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Scientists are preparing to receive pieces of a distant asteroid, which will fall to Earth over the weekend and could reveal where we came from. On Sunday, a sample collected by a Nasa spacecraft that landed on Asteroid Bennu will float down into the Utah desert, where it will be gathered by scientists. They will then start work on analysing that material, in the hopes of understanding how planets form and what our solar system was like in its distant past. Nasa sent its Osiris-Rex spacecraft to Bennu in 2016, and it touched down on the distant asteroid in 2020, and scooped up a piece. Since then, it has been flying back towards Earth to drop the sample back home. The sample dropped out of Osiris-Rex will float down into the desert, helped by a parachute that should safely allow it to fall to the ground. The spacecraft itself will continue to fly, on its way to start a new mission to study another asteroid towards the end of the decade. It is the US space agency’s first mission to collect a sample from an asteroid, and is the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. The capsule is estimated to hold around 250g of rocks and dust collected from the asteroid’s surface. Nasa will release a quarter of the sample to a group of more than 200 people from more than 35 globally distributed institutions, including a team of scientists from The University of Manchester, and the Natural History Museum. Asteroid Bennu is a 4.5-billion-year-old remnant of our early solar system and scientists believe it can help shed light on how planets formed and evolved. Experts say the carbon-rich, near-Earth asteroid serves as a time capsule from the earliest history of the solar system. It is anticipated that the sample will provide important clues that could help us to understand the origin of organics and water that may have led to life on Earth. Because the sample has been collected directly from the asteroid, there will be almost zero contamination. Meteorites that fall to Earth are quickly contaminated from the second they make contact with our atmosphere. This means Bennu can give us an unspoiled glimpse into the past. Ashley King, UKRI future leaders fellow, Natural History Museum, said: “Osiris-Rex spent over two years studying asteroid Bennu, finding evidence for organics and minerals chemically altered by water. “These are crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth, so we’re delighted to be among the first researchers to study samples returned from Bennu. ‘We think the Bennu samples might be similar in composition to the recent Winchcombe meteorite fall, but largely uncontaminated by the terrestrial environment and even more pristine.” Dr Sarah Crowther, research fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of Manchester, said: “It is a real honour to be selected to be part of the Osiris-Rex Sample Analysis Team, working with some of the best scientists around the world. “We’re excited to receive samples in the coming weeks and months, and to begin analysing them and see what secrets asteroid Bennu holds. “A lot of our research focuses on meteorites, and we can learn a lot about the history of the solar system from them. “But meteorites get hot coming through Earth’s atmosphere and can sit on Earth for many years before they are found, so the local environment and weather can alter or even erase important information about their composition and history. “Sample return missions like Osiris-Rex are vitally important because the returned samples are pristine, we know exactly which asteroid they come from and can be certain that they are never exposed to the atmosphere so that important information is retained.” The spacecraft launched on September 8, 2016 and arrived at Bennu in December 2018. After mapping the asteroid for almost two years, it collected a sample from the surface on October 20, 2020. The capsule is expected to land at 3.55pm (BST). Astrophysicist Professor Boris Gansicke, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, said: “The asteroids in our solar system contain the raw building blocks from which the Earth was made, so working out their composition will tell us a lot of how our planet formed. “There are many open questions, for instance where did the water that we have on Earth come from? And where did the ingredients that made life possible to develop come from? “To answer those questions, i.e. measure the composition of an asteroid, you need to get your ‘hands’ on them (or in this case the arm of a space mission), and this is what Osiris-Rex achieved. “In a nutshell, it’s similar to sitting in front of a delicious dinner and wanting to have the list of ingredients.” Additional reporting by agencies Read More You need to update your Apple devices right now Amazon Prime Video will soon start running ads – unless you pay even more Amazon Prime Video will soon start running ads unless you pay a monthly fee You need to update your Apple devices right now Amazon Prime Video will soon start running ads – unless you pay even more Amazon Prime Video will soon start running ads unless you pay a monthly fee

