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SOLID FUEL RE-ENTRY VEHICLE
The part of the missile that re-enters Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the target
BOOSTER SECTIONS
Propels the missile throughout its flight. They eventually fall off when the fuel in them is used up
Powers the missile. Zero fueling time compared to liquid fuel used in older rockets
CHINA
Palaeontologists say China is now the world’s leading source of pterosaur research, after hundreds of fossilised eggs, some with the embryos’ bones intact, were discovered in the far northwest of the country . The eggs of the Hamipterus tianshanensis species are well known for their fragile shells, making the discovery an absolute windfall. To date, only 10 other eggs have been uncovered, five of which are also from China.
Dr Wang Xiaolin from Beijing’s Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Paleoanthropology, and Dr Alexander Kellner from Brazil’s Federal University of Rio de Janeiro discovered the fossils in Xinjiang’s Turpan-hami Basin, the fourth-lowest exposed point on Earth. Why so many eggs were found there is still a mystery, though Dr Kellner suggests pterosaurs may have laid eggs near riverbanks that suffered heavy flooding, submerging the eggs and preserving them.
The researchers are trying to piece together how Hamipterus developed by comparing bones from individuals of different ages, but the incomplete fossil record is making that job difficult. The team’s hunt for more fossils in northwestern China continues. “I think we have a good chance,” Dr Kellner says. “It’s just a question of fieldwork.”
China is on a roll in fossil discoveries. Barely a month after the pterosaur windfall, another 30 fossilised dinosaur eggs were discovered by workers at a construction site in Ganzhou, China’s “hometown of dinosaurs”, in Jiangxi Province. The perfectly preserved eggs are about 130 million years old.
Over 200 Fossilised Pterosaur Eggs Discovered in China
CHINA
Bitcoin might be trending now, but Chinese users who want to hop on the bandwagon have their options severely limited, as China’s government last year began its crackdown on cryptocurrencies by banning initial coin offerings (ICO) in the country.
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies stored in a secure, record-keeping Internet programme called a blockchain, and can be used independent of exchange rates and financial institutes like banks.
This lets users conduct digital transactions without fear of governmental prosecution or seizure of funds. ICOS are a way for companies, especially startups, to fundraise by giving out company cryptocurrencies in exchange for cash from investors. Much like stocks and shares, investors keep the coin, hoping it will increase in value as the company expands. However, ICOS are not regulated by financial bodies, leaving them open to abuse by scammers who collect funds and disappear.
Experts say that China’s ban on ICOS protects amateur investors who are blindly following the trend, hoping to get rich quick, but without fully understanding how these currencies work. Others say that this will severely stunt the popularity and use of digital ledgers and coin transactions in a market where e-payment and QR codes are widely embraced by the public.
Chinese Citizens Banned From Cryptocurrency Offerings China’s ban on ICOS protects amateur investors who are blindly following the trend, hoping to get rich quick