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Stuart Gary: This is space Time Series 29,
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episode 135 for broadcast on
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11 November 2026.
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Coming up on Space Time, a stellar
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graveyard discovered at the heart of the
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Milky Way galaxy, the mystery of the
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origin of Earth's water, and New Zealand's
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rocket lab to start flying from Alaska.
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All that and more coming up on um, Space
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Time.
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Stuart Gary: Welcome to Space Time with Stuart
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G.
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Stuart Gary: A new study has shown that gas orbiting the
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black hole at the centre of our galaxy is
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rich in metals from the corpses of dead and
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dying stars. The findings, reported in the
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Astronomical Journal, show that this gas is
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similar in composition to many of the stars
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in the black hole's orbit, suggesting the gas
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and stars form together. The
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supermassive black hole at the centre of our
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Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius A, is
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located some 27,000 light years away
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and contains 4.3 million times the mass of
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our Sun. Um, Sagittarius A is
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closer to Earth and therefore easier to see
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and study than any other supermassive black
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hole. So the new findings could advance
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science's understanding of how metals are
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distributed around supermassive black holes
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in more distant galaxies, as well as the
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processes that supplied Earth with many of
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these elements. In astronomy,
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metals include any element heavier than
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helium and hydrogen, and their presence
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influences how quickly gases cool, which in
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turn influences how readily the gas can be
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drawn into a black hole. The
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study's lead author, Nicole Ford from McGill
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University, says astronomers know there's a
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black hole at the centre of our galaxy
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pulling material into itself, but it's eating
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a lot less material than other supermassive
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black holes, and it's doing so much more
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slowly. Part of understanding why this is
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happening means looking at the properties of
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the materials available for it to consume,
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including gas, dust, and the stars orbiting
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around it. So to work out what's going on,
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Ford and colleagues used data gathered by
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NASA's Webb Space Telescope. Webb
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measures infrared light over a wide range of
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wavelengths with unprecedented spectral and
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spatial resolution, and that allows
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astronomers to distinguish the heat
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signatures of multiple gas clouds orbiting
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near the black hole. It also enabled them to
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precisely measure the metal composition of
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each gas cloud. The new findings
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complement a recent study which tested
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whether gas preserved the evidence of
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previous bursts of energy coming from
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Sagittarius A. The results found that
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the gas emission was shaped by local
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conditions, making it difficult to isolate
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the black hole's influence. Rather than
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ruling out past outbursts, this shows that
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the surrounding gas cannot provide a reliable
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history of the black hole's activity, Ford
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says. Understanding how the black hole
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attracts material will therefore require
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comparing these observations with simulations
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of how gas evolves over longer timescales.
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This space time still to
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come, the mystery of the origin of Earth's
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life giving water supplies, and New Zealand's
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rocket lab about to start launching from
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Alaska. All that and more still to come
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on space time.
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A new study suggests planet Earth may have
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formed much of its water during its formation
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in the protoplanetary disc, rather than later
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from asteroid or
Load full transcript
cometary impacts is often
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speculated. The solar system's planets,
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including the Earth, were created by
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condensing out of a disc of spinning gas and
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dust called a protoplanetary disc, orbiting
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around the then still nascent Sun.
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Over time, these dust grains clump
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together through static electricity and later
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gravity, accreting to form protoplanets and
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eventually planets. Different elements and
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different materials condensed at different
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distances from the proto sun depending on
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temperature. Iron condenses closest to the
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sun, silicon a bit further away, and the ices
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such as water and methane and ammonia further
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out still, beyond what's known as the snow
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line, which lies between the orbits of Mars
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and Jupiter. So how planet Earth got its
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water, essential for life as we know it, has
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always been a mystery. Now, a
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new study reported in the journal Nature
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Geoscience suggests Earth may have produced
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its own water during its formation, as rocky
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pebbles reacted with the hydrogen rich
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atmosphere surrounding the young planet.
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These new findings offer a potential
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explanation for how Earth acquired one of the
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essential ingredients for life. And they
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suggest that similar water producing
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processes may have been common on the rocky
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planets throughout the inner solar system.
