An extinct species of giant salmon called Oncorhynchus lastrosus They boasted a pair of front teeth that protruded like fangs from the sides of their mouths, according to new research.
Oncorhynchus lastrosus: (A) CT model of the holotype. (B) Holotype seen from the front of the skull, before complete preparation and CT scanning. (C) Artist-rendered male iconic fish skull with accurate spike-tooth configuration. (D) Artist's rendering of a complete female iconic fish with precise spike tooth configuration. Scale bar blocks – 1 cm each.Image credit: Clairson other., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300252.
Oncorhynchus lastrosus It lived along the Pacific coast of North America (California, Oregon, and Washington) about 11 million to 5 million years ago.
This extinct species was first described in the 1970s from fossils discovered in the freshwater Gateway locality of the Madras Formation near the town of Gateway, Jefferson County, Oregon.
The fish was 2.4 to 2.7 meters (7.9 to 8.9 feet) long and weighed, by some estimates, close to 177 kilograms (400 pounds), making it the largest known member of its family. Salmonidae To live forever.
This species migrated from the Pacific Ocean to inland rivers to spawn, much like salmon today. And it was placophagous based on its numerous gill rakes and few small teeth.
but Oncorhynchus lastrosus It had two upper teeth, 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long.
Initially, paleontologists thought that these oversized teeth were oriented backwards in the mouth, like fangs, mainly because the tooth fossils were found separated from the rest of the skull. was. This led to the common name “saber-toothed tiger.”
However, through new CT scans and various analyses, Oncorhynchus lastrosus Using fossils collected over the years, Professor Kellyn Cresson of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and her colleagues were able to confirm that the fish's teeth did indeed point sideways out of its mouth, like a warthog.
“As a result, this species should be renamed 'spine-toothed salmon,'” the paleontologists said.
“It is unclear exactly what these teeth were used for, but it is likely that they were used for fighting other spiny-toothed salmon, for defense against natural predators, or as tools for digging nests. ”
“It is also possible that the teeth were used for multiple purposes,” the researchers added.
“However, the teeth were probably not used to capture prey. Oncorhynchus lastrosus It is believed that it was a filter feeder that fed on plankton. ”
“We've known for decades that these extinct salmon in Central Oregon were the largest of all time. Discoveries like ours mean they're probably more than just gentle giants. It shows that there was no such thing,” Professor Cresson said.
“The giant spines on the tips of their snouts would have helped them protect themselves from predators, compete with other salmon, and eventually build nests to incubate their eggs.”
“We are pleased to be able to give a new face to the giant spiny salmon and bring knowledge from the Oregon field to the world,” said University of Oregon researcher and director Dr. Edward Davis. Condon Collection, University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
“We also emphasize that females and males alike had huge fang-like teeth. So both sexes were equally terrifying,” said Professor Brian Sidlauskas, curator of fishes at Oregon State University. said.
team's result It was published in the magazine PLoS ONE.
_____
KM watercress other. 2024. From the saber to the spike: Reconstruction of an ancient giant sexually dimorphic Pacific salmon from a new angle. Oncorhynchus lastrosus (Salmonidae: Salmonini). PLoS ONE 19 (4): e0300252; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300252
In 1980, Disney World in Orlando, Florida, began developing a new method of generating electricity for its theme parks that would reduce the use of increasingly expensive oil. The solid waste-to-energy conversion plant took garbage, including plastics, and converted it into flammable gas using a method called pyrolysis. It opened in 1982 but closed a year later due to high operating costs.
Today, environmentalists cite the Disney story that shatters the reputation of a series of new technologies collectively known as advanced recycling, which takes plastic waste and turns it back into brand new plastic.
Their argument is dishonest. The failure of the Disney plant had more to do with the subsequent drop in oil prices than with any technical or environmental issues. Pyrolysis has improved significantly since the 1980s. In any case, Disney’s factory is designed to produce fuel, not classified as advanced recycling.
Advanced recycling is rapidly innovating with the potential to help solve the global plastics crisis, as reported in our feature “A surprising new technology that could recycle all plastics forever.” It has the potential to capture millions of tonnes of waste plastic and turn it back into a clean, fresh state by breaking it down into its molecular components. The goal is a circular economy that eliminates the need to make “virgin” plastic from oil.
It’s not a panacea. These factories produce toxic waste, have problems with their energy use, and perpetuate traditional plastics ahead of newer, greener alternatives. Campaigners are right to argue that it would be better to do away with plastic altogether. However, given practical considerations, they are not going away anytime soon, and most advanced recycling technologies are better for the environment than their alternatives.
There should be serious discussion about advanced recycling, especially whether it should be incorporated into future global treaties on plastic pollution. Make sure it’s based on fact and not a Disney story.
A diver injects vinegar into crown-of-thorns starfish as part of a culling program.
CSIRO
A culling program has successfully protected key areas of the Great Barrier Reef from voracious coral-eating starfish. Scientists who analyzed the results say efforts need to be scaled up to further protect coral reefs.
Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are persistent predators of almost all types of coral within Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Each starfish reaches a diameter of 1 meter and eats 10 square meters of coral reef each year.
Starfish live on coral reefs, and it is believed that increased nutrient input into reef waters due to agriculture and other human factors is increasing their numbers and exacerbating coral destruction. Between 1985 and 2012, they accounted for 40 percent of coral losses in the region.
When starfish erupted across the reef from 2012 to 2022, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority conducted a massive culling program. A team of divers injects the starfish with a single shot of vinegar or cow bile, which kills the starfish and prevents it from releasing its larvae.
Roger Beeden The Park Service and colleagues found that in areas where timely removals were carried out, outbreaks were limited and coral cover recovered and increased by up to 44%. Where no culling occurred, coral losses were severe. The study also confirmed that by preventing outbreaks on strategically important coral reefs, the larvae do not spread to other reefs on ocean currents, reducing further outbreaks.
To date, the program has focused on 500 of the marine park’s 3,000 reefs scattered throughout the park, which have significant value to the tourism industry or are home to starfish. were chosen because they are known to be important for the spread of
“The results we found in this study are the result of using integrated pest management. [the starfish] Just like managing plague locusts and other pest species, it needs to be done at the right time and on the right reef,” says Beeden.
But researchers recommend expanding the program from the current fleet of five to seven ships to 10 to 15 ships. “At any given time, about a third to a half of his 500 cases are involved in the current outbreak,” Beeden said.
Terry Hughes Researchers at James Cook University in Townsville do not agree that culling programs are worthwhile. “It is becoming increasingly clear that attempts to protect Great Barrier Reef corals by culling crown-of-thorns starfish on a few reefs are just a drop in the ocean,” he says.
Mr Hughes said geographical differences in starfish numbers and coral abundance – which the study attributed to levels of culling in different parts of the Great Barrier Reef – could be explained by which areas had suffered from recent cyclones and coral mass destruction. Events they say could be explained by who is most affected by large-scale bleaching. Professor Beeden acknowledges that it is difficult to separate these factors from the effects of selection, but he says: “Our results are strengthened and are not confounded by the fact that the increase in coral cover in the Townsville region was achieved despite two large-scale bleaching events in 2020 and 2022. do not have” “
Instead, Hughes says the priority should be to tackle global warming, which is accelerating the frequency and intensity of coral bleaching. “Each time there is a bleaching event, the Australian government announces additional funding to eliminate starfish from some coral reefs, shifting the focus away from addressing the causes of these outbreaks and reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.” he says.
Triangular gold flakes can be manipulated using mysterious quantum forces
George Zograf
A tiny gold device for controlling light is built using strange quantum effects hidden in seemingly empty space.
In 1948, physicist Hendrik Casimir theorized that when objects are brought close together in space, some objects experience a very weak gravitational pull due to imperceptible flickering of quantum fields in the gaps between them. Ta. Researchers then confirmed this Casimir effect in the laboratory. Betul Kyucukoz and his colleagues at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have found a way to make this useful.
They wanted to build a cavity that would trap the light using two pieces of gold placed parallel to each other, so that the light would bounce back and forth between them and would not be able to escape. First, we created the bottom edge of the cavity by transferring triangular gold flakes ranging in size from 4 to 10 microns onto a small piece of glass. The top end of the cavity also contained a triangular gold flake, but instead of holding it in place with an instrument, the researchers attached it to the glass in a salt water solution containing an additional triangular gold flake. The gold flakes were then dipped in and then allowed to develop. Instead, work naturally.
One of those forces was the electrostatic force caused by the charge associated with the dissolved salt. Another is the Casimir effect. Kyuchkoz said he observed the experiment under the microscope many times and could always see the Casimir effect in action. This causes the floating gold flakes to move towards the gold flake where one is imprinted on the glass, and then he moves over the imprinted gold flake until the triangular footprints of the two flakes match. It was rotated.
This completes the assembly of a cavity that can trap light. The researchers were able to significantly control the cavity formation process, Kyucukoz said. For example, by using different concentrations of salt, we can adjust the strength of the electrostatic force so that the distance between the flakes is different for each cavity, creating cavities with slightly different dimensions of 100-200 nanometers. It can trap colored light.
Raul Esquivel Sirbento The professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico said the idea of self-assembly, likened to throwing a Lego set into a pot and a structure emerges without having to manually press the pieces together, is not new. But he said his team’s experiment was more detailed and controlled than previous attempts to exploit the Casimir effect for similar purposes. But the Casimir effect can be very subtle, so there may be other effects here as well that haven’t been detected yet, Esquivel Servent said.
In the future, Küçüköz and his colleagues hope to use the cavity as part of more complex experiments with light, such as placing objects inside the cavity between two gold flakes.
The SLIM lander continues to take photos of the moon's surface.
JAXA
Somehow, Japan's Smart Lunar Survey Lander (SLIM) survived three lunar nights. This is an amazing feat. The moon's nights are so cold that the spacecraft's batteries and electronics fail, so a lunar lander can typically survive one day on the moon, or about two weeks on Earth.
The lunar lander is built to withstand the moon's nighttime temperatures, which can drop to -133°C (-208°F). SLIM is no exception. There are no heaters or special insulation designed to keep the spacecraft's electronics warm.
The original plan was for the lunar night to mark the end of the lander's mission, so no one expected to wake up again when night fell less than two weeks after SLIM's January 19 landing. I wasn't expecting it. But on February 25, the sun rose over SLIM's resting place near the moon's south pole, lighting it up again.
Alarmed, the SLIM operations crew on Earth began instructing the lander to image and measure its surroundings until the next lunar night, when the mission would truly end. In late March, the sun rose again and the lander powered on and began transmitting data to Earth.
By all standards, the mission was a shocking success, even after a difficult landing left the spacecraft tilted. But yet another surprise awaited – three nights later on April 23, SLIM was revived again.
X's SLIM official account Posted“SLIM maintained its primary functionality even after a three-night stay, which was not envisioned at the time of its design.” New photos of the lunar surface accompanying that post show that the lander once again understands the moon. It also shows that they are working hard to collect data that will not only help them do this, but also help them create a spacecraft that can withstand moonlit nights.
Fusion reactions have overcome two important barriers to operating in the “sweet spot” needed for optimal power production: increasing plasma density and keeping a denser plasma confined. This milestone marks another stepping stone toward fusion power, although commercial reactors are likely still years away.
One of the main avenues being considered in efforts to achieve fusion power generation is the use of tokamak reactors. These have donut-shaped chambers in which plasma, hotter than the surface of the sun, is trapped by giant magnets.
It was thought that there was a point known as the Greenwald limit, beyond which the plasma could not become denser without escaping the influence of the magnets, potentially damaging the reactor. However, experiments have shown that the power of a tokamak reactor increases proportionally to the square of the fuel density, so increasing the density is important to increase the power.
now, Siye Din General Atomics in San Diego, California, and colleagues have shown that there is a way to increase plasma density and have shown that plasma density can be stabilized. DIII-D National Fusion Facility The tokamak reactor was operated for 2.2 seconds at an average density 20 percent above the Greenwald limit. This barrier has been crossed before with low stability and short duration, but this experiment was importantly also performed with a metric greater than 1, known as H98(y,2).
H98(y,2) states that it is a complex combination of measurements and values that indicate how well the plasma is confined in the magnet. gianluca sarri At Queen's University Belfast, a value of 1.0 or higher indicates normal plasma retention.
“He's starting to show some sort of stable behavior where he can consistently be in the sweet spot,” Sarri says. “This was done on a small machine. If we extrapolate these results to a larger machine…we would expect to find a situation where we can achieve gains and significant power production over a significant period of time.”
Sarri said the DIII-D experiment relied on a combination of approaches that are not new in themselves, but that their combination appears to have produced a promising approach. The researchers increased the power by increasing the density in the center of the donut-shaped plasma, while allowing the plasma to sink at the end closest to the containment vessel, avoid plasma leakage. They also injected deuterium gas into the plasma to calm the reaction in certain areas.
DIII-D's plasma chamber has an outer radius of just 1.6 meters, but it remains to be seen whether the same method will work for ITER, the next generation tokamak being built in France. ITER has a radius of 6.2 meters and is expected to be completed. It is planned to generate plasma by 2025 at the earliest.
