Amazon is the latest tech giant to donate to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund.
Reports indicate that the company plans to donate $1 million to the fund, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Following in Meta’s footsteps, Facebook’s parent company, which also donated $1 million to President Trump’s inaugural committee, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that he would make a personal donation of $1 million. This was reported by Fox News.
As President Trump prepares for his second term, several major tech companies are showing support in hopes of gaining favor for their businesses. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is scheduled to meet with President Trump next week, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently dined with him at his Mar-a-Lago mansion. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is also expected to meet the president soon, according to reports. Time magazine, owned by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, even named Trump its “Person of the Year.”
Altman of OpenAI expressed his belief that Trump will lead the country in technological advancement. In a statement to the Guardian, Altman said, “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I look forward to supporting his efforts to ensure the United States stays ahead.”
Donating to inaugural committees is a common practice for large companies seeking to establish rapport with the incoming administration. Amazon, for example, donated $57,746 to President Trump’s first inaugural fund in 2017, according to Open Secrets. Google and Microsoft also made donations, while Mehta confirmed to the Guardian that he did not donate that year.
Amazon stated that during Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, the administration declined donations from technology companies, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Allegedly, Trump plans to offer additional perks to donors who contribute at least $1 million to his inaugural committee, including access to various events around the inauguration, dinners with Trump, Cabinet nominations, and a dinner with J.D. Vance, according to the New York Times.
Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, has been a target of Trump’s criticism. However, before the election, the Washington Post decided not to endorse a presidential candidate, likely in an attempt to avoid provoking Trump, as reported by The Washington Post.
After Trump’s victory, Bezos and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy expressed their support for the new administration. Bezos praised Trump for the opportunities ahead, while Jassy celebrated the victory and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the administration. Amazon’s stock price reportedly rose by 14% after the election.
Prepare yourself with a coat, warm socks, and a chair to witness the spectacle of the night sky. The Geminid meteor shower is approaching, offering a breathtaking display of colorful meteors painting the heavens. While this year may not be as spectacular as the previous one, the shooting stars are still worth observing.
So, when will the 2024 Geminid meteor shower occur? The peak is set for the late hours of Friday, December 13th, continuing into the early hours of Saturday, December 14th. This prime time presents the best opportunity to witness these shooting stars, visible to the naked eye with their vivid hues.
According to Dr. Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, the optimal viewing time is around 2 a.m. local time. However, the meteor shower can be observed from the evening onwards. The shower will remain active from December 4th to December 20th, allowing for extended viewing opportunities.
No special equipment is needed to enjoy the meteor shower, just warm clothing, a sense of adventure, and your eyes to gaze at the spectacle.
However, with a full moon on Sunday, some of the fainter meteors may be obscured, as noted by Professor Don Polacco, an astrophysicist at the University of Warwick.
Despite suboptimal conditions this year, the Geminid meteor shower is always worth witnessing. So, if weather permits, grab your warm attire, settle into your chair early Saturday morning, and behold the wonder above.
Looking up to observe the meteor shower, locate the constellation Gemini, the radiant point of the shower. Find Orion the Hunter and then spot Castor and Pollux above and to the left for a guide to Gemini’s location in the sky.
The Geminid meteor shower has been known to produce 120 to 150 meteors per hour during its peak, offering a dazzling display of bright meteors streaking across the sky.
These meteors exhibit varying colors, from white, yellow, and green to red, orange, and blue, depending on the metals present in the debris and their interaction with Earth’s atmosphere.
The Geminid meteor shower was particularly bright in 2023 – Credit: NurPhoto / Contributor
The Geminid meteor shower is unique as it originates from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, referred to as a “rocky comet.” These denser fragments result in a more spectacular show than typical comet debris. The close proximity of the shower’s orbit to the Sun also adds to its distinctive qualities.
Get ready to witness the magic of the 2024 Geminid meteor shower and enjoy the celestial spectacle it has to offer.
Juno and Galileo’s volcanic activity on Io, Jupiter’s innermost Galilean moon and the most volcanically active object in the solar system, is unlikely to originate from a global magma ocean just below the surface. Deep space networks and astronomical observations, according to new analysis of Doppler data.
The internal structure of Io revealed by this research. Image credit: Sofia Shen / NASA / JPL / Caltech.
Slightly larger than Earth’s moon, Io is the most volcanically active object in the solar system.
It is the innermost of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, which in addition to Io includes Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Trapped in a gravitational tug of war between Jupiter, Europa, and Ganymede, Io is constantly squeezed, causing frictional heat to build up within its interior, which is thought to be the cause of sustained and widespread volcanic activity.
Volcanic activity on the Moon was first discovered in 1979. That’s when Linda Morabito, an engineer on NASA’s Voyager program, spotted an eruption plume in one of the images taken by the spacecraft during its famous Grand Tour of the outer planets.
Since then, countless observations have been made from both space telescopes and telescopes on Earth documenting Io’s restless nature.
“Io is Galileo’s innermost moon, orbiting Jupiter every 42.5 hours,” said Juno collaborator Dr. Ryan Park of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and colleagues.
“It has an average diameter of 3,643 km and a bulk density of 3,528 kg/m.3 As such, it is approximately 5% larger than the Moon, both in diameter and density.”
“Io’s eccentric orbit changes its distance from Jupiter by about 3,500 km, which leads to fluctuations in Jupiter’s gravitational pull.”
“Similar to the Moon’s tides caused by Earth, these gravitational fluctuations cause tidal deformations on Io, which are theorized to serve as the main energy source for the intense volcanism and infrared radiation observed on Io’s surface.”
The amount of tidal energy could be enough to cause Io’s interior to melt, potentially forming a magma ocean underground, but this theory is controversial.
Measuring the extent of Io’s tidal deformation could help determine whether the shallow magma ocean theory is plausible.
“Since the discovery of Morabito, planetary scientists have wondered how volcanoes were fed by lava beneath the Earth’s surface,” said Scott Bolton, Ph.D., principal investigator at Juno and a researcher at the Southwest Research Institute.
“Was there a shallow ocean of white-hot magma that fueled the volcano, or was the source more local?”
“We knew data from Juno’s two very close approaches could give us insight into how this beleaguered satellite actually works.”
Io’s arctic region was captured by NASA’s Juno on December 30, 2023, during the spacecraft’s 57th approach to the gas giant. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft flew very close to Io in December 2023 and February 2024, coming within about 1,500 km of the surface.
During its approach, Juno communicated with NASA’s Deep Space Network and acquired high-precision dual-frequency Doppler data. This data was used to measure Io’s gravity by tracking how it affects the spacecraft’s acceleration.
Combining these observations with archival Doppler data from NASA’s Galileo mission and ground-based telescopes, the researchers calculated how much Io is deformed by tidal forces.
This result is inconsistent with what would be expected if a shallow global magma ocean existed, suggesting that Io has a nearly solid mantle.
It is not yet known whether there are regions of magma deep within the moon.
The findings show that tidal forces do not necessarily create global magma oceans, which could have implications for our understanding of other moons such as Enceladus and Europa.
“Juno’s discovery that tidal forces don’t always produce global magma oceans not only prompts us to rethink what we know about Io’s interior,” Dr. Park said.
“It has implications for our understanding of other moons such as Enceladus and Europa, as well as exoplanets and super-Earths.”
“Our new findings provide an opportunity to rethink what we know about planet formation and evolution.”
The team’s paper published in this week’s magazine nature.
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RS Park others. Due to Io’s tidal reactions, shallow magma oceans do not form. nature published online on December 12, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08442-5
The annual Geminid meteor shower is scheduled to peak Friday night and early Saturday.
It is usually one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year.
Stargazers can also look for Jupiter and three bright star formations known as the Winter Triangle.
Stargazers may have something to look forward to this weekend, as the annual Geminid meteor shower peaks Friday night into early Saturday morning.
The meteor shower has been going on all month, but the number of shooting stars is expected to increase into the weekend, especially after midnight Friday and in the pre-dawn darkness. According to NASA.
The Geminid meteor shower can be seen in the northern and southern hemispheres, but a nearly full moon could wash out some faint shooting stars in this year’s show.
Still, the Geminid meteor shower is typically one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year, so when conditions are clear, skywatchers can spot bright meteors streaking the night sky. You can do that.
Under ideal sky viewing conditions, with no bright moonlight and little interfering light pollution, you can see as many as 120 Geminid meteor showers per hour.
The Geminid meteor shower was observed in Mumbai, India on December 14, 2017. Pratik Chorge / Hindustan Times / Getty Images File
As their name suggests, Geminid meteors appear to stream from the constellation Gemini, but skywatchers should be able to see the shooting stars without looking directly into the constellation.
NASA experts suggest lying on your back with your feet facing south to enjoy the Geminid meteor shower. It is best to choose a dark viewing location, away from city lights and other light pollution.
Unlike most other meteor showers, which are caused by comet debris that has burned up in Earth’s atmosphere, the Geminid meteor shower is the remains of an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.
If you’re planning on checking out the meteor shower this weekend, be sure to also look for Jupiter in the night sky. The planet lies between the nearly full moon and the brightest reddish-orange star in the constellation Taurus, called Aldebaran, and is visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, all winter long, skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere also have the chance to spot the Winter Triangle, a three-bright star formation. This celestial triangle, consisting of Sirius in the constellation Canis Major, Procyon in the constellation Canis Minor, and Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, stands out in the winter sky.
To see the Winter Triangle, first look for the three stars that make up Orion’s distinctive band. A little below and to the left of the belt is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. From there Procyon is a little higher and to the left. Betelgeuse can be seen by looking back toward the constellation Orion, and the shoulder of the constellation appears red.
Last year, the obesity rate among U.S. adults decreased slightly for the first time in more than a decade, a study found.
Researchers suggested this may be due in part to the rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic.
However, other drugs and factors (such as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic) may also have played a role.
Obesity rates among U.S. adults declined slightly last year, according to a study, but it was the first time in more than a decade that the country had seen a downward trend. Part of that may be due to the recent rise of blockbuster weight loss drugs like Ozempic, the study authors said.
The findings of the study were announced on Friday. Journal JAMA Health Forumthe most significant declines were seen in the South, especially among women and adults ages 66 to 75.
The study looked at BMI measurements for more than 16.7 million adults from 2013 to 2023 across different regions, age groups, genders, races, and ethnicities. BMI measurements are a standard but limited method for estimating obesity relative to body weight. Height to length was collected from electronic health records.
Researchers found that the adult obesity rate in the United States decreased from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023. (These are slightly higher rates than the U.S. adult obesity rate) Estimate from the centers for disease control and preventionThis means that from 2021 to 2023, approximately 40% of U.S. adults were obese. )
Benjamin Rader, a computational epidemiologist at Boston Children's Hospital and an author of the study, said the results were not uniform across demographics or geographic regions.
“Obesity has been on the decline in the United States as a whole, especially in the South, but this has not been the case in some regions,” he said. “Obesity among Black Americans also decreased significantly, but obesity among Asian Americans increased.”
Rader said the decline in the South was notable because the region observed the highest per capita intake of weight loss drugs, based on researchers' analysis of insurance claims. But he acknowledged that the possible link needed further investigation.
The study authors also noted that obese people in the South had a disproportionately high number of COVID-19 deaths, which may have influenced the overall data.
Dr. Michael Weintraub, an endocrinologist and clinical assistant professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine, said the results are consistent with the following: Recent data from the CDC Results showed a slight decrease in obesity prevalence among U.S. adults from 2021 to 2023 compared to 2017 to 2020 (although severe obesity increased during this period). ).
“This data is interesting and holds the promise that we may be on the cusp of changing this obesity epidemic,” said Weintraub, who was not involved in the new study. “However, I would hesitate to call the value of this downward trend in 2023 a trend.”
Even if weight loss drugs were the main factor in reducing obesity, experts say further studies over longer periods of time are needed to assess the true effects of new drugs.
“We know these drugs are very effective, but we need a few more years to see if this is really a trend, or if it's just a small spike and we're back to normal, or if things get much worse. Dr. Tannaz Moin, an endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said he was not involved in the study.
Moyn also pointed out that the new study only analyzed preparations of GLP-1 weight loss drugs (a category that includes Ozempic and Mounjaro). This type of drug is used to treat diabetes and obesity by reducing a person's appetite and food intake. This drug mimics the hormone that makes you feel full.
But GLP-1 drugs are only part of the prescription for treating obesity, and a more comprehensive study of different drugs could better capture changing trends, Moyn said. said. Weight loss drugs are also expensive, which can skew data about who can receive treatment.
Additionally, the study used insurance claims data, meaning those who were uninsured or who purchased weight loss drugs out of pocket were likely not included in the results.
Moin said he was surprised by the decline in BMI seen in older people.
“This group is not necessarily the group that I think is the biggest user of GLP-1 drugs, because a lot of them are in the Medicare age group,” she says, adding that weight loss drugs are the most popular for people on Medicare. may be difficult to obtain, he added. The Biden administration recently proposed a rule that would require Medicare and Medicaid to cover weight loss drugs for people seeking obesity treatment.
However, Weintraub cautioned that the observed decline does not necessarily indicate a long-term decline.
“We've been fooled until now by fluctuations in obesity prevalence,” he says. “We were excited about the downward trend in childhood obesity rates announced by the CDC in the early 2000s, but in the years since, obesity rates have increased even more.”
Zoomies are a hilarious sight. Watching a cat bounce off walls like a pinball is pure entertainment. One moment they’re leaping over furniture, and the next they’re careening into a lampshade. They zip around here, there, and everywhere before inevitably falling asleep.