Dwyane Wade has revealed that he initially “tried to break up” with Gabrielle Union, before telling her that he fathered a child with another woman. In a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay program, the former NBA star, 41, reflected on how he told his now-wife about his son, Xavier Zechariah, who he welcomed in 2013 with Aja Metoyer when he and Union were broken up. He started off by recalling how scared he was to tell Union about him and Metoyer before the news went public. “You know that this is going to hurt someone you’ve been building a relationship and life with,” he said. “You gotta sit with you and you gotta sit with this person if this is who you’re going to be with. I had to sit with my wife and have this conversation.” He went on to praise the Bring It On star for standing by his side, as he told her about having his son in the middle of his busy basketball career. “I couldn’t have gotten through that moment without her sticking with me,” the Olympian said. “We were in the playoffs, I think we were even going into the finals. That was a rough time for me…You got a lot on your mind. You’re keeping something from people you love. It’s heavy.” Wade then confessed that when he first had that conversation, he tried to avoid bringing it up, and even attempted to end things with the actor. “I tried to break up with her. Like: ‘Hey things have been bad lately, we’ve been having a little distance in our relationship anyway,’” he recalled. “I tried all of that.” However, he said that Union “kept showing up” for him, and they continued moving forward. He also acknowledged that since welcoming Xavier, his relationship with his wife “hasn’t been perfect,” before noting that they still “go to therapy”. “We’ve been to therapy, we’ve had shouts about it,” he said, referring to how he’d fathered his son with Metoyer. “We’ve had regular conversations. And so, it’s going to continue to be something that I have to work at and work on. It doesn’t go away because years come, or because I say: ‘Sorry.’” Elsewhere in the interview with Sharpe, Wade also expressed that he’s had concerns for Xavier, explaining that “it’s hard” for his child to be associated with the headlines that came from his parent’s relationship. “It’s going to always be there. He’s done nothing. It’s a stain that’s on him for no reason,” the former Miami Heat player said. After noting that he and his wife are either “going to get through it” or “ain’t going to get through it”, he emphasised that he’s still continued to think about his nine-year-old son, who already “has a negative impact next to his name”. “He hasn’t even had a chance to accomplish something, and he already has a negative next to his name because of how he was brought into this world,” he said. However, he still expressed his gratitude for his family and acknowledged that they’ll “get through” challenges together. Union and Wade went on to get married in 2014, before welcoming their daughter, Kaavia, via surrogate in 2018. In addition to his child with Metoyer, Wade shares two children, Zaire, 21, and Zaya, 16, with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches. He’s also the legal guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris, 21. This isn’t the first time Wade has recalled how he told Union about his child with another woman. During his 2020 ESPN documentary, Wade: Life Unexpected, he first described how difficult it was to have that conversation with his now-wife. “Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is man up and tell Gabrielle Union that I’ve had a child with somebody else. I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t eating,” he said during the documentary, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. “When you hold something in that you know is going to come out and you have this information and you know it’s gonna f**k somebody’s life up, that you care about, that you love, if it don’t hurt you, then you’re not human.” In her 2021 book, ​You Got Anything Stronger?, Union first opened up about the “trauma” of her husband having a baby with another woman. “It should go without saying that we were not in a good place at the time that child was conceived,” she wrote “But we were doing much better when he finally told me about the pregnancy. To say I was devastated is to pick a word on a low shelf for convenience.” Despite her devastation, the actor acknowledged that there have been countless people who have been upset with her decision not to talk about the birth of her husband’s son, with Union explaining that she had “not had words”. “There are people – strangers I will never meet – who have been upset that I have not previously talked about that trauma. I have not had words, and even after untold amounts of therapy I am not sure I have them now,” she wrote. Read More Dwyane Wade recalls daughter Zaya Wade being ‘scared’ and hiding from him after coming out Gabrielle Union reveals how she conquered her fear of being a ‘bad mom’ Dwyane Wade says his family left Florida because anti-trans laws made it so they ‘would not be accepted’ Katherine Heigl opens up about decision to raise children in Utah Researchers link ultra-processed food and drink to risk of depression in women Shakira opens up about co-parenting her two sons with ex Gerard Piqué