“These plasmas are very complex,” Sarri says. “Small changes in circumstances lead to large changes in behavior. Experimentally, it was a trial-and-error kind of approach, trying out many different configurations and basically seeing which one worked best. It was all about It's about forcing the plasma to do something that is completely against its nature and that it doesn't actually want to do.”
Ding says the experiment bodes well for the future of fusion power generation. “Many reactor designs require high confinement and high density at the same time. Experimentally, this is the first time this has been achieved,” he says. “Next steps will be costly and research is currently moving in many directions. We hope this document will help focus efforts around the world.”
Sarri says this work is another step toward a practical fusion power plant, but no one should expect a commercial reactor to be completed within the next five or even 10 years.
The pink lapacho tree is one of approximately 300,000 species of flowering plants
Roberto Okamura Tetsuo/Shutterstock
Botanists have used genome data from more than 9,500 species to map evolutionary relationships among flowering plants. The newly compiled Tree of Life will help scientists piece together the origins of flowering plants and inform future conservation efforts.
Approximately 90 percent of plants that live on land are flowering and fruiting plants called angiosperms. These flowering plants are essential to maintaining Earth's ecosystems, including storing carbon and producing oxygen, and they make up a large portion of our diet.
“Our very existence depends on them,” he says. william baker At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. “That's why we need to really understand them.”
For the past eight years, Baker and his colleagues have been working to complete the Tree of Life, which describes the evolutionary relationships between all genera of plants and fungi.
Starting with flowering plants, the researchers designed molecular probes to search for 353 specific genes found in the nucleus of all angiosperms. “The nuclear genome is huge,” Baker says. “So we needed to focus on a specific set of genes.”
Researchers have so far sequenced the genes of 9,506 species of flowering plants, primarily using specimens from collections and public databases around the world. This represents nearly all known angiosperm families and approximately 8,000 of the 13,400 recorded genera.Some of the specimens collected in the analysis are more than 200 years old; Arenaria globifloraand many Guadalupe Island olives (Espererea Palmeri).
By comparing the similarities in the gene sequences of different flowering plants, researchers were able to figure out where they fit on the tree of life.
Baker says this is the most comprehensive survey of angiosperms to date. “We often liken it to the periodic table of elements,” he says. “It's the basic framework for life.”
angiosperm tree of life
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Angiosperms emerged about 140 million years ago and have rapidly flourished, overtaking flowerless gymnosperms to become the world's dominant plant species. The sudden appearance of the diversity of flowering plants in the fossil record has baffled scientists for the past few centuries, and Charles Darwin called it “a hideous mystery.”
Now, the Tree of Life confirms that about 80 percent of the major flowering plant lineages that still exist today were part of this early boom in angiosperm diversity. “We can't say we've solved this 'damn mystery,' but at least we can say it really does exist,” Baker said.
The tree of life also highlights a further surge in diversity that occurred around 40 million years ago, possibly caused by a drop in global temperatures at the time.
In the future, he says, the Tree of Life could also help in the search for plants with pharmaceutical properties for new drugs. Ilia Leech, another member of Cue's team. It also helps scientists identify new species and assess which species are most vulnerable to climate change.
“This is the latest and greatest evolutionary framework for conducting new research that approaches the mechanisms that have allowed flowering plants to take over the world,” he says. ryan falk at Mississippi State University.
This image of an Inca city on Mars was taken on February 27, 2024 by the high-resolution stereo camera on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin.
“The Martian ‘spiders’ are not actual spiders, but form when spring sunlight falls on layers of carbon dioxide deposited during the dark winter,” said a member of the Mars Express team.
“Sunlight turns the carbon dioxide ice at the bottom of the layer into gas, which then accumulates and breaks through the ice sheet above.”
“During Mars’ spring, the gas explodes, dragging black material down to the surface as it progresses and shattering layers of ice up to a meter thick.”
“The resulting gas, laden with black dust, erupts through cracks in the ice in the form of tall fountains and geysers, before falling down and sinking to the surface.”
This creates a dark spot 45 m to 1 km (148 to 3,280 ft) in diameter.
This same process carves a distinctive “spider-shaped” pattern beneath the ice. Therefore, these black spots are evidence that a spider may be lurking underneath.
“Dark spots can be seen throughout the Mars Express image. But most of them can be seen as small specks in the dark region on the left, located just on the outskirts of a part of Mars called Inca City.” said the researchers.
“The reason for this name is no mystery: the network of linear, almost geometric ridges recalls Inca ruins.”
More formally known as Angustus Labyrinth. Inca City was discovered in 1972 by NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft.
“We still don’t know exactly how Inca cities formed. Sand dunes may have turned to stone over time,” the scientists said.
“Perhaps materials such as magma or sand are seeping through fractured sheets of Martian rock. Alternatively, the ridges could be ‘eskers,’ tortuous structures associated with glaciers.”
“The ‘walls’ of Inca cities appear to be part of a larger circle, 86 km (53.5 miles) in diameter.”
Scientists suspect that Inca City is located inside a large crater formed when rocks from space collided with the planet’s surface.
“This impact may have caused the fault to ripple in the surrounding plains, which was then filled with rising lava and then worn away over time,” the researchers said.
President Biden is anticipated to sign legislation mandating that TikTok’s Chinese owner divest the social media app’s U.S. operations or face a ban once it is passed by the Senate.
Biden has affirmed his intention to sign the bill, which is part of a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Below is an overview of the bill and its implications.
How does the law enable sales or bans?
The legislation gives TikTok’s parent company, Dance Corp. based in Beijing, 270 days to sell the app’s U.S. operations. Upon nearing the deadline, the president can grant a 90-day extension if ByteDance is near finalizing the deal. If the bill passes this week, the deadline coincides with the presidential inauguration on January 20th. This means that the decision to extend the sale process may rest with Donald Trump depending on the election outcome.
Joe Biden previously said he intended to sign the bill. Photo: Anadolu/Getty Images
Failure by ByteDance to complete any sales would result in a nationwide ban by restricting app stores and web hosts from distributing TikTok.
Why is the US considering banning TikTok?
US lawmakers and authorities are worried about the possibility of the Chinese government accessing the data of TikTok’s 170 million American users under national security laws. Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, stated that ByteDance is “influenced by the Chinese government” and Chinese officials manipulated TikTok’s algorithms. He cautioned that this could jeopardize individuals and allow governments to gather user data for espionage purposes.
TikTok refutes allegations of the Chinese government attempting to access U.S. user data and asserts denial of such requests. During a congressional hearing last year, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zhi Chu, clarified: “ByteDance does not operate in China or any other country.”
Will TikTok challenge this legislation?
TikTok has pledged to contest the bill in court post its enactment, arguing that it violates the First Amendment safeguarding free speech.
“After the bill becomes law, we plan to file a legal challenge in court,” stated Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, in a weekend memo to staff. He emphasized: “We will persist in opposing this bill as it infringes upon the First Amendment rights of the 170 million American TikTok users.”
The favorable tilt towards TikTok from the First Amendment was evident when a judge in Montana who previously banned the app overturned the decision, citing violation of users’ free speech rights.
View of Beijing, China. TikTok denies that the Chinese government has tried to access U.S. user data and says it rejects all such requests. Photo: Sean Pavone/Alamy
In 2020, the U.S. attempted to ban TikTok following an executive order from President Trump, but a Washington judge blocked the ban, citing potential legal overreach. TikTok is expected to seek another injunction before challenging the constitutionality of the bill through a comprehensive lawsuit.
Who could potentially acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations?
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced in March his intention to form a consortium to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets, lauding it as a “promising investment.”
Microsoft had considered a deal to purchase TikTok in 2020 at the urging of President Trump. Additionally, President Trump advocated for U.S. tech company Oracle and retailer Walmart to acquire significant stakes in the company. ByteDance itself has several U.S. investors, including investment firms General Atlantic, Susquehanna, and Sequoia Capital.
Financial analysts at Wedbush Securities anticipate challenges in securing a sale involving TikTok’s algorithm, a crucial technology influencing app content curation. They emphasize the complexity of the sales process without the algorithm’s inclusion.
If ByteDance fails to make the sale, it could face a nationwide ban by blocking app stores and web hosts from distributing TikTok. Photo: Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/Rex/Shutterstock
What is the stance of the Chinese government?
Last year, the Chinese government expressed strong opposition to the app’s sale, stating that it would undermine global investor confidence in the U.S., including China. China’s export regulations also restrict the sale of specific technologies.
Will other nations replicate this divestment or ban?
TikTok faces scrutiny in other Western countries due to data concerns. It is prohibited on government-issued mobile devices in the UK, US, Canada, and New Zealand. Employees of the European Commission are also forbidden from using it on work-provided devices.
Calls for banning TikTok in the UK have been made, with former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith stating: “We should have done it ourselves.”
In 2020, India banned TikTok and numerous other Chinese apps, citing threats to national sovereignty, defense, and security.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing millions of dollars to help traditionally underserved coastal communities combat climate change. This funding includes a significant stretch of 12,000 square miles of land spanning from North Carolina to Florida, known as the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Designated by Congress in 2006, this land increases the wealth of the Gullah-Geechee by allowing communities along the corridor to utilize federal funds for programs and projects and receive technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service, all in an effort to protect and preserve their history and culture.
In April 2023, NOAA also announced over $265 million in funding for 38 new projects aimed at strengthening the climate resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities. These projects include initiatives in South Carolina to accelerate living shoreline projects in underserved communities, as well as collaborations with the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor to create living shoreline projects in these communities. Additionally, the funding includes $6.2 million for programs supporting the Regional Ambassador Program for Coastlines.
NOAA-recommended projects involve hiring new staff to assist restoration organizations in building relationships with the Gullah-Geechee community, identifying resiliency priorities for community members, and establishing local relationships to support future restoration efforts. Moreover, $536,000 has been allocated to form an advisory committee.
A Gullah woman weaves a sweetgrass basket, circa 1930. H. Armstrong Roberts/Classic Stock/Getty Images
Tia Clark operates Casual Club with Tia in Charleston, South Carolina, focusing on catching blue crabs, a staple in Gullah-Geechee cuisine. She participates in a conservation effort to build oyster reefs and create habitat for marine life to thrive, as rising temperatures are endangering crab habitats. With blue crab populations at an all-time low in South Carolina in 2023, Clark emphasizes the need to protect these resources from further decline.
Clark collaborates with state agencies and local schools to educate students about the importance of preserving water resources for future generations, emphasizing the impacts of climate change on the environment and wildlife.
Numerous federal programs support the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, emphasizing the importance of combatting climate change to protect the land, water, and way of life cherished by those living along the corridor.
“We are dedicated to ensuring the survival and continuation of our traditions as native Gullah Geechee,” said Queen Couette. “We are committed to preserving our heritage for generations to come.”
TEnnis is one of those sports that only intermittently works well through video games. The odd major series like Pete Sampras, Virtua Tennis, and Smash Court come along, but more often than not we end up relying on old favorites (Take a Bow, Super Tennis). It's been 13 years since TopSpin 4 was released, and the title is considered to be an authentic simulation of the sport that people love. Still looking for a copy until today. But perhaps not anymore. 2K Games has finally produced a sequel. This is a true champion contender.
From the get-go, TopSpin 2K25 has all the details you'd expect from a modern licensed sports sim. All major stadiums and championships are here. However, the playing environment is only well-detailed and not the spectacular theater of photorealism you've come to expect from EA Sports. The opening roster features 25 star players, from Emma Laducane to Andre Agassi. The selection isn't huge, and the quality of the caricatures varies, but it's good enough, and 2K says they plan to add more in the future.
If you don't want to cosplay as Carlos Alcaraz, you can join the full career mode as your own player. Mine is shockingly adorned with his pink Lycra and neon yellow sunglasses, a look that looks like it could easily carry over into real life. There are exhibition matches that you can easily knock out against the AI or up to three friends (online or split screen), and you can also participate in ranked and friendly online tournaments. Your appearance and skillset are fully customizable with a variety of outfits earned through play or (a feature that now seems inevitable) by purchasing a season pass or browsing the store. is. It's great that you can also choose to build a player with a prosthetic leg.
Of course, what really matters is the experience on the court, and that's great. The control system is complex but easy to access, with joypad buttons giving you access to flat, slice, lob, topspin and drop shot options, with power controlled by how long you hold the button down. As with TopSpin 4, timing and positioning are important skills. This is not a Mario Tennis style hit and hope game. If you take your shot too early or too late, your shot will end up in the net, flying off into the top of the stands, or giving another player an easy smash. At the same time, you're always thinking about where your players are on the court relative to the shot you're about to make and the likely return from your opponent. The physical nature of very good players makes the decision-making process even more demanding. It reproduces the weight position and body momentum with delicate precision. Are you so proud of that rushing cross-court slice shot you just landed? Good luck getting back to baseline for Serena Williams' comeback.
