A major new exhibition is opening at London’s V&A Museum to honor and celebrate the life and iconic designs, as well as many more lesser-known creations by famed French designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Scientists have gathered a significant chunk of a distant asteroid, which has made its way to Earth after a mission taking millions of miles. But the really useful work will begin now. Nasa’s Osiris-Rex mission flew to the distant Asteroid Bennu, scooped up a piece of the object into a canister, and then flew back to Earth to drop it off. On Sunday, Nasa picked up that canister in the Utah desert and is now working to secure it. It will then send those samples to a variety of scientists around the world, with a chunk of it being sent to more than 200 people at 38 different institutions across the world. They hope that they can use them as a “time capsule” to peer into the early universe, telling us about where we came from. “This box when it is opened of material from the surface of Bennu can tell us untold secrets of the origins of the universe, the origins of our planet and the origins of life itself,” said Queen musician Brian May, who helped with the research by mapping out the asteroid to find a landing spot. “What an incredibly exciting day.” Sample return missions are particularly exciting to scientists because they offer a look at a pristine piece of a distant world that has been undisturbed by the environment on Earth. While some pieces of asteroids and other objects can fall down to Earth, they have to make their way through the atmosphere and can be damaged and changed in the process. They also mean that researchers are able to use all of the Earth’s latest technology to study the sample. Other pieces of distant worlds have of course been studied by spacecraft and landers, but they are only able to do so with the limited instruments they take to those planets. Another advantage of sample return missions over studying the objects at their home is that scientists can look back at those samples with new sensors and equipment invented long after the sample was actually taken. Many space missions continue for years – Curiosity is still examining Mars after arriving there in 2012, and the Voyager probes are still providing information almost 50 years after they were launched – but they are only able to do so with the technology that was available when they set off. The analysis done in sample return missions really begins when the spacecraft arrives at its target: then, it starts looking at the context of the sample, gathering information about the world from which it came that should prove useful to scientists later. Osiris-Rex arrived at Bennu in 2018, and spent two years mapping the asteroid before it set off back home with its delivery. All of that information in addition to the samples could help answer a variety of questions about our planet, scientists hope. “The asteroids in our solar system contain the raw building blocks from which the Earth was made, so working out their composition will tell us a lot of how our planet formed,” said Boris Gansicke from the department of physics at the University of Warwick. “There are many open questions, for instance, where did the water that we have on Earth come from? And where did the ingredients that made life possible to develop come from? “To answer those questions, ie measure the composition of an asteroid, you need to get your ‘hands’ on them (or in this case the arm of a space mission), and this is what Osiris-Rex achieved. “In a nutshell, it’s similar to sitting in front of a delicious dinner and wanting to have the list of ingredients.” Sample return missions are almost as old as space travel itself, and the first of them were the early Apollo missions, which brought back pieces of the Moon. Those continue to be useful to scientists. Since then, as human travel into space has declined, most of the work has been done by robots. In the early 1970s, the Soviet Union’s Luna missions gathered pieces of the Moon and brought them back, and in 2020 Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission brought back pieces of the asteroid Ryugu. Scientists have high hopes for future missions: perhaps the most discussed is a mission to Mars, which would bring back the first ever pieces of that planet. Engineers have suggested that for decades, and a number of plans have been formed, but none are likely to launch any time soon. Read More Nasa spots shocking number of galaxies like our own Nasa lands Bennu asteroid samples back on Earth Nasa just delivered a piece of a distant asteroid to Earth Pieces of a distant asteroid are about to fall to Earth Nasa to return largest asteroid sample ever as UK helps with research Massive solar flare strikes Nasa spacecraft sent to study Sun

HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 4, 2023--

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is nearing a return to the major leagues after beating stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.Chicago White Sox's Liam Hendriks is the feel-good story of the year.After being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hendriks began treatment in early Januar...

