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Astronomers have spotted the primordial beginnings of a huge galaxy cluster. Plus: why hearing live music hits different.

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ESO/M. Kornmesser

Galaxy cluster

One of the largest quasars in the early universe has helped reveal a “protocluster” of nascent galaxies that is expected to grow more massive than any cluster we know of. Protoclusters are the primordial beginnings of the galaxy clusters we see in our region of the universe. Feige Wang at the University of Arizona and his colleagues focused on a quasar, a luminous galactic core where gases emit light as they fall into a supermassive black hole. They chose one of the most massive and brightest quasars known in the early universe, hoping it would act as a signpost for other massive objects around it, and found a vast surrounding web of early galaxies. Read more 

Hit the right note

Listening to live music may be more touching than a recording of the same tune because it triggers greater activity in the part of the brain linked to processing emotions. Researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland monitored the brain activity of 27 people while they listened to 12 pieces of music -  both played live and as recordings - that were intended to evoke different emotions. The live performances consistently led to increased brain activity in the left amygdala – the region of the brain that is strongly linked to assigning sensory stimuli, such as sounds, to certain emotions. Read more

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Experience the hidden paradise of the richly biodiverse Azores islands, their lush flora and fauna, volcanic craters, lagoons and picturesque towns. This is a rare opportunity to actively take part in whale research and get an opportunity to watch the social interactions of whales as they descend into the water. 

Jed Brubaker at the University of ColoradoBoulder on the potential mental health harms of resurrecting loved ones as AI “ghosts”.

Thanks for reading!

Alexandra Thompson

Assistant news editor, New Scientist
Email me at newsletter@newscientist.com

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