For players used to the more visceral feel of Virtua Tennis or the generous forbearance of Mario Tennis, there's a tough learning curve ahead. This is highlighted by the presence of his TopSpin Academy, an in-depth instructional mode that steadily teaches players from basic ground strokes to advanced serve tactics and individual player techniques. Just learning the timing will require several hours of play. If you're just playing the odd knockabout with your friends, there's no need to stress too much, but if you want to progress through Career His mode or play against human opponents online, give yourself a “good” shot. It would be better to hit it. “Perfect” timing at least 75% of the time.
But this is a good thing. 2K Games has created a game that feels like a proper simulation in terms of the array of tactical options available at any given moment and the demands placed on the player's skill. By completing TopSpin Academy, I learned a lot about real tennis strategy and how professional players differ in the way they use their baseline and net plays. There's also plenty of room to grow as a player by experimenting with power shots, perfecting tricky drop shots, and redistributing player attribute points to support different tactical approaches. it is clear.
Thirteen years is a long time to wait for a new tennis sim, but TopSpin 2K25 is well worth it. If there's one thing this game teaches you, it's the value of determined patience.Well, and you can Looks great with pink Lycra and yellow sunglasses.
Sulfur and chlorine isotopes in Io’s atmosphere indicate that Io has been volcanically active throughout the solar system’s 4.57 billion-year history.
This global map of Io was obtained in January 1999 by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.
Jupiter’s moon Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
Io’s volcanic activity is the result of tidal heating due to friction that occurs within the moon’s interior as it is pulled between Jupiter and its neighboring moons Europa and Ganymede.
However, it is not fully understood how long this moon has hosted such extensive volcanic activity.
Due to the Moon’s current level of volcanic activity, Io’s surface is constantly being reworked, leaving only the most recent 1 million years of its geological record.
Stable isotope measurements of volatile elements in Io’s atmosphere could provide information about Io’s volcanic history.
“Io is a moon of Jupiter and is the most volcanically active body in the solar system,” says Dr. Ellie Hughes, a volcanic fluid geochemist at GNS Science.
“Io is in orbital resonance with Jupiter’s other two large moons, Europa and Ganymede.”
“For every time Ganymede orbits Jupiter once, Europa orbits twice and Io orbits four times.”
“This configuration causes Io’s orbit around Jupiter to be elliptical rather than circular, causing Jupiter’s gravity on Io to change periodically.”
“This change in gravity causes something called tidal heating on Io, just as the moon causes ocean tides on Earth, which causes volcanic activity.”
“However, it is unclear whether volcanic activity has occurred on Io over a long period of time or how this activity has changed over Io’s 4.57 billion year history.”
“Io has experienced so much volcanic activity that its surface is constantly being updated, leaving little trace of its past.”
“Fortunately, we can study Io back in time by studying sulfur and its isotopes.”
In the new study, Hughes, Caltech researcher Catherine de Clare, and colleagues used the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe gases in Io’s tenuous atmosphere. , we measured stable isotope radio waves of sulfur and chlorine. Carries molecules.
Scientists believe that both elements have lower concentrations of heavier isotopes compared to the solar system average due to the loss of lighter isotopes from the upper atmosphere as material is continually recycled between Io’s interior and atmosphere. I discovered that it is very plentiful.
The findings show that Io lost 94% to 99% of its sulfur through this outgassing and recycling process.
This would require that Io maintained its current level of volcanic activity throughout its lifetime.
“Sulfur is released into the atmosphere from Io’s interior by tidal heating from volcanic activity,” Hughes said.
“Some of the sulfur is lost to space by Jupiter’s magnetosphere, a bundle of charged particles swirling around Jupiter that continuously bombards Io’s atmosphere.”
“The sulfur that is left behind will eventually be buried back inside Io, ready to start the cycle again.”
“Isotopes of the same element have different weights from each other, so they can behave slightly differently during this cycle.”
“We found that the sulfur lost to space on Io is a little lighter isotopically than the sulfur that is recycled into Io’s interior.”
“Thus, over time, the sulfur left on Io becomes isotopically heavier and heavier. How heavy it gets depends on how long the volcanic activity has been occurring.”
“We found much more isotopically heavy sulfur in Io’s atmosphere than the solar system average. This requires that Io has lost almost all of its original sulfur.”
“Based on numerical modeling, this means that Io has been volcanically active for billions of years, and that tidal heating and orbital resonance have also occurred for most of Io’s history.”
“In the future, variability in atmospheric sulfur isotopic composition may help quantify Io’s average tidal heating rate.”
Tesla’s efforts to make electric cars more affordable are making progress.
After announcing plans to speed up production and start manufacturing low-cost EVs sooner than expected, Tesla’s stock price surged by 12% on Tuesday.
Investors are eager to see what Tesla has in store and how quickly these new vehicles will be available.
What is Tesla planning?
Tesla is reworking its production timeline to launch new models faster.
The company updated its vehicle lineup to accelerate the introduction of more affordable models before the previously projected start date of late 2025.
Elon Musk, President of Tesla, mentioned that production could begin as early as this year or by early 2025.
While details about the design and specifications of the new car remain scarce, it’s known that Tesla had previously discussed creating a cheaper vehicle, referred to as the Model 2, priced below $25,000.
How can I achieve this?
To ramp up production of affordable cars, Tesla may need to modify its Model 2 program.
The company aimed to implement a new manufacturing process that would reduce production costs by half, but this will require substantial investment.
Recent announcements indicate that Tesla plans to build the new vehicle on its current production line, steering away from innovative manufacturing technologies.
Some experts believe this shift signals the abandonment of the Model 2 plans in favor of continuing to produce existing models.
How much does a more affordable car cost?
The exact price of the upcoming “more affordable” model remains unknown, but Tesla initially aimed for a $25,000 price tag to compete with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.
However, revised plans suggest that cost savings may not meet previous expectations.
Billy Eilish is Running away from him. Doja Cat Stops her. Her security detail made the sidewalk serenade of “Paint the Town Red” possible. Charli XCX Let’s him sing a few bars of “I Got It,” then said, “I have to try,” and turned on her heel and strolled back to the car.
Harry Daniels stakes out celebrities like Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, and Joe Biden and serenades them while filming their reactions on TikTok. Most of these exchanges are spontaneous, as if the celebrities are genuinely surprised to have a 20-year-old man sing a song to them (usually horrifyingly, often about themselves). When Daniels found Jacob Elordi, who was at the restaurant, said the Saltburn star stayed next to a bodyguard-like man across the room and watched, amused, as Daniels headed off to the dance floor singing “Murderer.” I was a little wary.
Harry Daniels sings Lana Del Rey’s national anthem to Joe Biden. Photo: TikTok user @harry.daniels
Daniels’ videos alternate between old-fashioned trolling (Daniels once gratefully sang to Lea Michele, “All I Can Do for the Illiterate Community”) and an expression of true love for the artist. In an age when celebrities tightly control their images, his improvisations manage to reveal whether there’s a sense of humor, a lick of personality, or something going on beneath the surface. To quote a popular genre of comments Daniels receives on TikTok: “How do I find these people?!?!?”
Daniels has long cultivated an obsession with pop princesses online. “I think there’s a big element of escapism in stan culture,” he told me last week when I met him and his sister Madeline Daniels at a cafe on New York’s Lower East Side. “I found solace in other people’s careers and jobs, because I often felt insecure about my own life.”
Daniels grew up on Long Island, the son of an accountant and a homemaker. “Harry first attended Stan University when he was about 11 years old, where he completed his PhD,” said Madeleine, who also serves as his cameraman and unofficial manager. He loves Demi Lovato, Billie Eilish, Fifth Harmony, and Haim, and learned how to follow his favorites in real life by interacting with their fans on social media.
Two years ago, Daniels used his superior education to compete for face time with superstars. “I went to everyone’s shows and meet-and-greets and engaged with them in a way that made me feel connected to them,” he said. However, he felt the interaction was too formulaic. “How many times do I say ‘I love you so much’ to someone?” Wanting to leave a lasting impression, he decided to entertain himself by being a damn, a troll.”
Daniels and Paris Hilton were photographed shortly after the hotel heiress sang her 2006 hit “Stars are Blind.” Photo: Harry Daniels
Daniels’ first recorded TikTok serenade was at Sabrina Carpenter’s album signing in 2022. In the video, Sabrina Carpenter sang her diss track “Skin” while sitting behind a table. He suppressed an obviously nervous laugh. As soon as Daniels finished speaking, Carpenter issued a very diplomatic “thank you.” At that moment, a fool was born.
Daniels quickly became “smarter” than he appeared in person. He was waiting outside the Broadway stage door. He serenaded Sarah Paulson. Sometimes he got lucky. One night while he was eating at a diner, he ran into Ethan Cutkosky, who played Carl in the American version of Shameless.
“I think people think I’m hiding in the bushes, but I actually just show up where I know they’ll be,” he said. (It helps that he lives just outside New York City.)
Eventually, Daniels reached such a level of virality that some artist teams started reaching out. The music industry’s heavy reliance on TikTok as a promotional tool means that labels are likely to back artists who can generate buzz on the app. A cleverly planned “surprise” with Daniels, who has over 1 million followers, is a boon for artists looking to go viral or curate a relatable online persona.
Ripa’s team invited Daniels to surprise their star during a press tour. Similarly, Daniels used backstage access to go to Coachella earlier this month and sing Taylor Swift’s “Antihero” to Jack Antonoff and Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” to the heiress herself. Daniels says many of his videos are “just for fun,” meaning he doesn’t get paid. Money comes in when sponsors pay him to take pictures with artists at events. (Daniels declined to reveal his maximum performance fee.)
Daniels said that while the artist’s team may know what’s going on, the artist “legitimately doesn’t know anything,” which makes it difficult for the created situation to remain authentic. He claims it’s helping. “But lately, people have started trying to teach me how to create their own content.” He says he’s been asked by artists to promote new music or promote the names of products. “I wanted my videos to be less commercial and more culturally relevant, so I had to put my foot down,” he said.
Although Daniels prefers to stay in the pop culture realm, he recently filmed a video with Biden after receiving an invitation to a star-studded Radio City Music Hall fundraiser in March. Daniels was able to get close to the barricade where Biden walked around shaking hands with attendees. So he learned to sing Lana Del Rey’s national anthem dedicated to the 81-year-old politician. “He was very present, but I think he was literally like, ‘What the heck?'” Daniels said.
Harry Daniels surprises Greta Gerwig in New York. Photo: TikTok user @harry.daniels
Daniels also intended to sing for Kamala Harris if given the chance. What song? Of course, the wheels of the bus are “The Vice President’s Obvious Love” laugh out loud about buses, laugh out loud about buses. But don’t expect a Trump video. “I don’t think I’ll ever get this close to him,” Daniels said.
Not everyone appreciates Harry Daniels’ treatment. At a Biden fundraiser afterparty, Ms. Daniels unsuccessfully tried to sing to the incomparable Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue: I may be a troll, but I’m not stupid,” Daniels said. “So I introduced myself and said I was a fan of hers, and she was like, ‘Thank you, that’s so sweet.’ I started singing and she just walked away.”
Daniels also came under heavy attack after the match. Ask America Ferrera if she wanted a “gay son or creepy daughter” at the People’s Choice Awards. His critics accused him of being “uninteresting” and “not a real journalist.” He dismissed that, telling Rolling Stone, “My job is to create content that generates clicks and views.”
Daniels’ post has an ulterior motive. According to Rolling Stone, he’s also a singer himself, and he’s not bad at it. The magazine said his vocals had “an inherent melancholy similar to that of Troye Sivan.” “The only reason I really started doing all of this is because I wanted to pursue music. Basically, everyone I’ve ever talked to in this industry has told me that you need to get a following on social media. I said it consistently,” Daniels said. “So if people want a follow, I’ll give them a follow.”
Daniels doesn’t seem annoyed by the give-and-take. He respects the hustle and bustle. Still, there’s something dark about how his outsider side inevitably becomes part of the star machine. The more celebrities are tipped off about a potential interaction with Harry Daniels, the more the video feels like an SNL short, less gonzo fun and more fuel for PR campaigns and album release calendars.
Harry Daniels, his sister Madeleine, and Charlie D’Amelio. Photo: Harry Daniels
Regardless, Daniels says, “The music comes first.” He describes his work as hyperpop, a bubblegum-meets-chaos genre typified by Charli XCX and Kim Petras. “It’s larger than life and reminds me of what music is supposed to be. Music is supposed to soundtrack something bigger than yourself and make you feel things you can’t put into words,” he said.
Although he hasn’t released any tracks yet, he said 2024 will be the last year of his current idiocy. He’s not done yet. He knows that if he wants to stay relevant, he’ll have to create content forever, and that’s fine with him. He just sees it as an opportunity to “strike while the iron is hot.” He is currently in talks to expand the Homespun team to include not only his sister but also the pros.
As Daniels left the cafe, a young woman who appeared to be a fan standing near the exit quietly said, “I love you.” Daniels breathlessly responded with a sweet, “I love you too.” I’m sure it’s something he inherited from the celebrities he’s sung to.
