AMOC brings warm water north from the tropical region near the surface and takes cold water in opposite directions of the deep sea
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Important ocean currents will rarely close by the end of this century, according to new findings that undermine the end of the impending catastrophic collapse.
The Atlantic Meridian Surrounding Circulation (AMOC) transports warm water from the tropical north and helps maintain temperatures in Northern Europe. The temperature and the influx of cold water from the Arctic ice weakens the current temperature, and scientists fear it can stop it completely. This will disrupt marine ecosystems and cool the European climate a few degrees faster.
Some researchers say that the irreversible closure of AMOC could be in the century. But I say this worst-case scenario is unlikely Jonathan Baker At the Met Office in the UK.
To investigate whether a complete AMOC collapse of this century is possible, Baker and his colleagues used 34 climate models to simulate changes in AMOC under extreme climate change, and greenhouse gas levels trained overnight from today's levels. The team also modeled a large amount of freshwater entering the North Atlantic at many times the rate of ice melting now.
They found that although AMOC is significantly weakened in these two scenarios, ocean currents continue in their weakened state, supported by deep-sea upwellings in the North Atlantic, driven by southern sea winds. “The Southern Ocean winds continue to blow, and this brings deep waters up to the surface. This works like a powerful pump,” Baker says. “This keeps AMOC running on models of this century.”
This finding helps explain why climate models generally simulate more stable AMOCs in the warming world compared to studies that rely on statistical methods. This tends to suggest that AMOC is more vulnerable.
Niklas Bore The Potsdam Climate Impact Institute in Germany said the findings are “good news” for those worried about the imminent collapse of the AMOC. “I agree that all cutting-edge climate models will not show a complete AMOC collapse within the 21st century.
However, the model does not predict a complete collapse of AMOC, but shows that quaternary reddish CO2 concentrations lead to a 20-81% reduction in the current intensity.
With AMOC weaker by about 50%, the impact on climate will become important, Baker says it will be important due to marine ecosystem disruption, sea level rise on the North Atlantic coastline, and changes in global rainfall patterns that affect crop harvests around the world. However, this type of weakening does not bring rapid cooling to Europe, he says.
In comparison, Bohr emphasizes that AMOC, which is 80% less than today, will have a devastating effect. “Of course, it's a nearly blocked AMOC,” he says. “It has all the impact on Europe's cooling and changing patterns of tropical monsoon, and all the things we are concerned about.”
Stephen RahmstoefHe is also at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact in Germany, and agrees that under the extreme warming of this century, there may be a weak and shallow AMOC trend left in the world. Some studies even define AMOC disintegration as this type of substantial weakening, he says. “A new study is investigating the remaining wind-driven covers [current] In more detail, this is a valuable contribution to the scientific literature,” he says. “However, in response to human-induced global warming, we will not change our assessment of the risks and impacts of future AMOC changes.”
The MP’s two cross-party committees are urging the government to prioritize ensuring fair rewards for creators for their creative work and to facilitate the training of artificial intelligence models.
Lawmakers are advocating for more transparency in the data used to train generative AI models and urging the government not to implement plans that require creators to opt out of using such data.
The government’s proposed solution to the AI-copyright law tension includes exceptions for AI companies to train models with copyrighted work under “text and data mining,” while providing creators the option to opt out of the “rights reserve” system.
Caroline Dinage, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sports Committee, expressed concern over the response of the creative industry to the proposal, highlighting the threat to artists’ hard-earned success from unauthorized use of their work.
She emphasized the importance of fair treatment for creators and the need for transparency in data used to train AI models to ensure proper rewards for their work.
The Culture, Media, Sports Commission, Science, Science, Innovation and Technology Commission responded to government consultations on AI and copyright after a joint evidence session with representatives from AI startups and creative industries.
Letter to the Minister will enhance government transparency about training data, protect opt-out copyright holders, and empower consumers to make informed choices about AI models.
Failure to address these issues could disproportionately impact smaller creators and journalists operating under financial constraints, according to the letter.
Concerns among celebrities and the creative industry about government AI proposals have led to protests, with musicians releasing silent albums in protest.
The letter also highlighted the need for transparency in training data for AI models, citing examples from the EU and California which have introduced requirements for detailed technical records on training data.
The government is considering revenue-sharing models for AI developers to address copyright concerns and is urged to conduct full impact assessments on proposed options.
The letter cautioned against AI developers moving to jurisdictions with more lenient rules and emphasized the need for compliance, enforcement, and remedies for copyright issues.
Computer threads woven with metal and textile yarn to make potential clothing
Hamilton Osoi, IFM
An elastic computer on threads sewn onto clothing can be used to record whole-body data that most medical sensors cannot pick up.
Wearable technologies such as smartwatches monitor body signals, such as heart rate and temperature, but usually only from a single location. This gives you an incomplete picture of how your body works.
now, Yoel Fink The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues developed a computer that could be sewn into clothing made from chips connected with copper and elastic fiber threads.
This thread has 256 kilobytes of onboard memory around that of a simple calculator, and sensors that can detect temperature, heart rate, and body movement. There is also Bluetooth to allow various threads to communicate.
This means that location-specific data can be collected collectively on the body. It says that it is theoretically used by artificial intelligence to allow for more accurate monitoring of human health. “We're starting to write apps for fabrics, monitor our health and, frankly, we're very close to the point where we can do all sorts of things that our phones can't.”
To create individual threads, Fink and his team folded the chips into conductive boxes and connected them to copper wire. The wire was then wrapped in a protective plastic casing and pulled into a thin tube that could be covered with fabrics such as cotton or synthetic Kevlar.
To test them, four fibers were sewn onto the feet and arms of human clothes. Researchers found that they could identify various movements a person has made, such as lunges, squats, and arm circles.
The team is currently testing thread-computer-made clothing on an Arctic expedition as part of Operation Nanook, an annual military exercise led by the Canadian Army. Clothes record temperature and data from various parts of the body. Fink says it could one day help protect people in extreme circumstances.
Threads are being tested by Army personnel during training
US Army Cold Area Research & Engineering Lab
Not only does it record, but it says this could help vulnerable people detect dangerous falls. Theo Hughes-Riley At Nottingham Trent University, England.
Without the need to wire the sensors together, the design becomes much simpler than other electronic fabrics, he says. Researchers also demonstrated that the thread can be washed, but only water was used, not detergent. Therefore, durability in everyday use must be proven before it is widely adopted, says Hughes Riley.
Dr. Ross Young at the University of Adelaide and colleagues at the QCDSF collaboration are investigating the structure of the subatomic problem, which seeks to provide further insight into the powers that underpin the natural world. Their results are perhaps the smallest force field map ever produced in nature.
Distribution of the Colour Lorenz forces acting on the unpolarized quarks of the lateral plane (indicated by vector fields) superimposed on the upper Quark density distribution in the impact parameter space of the unpolarized protons. Image credits: Crawford et al. , doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.134.071901.
“We used a powerful computational technique called lattice quantum chromodynamics to map the forces acting within protons,” Dr. Young said.
“This approach allows us to decompose space and time into fine grids and simulate how strong forces (the fundamental interaction that links quarks to protons and neutrons) change in different regions within the proton. I'll do it.”
“Our findings show that even on these tiny scales, the forces involved reach immeasurable, up to 500,000 Newtons, equivalent to about 10 elephants, in spaces much smaller than the nucleus. It has become clear that it is being compressed,” said the University of Adelaide. D. Student Joshua Crawford.
These force maps provide a new way to understand the complex internal dynamics of protons, and why it works in experiments investigating the basic structure of high-energy collisions and materials such as CERN's large hadron criders. It helps to explain.
“Edison didn't invent the light bulb by studying bright candles. He was built on a generation of scientists who studied how light interacts with matter,” Young said. The doctor said.
“Like almost the same, modern research, such as our recent research, behaves how the basic building blocks of matter are struck by light, and at its most basic level of understanding nature at its most basic level. It makes clear that we will deepen the
“As researchers continue to unravel the inner structure of protons, greater insights could help improve the way protons are used in cutting-edge technologies.
“One of the most notable examples is proton therapy, which uses high-energy protons to accurately target tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.”
“Just as early breakthroughs in understanding light paved the way for modern lasers and imaging, advances in knowledge of proton structures can shape the next generation of applications in science and medicine.”
“By making the invisible forces within protons visible for the first time, this study bridges the gap between theory and experiment, which reveals the secrets of light to change the modern world. It bridges the same way that we did it.”
a paper Explaining the team's results was published in the journal Physical Review Letter.
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Ja Crawford et al. 2025. Lateral force distribution of protons from lattice QCD. Phys. Pastor Rett 134, 071901; doi:10.1103/physrevlett.134.071901
Technology may be falsely blamed for lack of sleep
Cavan Images/Getty Images
Unlike our ancestors who lived in technologically advanced times, there is much written about how modern lifestyles mean that we no longer get enough sleep. However, an analysis of 54 sleep studies conducted around the world has shown that people in small, non-industrial societies actually sleep less than people in industrialized communities.
“Everyone I talk about in Canada and the US are talking about how bad their sleep is.” Leela Mackinnon At Toronto Mississauga University, Canada. “The numbers don't show that.”
It is often assumed that the rise of gadgets like big screen televisions and smartphones means that people today are less sleepy than in the recent past.
However, many studies reporting sleep declines over the past few decades are based on asking people how long they spend sleep. This is an unreliable measure. Even using this method, The results are mixedmany studies have found that there is no change or even an increase in sleep duration.
Studies based on more reliable measurements, such as using physical activity monitors and electrodes to monitor brain waves, have not declined over the last few decades. For example, we found a 2016 review of 168 studies. There is no decline Sleep period for the past 50 years.
However, these studies have been conducted in developed countries and reveal the question of whether people had more sleep before industrialisation. Wrist-based activity monitors are now available, making it easier to study sleep in a non-industrial society.
Such studies have revealed an incredible short period of sleep. For example, among hunter-gatherers, Sun sleeps on average 6.7 hours per night, Hatza sleeps 6.2 hours, and Bayaka sleeps 5.9 hours per night. The shortest time ever found is 5.5 hours of sleep in the HIMBA community in Namibia, a herdsman of nomadic livestock.
McKinnon and her colleagues David SamsonUniversity of Toronto, University of Mississauga, is also involved in several such research. They now compare sleep habits in industrialized societies, including the US, Australia and Sri Lanka, with people from small, non-industrial communities, including the Amazon, Madagascar and the Pacific indigenous people.
Overall, the analysis is based on 54 studies that include direct measures of sleep in people over 18 years of age without serious health conditions. In total, only 866 people are involved in these studies, but the dataset is the most comprehensive to date, says Samson. “It's the best now.”
Overall, these individuals slept on average 6.8 hours, while in non-industrial societies the average was 6.4 hours, while in industrial societies it was 7.1 hours.
The two also found that people from the industrial world were asleep for 74% of their time in bed.
McKinnon and Samson also evaluated the regularity of people's circadian rhythms using a measure called the circadian function index, where the score of 1 is perfect. In non-industrialized communities, the average was 0.7 compared to 0.63 in industrial societies.
Samson attributes the higher period of sleep and increased sleep efficiency in industrialized societies to conditions that encourage sleep more. “We see that we have some real benefits from the safety and security of our sleep scene,” he says. “There's no need to dodge the night or predators with rival human groups.”
Conversely, people in industrial areas are less exposed to clues that help to maintain a circadian rhythm, such as low night temperatures and bright daylight exposure. Although they did not appreciate this, both MacKinnon and Samson said that a low normal circadian rhythm would have a negative effect explaining why many people perceive their sleep as poor. I doubt there is a possibility of giving it.
What is not clear from the paper says that individuals in these 54 studies are representatives of the overall population. Nathaniel Marshall At Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. “Special sampling is required to make a statement about epidemiological prevalence,” he says.
Samson said he looked into whether large sample sizes could change results, and concluded that there was no significant difference.
New genus and species of Titanosaurus have been identified from fossilized sites found in the Hayeg Basin, Transylvania, western Romania.
The artist's impression of the lithotrothian dinosaur herd (right). Image credit: Abelov/CC by 3.0.
The newly identified species was alive Haeg IslandA large subtropical land located in the Thetis Sea about 70 million years ago (Cretaceous).
dubbing uriash kadicithe animals belong to Lithostrotiaa group of titanosaurus dinosaurs containing many armored species.
“The sauropod dinosaurs on Titanosaurus include the largest animal walking on land, with a huge species of over 60 tons,” says Paleoliths at the Museum of Fool Naturkunde, a Livenitz Installation Fool Evolution. said Dr. Veronica Dees Diaz, a scholar. colleague.
“By the late Cretaceous, Titanosaurus had achieved almost global distribution.
“Despite the rich and global fossil record, the evolutionary relationships of Titanosaurus are less known, limiting our understanding with this diverse megaharbibaud (the only group of sauropods is , the only group to survive the latest Cretaceous period).
“European giants in particular have been largely ignored in phylogenetic analysis,” they said.
“This neglect comes mainly from the historical advantages of the Gondwana species and the rarity and imperfection of Laurasian artefacts, particularly from Europe.”
“However, this began to change with the combination of reassessment of existing species and specimens and the discovery of new sites with distinct partial skeletons.”
“As a result, the fossil records of the most recent Cretaceous European sauropods are increasingly important for biogeographical scenarios, and rich evolutionary history is increasingly recognized for increasing incorporation into phylogenetic analysis. It is beginning to make clear.
Holotype of uriash kadici It was discovered in the formation of density in the Hayeg Basin, Romania.
Dinosaurs are estimated to weigh between 5 to 8 tons and their body length is close to 12 m.
“uriash kadici It is the largest titanosaurus species known from the Ha eg basin, exceeding the maximum reached by most other late Cretaceous European Titanosaurus. Abitosaurus (Estimated at 14 tons and 17.5 m long)”, the paleontologist said.
The existence of large giants such as ” uriash kadici It is worth noting and requires explanation as it appears to contradict, or at least weaken, the supposed behavior of “island domination” over these faunas. ”
uriash kadici It coexists with three other Titanosaurus species. Majarosaurus Dax, PaluditiTan nalatzensis and Petrustitan Hungarian.
The diversity was probably even higher, as evidenced by the substantial amounts of fossils involved.
“Our phylogenetic analysis shows that these Transylvanian titanosaurus exhibit particularly close relationships with Gondwana species. Majarosaurus Retrieved as a member or relative of the Saltasauria family. Palditian Affinity with lognkosauria and the Spanish Titanosaurus that were almost the same era Lohuecotitan; Petrustitan It is most closely related to early branched eutitanosaurian species in South America. and Uriash We share a unique feature with Gondwanan Titanosaurs,” they said.
“These analyses also reinforce the paleobiogeographic hypothesis that the latest Cretaceous European giants were members of the Gondwana lineage that invaded the old regions during the ages of Valemia and Albia.”
“Since the first discovery, Majarosaurus Dax The island's dwarfs have been identified as star sauropods, proposed as explanations for the small size of this species and other dinosaurs on Hayeg Island. ”
“on the other hand Palditian and Petrustitan It is also a small body sauropod. Uriash It is several orders of magnitude heavier and represents one of the largest Titanosaurus species found in the Late Cretaceous period of Europe. ”
“We have shown that the existence of this body size disparity is ecologically excluded from body size reduction due to competition with small-body titanosaurus, or as evidence that some lineages and small We interpret it as evidence that it occurred early in stratigraphically among the giants of the body. Hayeg Island has descendants of existing dwarf ancestors.”
“In contrast to some previous studies, signs of titanosaurus leaving the body size, including swapping the War star species for larger-sized species during the top Cretaceous period of the Transylvanian region. I can't see it.”
Discovery of uriash kadici Reported in a paper It was released this month Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
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Veronica Dies Dias et al. 2025. The Romanian sauropod dinosaur revision reveals high titanosaurus diversity and body size disparities on Hayeg Island of Titanosaurus, affecting the biogeography of Titanosaurus. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23(1): 2441516; doi: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2441516
Warner Bros Discovery has decided to close three video game development studios in order to boost profitability in the gaming sector amidst a slow market recovery.
The studios being closed are Player First Game, WB Game San Diego, and Monolith Productions. Development of the Monolith Wonder Woman game will also be halted after the closure. A spokesperson stated, “Our initial goal was to provide players and fans with the best possible experience for iconic characters. Unfortunately, this is no longer feasible given our strategic priorities.”
The closure of these studios reflects the challenges faced by the video game industry, with gamers opting for established titles over new purchases due to budget constraints caused by inflation. Last month, the company announced the departure of David Haddad, former Chief of the Interactive Entertainment Unit, after 12 years.
Following suit with other industry leaders like Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony, Warner Bros. is aiming to reduce costs by closing offices.
The company will now focus on four major games in November, establishing a new development studio and investment strategy, with a focus on core franchises such as Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones, as per David Zaslav’s comments.
aA post from Elon Musk on Saturday afternoon requested that federal employees list five things from the previous week related to emails. This request was expected to reach the inboxes of 2.3 million federal employees, sparking discussions among a secret network of government workers and contractors. These individuals began communicating through an encrypted app to coordinate their responses.
Employees on a 10-hour, four-day schedule did not see the email until Tuesday, missing the deadline for responses. Some employees even added a humorous touch, with one worker joking, “Bonus points to those who say they spent government subsidies on hookers and blows.”
After quickly deliberating, the network agreed on a response strategy. They decided to split the oaths sworn by federal employees into five bullet points, which would be sent back via email. The first point was: “I supported and defended the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Another oath included: “I’ve pledged true faith and loyalty to the same thing.” According to veteran contractor Lynn Stahl, these efforts aimed to expose harmful policies, defend public institutions, and provide citizens with necessary information and support.
Identifying themselves as #Altgov, the network gained visibility with multiple social media accounts, most adopting names or initials of federal agencies. Their goal was to shed light on the chaos caused by the previous administration and combat misinformation.
With around 40 accounts and growing followership, #Altgov engaged in subgroups for information sharing and strategy development using the encrypted messaging app, Wire.
A post from #ALTGOV explaining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Photo: alt cdc (they/them)/bluesky
The origin of #Altgov dates back to the first Trump administration, with notable accounts like “Alt National Park Service” gaining traction on Twitter. The network evolved to serve the public by coordinating relief efforts and distributing resources during crises.
Transitioning their presence to Bluesky, #Altgov continued their mission to provide value where the government fell short. They expanded their reach by forming new accounts dedicated to specific agencies, like #Altgov FEMA, which focused on disaster response.
Federal employees who joined #Altgov expressed a sense of duty and a desire for transparency in government actions. By uncovering misinformation and providing accurate information, they aimed to empower citizens and hold institutions accountable.
UK universities are being advised to thoroughly test all assessments following new research that shows almost all students are using generative artificial intelligence (GENAI) for their research projects.
A study of 1,000 students, both local and international, revealed a significant increase in the use of Genai over the past year. In a survey conducted in 2025, 53% admitted to using tools like CHATGPT, while a staggering 88% reported using such tools.
The percentage of students utilizing AI tools has risen from 66% in 2024 to 92% in 2025, leaving only 8% who do not use AI. A report published by the Institute for Higher Education Policy and Kortext highlighted these findings.
Josh Freeman, the author of the report, emphasized the unprecedented shift in student behavior within a year and urged universities to pay attention to the impact of generative AI in academic settings.
Freeman stated, “There is an urgent need for all assessments to be reviewed to ensure they cannot be easily completed using AI. This calls for a bold retraining effort for staff to understand the power and potential of generative AI.”
Institutions are encouraged to share best practices and address potential issues related to the use of AI tools for learning enhancement rather than hindrance.
Students are using genai for various purposes such as explaining concepts, summarizing articles, and suggesting research ideas. However, 18% of students include AI-generated text directly in their work.
Many students use AI to save time and improve the quality of their work, but concerns about academic misconduct and biased outcomes deter some from using such tools.
Women and students from privileged backgrounds express more apprehension about AI use, while men and STEM students exhibit more enthusiasm. The digital disparity identified in 2024 seems to have widened, particularly in summarizing articles.
Despite concerns, most students believe universities are responding effectively to academic integrity issues related to AI. Training in AI skills is provided to a third of students, but there is ambiguity surrounding the use of AI in academic work.
Dr. Thomas Lancaster from Imperial College London emphasizes the importance of preparing students for the ethical use of AI in education and future careers to avoid a competitive disadvantage.
In response to these findings, a UK spokesperson highlighted the need for universities to equip students for a world influenced by AI while addressing the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies. They stress the importance of upholding academic integrity and educating students about the consequences of fraud from the beginning.
The scientist is White Oak (Quercus alba), a rich forest tree species in eastern North America of ecological, cultural and economic importance.
Quercus alba Individual sequences of genome assemblies growing at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky, USA. Image credit: D. Larson.
“The Oaks are an important member of many ecosystems around the world,” said a researcher at the University of Tennessee. Meg Staton And a colleague.
“In eastern North America, white oak is a keystone species and is one of the most abundant forest trees across its range.”
“In addition to its ecological and cultural importance, white oak has a very economic importance, including many high value material applications and the main species used in barrel styles for the aging of distilled spirits. It's there.”
“However, few studies have addressed the diversity of white oak genomes. The lack of available genetic and genomic resources now creates barriers to fostering understanding of white oak biology and evolutionary history. It's presenting it.”
In their study, the authors sequenced individual genomes of white oak from a forest near Loretto, Kentucky, USA.
They found that this oak species has a high genetic diversity, many of which preceded divergence from other oaks, and likely could affect divergence time estimates .
“The White Oak genome represents a major new resource for studying genome diversity and evolution. Quercus” said Dr. Staton.
“Also, unbiased gene annotations are key to accurately assessing the evolution of R (disease-resistant) genes. Quercus. ”
“Our paper addresses the degree of genetic diversity and population differentiation in white oaks and how gene content and disease resistance genes evolved. Quercus Related species. ”
The authors say that the amount of standing genetic variation and the degree to which the population is regionally adapted will affect the response of white oaks and other oak species to increasingly common heat and drought stress. It points out.
“The details are interesting for those who are invested in the sustainability of White Oak, across economic, ecological and cultural boundaries,” they said.
Drew A. Larson et al. Haplotype-degradated reference genomes Quercus alba It sheds light on the history of orc evolution. New BotanistPublished online on February 11th, 2025. doi: 10.1111/nph.20463
Use data collected by China’s Zhurong Roverplanetary researchers have identified hidden layers of rocks beneath the Martian surface, which strongly suggests the existence of the ancient North Sea.
Panoramic photograph taken by China’s Zhurong rover on Mars. Image credit: National Astronomer.
“We’re finding locations on Mars that looked like ancient beaches and deltas of ancient rivers,” said Pennsylvania researcher Benjamin Cardenas, who co-authored the study.
“We found evidence of a lack of wind, waves and sand. It’s a proper vacation style beach.”
The now inactive Zhurong Rover landed on Mars in 2021 in an area known as Utopia Planitia and was open for a year between May 2021 and May 2022.
From the time when Mars had a thicker atmosphere and warmer climate, it traveled about 1.9 km (1.2 miles) to cliffs that are considered ancient coastlines from the time period.
Along its path, the rover probed up to 80 m (260 feet) under the surface using ground penetration radar.
This radar is used to detect not only underground objects such as pipes and utilities, but also irregular features.
The radar image shows thick layers of material along the entire path, all facing upwards towards the estimated shoreline at an angle of about 15 degrees, roughly the same as the angle of beach sediments on Earth.
This thickness of sediment on Earth would have taken millions of years to form. It suggests that Mars had long-lived water with the effect of waves to distribute sediments along the sloped coastline.
Radar also allowed to determine the size of the particles in these layers and matched the particles of sand.
However, the deposits do not resemble the ancient wind-blowed dunes common on Mars.
“This quickly stood out to us because it suggested there were waves. That means there was a dynamic interface between air and water,” Dr. Cardenas said. I did.
“Looking back at the places where the earliest life on Earth developed, it was in the interaction between the ocean and the land, which paints an ancient habitable environment, and conditions for microbial life. You can embrace the
“Comparing Mars data with radar images of coastal sediments on Earth, we found impressive similarities.”
“The dip angle observed on Mars fell within the range seen in coastal sedimentary deposits on Earth.”
“We see the coastline of this body of water has evolved over time,” Dr. Cardenas said.
“We tend to think of Mars as a static snapshot of a planet, but it was evolving. The rivers were flowing, the sediments were moving, the land was constructed and eroded. This type of sedimentary geology tells us how landscapes look and how they evolved. And, importantly, identifying where you want to look for your past life. It will help you.”
“The discoveries show that Mars was a much damper location than it used to be today, further supporting the hypothesis of the past oceans that covers most of the planet’s North Pole.”
The study also provides new information on the evolution of Mars’ environment, suggesting that life-friendly warm, wet periods can potentially last tens of millions of years.
“The power of Zhurong Rover allowed us to understand the geological history of the planet in a whole new way,” said the University of California, a professor of Michael Manga at Berkeley.
“That underground intrusion radar gives us an underground view of the planet.
“These incredible advances in technology have made it possible to realize basic science that uncovers a new mountain of information about Mars.”
result It was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Jianhui Li et al. 2025. Ancient sea coastal deposits imaged on Mars. pnas 122 (9): E2422213122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2422213122
Apple has committed to addressing the bug in the iPhone’s automatic dictionary tool, which reportedly suggested “trump” when users said the word “racist.”
The glitch came to light through a viral Tiktok post, where the Speech-to-Text tool briefly displayed the word “Trump” instead of “racist,” sparking further discussion on social media.
An Apple spokesperson stated, “We are aware of the issue with speech recognition models used for dictation and are implementing fixes.”
The company attributed the bug to its tool displaying words indicating “speech duplicates” before identifying the “intended word,” which in this case included the “R” consonant.
The bug stirred controversy among conservative commentators in the US, who have criticized big tech firms for perceived political bias against right-wing individuals.
Some questioned Apple’s artificial intelligence capabilities, particularly following the company’s announcement of a $500 million investment in the US, which was seen as an effort to appeal to the Trump administration.
Apple revealed plans for significant AI investments, including establishing a large AI server factory in Texas and creating 20,000 R&D jobs nationwide over the next four years.
The AI announcement followed a reported meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Trump, amid concerns about potential tariffs on devices imported from China.
Apple had previously secured exemptions on tariffs during Trump’s first term, avoiding additional costs on its products.
This is not the first time Apple has announced significant investments in the US economy during the Trump administration. In 2018, Apple pledged to contribute $350 billion to the US economy over five years.
Following Trump’s presidency and executive orders, several tech companies have reversed diversity, equity, and inclusion measures. Apple shareholders, however, recently voted for a proposal urging the removal of the company’s own DEI program.
As our solar system orbits the Milky Way, we encounter a variety of environments, including dense regions of interstellar media. These encounters can increase the flow of interstellar dust into the solar system and the Earth's atmosphere, exposing parts of the solar system to interstellar mediums. The discovery of new galactic structures, such as the Radcliffe waves over the 9,000 Wright years, raises the question of whether the Sun encountered any of them. New research shows that the solar system trajectories intersected with the waves of Radcliffe in the Orion star-forming region 15 to 12 million years ago (Miocene era). In particular, this period coincides with the mid-Miocene climate transition on Earth, providing an interdisciplinary connection with paleoclimatology.
When the solar system brings the Milky Way into orbit, we encounter a variety of galactic environments with different interstellar densities, including hot voids, fronts of supernova blasts, and cold gas clouds.
The passage of the sun through dense regions of interstellar media can affect the solar system in several ways.
For example, pressure enhancement compresses the heliosphere and exposes parts of the solar system to cold, dense interstellar media.
Furthermore, the amount of interstellar dust mounted on the Earth's atmosphere can increase, potentially enhancing the delivery of radioactive isotopes such as iron-60 through dust grains.
Radcliffe's waves are narrow sinusoidal gas structures and consist of many known star-forming cloud complexes, including CMA, Orion, Taurus, Perseus, Cephaus, North American Nebula, and Cygnus.
With an estimated mass of 3 million people, this gas structure appears to vibrate consistently like a moving wave and is thought to be part of the Milky Way spiral structure.
Dr. Efrem Macconi, a doctoral student at the University of Vienna, said:
“Our Sun encountered a higher gas density region as it passed through the waves of Radcliffe in the Orion constellation.”
Using data from ESA's Gaia mission and spectroscopic observations, Dr. Maconi and his colleagues identified the passage of the solar system through the Radcliffe Wave in the Orion area.
“The findings are based on previous works identifying Radcliffe's waves,” said Professor Joanne Albes of the University of Vienna.
“We passed the Orion area as well as famous star clusters like NGC 1977, NGC 1980 and NGC 1981.”
“The area is easily visible in the winter sky in the Northern Hemisphere and in the summer in the Southern Hemisphere.”
“Look for Orion Constellation and Orion Nebula (Messier 42) – our solar system has come from that direction!”
“The increased dust from this galaxy encounter may have had some effects.”
“It could potentially leave traces of radioactive elements from supernovas in the geological record that permeate the Earth's atmosphere.”
“Current technologies may not be sensitive enough to detect these traces, but future detectors may make it possible.”
This study shows that the solar system passing through the Orion region occurred around 18.2 to 11.5 million years ago, with the most likely time between 148 and 12.4 million years ago.
This time frame is in good agreement with the mid-Miocene climate transition, and is a major shift from warm variable climate to cool climates, leading to the establishment of a continental-scale prototype Antarctic ice sheet composition.
This study raises the possibility of a link between past crossings of the solar system through galaxy neighbours and Earth's climate through interstellar dust, but the authors need further investigation of the causal relationship. It emphasizes that there is.
“The basic processes responsible for the mid-Miocene climate transition have not been fully identified, but available reconstructions are most likely to be long-term reductions in atmospheric greenhouse gas carbon dioxide concentrations. It suggests that it is a high explanation.
“However, our research highlights that interstellar dust associated with the crossing of Radcliffe's waves has affected the Earth's climate and may have played a potential role during this climate change. Masu.”
“To change the Earth's climate, the amount of extraterrestrial dust on Earth needs to be much larger than what previous data suggests.”
“Future research explores the importance of this contribution. This past climate change and current climate change is comparable as this past climate change is unfolding over a timescale of hundreds of thousands of years. It is important to note that we do not do that.”
“In contrast, the evolution of global warming today has been happening at an unprecedented rate for decades to centuries due to human activity.”
study Published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
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E. Machoni et al. 2025. Passing through the solar system through the waves of Radcliffe in the mid-Miocene. A&A 694, A167; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202452061
This iron mineral, called ferihydrite, formed under oxidative conditions during cold, humid periods on early Mars, continuing its transition to the current overheating environment.
This image of Mars Express's high-resolution stereo camera shows Mars glove set on a dark background. The planet's disc has patches of yellow, orange, blue and green, all with a muted gray hue throughout, representing the various compositions of the surface. Image credits: ESA/DLR/FU BERLIN/G. MICHAEL/CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
Mars is easily identified in the night sky due to its prominent red tint.
Thanks to a fleet of spacecrafts that have been studying planets over the past decades, this red colour is known to be due to rusty iron minerals in the dust.
In other words, iron bound to the rocks of Mars reacted at one point with water and oxygen in the air, just as how rust on Earth formed.
For more than billions of years, this rusty material, iron oxide — has been broken down into dust around the planet by the wind, a process that continues today.
However, iron oxide has a lot of flavour and the precise chemistry of Mars' rust is heavily debated as it is a window into the environmental conditions of Earth at the time.
And what's closely linked to it is the question of whether Mars has been habitable to date.
Previous studies of the iron oxide components of Martian dust based solely on spacecraft observations found no evidence of water contained within it.
Therefore, planetary researchers say that this particular type of iron oxide is formed under hematite, which is formed under dry surface conditions through reaction with the Martian atmosphere for billions of years after an early wet period on Mars. I had concluded that it had to be.
However, new analysis of spacecraft observations combined with new laboratory techniques shows that Mars' red colour is better matched by iron oxides containing water known as ferihydrite.
Felihydrite usually forms quickly in the presence of cold water, so it must have been formed when Mars was still water on the surface.
The minerals hold a watery signature to this day, despite their spreading down to the ground.
Dr. Adomas Valantinas, a researcher at Brown University, said:
“Ferihydrite, mixed with volcanic rock basalt, has proven to be the most suitable for the minerals found in Martian spacecraft.”
“Mars is still a red planet. It's not only about understanding why Mars is red, but it also means that our understanding has changed.”
“The main meaning is that Mars was rusting faster than before, as ferrihydrite could only form when water was still on the surface.”
“In addition, under current conditions on Mars, ferrihydrite remains stable.”
Mars has acquired its iconic color from the combination of rust and erosion over its 4.6 billion years of history. Image credits: ESA/ATG Europe/Valantinas et al. , doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56970-z.
Other studies have also suggested that ferrihydrite may be present in Mars' dust, but the current study has been the first comprehensive study through a unique combination of space mission data and new laboratory experiments. Provide evidence.
The authors used an advanced grinder machine to create replica Mars dust, achieving realistic dust grain sizes equivalent to 1/100th of human hair.
To make a direct comparison, the samples were then analyzed using the same technology as the spacecraft orbiting the spacecraft, and ultimately identified ferrihydrite as the best match.
“This study is the result of a complementary dataset from a fleet of international missions exploring Mars at orbital and ground levels,” says Dr. Colin Wilson, PhD, Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) from ESA and Mars Express Project Scientist. said.
Mars Express's dust mineralogy analysis helped to show that even the highly dusty regions of the planet contain water-rich minerals.
Also, thanks to TGO's unique trajectory, you can see the same area at different lighting conditions and angles. Researchers can unravel the particle size and composition essential to replicate the correct dust size in the lab.
Data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and ground-based measurements from NASA's Mars Rovers Curiosity, Pathfinder and opportunity also helped to assert ferrihydrite.
“We are eagerly awaiting the results of our upcoming missions, including ESA's Rosalind Franklin Rover and sample returns from NASA/ESA Mars.
“Some of the samples that have already been collected by NASA's Perseverance Rover and are waiting for their return to Earth contain dust. Putting these precious samples into the lab will result in dust. You can accurately measure the amount of ferihydrite contained and what this means to understand the history of water and the potential for life on Mars.”
“This research is an opening opportunity for the door,” said Dr. Jack Mustard, a planetary scientist at Brown University.
“It gives us a better opportunity to apply the principles of mineral formation and conditions and tap time.”
“More importantly, the return of samples from Mars, which are currently being collected through patience.”
Survey results It will be displayed in the journal Natural Communication.
____
A. Valantinas et al. 2025. Detection of ferrihydrite in the red dust of Mars records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars. Nut commune 16, 1712; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56970-z
Paleontologists have discovered 4.9 million (Early Pliocene) fossilized ruins of an extinct flying squirrel Myopetaulista Webbi Tennessee, USA. Generation of the genus Myopetaulista Eastern North America is bewildered because it is separated from the known geographical range of the genus and the extent of organisms of its sister species. Petaurista. Researchers assume that Myopetaulista which is linked to a warm forest environment and was dispersed across North America through the Beringland Bridge during the warm phase of the early Pliocene.
The lifespan of a flying fossil squirrel Miopetaurista neogrivensis It indicates that the animal is ready to land on a tree branch. Image credit: Oscasani Sidro / ICP.
Myopetaulista Webbi It jumps over the sky in what is now southern Appalachia, sliding over rhinoceros, mastodons and red pandas.
New materials of this kind have been discovered in Grey Fossil Site In Tennessee.
“discovery Myopetaulista In North America, this genus was very unexpected because it is known only from Eurasia,” said Dr. Isaac Casanovas Bilar, paleontologist at Mikel Crusafont of paleontology at the University of Barcelona. .
“There have been some uncertain reports from Florida, but new specimens from the grey fossil site provide new information, with these giant flying squirrels coming together alongside other mammals around five million years ago. It helped me to make sure I crossed the bridge.”
According to paleontologists, Myopetaulista Webbi Probably closely related Myopetaulista Tarelionly known Pliocene Eurasian species.
“The Appalachians today may try to think of these ancient creatures as closely related to the squirrels that regularly see them,” the researchers said.
“However, their closest relatives are giant flying squirrels from Japan, China, and Indonesia.”
“These giant flying squirrels have a lightweight build, weighing around three pounds, and were pretty agile on the treetop.”
“When they arrived in Tennessee now, the world was much warmer than it is now.”
“Its warm climate allows squirrel ancestors to travel across North America and could slip through dense, damp forests like those preserved in the fossil records of grey sites millions of years ago.”
The new specimen is Myopetaulista A genus of North America.
“As the climate cooled over time, Pleistocene ice age led to the isolation of these giant flying squirrels in warm shelters like Florida, and ultimately contributed to their extinction.” Miquel Crusafont from the University of Barcelona.
“The Last American Myopetaulista It has lived for millions of years since the species of Eurasian of this genus disappeared.
Team's work It was published in Journal of Mammalian Evolution.
____
M. Grau-Camats et al. 2025. Intercontinental Sliding: A Review of the North American Records of Giant Flying Squirrels Myopetaulista (Rodentia, Sciuridae) Description of new materials for the grey fossil site (Tennessee). J Mammal Evol 32, 8; doi:10.1007/s10914-025-09751-w
nThe original Donkey Kong Arcade machine, Mint Condition Outrun Race Simulation Game, Esterified between Gamer Cube and Nintendo 64-wired booths, Luke Malpass, engineer dismantling a broken Nintendo Wii.
I brought old game consoles to the house for repairs and fixes, and there was a steady stream of people, a retro gaming arcade of elephants and castles, transformed into a gaming clinic for two days.
Gabriella Rosenau, 35, brought in a broken Wii that had been in the garage “for years.” “I'm still playing my older brother, my older Nintendo 64, and I love it, but I really want to get it [the Wii] Repaired. “
“I've done something weird about Call of Duty and PlayStation, but I'm more interested in retro games,” she adds.
Rosenau is part of a growing community that has abandoned modern video games and picked up consoles since or before childhood. According to a Pringles investigation, Gen Z Gamers are proceeding with lawsuits, with 24% owning retro consoles.
What began as a Malpas passion project, restoring the consoles of its former glory quickly evolved into a full-time business. During the peak during lockdown, his company Retrosix hired 16 people to deal with demand. He places this, in part, on people stuck at home. “People were bored, they were finding things at home and looking for things online.
“We originally only sold on eBay and didn't even have a site. eBay was limiting sales because they thought it was fraudulent,” he says. “It literally took over.”
Luke Malpass modify consoles from the 80s to the 2000s. Photo: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian
Retrosix receives hundreds of requests each month from people who want their console to be fully functional, playable or upgraded. This is “stable,” says Malpas, but the community is still expanding.
“There are a lot of people who are obsessed with this right now. The older generations than me tend to be PC-based for Amigas and Commodores, in their late 40s and early 50s. And then my age, so 30 People in the world are very interested in Game Boys, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo's entertainment system, such as.
“And there's a younger generation that's either one. [the] Nintendo DS, what they've played is beginning to be retro or really hooked on the whole retro. So you get people in their 20s who are more obsessed with than we do.
Malpass has gained massive supporters on social media, with 44,100 followers and 61,700 subscribers on its YouTube channel, Angelsix and Tiktok on Retrosix.
Young people engaged online say they reach for retro games for unique gameplay, and for the opportunity to “switch off,” Malpass says.
“You're turning on the console at the top and playing games. No stress. There's no internet. You're not competing with the world. You have your own in the game, you're going to go I feel a sense of accomplishment in, and that was what you used to do,” he says.
“I think the younger generation is feeling more stressed they are now. Growing up in the world of social media is very mentally challenging. [Retro video gaming] It's their safe place. It's like their escape,” he says.
Matthew Dolan, a software developer in his 40s, brought some of his game gear consoles. His passion for retro games and technology comes from nostalgia and childhood memories, playing games his father wrote for him at BBC Micro. “It was a great introduction to technology,” he says.
“You get all that joy from playing it literally. You go through the battery and plan a long, long car journey,” he says. “They don't rely on equally flashy graphics. [as contemporary games]. ”
Going it a step further, Dolan says he revised and adapted the console, spending £7,000 on his hobby last year. “We've regained some of it from selling things, but it's not cheap.”
He got stuck trying to repair some of the game gear chips and needed Malpas' expertise. Retrosix's repaired Prestige Edition Game Gear Console is £298.80. The LED edition costs £334.80, and mods or services on the console start at £36.
Popular retro consoles
game boy
A handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1989 and in Europe in 1990. It is estimated that over 118.7 million Game Boys and Game Boy colors are available for sale all over the world, making it one of the most successful handheld consoles of the era. Its compact design and affordable price.
SNES
Super Nintendo's entertainment system, also known as Super NES, was Nintendo's second home video game console to release internationally. It was first released by Nintendo, Japan in 1990 and arrived in Europe in 1992. It is estimated that SNES sold 49.1m units worldwide when it was cancelled in 2003.
Xbox Original
The Xbox console was Microsoft's first gaming console offering and the first installment payment for the consoles of the Xbox series, which was first released in Europe in 2002. The second generation Xbox 360 was released in 2005.
Amiga
A series of personal computers created by Commodore International from 1985 to 1994. Other companies continued to produce Amiga after this. The Amiga 1000, also known as the A1000, was the first personal computer released by Amiga Line's Commodore International. It was known for its advanced graphics and sound. Popular games include Alien Breed, Syndicate, Wise Football, and Eye viewers.
Game Gear
A handheld game console was released by Sega in Japan in 1990 and released in Europe the following year. Game Gear competed mostly with Nintendo's Game Boy, Atari Links and NEC's Turbo Experez. In 1991, around 520,000 game gear was sold in Europe, of which over 130,000 were sold in the UK.
aAdults who love video games understand the struggle of having too many options – 19,000 games were released in 2024 on the PC Game Storefront Steam alone, not to mention the countless games available on consoles and smartphones. Many of us have a backlog of classic games we haven’t played yet, leading us to feel guilty about buying new ones. However, discovering truly good games can sometimes feel impossible. Approximately 50% of the questions we receive for this newsletter are variations of “Help, what should I play?”
While we do our best to assist, as someone who is knowledgeable about games, I still don’t have unlimited time to play them all. Streamers spend their days playing games, but they tend to specialize in specific games and genres, rarely venturing outside their comfort zones. Nowadays, navigating through Google search results, parsing complex Reddit threads, and getting lost in AI-generated recommendations can be overwhelming.
Enter Louise Sene’s new app, set to launch on Kickstarter this week, aiming to address this issue. Described as the Tinder for video games, the app presents users with a game name, details, a stack of cards featuring screenshots, and a trailer link, which users can swipe left or right on to indicate their interest. Based on user preferences, the app provides new game suggestions, allowing users to build a deck of games they want to try. The app also shows connections between games, providing transparency on where the recommendations are coming from.
Users can also select specific experts, such as streamers, critics, and other gaming personalities, to receive recommendations from. Each expert has their own card with a brief bio and background, aligning with the app’s focus on human recommendations rather than AI-driven algorithms. The recommendations are based on datasets compiled by the team over five years from the Family Game Database, a trusted site for parents.
Andy Robertson, a seasoned game writer leading the project, emphasizes the importance of uncovering hidden gems within the vast realm of games. The app aims to make game discovery fun and effective again by utilizing a blend of matchmaking features and personalized recommendations from experts. If the Kickstarter goals are met, Ludocene will be available for free in a basic format, with an optional subscription model for additional features at just £3 a month.
Personalized and niche game recommendations are invaluable, especially in an era dominated by AI-driven recommendations. For those seeking expert-driven suggestions, platforms like Louise Sene’s app cater to a more curated gaming experience.
Another valuable resource for discovering games is the Thinky Games Website, a database and review site for puzzle enthusiasts. Featuring a wide range of games across various platforms, the site provides descriptions written by individuals who have played the games, offering a more personal touch compared to store-provided data.
As someone who has been a gaming critic for nearly 20 years, I believe in the power of person-to-person game recommendations, especially in a digital landscape overwhelmed by algorithmic suggestions. While I haven’t signed up as a Ludocene expert yet, I may consider doing so in the future. To learn more about the app, visit their Kickstarter Page.
As children grow, they grow in many ways. Children make mental progress in how they feel, think and act – what scientists call them Cognitive Control. Researchers view creativity, fluid inference, and academic achievement as part of human cognitive control. They found that people with good cognitive control also improve mental health. However, scientists still don't know the best type of training to help children develop cognitive control.
Previous researchers found that training can improve cognitive functions such as working memory in children. However, they have not decided whether the same training improves the child's associated function or overall cognitive control. Therefore, an international team of researchers recently investigated whether improving one cognitive function helped improve overall cognitive control in children.
They focus on specific cognitive functions that have not been studied more thoroughly than others; Response inhibition. Response suppression is the ability of a person to stop himself from responding to a previously responded queue. They wanted to test how long it took to suppress training responses to affect other cognitive functions in children, such as creativity and reasoning.
The researchers explained that previous researchers studying cognitive control in children found conflicting results. Some found that training children with response suppression increased overall cognitive control, while others found that training skills only improved. The team proposed that the methodological problems of previous researchers had contradictory results. Therefore, they sought to address these issues by clearly defining how children train, making training schedules unpredictable and attractive, and testing larger groups of children than in previous studies.
The researchers studied 235 children aged 6 to 13 from the Great London region of England. They divided the children into two groups, 119 and 116. They introduced both groups of children to a series of seven different computer games that they attended over eight weeks.
During the video game, the children sailed around the island picking up coins. Their goal was to win as many coins as possible. The first group of 119 children received training in response suppression. This means that you have received the coin after you have stopped performing the requested action. The other 116 children served as control groups. This means that you've been in the same game.
To determine how children's cognitive skills change throughout the experiment, researchers collect self-reports from children, perform standardized skill tests, and take neuroimaging of the brain to physiology. We have confirmed the changes. These data were collected before, immediately after the experiment, and 1 year later.
Researchers found that trained children had better response suppression than non-sex children, but they found that overall cognitive control was not good. For example, they found that trained children did not have test results to show that their academic performance improved over their children in the control group. They also found that brain imaging showed no physiological differences between the two children's groups. The researchers interpreted these results as meaning that response inhibition training did not improve overall cognitive control in children.
Researchers concluded that training children with a single cognitive skill does not improve overall cognitive control. However, they acknowledged that the sample of children participating in this study was from families with above average socioeconomic status and thus may not be representative of lower social classes. Ta. Anyway, they recommended that future researchers look for alternative ways to promote the development of cognitive control in children.
kEnjikanno, director of Sega’s legendary driving game Crazy Taxi, recalls the pivotal moment when he realized the game had made an earthquake-like impression. “I was heading to Las Vegas for promotional work,” he recounts. “I got into a taxi, the driver sped me off quickly and promptly reached my destination. Finally, he chuckled and said, ‘I’m a truly crazy taxi!’. It was a bizarre experience.”
Originally launched in arcades, The Zany, Pop-Punk Drive-Em’ -Up, is commemorating its 25th anniversary this month. Crazy Taxi was an addictive coin-operated thrill ride. The quirky nature of the game consistently exclaimed, “Are you ready to have some fun?” and “Crazy time is money!” with a plain, ordinary face amidst the chaos of just wanting to drive to Pizza Hut. Racing a green-haired Axel Yellow 1960 Cadillac El Dorado so swiftly that the front bumper crashed into a concrete hill in Sunny San Francisco. (My mom’s favorite character was Jenna, who drove the Ford Mustang.)
I can still recall spending the entire summer trying to master the “crazy dash” technique instead of playing outside with my friends. The subsequent ports on PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox 360 were a hit, drawing millions of Crazy Taxi sales, proving that creating a hit wasn’t a walk in the park back then.
A memorable experience for everyone who played… a crazy taxi. Photo: Sega
The rock band The Offspring contributed a turbo-charged guitar riff to the Crazy Taxi soundtrack, a time capsule from the turn of the millennium. The game captured the carefree hyperactivity of America pre 9/11 in the late ’90s/early ’00s. The era when the biggest concern for many youngsters was whether Stone Cold Steve Austin would retain the WWE World title.
Despite its successful cross-over, Crazy Taxi faced opposition from many early critics, as recalled by Kanno. “During the initial stages of development, more than half of the project team vehemently opposed the idea of a game centered around taxi drivers,” he reminisces.
“What I wanted to express most about the craziest taxi was the dynamism of the movie car chase.” Photo: Sega
Yet, Kanno was intrigued by the challenge of transforming the ominous taxi driver stereotype, prevalent in the 1998 Luc Besson action comedy film Taxi, into a more endearing figure. The crazy taxi driver is clearly not sinister. Kanno aimed to do for the taxi driver what Paperboy did for paperboys. “I told the team: ‘I believe it’s the responsibility of game creators to make mundane work appear cooler! We might be envisioning something unprecedented, but we have to do it.’
Recounting his childhood, Kanno describes taxis as somewhat magical. “In Japan, taxi doors open automatically. As a child, I pondered why the taxi doors opened upon approach while our family car doors remained shut. This intrigued me so much that I began to view taxis as these enchanting entities.” As he matured, Kanno delved into old Hollywood films, aspiring to capture the same thrill and glamour showcased in iconic driving sequences like the Italian Job and French Connection. Locations such as San Francisco were ideal. “What I most wanted to convey about Crazy Taxi was the dynamic feel of a movie car chase, as San Francisco, with its numerous undulations, always allows for such action to be expressed.”
Unlike most racing games, Crazy Taxi demands quick decision-making on your feet rather than memorizing the track. (This ethos of a chaotic approach can be seen in Simpsons: Road Rage, which essentially adopted the crazy taxi concept in the Springfield setting.) “It’s a game that constantly challenges players to make split-second decisions in evolving scenarios,” Kanno explains. “Therefore, I made other vehicles obstacles. The design isn’t about mastering all the routes and finding the perfect line, but about maneuvering through ever-changing traffic.”
Technical limitations at the time curtailed the planned multiplayer mode. Nonetheless, the leaderboard enabled competitive battles among friends. For those struggling to surpass the 2-minute mark while playing Crazy Taxi (FYI: One rooftop shortcut is a game-changer), is there a possibility of a modern multiplayer-enabled sequel? “I can’t divulge much,” Kanno responds. “But Crazy Taxi will soon have you grinning ear to ear once again!”
Ministers have postponed the regulation of artificial intelligence in line with the Trump administration, as reported by The Guardian.
Three labor sources revealed that the AI bill, originally planned for release before Christmas, is now expected to be delayed until summer.
The Minister had intended to issue concise invoices shortly after taking office.
The bill aims to address concerns about the potential risks of advanced AI models to humanity and to clarify the use of copyrighted materials by AI companies, differing from individual suggestions.
However, Trump’s election prompted a reconsideration of the bill. Senior labor sources said the bill was being carefully reconsidered, and there are no firm proposals yet on its content. The source added that they had aimed to pass it before Christmas, but it is now delayed until summer.
Another labor source, familiar with the legislation, mentioned that earlier drafts of the bill had been prepared months ago, but they are now being held back due to Trump’s actions, which could negatively impact British businesses. They expressed reluctance to proceed without addressing these concerns.
Trump’s actions have undermined Biden’s plans for AI regulation, including revoking an executive order aimed at ensuring technology safety and reliability. The future of the US AI Safety Institute is uncertain following the resignation of its director. Additionally, US Vice President JD Vance opposed planned European technical regulations at the AI Summit in Paris.
The UK government opted to align with the US by not signing the Paris Declaration endorsed by 66 other countries at the summit. UK Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson reportedly proposed making the UK a major US AI investment hub.
During a December committee meeting, Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle hinted that the AI bill was in advanced stages. However, Science Minister Patrick Balance stated earlier this month that there is no bill currently in place.
A government spokesperson stated, “This government remains committed to enacting legislation that will ensure the safe realization of the significant benefits of AI for years to come.
“We are actively engaged in refining our proposals for publication soon to ensure an effective approach against this rapidly evolving technology. Consultations will soon commence.”
The Minister faces pressure regarding individualized plans to allow AI companies access to online materials, including creative works for training models without requiring copyright permission.
Artists like Paul McCartney and Elton John have criticized this move, warning that it could undermine traditional copyright laws protecting artists’ livelihoods.
Whenmai* began studying psychology in mid-2019. She looked forward to traveling to college to have a lively conversation with her classmates working on new ideas.
However, when her in-person tutorials were exchanged for a Zoom meeting in 2020, her excitement turned into horror.
“People don’t switch cameras. They have their names displayed,” says Mai. “It’s very lonely and very isolated. If you’re struggling with questions, then no one will talk.”
The auditorium, once full of students, was emptied in favor of pre-recorded lectures, Mai said. Even the lab demonstrations have been replaced by a lively, undirected Zoom breakout room.
Mai sat through an online class who fell silent mid-hour time slot as the instructor sued a grid of faceless viewer names to engage in simple questions.
“No one spoke,” she says. “It’s so annoying, it hurts so much, you just want to go out.”
As soon as she graduated, Mai moved to Hobart to study medicine. The lockdown was fading memory and she was expecting a packed campus.
But apart from her medication classmates, she says it was abandoned – it remains two years later.
“I had this very naive vision, ‘Oh, wow, I’m going to meet a lot of students from many different places.” [but] Many students don’t attend just because they have other work or life commitments,” she says.
Australian students like MAI enroll in college in the hopes of experiences that many facilities no longer offer. They imagine themselves in time and space exploring big ideas with their peers and teachers, share vibrant discussions and share their path to becoming independent adults.
Those who can’t afford to spend the whole week on campus or are not given the option of in-person classes are worried that they are missing out. High quality education While increasing fees are being charged.
Students under financial pressure cut classes and picked up more jobs. The result is a malicious cycle of lower campus attendance, according to students. Few students will be taking part in the class in person, and attending classes is even less attractive and there will be fewer face-to-face opportunities for universities as they do not appear.
Like Mai, many people ask themselves: “What is the point of going to campus?”
AAccording to Dr. Thuc Bao Huynh, a researcher at the Center for Youth Policy and Education Practice at Monash University, Ustralian’s expectations for university life go back to research ideals before the 1980s, before the 1980s.
“If someone was a student, they wouldn’t actually do that much except they were students,” he says. “That’s not the case anymore.”
The myth of campus life opposes the modern reality where increasingly fewer students have the luxury of their own research and social life, their primary responsibility. Since the 1990s, the number of Australians from a wider background has increased. Costs of living are accelerating this trend, Huynh said it forces more students to treat the university as a part-time commitment.
Those who can’t afford to spend the whole week on campus, or who don’t have in-person classes on the course, are worried that they are being charged a growing number of fees, rather than overlooking a quality education. Photo: Agenzia Sintesi/Alamy
“Being a student is 1740532059 I mashed with everything else that young people are experiencing,” Huyn says. “That’s another thing they have to deal with.”
Classmates at Jed Brockhouse who struggled to work juggle college and were given the option to do coursework online will not be able to come to campus at Latrobe University in North Melbourne.
“If you know you don’t need to be there, why do you sit in class for two hours, fit in an hour of traffic?” he says.
Sam Lane only learned how much he missed when he took a break from law classes and reached out to art history.
He says he went to university in 2019 looking for a photo of his parents’ campus life. To people. “
Lane got a glimpse into the fantasy world at the University of New South Wales Art School on Sydney’s bustling Oxford Street. His long three-hour art history class forced him and his peers to meet face to face or gave him time to tackle and discuss aesthetics and philosophy.
“You didn’t feel like you were there just to get bitten and spit out of the auditorium,” he says. “If there’s something interesting for the class, you can dig into it.”
However, once his art tutorial is over, Lane has to hurry back to the main campus of UNSW in eastern Sydney, reducing the teaching time on campus, and the professor has rushed through an impossible amount of information. Ta.
Sam says he went to university in 2019 looking for photos of campus life drawn by his parents. Photo: Lisa Marie Williams/The Gardian
“We don’t have time to chat, we don’t have time to get to know the people around you,” he says. “You’re too busy trying to get through all the content very quickly.”
Lane is now approaching the end of his degree and watching attendees get nervous with the Student Association, stopping the long-term party tradition, including Battle of the Band events.
“People want to understand what they have lost and really go back to it… [but] There’s no good time to put it [on] “There aren’t enough people on campus so they don’t get voter turnout,” he says. “I’m a little dead.”
THis tendency towards online learning reflects wider pressure. A decline in federal funding and threatened losses from international students, the main source of income, forced the university to save. At the same time, university staff teach 200,000 students more than they did a decade ago.
Kaab Qureshi, a sophomore at Australian National University in Canberra, says it’s difficult to learn in classes that have become “strange” as the university is cut and contact time condensed.
“They just want to cut costs as quickly as possible,” he says. “I think they’ve made more reputation and profitable than student involvement and support.”
Even the face-to-face class stuffing didn’t stop them from finding the community they wanted for those who could afford to stroll around campus.
Kristy Sauw, a classmate at ANU in Qureshi, says his first year in college wasn’t good. After moving from Wagga Wagga High School to the on-campus residential hall, it was easy for her to make friends and go to classes in person.
“We made a lot of friends in our philosophy tutorials because we considered it an hour to yap. It was really fun,” she says. “As much as we focus on what we’re actually talking about, we’ve also become bonded and talked about random topics.”
Qureshi spent extra money to live in the residential hall for his first year, but the
Members of the Namibian HIMBA community get an average of 5.5 hours of sleep at night
Nick Fox/Aramie
Unlike our ancestors who lived in technologically advanced times, there is much written about how modern lifestyles mean that we no longer get enough sleep. However, an analysis of 54 sleep studies conducted around the world has shown that people in small, non-industrial societies actually sleep less than people in industrialized communities.
“Everyone I talk about in Canada and the US are talking about how bad their sleep is.” Leela Mackinnon At Toronto Mississauga University, Canada. “The numbers don’t show that.”
It is often assumed that the rise of gadgets like big screen televisions and smartphones means that people today are less sleepy than in the recent past.
However, many studies reporting sleep declines over the past few decades are based on asking people how long they spend sleep. This is an unreliable measure. Even using this method, The results are mixedmany studies have found that there is no change or even an increase in sleep duration.
Studies based on more reliable measurements, such as using physical activity monitors and electrodes to monitor brain waves, have not declined over the last few decades. For example, we found a 2016 review of 168 studies. There is no decline Sleep period for the past 50 years.
However, these studies have been conducted in developed countries and reveal the question of whether people had more sleep before industrialisation. Wrist-based activity monitors are now available, making it easier to study sleep in a non-industrial society.
Such studies have revealed an incredible short period of sleep. For example, among hunter-gatherers, Sun sleeps on average 6.7 hours per night, Hatza sleeps 6.2 hours, and Bayaka sleeps 5.9 hours per night. The shortest time ever found is 5.5 hours of sleep in the HIMBA community in Namibia, a herdsman of nomadic livestock.
McKinnon and her colleagues David SamsonUniversity of Toronto, University of Mississauga, is also involved in several such research. They now compare sleep habits in industrialized societies, including the US, Australia and Sri Lanka, with people from small, non-industrial communities, including the Amazon, Madagascar and the Pacific indigenous people.
Overall, the analysis is based on 54 studies that include direct measures of sleep in people over 18 years of age without serious health conditions. In total, only 866 people are involved in these studies, but the dataset is the most comprehensive to date, says Samson. “It’s the best now.”
Overall, these individuals slept on average 6.8 hours, while in non-industrial societies the average was 6.4 hours, while in industrial societies it was 7.1 hours.
The two also found that people from the industrial world were asleep for 74% of their time in bed.
McKinnon and Samson also evaluated the regularity of people’s circadian rhythms using a measure called the circadian function index, where the score of 1 is perfect. In non-industrialized communities, the average was 0.7 compared to 0.63 in industrial societies.
Samson attributes the higher period of sleep and increased sleep efficiency in industrialized societies to conditions that encourage sleep more. “We see that we have some real benefits from the safety and security of our sleep scene,” he says. “There’s no need to dodge the night or predators with rival human groups.”
Conversely, people in industrial areas are less exposed to clues that help to maintain a circadian rhythm, such as low night temperatures and bright daylight exposure. Although they did not appreciate this, both MacKinnon and Samson said that a low normal circadian rhythm would have a negative effect explaining why many people perceive their sleep as poor. I doubt there is a possibility of giving it.
What is not clear from the paper says that individuals in these 54 studies are representatives of the overall population. Nathaniel Marshall At Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. “Special sampling is required to make a statement about epidemiological prevalence,” he says.
Samson said he looked into whether large sample sizes could change results, and concluded that there was no significant difference.
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Terranos, had her conviction upheld by a US court. She defrauded investors of hundreds of millions of dollars through a failed blood test startup that was once valued at $9 billion. Despite refusing to appeal for several years, Holmes was convicted. The court also upheld the conviction of Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, Holmes’ former romantic partner and president of Theranos.
A three-judge panel at San Francisco’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed claims of legal error in separate trials conducted in 2022.
Holmes, who started Terranos as a university student and became its public face, was indicted in 2018 alongside Balwani. They were tried separately and received sentences of 11 years and 3 months and 12 years and 11 months in 2022. Holmes was ordered to compensate investors $452 million, but the penalty was waived due to limited financial resources.
Holmes’ sentence was reduced by over two years for good behavior in prison, leading to her release in 2032 after serving nine years.
Holmes’ attorney filed an appeal in April 2023, claiming that her trial was marred by improper procedures and evidence presentation.
The US prosecutor countered, stating during the initial appeal hearing in 2024, “It’s undisputed that the device didn’t function,” and highlighting the shortcomings of Theranos’ Edison blood test machine. Holmes asserted that the Edison could draw a single drop of blood from a patient and conduct a variety of medical tests, but her inventions never delivered on their promises.
Before the appeal ruling, Holmes featured on the cover of People magazine for her first interview since being imprisoned earlier that month. She described federal prisons as “hell and torture” and expressed how being incarcerated had changed her.
“The person I used to be must now step aside as I stand here, a prisoner, and face my reality,” she said, reflecting on her two young children and husband.
when Mike Schwede was first sitting on the Tesla Roadster 15 years ago, he felt like he was witnessing the future. In 2016, he became a proud Tesla owner, enjoying the admiration he received from other drivers as he cruised along European highways in his electric vehicle.
However, the shine of owning a Tesla has started to fade recently. For years, the brand was closely associated with Elon Musk and his stance on the climate crisis. Schwede was dismayed when Musk pledged to increase oil and gas production after supporting Donald Trump.
“He was becoming increasingly bizarre,” said Swiss entrepreneur and digital strategist Schwede. The final straw came when Musk made a fascist-style salute during Trump’s inauguration in January. “It was completely repulsive to me,” Schwede stated. “I was no longer enjoying being a Tesla owner.”
Data from the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers revealed that nearly half of new Tesla car sales in Europe had plummeted last month. Analysts attribute this decline to customers turning away from the brand due to Musk’s far-right political affiliations.
The Texas-based automaker sold 9,945 vehicles in Europe in January, a 45% drop from the previous year, according to the association.
The parody “Tesla – Swastical” ad was posted at a London bus stop. Photo: People vs Elon
Existing Tesla owners who are discontented with Musk’s views are beginning to voice their concerns.
Schwede considered selling his car, but with over 60,000 miles already driven, the resale value was minimal. Instead, he decided to donate 10 cents per kilometer driven to various charities, aiming to support LGBTQ+ youth and combat hatred, extremism, and far-right movements. “That didn’t sit well with Elon,” Schwede remarked. “It was my way of seeking personal retribution.”
Some European Tesla owners are pushing back against Musk’s political associations by engaging in small acts of resistance, demonstrating their displeasure with his far-right leanings.
Patrick Schneider from Germany created an “anti-Elon sticker” line for Tesla cars to express his dissatisfaction. The stickers, featuring messages like “Buying this before Elon went crazy,” have gained popularity in response to Musk’s political alliances.
Far-right AFD Alice Weidel is talking online with Elon Musk during her speech at the start of the campaign. Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA
Demand for these stickers has surged, with up to 2,000 being sold daily, not only in German-speaking countries but also internationally. Schneider noted, “Elon Musk inadvertently fueled this for us.”
Norwegian researchers have connected the dots from 2,000 years ago, suggesting that a woman could have engraved her name on the oldest dated runestone ever discovered in Norway.
The inscription starts with the word “I” in the Lunic script, hinting that it might be the author’s name. The runestone was unearthed in the Hall cemetery, a small town in southern Norway, towards the east of the capital.
“The text essentially indicates that it is the name of the Rune attendee,” Christel Zilmer, one of the study’s co-authors, told NBC News over the phone. He shared that the script was found by a Rune attendee.
Rune stones appear to be part of the excavation. Museum of Cultural History
Experts believe that the Germanic alphabet script drew inspiration from the Roman alphabet, with Runes serving as key components in early Scandanavian communication. This form of communication was prevalent in the region until the late Middle Ages.
Rune inscriptions have been identified on items like Danish bone knives, iron knives, and combs, estimated to be around 700 Guangxi around 150 AD, correlating with other runestones discovered by archeologists.
These inscriptions often carried messages involving spells for the deceased and enchanting words.
However, the evolution of Runes over time remains a mystery, and deciphering them without an archaeological context can pose significant challenges.
The reconstruction and accompanying illustrations reveal the rune inscription. Christel Zilmer
Recent research indicates that the fragments uncovered in 2021 belonged to a single slab, aiding scientists in understanding language evolution and the significance of such stones.
Two years later, additional fragments were discovered, and it appears that the inscriptions span across all fragments, suggesting they are part of a single stone.
“By finding two additional pieces that fit perfectly into the existing inscription, it has almost completed the inscription,” Zilmer remarked.
Due to the stone’s deterioration and weathered state, deciphering the exact text containing the names of the attendees poses some challenges, but it is noted that the inscription ends with a “-u”, which peaked researchers’ interest.
Excavation was found at the Swingyad Site, west of Oslo, Norway. Museum of Cultural History
If confirmed as a woman’s name in ancient runes, it could be the earliest known record of female Runes inscription.
The fragments buried alongside cremated human remains in the pit allow scientists to use radiocarbon dating, tracing the fragments back to a period between 50 BC to 275 AD, providing valuable context.
“There could be a series of interconnected events here involving different individuals. It’s possible that the stone served multiple purposes,” Zilmer commented.
While much of the research is still underway, there remains a conspicuous gap in our understanding, as Zilmer noted.
“It’s akin to a puzzle with missing pieces, but exploring how these individual fragments, some inscribed, could potentially connect is an intriguing prospect,” she added.
Asteroids flying near Earth in 2032 are expected to safely pass through the planet, with a shock chance of just 0.004%. NASA said Monday.
This is a significant downgrade to the risk from the record highs the space agency gave earlier last week.
The asteroid known as the 2024 YR4 is between 130 and 300 feet wide and is large enough to cause local damage if it hits Earth. However, the exact odds of the event have been an impressive target since the space rock was first detected about two months ago.
The extremely slim chances NASA estimated on Monday were even smaller than the 0.28% chance it gave late last week. Just a few days ago, the agency had the chance to 1.5% and 3.1% before that.
With the short odds exceeded 3%, the first object officially classified as Level 3 of 10 out of 10 in a measurement known as the Torino Scale became the space rock.Richard Binzel first proposed it nearly 30 years ago.
Level 3 classification means that objects are worthy of attention by astronomers, and pose a threat of “close encounters.”
Named after an Italian city officially adopted by astronomersIn 1999, the Turin Impact Hazard Scale is a way to communicate to the public the risks posed by asteroids and other space objects near Earth to planets.
The scale is color-coded, with categories ranging from 0 (white without risk) to 10 (red for a particular collision). With a 3.1% chance of colliding with the Earth, 024-year-old 4 was temporarily placed in the mid-yellow zone of the scale.
The gusts of news reports about the asteroids have attracted more attention than ever on Turin's scale. Binzel said this type of situation was exactly why he created the system in the first place.
“The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has made it a great opportunity to learn about the world,” said Bindel, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “But it's like being between a rock and a difficult place because we want to report what we know to maintain the trust of our people, but we don't want to raise unnecessary anxiety. Because.”
The challenges of walking that thin line are revealed in Asteroid 2024 YR4.
According to NASA, the reason for the recent decline in impact probability is The ground telescope was able to get a better look Based on these observations, on the Space Lock on February 19th and 20th, astronomers were able to improve models of asteroid orbits, allowing them to estimate the Space Lock trajectory more accurately. This will help scientists to more reliably predict where 2024 YR4 will be on December 22, 2032, where asteroids are likely to encounter closely with Earth.
The shifting probability is somewhat dizzy, but according to Bindsel, the possibility that such a close-Earth asteroid could dance like this is completely normal.
The Asteroid 2024 YR4 is thought to measure up to 300 feet in diameter.Atlas
When Binzel debuted the Turin scale in the astronomical community decades ago, his goal was to promote greater public awareness of shock risk. According to him, the idea was to implement something similar to the Richter scale, which measures the magnitude of an earthquake, or the Saffir Simpson scale, which assigns categories to hurricanes based on wind speed.
But when he first presented the system at the 1997 UN conference, it wasn’t well received, he said. According to Biinsel, some astronomers were skeptical that it would help the public.
In the same year, scientists discovered an asteroid called XF11 in 1997. We thought this could hit Earth in 2028. It didn’t take long for astronomers to eliminate potential conflicts, but the ending story expanded in news reports, followed by subsequent denunciations. Something that was perceived as a major mistake.
“It ended up being a bit of embarrassment,” Binzel said. “Astronomers did not make any errors, but there was no good way to convey uncertainty. So this classifies objects that cannot be immediately ruled out over centuries of Earth. This motivated me to propose a simple system for
Binzel once again presented the scale in Turin at a conference held in Turin in 1999, attended by representatives from the NASA and the European Space Agency. In that workshop, the system was ultimately adopted by the International Astronomical Union, a non-governmental organization made up of professional astronomers who act like the governing body of the astronomical community.
In addition to using colours and numbers to accommodate different risk levels, the scale includes explanations of potential outcomes, the possibility of changing risk assessments, and actions that the government or the public should take.
For example, the level 6 threat in the orange zone explains the possibility of close shaving by “large objects pose a serious and uncertain threat of a global catastrophe.”
Astronomers recommend giving this object “critical attention” to know if a collision occurs. “If the encounter is less than 30 years, the government's emergency plan could be guaranteed,” the scale states.
On the other hand, Level 3 threat, according to the scale explanation, means that “current calculations provide more than 1% chance of a collision that can be locally destructive.” “Perhaps observations of the new telescope lead to reallocation to level 0. Attention by civil servants is valuable if the encounter is within ten years.”
Naturally, Binzel was correctly suspected when asteroid 2024 YR4 was considered to be the 3 that would eventually be downgraded.
Meanwhile, however, the 2024 YR4 hit an unpleasant milestone. It is the only known astide with a classification above level 1, and set the record to reach the highest impact probability and spend the longest time with the probability above 1%. According to the European Space Agency.
The higher classification of similar or larger sized asteroids on the Turin scale is in 2004, when asteroid Apophis was temporarily ranked as Level 4, with an estimated 2.7% chance of hitting Earth There was a possibility.
Vincell said he was pleased to witness the scale feature in real time, but he is pleased to be modest about his connection to it.
“At the end of the day, if Turin scale helps, there's a great deal of satisfaction. It really makes my day,” he said. “But it's nice to hide my name behind where the scale was adopted. It helps to keep my phone from ringing too much.”
Scheduled to appear in space this week, the Robot Moonlander is set to mark the second moon mission of a company that made history last year by becoming the first private company to successfully land on the moon’s surface.
The spacecraft, named Athena, was built by Intuitive Machines, a company based in Texas. It is equipped with a drill and various instruments to analyze the chemical composition of rocks and soil beneath the lunar surface.
The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Moon Payload Services Program, which aims to assist private companies in developing Moonlanders. The anticipated landing site is the plateau of the lunar Antarctic region, specifically a flat mountain known as Monsmouton.
NASA is particularly interested in the Antarctic region of the Moon due to the presence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters. The presence of water could be crucial for establishing permanent bases on the moon, and Athena’s mission will focus on searching for groundwater.
Athena is scheduled to launch on top of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday at 7:17pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The same rocket will also launch a lunar mapping satellite developed by NASA, called the Lunar Trailblazer.
In addition to these missions, NASA plans to send the Spherex Space Observatory into orbit on Thursday to study the origins of the universe. SpaceX’s Starship Megarocke is set for its eighth test flight on Friday, and another robot Moonlander developed by Firefly Aerospace will attempt to land on the moon over the weekend.
Following its release, the Athena Lander is expected to travel for about a week before landing, potentially as early as March 6th. The mission will also test a 4G communications system developed by Nokia on the moon’s surface.
During the mission, Athena Lander will deploy a drone named Grace to explore the landing site through a series of hops. The company aims to replicate their historic moon landing success from February 2024 near Marapart A crater in the Antarctic region of the Moon.
The goal is for Athena Lander to successfully land and fulfill its mission objectives, paving the way for future lunar exploration and potentially aiding in establishing human presence on the moon.
Pere Santamaria was 15 years old when she developed myasthenia. This autoimmune condition can cause extreme muscle weakness and sometimes lead to difficulty breathing. In Santa Maria's case, it affected the muscles in the eye that controlled his vision, causing him to look double.
“It personally had a huge impact on me,” he says. “I was in adolescence and suddenly I couldn't play sports and couldn't live a normal life. I had to take very high doses of corticosteroids, so I was able to have balloons. It's inflated like that.”
Worse, these drugs simply attenuate the body's general immune response, rather than addressing the causes of autoimmune. In other words, Santa Maria did not expect that taking them would cure his condition.
As years went by, Santa Maria developed an additional autoimmune state. “I just wanted to understand the disease and mechanisms, and hopefully I can help others in the end,” he says.
He is now progressing towards that goal. He works as an immunologist at the University of Calgary, Canada. Santa Maria It is at the forefront of pushing to reprogram the immune system and develop new therapies to encourage the human body to end a destructive war against its own organization.
As these treatments move to clinical trials, there are signs of promise. Certainly, some are very effective, so with a single dose, in some cases, people have been symptomatically gone for years. So, is the end of an autoimmune state visible now?
Innate and Adaptive Immunity Systems
Our bodies have several lines of defense against pathogens. …
African elephants have extra copies of genes that help resist cancer
Neil Aldridge/Nature Picture Library/Aramie
Larger animals live longer and have more cells, and are expected to be at a higher risk of developing cancer. A comprehensive analysis of 263 species suggests that this is true, but also finds that some large animals have evolved ways of reducing risk.
“We provide the first empirical evidence that there is a link between body size and cancer prevalence, meaning that larger species increase cancer than smaller species. “I say it. George Butler University College London.
To gain a broader view, Butler and his colleagues analyzed data on the size and cancer rates of 79 bird species, 90 mammal species, 63 reptiles and 31 amphibians. The data comes from previous studies by other researchers who sifted through autopsy records that record whether a breeding animal stored in a place like Zoos or an aquarium had cancer when it died. .
The team found that smaller animals were slightly more likely to have cancer than fewer animals at the time of death. Each 1% increase in body weight was associated with an average increase of 0.1% in cancer rates between birds and mammals. Because body mass data were not available in reptiles and amphibians, the team used body length and found that it was associated with an average increase in cancer rate of 0.003% for every 1% increase.
Butler and his team say their discoveries will challenge a long-standing idea known as the Pete Paradox. on the other hand, Veragolbunova At the University of Rochester in New York, the weak correlation still needs explanation.
“The increased risk they see is very, very minor and not proportional to their body size,” she says. “If you take small animals like mice and humans are 100 times larger, or elephants are 100 times larger, the difference in cancer rates is not 100 times higher in humans and 1000 times higher in elephants.”
It suggests that larger species have evolved more ways to protect themselves, Golbunova says.
Indeed, by using evolutionary trees to infer evolutionary rates of animal body size, the team said that if the size increases more rapidly during evolution, birds and mammal species of similar sizes can be We found it to provide better protection against cancer.
Previous studies have identified genetic adaptations in elephants and whales, protecting against cancer by improving DNA repair and preventing broken cells from dividing.
A deeper understanding of how some animals resist cancer can lead to new treatments for people, says Golbunova. “In these cancer-resistant animals, there are specific biological pathways of different fine-tuning, for example, targeting these pathways and then killing cancer cells more efficiently, or perhaps killing cancer cells. You can even prevent cancer from occurring,” she says.
“As these mechanisms have been tested over millions of years in the course of evolution, they are likely to become highly promising drugs,” she says.
Illustrations of two types of traboa, or sledge, which may be used by ancient people in North America
Gabriel Uguet
Drugmarks and human footprints, composed up to 22,000 years ago, have been found at several sites in White Sands National Park in New Mexico. These are thought to have been made by people pulling long pieces of wood stacked with goods, and are the earliest evidence of such activities.
This type of primitive vehicle is known as the trabore. “It’s basically a wheelless wheel.” Matthew Bennett He is a member of a team studying track at Bournemouth University in the UK.
They were widely used all over the world, but this is the oldest evidence of their use, says Bennett. “Nothing is this old.”
There are many ancient animal footprints in the ancient arid lake of White Sands, but in 2017, human footprints were discovered. In 2019, the team found a long drug mark in connection with human footprints.
“They happen in many different regions, so it was widespread,” Bennett says. “It’s not just an original family using travois.”
Some of the drag marks are made up of a single row. The team believes this was made by a trabore made up of two long wood joined in the form of a triangle. One end of each piece is held in one hand, but there is only a single point of contact on the ground.
The other drag marks consist of two parallel lines. These were probably the result of a trabore where two wood intersected in an x-shape, providing two handles and two ground contact points, which would have been more stable.
Drugmarks often pass through the footsteps of people who are supposed to be pulling a travoy, as expected. In some cases, there are parallel tracks with footprints (often children’s footprints), indicating that others are walking together.
Drag marks created by ancient vehicles in White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Bournemouth University
Elsewhere in the world, Trabois was often pulled by dogs and horses, says Bennett, but there is no evidence that white sand people used animals.
Footprint dates, Announced in 2021 challenging the traditional idea that humans did not move to America until the ice sheet began retreating about 15,000 years ago.
“The people in the US debate are very controversial, but we’re pretty confident about the date,” says Bennett. “The traditional story is that the ice sheets have parted ways and they have come, but you can go through before the door closes.” Another recent discovery is that humans have 33,000 years ago. It suggests that they may have reached the Americas.
Bennett says it’s very likely that there are tracks around the world that are not aware of what they are. In fact, he says his team has already discovered similar markings elsewhere in the US.
Artist's impression of the moon's Athena spaceship
NASA
This week, a private space mission was launched on the moon, aiming to reach the southernmost point we've ever visited on the moon. The Athena spacecraft, built by an intuitive US-based machine, will be released from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 12:17am on February 27th (7:17pm on February 26th). It will be installed on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Also, several other missions hitch on the same rocket, including expeditions that mine asteroids.
The intuitive machine became the first private company to succeed on the moon last year when Odysseus' spacecraft landed near the moon's Antarctica. The spacecraft's instruments remained in operation, but Odysseus made a troublesome landing, flipped over, limiting the amount of data the equipment could collect, and shortening the mission.
The company hopes for a cleaner landing as Athena begins its descent towards the end of March. The planned landing site is near the highest mountain on the moon, the lunar mewton, about 60 kilometers from Antarctica, and Athena's attempts have become the most southern approach to date. If the ship is successful, it will start a moon night and operate for several weeks on par with the moon in a day before it loses power.
Athena carries over 10 musical instruments and missions from both NASA and other private companies. That's not all. The Falcon 9, the same one that fires Athena at the moon, also carries three unrelated spacecraft. These are asteroid-controlled spacecraft from space company Astroforge, and the first mission of this kind will investigate potential minable metal space rocks later this year. You can also map water to the moon along with NASA's lunar satellite aboard, looking for future landing sites. The third spacecraft, built by epic aerospace, is designed to help other satellites move between orbits.
Once Athena lands, NASA instruments will excavate up to 1 meter into the lunar soil to sample it, then look at water sediments and other chemicals. NASA would like to know if these will be present in sufficient quantities for future astronauts to be used as part of the Artemis Moon Landing, which is planned for the agency to be released in 2027. It's there.
Several small rovers will also be released near the landing site, including the plant pot-sized Yaokirovers of Japanese company Dimon. The heavier 10kg mobile autonomous exploration platform (MAPP), built by Space Company Lunar Outspost, explores and creates 3D maps of landing sites, testing how the 4G phone network built by Nokia works in a Lunar environment. Masu. Sitting on a mapp will be a much smaller, ant-sized robot built by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The intuitive machine deploys a suitcase-sized hopping robot called Grace. Grace runs a series of four hops, jumping into the air up to 100 meters, travelling a distance of about 200 meters until it lands in a deep, permanently shaded crater. Scientists have seen evidence that these areas do not get warmer than -170°C (-274°F), but have never been visited in person. Grace scans the bottom of this crater. This crater is scanned for about 45 minutes, about 20 meters below, before popping out again.
Biologists discovered a new species of the tree frog genus and redescribed another Litrea Living on the Australian continent.
Swirling wooden frog (Litrea Reverata). Image credit: Stephen Mahony.
Litrea The large genus of tree frogs native to Australia, including the Bismarck Islands, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands and the Moluccan Islands.
This genus contains approximately 100 species and belongs to the monomorphic subfamily liriinae within the family Perodridae family.
A newly discovered species named Eungella Whirring Frog (Litoria eungellensis) and lives only 20km2 The cool Montertaine temperature forests in Queensland's Enguera Mountains are above 900 m above sea level.
This frog is separated by several hundred km from its nearest relative.Litrea Kolbeni).
These two species survive only in isolated, cool, humid, high altitude environments, with few opportunities to shift their habitat as temperatures rise.
“The 'adapt or corruption' mantra does not apply equally to a species,” said Professor Michael Mahony of Newcastle University.
“The frogs are literally running out of space. They are nowhere to be left because the climate model is isolated on the summit to predict warm, dry conditions.”
Dr. Luke Price, a researcher at the Museum of South Australia, said:
“Wet tree frogs only occur in wet forest habitats, and therefore occupy the wet forest habitats interconnected along a large divisional range from northeastern New South Wales to Tablelands in Atherton. I'm sure he was. Current experience.”
“We're not talking about climate warming related to human influences or greenhouse effects, we're talking about much older changes related to continental movements and global meteorological distribution.”
Researchers have also revealed this Litoria eungellensis and Litrea KolbeniDespite its similar appearance, the bright mustard yellowish body with red spots hidden behind the legs – has evolved separately for at least 1.5 million years.
The subtle differences in mating calls and genetic analysis confirmed their distinct evolutionary pathways.
“Litoria eungellensis Currently, it holds the enviable title of one of Australia's top 10 frogs.
“Species that are limited to such small areas face immeasurable risks, from wildfires to pollution events. One catastrophic event has managed to wipe them out completely.”
“The observation that species are confined to isolated patches of high-altitude cool rainforest habitat suggests that they are already living at biological limits, and due to climate warming, species are in the form of a sinus. There's no place to enlarge or move around.”
“A similar situation occurs Litrea Kolbenibut it is slightly larger. ”
Both species meet the United Nations for conservation standards for listed as Critical at riskmainly due to their limited distribution and the increased threat of climate change.
“These frogs already live at biological limits,” Professor Mahoney said.
“Their survival depends on active conservation efforts, as there is no place to move.”
On the other hand, it's more broad Litrea Reverata It appears to be less threatened when seen in New South Wales and southeast Queensland.
But the obvious stability of Litrea Reverata His assessment of no formal surveillance of this kind and not threatened may be more so because it is based solely on observations from interested biologists and community scientists,” said Dr. Price. I did.
The findings highlight the urgent need to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on vulnerable species.
“We need to realize that not all species can adapt quickly enough,” Professor Mahoney said.
“Target conservation and habitat protection are essential to prevent these unique frogs from disappearing forever.”
Survey results It will be displayed in the journal Zootaxa.
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Luke C. Price et al. 2025. Systematic evaluation of molecular genetic, morphological and acoustic variation reveals three species Litrea Reverata Complexes (Anal: Perodridae). Zootaxa 5584(3):301-338; doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5584.3.1
meet xingxiulong yueorum A new species of early extermination Zauropodmorph dinosaurs that lived in present-day China during the early Jurassic period.
Fossilized skeleton of xingxiulong yueorum. Image credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences.
xingxiulong yueorum It belongs to Masopoda A large group of Sauropodomorph dinosaurs described in 2007.
The new species is merely the second member of the previous monopolar genus. xingxiulong.
“xingxiulong yueorum It is distinguished from xingxiulong chengi By owning a pendant-shaped fourth trochanter with a distal end, an Astragalus with a rear almost straight dorsal margin, and a Pedalgiet V with two factors” Paleonanthropology and Chinese Academy of Sciences University, and colleagues.
Partial postcranial skeletal structure of xingxiulong yueorum It was discovered in 2015 near the city of Lufen in Yunnan Province, China.
“The Rufen Formation is one of the most important sedimentary units for understanding the evolution of early Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs,” the paleontologist said.
xingxiulong yueorum Estimated to reach lengths of 8-10 m (26-33 feet) – twice the size xingxiulong chengi.
“Both of both species xingxiulong There are usually four sacral vertebrae associated with delayed sauropods and sauropods, suggesting a complex early evolution of sauropods,” the researchers said.
According to the team, the discovery xingxiulong yueorum Adds diversity of Sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Lufeng Formation.
“This finding contributes to an understanding of the complex patterns that characterize the early evolution of Asian sauropods,” the authors concluded.
Their paper It was published in the journal on February 3, 2025 Historical Biology.
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Xiang-Yuan Chen et al. New species of xingxiulong (Dinosaur, Sauropodmorpha) from the lower Rufen Formation in the Jurassic region of Yunnan Province, China. Historical BiologyPublished online on February 3, 2025. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130
The conditioner for the black hair on the left comes from the wooden powder on the right
Feng Shui King/Stockholm University
This sustainable wood-based hair conditioner may smell pure white and peat-like, but its creators suggest that the tests may work similarly to commercial products. They claim that it could become a future for hair care.
“We use the power of nature.” Ievgen Pylypchuk At Stockholm University in Sweden. “We combine high-level science with old traditions… [to] Get something really cool: simple, convenient, and very effective. ”
Pylypchuk and his colleagues used lignin, a polymer, a central component of wood and bark, as a starting point for bio-based conditioners. When extracted from wood, lignin naturally interacts with waterIt also functions as a surfactant, but is an important ingredient in surfactants. It also contains natural antioxidants that help preserve the conditioner, providing UV protection, says Pylypchuk. “In this context, lignin functions as a multifunctional platform,” he says. “It protects against UV rays and keeps you moisturized.”
The researchers combined lab-developed ligning gel with coconut oil and water to create the final product. Team Members Mika ShipponenStockholm University also claims it works much the same as commercial conditioners. When used with moist bleached human hair samples and then washed away, combing hair while 13% moisturizing reduces the “drag” and resists, compared to the commercial products tested. has decreased by 20%.
One potential drawback is that the current formula of conditioners is “pain black” and smells like “cooked wood” that resembles peat, Shipponen says. It does not prevent researchers from pondering its commercialization. They say they test hair, towels and pig skin formulas and wash them off without leaving any dirt. Even the smell is very comfortable, says Pylypchuk. “I personally liked it so much, and most of the people in our lab – maybe because they work with Lignin – they liked it.”
Pylypchuk and Sipponen There is a patent We hope that ligningel and conditioners will become consumer products, offering people a more sustainable alternative to current products that rely on ingredients derived from fossil fuels. They say the next step is to see if it causes irritation to the eyes and skin prior to the trials of living hair.
However, American cosmetics researchersTrefor Evans, Previously, he was at the Textile Research Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, where he questioned how well his products would work compared to his commercial rivals. “I've been doing these experiments for 30 years, and traditional conditioner products reduce the power of the comb by 80%, perhaps 90%,” he says. Shipponen believes that variations in hair testing methods and condition during analysis can explain whether his team was reduced by only 20% of commercial conditioners.
The appearance and unusual smell of wood-based conditioners may drive away consumers, Evans says. “Patent literature is absolutely packed with stuff. “And the reason is that you don't just need effectiveness. What you really need is aesthetics for consumers to buy it.” ”
So, will a black, lush, environmentally friendly conditioner be a hit with consumers? “It sounds a bit like a starter,” Evans says.
NASA/Magdalena Ridge 2.4M Telescope/New Mexico Institute of Technology/Ryan
The world’s space agency has reduced the chance that asteroid 2024 YR4 will affect Earth by less than 1%. This strongly suggests that potentially catastrophic conflicts will be avoided. However, the asteroid probably passes very extraordinarily close to our planet, giving astronomers a rare opportunity to observe the asteroid in close proximity.
“We don’t expect the impact probability above 1% will exceed 1% in 2032 due to our close approach with the Earth,” he says. Richard Moisle With the European Space Agency (ESA). “The most likely further development is a further reduction in impact probability, perhaps even dropping to zero.”
The alarm last December regarding the asteroid 2024 YR4 was first raised in December last year, when it discovered it could be on Earth’s collision course in 2032. It looks like it’s 40-90 meters wide and can produce a fatal explosion if attacked by a city. Over the next few weeks, global telescopes and space agencies have closely tracked their orbits, honing their future paths more accurately. On February 17th, we reached our highest shock risk with one in 32nd chance, but in the next few days this reduced to a 67th or 1.5% risk.
On February 20th, new observations led to a sudden downgrade of this risk, with NASA having a 0.27% impact chance of 1-in-360, and ESA having a 0.16%, or 1-in-in-in- in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in- in-ine 625. These ratings placed it at 1 on a 10-point Turin scale used to evaluate the hazards brought about by such objects. That score has decreased from 3. So, 2024 YR4 is now considered one of many low-risk asteroids discovered each year, but ultimately misses Earth.
I say this is good news Gareth Collins At Imperial College in London, asteroids still serve as a dry run for planetary defense systems and scientific purposes. “This still makes for an epic, close approach. If the risk of a hit was so high, it must be close to us,” he says.
Space companies that were sketching possible schemes to deflect NASA, ESA and asteroids, say they will likely continue their plans. Niklas Voight At OHB, a German space company. Voigt and his team were beginning to think about the mission to deflect the 2024 YR4, but the new risks won’t change that, he says. “The risk has decreased, but for the time being, we are still working on the topic.”
A close approach could be a good opportunity to test its ability to deflect asteroids, says Voigt – the only previous attempt to do this was NASA’s DART mission, the 160m in 2022 The asteroid-shaped trajectory of the . Satellites can be constructed to send to the 2024 YR4, he says, as well as the ESA’s Ramses satellite, to travel to observe the asteroid Apophis, passing near Earth in 2029. It is set to do so.
The final decision on what to do about YR4 2024 will likely not be made until the planned observation in March using James Webb Space Telescope. Not only does it collect orbital data, it also helps to better assess the size and composition of the asteroid. That information will be provided to the UN Assisted Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, which will determine the best action around the end of April. “These are very useful exercises to find a pinch point to make a decision, as you have time to do something wise in advance,” Collins says. “Absolutely, these committees are still meeting, but they’re probably less stressful.”
The possibility of an Earth shock has plummeted, but the risk of a YR4 collision with the moon in 2024 rose from 0.3% to 1.2%. “There’s a clear possibility that those numbers will rise even further,” says Moissl. “The exact impact of the effects of the moon from objects of this size is still under evaluation.”
The response to this object is also a useful rehearsal for other asteroids of concern, Collins says. “We want to avoid screams in the future, as the public is used to this threat, thinking, ‘Oh, that’s never going to happen.’ ”
Envision the future of HR. Picture receiving a notification on your phone informing you that due to recent organizational changes, new personnel need to be recruited. The message includes a list of six well-qualified candidates who align with the organizational culture and are available to start within a month. Your task is simply to choose the best candidate to interview.
Much of this future scenario is already a reality. Platforms like Employment Heroes offer advanced AI tools to assist small businesses in managing HR and recruitment. These tools can even predict future needs and suggest potential candidates proactively.
Utilizing AI tools, Employment Heroes analyzes clients’ businesses, including organizational structure, turnover rates, and hiring timelines, making it easier for small businesses to operate. This global employment management platform uses AI to provide insights and recommendations, such as identifying when a position needs to be filled.
This workforce planning capability has traditionally been inaccessible to small and medium-sized businesses, placing them at a disadvantage in recruitment and staffing. Now, they have access to expertise and support equivalent to that of large corporations.
The right candidates can already line up as soon as a vacancy occurs. Photo: Maria Corniva/Getty Images
This type of predictive HR is particularly beneficial for high-growth SMEs. By providing insights into future staffing needs, it enables strategic planning that ensures the right talent is in place at the right time.
Looking ahead, AI-enabled HR platforms will automate various employment management processes, from employment terms to bonus structures, streamlining operations for small businesses and ensuring fairness and transparency.
Baillie, the Head of People at Mobile Marketing Agency ConsultmyApp, highlights the impact of the Employment Hero platform on recruitment processes, emphasizing its role in enhancing inclusivity and ensuring competitive pay packages.
SmartMatch enables SMEs to deliver competitive packages by analyzing industry trends. Photo: FG Trade/Getty Images
Employment Heroes’ SmartMatch feature offers real-time data insights on industry trends, helping small businesses set competitive pay ranges and attract top talent.
By leveraging data-driven benchmarks, small businesses can align their compensation packages with market standards and ensure they remain competitive in attracting and retaining the best employees.
Let’s reimagine the possibilities. Discover how Employment Hero can revolutionize your work processes.
Four British parents who are suing Tiktok for the alleged unlawful deaths of their children express concerns about the suspected deletion of their child’s data from social media platforms.
These parents have filed a lawsuit in the US claiming that four children died in 2022 after participating in the “Blackout Challenge,” a viral trend that emerged on social media in 2021.
A week after the lawsuit was filed, Tiktok executives mentioned that certain data had been deleted due to legal requirements. UK GDPR regulations mandate that platforms do not retain excessive personal data.
The parents were surprised by how quickly their child’s data was removed.
Isaac and Lisa Kennevan. Lisa expressed doubts on Tiktok’s claim of removing her son’s data.
“My initial reaction was that it’s a complete lie,” said Lisa Kennevan, whose son Isaac passed away at 13.
Liam Walsh remains skeptical about Tiktok deleting data on her daughter Maia, who passed away at 14, as the investigation is ongoing. He has issued a statement.
Ellen Room is advocating in Congress for the introduction of “Jules’ Law” in memory of her 12-year-old son Julian.
“If you have a physical diary in [your children’s] bedroom, I’m sure you’d read it to understand. Nowadays, they’ve moved online, and social media serves as a diary for kids. So why not examine their online diaries for potential answers?” she remarked.
Archie Battersbee and her mother, Hollie Dance. Dance has struggled to obtain access to Archie’s data despite him being under 13 when he passed away. Photo: Distribution materials
Hollie Dance should have automatic rights to the data, as her son Archie Battersbee was 12 years old, but she faces challenges in accessing it. “There are still three [of his] active accounts. I can see them myself,” she noted.
Tiktok has stated that searches related to dangerous challenges have been blocked since 2020. The platform aims to remove harmful content preemptively and direct users to safety resources.
Dance mentioned that she has screenshots of dangerous challenges that were easily accessible.
The parents expressed their wish to restrict their children’s access to social media and were unaware of the limited rights they have to their children’s data.
“Essentially, we’re handing the kids loaded guns,” Kennevan remarked. “A child’s brain isn’t fully developed until around 25. The amount of exposure to content isn’t healthy. They’ve witnessed harmful content, such as porn, at ages 10 and 11. They don’t need social media.”
Isaac Kennevan passed away at 13.
This year, the Online Safety Act was enforced, obliging platforms to take action against illegal or harmful content. Walsh expressed skepticism towards Ofcom.
Dance suggested that the organization should screen all videos before they are uploaded to the platform.
Walsh revealed that a US court exposed a video of her child, leading to a damaging impact on her mental state. She intends to press manslaughter charges against the company in UK courts.
Room explained that the family resorted to a US lawsuit after being unable to file a case in the UK due to legal constraints.
Ellen Room and her son Julian; Ellen highlighted how social media is akin to a child’s diary. Photo: Distribution materials
She emphasized on making a difference for other families and parents. “It’s challenging and emotionally draining, but we’re going to make an impact here,” she mentioned.
DNA can store digital data such as visual and audio files
Science Picture Co / Alamy
Artificial intelligence can read data stored in DNA strands within 10 minutes, not the day required for previous methods, and DNA storage approaches practical use of computing.
“DNA stores huge amounts of data in a very compact form and remains intact for thousands of years.” Daniella Bar-Lev At the University of California, San Diego. “In addition, DNA is naturally replicable and offers a unique advantage for long-term data storage.”
However, getting encoded information within DNA is a monumental challenge as the strands become confused when mixed and stored. During the data encoding process, individual strands may be replicated incompletely, and some fragments may be lost completely. As a result, data readings stored in DNA are similar to reconstructing books from boxes filled with pages that go beyond the finest, varied.
“The traditional methods suffer from this confusion and require several days of processing,” says Bar-Lev. The new approach “rationalizes this with AI trained to find patterns of noise,” she says.
Bar-Lev and her colleagues developed an AI-driven method called DNAFormer. The system includes a deep learning AI model trained to reconstruct DNA sequences, another computer algorithm to identify and correct errors, and a third decoding that brings everything back to digital data while correcting any remaining mistakes. Includes algorithms.
In experiments, DNAFormer can read 100 megabytes of DNA storage data 90 times faster than the next fastest method developed with traditional rules-based computing algorithms, while achieving better or equivalent accuracy. I did. The decoded data included colored images of the test tube, a 24-second audio clip from astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous Moonlanding speech, and text on why DNA is a promising data storage medium .
The team says they plan to develop a version of DNAFormer tailored to new technologies for encoding data into DNA. Omar Savery Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
“Crucially, our approach doesn't rely specifically on us. [DNA] Synthesis or sequencing methods can be adapted to future, still undeveloped technologies that are more commercially viable,” he says.
Artificial intelligence is trained on human-created content, known as actual intelligence. To train AI to write fiction, novels are used, while job descriptions are used to train AI for writing job specifications. However, a problem arises from this approach. Despite efforts to eliminate biases, humans inherently possess biases, and AI trained on human-created content may adopt these biases. Overcoming bias is a significant challenge for AI.
“Bias is prevalent in hiring and stems from the existing biases in most human-run recruitment processes,” explains Kevin Fitzgerald, managing director of UK-based employment management platform Employment Hero. The platform utilizes AI to streamline recruitment processes and minimize bias. “The biases present in the recruitment team are embedded in the process itself.”
One way AI addresses bias is through tools like SmartMatch offered by Employment Hero. By focusing on candidates’ skills and abilities while omitting demographic information such as gender and age, biases can be reduced. This contrasts with traditional methods like LinkedIn and CVs, which may unintentionally reveal personal details.
AI helps businesses tackle bias when screening for CVs. Photo: Fiordaliso/Getty Images
Another concern is how AI processes information compared to humans. While humans can understand nuances and subtleties, AI may lack this capability and rely on keyword matching. To address this, tools like SmartMatch evaluate a candidate’s entire profile to provide a holistic view and avoid missed opportunities due to lack of nuance.
SmartMatch not only assists in matching candidates with suitable roles but also helps small businesses understand their specific hiring needs. By analyzing previous hires and predicting future staffing requirements, SmartMatch offers a comprehensive approach to recruitment.
Understanding SME needs and employment history allows SmartMatch to introduce you to suitable candidates. Photo: Westend61/Getty Images
By offering candidates the ability to maintain an employment passport, Employment Hero empowers both job seekers and employers. This comprehensive approach to recruitment ensures that both parties benefit from accurate and efficient matches.
For small and medium-sized businesses, the impact of poor hiring decisions can be significant. By utilizing advanced tools like SmartMatch, these businesses can access sophisticated recruitment solutions previously available only to larger companies.
Discover how Employment Hero can revolutionize your recruitment process.
Kevin Fitzgerald, managing director of UK Employment Heroes, emphasizes the importance of managers in businesses. He mentions that technology has advanced greatly, especially in the past decade, allowing for the digitization of many administrative tasks. According to Fitzgerald, AI should not be seen as a vague or scary new technology, but rather as a practical way to streamline and automate time-consuming tasks, enabling employees to focus on more valuable and interesting work.
The Employment Hero Survey revealed that 52% of respondents found the platform improved organizational efficiency, with 42% reporting faster processes and 65% using less paper.
By using AI to handle tasks like onboarding and data entry, employees have more time to focus on important aspects like welcoming new recruits and integrating them into the team quickly. Fitzgerald also mentions how AI can help with tasks like organizing employment contracts and setting up new employees in payroll systems swiftly.
Integrating AI into the workplace aligns with the shift towards flexible and hybrid work practices. This approach not only helps manage time effectively but also boosts employee engagement and energy levels.
Using AI for tasks such as payroll and HR automation is part of a long-term trend in digital transformation. Small and medium-sized businesses can now access tools like the Employment Operating System for Employment Heroes, consolidating multiple functions onto one platform for efficiency and cost savings.
AI’s ability to automate routine tasks and handle complex data processing makes it an invaluable tool in enhancing productivity and job satisfaction. By freeing up time and minimizing distractions, employees can engage in deep work, leading to improved efficiency and overall satisfaction.
Fitzgerald emphasizes that AI is user-friendly and embedded in platforms like Employment Heroes, providing powerful tools for staff to enhance their work. Embracing AI not only accelerates productivity but also empowers employees to work smarter, fostering a positive work environment.
Rethink what is possible with Employment Hero and revolutionize the way you work.
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