Editor-in-chief of Scientific American resigns following controversial remarks about Trump

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

overview

Laura Hellmuth, editor-in-chief of Scientific American, is leaving the company.
Immediately after the election, she posted several profane comments on social media posts about the results.
It is unclear whether Helmut's post or the backlash to it played a role in her resignation.

Scientific American Editor-in-Chief Laura Hellmuth is departing from the magazine soon after sharing profane posts regarding the presidential election results on the social media platform BlueSky.

“Following four and a half exhilarating years as editor-in-chief, I have opted to step down from Scientific American,” stated Hellmuth. wrote BlueSky on Thursday.. “I'm going to take some time to think about what's next (and go bird watching…)”

It remains uncertain whether Helmut's social media posts or the backlash they provoked contributed to her resignation. Helmut declined an interview request and mentioned being unable to provide a comment.

Scientific American did not directly address inquiries regarding Helmut's departure, but company president Kimberly Lau conveyed in a statement: We appreciate Laura for her exceptional leadership at Scientific American, during which time the magazine received significant science communication accolades and facilitated the establishment of a reimagined digital newsroom. We extend our best wishes to her in her future endeavors.”

Helmut became the subject of criticism from certain conservative pundits following a series of posts on Blue Sky on November 5 post-election. The post was subsequently deleted from her profile, but the screenshot went viral.

In her post, Helmut apologized to young voters and expressed regret that her Generation X was plagued by “king fascists.”

“Solidarity with all the meanest, stupidest, most bigoted high school classmates celebrating early results to fly to the moon and back,” Hellmuth wrote.

in Later Bluesky post, November 7thHelmut apologized and deleted the election night post, calling it “offensive and inappropriate.”

“I respect and value people beyond their political positions,” Helmut wrote, adding that the now-deleted post was a “misguided expression of shock and confusion over the election results.”

Under Helmut’s leadership, Scientific American began endorsing political candidates. After 175 years, the publication’s editors endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, Kamala Harris in SeptemberDonald Trump “endangers public health and safety, rejecting evidence and instead favoring nonsensical conspiracy fantasies.”

In an interview with the editorial desk before the election, Blog about writing and editing Hellmuth, the author of the book and a professor at the University of North Carolina, stated that in 2020, the editors at Scientific American felt compelled to convey, “We have a duty to share what we know,” as lives were at stake in that election.

Rather than just presenting “both sides” and letting readers decide for themselves, she advocated for informing the public of what they know to be true and how they arrived at that conclusion. She supported an approach that focuses on providing information to the public.

“There aren’t always two rational sides to every story. We know that evolution is real and creationism is not. We know that vaccines save lives and that autism We know that climate change is real,” Hellmuth expressed to the Editorial Desk. “It is inappropriate to give equal consideration to creationists, RFK Jr., or climate change deniers when reporting on these topics, except to clarify that while these topics have been politicized, the science is unambiguous.”

Helmut mentioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who President-elect Donald Trump has nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. President Kennedy has made misleading and false claims about vaccines, suggesting they are linked to autism, even though multiple studies have debunked the concept.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

First-ever examination of a frozen mummy of a Saber-toothed tiger dating back 35,000 years

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Attention all ‘Ice Age’ enthusiasts: New research has uncovered the preserved remains of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cat which have been analyzed for the very first time. Published on Thursday in Scientific Reports.

The mummified remains of the animal, including parts of the head, arms, and chest, were unearthed in Yakutia, Russia, in 2020 in remarkably good condition, and were determined to belong to a three-week-old baby, as per the study findings.

The most distinct features of the cub were its small ears, long neck and forearms, dark brown fur, and wide mouth, according to the researchers. Comparison with modern lion cubs of the same age suggests that these cat mummies are part of the Machairodontinae subfamily, specifically the Homotherium genus – a cat with sharply curved saber teeth that thrived in North America and Europe between 12 million and 10,000 years ago.

A. shows a frozen mummy and B. shows the remains of a modern lion cub, Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758).Lopatin, AV, Sotnikova, MV, Klimovsky, AI, and others

Based on the study, the Homotherium cat’s ears were positioned higher on the skull and its mouth opening was 11-19% larger compared to modern lion cubs. Additionally, the neck was described as “longer and more than twice as thick” than that of present-day felines.

For those who enjoy the Ice Age film series, the depiction of saber-toothed cats might seem familiar. The character Diego, a saber-toothed tiger, shares similarities with the 35,000-year-old baby tiger.

This study marks the first investigation of this kind of site.

“For the first time in paleontological history, the characteristics of an extinct mammal with no modern counterparts have been examined,” noted the study authors.

Attempts to reach the study’s corresponding author for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

COP29: Satellite detects methane leaks but “super emitters” fail to address issue

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Methane plume at least 4.8 kilometers long pours into the atmosphere south of Tehran, Iran

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

The world now has more ways than ever to discover invisible methane emissions, which are so far responsible for a third of global warming. But methane “super emitters” take little action even when warned that they are leaking large amounts of the powerful greenhouse gas, according to a report released at the COP29 climate summit.

“We’re not seeing the transparency and urgency that we need,” he says. Manfredi Caltagirone director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, recently launched a system that uses satellite data to alert methane emitters of leaks.

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas to tackle after carbon dioxide, and more countries are pledging to reduce methane emissions to avoid short-term warming. At last year’s COP28 climate summit, many of the world’s largest oil and gas companies also pledged to “elimate” methane emissions from their operations.

Today, more and more satellites are beginning to detect methane leaks from the biggest sources of methane emissions, such as oil and gas infrastructure, coal mines, landfills, and agriculture. That data is critical to holding emitters accountable, he says. mark brownstein at the Environmental Defense Fund, an environmental advocacy group that recently launched its own methane sensing satellite. “But data alone won’t solve the problem,” he says.

The first year of the UN’s Methane Alert System shows a huge gap between data and action. Over the past year, this program has 1225 alerts issued When we saw plumes of methane from oil and gas infrastructure large enough to be detected from space, we reported them to governments and companies. To date, emitters have taken steps to control these leaks only 15 times, reporting a response rate of about 1 percent.

There are many possible reasons for this, Caltagirone says. Although emissions from oil and gas infrastructure are widely considered to be the easiest to deal with, emitters may lack the technical or financial resources and some methane sources may be difficult to shut down. there is. “It’s plumbing. It’s not rocket science,” he says.

Another explanation may be that emitters are not yet accustomed to the new alarm system. However, other methane monitoring devices have reported similar lack of response. “Our success rate is not that good,” he says Jean-François Gauthier GHGSat is a Canadian company that has been issuing similar satellite alerts for many years. “About 2 or 3 percent.”

Methane super emitter plume detected in 2021

ESA/SRON

There are also some success stories. For example, the United Nations issued several warnings this year to the Algerian government about a source of methane that has been leaking continuously since at least 1999, and whose global warming impact is equivalent to driving 500,000 cars a year. It is said to be equivalent. By October, satellite data showed it had disappeared.

But the big picture shows that monitoring is not yet leading to emissions reductions. “Simply showing a plume of methane is not enough to take action,” he says. rob jackson at Stanford University in California. The central problem, he sees, is that satellites rarely reveal who owns leaky pipelines or methane-emitting wells, making accountability difficult.

Methane is a major topic of discussion at the COP29 conference currently being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. a summit At a meeting on non-CO2 greenhouse gases convened by the United States and China this week, each country announced several measures on methane emissions. That includes a U.S. fee on methane for oil and gas emitters, a rule many expect the incoming Trump administration to roll back.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Hikers and melting snow reveal ancient ecosystem in the Alps before dinosaurs

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Deep beneath the snow-covered slopes lie prehistoric wonders waiting to be discovered. Recently, hikers in the Italian Alps stumbled upon an ancient ecosystem that predates even the dinosaurs, thanks to melting snow.

The groundbreaking discovery was announced on Wednesday, revealing well-preserved reptile and amphibian footprints dating back 280 million years to the Permian period, according to scientists.

Cristiano Dal Sasso, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum of Milan, described the impressive footprints left by animals at that time, with some measuring 2 to 3 inches long. These fascinating finds are now on display at the museum.

The fossil was unearthed in the mountains of Lombardy, Italy, where the melting snow and ice exposed these ancient treasures due to the ongoing climate crisis.

Researchers move rocks containing fossil footprints in the Italian Alps.
Elio della Ferrera / Milan Museum of Natural History

In the summer of 2023, Claudia Steffensen stumbled upon one of these fossils while hiking in the Valtellina Orobie mountains. This discovery led to a series of investigations by experts like Orsonio Ronchi and Lorenzo Marchetti, unraveling the mysteries of this ancient ecosystem.

Researchers were amazed by the abundance and preservation of the fossils, which provide valuable insights into the Permian period just before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Computer-generated images show what prehistoric reptiles looked like.
Fabio Manucci / Milan Natural History Museum

The rapidly changing climate has played a significant role in revealing these fossils, as rising temperatures have caused snow and ice to melt, exposing the long-hidden remains.

As more footprints and fossils emerge from the mountains in the coming years, researchers warn that studying the past can shed light on the environmental challenges we face today. It serves as a stark reminder of the impact our actions can have on the world.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

“We will not venture into Ravenholm”: Unveiling the backstory of Half-Life 2’s most legendary stage

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

aIn Valve’s Half-Life 2, the seminal first-person shooter that celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, taciturn scientist Gordon Freeman finds himself trapped in a dystopian cityscape. Armed soldiers patrol the streets while innocent civilians wander around dazed, without purpose or future. Dr. Wallace Breen, Freeman’s former boss at the scientific “research center” Black Mesa, looks down from a giant video screen and defends the virtues of humanity’s benefactors, an alien race known as the Combine.

Freeman stumbles through the first few levels of Half-Life 2, as players become accustomed to the terrifying future unfolding before them. It’s not the most cheerful atmosphere, but there are some friendly faces (guards Barney, Alix, and Eli Vance), and a beaked face named Lamar, Dr. Isaac Kleiner’s pet. There are even moments of humor, such as an eating alien running amok in a lab. I feel safe. It will make you feel happy. It feels nostalgic. There’s also a crowbar! And that omen. “That’s the old passageway to Ravenholm,” Alix Vance tweeted during a tour of Freeman’s Chapter 5 Black Mesa East facility. “We’re not going there anymore.” I feel a shiver run down my spine. you know You’ll end up going there.

“[Ravenholm] It was a completely different environment than anything players had ever been in before,” said level designer and member of the unofficial City 17 Cabal, a group within Valve that worked on Half-Life 2’s most famous levels, Dario Casali. “This is an outlier in the map set that survived from a very early build of the game, and was born out of the need to give the newly introduced Gravity Gun a place to shine.”

“Ravenholme was a completely different environment to anything the players had been in before.” Photo: Valve

The lack of ammunition for Freeman’s traditional weapons is what propels Ravenholm and Half-Life 2 into the realm of horror games. Ravenholm, an old mining town previously hidden from the Combine, is now a desolate place, shrouded in darkness and its inhabitants corrupted by the heavy bombardment of Headcrabs (face-eating aliens). “We used the confined space to slow down the zombies. [headcrab-afflicted people] It can actually get closer to you,” Casali reveals. And players will no longer be able to blow them away with machine guns or pistols. You will have to rely on your heavy gravity gun to pick up whatever is around and throw it at the monsters that are closing in on Freeman. Pots of paint, pieces of wood, and even corpses became ammunition for players.

Like most of Half-Life 2, Ravenholm is a cinematic experience, taking cues from horror films like Saw and 28 Days Later. When the Combine forces attack Black Mesa East, Freeman escapes through a dark tunnel leading to Ravenholm. Immediately, a sudden change in atmosphere hits the player like a chill. A gloomy set of dark buildings, faint and almost non-existent music, two crashed headcrab rockets, and the sound of something swinging from a barren tree. When I looked closely, I discovered the lower half of my body, which had been pecked by a crow.

A headcrab zombie appears out of nowhere and screams in pain. But soon, Freeman has little to worry about. Designed to fit within the map, Ravenholm’s “fast” zombies climb drainpipes and run across rooftops, leaving adventurous scientists with little safe haven. Freeman also has to contend with hunched creatures that throw poisonous headcrabs at him.

“A desolate place.” Photo: EA

Fortunately, Freeman is not without help. Soon, he encounters Father Grigori, responsible for Ravenholm’s saw-like traps, and passionately redeems his “flock” with a shotgun. Casali said: “In my opinion, this man was slowly losing his mind due to the Headcrab and the zombification of his followers. Ravenholm was so isolated that he didn’t even know about the Combine invasion. , I imagined they thought the devil had come to town. Father Grigori and the zombie horde were the perfect excuse to double down on the creepiness.”

Freeman follows Grigori throughout Ravenholm until the final climactic battle in a (appropriate) graveyard. “I thought Ravenholme really needed an action-packed ending, worthy of a horror movie,” says Casali. “What better place to do that than in a cemetery?”

The final encounter between Freeman and Grigori, besieged by an army of zombies and headcrabs, releases some of the tension built up while exploring the spooky streets of Ravenholm, but this level is difficult to play It still leaves a lasting impression on those who did it. Changes in tone and style. This segment has essentially been around since the beginning of Half-Life 2’s long development (a version appeared in Valve’s famous 2003 E3 demo), and evolved into the final game’s ammo-starved spooky fest.

One of the standout games of the past 20 years, Half-Life 2 defined the future of video games with its innovative visuals and excellent physics engine. As part of the City 17 cabal, the activities of Casali and his colleagues were instrumental. “The desire to surpass the original Half-Life was so strong that we were constantly motivated by the quality of work other teams were doing,” he recalls. “It was magic.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

British flying taxi company seeks investors as funding runs low in the aerospace industry

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

On a gloomy November day in England’s Cotswolds, a VX4 that looked like a cross between a plane and a helicopter rose from an airport runway, hovered a few feet off the ground before sinking.

It may not have reached that high of an altitude, but it was a seminal moment for British owner Vertical Aerospace. The company has received millions of pounds of support from British taxpayers but is running out of money.

The flight came amid tense negotiations with investors that could see founder Stephen Fitzpatrick lose control to a US hedge fund, with the electric aircraft tethered to the ground for safety. We showed evidence that it is possible to transport people without having to carry them.

Verticals have already experienced what can happen when things go wrong. On a sunny day in August last year, the adhesive holding the blades of one of its eight rotors in place broke, causing the unmanned aircraft to crash onto the runway. The 3.7-ton aircraft crashed into a 30-foot crumpled heap, its blade landing 50 meters away. There were no injuries.

The accident and financial difficulties highlight the difficulty of making flying taxis a reality. Almost a century of effort. Vertical announced on Tuesday that the date its first aircraft would receive approval from UK regulators to carry passengers will be pushed back by another two years to 2028.

Stephen Fitzpatrick founded Vertical in 2016. Photo: Geoff Overs/BBC/Reuters

Vertical initially claimed the aircraft would have room for four people, a range of 160 miles, a top speed of 150 miles per hour, and would enter service by 2025. Vertical chief executive Stuart Simpson confirmed to investors this week that the company had chosen the UK as its destination. A factory that manufactures 200 aircraft a year. But cautious regulators and suppliers paid a price for the ambitious schedule.

A number of startups are trying to develop flying taxis, known in the industry as electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (Evtol). For several years, they seemed to be making rapid progress as investors sought empty Teslas, backed by cheap money.

Flying taxi companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation in the US and Volocopter in Germany have raised large sums of money and built flying prototypes. Three major aircraft manufacturers are participating in this competition through their subsidiaries: Europe’s Airbus, America’s Boeing, and Brazil’s Embraer.

Vertical took advantage of that wave. Fitzpatrick, an entrepreneur who also invests in F1 teams and derives most of his £800 million fortune from energy company Ovo, founded Vertical in 2016. The company was listed on the US stock market in 2021 with a valuation of $2.2 billion.

But rising interest rates and slow development are causing investors to pause before pouring in more money. Vertical’s stock price has fallen 95% since the coronavirus pandemic bubble, valuing it at just $110 million.

U.S.-listed peer Lilium filed for bankruptcy for its German subsidiary last month and is looking for a buyer to rescue it. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Chinese automaker Geely is in talks to bail out its Volocopter after its value also fell. Britain’s Rolls-Royce has scrapped plans for a flying taxi business, nearly three years after its plane broke the airspeed record.

A prototype flying taxi being developed in the United Arab Emirates has been unveiled at a taxi rank outside Charing Cross station in London. Photo: David Parry/Pennsylvania

An industry official said, “A large-scale bubble has occurred.” “We’re finally nearing the end.”

In the longer term, concerns remain about how flying taxis in crowded skies will be regulated. However, the industry received some positive news after US authorities issued regulations on how such vehicles should be operated and how pilots should be trained.

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Simpson told investors the company needs about $100 million to cover costs next year. Cash at the end of September was £42.8m.

If negotiations with major financial institutions are successful, the immediate funding crisis may be eased. Fitzpatrick and Vertical have been in talks for nearly a year with Jason Mudrick, an American distressed debt investor who made a fortune investing in “meme stocks” such as AMC Entertainment and GameStop during the pandemic. .

Mudrick proposed converting about half of Vertical’s previous $200 million in financing into equity in exchange for a cash infusion of up to $50 million.

However, in a letter to Vertical’s board last month, he said: “Mr. Fitzpatrick has refused to accept a contractual dilution of approximately 70% of his company’s shares, which he has repeatedly rejected. “There is,” he said.

Mr. Fitzpatrick is seeking a 30% stake, but the deal would leave existing shareholders with only 20% of the company. An agreement could pave the way for other investors to make new equity investments. Candidates could include Virgin Atlantic Airways, American Airlines, and previous investors such as Microsoft and control systems supplier Honeywell.

Vertical boasts a low-cost model of buying off-the-shelf technology from existing suppliers, but it could need $500 million to $1 billion to get through four years without revenue.

Despite investors expressing concerns about launch delays, Simpson said he was “optimistic” about the funding. But with Toyota investing another $500 million in Joby and Beta Technologies raising $300 million last month, some investors believe that if the technology can prove to work, the flying taxi company will still have the cash. He reassured them that they could secure the

“The funding environment is tough and there is a shakeout in the industry,” Simpson said. “I think we’ll be one of the winners.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk enlists ‘high-IQ revolutionaries’ to volunteer on President Trump’s new project without compensation.

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswami are “high-IQ small-government revolutionaries” who are calling on Americans willing to work 80+ hours a week to join their new Ministry of Government Efficiency for no pay.

In a recent X post, which also served as an announcement of his appointment and a playful jab at Mr. Musk, the newly appointed president’s account stated: We are seeking ultra-high IQ small-government revolutionaries who are ready to work over 80 hours a week to bring costs down to earth.”

The department, not associated with the federal government, bears a resemblance to the popular Shiba Inu meme.

“If this sounds like you, please DM this account with your resume. Elon & Vivek will evaluate the top 1% of applicants,” the statement added.

Musk reiterated the call in another post, stating: “Yes, this may be a mundane job. You will make plenty of adversaries and receive no compensation.”

“How delightful!” Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, wrote with a laughing emoji. He pledged to reduce federal bureaucracy by a third and decrease U.S. government spending by $2 trillion, but acknowledged that the process “will inevitably involve temporary challenges.”

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Musk and Ramaswamy as president, emphasizing that they will lead efforts to streamline government bureaucracy, reduce excessive regulation, eliminate wasteful spending, and overhaul federal agencies. This is crucial to the “Save America” movement.

President Trump described the newly formed department as a “modern-day ‘Manhattan Project,'” likening it to the U.S.-led research program during World War II aimed at developing a nuclear bomb, which he noted came at a human cost. Estimation [Japan’s population in 1945 was 214,000].

Since the first attempt on Trump’s life in July, Musk has emerged as one of the president’s most devoted supporters, at one point dubbing himself a “Dark Maga” during the campaign. He contributed $120 million to the president-elect’s campaign, hosted rallies in Pennsylvania, and vigorously promoted Trump’s message on X.

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Following Trump’s re-election, Musk shared an edited photo of himself holding a sink in the Oval Office, with text that read “Please sink.”

This image recalls a promotional campaign from October 2022, shortly after Musk sealed a $44 billion deal to acquire X (formerly Twitter). Musk entered the headquarters carrying Sink. According to new estimates from Fidelity, X’s value has dropped nearly 80% since Musk’s acquisition two years ago.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Laser Beams Can Create Shadows with the Proper Conditions

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

in new paper Published in today's magazine opticaphysicists explain how a laser beam casts a shadow that behaves like any other ordinary shadow.

Photographic image of the shadow of a laser beam. A high-powered green laser beam (object) passes through a ruby cube and is illuminated from the side with blue light: (A) Photograph of the shadow cast by the object laser beam on a white piece of paper, imaged through a simple lens It will be magnified approximately 4 times using The length of the ruby cube is approximately 1.2cm, and the enlarged image is approximately 4.8cm. Therefore, whether magnified or not, it depicts what can be seen directly. (B) Photographic image showing the surroundings for scale reference. Place a white plastic marker (i.e., a wide-tipped pen) in the path of the shadow between the object beam and the paper, and fix the camera focus on the (C) paper or (D) marker. The appearance of a shadow along the contours of the surface it falls on. All images were taken with a regular home digital camera in a dark room. Image credit: Abrahao others., doi: 10.1364/optica.534596.

“Laser light that casts shadows was previously thought to be impossible because light typically passes through other light without interacting,” said Dr. Rafael Abrahao, a researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory. spoke.

“Demonstration of a highly counterintuitive optical effect prompts us to reconsider our concept of shadow.”

Dr. Abrahao and his colleagues used a ruby crystal and a specific laser wavelength to show that laser beams can block light and create visible shadows through nonlinear optical processes.

This effect occurs when light interacts with a material in an intensity-dependent manner and can affect another light field.

“Our understanding of shadows has developed in close connection with our understanding of light and optics,” Dr. Abrahao said.

“This new discovery could prove useful in a variety of applications, including optical switching, devices in which one light controls the presence of another, or technologies that require precise control of light transmission, such as high-power lasers. There is a possibility that

In their experiment, the researchers shined a high-power green laser onto a cube made of a standard ruby crystal, then shot a blue laser at it from the side.

When a green laser is incident on a ruby, it locally changes the material's response to blue wavelengths.

The green laser acts like a normal object, and the blue laser acts like a light.

The interaction between the two light sources creates a shadow on the screen, where the green laser appears as a dark area blocking the blue light.

It met all the criteria for a shadow, as it was visible to the naked eye, followed the contours of the surface it fell on, and followed the position and shape of the laser beam acting as the object.

The laser shadow effect is the result of ruby's optical nonlinear absorption.

This effect occurs because the green laser increases the light absorption of the blue illumination laser beam, creating a matching region within the illumination light with lower light intensity.

“This discovery expands our understanding of the interaction between light and matter and opens up new possibilities for harnessing light in previously unimagined ways,” Dr. Abrahao said.

The researchers experimentally measured that the shadow contrast depends on the power of the laser beam and found that the maximum contrast was about 22%, similar to the contrast of a tree's shadow on a sunny day.

They also developed a theoretical model and showed that it could accurately predict shadow contrast.

“From a technical point of view, the effect we demonstrated shows that the intensity of the transmitted laser beam can be controlled by firing another laser,” the scientists said.

“Next, we plan to investigate other materials and other laser wavelengths that can produce similar effects.”

_____

Raphael A. Abrahao others. 2024. Shadow of laser beam. optica 11 (11): 1549-1555;doi: 10.1364/optica.534596

Source: www.sci.news

Proba-3: Twin spacecraft launched to create a simulated solar eclipse

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Two Proba-3 spacecraft work together to create an artificial solar eclipse

ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) aims to create an artificial solar eclipse in space with its upcoming Proba-3 mission, which will help study the Sun and demonstrate extremely precise formation flight down to just a millimeter. It turns out.

Scheduled to launch on December 4 on an Indian PSLV-XL rocket, the mission will consist of two spacecraft. After launch, they will be placed into a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth, bringing them about 600 kilometers (600 kilometers) close to Earth, but at a distance of about 60,000 kilometers (60,000 kilometers) from the Earth.

One of the spacecraft, called Occulter, features a 1.4-meter-wide disc made of carbon fiber and plastic. The other spacecraft will fly about 150 meters behind the first spacecraft and point its camera there. From this vantage point, the occulter's disk blocks the surface of the Sun, much like the Moon appears to cover the Sun during a total solar eclipse. This will allow imaging probes to observe the solar corona, or the sun's atmosphere, in more detail than ever before.

“This will be the closest we've ever seen the corona to the Sun in visible light,” said Damien Galano, ESA's Proba-3 mission manager. “This could provide concrete information about the temperature of the corona, the formation of the solar wind, and how the corona expands into space.”

Proba-3 accomplishes this feat by flying with incredible precision. Both spacecraft are equipped with sensors to track their position in space, and the Occulter uses 12 nitrogen thrusters to autonomously maintain its position with its partner with millimeter accuracy. The thrusters can deliver just 10 millinewtons of thrust, which is 1/50th the force of human breathing.

To limit the destabilizing effects of Earth's gravity, the artificial eclipse will last six hours when the spacecraft is furthest from Earth. More than 1,000 solar eclipses are planned during the two-year mission. Galano said this is the first time since experiments with artificial solar eclipses in space. 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

The experience gained from the Proba-3 mission could also be applied to things like refueling spacecraft and developing large telescopes in space. “Until now, we've only been able to achieve accuracy of a centimeter or better,” said Steve Buckley, Proba-3 lead engineer at Onsemi, a US company that developed some of the sensors for the mission. “This is 10 times better.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Large factory emissions may contribute to snowfall.

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Factory aerosols could change clouds in the sky

Getty Images/iStockphoto

SEI 229454176 — Factory aerosols could change clouds in the sky

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Satellite images show that plumes of pollutants from large factories can cause snowfall and leave holes in widespread clouds.

It has long been known that fine particles of soot-like pollutants, known as aerosol pollution, can affect clouds in a variety of ways. Water vapor can condense on pollutant particles and cause cloud formation, and pollutants can also change the properties of existing clouds.

While researching these effects, Vere Thor Researchers at the University of Tartu in Estonia noticed that holes sometimes appear in clouds downwind of major pollution sources. He and his colleagues have now analyzed thousands of satellite images of North America and Eurasia and found 67 locations where this effect can be seen under the right atmospheric conditions.

Weather radar confirmed that these events were causing snowfall. In the largest example the researchers found, up to 15 millimeters of snow fell over an area of 2,200 square kilometers (850 square miles).

This happens because pollutant particles freeze around supercooled water droplets in the cloud, creating ice crystals that grow into snowflakes, Toll said. “And as the water comes out of the clouds as snow, you end up with fewer clouds.”

In the absence of particles, water droplets in clouds remain liquid even when the air is as cold as -40°C (-40°F).

This satellite image shows reduced cloud cover downwind of a Canadian copper smelter

Vere Thor

Most of the 67 sources of pollution found by the research team were oil refineries and factories producing metals, cement, and fertilizers. But surprisingly, the researchers occasionally observed similar effects near four nuclear power plants that do not produce any aerosol emissions.

This could be because the warm air rising from these power plants is picking up aerosol pollution from elsewhere, but the researchers have not confirmed this. “There's no clear explanation for that,” Toll said.

In theory, it's possible to intentionally induce snowfall using aerosol effects, but that would only work if a cloud of supercooled liquid water droplets was already present, Tolle said. say.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The impact of cholesterol levels on the risk of developing dementia

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Recent research has found a significant connection between cholesterol levels and the risk of developing dementia. It is not just high cholesterol levels that are concerning, but also the fluctuations in levels over time. A study of 10,000 individuals suggests that these fluctuations could increase the chances of developing dementia by up to 60 percent.

The study also indicates that large variations in cholesterol levels, from high to low, are linked to a higher risk of general cognitive decline, regardless of dementia. Dr. Jen Zhou, a researcher at Monash University in Australia, emphasized the importance of closely monitoring and actively intervening to prevent such fluctuations.

The research focused on two main types of cholesterol – “bad cholesterol” or LDL and “good cholesterol” or HDL. Large fluctuations in LDL levels were found to accelerate cognitive decline, while fluctuations in HDL levels did not impact cognitive decline risk significantly.

The study highlighted the potential adverse effects of LDL cholesterol levels above 130mg per deciliter and the role of LDL fluctuations in destabilizing atherosclerotic plaques in arteries, potentially leading to impaired blood flow to the brain.

The study involved individuals in their 70s from Australia and the United States who did not have dementia at the start of the observation period. By the end of the study, a portion of participants developed dementia while others experienced cognitive decline. Those with stable cholesterol levels had a lower risk of neurological symptoms.

Globally, high levels of bad cholesterol contributed to millions of deaths in 2021. To manage cholesterol levels, individuals are advised to undergo regular medical check-ups and make lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and consuming a healthy diet.

According to Emily McGrath from the British Heart Foundation, lowering cholesterol can be achieved through various lifestyle adjustments, including reducing saturated fats and opting for foods rich in unsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and oily fish.

Read More:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Enantiornis fossil from 80 million years ago connects Archeopteryx to modern birds

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have unearthed the exquisitely preserved remains of a Cretaceous enantiornithine bird in São Paulo state in southeastern Brazil. The skull’s extraordinary three-dimensional preservation allowed researchers to digitally reconstruct the bird’s brain.

Artist’s impression Nabaornis Hestia. Image credit: Júlia D’Oliveira.

The newly identified Enantiornithine species They lived in what is now Brazil about 80 million years ago (late Cretaceous period).

with scientific name Nabaornis Hestiathe ancient bird was about the same size as a starling.

This species had a larger cerebrum Archeopteryxsuggesting that they had more advanced cognitive abilities than early bird-like dinosaurs.

However, most regions of the brain, such as the cerebellum, are underdeveloped, suggesting that the complex flight control mechanisms of modern birds have not yet evolved.

“The structure of the brain is Nabaornis Hestia almost exactly in between Archeopteryx Dr Guillermo Navarone, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, says:

Fossilized remains are Nabaornis Hestia It was recovered in 2016 from the local Williams Quarry in Presidente Prudente, part of Brazil’s Adamantina Formation.

Tens of millions of years ago, the site was probably an arid region with slow-flowing streams, allowing for the impressive preservation of fossils.

The extraordinary three-dimensional preservation has allowed paleontologists to use advanced micro-CT scanning techniques to reconstruct the toothless, large-eyed bird’s skull and brain in stunning detail.

fossilized skeleton Nabaornis Hestia. Image credit: Stephanie Abramowitz.

“This fossil is truly one of a kind and I was in awe from the moment I first saw it to the moment I finished assembling the skull and brain. “You can fully understand the scientific structure,” Dr. Navarone said.

Professor Daniel Field from the University of Cambridge added: “Modern birds have some of the most sophisticated cognitive abilities in the animal kingdom, rivaled only by mammals.”

“However, scientists have struggled to understand when and how birds’ unique brains and remarkable intelligence evolved. The field is looking forward to discovering fossils just like this one. I’ve been waiting for it.”

On the other hand, the skull Nabaornis Hestia At first glance, it resembles a small pigeon, but upon closer inspection, it turns out that it is not a modern bird at all, but a member of the “opposite birds”, or “opposite birds”.

Birds of the order Enantiornithiformes, which diverged from modern birds more than 130 million years ago, have complex feathers and are thought to have been able to fly as competently as modern birds. .

However, the anatomical structure of the brain Nabaornis Hestia This raises new questions: How does enantiornithine behave without a range of brain features observed in living birds, including an enlarged cerebellum, which is a spatial control center in living birds? Did they control the flight?

“This fossil represents a species at an intermediate point in the evolutionary process of bird cognition,” Professor Field said.

“The cognitive ability is Nabaornis Hestia They may have had an advantage in finding food and shelter, and were capable of elaborate mating displays and other complex social behaviors. ”

“This discovery shows that some of the birds that flew above the dinosaurs already had fully modern skull shapes more than 80 million years ago,” Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County said. said researcher Dr. Luis Chiappe.

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in a diary nature.

_____

LM Chiappe others. 2024. Cretaceous birds from Brazil tell the story of the evolution of bird skulls and brains. nature 635, 376-381; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08114-4

Source: www.sci.news

Amazon Introduces Affordable Online Storefront to Rival Temu’s Pricing

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Amazon has introduced a budget-friendly online store featuring electronics, clothing, and other items priced under $20 to compete with discount retailers encroaching on its market.

The company announced the launch of Amazon Haul, a storefront primarily showcasing items under $10 with free delivery on orders over $25. Orders will be shipped to U.S. customers from Amazon warehouses in China, with delivery expected within one to two weeks.

Many products on Amazon Haul resemble those found on Chinese e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu, which have gained popularity in recent years.

Shein targets young women with affordable apparel, while Temu offers a variety of products for bargain hunters.

Both Shein and Temu have faced criticism for their fast-fashion business models and are under scrutiny from regulators for various issues.

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Amazon’s new storefront on its shopping app and mobile website offers unbranded items like phone cases and hairbrushes for $2.99, and sleeveless dresses for $14.99, emphasizing “incredibly low prices” and “budget-friendly activewear.”

Vice President of Worldwide Sales Partners, Dharmesh Mehta, stated, “Finding great products at extremely low prices is important to our customers, and we continue to work with our partners to offer products at affordable prices.”

Importing goods from China could become costlier for Amazon due to new regulations targeting cheap Chinese products which aim to reduce U.S. reliance on China and might lead to price increases for U.S. consumers.

President-elect Donald Trump has also suggested imposing tariffs on Chinese products.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Shocking discovery: Light can create its own shadow, reveals bizarre experiment

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The shadow of the laser beam appears as a horizontal line against a blue background.

Abrahao et al. (2024)

Usually light casts shadows on other objects, but with the help of rubies, laser beams themselves can cast shadows.

When two laser beams interact, they don’t collide like the lightsabers in the movies. star warssay Rafael Abrahao At Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. In real life, they simply pass through each other. But Abrahao and his colleagues discovered a way for one laser beam to block another, causing its shadow to appear.

The key ingredient was ruby cubes. The researchers illuminated the cube with a green laser beam while shining a blue laser from the side. When green light passed through the ruby’s atoms, its properties changed in a unique way, which affected its response to blue light.

Atoms affected by the green light blocked the blue laser light instead of letting it pass, creating a shadow that was exactly the same shape as the green laser beam. Remarkably, the researchers were able to project blue light onto a screen and see this “laser shadow” with the naked eye.

Abrahao says he and his colleagues had a long discussion about whether what they had created was actually worthy of a shadow. Because moving the green laser beam also moved the green laser beam, we were able to see it without special equipment, and we were able to project it onto commonplace objects like markers, so we finally found a positive answer. I made a judgment.

Historically, understanding shadows has been critical to understanding what light can do and how it can be used, and this experiment has added to scientists’ light manipulation toolbox. Add unexpected technology, he says.

thomas kloba Researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany say their experiment used a known process to create an impressive visual demonstration of how materials can help control light. . For example, the interaction between lasers and rubies is similar to the interaction of materials used in laser eye surgery, and if the laser light becomes dangerously strong, it must be able to react by blocking the laser light. yeah.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Pro Players Share 7 Tips to Level Up in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 | Call of Duty

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

LJust guessing, did you recently purchase Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, wander into the multiplayer mode, and find yourself being brutally beaten by hundreds of teenagers with suggestive usernames? Don’t worry. That’s completely normal. Call of Duty has always been an arcade twitchfest of the online shooting scene, but Black Ops 6 has a whole new feel thanks to its omni-movement system that lets you dive, roll, and sprint in all directions. And all weapons have been completely redesigned. As Olivia Rodrigo said, it’s cruel.

So I asked two talented professional players, Ethan “Fifakill” Pink and Liam “Jukeyz” James, for some tips. Instead of laughing and pointing at me, they agreed.

use the correct gun

If you’re new to CoD, stick with assault rifles or submachine guns [SMGs] – These are suitable for Black Ops 6’s small maps and intense engagement speed. “My favorite assault rifle” [AR] Probably Model L, but very good experts agreed not to use it, so we moved to AMES,” Jukeyz says. “The SMG is either the Jackal, which is fun to use, or the KSV, which is more difficult but way too powerful.”

Fifakill, on the other hand, recommends Kompakt 92. However, if you are a mid-range player, I think the Model L Assault Rifle is a very good option. It takes time to unlock, but it’s worth the effort – Super TTK [time to kill] and very low recoil.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Photo: Activision

Become a gunsmith

The Gunsmith is where you can make modifications to your weapons, which are essential to gaining an advantage in combat. “For the majority of players, it’s best to start by reducing recoil,” Fifakill says. “Focus on attachments that reduce load” horizontal Recoil – If your gun bounces up and down, it’s pretty easy to fix. But left and right makes it more difficult when you’re trying to track enemy players.”
Jukeyz prioritizes aim-down aiming speed (how quickly you can move the gun into the aiming position), but also suggests installing a vertical foregrip to counter recoil. “I also recommend Gunfighter Wildcard,” Fifakir added. “With eight attachments per gun, you get it all: better movement, bigger magazines, less recoil.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Rise of Lithium Ion Batteries: Understanding the Exploding Fire Hazard

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A severe fire in a garage and home in south of Sydney may have been caused by a faulty lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter. Fire investigators discovered that this incident was part of a series involving lithium-ion batteries.

Another fire broke out at New Farm apartments in Brisbane city centre in early November, believed by authorities to be ignited by an electric scooter’s battery. In March, New South Wales experienced four battery-related fires in one day.

The New South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has identified lithium-ion batteries as the state’s fastest-growing fire hazard, responding to 272 battery-related fires last year. Fire authorities in Victoria and Queensland are responding to lithium-ion battery fires almost every day.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in various devices due to their fast charging, power density, and long battery life. Australia’s largest lithium-ion battery, the Victorian Big Battery, can power over one million homes for 30 minutes.

What are lithium-ion batteries used for?

Different types of lithium-ion batteries are used in various devices, and when operated correctly, they are considered safe.

Lithium-ion batteries power cell phones, computers, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and electric cars, providing quick energy delivery and long battery life.

Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire due to overheating and physical damage, reaching high temperatures and producing toxic gases.

Why do lithium-ion batteries catch fire?

Lithium-ion batteries contain lithium ions in an electrolyte, and charging them too quickly can cause thermal runaway, leading to a rise in temperature and potential explosion.

Battery quality matters, as physical damage, defects, and overcharging can contribute to battery fires. It is essential to use approved chargers and follow manufacturer guidelines.

To prevent battery fires, avoid overcharging, charge batteries on hard surfaces, and recycle old batteries properly to reduce the risk of fire incidents.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Solomon Islands unearths the world’s biggest coral reef

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Coral polyps, tiny organisms, cluster together to form colonies that create vast coral reefs.

The researchers describe the giant coral as primarily brown with pops of yellow, blue, and red on its undulating surface resembling ocean waves.

This massive coral structure is essential as it serves as a habitat, sanctuary, and breeding ground for various species, from shrimp and crabs to different kinds of fish, Timmers highlighted.

Despite its significance, this coral is facing challenges both locally and globally.

Timmers emphasized the detrimental impact of overfishing on the ecosystem’s health by removing organisms crucial for balance. She suggested ways to protect coral reefs like using sea cucumbers for sediment cleaning and giant clams for water filtration, underscoring the importance of every living organism.

The rise in ocean temperatures due to climate change poses another threat, potentially causing the coral to bleach and perish, Timmers warned.

National Geographic diver Iñigo San Felix uses survey lines around giant corals.
Manu Saint Felix/National Geographic

David M. Baker, a coral reef expert at the University of Hong Kong, lauded the discovery, calling it “remarkable.”

Baker, who was not part of the expedition, mentioned that corals are essentially immortal, surviving environmental changes due to favorable conditions and adaptability.

However, Baker cautioned that even remote reefs are vulnerable to climate change impacts.

He expressed hope in the presence of large, old corals, indicating opportunities to safeguard, preserve, and restore oceans while combatting climate change.

Divers swim over spectacular coral reefs.
Manu Saint Felix/National Geographic

The Solomon Islands boast the world’s second highest coral diversity, housing over 490 species of hard and soft corals.

Currently, the world is experiencing the Fourth global coral bleaching event. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has confirmed large-scale bleaching in at least 62 countries and territories from 2023 to early 2024.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Review of Rise of the Golden Idol: A 1970s detective game with a dark, twisted, and captivating storyline

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

a Brutal Scene: A shadowy figure forces someone into a high-voltage circuit box. The victim becomes unable to move at the moment of death, his body convulsing and sparks flying. Downstairs, everyone froze in shock the moment the lights went out. You must scrutinize this scene to determine who everyone is, where they are, why they are there, and, of course, who committed this murder. Examine faces and objects, search everyone’s pockets to see what’s inside, and read notes, signs, and letters for clues. Eventually you’ll piece it together and fill in the report with the missing words that describe exactly who, what, when, where, and why.

Rise of the Golden Idol is a 1970s alternate reality detective game where, when solved, individual scenes tell us something about a larger mystery. This is a sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol, set 300 years after the game’s Age of Exploration mystery, but following the trail of the same cursed object. Some of these scenes are relatively harmless and even funny, such as a drive-in cinema where an unexpected fire breaks out and cosplayed patrons rush for the exit. There are other scary things too. In the opening incident, the strangulation unfolds in an endless loop, like an Instagram boomerang story.

Intentionally grotesque art style…the rise of the Golden Idol. Photo: Color Gray Games

Solving these cases is very satisfying, but you better hope your memory for names and faces is good. Scenes could include 10 or more people and required a notebook to record them. There are more and more obvious hints offered when you get stuck, but as the game warns, using them takes away the fun of using deductive reasoning. Nevertheless, when I understood the gist of the case but couldn’t get someone’s last name correctly, I was glad that there was a button to show me which blanks in the report were incorrectly filled in. I thought.

The strangeness of Rise of the Golden Idol is what makes it so memorable. The art style is intentionally grotesque, with the characters’ asymmetrical faces and eyes moving like crazy, and the backgrounds filled with paint pens. The murders, robberies, and other crimes here are strange, and the picture becomes unsteady in its eternal two-second loop of movement. Until I solved the problem, the scene stuck in my head and I ended up staring at my phone screen for half an hour at a time, thinking, cross-referencing, and taking notes. Where is the character’s gaze leading me? Why is that rug in disarray? Where did that dirt come from?

The big story that comes from these details is worth all the effort. As the chapters change, the fill-in-the-blank incident report turns into a fill-in-the-blank summary of everything you’ve learned from several past cases, helping you draw connections that make the story full of intrigue. This is not a game you can play while thinking about something else. You have to pay close attention, focus your thoughts, and see what your brain can do. I was pleasantly surprised by my own reasoning skills.

The crime scenes are so bizarre that you never know where this game will take you, but there’s always something you need to solve.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Discovering Love through a Quantum Perspective

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

love quantum

Netflix shows love is blind Rather, I ignored the feedback. This is a romance show where participants cannot meet each other in person and only communicate through audio. You will only be allowed to meet in person if you are engaged.

Like many reality shows, it is “Social experiment”which is an interesting way to explain putting something so personal on television as entertainment, but I’m sure Netflix’s consent form is perfect.

I bring this up because a quantum physicist was introduced in Season 7, which was released in October. Garrett Josemans is a technical program manager at IonQ, which is developing “next generation” quantum computing systems.

According to the company’s blog post He touted his experience, saying, “The opportunity to focus on love in a structured environment was interesting.” That’s one way to say it. Josemans added: “My intellectual curiosity grew and I felt like fate was knocking at my door.”

Obviously he was right. Josemans is currently married to co-star Taylor Krauss. As one of my colleagues in the news department pointed out, being used to having two confusing and contradictory realities existing at the same time is probably a boon in some relationships.

the biggest odor

Speaking of dating, Mrs. Feedback draws attention to pheromone maximization (sometimes spelled maxxing). This is apparently what alpha males do.

Actually, let me stop you there. Alpha males are not the problem. The concept stems from research on captive wolves in the 1940s, which found that a single male often dominated the pack. From there, the concept spread into popular culture. But it turns out that wild wolves don’t behave like that. Their herd is like an extended family. Wolf researcher L. David Meck has spent much of his career correcting the record, including trying to get his early books out of print.

where were we? Well, a human alpha male (which doesn’t exist) has come up with a novel strategy to attract women as sexual partners. They maximize their “musk” by refraining from showering and wearing the same clothes for several days, producing an attractive cocktail of pheromones that sends women into a sexual frenzy.

The idea gained some fame on the internet after a teenage TikTok user posted a video about an experiment that begins like this: First It doesn’t smell. It’s pheromone MAX. ” follow-up video, from His mother asked other parents for advice on how to get him to shower.

I don’t know where to start with feedback. Perhaps the idea of human pheromones? Indeed, some animals communicate by releasing chemicals into the air called pheromones, some of which play a role in mating. However, despite decades of research, there is no conclusive evidence that human pheromones exist. Basing your dating strategy on a phenomenon that may not be real is a bold move.

Even if human sex pheromones exist, why do we get the most benefit from not showering? And why do pheromones cancel out other odors?

It’s been a long time since Feedback played the dating game, but according to our vague memories, the best way to connect with people is to talk to them, find common interests, and be nice. That was it. Still, young minds, fresh ideas.

Trouble with TED talks

I’ve never gotten feedback on a TED talk. Perhaps our invitation ended up in your spam folder. But the goal is to bring together the best and brightest to communicate their ideas to a wide audience. Jennifer Doudna, CRISPR pioneer and Nobel Prize winner, 2 TED Talks. Malcolm Gladwell turning point fame, did 4 Therefore, it is assumed that he is twice as important.

But when you need a never-ending firehose of content, you inevitably end up hunting for material – Feedback knows this feeling all too well – which brings us to a talk by Raymond Tan. he It was delivered Back in 2017, TED Conferences social media reshared Feedback first encountered that profound wisdom in October.

At the time, Mr Tan was an IT manager at a financial services company. But his talk is about “Lessons from the Philosophy of Water.” By studying the behavior of water, we can gain a sense of fulfillment in our lives. This kind of thing is a headache for feedback, so I’ll give you some examples of what was provided.

“If you think about water flowing through a river, it’s always at a low level,” Tan said. Yes, liquids under gravity tend to do that. “Water can change. Depending on the temperature, it can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas… We also constantly reskill to stay relevant. We are expected to invent and update.” Feedback appreciates the comparison between the job market situation and the simmering and frozen experience. Indeed, water embodies the hustle spirit. #grind

Let’s put the obvious facts aside. You might get similar advice from one of those internet memes that highlights an “inspirational” phrase over a photo of a waterfall. The real problem with advice like this is that it’s not as universally applicable as the speakers claim. Many people may do the easy job, but too many cooks will ruin the soup. Here we argue in our TED talk: “It depends.”

Have a story for feedback?

You can email your article to Feedback at feedback@newscientist.com. Please enter your home address. This week’s and past feedback can be found on our website.

Source: www.newscientist.com

The record-breaking cost of a photograph: How one space image reshaped our perception of humanity

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IThis was one of history’s monumental moments, but if John Glenn had not stopped at a supermarket on his way aboard Friendship 7 to pick up a Contax camera and 35mm film, the visual record may not have existed. A photograph taken by an American astronaut through the window of a capsule while in Earth orbit on February 20, 1962, provided unprecedented evidence of Project Mercury’s first orbital mission. The Soviet Union may have beaten the Americans in the race to human spaceflight, but the Americans were also taking the first color photographs of the galaxy.

German gallerist Daniel Blau points out that these photos are also “the most expensive photographs ever taken.” Billions of dollars were spent to obtain them. Blau has an original print of Glenn’s first photograph taken in space. Photos from Paris this yearalong with NASA’s cache of rare photographic prints, many of which have never been publicly displayed before, most of them by unknown scientists and astronauts.

A color-enhanced photo of Saturn taken from NASA Voyager II on July 12, 1981. Photo: © NASA, courtesy of Daniel Blau Munich

“At that time, NASA didn’t provide cameras to astronauts,” Blau says. “In a way, this was Glenn’s private photograph.” Despite their scientific motivations, Glenn’s images convey the inescapable mystery of the universe. A warm, glowing ball of light spreads out from the center of the frame. Luminescent flashes blaze into the deep darkness of the void, dancing like the “fireflies” described by Glenn. It must have been terrifying to watch. In fact, the spark turned out to be condensation.

Traveling at 28,000 km/h, humans managed to reach space, but they had not yet designed a photographic machine powerful enough to keep up with the journey. Lacking much visual information or detail, Glenn’s photographs probably reveal less about the universe and have become totems of human ambition. Glenn later added a personal caption, warning, “I guarantee you a photo will never be able to recreate the brilliance of a real scene.”

Rio Grande at 73,000 feet taken on May 27, 1948 using a V-2 rocket camera. Photo: © Daniel Blau, Munich

Blau began carrying vintage NASA prints in the 1990s. “The Space Race and the Cold War were the defining forces of the second half of the 20th century. Of course, my generation remembers all the important moments.” Some of the photos were published at the time, but original prints It is difficult to obtain. “These scientists and the people who worked on the missions passed down their personal archives to their children, and now their grandchildren, so there is still a lot of material on the market. It was natural for me to start searching and working with these photographs.”

At Paris Photo, a crowd gathered around a series of six silver gelatin photographs from 1948 overlooking the Rio Grande from a V-2 rocket at 73,000 feet. Also on display were humanity’s first close-up photo of Mars, taken in 1965, and the first panoramic photo of Earth seen from the moon. The latter was not photographed by humans, but was sent by radio signal from an unmanned mission in August 1966. They were then stitched together pixel by pixel into a single image at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

By 1979, the interstellar probe Voyager was able to take better pictures of the planet, and its images of Jupiter and its four moons suspended like marble in an onyx atmosphere were particularly startling.

The impressive large-scale mosaic of Mercury’s pockmarked surface, created in 1974, is “the only mosaic of this size I’ve ever seen,” Blau says. “It was probably produced for a NASA presentation, similar to Voyager’s photo of Mars.” This photo only shows part of the solar system’s smallest planet, but it doesn’t fit our understanding and You get another glimpse of what lies beyond your control.

A mosaic of Mercury taken from NASA’s Mariner X in March 1974. Photo: © NASA, courtesy of Daniel Blau Munich

By the late ’70s, photography had taken on a more central role in missions and the advancement of space science. “NASA was and still is dependent on public funding, but Glenn’s color photographs taken in Earth orbit showed that the best and most positive way for NASA to demonstrate its accomplishments was through photography.” It became clear that there was one thing,” Blau said. “Of course, the scientific side of things is the driving force, but photography tells a first-hand story.”

Blau’s footage was released the day after the US presidential election. He said he wanted to remind visitors of the “positive common efforts of many countries.” They are certainly humble. “Perhaps no photograph embodies more than this photograph the combination of mystical awe and mastery of nature that constitutes the human condition,” Blau muses. “Humans escape from the confines of the earth to see and record things that have never been seen or recorded before – the impossible.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Sixth Starship Launch: When is SpaceX’s Next Flight Test and What to Anticipate?

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

SpaceX said on its website that it aims to conduct Starship's sixth test flight as early as November 18.

space x

SpaceX is preparing for the sixth test flight of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket. The company has a “fail fast, learn fast” approach to research and development that is more akin to the world of Silicon Valley than the aerospace industry, and the pace of launches appears to only be accelerating.

When is the next flight?

SpaceX says on the website The company said it aims to conduct Starship's sixth test flight as early as November 18. This claim is supported by the Federal Aviation Administration issuing a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen). rocket launch warning SpaceX launch pad area in Boca Chica, Texas. The 30-minute launch slot opens at 4pm local time (10pm Japan time).

It took SpaceX 18 months to conduct Starship's first five test flights, with the fifth taking place in mid-October. When the airline launches its sixth flight next week, it will be just over a month since the last flight, making it the fastest flight ever.

What will SpaceX try with Flight 6?

In many ways, Flight 6 is a repeat of Flight 5, but with some key differences.

The booster stage will again attempt a “chopstick” landing, grabbing and securing the aircraft as it returns to the launch pad so it can be lowered to the ground. This approach is designed to ultimately allow boosters to be reused multiple times and significantly reduce the cost of putting payloads into orbit.

Starship during high altitude test flight

space x

The upper stage will reach space, complete a partial orbit, re-enter Earth's atmosphere and splash-land in the Indian Ocean. But this time, the upper stage will attempt to reignite one of the Raptor engines during its stay in space in order to gather valuable operational data. It also plans to test new heat shield designs during atmospheric reentry.

Another difference is that because the launch will take place later in the day, the landing of the upper stage in the Indian Ocean can be filmed during the day, allowing for more detailed shots. Previous missions had landed at night, so while the footage was cinematic and dramatic, it didn't provide engineers with as much insight as footage from daytime landings.

What happened during previous Starship launches?

During the first test flight on April 20, 2023, three of the 33 engines in the booster stage failed to ignite. The rocket then became uncontrollable and self-destructed.

During the second test flight on November 18, 2023, the flight progressed further and gained enough altitude to separate the booster and upper stage as planned. The booster stage ultimately exploded before reaching the ground, and the upper stage self-destructed before reaching space.

Test Flight 3 on March 14, 2024 was at least partially successful as the upper stage reached space again, but it did not return to Earth unscathed.

The next flight was on June 6, when the upper stage reached an altitude of more than 200 kilometers and flew at speeds of more than 27,000 kilometers per hour. Both the booster and upper stage completed a soft landing at sea.

Test Flight 5 was the most ambitious yet, with Starship's super-heavy booster dropping onto the launch pad and being safely caught by “chopsticks” on SpaceX's launch tower, known as Mechazilla. It is equipped with “chopsticks” that can be used to grab and fix a specific position on the aircraft and lower it to the ground.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

The podcast chronicles the real-life tale of the whale featured in Free Willy.

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IIt’s ’90s week in Podcastland! At least, you’d think so, judging by the nostalgic homage to children’s entertainment from decades past. There’s an entire series dedicated to the fictional purple dinosaur Barney, and investigative news stalwarts Serial Productions literally digs deep into an important subject: What happened to the whale in Free Willy?

For a bit more extreme retro nostalgia, there’s also the Audible star’s new Agatha Christie adaptation, with Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage playing Poirot in Christie’s first novel, The Case in Stiles. Himesh Patel and Harriet Walter co-star as Hastings. Does the fact that they started at the beginning of the Christie canon mean they intend to publish all the books? We certainly don’t disagree.

But if that thought strikes fear into your time-pressed mind, don’t worry. For those who want to immerse themselves in a long-running show without digging through their entire back catalogue, we’ve rounded up the best listens. You can take inspiration from the proliferation of 1990s podcasts, but wait 30 years for retro, nostalgic podcasts before listening to the highlights.

Alexi Duggins
TV Deputy Editor-in-Chief

This week’s picks

Peter Dinklage in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate

Mysterious incident at Stiles
All episodes now available on Audible
Peter Dinklage plays Hercule Poirot in this brilliantly cast adaptation of Agatha Christie’s debut novel. Rob Delaney, Harriet Walter, Jessica Gunning and Himesh Patel are joining the cast of the high-budget, immersive production. Dinklage’s Poirot transforms from a gritty force of nature into a wise and luminous soul in the story of the murder of a matriarch at the country estate where his Belgian detective friend Captain Hastings is recuperating from World War I. It covers a wide range of things. Alexi Duggins

good whale
Wide range of weekly episodes available
For an iconic investigative series like “Serial,” the whale from the ’90s movie “Free Willy” isn’t an obvious topic. But this fascinating series shows how, from his unhealthy years in captivity to becoming a Hollywood star, the PR-driven campaign to actually free him, and, sadly, how extremely difficult it was. We delve deep into the story of what happened to this creature, right down to how it turned out. Get used to it. advertisement

quilt
Wide range of weekly episodes available
Queer Britain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum, has partnered with the producers of podcast The Log Books to produce this moving new series. Hosts Tash Walker and Adam Zumis travel around the UK collecting stories, starting with a trans woman in her 70s in Norfolk who sheds tears as she looks at an old photograph. Holly Richardson

generation barney
Wide range of weekly episodes available
Can a giant purple dinosaur provide a generation with much-needed solace during turbulent times? He certainly revolutionized children’s television in the 1990s, giving young viewers their first superstar. Host Sabrina Herrera, like any good children’s TV character, is full of joy as she tells the story of a dinosaur that provoked the hatred of outraged parents. Hannah Verdier

lady mafia
Weekly episodes widely available
Sarah King developed a reputation as the “female Bernie Madoff” after allegedly amassing large sums of money through loan sharks and spending them on jewelry, cars and extended stays at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. Now, Michelle McPhee gets her lawyer to tell her side of the story and why she doesn’t think he’s a fraud. HV

There’s a podcast for that

Alex Cooper interviews presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Call Her Daddy. Photo: Call Daddy/Reuters

this week, Rachel Aroesti We choose the 5 best podcasts Can be soaked or soakedfrom Radio 4’s classics to Alex Cooper’s $60 million show.

please call her dad
Most podcasts, no matter how popular, feel like cult concerns. Their intimate banter and free-spirited vibe give the impression that they exist outside of mainstream cultural conversation. Even Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, the second most listened to pod on the planet, has an upscale club vibe. But every once in a while, Cooper pulls off a headline-grabbing cut-through feat. The show, popular for its sex-positive take on femininity, has been in the news in recent months for interviews with Katy Perry (about her disastrous comeback) and Kamala Harris (about family life and campaigns). A must-listen episode for anyone looking to stay on top of the zeitgeist.

nymphet reunion
If you’ve ever been baffled by the endless reboots of TikTok’s aesthetic or confused by the latest (like, 10-minute-old) trends, Nymphet Alumni is here to help. The trio of hosts Biz Sherbert, Sam Cummins, and Alexi Alario explore cutting-edge fashion and hyper-online phenomena (from “mogging” to Mormonism in an unashamedly literate yet never approachable way). (down to style). Sometimes they name trends themselves (see: Brockett, a fusion of soccer shirts and samba-meets-girly-girl attire), or look back at the 20th-century fashion roots of various revivals. Immerse yourself in the feeling of understanding the modern world, even if it’s just for an hour.

off menu
Some podcasts succeed regardless of, or sometimes in spite of, their guests, while others rely heavily on the energy of the celebrities who participate. At this point, Ed Gamble and James Acaster are consummate professionals when it comes to eliciting dream meal-based jokes from their interview subjects, but they’re adamant about the off-menu episodes that are truly worth listening to. It includes a guest with eccentric tastes and the resulting spiral of hysterical callbacks. Highlights include Victoria Coren-Mitchell’s dinner party sandwich, Ivo Graham and Yeo Valley yoghurt, Nicola Coughlan’s Robbie Williams wrap and The Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas’ unparalleled madness, ‘Soft Touch’ and Buried Contains lamb.

desert island disc
Few podcasts can trace back decades of archives, let alone ones that date back to the 1940s. But that’s what you get when you convert Britain’s longest-running radio show into a podcast. Desert Island Discs currently has 2,482 episodes, and its taste-based premise has proven to be an influential template for modern podcasts (see the aforementioned Off Menu and many others). The back catalog alone is a fascinating cultural chronicle, featuring some very famous guests, as well as many forgotten guests.

good one
The old adage that analysis destroys comedy has now been completely debunked by critical forces that are more likely to take stand-up seriously. And Good Ones, a “podcast about jokes” by Vulture’s Jesse David Fox, certainly takes its comedy very seriously. Featuring guests such as John Early, Alex Edelman, Jack Whitehall, and Joel Kim Booster, Fox dives deep into the technique and background behind the routines and sketches. I talk about over two hours of post-mortems on my stand-up shows. It might be a bit too intense for serious listening, but it’s a thrilling and insightful peek behind the curtain, so be patient.

Why not try it…

Best Medical Care by Kiri Pritchard MacLean Comedians, doctors, scientists and historians return for a second series celebrating amazing medical advances.
good sex projectMelody Thomas continues her quest to understand how to do it right.
Journalist and documentary maker Lucy Sherif’s investigation into the sudden disappearance of a wealthy widow. Where are the diamonds?

Source: www.theguardian.com

Study finds new weight loss drug decreases appetite without compromising muscle mass

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have identified a new drug similar to Ozempic that aids in weight loss without causing muscle loss. This drug, known as NK2R, works by suppressing appetite and boosting calorie burning. According to scientists, it has been successful in promoting weight loss while avoiding negative side effects such as nausea. The team of 47 researchers believe that NK2R could be a valuable option for individuals who have not seen results with other weight loss treatments.

Associate Professor Zach Gerhart-Hines, a metabolic researcher at the University of Copenhagen and co-author of the study, noted that their drug, unlike Ozempic, did not trigger nausea and also resulted in muscle relief rather than muscle loss. The drug targets specific neural circuits in the brain and affects blood sugar, weight, and cholesterol levels.

While Ozempic mimics the hormone GLP-1 to reduce hunger, NK2R works differently by targeting a molecule naturally present in the body’s cells called NK2R. When tested on overweight mice, the drug led to weight loss and decreased food intake.

However, some health experts are cautious about the effects of this treatment on humans, as it is currently based on animal studies. Dr. Adam Collins, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Surrey, expressed skepticism about the research’s applicability to humans.

Clinical trials of NK2R in humans are scheduled to begin within the next two years.

About our experts:

Dr. Zach Gerhart-Hines is an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, focusing on diet, circadian clocks, and metabolism.

Dr. Adam Collins is an Associate Professor at the University of Surrey with expertise in weight loss, metabolism, and nutrition.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Physicists conduct measurements on fermium’s nuclear properties

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Physicists are GSI/FAIR accelerator facility gained insight into the structure of the atomic nucleus. Fermium is a synthetic chemical element of the actinide series with atomic number 100. Using laser spectroscopy techniques, they tracked changes in the nucleus’s charge radius and found that it steadily increased as neutrons were added to the nucleus.

Fermium isotopes studied by Warbinek others. It is highlighted in this graph. Image credit: S. Raeder.

“The heaviest atomic nucleus known to date owes its existence to quantum mechanical nuclear shell effects,'' say researchers from the Helmholtz Institute Mainz and Geographical Survey Institute Helmholtzzentrum Schwerionenforschung. said Dr. Sebastian Roeder and colleagues.

“These increase the stability of the nucleus against spontaneous fission, allowing the formation of superheavy nuclei.”

“For a certain number of protons (Z) or neutrons (N), the so-called magic numbers, the nuclear shell exhibits a large energy gap, resulting in increased stability of the nucleus.”

“This is similar to the closed electron shell of noble gases, which provides chemical inertness.”

“The heaviest known atomic nucleus with a magic number for both protons (Z = 82) and neutrons (N = 126) is lead-208, a spherical nucleus.”

“The location of the next spherical gap beyond lead-208 is still unknown. Nuclear models predict it most frequently at Z = 114, Z = 120 or Z = 126, and N = 172 or N = 184. Masu.”

“This variation in predictions is primarily due to the large single-particle density in the heaviest nuclei, among other factors.”

The authors used a laser-based method to investigate a fermium nucleus with 100 protons (Z = 100) and 145 to 157 neutrons (N = 145 to 157).

Specifically, we studied the influence of quantum mechanical shell effects on the size of atomic nuclei.

“This allows us to elucidate the structure of these nuclei in the range around the known shell effect of neutron number 152 from a new perspective,” said Dr. Rader.

“At this neutron number, signs of neutron shell closure were previously observed in trends in nuclear binding energies.”

“The strength of the shell effect was measured by high-precision mass measurements at GSI/FAIR in 2012.”

“According to Einstein, mass equals energy, so these mass measurements gave us a hint about the additional binding energy that shell effects provide.”

“The nucleus around neutron number 152 is shaped more like a rugby ball than a sphere, making it an ideal guinea pig for deeper research.”

“This deformation allows many protons within the nucleus to be separated further apart than in a spherical nucleus.”

In the measurements, the researchers investigated fermium isotopes with lifetimes ranging from a few seconds to 100 days, using different methods for producing fermium isotopes and methodological developments in applied laser spectroscopy techniques. Ta.

Short-lived isotopes are produced at the GSI/FAIR accelerator facility, where in some cases only a few atoms per minute are available for experiments.

The generated nuclei were stopped in argon gas, and electrons were picked up to form neutral atoms, which were then examined using laser light.

The neutron-rich, long-lived fermium isotopes (fermium-255, fermium-257) were produced in picogram quantities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, USA, and the Laue Langevina Institute in France.

Their results provided insight into the variation of the nuclear charge radius of the fermium isotope over neutron number 152 and showed a stable and uniform increase.

“Our experimental results and interpretation by modern theoretical methods show that in fermium nuclei, nuclear shell effects have a small influence on the charge radius of the nuclei, in contrast to their strong influence on the binding energy of these nuclei. “This shows that,” Dr. Jessica said. Mr. Warbinek is a researcher at CERN.

“This result supports the theoretical prediction that local shell effects due to a small number of neutrons and protons lose influence as the nuclear mass increases.”

“Instead, the effects attributed to the complete assembly of all nucleons dominate, with the nuclei being seen rather as charged liquid droplets.”

of result Published in a magazine nature.

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J. Warbinek others. 2024. Smooth trend of charge radius in fermium and influence of shell effect. nature 634, 1075-1079;doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08062-z

Source: www.sci.news

Calculating the Likelihood of Intelligent Life in the Universe and Beyond: A New Theoretical Model

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In 1961, American astrophysicist and astrobiologist Dr. Frank Drake multiplied several factors to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way that could make their presence known to humans. I devised an equation. More than 60 years later, astrophysicists have created a different model that focuses instead on conditions created by the accelerating expansion of the universe and the amount of stars forming. This expansion is thought to be caused by dark energy, which makes up more than two-thirds of the universe.

Artistic impression of the multiverse. Image credit: Jaime Salcido / EAGLE collaboration.

“Understanding dark energy and its impact on our universe is one of the biggest challenges in cosmology and fundamental physics,” said Dr. Daniele Solini, a researcher at Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology. .

“The parameters that govern our universe, such as the density of dark energy, may explain our own existence.”

Because stars are a prerequisite for the emergence of life as we know it, the team’s new model predicts the probability of intelligent life arising in our universe, and in a hypothetical multiverse scenario of different universes. could be used to estimate the

The new study does not attempt to calculate the absolute number of observers (i.e. intelligent life) in the universe, but instead calculates the relative probability that a randomly chosen observer will inhabit a universe with certain properties. will be considered.

It concludes that a typical observer would expect to experience significantly greater densities of dark energy than seen in our Universe. This suggests that its ingredients make it a rare and unusual case in the multiverse.

The approach presented in this paper involves calculating the rate at which ordinary matter is converted into stars for different dark energy densities throughout the history of the universe.

Models predict that this proportion would be about 27% in a universe where star formation is most efficient, compared to 23% in our universe.

This means that we do not live in a hypothetical universe where intelligent life has the highest probability of forming.

In other words, according to the model, the values of dark energy density that we observe in the Universe do not maximize the potential for life.

“Surprisingly, we found that even fairly high dark energy densities can still coexist with life. This suggests that we may not be living in the most likely universe. ,” Dr. Solini said.

The model could help scientists understand how different densities of dark energy affect the structure of the universe and the conditions for life to develop there.

Dark energy causes the universe to expand faster, balancing the pull of gravity and creating a universe that is capable of both expansion and structure formation.

But for life to develop, there needs to be areas where matter can aggregate to form stars and planets, and conditions need to remain stable for billions of years to allow life to evolve.

Importantly, this study shows that the astrophysics of star formation and the evolution of the large-scale structure of the universe combine in subtle ways to determine the optimal value of dark energy density required for the generation of intelligent life. It suggests that.

“We will use this model to investigate the emergence of life across different universes and reinterpret some fundamental questions we ask ourselves about our own universe,” said Lucas Lombreiser, professor at the University of Geneva. It will be interesting to see if there is a need.”

of study Published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

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Daniele Solini others. 2024. Influence of the cosmological constant on past and future star formation. MNRAS 535 (2): 1449-1474;doi: 10.1093/mnras/stae2236

Source: www.sci.news

Discovery of Metabolic Compounds that Control Appetite and Weight

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Research has revealed a new metabolic pathway involving beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB). Previously known as a liver-produced fuel, BHB is now found to be attached to amino acids by the enzyme CNDP2. The most abundant BHB amino acid, N-β-hydroxybutyryl phenylalanine (BHB-Phe), can impact body weight and metabolism in animal models.

Beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) is an abundant ketone body. All BHB metabolic pathways known to date involve the interconversion of BHB and primary energy intermediates. Moya Garzon others. BHB et al. identified a previously undescribed BHB secondary metabolic pathway via CNDP2-dependent enzymatic binding of BHB and free amino acids. Image credit: Moya-Garzon others., doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.032.

Mammals have developed intricate nutrient response pathways linking external energy sources with internal metabolic balance.

These pathways involve changes in cellular energy metabolites serving as both fuel sources and downstream regulators.

BHB, a ketone body, is a key example whose levels rise during low carbohydrate conditions like starvation, intermittent fasting, or ketogenic diet.

In a recent study, Professor Yong Xu of Baylor College of Medicine and team investigated how BHB-Phe, the most common BHB amino acid, affects eating habits and body weight in mice.

“Brain neuron groups regulate feeding behavior, so we mapped the brain to identify regions activated by BHB-Phe,” explained Professor Xu.

“BHB-Phe activated neural populations in the hypothalamus and brainstem, suppressing feeding and leading to weight loss.”

In contrast, mice lacking CNDP2 enzyme, deficient in BHB-Phe, ate more and gained weight.

Interestingly, CNDP2 also produces Lac-Phe, a compound discovered earlier by the research team.

“Lac-Phe from exercise can reduce food intake and obesity in mice,” added Professor Xu.

“But do Lac-Phe and BHB-Phe trigger effects by activating the same brain neurons?”

This discovery points to a possible disruption of the BHB-Phe pathway, present in humans, in obesity and other conditions, warranting further research to understand the mechanism.

“This study unveils new prospects,” commented Dr. Jonathan Long from Stanford.

“In the future, using BHB-Phe to promote weight loss without carbohydrate restrictions may be feasible.”

Featured in this week’s cell journal.

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Maria Dolores Moya-Garzon others. The β-hydroxybutyrate shunt pathway produces anti-obesity ketone metabolites. cell published online on November 12, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.032

Source: www.sci.news

Early universe reveals mysterious supermassive galaxy

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have determined that within the first billion years after the Big Bang, three supermassive galaxies with a mass roughly the same as our own Milky Way already existed. I discovered that there is. The discovery, part of the JWST/FRESCO survey, shows that stars in the early universe grew much more rapidly than previously thought, casting doubt on existing models of galaxy formation.

Three red monster galaxies discovered by Webb. Image credits: NASA / CSA / ESA / M. Xiao & PA Oesch, University of Geneva / G. Brammer, Niels Bohr Institute / Dawn JWST Archive.

Until now, it was thought that all galaxies formed gradually within large halos of dark matter.

Dark matter halos trap gas (atoms and molecules) in gravitationally bound structures.

Typically, up to 20% of this gas is converted into stars within a galaxy.

But new discoveries cast doubt on this view, revealing that giant galaxies in the early universe may have grown much more rapidly and efficiently than previously thought.

“The problem of ‘impossible’ giant galaxies in the aftermath of the Big Bang has puzzled astronomers since the first images of the web,” said Dr Ivo Rabe, an astronomer at Swinburne University of Technology.

“This is like finding a 100 kg infant. Webb has proven that monsters roam the early universe.”

While most of the sources found in the FRESCO survey fit existing models, astronomers also discovered three surprisingly massive galaxies with stellar masses comparable to today’s Milky Way galaxy. .

They are named “red monsters” because of their high dust content and their distinctive red color in web images.

These form stars nearly twice as efficiently as their subsequent lower-mass counterparts and galaxies.

“These findings raise new questions about galaxy formation theory, especially the problem of ‘too many, too big’ galaxies in the early Universe,” said Dr. Rabe.

“Current models cannot explain why star formation occurs so efficiently so early in the universe.”

“The general assumption is that an exploding star or a supermassive black hole kills star formation and blows out the candle.”

“I have no doubt that future observations of the web will provide clues about what we are missing.”

Professor Stein Weitz, an astronomer at the University of Bath, said: “Finding three such gigantic beasts among the specimens poses an interesting puzzle.”

“Many processes of galactic evolution tend to introduce rate-limiting steps in how efficiently gas turns into stars, but somehow this red monster quickly bypassed most of these hurdles. It seems there is.”

“These results show that galaxies in the early Universe may form stars with unexpected efficiency,” said Dr. Mengyuan Xiao, an astronomer at the University of Geneva.

“Studying these galaxies in more detail will provide new insights into the conditions that shaped the early days of the universe.”

“The Red Monster is just the beginning of a new era in the exploration of the early universe.”

“That’s the great thing about astronomy: we’re always surprised by new discoveries,” Professor Weitz said.

“Already in the first few years, Webb has thrown us some curveballs.”

“In multiple ways, we show that some galaxies mature rapidly during the first chapters of the universe’s history.”

a paper Survey results are published in a magazine nature.

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M. Xiao others. The formation of supermassive galaxies accelerates during the first billion years. naturepublished online on November 13, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08094-5

Source: www.sci.news

Reports show that an unprecedented failure led to the collapse of a world-famous radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Four years after the radio telescope at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory collapsed. Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sheds light on the unprecedented failures that led to its destruction.

A steel cable supporting the telescope’s 900-ton receiver platform came loose after a zinc-filled socket built to support it failed, according to a report released Oct. 25. That’s what it means.

The report said the failure was caused by excessive “zinc creep,” a phenomenon in which the metal used to protect the socket from corrosion and rust deforms over time and loses its grip.

The zinc gradually lost its hold on the cable suspending the telescope’s main platform above the reflector dish. This caused multiple cables to be pulled from their sockets, ultimately causing the platform to crash into a reflector more than 400 feet below, according to the report.

Roger L. McCarthy, chairman of the committee for the analysis of the causes of failure and collapse of Arecibo’s 305-meter telescope, said, “This type of failure has been the most common occurrence in more than a century, when zinc spelter sockets have been widely and successfully used. This has never been reported before.” The observatory wrote in its report:

The committee that prepared the report said there was insufficient data to definitively prove the exact cause of the acceleration of “zinc creep.” The only hypothesis the committee was able to develop based on the data was that low current electroplastic effects were responsible. In other words, the constant current flowing through the socket could have strengthened the plastic behavior of the metallic zinc and, as a result, weakened its grip.

The committee reviewed an array of documents commissioned by the University of Central Florida and the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that owns the observatory, including a forensic investigation, structural analysis, engineering plans, inspection reports, photographs, and repair proposals. Reach that conclusion. They also gathered information from Arecibo Observatory employees, other “related research” sources, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. I mentioned this in a media advisory last month..

The commission also issued a series of recommendations in its report. These include making the remaining sockets and cable sections of the radio telescope available for further research and increasing careful monitoring of aging research facilities to detect deterioration and potential new failure modes. Included.

The telescope was used to track asteroids as they headed toward Earth, conduct research that led to Nobel Prizes, and determine whether planets were potentially habitable. It also functions as a training venue for graduate students, and is visited by approximately 90,000 people annually.

The telescope was built in the 1960s with funding from the Department of Defense during the development of ballistic missile defense. In its 57 years of operation, it has withstood hurricanes, tropical humidity, and a recent series of earthquakes.

The observatory began to collapse in August 2020 when an auxiliary cable snapped, damaging the telescope’s antenna and the receiver platform suspended above it, according to the National Science Foundation. After several other cable failures, the federal agency decided to begin a plan to decommission the telescope in November 2020.

This transition did little to stop the telescope’s complete collapse on December 1, 2020.

In 2022, the National Science Foundation says: Puerto Rico’s famous radio telescope won’t be rebuilt. Instead, it called for a $5 million education center to be established in its place to promote programs and partnerships related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

nicole acevedo

Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC Latino.

Associated Press contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The accidental discovery of a 300-year-old giant coral reef

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Measuring giant corals

Iñigo San Felix/National Geographic Society

A gigantic underwater structure off the coast of the tropical Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean has been confirmed to be the world's largest known coral.

A team of scientists and filmmakers visited a remote location in mid-October national geographic The object was so large that I thought it must be the remains of a shipwreck.

However, for underwater cinematographers, Manu Saint Felix Jumping into the water to get a better look, he was surprised by what he saw.

“I completely remember jumping up and looking down, but I was surprised,” he told reporters during a briefing. Instead of a shipwreck, San Felix encountered the largest coral ever discovered. “It's huge,” he said. “It's almost the same size as a cathedral.”

A coral species located a few hundred meters off the east coast of Marauralo Island was identified as this species. Pavona Kraus. At 34 meters wide and 32 meters long, it is larger than a blue whale and is thought to be 300 years old.

He says the discovery was a “happy coincidence”. enric sala of national geographic's Pristine Seas project aims to encourage governments to protect marine ecosystems through exploration and research. This is by far the largest single coral colony ever discovered, easily surpassing this one. previous record holder – giant porphyry A colony with a diameter of 22.4 meters and a height of 8 meters discovered in American Samoa in 2019.

Over the past two years, record sea temperatures have led to a series of coral bleaching events around the world. But Sala says the giant reef is showing signs of bleaching, while other reefs around the Solomon Islands are showing signs of bleaching. P. Cravath The coral looks healthy. It is an important habitat for marine life, providing shelter and food for fish, shrimp, insects and crabs, he says. “It’s like a big patch of old-growth forest.”

However, corals are not immune from ecological threats, including local pollution, overfishing, and global climate change. Sala said he would like to see more marine protected areas (MPAs) established to protect marine life from localized pollution, in parallel with global efforts to combat climate change. . “Protecting coral reefs won't lower water temperatures, and it won't stop oceans from warming,” he says. “We need to fix it, and we need to reduce carbon emissions. But MPAs can help buy us time by making reefs more resilient.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Drought Warning Issued in New Jersey, Residents Urged to Conserve Water

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

overview

New Jersey’s governor issued a drought warning Wednesday.
State officials said the state is experiencing the driest conditions in nearly 120 years, prompting an increase in wildfires.
The extreme drought is part of a widespread drought plaguing the Northeast.

New Jersey’s governor issued a drought warning Wednesday, stating that the state could impose mandatory water restrictions if conditions worsen.

A record dry spell has left New Jersey at its driest in nearly 120 years, leading to a significant rise in wildfires, as reported by state officials during a news conference.

The New Jersey State Forest Fire Department has battled 537 fires that have scorched thousands of acres since early October, according to Governor Phil Murphy. This number is 500 more fires than the same period last year.

Murphy urged residents to heed the drought warnings seriously and voluntarily decrease their water usage.

“Each of us needs to do everything we can to conserve water,” he emphasized.

Tim Eustace, executive director of the North Jersey Regional Water Commission, criticized the state for not declaring a drought emergency, which usually restricts non-essential outdoor water use.

“I’ve always been against using potable water to water lawns. It’s a terrible waste of resources,” Eustace stated.

His commission supplies water to around a third of New Jersey, with the main reservoir, Wanaque Reservoir, at 45% capacity as of Wednesday.

Monday at Wanaque Reservoir in Ringwood, New Jersey.
Ted Shafley/Associated Press

The state’s other major reservoir, Manasquan Reservoir, is at 51% of its capacity, while the Passaic River, a vital drinking water source, is at about 14% of its normal capacity, sufficient to meet demand, officials assured.

New Jersey American Water, serving approximately 2.9 million people in the state, issued conservation notices to customers on Wednesday. Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water, clarified that the notice was described as “mandatory” to convey urgency but is not enforceable against violators.

“I’d like to limit movement if possible, but I don’t have the authority to issue tickets or inspect people’s lawns,” McDonough remarked. “If we can get our customers to focus on saving water, we can make a significant impact.”

Murphy mentioned that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s winter forecast predicts even drier weather ahead. Forecasting seasonal outlook Temperatures are higher than average, with precipitation chances remaining unchanged regardless of above or below average levels.

The dry conditions affecting New Jersey are part of a broader drought across the Northeast. In October, cities like Newark, New Jersey. Wilmington, Delaware. And Norfolk, Virginia, registered no rainfall at all. Southeast Regional Climate Center collects precipitation data nationwide. Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., set records for the most consecutive days without measurable precipitation.

Throughout the United States, October was declared One of the driest months on record according to NOAA. US Drought Monitor Data shows over half of the continental United States is facing some level of drought, with 56% of the Northeast impacted.

State climatologist Dave Robinson noted that New Jersey usually receives rainfall evenly over several months. However, some regions have not seen any measurable rainfall for 40 days, a first in nearly 150 years of record-keeping.

“We’ve experienced longer droughts before, but we’ve never encountered anything as exceptional as this prolonged dry period,” Robinson remarked.

He highlighted that New Jersey typically experiences heavy rainfall in October due to hurricanes, remnants of tropical cyclones, or nor’easters forming in the mid-Atlantic region.

Both weather patterns were absent this fall, with a ridge of high pressure dominating New Jersey and other Northeastern areas for weeks.

“There’s no significant storm to break through this ridge. It’s been a slow and frustrating process,” Robinson explained. “There are indications that the central part of the country, which has been relatively dry, is starting to see more moisture. …It appears to be gradually shifting eastward.”

November has marked the 12th consecutive month of above-average temperatures in New Jersey. Atmospheric warming can exacerbate droughts and heighten the chances of extreme rainfall.

“With a warmer climate system, there’s more energy that can hold moisture in the atmosphere. …If we can’t access that moisture source, a warmer climate will worsen dryness and lead to more severe droughts,” Robinson stated. “The system has become more volatile.”

Given New Jersey’s dry spell since mid-August, it would require several months of above-average, if not considerably above, rainfall to alleviate the drought, estimated Sean LaTourette, director of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Some areas received about a quarter of an inch of rain on Sunday, but Murphy remarked that it was “far from adequate.”

Firefighters respond to a forest fire in Evesham, New Jersey, on November 6th.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (via AP)

Finally, a state of drought emergency was instated in New Jersey. The last time a drought warning was issued was in 2016, lasting over six months, LaTourette indicated.

Greg McLaughlin, New Jersey Forest and Fire Department’s Office of Forests and Natural Lands manager, mentioned that the current condition measures 748 out of 800 on a scale for forest floor dryness.

“These numbers are unprecedented in the 118-year history of the Forest Fire Service,” McLaughlin remarked. “The impact of this dryness on wildfires cannot be overstated.”

The Jennings Creek Wildfire along the New York-New Jersey border continued burning on Wednesday, with containment at 30%. Over 5,000 acres were destroyed in both states. An 18-year-old New York park worker lost his life to a falling tree while battling a fire in Orange County, New York, last Saturday.

“We sincerely appreciate his dedication and willingness to protect the residents of New York and New Jersey from these deadly fires,” Murphy expressed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Harness Genetic Technology Now to Prevent Upcoming Food Crisis

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

There are two major problems with the global food system. First, hundreds of millions of people cannot afford enough nutritious food to stay healthy. Second, it’s incredibly destructive. We’re still destroying rainforests to make way for ranches, both conventional and organic farms produce all kinds of pollutants, and our food system produces more than a third of greenhouse gases. I’m letting you do it.

Things could get even worse if global temperatures rise above 1.5 °C (see 2024 expected to be first year to surpass 1.5 °C warming threshold). But there’s a lot we can do, from eating less meat to reducing food waste (see “Is the climate food crisis even worse than we imagined?”). The amazing advances in genetic technology in recent years have greatly expanded the scope for improving the plants and animals that feed us. We can make them more nutritious and healthier, better able to cope with changing conditions and less susceptible to the diseases that will become more prevalent as the world warms. It should also be possible to produce plants that require less fertilizer and capture more of the sun’s energy.

It is surprising that most countries do not invest significantly in crop improvement.

The benefits from all this will be immense. We get more food from less land, lower prices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make it less likely that viruses such as H5N1 bird flu will cause new pandemics.

It is therefore surprising that most countries do not invest heavily in crop improvement. While there is some private investment, these companies are unlikely to make their technology freely available and adoption has been slow.

Opposition to genetically modified (GM) crops also binds us to the idea that more “natural” agricultural methods are better, as approval is difficult and expensive.

This situation is starting to change, with many countries making it easier to bring gene-edited crops and animals to market, but we need more action, and faster action.

The idea that organic food is good for the planet and genetically modified food is bad for the planet is a false narrative that hides a much more unpleasant reality. This means that continuing as is will only lead to more destruction and more hunger.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Possible Discovery: Stone dating back 12,000 years could be the earliest known wheel-like tool

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A pebble with holes excavated from the ruins of Nahal Ein Geb II. Could be an ancient spindle whorl

Laurent Davin

A 12,000-year-old set of perforated pebbles unearthed in northern Israel may be the oldest known hand-spun whorls. This weaving technique may have ultimately helped inspire the invention of the wheel.

The whorl at the bottom of the spindle, which acted as a flywheel, allowed people to efficiently spin natural fibers into yarn and yarn to make clothing and other textiles. Newly discovered stone tools represent early axle-based turning technology, thousands of years before the first carts appeared, researchers say. Talia Yashuv at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

“If you look back at the discovery of the first car wheel 6,000 years ago, it didn't just come out of nowhere,” she says. “It's important to look at the functional evolution of how transportation and wheels have evolved.”

Yashuv and her colleagues leoa grossmanAlso at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, researchers studied 113 partially or fully perforated stones at the site of Nahal Ein Geb II, an ancient village just east of the Sea of Galilee. Archaeologists have been discovering these chalky, primarily limestone artifacts since 1972. It was probably made from raw pebbles found along the nearby shore.

The 3D scan revealed that the hole had been drilled part way from both sides using a flint hand drill, but unlike modern drills, it remained in the shape of a narrow, twisted cone, Yashuf said. says. A hole 3 to 4 centimeters in diameter usually passes through the center of gravity of the pebble.

Drilling holes from both sides would have balanced the stone and made it more stable to rotate, Yaszhu said. Some of the partially perforated stones had off-center holes, suggesting they may have been discarded by mistake.

Yashov said the team suspected that the stones, which weigh an average of 9 grams, would be too heavy and “ugly” to be beads, and too light and fragile to be used as fishing weights. Their size, shape, and balance around the hole led researchers to believe that these artifacts were spindle-like whorls.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers created a replica whorl using nearby pebbles and a flint drill. then they asked yonit crystalWhy not try your hand at flax spinning with a traditional craftsman?

“She was really surprised at how well they worked, because they weren't perfectly circular,” Yaszhu says. “But in reality, all you have to do is place the hole in the center of the mass, and it's balanced and works.”

If the stone is indeed a spiral, it could be the oldest known rotating spiral, she says. 1991 study of bone and antler artifacts She found what are likely 20,000-year-old whorls, but added that the researchers who examined them suggested the fragments were probably decorative accents on clothing. Still, people may have been using whorls even earlier, using wood and other biological materials that would have degraded.

The discovery suggests that people were experimenting with spinning techniques thousands of years before they invented potter's wheels and cart wheels about 5,500 years ago, and perhaps the whirlpool helped lead to those inventions. Yaszhu says it's possible.

carol cheval But a professor at the University of the Cote d'Azur in Nice, France, isn't so sure. She explains that the whorl works more like a spinning top than a wheel.

And while the artifact is very likely a whorl, the study lacks microscopic data that would reveal any traces of use, as the threads may have made their mark on the stone over time. , says Cheval.

Trace analysis is “beyond the scope” of the current study, Yashuv said.

Ideally, researchers studying ancient whorls would be skilled at spinning themselves, but the study authors said this was not the case. “It really changes the way you think about archaeological discoveries,” she says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Increasing proof suggests that air pollution is a cause of eczema

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Air pollution is difficult to avoid, especially for city dwellers

Ron Adder/Alamy

Air pollution is increasingly linked to an increased risk of eczema, with new research showing a clear link between air pollution and skin conditions.

Vehicles and power plants emit pollution particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, called PM2.5. These have previously been associated with an increased risk of eczemathis is thought to be the result of the immune system becoming overactive and causing inflammation, drying out the skin and causing itching.

In order to collect more evidence, Jeffrey Cohen Professors at Yale University School of Medicine analyzed the medical records of more than 280,000 people. Most of them were in their 50s and participated in this medical treatment. Research programs for all of us. It collects health data from a diverse population in the United States, with an emphasis on people typically underrepresented in research, such as ethnic minorities.

The researchers also looked at average PM2.5 levels in the areas where these people live, using data collected in 2015. Atmosphere, Climate and Energy Solutions Center In Virginia.

We then compared PM2.5 levels at 788 locations across the United States to eczema cases diagnosed through mid-2022. They found that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5, the incidence of eczema more than doubled. “More contaminated areas of the country had more eczema outbreaks,” Cohen says.

The research team considered factors that could influence the results, such as ethnicity and whether the participants smoked or had food allergies.

“This study successfully demonstrated a clear correlation in a large population and advanced the science,” he says. Giuseppe Varacchi at North Carolina State University. PM2.5, like pollen and dust mites, can irritate the immune system and cause inflammation when it comes into contact with the skin, Valacki said. Inhaling it may also have an effect, he says, because it can worsen inflammation in the body.

The study should give governments new reasons to implement policies to reduce air pollution, Cohen said. Meanwhile, people living in contaminated areas can reduce their risk by wearing long sleeves and staying indoors when pollution levels are particularly high, Valacki said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Intricate bird fossils reveal insights into the development of avian brains

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Skeleton of Nabaornis Hestia, an 80-million-year-old bird fossil

S. Abramowitz/Dinosaur Institute/Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

An 80-million-year-old fossil bird skull is so well preserved that scientists were able to study the detailed structure of its brain.

In both age and evolutionary development, new species Nabaornis Hestiae, It falls about halfway between the earliest known bird-like dinosaurs. ArcheopteryxBirds that lived 150 million years ago and modern birds. They lived along with dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period. tyrannosaurus and triceratops.

The fossil, which superficially resembles a pigeon, was discovered in 2016 near Presidente Prudente, Brazil, and quickly became important because of the rarity of complete bird skeletons, especially those from the same period. recognized as something.

but daniel field It wasn't until 2022 that Cambridge University professors realized that the skull was so intact that it could be scanned to create a 3D model of the brain.

High-resolution CT scans allow paleontologists to see inside fossils. “This involves careful 'digital dissection' – separating the individual components of the skull and reassembling them to create a complete, undistorted three-dimensional reconstruction,” Field said. says Mr.

“This new fossil provides unprecedented insight into the patterns and timing of the evolution of specialized brain functions in living birds.”

Professor Field said that based on the brains his team reconstructed, human cognitive and flight abilities: nabaornis It was probably inferior to most living birds.

Artist's impression of Nabaornis Hestia

J. D'Oliveira

The parts of the brain responsible for complex cognition and spatial awareness are not as enlarged as they are in modern birds, he says.

“It’s cerebral, but nabaornis greatly expanded compared to more archaic bird conditions such as . Archeopteryx, It is not as expanded as we see in living birds. ”

Professor Field said the enlarged brains of modern birds support a wide range of complex behaviors, but there is a lack of sufficiently complete and well-preserved fossil bird skulls from early bird relatives. This makes it difficult to understand how their brains evolved.

“nabaornis This fills an approximately 70 million-year gap in our understanding of how the distinctive brains of modern birds evolved. ”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

CRISPR gene editing brings us sweeter tomatoes

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Gene editing can make larger tomato varieties sweeter

Paul Maguire/Shutterstock

If you like sweet tomatoes, smaller cherry tomato varieties are the way to go right now. But larger tomato varieties could soon be enhanced for sweetness with the help of CRISPR gene editing.

Jinzhe Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing said the larger the tomato, the lower the sugar content usually is. Efforts to increase the sweetness of large varieties also had downsides, such as lower yields.

Zhang and colleagues compared different varieties to identify genetic variations that affect sweetness. They discovered two closely related genes called. SlCDPK27 and SlCDPK26 Larger varieties are more active. These genes code for proteins that reduce the levels of sugar-producing enzymes.

When the research team used CRISPR gene editing to disable these genes in a variety called Moneymaker, glucose and fructose levels in the fruit increased by up to 30% without any loss in yield. Taste tests also rated the fruit as sweeter. The only other effect is that the number of species that consumers are likely to prefer will be smaller and smaller.

“We are working with several companies to develop several commercial varieties by knocking out these genes,” Zhang says. “It's still in the early stages.”

In addition to increased sweetness, another potential benefit is that fewer tomatoes are needed to make tomato ketchup with the same sweetness level.

Gene-edited Money Maker tomatoes aren't as sweet as cherry varieties such as Sungold, but they could be made even sweeter, Zhang said. “Many important genes that control sugar are still waiting to be discovered.”

CRISPR-edited tomatoes, which contain high concentrations of a beneficial nutrient called GABA, are already on sale in Japan, the first CRISPR food to be sold, and are sometimes given as seedlings.

Tomatoes were also the first genetically modified food to be sold commercially. Called Flavr Savr, it was sold in paste form in the United States starting in 1994, but was later discontinued. Since last year, purple GM tomatoes rich in anthocyanins have become available in the United States in fruit and seedling form.

Several countries, including Japan and China, have regulations that make it easier to obtain approval for gene-edited crops compared to other forms of genetic modification, except for conventional breeding. approved by china Last year, the first gene-edited crop was created. Soybeans have high levels of oleic acid.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Rise of the Titan: How World of Warcraft Triumphed Over the Geek World and Dominated the Gaming Industry

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IIn 2004, Holly Longdale was a game designer at EverQuest and a champion of a new genre of video games that enabled massively multiplayer role-playing. These online fantasy worlds allow players to pursue quests together rather than alone, adding an engaging new social – and competitive – dimension to the static offline role-playing that Holly’s generation was accustomed to. I did. But whenever possible, Longdale would instead sneak in a few hours of play as EverQuest’s main competitor. That game was World of Warcraft (WoW).

“There were so many moments in WoW that I was jealous of,” she says. Then I saw another player running in the opposite direction. This is the druid who buffed me along the way. That’s when I knew I was going to be in this business for the long term. ” Twenty years later, Longdale is now vice president of WoW and executive producer at developer Blizzard, and one of the millions of people who have accepted the game as a part of their lives.

For two decades, World of Warcraft has been an icon of geek culture, referenced everywhere from South Park to The Big Bang Theory to Family Guy. WoW has become a convenient abbreviation for not only a certain type of gamer, but all sorts of nerds, nerds, and silly subcultures. In the ’00s, Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Norris, Mr. T and more promoted it along with the infamous Night Elf Mohawk. Henry Cavill, Mila Kunis and Vin Diesel are among the fans, but the 2016 film did not do particularly well, grossing $439 million. In 2021, Blizzard revealed that players have combined for nearly 9 million years of play time.

There were certainly other role-playing games before WoW was released in 2004. However, 3D graphics was still in its infancy. Games like Star Wars Galaxies and Everquest have vast, largely barren worlds that rely on copious amounts of in-game text and clunky rules removed from tabletop games for explanation. did. Then along came Blizzard, the developer company that made a name for itself and a small fortune with great online competitive strategy games like StarCraft and Warcraft III. Unlike its competitors, WoW’s world of Azeroth felt alive, with gorgeous scenery and a huge number of animals and monsters roaming the landscape. An iconic bright yellow exclamation point will float above your non-player character’s head, letting them know that a quest awaits them. And of course, there are other players everywhere, taming beasts, slaying monsters for quests, drinking at inns, mining ore, or just passing by in high-level gear. He would see you doing things like that, and he would get jealous as you struggled to tackle the pack. A despicable Murloc.

What came to define early WoW was the social aspect of the game. The world’s tightly controlled zones encouraged players to encounter other people as they explored Azeroth. Additionally, when creating a character, players had to choose between two factions: the Alliance and the Horde, giving players an instant sense of loyalty. Whether grouping up to take on a dungeon, rallying in a band of 40 to take down a giant raid boss, or storming into an enemy capital as an army of low-level cannon fodder, every player has the power to It seems to have a story about the era of. Azeroth.

A perfect storm is brewing…World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Photo: Blizzard Entertainment

I still romanticize my role sneaking into the Alliance capital of Stormwind with a group of low-level undead rogues. I imagined it to be a daring attack, but in the end I had to run for my life. Another time, I asked a better-equipped passerby for help in defeating a particularly formidable monster in the Night Elf Zone of Darkshore, but ended up chatting with the person for hours. . Over the next few months, I messaged that same player.

WOW was a completely simple phenomenon. Blizzard had to more than double its workforce within a year to answer player questions, resolve technical issues, and keep servers running. WoW achieved impressive subscriber numbers, which were further increased by the release of two expansion packs: The Burning Crusade in 2007 and Wrath of the Lich King in 2008.

By 2010, over 12 million players had active monthly subscriptions. Some called themselves WoWaholics. Other players find WoW to be an escape from the constraints of real life, as evidenced by Mads Steen’s moving story recently told in the Netflix documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. Although Mads suffered from muscular dystropy until his untimely death at the age of 25, he lived a vibrant life in WoW. His parents were completely unaware of his son’s life until online friends sent them long messages from all over Europe telling them how much their son had affected their lives. Five members of Mads’ WoW guild traveled to Norway for his funeral.

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But no game can stay in the spotlight forever. WOW went from strength to strength over its first six years, but as the game got older, so did the players. Ion Hazzikostas, then lead game designer, now game director put it down 2014: “If you started this game in 2004, you were a student with a lot of free time, and now you’re a career woman with a family.” Blizzard maintains existing fans while attracting new generations. It was necessary to attract. The 2010 Cataclysm expansion decided to revolutionize the game by overhauling the world with a new design philosophy suited to the faster gameplay that modern gamers were thought to demand. . This change remains controversial.

Today, exploring Azeroth is an almost unrecognizable experience compared to its early days. WoW has had several different eras. The classic WoW era lasted until Wrath of the Lich King (2004-2008). The world overhaul that characterized Cataclysm (2010) to Warlords of Draenor (2014). From Legion (2016) to Shadowlands (2020), the pivot to a long endgame grind that allows players to become infinitely more powerful. and the modern era of WoW, starting with Dragonflight (2022) and continuing through the recently launched expansion The War Within (2024). These “eras” are so distinct that it feels like the game is being reinvented every six years.

Social aspects have also changed over time. As Taliesin – one half of a couple YouTube Duo Taliesin & Evitel – says: 2004 was the era of bulletin boards, forums, and a more “underground” Internet. Today’s internet is much shorter and crisper. It’s TikTok, a social media focused on one or two megasites. What we do socially on the internet has changed, and so has WoW. ”

Anger… 2021 Protesters. Photo: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images

I often hear complaints that WoW has changed so much that it has lost its original spirit. Players were often confused about design decisions that they felt conflicted with the traditional experience. Unfortunately for Blizzard, these peaked after the launch of Shadowlands in 2020, just as the perfect storm was brewing for the company. Not only has the coronavirus upended game development, but in 2021 Blizzard was hit with a lawsuit brought by the California Department of Fair Employment, accusing it of a “frat boy” workplace culture, including sexual harassment and poor treatment of women. He was accused of encouraging.

The lawsuit had far-reaching implications for the company and the gaming industry as a whole. Several senior executives, including Blizzard President J. Allen Black, fell downand the company agreed to pay millions of dollars to address concerns of sex discrimination and pay inequality. The lawsuit ultimately helped form the first labor union at a major U.S. gaming company.

Especially within WOW, this suit brought about rapid changes in the game. Characters named after accused abusers have been renamed, and many in-game assets deemed inappropriate in light of the accusations have been replaced or tweaked, including sexual depictions of women. Many of the changes were ridiculed by the player base, prompting Blizzard to combat toxicity. Instead of “turning women into fruit bowls””.

A showdown in Azeroth…a great battle. Photo: Blizzard Entertainment

Longdale had just joined Blizzard in 2020 when the lawsuit began. “It was heartbreaking,” she says. “I’d only been here a few months, and it was really heartbreaking to see the team so devastated thinking about what the future holds.” The fallout from this already exists about the state of the game. Combined with the discomfort it caused, it could easily have been the beginning of the end for WoW. However, the game was able to hold up due to the commitment of both the WoW team and new Blizzard leadership to come back better. “What I’m really proud of is the huge increase in diversity on our team,” Longdale says. The content we create now has more “voices” and people are creating highly personal content based on their own experiences. ”

Every time WOW has been in danger of losing relevance over the years, it has reinvented itself and managed to come back. And although its cultural influence has diminished over time, the influence it has had is undeniable. Countless fantasy role-playing worlds and characters draw inspiration from WoW’s pantheon of heroes. This game is in the DNA of subsequent generations of video games that have been developed since 2004.

Today’s WoW may not evoke the same sense of wonder that early players felt in 2004 when they roamed the green hills of Stranglethorn or boarded their first ships from Kalimdor to the Eastern Kingdoms. But the fact that it’s still going on and changing is a testament to the great foundation we laid 20 years ago. And what about the future of WoW? “My goal, and the team’s goal, is that WoW is more than just a game,” Longdale says. “It’s essentially part of your lifestyle. It could be for your friends, or it could be for parents playing with their children. It’s a fascinating fantasy world that connects you with people. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com

How We Believe We Can Slow or Reverse the Myopia Epidemic

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

I vividly remember buying my first pair of glasses as a child. My mother is extremely nearsighted and takes me to the optician every year. My older sister was diagnosed when she was about 8 years old, and I prayed that she wouldn't copy me because she was afraid of being made fun of, but by the time I was her age, the world had become a blur. A visit to the optician that year confirmed it, and I've been wearing glasses or contact lenses ever since.

In the late 1970s, it was extremely unusual for someone to need glasses at such a young age. No more. Over the past 30 years, myopia has increased rapidly, especially among children. Approximately one-third of 5- to 19-year-olds are now nearsighted, up from one-quarter in 1990. If this trend continues, the proportion will be approximately 40% by 2050 – or 740 million myopic young people.

It's more than an inconvenience. “Myopia is a disease,” they say. K. Davina Flick Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland, where he recently served as co-chair. National Academy of Sciences Committee on Conditions. “It is widespread Quality of life and economic impactThere is a risk of blindness, especially in severe cases,” she says. But researchers are increasingly thinking that the epidemic can be slowed or even reversed.

Most cases of myopia are axial. This means that the axis of the eyeball, the distance between the cornea at the front and the light-sensing retina at the back, becomes too long. This means that the light that enters your eyes is focused right in front of your eyes.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Discover the fascinating true story of Tetris in Tetris Forever

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Believe me when I say that I thought I knew everything about the story of Tetris. The popular puzzle game’s journey from 1980s Moscow behind the Iron Curtain to becoming a multi-million selling video game has been extensively covered in numerous articles, a fun book, and recent movies. With over 30 years of experience playing Tetris across different platforms like Game Boy, Nintendo Switch, and even VR, I didn’t expect to learn anything new when I opened Tetris Forever, an interactive documentary by Digital Eclipse that delves into the 40-year history of Tetris.

Did you know about Hattoris, the 1990 sequel to Tetris where colorful hats are stacked on top of your head? Maybe vaguely. How about Spectrum Holobyte’s quirky twist on the game called Faces…Tris III, where players try to build a human face by stacking different facial features? Surprisingly, Henk Rogers, a key figure in Tetris’ global success, revealed interesting details about his past, including his days surfing in Hawaii and forging business friendships in Japan. Tetris Forever offers a treasure trove of images and videos documenting the game’s evolution and significant moments in its history.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zz9LaO3w2EY?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Tetris® Forever – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

The documentary is divided into five chapters, offering a comprehensive look at Tetris’ history post its codification by Alexei Pajitnov in the early days. It includes playable versions of games, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with key players in Tetris history. Tetris Forever sheds light on the game’s complete history, unlike the surface-level coverage seen in other media adaptations.

Tetris first appeared on Electronica 60 in 1985. Photo: Digital Eclipse/Tetris Company

While Tetris Forever may cater more to hardcore gaming enthusiasts, it offers a respectful reissue of the game’s history. The playable versions included are faithful to the originals, allowing anyone to experience Tetris’ evolution. Personally, I still believe Tetris Effect remains the pinnacle of the game’s adaptations, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, known for his synesthetic music games.

Playing the first version of Tetris on Electronica 60 computers takes me back to the game’s humble beginnings. Despite the various iterations and controversies over the years, Tetris remains a timeless classic that has endured for four decades, largely unchanged.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Donald Trump Appoints Elon Musk as Chief of Government Efficiency

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami will head the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.

Despite the name, this department is not a government agency. Trump stated that Musk and Ramaswamy will operate externally, offering “advice and guidance” to the White House, collaborating with the Office of Management and Budget to implement significant structural reforms and fortify an entrepreneurial approach. He expressed that this initiative would be a disruptor to the government system.

President Trump mentioned that this duo will lead the way for his administration to streamline bureaucracy, reduce unnecessary regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.

Musk pledged on his social media platform X to document all department actions online for maximum transparency. He encouraged the public to provide feedback if they believe something important is being cut or something unnecessary is being retained.

Ramaswamy acknowledged his appointment on the X show, promising to work diligently alongside Musk, symbolized by an American flag emoji.

The operational model of this organization remains unclear and may be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which defines the operations and accountability of external bodies advising the government.

As Musk and Ramaswamy are not official federal employees, they are not obligated to disclose assets, divest holdings, or adhere to ethical restrictions imposed on federal employees.

Musk advocated for the government’s efficiency division, emphasizing the acronym “Doge” and promising a comprehensive audit of the federal government’s finances and performance for fundamental reforms.

Dogecoin’s value has surged post-Election Day amid hopes of deregulation under the Trump administration, benefiting Tesla stock which has also seen a rise since the election.

President Trump expects their work to conclude by July 4, 2026, presenting a more compact and efficient government as a “gift” on the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, endorsed Trump after withdrawing from the Republican nomination race last year. He has significant experience in cost-cutting within the corporate realm.

Musk aims to slash government spending by $2 trillion, which could impact his companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, X, and Neuralink due to deregulation and policy changes.

Incorporating a government portfolio into Musk’s endeavors could bolster his companies’ market value and specialties like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.

Analyst Daniel Ives from Wedbush Securities believes Musk will have a significant impact in the Trump administration and on federal agencies.

Critics from Public Citizen, a consumer rights organization, oppose Musk’s appointment, citing his lack of experience in government efficiency and concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

President Trump indicated that Musk, due to his numerous commitments, will not serve full-time in the role but will act as a cost-cutting advisor.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The strength of your sweet tooth could be linked to your sugar-digesting capabilities

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

When it comes to food cravings, some of us lean towards ice cream while others prefer something savory. It can be hard to understand how people have different tastes when it comes to food. How can anyone not enjoy chocolate?

A recent study may provide some answers. It appears that individuals who have an aversion to sweet foods may have a genetic anomaly in their DNA that makes it challenging for them to digest sucrose (sugar).

Genetic issues with sucrose digestion are commonly linked to irritable bowel syndrome. However, a new study featured in the journal Gastroenterology suggests that defects in the sucrase-isomaltase (SI) gene could also impact how much we enjoy sweet treats.

To investigate further, a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham conducted studies on mice lacking the SI gene. They discovered that these mice had a decreased preference for sucrose consumption.

The researchers then expanded their study to include humans, analyzing data from 6,000 individuals in Greenland and approximately 135,000 individuals in the UK from the UK Biobank. Their findings showed that Greenlandic participants with a completely non-functional SI gene consumed more sugar compared to those with a functioning gene. This pattern was also observed in the UK, where individuals with a partially functioning SI gene showed a lower inclination towards sweet foods.

If you are not a fan of sweet treats, could it be due to a genetic issue? Not necessarily.

“If you have a dislike for sweet foods, it may be linked to reduced SI function, but other factors with bigger impacts are likely contributing to your preference for less sweet foods,” said Dr. Mette Andersen, a co-author of the study and assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, as reported by BBC Science Focus.

Excessive sugar consumption is a significant factor in the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Researchers involved in the study believe that targeting the SI gene with new medications to enhance digestive health could potentially help reduce sugar intake.

About our experts

Dr. Mette Andersen is an assistant professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com