From the moment you begin as an immature egg in your grandmother’s womb, your fertility journey is limited. However, scientists at Cambridge University may soon change that reality in their bright labs.
Dr. Staša Stankovic is one of these scientists. Her research at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge has uncovered valuable data in the field. Now, Stankovic is focused on unraveling the mysteries surrounding fertility and menopause.
Women’s ovaries hold a finite supply of eggs that represent their fertility. Stankovic compares this concept to an hourglass, where the sand (eggs) can only flow in one direction until it runs out, signaling the onset of menopause.
“In science, we aim to control the hourglass’s middle part,” she explains. “Our goal is to limit the eggs’ loss over time, preserving the highest quality eggs for as long as possible.”
Working with a team for five years, Stankovic is developing a method to predict the natural fertile period and age of menopause with 65% accuracy, aiming for 80% accuracy in clinical practice.
Additionally, the team is exploring potential drug solutions to address infertility and potentially delay menopause. The onset of menopause is influenced by the ovarian reserve and the rate at which eggs deplete over a woman’s lifetime, typically occurring around age 50 with fewer than 1,000 eggs left.
For women experiencing early menopause or premature menopause, these drug treatments could be life-changing.
Your Menopausal Age
Researchers are studying genetic factors using a blood sample rather than physical examinations to understand how genes impact fertility and menopause.
The research team analyzed data from over 200,000 women in the UK Biobank, which provided insights into menopause, fertility, and overall health metrics. This data will help researchers make connections with other health outcomes like dementia and diabetes.
By identifying over 300 genetic variations linked to menopause, researchers foresee potential solutions for ovarian diseases and early menopause using drug interventions.
Stankovic cautions against relying solely on IVF and egg freezing as magical solutions, emphasizing the need for more effective treatments with higher success rates.
Effects of Delaying Menopause
The research team is hopeful about developing infertility drugs that not only address symptoms but also regulate ovarian function. While the drug’s availability is estimated within the next decade, rigorous testing and validation are still required.
The team’s focus is on identifying crucial genes, conducting testing in ovarian models, and formulating drugs that maintain egg quality and quantity as women age.
Ultimately, the goal is to delay menopause and extend reproductive lifespan. Preliminary studies on mice have shown promising results, but further research is needed before human trials can begin.
Aside from fertility benefits, delaying menopause could also impact women’s overall health, offering insights into various diseases associated with menopause.
About Our Experts
Dr. Staša Stanković is an ovarian genomicist with a PhD in reproductive genomics from the University of Cambridge. Her groundbreaking research has been published in top scientific journals, shedding light on the biological mechanisms behind ovarian aging and menopause.
Hamsters, horses, and humans all do it, so it’s no surprise that gorillas, one of our closest living relatives, also fart a lot.
Farting is the body’s natural way of expelling unwanted gases produced by intestinal bacteria. These gases include odorless ones like carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane, as well as smelly sulfur compounds that can sometimes create a noxious odor.
There are two types of gorillas, the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, both found in the forests of equatorial Africa. These large primates, weighing up to 190 kg (420 lb), primarily eat fiber-rich plants. They typically consume around 20 kg (44 lb) of nettles, wild celery, and other plants daily through foraging.
When gorillas are not eating, they are usually resting, allowing their bodies to digest. Gorillas in the wild are known to have a lot of flatulence, especially during certain times of the year.
A recent BBC series titled spy in the wild revealed how much gas gorillas produce. Using a remote-controlled camera, researchers captured footage of mountain gorillas in Uganda. They observed that gorillas tend to vocalize while eating, and there is a constant tramping sound between meals.
Researcher Jordi Galvani Casals, who studies mountain gorillas, stated that gorillas always have a significant amount of flatulence.
This article was written in response to the question asked by Alan Rose via email: “Are gorillas permanently bloated?”
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at:questions@sciencefocus.com or reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or our Instagram page (don’t forget to include your name and location).
Explore more interesting science topics on our website.
After the earnings release, Tesla stock plummeted by 10% in after-hours trading on Tuesday. This was despite missing Q1 2024 sales, having sharply lower profits, and recalling the recently launched $100,000 Cybertruck, which had seen a recent rise.
The electric vehicle maker’s revenue stood at $21.3 billion, slightly below expectations of $21.48 billion and down by 9% from a year ago, marking the largest decline since 2012. Profits were reported at $1.1 billion, a 55% drop from the first quarter of 2023, the company announced.
Despite the disappointing figures, the report also included upbeat news for investors. This included a preview of a ride-hailing app set to be integrated into Tesla products. The company revealed plans to bring new vehicle models to the market sooner than anticipated, citing the development of its robotaxi network.
Over the past three months, Tesla has doubled its AI computing capacity (smart software complexity) and invested $1 billion in AI infrastructure during the same period.
Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at the company, mentioned that Tuesday’s report and Tesla’s plans to accelerate the development of more affordable vehicles helped alleviate some concerns among investors. “This announcement suggests that Elon [Musk] may refocus on the EV giant, which is positive news for shareholders,” he stated.
The earnings report was Tesla’s second since the launch of the Cybertruck, its long-awaited electric pickup truck. It was also the first report after the vehicle’s recent recall. The company faced challenges with the futuristic steel car, including a voluntary recall due to reports of a loose accelerator pedal potentially causing vehicles to become stuck when driving at full speed. Despite this, the company did not directly address the recall in its earnings release.
Even without the Cybertruck issues, Tesla has a tough year ahead as it announced a 10% reduction in its global workforce, affecting approximately 14,000 jobs. The company also slashed prices globally over the weekend. The entry of Chinese electric car manufacturers into the market has added to Tesla’s struggles in recent quarters.
Tesla reported a decrease in car deliveries for the first time in four years in the last quarter. The company warned that the growth rate in car sales could be considerably lower compared to 2023.
Addressing concerns about his workload, Elon Musk stated during the earnings conference, “Tesla consumes the majority of my work time. I work every day. I will ensure that Tesla prospers.”
Five giant dinosaur footprints discovered in southeastern China were made by the largest birds of prey ever recorded. The predator was probably 5 meters tall from nose to tail, about half the length of a school bus. It probably used its giant “killer claws”, one on each foot, to attack its prey.
Most raptors (technically known as deinonychosaurs) were small. Velociraptor For example, it was about the same size as a turkey. However, some of these dinosaurs were larger. Utahraptor and dakota raptor both reached approximately 5-6 meters in length.
scott parsons Now professors at the College of Charleston in South Carolina have added another giant raptor to the list. they named it fujianips is said to have lived in East Asia about 96 million years ago.
We still know little about fujianips. That’s because Parsons and his colleagues have yet to discover any parts of the skeleton. Instead, they found several footprints measuring 36 centimeters in length. “The preservation conditions were good for the footprints, but not so good for the bones,” he says. But they are confident that the footprints are from a bird of prey because each footprint has only two finger prints. This is consistent with the structure of a raptor’s foot, in that he has three toes, but one toe is off the ground to protect the large claw at the tip from abrasion.
People say fujianips. This study shows that raptors had the potential to grow even larger and compete with the largest carnivorous dinosaurs living here at the time, the allosaurids, some of which were over 10 meters long. He added that the Raptors may have had a key advantage over these rivals: “They were fast.”
But in the end, the raptor became slightly larger fujianips. Parsons says this may be because a third group of dinosaurs, the tyrannosaurids, was beginning to become dominant. “Many of the tyrannosaurids were fast, so it was much harder to compete with the tyrannosaurids,” he says.
Nearly 40% of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the U.S. is set to regress in air-cleaning progress as the effects of climate change intensify, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. It’s coming. The group’s report, its 25th annual analysis of the nation’s “state of the air,” estimates that between 2020 and 2022, 131 million people will live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. It turned out that it was. This number is an increase of nearly 12 million people from the previous survey a year ago. The report also found that people in the United States are experiencing the most “very unhealthy” or “hazardous” air quality day in the study’s history. Katherine Pruitt, national senior director of clean air policy at the American Lung Association, said the process has been in place for decades through the Clean Air Act, a federal law passed in 1963 to regulate air pollution and set air quality standards. He said that the cleanup efforts that have been made are gradually being undermined by climate change.
“Climate change, including heat, drought and especially wildfires, is starting to undo some of the progress we’ve made,” Pruitt said. “It’s sad to know that so many people live with air quality that threatens their health.” Wildfires are a rapidly growing source of pollution that policymakers are struggling to address. Climate scientists predict that wildfire smoke will increase in the future as greenhouse gas emissions raise temperatures. The Lung Association’s analysis reached the same conclusion as a peer-reviewed study published last year in Nature. The study’s author, Marshall Burke, suggested that wildfire smoke has undone about 25% of the Clean Air Act’s progress.
“If you take a step back and think about what the root cause is, it’s the burning of fossil fuels,” says Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and clinical associate professor at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. “We don’t have to be in this situation. We have the technology and the federal investment to harness renewable energy. What we need now is the political will.”
Each year, the “State of the Air” report analyzes air quality data from the past three years. This analysis focuses on ozone exposure and short-term and annual exposure to particulate pollution. The report issues a rating for each measure and summarizes the number of areas that passed or failed for each rating. According to the report, nearly 44 million people currently live in areas that do not meet all three criteria.Small particles are a serious concern because they can enter a person’s lungs, circulate in the bloodstream, and affect other organs. Although these particles are only a fraction of the size of a human hair, they have been shown to increase the risk of asthma, lung cancer, chronic lung disease, premature birth, and miscarriage. Patel, who is also executive director of the Medical Societies Consortium on Climate and Health, has noticed an increase in preterm births during wildfire seasons and is educating parents about how heat and smoke are risk factors during pregnancy. He said he has started giving advice.
“After several weeks of poor air quality, more people will become pregnant and give birth before 37 weeks,” Patel said, adding that parents may wonder whether their actions led to premature birth. He added that he often thinks about this. “When people ask me about the risk of premature birth, I say climate change. Heat and wildfires are both risk factors. They are not within your control.” Additionally, Patel said she has noticed that when wildfire smoke incidents occur in California, patients at her pediatric clinic often complain of nasal infections, eye irritation, and asthma exacerbations, among other ailments. Pruitt said concerns about particle pollution used to be concentrated in the industrial Midwest and Northeast. But in this report, for the first time, all 25 cities with the highest daily particle pollution are in the West. Most were in California.
“Early in our history, we had a lot of particulate pollution coming from coal-fired power plants, transportation sources, and industrial processes,” Pruitt said. “Particle pollution problems in the eastern United States are less severe because the Clean Air Act has cleaned up these sources. But Western countries, of course, have similar access to regulation and cleanup; We are also affected by climate change and wildfires.” Daniel Mendoza, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, said many communities in Western states are dealing with acute, short-term pollution episodes rather than long-term chronic exposure. Scientists are still trying to figure out how much damage wildfire outbreaks cause compared to long-term exposure from industrial sources. “Not all bad air pollution is created equal,” Mendoza said. Pollution from traffic and industrial sources could continue to decline if the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed stricter standards could be implemented.
Last year, the EPA proposed a rule that would require nearly all coal and large gas plants in the country to reduce or capture about 90% of their carbon emissions by 2038. In March this year, the agency introduced stricter rules to reduce tailpipe emissions from passenger cars. Another EPA policy aimed at curbing nitrogen oxide pollution that spreads across states was challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2022, the Supreme Court limited the government’s ability to use the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is one bright spot in this report. That means ozone pollution continues to improve dramatically. Compared to last year, about 2.4 million fewer people live in areas with unhealthy ozone pollution. Since this analysis was completed, wildfire smoke has gotten even worse.
Americans in 2023 inhaled more wildfire smoke than in any other year on record, Stanford University researchers found last year.
A fossil shark that thrived during the Cretaceous period has been found and has shed light on how sharks hunted and their place on the evolutionary tree.
Fossil shark teeth Ptychodus have been in museums for over 200 years. While some members of this group grew to be enormous, the anatomy of others was largely unknown.
This lack of information left researchers uncertain about the shark’s overall appearance and feeding habits, but the wide, flat teeth suggest it was capable of eating hard-shelled prey.
Recently, Professor Roman Vullo at the University of Rennes in France discovered six well-preserved full-body fossils of Ptychodus in Mexico, placing the shark in the order Lamniformes alongside modern shark species like great whites and basking sharks.
What makes this discovery interesting is that while modern white sharks are known for hunting in open waters, Ptychodus were fast swimmers and voracious eaters in the open ocean, preying on armored pelagic fish like large ammonites and sea turtles.
Despite the small size of the studied specimens, estimated to be less than 3 meters long, researchers believe some members of the genus reached lengths of about 9.7 meters – twice the size of a great white shark. Females tended to be larger, measuring between 4.6 and 4.9 meters in length.
During the Cretaceous period, Ptychodus sharks played a significant role in the marine food chain. They likely competed with large marine reptiles with crushing dentition, which may have led to their extinction before the end-Cretaceous extinction event.
Enterobacter bugandensis It is mainly present in clinical specimens such as the human gastrointestinal tract.
