plants reach space

Plants reach Space as scientists study growth in orbit

ByJustpaste.in

Green plants have now made their way to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir who is commanding Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station has shared pictures of the plants on social media platform X.

Jessica Meir said that the Expedition 75 crew has welcomed some new members and they are none other than Russian plants. She explained that the plants include Red Russian kale and wasabi mustard. The crew members are taking care of the plants during their free time.

The astronaut explained that the purpose of the experiment is to understand how plants grow in the open cabin environment of the International Space Station compared with their natural environment.

The research also aims to examine how storing seeds in orbit affects their viability or ability to successfully grow. Jessica Meir added that having plants aboard the spacecraft feels like a form of “nature therapy.”

Similar Posts

  • Pakistan: A Laboratory That Refuses to Learn

    ByJustpaste.in

    By Ali Hiader Pakistan has gradually become a testing ground for government projects. Governments experiment with massive infrastructure projects costing billions, and when the results fall short of expectations, another project of the exact same nature is launched. The tragedy is that while other countries may well be learning from Pakistan’s experiments, we have completely failed to learn from them. Punjab’s public transport system serves as a clear example of this. Currently, there are three major metro bus projects operating in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan, while two additional projects are under construction in Faisalabad and Gujranwala. The total length of the existing metro bus routes is approximately 70 kilometers, served by around 167 buses. In Lahore, a city with a population of nearly 20 million, only 66 buses operate along a 27-kilometer route; this indicates that a substantial amount of public funds have been allocated to cover only a limited area. It is also essential to consider the cost of these projects. Approximately 30 billion rupees were spent on the Lahore Metro Bus project, around 38 billion rupees on the Rawalpindi Metro Bus, and about 29 billion rupees on the Multan Metro Bus; thus, the total cost … is approximately 97 billion rupees. However, the matter does not end there. Subsequently, Lahore was gifted another major transport project—the Orange Line Metro Train—with a total cost of approximately 300 billion rupees. The issue is not that governments are making a mistake by investing in public transport; public transport is indispensable in expanding cities and can play a vital role in improving the mobility of ordinary citizens. The real question is whether a developing country like Pakistan can afford a transport system that requires the government to provide massive annual subsidies for its operation. According to reported figures, Punjab’s three Metro Bus projects collectively require an annual subsidy of approximately Rs 21 billion, while the Orange Line Metro Train also requires annual government financial support. This means that, even years after the initial construction costs were paid, taxpayers continue to bear the expenses of these projects. Meanwhile, passengers still face issues such as overcrowding, long wait times, and limited service capacity. The Punjab government’s new green electric bus project merits attention from a different reason. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s administration has proposed a plan to deploy 5,000 electric buses across Punjab over five years at an estimated total cost of PKR 300 billion. While this cost is relatively lower than that of Lahore’s existing Metro Bus and Orange Line Train systems, the project offers the added advantage of not requiring heavy infrastructure—such as dedicated metro corridors or rail networks; existing roads and bus stops suffice, and operations are far more flexible than current public transport systems. A driver and a conductor are all that is needed to operate a bus. Most importantly, electric buses can provide public transport services to a vast population with relatively low infrastructure costs. In principle, this model is particularly well-suited to a province where millions of citizens still lack access to reliable public transport.However, Punjab has previously experimented with conventional bus-based public transport; projects like the Speedo service and BUSCO were launched in Lahore and its surrounding areas with similar objectives. The BUSCO project, in particular, ultimately became a prime example of how a public welfare system can shut down when governments fail to plan for the long-term management of public assets. Today, these buses lie in a state of ruin, whereas they could have been properly sold, relocated, or repurposed. This is precisely why the Green Bus project requires a different financial model. For developing countries like Pakistan, it is extremely difficult to sustain public amenities that rely on perpetual subsidies. Whenever the government faces a financial crisis or a shortage of funds, these buses will eventually end up as nothing more than wrecks. A transport system that cannot survive without billions of rupees in annual government aid is, at its core, a weak system. To ensure that the project runs effectively, it is essential to operate it on a “no-profit, no-loss” basis so that it remains sustainable for years to come. Fares should be structured so that, following the initial government investment, the system can at least cover its own operating, repair, and maintenance costs, as well as the expense of future bus replacements. While it is acceptable for the government not to make a profit, it must avoid creating a system that requires billions of rupees in annual subsidies merely to remain operational.At the same time, the number of buses must be sufficient for public transport to truly serve as an alternative to private vehicles. Currently, passengers face severe overcrowding, long waits, and uncomfortable journeys. If traveling by government bus means enduring extreme overcrowding, public transport cannot persuade people to leave their motorcycles and cars at home.Kasur serves as a prime example of this situation. The Kasur district, with a population of approximately 3.8 million, has received only 12 ‘Green Buses’ so far—buses that are smaller than those operating in Lahore. Yet, for a population of this size, the number of buses should have been far greater. If the government genuinely wants people to prioritize public transport, it must increase the fleet size to a level where passengers can travel in comfort and dignity, rather than having to grapple with one another just to secure a spot on a bus.Punjab now has the opportunity to learn from its past. Instead of viewing every public transport project merely as an occasion for inauguration or a publicity stunt, Maryam Nawaz should focus on its long-term sustainability. The true measure of a project’s success is not how impressive it looks on the day of its inauguration, but rather how effective, affordable, and financially sustainable it remains even ten or twenty years down the line.Punjab certainly needs better public transport. However, the province requires systems that prioritize sustainability, accessibility, and public convenience over political symbols. The government should undertake fewer projects that remain perpetually dependent on taxpayers’

  • Health benefits of plant compounds

    ByJustpaste.in

    Eating more plant based foods may benefit several areas of health including digestion the immune system metabolism and heart health. New research is helping scientists understand how foods from plants interact with the bacteria in our gut and influence the way our body processes nutrients. Gut bacteria play an important role One important reason plant based foods may be beneficial is their effect on the gut microbiome the large community of bacteria living in the digestive system. Dietary fiber is especially important. Gut bacteria break down fiber and turn it into different compounds that can affect the body in various ways. Plant chemicals may also help Plants contain natural chemicals called phytochemicals. These compounds help plants protect themselves from environmental stress.  When people eat plant foods these chemicals may also have different effects inside the body. What did the new studies find? Two studies led by researchers associated with Princeton University provided new information about the connection between diet, gut bacteria and metabolism.  One study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences while the other appeared in Nature Metabolism. The first study found that plant based fiber and certain plant proteins can change how gut bacteria process nutrients.  These changes may increase some helpful metabolic compounds while reducing certain potentially harmful ones. The second study found that some metabolic compounds previously thought to be produced mainly by gut bacteria can also be made in significant amounts by mammals themselves. Why this research matters Researchers are increasingly interested in using the gut microbiome and the compounds it produces to improve health.  However scientists first need to understand exactly how different parts of our diet affect specific gut bacteria and the substances they produce. Future health benefits These findings could eventually help researchers develop better dietary strategies and treatments aimed at supporting a healthy gut microbiome. In the future this may make it possible to use food choices more effectively to encourage the production of beneficial compounds in the body.

  • Man returns book He stole 40 years ago

    ByJustpaste.in

    A US bookstore staff was left surprised when a package arrived containing a book that had been stolen from the store nearly 40 years ago. The package also included an apology letter and $100 in cash as compensation. The package was recently delivered to Bookleggers, a bookstore in Old Town Eureka, California. When the staff opened it, they found a copy of The Unstrung Harp. The letter explained that the sender had stolen the book from the store about four decades ago.  He said he was a student at the time and was struggling with alcohol addiction and financial problems. He also wrote that he found the book recently while cleaning out his garage. After discovering that the bookstore was still operating he decided to return the book and apologize for what he had done. The man included $100 with the book and told the store owners they could contact him if they wanted to take any further action. Bookstore owner Jennifer McPhaiden said she and her staff were deeply touched by the letter. She said it was surprising to see someone return after so many years to admit their mistake and try to make things right.