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The study used high temperature experiments
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to investigate how iron bearing silicate
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rocks react with atmospheric hydrogen under
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conditions similar to those found during the
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early stages of planetary formation.
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One of the study's authors, Zachary Sharp
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from the University of New Mexico, says
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previous ideas about the source of water on
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Earth relied on an external source, such as
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comets or meteors from colder regions in the
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early solar system. However, the problem is
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the hydrogen to deuterium ratios in comets
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and meteorites don't match those found in
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Earth's oceans. And that means another
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source. The new work shows that
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virtually any Earth sized planet could have
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water by this newly identified mechanism,
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Sharpe says. In order to evaluate the
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possibility of pebble rain being the source
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of water, the authors needed to construct and
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execute some very challenging experiments
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showing that water is produced in just
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minutes in very high temperature
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environments, such as the early Earth's
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atmosphere. As Earth, uh, formed, small
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rocky particles known as pebbles accumulated
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to build a larger planetary body A process
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called pebble accretion. When the growing
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planet becomes sufficiently massive, it could
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develop a hot, high pressure atmosphere rich
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in hydrogen. As the silicate pebbles fill
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through this atmosphere, iron oxide in the
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rocks could react with hydrogen, producing
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metallic iron and water vapour.
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To test this process, the authors heated
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silicate rock samples at temperatures between
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1200 and 1400 degrees Celsius in streams
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of hydrogen and for comparison, helium.
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The experiments lasted between 15 minutes and
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three hours. In the hydrogen experiments,
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nearly 80% of the iron oxide in the samples
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was converted into metallic hydrogen,
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producing water vapour as a byproduct in the
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process. But the same reaction didn't occur
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in the helium experiments, demonstrating the
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importance of hydrogen in the water producing
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process, and the authors were surprised how
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quickly water was produced and how large the
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quantities were. The study provides
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new insights into the chemical processes that
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shaped the early Earth and expand science's
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uh, understanding of the possible pathways
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through which water can develop on rocky
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planets. Water is Earth's most
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valuable resource, so knowing its origins and
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its hydrology is important.
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This report from MASATV
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NASA TV narrator: Water is the fundamental ingredient for life
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on Earth. Looking at our Earth from space,
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with its vast and deep ocean, it
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appears as though there is an abundance of
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water for our use. However,
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only a small portion of Earth's water is
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accessible for our needs. How much
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fresh water exists and where it is stored
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affects us all.
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Nearly two thirds of this fresh water is
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stored in the polar ice caps, snowpacks,
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and glaciers, making it inaccessible for
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long periods of time.
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The water cycle is dynamic.
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It describes the continuous movement of water
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on, above and below the surface of the Earth
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and the transitions from one state to
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another. Sea surface temperature,
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surface winds and air temperature
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influence the rate of evaporation at the
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ocean surface. In the tropics,
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warm ocean surface temperatures support high
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rates of evaporation.
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Wind also increases evaporation.
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When the air's temperature is warmer, it can
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hold more water. While the atmosphere
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does not store a large quantity of water
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compared to the ocean rivers and lakes, it
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can transport water quickly from one place to
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another. Low lying regions of the
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atmosphere with high moisture and strong
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winds can form atmospheric rivers
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to transport water horizontally.
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Clouds are formed
as water vapour cools and
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condenses into droplets and ice crystals.
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Clouds and water vapour act as insulators in
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the atmosphere. Clouds help shield the Earth
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from the sun and trap heat from below.
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When cloud particles grow large enough,
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they may fall out as rain or snow.
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Under the right conditions, areas of
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precipitation can grow into large storms
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as storms grow, they transfer heat
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vertically into the upper atmosphere.
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The migration of storms helps to distribute
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heat between the equator and poles,
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shaping wind patterns globally. How
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storms grow and intensify depends on
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atmospheric moisture, surface temperatures
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and wind patterns. Precipitation is
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concentrated in some parts of the world and
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scarce in others. It can vary
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substantially from season to season and
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from year to year. Water that falls
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on the land surface as precipitation is
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stored within snowpacks, lakes,
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reservoirs, soils and
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underground aquifers. Water availability
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varies from place to place and over time.