Most cats will experience zoomies at some point, also referred to as “periods of frenzied random activity” or “FRAP.” This behavior is more common in the early and late hours of the day and is often seen in kittens and young cats.
Zoomies may also occur after a bowel movement, leading to terms like “poo” and “clap ‘n flap.” Several theories exist to explain this behavior.
Photo credit: Kyle Smart
Some believe it may be a response to a dirty litter box, as cats are naturally clean and want to distance themselves from their waste quickly.
Others suggest it could indicate a gastrointestinal issue or digestive illness.
One theory proposes that the behavior harks back to a cat’s wild instincts, as fecal matter can attract predators. By defecating swiftly, cats may avoid drawing unwanted attention.
On a different note, gastroenterologist and author Dr. Anish Sheth hypothesized that large stools could stimulate the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to abdominal organs.
This stimulation may decrease heart rate and blood pressure, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain and potential dizziness. The outcome? A goofy moment of cat craziness, or zoomies.
While this theory is intriguing, conventional wisdom suggests that vagus nerve activity typically relaxes animals rather than making them more active. As a result, the debate continues.
This article explores the question “Why do cats get zoomy after pooping?” posed by Ann Rosales via email.
If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to us at:questions@sciencefocus.comor message us on Facebook,Twitter, or visit our InstagramPage (please include your name and location).
Explore more ultimatefun facts on our fascinating science pages.
The issue of energy consumption and its sources has always been a significant concern in the context of the climate crisis. In response, efforts are being made to utilize cleaner and newer fuels. Recently, a groundbreaking discovery of vast reservoirs of hydrogen energy hiding beneath the Earth’s surface has emerged, prompting questions about its potential impact.
Naturally occurring geological hydrogen is formed through Earth’s geochemical processes and has been identified in limited locations such as Albania and Mali. Research published in the journal Scientific Progress suggests that these reserves are widespread globally.
The study posits that if just 2 percent of the underground hydrogen could be extracted, it could yield 1.4 × 10^16 Joules of energy, equivalent to the world population’s energy consumption in 35 minutes. This amount of energy exceeds that of all natural gas reserves on Earth and could aid in achieving net-zero carbon goals.
While current methods for obtaining hydrogen involve fossil fuels or water-intensive electrolysis processes with a carbon footprint, extracting geological hydrogen is a comparatively low-carbon process, albeit currently practiced only in Mali.
Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a model combining knowledge of hydrogen occurrence and geological data to explore these reservoirs on a global scale, estimating a substantial amount of hidden hydrogen beneath the Earth’s surface.
However, experts are hesitant about committing resources to extraction due to the scale and infrastructure required, as highlighted by geoscientist Professor Bill McGuire from University College London (UCL). He emphasizes the abundance of renewable energy sources like wind and solar and questions the necessity of tapping into another finite resource.
About our experts
Professor Bill McGuire is a volcanologist, climatologist, and author currently serving as Professor of Geophysics and Climate Hazards at UCL. His works include books on natural disasters, environmental change, and climate solutions.
Intermittent fasting can be effective for weight loss, but it can also have negative effects on hair growth, as shown in a recent mouse experiment conducted by researchers at Westlake University in China. The study found that mice undergoing intermittent fasting experienced improved metabolic health but showed delayed hair regrowth. This link between restrictive eating and hair regrowth was also observed in a study published in Cell.
While similar effects may occur in humans, they are typically less severe due to differences in metabolic rate and hair growth patterns. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware of the potential unintended consequences of intermittent fasting, as highlighted by senior author and stem cell biologist Dr. Bing Zhang.
Further research is needed to fully understand the effects of fasting on hair growth, as current studies have primarily focused on its benefits for blood, muscle tissue supply, and metabolism. The research team at Westlake University conducted experiments on mice to explore the impact of intermittent fasting on hair regrowth, with findings suggesting that prolonged fasting stresses hair follicle stem cells, leading to delayed hair growth.
A small clinical trial involving 49 healthy young individuals showed that time-restricted eating with 18 hours of daily fasting reduced hair growth by an average of 18 percent. However, the researchers caution that the study’s small sample size and short duration may yield different results in larger-scale studies.
Future research will investigate how fasting affects other types of stem cells in the body and its implications for wound healing speed. Despite the potential drawbacks, intermittent fasting remains a popular and beneficial practice for many individuals.
In London, where I live, you forget about white Christmas. The best I can hope for is a storm of pathetic flakes. So this year I’m on a mission to make my own snow. It’s not just snow. To maximize the effect of the festival, we want to create the world’s largest snowflake.
It’s going to be a challenge. Guinness World Records Diameter 38cm, thickness 20cm. This incredible phenomenon was recorded in Montana in January 1887, when rancher Matt Coleman reported seeing snowflakes “larger than milk bread” during a violent storm. To be sure, some experts are skeptical. “If this was falling from the sky, they would probably need to wear crash helmets,” said Douglas Mair, a glaciologist at the University of Liverpool in the UK. Nevertheless, Guinness World Records claims that modern sources corroborate the record.
But wait a minute! There is a postscript. The largest snowflake was 10 millimeters. “A snowflake is a single ice crystal,” says Ken Libbrecht, who took the record-breaking photo in Ontario, Canada, in December 2003. The textbook image of a Christmas snowflake is actually a complete snowflake, but a snowflake is made up of several crystals joined together. So you might be able to break the record by creating the world’s largest snowflake instead. How difficult would it be? “You could grow ice crystals from water vapor,” says Libbrecht, whose lab at the California Institute of Technology makes “designer” snowflakes. “But if you want to look like a snowflake, and you want to actually make a symmetrical snowflake, that’s a tall order.” Obviously, I need help.
Scottie Pippen is once again leveraging his NBA legacy to venture into the world of cryptocurrencies with hopes of becoming a world champion in this space.
Back in his prime, Pippen was content playing the role of Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman. However, recent events such as the Netflix documentary “Last Dance” and the publicized issues with his ex-girlfriend and the play of Jordan’s son have left him bitter about playing second fiddle and questioning the significance of the 1990s NBA dynasty. This has led him to contemplate whether there was room for another hero.
Pippen’s recent social media post pondered how many championships Elon Musk would have won, accompanied by an image of Musk in a Bulls jersey in a basketball setting. This post garnered significant attention and was a strategic move to draw attention to his latest project – a new virtual currency aimed at tokenizing the basketball used in the Bulls’ victory over the Lakers in one of their six championships.
Cryptocurrencies have made a significant impact in the US sports world, with stadiums, jerseys, and equipment adorned with various coin logos. Athletes are also jumping on the crypto bandwagon, endorsing and promoting the industry. However, caution is advised, as seen in cases like Spencer Dinwiddie who tried to tokenize his contract but faced setbacks when the NBA intervened.
The rise and fall of certain cryptocurrency platforms like FTX caution against blindly endorsing such ventures. Athletes like Stephen Curry, who promoted FTX, ended up embroiled in legal issues post the platform’s collapse due to alleged financial malpractice. This highlights the risks involved in associating with cryptocurrencies without proper understanding.
Despite the risks, Pippen remains undeterred in his crypto endeavors and aims to create a community around his new project. While some criticize his enthusiasm, others believe in his vision. As the crypto sports campaign gains momentum, Pippen’s involvement adds a touch of nostalgia and excitement to the evolving landscape.
Alternating current magnetism is a unique form of magnetic ordering in which small magnetic components align antiparallel to their neighbors, but the structure housing each element is rotated relative to its neighbors. . Professor Peter Wadleigh and colleagues at the University of Nottingham have shown that this new type of magnetism exists and can be controlled with microscopic equipment.
Mapping of alternating current magnetic order vectors in MnTe. Image credit: Amin others., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08234-x.
Magnetic materials are used in a large portion of long-term computer memory and in the latest generation of microelectronic devices.
Not only is this a large and important industry, but it is also a global source of carbon emissions.
Replacing key components with alternative magnetic materials has the potential to lead to significant increases in speed and efficiency, while significantly reducing dependence on rare and toxic heavy elements required by traditional ferromagnetic technology .
Alternating magnets combine the advantageous properties of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets in a single material.
They are more robust, more energy efficient, and have the potential to increase the speed of microelectronic components and digital memory by a factor of 1,000.
“An alternating current magnet consists of magnetic moments pointing antiparallel to neighboring magnets,” Professor Wadley says.
“But each part of the crystal that hosts these tiny moments is rotated relative to its neighboring parts. It's like a twist on antiferromagnetism. But this subtle difference It has a big impact.”
Dr Oliver Amin, from the University of Nottingham, said: “Our experimental work provides a bridge between theoretical concepts and real-world implementation, and illuminates the path towards the development of alternative magnetic materials for practical application. I look forward to that.”
The new experimental study was conducted at the MAX IV international facility in Sweden.
This facility, which looks like a giant metal donut, is an electron accelerator called a synchrotron that generates X-rays.
A magnetic material is irradiated with X-rays, and the electrons emitted from the surface are detected using a special microscope.
This allows us to generate images of magnetism within materials with small feature resolution down to the nanoscale.
“Being the first to confirm the effects and properties of this promising new class of magnetic materials has been a hugely rewarding and rewarding privilege,” said the University of Nottingham PhD. Student Alfred Dal Din.
Scientists sequenced and analyzed the genomes of seven people who lived between 42,000 and 49,000 years ago in Ranis, Germany, and Zlatiks, Czech Republic. As a result, the Ranis and Zlati Kush were linked by distant kinship ties, and that they were part of the same small, isolated group, representing the deepest known split from lineages outside Africa. was shown. The Ranis genome contains a Neanderthal component derived from a single admixture event common to all non-Africans, which the authors date back 45,000 to 49,000 years ago. This means that all non-African ancestors sequenced so far existed in a common population during this time, and further The human remains suggest that they represent a distinct non-African population.
Illustration of the Zlati Kush, who belonged to the same group as the Ranis and had close relationships with two of them. Image credit: Tom Björklund / Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Dr. Alev Schumer of the Max Planck Institute for Evolution said, “After modern humans left Africa, they met and interbred with Neanderthals, and as a result, approximately 2 to 3 percent of Neanderthal DNA is present in all areas outside Africa.'' It's in people's genomes.” Anthropology and its colleagues.
“However, little is known about the genetics of Europe's first settlers or the timing of interbreeding between Neanderthals and non-Africans.”
“An important site in Europe is Zlaty Kush in the Czech Republic, where the complete skull of a single individual who lived about 45,000 years ago was discovered and previously genetically analyzed.”
“However, due to the lack of archaeological context, we were unable to link this person to an archaeologically defined group.”
“Ilsenhöhle, located in Ranis, Germany, about 230 km from the nearby site Zlatiks, is known for a particular type of archeology, Rincombi-Ranissian-Jersmanovičian (LRJ), dating back about 45,000 years. ”
“It has long been debated whether the LRJ culture was created by Neanderthals or early modern humans.”
“Although most small bone fragments have been preserved at Ranis, previous research was able to analyze mitochondrial DNA from 13 of these remains, indicating that they belong to modern humans rather than Neanderthals. It turns out.”
“However, because mitochondrial sequences represent only a small portion of genetic information, their relationship to other modern humans has remained a mystery.”
In the new study, the authors analyzed the nuclear genomes of 13 specimens taken from Ranis and found that they represented at least six individuals.
Based on the size of the bones, it was determined that two of the children were infants, and that three were genetically male and three were female.
Interestingly, these individuals included mothers and daughters as well as more distant biological relatives.
The researchers also sequenced more DNA from the female skull found in Zlati Kush, producing a high-quality genome for this individual.
“To our surprise, we discovered that there is a fifth or sixth degree genetic relationship between the two people from Zlati Kush and Ranis,” Dr. Schumer said.
“This means that Zlati Kush is genetically part of an extended family of Ranis and likely created LRJ-type tools as well.”
Of the six Ranis bones, one bone is particularly well preserved, in fact, it is the best preserved modern human bone from the Pleistocene for DNA searches.
This allowed the research team to obtain a high-quality genome from this male individual, called Ranis13.
Together, the Ranis13 and Zlatý kůň genomes represent the oldest high-quality living human genome sequenced to date.
Analyzing genetic variation associated with phenotypic traits, scientists found that Ranis and Zlati Kush individuals carried mutations associated with dark skin and hair color, as well as brown eyes. I did. This reflects the recent African origins of this early European population.
By analyzing parts of the genomes of Ranis and Zlati Kush inherited from the same ancestor, the authors found that their populations consisted of at most a few hundred individuals and were spread over a larger area. We estimate that there is a possibility.
They found no evidence that this small early modern human population contributed to later European or other world populations.
The Zlati Kush/Ranis people coexisted with Neanderthals in Europe, raising the possibility that Neanderthals were among their recent ancestors after they migrated to Europe.
Previous studies of modern humans dating back more than 40,000 years have found evidence of recent admixture between modern humans and Neanderthals.
However, no such evidence for recent Neanderthal admixture was detected in the genomes of Zlati-Kush/Ranis individuals.
Illustration by Zlatý kůň/Ranis group. Image credit: Tom Björklund / Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
“The fact that no such Neanderthal ancestry remains in Ranis and Zlati Kush, while modern human populations that may have later arrived in Europe inherited such Neanderthal ancestry. is an older Zlati Kush/Ranis lineage This could mean that they entered Europe by a different route or may not have overlapped with the areas inhabited by Neanderthals.''Also Max Planck. said Dr. Kay Pruefer of the Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
The Zlati Kush/Ranis population represents the earliest divergence from modern human groups that migrated from Africa and later dispersed across Eurasia.
Despite this early separation, the Neanderthal ancestry of Zlatikush and Ranis derives from the same ancient admixture event that can be detected in all peoples outside Africa today.
By analyzing the length of Neanderthal-contributed segments in the high-coverage Ranis13 genome and using direct radiocarbon dating of this individual, researchers found that this common Neanderthal admixture dates back to 45,000 years ago. It was estimated to be 49,000 years old.
Since all modern non-African populations share this Neanderthal ancestry with the Zlati Kush and Ranis, this means that approximately 45,000 to 49,000 years ago, non-African populations of consistent ancestry still existed. It means you must have done it.
Dr Johannes Kraus, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said: “These results provide a deeper understanding of the early pioneers who settled in Europe.”
“They also suggest that the remains of modern humans more than 50,000 years old found outside Africa have interbred with Neanderthals and are part of the general non-African population now found in many parts of the world. This indicates that it may not have been the case.”
AP Sumer others. The genomes of the earliest modern humans constrain the timing of admixture with Neanderthals. naturepublished online on December 12, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08420-x
This article is adapted from the original release by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Many people carry small pieces of Neanderthal DNA, evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and ancient human ancestors.
Two new studies suggest that interbreeding occurred during the limited period when ancient humans left Africa.
Clarifying that timeline narrows the range of possible times for humans to spread to new continents.
The genetic code of many people hides mysteries that have long intrigued scientists. It’s a tiny piece of Neanderthal DNA that persists tens of thousands of years after the species disappears.
Most people outside Africa can attribute about 1% to 2% of their DNA to Neanderthal ancestry.
However, the details of its evolutionary history remain unclear. How often did ancient humans and Neanderthals interbreed? When exactly did it happen? Why did Neanderthals become extinct and why did modern humans survive? That Neanderthal DNA What is it bringing us now?
Two research groups independently analyzed collections of ancient genomes and reached the same conclusions about some of their core questions. published research Published in Nature magazine and thursday science Evidence suggests that ancient humans and Neanderthals interbred for a limited period of time as humans left Africa and migrated to new continents.
The results suggest that a wave of interbreeding occurred approximately 43,500 to 50,500 years ago. Then, over the next 100 generations, most, but not all, of the Neanderthal DNA was culled. The remaining DNA is now associated with traits such as skin pigmentation, immune response, and metabolism.
New findings suggest that this interbreeding event occurred more recently than previous estimates suggested, shifting and narrowing the window during which humans may have spread to places like modern-day China and Australia. That’s what it means.
The importance of fossilized human remains dating back more than 50,000 years, discovered in Europe and other parts of the world, has also been revealed. According to a new study, those populations became extinct and reached an evolutionary dead end.
“Human history is not just a success story. In fact, humans went extinct several times,” said Johannes Krause, author of the Nature paper and professor at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. “There are multiple lineages that we’re identifying now that didn’t affect later people.”
The discovery also shows how adept anthropologists are at reconstructing ancient DNA and analyzing it to infer the course of human history.
Priya Muajani, author of the Science paper and assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, said: “We can look at past events and actually reconstruct what the path we are on will be. It’s a great thing to be able to do.” Berkeley. “Although 50,000 years ago is a long time ago, having genetic data available from these samples really helps paint a more detailed picture.
The two research groups took different approaches to the study.
Moorjani’s group cataloged genomic information from 59 ancient and 275 modern humans who lived between 2,000 and 45,000 years ago. The researchers then analyzed how the distribution and length of Neanderthal DNA in those genomes changed over time.
They determined that the influx of Neanderthal genes into humans occurred about 47,000 years ago and lasted less than 7,000 years. These findings are consistent with archaeological evidence suggesting that Neanderthals and humans overlapped geographically when humans left Africa. Many scientists suspect that the two species crossed paths in the Middle East, but this has not been confirmed.
After interbreeding, natural selection retained some Neanderthal traits and discarded many more.
You’ll never know who spoke the first sentence or what they said, but you can have fun guessing. Perhaps they came from the mouths of Stone Age men who wanted to defeat their rivals and win the affections of young women. He may have crept up to his girlfriend, surreptitiously pointing at his competitors and whispering words in her ear that translated into English to mean “fuck you.”
Is it ridiculous? Not so, if we are guided by the work of linguist Liljana Progovac. She points out that Charles Darwin described language as “half art, half instinct,” but most who study the evolution of language have ignored the creative element. Her research addresses this issue by focusing on the wordplay involved in compound words such as shit-head, skin-flint, and lily-livered, many of which are now written as single words. I’m starting to fix it. She believes these are language fossils that point to a key stage in the evolution of language, the moment when humans realized they could string two words together to create very short sentences.
Moreover, after collecting examples of such phrases, Progovac noticed that they had something surprising in common. “They’re usually dismissive,” she says. And there may be evolutionary reasons for that.
Language is central to the human experience, but its ancient roots are difficult to study because it leaves no archaeological trace, at least until the invention of writing. Nevertheless, judging by the communication systems of other animals, our ancestors could use simple sounds and…
Today is my vacation. Actually, it's not a vacation. Because of printing schedules, Feedback is writing this festive edition in the first week of December. We ordered a gift for Mrs. Feedback, but we still don't know what Feedback Jr. will get Mrs. Feedback (with Feedback's money). There is no decoration at all. And we're staring down the barrel of multiple school events. We will be asked to dress up in a festive mood for our children. In short, the feedback is moody.
So now seems like a good time to complain NORAD tracks Santaone of those efforts where you can't believe the feedback exists at all. NORAD, of course, is the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and its primary mission is to use a combination of satellites and radar to detect things flying into North American airspace, such as Chinese weather balloons. But on December 24th, an elaborate volunteer-run exercise to track Santa as he travels around the world will take place. You can also call for updates, check out his progress on his website, and follow him on social media.
How this tradition began is interestingly complex. A fact sheet on the NORAD website states: heartwarming story: “NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955, when a young child accidentally dialed an unlisted telephone number for the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). [the precursor to NORAD] Operations Center…She believed she called Santa Claus after seeing an advertisement in the local newspaper. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night, quickly realized the mistake and promised that CONAD would ensure Santa's safe journey from the North Pole. ”
But this story truth?This is difficult to fully elucidate. Details vary by account. How Shoup first reactedto how many times to call I came that first year. However, what is clear is that All this It started at the height of the Cold War. NORAD is inherently scary because it exists to detect incoming nuclear missiles. Its headquarters is literally a bunker dug into the mountain. stunt track santa This was and still is a great way to look cute. On the other hand, if a nuclear war were to begin, NORAD would almost certainly play a key role in it. On the other hand, run the cute Santa Tracker.
But the biggest gripe with feedback on the whole thing is that I'm 90 percent sure this stunt is the inspiration for a new Christmas-themed fantasy-action-comedy-thriller. red one. In the film's stacked qualifiers, Santa's journey is reimagined as a militaristic security operation involving a fighter jet escort and a sort of Arctic secret service commanded by Dwayne Johnson. It looks like one of the worst movies of the year, and I strongly suspect that the feedback is ultimately NORAD Tracks Santa's fault.
long setup
Speaking of tracking immaterial things, an Australian research project is asking people to monitor their own flatulence. It is necessarily Graph a fart.
Using a free phone app, participants cantrack Quantity and quality of output, including attributes such as odor, volume, duration, aftertaste, and detectability. ” feedback appreciates the precisely guided use of the word “residual” and points out that fart residual can be scored from “momentary” to “permanent.”
It aims to further explain “one of the main gut health symptoms experienced by Australians'', specifically “excessive bloating'', which up to 43 per cent of Australians report experiencing almost every day. It's about deepening your understanding.
Feedback is not supported guardianThe heading for the project is “wind power”. We also cannot approve of the decision to limit the study to Australia. But thankfully, others will too, as shown in this amazing 42-page feature on researchers trying to catch farts. And their work is extremely important at this time, when millions of us, in many countries, eat appalling amounts of meat, mince pies, and above all, gas. I'm about to eat some Brussels sprouts.
cheap in price
For all our readers who don't have a present for their loved ones yet, you're out of luck. I missed a great opportunity. London auction house Christie's recently announced the first-ever science fiction and fantasy auctionthe highlights are: dune bible: A circa 1975 collection of behind-the-scenes documents from Alejandro Jodorowsky's unproduced film adaptation of Frank Herbert's book. dunes. This is an ideal excuse for feedback to bring something to our chest. So here we go.
Jodorowsky's dunes The film has an almost mythical status as one of the great assumptions of science fiction cinema. The blockbuster, starring Orson Welles and Mick Jagger, with production design by H.R. Giger (later a director), is expected to be at least 10 hours long. alien fame). If he had succeeded in it, it would have become a classic.
Here's the problem. Jodorowsky is one of the most exaggerated filmmakers to have written a screenplay that included depictions of his own penis. Feedback learned from Danny Peary cult moviecovering Jodorowsky's mysterious 1970 Western. el topo. Peary complained that there were “too many references, Jungian and religious symbols/artifacts…inside jokes, and too many vague images that no one but Jodorowsky knows what's going on.” . Imagine it lasting more than 10 hours. we are saved.
Have a story for feedback?
You can email your article to Feedback at feedback@newscientist.com. Please enter your home address. This week's and past feedback can be found on our website.
Unidentified drone flies over US military facility
US Navy/Ensign Drew Barbis
A mysterious drone has been flying over New Jersey and neighboring states for a month. they were discovered some us military facility. They are filmed on video from the top of residential and apartment buildings. A swarm was seen chasing a U.S. Coast Guard rescue vessel at the same time New Jersey State Police reported 50 drones arrived on land from the sea. But no one seems to know who's behind the wheel or whether it's an organized effort.
The case has attracted the attention of state governors, legislators and even members of the U.S. Congress, and the FBI has launched an investigation. investigationis asking the public to report sightings.
Witnesses say the drones are as noisy as lawnmowers, some are the size of a small car, and are much louder than the typical quadcopter and multicopter drones that anyone can buy. “These are not necessarily just hobbyist small unmanned aircraft systems that you can buy for $2,000,” he says. Daniel Gerstein at the RAND Corporation, a think tank in California. “These feel like they have longer range and are more sophisticated than what you can get at a hobby shop.”
Blurry nighttime videos are popping up all over social media sharing drone sightings in states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, including videos of drones in the sky. It is. Verrazzano Narrows Bridge in New York City. Federal Aviation Administration Drone flight restrictions issued following reports of drone activity over both the Trump National Golf Club and the Picatinny Arsenal military base in New Jersey. This sighting coincides with other drone swarms that have recently appeared near British military bases where US Air Force squadrons operate.
On December 10th, the House Homeland Security Committee held a meeting. hearing He met with officials from the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Justice about the drone threat. Officials said recent sightings may include a mix of rotary-wing and fixed-wing drones, but they aren't sure what the drones are doing or who is piloting them. Little information was available. However, he said drones are not yet a serious threat. Separately Briefing session According to information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the agency told lawmakers some sightings may have mistaken the aircraft for a drone.
Mayor Ryan Hurd, from New Jersey, said: said ABC News Live Officials said they confirmed that these were not U.S. military drones and were not operated by a U.S. tech company.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Defense Secretary Vernon Coker told parliament last month that authorities: Under investigation Since November 20th, multiple drone intrusions have occurred near several military bases in the UK. These bases support U.S. Air Force squadrons that fly fighters, bombers, and support aircraft.
“The common theme in all of these incidents is that no one has completely cracked the code on how to spot, track, and, if necessary, shoot down small drones,” he said. arthur holland michelJournalist and author who writes about drones. “The second common theme is that the challenge of countering a drone is through the roof when the person operating the drone is actively trying to avoid being identified.”
Although drones can be tracked with radar and other sensors, “it is still not practical to cover every corner of the country with detection and tracking systems,” and officials say “most of our country's airspace does not allow drones at all.” Michel says that they are often “unrecognizable.” “Typically, by the time a citizen spots a drone and reports it or photographs it with a cell phone, it is too late.” [to take early action]” he says.
Gerstein said there is uncertainty about who has the primary authority and responsibility to take action against these drones, between local law enforcement and state and federal agencies. Even if they are resolved, finding the best way to deal with them is not easy.
Either directly shoot down the drone using missiles, lasers, bullets, or even other drones, or take control of the suspicious drone and use electronic warfare signals to force it to land, Gerstein said. There are many countermeasures against drones. Such techniques have been commonly used during the drone-heavy war in Ukraine, while U.S. Navy warships and other naval vessels shot down dozens of drones threatening shipping in the Red Sea region.
“When shooting down a drone, the most effective method is often the most dangerous,” Michel said. “There is no way law enforcement could fire a sophisticated projectile into the air or activate a military signal jammer every time a drone is spotted flying overhead.” [New Jersey]”
This relatively small solar flare that occurred in October (a bright flash at the center discovered by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory) would be dwarfed by a superflare.
NASA/SDO
The sun can produce extremely powerful bursts of radiation more often than we think. According to research on stars similar to the Sun, such “superflares” appear to occur about once every 100 years, and are particle storms that can have a devastating effect on electronic equipment on Earth. may be accompanied by The last major solar storm to hit Earth was 165 years ago, so we may be hit by another solar storm soon, but how similar is our Sun to these other stars? is unknown.
Direct measurements of solar activity did not begin until the mid-20th century. In 1859, our star produced a very powerful solar flare, or emission of light. These are often associated with subsequent coronal mass ejections (CMEs), bubbles of magnetized plasma particles that shoot into space.
In fact, this flare was followed by a CME that crashed into the Earth, causing a violent geomagnetic storm. This was recorded by astronomers at the time and is now known as the Carrington phenomenon. If this were to happen today, communications systems and power grids could be disrupted.
There is also evidence that there were even more powerful storms on Earth long before the Carrington incident. Assessment of radiocarbon content in tree rings and ice cores suggests that extremely high-energy particles occasionally rained down on Earth over several days, but this could be attributed to a one-time, massive solar outburst. It is unclear whether this is the case or whether it is due to several solar explosions. something small. It’s also unclear whether the Sun can produce such large flares and particle storms in a single explosion.
The frequency of these signs on Earth, and the frequency of superflares that astronomers have recorded on other stars, suggests that these giant bursts tend to occur hundreds to thousands of years apart. .
now, Ilya Usoskin Researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland studied 56,450 stars and found that stars similar to the Sun appear to emit superflares much more frequently.
“Superflares in stars like the Sun occur much more frequently than previously thought, about once every century or two,” Usoskin said. “If we believe this prediction for the Sun is correct, we would expect the Sun to have a superflare about every 100 to 200 years, and the only extreme solar storms we know of occur about once every 1500 or 2000 years. There will be a mismatch.”
Using the Kepler Space Telescope to measure the brightness of stars, Usoskin and colleagues detected a total of 2,889 superflares in 2,527 stars. The energies of these flares were 100 to 10,000 times the size of the Carrington event, the largest flare measured from the Sun.
Usoskin said it remains to be seen whether such large flares also cause large-particle phenomena, such as there is evidence for on Earth, but current solar theory cannot explain such large flares. That’s what it means. “This raises questions about what we’re actually seeing,” he says.
“It’s very impressive for a stellar flare survey,” he says. Matthew Owens At the University of Reading, UK. “They’ve clearly developed a new way to detect flares with increased sensitivity.”
Owens says it’s even harder to determine how much this tells us about the Sun’s flaring activity, in part because it’s difficult to accurately measure the rotation rates of other stars. It is said that it is for the sake of “The devil is in the details,” he says.
“The rotation rate is important because it is related to how the star generates its magnetic field, and magnetic fields are related to flare activity,” Owens said.
The newly discovered galaxy, called the Firefly Radiance, existed about 600 million years after the Big Bang and consisted of at least 10 star clusters.
The Firefly Sparkle galaxy is in the process of gathering and forming new stars, exists about 600 million years after the Big Bang, and would weigh about the same as the Milky Way if we could turn back the clock and watch the galaxy develop . Image credits: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / C. Willott, NRC-Canada / L. Mowla, Wellesley College / K. Iyer, Columbia.
The most distant galaxies detected date from when the universe was about 5% of its current age.
However, the mass of these galaxies is about 10,000 times smaller than that of the Milky Way, making them difficult to observe.
The Firefly Sparkle galaxy was first observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, but detailed new observations by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope shed more light on its formation.
“We never thought it would be possible to resolve galaxies that existed so early in the universe into so many different components, much less that their mass would be comparable to the mass of our galaxy in the process of forming. “I never thought it would be possible to discover similarities between the two,” he said. Dr. Ramiya Moura, astronomer at Wellesley College.
“There’s so much going on inside this small galaxy, including various stages of star formation.”
Webb was able to image the Firefly Sparkle galaxy in sufficient detail for two reasons.
One is the blessings of the universe. A massive galaxy cluster in the foreground, called MACS J1423.8+2404, radically enhanced the appearance of distant galaxies through a natural effect known as gravitational lensing.
And when combined with the telescope’s specialization in high-resolution imaging in infrared light, Webb provided unprecedented new data on the contents of galaxies.
“Without the benefit of this gravitational lensing, we would not have been able to understand this galaxy,” said Columbia University astronomer Karltej Ayer.
“We knew that was expected based on current physics, but to actually witness it was surprising.”
Astronomers also observed two neighboring galaxies they named Firefly Best Friend and Firefly New Best Friend. These galaxies are located 6,000 and 40,000 light-years from Firefly Sparkle, respectively, and are smaller than the present-day Milky Way.
The authors propose that the firefly glow could be a young, gas-rich galaxy in the early stages of formation.
These show that Firefly Sparkle’s mass is concentrated in 10 star clusters, with a total mass about 10 million times the mass of the Sun.
As such, Firefly Sparkle is one of the lowest-mass galaxies to have resolved into star clusters observed at the dawn of the universe, when galaxies began to form, and its mass is similar to that of the progenitor Milky Way. is.
“It has long been predicted that galaxies in the early universe formed through continuous interactions and mergers with other smaller galaxies,” says Yoshihisa Asada, a doctoral student at Kyoto University.
“We may be witnessing this process in action.”
“We have just started using space microscopy, so this is only the first of many such galaxies that Webb will discover,” said Dr. Marcia Bradač, an astronomer at the University of Ljubljana.
“Just as we can see pollen grains on plants with a microscope, the incredible resolution of the Webb and the magnifying power of gravitational lenses allows us to see tiny pieces inside galaxies.”
“Our team is currently analyzing all the early galaxies, and the results all point in the same direction. We still don’t know much about how these early galaxies formed. .”
L. Mora others. 2024. Low-mass galaxies were formed from star clusters in the Universe 600 million years ago. nature 636, 332-336; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08293-0
CChinese hackers have breached dozens of telecommunications companies around the world. The breach, dubbed “Salt Typhoon” by Microsoft cybersecurity researchers, allows cybercriminals to access information about who texted or called whom, as well as some messages. This provides unprecedented access to content, which is a much higher technical hurdle to clear. Cyber attack.
This cyber attack hit three of the largest telecommunications networks in the United States. Communications of government officials in Washington, D.C., have been intercepted, as have Internet browsing records kept by the same telecommunications companies. Hackers attempted to crack the cell phones of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, as well as Kamala Harris’ campaign staff, and may have succeeded. Even the US eavesdropping program was compromised. The call records stored there were stolen. A U.S. senator called it “the worst communications hack in our nation’s history.” In the same week, British telecommunications giant BT announced The company had withstood and avoided “attempts to compromise” its conferencing services.
The hacker group, also known as FamousSparrow, has been active since 2020 and has previously targeted government agencies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala and Burkina Faso, according to cybersecurity firm Eset. China has another favorite target, and it has targeted it even more aggressively than previous governments. Hotel. In all of these countries, as well as the UK, France, Lithuania, and Taiwan, the group has compromised hotels’ digital systems and stolen data.
According to U.S. intelligence agencies, salt typhoons have been occurring for one to two years and are still ongoing. U.S. analysts, as well as independent cybersecurity researchers, blamed the cyberattack on the Chinese government. China denies involvement.
The US National Security Adviser has urged employees to avoid using regular texting apps and instead save all communications to encrypted messaging apps such as Signal, WhatsApp, and FaceTime. That’s good advice. Security authorities in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have issued similar warnings.
Is this hack part of an elaborate and coordinated response to the escalating chip trade war between the U.S. and China? On Monday, the Chinese government launched an antitrust investigation into Nvidia. . Last week, Chinese regulators banned exports of minerals essential to semiconductor manufacturing, such as gallium and germanium, to the United States. Earlier this year, the United States banned the sale of cutting-edge semiconductor chips to China. Washington, which has regulatory power over Nvidia, TSMC, and others, seeks geopolitical advantage through AI, and without powerful chips it cannot create useful AI models. China is at a disadvantage because it cannot imitate or dethrone NVIDIA. So did China hack in response? It’s possible, but hacking telecommunications networks is not as closely related to the semiconductor industry as the “give me the chip or else” argument. If the Chinese government had hacked Jensen Huang’s phone…it would have ended in a trade war retaliation.
I call Salt Typhoon old-fashioned espionage.
Justices admit TikTok ban disenfranchises Americans, but upholds it anyway
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How much money did the tech industry spend on the US presidential election?
Proboscis monkeys are renowned for their loud, bulbous calls and are among the most famous primates in the world. Contrary to popular belief, their noses are not so large that they need to be held under their arms when eating. They have a healthy diet.
Endemic to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, these Old World monkeys are known for their social and friendly nature. They live in troops, with a harem group consisting of dominant males, females, and young males, while bachelor groups may include males and sometimes females.
These monkeys inhabit mangrove swamps and forests near rivers, where they feed on fruits, seeds, and leaves. They prefer unripe fruits due to the high sugar content in ripe fruits, which can cause their already plump bellies to swell further.
Baby proboscis monkeys are born with bright blue faces and black fur, but gradually change to their adult colors as they grow – Photo credit: Getty
They are unique among primates for regurgitating and re-chewing their food (rumination) and have multiple-chambered stomachs similar to cows. The bacteria in their stomachs aid in digesting tough foods and detoxifying them.
Everything about these monkeys is large, from their stomachs accounting for a quarter of their body weight to their long limbs and tails. Males can weigh up to 24 kg (about 52 lbs) and have large noses, earning them the nickname “Orang Branda” or “Dutchman” from local Malays.
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It turns out that female proboscis monkeys prefer males with large noses, which can grow up to 17 cm (6.5 inches) in length. This trait is sexually selected, with women showing a preference for males with bigger noses due to its association with body quality and vocalization. The size of the nose indicates fertility and influences the male’s success in attracting females.
Interestingly, males with larger noses also tend to have smaller canine teeth, despite the lack of territorial aggression in proboscis monkeys. Troops of monkeys often interact, and members may move between groups, gathering at night to sleep in the same areas.
Proboscis monkeys are adept swimmers with partially webbed limbs, using a splash-free dog paddle to navigate their habitat. Their main threat comes from human activities like deforestation for timber and agriculture, leading to a drastic decline in their population.
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Nuclear reactions can be categorized as either fission (when an atomic nucleus splits into two lighter nuclei) or fusion (when two atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus). You can explore both of these reactions with a simple setup.
Small amounts of radioactive materials can be found in everyday objects, making nuclear fission a practical demonstration. For example, smoke detectors contain about 0.2 milligrams of americium-241, camping gas lanterns are coated with approximately 250 mg of thorium-232, and glow-in-the-dark gun sights contain around 1.2 micrograms of thorium-232. These materials are all radioactive and could potentially be combined to create a breeder reactor that uses neutrons emitted from one source to convert thorium-232 into the more radioactive uranium-233.
For a fusion reaction to occur, the temperature inside a fusion reactor must be hotter than the core of the sun – about 150 million °C (270 million °F) – Photo courtesy of Getty
David Hahn, a boy scout from Michigan, attempted this in 1994, but did not progress beyond the neutron generator stage before drawing attention from authorities. It is unlikely that his setup ever reached a stage where it could generate useful power.
Creating a functioning nuclear reactor from nuclear fission requires the ability to slow and control neutrons to maintain a self-sustaining fission reaction. Achieving this balance is challenging, especially in small reactors, and proper shielding and cooling are essential for safety.
While modern “microreactors” are available in the 5 megawatt range, they are still the size of a shipping container, making them unsuitable for small-scale setups.
Building a fusion reactor that uses an electric field to accelerate deuterium ions and fuse them into helium 3 is possible at home, resulting in a cold purple plasma. However, the energy required for the electric field exceeds the useful energy obtained from nuclear fusion, making it impractical as a reactor.
This article, by Tim Hurst from Sheffield, provides an answer to the question “Can I build a nuclear reactor in my shed?”
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Explore more exciting science pages and fun facts on our website.
Legacy: Charles Dickens Wondery, weekly episodes This week, we recommend listening to the fascinating stories of Charles Dickens, the Godfather of Christmas. Afua Hirsch’s latest podcast subject and Peter Frankopan’s biographical series shed light on both the successes and struggles of this Victorian novelist. Despite his literary achievements and social impact, Dickens faced financial difficulties, rumored scandals, and publisher disputes. Holly Richardson
Dateline: Deadly Mirage 2 episodes per week, widely available Discover the chilling tale of how a supposed “happiest place” in California turned into a crime scene. With thorough investigative reporting, Dateline uncovers the shocking events leading up to the tragic murders in this gripping six-part series. Hannah Verdier
Afua Hirsch, one half of the Legacy Podcast. Photo: Cheese Scientist/Alamy
promenade Wide range of weekly episodes available Step into the world of short, evocative audio pieces with Promenade. Explore diverse narratives, from encounters with Paul McCartney’s barber to intimate reflections by Louise O’Neill, in this third season of captivating storytelling. HV
Watch Dogs: The Truth Audible, all episodes now available Immerse yourself in a thrilling audio drama featuring AI, government surveillance, and audience interaction. Join the stellar cast, including Russell Tovey and Freema Agyemang, as you navigate a world of fake news and civil liberties at stake. HV
President Trump’s conditions Wide range of weekly episodes available Stay informed about the latest political developments with this NPR podcast, delving into the intricacies of power dynamics and pressing issues in the new administration. From abortion rights to campaign strategies, get a comprehensive look at the issues shaping our world today. HV
There’s a podcast for that
Pod Poetry…George Mpanga, better known as Poet George. Photo: Suki Dhanda/Observer
Rachel Aroesti select the top five experimental podcastsfrom personal poetry to unconventional interview formats.
internal organs Explore a unique audio zine format with “Offal,” a podcast that challenges traditional podcast delivery. Dive into a mix of eerie apocalypse dramas, cultural satire, and haunting soundscapes created by feeding AI scripts. Expect a captivating blend of horror, sketch comedy, and immersive storytelling.
Have you listened to George’s podcast? Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of poetry with George the Poet’s thought-provoking series. Through rhyming couplets and evocative soundscapes, George delves into profound topics like black trauma in pop culture and personal reflections on identity and ambition. HV
11th Experience a dynamic podcast series that surprises you with each new episode. From anthologies to unique audio experiences, “11th” offers a diverse range of content, including personal stories, audio dramas, and intriguing explorations that keep listeners engaged.
everything is alive Delve into the world of inanimate objects with “Everything is Alive,” a heartwarming and humorous podcast that brings everyday items to life. Through quirky interviews and imaginative storytelling, this podcast offers a fresh perspective on the world around us.
80,000 steps Embark on a unique listening experience with “80,000 Steps,” an immersive podcast that can only be accessed through a specialized pedometer app. This series unfolds compelling immigrant and refugee narratives against the backdrop of a walking journey, inspired by personal stories of resilience and exploration.
Challengers is one of the films that the podcast Ordinary Unhappiness studies using psychoanalytic theory. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Photo
Explore thought-provoking podcasts that delve into psychoanalytic studies, lost music, cultural influences, and personal stories. Ammar Kalia presents the top picks to stimulate your mind and spark new insights.
name drop Dive into the impact of names with engaging storytelling that highlights the significance of personal names and their societal implications. Discover the power and complexities behind names in a captivating series that explores identity and self-expression.
Have you heard of this? Uncover hidden music gems and untold stories in the vast landscape of the music industry. Delve into the rich history of music with immersive storytelling and investigative journalism that reveals overlooked artists and musical legacies.
complete english Reimagine British cuisine and its sociocultural significance with Chef Louis Bassett’s illuminating podcast. Explore the evolution of British culinary traditions, from historical influences to contemporary food trends, in a series that invites you to savor the complexities of British gastronomy.
What on earth is my job? Embark on a journey through diverse career experiences with candid narratives of everyday work life. From quirky job roles to personal anecdotes, this podcast offers a light-hearted look at the joys and challenges of different professions.
ordinary misfortune Explore the depths of pop culture and politics through a psychoanalytic lens with “Ordinary Unhappiness.” Delve into the subconscious influences that shape media consumption and societal trends in this compelling podcast that analyzes cultural phenomena with depth and insight.
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intersectionExperience the intersection of men’s and women’s soccer in a captivating podcast by former England captain Steph Houghton and Arsenal hero Ian Wright.
best idea everUncover the fascinating stories behind game-changing innovations, from Happy Meals to Jacuzzis, in this intriguing podcast series.
The Australian Federal Police stated that due to the large amount of data being analyzed in their investigation, they have no choice but to rely on artificial intelligence to search through seized mobile phones and other devices, as its use is increasing.
Benjamin Lamont, AFP’s technical strategy and data manager, mentioned that the agency’s surveys contain an average of 40 terabytes worth of data. This includes material from 58,000 referrals per year to the company’s Child Exploitation Center, with a cyber incident reported every six minutes.
“Therefore, we have no choice but to rely on AI,” he stated at the Microsoft AI conference in Sydney.
In addition to participating in the federal trial of Copilot AI assistant technology, AFP is utilizing Microsoft tools to develop its own custom AI for use within government agencies. This involves translating 6 million emails and analyzing 7,000 hours of video footage.
One of the datasets AFP is currently working on is 10 petabytes (10,240TB), with each seized mobile phone potentially containing 1TB of data. Lamont explained that much of the work AFP is looking to use AI for is to structure the files obtained to make it easier for officers to process.
AFP is also developing AI to detect deepfake images and exploring ways to isolate, clean, and analyze data obtained during investigations in a secure and fully disconnected environment. The agency is considering using generative AI to create text summaries of images and videos to prevent officers from being unexpectedly exposed to graphic content.
Lamont acknowledged that AFP has faced criticism over its use of technology, particularly in regards to using Clearview AI, a facial recognition service built on internet photos.
He emphasized the importance of discussing the ethical and responsible use of AI within the AFP, ensuring that humans are always involved in decision-making processes arising from its use. AFP has established an internal Responsible Technology Committee for this purpose.
Messier 77 is a relatively nearby and well-known bright spiral galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center.
Messier 77 concept by artist. It is characterized by its powerful black hole and accretion disk, as well as the polarized light of water masers located outside the Milky Way. Image credit: NSF / AUI / NRAO / S. Dagnello.
Messier 77 is a barred spiral galaxy located 62 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus.
Also known as NGC 1068, LEDA 10266, and Cetus A, it has an apparent magnitude of 9.6.
Messier 77 was discovered in 1780 by French astronomer Pierre Méchain, who initially identified it as a nebula. Méchain then relayed this discovery to his colleague, the French astronomer Charles Messier.
Messier believed that the extremely bright objects he saw were clusters of stars, but as technology advanced, their true status as a galaxy was recognized.
At 100,000 light-years in diameter, Messier 77 is one of the largest galaxies in the Messier catalog, and its gravity is enough to twist and distort other galaxies nearby.
It is also one of the closest galaxies to active galactic nuclei (AGNs).
These active galaxies are among the brightest objects in the universe, emitting light in many if not all wavelengths, from gamma rays and X-rays to microwaves and radio waves.
But Messier 77's accretion disk is hidden by a thick cloud of dust and gas, despite being a popular target for astronomers.
Several light-years in diameter, the outer accretion disk is dotted with hundreds of different water maser sources that have been hinting at deeper structures for decades.
Masers are clear beacons of electromagnetic radiation that shine at microwave or radio wavelengths. In radio astronomy, water masers, observed at a frequency of 22 GHz, are particularly useful because they can shine through many of the dusts and gases that block the wavelengths of light.
Bucknell University astronomer Jack Gallimore and his colleagues began observing Messier 77 with two goals in mind: astronomical mapping of the galaxy's radio continuum and measuring the polarization of water masers.
“Messier 77 is a bit of a VIP among active galaxies,” says Dr. CM Violette Impellizzeri, an astronomer at the Leiden Observatory.
“There's an accretion disk right next to the black hole, and it's unusually powerful. And because it's so close, it's been studied in great detail.”
But the study authors looked at Messier 77 in an entirely new way.
Their observations were recently upgraded High sensitivity array (HSA) consists of the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the Very Long Baseline Array, and NSF's NRAO telescope at the Green Bank Telescope.
By measuring the water maser's polarization and the continuous radio emission from Messier 77, they reveal the compact radio source, now known as NGC 1068*, and the mysterious extended structure of the fainter emission. I created a map to
Mapping the astronomical distribution of galaxies and their water masers reveals that they are spread along structural filaments.
“These new observations reveal that the maser spot filaments are actually arranged like beads on a string,” Dr. Gallimore said.
“We were stunned to see that there was an apparent offset, or displacement angle, between the radio continuum, which describes the structure of the galaxy's core, and the position of the maser itself.”
“The configuration is unstable, so we're probably looking at a magnetically ejected source.”
Measuring the polarization of these water masers with HSA revealed significant evidence of a magnetic field.
“No one has ever seen polarization in water masers outside of our galaxy,” Dr. Gallimore said.
“Similar to the loop structures seen as prominences on the Sun's surface, the polarization patterns of these water masers clearly indicate that there is also a magnetic field at the root of these light-year-scale structures.”
“Looking at the filaments and making sure the polarization vector is perpendicular to the filaments is key to confirming that they are magnetically driven structures. It's exactly what you expected. It’s a thing.”
Previous studies of the region have suggested patterns, usually related to magnetic fields, but such conclusions were until recently beyond the scope of observational techniques.
The discovery reveals evidence for a compact central radio source (the galaxy's supermassive black hole), distinct polarization of water masers indicating structure within Messier 77's magnetic field, and spectacular extended signatures across the radio frequency continuum. It became.
Taken together, these findings indicate that magnetic fields are the underlying driving force for these phenomena.
However, many mysteries remain. For example, within the radio continuum map there is a diffuse, faint protrusion that the team has dubbed the foxtail foxtail, extending northward from the central region.
“When we set out on this, we said to ourselves, 'Let's really push the limits and see if we can get good continuum and polarization data,' and those goals were both It was a success,” Dr. Gallimore said.
“Using the NSF NRAO High Sensitivity Array, we detected the polarization of a water megamaser for the first time. We also created a very surprising continuum map, which we are still trying to understand.”
a paper The results will be explained today. Astrophysics Journal Letter.
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Jack F. Gallimore others. 2024. Discovery of polarized water vapor megamaser emission in molecular accretion disks. APJL 975, L9; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad864f
The attention economy can be likened to a phenomenon involving a social media-created celebrity named “hawk tua girl” Hayley Welch. She played a pivotal role in the launch of a cryptocurrency asset named Hawk Memecoin, which quickly gained enormous traction before facing backlash.
Initially valued at $490 million (£385 million) on December 4, the Hawk Memecoin has now exceeded its market capitalization and is valued at $17 million. Welch, a Tennessee native, rose to fame after responding to provocative interview questions but faced criticism for allegedly deceiving her social media followers.
Critics like cryptocurrency commentator Steven Findeisen, also known as Coffeezilla, labeled Hawk’s launch as a “rug pull,” which involves hyping a crypto project for short-term gains and then abandoning it. Despite the controversy, Hawk Memecoin is still being traded, with Welch stating that her team has not sold any tokens.
The rise of meme coins like Hawk reflects the growing trend within the cryptocurrency market, with meme coins collectively valued at $118 billion compared to $20 billion at the start of the year. These coins flood the market, with platforms issuing thousands of tokens daily.
Experts argue that meme coins lack fundamental value and are merely tied to digital trends. Memecoins blend the essence of memes and cryptocurrencies, leveraging social media attention to drive speculation and investment.
Meme coin trading often revolves around internet trends and influencer endorsements, creating a speculative environment with unpredictable outcomes. Participants acknowledge the speculative nature of memecoins, likening their trading to gambling but with the potential for significant returns.
Bitcoin’s value surpassed $100,000 for the first time a month after President Trump’s victory. Photo: Kevin Wurm/Reuters
Palaeospondylus ganniwas a small, eel-like creature that lived during the mid-Devonian period, about 390 million years ago, and is among thousands of similarly preserved fossils from the Achanaras Quarry in Caithness, Scotland. is represented by. Radically different interpretations of its structure had assigned this species to almost all major jawless and jawed vertebrate groups. Paleontologists are currently identifying new and old species. spondylosis From the early Devonian period of Australia.
First described in 1890, spondylosis It is a mysterious fish-like animal with a series of strange morphological features in the fossil record, including a lack of teeth and osteodermal bones.
Until now it was only known as Palaeospondylus ganni From the Middle Devonian Orcadian Basin in Scotland.
Initially interpreted as jawless vertebrates, they were soon classified into their own order and family.
Whereas the Scottish specimen was extremely compressed with all skeletal elements welded together, the new discovery spondylosisis located in a 400-million-year-old limestone in the Georgina Basin of western Queensland, central Australia, and is in a very different state of preservation as a 3D unfractured element.
“This is an amazing addition to Queensland's fossil record and is at the other end of the size scale of prehistoric giants like dinosaurs.” loetosaurus and Australotitan couperensis'' said Carol Barrow, a paleontologist at the Queensland Museum.
“What? Palaeospondylus australis Even more interesting is its relationship with similar species in northern Scotland. Palaeospondylus ganni”
The new fossil's honeycomb-like structure and complex internal features suggest the fish's early evolutionary importance.
The exact relationship is Palaeospondylus australis Although much remains unclear, as its features indicate that it retains many larval features, it is likely to be a distant relative of sharks.
This groundbreaking discovery not only enriches our understanding of ancient Australian ecosystems, but also highlights the global connectivity of early vertebrates across continents.
research Palaeospondylus australis It promises to uncover more mysteries about the evolution of jawed vertebrates.
“Discovery of a mysterious animal” spondylosis The early Devonian discovery in Australia indicates that this form is likely to have been distributed globally, given that Scotland and eastern Australia were then and now on opposite sides of the globe. “, the paleontologists said.
“New evidence regarding neurocranial features… spondylosis Adds important but contradictory information about that affinity. ”
“Until new and better evidence becomes available, spondylosis It is considered a pedunculate gnathostome, possibly a sister group to the cartilaginous fishes, and shows a mosaic of characters exhibited by both the osteoostia and some placoderms, as well as by the cartilaginous and teleost fishes. ”
of result appear in the diary National Science Review.
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Carol J. Barrow others. 3D brain box of early jawed vertebrates spondylosis From Australia. National Science Reviewpublished online on December 3, 2024. Doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwae444
New observations by NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope confirm previous measurements by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the distances between nearby stars and galaxies, and confirm measurements of the universe’s mysterious expansion. Provide critical cross-checking to address discrepancies. This contradiction, known as the Hubble tension, remains unexplained by even the best cosmological models.
This artist’s impression shows the evolution of the universe, starting with the Big Bang on the left and continuing with the emergence of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The formation of the first stars ends the Dark Ages of the universe, followed by the formation of galaxies. Image credit: M. Weiss / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“The discrepancy between the observed rate of expansion of the universe and the predictions of the Standard Model suggests that our understanding of the universe may be incomplete,” said Nobel laureate and Johns Hopkins University professor Adam Riess. “There is,” he said.