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Consuming large amounts of ultra-processed foods could be linked to depression, according to a new study published in the Journal JAMA. Ultra-processed foods are usually high in salt, sugar, hydrogenated fats and additives. This includes ice cream, sausages, crisps, biscuits and soda. The study looked at the eating habits and mental health of more than 31,000 female nurses as part of the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-term research project on various aspects of women’s health. To better understand the links between depression and foods, researchers started the study before participants reported any symptoms of depression and then followed them over time. This allowed the team to make a connection between a person’s diet and their mental health. Results showed women who consumed over nine portions a day of ultra-processed foods had a 50 per cent higher risk of developing depression than those consuming four portions or less. Participants who consumed a high amount of foods and drinks that contained artificial sweeteners had a particularly negative outcome, the study found. "Participants with high UPF intake had greater BMI, higher smoking rates, and increased prevalence of comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia and were less likely to exercise regularly," the study said. “Experimental studies have shown that artificial sweeteners may trigger the transmission of particular signalling molecules in the brain that are important for mood,” the authors continued. Professor Andrew Chan, chief of the clinical and translational epidemiology unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of the research, said: “The strength of our study is that we were able to assess diet several years before the onset of depression,” according to The Guardian. “This minimises the likelihood that our findings are simply due to individuals with depression being more likely to choose ultra-processed foods.” In a 2022 study, researchers linked ultra-processed food and cognitive decline. CNN reported that the study found eating those foods may affect parts of the brain that control executive function — such as the ability to process information and make decisions. The research also found that men and women who ate the most ultraprocessed foods had a cognitive decline rate 28 per cent faster than those who did not eat those foods. They also had a 25 per cent faster decline rate of their executive functions than their peers who did not eat ultraprocessed foods. What are the symptoms of depression? According to the Cleveland Clinic, some of the symptoms of depression include: Feeling very sad, hopeless or worried. Not enjoying things that used to bring joy. Being easily irritated or frustrated. Eating too much or too little — which may result in weight gain or weight loss. Trouble sleeping (insomnia) or sleeping too much (hypersomnia). Having low energy or fatigue. Having a difficult time concentrating, making decisions or remembering things. Experiencing physical issues like headache, stomachache or sexual dysfunction. Having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Read More Yoghurt could be the cure for bad garlic breath, study finds Study finds link between ultra-processed food and cognitive decline

Katherine Heigl has reflected on her decision to raise her children away from the spotlight. The Grey’s Anatomy alum, 44, recently opened up about her newfound life in Utah, where she lives with her husband Josh Kelley and their three children: daughters Naleigh, 13, and Adalaide, 11, and son Joshua, six. During Thursday’s episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, Heigl revealed that the idea to settle down outside of Hollywood actually came from her mother, Nancy. “People might see you and think: ‘I bet you live in Hollywood, where most people live in your profession.’ But I love where you lay down your life,” co-host Hoda Kotb told Heigl, before asking: “What made you decide to do that? And what do you get out of it?” The 27 Dresses star replied: “You know, it’s odd. I think some people are mountain people and I think some people are beach people. I’m sort of a mountain person and have always been that way.” “My mom realised, because we went out to LA when I was 17 and hustled and hustled for years, right? And I think she realised at a certain point that I needed somewhere to escape to and kind of clear my head and that grounded me,” Heigl recalled. “So we started trying to find, and dreaming about trying to find, that perfect place. And we found Utah and then I started making enough money to be able to afford to do that.” Heigl, along with her husband, were able to build their dream home on a “beautiful ranch in Utah”. While the couple expected to use the residence as a quick getaway, the actor and musician began to spend so much time