Example workflow illustrating the process of comparative genomics analysis Enterobacter bugandensis, its prevalence and metabolic interactions within the microbial community, and assess its adaptation success within the ISS habitat. Image credit: Sengupta other., doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a testament to humanity's achievements in space exploration.
Despite a highly controlled environment characterized by microgravity, increased carbon dioxide levels, and increased solar radiation, microorganisms occupy a unique niche.
These resident microbial bacteria play an important role in influencing the health and well-being of astronauts.
One particularly interesting microorganism is the Enterobacter bugandensis, a Gram-negative bacterium notorious for its multidrug resistance.
“Microorganisms in the built environment have a significant impact on the health of residents,” says the lead author Dr. Kastri Venkateswaran by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and colleagues.
“The ISS is a highly controlled built environment with extreme conditions such as microgravity, solar radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels, providing a unique location to study microbial survival and adaptation. .”
“Recent studies have demonstrated that microorganisms exposed to microgravity acquire antibiotic resistance and become more virulent through rapid mutation and horizontal gene transfer.”
“Prolonged space travel in microgravity can compromise astronauts' immune systems and increase their vulnerability to disease.”
“The microbial population on the ISS can influence the astronauts' microbiome and could be replenished by the arrival of new crew members.”
“Understanding microbial colonization, inheritance, and interactions is therefore critical to ensuring the health of astronauts and managing microbial risks in isolated and confined human habitats.”
In the new study, the authors analyzed 13 bacterial strains. Enterobacter bugandensis It is isolated from the ISS.
Their results show that under stress these strains mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their terrestrial counterparts.
These strains were able to persist in large numbers on the ISS for long periods of time.
They coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases may have helped those microorganisms survive.
“Our comprehensive analysis reveals not only how these interactions shape microbial diversity, but also the factors that may contribute to the potential dominance and inheritance of microorganisms. Ta. Enterobacter bugandensis within the ISS environment,” the researchers said.
“The implications of these findings are twofold,” they added.
“First, we shed light on the behavior, adaptation, and evolution of microorganisms in extreme and isolated environments.”
“Second, it highlights the need for strong precautions to ensure the health and safety of astronauts by mitigating risks associated with potential pathogen threats.”
P. Sengupta other. 2024. Genomic, functional, and metabolic enrichment in multidrug-resistant patients. Enterobacter bugandensis Facilitate survival and succession on the International Space Station. microbiome 12, 62; doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1
A large number of stars are born in the center NGC4383where a unique galaxy is located 74 million light years It is located beyond the constellation Coma. The largest lose mass through powerful winds over their lifetime, eventually exploding into violent supernovae. These stellar winds and supernovae drag away some of NGC 4383's gas reservoir. The bright red filaments indicate hydrogen gas ejected at least 20,000 light-years from the galaxy. This process controls the rate at which stars form within the galaxy, as this gas is carried away from the galactic center rather than remaining to form the next generation of stars.
watt other. We mapped the chemical composition and motion of NGC 4383's outflow in detail, providing insight into the mechanisms that caused the dramatic outflow seen in this image from ESO's Very Large Telescope.Image credit: ESO / Watts other.
Gas outflow is important for controlling the rate and duration at which galaxies continue to form stars.
The gas ejected by these explosions can pollute the space between stars within galaxies and even between galaxies, becoming permanently suspended in the intergalactic medium.
Dr Adam Watts, an astronomer at the University of Western Australia's node at the International Radio Center, said: “This outflow is the result of a powerful stellar explosion at the center of the galaxy, potentially spewing out huge amounts of hydrogen and heavy elements. There is a gender,” he said. Astronomical Research (ICAR).
“The mass of gas released is equivalent to more than 50 million suns.”
“Spills are very difficult to detect, so very little is known about the physics of spills and their properties.”
“The ejected gas is extremely rich in heavy elements, providing a unique insight into the complex process by which metals mix with hydrogen in the ejected gas.”
“In this particular case, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and many other chemical elements were detected.”
astronomers are muse (Multi-unit Spectroscopic Explorer) Turn on the instrument ESO's super large telescope (VLT) Created a high-resolution map of NGC 4383 in northern Chile.
Data were collected as part of VLT/MUSE's larger program MAUVE (MUSE and ALMA Unveiling the Virgo Environment).
“We designed MAUVE to investigate how physical processes, such as gas outflow, help stop star formation in galaxies,” said West, also at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). said Professor Barbara Catinella of the Australian University of Nord.
“NGC 4383 was our first target because we thought something very interesting might be happening, and the data exceeded all expectations.”
“In the future, we hope that MAUVE's observations will reveal in great detail the importance of gas outflow in the local universe.”
team's paper Published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.
_____
Adam B. Watts other. 2024. Mauve: A 6 kpc bipolar outflow launched from NGC 4383, one of the most Hi-rich galaxies in the Virgo cluster. MNRAS 530 (2): 1968-1983; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stae898
A new genus and species of stegosaur from the Middle Jurassic period has been identified from fossilized posterior skulls discovered in the Middle Atlas Mountains, south of Fez, Morocco.
Dr. Mostafa Oukas of Casablanca’s Universidad Hassan II and his colleagues said, “Thireophora is a diverse clade of herbivorous ornithischians consisting of stegosaurs, sclerosaurs, and basal types.”
“Thyleophorans have an extensive fossil record spanning from the Early Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous and are best known from well-preserved specimens from Laurasia.”
“In contrast, fossil remains are poorly known in Gondwana, and most of them are partial,” the researchers added.
“In Africa, thyreophorans may have been present since the Early Middle Jurassic.”
“Stegosaur body fossils have been recorded from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco, the Late Jurassic of Tanzania, and the Early Cretaceous of South Africa.”
“African ankylosaurs are represented by Spicomerus afar from Morocco during the Middle Jurassic period.”
divided partial skeleton Tireosaurus atlasix found in gray marl. El Mars III formation is located in the northern part of the Bourafa region near Bourmane, in the Atlas region of central Morocco.
“In 2021, during a geological mapping mission south of Bourmane, we discovered a new site rich in dinosaur remains in the El Mars III Formation,” the paleontologists said.
“This site, named Bourafa North, is located north of the Bourafa quarry.”
“This material was collected during several consecutive field trips and consists of the posterior skull of a stegosaur, including dorsal vertebrae and ribs, limb bones, and skin armor.”
According to the team: Tireosaurus atlasix had a strange asymmetrical skin armor, unique among stegosaurs.
“Dermal armor is Tireosaurus atlasix “It is composed of up to 4 cm (1.6 in) thick bone oval to subrectangular shaped osteoderms,” the researchers said.
“The asymmetrical texture of the sides, with one side roughly decorated with small holes and strands of fibers and the other with a distinct cross-hatch pattern, is unlike anything previously observed in other stegosaurs and sclerosaurs. It’s clearly different.”
“The bone histology of these osteoderms is reminiscent of the histology of stegosaur tail spines.”
“These osteoderms are interpreted to have been placed in a lying position on the animal’s body, rather than in an upright position.”
Tireosaurus atlasix was estimated to be over 6 meters (19.7 feet) long.
“The axial features indicate that this specimen belongs to a medium- to large-sized stegosaur,” the scientists said.
“The holotype corresponds to an adult individual that has not yet reached its maximum body size.”
discovery of Tireosaurus atlasix is important in understanding the evolutionary history of stegosaurs and other thyreophora dinosaurs.
“Recent discoveries are adraticrit and Tireosaurus atlasix “We provide insight into the early evolution of stegosaurs during the Middle Jurassic of Africa,” the authors concluded.
of findings appear in the diary Gondwana research.
_____
Omar Zafati other. 2024. A new stegosaur dinosaur (Ornithischian: Thyreophora) with prominent cutaneous armor that lived during the Middle Jurassic period of North Africa. Gondwana research 131: 344-362; doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2024.03.009
The advice is the same no matter where you look. If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and all sorts of other health problems, you should reduce butter and the “bad” saturated fats found in it. Red meat or processed meat. Instead, you should consume “good” polyunsaturated fats. This means cooking with vegetable oil and focusing on leafy vegetables, fatty fish, and nuts and seeds. Simple.
Nothing is ever simple, except in nutrition. In this case, the complication arises from the growing recognition that not all “good” fats are created equal. Specifically, while omega-3 fatty acids are certainly good for us, omega-6 fatty acids may actually be damaging to our health.
The idea that the balance of omega in the foods we eat can affect our health is well established. Additionally, while the typical Western diet has become increasingly high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s over the past 50 years, at the same time the incidence of diseases associated with excessive inflammation has skyrocketed. It is also clear that These include heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
All this has led to the argument that in addition to increasing the amount of omega-3 in the diet, we also need to reduce the intake of omega-6. But correlation is not causation. So can consuming too much omega-6, which has long been thought to be beneficial, really be bad for you? If so, what foods should I eat more or less of to optimize…
Given the diversity and complexity of endogenous and extrinsic processes that contribute to the maintenance of habitable conditions over geological and biological timescales, it is unclear how rocky planets become habitable and their status. Fully understanding how it is maintained is a fundamental challenge for planetary scientists and astrobiologists. In the face of this challenge, it is essential to exploit the full range of atmospheric evolution data for rocky planets within the solar system. Although Venus represents an apparent fringe member of planetary habitability, its contribution to understanding the prevalence of long-term temperate surface conditions in large rocky worlds remains poorly recognized. Upcoming missions to Venus, including NASA's VERITAS and DAVINCI, and ESA's EnVision mission, will begin to crystallize this understanding.
Kane and Byrne describe Venus as an anchor point where planetary scientists can better understand the conditions that prevent life on exoplanets. Image credit: Kane & Byrne, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5.
“We often assume that Earth is a model of habitability, but when we consider this planet in isolation, we don’t know where the boundaries and limits are. Venus gives us that. '' said Dr. Stephen Cain, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside.
“Although they also feature a pressure cooker-like atmosphere that could flatten humans in an instant, Earth and Venus share some similarities.”
“They have roughly the same mass and radius. Given their proximity to the planet, it’s natural to wonder why Earth looked so different.”
Many scientists believe that solar flux, the amount of energy Venus receives from the sun, caused a runaway greenhouse effect that doomed Earth.
“If Earth receives 100% of the solar energy, Venus collects 191%. Many people think that’s why Venus looks different,” Dr. Kane said.
“But wait a minute. Venus doesn’t have a moon, but that gives Earth something like ocean tides and affects the amount of water here.”
In addition to some of the known differences, more NASA missions to Venus will also clarify some of the unknowns.
Planetary scientists have no idea how big its core is, how it arrived at its current relatively slow rotational speed, how its magnetic field has changed over time, or the chemistry of its lower atmosphere. i don’t know.
“Venus has no detectable magnetic field. That may be related to the size of its core,” Dr. Kane said.
“The size of the core also gives us information about how the planet cools. Earth has a mantle, and heat circulates through its core. What’s going on inside Venus? I don’t know.”
“The interior of a rocky planet also influences its atmosphere. That is the case for Earth, and our atmosphere is primarily the result of volcanic gas emissions.”
Schematic cross-section of Earth and Venus. Major internal and atmospheric components are shown to scale. Image credit: Kane & Byrne, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5.
NASA is planning two missions to Venus (DAVINCI and VERITAS) for the end of this decade, and Dr. Cain is supporting both.
The DAVINCI mission will explore the acid-filled atmosphere and measure noble gases and other chemical elements.
“DAVINCI measures the atmosphere from top to bottom. This is extremely useful for building new climate models and predicting this type of atmosphere elsewhere, including on Earth, as the amount of carbon dioxide continues to increase. ,” Dr. Kane said.
Although the Veritas mission will not land on the surface, it will allow scientists to reconstruct detailed 3D terrain, which could reveal whether the planet has active plate tectonics or volcanoes.
“Currently, our global map is very incomplete. Understanding how active a surface is and understanding how it has changed over time are very different. We need both types of information,” Dr. Kane said.
Ultimately, Dr. Kane and his co-author, Dr. Paul Byrne of Washington University in St. Louis, advocate such a mission to Venus for two main reasons.
One is that with better data, we can use Venus to confirm that our inferences about life on distant planets are correct.
“The somber thing about searching for life elsewhere in the universe is that we will never have in-situ data on exoplanets. We will never go there, land on them, or measure them directly. I don’t intend to,” Dr. Kane said.
“If we think there is life on the surface of another planet, we may never realize we are wrong and end up dreaming of a planet without life.” I guess.”
“We can only get it right by understanding the Earth-sized planets we can visit. Venus gives us that chance.”
Another reason to study Venus is that it can predict what Earth’s future will be.
“One of the main reasons we study Venus is because of our sacred duty as stewards of this planet to protect its future,” Dr. Kane said.
“My hope is that by studying how Venus came to be today, we can learn lessons from it, especially if it had a benign past that is now in ruins. The question is when and how.”
of review paper It was published in the magazine natural astronomy.
