Hamsters, horses, and humans all do it, so it’s no surprise that gorillas, one of our closest living relatives, also fart a lot.
Farting is the body’s natural way of expelling unwanted gases produced by intestinal bacteria. These gases include odorless ones like carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane, as well as smelly sulfur compounds that can sometimes create a noxious odor.
There are two types of gorillas, the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, both found in the forests of equatorial Africa. These large primates, weighing up to 190 kg (420 lb), primarily eat fiber-rich plants. They typically consume around 20 kg (44 lb) of nettles, wild celery, and other plants daily through foraging.
When gorillas are not eating, they are usually resting, allowing their bodies to digest. Gorillas in the wild are known to have a lot of flatulence, especially during certain times of the year.
A recent BBC series titled spy in the wild revealed how much gas gorillas produce. Using a remote-controlled camera, researchers captured footage of mountain gorillas in Uganda. They observed that gorillas tend to vocalize while eating, and there is a constant tramping sound between meals.
Researcher Jordi Galvani Casals, who studies mountain gorillas, stated that gorillas always have a significant amount of flatulence.
This article was written in response to the question asked by Alan Rose via email: “Are gorillas permanently bloated?”
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at:questions@sciencefocus.com or reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or our Instagram page (don’t forget to include your name and location).
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After the earnings release, Tesla stock plummeted by 10% in after-hours trading on Tuesday. This was despite missing Q1 2024 sales, having sharply lower profits, and recalling the recently launched $100,000 Cybertruck, which had seen a recent rise.
The electric vehicle maker’s revenue stood at $21.3 billion, slightly below expectations of $21.48 billion and down by 9% from a year ago, marking the largest decline since 2012. Profits were reported at $1.1 billion, a 55% drop from the first quarter of 2023, the company announced.
Despite the disappointing figures, the report also included upbeat news for investors. This included a preview of a ride-hailing app set to be integrated into Tesla products. The company revealed plans to bring new vehicle models to the market sooner than anticipated, citing the development of its robotaxi network.
Over the past three months, Tesla has doubled its AI computing capacity (smart software complexity) and invested $1 billion in AI infrastructure during the same period.
Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at the company, mentioned that Tuesday’s report and Tesla’s plans to accelerate the development of more affordable vehicles helped alleviate some concerns among investors. “This announcement suggests that Elon [Musk] may refocus on the EV giant, which is positive news for shareholders,” he stated.
The earnings report was Tesla’s second since the launch of the Cybertruck, its long-awaited electric pickup truck. It was also the first report after the vehicle’s recent recall. The company faced challenges with the futuristic steel car, including a voluntary recall due to reports of a loose accelerator pedal potentially causing vehicles to become stuck when driving at full speed. Despite this, the company did not directly address the recall in its earnings release.
Even without the Cybertruck issues, Tesla has a tough year ahead as it announced a 10% reduction in its global workforce, affecting approximately 14,000 jobs. The company also slashed prices globally over the weekend. The entry of Chinese electric car manufacturers into the market has added to Tesla’s struggles in recent quarters.
Tesla reported a decrease in car deliveries for the first time in four years in the last quarter. The company warned that the growth rate in car sales could be considerably lower compared to 2023.
Addressing concerns about his workload, Elon Musk stated during the earnings conference, “Tesla consumes the majority of my work time. I work every day. I will ensure that Tesla prospers.”
Five giant dinosaur footprints discovered in southeastern China were made by the largest birds of prey ever recorded. The predator was probably 5 meters tall from nose to tail, about half the length of a school bus. It probably used its giant “killer claws”, one on each foot, to attack its prey.
Most raptors (technically known as deinonychosaurs) were small. Velociraptor For example, it was about the same size as a turkey. However, some of these dinosaurs were larger. Utahraptor and dakota raptor both reached approximately 5-6 meters in length.
scott parsons Now professors at the College of Charleston in South Carolina have added another giant raptor to the list. they named it fujianips is said to have lived in East Asia about 96 million years ago.
We still know little about fujianips. That’s because Parsons and his colleagues have yet to discover any parts of the skeleton. Instead, they found several footprints measuring 36 centimeters in length. “The preservation conditions were good for the footprints, but not so good for the bones,” he says. But they are confident that the footprints are from a bird of prey because each footprint has only two finger prints. This is consistent with the structure of a raptor’s foot, in that he has three toes, but one toe is off the ground to protect the large claw at the tip from abrasion.
People say fujianips. This study shows that raptors had the potential to grow even larger and compete with the largest carnivorous dinosaurs living here at the time, the allosaurids, some of which were over 10 meters long. He added that the Raptors may have had a key advantage over these rivals: “They were fast.”
But in the end, the raptor became slightly larger fujianips. Parsons says this may be because a third group of dinosaurs, the tyrannosaurids, was beginning to become dominant. “Many of the tyrannosaurids were fast, so it was much harder to compete with the tyrannosaurids,” he says.
Nearly 40% of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the U.S. is set to regress in air-cleaning progress as the effects of climate change intensify, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. It’s coming. The group’s report, its 25th annual analysis of the nation’s “state of the air,” estimates that between 2020 and 2022, 131 million people will live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. It turned out that it was. This number is an increase of nearly 12 million people from the previous survey a year ago. The report also found that people in the United States are experiencing the most “very unhealthy” or “hazardous” air quality day in the study’s history. Katherine Pruitt, national senior director of clean air policy at the American Lung Association, said the process has been in place for decades through the Clean Air Act, a federal law passed in 1963 to regulate air pollution and set air quality standards. He said that the cleanup efforts that have been made are gradually being undermined by climate change.
“Climate change, including heat, drought and especially wildfires, is starting to undo some of the progress we’ve made,” Pruitt said. “It’s sad to know that so many people live with air quality that threatens their health.” Wildfires are a rapidly growing source of pollution that policymakers are struggling to address. Climate scientists predict that wildfire smoke will increase in the future as greenhouse gas emissions raise temperatures. The Lung Association’s analysis reached the same conclusion as a peer-reviewed study published last year in Nature. The study’s author, Marshall Burke, suggested that wildfire smoke has undone about 25% of the Clean Air Act’s progress.
“If you take a step back and think about what the root cause is, it’s the burning of fossil fuels,” says Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and clinical associate professor at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. “We don’t have to be in this situation. We have the technology and the federal investment to harness renewable energy. What we need now is the political will.”
Each year, the “State of the Air” report analyzes air quality data from the past three years. This analysis focuses on ozone exposure and short-term and annual exposure to particulate pollution. The report issues a rating for each measure and summarizes the number of areas that passed or failed for each rating. According to the report, nearly 44 million people currently live in areas that do not meet all three criteria.Small particles are a serious concern because they can enter a person’s lungs, circulate in the bloodstream, and affect other organs. Although these particles are only a fraction of the size of a human hair, they have been shown to increase the risk of asthma, lung cancer, chronic lung disease, premature birth, and miscarriage. Patel, who is also executive director of the Medical Societies Consortium on Climate and Health, has noticed an increase in preterm births during wildfire seasons and is educating parents about how heat and smoke are risk factors during pregnancy. He said he has started giving advice.
“After several weeks of poor air quality, more people will become pregnant and give birth before 37 weeks,” Patel said, adding that parents may wonder whether their actions led to premature birth. He added that he often thinks about this. “When people ask me about the risk of premature birth, I say climate change. Heat and wildfires are both risk factors. They are not within your control.” Additionally, Patel said she has noticed that when wildfire smoke incidents occur in California, patients at her pediatric clinic often complain of nasal infections, eye irritation, and asthma exacerbations, among other ailments. Pruitt said concerns about particle pollution used to be concentrated in the industrial Midwest and Northeast. But in this report, for the first time, all 25 cities with the highest daily particle pollution are in the West. Most were in California.
“Early in our history, we had a lot of particulate pollution coming from coal-fired power plants, transportation sources, and industrial processes,” Pruitt said. “Particle pollution problems in the eastern United States are less severe because the Clean Air Act has cleaned up these sources. But Western countries, of course, have similar access to regulation and cleanup; We are also affected by climate change and wildfires.” Daniel Mendoza, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, said many communities in Western states are dealing with acute, short-term pollution episodes rather than long-term chronic exposure. Scientists are still trying to figure out how much damage wildfire outbreaks cause compared to long-term exposure from industrial sources. “Not all bad air pollution is created equal,” Mendoza said. Pollution from traffic and industrial sources could continue to decline if the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed stricter standards could be implemented.
Last year, the EPA proposed a rule that would require nearly all coal and large gas plants in the country to reduce or capture about 90% of their carbon emissions by 2038. In March this year, the agency introduced stricter rules to reduce tailpipe emissions from passenger cars. Another EPA policy aimed at curbing nitrogen oxide pollution that spreads across states was challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2022, the Supreme Court limited the government’s ability to use the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is one bright spot in this report. That means ozone pollution continues to improve dramatically. Compared to last year, about 2.4 million fewer people live in areas with unhealthy ozone pollution. Since this analysis was completed, wildfire smoke has gotten even worse.
Americans in 2023 inhaled more wildfire smoke than in any other year on record, Stanford University researchers found last year.
A fossil shark that thrived during the Cretaceous period has been found and has shed light on how sharks hunted and their place on the evolutionary tree.
Fossil shark teeth Ptychodus have been in museums for over 200 years. While some members of this group grew to be enormous, the anatomy of others was largely unknown.
This lack of information left researchers uncertain about the shark’s overall appearance and feeding habits, but the wide, flat teeth suggest it was capable of eating hard-shelled prey.
Recently, Professor Roman Vullo at the University of Rennes in France discovered six well-preserved full-body fossils of Ptychodus in Mexico, placing the shark in the order Lamniformes alongside modern shark species like great whites and basking sharks.
What makes this discovery interesting is that while modern white sharks are known for hunting in open waters, Ptychodus were fast swimmers and voracious eaters in the open ocean, preying on armored pelagic fish like large ammonites and sea turtles.
Despite the small size of the studied specimens, estimated to be less than 3 meters long, researchers believe some members of the genus reached lengths of about 9.7 meters – twice the size of a great white shark. Females tended to be larger, measuring between 4.6 and 4.9 meters in length.
During the Cretaceous period, Ptychodus sharks played a significant role in the marine food chain. They likely competed with large marine reptiles with crushing dentition, which may have led to their extinction before the end-Cretaceous extinction event.
Enterobacter bugandensis It is mainly present in clinical specimens such as the human gastrointestinal tract.
Example workflow illustrating the process of comparative genomics analysis Enterobacter bugandensis, its prevalence and metabolic interactions within the microbial community, and assess its adaptation success within the ISS habitat. Image credit: Sengupta other., doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a testament to humanity's achievements in space exploration.
Despite a highly controlled environment characterized by microgravity, increased carbon dioxide levels, and increased solar radiation, microorganisms occupy a unique niche.
These resident microbial bacteria play an important role in influencing the health and well-being of astronauts.
One particularly interesting microorganism is the Enterobacter bugandensis, a Gram-negative bacterium notorious for its multidrug resistance.
“Microorganisms in the built environment have a significant impact on the health of residents,” says the lead author Dr. Kastri Venkateswaran by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and colleagues.
“The ISS is a highly controlled built environment with extreme conditions such as microgravity, solar radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels, providing a unique location to study microbial survival and adaptation. .”
“Recent studies have demonstrated that microorganisms exposed to microgravity acquire antibiotic resistance and become more virulent through rapid mutation and horizontal gene transfer.”
“Prolonged space travel in microgravity can compromise astronauts' immune systems and increase their vulnerability to disease.”
“The microbial population on the ISS can influence the astronauts' microbiome and could be replenished by the arrival of new crew members.”
“Understanding microbial colonization, inheritance, and interactions is therefore critical to ensuring the health of astronauts and managing microbial risks in isolated and confined human habitats.”