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The availability of water affects the type
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and abundance of vegetation, the
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primary source of food for animals and
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people. Extreme water cycle variability
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Unusually dry or wet conditions
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impacts humans worldwide each
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year. Hazards such as floods exact a
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costly economic and human toll.
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Most of the water that falls onto land
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remains stored there for weeks or more.
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Snowfall is stored as snowpack or ice.
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Meltwater and rainfall are stored in lakes
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and soils. Some of the water is absorbed by
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plant roots or drains into the water table.
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Eventually, the water will evaporate to the
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atmosphere or return to the ocean in
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streams and rivers, providing a
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source of nutrient rich water that
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supports ocean life. Sensors m on a suite
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of NASA satellites observe and measure water
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on land, in the ocean and in the
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atmosphere. These measurements are important
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to understanding the availability and
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distribution of Earth's water, which is
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both vital to life and vulnerable to
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the impacts of climate change and a growing
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world population.
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Stuart Gary: This is space time still to come.
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New Zealand's Rocket Lab to begin flying from
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Alaska and later in the science report a
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new study shows a derivative of vitamin B5
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used as a cholesterol lowering supplement can
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also stop psoriasis. All that and more
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still to come on uh, space time.
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New Zealand's Rocket Lab is building two new
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launch pads in Alaska. The new facilities
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will expand the company's ability to conduct
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rapid response launches and missile defence
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testing for the United States military. The
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facilities are planned for the Pacific
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Spaceport Complex on Kadiak island, with the
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company's first launch pad expected to be
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operational by January. The launch
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complex will support Rocket Labs Electron and
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Hasty rockets and will use the company's new
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Ghost transportable containerized launch
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system. Ghost packages complete rockets,
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launch infrastructure, ground support
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equipment and range control systems inside
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standard shipping containers. Rocket
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Lab previously secured a $266 million
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US Space Force contract covering 12
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suborbital launchers with options for a
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further six. The Alaska site
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will give the company additional flexibility
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to conduct national security missions
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alongside its existing operations in Virginia
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and New Zealand. Rocket Lab currently
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operates two launch pads at its Mahaya
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Peninsula launch Complex at Hawke's Bay on
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New Zealand's north island east coast. These
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are designed to launch its two stage electron
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rocket, which is capable of carrying payloads
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and small satellites up to 300 kilogrammes
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into low earth orbit. The company
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operates a third launch pad for electron
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orbital missions as well as Hastie suborbital
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rockets at NASA's Wallops island flight
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facility on the Virginia Mid Atlantic coast.
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Hastie is a modified variant of electron
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designed to carry payloads of up to 700
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kilogrammes on suborbital missions. The
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company is currently building a second launch
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pad at Wallops island for its new reusable
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neutron rocket, which will be capable of
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carrying payloads of up to 13 tons in a low
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Earth orbit. Neutron's maiden flight is
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slated for next year and needless to say,
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we'll keep you informed.
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This is space, time.
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And time now to take another brief look at
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some of the other stories making news in
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Science this week with a Science report.
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Scientists say a, uh, derivative of vitamin
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B5 called patothine, widely used as a
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cholesterol lowering supplement, has been
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shown to stop psoriasis, alleviating symptoms
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and limiting the activity of the immune cells
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behind the condition. The findings, reported
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in the Journal of Experimental Medicine,
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looked at dendritic cells, which are
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specialised immune cells thought to underlie
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a variety of autoimmune diseases, including
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psoriasis. The authors found cells in
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psoriasis patients had elevated levels of
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enzymes called vanines, which lowered the
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levels of pantethine, leading to higher
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cholesterol production and hyperactivation of
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the cells. Adding pantethine reversed this
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process, stopping psoriasis from developing.
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The authors tested pantothine in 24 psoriasis
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patients, half of whom were given the
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supplements in addition to normal care. They
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found the patients given the supplements
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showed improved symptoms compared to those on
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normal care alone, especially if they had
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elevated blood cholesterol to begin with.
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A study of nearly a million married couples
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in Taiwan has found that having a spouse with
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dementia may put you at greater risk of also
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developing the condition. The findings,
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reported in the Journal of the American
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Medical association, showed that the female
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spouses of people with dementia had a 74%
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higher risk of dementia, while male spouses
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had a 69% higher risk. The authors
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also found the risk was lower among people
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with higher incomes or more children,
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suggesting financial resources and family
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context may play a role.