_____
Stephen R. Cain and Paul K. Byrne. 2024. Venus as an anchor point for planetary habitability. Nat Astron 8, 417-424; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5
WWhen Apple introduced its gaming subscription service, Arcade, in September 2019, it garnered significant attention, as is typical for the company. The offering of 100 premium mobile games (without ads) for a monthly fee of £4.99/$4.99 (now £6.99) aimed to replicate the Netflix subscription model in the gaming industry.
Arcade was positioned as an alternative to the predominant free-to-play and ad-supported mobile games market. The presence of popular games like Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans, and Candy Crush had made it challenging for paid premium games to gain traction. However, Arcade changed the game by providing a diverse selection of titles playable on various Apple devices without ads or in-app purchases. Moreover, the games could be enjoyed offline, eliminating interruptions during gameplay.
Five years later, the landscape has evolved significantly with the emergence of new subscription services for TV, movies, and games, competing with Apple Arcade. This raises questions about Arcade’s continued relevance and priority for Apple.
Alex Rofman, a senior director at Arcade with a long history in mobile gaming, reflects on the successes of 2023, highlighting the launch of Hello Kitty Island Adventure and What the Car winning Mobile Game of the Year at the Dice Awards.
“Very silly and original”… What a car trailer.
Apple Arcade has positioned itself as a platform for delivering premium, engaging, and ad-free gaming experiences to a wide audience. The focus on innovative and family-friendly titles like Assemble With Care, Card of Darkness, and Hello Kitty caters to tech-savvy parents seeking safe gaming options for their children.
Bright spot…Neo Cab. Photo courtesy of Chance Agency
Despite the shift towards family-friendly games, Apple remains committed to supporting indie developers and fostering unique and creative ideas within the gaming industry. The success of titles like What the Car and Sneaky Sasquatch exemplifies Apple Arcade’s role as a platform for showcasing innovative indie games.
While facing criticism regarding canceled projects and declining royalty payments, Apple defends its commitment to supporting developers and reinforcing the importance of gaming within its ecosystem. The future of Apple Arcade includes games designed for Vision Pro, Apple’s spatial computing device, offering new gaming experiences and innovation in gameplay.
“Vision Pro opens up a whole new world of possibilities.” Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Despite challenges and competition, Apple Arcade continues to play a crucial role in the mobile gaming industry, offering curated gaming experiences for families and indie game enthusiasts. With a focus on innovation and inclusivity, Apple Arcade aims to solidify its position in the gaming sector as it navigates the evolving landscape in the coming years.
M
I eat Madame Potato. Although she doesn’t actually exist, she will hopefully become the world’s first “Miss AI”. I recently created an image of her on her website that generates AI faces and entered it into a beauty pageant. Now I’m sitting in hopes of winning $20,000 in prize money.
What kind of fresh hell is this? Well, unfortunately, AI beauty pageants are now trendy. A company called Fanvue, a subscription-based content creator platform similar to OnlyFans, recently partnered with the World AI Creator Awards (WAICA) to create the world’s first Miss AI” contest. A team of judges consisting of two humans and two virtual models will classify the AI-generated photos of women and select one woman to be crowned “Miss AI.” Winners will receive cash prizes and the chance to monetize their work on Fanvue.
How will the winner be chosen? Apparently so. However, the judges will also consider the size of a character’s fan base and their “personality.” This application contains questions such as: “If your AI models could talk, what would be their one dream to make the world a better place?” The technical skill behind the character’s creation will also be considered by the judges.
A WAICA press release said the contest “represents a monumental leap forward, nearly 200 years after the world’s first actual beauty pageant was held in the 1880s.”
But it feels more like a monumental setback than a “step forward.” Rather than destroying traditional beauty standards, AI models exaggerate them. They take all the toxic gendered beauty norms and package them up in a completely unrealistic package.
For example, let’s take a look at two AI models that are judging a contest. Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini. Pellegrini was designed by an anonymous creator who told Chat GPT that he asked the average man what his dream was in a woman and designed the model along those lines. That means long hair, big breasts, perfect skin, and a sculpted body. Pelligrini is still a completely digital work, but she reportedly earns thousands of dollars from fan views and famous soccer players use her Instagram because they think she’s a real person. It seems like he’s going to slide into Gram’s DMs.
Another judge, López, who is touted as “Spain’s first AI model” and can apparently “earn up to €10,000 a month” with modeling work for brands, is also on the same page. The creators of Lopez AI modeling office A group called “The Clueless” rejected criticism of her sexual appearance, claiming they were merely reacting to market forces. “If we don’t follow this aesthetic, brands won’t be interested.” one of the creators he told reporters. “To change this system, we need to change our brand vision. The entire world is sexualized.”
So is this the future? Will human models be completely replaced by AI? The folks at The Clueless certainly seem to hope so. “[Brands] We want to have an image that represents the values of the brand, not a real person, so that if we have to lay someone off or we can no longer rely on them, there will be continuity issues,” says founder Ruben Cruz. he told Euronews. And it all makes sense. Why wouldn’t brands want to use a model that never ages and has full control?
Golden in the form of gold monolayer sheets is prepared by etching away titanium carbide (Ti)3C2. Slabs of titanium gold carbide (Ti)3AuC2.
Golden preparation.Image provided by: Kashiwaya other., doi: 10.1038/s44160-024-00518-4.
“When you make a material extremely thin, something unusual happens, just as it did with graphene. The same thing happens with gold,” said Dr. Shun Kashiwaya, a researcher at Linköping University.
“As you know, gold is normally a metal, but if it's an atomic layer thick, it can become a semiconductor instead.”
To create Goldene, Dr. Kashiwaya and his colleagues used a three-dimensional substrate with gold embedded between layers of titanium and carbon. However, coming up with a golden turned out to be difficult.
“We created the basic material with a completely different application in mind,” said Professor Lars Hartmann from Linköping University.
“We started with a conductive ceramic called titanium silicon carbide, which has a thin layer of silicon.”
“Then the idea was to coat the material with gold to make the contacts. However, when the component was exposed to high temperatures, the silicon layer inside the substrate was replaced by gold.”
This phenomenon is called intercalation, and what the researchers discovered was titanium-gold carbide.
For several years, authors have been using titanium gold carbide without knowing how the gold could be exfoliated or panned out.
They accidentally discovered a method that has been used in Japanese forging for more than 100 years.
This is called Murakami's reagent, and it etches away carbon residues and changes the color of steel, such as in knife making. However, it was not possible to use exactly the same recipe as the blacksmith.
“We tried varying the concentration of Murakami's reagent and the etching time. One day, one week, one month, several months. What we noticed was that the lower the concentration and the longer the etching process, the better. But even that wasn't enough,” Dr. Kashiwaya said.
Etching must also be performed in the dark, as the reaction produces cyanide, which dissolves the gold when exposed to light. This step was to stabilize the gold sheet.
A surfactant was added to prevent the exposed two-dimensional sheet from curling up. In this case, it is a long molecule, a surfactant, that separates and stabilizes the sheets.
“The golden sheets sit in a solution, a bit like cornflakes in milk. We use a sort of 'sieve' to collect the gold and examine it under an electron microscope to see if we were successful.” We have that,” Dr. Kashiwaya said.
“Golden's new properties are due to the fact that gold has two free bonds when it is two-dimensional.”
“Thanks to this, future applications could include carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen production catalysts, selective production of value-added chemicals, hydrogen production, water purification, communications, etc.”
“Additionally, the amount of gold used in today's applications can be significantly reduced.”
team's work It was published in the magazine natural synthesis.
_____
Shin Kashiwaya other. Golden synthesis consisting of a single atomic layer of gold. nut.synthesizer, published online March 18, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s44160-024-00518-4
aOne day, a new issue arose in Apple’s App Store. This time, the company complied with the Chinese government’s orders to remove WhatsApp and Threads, two of the last meta apps available in China.
From our story:
Apple has removed two apps, both owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook, following the instructions of the Cyberspace Administration of China, which oversees internet and online content censorship in China.
“The Cyberspace Administration of China has mandated the removal of these apps from Chinese app stores due to national security concerns,” Apple stated in an email to Reuters. “We are required to comply with the laws of the countries where we operate, even if we do not agree with them.”
It’s implied that Apple disagrees with this order, considering the last part of that statement. It’s unlikely that the company is pleased to bow down to significant censorship, even if it means removing a competitor’s app.
Notably, Apple did not repeat its strategy in the European Union this time. The company did not release a 12-page report detailing the forced changes and the potential negative impact on the Apple customer experience or regulatory goals. Apple did not take a confrontational approach, nor did it express disagreement with regulators’ interpretations of the law and pledge to challenge them in court.
While it might be unrealistic to expect Apple to challenge the Chinese government in court, the contrast is evident. Apple’s response to dictatorial orders regarding the App Store is brief compared to its response to democratic trade unions’ demands.
This comparison does not favor the European Union. Advocates for digital market regulations would hesitate to equate Apple’s treatment by the Chinese Communist Party with any other government. Yet, it’s a necessary observation. Apple faces little resistance when complying with the Chinese government, which is not the scenario one would desire.
TikTok’s Time is Up
'Foreign enemy'… TikTok could be shut down in the US. Photo: Dado Lubitsch/Reuters
China is not the only government imposing bans. According to the Guardian:
The House passed the latest measure to sell or ban with a vote of 360-58. [TikTok] This legislation could result in the first social media platform shutdown by the U.S. government.
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week, with President Joe Biden indicating his intention to sign it.
While I am not a member of Congress, the bill itself appears flawed. To avoid appearing as a targeting act (a bill aimed at individuals and typically disliked in the US legal tradition), the bill avoids singling out TikTok and instead targets “managed” platforms. The determination of what constitutes an “adversary” as a national security threat is left to the president’s discretion. This broad definition grants significant power to ban entities, especially considering the vague criteria for being “controlled” by a state. The term “foreign enemy” is further defined by other laws, now including Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea.
However, these legal nuances are not the focus here. What interests me is the impact of a TikTok ban in the US. The dominance of U.S.-based platforms on the English-speaking internet is evident. Despite geographic variations in platform popularity, American influence is pervasive.
It seems improbable that TikTok will vanish entirely due to a ban. The platform’s dedicated users may find ways to continue using it, whether through workarounds, web apps, or persistence. Nevertheless, the ban may prompt less committed users to migrate to alternative platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts, which have capitalized on TikTok’s restrictions in other markets, notably India.
In the short term, the TikTok experience is bound to deteriorate for all users, regardless of their location. The removal of desired content and delays in reposting may erode the platform’s appeal. However, the long-term consequences fascinate me. Will other English-speaking nations follow the U.S.’s lead in abandoning TikTok? Or does TikTok’s culture reflect a unique global perspective that diverges from mainstream internet trends? Are there discernible differences emerging?
My prediction leans toward a resolution through negotiations, lobbying, or activism rather than a ban enforced indefinitely. Nevertheless, if all efforts fail, witnessing the outcome of this experiment will be intriguing.
Three real llamas running free in Russia. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
AI’s second phase has begun. The scaled-down version of Facebook’s large language model, Llama 3, has been unveiled, likely for the final time this year. From our report:
The social media titan has enhanced Llama 3 with new coding capabilities, including image delivery in addition to text, although the current model only produces text, according to Chris Cox, Meta’s chief product officer, in an interview.
Further advanced features, such as long-term planning capacity, are expected in future versions. An upcoming iteration will also support “multimodality,” generating both text and images..
Llama is Facebook’s proprietary counterpart to GPT, Gemini, and Claude. Unlike these competitors, Llama is available under a relatively open license, enabling users to download the core model. If building your own AI system, particularly for local use over server reliance, is desired, Llama serves as a solid foundation.
The accidental public release of the initial Llama version was followed by an official second version. Facebook clearly benefits from this move. Developing fundamental technology driving the AI revolution could offer substantial advantages. While Llama allows for expansion, it retains certain restrictions, preventing complete replication and removal from Facebook. Importantly, without access to the original training data and method specifics, repeating the initial training run is unfeasible without significant computing resources.
However, the drawbacks are evident. Facebook profits from platform usage, not AI model training directly. This lack of direct financial incentive has hindered efforts to stay at the forefront, resulting in Llama trailing behind its competitors historically.
Nevertheless, the current landscape is different. Despite over a year of development, the free-licensed model from Facebook is now competitive with GPT4, possibly even surpassing it, with larger versions anticipated soon. Of course, progress in the industry is rapid, as evidenced by OpenAI’s anticipated GPT-5 release, expected to reshape the field once again.
Broader Tech Landscape
Next Level…Why the Game Boy still means so much to so many people 35 years later. Photo: Nintendo
35 years have passed since the Game Boy‘s release. Keza MacDonald explores the enduring impact of this iconic console that introduced gaming to millions and continues to influence the industry today.
Elon Musk is embroiled in a dispute with the Australian government over restrictions on sharing footage of a church stabbing in Sydney. This has led to a series of mundane memes targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
In the Guardian US Wellness section, Madeline Ageler discusses the transformative power of disconnecting from social media.
The legalization of sports betting in the U.S. has led to an addiction crisis, with technology playing a significant role in exacerbating the issue.
The Internet Watch Foundation uncovered a manual on the dark web detailing the use of AI to “undress” children’s images, highlighting the challenges in combatting such illicit activities.
Meanwhile, in the New Statesman (£), Swedish author Catherine Kieros-Marsal argues convincingly that the real issue with AI lies in its control by men.
The EU has determined that TikTok’s new service in Europe could potentially be as addictive as cigarettes unless the company provides compelling evidence of protecting children. They believed a ban may be necessary.
If the ban is enforced, it would be the first time the EU utilizes its new powers to impose sanctions on social media companies since the inception of the Digital Services Act (DSA) last August.
TikTok has until Wednesday to present arguments for the commission to evaluate before reaching a final decision on enforcement actions.
Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton stated that TikTok Lite has failed to demonstrate compliance with legal obligations to reward users for watching videos, deeming the service harmful.
The commission warned that benefits could be suspended if TikTok does not address regulators’ concerns about the impact on users’ mental health.
Despite ongoing investigations into child protection concerns, TikTok launched the app in France and Spain, where millions of European children use the platform, prompting the commission to prioritize their protection efforts.
The new watch-and-earn app allows users to earn rewards such as Amazon coupons or PayPal credits by completing tasks like watching videos, liking content, following creators, and inviting friends.
Brereton compared TikTok Lite to cigarettes, stating that while the main app provides fun and connection, it also poses significant risks to children’s mental health.
TikTok had a deadline to provide a risk assessment for its Lite service over concerns of video addiction in children.
Following insufficient responses from TikTok regarding addiction safeguards, the commission expressed readiness to invoke DSA interim measures, potentially suspending TikTok Lite’s rewards program.
TikTok responded, expressing disappointment with the decision and highlighting restrictions on the Lite Rewards Hub for users under 18.
With U.S. lawmakers passing a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban unless its Chinese owner sells a stake in its U.S. operations, the app’s future in the U.S. is uncertain.
The ongoing DSA investigation into TikTok covers child protection issues like age verification, transparent advertising, and the management of addictive design and harmful content.
An organization dedicated to fighting child abuse has reported that pedophiles are being encouraged to utilize artificial intelligence to generate nude images of children and coerce them into producing more explicit content.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) stated that a manual discovered on the dark web included a section advising criminals to use a “denuding” tool to strip clothing from photos sent by children. These photos could then be used for blackmail purposes to obtain further graphic material.
The IWF expressed concern over the fact that perpetrators are now discussing and promoting the use of AI technologies for these malicious purposes.
The charity, known for identifying and removing child sexual abuse content online, initiated an investigation into cases of sextortion last year. They observed a rise in incidents where victims were coerced into sharing explicit images under threat of exposure. Additionally, the use of AI to create highly realistic abusive content was noted.
The author of the online manual, who remains anonymous, claimed to have successfully coerced 13-year-old girls into sharing nude images online. The IWF reported the document to the UK National Crime Agency.
Recent reports by The Guardian suggested that there were discussions within the Labour party about banning tools that create nude imagery.
According to the IWF, 2023 witnessed a record number of extreme cases of child sexual abuse. Over 275,000 web pages containing such material, including content depicting rape, sadism, and bestiality, were identified, marking the highest number on record. This included a significant amount of Category A content, the most severe form containing explicit and harmful images.
The IWF further discovered 2,401 images of self-produced child sexual abuse material involving children aged three to six, where victims were manipulated or threatened to record their own abuse. The incidents were observed in domestic settings like bedrooms and kitchens.
Susie Hargreaves, the CEO of IWF, emphasized the urgent need to educate children on recognizing danger and safeguarding themselves against manipulative criminals. She stressed the importance of the recently passed Online Safety Act to protect children on social media platforms.
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat advised parents to engage in conversations with their children about safe internet usage. He emphasized the responsibility of tech companies to implement stronger safeguards against abuse.
Research published by Ofcom revealed that a significant percentage of young children own mobile phones and engage in social media. The government is considering measures such as raising the minimum age for social media use and restricting smartphone sales to minors.
The Lyrids, the first major meteor shower of the year, will be gracing us with fireballs tonight if luck is on our side.
Although this year’s conditions are not ideal due to the peak of the meteor shower coinciding with a full moon, the Lyrid meteor shower still has the potential to produce fireballs, similar to the more famous Perseid meteor shower (mid-July to August).
One of the oldest known meteor showers, with observations dating back over 2,700 years, the Lyrids were first reported by Chinese astronomers who observed the constellation Lyra. The sky experienced significant meteoric activity in 687 BC, 1803, and 1833.
To increase your chances of spotting the Lyrid meteor shower, understand what causes it, and know where to look, this guide provides valuable insights.
If unfavorable weather affects your viewing experience this year, consider checking out our astrophotography guide to capture stunning moon photos.
When will the Lyrid meteor shower be visible in 2024?
The peak time to witness the Lyrid meteor shower in 2024 is Monday night (April 22-23) in the UK and US regions. However, the nearly full moon on the night of April 23-24 will reduce visibility. Ideal viewing conditions are in the hours before dawn.
The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible from April 14, 2024, extending until April 30, following a yearly recurrence pattern.
Where to look to find Lyrid
The Lyra radiant, where meteors seem to originate, is situated in the Lyra constellation.
During the shower’s peak, the Lyra radiant ascends higher as the night progresses, enhancing the chance of spotting shooting stars and ensuring they don’t disappear beneath the horizon. Look for meteors about two-thirds up in the sky at a 60-degree altitude and a short distance from the radiant. Enhanced visibility can be achieved by including more sky in your field of view.
Lyra is a compact constellation nestled between the Summer Triangle and Hercules constellations, featuring the distinctive star Vega as part of its makeup.
Efficient star hopping techniques can aid in locating Lyra.
First, identify the summer triangle asterism that includes Vega from the Lyra constellation, Altair from Aquila, and Deneb from Cygnus. This triangle becomes prominent in the April evening sky.
Spot Vega: As the brightest star in Lyra, Vega acts as a marker for locating the constellation being sought. Its piercing brightness makes Vega easily identifiable.
Follow the Lyra star pattern: Once Vega is found, identify the parallelogram shape forming the body of Lyra with Vega as one of its corners. Imagination can help visualize the rest of the constellation resembling a small harp or lyre.
If all else fails, using astronomy apps on your phone with a red light filter can be beneficial in identifying celestial objects.
How visible will Lyra be?
The almost full moon during the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower on April 22-23 poses a visibility challenge. Moon glare diminishes the visibility of meteors, stars, planets, and constellations. Dark adaptation of eyes is hindered by excessive moonlight, necessitating around 10-20 minutes for optimal vision adjustment.
Despite the lunar interference, spotting brighter meteors, including fireballs, remains a possibility during this year’s Lyrid meteor shower.
How many meteors can we actually see?
Under optimal conditions with minimal light pollution and close to 18 meteors per hour, meteor visibility varies annually, with an average of 10 to 20 sightings. However, this year’s bright moon will significantly reduce the number of visible meteors to around three to four per hour.
Dr. Darren Baskill, an astrophysicist from the University of Sussex, explains that the Perseid shower in mid-August, without moonlight interference, offers a meteor every five minutes in urban areas and up to one meteor per minute in dark environments.
What causes the Lyrid meteor shower?
Meteor showers occur as Earth crosses paths with debris left behind by comets and asteroids. As this debris orbits the sun, Earth’s orbit intersects, resulting in the combustion of tiny particles in the atmosphere, creating meteoric streaks.
Most meteor-producing particles are as small as grains of sand, but larger fragments can produce fireballs. The “peak” of a meteor shower denotes the densest part of the stream, resulting in higher meteor visibility.
The Lyrid meteor shower is notable for its fast and bright meteors that often leave lasting trails in the sky, aiding visibility against moon interference.
The Lyra comet and mother object of the Lyrids, C/1861 G1 Thatcher, is a long-period comet with a 415.5-year orbit around the sun. With its last perihelion in 1861, it will be a long wait until its return (around 2276).
Lyrid meteor shower: Viewing tips
To improve your chances of viewing the Lyrid meteor shower:
Reduce light pollution: Choose locations away from bright lights and ensure minimal light obstructs your view.
Allow night vision adjustment: Let your eyes adapt to darkness, even if moonlight interferes, for better perception of the surroundings.
Obstruct the moon: Opt for locations where foliage or buildings obscure the moon for clearer views.
Watch for Meteor Trains: Meteor trains can linger after a meteor, enhancing visibility.
Use a red light filter: Employ red light filters for devices to maintain night vision.
Be vigilant for fireballs: Fireballs are rare but possible during the Lyrid meteor shower and are worth watching for.
About our experts
Dr. Darren Baskill is an outreach officer and lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. With prior experience at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, he organized the annual Astronomical Photographer of the Year competition.
Europe is the continent experiencing the most rapid increase in temperature, with its temperatures rising at approximately twice the global average, as reported by two top climate watchdogs on Monday. This raises concerns about human health, glacier melting, and the impact on economic activity.
The World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations and the European Union’s climate change agency Copernicus jointly reported that the African continent has the potential to transition to renewable resources like wind, solar, and hydropower in response to the effects of climate change. There is an opportunity to develop specific strategies to accelerate action on climate change.
Last year, the European Climate Report stated that the continent generated 43% of its electricity from renewable sources, up from 36% the previous year. In Europe, more energy was produced from renewables than fossil fuels for the second consecutive year.
According to the report, the latest five-year average temperature shows Europe to be currently 2.3 degrees Celsius (4.1 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, compared to the global temperature being 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer. This is just below the target set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Firefighters and volunteers extinguish a burning field during a forest fire in Salonida, Greece, July 17, 2023. Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg from Getty Images File
“Europe has continued to face rising temperatures and extreme weather events this year, including heat stress from record temperatures, wildfires, heatwaves, glacier ice loss, and inadequate snowfall,” said Elisabeth Hamdoush, Deputy Division Chief of the EU Executive Director Copernicus.
This report complements the World Meteorological Organization’s flagship State of the World Climate Report, which has been published annually for 30 years and this year issued a “Red Alert” warning that the world is not taking sufficient action to combat the effects of global warming.
In March, Copernicus reported achieving a record for 10 consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures. According to a European report, the average sea surface temperature across oceans in Europe is expected to reach its highest annual level in 2023.
This year’s European report focuses on the impact of high temperatures on human health, noting a rise in heat-related deaths across the continent. Over 150 lives were directly lost due to storms, floods, and wildfires last year.
Economic losses related to weather and climate in 2023 are estimated to exceed 13.4 billion euros (around $14.3 billion).
Carlo Buontempo, Director of Copernicus, stated, “In 2023, hundreds of thousands of people will be affected by extreme weather events causing significant damage at a continental level, with an estimated cost of at least tens of billions of euros.” “It’s been done,” he said.
The report highlights that extreme weather conditions have led to heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods. High temperatures are causing the reduction of glaciers on continents, including the Alps, where about 10% of glaciers have been lost over the past two years. Glacier ice has been declining.
Nevertheless, the authors of the report pointed out some exceptions, such as Scandinavia and Iceland, where temperatures were below average despite above-average mercury concentrations across much of the continent.
Artist's impression of the Brightline West high-speed rail line
brightline west
Today, construction begins on America's first full-scale high-speed rail line, connecting the suburbs of Los Angeles to the bright city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The project could not only allow people in the United States to finally experience high-speed passenger trains of European and Asian standards, but also provide a commercial model for building high-speed rail elsewhere in the United States. be.
A groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas today, attended by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, along with officials from Nevada and California, marked the official start of construction on the Brightline West project. Brightline West, which aims to be completed within four years in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will bypass lines of stranded cars and cross the median of Interstate 15 at speeds of 320 km/h. It is expected to fly passengers at speed. In the weekend traffic jam.
The $12 billion project is a bold gamble for Brightline and its owner, Fortress Investment Group, even considering a $3 billion federal grant announced by President Joe Biden in December 2023. It may seem like. But there are several reasons why Brightline West will be more successful than the rest of the United States. High-speed rail projects are delayed.
According to sources, Brightline is focused on connecting major markets that are approximately 400 to 550 kilometers apart. report By infrastructure consultancy AECOM. This represents a sweet spot where high-speed rail is highly competitive with driving and flying. His 350-kilometre trip on Brightline West from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles suburbs is expected to take him just over two hours, making it an attractive alternative to his four-hour drive, which 50 million people travel between cities each year. This is a great alternative.
“High-speed rail has proven to be a very efficient way to move large numbers of passengers within median distances,” he says. Jiao Junfeng At the University of Texas at Austin. “There are many success stories out there in European countries and Asian countries, and there are markets where high-speed rail operations have proven profitable.”
Another factor in Brightline's favor is that it leased access from Nevada and California to build Brightline West through the existing Interstate 15 corridor. This avoids the costs and delays typically associated with obtaining rights of way and acquiring land.
Reducing the risk of delays can also reduce overall project costs in the long term. California's own high-speed rail project was first approved by voters in 2008 to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles; project cost Soared from $33 billion to $128 billion. Other high-speed rail projects are currently being considered in Texas and the Pacific Northwest.