there that it turned into their forever home. “We built these houses in Utah that we expected to be more kind of vacation homes, or when I could get away from the hustle and all the work, and we just started spending more and more time there,” she explained. “It was my husband who finally made it his primary residence on his driver’s license and stuff, and we went: ‘Yeah, I think this is our primary residence. We live here now.’” Kotb and Bush Hager went on to ask Heigl whether she feels “at peace” in Utah, and if it’s been “the perfect place” to raise her children. While the Knocked Up star admitted that their ranch is ideal for her, her children do sometimes wish they lived a busier life. However, Heigl revealed the piece of advice she gives her kids whenever they wish for something more. “I said to them: ‘I understand that you are sacrificing that in some ways but I still think it was the right choice for our family, because I am more centered and aware of what’s going on in your life,’” she explained. “It’s a smaller town, I know who your friends are, who you are spending time with, I know what’s up with school. It’s just easier to keep my finger on the pulse.” The Firefly Lane star went on to share some details about her children, who are growing older right before her eyes. When speaking about her daughter Adalaide, Heigl said: “My 11-year-old is all, can I say this, piss and vinegar. She is spicy.” As for her oldest daughter, Naleigh, she remarked: “My almost 15-year-old, which is blowing my mind. My freshman in high school - I don’t know how it happened. Everyone says: ‘Oh, it goes so fast, it goes so fast.’” “It doesn’t just feel that way, it is. It does,” Heigl emphasised. “You can only hold on to it as much as you can and don’t beat yourself up too much, if you feel like you’re not present enough. It really just goes.” In 2005, the actor met her soon-to-be husband on the set of a music video for Kelley’s song, “Only You”. In a 2016 interview with Billboard, Kelley recalled meeting Heigl for the first time. “I remember the day we met: May 24, 2005,” he said. “I had just bought a house here in Nashville. The day after I signed the papers, I had to fly back to LA to do this music video.” “I showed up that day, we started doing our scenes together, and we just hit it off. We’ve been together ever since that day,” he continued. They were engaged the following year in 2006, and tied the knot at a luxury ski resort in Park City, Utah, in December 2007. Heigl and Kelley became parents in 2009 when they adopted daughter Naleigh Mi-Eun from South Korea. In 2012, they adopted daughter Adalaide from Louisiana and welcomed their biological son, Joshua Bishop Kelley Jr, in 2016. Read More Katherine Heigl says she ‘felt betrayed’ by Hollywood backlash to Grey’s Anatomy and Knocked Up comments Katherine Heigl says she ‘never saw’ daughter Naleigh after adoption Katherine Heigl shares heartwarming photo of kids in celebration of National Adoption Month Researchers link ultra-processed food and drink to risk of depression in women Shakira opens up about co-parenting her two sons with ex Gerard Piqué Comedian Ashley Blaker on why he wants to ‘change the conversation’ around children with special needs

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The human body is a marvel of science and researchers have discovered a strange reoccurring mathematical pattern within its cells. Our bodies are made up of a massive variety of individual cells with countless different functions, from neurons in our nervous system to the oxygen carriers that all work in harmony to keep us alive. Experts from scientific research institutions in Germany, Canada, Spain, and the US have worked together on a study to determine just how many cells of each type there are in the human body and the results are staggering. They found that most adult males possess around 36 trillion cells, while adult females have in the region of 28 trillion cells. For a 10-year-old child, they have around 17 trillion. Interestingly though, scientists discovered that, regardless of the total number of cells, if they are grouped according to their function, the proportions for each individual remain the same. The researchers explained in their findings: “These patterns are suggestive of a whole-organism trade-off between cell size and count and imply the existence of cell-size homeostasis across cell types.” Scientists believe there is a natural balancing act at play between different cell types with new cells being produced to maintain the balance. The body produces fewer larger cells (such as muscle fibres) and more smaller cells (like blood cells). It is hoped that future studies will be able to uncover exactly how this happens and how bodies seem to naturally regulate cells. They explained that all cells are perfectly sized for their roles and any deviation from their scale can indicate the presence of disease. Experts have made their data, analysis and results public in the hopes that future studies into biology will be able to utilise their research. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.