's find out.

The use of horns in the air is not practical due to the vast distances and three-dimensional airspace involved in aviation. However, an aircraft still has a 'make some noise' button, at least something similar to traditional horns.

Airbus, it is your turn.

Chinese Company Makes Staff Run 2 Miles Daily to Get a Better Bonus

In a notable initiative to prioritize employee fitness, a Chinese company implemented a unique strategy by linking annual bonuses to employees' monthly running mileage. This innovative approach means that staff members are incentivized to cover approximately 62 miles each month in order to secure a higher bonus. This unconventional policy not only encourages physical activity among employees but also underscores the company's commitment to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in the workplace.

The first known online transaction took place in 1971 when students at Stanford University used the ARPANET (a precursor to the internet) to arrange the sale of a small amount of marijuana. The transaction was between students in the artificial intelligence lab at Stanford and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). However, it doesn't technically qualify as a transaction because no money was exchanged online; the network was solely used to coordinate a meeting place. So, what was the first thing ever sold online?

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft accomplished yet another historic communications achievement less than a month after successfully firing its “first light” laser data transmission. On December 11, the onboard Deep Space Optical Communications array’s flight laser transceiver sent an “ultra-high definition” video clip approximately 19 million miles (31 million kilometers, or about 80 times the Earth-Moon distance) back to Earth—a new record not just for transmission, but for cat videos, as well.

(via Taters the cat stars in first 'ultra-HD' video sent from deep space | Popular Science)

Starlink Satellites via astronycsc

Starlink refers to a satellite internet constellation project developed by SpaceX, the private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk. The goal of the Starlink project is to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service to underserved and remote areas around the world.

Starlink, as a satellite internet constellation, has raised concerns about its potential to cause visible optical interference or "satellite trails" in the night sky. This interference occurs when sunlight reflects off the satellites, making them visible as bright points of light moving across the sky.

The individual satellites in the Starlink constellation are equipped with solar panels and reflective surfaces, which can catch and reflect sunlight when they are in the dark part of the Earth but are still illuminated by the Sun. This can result in visible trails of light moving across the night sky.

Astronomers and astrophotographers have expressed concerns about the impact of these satellite trails on astronomical observations. The bright streaks created by the reflections can interfere with observations of celestial objects and may be particularly disruptive for long-exposure astrophotography.

SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, has acknowledged these concerns and has been actively working on mitigating the impact of satellite reflections on astronomical observations. They have been testing various solutions, including adjustments to the satellites' orientation, changes in the satellite design, and coatings to reduce reflectivity.

One attempt to address this issue involved the launch of a prototype satellite called "DarkSat" or "VisorSat." This satellite had experimental coatings to reduce its reflectivity and make it less visible from the Earth. However, the effectiveness of such measures is still under evaluation.