More and more men are embracing statement jewellery and wearing engagement rings, according to industry insiders. The trend isn’t exactly brand new. For example, back in 2009, American singer, actress and TV host Jennifer Hudson decided to propose back to her then partner, American actor David Otunga – getting down on one knee with a ring in hand, five months after he’d first popped the question to her on her 27th birthday. Later, singer Michael Bublé sported an engagement ring after he and Luisana Loreley Lopilato de la Torre got engaged, telling fans it was usual that “the boy also wears the engagement ring” in Argentina, where his now wife is from. Former American footballer Osi Umenyiora was another male celeb spotted wearing an engagement ring, among others. Attitudes are shifting For Arabel Lebrusan, founder and designer at ethical jewellery designer brand Lebrusan Studio, the margins for ‘bridal’ jewellery customs are shifting, largely in line with our evolving understanding of gender roles and identity. “But what makes the current demand difficult to define by concrete statistics is the difference in the language used to refer to engagement rings for men versus engagement rings for women, with men’s engagement rings often discussed in more ambiguous terms,” Lebrusan told PA Media.“Western tradition has assigned engagement rings primarily to women for centuries, but a greater emphasis on gender equality within couples and increasing visibility, inclusivity and liberty of LGBTQ+ people has loosened the rules that once governed who could and couldn’t wear an engagement ring,” she added.“Up until last year, we’d never knowingly been commissioned to create a men’s engagement ring, so even one assignment in this field is technically an increase.” What should you look for in a men’s engagement ring? According to the industry experts, male engagement rings are usually selected on an individual basis and every enquiry is different. Dan Dower, design director at Dower & Hall, said they rarely get asked for an actual engagement ring for men – it tends to be a more elaborate or stone set ‘wedding’ ring, which does the job, and often in white gold or platinum. “We’ve done quite a few with diamonds, but also with other stones like sapphires and even one recently set with a faceted labradorite. It was definitely a statement engagement ring, which was then reconfirmed as the wedding ring,” explained Dower. “We’ve had commissions from both gay and straight men – but all definitely super confident in their tastes and appearance, which has been a joy to work with.” Do men have separate engagement and wedding rings? Traditionally, women have tended to have an engagement ring at the point of proposal, and then a different wedding ring once married. Is it the same for men who choose to wear an engagement ring? “More often, the ‘engagement’ ring then becomes the ‘wedding’ ring,” said Dower. “Or we might do a ‘commitment’ ring, which is worn on a different finger or right hand, followed by a ‘wedding’ ring for the ring finger.” Ultimately, it’s an individual choice and traditions don’t need to dictate how you choose to do things! How much do men’s engagement rings cost? Cost often depends on a number of factors, including how complex the design is and the materials used. Simple bands without any gemstones will cost less than more detailed rings, of course. Pricing can typically start anywhere from £200 to £2,000. What are the things to be mindful of? Lebrusan strongly encourages men to think about the materials they go for, since they will be wearing the engagement ring every day, and maybe for years on end. She suggests: “Choosing only from a pool of resilient metal and gemstone options – think platinum, 18ct gold, diamond or sapphire. For those with bigger hands, we also recommend considering chunkier styles, since incredibly slender bands can be compromised by large internal diameters. “Jewellery care requirements vary depending on style and materials, so it’s worth asking your jeweller for some detailed tips for caring for your engagement ring before you part ways,” Lebrusan added. “As a general rule of thumb, however, any engagement ring should be easily removed before any form of sport, housework or manual labour.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 11 ways to work the terracotta trend 3 great abs exercises that aren’t crunches ‘Women short-changed as 65% of weekly working hours ignored in official data’

Adept took to her Instagram account to make fresh accusations against xQc

With two of the most highly anticipated film releases happening on the same day, film lovers are gearing up for a trip to the cinema to see the double feature of Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. When people found out that the two movies were both to be released on July 21, the internet had a field day creating plenty of memes about how they are opposite to one another, with Barbie's hot pink aesthetic, compared to Oppenheimer's dark black look in the marketing and posters. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Now there's a new dating term that has been coined from all this, called the ‘Barbenheimer effect'. So what is the Barbenheimer Effect? Well, apparently it's a modern dating approach favouring partnerships with polar opposites. Instead of going after your usual ‘type’, you value how contrasting personality traits and lifestyles can create a stronger coupling promoting growth and self-discovery. Key pillars of the Barbenheimer Effect: Opposites Attract The 'Barbenheimer effect' highlights the captivating magnetism that occurs when two individuals with contrasting personalities, interests, or backgrounds connect. It celebrates the idea that diverse traits can complement and enrich a relationship. Empowerment and Self-Discovery The 'Barbenheimer effect' encourages individuals to embrace their uniqueness and explore relationships outside their comfort zones. It promotes personal growth, self-discovery, and the pursuit of genuine connections that transcend societal expectations. Power Couples The 'Barbenheimer effect' redefines the concept of 'power couples', emphasising that power is not solely derived from professional achievements or financial success. Instead, the power lies in the mutual exploration and education of one another’s life experiences, hobbies, and cultures to elevate your identity and become more versatile. Bye to Barbie & Ken While the idealised Barbie and Ken relationship aesthetic may seem desirable at first glance, many individuals yearn for something more authentic and fulfilling. The 'Barbenheimer' trend offers a refreshing alternative, celebrating the beauty found in the diversity of human connection. 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.

By Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko Shimizu TOKYO The Bank of Japan's latest policy shift would not have a

Two Federal Reserve officials said the central bank may have to raise interest rates further to tame price

MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 31, 2023--

Coco Gauff captured the biggest title of her career on Sunday, powering past Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 to win...

By Chibuike Oguh NEW YORK Shares of Charles Schwab fell by nearly 5% to a one-month low on