“When you're talking about preparing for construction or progressing construction, time is not on your side. [because of] say “inflation” Jean Whittington at the University of Washington in Seattle. “These projects are so large that it's like implementing multiple megaprojects that all depend on each other to complete successfully.”
One lesson U.S. National Railroad officials can learn from Brightline is to avoid lengthy planning stages and “focus on the costs of delays and indecision,” he said. Russell Jackson, Global Transportation Director at AECOM. He also suggested that while Brightline's approach focuses only on the most profitable routes, government funding could fill in the gaps in other cases.
“Public funds can be used for projects that are still needed to connect pairs of cities that are a little too close to travel by plane and too far to drive,” Jackson said.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen emphasized the importance of utilizing tools and guidelines to help individuals identify places to stay cool when air conditioning is not available, recognize symptoms of heat illness, and properly manage medications. Cohen highlighted the significance of understanding how drugs interact with heat during a press conference on Monday.
“While heat can impact our health, it is crucial to remember that heat-related illness and death are preventable,” Cohen stated.
Heat-related deaths outnumber those caused by other extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes in the United States each year. The record-breaking heat experienced last summer highlighted the threat of scorching temperatures, particularly in the South and Southwest regions of the country.
NOAA officials expressed optimism that the new resources will assist communities in preparing for the upcoming summer season. The agency anticipates above-average temperatures in May and June across the United States, indicating another hot summer ahead.
“It is never too early to start preparing for heat-related challenges,” emphasized NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad during a briefing.
NOAA’s HeatRisk tool categorizes heat risks on a scale from 0 (green) to 4 (magenta), with 4 indicating extreme and/or prolonged heat impacts. The tool considers factors such as maximum and minimum temperatures as well as the combined effects of heat during both day and night. It is tailored to provide location-specific heat outlooks as environmental conditions vary from one place to another.
The forecast also includes historical data to provide context on the predicted temperatures relative to past records during the same time of year.
NOAA National Weather Service Director Ken Graham highlighted that the HeatRisk tool can assist individuals in making informed decisions about outdoor activities based on the heat risk level. The tool aims to complement heat watches and warnings issued by government agencies by offering additional context for users.
The initial prototype of the HeatRisk tool was developed for California by the National Weather Service in 2013 and expanded to include Western states in 2017. It is currently available as a trial tool across the continental United States.
Members of the public are encouraged to submit feedback on the tool by September 30th to the National Weather Service.
I I don’t usually believe in life hacks. I’d like to imagine that with one simple adjustment my life would reappear like a cracked tennis court, but as time and experience have shown, positive change usually happens slowly and gradually.
But there is one hack that I truly believe in. It’s fast, free, and will instantly change your life for the better. Just mute the annoying people on social media.
The process varies by platform. Typically, you would go to the offending poster’s profile page or one of her posts and tap “Mute,” “Snooze,” or “Unfollow.” But that’s it. Thanks to this digital dust, social media is cleaner, or at least less dirty than it used to be. They’ll disappear from your timeline, and so will the various little annoyances they caused. Also, unlike unfollowing or blocking someone, the muted party won’t know they’ve been silenced, so there’s no risk of awkwardness or drama. .
Several people are muted. Some of them are people you don’t want to unfollow. I unfollowed some people, but I muted them because others might repost and pollute my pure timeline. One is a semi-celebrity who was rude to me about work many years ago. Another person was rude to my friend. There are also ex-lovers and people who are always humble and boastful and make you want to bang your head against something hard.
These people brought out the worst in me. When I saw their posts, I felt angry, mean, and small. I wondered how much it would cost to buy billboards along major highways with bullet points detailing just how bad it really is.
Luckily, I rarely think about these people anymore because I’ve muted them on all platforms. I usually forget these people exist unless someone brings it up in conversation. They were weeded from the lush garden of my brain.
Bailey Parnell, founder and president of the Center for Digital Wellbeing, said, “Muting accounts that repeatedly make you uncomfortable is setting up digital boundaries to create a healthier digital environment.” I am. This allows you to avoid offensive content without disconnecting. It’s a solution, she says, to the complicated situation where a relationship with someone is important to you despite their annoying online presence.
“This allows you to maintain your social and professional networks while also maintaining your mental health,” she says.
This may seem like obvious advice. Still, it can be difficult to follow. The frustration you feel when you see someone’s bad posts can be accompanied by a sense of satisfaction. It’s like, “Look!” It’s annoying!
“There can be a dopamine rush at the end of a big emotion,” says Monica Amorosi, a certified trauma therapist in New York City. We may begin to crave the adrenaline spike that comes with content that makes us feel shocked, angry, or disgusted.
“If we lead a mundane life, lack stimulation, are bored or overwhelmed, consuming this substance can be a form of entertainment or distraction,” says Amoros. says Mr.
Amorosi emphasizes the importance of not creating a “space of ignorance” in your feed by avoiding different perspectives on current events and alarming news. But this does not mean that social media should only be used to access upsetting information. Our feed can be used for “healthy, positive education, connecting with like-minded people, understanding the nuances and diversity of the world, fact-checking information, and learning new hobbies and ideas,” she says. say.
So muting is probably most effectively applied against people who annoy you in a bland, everyday way, such as an arrogant colleague. Not seeing humble braggarts pretending to be ashamed of their professional successes does not limit my worldview. Instead, I get back the 5-10 minutes I might have wasted taking screenshots of posts and complaining to friends about them.
Frankly, I haven’t done anything with the time I’ve gained by not badmouthing the people I’ve muted. But how nice that at least he has days when he’s comfortable for even five minutes.
So feel free to mute yourself and often. And what if you disagree with me? Please mute. You never know!
I spend countless hours sifting through plastic pieces in my kitchen to determine if they can be recycled. If you have them, put them in a bag along with glass, cans, cardboard, and paper. If not, or if you’re not confident, put it in a plastic bag (not recyclable) and shove it in the cupboard under the stairs. I plan to drop it off in a non-recyclable plastic bin at my local supermarket. But the road to the landfill is paved with good intentions. Sometimes I get frustrated and throw it away.
I don’t know if my relentless culling will actually make any difference. We hope that what is recyclable will eventually be recycled. As for the others, which make up about half of my plastic waste, I don’t know their fate. I think there’s a reason it’s called “non-recyclable.”
We hope that you won’t have to waste your precious time on this kind of waste prioritization any time soon. A series of “advanced recycling” technologies are gradually being rolled out that promise to convert all kinds of used plastics into something very useful: plastic. The goal is to create a circular economy for this material by eliminating the need to make virgin plastic from crude oil and simply endlessly recycling what we already have. Plastic, once demonized as the scourge of modern society, could once again be great.
There are many things you can use. Since the 1950s, we have produced over 10 billion tons of her.
A new genus and species of giant mazzoid snake that lived in what is now India about 47 million years ago (early mid-Eocene epoch) has been identified from part of a vertebral column excavated in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Artist’s impression Vasuki Indicus.
with scientific name Vasuki Indicus the new species flourished during a warm geological period when average temperatures were estimated to be 28 degrees Celsius.
the ancient snake Matzoidae an extinct group of primarily Gondwanan land snakes, spanning a time range of approximately 100 million years from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene.
Paleontologists Debasjit Dutta and Sunil Bajpayee from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee said, “The Mazzoidae existed for about 100 million years, from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene, and has a wide geographical range including Africa, Europe, and India.” “They lived in the area,” he said.
“Vasuki Indicus “This represents a lineage of large matzoids that originated in the Indian subcontinent and spread through southern Europe to Africa during the Eocene epoch, approximately 56 to 34 million years ago.”
anterior trunk vertebrae Vasuki Indicus. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: D. Datta & S. Bajpai, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58377-0.
A series of 27 well-preserved vertebrae from a fully grown animal. Vasuki Indicus It was recovered from the Panandro lignite mine, part of the Naledi Formation in Gujarat, western India.
The vertebrae are 3.75–6.3 cm (1.5–2.5 in) long and 6.24–11.14 cm (2.5–4.4 in) wide, suggesting a broad cylindrical body.
Vasuki Indicus Estimated lengths reach 11–15 m (36–49 ft), making this species the largest known mudsoid snake.
“This is comparable in size to the longest-living snake ever known, an extinct snake.” Titanoboa” said the researchers.
“The large size is Vasuki Indicus It was a slow-moving ambush predator, similar to an anaconda. “
“Biogeographical considerations, taken together with interactions with other Indian and North African madzoids, suggest that: Vasuki Indicus It represents a lineage of relics of Indian origin,” they added.
“The subsequent collision between India and Asia 50 million years ago led to intercontinental dispersal of this lineage from the subcontinent through southern Eurasia and into northern Africa.”
“Recovery of additional material and new species, including larger forms, may provide further insight into the phylogenetics and biogeography of madzoids.”
of study It was published in the magazine scientific report.
_____
D. Dutta and S. Bajpai. 2024. The largest known mudsoid snake lived in the warm Eocene of India, suggesting dispersal across Gondwana. science officer 14, 8054; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58377-0
Animals have various ways to detect chemicals in their environment, which differ depending on the species. Mammals use their tongues to taste, while fish and other aquatic creatures use their skin to taste. Insects, on the other hand, have taste buds not only inside their mouths but also outside their bodies.
Researchers have discovered that fruit flies, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster, have developed unique ways to utilize their senses of smell and taste to locate food and avoid dangers in diverse habitats. By exploring how fruit flies’ senses have evolved, scientists aim to uncover how these insects have adapted to their surroundings.
To study the sensory capabilities of fruit flies, researchers at the University of Lussanne in Switzerland compared the smells and tastes of different fruit fly species. They collected five essential body parts related to the flies’ senses: 1) larvae head, 2) egg-laying part, 3) front legs, 4) antennae, and 5) mouthparts with palpation structures. These body parts were collected from six closely related species of fruit flies living in various environments and consuming different diets.
The researchers separated male and female fruit flies into three replicates for each sex and species. They anesthetized the adult flies with CO2 to collect samples without causing harm. They separated larvae from their food source and removed their heads for analysis. This process was repeated three times for each body part of the adults, larvae, and egg-laying parts.
Using RNA sequencing technology, scientists examined the genes in different parts of the fruit fly’s body to understand how they respond to stimuli. This method helped identify active and inactive genes in various body parts, shedding light on how Drosophila adapts to its environment. The RNA data was stored in the Genomics Database for future research purposes.
The researchers observed that specific genes controlling smell and taste in fruit flies vary in their activation patterns. Changes in gene activity were influenced by factors like temperature, humidity, and interactions with other organisms. Differences in gene activity between male and female fruit flies were also noted, potentially impacting their mate selection.
The complexity of gene regulation in fruit fly sensory organs may vary across species and sexes, affecting their adaptation to diet and habitat changes. Further research is needed to understand the genetic basis of odor patterns in fruit flies and how it aids in their adaptation.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, April 22, 2024, Chainwire
Alibaba Cloud, AngelHack and dWallet are among the latest supporters of the global event.
SuiLayer 1 blockchain that delivers industry-leading performance and infinite horizontal scaling funds Sui Overflow, the first-ever global virtual hackathon focused on creating exciting products on Sui Our offering has doubled in recent weeks thanks to donations from our loyal supporters.
Originally set at $500,000, Sui Overflow's funding pool grew to $1,000,000 after a surge of support from outside backers. With the help of a huge reward pool, builders from all over the world come together to build projects on the Sui network and demo them in front of judges. Categories eligible for prizes include Consumer & Mobile, Infrastructure & Tools, Gaming, DeFi, and more. Developers are also encouraged to take advantage of specific technologies in the Sui ecosystem, such as zkLogin, advanced movement capabilities, randomness, and multi-chain capabilities.
Sam Blackshear, co-founder/CTO of Mysten Labs and creator of the Move smart contract language said: , Kiosks, DeepBook, and Native Randomness. Some of Sui's top projects have come from previous local hackathons, so we're really looking forward to seeing what our first global hackathon will produce. ”
Previous Sui-sponsored hackathons have been fertile ground for projects that started as hackathon participants to grow into sustainable businesses on the network. Scallop was launched in June 2023 at Sui's Soul Builder House with a…sumers are not limited to a single category. Individual teams can participate in multiple tracks simultaneously, with prize pools exceeding $100,000. Additionally, many projects in the Sui ecosystem offer unique incentives, adding even more ways for great projects and great teams to benefit.
With funding doubling to $1 million, Sui Overflow participants will receive Sui Foundation acceleration grants after the hackathon, along with benefits such as audits and credits to support the successful launch of their projects. be eligible to receive it.
“Homegrown projects born out of developer meetups and hackathons like Sui Overflow are a critical part of the lifeblood that will sustain the Su…ns, we were able to benefit the most promising projects with selected acceleration grants.”
“Sui Overflow is more than just an event. It is the launching pad for our brightest future blockchain innovators,” said Omer Sadika, co-founder of dWallet Network. “We are excited and honored to work with all partners involved and look forward to the results from this hackathon.”
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