“Now that NASA’s two flagship telescopes are confirming each other’s discoveries, we must take this issue very seriously. It’s a challenge, but it’s a It’s also a great opportunity to learn more.”
The new research builds on Professor Rees’ Nobel Prize-winning discovery that the expansion of the universe is being accelerated by a mysterious dark energy that permeates the vast expanses of space between stars and galaxies.
The authors used the largest sample of Webb data collected during the first two years of the universe to test the Hubble telescope’s measure of the rate of expansion of the universe, a number known as the Hubble constant.
They used three different methods to measure the distance to the galaxy where the supernova occurred, using a method previously measured by the Hubble telescope and known to provide the most accurate “local” measurement of this number. We focused on the distance that is being
Observations from both telescopes were in close agreement, revealing that Hubble’s measurements were accurate and eliminating inaccuracies large enough to attribute the tension to Hubble’s errors.
Still, the Hubble constant remains a mystery. This is because measurements based on current telescopic observations of the universe produce higher values compared to projections made using the standard model of cosmology. The Standard Model is a widely accepted framework for how the universe works, calibrated with cosmic microwave background data. Weak radiation left over from the Big Bang.
The Standard Model Hubble constant is approximately 67-68 km/sec per megaparsec, but measurements based on telescope observations typically yield higher values of 70-76, with an average of 73 km/sec/megaparsec.
This discrepancy has puzzled cosmologists for more than a decade. A difference of 5 to 6 kilometers per second per megaparsec is too large to be explained solely by deficiencies in measurement and observation technology.
Webb’s new data eliminates significant bias in Hubble’s measurements, so the Hubble tension could be due to unknown factors or gaps in cosmologists’ understanding of physics that have yet to be discovered.
“Webb’s data represent the first high-definition view of the universe, greatly improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurements,” said Xiang Li, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University. .
This image, taken with the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter telescope, shows the spiral galaxy Messier 106. Two dwarf galaxies (NGC 4248 in the lower right and UGC 7356 in the lower left) also appear in the image. Image credits: KPNO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / New Mexico State University MT Patterson / University of Alaska Anchorage TA Chancellor / M. Zamani & D. de Martin.
The astronomers used the known distance to the spiral galaxy Messier 106 (also known as M106 or NGC 4258) as a reference point to cover roughly one-third of Hubble’s total galaxy sample.
Despite the small dataset, they achieved impressive accuracy, showing less than 2% difference between measurements. This is much smaller than the approximately 8-9% size of the Hubble tension mismatch.
In addition to analyzing pulsating stars called Cepheid variable stars, the gold standard for measuring distances in the universe, they cross-checked measurements based on the brightest red giant stars in the same galaxy as carbon-rich stars. .
All galaxies observed by Webb with supernovae yielded a Hubble constant of 72.6 km per second per megaparsec. This is about the same as the 72.8 km per second per megaparsec that Hubble found for the very same galaxy.
“One possible explanation for the Hubble tension is that something was missing in our understanding of the early universe, such as a new component of matter that unexpectedly bombarded the universe after the Big Bang, nascent dark energy. I guess so,” Johns said. Mark Kamionkowski, a cosmologist at Hopkins University, was not involved in the study.
“And there are other ideas that might do the trick, like interesting dark matter properties, exotic particles, changing electron masses, or primordial magnetic fields. Theorists have a right to be pretty creative. It is.”
It’s not entirely clear why colorectal cancer is increasing among adults under 50
Steve Gschmeisner/Science Photo Library
The incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults is increasing worldwide, but this trend appears to be most prevalent in high-income countries.
Previous studies have shown that the incidence of bowel or colorectal cancer is increasing. Over the past few decades, it has increased in this age group in Western countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. This has led to speculation that Western lifestyles, including a diet high in meat and processed foods, may be to blame.
To better understand the extent of the problem, song hyunah Researchers from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues looked at the incidence of colorectal cancer in 50 countries and territories around the world. They typically used the World Health Organization’s database to collect data on incidence rates from 1975 to 2017, although some countries started reporting this information several years after 1975. Ta.
The research team found that the incidence of colorectal cancer among people aged 25 to 49 is rising in 27 countries and territories. These also include non-Western countries such as Japan and less wealthy countries such as Turkey, raising the possibility that Western lifestyles are not solely behind this trend.
The increase is also unlikely to be related to improved screening tests, the researchers said in the paper, as most countries do not routinely test people for colorectal cancer until age 50.
However, all 27 countries and territories have high or very high scores on the United Nations Human Development Index, which is based on life expectancy, education level, and per capita income.
Additionally, all but six are considered high-income earners, according to the World Bank. Unlike most of the high-income countries studied, in these six countries, cases of colorectal cancer among older people are increasing at the same or faster rate than among younger people.
“I think there’s still evidence of trends that economic development and westernization of lifestyles are really having an impact,” he says. Andrew Chan The Harvard University researchers noted that many countries are adopting aspects of this lifestyle as their economies grow. for example, Japanese meat intake It increased more than seven times between 1961 and 2021.
“Having said that, I think we need to take into account the fact that there are probably other factors at play, such as environmental contaminants,” Chan says.
The researchers note that their study has several limitations, the most obvious being that countries in Africa, Asia and small islands were underrepresented. For example, only one African country was included: Uganda. Some countries did not have complete datasets. For example, India’s figures represent only 4 percent of the population.
Still, these findings could improve our understanding of how colorectal cancer incidence varies in many countries and help devise new ways to prevent the disease, Zhang said. say.
Severe storms caused by La Niña in Queensland, Australia
Genevieve Vallee/Alamy Stock Photo
The UK's national weather and climate agency, the Met Office, predicts that the Earth's average surface temperature in 2025 will be between 1.29°C and 1.53°C warmer than the pre-industrial average, and possibly 1.41°C. This is slightly lower than 2024, when temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5°C for the first time in the calendar year.
“A year ago, our 2024 forecasts highlighted for the first time the potential for temperatures to exceed 1.5C,” the Met Office's Nick Dunstone said in a statement. “While this appears to have happened, it is important to realize that temporarily exceeding 1.5°C does not mean a violation of the Paris Agreement. However, the first year above 1.5°C It is certainly a solemn milestone in climate history.”
The Paris Agreement set a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C to 2°C above pre-industrial standards. Most climate scientists currently define pre-industrial temperature as the Earth's average surface temperature between 1850 and 1900. This is because this is the earliest period for which reliable direct measurements were obtained. However, some studies suggest that by that time, the world had already warmed significantly as a result of human activity.
Next year will be among the top three warmest years on record, according to 2025 projections
Japan Meteorological Agency
The expected drop in surface temperatures in 2025 is the result of heat transfer from the atmosphere to the oceans due to La Niña, and does not mean that global warming has stopped. The overall heat content of the oceans and atmosphere continues to rise as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are rising due to increased carbon dioxide emissions from human activities.
During a La Niña event, cold water rises in the Pacific Ocean and spreads across the Earth's surface, resulting in a net heat transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. When an El Niño event occurs, the opposite happens. The 2023 El Niño helped break records for surface temperatures that year, which will be surpassed in 2024. But El Niño alone cannot fully explain the record temperatures.
In new research Published in a magazine PLoS ONEArchaeologists have investigated exceptional human remains unearthed from the Middle Trypilian site (c. 3700-3600 BC) of Kosenivka in Ukraine.
The Trypilian culture was a Neolithic European culture that arose in Ukraine between the Seret and Bug rivers in the 5th millennium BC, extending south into modern-day Romania and Moldova and east as far as the Dnieper River.
Also known as the Cucuteni-Trypilian culture, this culture is characterized by advanced agriculture, advanced metallurgy, pottery making, sophisticated architecture, and social organization.
Trypian society was a matrilineal society in which women headed the household, engaged in agricultural work, and manufactured pottery, textiles, and clothing.
Hunting, raising livestock, and making tools were the responsibility of men.
“Despite the huge number of artifacts left behind by the Trypilians, archaeologists have discovered very few human remains,” said Dr Katharina Fuchs from Kiel University and her colleagues.
“Because of this absence, many aspects of the life of this ancient people remain to be discovered.”
Researchers investigated a Trypilian culture settlement near Kosenivka, Ukraine.
This site, which consists of several houses, is unique in the presence of human remains.
The 50 human bone fragments found in the remains of the house were taken from at least seven people, children, adults, men and women, who likely once lived in the house. The bodies of four of them were also badly burned.
Researchers analyzed the carbon and nitrogen content of bones, grains and animal carcasses found at the site and found that meat made up less than 10% of the residents' diet.
This matches teeth found at the scene, which show wear marks indicating chewing on grain or other plant fibers.
That the Trypilian diet consisted largely of plants supports the theory that cattle in these cultures were primarily used to fertilize fields and produce milk rather than for meat production.
“Human bones are a real biological archive,” Dr. Fuchs said.
“The study of Trypilian society and its living conditions in the oldest urban communities in Eastern Europe remains difficult, but our 'Cosembica case' clearly shows that even small bone fragments can be of great help. ”
“By combining new osteological, isotopic, archaeobotanical and archaeological information, we provide excellent insight into the lives, and possibly deaths, of these people.”
Scientists also investigated potential causes of the burns, including fire and unusual forms of burial.
Burnt bone fragments were mainly found in the center of the house, and previous research had assumed that the residents there died in a house fire.
The authors examined the bone fragments microscopically and concluded that the burn probably occurred shortly after death.
In the event of an accidental fire, the researchers suggest that some people could have died from carbon monoxide poisoning even if they had escaped their homes.
According to radiocarbon dating, one of them died in about 19 years. 100 years later. This person's death cannot be related to the fire, but is otherwise unknown.
Two others whose skull injuries have not healed have raised questions about whether violence may have played a similar role.
Examination of Trypilian human bone finds showed researchers that less than 1% of the dead were cremated, and even more rarely buried inside homes.
“Overall, our results point to enormous yet untapped explanatory potential in the rare and poorly preserved bioarchaeological archive of the Cucuteni Trypillia phenomenon,” the scientists concluded.
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K. Fuchs others. 2024. Life and death in the Trypilian period: an interdisciplinary analysis of unique human bones from the Kosenivka settlement, Ukraine (3700-3600 BC). PLoS ONE 19 (12): e0289769;doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289769
High blood pressure is a common symptom of preeclampsia
Nataliya Piatrovich/Alamy
Currently, the only way to deal with preeclampsia, a common pregnancy complication, is to deliver the baby early if possible. But researchers have now successfully treated this condition in mice by delivering mRNA molecules to the placenta to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels.
They say the next step is to test this mRNA therapy in larger animals such as guinea pigs and non-human primates. kelsey swingle at the University of Pennsylvania. “That’s something we’ve been talking about starting in the really near future.”
If the treatment proves effective in large animals, the researchers envision testing it first in people who develop preeclampsia early in pregnancy.
“If you have pre-eclampsia in the 8th or 9th month of pregnancy, you are inducing it early, but if you have severe pre-eclampsia in the 4th or 5th month of pregnancy, it is It’s not an option. There’s a very good chance you’ll lose the baby,” the team member says. michael mitchell also at the University of Pennsylvania. “That’s where we can get treatment.” [address] There is a pressing need. ”
It may also be used late in pregnancy to avoid the need for early delivery, which can affect the infant’s health.
Approximately 1 in 25 women will develop preeclampsia during their first pregnancy, which can have serious consequences. It is estimated that 75,000 women die from preeclampsia worldwide. 500,000 infants Every year.
Preeclampsia is usually diagnosed based on high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy and signs of kidney damage, such as protein in the urine. The underlying reason for this is that the arteries that connect the uterus and placenta fail to develop properly, Swingle said.
Therefore, it could theoretically be possible to treat preeclampsia by promoting the growth of arteries within the placenta. We know that a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes blood vessel growth, but the problem is getting it to the placenta.
Proteins like VEGF are simply injected into the bloodstream and quickly removed, Swingle said. This problem can be overcome by providing a recipe for creating proteins in the form of mRNA molecules wrapped in fatty substances forming lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).
Once LNP is taken up by cells, mRNA molecules tell the cells how to make the desired protein. The effect is temporary, as the molecules break down after a while.
Swingle says this approach has already been tested in pregnancy, as this is how covid-19 mRNA vaccines work. “Many pregnant women have been vaccinated against COVID-19.”
The LNPs used in mRNA covid-19 vaccines are injected directly into muscle cells, so they are taken up by muscle cells. However, when the same LNP is injected into the blood, almost all of it is taken up by liver cells.
Therefore, the big challenge for Swingle and her team was finding a way to get the LNPs to the placenta. To accomplish this, we created and tested about 100 LNPs with slightly different chemical properties.
When the research team used the most promising of these LNPs to deliver an mRNA molecule encoding VEGF to pregnant mice with pre-eclampsia, the mice’s blood pressure returned to normal for the remainder of their pregnancy. .
“This approach merits further study in higher primates and, if animal data suggest both safety and efficacy, in women with preeclampsia,” he says. peter von derdelsen At King’s College London.
Studies in mice using mRNA encoding fluorescent proteins have shown that LNPs are taken up by the spleen and to some extent by the liver and placenta, which is a potential safety issue. Importantly, however, there was no sign that LNPs crossed the mouse placenta and reached the fetus.
There is currently no cure for preeclampsia, but the risks are especially great without advanced medical care. “Injectable therapies that do not require all the highly expensive and complex standard treatments could be transformative for applications in developing countries,” Mitchell said.
This year, from the first civilian moon landing (see “Elon Musk-led private missions boom, space is on sale in 2024”) to the first pig kidney transplant into a living human. It will be remembered for many pioneering events. Unfortunately, another dark first looms in 2024. Although the numbers will not be officially confirmed until next month, it is very likely that this will be the first year in which the totemic climate goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming is exceeded. (see “For the first time in 2024 reached 1.5°C, accelerating climate disruption.”)
Let’s clarify what this means. This number is generally considered to refer to a 20-year average, so it does not violate the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world’s most important climate change treaty. Under the agreement, each country commits to limiting long-term temperature rise to below 1.5°C. Nor is this a sign that the world is doomed and that we should give up all hope of combating climate change. Because if we lower temperatures even a little bit, billions of people will be better off than they would be if we didn’t do so. But reaching this level of warming, even in just one year (so far), is undoubtedly a global failure.
Breaking through 1.5°C also comes as the world enters a new and uncertain phase of climate change. As we have reported throughout the year, extreme warming in 2024 (which will only be matched by 2023) has scientists increasingly concerned about changes in major ocean currents, leading to unexplained levels of warming. They are desperately trying to understand what’s going on with the decline of Antarctic sea ice.
If you start the new year with a feeling of anxiety, you will inevitably feel pessimistic, but that may not be a bad thing. Next year will mark 10 years since the Paris Agreement came into force, and even then it was clear that the 1.5°C target had reached its achievable limits. As we wrote in our year-end leader at the time: “An odd call to action. The goal of capping global warming at 1.5°C looks almost completely unattainable.” In fact, greenhouse gas emissions Reshaping the modern world to stop and achieve net-zero emissions is the most ambitious goal ever set by humanity.
You can’t take good photos if you’re pessimistic. Ask, “What happens if I fail?” “What if we’re wrong?”
Given the scale of the challenges we face, such ambition is essential, but it is not sufficient. It’s easy to set ambitious and optimistic goals like the Paris Agreement, and politicians can line up to take pictures, smile and shake hands. It feels warm and fluffy.
However, to achieve such a goal, pessimism must prevail. You can’t take good photos if you’re pessimistic. The question is, “What happens if we fail?” and “What if we are wrong?” – Issues to be addressed include grappling with deep uncertainties in the green transition, whether technological, social or economic. Failure to do so will lead to failure.
There are lessons to be learned from success in 2024. Space engineers and surgeons alike tend to assume mistakes when considering the complexity of moon landings and complex surgeries. To alleviate this, they use a simple tool: the Humble Checklist. By identifying points of failure and taking steps to avoid them, you greatly increase your chances of success.
Although it makes less sense to have a “climate checklist” given that we are talking about ongoing global processes rather than a single operation or space mission, the underlying spirit still applies. Masu. One of the major failings is the annual United Nations climate change talks. At the 29th COP Summit held in Azerbaijan this year, organizers hailed fossil fuels as “God’s gift.”
COP30, scheduled to be held in Belem, Brazil next November, will be an opportunity to reset attitudes. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is already making noise in this direction, promising a “COP to change direction,” but will he be able to make it happen? Perhaps the most powerful message he can send is to take to the stage, stand aside unsmiling world leaders with clear plans to do better, and publicly acknowledge the failures of the COP process so far. That’s probably true. However, Santa doesn’t necessarily grant your wishes.
A degree of repentance and pessimism could also help with another problem that is quietly brewing in 2024: the imminent threat of an avian influenza pandemic. ). The H5N1 virus has spread to U.S. dairy herds despite minimal surveillance and mitigation efforts by U.S. health officials. As a result, the number of people infected there has also increased, reaching more than 50 people at the time of our reporting.
The virus has not yet adapted well to humans and is not known to be transmitted from person to person so far, but random mutations may change the situation with each new infection. increases. Optimistically rolling the dice and hoping for a double six is not good health policy. In an ideal world, the United States would already be planning for the possibility of a pandemic and sit back and watch it never materialize. We do not live in an ideal world as President-elect Donald Trump endorses vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services. That means other countries will need to come up with their own plans. This is the only rational response to uncertainty.
Obviously, this pessimism doesn’t stem from any particular holiday spirit. However, through these two issues, new scientist From the science of believing in Santa (see ‘Believing in Santa Claus doesn’t guarantee children will behave well at Christmas’) to the quest for the world’s largest snowflake (see ‘The plan to create the world’s snowflake’), there lies a world of festive feasts. The biggest snowflake was humbled by nature”).
Looking ahead to next year, I’d like to thank researchers and companies who are developing new ways to tackle climate change, from sucking carbon dioxide out of the air to genetically modifying food to make it more environmentally friendly. Raise a glass of water too. For more information, see the next issue’s 2025 preview). And we hope that the uncertainty caused by this year’s climate news will be a catalyst for change.
New research led by scientists at the University of Bristol shows how lepidosaurs, the most diverse clade of quadrupeds that includes lizards and snakes, evolved an astonishing variety of jaw shapes and He revealed what has brought him extraordinary success.
The rate of evolution of lepidosaur jaw morphology. Image credit: Ballell others., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2052.
Lepidosauria is a clade of lizards, snakes, and tuataras with over 11,000 species, representing the most specialized group of today's tetrapods.
Since their origin over 240 million years ago, lepidosaurs have diversified into countless sizes and body shapes.
Among extant species, body size ranges over three orders of magnitude, typified by body lengths of approximately 1.7 cm. Sphaerodactylus Geckos and giant anacondas that are about 10 meters long.
The extreme size becomes even more dramatic when you consider extinct mosasaurs (up to 17 meters long).
Differences in body shape are reflected in different degrees of body elongation and reductions or modifications of limb elements in multiple lineages, and snake-like body shapes have evolved independently at least 25 times.
Similarly, lepidosaurs exhibit rich diversity in skull composition, shaped by the loss and gain of cranial bones over their evolutionary history and the acquisition of varying types and degrees of cranial motion.
As a result of this morphological diversification, Lepidosaurus conquered diverse ecological niches in most regions of the planet.
In a new study, University of Bristol researcher Antonio Barrel-Mayoral and his colleagues show that the evolution of jaw shape in lepidosaurs was influenced by ecological factors, including phylogeny (evolutionary relatedness) and allometry (scaling of shape with size). They found that it is influenced by a complex interaction of factors that go beyond science.
In terms of jaw shape, the snake was found to be a morphological outlier, exhibiting a unique jaw morphology. This is probably due to the snake's highly flexible skull and extreme mechanism that allows it to swallow prey many times larger than its head.
“Interestingly, we found that jaw shape evolves particularly rapidly in ecologically specialized groups, such as burrowing, aquatic, and herbivorous lizards. This may be due to evolutionary innovations in the lower jaw. “We suggest that this is the key to achieving these unique ecologies,” said Dr. Barrel-Mayoral. Said.
“Our research shows how lizards and snakes have evolved different jaw shapes to adapt to their wide range of ecology, diets and habitats, driving their extraordinary diversity. ”
This study highlights the important role of morphological innovations in promoting diversification in highly biodiverse groups such as lepidosaurs.
“The mandible, an important component of the vertebrate feeding apparatus, has been an important element in vertebrate ecological experimentation and adaptation.”
Looking ahead, the research team plans to further investigate the evolution of lepidosaur heads.
“The lower jaw is important because it works with the muscles that close the jaw to support important functions such as feeding and defense,” Dr. Barrel-Mayoral said.
“We are investigating the relationship between the shape of the skull and the placement of the jaw-closing musculature throughout evolution, and how this influenced the diversification of feeding mechanisms and habits.”
team's work Published today on Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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antonio barrel others. 2024. Ecological factors in the evolution of jaw morphology in lepidosaurs. Procedure R. Soc. B 291 (2036): 20242052;doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2052
Humpback whales have left scientists astonished with their epic journey spanning three oceans and over 8,000 miles, establishing a new record for the longest migration between breeding grounds.
A recent study published in a journal Royal Society Open Science on Wednesday suggests that this remarkable migration may be influenced by climate change, impacting ocean conditions and food availability, or changes in mating behavior.
Professor Darren Croft, an expert in behavioral ecology at the University of Exeter, UK, remarked, “Changes in climate and ocean conditions may drive these migrations to new breeding grounds, and increased competition for mates and food may prompt individuals to seek new opportunities.”
This new study reveals the immense distances traveled by humpback whales and highlights their remarkable migratory behavior.
While some whale species cover over 5,000 miles between feeding and breeding areas, humpback whales hold the title for the longest migratory distance among mammals.
One particular whale captured scientists’ attention after embarking on a journey that extended beyond the usual migratory routes.
Originally spotted in 2013 off the coast of Colombia, South America, the whale was later sighted in similar waters in 2017 and in 2022 near Zanzibar, an island in the Indian Ocean.
Researcher Ryan Reisinger expressed his excitement over the findings, underscoring the importance of documenting humpback whales’ shifting breeding grounds.
Despite this intriguing discovery, the exact reason for this unusually long migration remains unknown.
Humpback whales are renowned for their annual migration from rich feeding grounds in the summer to warmer breeding areas in winter, where food is scarce.
The study employed photos from happywhale.com, a platform where individuals contribute to tracking whale movements globally, utilizing artificial intelligence to identify and study individual whales based on their unique features.
With a match rate of 97% to 99%, the algorithm on Happy Whale’s website utilizes whale tail characteristics to differentiate and monitor humpback whale populations around the world.
“Hello again!” Pigeons remember individual human faces
Martin Parr/Magnum Photo
Recently, when I was walking in the park with some friends, they pointed out the pigeons and told me I was looking at their favorite bird. I couldn’t believe it. Pigeon? That winged pest? My friend responded with this perverse logic. It makes a lot of sense that pigeons are our favorite birds because they’re always fun.
I was momentarily confused and wondered if anyone could really be so obsessed with pigeons. As it turns out, the joke was on me. I talked to other friends and co-workers, and a surprising number of them loved the humble Pidge. one new scientist An anonymous colleague confessed to having a secret dove tattoo. I also saw a news report that A couple with their adopted pigeon sleeping on their bed.
After doing a little reading, I found that pigeons have a lot to recommend. In addition to their well-known homing abilities, they are intelligent to say the least. Although they are not mammals, they do produce a type of milk. They kiss each other and praise themselves after sex, recognize individual people (And you can remember the person who was mean to you). All this put together made me think that I might be able to love this seemingly ordinary bird after all. So, armed with curiosity and a bag of oatmeal, I set out to do just that.
A little bird watching
I wanted to conduct my research with at least a sense of scientific integrity, so I came up with the idea of an “experiment.” First of all, I…
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Elon Musk’s departure from X resulted in the loss of around 2.7 million active Apple and Android users in the U.S. in a span of two months. In comparison, Bluesky, a competing social media platform, also saw a decline, losing nearly 2.5 million users during the same time frame.
This leak coincided with the exit of several prominent figures, including directors Guillermo del Toro and Mike Flanagan, and actors Quinta Brunson and Mark Hamill. Some, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, still have an X account but are now using Bluesky more frequently.
According to digital market intelligence firm Similarweb, the number of daily active users on X in the U.S. has dropped by 8.4% since early October, from 32.3 million to 29.6 million.
On the other hand, Bluesky has experienced a significant increase of 1,064% since October 6, growing from 254,500 to approximately 2.7 million users. This surge began when Musk started using the @america X handle to promote his pro-Donald Trump super pack and began posting in support of the former president.
Following Trump’s election victory, this trend accelerated further. Within a week of November 5th, Bluesky’s total user count doubled from 743,900 to 1.4 million. A week later, the number doubled again to 2.8 million. Since Musk’s super pack formation on X, the platform’s U.S. active users have increased significantly compared to Bluesky.
Bruce Daisley, a former vice president at Twitter, attributed the shift away from X to Musk’s concept of a “digital town square” and the platform’s evolving nature. He expressed concerns about the rise of extreme views on X under Musk’s leadership.
French journalist Salome Sake, who had a significant following on X, deactivated her account due to harassment and misinformation on the platform. She found Bluesky to be a healthier space and shifted her focus there.
Despite finding a new platform for journalism, Salome believes that the exodus of users from X enables those who spread hate, propaganda, and misinformation online. She emphasized the importance of diverse opinions and critical thinking.
Notable exits from X also include a German football club, St. Pauli, and Werder Bremen, citing the platform’s radicalization and departure from their values. Werder Bremen chose to leave X due to its stance against hate speech and discrimination.
Christoph Pieper, the director of communications at Werder Bremen, highlighted the club’s moral values and commitment to fighting against discrimination. Despite the potential economic impact, the club prioritized its principles over online visibility on X.
Pieper expressed uncertainty about the club’s future on Bluesky but firmly stated that any platform allowing hate speech is not suitable for Werder Bremen. Many other clubs are also considering a transition to Bluesky, signaling a shift away from X.
in new research Published in a magazine frontiers of public healthScientists surveyed 69,705 participants (47.2% women) aged 45 to 83 from the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Swedish Men's Cohort to assess their intake of added sugars and a variety of sugary foods and beverages. We investigated the association between this and the risk of seven cardiovascular diseases. Researchers have found that eating too much added sugar increases the risk of stroke and aneurysm, but eating small snacks lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, drinking sugary drinks increases your risk of stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.
Although additional sugar intake was positively associated with ischemic stroke and abdominal aortic aneurysm, the lowest intake categories had the highest risk for most outcomes. Positive linear associations were found between topping intake and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and between sweetened beverage intake and ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. There is no relationship between snack intake (pastries, ice cream, chocolate, sweets) and all outcomes, and between topping intake (sugar, honey, jam, marmalade) and heart failure and aortic stenosis. , a negative linear correlation was found. Image credit: Ernesto Rodriguez.
Cardiovascular disease comprises a variety of diseases of the heart and blood vessels and is currently the leading cause of death and disease burden in Europe, mainly due to stroke and ischemic heart disease.
Although diet is one of the main modifiable risk factors for many CVDs, evidence regarding added sugar intake and CVD risk is lacking and inconclusive.
Additionally, most studies have primarily focused on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption rather than total added sugar intake, even though sugar-sweetened beverages account for 14% of added sugar intake in Sweden and only 25% in the United States. I'm guessing.
“The most surprising finding of our study was the differential relationship between different sources of added sugar and CVD risk,” said Suzanne Junge, a PhD candidate at Lund University. That's what I mean.''
“This striking contrast highlights the importance of considering not only the amount of sugar consumed, but also its source and context.”
To understand how sugar intake affects cardiovascular disease risk and whether those risks change with intake of different types of sugar, Janzi et al. Data were collected from two major cohort studies: a cohort of men and a cohort of Swedish men.
These studies administered dietary questionnaires in 1997 and 2009, allowing scientists to monitor participants' diets over time.
Once exclusions were made to ensure the two cohorts shared the same inclusion criteria and remove independent risk factors for CVD, researchers were left with a sample of 69,705 participants .
They identified three classes of sugar intake: toppings such as honey, treats such as pastries, and sugary drinks such as soda, and two different types of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aortic aneurysm, atrial fibrillation, and aortic stenosis. investigated seven CVDs. .
Participants were monitored until death, diagnosis of CVD, or end of follow-up in 2019.
During this period, 25,739 participants were diagnosed with CVD.
The scientists then used this data to analyze how different types of sugar intake affected the risk of various CVDs.
They found that consuming sugary drinks is worse for your health than any other form of sugar. Drinking more sugary drinks significantly increases your risk of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
“The liquid sugar found in sweetened beverages is typically less satiating than solid foods, which can lead to less satiety and overconsumption,” says Junge.
“Context is also important. Snacks are often enjoyed during social gatherings or special occasions, while sugary drinks may be consumed more regularly.”
Different types of CVD are affected differently by increased sugar intake. This is likely because added sugar intake has a different impact on participants' individual risk profiles.
Increased carbohydrate intake generally increased the risk of ischemic stroke and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and also increased the risk of heart failure in participants with a normal BMI.
However, the category with the lowest snack intake had the highest risk of negative health outcomes. Occasional snacking was associated with better outcomes than no snacking at all.
“This may reflect underlying dietary habits. People with very low sugar intake may have very restrictive diets, or may have low sugar intake due to pre-existing health conditions. may be limiting,” Junge said.
“Although our observational study cannot prove causation, these results suggest that extremely low carbohydrate intake may not be necessary or beneficial for cardiovascular health.”
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Suzanne Junge others. 2024. Added association between sugar intake and incidence of seven different cardiovascular diseases in 69,705 Swedish men and women. frontiers of public health 12;doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1452085
The deepest 45% of the ocean (6,000-11,000 m), the Hadar Zone, contains high levels of undiscovered biodiversity.
Most geological formations are characterized by grooves formed in subduction zones between tectonic plates, which are formed by a series of unique external and internal factors.
The Atacama Trench, or Peru-Chile Trench, is one of the most geographically isolated landforms, located beneath eutrophic surface waters and characterized by high sediment loads.
This trench is known to host highly distinctive faunal assemblages driven by a combination of these isolating factors.
“The deep sea is a vast trove of new species for science, and each discovery deepens our ecological understanding of these remote ecosystems,” said researcher Johanna Weston of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and colleagues.
“One such island-like ecosystem is the Atacama Trench, where unique endemic communities exist at hadal depths (more than 6,000 meters).”
“Unlike other Hadal subduction ditch communities, it is a predatory (non-predatory) amphipod It has not been documented or collected from the Atacama Trench. ”
The newly discovered species dursibela kamanchakathe first large active predatory amphipod discovered at these extreme depths.
This crustacean, about 4 cm long, uses specialized raptor appendages to capture and prey on small amphipods in food-limited areas of the Atacama Trench.
“Most interestingly, the DNA and morphological data indicate that this species is also a new genus, highlighting the Atacama Trench as a unique hotspot,” Dr. Weston said. .
The discovery was made during the 2023 Integrated Deep Ocean Observing System (IDOOS) expedition. R/V Abate Molina.
4 dursibela kamanchaka Individuals were collected using a lander at a depth of 7,902 m. Landers are untethered platforms used to shuttle scientific equipment, such as baited traps, to the ocean floor and back.
“The collaborative and integrative approach of this research is confirmed.” dursibela kamanchaka This is a new species discovered and highlights the ongoing discovery of biodiversity in the Atacama Trench,” said Dr. Carolina González, a researcher at the Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía.
“This discovery highlights the importance of continued deep-sea exploration, especially in the Chilean forecourt.”
“We expect more discoveries as we continue to study the Atacama Trench.”
This finding is reported in the following article: paper in a diary Systematics and biodiversity.
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Joanna New Jersey Weston others. 2024. A new large predator (family Lycoptidae, Eucilidae) hiding in the depths of the Atacama Trench. Systematics and biodiversity 22 (1): 2416430;doi: 10.1080/14772000.2024.2416430
dark comet First Interstellar Object 1I/2017 U1 ‘A small object with no detected coma, similar to ‘Oumuamua, with large accelerations that can be explained by volatile outgassing. These objects represent a potentially widespread class of small objects that lie further in the continuum between asteroids and comets and whose active nature is inferred from their orbital motions. Michigan State University astronomer Darryl Seligman and his colleagues have now detected seven new dark comets, proving that there are two distinct populations of these objects.
This artist’s impression shows ‘Oumuamua, the first interstellar object discovered in the solar system. Recent observations show that the object is moving faster than predicted as it leaves the solar system. Astronomers speculate that the ejection of material from the surface due to solar heating is responsible for this behavior. This release of gas can be seen, in this artist’s impression, as a subtle cloud emitted from the side of the object facing the sun. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / ESO / M. Kohnmesser.
In 2003, astronomers noticed that asteroid 2003 RM’s orbit deviated slightly from its expected orbit. This motion cannot be explained by the acceleration typical of asteroids.
Then, in 2017, the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua passed through our solar system, leaving astronomers perplexed.
Like a typical asteroid or comet, it was moved in part by the gravity of other bodies in the solar system, such as the sun.
But astronomers also discovered that ‘Oumuamua is accelerating beyond that, likely due to the release of previously trapped gas.
The strength of the thrust added by such outgassing defied that of a typical asteroid and rivaled the speed of a comet.
problem? ‘Oumuamua lacked the bright dust tail that is characteristic of comets, so it could not be easily classified as an asteroid or comet.
In 2023, astronomers identified seven objects in our solar system that reflect the same unusual features as ‘Oumuamua.
These objects were classified into an entirely new class of objects: the first seven dark comets.
“One of the most important reasons we study small objects like asteroids and comets is because they tell us about how matter is transported around the solar system,” Seligman said. the doctor said.
“Dark comets are a new type of near-Earth object that may contain water, and could provide a new source of materials needed for the development of life to Earth.”
“The more we learn about them, the more we will understand their role in the origin of the Earth.”
Dr. Seligman and his co-authors not only discovered seven new dark comets, but also compared the total number of known comets and identified two different types.
The first type is called an outer dark comet. These are large objects with eccentric orbits similar to Jovian comets and may have originated outside the solar system.
The second type is called an internal dark comet. These are small celestial bodies with roughly circular orbits that move through the inner solar system close to Earth and may have originated in the asteroid belt.
“What’s interesting about these objects is that although they look like asteroids, their motion is similar to that of comets,” said Dr. David Farnochia, a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“This is a puzzle that challenges the way we have always classified objects as either asteroids or comets.”
Dr. Seligman said, “Expanding our knowledge of dark comets will help us understand the context in which ‘Oumuamua was a fortuitous event that has left the solar system and is no longer observable.”
“What many people might not normally think about is that the solar system is a chaotic place.”
“We don’t know where things came from, but with 14 currently known dark comets orbiting within our solar system, we will collect more data in the coming years and hopefully uncover answers. Opportunities are opening up: the formation of our own planet.”
This finding is reported in the following article: paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Darryl Z. Seligman others. 2024. Two distinct populations of dark comets, distinguished by orbit and size. PNAS 121 (51): e2406424121;doi: 10.1073/pnas.2406424121
The Shengshan culture of the lower Yangtze region of ancient China plays a central role in understanding the origins of rice cultivation and early alcoholic fermentation. To address these questions, the researchers examined artifacts from the early stages of the Kaminoyama site, 10,000 to 9,000 years ago. By analyzing microscopic artifacts such as phytoliths, starch granules, and fungi associated with pottery vessels, the researchers found that people in the upper mountains consumed rice not only as a staple food but also as an ingredient for brewing fermented beverages. Evidence suggesting the use of alcohol fermentation technology in East Asia was also found.
Locations and relics of Shangshan culture sites: (A) Locations of Shangshan, Qiaotou, and Xiaohuangshan ruins (dots) and distribution area of Shangshan culture (red circles). (B) Selected pottery shards analyzed: 1 – Cup shard. 2 – Bottle fragments. 3 – Bottle fragments. 4 – Fragment of the rim of a sandy pot. 5 – Large basin debris. 6 – Base of the ring foot bowl. (C) Corresponding complete containers: 1 – spherical jar; 2 – ring-foot bowl; 3 – cup; 4 – flat base jar. 5 – Large basin. Image credit: Liu others., doi: 10.1073/pnas.2412274121.
The origins of rice cultivation have been the subject of extensive archaeological research and debate in recent years.
Based on existing data, archaeologists generally agree that the early stages of rice domestication occurred in the lower and middle Yangtze River regions of China.
of mountain culture Zhejiang Province represents the region where rice cultivation began in the early stages.
Although the extent of rice domestication is still being investigated, recent studies suggest that this process began early.
In a new study, Professor Leping Jiang and colleagues at the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology address questions related to the material and social mechanisms that may have played an important role in the exploitation and alcohol brewing of early Shangshan rice. is.
The researchers analyzed microfossils associated with early-stage pottery at the Kaminoyama site.
“These fragments were associated with different types of containers, including those for fermentation, serving, storage, cooking, and processing,” Professor Jiang said.
“We carried out microfossil extraction and analysis of residues from the inner surfaces of the pottery, the clay of the pottery, and the sediments of the surrounding cultural layers.”
“We focused on identifying phytoliths, starch grains, and fungi, providing insight into the uses of the pottery and food processing methods employed in the field,” said Professor Li Liu of Stanford University. .
Analysis of phytoliths revealed a significant presence of phytoliths from rice grown in the residue and clay.
“This evidence shows that rice was the main plant resource for the Shangshan people,” said Professor Zhang Jianping, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“There is also evidence that rice husks and leaves were used to make pottery, further proving the essential role of rice in the Joshan culture.”
The researchers found a variety of starch granules in the pottery residue, including rice, grasshopper tears, barnyard grass, Triticaceae, acorns, and lilies.
Many of the starch granules showed signs of enzymatic degradation and gelatinization, which are characteristic of fermentation processes.
Scientists also discovered an abundance of fungal elements, including: Monascus It contained mold and yeast cells, some of which showed developmental stages typical of fermentation.
These fungi are closely related to liquor starters used in traditional brewing methods, such as those used to make Hongjiujiu (Hongjiujiu) in China.
The team analyzed the following distributions: Monascus Yeast also persists in many types of ceramic containers, with higher concentrations observed in spherical jars compared to crock pots and processing tubs.
This distribution suggests that vessel type is closely associated with specific functions, and that the spherical jars were intentionally manufactured for alcoholic fermentation.
This discovery suggests that the Shangyama people employed a wide range of survival strategies during the early stages of rice cultivation, using ceramic vessels, especially spherical pots, to brew cue-based rice alcoholic beverages. Masu.
The emergence of this brewing technique in the early Uyama culture was closely related to the domestication of rice and the warm and humid climate of the early Holocene.
“Domestic rice provided a stable resource for fermentation, while favorable climatic conditions supported the development of qu-based fermentation technology that relies on the growth of filamentous fungi,” Professor Liu said.
To rule out potential contamination from soil, the authors analyzed sediment control samples and found that starch and fungal residues in these samples were significantly lower than pottery residues. It became.
This finding strengthens the conclusion that residues are directly related to fermentation activity.
Modern fermentation experiments using rice, MonascusThe yeast then further validated that finding by demonstrating a morphological match with fungal remains identified on Ueyama pottery.
“These alcoholic beverages likely played a pivotal role in ceremonial feasts, highlighting their ceremonial importance as a potential driver of the intensified use and widespread cultivation of rice in Neolithic China.” Professor Liu said.
“Evidence for alcoholic fermentation of rice at Shangshan indicates that this technology arose earliest in East Asia, and suggests that the complexity between rice cultivation, alcoholic beverage production, and social formation in early Holocene China It provides new insights into the interactions between
of findings will appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Li Liu others. 2024. Rice beer dating back 10,000 years has been found in the mountains above the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. PNAS 121 (51): e2412274121;doi: 10.1073/pnas.2412274121
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