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Ten-year-old girl petitions NASA to restore Pluto's planetary status

19 Apr. 09:15

Source

A ten-year-old girl named Kaela has reached out to NASA with a formal request to reclassify Pluto as a full-fledged planet. The heartfelt initiative has garnered significant media attention, highlighting the enduring public fascination with the distant celestial body.

In her handwritten letter, Kaela argued that restoring Pluto's original title would bring joy to enthusiasts worldwide and rectify what she views as a historical oversight. Her appeal received a personal response from Jared Isaacman of NASA, who acknowledged the young girl's passion and noted that the agency remains engaged in ongoing scientific evaluations regarding such classifications.

Pluto was stripped of its status as the ninth planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union and categorized as a dwarf planet. Despite this official change, the scientific community continues to study the object intensely, particularly following the wealth of data provided by the New Horizons mission.

Recent astronomical findings have revealed that Pluto possesses a complex, multi-layered atmosphere and dynamic climatic conditions. These discoveries challenge previous assumptions about the object's nature, providing new evidence that keeps the debate over its planetary status alive within the scientific world.

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On-the-Go Power: Japanese Engineers Develop Wireless In-Road Charging for Electric Vehicles

10 Oct. 08:10

Source

In a major leap for electric mobility, Honda R&D, alongside Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec, has unveiled an innovative dynamic wireless charging system that charges electric vehicles as they drive. By embedding compact energy-transmitting modules directly into the road surface, the system transfers power via a magnetic field to receivers mounted underneath moving vehicles. Designed to withstand heavy commercial transport up to 20 tons, real-world road testing is scheduled to begin in Japan in April 2027.

The technology eliminates the need for full road reconstruction, as modules can be integrated directly into milled asphalt layers. Aimed at boosting charging power up to 150 kW in future iterations, this infrastructure solution promise to significantly reduce grid pressure on traditional charging stations, particularly for logistics and commercial fleets.

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