Earth 2.0 is China’s answer to the hunt for Earth-like exoplanets. The satellite is designed to carry seven telescopes, six of which will be surveying the Cygnus-Lyra constellations; this is the same patch of sky that NASA’s Kepler telescope monitored for exoplanets before it ran out of battery in 2018. The telescopes will be observing stars for small changes in brightness, as that may indicate a planet has passed in front of it. Astronomers need years of data from observation before they can conclude that an exoplanet is Earth-like. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