In the new study, the authors analyzed 13 bacterial strains. Enterobacter bugandensis It is isolated from the ISS.
Their results show that under stress these strains mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their terrestrial counterparts.
These strains were able to persist in large numbers on the ISS for long periods of time.
They coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases may have helped those microorganisms survive.
“Our comprehensive analysis reveals not only how these interactions shape microbial diversity, but also the factors that may contribute to the potential dominance and inheritance of microorganisms. Ta. Enterobacter bugandensis within the ISS environment,” the researchers said.
“The implications of these findings are twofold,” they added.
“First, we shed light on the behavior, adaptation, and evolution of microorganisms in extreme and isolated environments.”
“Second, it highlights the need for strong precautions to ensure the health and safety of astronauts by mitigating risks associated with potential pathogen threats.”
P. Sengupta other. 2024. Genomic, functional, and metabolic enrichment in multidrug-resistant patients. Enterobacter bugandensis Facilitate survival and succession on the International Space Station. microbiome 12, 62; doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1
A large number of stars are born in the center NGC4383where a unique galaxy is located 74 million light years It is located beyond the constellation Coma. The largest lose mass through powerful winds over their lifetime, eventually exploding into violent supernovae. These stellar winds and supernovae drag away some of NGC 4383's gas reservoir. The bright red filaments indicate hydrogen gas ejected at least 20,000 light-years from the galaxy. This process controls the rate at which stars form within the galaxy, as this gas is carried away from the galactic center rather than remaining to form the next generation of stars.
watt other. We mapped the chemical composition and motion of NGC 4383's outflow in detail, providing insight into the mechanisms that caused the dramatic outflow seen in this image from ESO's Very Large Telescope.Image credit: ESO / Watts other.
Gas outflow is important for controlling the rate and duration at which galaxies continue to form stars.
The gas ejected by these explosions can pollute the space between stars within galaxies and even between galaxies, becoming permanently suspended in the intergalactic medium.
Dr Adam Watts, an astronomer at the University of Western Australia's node at the International Radio Center, said: “This outflow is the result of a powerful stellar explosion at the center of the galaxy, potentially spewing out huge amounts of hydrogen and heavy elements. There is a gender,” he said. Astronomical Research (ICAR).
“The mass of gas released is equivalent to more than 50 million suns.”
“Spills are very difficult to detect, so very little is known about the physics of spills and their properties.”
“The ejected gas is extremely rich in heavy elements, providing a unique insight into the complex process by which metals mix with hydrogen in the ejected gas.”
“In this particular case, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and many other chemical elements were detected.”
astronomers are muse (Multi-unit Spectroscopic Explorer) Turn on the instrument ESO's super large telescope (VLT) Created a high-resolution map of NGC 4383 in northern Chile.
Data were collected as part of VLT/MUSE's larger program MAUVE (MUSE and ALMA Unveiling the Virgo Environment).
“We designed MAUVE to investigate how physical processes, such as gas outflow, help stop star formation in galaxies,” said West, also at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). said Professor Barbara Catinella of the Australian University of Nord.
“NGC 4383 was our first target because we thought something very interesting might be happening, and the data exceeded all expectations.”
“In the future, we hope that MAUVE's observations will reveal in great detail the importance of gas outflow in the local universe.”
team's paper Published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.
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Adam B. Watts other. 2024. Mauve: A 6 kpc bipolar outflow launched from NGC 4383, one of the most Hi-rich galaxies in the Virgo cluster. MNRAS 530 (2): 1968-1983; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stae898
A new genus and species of stegosaur from the Middle Jurassic period has been identified from fossilized posterior skulls discovered in the Middle Atlas Mountains, south of Fez, Morocco.
Dr. Mostafa Oukas of Casablanca’s Universidad Hassan II and his colleagues said, “Thireophora is a diverse clade of herbivorous ornithischians consisting of stegosaurs, sclerosaurs, and basal types.”
“Thyleophorans have an extensive fossil record spanning from the Early Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous and are best known from well-preserved specimens from Laurasia.”
“In contrast, fossil remains are poorly known in Gondwana, and most of them are partial,” the researchers added.
“In Africa, thyreophorans may have been present since the Early Middle Jurassic.”
“Stegosaur body fossils have been recorded from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco, the Late Jurassic of Tanzania, and the Early Cretaceous of South Africa.”
“African ankylosaurs are represented by Spicomerus afar from Morocco during the Middle Jurassic period.”
divided partial skeleton Tireosaurus atlasix found in gray marl. El Mars III formation is located in the northern part of the Bourafa region near Bourmane, in the Atlas region of central Morocco.
“In 2021, during a geological mapping mission south of Bourmane, we discovered a new site rich in dinosaur remains in the El Mars III Formation,” the paleontologists said.
“This site, named Bourafa North, is located north of the Bourafa quarry.”
“This material was collected during several consecutive field trips and consists of the posterior skull of a stegosaur, including dorsal vertebrae and ribs, limb bones, and skin armor.”
According to the team: Tireosaurus atlasix had a strange asymmetrical skin armor, unique among stegosaurs.
“Dermal armor is Tireosaurus atlasix “It is composed of up to 4 cm (1.6 in) thick bone oval to subrectangular shaped osteoderms,” the researchers said.
“The asymmetrical texture of the sides, with one side roughly decorated with small holes and strands of fibers and the other with a distinct cross-hatch pattern, is unlike anything previously observed in other stegosaurs and sclerosaurs. It’s clearly different.”
“The bone histology of these osteoderms is reminiscent of the histology of stegosaur tail spines.”
“These osteoderms are interpreted to have been placed in a lying position on the animal’s body, rather than in an upright position.”
Tireosaurus atlasix was estimated to be over 6 meters (19.7 feet) long.
“The axial features indicate that this specimen belongs to a medium- to large-sized stegosaur,” the scientists said.
“The holotype corresponds to an adult individual that has not yet reached its maximum body size.”
discovery of Tireosaurus atlasix is important in understanding the evolutionary history of stegosaurs and other thyreophora dinosaurs.
“Recent discoveries are adraticrit and Tireosaurus atlasix “We provide insight into the early evolution of stegosaurs during the Middle Jurassic of Africa,” the authors concluded.
of findings appear in the diary Gondwana research.
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Omar Zafati other. 2024. A new stegosaur dinosaur (Ornithischian: Thyreophora) with prominent cutaneous armor that lived during the Middle Jurassic period of North Africa. Gondwana research 131: 344-362; doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2024.03.009
The advice is the same no matter where you look. If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and all sorts of other health problems, you should reduce butter and the “bad” saturated fats found in it. Red meat or processed meat. Instead, you should consume “good” polyunsaturated fats. This means cooking with vegetable oil and focusing on leafy vegetables, fatty fish, and nuts and seeds. Simple.
Nothing is ever simple, except in nutrition. In this case, the complication arises from the growing recognition that not all “good” fats are created equal. Specifically, while omega-3 fatty acids are certainly good for us, omega-6 fatty acids may actually be damaging to our health.
The idea that the balance of omega in the foods we eat can affect our health is well established. Additionally, while the typical Western diet has become increasingly high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s over the past 50 years, at the same time the incidence of diseases associated with excessive inflammation has skyrocketed. It is also clear that These include heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
All this has led to the argument that in addition to increasing the amount of omega-3 in the diet, we also need to reduce the intake of omega-6. But correlation is not causation. So can consuming too much omega-6, which has long been thought to be beneficial, really be bad for you? If so, what foods should I eat more or less of to optimize…
Given the diversity and complexity of endogenous and extrinsic processes that contribute to the maintenance of habitable conditions over geological and biological timescales, it is unclear how rocky planets become habitable and their status. Fully understanding how it is maintained is a fundamental challenge for planetary scientists and astrobiologists. In the face of this challenge, it is essential to exploit the full range of atmospheric evolution data for rocky planets within the solar system. Although Venus represents an apparent fringe member of planetary habitability, its contribution to understanding the prevalence of long-term temperate surface conditions in large rocky worlds remains poorly recognized. Upcoming missions to Venus, including NASA's VERITAS and DAVINCI, and ESA's EnVision mission, will begin to crystallize this understanding.
Kane and Byrne describe Venus as an anchor point where planetary scientists can better understand the conditions that prevent life on exoplanets. Image credit: Kane & Byrne, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5.
“We often assume that Earth is a model of habitability, but when we consider this planet in isolation, we don’t know where the boundaries and limits are. Venus gives us that. '' said Dr. Stephen Cain, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside.
“Although they also feature a pressure cooker-like atmosphere that could flatten humans in an instant, Earth and Venus share some similarities.”
“They have roughly the same mass and radius. Given their proximity to the planet, it’s natural to wonder why Earth looked so different.”
Many scientists believe that solar flux, the amount of energy Venus receives from the sun, caused a runaway greenhouse effect that doomed Earth.
“If Earth receives 100% of the solar energy, Venus collects 191%. Many people think that’s why Venus looks different,” Dr. Kane said.
“But wait a minute. Venus doesn’t have a moon, but that gives Earth something like ocean tides and affects the amount of water here.”
In addition to some of the known differences, more NASA missions to Venus will also clarify some of the unknowns.
Planetary scientists have no idea how big its core is, how it arrived at its current relatively slow rotational speed, how its magnetic field has changed over time, or the chemistry of its lower atmosphere. i don’t know.
“Venus has no detectable magnetic field. That may be related to the size of its core,” Dr. Kane said.
“The size of the core also gives us information about how the planet cools. Earth has a mantle, and heat circulates through its core. What’s going on inside Venus? I don’t know.”
“The interior of a rocky planet also influences its atmosphere. That is the case for Earth, and our atmosphere is primarily the result of volcanic gas emissions.”
Schematic cross-section of Earth and Venus. Major internal and atmospheric components are shown to scale. Image credit: Kane & Byrne, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5.
NASA is planning two missions to Venus (DAVINCI and VERITAS) for the end of this decade, and Dr. Cain is supporting both.
The DAVINCI mission will explore the acid-filled atmosphere and measure noble gases and other chemical elements.
“DAVINCI measures the atmosphere from top to bottom. This is extremely useful for building new climate models and predicting this type of atmosphere elsewhere, including on Earth, as the amount of carbon dioxide continues to increase. ,” Dr. Kane said.
Although the Veritas mission will not land on the surface, it will allow scientists to reconstruct detailed 3D terrain, which could reveal whether the planet has active plate tectonics or volcanoes.
“Currently, our global map is very incomplete. Understanding how active a surface is and understanding how it has changed over time are very different. We need both types of information,” Dr. Kane said.
Ultimately, Dr. Kane and his co-author, Dr. Paul Byrne of Washington University in St. Louis, advocate such a mission to Venus for two main reasons.
One is that with better data, we can use Venus to confirm that our inferences about life on distant planets are correct.
“The somber thing about searching for life elsewhere in the universe is that we will never have in-situ data on exoplanets. We will never go there, land on them, or measure them directly. I don’t intend to,” Dr. Kane said.
“If we think there is life on the surface of another planet, we may never realize we are wrong and end up dreaming of a planet without life.” I guess.”
“We can only get it right by understanding the Earth-sized planets we can visit. Venus gives us that chance.”
Another reason to study Venus is that it can predict what Earth’s future will be.
“One of the main reasons we study Venus is because of our sacred duty as stewards of this planet to protect its future,” Dr. Kane said.
“My hope is that by studying how Venus came to be today, we can learn lessons from it, especially if it had a benign past that is now in ruins. The question is when and how.”
of review paper It was published in the magazine natural astronomy.
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Stephen R. Cain and Paul K. Byrne. 2024. Venus as an anchor point for planetary habitability. Nat Astron 8, 417-424; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02228-5
WWhen Apple introduced its gaming subscription service, Arcade, in September 2019, it garnered significant attention, as is typical for the company. The offering of 100 premium mobile games (without ads) for a monthly fee of £4.99/$4.99 (now £6.99) aimed to replicate the Netflix subscription model in the gaming industry.
