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The magic and mystery of exploration
ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and JOEL HELLEWELL discuss the value of blue-sky research in reimagining reality, regardless of whether there is a way to monetise or exploit the discoveries

FAR away in space there are two very heavy and very dense stars orbiting each other extremely fast.

The lighter star is also spinning. Instead of rotating once every 24 hours, like our planet, it spins two-and-a-half times every second.

The pair of stars move around each other (as the Earth orbits the sun once a year) every four hours and 44 minutes.

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