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Scientists say northern Australia is a
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lifeboat for the critically endangered green
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sawfish. A UH report in the Journal's
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Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries Aims
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and Scope examined decades of research on the
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rare species showing that the northern
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Australian coast, especially around WA's
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Pilbara region, could be playing a crucial
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role in the species recovery. Green
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sawfish, distinguished by their long shark
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like body and tooth lined sore on the front
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of their heads, are on the verge of
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extinction, largely due to overfishing, uh,
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and habitat loss. A
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new study has shown that using a smartphone
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after 10pm is linked to teens falling
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00:16:11.380
asleep later, waking up later and sleeping
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less. The, uh, findings reported in the
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Journal of the American Medical association
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used Fitbit data on 425 teens
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measuring their evening phone activity and
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when and how long they slept. The authors
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found that using a phone in the final minutes
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before bed was linked to teens waking up more
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often after falling asleep, mostly during the
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first 30 minutes after nodding off. They say
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this wakefulness after falling asleep was
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triggered most by cell phone use in the final
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five minutes and became negligible if the
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kids put down their phones 20 minutes before
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going to bed.
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Australia's largest Telco has been forced to
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apologise after a yet to be explained
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technical glitch from its Message bank
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system, which sent out thousands of phantom
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missed calls and voicemail notifications
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because the system error queued up and then
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released years of severely delayed
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notifications all at once. Some customers
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shockingly received text alerts appearing to
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come from deceased relatives and loved ones.
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A message from the dead. With the details,
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we joined by technology editor Alex Saharov.
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Ah, Roy from tech Advice, Start life. Well,
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Alex Zaharov-Reutt: if your phone wasn't haunted, Telco's
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voicemail system just cleared its throat all
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at once. There was some sort of glitch in
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Message bank which was sending people text
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messages. There were no calls made, there
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were no messages sent. But this was previous
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messages, people in the family group. And
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look, it's, it's one of those weird things
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where people were getting messages, including
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reportedly from relatives who had passed
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away. Telstra hasn't published a detailed
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call. It
did have an apology. We're sorry
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for how confusing this must be.
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Stuart Gary: It is funny that, um, just after Halloween,
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but
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Alex Zaharov-Reutt: luckily there was a queue of notifications
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backed up. Somehow they got released all at
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once and some alerts were for calls never
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made, which some, which also suggests that
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some of the records were scrambled. So it's a
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bit of a question for Chelsea as to what is
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going on there. You know, what else is
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playing up that we don't know about? How
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often does this sort of thing happen? But
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look, it's a glitch. It's one of those
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things.
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Stuart Gary: Of course, the other big news right around
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the world has been the blue wave which has
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washed over the United States. What's that
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done to the stock market, especially when it
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comes to tech stocks?
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Alex Zaharov-Reutt: Well, I mean this route wiped out roughly
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2.5 trillion in market value.
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And this is on fears that Democrats midterm
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gains could slow the AI build uh out. Chip
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makers were hard. I mean, the Nasdaq was down
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5.5%. The S&P 500 fell
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4.36%, the Dow 3.44. All three
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had their worst day since April 2025. And the
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Nasdaq is now officially in a correction. The
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chip makers hit the hardest, Nvidia, which is
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massively successful. They dropped over 9%.
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The, uh, Philadelphia semiconductor index
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plunged 12%. Micron and AMD fell
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17% each.
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Stuart Gary: That's Alex Zaharov Freud from Tech.
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And this is Space Time.
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00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:13.540
And that's the show for now. Space Time
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00:19:13.540 --> 00:19:15.580
is available every Monday, Wednesday and
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00:19:15.580 --> 00:19:18.460
Friday through bytes.com soundcloud,
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spacetime's also broadcast through the
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details.
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00:19:57.120 --> 00:19:59.040
Stuart Gary: You've been listening to Space Time with
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00:19:59.040 --> 00:20:01.880
Stuart Gary. This has been another quality
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00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:04.240
podcast production from bytes.com.