Traces of the heavens

One undergraduate ­student’s unexpected finding during a summer project led to the discovery of perhaps the earliest known map of the night sky. In 2012, Biblical scholar Peter Williams at the University of Cambridge asked his ­students to study pages of an Egyptian manuscript containing medieval Christian Syriac texts. The manuscript was thought to contain even older Christian texts erased to make room for the newer ones.

But student Jamie Klair noticed a passage in Greek that revealed astronomical material. His 2017 analysis used multispectral imaging to visualize hidden text that included myths about the origins of stars.

During a COVID-19 lockdown, Williams reexamined the texts and spotted star coordinates. He showed ­science historians Victor Gysembergh and Emmanuel Zingg, who deciphered what is likely a page of ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus’ Star Catalogue. They dated the findings to about 129 B.C., when Hipparchus performed his work. Hipparchus is thought to be the first person to attempt to map the stars, yet scholars for centuries had searched in vain for his work. The findings were published on Oct. 18 in the Journal for the History of Astronomy.

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Study argues pot users fit for heart transplants

Cardiologists at Indiana University School of Medicine say cannabis users should be considered for heart transplants. The researchers analyzed more than 200 studies and concluded that clinicians often used outdated data, or assumptions, to exclude cannabis users from donations. The findings were published Oct. 14 in Circulation: Heart Failure. Sixteen percent of Americans say they smoke marijuana, according to Gallup’s most recent poll. —H.F.

Light unseen

Scientists recently developed a miniature spectrometer, an instrument that measures light at ­different wavelengths, that could literally change our perception of reality. Led by researchers at Finland’s Aalto University, the scientists used a new class of super-thin materials, two-dimensional semiconductors, to design a spectrometer that fits onto a microchip. They also replaced conventional hardware with artificial intelligence, eliminating bulky mechanical and optical components present on traditional spectrometers. The study was ­published in Science on Oct. 20.

Optical spectrometers are used in various industries, for example in medicine to perform blood gas analysis. The researchers envision their ultra-tiny device integrated in smartphones to build affordable hyperspectral cameras that can capture light not visible to the naked human eye. Or into environmental monitoring systems, to measure air and water pollution. —H.F.