Arcade was positioned as an alternative to the predominant free-to-play and ad-supported mobile games market. The presence of popular games like Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans, and Candy Crush had made it challenging for paid premium games to gain traction. However, Arcade changed the game by providing a diverse selection of titles playable on various Apple devices without ads or in-app purchases. Moreover, the games could be enjoyed offline, eliminating interruptions during gameplay.
Five years later, the landscape has evolved significantly with the emergence of new subscription services for TV, movies, and games, competing with Apple Arcade. This raises questions about Arcade’s continued relevance and priority for Apple.
Alex Rofman, a senior director at Arcade with a long history in mobile gaming, reflects on the successes of 2023, highlighting the launch of Hello Kitty Island Adventure and What the Car winning Mobile Game of the Year at the Dice Awards.
“Very silly and original”… What a car trailer.
Apple Arcade has positioned itself as a platform for delivering premium, engaging, and ad-free gaming experiences to a wide audience. The focus on innovative and family-friendly titles like Assemble With Care, Card of Darkness, and Hello Kitty caters to tech-savvy parents seeking safe gaming options for their children.
Bright spot…Neo Cab. Photo courtesy of Chance Agency
Despite the shift towards family-friendly games, Apple remains committed to supporting indie developers and fostering unique and creative ideas within the gaming industry. The success of titles like What the Car and Sneaky Sasquatch exemplifies Apple Arcade’s role as a platform for showcasing innovative indie games.
While facing criticism regarding canceled projects and declining royalty payments, Apple defends its commitment to supporting developers and reinforcing the importance of gaming within its ecosystem. The future of Apple Arcade includes games designed for Vision Pro, Apple’s spatial computing device, offering new gaming experiences and innovation in gameplay.
“Vision Pro opens up a whole new world of possibilities.” Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Despite challenges and competition, Apple Arcade continues to play a crucial role in the mobile gaming industry, offering curated gaming experiences for families and indie game enthusiasts. With a focus on innovation and inclusivity, Apple Arcade aims to solidify its position in the gaming sector as it navigates the evolving landscape in the coming years.
M
I eat Madame Potato. Although she doesn’t actually exist, she will hopefully become the world’s first “Miss AI”. I recently created an image of her on her website that generates AI faces and entered it into a beauty pageant. Now I’m sitting in hopes of winning $20,000 in prize money.
What kind of fresh hell is this? Well, unfortunately, AI beauty pageants are now trendy. A company called Fanvue, a subscription-based content creator platform similar to OnlyFans, recently partnered with the World AI Creator Awards (WAICA) to create the world’s first Miss AI” contest. A team of judges consisting of two humans and two virtual models will classify the AI-generated photos of women and select one woman to be crowned “Miss AI.” Winners will receive cash prizes and the chance to monetize their work on Fanvue.
How will the winner be chosen? Apparently so. However, the judges will also consider the size of a character’s fan base and their “personality.” This application contains questions such as: “If your AI models could talk, what would be their one dream to make the world a better place?” The technical skill behind the character’s creation will also be considered by the judges.
A WAICA press release said the contest “represents a monumental leap forward, nearly 200 years after the world’s first actual beauty pageant was held in the 1880s.”
But it feels more like a monumental setback than a “step forward.” Rather than destroying traditional beauty standards, AI models exaggerate them. They take all the toxic gendered beauty norms and package them up in a completely unrealistic package.
For example, let’s take a look at two AI models that are judging a contest. Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini. Pellegrini was designed by an anonymous creator who told Chat GPT that he asked the average man what his dream was in a woman and designed the model along those lines. That means long hair, big breasts, perfect skin, and a sculpted body. Pelligrini is still a completely digital work, but she reportedly earns thousands of dollars from fan views and famous soccer players use her Instagram because they think she’s a real person. It seems like he’s going to slide into Gram’s DMs.
Another judge, López, who is touted as “Spain’s first AI model” and can apparently “earn up to €10,000 a month” with modeling work for brands, is also on the same page. The creators of Lopez AI modeling office A group called “The Clueless” rejected criticism of her sexual appearance, claiming they were merely reacting to market forces. “If we don’t follow this aesthetic, brands won’t be interested.” one of the creators he told reporters. “To change this system, we need to change our brand vision. The entire world is sexualized.”
So is this the future? Will human models be completely replaced by AI? The folks at The Clueless certainly seem to hope so. “[Brands] We want to have an image that represents the values of the brand, not a real person, so that if we have to lay someone off or we can no longer rely on them, there will be continuity issues,” says founder Ruben Cruz. he told Euronews. And it all makes sense. Why wouldn’t brands want to use a model that never ages and has full control?
Golden in the form of gold monolayer sheets is prepared by etching away titanium carbide (Ti)3C2. Slabs of titanium gold carbide (Ti)3AuC2.
Golden preparation.Image provided by: Kashiwaya other., doi: 10.1038/s44160-024-00518-4.
“When you make a material extremely thin, something unusual happens, just as it did with graphene. The same thing happens with gold,” said Dr. Shun Kashiwaya, a researcher at Linköping University.
“As you know, gold is normally a metal, but if it's an atomic layer thick, it can become a semiconductor instead.”
To create Goldene, Dr. Kashiwaya and his colleagues used a three-dimensional substrate with gold embedded between layers of titanium and carbon. However, coming up with a golden turned out to be difficult.
“We created the basic material with a completely different application in mind,” said Professor Lars Hartmann from Linköping University.
“We started with a conductive ceramic called titanium silicon carbide, which has a thin layer of silicon.”
“Then the idea was to coat the material with gold to make the contacts. However, when the component was exposed to high temperatures, the silicon layer inside the substrate was replaced by gold.”
This phenomenon is called intercalation, and what the researchers discovered was titanium-gold carbide.
For several years, authors have been using titanium gold carbide without knowing how the gold could be exfoliated or panned out.
They accidentally discovered a method that has been used in Japanese forging for more than 100 years.
This is called Murakami's reagent, and it etches away carbon residues and changes the color of steel, such as in knife making. However, it was not possible to use exactly the same recipe as the blacksmith.
“We tried varying the concentration of Murakami's reagent and the etching time. One day, one week, one month, several months. What we noticed was that the lower the concentration and the longer the etching process, the better. But even that wasn't enough,” Dr. Kashiwaya said.
Etching must also be performed in the dark, as the reaction produces cyanide, which dissolves the gold when exposed to light. This step was to stabilize the gold sheet.
A surfactant was added to prevent the exposed two-dimensional sheet from curling up. In this case, it is a long molecule, a surfactant, that separates and stabilizes the sheets.
“The golden sheets sit in a solution, a bit like cornflakes in milk. We use a sort of 'sieve' to collect the gold and examine it under an electron microscope to see if we were successful.” We have that,” Dr. Kashiwaya said.
“Golden's new properties are due to the fact that gold has two free bonds when it is two-dimensional.”
“Thanks to this, future applications could include carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen production catalysts, selective production of value-added chemicals, hydrogen production, water purification, communications, etc.”
“Additionally, the amount of gold used in today's applications can be significantly reduced.”
team's work It was published in the magazine natural synthesis.
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Shin Kashiwaya other. Golden synthesis consisting of a single atomic layer of gold. nut.synthesizer, published online March 18, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s44160-024-00518-4
aOne day, a new issue arose in Apple’s App Store. This time, the company complied with the Chinese government’s orders to remove WhatsApp and Threads, two of the last meta apps available in China.
From our story:
Apple has removed two apps, both owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook, following the instructions of the Cyberspace Administration of China, which oversees internet and online content censorship in China.
“The Cyberspace Administration of China has mandated the removal of these apps from Chinese app stores due to national security concerns,” Apple stated in an email to Reuters. “We are required to comply with the laws of the countries where we operate, even if we do not agree with them.”
It’s implied that Apple disagrees with this order, considering the last part of that statement. It’s unlikely that the company is pleased to bow down to significant censorship, even if it means removing a competitor’s app.
Notably, Apple did not repeat its strategy in the European Union this time. The company did not release a 12-page report detailing the forced changes and the potential negative impact on the Apple customer experience or regulatory goals. Apple did not take a confrontational approach, nor did it express disagreement with regulators’ interpretations of the law and pledge to challenge them in court.
While it might be unrealistic to expect Apple to challenge the Chinese government in court, the contrast is evident. Apple’s response to dictatorial orders regarding the App Store is brief compared to its response to democratic trade unions’ demands.
This comparison does not favor the European Union. Advocates for digital market regulations would hesitate to equate Apple’s treatment by the Chinese Communist Party with any other government. Yet, it’s a necessary observation. Apple faces little resistance when complying with the Chinese government, which is not the scenario one would desire.
TikTok’s Time is Up
'Foreign enemy'… TikTok could be shut down in the US. Photo: Dado Lubitsch/Reuters
China is not the only government imposing bans. According to the Guardian:
The House passed the latest measure to sell or ban with a vote of 360-58. [TikTok] This legislation could result in the first social media platform shutdown by the U.S. government.
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week, with President Joe Biden indicating his intention to sign it.
While I am not a member of Congress, the bill itself appears flawed. To avoid appearing as a targeting act (a bill aimed at individuals and typically disliked in the US legal tradition), the bill avoids singling out TikTok and instead targets “managed” platforms. The determination of what constitutes an “adversary” as a national security threat is left to the president’s discretion. This broad definition grants significant power to ban entities, especially considering the vague criteria for being “controlled” by a state. The term “foreign enemy” is further defined by other laws, now including Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea.
However, these legal nuances are not the focus here. What interests me is the impact of a TikTok ban in the US. The dominance of U.S.-based platforms on the English-speaking internet is evident. Despite geographic variations in platform popularity, American influence is pervasive.
It seems improbable that TikTok will vanish entirely due to a ban. The platform’s dedicated users may find ways to continue using it, whether through workarounds, web apps, or persistence. Nevertheless, the ban may prompt less committed users to migrate to alternative platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts, which have capitalized on TikTok’s restrictions in other markets, notably India.
In the short term, the TikTok experience is bound to deteriorate for all users, regardless of their location. The removal of desired content and delays in reposting may erode the platform’s appeal. However, the long-term consequences fascinate me. Will other English-speaking nations follow the U.S.’s lead in abandoning TikTok? Or does TikTok’s culture reflect a unique global perspective that diverges from mainstream internet trends? Are there discernible differences emerging?
My prediction leans toward a resolution through negotiations, lobbying, or activism rather than a ban enforced indefinitely. Nevertheless, if all efforts fail, witnessing the outcome of this experiment will be intriguing.
Three real llamas running free in Russia. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
AI’s second phase has begun. The scaled-down version of Facebook’s large language model, Llama 3, has been unveiled, likely for the final time this year. From our report:
The social media titan has enhanced Llama 3 with new coding capabilities, including image delivery in addition to text, although the current model only produces text, according to Chris Cox, Meta’s chief product officer, in an interview.
Further advanced features, such as long-term planning capacity, are expected in future versions. An upcoming iteration will also support “multimodality,” generating both text and images..
Llama is Facebook’s proprietary counterpart to GPT, Gemini, and Claude. Unlike these competitors, Llama is available under a relatively open license, enabling users to download the core model. If building your own AI system, particularly for local use over server reliance, is desired, Llama serves as a solid foundation.
The accidental public release of the initial Llama version was followed by an official second version. Facebook clearly benefits from this move. Developing fundamental technology driving the AI revolution could offer substantial advantages. While Llama allows for expansion, it retains certain restrictions, preventing complete replication and removal from Facebook. Importantly, without access to the original training data and method specifics, repeating the initial training run is unfeasible without significant computing resources.
