Minuscule traces of metal from space junk that's designed to be disposable are invisibly polluting the Earth's atmosphere, a new study has found. In recent times, spacecrafts launched into space have been designed so that they fall out of orbit and fall back down to Earth after their intended use. So instead of the materials crashing on land, they can burn up in the upper atmosphere. Although the debris of rockets and satellites burn up when re-entering the planet's atmosphere, the consequences of metal vapour being left behind currently remain unknown. But given the amount of space exploration taking place, the amount of metal vapour is expected to rise in the years to come. Physicist Daniel Murphy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has led a team of researchers to investigate what effects this metal vapour could have as well as its impact over time and this study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as per Science Alert. He listed "iron, silicon, and magnesium from the natural meteoric source" as the current refractory material in stratospheric particular. Murphy has warned how this composition could be affected by the metal vapour from space junk. "However, the amount of material from the reentry of upper-stage rockets and satellites is projected to increase dramatically in the next 10 to 30 years," he wrote. "As a result, the amount of aluminum in stratospheric sulfuric acid particles is expected to become comparable to or even exceed the amount of meteoric iron, with unknown consequences for inclusions and ice nucleation." To find out if metal vapour remained, Murphy and his team took and analyzed 500,000 stratospheric aerosol droplet samples to see if they had traces of spacecraft metals. Aerosols contain sulfuric acid droplets made from the oxidation of the carbonyl sulfide gas and in the atmosphere, this can appear naturally or as a pollutant. Metal and silicon traces can be found in these droplets too, acquired from meteors which vaporize upon atmospheric entry. Around 20 metals were discovered from this research, and while some metals had similar ratios to the vaporizing meteors, other metals such as lithium, aluminium, copper, and lead exceeded the anticipated amounts. Particles from vaporized spacecraft were found in 10 per cent of stratospheric aerosols over a certain size while other common spacecraft metals such as niobium and hafnium were also present. Consequently, these traces of spacecraft particles could affect how water freezes into ice in the stratosphere, and stratospheric aerosol particles could change in size. Due to more space exploration planned in an "era of rapid growth" for the industry, the researchers predict "the percentage of stratospheric sulfuric acid particles that contain aluminum and other metals from satellite reentry will be comparable to the roughly 50 per cent that now contain meteoric metals." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Police in Allen, Texas found two parents and their two children dead after an apparent murder suicide just weeks after a third child — the daughter of the family — drowned, according to police. On Tuesday, police found Farman Sherwani, his wife Layla Sherwani, and their sons Mateen Sherwani, two, and Shaheen Sherwani, 12, dead after conducting a welfare check at the house, according to NBC News. Police then learned from the Islamic Association of Allen — the group that identified the bodies — that the family had lost a four-year-old girl to drowning just three weeks before the apparent murder-suicide. Jonathan Maness of the Allen Police Department told NBC News in an email that the child's drowning "is believed to be a factor" that lead to the tragedy. Police were called out to the house after another resident found themselves locked out for two hours and could not contact the others inside. "After other family members arrived at the house, police gained access and found four people dead," the police department said in a statement. The Islamic Association of Allen held a prayer vigil for the family on Tuesday, which was highly attended by mourning community members. "We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of four family members," the association said in a statement. The centre's leader, Abdul Rahman Bashir, said it had been a "very heavy day" for his community. "Waking up to the news of losing a four member family all of a sudden is not something that anyone can be prepared for, family members or let alone anyone in the community, so it's been a very heavy day for everyone in the community," he told NBC Dallas Fort Worth. He said he was aware that the family had recently lost a daughter to drowning. "As the father of three children myself, it's something very hard to digest and grapple with the gravity of the situation, what the family may have been going through," he said. "We just continue to encourage the community to be there for each other during this time of sorrow and grief and we also encourage the community to cherish their family members and the moments that they have and be cognizant of the uncertainty of life." Neighbours expressed their condolences for the family to the broadcaster. "It was just really sad and hard and all of us felt for the family as we were watching them mourn in the front yard," Jacqueline Soto, a neighbour who lives across the street from the residence, said. Allen Independent School District sent a letter to parents announcing that a fifth grader at the school had died. The school confirmed to the broadcaster that the letter was related to the ongoing investigation, and said it was making counseling available for students. Read More A fourth person has died in a problem-plagued jail in Atlanta over the span of a month Two teenagers found guilty of murdering man over his drunken antics on bus Teen arrested in fatal shooting of 16-year-old during Oklahoma high school football game

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People on TikTok are hating on “pink and grey” dorm room aesthetics after a video went viral, and here’s why. Moving into your room and decorating it to your taste is one of the most exciting moments of a young person’s time at university. But, according to a viral TikTok, your choice can communicate a lot about you to the people you are meeting for the first time. A clip that was shared by @abigailand_ and has been viewed 8.5 million mocked her sister, who is freshman at college, for choosing a pink and grey colour scheme for her dorm room. Text overlaying the clip read: “Watching my college freshman sister pick out pink and gray for her dorm room colors (I can’t interfere it’s a canon event).” The term “canon event” on TikTok refers to an event from your past, typically embarrassing or bad, that helps shape the person you become. The clip showed her sister sitting among her items such as cushions, bedding and even Tupperware in the pink and grey scheme. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter @abigailand_ According to comments on the post, the pink and grey colour scheme is the choice of a “basic” person, as people argue that loads of girls decorate their dorm in the same way. Some have previously said it is similar to the way lots of young men have navy blue bed sheets. The pink and grey dorm interior has been referred to for years, with one tweet from 2020 reading: “Are there any incoming college freshmen who AREN’T doing pink and gray themed dorm rooms lol” Another suggested: “Fun drinking game: take a shot every time you see a pink/grey themed dorm room.” According to TikTok, having a pink and grey dorm room is a right of passage for many girls and the trend apparently shows no sign of slowing down. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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