Cannabis skunk
California researchers have identified the molecule responsible for the “skunk” odor in cannabis. By dissecting the chemical profiles of 13 species of marijuana, they concluded that the smell comes from a sulfur-based compound never seen in nature until now, which is a cousin of the compound that gives the aroma to garlic. Chemists at chemicals company Abstrax Tech, who smelled the 13 samples for flavorists to achieve their ends, believe the discovery could lead to applications in plant production of certain chemicals.
Quiz
What have Israeli archaeologists found on two 2,700-year-old Hebrew altars?
PHOTO FROM THE ISRAEL MUSEUM SITE
Tel Arad
Responnse
Cannabis. Frankincense and marijuana residue were found on two altars of a mausoleum in the ruins of Tel Arad, south of Jerusalem. This mausoleum had been built according to plans similar to those of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem, but 300 years later, in the VIIIe century BC. This is the first time that evidence of cannabis use in ancient Jewish rites has come to light.
The number
50%
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MCGILL UNIVERSITY
The bottom of the St. Lawrence estuary
It is the decrease in the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the bottom of the St.Lawrence Estuary, according to a team from McGill University which has been studying the subject for years. Biologists had already shown a decrease of 50% between 1934 and 1985, then a plateau of 35 years, before noting the current decrease. The oxygen level is now below 10%, which threatens the survival of some fish, including cod. The cause of this decrease is still unknown, but could be linked to climate change and its effect on ocean currents. The news was released in a press release and comes from samples taken last October.
The hippopotamus rocket
IMAGE PROVIDED BY ROCKET LAB
Artist’s impression of the deployment of a satellite by Neutron
The New Zealand firm Rocket Lab, specializing in the launch of small payloads, has just unveiled a prototype reusable cone rocket, which should fly for the first time in 2024. Normally, the rocket cones, which protect the satellites during launch, are lost during deployment. The rocket cone Neutron opens like a flower, or like the mouth of a “hungry hippo,” according to Rocket Lab, and stays attached to the reusable rocket.
Mines on the Moon
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NASA AND ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Reiner gamma
NASA has given a Houston company the contract to explore an area of the Moon believed to be rich in minerals. Intuitive Machines will send a probe in 2024 to examine Reiner Gamma, a highly magnetized area of the Moon with a vortex-shaped spot nearly 50 km in diameter. Intuitive Machines has already signed two contracts with NASA for probes that will land on the moon in 2022 and 2023.