However, the drawbacks are evident. Facebook profits from platform usage, not AI model training directly. This lack of direct financial incentive has hindered efforts to stay at the forefront, resulting in Llama trailing behind its competitors historically.
Nevertheless, the current landscape is different. Despite over a year of development, the free-licensed model from Facebook is now competitive with GPT4, possibly even surpassing it, with larger versions anticipated soon. Of course, progress in the industry is rapid, as evidenced by OpenAI’s anticipated GPT-5 release, expected to reshape the field once again.
Broader Tech Landscape
Next Level…Why the Game Boy still means so much to so many people 35 years later. Photo: Nintendo
35 years have passed since the Game Boy‘s release. Keza MacDonald explores the enduring impact of this iconic console that introduced gaming to millions and continues to influence the industry today.
Elon Musk is embroiled in a dispute with the Australian government over restrictions on sharing footage of a church stabbing in Sydney. This has led to a series of mundane memes targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
In the Guardian US Wellness section, Madeline Ageler discusses the transformative power of disconnecting from social media.
The legalization of sports betting in the U.S. has led to an addiction crisis, with technology playing a significant role in exacerbating the issue.
The Internet Watch Foundation uncovered a manual on the dark web detailing the use of AI to “undress” children’s images, highlighting the challenges in combatting such illicit activities.
Meanwhile, in the New Statesman (£), Swedish author Catherine Kieros-Marsal argues convincingly that the real issue with AI lies in its control by men.
The EU has determined that TikTok’s new service in Europe could potentially be as addictive as cigarettes unless the company provides compelling evidence of protecting children. They believed a ban may be necessary.
If the ban is enforced, it would be the first time the EU utilizes its new powers to impose sanctions on social media companies since the inception of the Digital Services Act (DSA) last August.
TikTok has until Wednesday to present arguments for the commission to evaluate before reaching a final decision on enforcement actions.
Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton stated that TikTok Lite has failed to demonstrate compliance with legal obligations to reward users for watching videos, deeming the service harmful.
The commission warned that benefits could be suspended if TikTok does not address regulators’ concerns about the impact on users’ mental health.
Despite ongoing investigations into child protection concerns, TikTok launched the app in France and Spain, where millions of European children use the platform, prompting the commission to prioritize their protection efforts.
The new watch-and-earn app allows users to earn rewards such as Amazon coupons or PayPal credits by completing tasks like watching videos, liking content, following creators, and inviting friends.
Brereton compared TikTok Lite to cigarettes, stating that while the main app provides fun and connection, it also poses significant risks to children’s mental health.
TikTok had a deadline to provide a risk assessment for its Lite service over concerns of video addiction in children.
Following insufficient responses from TikTok regarding addiction safeguards, the commission expressed readiness to invoke DSA interim measures, potentially suspending TikTok Lite’s rewards program.
TikTok responded, expressing disappointment with the decision and highlighting restrictions on the Lite Rewards Hub for users under 18.
With U.S. lawmakers passing a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban unless its Chinese owner sells a stake in its U.S. operations, the app’s future in the U.S. is uncertain.
The ongoing DSA investigation into TikTok covers child protection issues like age verification, transparent advertising, and the management of addictive design and harmful content.
An organization dedicated to fighting child abuse has reported that pedophiles are being encouraged to utilize artificial intelligence to generate nude images of children and coerce them into producing more explicit content.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) stated that a manual discovered on the dark web included a section advising criminals to use a “denuding” tool to strip clothing from photos sent by children. These photos could then be used for blackmail purposes to obtain further graphic material.
The IWF expressed concern over the fact that perpetrators are now discussing and promoting the use of AI technologies for these malicious purposes.
The charity, known for identifying and removing child sexual abuse content online, initiated an investigation into cases of sextortion last year. They observed a rise in incidents where victims were coerced into sharing explicit images under threat of exposure. Additionally, the use of AI to create highly realistic abusive content was noted.
The author of the online manual, who remains anonymous, claimed to have successfully coerced 13-year-old girls into sharing nude images online. The IWF reported the document to the UK National Crime Agency.
Recent reports by The Guardian suggested that there were discussions within the Labour party about banning tools that create nude imagery.
According to the IWF, 2023 witnessed a record number of extreme cases of child sexual abuse. Over 275,000 web pages containing such material, including content depicting rape, sadism, and bestiality, were identified, marking the highest number on record. This included a significant amount of Category A content, the most severe form containing explicit and harmful images.
The IWF further discovered 2,401 images of self-produced child sexual abuse material involving children aged three to six, where victims were manipulated or threatened to record their own abuse. The incidents were observed in domestic settings like bedrooms and kitchens.
Susie Hargreaves, the CEO of IWF, emphasized the urgent need to educate children on recognizing danger and safeguarding themselves against manipulative criminals. She stressed the importance of the recently passed Online Safety Act to protect children on social media platforms.
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat advised parents to engage in conversations with their children about safe internet usage. He emphasized the responsibility of tech companies to implement stronger safeguards against abuse.
Research published by Ofcom revealed that a significant percentage of young children own mobile phones and engage in social media. The government is considering measures such as raising the minimum age for social media use and restricting smartphone sales to minors.
The Lyrids, the first major meteor shower of the year, will be gracing us with fireballs tonight if luck is on our side.
Although this year’s conditions are not ideal due to the peak of the meteor shower coinciding with a full moon, the Lyrid meteor shower still has the potential to produce fireballs, similar to the more famous Perseid meteor shower (mid-July to August).
One of the oldest known meteor showers, with observations dating back over 2,700 years, the Lyrids were first reported by Chinese astronomers who observed the constellation Lyra. The sky experienced significant meteoric activity in 687 BC, 1803, and 1833.
To increase your chances of spotting the Lyrid meteor shower, understand what causes it, and know where to look, this guide provides valuable insights.
If unfavorable weather affects your viewing experience this year, consider checking out our astrophotography guide to capture stunning moon photos.
When will the Lyrid meteor shower be visible in 2024?
The peak time to witness the Lyrid meteor shower in 2024 is Monday night (April 22-23) in the UK and US regions. However, the nearly full moon on the night of April 23-24 will reduce visibility. Ideal viewing conditions are in the hours before dawn.
The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible from April 14, 2024, extending until April 30, following a yearly recurrence pattern.
Where to look to find Lyrid
The Lyra radiant, where meteors seem to originate, is situated in the Lyra constellation.
During the shower’s peak, the Lyra radiant ascends higher as the night progresses, enhancing the chance of spotting shooting stars and ensuring they don’t disappear beneath the horizon. Look for meteors about two-thirds up in the sky at a 60-degree altitude and a short distance from the radiant. Enhanced visibility can be achieved by including more sky in your field of view.
Lyra is a compact constellation nestled between the Summer Triangle and Hercules constellations, featuring the distinctive star Vega as part of its makeup.
Efficient star hopping techniques can aid in locating Lyra.
First, identify the summer triangle asterism that includes Vega from the Lyra constellation, Altair from Aquila, and Deneb from Cygnus. This triangle becomes prominent in the April evening sky.
Spot Vega: As the brightest star in Lyra, Vega acts as a marker for locating the constellation being sought. Its piercing brightness makes Vega easily identifiable.
Follow the Lyra star pattern: Once Vega is found, identify the parallelogram shape forming the body of Lyra with Vega as one of its corners. Imagination can help visualize the rest of the constellation resembling a small harp or lyre.
If all else fails, using astronomy apps on your phone with a red light filter can be beneficial in identifying celestial objects.
How visible will Lyra be?
The almost full moon during the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower on April 22-23 poses a visibility challenge. Moon glare diminishes the visibility of meteors, stars, planets, and constellations. Dark adaptation of eyes is hindered by excessive moonlight, necessitating around 10-20 minutes for optimal vision adjustment.
Despite the lunar interference, spotting brighter meteors, including fireballs, remains a possibility during this year’s Lyrid meteor shower.
How many meteors can we actually see?
Under optimal conditions with minimal light pollution and close to 18 meteors per hour, meteor visibility varies annually, with an average of 10 to 20 sightings. However, this year’s bright moon will significantly reduce the number of visible meteors to around three to four per hour.
Dr. Darren Baskill, an astrophysicist from the University of Sussex, explains that the Perseid shower in mid-August, without moonlight interference, offers a meteor every five minutes in urban areas and up to one meteor per minute in dark environments.
What causes the Lyrid meteor shower?
Meteor showers occur as Earth crosses paths with debris left behind by comets and asteroids. As this debris orbits the sun, Earth’s orbit intersects, resulting in the combustion of tiny particles in the atmosphere, creating meteoric streaks.
Most meteor-producing particles are as small as grains of sand, but larger fragments can produce fireballs. The “peak” of a meteor shower denotes the densest part of the stream, resulting in higher meteor visibility.
The Lyrid meteor shower is notable for its fast and bright meteors that often leave lasting trails in the sky, aiding visibility against moon interference.
The Lyra comet and mother object of the Lyrids, C/1861 G1 Thatcher, is a long-period comet with a 415.5-year orbit around the sun. With its last perihelion in 1861, it will be a long wait until its return (around 2276).
Lyrid meteor shower: Viewing tips
To improve your chances of viewing the Lyrid meteor shower:
Reduce light pollution: Choose locations away from bright lights and ensure minimal light obstructs your view.
Allow night vision adjustment: Let your eyes adapt to darkness, even if moonlight interferes, for better perception of the surroundings.
Obstruct the moon: Opt for locations where foliage or buildings obscure the moon for clearer views.
Watch for Meteor Trains: Meteor trains can linger after a meteor, enhancing visibility.
Use a red light filter: Employ red light filters for devices to maintain night vision.
Be vigilant for fireballs: Fireballs are rare but possible during the Lyrid meteor shower and are worth watching for.
About our experts
Dr. Darren Baskill is an outreach officer and lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. With prior experience at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, he organized the annual Astronomical Photographer of the Year competition.
Europe is the continent experiencing the most rapid increase in temperature, with its temperatures rising at approximately twice the global average, as reported by two top climate watchdogs on Monday. This raises concerns about human health, glacier melting, and the impact on economic activity.
The World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations and the European Union’s climate change agency Copernicus jointly reported that the African continent has the potential to transition to renewable resources like wind, solar, and hydropower in response to the effects of climate change. There is an opportunity to develop specific strategies to accelerate action on climate change.
Last year, the European Climate Report stated that the continent generated 43% of its electricity from renewable sources, up from 36% the previous year. In Europe, more energy was produced from renewables than fossil fuels for the second consecutive year.
According to the report, the latest five-year average temperature shows Europe to be currently 2.3 degrees Celsius (4.1 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, compared to the global temperature being 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer. This is just below the target set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Firefighters and volunteers extinguish a burning field during a forest fire in Salonida, Greece, July 17, 2023. Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg from Getty Images File
“Europe has continued to face rising temperatures and extreme weather events this year, including heat stress from record temperatures, wildfires, heatwaves, glacier ice loss, and inadequate snowfall,” said Elisabeth Hamdoush, Deputy Division Chief of the EU Executive Director Copernicus.
This report complements the World Meteorological Organization’s flagship State of the World Climate Report, which has been published annually for 30 years and this year issued a “Red Alert” warning that the world is not taking sufficient action to combat the effects of global warming.
In March, Copernicus reported achieving a record for 10 consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures. According to a European report, the average sea surface temperature across oceans in Europe is expected to reach its highest annual level in 2023.
This year’s European report focuses on the impact of high temperatures on human health, noting a rise in heat-related deaths across the continent. Over 150 lives were directly lost due to storms, floods, and wildfires last year.
Economic losses related to weather and climate in 2023 are estimated to exceed 13.4 billion euros (around $14.3 billion).
Carlo Buontempo, Director of Copernicus, stated, “In 2023, hundreds of thousands of people will be affected by extreme weather events causing significant damage at a continental level, with an estimated cost of at least tens of billions of euros.” “It’s been done,” he said.
The report highlights that extreme weather conditions have led to heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods. High temperatures are causing the reduction of glaciers on continents, including the Alps, where about 10% of glaciers have been lost over the past two years. Glacier ice has been declining.
Nevertheless, the authors of the report pointed out some exceptions, such as Scandinavia and Iceland, where temperatures were below average despite above-average mercury concentrations across much of the continent.
Artist's impression of the Brightline West high-speed rail line
brightline west
Today, construction begins on America's first full-scale high-speed rail line, connecting the suburbs of Los Angeles to the bright city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The project could not only allow people in the United States to finally experience high-speed passenger trains of European and Asian standards, but also provide a commercial model for building high-speed rail elsewhere in the United States. be.
A groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas today, attended by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, along with officials from Nevada and California, marked the official start of construction on the Brightline West project. Brightline West, which aims to be completed within four years in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will bypass lines of stranded cars and cross the median of Interstate 15 at speeds of 320 km/h. It is expected to fly passengers at speed. In the weekend traffic jam.
The $12 billion project is a bold gamble for Brightline and its owner, Fortress Investment Group, even considering a $3 billion federal grant announced by President Joe Biden in December 2023. It may seem like. But there are several reasons why Brightline West will be more successful than the rest of the United States. High-speed rail projects are delayed.
According to sources, Brightline is focused on connecting major markets that are approximately 400 to 550 kilometers apart. report By infrastructure consultancy AECOM. This represents a sweet spot where high-speed rail is highly competitive with driving and flying. His 350-kilometre trip on Brightline West from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles suburbs is expected to take him just over two hours, making it an attractive alternative to his four-hour drive, which 50 million people travel between cities each year. This is a great alternative.
“High-speed rail has proven to be a very efficient way to move large numbers of passengers within median distances,” he says. Jiao Junfeng At the University of Texas at Austin. “There are many success stories out there in European countries and Asian countries, and there are markets where high-speed rail operations have proven profitable.”
Another factor in Brightline's favor is that it leased access from Nevada and California to build Brightline West through the existing Interstate 15 corridor. This avoids the costs and delays typically associated with obtaining rights of way and acquiring land.
Reducing the risk of delays can also reduce overall project costs in the long term. California's own high-speed rail project was first approved by voters in 2008 to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles; project cost Soared from $33 billion to $128 billion. Other high-speed rail projects are currently being considered in Texas and the Pacific Northwest.
“When you're talking about preparing for construction or progressing construction, time is not on your side. [because of] say “inflation” Jean Whittington at the University of Washington in Seattle. “These projects are so large that it's like implementing multiple megaprojects that all depend on each other to complete successfully.”
One lesson U.S. National Railroad officials can learn from Brightline is to avoid lengthy planning stages and “focus on the costs of delays and indecision,” he said. Russell Jackson, Global Transportation Director at AECOM. He also suggested that while Brightline's approach focuses only on the most profitable routes, government funding could fill in the gaps in other cases.
“Public funds can be used for projects that are still needed to connect pairs of cities that are a little too close to travel by plane and too far to drive,” Jackson said.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen emphasized the importance of utilizing tools and guidelines to help individuals identify places to stay cool when air conditioning is not available, recognize symptoms of heat illness, and properly manage medications. Cohen highlighted the significance of understanding how drugs interact with heat during a press conference on Monday.
“While heat can impact our health, it is crucial to remember that heat-related illness and death are preventable,” Cohen stated.
Heat-related deaths outnumber those caused by other extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes in the United States each year. The record-breaking heat experienced last summer highlighted the threat of scorching temperatures, particularly in the South and Southwest regions of the country.
NOAA officials expressed optimism that the new resources will assist communities in preparing for the upcoming summer season. The agency anticipates above-average temperatures in May and June across the United States, indicating another hot summer ahead.
“It is never too early to start preparing for heat-related challenges,” emphasized NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad during a briefing.
NOAA’s HeatRisk tool categorizes heat risks on a scale from 0 (green) to 4 (magenta), with 4 indicating extreme and/or prolonged heat impacts. The tool considers factors such as maximum and minimum temperatures as well as the combined effects of heat during both day and night. It is tailored to provide location-specific heat outlooks as environmental conditions vary from one place to another.
The forecast also includes historical data to provide context on the predicted temperatures relative to past records during the same time of year.
NOAA National Weather Service Director Ken Graham highlighted that the HeatRisk tool can assist individuals in making informed decisions about outdoor activities based on the heat risk level. The tool aims to complement heat watches and warnings issued by government agencies by offering additional context for users.
The initial prototype of the HeatRisk tool was developed for California by the National Weather Service in 2013 and expanded to include Western states in 2017. It is currently available as a trial tool across the continental United States.
Members of the public are encouraged to submit feedback on the tool by September 30th to the National Weather Service.
I I don’t usually believe in life hacks. I’d like to imagine that with one simple adjustment my life would reappear like a cracked tennis court, but as time and experience have shown, positive change usually happens slowly and gradually.
But there is one hack that I truly believe in. It’s fast, free, and will instantly change your life for the better. Just mute the annoying people on social media.
The process varies by platform. Typically, you would go to the offending poster’s profile page or one of her posts and tap “Mute,” “Snooze,” or “Unfollow.” But that’s it. Thanks to this digital dust, social media is cleaner, or at least less dirty than it used to be. They’ll disappear from your timeline, and so will the various little annoyances they caused. Also, unlike unfollowing or blocking someone, the muted party won’t know they’ve been silenced, so there’s no risk of awkwardness or drama. .
Several people are muted. Some of them are people you don’t want to unfollow. I unfollowed some people, but I muted them because others might repost and pollute my pure timeline. One is a semi-celebrity who was rude to me about work many years ago. Another person was rude to my friend. There are also ex-lovers and people who are always humble and boastful and make you want to bang your head against something hard.
These people brought out the worst in me. When I saw their posts, I felt angry, mean, and small. I wondered how much it would cost to buy billboards along major highways with bullet points detailing just how bad it really is.
Luckily, I rarely think about these people anymore because I’ve muted them on all platforms. I usually forget these people exist unless someone brings it up in conversation. They were weeded from the lush garden of my brain.
Bailey Parnell, founder and president of the Center for Digital Wellbeing, said, “Muting accounts that repeatedly make you uncomfortable is setting up digital boundaries to create a healthier digital environment.” I am. This allows you to avoid offensive content without disconnecting. It’s a solution, she says, to the complicated situation where a relationship with someone is important to you despite their annoying online presence.
“This allows you to maintain your social and professional networks while also maintaining your mental health,” she says.
This may seem like obvious advice. Still, it can be difficult to follow. The frustration you feel when you see someone’s bad posts can be accompanied by a sense of satisfaction. It’s like, “Look!” It’s annoying!
“There can be a dopamine rush at the end of a big emotion,” says Monica Amorosi, a certified trauma therapist in New York City. We may begin to crave the adrenaline spike that comes with content that makes us feel shocked, angry, or disgusted.
“If we lead a mundane life, lack stimulation, are bored or overwhelmed, consuming this substance can be a form of entertainment or distraction,” says Amoros. says Mr.
Amorosi emphasizes the importance of not creating a “space of ignorance” in your feed by avoiding different perspectives on current events and alarming news. But this does not mean that social media should only be used to access upsetting information. Our feed can be used for “healthy, positive education, connecting with like-minded people, understanding the nuances and diversity of the world, fact-checking information, and learning new hobbies and ideas,” she says. say.
So muting is probably most effectively applied against people who annoy you in a bland, everyday way, such as an arrogant colleague. Not seeing humble braggarts pretending to be ashamed of their professional successes does not limit my worldview. Instead, I get back the 5-10 minutes I might have wasted taking screenshots of posts and complaining to friends about them.
Frankly, I haven’t done anything with the time I’ve gained by not badmouthing the people I’ve muted. But how nice that at least he has days when he’s comfortable for even five minutes.
So feel free to mute yourself and often. And what if you disagree with me? Please mute. You never know!
I spend countless hours sifting through plastic pieces in my kitchen to determine if they can be recycled. If you have them, put them in a bag along with glass, cans, cardboard, and paper. If not, or if you’re not confident, put it in a plastic bag (not recyclable) and shove it in the cupboard under the stairs. I plan to drop it off in a non-recyclable plastic bin at my local supermarket. But the road to the landfill is paved with good intentions. Sometimes I get frustrated and throw it away.
I don’t know if my relentless culling will actually make any difference. We hope that what is recyclable will eventually be recycled. As for the others, which make up about half of my plastic waste, I don’t know their fate. I think there’s a reason it’s called “non-recyclable.”
We hope that you won’t have to waste your precious time on this kind of waste prioritization any time soon. A series of “advanced recycling” technologies are gradually being rolled out that promise to convert all kinds of used plastics into something very useful: plastic. The goal is to create a circular economy for this material by eliminating the need to make virgin plastic from crude oil and simply endlessly recycling what we already have. Plastic, once demonized as the scourge of modern society, could once again be great.
There are many things you can use. Since the 1950s, we have produced over 10 billion tons of her.
A new genus and species of giant mazzoid snake that lived in what is now India about 47 million years ago (early mid-Eocene epoch) has been identified from part of a vertebral column excavated in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Artist’s impression Vasuki Indicus.
with scientific name Vasuki Indicus the new species flourished during a warm geological period when average temperatures were estimated to be 28 degrees Celsius.
the ancient snake Matzoidae an extinct group of primarily Gondwanan land snakes, spanning a time range of approximately 100 million years from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene.
Paleontologists Debasjit Dutta and Sunil Bajpayee from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee said, “The Mazzoidae existed for about 100 million years, from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene, and has a wide geographical range including Africa, Europe, and India.” “They lived in the area,” he said.
“Vasuki Indicus “This represents a lineage of large matzoids that originated in the Indian subcontinent and spread through southern Europe to Africa during the Eocene epoch, approximately 56 to 34 million years ago.”
anterior trunk vertebrae Vasuki Indicus. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: D. Datta & S. Bajpai, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58377-0.
A series of 27 well-preserved vertebrae from a fully grown animal. Vasuki Indicus It was recovered from the Panandro lignite mine, part of the Naledi Formation in Gujarat, western India.
The vertebrae are 3.75–6.3 cm (1.5–2.5 in) long and 6.24–11.14 cm (2.5–4.4 in) wide, suggesting a broad cylindrical body.
Vasuki Indicus Estimated lengths reach 11–15 m (36–49 ft), making this species the largest known mudsoid snake.
“This is comparable in size to the longest-living snake ever known, an extinct snake.” Titanoboa” said the researchers.
“The large size is Vasuki Indicus It was a slow-moving ambush predator, similar to an anaconda. “
“Biogeographical considerations, taken together with interactions with other Indian and North African madzoids, suggest that: Vasuki Indicus It represents a lineage of relics of Indian origin,” they added.
“The subsequent collision between India and Asia 50 million years ago led to intercontinental dispersal of this lineage from the subcontinent through southern Eurasia and into northern Africa.”
“Recovery of additional material and new species, including larger forms, may provide further insight into the phylogenetics and biogeography of madzoids.”
of study It was published in the magazine scientific report.
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D. Dutta and S. Bajpai. 2024. The largest known mudsoid snake lived in the warm Eocene of India, suggesting dispersal across Gondwana. science officer 14, 8054; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58377-0
Animals have various ways to detect chemicals in their environment, which differ depending on the species. Mammals use their tongues to taste, while fish and other aquatic creatures use their skin to taste. Insects, on the other hand, have taste buds not only inside their mouths but also outside their bodies.
Researchers have discovered that fruit flies, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster, have developed unique ways to utilize their senses of smell and taste to locate food and avoid dangers in diverse habitats. By exploring how fruit flies’ senses have evolved, scientists aim to uncover how these insects have adapted to their surroundings.
To study the sensory capabilities of fruit flies, researchers at the University of Lussanne in Switzerland compared the smells and tastes of different fruit fly species. They collected five essential body parts related to the flies’ senses: 1) larvae head, 2) egg-laying part, 3) front legs, 4) antennae, and 5) mouthparts with palpation structures. These body parts were collected from six closely related species of fruit flies living in various environments and consuming different diets.
The researchers separated male and female fruit flies into three replicates for each sex and species. They anesthetized the adult flies with CO2 to collect samples without causing harm. They separated larvae from their food source and removed their heads for analysis. This process was repeated three times for each body part of the adults, larvae, and egg-laying parts.
Using RNA sequencing technology, scientists examined the genes in different parts of the fruit fly’s body to understand how they respond to stimuli. This method helped identify active and inactive genes in various body parts, shedding light on how Drosophila adapts to its environment. The RNA data was stored in the Genomics Database for future research purposes.
The researchers observed that specific genes controlling smell and taste in fruit flies vary in their activation patterns. Changes in gene activity were influenced by factors like temperature, humidity, and interactions with other organisms. Differences in gene activity between male and female fruit flies were also noted, potentially impacting their mate selection.
The complexity of gene regulation in fruit fly sensory organs may vary across species and sexes, affecting their adaptation to diet and habitat changes. Further research is needed to understand the genetic basis of odor patterns in fruit flies and how it aids in their adaptation.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, April 22, 2024, Chainwire
Alibaba Cloud, AngelHack and dWallet are among the latest supporters of the global event.
SuiLayer 1 blockchain that delivers industry-leading performance and infinite horizontal scaling funds Sui Overflow, the first-ever global virtual hackathon focused on creating exciting products on Sui Our offering has doubled in recent weeks thanks to donations from our loyal supporters.
Originally set at $500,000, Sui Overflow's funding pool grew to $1,000,000 after a surge of support from outside backers. With the help of a huge reward pool, builders from all over the world come together to build projects on the Sui network and demo them in front of judges. Categories eligible for prizes include Consumer & Mobile, Infrastructure & Tools, Gaming, DeFi, and more. Developers are also encouraged to take advantage of specific technologies in the Sui ecosystem, such as zkLogin, advanced movement capabilities, randomness, and multi-chain capabilities.
Sam Blackshear, co-founder/CTO of Mysten Labs and creator of the Move smart contract language said: , Kiosks, DeepBook, and Native Randomness. Some of Sui's top projects have come from previous local hackathons, so we're really looking forward to seeing what our first global hackathon will produce. ”
Previous Sui-sponsored hackathons have been fertile ground for projects that started as hackathon participants to grow into sustainable businesses on the network. Scallop was launched in June 2023 at Sui's Soul Builder House with a…sumers are not limited to a single category. Individual teams can participate in multiple tracks simultaneously, with prize pools exceeding $100,000. Additionally, many projects in the Sui ecosystem offer unique incentives, adding even more ways for great projects and great teams to benefit.
With funding doubling to $1 million, Sui Overflow participants will receive Sui Foundation acceleration grants after the hackathon, along with benefits such as audits and credits to support the successful launch of their projects. be eligible to receive it.
“Homegrown projects born out of developer meetups and hackathons like Sui Overflow are a critical part of the lifeblood that will sustain the Su…ns, we were able to benefit the most promising projects with selected acceleration grants.”
“Sui Overflow is more than just an event. It is the launching pad for our brightest future blockchain innovators,” said Omer Sadika, co-founder of dWallet Network. “We are excited and honored to work with all partners involved and look forward to the results from this hackathon.”
WASHINGTON — THE PRESIDENT Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar power projects serving more than 900,000 households in low- and moderate-income areas. He also plans to expand the New Deal-style U.S. Climate Change Corps Green Jobs Training Program.
The grants were awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency, with 60 recipients announced on Monday. Government officials expect the projects to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 30 million tons of carbon dioxide and save households $350 million a year.
Biden’s climate announcement is aimed at energizing young voters in his re-election bid. Young people played a key role in defeating then-President Donald Trump in 2020. They have shown interest in Biden’s climate policy and are eager to contribute through programs like the Climate Change Corps.
Solar energy is gaining popularity as a renewable energy source that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve the power grid’s reliability. However, the initial installation cost of solar energy remains a barrier for many Americans.
The grants include 49 state-level grants, six grants for Native American tribes, and five multi-state grants. They can be used for investments in rooftop solar power generation and community solar gardens.
Biden made the announcement at Prince William Forest Park in northern Virginia, about 30 miles southwest of Washington. The park was established in 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.
Biden’s American Climate Corps, modeled after President Roosevelt’s New Deal, offers about 2,000 positions in 36 states, including partnerships with the Building Trades Union of North America.
The grants are part of the Solar for All program, funded by a $27 billion “green bank” established as part of a broader climate law initiative. The program aims to reduce climate change, air pollution, and support disadvantaged communities most affected by climate change.
EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe expressed excitement about the funds benefiting communities, providing skills, creating jobs, and helping households save on utility bills.
Among the businesses receiving grants are nonprofit projects in West Virginia, solar leasing programs in Mississippi, and solar worker training programs in South Carolina.
Concerns remain about Republican opposition to taxpayer-funded green banks and accountability for how the funds are used. The EPA previously allocated the remaining $20 billion in bank funds to support clean energy projects in various organizations and communities.
TikTok has announced its intention to challenge any ban or requirement for the app’s sale in the United States through legal means, following the passing of a bill by the House of Representatives that targets the popular video platform.
Uncertainty looms over the company’s future in the United States after lawmakers in Washington approved a bill that would mandate the sale of a stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban.
The bill, part of a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, was passed by the House with a vote of 360-58 on Saturday and will now be presented to the Senate for further consideration. President Joe Biden has expressed his support for the bill.
Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, informed employees via a memo after the vote that the bill is deemed unconstitutional, and TikTok intends to challenge it in court.
Beckerman stated in the memo, initially reported by a technology news website, that the bill infringes on the First Amendment, which safeguards free speech rights, and vowed to pursue legal action once the bill is signed into law.
Arguments on the basis of the First Amendment have previously worked in TikTok’s favor in the U.S. In a ruling last year, a district judge in Montana blocked a state ban on TikTok, citing violations of users’ free speech rights. The judge found that the ban exceeded the state’s authority and violated constitutional rights.
TikTok has faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and other Western officials, including those in the UK, over concerns that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government. While TikTok denies such requests from Beijing, critics fear ByteDance may be compelled to share data with Chinese security services under the country’s laws.
The Federal Court of Australia mandated that Elon Musk’s content be hidden from users.
X, along with Mehta, was instructed by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant to promptly remove any material depicting “unreasonable or offensive violence with serious consequences or details” within 24 hours or risk facing fines.
The content in question was a video allegedly showing Bishop Mar Mari Emanuel being stabbed to death during a livestreamed service at the Assyrian Church of the Good Shepherd in Wakely.
Although X claimed compliance with the request, they intended to challenge the order in court.
During a hearing, eSafety barrister Christopher Tran informed Judge Jeffrey Kennett that X had geographically restricted access to the posts containing the video, rendering them inaccessible in Australia but available globally through VPN connections.
Tran argued that this noncompliance with online safety laws necessitated the removal of the content globally as an interim step.
X’s legal representative, Marcus Hoyne, requested an adjournment, citing the late hour in San Francisco where X is based and lack of instructions from his client.
Judge Kennett proposed issuing an interim order until the next hearing, requiring the post’s removal and global access blockage until a specified date and time.
Treasurer Stephen Jones criticized X as a “factory of trolls and misinformation” and affirmed the government’s readiness to combat legal challenges from the company.
The eSafety Commissioner clarified that the notice solely concerned the video footage and not any commentary surrounding the incident.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the harmful impact of violent content on social media and condemned X for noncompliance with the removal order.
Meta purportedly followed the directive, while X accused the regulator of “global censorship” and announced intentions to challenge the order in court.
Treasurer Jones vowed to challenge X’s stance, emphasizing the need for online platforms to adhere to laws and maintain safety.
Regulators collaborated with various companies, including Google, Microsoft, Snap, and TikTok, to remove the contentious content.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton voiced support for eSafety’s actions and criticized X for considering itself above the law.
Green Party spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young called upon Elon Musk to address the issue in parliament and urged tech companies to act responsibly.
This confrontation is the latest in the ongoing dispute between X and the eSafety Commissioner, which includes legal battles over compliance with safety regulations.
X faced legal action for allegedly bullying a trans man on Twitter, prompting the company to block access to the content in Australia, while filing a lawsuit challenging the decision.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an excellent image of the spiral galaxy ESO 422-41 in the constellation Columba.
This Hubble image shows ESO 422-41, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Columba, about 34 million light-years away. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / C. Kilpatrick.
ESO 422-41 It is located in the constellation Columba, about 34 million light years away.
DDO 230, LEDA 16864, or UGCA 103, the diameter of this spiral galaxy is 30,000 light years.
“The name ESO 422-41 comes from its appearance in the European Southern Observatory (B) Atlas of the Southern Sky,” Hubble astronomers said.
“In the era before automated sky surveys by space observatories such as ESA's Gaia satellite, large-scale photographic surveys discovered many stars, galaxies, and nebulae.”
“Astronomers used the then most advanced large telescopes to create hundreds of photographs covering parts of the sky.”
“They then studied the resulting photographs and attempted to catalog all the new objects revealed.”
“In the 1970s, a new telescope at ESO's La Silla facility in Chile probed the southern sky, which had not yet been explored as deeply as the northern sky,” they added.
“At that time, the primary technology for recording images was glass plates treated with chemicals.”
“The resulting collection of photographic plates became the ESO (B) Atlas of the Southern Sky.”
“Astronomers from ESO and Uppsala, Sweden, worked together to study the plates and recorded hundreds of galaxies (ESO 422-41 is just one of them), star clusters and nebulae. I was a beginner.”
“Since then, astronomical sky surveys have progressed from digital, computer-aided surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Legacy Survey to surveys performed by space telescopes such as Gaia and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). It has transitioned to
“Nonetheless, photographic sky surveys have made significant contributions to astronomical knowledge over the decades, and the glass plate archive serves as an important historical reference for a wide range of skies. .”
“Some of them are still actively used, for example, to study variable stars over time,” the researchers pointed out.
“And the objects revealed by these surveys, including ESO 422-41, can now be studied in detail with telescopes like Hubble.”
The new images of ESO 422-41 consist of observations from Hubble's advanced survey camera (ACS) in the near-infrared and optical portions of the spectrum.
Two filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
Tesla has reduced prices on three of its five models in the U.S. and globally, including in China and Germany, due to declining sales, a Cybertruck recall, and increasing competition in the electric vehicle market. The price cuts have affected the Model Y, Model X, and Model S, while the Model 3 and Cybertruck prices remain unchanged.
The Model Y now starts at $42,990, the Model S at $72,990, and the Model X at $77,990 following the price reductions. Tesla also slashed the price of its “fully self-driving” software in the U.S. from $12,000 to $8,000.
In China, the starting price of the updated Model 3 was reduced by 14,000 yuan ($1,930) to 231,900 yuan ($32,000). Meanwhile, in Germany, the price of the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 dropped to 40,990 euros ($43,670.75) from 42,990 euros.
The price cuts extend to many other countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as Tesla tries to boost sales following a decline in global car deliveries in the first quarter of the year.
The series of price reductions come amidst challenges for the company, including a Cybertruck recall due to issues with the gas pedal. This incident has added to Elon Musk’s recent troubles, with Tesla stock dropping and criticism from investors mounting.
Analysts are awaiting the release of the Model 2, a smaller electric car expected to cost around $25,000. Reports of Musk canceling the project have created uncertainty, but he has denied these claims.
Tesla is set to announce its first quarter results soon, with expectations of a significant drop in sales compared to the previous year, marking the first decline in quarterly sales in about four years for the company.
Grindr is potentially facing lawsuits from numerous users who allege that the dating app shared extremely confidential personal data with advertising firms, including disclosing their HIV status in some instances.
Law firm Austin Hayes is preparing to sue the app’s American owners in London’s High Court, claiming a breach of UK data protection laws.
The firm asserts that thousands of Grindr users in the UK had their information misused. They state that 670 individuals have already signed the claim, with “thousands more” showing interest in joining.
Grinder has stated it will vigorously respond to these allegations, pointing out that they are based on an inaccurate evaluation of past policies.
Established in 2009 to facilitate interactions among gay men, Grindr is currently the largest dating app worldwide for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals, boasting millions of users.
The lawsuit against Grindr in the High Court centers on claims of personal data sharing with two advertising companies. It also suggests that these companies may have further sold the data to other entities.
New users may not be eligible to take part, as the claims against Grindr primarily cover the period before April 3, 2018, and between May 25, 2018, and April 7, 2020. Grindr updated its consent process in April 2020.
Los Angeles-headquartered Grindr ceased passing on users’ HIV status to third parties in April 2018 following a report by Norwegian researchers uncovering data sharing with two firms. In 2021, Norway’s data protection authority imposed a NOK 65 million fine on Grindr for violating data protection laws.
Grinder appealed the decision from Norway.
The Norwegian ruling does not specifically address the alleged sharing of a user’s HIV status, recognizing that a user registered on Grindr is likely associated with the gay or bisexual community, making such data sensitive.
Chaya Hanumanjee, managing director at Austin Hayes leading the case, remarked, “Our clients suffer greatly when their highly sensitive data is shared without consent, leading to fear, embarrassment, and anxiety.”
“Grindr is dedicated to compensating those impacted by the data breach and ensuring all users can safely utilize the app without fear of their data being shared with third parties,” Hanumanjee added.
The law firm believes that affected users might be entitled to significant damages but did not disclose details.
A spokesperson from Grindr stated, “We prioritize safeguarding your data and adhering to all relevant privacy regulations, including in the UK. Our global privacy program demonstrates our commitment to privacy, and we will vigorously address this claim.”
Maddie Lane and Phoebe Colin were unaware of the cameras recording them as they strolled down a bustling street in Manchester last April.
On a warm spring day, the women sported brightly colored cycling shorts, completely oblivious to being surreptitiously filmed by a person with a device placed below waist level.
Colin expressed her discomfort upon watching the video, stating, “I don’t like it. You can see them zooming in on our butt cheeks.”
The perpetrator boldly shot a high-definition video, capturing them primarily from behind just a few meters away, before moving around to capture their faces, which were unmistakably visible.
Feeling violated, Lane mentioned, “I had no idea they were filming us. We were just wondering, ‘Why didn’t we notice them?’”
What intensified their fear was how they discovered the existence of the video. Lane received an Instagram message from an anonymous sender containing a link to the footage, insinuating, “Hi, is this you?” They proceeded to track down Colin and send her a similar message revealing the video’s online presence.
Lane shared their apprehension, saying, “The fact that they found us on social media was frightening. We still don’t know who they are.”
Despite reporting the incident to the police, there were no consequences. Colin recollected, “They informed us that there was nothing they could do and advised us to reach out if it happened again.”
The perpetrator appears to have filmed the two individuals in this video from close proximity. Photo: Joel Goodman/Guardian
This video is one among several targeting women in tight attire or short dresses, captured without their awareness in various UK towns and cities.
In response to the escalating issue, authorities urged women to report such incidents, emphasizing they would take a firm stand provided genuine victim or community reports were received.
Recent legislation has equipped the police with enhanced powers to seek stalking protection orders (SPOs) against offenders, aimed at curbing stalking behavior early on by prohibiting certain actions such as capturing images of perpetrators.
The changes announced by the Home Office on the first day of National Stalking Awareness Week enable police to apply for victim protection orders based on civil standards, simplifying the process by eliminating the need for conclusive criminal evidence.
The unsettling experience of Lane and Colin resonates with many women venturing out in Manchester on weekend nights, with similar incidents being common.
At popular venues like Printworks, incidents of secret video recordings have been reported, highlighting the urgent need for action and awareness.
The women at Deansgate, where numerous such videos circulated on social media, expressed concern over the pervasive issue of privacy invasion and objectification.
By sharing their thoughts and experiences, these women emphasized the importance of social change and actively confronting such reprehensible behavior.
Cyclists, from Team GB athletes to daily commuters, understand the importance of marginal gains. They constantly optimize their nutrition, equipment, and position to improve their race times by reducing drag.
It’s not surprising that some middle-aged men in Lycra (MAMILs) are considering shaving their legs. The idea is simple: removing leg hair can reduce drag, the force that slows down objects moving through the air. And on a bike, air resistance is the main factor that hinders speed.
When you’re cycling, the air in front of you moves as you move, creating wind resistance. To enhance aerodynamics, it’s crucial to optimize how the air flows around your body, reducing drag that holds you back. This is why cyclists wear skinsuits, position themselves low on the bike, and helmets are designed like sports cars.
There’s ongoing debate among riders and engineers about whether shaving your legs actually makes a significant difference in speed. An interesting study by a bicycle manufacturer tested shaved legs in a wind tunnel and found a 7 percent reduction in air resistance compared to natural legged riders.
In a 40 km time trial, this improvement could potentially give you a 79-second advantage over competitors. For professional riders, this could mean the difference between winning and losing.
This article addresses the question posed by Conrad Gordon via email: “Should I shave my legs if I love wearing Lycra and cycling?” If you have any questions, you can contact us at questions@sciencefocus.com or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Remember to include your name and location.
For more fascinating science content, check out our website for interesting information and more amazing science pages.
The area of water between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda became notorious in the mid-20th century due to stories of mysterious disappearances of boats and planes.
A well-known incident occurred in 1945 when Flight 19, a group of five U.S. Navy bombers, vanished in the region. Over the years, wrecks and crashes in the Bermuda Triangle were often linked to supernatural forces.
In 1975, Larry Kush published a book debunking legends about the triangle, revealing inaccuracies and concluding that incidents in the area were not significantly higher than in other ocean regions.
Despite various theories proposed over the years, explanations range from natural phenomena like methane bubbles to supernatural causes like parallel worlds.
Some suggest that methane bubbles from the ocean floor caused ships to capsize, but research has shown no significant methane emissions in the area in the past 15,000 years.
The frequency of hurricanes in the region could have led to disasters before accurate weather forecasts were available, resulting in ships sinking due to high, rough waves.
While some blame magnetic anomalies for navigation errors, no such anomalies have been observed, though the alignment of true and magnetic north may have caused confusion in the past.
Despite the lack of identified dangers by the U.S. Coast Guard, and no statistically unusual number of incidents in the Bermuda Triangle, the mystery persists due to early reports receiving widespread attention.
Modern technology has enabled better tracking of air and sea traffic, reducing the sensationalism surrounding the Bermuda Triangle in recent years.
This article responds to the question posed by Cardiff resident Diane Johnston: “What happened in the Bermuda Triangle?”
For questions, email:questions@sciencefocus.comor message us onFacebook, Twitter orInstagramPage (include your name and location).
IIn its initial days after release, Fallout, the Prime Video series based on the popular post-apocalyptic video game franchise, quickly became a global sensation. Topping the UK charts and ranking as one of the top three most-watched titles on Prime, it garnered widespread acclaim. This success led to Amazon announcing the renewal of the show for a second season within just one week of its global release across 240 countries and territories.
Amazon stated, “The expectations were high among fans of this iconic video game, and we are pleased to have exceeded them so far, attracting millions of new followers to the series.”
The triumph of Fallout, set two centuries after a nuclear catastrophe and featuring Ella Purnell, Kyle MacLachlan, and Aaron Moten, signifies the rise of video game adaptations into mainstream entertainment. Recent successes like HBO’s The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed $1.36 billion, highlight the increasing prominence of game-inspired content.
Rhys Elliott, a games industry analyst, compared game adaptations to superhero films, noting a shift towards gaming IP in Hollywood. The positive response to titles like Fallout and The Last of Us suggests a growing acceptance of gaming narratives in mainstream media.
Upcoming projects such as a Minecraft movie and a The Legend of Zelda adaptation by Margot Robbie reflect the industry’s evolving interest in gaming IP. The success of recent adaptations has debunked the myth of a curse surrounding game-to-film transitions, attributing it to faithful storytelling and star-studded productions.
Jonathan Nolan’s involvement in Fallout, driven by his passion for the game, underscores a new era where filmmakers appreciate the essence of gaming narratives. This collaboration between game developers and seasoned filmmakers has redefined the landscape of video game adaptations.
The shift towards gaming IP signifies a significant change in the industry’s approach to adapting video games. As Hollywood embraces this newfound gold rush, film studios are learning to leverage the global appeal of game franchises for successful adaptations.
Despite past misfires, recent successes have instilled confidence in the potential of video game adaptations. With a focus on engaging a broad audience and respecting the source material, these projects are redefining the narrative surrounding game-to-film transitions.
“MMonopoly is Silicon Valley’s answer to Darth Vader and is “a condition of all successful business,” said Peter Thiel. This aspiration is widely shared by Valley giant Gamman, his new acronym for Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Nvidia. And with the advent of AI, each one’s desire to reach that blessed state before others gets there is even greater.
One sign of their anxiety is that they are spending insane amounts of money on the 70-odd generative AI startups that have proliferated since it became clear that AI was going to be the new thing. Microsoft, for example, reportedly spent $13bn (about £10.4bn) on OpenAI, while leading a $1.3bn funding round for DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleiman’s startup Inflection. He was also an investor. Amazon invested $4 billion in Anthropic, a startup founded by refugees from OpenAI. Google invested $500 million in the same business, he pledged an additional $1.5 billion, and he invested an unknown amount in A121 Labs and Hugging Face.
(Yes, I know the name doesn’t mean anything.) Microsoft also invested in his French AI startup, Mistral. and so on. In 2023, only $9 billion of the $27 billion invested in AI startups was invested. From a venture capitalist company –Until recently, the company was by far the largest funder of emerging technology companies in Silicon Valley.
what’s happening? After all, the big tech companies have their own “fundamental” AI models and don’t need what smaller companies have built or are building. And every penny drops. We’ve seen this strategy before. An existing company discovers and captures potential competitors at an early stage. For example, Google acquired YouTube in his 2006. Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 when it had only 13 employees, and WhatsApp in 2014 (for $19 billion, which seemed an exorbitant amount at the time).
With the 20/20 vision of hindsight, we now see that these were all anti-competitive acquisitions that should have been resisted at the time and were not. That’s why it’s so refreshing to know that at least one regulator, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), seems determined to learn from its history.
in Speech given at a gathering of American antitrust lawyers Just over a week ago in Washington, CMA CEO Sara Cardel called for ensuring the market for fundamental AI models is supported by fair, open and effective competition and strong consumer protections. announced that he had decided to do so. Her concern is that the growing presence of a few large incumbents across the AI value chain (the series of steps required to turn inputs into usable outputs) will undermine competition and limit companies’ options. This meant that there was a possibility that these markets could be formed in a way that degraded quality. and consumers.
She cited three major risks to competition. One is that companies that control critical inputs for developing the underlying model may restrict access to protect themselves from competition. Powerful incumbents may exploit their positions in consumer and business markets to limit competition in model deployment and thereby distort choice. And we believe that partnerships between key players have the potential to strengthen or expand existing market power across the value chain.
He also said the CMA would take action to assess and mitigate competition risks from new technologies through its formidable investigatory powers, including merger control reviews, market investigations and possible designations under new digital competition laws. I warned you.
It was truly amazing to hear a major regulator speak like this about the technology industry. Cardel said the CMA will be a technology industry that believes in being proactive and (as is often said) moving quickly to break things, rather than waiting for problems to arise before acting. He suggested that he would try to stay ahead of the big players rather than lag behind them. He said the CMA is already preparing for this task based on what it has learned so far from adapting to technology platforms. Rather than focusing only on individual parts of the chain, the value of AI model deploymenthe aims to look at the entire chain holistically. It also plans to use its merger review powers more aggressively to assess the impact of alliances and AI investments on competition.
Isn’t that exciting? But in some ways it is no surprise as it is one of the few British institutions that seems able to use the post-Brexit freedoms as an opportunity for creativity and innovation. And bigwigs who are tempted to dismiss Cardel’s speech as mere fiery rhetoric should reflect on the CMA’s recent track record. A thorough investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, for example; or how Meta forced the sale of Giphy, an online database and search engine that allows users to find and share animated GIF files. Cardel may be lower profile than her U.S. FTC counterpart Lina Khan, but it’s clear she means business. People with strong possessiveness should be careful.
A convicted sex offender who created over 1,000 indecent images of children has been forbidden from using any “AI creation tools” for the next five years, marking a significant case in this realm.
Anthony Dover, 48, was instructed by a British court in February not to use artificial intelligence-generated tools without prior police authorization, as part of a sexual harm prevention order issued in February.
The prohibition extends to tools like text-image generators that produce realistic-looking photos from written commands, as well as the manipulation of websites used to generate explicit “deepfake” content.
Mr. Dover, who received a community order and a £200 fine, was specifically directed not to utilize the Stable Diffusion software known to be exploited by pedophiles to create surreal child sexual abuse material.
This case is part of a series of prosecutions where AI-generated images have come to the forefront, prompting warnings from charities regarding the proliferation of such images of sexual abuse.
Last week, the government announced the creation of a new crime that makes it illegal to produce sexually explicit deepfakes of individuals over 18 without their consent, with severe penalties for offenders.
Using synthetic child sexual abuse material, whether real or AI-generated, has been illegal under laws since the 1990s, leading to recent prosecutions involving lifelike images produced using tools like Photoshop.
These tools are increasingly being used to combat the dangers posed by sophisticated synthetic content, as evidenced by recent court cases involving the distribution of such images.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) emphasized the urgent need to address the production of AI-generated child sexual abuse images, warning about the rise of such content and its chilling realism.
Law enforcement agencies and charities are working to tackle this growing trend of AI-generated images, with concerns rising about the production of deepfake content and the impact on victims.
Efforts are underway to address the growing concern over AI-generated images and deepfake content, with calls for technology companies to prevent the creation and distribution of such harmful material.
The decision to restrict adult sex offenders from using AI tools may pave the way for increased surveillance of those convicted of indecent image offenses, highlighting the need for proactive measures to safeguard against future violations.
While restrictions on internet use for sex offenders have existed, limitations on AI tools have not been common, underscoring the gravity of this case and its implications for future legal actions.
The company behind Stable Diffusion, Stability AI, has taken steps to prevent abuse of their software, emphasizing the importance of responsible technology use and compliance with legal guidelines.
○On April 21, 1989, Nintendo released a chunky gray gameplay rectangle for Japanese stores. It’s safe to say that no one expected much of it. Inside Nintendo’s Kyoto headquarters, the portable console was reportedly not a very popular project. However, within two weeks, the initial production run of 300,000 units had all been sold out. The Game Boy was released in the United States later that year, and would be released around the world over the next few years. We’ve found it to be equally popular wherever we go. Thirty-five years later and nearly 120 million units later, it remains the fourth best-selling gaming console of all time.
Like Sony’s Walkman, the Game Boy was an icon of technological design at the time, and is still instantly recognizable just by its silhouette. Developed by a team led by Satoru Okada and Gunpei Yokoi in Kyoto, the Game Boy was probably inspired by Yokoi’s dictum of “lateral thinking through dead technology” – do more with less, which continues at Nintendo to this day. This is an outstanding example of the technical principle of doing. It has a very simple design with four buttons and a cross-shaped D-pad, so it’s easy to use just by looking at it. Thanks to the grayscale screen, the battery lasted for several days of play. And, most importantly for the accident-prone kids of the ’90s (and their parents), you can throw this thing off a bridge and it’ll probably still work.
Gunpei Yokoi’s design principles made the Game Boy an international phenomenon. Photo: Associated Press
The Game Boy wasn’t the first handheld game console, nor was it the best game console at the time. Even in the late 80’s, it had a thick, retro feel. That screen didn’t have a backlight, but it was also sensitive to glare from bright sunlight, so I had to crawl across the screen to find the perfect amount of light (or use a large square I had to buy a portable lamp. more battery). Meanwhile, the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear arrived soon after with much better hardware and color graphics.
But it was the Game Boy that was the bestseller, spawning direct and spiritual successors from the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance to the Nintendo DS and even its Switch. These are all consoles that you can hold in your hand. The reason is that, unlike its rivals, it had an extraordinary game whose vibrancy went beyond the scope of its small gray-green screen.
The most memorable of these is definitely Tetris. Tetris wasn’t made specifically for Nintendo’s small console – it’s been playable on computers since 1984 – but it turns out the Game Boy was made for Tetris. Alexey Pajitnov’s shape slot puzzle game has found its perfect home on this small console. Its rudimentary graphics abilities were sufficient to render some configurations of falling blocks. In the US and Europe, the Game Boy was bundled with the game. So when you think of Tetris’ Earworm theme song, the bleeppy 8-bit Game Boy version of him probably comes to mind.
Block Rocking Blocks: Tetris battles have become a holiday staple for many families. Photo: Boston Globe/Getty Images
You can even play Tetris with friends, as there’s a port on the side that lets you connect your console with a cable, the Game Boy’s most advanced feature. This is what inspired Satoshi Tajiri, a quiet programmer who had a childhood interest in insects, to create Pokemon, the Game Boy’s most enduring game. From pixels and pure imagination, Pokémon has created a world full of distinctive creatures that kids and adults alike can lose themselves in and swap and battle over Link’s cables. Despite being released towards the end of the Game Boy, it became a phenomenon.
How a geeky little game like this – Pokemon battles are primarily about numbers and type matchups – became the single most profitable entertainment franchise on the planet, surpassing Mickey Mouse and Star Wars. is incredible to me. This is a testament to the creative vision of the creator, as well as the imagination of his 90s children, who did not suffer from elementary expressions. But it also teaches us about the power and intimacy of handheld gaming consoles. With television, games were rooted in the living room or bedroom. On the Game Boy, it became part of family vacations, long car trips, and lunch breaks at work. Games have become part of everyday life.
This handheld console spawned many hit series. Photo: Nintendo
Perhaps this is what helps games like Super Mario Land and the heartbreaking, otherworldly The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening stay alive in the memories of those who play them. I remember we played Zelda on the commuter train. I met lifelong friends at my first job. After school, I got together with my friends at the playground and played Pokemon. On my day off, I played Tetris and had a high score competition with his older brother. Many people still have their Game Boys sitting in drawers or boxes in the attic. Their emotional value is so high that people can’t bring themselves to throw them away.
Here’s a favorite photo of four kids with bowl cuts from the ’90s crowd around women I was concentrating on my Game Boy. You can almost see the cartridge inside. It’s Super Mario Land. As far as I know, the origin of this photo is lost to time, but I’d like to think it’s herGame Boy, and she teaches the kids how to get past one of its more difficult levels. This image, for me, perfectly sums up this console and what it feels like to play it. Gameboys were shared by families and played by everyone, girls and boys, men and women. It was a portal to other small worlds and introduced millions of people to the magic of gaming.
New research has discovered that despite restrictions on advertising campaigns targeting young people, children are being inundated with gambling promotions and content that resembles gambling while browsing the internet.
The study, commissioned by charity GambleAware and funded by donations from gambling companies, highlights the blurred line between gambling advertising and online casino-style games, leading to a rise in online gambling with children unaware of the associated risks. It warns that gambling advertisements featuring cartoon graphics can strongly attract children. Recently, a gambling company promoted a new online slot game on social media using a cartoon of three frogs to entice players.
GambleAware is recommending new regulations to limit the exposure of young people to advertising. Research conducted by the charity revealed that children struggle to differentiate between actual gambling products and gambling-like content, such as mobile games with in-app purchases.
Zoe Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, emphasized the need for immediate action to protect children from being exposed to gambling ads and content, stating, “This research demonstrates that gambling content has become a part of many children’s lives.”
GambleAware chief executive Zoe Osmond said urgent action on internet promotions was needed to protect children. Photo: Doug Peters/Pennsylvania
The report also points out that excessive engagement in online games with gambling elements, like loot boxes bought with virtual or real money, can fall under a broader definition of gambling. It calls for stricter regulation on platforms offering such games to children.
Businesses are cautioned against using cartoon characters in gambling promotions, as they may appeal to children. However, there is no outright ban on using such characters. Online casino 32Red, for instance, recently advertised its Fat Frog online slot game on social media with a cartoon frog theme.
Dr. Raffaello Rossi, a marketing lecturer focused on the impact of gambling advertising on youth, criticized regulators for not acting swiftly enough to address the proliferation of online promotions enticing children. He called for new advertising codes to regulate social media promotions effectively.
The Gambling and Gambling Council assured that their members strictly verify ages for all products and have implemented new age restriction rules for social media advertising.
Recent data from the Gambling Commission indicates that young people are now less exposed to gambling ads compared to previous years. While no direct link between problem gambling development and advertising has been established.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) stated that it regulates gambling advertising to safeguard children and monitors online gambling ads through various tools and methods.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport affirmed its focus on monitoring new forms of gambling and gambling-like products, including social casino games, to ensure appropriate regulations are in place.
Kindred Group, the owner of the 32Red brand, was reached out to for comment.
The presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” has been reported in various locations, including more than half of fruit and vegetable samples tested in the UK. This has led to increasing calls for the ban of pesticides containing these chemicals. But what are the health risks associated with consuming fruits and vegetables containing PFAS?
Understanding “Forever Chemicals”
PFAS are not a single chemical but a group of over 10,000 compounds with strong carbon and fluorine bonds. Examples include PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS. These chemicals are used in the production of textiles, food packaging, nonstick surfaces, and pesticides due to their stability against heat, oil, and water. However, their poor biodegradability allows them to persist in the environment and human bodies for extended periods.
The Health Risks of PFAS
Ongoing research suggests that high exposure to certain PFAS compounds may lead to health issues such as increased cholesterol levels, thyroid and liver function impairment, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and a higher risk of certain cancers. While some governments have imposed restrictions on PFAS use, complete bans are rare as risks vary based on factors like exposure levels and individual health characteristics.
It’s essential to note that not all PFAS chemicals pose the same health risks, and exposure to high doses is typically required to observe harmful effects. Monitoring of PFAS levels in food is critical, with most samples in the UK containing PFAS below legal limits.
Reducing Risk and Ensuring Safety
Eating a diverse diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains can help reduce PFAS absorption and accumulation in the body. Washing produce thoroughly and peeling where necessary can also lower pesticide residue intake. While organic farming may reduce the presence of detectable residues, PFAS can still be found in organic produce due to environmental contamination.
Choosing locally grown, seasonal foods can further limit pesticide exposure and promote sustainable farming practices. It’s crucial to continue researching PFAS and other potentially harmful chemicals while also exploring safe and efficient methods for food production to sustain global food needs.
It’s important to approach food safety with caution, avoiding unnecessary fear or sweeping generalizations. While risks exist, proper awareness and informed choices can help mitigate potential health hazards associated with PFAS and other chemicals.
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