"Is Oxygen Critical to Advanced Technological Civilizations?"

Today’s news from the Cosmos includes: Which came first: black holes or galaxies? and Why are Americans so obsessed with UFOs?

Where the Universe Began--A half-century ago, a radio telescope in Holmdel, N.J., sent two astronomers 13.8 billion years back in time — and opened a cosmic window that scientists have been peering through ever since, reports Dennis Overbye for New York Times Science.

Which came first: black holes or galaxies? –Researchers Detect the Host Galaxies of Quasars in the Early Universe--The James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled starlight from two ancient galaxies with quasars, less than a billion years post-Big Bang, revealing black holes with masses nearly a billion times that of the Sun. " "Observations in the local universe show a clear relation between the mass of supermassive black holes and the much larger galaxies in which they reside. The galaxies and the black holes have completely different sizes, so which came first: the black holes or the galaxies? 

This Molecule May Have Seeded Earth Life--A new finding boosts Panspermia, the theory that life on Earth originated in deep space, reports Nautilus.com. "It sounds inconceivable that such a level of cosmic cold could harbor anything remotely related to a living organism—and yet it does. In fact, without this molecule, humans—and all other breathing, growing things on the planet—would not be possible."

Oxygen Could Be Even More Critical to Alien Civilizations Than We Thought--Most life as we know it needs oxygen, but developing advanced technology needs even more oxygen, reports Inverse. "We have no way to estimate how many civilizations might develop the technology for interstellar communication. But University of Rome astronomer Amedeo Balbi and University of Rochester astrophysicist Adam Frank suggest that we could start by figuring out how many planets have atmospheres with enough oxygen to start a fire."

Interesting Engineering Asks: Why are Americans so obsessed with UFOs? Alien hunters weigh in--Do Congressional hearings on UFOs, and the constant stream of cultural products about aliens, show that Americans more obsessed with UFOs than other nations?

Can We Talk to Whales?--Researchers believe that artificial intelligence may allow us to speak to other species, reports Elizbeth Kolbert for The New Yorker. 

The Moon is in the midst of a renaissance defined by new science. The Moon's unique scientific samples and possible resources are now a major focal point for exploration and industry, reports Axios.

Galaxy shapes can help identify wrinkles in space caused by the Big Bang, reports Sharmila Kuthunur for Space.com--The new way could also help in better mapping of the universe, scientists say. These Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, or BAO, are subtle wrinkles that flowed through cosmic matter during the first 380,000 years of the universe's existence.

Americans think the government knows more about aliens than shared--Most Americans (63%) think the government has more information on aliens. That majority was consistent across the political spectrum. Younger respondents are more likely to think information has been withheld, reports News Nation.

Mistranslation of Newton’s First Law Discovered after Nearly 300 Years--A new interpretation of Isaac Newton’s writings clarifies what the father of classical mechanics meant in his first law of motion, reports Scientific American.

An Explorer of Abyssal Depths Looks to Oceans on Other Worlds--The marine geochemist Chris German brings decades of experience studying seafloor hydrothermal vents to NASA’s preparations for visits to other ocean worlds in our solar system, reports Quanta.com.

Math Proof Draws New Boundaries Around Black Hole Formation--For a half century, mathematicians have tried to define the exact circumstances under which a black hole is destined to exist. A new proof shows how a cube can help answer the question, reports Steve Nadis for Quanta.com.

What a Contest of Consciousness Theories Really Proved--A five-year “adversarial collaboration” of consciousness theorists led to a stagy showdown in front of an audience. It crowned no winners — but it can still claim progress, reports Quanta.com

Curated by The Daily Galaxy Editorial Staff