  • |

    An alien planet

    ByJustpaste.in

    Imagine living on a world where the start of the day and the end of the day aren’t just different times, but entirely different environments. On one horizon, morning arrives in a chilly mist where vaporized rocks might condense into glittering, mineral clouds. On the opposite horizon, evening sets in as a roaring, hyper-heated furnace hot enough to shred water molecules into raw hydrogen and oxygen. This isn’t sci-fi world-building, it is the reality of WASP-121 b, an extreme exoplanet located roughly 850 light-years from Earth. Astronomers analyzing data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have uncovered unprecedented details about this distant world, proving for the first time that its morning and evening twilight zones are fundamentally different from one another. A World Locked in Perpetual Extremes WASP-121 b belongs to a class of cosmic objects known as hot Jupiters: giant gas planets that orbit extraordinarily close to their parent stars. Because of this extreme proximity, the planet is tidally locked. Just as the Moon always presents the same face to Earth, WASP-121 b always presents the exact same hemisphere to its star. One side endures an unrelenting, eternal day with scorching temperatures topping 2,500 degrees Celsius (4,500 degrees Fahrenheit). The opposite side faces permanent night, staring into cold space. For years, astrophysicists hypothesized that the narrow transition zones between day and night. The planet’s terminators might harbor complex, asymmetrical weather patterns. However, confirming this required measuring subtle variations in starlight as the planet passed in front of its star. How Jet Streams Reshape Alien Skies Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), researchers tracked how starlight filtered through different parts of WASP-121 b’s atmosphere. The findings revealed a dramatic contrast between the morning transition and the evening transition. The driver behind this strange weather is a planetary-scale jet stream. Superheated air on the dayside doesn’t stay still; it rushes toward the cooler nightside at extreme speeds. Because the planet rotates toward the east, these violent winds carry thermal energy around the globe and dump the bulk of that heat directly into the evening region. As a result, WASP-121 b’s evening atmosphere grows significantly hotter than its morning counterpart. Heat causes gases to expand, puffing up the evening sky like a inflated balloon. When starlight filters through this swollen atmospheric layer, it reveals an environment so fierce that water molecules cannot survive intact. Clouds of Metal and Torn Molecules In the searing furnace of the evening sky, chemical bonds break. Water vapor brought in from the dayside is torn apart by the heat, leaving behind a sky depleted of chemical stability. As those same winds continue their journey around the cold nightside, the atmosphere gradually cools down. By the time the air sweeps around to form the morning twilight, the story flips. Here, temperatures drop enough for chemical compounds to reassemble. Scientists suspect that in this cooler morning zone, minerals such as silicates condense out of the gas phase. Instead of water clouds like those on Earth, WASP-121 b’s morning sky likely features reflective clouds made of liquid rock or iron droplets. These metallic clouds block radiation from deeper layers, making the morning side appear even cooler to space observatories. A New Era of Exoplanet Meteorology Until recently, studying alien worlds meant treating entire planets as single, uniform points of light. This discovery demonstrates that modern space telescopes can resolve climate dynamics across distinct regions of a world hundreds of light-years away.   By capturing the contrast between a planet’s morning and evening, astronomers are moving from simply discovering exoplanets to mapping their active weather systems. WASP-121 b may be far too hostile for life as we know it, but understanding its violent atmospheric currents brings us one step closer to reading the skies of smaller, cooler, and potentially habitable worlds in the future.

  • | | |

    Pakistan imposes new restrictions on foreign media

    ByJustpaste.in

    Pakistani authorities have exposed regulatory measures governing foreign media operations in the country. The strategy has triggered an alarm among press freedom advocates, legal observers, and media personnel. Under the newly issued Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines, journalists representing international organizations will no longer be permitted to travel or cover news events outside three major metropolitan hubs without explicit prior authorization from the government. The regulations come at a delicate juncture marked by escalating political instability, public demonstrations, and security crackdowns across key regions including recent demonstrations connected to heightened tensions in Kashmir and subsequent enforcement actions in urban centers like Lahore. Critics argue that by constraining the scope of international newsgathering precisely when accurate coverage is most vital, the state risks deepening information voids and exacerbating the spread of unverified claims. Key Requirements of the New Media Framework Administered through the External Publicity Wing of Pakistan’s Ministry of Information, the updated regulatory policy establishes procedural hurdles for international news agencies. Foreign correspondents, local staff, contributors, and freelance journalists working for international outlets must secure an official No Objection Certificate (NOC) before traveling to conduct reporting assignments outside Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. Regions requiring prior approval now explicitly cover all provincial territories, sensitive border zones, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The framework provides no defined processing timeframe for NOC applications, leaving reporting teams facing unpredictable delays and potential administrative holds. The Ministry reserves the authority to suspend or revoke official media accreditation if reporting is judged to run counter to the country’s national sovereignty, ideology, or public safety phrasing that legal analysts describe as intentionally open-ended. Backlash from Analysts and Rights Groups The enactment of these guidelines has drawn sharp rebuke from political commentators, civil society organizations, and international press watchdogs, who view the move as part of a systematic contraction of independent journalism within the country. Former senator and political commentator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar highlighted the grave consequences of curtailing foreign news organizations, warning that restricting legitimate press operations ultimately undermines public trust. These guidelines are tantamount to choking international media in an increasingly shrinking space, Khokhar noted, emphasizing the vital role global news outlets play when local media environments face structural pressure. The public looks at the international media for independent reporting. Placing restrictions simply creates more room for disinformation and the spread of fake news.   Rights groups including the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and international watchdogs have echoed these concerns. They’re pointing out that advance the requirement of government permission for routine reporting effectively grants authorities veto power over what news reaches the global audience. Broader Context of Press Freedom in Pakistan Pakistan’s media environment has historically operated in a complex space balancing constitutional guarantees of free speech against national security laws. However, media analysts note that state oversight of both traditional print/broadcast journalism and online digital spaces has tightened significantly in recent years. The introduction of the new foreign media guidelines coincides with broader legislative shifts aimed at regulating online speech and social media platforms. Observers express concern that administrative barriers, combined with strict digital laws, could leave remote or politically sensitive areas completely cut off from independent news coverage. By limiting foreign journalists’ mobility primarily to the capital and two largest economic centers, field reporting from rural regions, border zones, and conflict-affected territories will become exceptionally difficult to conduct legally. Implications for International Coverage As international newsrooms adapt to the new framework, news gathering strategies across South Asia are likely to face operational friction. Bureau chiefs and correspondents report that unpredictable NOC processing times make time-sensitive breaking news coverage outside major cities nearly impossible to guarantee.   Without direct on-the-ground access for independent journalists, global news consumers may increasingly have to rely on official statements or unverified social media updates during crises. For a country navigating complex domestic politics and delicate international relations, press freedom advocates warn that restricting the lens through which the world views Pakistan could backfire, isolating the nation’s political discourse and fostering an environment where misinformation thrives unchecked.

  • Stray dogs in Turbat raise public safety concerns

    ByJustpaste.in

    From Muzzamil Karim To, The editorial team Stary Dogs in Turbat Respected Sir, Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to highlight the serious issue of stary dogs in Turbat. There are many dogs on the street. Recently, a boy in my street was bitten on his leg. Now parents are afraid to send their children to outside. According to a health officials, report, six people died of rabies. Mostly, they attacks on children and old people. When they bites, they can spared deadly rabies without quick medical care. Even people feel scared to walk outside early in the morning or late at night. Stary dogs roam the streets and enters home whenever they can. The government must take serious action to address this issue.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *