Mondo News

Iberian lynx saved from the brink of extinction thanks to conservation efforts

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Things are getting better Iberian Lynx.

About 20 years ago, the pointy-eared wild cat was on the brink of extinction, but as of Thursday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that the species is no longer endangered.

Thanks to successful conservation efforts, the animal, which is native to Spain and Portugal, is now considered almost certainly not threatened, according to the latest IUCN Red List.

A baby Iberian lynx in Doñana National Park, Aznalcázar, Spain, in 2018.
Antonio Pizarro/AP Files

In 2001, there were only 62 mature Iberian lynx left in the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian lynx is a medium-sized, spotted brown cat with distinctive pointed ears and a pair of whisker-like tufts of facial hair. The extinction of this species is closely linked to the extinction of its main prey, the European rabbit, habitat degradation, and human activities.

Alarm bells were sounded and breeding, reintroduction and conservation projects were launched, as well as efforts to restore habitats such as dense forests, Mediterranean scrub and pastures. Portugal The IUCN said the population was 648 adults, but the most recent count last year found there were more than 2,000 adults and juveniles.

“This huge population increase is a really huge success,” Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List Division, told The Associated Press.

Iberian Lynx.
Juan Giribet/VWPics/VWPics via AP

One of the keys to the rabbit population’s recovery has been attention to rabbit populations that were affected by changes in agricultural production, which has led to a steady increase in lynx numbers, Hilton-Taylor said.

“The greatest recovery of this cat species has been achieved through conservation efforts thanks to the dedicated collaboration between public and scientific institutions, NGOs, the private sector and local residents, including local landowners, farmers, game wardens and hunters,” Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, coordinator of the EU-funded LIFE Lynx-Connect project, said in a statement.

IUCN has worked with local communities to raise awareness of the Iberian lynx’s importance to the ecosystem, which has helped reduce animal deaths from poaching and roadkill, and farmers receive compensation if an Iberian lynx kills their livestock, Hilton-Taylor said.

More than 400 Iberian lynx have been reintroduced into parts of Portugal and Spain since 2010 and now live over at least 3,320 square kilometres of land, up from 449 square kilometres in 2005.

Iberian lynx in Doñana National Park, Aznalcázar, Spain, 2019.
Antonio Pizarro/AP Files

“Everything has to be taken into consideration before we release the lynx, and we revise our protocols approximately every four years,” said Ramon Pérez de Ayala, Spain’s species project manager for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the NGOs involved in the project.

While the latest Red List status offers hope for other species in a similar situation, Hilton-Taylor said the lynx was not out of danger yet.

The biggest uncertainty is what will happen to rabbits, an animal vulnerable to virus outbreaks and other diseases that can be transmitted by livestock.

“We’re also concerned about the issue of climate change and how habitats will respond to it, particularly the increased impact of fires such as we’ve seen in the Mediterranean over the past year or two,” Hilton-Taylor said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, argues that the US’s alleged discrimination against the popular app is unconstitutional

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

ByteDance, a Chinese tech company, has filed new legal documents challenging the US government’s “unconstitutional discrimination against TikTok.” These documents also reveal details about failed negotiations regarding a ban on the platform.

A legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban. ByteDance argues in its filing that such a sale is “technically, commercially, and legally impossible.” The company accuses the US government of not taking settlement negotiations seriously after 2022.

TikTok, in a lawsuit, states, “Never before has Congress silenced so much speech with a single act.”

The proposed ban reflects long-standing national security concerns from US lawmakers who fear China could exploit the app to access Americans’ data or spy on them. While the Biden administration prefers ByteDance to sell TikTok instead of an outright ban, the company claims it’s not a viable option.

The bill would prevent app stores like Apple and Google from featuring the app unless ByteDance sells it. It would also prohibit internet hosting services from supporting TikTok without a sale, effectively banning its use in the US.

In its filing, ByteDance’s lawyers outline the company’s negotiations with the US government, which abruptly ended in August 2022. The company also shared a redacted draft national security agreement aimed at protecting TikTok’s US user data.

The proposed agreement includes a “kill switch” for the US government to halt TikTok’s use in the US if it doesn’t comply. The US has also requested TikTok to move its source code out of China.

TikTok’s lawyers criticized the administration for favoring shutting down TikTok in the US instead of working on a practical solution to protect US users. The Justice Department defended the law, saying it addresses national security concerns while respecting constitutional constraints.

TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Sept. 16. The outcome of the case could influence the government’s use of new powers against foreign-owned apps.

TikTok argues that separating businesses is not feasible and claims the law violates free speech rights. The platform’s content creators maintain that there is no imminent national security threat, as the law allows TikTok to operate for the remainder of the year.

“The belief that the world is harsh has always driven me”: Hidetaka Miyazaki on his relentless pursuit of game development | Games

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

MaA lot has changed for Hidetaka Miyazaki in the past decade. In May 2014, he became president of FromSoftware, the Japanese game developer known for the dark fantasy blockbusters Demon’s Souls (2009), Dark Souls (2011), and Bloodborne (2015), all of which he directed himself. At the time, FromSoftware’s games were critically acclaimed and had a devoted following, but they sold poorly, only selling a few million copies each. But in 2022, the company released the gloriously imposing Elden Ring, a collaboration with fantasy author George R.R. Martin. Not only is it Miyazaki’s best work, it’s also his most popular to date, having sold 25 million copies to date. FromSoftware is no longer a niche company that produces cult hits; it’s now a company that produces bona fide blockbusters.

Has this changed Miyazaki’s thinking? Given how unforgiving and ruthless his game world is, it may not be surprising that he’s not the most optimistic person you’ll ever meet. “Elden Ring was in a league of its own in terms of success and critical acclaim, but what we try to do as a company is to never assume that it’s going to happen again in future games,” he told me in an interview in Los Angeles. “We never make decisions based on the assumption that because we did it once, it’s going to happen again. Allowing for this fairly conservative prediction gives us room to fail, which ultimately leads to better games and better decisions. Indirectly, I think that the assumption that we’re not going to make hits anymore, that conservative outlook, inspires and helps our game design.”

Miyazaki and the From Software team Comfortable. And even if they did, it’s hard to imagine they would have made a game as demanding, ambitious, and at times brutal.

Shadow of the Eldtree, a major expansion for Elden Ring, is released today. It takes players to a terrifying land of shadows, filled with amber skies, fearsomely grotesque monsters, and vengeful, forgotten warriors. From Software’s games are notoriously difficult, demanding extraordinary grit, determination, and drive from the player. Shadow of the Eldtree may be the hardest yet. Shadow of the Eldtree will put even those with 100 hours of Eldtree experience on the back foot. But it handsomely rewards persistence with a complex, fascinatingly opaque storyline and memorable battles against fearsome entities, from ghostly, leaf-adorned dragons to giant walking cages of human ash. The sense of accomplishment you feel when you finally conquer the unconquerable in a Miyazaki work remains unmatched.

The harsh nature of Eld Tree feels like a dump of cold water on me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been playing this game for 15 years, but Elden Ring feels just a little more approachable than other FromSoftware games. If you get stuck somewhere, you can move somewhere else, rather than charging at the same near-impossible boss over and over again. There are more options, and you can always try a different approach. It doesn’t feel like you’re having your face shoved in the dirt, as I said to Miyazaki. all At the time. Does he think this is part of the reason Elden Ring has garnered more fans than Dark Souls or the 2019 ninja fantasy Sekiro?

Miyazaki: “I’ve always felt that the world is a really harsh place.” Photo: FromSoftware/Sony

“That’s certainly part of the intention. Elden Ring gives players a lot more freedom because of its open-world nature and game design,” he muses. “At no point in the game did we want players to feel boxed in or overly limited in the scope of what they can do and experience in that world. It’s not a very gloomy, dark fantasy that we’ve become accustomed to in past FromSoftware games… The same starkness and coldness is still there, but we wanted to create beautiful moments. Conceptually, there’s a bit of high fantasy in there. It feels like you have a break, both in terms of the difficulty and the learning curve, but also in the world setting.”

Every new FromSoftware release brings up a bit of a discussion about difficulty and accessibility in modern games. Some developers choose to offer easier modes for less experienced or time-poor players. Sometimes they even remove enemies from the game entirely.

But this doesn’t suit a game like Elden Ring – difficulty is what the game is about, and reducing the difficulty stifles creativity.

“If you really want people all over the world to play your game, you can just make the difficulty lower and lower, but that wasn’t the right approach,” Miyazaki said. “If we had taken that approach, I don’t think the game would have turned out the way it did, because the sense of accomplishment that players get from overcoming these hurdles is a very fundamental part of the gaming experience. If you lower the difficulty, you take away that joy. I think it ruins the game itself.”

For Miyazaki, improving through failure isn’t just a game design principle, it’s something of a personal philosophy. As president, he creates a work environment where developers can experiment and ideas don’t get bogged down. No one project dictates a developer’s entire future. His big break came in 2006, when he was put in charge of managing a struggling fantasy project at FromSoftware. The game would become Demon’s Souls. “I thought if I could figure out how to manage the game, I could turn it into whatever I wanted,” he told The Guardian’s Simon Parkin in 2015. “The best part was that if my idea failed, nobody cared. It was already a failure.”

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s that different now than it was 15 years ago when we were making Demon’s Souls,” he laughs when I remind him of this. “What I try to foster in our environment is to make sure that young directors and game designers have the same kind of experience that I had when I was working on Demon’s Souls, that if this game fails, it’s not the end of the world. I think that mentality and attitude helps people grow.”

Mr. Miyazaki is different. The first time I met him In 2011“I’ve always been a big fan of the game,” he said at Tokyo Game Show, just before the release of Dark Souls, the game that would thrust him into the spotlight. Quiet and soft-spoken, his eyes glued to the carpet, he says he used to shy away from being the center of attention. But now he’s much more confident and comfortable talking about both business and game design. When he thinks, he looks up at the ceiling, not down at the floor. He’s now a father to a young daughter and leads a company. And like players of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, he’s emerged as a more capable person.

However, he remains as hands-on as ever as a game designer. “Regardless of my title or position in the company, there is always the joy and satisfaction I get from making games,” he says. “I enjoy helping to nurture and develop young directors who will take the company to the next level. But sitting in an administrative office all day is not my style. I want to really get my hands dirty and continue to make games together, and through that, pass on my process to other generations of talent. I’ve held the title of president for almost 10 years now, but I’d say about 95% of my work and time at the company is devoted to game making and game direction. In this ratio, I’d say I’ve only had about 6 months of actual experience as an executive!”

The world is also very different from when Demon’s Souls was a big hit. I think the reason why more people are resonating with the work of Hayao Miyazaki and From Software is because we’ve become accustomed to a feeling of helplessness. For those who have lived through the last 15 years of pandemics, political turmoil, and looming climate disaster, bleak situations are not so foreign. What Elden Ring gives us is a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, if we are strong and persistent enough, we can triumph against all odds.

“A lot of From Software’s games throw you into this barren wasteland and make it a very harsh, harsh, cold experience… I don’t think what we’ve done in the game has changed, but maybe the world will change. Have “The last few years have been exceptional in terms of what’s going on around us, but even before that I felt the world was a very harsh place. I’ve always lived with that worldview, that value system. So this idea of being cast out into the wilderness and planting the seeds of growth feels almost universal to me. Maybe more people are discovering that now.”

I think what a lot of people miss in From Software’s games is a sense of hope. First Interview In a 2010 email exchange with Miyazaki, he told me about the origins of Demon’s Souls’ unusual multiplayer, in which players can summon anonymous helpers to help them get through a particularly frightening area or boss encounter. He was driving up a hill in the winter when everyone got stuck. It wasn’t until everyone in the back started helping by pushing the car in front to the top of the hill that someone finally made it. He called it a “connection of mutual aid between fickle people,” adding, “Oddly enough, that event will probably stick in my mind for a long time. It sticks for a long time precisely because it was so fleeting.”

Elden Ring is filled with these fleeting moments of beauty and friendship, and they’re all the more meaningful because they’re so rare. In a harsh world, moments of respite are precious.

“If I look deeply into my history, there are definitely experiences that have influenced my identity, the worldview that drives me to make games,” Miyazaki said. “I’ve never taken a step back and thought about what triggered it, but there’s definitely something that’s the reason these are the types of games I want to see and make. If I looked in the mirror and took a hard look at myself… if I went on a soul-searching journey to find out why, I might be disappointed in myself. It would force me to face how boring and ordinary I am. Maybe I’m intentionally avoiding that. That’s what keeps the creativity flowing.”

Rare Lunar Phenomenon Could Finally Unravel Stonehenge Enigma

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Stonehenge, an ancient temple in southern England built around 5,000 years ago, remains a mysterious site with no written explanation of its purpose. Modern analysis has shown that the massive stones were transported from distant quarries to the site.

The structure is aligned with the sun during the summer and winter solstices, but the significance of this alignment remains unclear. There is speculation about whether it was also aligned with the moon, a remarkable achievement for a society that did not have advanced technology.

On June 21, 2024, a team of experts aims to investigate if the moon was an integral part of Stonehenge’s design during a rare lunar event.

Professor Michael Parker Pearson, an expert in British prehistory, believes that if Stonehenge is connected to this event, it would show a profound understanding of celestial movements by its builders.

The lunar major standstill, occurring every 18.6 years, involves the moon reaching extreme positions in the night sky, similar to the sun’s solstices. Stonehenge’s alignment with these lunar cycles is a topic of ongoing research by experts.

The study of Stonehenge’s connection to the lunar standstill involves academics from multiple universities and aims to shed light on the role of the moon in the construction of this ancient site.

About our experts

Mike Parker Pearson: A Professor of British Late Prehistory at UCL with extensive experience in archaeology and heritage preservation.

Clive Ruggles: An Emeritus Professor of Archaeoastronomy known for his work on astronomy and World Heritage sites.

Amanda Chadburn: An archaeologist and historic environment advisor contributing to research on Stonehenge and its lunar connections.

Read more:

Utilizing Last Names to Capture Serial Killers: A Scientist’s Method

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Joseph James DeAngelo, also known as the Golden State Killer, pleaded guilty to various crimes almost four years ago, marking the beginning of a new era in crime-solving known as Forensic Detective Genetic Genealogy (FIGG).

While DNA testing has been used for years to link crimes to suspects, cases can come to a standstill when there are no suspects to test DNA samples on. This is where FIGG comes into play.

Dr. Tuli King, speaking at the Cheltenham Science Festival, explained that DNA databases can help identify genetic relatives of DNA found at a crime scene. Investigators use DNA matches to create a family tree and track down potential suspects based on evidence and relatives related to the DNA sample.

For DeAngelo, the turning point was when a genealogist uploaded their analysis of crime scene DNA to consumer ancestry websites like GED Match, leading to his capture and sentencing in 2020.

Since DeAngelo’s case, over 500 cases have been solved using FIGG, with more people uploading their DNA to databases, increasing the chances of catching criminals.

However, the use of publicly available DNA data for crime-solving raises ethical concerns, with the importance of informed consent and privacy being paramount.

Despite the ethical implications, FIGG is expected to continue playing a crucial role in solving serious crimes, potentially expanding to utilize genetic markers like surnames to aid investigations.

As technology advances, the use of DNA in solving crimes may evolve further, with possibilities including tracing surnames to narrow down suspect lists and aid investigations.

While the use of surnames in crime-solving is an interesting concept, it may require a large database and further research to be implemented effectively.

Experts like Tuli King, who have extensive experience in genetic genealogy, are at the forefront of utilizing DNA technology to solve complex cases and communicate the science to the public.

Webb uncovers puzzling alignment of protostellar outflows in the Ophiuchus Nebula

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

These protostellar outflows form when jets of gas from the newborn star collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds, and the objects typically point in different directions within a single region. Serpens NebulaBut like sleet falling during a storm, they all lean in the same direction and to the same degree.

This Webb image shows a collection of outflows from a line of protostars in one small region (upper left corner) of the Ophiuchus Nebula. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / K. Pontoppidan, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory / J. Green, Space Telescope Science Institute.

“So how does the alignment of a stellar jets relate to the star's rotation?” said Webb.

“When interstellar gas clouds collapse to form stars, they rotate faster.”

“The only way for the gas to keep moving inward is to remove some of its spin (called angular momentum).”

“A disk of material forms around the young star, carrying material downward like a vortex around a drain.”

“The swirling magnetic fields within the inner disk cause some of the material to be ejected as twin jets, erupting outward in opposite directions, perpendicular to the disk of material.”

“In Webb's images, these jets are identified by bright red lumpy streaks, which are shock waves created when the jets collide with the surrounding gas and dust.”

“Here, the red color indicates the presence of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide.”

“Webb will be able to image these very young stars and their outflows, which have previously been blocked at visible wavelengths of light.”

“There are several forces that can change the direction of the outflow during this period in the young star's life.”

“One way is that the binary stars rotate around each other, causing them to wobble, twisting the direction of the outflow over time.”

The Serpens Nebula is a so-called reflection nebula located about 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.

The object is estimated to be between 1 and 2 million years old, making it very young in cosmic terms.

“The Serpens Nebula contains a particularly dense cluster of protostellar clusters (approximately 100,000 years old) at the center of this image, some of which will eventually grow to the mass of the Sun,” the astronomers said.

“It's a reflection nebula, meaning it's a cloud of gas and dust that doesn't emit its own light but glows by reflecting light from nearby and internal stars.”

“Thus, throughout the field of this image, the filaments and lint of different hues represent reflected light from protostars still forming within the cloud.”

“In some areas there is dust in front of that reflection, which shows up here as a diffuse shade of orange.”

“There have been several other serendipitous discoveries in the region, including the shadow of a flapping bat, so named because 2020 data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope revealed it to be flapping, or migrating. This feature is visible in the centre of the Webb image.”

of Investigation result Published in Astrophysical Journal.

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Joel D. Green others2024. Why are (almost) all of the protostar outflows aligned with Serpens Main? ApJin press.

Source: www.sci.news

Prehistoric crocodile-like reptile unearthed in Brazil’s Triassic era

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new genus and species of Triassic gracillid reptile has been identified from fossils discovered in the Santa Maria Formation of Brazil.

Artistic representations of the Middle to Late Triassic landscape of southern Brazil: (a) large Prestosuchus chinensis It feeds on the carcasses of dicynodonts, Parvosuchus aurelioi Compete for scrap metal. (b) and (c) Parvosuchus aurelioiImage courtesy of Matheus Fernandes.

Named Parvosuchus aurelioiThe new species roamed the Earth about 237 million years ago (during the Triassic Period).

The ancient reptiles Gracilidae (Gassiliscidae), an extinct family of pseudo-nudibranchs that lived in China, Argentina, and Brazil.

“Pseudobranchs were a common group of ancient tetrapod reptiles during the Triassic, before the dominance of dinosaurs, and some of their species were among the largest carnivores of their time,” says paleontologist Rodrigo Muller of the Federal University of Santa Maria.

“Smaller pseudosuchians, known as gracilischiidae, live alongside these apex predators and have been found in areas such as China and Argentina.”

“These creatures were characterized by relatively large heads with wide mouth openings, carnivore-like teeth, slender limbs, and a quadrupedal posture.”

Partial skeleton of Parvosuchus aurelioi Found in Santa Maria Formation Paraiso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

It consists of a complete skull including the lower jaw, 11 dorsal vertebrae, a pelvis, and partially preserved limbs.

“The reptile’s skull is 14.4 centimetres long and features elongated jaws with pointed, backward-curving teeth and several skull openings,” Dr Muller said.

“The skeleton is lightweight and estimated to be less than one metre long.”

“These characteristics are Parvosuchus aurelioi This is the first time that a species of this group has been identified in Brazil.”

“This discovery highlights the diversity of Triassic pseudo-pinnids.”

Discovery Parvosuchus aurelioi It has been reported paper Published in the journal today Scientific Reports.

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R.T. Müller. 2024. A new small, predatory pseudobranchial sauropod from the Middle to Late Triassic of southern Brazil. Scientific Reports 14, 12706; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-63313-3

Source: www.sci.news

New JWST images confirm accuracy of theories on young star formation

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Serpens Nebula: A row of jets appears as red streaks in the upper left corner

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI)

Astronomers have captured a star alignment: New images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) show jets emanating from a young star lining up in a straight line, finally proving a phenomenon that has long been suspected but never before been observed.

As a giant gas cloud collapses and begins to form stars, its rotation accelerates — similar to how an ice skater pulls their arms in closer to their body to spin faster. This rotation causes a disk of dust and gas to form around the young star at the cloud's center, feeding the cloud itself.

Strong magnetic fields in the disk send jets of material along the star's rotation axis, which can be used to measure the young star's rotation direction. The JWST image of the Serpens Nebula, about 1,400 light-years away, shows 12 baby stellar clumps. All the jets are pointing in roughly the same direction..

“Astronomers have long assumed that when clouds collapse and stars form, the stars tend to rotate in the same direction,” he said. Klaus Pontoppidan At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California statement“But we've never seen it so directly before.”

The new observations suggest that these stars all inherit their rotation from the same long string of gas. Over time, this rotation may change as the stars interact with each other and other space objects. This is evident from the fact that another group of younger, possibly older, stars in the same image of the Ophiuchus Nebula do not have aligned jets.

topic:

Performer/
James Webb Space Telescope

Las Vegas sees surge in mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

summary

A record number of mosquitoes in and around Las Vegas are testing positive for the West Nile virus as mosquito populations across the region soar.
Local health officials are urging residents to take precautions to avoid being stung.
The situation in Las Vegas is a case study as climate change expands the reach of vector-borne diseases.

Record numbers of mosquitoes are carrying the West Nile virus in and around Las Vegas, prompting local health officials to issue a public warning. Take precautions To avoid getting bitten.

West Nile virus causes fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea and is fatal in about 1 in 150 cases. There is no vaccine or medicine to treat or prevent the mosquito-borne disease.

In recent weeks, 169 of more than 24,000 mosquito swarms tested for West Nile virus in 25 Southern Nevada ZIP codes tested positive, meaning at least one mosquito in the swarm was carrying the virus. The number of mosquitoes and positive swarms recorded this early in the season broke the regional records for both indicators set in 2019.

“The mosquito population is huge and we've already seen significant numbers of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus,” said Vivek Raman, environmental health inspector for the Southern Nevada Health Department.

Health officials also identified six swimming pools in the Las Vegas area where people had tested positive for the St. Louis encephalitis virus, a mosquito-borne disease that causes potentially fatal inflammation of the brain.

For decades, climate scientists and public health officials have warned that climate change could increase the range of various infectious diseases, particularly those transmitted by mosquitoes. The Las Vegas mosquito surge and regional increase in West Nile virus outbreaks provide an important case study in how climate affects human health.

Climate change will increase the global average temperature and precipitation, creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes, who breed in still, warm water. It will also lengthen the warm season, lengthening the mosquito season. These changes will Human exposure risk Even in places where no cases have been recorded before, there is an increased risk of contracting diseases such as West Nile virus.

The first case of West Nile virus was recorded in Las Vegas in 2004, five years after the first case in the United States was recorded in New York City in 1999. The most recent West Nile virus outbreak in Las Vegas was five years ago, when 43 people were infected, and area health officials fear the situation could get even worse this summer.

Spring weather is coming to Nevada and much of the Southwest. It gets warmer Summer heat waves have become more intense in recent decades. In Las Vegas, the average spring temperature is 6.2 degree increase since 1970This month, the city has already A week of record-breaking heatwave.

Rising temperatures in Southern Nevada are creating favorable conditions for mosquitoes, said Nishay Mishra, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. Additionally, the state's ongoing drought has lowered groundwater levels throughout the Colorado River basin, including Lake Mead, which could unexpectedly benefit the insects.

“Mosquitoes typically breed in places that are moist and hot,” Mishra says, “but in Nevada, when small bodies of water dry up, they create shallow water that's perfect for mosquito breeding.”

Las Vegas' mosquito surge has been enormous: Last year, local health officials counted 6,000 mosquitoes in traps set across Clark County between April and June. This year, the number is already over 24,000.

Most of these mosquitoes are Culex mosquitoes, which are the primary vectors of the West Nile virus. But another mosquito species that doesn't carry the virus, Aedes aegypti, has also become common in Las Vegas. It was first spotted in the area in 2017, and Raman attributes its spread in part to climate change.

Along with climate, human behavior also plays an important role in the spread of vector-borne diseases. Culex mosquitoes and Culex pipiens mosquitoes breed in many Las Vegas backyards, the former breeding in small pools of water such as those left by sprinklers, and the latter often breeding along the surface of untended swimming pools.

Raman said the best ways to prevent infection are to empty water containers outside, take care of swimming pools, wear protective clothing and use bug repellent to prevent insect bites.

Louise Ivers, professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the university's Global Health Institute, said situations like the one in Las Vegas will become more common as infectious diseases continue to rise around the world due to climate change.

“We expect to see new infections, the resurgence of old ones, and changes in the transmission patterns of existing ones like West Nile virus,” Ivers said. “We may no longer be able to do things that we were previously free to do without worrying as much about protection from vectors like mosquitoes and ticks.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Amazon to Implement Recycled Paper Packaging in North America

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Amazon has announced that it is making a switch from plastic air pillows to recycled paper in its packaging in North America. The company claims that this change is more environmentally friendly and that the paper filling is more efficient.

Amazon stated on Thursday that it has already replaced 95% of its plastic air pillows with paper filling in North America and aims to completely eliminate them by the end of the year.

The company’s goal is to ensure that customers receive their items intact while using minimal packaging to reduce waste and prioritize recyclable materials.

This initiative marks Amazon’s largest plastic packaging reduction effort to date in North America and is expected to eliminate the use of around 15 billion plastic air pillows per year.

For upcoming events such as Prime Day and the Christmas giveaway next month, Amazon has confirmed that plastic air pillows will not be included in the deliveries.

While environmental groups have criticized Amazon for its plastic use in the past, the company’s announcement has been met with some positive feedback. However, there are calls for Amazon to further reduce waste and explore innovative solutions like reusable packaging.

Amazon’s efforts to reduce plastic packaging have been welcomed, but there are ongoing discussions about the need for more sustainable practices and continued progress in waste reduction.

The company has revealed its annual use of single-use plastic for the first time in 2022, following demands from investors for transparency in waste reduction plans.

Amazon began transitioning away from plastic air pillows in October and has successfully implemented paper filling in its packaging, which offers the same or better protection during shipping compared to plastic air pillows.

The company’s ongoing initiatives include shipping products without additional packaging and collaborating with various organizations on recycling programs and waste reduction efforts.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Urban air pollution caused by overheating trees

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Jacaranda tree outside the Los Angeles courthouse

James Brown / Alamy

In Los Angeles, air pollution from cars and human activity is exacerbated by the city's factories emitting chemicals in response to rising temperatures and drought.

“It's difficult to control emissions from factories, [human-caused] “Some.” Eva Fannerstill At the Forschungszentrum Jülich, a German research institute.

From blooming jacaranda trees to fragrant eucalyptus, many plants emit compounds called terpenoids. To plants, these act as chemical signals and function as antioxidants. But in the atmosphere, these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with other pollutants to create harmful ozone and particulate pollution called PM2.5.

In areas where cleaner vehicles and electricity generation have reduced man-made sources of air pollution, industrial emissions have begun to play a larger role, but by how much is unclear.

Vannerstill and her colleagues flew planes over Los Angeles over several days in June 2021 to measure the city's VOC emissions. Using an on-board mass spectrometer, the researchers identified concentrations of more than 400 VOCs in the air. Simultaneous 3D measurements of wind speed allowed them to separate molecules rising from the city from those blowing in from elsewhere.

The researchers found that terpenoids made up the majority of VOC emissions in many parts of the city, especially in areas with the most vegetation and on the hottest days. When temperatures exceeded 30°C (86°F), terpenoids made up the majority of emissions, even in the downtown area, where vegetation was sparse and people were more likely to be present.

It's unclear exactly why plants release more terpenoids when temperatures rise, but it could be a response to heat or water stress, Pfannerstill said. Higher temperatures also increase VOC emissions associated with anthropogenic sources, such as gasoline, paint, and even scented personal care products like deodorant and hairspray, possibly due to increased evaporation rates.

The contribution of these personal-care products in particular spikes with population density, suggesting a small but direct link between urban air pollution and citizens' beauty habits. “It's measurable,” Vannerstill says.

The observed relationship between heat and emissions also suggests a pathway through which climate change could exacerbate air pollution: in Los Angeles, the researchers found that a 3°C warming predicted for the city by mid-century could double the impact of VOCs on ozone formation; and its impact on PM2.5 pollution could increase by 40%.

“This direct observation is crucial for building good models to predict what air pollution will be like tomorrow or a few years from now.” Matthew Cogon Jonathan Myers, environmental secretary at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the increase in emissions from factories underscores the importance of further reducing man-made sources of air pollution that react with VOCs, such as nitrous oxide, which comes from burning fossil fuels.

The types of plants planted in cities also have an impact. Roissyne Comanet It's an important consideration as more cities pursue urban greening initiatives. “Vegetation is important,” she says at Columbia University in New York.

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Ill chimpanzees search for different plants with medicinal qualities

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A chimpanzee eating sandpaper nuts in Budongo Forest, Uganda.Fig genus

Elodie Freyman (CC-BY)

Some plants that chimpanzees eat when they are sick or injured have been found to have medicinal properties, providing some of the strongest evidence yet that our close relatives self-medicate.

Although there have been reports for decades of chimpanzees using plants to self-medicate, it's difficult to pinpoint when wild animals get sick and what effect their diet may have.

Elodie Freyman Oxford University researchers tracked wild chimpanzees in Uganda's Budongo Forest, recording when they became ill and what they ate. By analysing feces for signs of intestinal parasites and examining urine samples for elevated levels of immune cells, the researchers identified chimpanzees with obvious wounds or intestinal infections.

An analysis of 53 plant extracts ingested by sick or injured chimpanzees found that 88 percent were effective against bacteria pathogenic to humans, including antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA, and extracts from all species sampled had anti-inflammatory properties.

This systematic approach has allowed the researchers to identify and characterize more species used by chimpanzees than ever before. Kirsty Graham “It's a very impressive project,” said Robert Cole, a researcher at the University of St. Andrews in the UK who was not involved in the work.

Sick chimpanzees would leave the safety of their group to eat certain plants, often choosing plants that were rarely eaten in that area. The rarity of these events makes self-medicating behavior very difficult to observe, but at the same time, it is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that it is a targeted response to illness.

Chimps are typically hesitant to try unfamiliar foods that might be dangerous, Freiman says, so choosing to eat an unusual plant means they have a special reason to do so: “If they're sick, they're not going to stuff their mouths with things that might make them sicker,” she says.

But this doesn't capture everything that's going on, Graham says, because chimpanzee diets are still very diverse. Over generations, a chimpanzee community may be able to overcome this reluctance to new foods if chimpanzees learn from other animals which plants to eat. Simultaneous direct comparisons of the diets of sick and healthy chimpanzees might reveal whether these are active choices, Graham suggests.

Team Members Fabian Schultz Researchers at the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany hope that by identifying active compounds in plant extracts, they might uncover promising drug candidates for humans. “What if we could save human lives by following the example of our animal companions?” he says.

In a report released earlier this year, an orangutan, another great ape, was spotted applying plant leaves directly to a wound in an apparent act of self-medication.

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Could it be a severed leg? No, it’s actually a sea slug

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

I lost my leg on the beach

Extreme cases can confuse even trained professionals: Joanna Glengarry and Melanie Archer of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Science in Australia warn that forensic pathologists and anthropologists “need to be prepared to face a wide range of remains and objects presented to them.”

Glengarry and Archer shared their first-hand experience, in their words, of “discovering what appeared to be a severed leg on a beach and, upon examination, determining it to be a marine animal called a sea squirt.”

Write a diary Forensic Medicine, Medicine, Pathologythey give step by step details of the adventure. What is the title of the report?Marine mimicry in progress.

Holy Ghostwriter

Certainly, some are dismayed that senior department members are automatically credited as co-authors on research done by lower-ranking people (Feedback, May 11), but perhaps senior department members should be given more credit.

Reader Bob Masta writes about two doctoral students who sought his advice after he developed a procedure that greatly improved the success rate of an incredibly difficult experiment: recording signals from auditory hair cells in the inner ears of guinea pigs. [B]However, the lab's principal investigator and department head insisted on participating as authors, even though they knew nothing about the study beforehand.

“I was appalled,” Masta wrote, “but eventually came to realize that this was wise: students who were unknown in the field might have had a harder time getting published. [Their] Having a respected name on a paper gives you a lot of credibility in the field, and everyone in research expects the first author on a paper to do the actual research, with subsequent senior authors providing facilities and consultation.”

And, Masta explains, “Laboratories need grant funding to conduct research and train students, so publications that elevate the status of senior authors, who have to get grant funding, help everyone.”

The feedback we've received is that some feel that credit-grabbing corrupts the system from below. But if we're going to do it, why not do it all the way? Give credit to everyone and everyone who stands to benefit from it. Give co-author credit to all senior officials at the institutions who employ the actual researchers (deans, department chairs, vice-presidents, presidents, provosts, corporate executives, emperors, etc.).

The feedback is that these high-powered people, non-authors, should be informally known as “holy ghostwriters.”

Totally ghostwritten

Reader Max Perkins suggests another way to deal with the issue of who gets listed as an author. He writes: [a person from a] I work in a faculty position at a university in New South Wales, Australia, and I wanted to provide feedback on a case in which two graduate students from my alma mater had written their names, simply “et al,” on their office door.

“I think this speaks strongly about professors' citation metrics and perhaps also a comment on the use of citation metrics as a measure of a university's value.”

Infection failure

“Everyone is trying hard to avoid catching coronavirus, but in this study, all 35 volunteers who tried their best to get infected (with a lot of help from scientists) failed miserably,” reader Chittaranjan Andrade wrote. Lancet Microorganism.

The team that produced the report – Susan Jackson of the University of Oxford and a number of collaborators – aimed to test the efficacy of new vaccines to help people who become infected with new variants of the coronavirus long after they had been vaccinated with an earlier version of the vaccine.

The researchers struggled to complete the first major step of the project: infecting volunteers. In their paper, they wrote:Maximize the inoculum size… We were unable to induce persistent infection in seropositive individuals.”

COVID-19 has been disrupting the world for years, but now it is causing problems when it shouldn't.

Worm on turn

Not all flatworms have a tasty taste.

Lee Windsor is investigating the invasive New Guinea flatworm (Manokwari) “Has a very unpleasant astringent taste… as has been noted in other species.”

Windsor, a researcher at Australia's James Cook University, called the news “Ongoing collaboration In collaboration with Professor JL Justin of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, and Professor Roman Gastynow of the University of Szczecin in Poland, we studied invasive terrestrial planarians in France and French territories.

The bad taste lasts a long time. Windsor Manokwari He tasted it (or, as he calls it, “personal observation”) in 1994.

Marc Abrahams is the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founder of the journal Annals of Improbable Research. He previously worked on unusual uses of computers. His website is Impossible.

Do you have a story for feedback?

You can submit articles for Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week's and past Feedback can be found on our website.

Leach Mimics Cobra with Coiling and Jumping Display

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

For the first time, scientists have captured on video a leech leaping from a leaf, settling a long-standing debate about the creature’s jumping abilities.

The question of whether leeches can jump has been debated since the late 1800s when rumors of their ability first surfaced. Despite occasional sightings, conclusive evidence was lacking until now.

My Fafmi A researcher from Fordham University in New York documented this ability during fieldwork in Madagascar in 2017. While hiking, she discovered a Chtonobdella hill (Kutnobdera Falux) – A worm-sized animal that lives only in Madagascar.

“I crouched on the ground next to the leech, took out my phone and started recording,” Fahmi said. “At the time I had no idea what I was recording.” When he showed the video to his colleagues in New York, Fahmi said they all had the same reaction: “Did that leech just jump?”

Six years later, Fahmi returned to Madagascar again to attempt to record another jumping leech, and again met with immediate success: this time, he recorded two leeches interacting, one of which leapt off a leaf.

The leech prepares itself by anchoring its rear suckers to the ground (in this case a leaf) and wrapping the rest of its body around its back, then, like a cobra attacking, thrusts its body forward in one swift motion, detaching its rear suckers and launching itself into the air.

The sudden, explosive movements may be a tactic to land on or near unsuspecting prey. Although the leap is a bit awkward, “this is clearly active propulsion,” he said. Michael Tesler At Medgar Evers College in New York.

Terrestrial leeches have not been studied extensively, even though analyzing their blood meals can help conservationists track elusive animals. But finding the ability in two different individuals and locations “suggests that the behavior is more common than we thought,” Tesler says. Based on this evidence and anecdotes from other regions, he believes this is not the only jumping leech in the world.

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The newly discovered ceratopsian species had unique curved, blade-like horns on the underside of its frill.

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of centrosaurine dinosaur from fossils discovered in the Judith River Formation in the Kennedy Coulee region of Montana, USA. Lociceratops rangiformisThe new species emerged at least 12 million years earlier than its better-known relatives. Triceratops It was the largest ceratopsid of its time.

Reconstruction Lociceratops rangiformis Be amazed by a crocodile in the 78-million-year-old swamps of northern Montana. Image by Andrej Achutin/Museum of Evolution, Maribo, Denmark.

Lociceratops rangiformis It lived in what is now Montana during the Cretaceous period, about 78 million years ago.

This species was about 6.7 metres (22 feet) long and weighed five tons, making it the largest dinosaur in the group called ceratopsians. Centrosaurinae It has never been found in North America before.

“In the dinosaur ecosystem of the ancient island continent Laramidia, ceratopsians were geographically widespread, morphologically diverse and possessed a great deal of variation in cranial ornamentation, including horns and a morphologically diverse parietal scaly frill,” said Professor Mark Loewen of the University of Utah and his colleagues.

“Two distinct lineages within the Ceratopsidae family diverged by at least 83 million years ago.”

“These are the chasmosaurinae, which have long snouts and long frills, and the centrosaurines, which have rounded snouts and relatively short frills.”

“Centrosaurinae represent an ecologically important and diverse lineage of ceratopsians that reached a peak in diversity during the Campanian, 83 to 70 million years ago.”

“Historically known from abundant fossil finds in Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA, discoveries over the past two decades have rapidly expanded our understanding of this group, particularly its geographic and morphological range, and have also provided new insights into the ontogeny of centrosaurines.”

“Centrosaurinae were locally abundant in some areas of southern Alberta and northern Montana, but were previously rare or poorly known in other parts of Laramidia.”

Fossil skull Lociceratops rangiformisImage courtesy of the Evolution Museum, Maribo, Denmark.

Paleontologists have discovered the skeleton of a mature individual. Lociceratops rangiformis Quarrying at Loki Quarry in 2019 Judith River Formation.

“The Loki quarry, which yielded the new specimen, is located on private land in the Kennedy Coulee Badlands, north of the town of Rudyard in Hill County, northern Montana, USA,” the researchers said.

Lociceratops rangiformis It has the largest frill horns of any ceratopsid ever, and lacks the nasal horns characteristic of its genus.

“This new dinosaur pushes the boundaries of outlandishness in ceratopsian head ornaments, boasting the largest frill horns ever seen on a ceratopsian,” said paleontologist Joseph Sertich of Colorado State University.

“These skull ornaments provide another window into the diversity of horned dinosaurs and demonstrate that evolutionary selection for flashy displays contributed to the dazzling richness of Cretaceous ecosystems.”

“We think dinosaur horns were similar to the displays performed by birds, who used them for mate selection and species recognition.”

Lociceratops rangiformis It coexisted with three other centrosaurine dinosaurs (Wendiceratops pinhornensis, Albertaceratops nesmoiand Medusaceratops Loki) and Chasmosaurinae (Judiceratops tigris).

“The combination of five species is an unprecedented diversity and resembles the range of horned ungulates found on the plains of East Africa today,” Dr Sertich said.

“Unlike the wide-ranging large wild mammals, such as elk, that currently roam the American West, these ancient animals were geographically restricted.”

“discovery Lociceratops rangiformis “It provides evidence that these species evolved rapidly within a small area, a process sometimes seen in birds.”

“at that time Triceratops By the time ceratopsians emerged 12 million years later, regional differences had homogenized to just two species found across Canada and Mexico, probably as a response to a more homogenous climate.”

“This study shows that dinosaur diversity has been underestimated and presents the most complete ceratopsid family tree to date.”

“Lociceratops rangiformis “This study helps us understand that we're only just scratching the surface when it comes to the diversity and relationships of the ceratopsian family tree,” Prof Loewen said.

of study Published online in the journal Peer J.

_____

M.A. Rowen others. 2024. Lociceratops rangiformis A new genus and species (Ceratopsia: Centrosaurinae) from the Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana reveals the rapid regional dispersal and extreme endemism of centrosaurinae dinosaurs. Peer J 12: e17224; doi: 10.7717/peerj.17224

Source: www.sci.news

Colombian family genetics may reveal secret to delaying Alzheimer’s disease

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Research on families with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease has revealed a genetic abnormality that can delay early symptoms by five years. This finding paves the way for a new approach to combating the disease by potentially leveraging the protective effects of this gene mutation. A very rare genetic mutation offers some hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Scientists first noticed this genetic protection in a Colombian family afflicted with a hereditary form of Alzheimer’s disease. They identified a woman, Aliria Piedrahita de Villegas, who should have developed symptoms in her 40s but remained symptom-free well into her 70s. She carried an unusual genetic combination, including two copies of the APOE3 gene with a mutation known as Christchurch, which seemed to provide her with protection against Alzheimer’s.

Further research identified 27 individuals with one copy of the Christchurch variant, showing that having one copy delayed the onset of cognitive impairment by an average of five years compared to their relatives. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and involving researchers from various institutions, provided hope that correcting this gene could potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Notably, Alzheimer’s typically affects older individuals, with risk increasing with age. The APOE gene has long been associated with the disease, with certain variants like APOE4 increasing risk. However, the Christchurch variant appears to play a protective role, potentially preventing the accumulation of the proteins amyloid and tau that are linked to Alzheimer’s.

The study included brain scans and autopsy results from individuals with the Christchurch gene, shedding light on its potential impact on Alzheimer’s progression. While there is still much to learn about this rare mutation and its effects, there is optimism that it could offer insights into treating Alzheimer’s and potentially delaying its onset.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Unusual Discovery: Dinosaur with Four Horns Unearthed

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Introducing a new addition to the realm of peculiar dinosaurs, this creature dons magnificent (albeit slightly perilous) headgear that can rival any fashion runway creation. Lociceratops rangiformis is the latest discovery in the realm of dinosaurs, described as one of the largest and most ornate ceratopsians ever found.

Among the distinct features of this ceratopsian are elements previously unseen by scientists, notably the immense, curved, blade-like horns located on the underside of its frill, the largest ever observed on a ceratopsian.

This dinosaur sports an unconventional, asymmetrical spike at the center of its frill, and most uniquely, it lacks a nose horn seen in other horned dinosaurs.

The first part of the dinosaur’s name, Lociceratops, pays homage to the blade-wielding Norse god Loki, while the latter part ‘rangiformis’ indicates its antler-like formations, similar to those of a caribou or reindeer.

The name ‘rangiformis’ was chosen to reflect the peculiarity of this dinosaur’s antler-like feature, reminiscent of the asymmetrical spines seen in caribou or reindeer.

Published in the journal Peer J, this fossil was unearthed in 2019 in the badlands of northern Montana, USA, not far from the Canadian border, where ceratopsians roamed over 78 million years ago.

Despite its blade-like horns and status as the largest ceratopsian of its time, this dinosaur was an herbivore and likely fell prey to predators like Tyrannosaurus rex.

Portrait reconstructions of all four centrosaurine dinosaur species that coexisted in the Kennedy Coulee assemblage of northern Montana and southern Alberta. Lociceratops, at top left, is characterized by its large, curved horns, asymmetrical “spikes,” and lack of a nasal horn. – Image courtesy of Fabrizio Lavezzi

Ceratopsians emerged during the Late Cretaceous period, evolving extravagant features and distinct horn patterns, including those of Lociceratops rangiformis. These dinosaurs were part of an isolated lineage on the island continent of Laramidia (modern-day North America) and exhibited rapid evolution. Ceratopsians survived until the mass extinction event that wiped out all dinosaurs.

The paleontologists involved in the study, led by Joseph Sertich from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Colorado State University, noted that this new dinosaur showcases the peak of eccentricity in ceratopsian head adornments, boasting the largest frill horns ever seen in a ceratopsian.

These findings challenge previous assumptions about dinosaur diversity, expanding the known coexisting species of ceratopsians to five during that era, transforming our understanding of dinosaur life at the time.

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Scientists harness bottled ‘lightning’ to generate essential ingredients for life

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Nitrogen is an essential element for life and is an integral part of DNA and proteins. Most of the nitrogen on Earth exists in the atmosphere as gaseous nitrogen, denoted as N.₂ However, most organisms cannot directly use nitrogen. In modern ecosystems, some microorganisms have specialized enzymes that convert nitrogen into nitrogen.₂ It converts gases into a form that other living things can use. Fixed nitrogen These microorganisms Nitrogen fixing bacteria.

But 3 to 4 billion years ago, during a period in Earth's history called the Archean Era, life had not yet evolved and no nitrogen-fixing organisms existed, so scientists studying the origin of life are faced with a classic chicken-and-egg problem: life needed nitrogen to evolve, but before life evolved, there were no microorganisms to convert nitrogen into nitrogen.₂ Let's turn gas into something we can use! So where did life get its nitrogen from before there were nitrogen-fixing organisms?

Researchers recently hypothesized that early life on Earth may have obtained fixed nitrogen from lightning. They propose that the high energy of a lightning spark could react with oxygen and N.₂ Fixing atmospheric nitrogen₂ The gas is converted into other usable forms of nitrogen. Nitrogen oxides.

Geologists have studied the sedimentary rock record to understand nitrogen throughout Earth's history, but they had no way to distinguish lightning-derived nitrogen in rocks from other ancient sources of nitrogen. To explore whether lightning provided fixed nitrogen to early life, researchers led by Dr. Patrick Barth created “lightning” in a jar and tested whether it would react with nitrogen.₂ It emitted gases and produced nitrogen oxides that had an identifiable signal.

To simulate lightning, the researchers used electrodes in glass flasks filled with different gas mixtures: To mimic modern-day Earth, Barth and his colleagues used a flask with a composition similar to our current atmosphere, containing 85 percent nitrogen.₂ They also used flasks containing an atmosphere similar to that of Archean Earth, which scientists believe was about 83% nitrogen.₂0% oxygen, 16% carbon dioxide.

The researchers added 50 milliliters (about a quarter cup) of water to the bottom of each flask to allow any nitrogen oxides and other compounds produced during the reaction to dissolve in the water. They discharged each experimental flask to about 50 kilovolts for 15 to 60 minutes — nearly 10 times the voltage of an electric car battery.

The research team developed a device called Quadrupole Gas AnalyzerThey measured the nitrogen compounds in the gases coming out of each flask before and after they were ignited. They found that in the modern experiment, more fixed nitrogen was dissolved in the water than in the gas. But in the Archean experiment, the fixed nitrogen was split almost equally between the water and the gas.

After each reaction, the researchers placed the flask of water into an apparatus that measured the weight of the nitrogen atoms. Gas Source Mass SpectrometerThey explained that nitrogen atoms exist in two main forms with different masses, called isotopes. ¹⁴The N isotope is lighter and more abundant in nature, ¹⁵The N isotope is heavier and less common. The researchers used mass spectrometer data to calculate the ratios of nitrogen isotopes in the lightning-fixed nitrogen samples. They compared these nitrogen isotope ratios to those in rocks that are 3.1 to 3.8 billion years old to see if there was a match.

The researchers found that the nitrogen isotope ratio of the lightning-produced nitrogen was about 0.1% to 1% lighter than that of the rocks, and suggested that this difference in nitrogen isotopes indicates that most of the nitrogen in the Archean rocks was not produced by lightning.

The researchers also used the lightning flash rate on modern Earth to predict the amount of nitrogen oxides that lightning would produce per year. They estimated that the annual lightning flash rate alone could not have provided enough nitrogen to support ecosystems on early Earth. They explain that there was even less lightning in the Archean than there is today, so even less nitrogen was available to support early life.

The researchers concluded that lightning was not the main source of available nitrogen for early life. Because nitrogen-fixing organisms must have evolved very early in Earth's history, life did not need to rely solely on lightning, they suggested. However, one of the 3.7-billion-year-old rock samples showed nitrogen isotope ratios similar to lightning-fixed nitrogen, leading the researchers to speculate that small amounts of fixed nitrogen from lightning may have supported early life. Furthermore, the researchers suggested that the lightning-fixed nitrogen isotope ratios obtained in this study could be used to investigate how nitrogen is fixed on other planets in the solar system.

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Source: sciworthy.com

Top Podcasts of the Week: Exploring Bruce Springsteen as a Possible Queer Icon – Two Fans Debate

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This week’s picks

It backfired
Audible, weekly episodes
Slow Burn, Think Twice, Fiasco – Leon Neyfakh has produced several high-quality podcasts in the past. Currently, he is focusing on e-cigarettes and his struggles to quit smoking. These podcasts narrate the journey of finding a cigarette that is less harmful. It’s interesting to note the difference in approach between the UK, where e-cigarettes are promoted as a tool to quit smoking, and the US, where there are efforts to ban flavored e-cigarettes. Hannah Verdier

A better paradise
Widely available, with weekly episodes
An atmospheric near-future podcast from the creators of Grand Theft Auto. Featuring a talented cast, Andrew Lincoln plays Dr. Mark Tyburn who tries to create an addictive video game but abandons the project halfway. Years later, when he is rediscovered, will the game finally see the light of day? HV

Leon Neyfakh’s “Backfired” explores the rise of e-cigarettes. Photo: Nicholas T Ansell/PA

Because the boss is ours
Widely available, with weekly episodes
Bruce Springsteen may not be the first person you think of when it comes to queer pop idols, but hosts Jesse Lawson and Holly Cascio, “two queer nerds” who are fans of the Boss, delve into this fun and insightful podcast to explore Springsteen’s status as a queer icon. Holly Richardson

Pulling the Thread: Wild Life
Widely available, with weekly episodes
This captivating series from Drake’s production company follows investigative journalist Lunako Serena and the spy known as “Wolf” as they uncover the truth about Africa’s largest wildlife trafficking ring. The journey takes them from an environmental conference in The Shard in London to infiltrating criminal networks involved in the ivory trade in Uganda. Alexi Duggins

Festival Hall
Widely available, with weekly episodes
A new series from the creators of the confessional-based X Account, featuring a range of content from ranking secrets of the week to insightful interviews with Philippa Perry about the psychology behind anonymous sharing of secrets. advertisement

There is a podcast

Afua Hirsch, host of “We Need to Talk About the British Empire.” Photo: Suki Dhanda/Observer

this week, Rachel Aroesti Pick the top 5 Podcasts United KingdomFrom Armando Iannucci’s irreverent take on Westminster to Afua Hirsch’s reflections on the complex legacy of the British Empire

London Grad
London is clearly a cosmopolitan city, but there are moments in this darkly fascinating podcast from Tortoise Media’s Paul Caruana Galizia that make you wonder which country has the most influence over our capital. The first series of the show focused on Russian money flowing into London through real estate and, in the case of the Lebedev family, the purchasing power of its ultra-rich investors in multiple newspapers, while in series two the focus shifted to Iran and the government-mandated “death squads” that have repeatedly attempted to assassinate London-based critics of the regime on British soil.

We need to talk about the British Empire
Afua Hirsch’s 2018 book, Brit(ish), is both a deeply personal memoir and an insightful analysis of British history, making it essential reading for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of black history and politics in the country. In this podcast series, the author broadens the perspective even further, using her guests’ personal stories to illuminate the legacy of colonialism from different angles. Anita Rani offers insight into Partition, the late Benjamin Zephaniah talks about the Windrush, Diana Rigg talks about growing up at the end of the British colonial era, and musician Emma Lee Moss (formerly Emmy the Great) reminisces about her childhood in Hong Kong under British rule.

Rethinking Westminster
Armando Iannucci is one of Britain’s leading satirists, and he’s spent his career lampooning the country’s follies and weaknesses, from the chaos of government with The Thick of It to the banality of mid-level broadcasting via Alan Partridge. In this podcast series for the New Statesman, he and the magazine’s UK editor Anoush Chakerian (who also hosts the magazine’s flagship podcast) take a slightly less-than-modest look at Britain’s most pressing political issues. Topics range from Britain’s “ramshackle” constitution and the old, machismo energy of party politics to the shortcomings of lobby journalism and the deterioration of our supposedly special relationship with the US.

Northern News
Edinburgh Award-nominated stand-up comedians Ian Smith and Amy Gledhill are northerners who moved to London but are still keen to hear news from their home town – Gledhill is originally from Hull, Smith from nearby Goole. For Northern News, the pair combine easy-going chatter with local newspaper readings, focusing on the weirdest, most ridiculous and sentimental news they can find. They also host a host of guest comedians who share their own quirky local anecdotes.

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The rise and fall of Britpop
The story of Britpop is much more than the tabloid-shattering rivalry between Oasis and Blur. It’s a story that has much to say about the traditions and history of British pop culture from the 1960s to the present day. Steve Lamacq and Joe Whiley, co-hosts of Radio 1’s hip show The Evening Sessions when the scene first took off 30 years ago, are perfectly suited to tell the tale. With help from guests including Stuart McOnie and Alex James, the pair take a trip down memory lane to trace Britpop’s journey from an unpopular alternative to trendy US grunge to a cultural force that redefined our national identity.

Please try…

Alexander Skarsgård’s new pod explores startups taking innovative approaches to environmental and social issues How to solve this.
From remote work to immigration, The Atlantic Good on Paper It raises the big questions behind the inevitable topics.

If you’d like to read the full newsletter, sign up to receive Hear Here in your inbox every Thursday.

Regular walking may extend your period of time pain-free in your back

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Back pain is a common discomfort that can be difficult to shake once it sets in. Researchers suggest a simple way to make back pain more manageable and potentially extend the time between episodes.

Over 600 million people worldwide suffer from back pain, with studies showing that 7 out of 10 individuals experience a relapse within a year after recovery. This makes back pain a major cause of disability globally (source).

The Spine Pain Research Group at Macquarie University in Australia conducted a study indicating that regular walking can help treat back pain. They suggest that some current exercise recommendations may not be suitable or practical due to cost or supervision requirements (source).

A recent study published in the journal Lancet focused on 701 adults who had recovered from low back pain lasting at least 24 hours. Participants were assigned to a personalized walking program, physical therapy sessions, or a control group with no treatment (Dr. Mark Hancock).

The researchers observed that the walkers experienced less back pain, reduced the need for medical assistance, and halved their sick leave. The time between episodes nearly doubled from 112 days to 208 days.

Dr. Hancock believes walking’s benefits come from gentle motion and muscle strengthening, as well as stress-relieving effects. While some experts agree that low-intensity exercise like walking can help with back pain, others suggest the study’s findings may not be groundbreaking.

In conclusion, while walking may not be a quick fix for back pain, it is a recommended low-intensity exercise that can provide relief over time. It’s important to keep moving and gradually improve rather than sitting still and doing nothing.

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Today is the summer solstice in 2024 – what causes the longest day of the year and when does it occur?

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Summer is here, officially starting today with the Northern Hemisphere experiencing more daylight than anywhere else. This marks the 2024 summer solstice, a significant day that has been celebrated for thousands of years. Whether for religious ceremonies or casual barbecues, the longest day of the year is a cause for celebration.

If you’re unsure about the summer solstice and its importance, especially at places like Stonehenge, we’re here to provide some clarity.

When is the Summer Solstice in 2024?

The summer solstice in 2024 falls on Thursday, June 20th at 9:51 pm BST (4:50 pm EDT New York time, 1:50 pm PDT Los Angeles time). Keep in mind that the summer solstice occurs at a specific moment, signifying the start of astronomical summer when the Northern Hemisphere faces the Sun directly.

It’s the longest day of the year, providing the most hours of sunshine in 2024. Expect at least 16 hours of sunlight in the UK and US. This is one of the two solstices each year, with the second occurring in December. The summer solstice always falls between June 20 and 22, coming a day earlier this year compared to 2023.

When are Sunrise and Sunset on the Summer Solstice?

On Thursday, June 20th, the sunrise in London, England is at 4:43 am BST, and the sunset is at 9:21 pm BST. Sunrise and sunset times may vary slightly depending on your location in the UK or US.

Summer solstice sunrise in New York City: 5:25 a.m. EDT.
Summer solstice sunset in New York City: 8:31 pm EDT.
Summer solstice sunrise in Austin, Texas: 6:30 am CDT.
Summer solstice sunset in Austin, Texas: 8:36 pm CDT.
Summer solstice sunrise in Los Angeles: 5:42 am PDT.
Summer solstice sunset in Los Angeles: 8:08 pm PDT.

While today is the longest day of the year, it doesn’t necessarily have the earliest sunrise or the latest sunset. The exact dates for these phenomena vary based on your latitude. In areas around the 40th parallel north, the earliest sunrise of the year occurred around June 14th, with the latest sunset around June 27th.

“This slight difference occurs because the Earth orbits the Sun in a slight ellipse, not a circle.” Dr. Darren Baskill“It’s a very exciting time for us,” says astrophotographer and astronomy lecturer at the University of Sussex. BBC Science Focus.

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What is the Summer Solstice?

The summer solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky, directly hitting the Northern Hemisphere. This axis tilt of about 24 degrees causes opposite seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with the summer solstice marking the longest day of the year. As the Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, the perihelion (closest point to the Sun) occurs in January, while the aphelion (farthest point) occurs in July.

Due to the Earth’s tilt, sunlight falls directly on the Northern Hemisphere during the summer solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, this marks the shortest day of the year, or winter solstice. – Image credit: Getty

Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, peak temperatures usually occur in July or August as the Earth continues to release absorbed heat. The tilt of the Earth’s axis, not its distance from the Sun, causes the change in seasons.

Why is the Earth Tilted?

The Earth’s tilt resulted from significant impacts during the solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago. The current tilt allows for regions where the sun never sets during the summer solstice, like in the Arctic. This tilt contributes to the variety of seasons experienced on Earth.

How is the Summer Solstice Celebrated Around the World?

Celebrations of the summer solstice take place worldwide, from the Swedish midsummer festivities to Stonehenge in England. Stonehenge, built thousands of years ago, aligns with the rising sun on the summer solstice, attracting hundreds to witness the event every year.

Starting in the late Middle Ages, Swedes began the tradition of erecting a Midsummer pole and dancing around it. The custom of decorating the pole with flowers and greenery was called a “maja”, which also came to be called a Maypole. – Image credit: Getty

What is the Difference Between the Equinox and the Summer Solstice?

Equinoxes mark the change of seasons with equal day and night lengths, occurring in spring and autumn. Solstices, on the other hand, focus on sunlight, with the summer solstice being the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Do Other Planets Have Solstices?

Every planet in the solar system has solstices due to axial tilts. Earth’s tilt is pronounced compared to other planets like Venus or Jupiter. Mars, similar to Earth, experiences seasons but with longer durations due to its elliptical orbit.

Upcoming Summer Solstice Dates and Times, BST

2025: June 21, 3:42 AM
2026: June 21, 9:24 AM
2027: June 21, 3:10 p.m.
2028: June 20, 9:01 p.m.
2029: June 21, 2:48 AM
2030: June 21, 8:31 AM

About Our Experts

Darren Baskill is an Outreach Officer and Lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. They have a background in astronomy and have contributed to various projects in the field.

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New study finds solid wood surfaces exhibit natural antiviral characteristics

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In a recent study, researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland examined the antiviral properties of different types of wood, including coniferous and deciduous trees, against coronaviruses and enteroviruses.

Shroff othersScots pine and Norway spruce were found to have excellent antiviral activity, especially against enveloped viruses, with onset within 10-15 minutes. In contrast, other hardwoods showed mixed efficacy, and oak showed effectiveness against enteroviruses. Image courtesy of Schroff. others., doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c02156.

Since ancient times, wood has played a vital role in tools, utilities, and construction.

The 20th century witnessed a depletion of wood resources, prompting the emergence of alternatives like plastics and metals for interior surfaces and fixtures.

A growing concern for sustainability and the unique qualities of wood has led to a resurgence in its use across various applications.

The 21st century has brought new health challenges, including viral outbreaks like SARS and COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of surface hygiene.

Viruses can persist on surfaces as fomites, with enveloped viruses having shorter survival times compared to non-enveloped viruses.

Wood has been known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, but its antiviral capabilities were not thoroughly explored until this study.

Researchers investigated how different types of wood affect the infectivity of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.

The study found that certain types of wood could significantly reduce viral infectivity within hours, showcasing their potential as natural antiviral materials.

Their research paper was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

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Reference: Sailey Shroff et al. (2024). Inactivation of coronaviruses and enteroviruses on solid wood surfaces depending on wood species. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(23), 29621-29633. doi:10.1021/acsami.4c02156

Source: www.sci.news

NGC 1546 Spotted by Hubble Space Telescope

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured its first images since changing to an alternate operating mode that uses just a single gyroscope to help control and orient the telescope.

This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 1546, a spiral galaxy about 52.5 million light-years away in the constellation Doradus. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / Hubblr / STScI / David Thilker, JHU.

Hubble I input it On May 24, 2024, we will pause science observations and go into safe mode due to ongoing gyroscope issues.

Over the past six months, the gyroscope has frequently returned inaccurate measurements, causing multiple interruptions to science operations.

This allowed Hubble astronomers to transition from a three-gyroscope operating mode to observing with only one gyroscope, allowing for more consistent science observations and preserving the other working gyroscope for future use.

“Hubble’s new images of the spectacular galaxy NGC 1546 prove that the telescope’s new, more stable pointing mode is a complete success,” said Dr. Jennifer Weissman, Hubble’s senior project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

“We’re poised for many years of discovery to come, looking at everything from our solar system to exoplanets to distant galaxies.”

“Hubble plays a vital role in NASA’s astronomy toolkit.”

NGC 1546 It is a spiral galaxy 52.5 million light years Beyond the constellation of Dorado.

Also known as ESO 157-12, IRAS 04134-5611, and LEDA 14723, the galaxy is approximately 50,000 light years Across.

It was discovered on December 5, 1834 by British astronomer John Herschel.

“The orientation of the galaxy makes a backlit dust band highly visible some distance above the galaxy’s nucleus,” said Dr Weissman and his colleagues.

“This dust absorbs light from the core, making the core red and the dust appear rusty brown.”

“The core itself glows brightly with a yellowish light, indicating that it is an old population of stars.”

“Bright blue regions of active star formation shine through the dust.”

“You can also see several background galaxies, including an edge-on spiral galaxy just to the left of NGC 1546.”

A color image of NGC 1546 can be found at Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WCF3).

“The WCF3 instrument captured this image as part of a joint observing program between the Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope,” the astronomers said.

“The program also uses data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which allows us to look at how stars form and evolve in great detail and at many wavelengths.”

“This image represents one of the first observations made with Hubble since transitioning to a new pointing mode that will allow for more consistent science observations.”

“We expect the Hubble Space Telescope will conduct most of its science observations in this new mode and continue its groundbreaking observations of the universe.”

Source: www.sci.news

New research reveals deeper insights into the genetic factors influencing coffee consumption

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages. In a new study, scientists from the University of California, San Diego and others conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of coffee intake among US-based 23andMe participants. They investigated genetic correlations and conducted a phenotype-wide association study across hundreds of biomarkers, health, and lifestyle traits, and compared their results with the largest GWAS of coffee intake from UK Biobank.

Coffee drinking is an inherited habit and carries a certain amount of genetic load. Image courtesy of Sci.News.

“To create the GWAS, we collected genetic data and self-reported coffee consumption,” said lead author Dr. Hayley Thorpe, a researcher at Western University and the University of Guelph.

“Our goal was to identify associations between genes known to be associated with coffee consumption and health-related traits and conditions.”

“We used these data to identify regions in the genome that are associated with a higher or lower likelihood of drinking coffee.”

“And then we identify the genetics and biology that underlie coffee consumption.”

“Many people are surprised that coffee consumption has genetic effects,” said co-author Abraham Palmer, PhD, a research scientist at the University of California, San Diego.

“From previous papers, we had good reason to suspect that there was a gene that influenced coffee intake.”

“So it wasn’t a surprise to us that in both cohorts we looked at, there was statistical evidence that this is a genetic trait.”

“In other words, the specific genetic variants we inherit from our parents influence how much coffee we drink.”

“The genetic influence on coffee consumption was the first of two questions we wanted to answer,” said Sandra Sanchez Loij, PhD, a research scientist at the University of California, San Diego and senior author of the paper.

“The second thing is what coffee lovers really want to know: Is drinking coffee good or bad? Does drinking coffee have positive health consequences or not?”

The group’s genome-wide association study of 130,153 US-based 23andMe study participants, compared with a similar UK Biobank database (334,649 British individuals), found consistent positive genetic associations between coffee consumption and adverse health outcomes such as obesity and drug use.

A positive genetic association is a link between a particular gene variant (genotype) and a particular condition (phenotype).

Conversely, a negative genetic association would be a clear protective trait that would thwart the onset of the disease.

When it comes to mental illness, the findings are more mixed.

“For example, if you look at the genetics of anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and depression, in the 23andMe data, they tend to be positively correlated with the genetics of coffee consumption,” Dr. Thorpe said.

“However, in UK Biobank we see the opposite pattern of negative genetic correlation, which is not what we expected.”

“There were other instances where the 23andMe sets did not match the UK Biobank, but the biggest discrepancies were for psychiatric disorders.”

“It’s common in this field to combine similar datasets to increase research power. This information tells us pretty clearly that combining these two datasets was not a smart idea. And we ended up not doing so.”

“Mixing databases can mask effects, leading researchers to erroneous conclusions, or even cancel each other out.”

“There are a few ideas as to how the differences in results could have arisen. First, the studies were comparing apples with oranges,” Dr. Sánchez Loisi said.

“For example, the 23andMe survey asks, ‘How many 5-ounce (cup-sized) cups of caffeinated coffee do you drink per day?’ Compare this to UK Biobank’s, ‘How many cups of coffee do you drink per day (including decaffeinated coffee)?'”

“The study did not take into account the variety of ways coffee is presented, beyond serving size and whether it’s caffeinated or decaffeinated.”

“We know that in the UK instant coffee is generally preferred, whereas in the US ground coffee is more commonly preferred,” Dr Thorpe said.

“And then there’s the Frappuccino, the American fad of drinking coffee loaded with added sugar,” Dr. Sánchez Loij added.

“There are other caffeinated drinks out there and, particularly in the UK Biobank context, tea was not included in the GWAS that looked solely at coffee,” Dr Palmer said.

“GWAS shows that the genotype-phenotype relationship is more different than that between coffee and tea.”

“Genetics influences a lot of things. For example, it influences your height.”

“And these things would probably play out in the same way whether you lived in the US or the UK. But coffee is a decision people make.”

“Coffee comes in many forms, from instant to Frappuccino, and is consumed within different cultural norms in different places,” Dr Sánchez Loij said.

“Someone with one genotype may end up with a completely different phenotype if they live in the UK and the US.”

“And that’s exactly what the data tells us, because in the case of height, behavior doesn’t really matter, but behavior and selection in the environment affect it in different ways. So genotype-environment interactions complicate the picture.”

Team paper Published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

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HHA Soap othersGenome-wide association study of coffee consumption in UK/US participants of European descent revealed cohort-specific genetic associations. NeuropsychopharmacologyPublished online April 17, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41386-024-01870-x

Source: www.sci.news

Discovery of Silver and Bronze Coin Hoard from Gallus Revolt Unearthed in Israel

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Jewish Revolt Constantius Gallus, alias Gallus' RebellionThe Roman Civil War of 351-354 AD broke out during the Roman Civil War and was the last Jewish revolt against Rome.

Bronze and silver coins from the 4th century AD found at Lod in central Israel. Image courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The 1,650-year-old treasure was discovered by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). rodcentral Israel.

The treasury contains 94 silver and bronze coins dating from 221 to 354 AD.

“The most recent coins date to the period of Gallus' revolt (351-354 AD),” the IAA archaeologists said.

“Documentary evidence for the revolt is scarce, but there are documents that document the destruction of major Jewish communities, such as Lod, Tzipori, and Tiberias, by the armies of Constantine Gallus.”

Also found were impressive stone and marble artifacts, inscriptions in Greek, Hebrew and Latin, and inscriptions bearing the names of Jewish men of priestly descent.

“This is probably a magnificent Jewish building where the city's elders lived,” said IAA archaeologists Shahar Crispin and Mol Wiesel.

“We know from Talmudic texts that Lod was the most important center for the Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.”

“Famous 'Sages of Rod' include Rabbi Eliezer ben Horcanos, Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yossi Hagalili.”

“The building, destroyed down to its foundations, is a clear indication that the rebellion was forcibly put down with violence and brutality, and was not merely a localized uprising as previous studies have claimed.”

“This is the only evidence so far of the scope and power of this rebellion in Lod, which is in the heart of the country.”

“It is difficult to determine whether this magnificent building was used as a synagogue, a study hall, a meeting place for the elders, or all three functions combined,” said IAA professor Joshua Schwartz.

“What is clear, however, is that the size of the buildings, the coin deposits, and the assemblage of archaeological finds produced by the excavations fit well with the description of Lod/Diospolis as depicted in both Jewish and non-Jewish sources as a center of Torah-faithful Jewish life during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.”

“Lod's role as a leading community with elders continued from the time of its destruction until this moment, when it was brutally destroyed in the Gallus Rebellion.”

“The incredible finds made here reinforce our commitment to researching and protecting Rod's history and rich heritage,” said IAA director Eli Escuse.

“Together with the city's new exhibition centre with its beautiful rod mosaics, we will bring this building into public awareness.”

Source: www.sci.news

Preventing Back Pain Through Regular Walking

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Being active has many health benefits

Sergio Azenha/Alamy

People who suffer from recurring back pain appear to be able to avoid the discomfort for longer by taking regular walks.

Over 600 million people worldwide I feel pain in this part of my back, Initially resolved but often recursDespite this high prevalence, little research has been done on its prevention. Tash Pocovy At Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

Pocobi and her colleagues wanted to find an affordable, relatively accessible way to prevent pain recurrence, so they designed “Walk-Back,” the first controlled trial of its kind.

The researchers selected 701 people aged between 20 and 82 years old living across Australia who had experienced and recovered from back pain in the previous six months, without any specific diagnosis such as fracture or infection.

On average, participants experienced 33 episodes of back pain each that interfered with their daily activities and lasted at least 24 hours. None of the participants went for recreational walks or participated in any kind of exercise program to manage their pain.

The scientists asked 351 participants to create an individualized walking program with the help of a physical therapist, with the goal of gradually increasing their walking to 30 minutes a day, five days a week, within six months. The program was unique to each participant to ensure they could stick to it, Pocovy said. After 12 weeks, participants were walking an average of 130 minutes a week.

Pocoví said her intention was to also inform people about the latest scientific knowledge about back pain and reassure them that moving with the supervision of a physical therapist is safe. “A history of back pain can lead many people to avoid or fear moving,” she said.

The remaining 350 volunteers received no such education or walking program recommendations. Pocobi and her team followed all of the participants for up to three years. Regardless of which group they were in, participants were free to receive additional treatment for their pain.

On average, subjects in the treatment group experienced their first recurrence of activity-limiting back pain 208 days after starting the study, compared with 112 days in the control group.

Additionally, half of the control group sought other interventions, such as massage or chiropractic care, compared with only 36% of those who participated in the walking and education program, but the latter group was more likely to experience minor exercise-related complications, such as sprains.

“I think this is probably a useful tool that clinicians can use and patients can use when they go to the clinician,” Pocoví says.

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Study shows wave activity causing erosion along the coastlines of Titan’s largest lakes and oceans

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is the only known planet other than Earth that still retains liquid water. Liquid hydrocarbons fed by rain from Titan’s thick atmosphere form rivers, lakes, and oceans, most of which are found in the polar regions. In a new study, a team of MIT geologists surveyed Titan’s coastline and found that the moon’s large lakes and oceans were likely formed by waves.

Artist’s rendering of the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Image by Benjamin de Bivort, debivort.org / CC BY-SA 3.0.

The existence of waves on Titan has been a somewhat controversial topic ever since NASA’s Cassini spacecraft discovered liquid puddles on Titan’s surface.

“Some people who have looked for evidence of waves haven’t seen any waves at all and have said, ‘The ocean is as smooth as a mirror,'” said Dr. Rose Palermo, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. “Others have said they saw some roughness in the water but didn’t know if it was caused by waves.”

“Knowing whether there is wave activity in Titan’s oceans can provide scientists with information about the moon’s climate, including the strength of the winds that generate such waves.”

“Wave information could also help scientists predict how the shape of Titan’s ocean will change over time.”

“Rather than looking for direct signs of wave-like features in Titan images, we wanted to take a different approach and see if just looking at the shape of the coastline could tell us what it is that is eroding the coast.”

Titan’s oceans are thought to have formed when rising waters flooded a landscape crisscrossed by river valleys.

The researchers zeroed in on three scenarios for what happened next: no coastal erosion, wave-driven erosion, and uniform erosion caused by either dissolution, where liquids passively dissolve coastal material, or a mechanism where the coast gradually peels away under its own weight.

They simulated how different coastline shapes would change under each of the three scenarios.

To simulate wave erosion, the researchers took into account a variable called “fetch,” which describes the physical distance from one point on the shoreline to the other side of a lake or ocean.

“Wave erosion depends on the height and angle of the waves,” Dr Palermo said.

“We used the fetch to estimate wave height because the bigger the fetch, the further away the wind will blow and the bigger the waves will be.”

Cassini observed Titan’s surface with microwaves and found several grooves that are deep canyons filled with liquid hydrocarbons, including Vid Fulmina, a branching network of thin lines in the upper left quadrant of the image. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASI.

To test how coastline shape would differ between the three scenarios, the scientists started with a simulated ocean area with a flooded river valley all around it.

For wave erosion, we calculated the fetch distance from every point along the coastline to every other point and converted that distance to wave height.

They then ran simulations to see how waves would erode the original shoreline over time.

They compared this to how the same coastline would change due to erosion caused by uniform erosion.

The authors repeated this comparative modelling for hundreds of different initial shoreline configurations.

They found that the shape of the termini varies greatly depending on the underlying mechanism.

Most notably, uniform erosion produced a bulging shoreline that was evenly distributed all around, even in flooded river valleys, whereas wave erosion smoothed out portions of the shoreline exposed primarily to long downstream distances, leaving the flooded valleys narrow and rough.

“Although the initial coastline was the same, we found that uniform erosion and wave erosion resulted in very different final shapes,” Dr Perron said.

“Although it looks like a flying spaghetti monster because of the flooded river valley, the endpoints created by the two types of erosion are very different.”

This image is a composite of images taken during two flybys of Titan in 2006. A large circular feature near the center of Titan’s disk may be the remnant of a very old impact basin. The mountain range southeast of the circular feature and the long, dark linear feature northwest of the old impact site may be the result of deformation of Titan’s crust caused by energy released when the impact occurred. Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.

Dr. Perron and his colleagues verified their results by comparing their simulation results with actual lakes on Earth.

They found the same shape differences between Earth’s lakes known to have been eroded by waves and those affected by homogeneous erosion, such as dissolved limestone.

Their modelling revealed distinct and distinctive shapes depending on the mechanism by which the shoreline evolved.

So they wondered: Where does Titan’s coastline fit into these distinctive shapes?

In particular, they focused on four of Titan’s largest and best-mapped oceans: Kraken Mare, which is comparable in size to the Caspian Sea; Ligeia Mare, which is larger than Lake Superior; Punga Mare, which is longer than Lake Victoria; and Lake Ontario, which is about 20% the size of the land-based lake of the same name.

The researchers used Cassini’s radar images to map the coastlines of each of Titan’s oceans, and then applied their model to the coastlines of each ocean to see which erosion mechanisms best explain their shape.

They found that all four oceans fit closely to the wave-induced erosion model, meaning that waves created the closest coastlines to Titan’s four oceans.

“We found that when the shoreline is eroding, its shape is more consistent with wave-driven erosion than uniform erosion or no erosion,” Dr Perron said.

Scientists are trying to figure out how strong Titan’s winds would need to be to churn up waves strong enough to repeatedly scrape away the shoreline.

They also hope to learn from the shape of Titan’s coastline which direction the winds primarily blow from.

“Titan shows us that this case is completely pristine,” Dr. Palermo said.

“It may help us learn more fundamental things about how coasts erode without human influence, which in turn may help us better manage coastlines around the world in the future.”

of Investigation result Published in today’s journal Scientific advances.

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Rose V. Palermo others2024. Evidence of wave erosion on Titan’s coast. Scientific advances 10(25); Source: 10.1126/sciadv.adn4192

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists Study Pest-Killing Fungus by Collecting Sexually-Excited Zombie Cicadas

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

With their bulging red eyes and alien-like mating sounds, periodical cicadas may seem scary and weird, but some of them are speed-freak, sex-crazed zombies that have been hijacked by super-sized fungi.

West Virginia University mycology professor Matt Casson, his 9-year-old son Oliver, and graduate student Angie Macias have been tracking a pesky fungus called Massospora cicadina, the only fungus on Earth that can hijack an animal’s body to make amphetamines (a drug known as speed)—and sure enough, it’s taking over cicadas, increasing their sex drive and spreading a parasite that’s transmitted sexually.

“They’re zombies, totally at the mercy of the fungus,” says John Cooley, a cicada researcher at the University of Connecticut.

The fungus has the largest genome of any known fungus—about 1.5 billion base pairs, Casson says, making it about 30 times longer than any common fungus we know—and while the periodical cicada lives underground for 17 years (13 years in the southern U.S.), its spores typically remain underground as well.

“It’s been a mycological oddity for a long time,” says Casson, “and it has the largest genome, produces wild compounds, keeps its host active, and has a whole host of other strange characteristics.”

Matt Cusson, a professor of mycology at West Virginia University, dissects fungal tissue from the posterior abdomen of a female periodical cicada infected with the fungus Massospora cicadina.Carolyn Custer/AP

This year, Casson decided to ask people to send him infected cicadas from around the country, and despite his injured leg, he, his son, and Mathias traveled from West Virginia to the Morton Arboretum outside Chicago, where they reported a fungus that takes over the lower half of the cicada’s body, discarding its reproductive organs and replacing them with a rather conspicuous mass that’s white, sticky but flaky. The spores then spill out like salt from a shaker.

Infected cicadas can be hard to spot.

Ten seconds after jumping off the golf cart, Macias was in the trees, looking around. She triumphantly raised the semi in the air and shouted, “I got it!”

“That was just luck,” Oliver complained.”

“Luck, eh? Good luck,” Macias replies.

Ten seconds later, Oliver spotted another bird in the bushes next to him, and a little later the photographer spotted a third.

Casson is tracking the only bacteria on Earth that produces amphetamines in living organisms when it takes control of them.Carolyn Custer/AP

Kasson and his small team collected 36 infected cicadas during a quick trip around Chicago, and another 200 or so have been sent in from elsewhere. He’s still waiting for the results of an RNA analysis of the fungus.

Some cicada experts estimate that one in every 1,000 periodical cicadas is infected with the fungus, but that’s just a guess, says Gene Kritsky, a biologist at Mount St. Joseph University who has written a book about the fungus. This year’s unique double appearanceHe said the numbers could be skewed because healthy cicadas tend to stay higher in trees.

“This year’s fungal situation is business as usual and not particularly unusual,” Cooley said in an email.

Scientists debate whether the fungus burrows deep underground and then infects the cicadas that emerge after 13 or 17 years, or whether it infects newly hatched larvae as they make their way underground for more than a decade.

The fungus isn’t a parasite that kills its host, but rather needs to keep it alive, Casson said. Infected cicadas will try to mate with other cicadas, spreading the spores to their mates/victims. Males may also become hypersexual and pose as females to lure and infect other males, Casson said.

Test tubes containing live periodical cicadas infected with the fungus Massospora cicadina await field processing at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, on June 6, 2024.Carolyn Custer/AP

A related species of the fungus that infects annual cicadas in the West also produces psychoactive compounds in the cicadas that are more similar to hallucinogens like magic mushrooms, Kasson said. That’s why some people, even experts, confuse the amphetamines produced by infected 17- and 13-year cicadas with the highly hallucinogenic compounds in the annual insects, he said.

Either way, don’t try this at home. The cicada itself is edible, Not many people are infected.

Out of scientific curiosity, Casson experimented on one during this emergence, ensuring that it was taken from the body of a female, which was more sterile.

“It was really bitter,” Cason said, explaining that she quickly rinsed her mouth. “It tasted like poison.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Introducing smartphones gradually is more beneficial for children than banning them completely

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

“Let’s take cell phones out of schools.” “Social media is harmful to teens.”

Such messages are being broadcast around the world and appear to have reached a peak in recent days. In the UK, concerns about the harms of social media and screen time have led to Smartphone Free Children Campaign A government crackdown on smartphone use in schools has also begun, and ministers are considering banning the sale of smartphones to anyone under 16. Meanwhile, in the United States, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy this week called for social media platforms to require cigarette-style warning labels.

More than 40% of American children own a smartphone by age 10, and the concern is Excessive screen use can lead to health problemsThese include obesity, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety.

Certainly, some studies have documented this link, but as we explain in our feature, The Truth About How Social Media and Screen Time Affect Young People, the evidence that screen time causes widespread harm to children is not as strong or clear as some claim.

While we figure out the details, we must protect our children, especially those who are most vulnerable to the harmful influences of smartphones and social media. But depriving them entirely would be the wrong move.

The smarter approach is to give children access, even from an early age, in a controlled and measured way.

Imagine what a smartphone utopia might look like: It would be done in stages: instead of giving kids access to the entire internet at first, we’d allow them access to walled gardens, like kid-friendly TV channels.

In such a world, we would allow limited messaging with strict moderation that loosens with age, the system would allow parents access that diminishes over time, and all of this would be combined with ongoing digital literacy classes.

Smartphones, social media, and screens will continue to be a part of our children’s lives, no matter how many warning labels they carry, and now is the time to think seriously about how we give our kids the tools they need to navigate the realities of growing up online.

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The Methane Ocean on Saturn’s Moon Titan is Causing Coastal Erosion

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Titan's liquid hydrocarbon ocean may have waves

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/University of Idaho

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has rocky coastlines around its methane seas and lakes that appear to have been carved out by waves, and a NASA mission launching in 2028 may be able to get a closer look.

Titan is the only body in the solar system other than Earth that has liquid on its surface. It has lakes and oceans made of hydrocarbons such as liquid methane, ethane, and other organic molecules. Scientists think that winds in Titan's thick, nitrogen-rich atmosphere drive the waves in these lakes, but this has never been observed directly because Titan's atmosphere is too hazy to see through.

now, Rose Palermo Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey in Florida and their colleagues found that the shape of Titan's coastline is best explained by the presence of waves that have eroded the ocean surface over eons.

Palermo and his team looked at the shorelines around Titan's largest oceans and lakes, including Kraken Mare and Ligeia Mare, and compared them to coastlines on Earth with known origins, such as Lake Rotoef in New Zealand, which initially formed by floods and later was eroded by waves. The team then created different simulations of Titan's oceans, including those in which the shores were eroded by waves or by dissolving their edges.

Photographed by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, Ligeia Mare on Saturn's moon Titan has a variety of edges that appear to have been carved by waves.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI/Cornell

The researchers found that images of Titan's coastline, best depicted by wave simulations, resemble Earth's wave-eroded coastlines.

“It's still tentative, but I'm very excited about it.” Ingo Muller-Vodarg The Imperial College London researchers say that although the study did not observe waves themselves, it is very strong evidence that waves exist. Dune-like structures.

The only way to truly verify that waves exist is to send a spacecraft to the surface, like NASA's Dragonfly drone mission, scheduled to launch in 2028, Mueller-Vaudergues said.

Studying Titan's coastlines may also help us understand how the first coasts on Earth formed, Palermo says: “Titan is a unique laboratory for studying coastal processes because it is not influenced by humans or plants. It's a place where we can study coasts only as physical processes.”

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Is an aging NASA probe redefining the limits of our solar system?

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is hurtling out of our solar system at incredible speed. It’s currently about 8 billion kilometers from the Sun, and by the time you finish reading this article, it will be thousands of kilometers further into the frigid darkness. Space is lonely; even the giant planet Jupiter is just a tiny speck.

New Horizons is best known for getting the first proper glimpses of the dwarf planet Pluto in 2015, which it had previously only seen as a faint smudge. It also taught us a lot about the outer solar system and the tiny frozen worlds that float there. “It’s really been an Alice in Wonderland kind of story,” says Alan Stern, the mission’s principal investigator. “It’s been a magical experience, and we’ve made some amazing discoveries.”

But the dream isn’t over yet, because New Horizons may make a surprise final move. In early 2024, one of New Horizons’ detectors recorded an unexpected increase in the amount of dust it encountered. That material could have been created by collisions between rocky fragments, and astronomers now suspect that there may be many objects beyond the rubble-strewn Kuiper Belt, often considered the edge of the solar system. If so, the boundaries of the solar system would need to be redrawn, calling into question models of the formation of the solar system.

Stern and his colleagues are clearly hoping to take advantage of the rover’s unique location to learn more about this unexplored wilderness while they still can. “This is…

Rare Titan Arum blooms in Kew Gardens emitting scent of rotten flesh

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

June 18th, Corpse Flowers at Kew Gardens

Sebstian Kettley/RBG Cue

This gorgeous, but smelly, corpse flower bloomed on June 18th. Royal Botanic Gardens, KewIn London however it tends to be only for a short period, lasting only 24 to 36 hours.

Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanium) also known as Titan Aramgets its name from the foul smell it gives off, resembling rotting meat, which is so strong it can be heard for hundreds of metres. The smell is produced to attract rare pollinating insects, such as flesh flies and carrion beetles, to the short-lived flowers, and must be strong enough to do its job during the short period the plant is in flower, because the plant may not flower again for many years.

Strictly speaking, this up to 3 metre tall plant isn’t one flower, but many. The inner inflorescence, or spadix, emerges from a purple, pleated collar called a bract and looks like a yellow obelisk. The inflorescence, or cluster of flowers, lies in the protected area between the bract and the spadix.

If you happen to see and smell it, the smell may not be what you expect: it can change during the flower’s short lifespan and can smell like rotting flesh, as well as pleasant excrement or warm garbage.

This rare plant is endemic to the rainforests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but is cultivated in many botanical gardens around the world for its beauty and the crowds it attracts when it blooms. The first time it is known to flower outside of Sumatra was in 1889 at Kew Botanical Gardens.

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The glassy gel is as rigid as plastic and can extend up to seven times its original length.

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Glassy gels are a new class of materials that are as stiff as plastic but extremely stretchy.

Meishan Wang, North Carolina State University

SEI 209347890 — Glassy gels are a new class of materials that are as stiff as plastic but extremely stretchy.

Meishan Wang, North Carolina State University

When you think of gel, you might imagine something sludgy, but the new gel-like material has been engineered to be strong and transparent like glass, yet flexible enough to stretch to almost seven times its original length.

Michael Dickey The North Carolina State University researchers say they discovered the “glassy gel” when student Meishan Wang was experimenting with ionic liquids and kept finding unexpected mechanical properties. The material they came up with is more than 50 percent liquid, yet it's as strong as the plastic in water bottles, and it's also highly stretchable and sticky. “It has a lot of great properties,” Wang says.

Each glassy gel is made up of long molecules called polymers mixed with ionic liquid (essentially liquid salt). The gels are transparent solids that can withstand up to 400 times atmospheric pressure, yet easily stretch up to 670 percent. Dickey says this could make them suitable for building soft robotic grippers or for 3D printing deformable materials.

He and his colleagues created glassy gels from mixtures of several polymers and liquid salts, and found that their strength and stretchability depended on the exact ratios used.

“By simply changing the ratio of the two materials, we can make something as stretchy as a rubber band or as hard as glass,” Dickey says.

This is because the material's stretchability comes from the ionic liquid depositing in the spaces between the stiff polymer molecules, pushing them apart, while its strength comes from electrostatic attraction between the charged particles in the liquid and the polymer, which prevents the particles from moving apart completely.

The glassy gel is also capable of self-repair; cuts or breaks can be repaired by applying heat, causing the molecules at the broken edges to rejoin. Richard Hoogenboom Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium say the technique could be useful in some cases where traditional plastics are used, but that the formulations may need to be tweaked to only soften at high enough temperatures to avoid accidental softening.

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The return of GamerGate’s troubling online misogyny: Was it ever truly gone? | Gaming

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

a A few months ago, I wrote about the consulting firm Sweet Baby Inc., which was at the center of a conspiracy theory: disgruntled gamers on the Steam forums wrongly concluded that the small company was somehow mandating that its games include more diverse characters. The sad but predictable result was a massive amount of targeted harassment against the people who worked at Sweet Baby and all journalists (especially women) who wrote about the company. It was a disturbing echo of Gamergate, the online harassment campaign from a decade ago that initially began with the extreme accusations of a vengeful ex-boyfriend of a game developer.

The lingo has changed a bit over the past decade. Whereas before we were pissed off at “SJWs,” or social justice warriors, now we quibble over a different acronym: DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion), or just good old fashioned “woke.” But the sentiment of this group is the same: games are for us, and only us, and if you want games to change, or tell stories other than the simplistic male-centric power fantasies we grew up with, well, that’s not going to be allowed. We won’t tolerate it. In fact, we’ll actively harass you to try and kick you out of this space altogether.

Unfortunately, the anti-woke “campaign” has shown little to no let up in the months since. Led by the usual crew of charlatans, they have covered issues such as, in no particular order, the fact that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, isn’t attractive enough in Supergiant’s Hades II, the fact that all the female characters in recent game trailers have “square” jaws and “masculine” body types, and the fact that a journalist gave the recent PS5 game Stellar Blade (pictured below) a bad review because the female characters were not attractive. Too Hot (Note: It’s not, the game has
Metacritic Score
81) There are way too many games featuring the “DEI haircut” (fun to interpret) And Ubisoft for some reason
The dark forces of Awakening are trying to make the protagonist of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game (pictured above) a black samurai.
Historical evidence
This last claim was backed up by the king of nasty posters himself, Elon Musk, who responded to a tweet about this manufactured outrage with, “DEI kills the arts.”

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté spoke about Musk’s tweet in an interview.
Stephen Totilo from Game Files
Last week, Elon Musk tweeted, “Elon Musk is just stoking hatred. A bunch of 3-word replies came to mind. First thing I wanted to do was go back to the X I deleted and just tweet it back… What Elon is talking about is not the game we’re making. People need to play the game for themselves. And if you don’t agree with what we’re doing within the first 11 minutes and 47 seconds, debate.” Incidentally, the game’s depiction of Yasuke, a black samurai, has ample historical basis.

Shortly after the end of Summer Game Fest, anti-woke gamers found a new target.
IGN Report
has credibly and comprehensively uncovered the history of sexism at the development of Black Myth: Wukong, the upcoming Planet of the Apes-meets-Sekiro action game. Amazingly, the response has been to attack the woman who wrote the game and spark ridiculous conspiracy theories about IGN blackmailing the developer. You could immerse yourself in the astounding nastiness of any one of these manufactured controversies, but in my opinion, it’s just not worth it.

Stellar Blade. Photo: Public Relations

This reactionary underbelly of gaming enthusiast media, mostly based on X and YouTube, doesn’t actually have the slightest influence on how games are made, or what games are made. Look at GamerGate. What has it actually accomplished? There is more diversity in games than there was 10 years ago, not less. In the flurry of trailers and demos at this year’s Summer Game Fest, I saw more non-white male faces and characters than I’ve ever seen in the nearly 20 years I’ve covered games. But they can still make people’s online lives hell for a while. I know that much, because I’ve been there many times.

When Gamergate began, I was running Kotaku’s UK branch, so I had a front row seat to their harassment tactics, which included sending the most nasty threats imaginable through every online channel available to them, emailing game publishers and my bosses with a record of my professional misconduct and journalistic failures (i.e. writing about video games from a feminist perspective) in an attempt to get me fired, trying to find my and my colleagues’ real addresses, phone numbers and family (and, once found, posting the details on their subreddits), and creating insane Google docs that drew connections between “SJW” journalists and developers. One of these insane documents featured briefly in a recent Netflix documentary about 4chan, with a couple of friends texting me screenshots and asking if I knew I was some old “alt-right” conspiracy figure. Unfortunately, I did.

It’s happened several times since then, for a variety of reasons. Dealing with online mobs is unfortunately part of the job for many journalists these days, and for game developers too. As a woman covering video games, I’ve dealt with a variety of harassment over the years, and still wish I didn’t have to write about politics. But I know how awful it feels when they rally against you, especially if it’s the first time. They search Google Images for the most unflattering image of you, use it as a cutout for a YouTube thumbnail image, and rant for 10 minutes over screenshots of your article. They tweet big names in the games industry to get them to publicly discredit you. They turn their followers on you. You can’t help but respond to their manufactured anger with your own authentic anger.

It’s tempting to attack these people endlessly, but anger breeds anger, especially now that you can literally make money posting inflammatory nonsense on X or YouTube. If GamerGate has proven anything, it’s that you don’t have to pander to or listen to toxic gamers who stoke your anger. That said, I don’t think there has been enough public backlash against this online harassment over the past few months, even as major publishers in the gaming industry have been caught in an online storm over the consultancies they work with, the journalists and pundits who cover them, and even their own developers. Take my word for it, a voice goes a long way.

What to Play

This thing on an oil rig in the North Sea…still waking up the deep sea. Photo: Incognito mode

Chinese Room, whose previous game, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, became a creepy British classic, is taking a more horror-thriller direction with their latest game. Awaken the Abyss (Pictured above.) It’s basically The Thing, but set on a creaky, dark, dank rig in the desolate waters of the North Sea, where a band of workers encounters something much worse while drilling for oil.

I’ve played the first few hours and the attention to detail in depicting life on a rig in 1970s Scotland is exceptional, right down to the faded tartan carpets and lived-in feel of the crew’s dormitories (one guy has National Front leaflets pinned to the wall), and I also love the delightfully authentic Scottish dialogue. that It’s scary, which to me is its advantage, but it’s atmospheric and incredibly well-made, so you really feel like you’re there – it’s worth playing just for that feeling of being there.

Available on: PC, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5
Estimated play time: Six hours

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What to Read

HiFi Rush by Tango Gameworks. Photo: Tango Gameworks

Developer Tango Game Works Takeo Kido (the creator of Hi-Fi Rush pictured above)
Very sad photo From the studio’s final day. It was acquired by Microsoft in March 2021 and closed down.
Really interesting long article

Kotaku’s Kenneth Shepherd talks about the ongoing debate over how to portray it Romance in Video Games: Should characters be “playersexual” and do what the player wants? Or does depicting the queer experience in particular lead to two-dimensional characterization? There’s a lot more that could be said on this topic, but this article is pretty comprehensive, so be sure to read it.
Yesterday’s big news Nintendo Direct It was the announcement of a new Zelda title that would actually let you play as Princess Zelda for the first time (no doubt to the delight of those aforementioned online crowds).
Also announced There was the release of the Marvel vs. Capcom bundle, Mario Party Jamboree, the Romancing SaGa 2 remake, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which is due for release in 2025.

What to click on

Question Block

Subnautica: Sub-Zero. Photo: Unknown World

Today’s question comes from reader Diana.

“When making a game, to what extent should developers listen to player feedback? People who paid for access to the pre-alpha version on Kickstarter can give their feedback. Should their feedback fundamentally change the game, or should it just improve the game as the developer intended?”

From what I’ve heard from developers working on Kickstarter and Early Access projects, where players are welcomed into the game long before it’s actually finished, their input is absolutely essential – as long as it’s in good faith. Developers can learn so much by seeing how people actually play – whether that’s finding out where people get stuck and smoothing out the difficulty curve, seeing which elements and ideas players respond most favorably to, or balancing online multiplayer gameplay. Sometimes, players just don’t get the idea.
do It changes the game, and usually for the better. Games like Kerbal Space Program, Subnautica (pictured above), and even Baldur’s Gate 3 have benefited greatly from releasing in Early Access.

But should developers change their games so much for the players that they compromise their original creative vision? Only if that vision doesn’t work in reality. Especially in games, where players never Really You won’t know if things are going well until quite late in development. Generally, if the developer is smart, the game is pretty finished by the time it enters Early Access or public alpha/beta testing. At that point, player data and feedback become an opportunity for the developer to better realize their vision.

If you have a question for Question Block, or anything else you’d like to say about the newsletter, please click “Reply” or email us at pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.

The Revelation of Why Some Individuals Have Greater Resistance to the Novel Coronavirus

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Volunteers were exposed to coronavirus as part of a scientific study

Koto Feja/Getty

By intentionally exposing people to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, scientists have been able to understand why some people appear to be immune to infection.

As part of the first human COVID-19 challenge study conducted in 2021, an international group of researchers looked at 36 healthy people who had not tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had not been vaccinated.

The ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain was sprayed into their noses. Nasal and blood samples were taken from 16 of the participants before exposure and then six to seven times over the next 28 days. All were also tested for SARS-CoV-2 twice daily.

Participants were split into three groups, team members said. Sarah Teichmann The study was conducted at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. In one group, six participants tested positive in both daily tests for more than two days and also had symptoms. In another group, three participants tested positive in one of two daily tests but not in the other and did not have symptoms, but for less than two days. In the final group, seven participants consistently tested negative for coronavirus.

In total, the researchers sequenced more than 600,000 blood and nasal cells across all subjects.

In the second and third groups, the researchers found that participants were producing more interferon (a substance that helps the immune system fight infection) in their blood in front of the nasopharynx (the top of the nose at the back of the throat where the nasal samples were taken). The interferon response was actually higher in the noses of participants in the second group than in the third group, Teichmann says.

These groups also did not have active infections within the immune cells T cells and macrophages, team members say. Marko Nikolic At University College London.

The results showed that high levels of gene activity HLA-DQA2 Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 helped prevent persistent infection.

Nikolic hopes that this discovery will improve understanding of the cellular responses involved in preventing COVID-19 and aid in the development of vaccines and treatments.

“With its carefully controlled design and real understanding of 'time zero' when infection occurs, this study will serve as a unique resource of previously uninfected SARS-CoV-2 participants to measure subsequent immune responses,” the study said. Jose Ordovas Montanez Harvard Stem Cell Institute

But most people have been exposed to “a true mosaic of SARS-CoV-2 variants,” not just the ancestral variant used in the study, so the results may not reflect cellular responses outside the testing environment, he says.

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Nvidia emerges as the most valuable company in the world amidst AI boom

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Nvidia surpassed Microsoft on Tuesday to become the world’s most valuable company, driven by its essential role in the competition for artificial intelligence dominance.

With a 3.5% increase in its shares to $135.58, Nvidia now has a market capitalization of $3.34 trillion, following its recent surpassing of Apple to become the second-most valuable company.

Originally known for making video-game chips, Nvidia has evolved into a global powerhouse, benefiting from the industry’s shift towards artificial intelligence and becoming a go-to supplier for tech giants.

Outperforming industry giants like Google and Apple, Nvidia’s growth has spurred investment and market interest.

The company’s success has contributed to record highs on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 closing at 5,487.03 on Tuesday.

Nvidia’s shares have soared by approximately 180% this year, significantly outperforming Microsoft’s 19% increase, driven by high demand for its cutting-edge processors.

Tech leaders like Microsoft, Meta Platforms Inc., and Alphabet Inc. are in a race to bolster AI computing capabilities and dominate emerging technologies.

The surge in Nvidia’s stock price has pushed its market capitalization to new heights, adding over $103 billion on Tuesday alone.

By splitting its stock 10-for-1 on June 7, Nvidia aimed to make its highly-valued stock more accessible to retail investors.

Nvidia’s chips, utilized in crucial AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, have driven its revenue and stock price up, arousing increased investor interest in Silicon Valley.

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As Nvidia solidifies its presence in the tech sector, CEO Jensen Huang, aged 61, has ascended to the ranks of the world’s wealthiest individuals, with a net worth exceeding $100 billion.

In less than two years, Nvidia’s market capitalization has jumped from $1 trillion to $3 trillion, marking a remarkable growth trajectory.

Reuters assisted with reporting.

Review: Beats Solo Buds – Apple’s Affordable Earbuds Outshine the Rest

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Apple’s latest Beats-branded earphones offer the sound, fit, and Android compatibility of the popular Studio Buds but in a smaller, cheaper, and longer-lasting package.

The Solo Buds follow in the footsteps of last year’s Buds+, offering full integration with a range of Apple’s devices and Google’s Android, providing the best of both platforms.

However, Beats has trimmed some features and lowered the price to £80 (€90 / $80 / AU$130), half the price of the brand’s other truly wireless earphones.

The appearance is very similar to the Studio Buds and Buds+, and while the compact pill shape remains, the shape has been slightly improved for increased comfort. They are light, fit well, and come with four different sizes of earphone tips.

The tops of the earbuds protrude slightly from the ears, making them easier to grip. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

A hidden button just above the “b” logo allows you to control playback, access your phone’s voice assistant, adjust the volume, and more, although it doesn’t pause your music when taken out of your ears like AirPods do.

Unlike most earbuds, the Solo Buds do not have a battery inside the case to charge them when not in use. Instead, each earbud has a powerful built-in battery that provides 18 hours of playback on a single charge.

The case charges the earbuds when connected to a USB-C cable, but with no built-in battery, they are 40% smaller, 55% lighter, and easier to fit in your pocket. The earbuds also emit a chime when charging or in pairing mode instead of an indicator light on the case.

specification

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC
Battery life: 18 hr
water resistance: none
driver: 8.2mm
Earphone Weight: 5.7g each
Earphone Dimensions: 16.7 x 18.5 x 18.9mm
Case Weight: 22 g
Case Dimensions: 34.7 x 66.1 x 23.7mm
charging: USB-C

Perfect for Android or iPhone

It takes 80 minutes to fully charge the earbuds via USB-C. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Like the more recent Studio Buds+ and Solo 4, the Beats’ big advantage is their broad cross-compatibility with Android and iOS.

It integrates better with iPhone than the competition, with controls accessible in Quick Settings, instant pairing you only need to do once to use with your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple products, and an Audio Sharing option so you can use two sets of headphones with one device.

If you have an Android or Google device, many of the same features are supported, including instant pairing, syncing and switching between Google devices, and spatial audio with compatible Pixel devices. The Beats Android app provides controls, a battery widget, settings, and other features.

The earbuds are also integrated with Apple and Google’s Find My systems, meaning you can locate them if you lose them, regardless of platform.

Good sound quality but no noise cancelling

The Solo Buds have good sound quality but lack noise cancellation. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

One big feature that was cut to achieve the lower price point was noise cancellation, so the Solo Buds rely entirely on silicone earbud tips to block out the outside world. They perform reasonably well when playing music, but they can’t completely block out the noise of your commute like the Buds+ can.

However, they are equipped with the same drivers as Beats’ more expensive earphones, so the sound quality is worth the price. They produce great, easy-to-listen-to sound with a decent amount of bass balanced with the highs. The earphones sound great across a range of genres and never sound shrill or cheap. Sound separation is solid, but they lack a bit of detail and aren’t quite on par with the best in the business.

There’s no equalizer or other adjustments available, and they lack the spatial audio tech found in the company’s more expensive earbuds, making movies and TV shows less immersive when watching them on Apple devices, though the Solo Buds are compatible with Google’s spatial audio system in Pixel devices.

Call quality was very good in both quiet environments and noisy city streets, and although my voice sounded slightly compressed, it did a good job of blocking out background noise during calls.

sustainability

The case is much smaller and does not contain a battery but does contain some electrical components visible in a transparent red color. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Apple does not disclose the expected lifespan of the battery but should last for more than 500 full charge cycles while retaining at least 80% of its original capacity.

Apple offers out-of-warranty repairs “Battery Service”. The company has not released environmental impact statements for its headphones and other accessories, but it offers trade-ins and free recycling for products, including non-Apple products.

price

How much do the Beats Solo Buds cost? £79.99 (€89.95/$79.99/129.95 Australian Dollars).

In comparison, Beats Studio Buds are £160, Studio Buds+ are £180, Apple AirPods 3 are £169, and Fairphone Fairbuds are £189. £129Nothing Ear (a) is priced at £89.

verdict

The Solo Buds are a great set of budget earphones that straddle the line between Android and Apple platforms better than the competition.

For just £80, you get more than the basics: great sound quality, extremely long battery life, a small case, and a very comfortable fit. Perfect integration into the iPhone is something only Apple can offer, and Android offers much the same functionality with the Beats app.

There are some shortcomings compared to the brand’s more expensive earbuds and competitors, the biggest of which is the lack of noise cancellation, which may be a turn-off for some, as well as the lack of hands-free Siri support, water resistance rating, and Apple spatial audio, but these may be negligible given the price.

The battery is not replaceable and the earbuds are not repairable, so they are ultimately disposable, which will cost them a star.

Strong Points: Great sound quality, cross-platform compatibility with enhanced features for iPhone and Android, great battery life, small case, compact and comfortable for long periods of use, stable button control, low cost.

Cons: No noise cancellation, no Apple spatial audio, music doesn’t pause when removed, not repairable.

The Solo Buds are great, affordable earbuds that fit in your pocket. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian