Distal regulation—the capacity to control genes across vast distances, spanning tens of thousands of DNA letters—emerged during the early stages of animal evolution, approximately 650-700 million years ago (the Kleigenian era).
Diagram of DNA molecules. Image credits: Christophe Bock, Max Planck Informatics Institute/CC BY-SA 3.0.
Distal adjustment relies on the physical folding of DNA and proteins, along with intricate loops.
This mechanism enables regions distant from a gene’s starting point to activate their functions.
This additional regulatory layer may have assisted the first multicellular organisms in developing specialized cell types and tissues without necessarily inventing new genes.
Key innovations likely originated from marine creatures or common ancestors shared by all existing animals.
Ancient organisms developed the ability to fold DNA in a controlled manner, forming 3D loops that facilitated direct contact between different segments of DNA.
“These organisms can utilize their genetic toolkit in various ways, akin to a Swiss Army knife, which allows them to fine-tune and explore innovative survival strategies,” explains Dr. Nacional Accidental Accidental Genmica, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Genome Regulation.
“I was surprised to find that this level of complexity dates back so far.”
Dr. Kim and his team discovered these insights by examining some of the oldest branches of the animal family tree, including species such as walnut-shaped comb jellies (Mnemiopsis leidyi), placozoans, cnidarians, and sponges.
They also investigated single-celled relatives that share a common ancestor with animals more recently.
“Studying unique sea creatures enables us to uncover much new biology,” states Professor Arnau Sebe-Pedrós, a researcher at the Center for Genome Regulation.
“Previously, we focused on comparing genomic sequences, but thanks to new techniques, we can now analyze the gene regulatory mechanisms that influence genomic function across species.”
A large individual of Mnemiopsis leidyi with two aboral ends and two apical organs. Image credit: Jokura et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.084.
Researchers applied a method known as Micro-C to map the physical folding patterns in each of the 11 types of DNA analyzed. To provide context, each human cell nucleus contains approximately 2 meters of DNA.
Scientists sifted through 10 billion sequencing data points to create detailed various 3D genome maps.
Although no evidence of distal regulation was found in single-celled relatives of animals, early branches such as comb jellies, placozoans, and cnidarians exhibited numerous loops.
Over 4,000 loops were identified across the genome, particularly in the sea walnut.
This discovery is remarkable considering its genome consists of roughly 20 million DNA characters.
In contrast, the human genome contains 3.1 billion characters, with our cells housing tens of thousands of loops.
Previously, distal regulation was believed to have first emerged in the last bilateral ancestors, which appeared on Earth around 500 million years ago.
However, the comb jelly’s lineage branched off early from other animal lineages roughly 650-700 million years ago.
“The debate over whether the comb jelly predates the sponge in the tree of life has persisted in evolutionary biology, but this study suggests that distal regulation occurred at least 150 million years earlier than previously thought,” the authors concluded.
A paper detailing these findings was published today in the journal Nature.
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IV Kim et al. Chromatin loops are characteristic of the ancestors of animal regulatory genomes. Nature Published online on May 7, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08960-W
The successful conservation of certain endangered species relies on a precise scientific evaluation of their presence and population dynamics. This data can often be volatile or lacking in scientific credibility, particularly for low-density carnivorous species like the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), which inhabit remote and challenging environments. In a recent study, a team of scientists from India’s Ladakh and Wildlife Institute employed a double sampling strategy to evaluate the population and distribution of snow leopards and their prey across the Trans-Himalaya region of Ladakh.
“Large carnivorous animals are among the most emblematic species, symbolizing robust ecosystems and conservation hope,” remarked Ladakh researcher Pankaj Reina alongside her colleagues from the Union Territory.
“Their position as apex predators plays a crucial role in regulating nutrition, nutrient cycling, and disease control.”
“Nevertheless, large carnivorous species face widespread extinction, significantly affecting the functionality of contemporary ecosystems.”
“Within the realm of elusive large carnivores, the snow leopard is the flagship species of the mountainous regions spanning 12 countries in South and Central Asia.”
“Snow leopards are renowned for their elusive, wide-ranging behaviors, necessitating a landscape-level approach for effective population monitoring and conservation.”
In their study, the authors investigated the population and distribution of snow leopards across a vast 59,000 km2 area of Ladakh.
Initially, they conducted a thorough survey to gather evidence of snow leopards, including tracks, droppings, and scratch marks.
They also assessed the presence of other large carnivores such as brown bears and lynx, as well as wild herbivores and livestock.
Subsequently, they deployed 956 camera traps covering over 8,500 km2 of snow leopard habitat, facilitating accurate population estimates across the region.
Using artificial intelligence, they analyzed images to identify individual snow leopards based on their unique forehead patterns.
The team estimated that Ladakh hosts approximately 477 snow leopards, representing 68% of India’s total population.
Snow leopard density was observed to vary between 1-3 individuals per 100 km2, with Hemis National Park noted for having the highest recorded density globally.
Remarkably, up to 61% of snow leopards in Ladakh coexist with human populations.
Resource-rich grasslands, characterized by moderate climates and complex terrains, tend to be prime habitats for snow leopards.
“A profound respect for wildlife among the communities in Ladakh, coupled with the economic benefits from snow leopard tourism and effective conflict management strategies, supports some of the highest snow leopard densities globally.
“To capture images of the snow leopard’s forehead, I positioned myself strategically in front of the camera.”
“This involved applying a small amount of perfume near the camera placed by a favored scented rock atop a high ridge.”
“Out of curiosity, the snow leopard lowers its head to investigate the scent, allowing us to capture invaluable photographs.”
“The fingerprinting of snow leopards employs specialized pattern recognition software that models the 3D features of the snow leopard’s forehead, extracting and cataloging spot patterns for comparison with other photographs, ensuring accurate matches.”
“This approach has significantly enhanced our work, improving the accuracy of individual identification—critical for population estimates using statistical models.”
The team’s research paper was published online in the journal PLOS ONE.
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P. Reina et al. 2025. A comprehensive assessment of snow leopard distribution and population in Ladakh, India’s Trans Himalayas: Standardisation Methods for Evidence-Based Conservation. PLOS ONE 20(5): E0322136; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322136
The discovery of this superwalled black hole was made possible by the newly identified tidal disruption event, AT2024TVD.
Tidal Disruption Event AT2024TVD. Image credits: NASA/CXC/University of California, Berkeley/Yao et al. /ESA /STSCI /HST /J. DEPASQUALE.
“A tidal disruption event (TDE) occurs when stars are either stretched or ‘spaghettified’ by the immense gravitational forces of black holes,” explained UC Berkeley researcher Dr. Yuhanyao.
“The remnants of the torn-apart stars are pulled into a circular orbit around the black hole.”
“This process creates high-temperature shocks and emissions that can be detected in ultraviolet and visible light.”
The AT2024TVD event enabled astronomers to utilize the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to identify elusive wandering supermassive black holes, supported by observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Interestingly, these 1 million rogue black holes are often found to be supermassive and actively consuming surrounding material.
Among the roughly 100 TDEs recorded by the Light Sky Survey, this marks the first instance of an offset TDE being identified.
In fact, at the center of the host galaxy lie ultra-massive black holes differing in mass by 100 million solar masses.
Hubble’s optical precision indicates that the TDE is located just 2,600 light-years from the larger black holes at the galaxy’s core.
This distance is comparable to just one minute of the span between our Sun and the central ultra-massive black hole of the Milky Way.
The larger black hole expels energy as it accumulates material, classifying it as an active galactic nucleus.
Interestingly, the two supermassive black holes exist within the same galaxy but are not gravitationally linked like a binary pair.
Smaller black holes can potentially spiral toward the center of the galaxy, eventually merging with their larger counterparts.
However, at this point, they are too distant to be bound by gravity.
“AT2024TVD is the first offset TDE captured through optical observations, opening up new possibilities for studying this elusive population of black holes in future surveys,” Dr. Yao remarked.
“Currently, theorists have not focused extensively on offset TDEs.
“I believe this discovery will drive scientists to search for more instances of this type of event.”
The black holes responsible for AT2024TVD are traversing the bulges of gigantic galaxies.
Black holes periodically consume stars every tens of thousands of years, lying dormant until their next “meal” arrives.
How did the black hole become displaced from the center? Previous studies suggest that three-body interactions can eject lower-mass black holes from a galaxy’s core.
This theory may apply here, given its proximity to the central black hole.
“If a black hole undergoes a three-body interaction with two other black holes in the galaxy’s core, it can remain bound to the galaxy and orbit the central region,” explained Dr. Yao.
Another possibility is that these black holes are remnants from a smaller galaxy that merged with the host galaxy over a billion years ago.
In such a case, the black hole could eventually merge with the central active black hole in the distant future. As of now, astronomers remain uncertain about its trajectory.
“There is already substantial evidence that the galaxy will increase its TDE rate, but the presence of a second black hole associated with AT2024TVD suggests a past merger has occurred.”
Initially thought to be a primitive Cambrian mollusk, Shishania Ashreata—a 500 million-year-old spine-covered fossil from Yunnan, China—has now been identified as a distant relative of sponge-like creatures known as chancelloriids, according to a research team from Yunnan University, Yuki Normal University, and Durham University.
Shishania Ashreata. Image credit: Yang et al., doi: 10.1126/science.adv463.
Shishania Ashreata was previously thought to display characteristics similar to mollusks, including muscular legs and unique mineralized spines.
However, new fossils suggest that these ancient animals are more akin to bag-like creatures, akin to prime minister-like organisms, with spines anchored to the seabeds of Cumbria.
“Our findings reveal that many previously considered mollusk traits are misleading, artifacts of fossilization,” stated Martin Smith, a paleontologist at Durham University, and his colleagues.
“For instance, what were once thought to be ‘feet’ have turned out to be distortions from fossil preservation, a phenomenon known as taphonomy.”
“These ancient fossils have proven to be masters of disguise. Shishania Ashreata appeared to exhibit all the characteristics we expected from early mollusc ancestors.”
“Nevertheless, we discovered that the mollusk-like contours of the fossil material represent misinterpretations, prompting us to revisit our interpretations.”
“My discovery of chancelloriids in very similar conditions started to unravel the mystery.”
Reclassifying Shishania Ashreata places it among chancelloriids, an enigmatic group known solely from Cambrian rocks, significant for having vanished around 490 million years ago.
Though they may look like sponges at first glance, their bodies feature star-shaped thorns, indicating a complex microstructure that could connect them to more advanced animals.
The simple thorns of Shishania Ashreata suggest that they developed elaborate structures independently, rather than evolving from existing skeletal frameworks.
This sheds light on the evolution of complex body plans during the Cambrian explosion—a rapid evolutionary event that led to the emergence of all contemporary animal groups.
“When Shishania Ashreata was first reported last year, I was thrilled—it resembled the ‘slug-like’ creatures I had always imagined,” Dr. Smith remarked.
“However, the new findings required me to reassess everything.”
Further examinations indicated that certain patterns appeared randomly throughout the fossil, and attributes once believed to reflect mollusk biology, such as ‘paintbrush-like’ formations in the spines, were actually preserved artifacts.
The distortion and compression from fossilization made simple cylindrical animals appear more anatomically complex than they were.
This reinterpretation is crucial not only for understanding primeval organisms but also for clarifying other ambiguous Cambrian fossils.
We are revisiting questions about early mollusk evolution, being cautious of overinterpretation regarding ambiguous fossil characteristics.
“Simultaneously, it contributes to solidifying our understanding of chancelloriid origins and offers fresh insights into the emergence of evolutionary novelty,” the researchers concluded.
Their study was published today in the journal Science.
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Ziyan et al. 2025. Shishania is not a Cambrian mollusk; it is a prime minister. Science 388 (6747): 662-664; doi: 10.1126/science.adv463
Paleontologists have identified three new fossil species. Sivulliusalmo Alaskensis was found in a purine cream formation in northern Alaska, USA.
Chinook salmon (oncorhynchus tschawytscha). Image credit: US Geological Survey.
“Sivulliusalmo Alaskensis reveals significant insights,” remarked Dr. Patrick Druckenmiller, the director of the University of Alaska Museum in the North.
“Our research uncovers several additional species of ancient fish new to the Arctic, including two new pike species: Archaeosiilik Gilmulli and Nunikuluk Gracilis, as well as the oldest record within the group comprising carp and minnows.”
“Many fish we now consider unique to Alaska’s high-latitude environment existed alongside dinosaurs.”
The discovery of Sivulliusalmo Alaskensis adds an impressive 20 million years to the fossil history of the salmon family.
Previously, the oldest known salmonidae fossil was from British Columbia and Washington.
“It’s noteworthy that the Salmonidae, which typically thrives in cold water, adapted and flourished during the warm Cretaceous period, enduring for millions of years amidst significant geographical and climatic changes,” noted Andres Lopez, Fish Curator at the University of Alaska in the north.
“Even though the Arctic was warm during that era, there would still be substantial seasonal variations in temperature and sunlight, much like today.”
“Salmon were among the fish adept at navigating these dramatic shifts.”
“Despite the planet’s numerous geological and climatic transformations, the ancestors of the same species group persisted in dominating the region’s freshwater ecosystems.”
The new species is the latest finding from the Prin Creek Formation, renowned for its dinosaur fossils discovered along the Colville River in northern Alaska.
During the Cretaceous period, Alaska was significantly closer to the Arctic than it is today.
“Fish fossils are among the most abundant in the Purine Creek Formation, yet they are challenging to distinguish in the field,” stated Dr. Druckenmiller.
“Consequently, we transported the fine sand and gravel samples to our museum lab, where microscopic analysis revealed the bones and teeth.”
“Our new findings heavily rely on small, fossilized jaws, some of which are small enough to fit on the edge of a pencil eraser.”
For detailed examination, the researchers employed micro-computed tomography to digitally reconstruct the small jaws, teeth, and other bones.
“We identified very distinct jaws and other components of the salmon family, which were recognized as belonging to this lineage,” said Dr. Druckenmiller.
“The presence of salmonidae in the Cretaceous polar regions and their coexistence with common low-light fish from this period suggests that salmonidae likely thrived in northern climates.”
“The high latitudes of the northern regions may have been vibrant centers for their evolutionary development.”
This paper was published in the journal Paleontology papers.
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Donald B. Brinkman et al. 2025. Fish from the Purine Cream Formation in the northern slopes of Alaska: the pre-Cretaceous and their paleobiogeographic significance. Paleontology papers 11(3): E70014; doi: 10.1002/spp2.70014
The Cicadidae family is among the most diverse insect families today. However, the fossil record of Cicadidae is notably sparse compared to the number of extant species. The recently discovered species, Eoplatypleura Messelensis, is not only one of the earliest Cicadidae fossils found on the Eurasian continent, but it also represents the oldest record of the subfamily CICADINAE globally.
Reconstruction of Eoplatypleura Messelensis. Image credit: Dinghua Yang.
Eoplatypleura Messelensis thrived in Europe approximately 47 million years ago during the Eocene period.
“The Cicada family is one of the most diverse groups of insects today,” states Dr. Sonja Wedmann, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main.
“Despite this, the fossil record is quite limited compared to the many modern species.”
“The Platypleurini group within this family is particularly noteworthy, containing numerous species with wide distributions and unique traits.”
“For the first time, we have described a fossil from this Cicada group.”
Two fossil specimens of Eoplatypleura Messelensis were found at Messelpit, an open-cast oil shale mine located 10 km northeast of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.
“The new Messel fossil showcases a compact head with a subtle composite eye and a broad forewing featuring a distinctly curved tip,” notes Dr. Hui Jang, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut and a doctoral researcher at the University of Maine and Nanjing University.
“The fossils are female, but their classification implies that males in this group may produce loud mating calls.”
Eoplatypleura Messelensis, an adult female. Image credit: Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main.
These ancient insects measure 2.65 cm in body length and have a wingspan of 6.82 cm, notable for their expansive, intricately patterned wings.
“These patterns resemble those of contemporary Cicada species in the Platypleurini group, which inhabit wooded and scrub areas,” explains Dr. Jang.
“Considering the subtropical vegetation of the Messel region approximately 47 million years ago, these color patterns may have served important ecological functions, such as camouflage.”
Eoplatypleura Messelensis is one of the oldest known representatives of today’s true cicadas in Eurasia and signifies the earliest records of the subfamily Cicadinae worldwide,” Dr. Wedmann remarks.
“This is also the Cicada that has been first described from the Messel Pit.”
“This discovery not only enhances our understanding of the fauna at Messelpit but also fills a crucial gap in the history of Eocene cicadas.”
“In the future, Eoplatypleura Messelensis may serve as a reference point for significant time series in genetic research regarding the evolutionary history of these insects, providing new insights into the origins and dispersal of Platypleurini.”
The team’s paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports on April 29, 2025.
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H. Jiang et al. 2025. Sound from the Eocene: The first singing Cicada from Messelpit, Germany. Sci Rep 15, 12826; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-94099-7
On Friday, Google consented to pay Texas $1.4 billion, facing accusations of violating state residents’ privacy related to two lawsuits concerning location tracking, search history, and facial recognition data collection.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who facilitated the settlement, initiated a lawsuit in 2022 under Texas’ data privacy and deceptive trade practices legislation. Less than a year later, he achieved a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
This settlement marks another legal challenge for the tech giant. In the last two years, Google has faced a series of antitrust cases, revealing its significant control over app stores, search engines, and advertising technology. Recent legal battles have sought to counter the U.S. government’s requests to break up the company.
“Big tech must adhere to the law,” Paxton stated.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda remarked that the company has already revised its product policies. “This resolves numerous longstanding claims, many of which have found resolution elsewhere,” he noted.
Privacy concerns have caused significant friction between tech corporations and regulators in recent years. In the absence of federal privacy regulations, states like Texas and Washington have enacted laws to limit the collection of facial, voice, and other biometric data.
Google and Meta have been among the leading companies challenged under these regulations. Texas law, known as the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifiers, mandates that companies obtain consent before utilizing features like facial and speech recognition technology. Violators can face penalties of up to $25,000 per breach.
The lawsuit under this law centers on the Google Photos app, which facilitates searching for images of specific individuals. Future Google cameras may issue alerts upon recognizing visitors at a door. Moreover, Google Assistant is designed to learn and respond to inquiries from up to six users.
Mr. Paxton filed another lawsuit claiming that Google misled Texans by tracking their personal location data, even when they believed they had disabled the feature. He asserted additional grievances in the lawsuit, alleging that Google’s private browsing settings (known as Incognito Mode) were not genuinely private. These cases were filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
AI chatbots from tech giants like OpenAI and Google have seen several inference upgrades in recent months. Ideally, these upgrades would lead to more reliable answers, but recent tests indicate that performance may be worse than that of previous models. Errors called “hallucinations,” particularly in the “hagatsuki” category, have been persistent issues that developers have struggled to eliminate.
Hallucination is the broad term used to describe specific errors generated by large-scale language models (LLMs) from organizations like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. It primarily refers to instances where these models present false information as fact, but it can also describe instances where a generated answer is accurate yet irrelevant to the question posed.
A technical report from OpenAI evaluating the latest LLMs revealed that the O3 and O4-MINI models, released in April, exhibit significantly higher hallucination rates compared to earlier O1 models introduced in late 2024. For instance, if O4-MINI had a summary accuracy of 33%, the hallucination rate for O3 was similarly at 33%, whereas the O1 model maintained a rate of only 16%.
This issue is not exclusive to OpenAI. The popular leaderboard showcases various inference models from different companies assessing their hallucination rates, including the DeepSeek-R1 model. This model has shown increased hallucination rates compared to previous versions, undergoing several reasoning steps before reaching a conclusion.
An OpenAI spokesperson stated, “We are actively working to reduce hallucination rates in O3 and O4-MINI. Hallucinations are inherently more common in inference models. We will continue our research across all models to enhance accuracy and reliability.”
Some potential applications of LLMs can be significantly impeded by hallucinations. Models that frequently produce misinformation are unsuitable as research assistants, and a bot stating fictitious legal cases could endanger lawyers. Customer service agents falsely citing obsolete policies can also create significant challenges for businesses.
Initially, AI companies believed they would resolve these issues over time. Historically, models had shown reduced hallucinations with each update, yet the recent spikes in hallucination rates complicate this narrative.
Vectara’s leaderboard ranks models based on their consistency in summarizing documents. This indicates that for systems from OpenAI and Google, “hallucination rates are roughly comparable for inference and irrational models,” as noted by Forest Shen Bao from Vectara. Google has not provided further comments. For leaderboard assessments, the specific rates of hallucinations are less significant than each model’s overall ranking, according to Bao.
However, these rankings may not effectively compare AI models. For one, different types of hallucinations are often conflated. The Vectara team pointed out that the DeepSeek-R1 model demonstrated a 14.3% hallucination rate, but many of these hallucinations were “benign,” being logically deduced yet not appearing in the original text.
Another issue with these rankings is that tests based on text summaries “reveal nothing about the percentage of incorrect output” for tasks where LLMs are applied, as stated by Emily Bender at Washington University. She suggests that leaderboard results don’t provide a comprehensive evaluation of this technology, particularly since LLMs are not solely designed for text summarization.
These models generate answers by repeatedly answering the question, “What is the next word?” to formulate responses, thus not processing information in a traditional sense. However, many technology companies continue to use the term “hallucination” to describe output errors.
“The term ‘hallucination’ is doubly problematic,” says Bender. “On one hand, it implies that false output is abnormal and could potentially be mitigated, while on the other hand, it inaccurately anthropomorphizes the machine since large language models lack awareness.”
Arvind Narayanan from Princeton University argues that the issue extends beyond hallucinations. Models can also produce errors by utilizing unreliable sources or outdated information. Merely increasing training data and computational power may not rectify the problems.
We may have to accept the reality of error-prone AI, as Narayanan mentioned in a recent social media post. In some circumstances, it may be prudent to use such models solely for tasks requiring fact-checking. The best approach might be to avoid relying on AI chatbots for factual information altogether.
Climate change is already impacting our lives negatively
Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images
When considering the dangers posed by climate change, floods and violent storms might come to mind, or even unprecedented heat waves. A study conducted in the latter half of 2024 revealed that most Americans view extreme weather as the chief climate threat. Yet, climate change disrupts daily life in many other persistent ways.
“These events significantly impact people’s lives but often don’t make headlines,” states Jennifer Carman from Yale University.
These more subtle consequences of climate change may seem trivial compared to disasters, like worse allergies or increased commute times, but they collectively signify major shifts, according to Carman. Understanding these issues is crucial for individuals to brace for climate changes affecting their everyday experiences. Remarkably, around half of Americans report feeling the effects of climate change a decade ago—double the number of those who don’t.
“Not everyone is affected by severe events,” Carman remarks. “However, everyone experiences the impacts of daily life consistently.”
Climate change drives up food prices and more
Elevated temperatures associated with climate change inflate prices. In a study by Fridrikik and her team at the European Central Bank, they identified strong correlations between temperature and numerous global price indices. They discovered that higher average temperatures lead to both inflation and extreme weather, particularly in equatorial regions, with impacts persisting year-round.
They projected that by 2035, this would escalate annual price inflation rates by 0.5% to 1.2% for various goods, depending on global greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture is notably susceptible to weather variations, meaning its price impacts may be about twice as significant. “This unpredictability complicates food production,” Carman notes.
Air conditioning usage is rising and becoming more costly
Increasing temperatures escalate air conditioning expenses. In hotter regions, users will need to operate their air conditioners longer and more frequently. This demand can exceed affordable energy bills.
Individuals in previously temperate areas, such as London or the US’s Pacific Northwest, find themselves needing to install air conditioning for the first time. Globally, soaring cooling expenses negate any reductions in heating costs.
Hot weather disrupts sleep
Even with air conditioning, high nighttime temperatures can hinder sleep quality. Research by Renjie Chen from the University of Hudan, along with colleagues, assessed over 20 million nights of sleep data from hundreds of thousands in China. They found that a 10°C rise in night temperature could raise the likelihood of insufficient sleep by 20%. Under severe emissions scenarios, they estimate that each individual in China might lose about 33 hours of sleep per year by the century’s end.
This isn’t just a localized issue. Research by Kelton Minor from Columbia University showed that elevated nighttime temperatures correlated with reduced sleep across tens of thousands of individuals in 68 countries. Findings suggest higher nighttime temperatures result in decreased sleep—mainly affecting older adults and women in hotter, poorer regions.
Climate change intensifies air pollution
Air pollution poses serious health risks, whether from PM2.5 particles or ozone. Recent research indicates that combining higher temperatures with existing pollutants can exacerbate the harmful effects of air quality, particularly among those who spend extended time outdoors.
Historically, fossil fuel-driven pollution has decreased as power grids have become cleaner, yielding public health benefits. However, as climate change fuels more frequent and severe wildfires, decades of progress may be undone, exposing communities to wildfire smoke. One study forecasts that increased smoke exposure could lead to around 700,000 additional deaths in the U.S. by 2050.
Supporting evidence aligns with anecdotal perceptions; William Andreg from the University of Utah and his team found that the pollen season in North America has lengthened since the 1990s, with overall pollen levels increasing by 21%. The majority of these changes have been attributed to human-induced warming.
Travel delays accumulate, whether long-haul or daily
Climate change is increasingly responsible for weather-related interruptions in transportation systems, leading to billions of wasted hours.
For instance, Valerie Mueller and colleagues from Arizona State University studied the impact of routine coastal flooding on commute times in the eastern U.S. They estimated individuals experience about 23 minutes of delays annually due to these floods, which is double the time recorded 20 years ago. Their analysis revealed these delays stem mainly from rising sea levels rather than extreme storm surges.
While a handful of extra minutes might seem negligible, it accumulates to billions of lost hours overall. Over the coming decades, further sea level rise could escalate delays to hundreds of minutes per person annually.
Weather-induced delays are also increasing in train services and airports. The International Air Transport Association reported that weather-related delays rose from 11% of total delays in 2012 to 30% in 2023. Additionally, even if passengers board their flights, climate change can exacerbate certain turbulence, contributing to rougher flights.
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Pinterest has agreed to a $34.7 million settlement regarding a lawsuit from an early advisor who claims to have helped co-create the platform without receiving compensation.
Christine Martinez, aged 44 and a friend of Pinterest co-founders Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra, initiated legal action against the company in 2021. The lawsuit alleged implicit contracts, idea theft, unfair competition, and violations of business practices. Martinez asserted that she contributed numerous ideas for the app, such as the concept of organizing images on a “board,” yet received no payment for her efforts.
Pinterest, renowned for its virtual pinboarding and a significant female user base, announced the settlement with Martinez in its November 2024 Financial Application.
“No one wishes to engage in litigation. I’m incredibly relieved and excited about this outcome,” Martinez stated in a recent interview.
According to a statement included in the settlement, “Mr. Martinez contributed valuable marketing and community growth strategies during Pinterest’s early development.” Both parties expressed satisfaction in amicably resolving this longstanding issue.
Pinterest chose not to comment further.
This settlement comes amidst a pattern of complaints and legal actions brought against Pinterest by female employees and executives.
In 2020, Pinterest settled a gender discrimination lawsuit with former Chief Operating Officer Françoise Brougher for $22.5 million. Additionally, over 200 employees signed a petition that year advocating for policy changes following allegations of racial bias, sexism, and retaliation against the company.
Silbermann, who served as CEO of Pinterest, stepped down from his position in 2022.
Martinez, who possesses expertise in e-commerce and interior design, claimed that Silbermann and Sciarra sought her guidance prior to Pinterest’s official launch in 2010.
She alleged that she originated the idea for photo boards and coined the prevalent “Pin IT” phrase, which helped prominent design and lifestyle bloggers utilize the platform for promotion. According to her lawsuit, elements of the programming code on Pinterest were named in her honor.
While she never entered into a formal contract with Pinterest, it was understood that she would eventually be compensated. Pinterest went public in 2019 and boasts a market capitalization exceeding $18 billion.
Martinez currently serves as a board member and strategic advisor for Gingo, an AI-based online shopping platform designed for women.
Musicality may have originated from a shared ancestor of chimpanzees and humans, given the similarities in their drumming techniques.
Katherine Hoheiter at The University of St Andrews and her research team analyzed 371 instances of drumming from two of the four subspecies of chimpanzees in Africa: Western chimpanzees (Pantroglogistics Vers) and Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthi).
They utilize their hands and feet, often on buttress roots, creating rapid rhythms mainly during rest, travel, or during displays of threat.
Hoheiter mentions that while capturing chimpanzee drumming is common, the rainforest poses significant research challenges, and gathering data for some populations took decades.
Ultimately, researchers found that chimpanzees drum significantly faster than most humans. “The longest drumming event we recorded exceeded five seconds, while the shortest was less than 0.1 seconds,” notes Hoheiter. “Chimpanzees also tend to repeat these beats, especially while traveling.”
Despite the contrasts between chimpanzee and human drumming, chimpanzees exhibit some “core components of human musical rhythms,” according to team member Vesta Eleuteri from the University of Vienna.
“They employ recognizable rhythms present in various musical cultures, which contrasts with randomly played beats. These consist of hits that are evenly spaced, akin to clock ticks,” she elaborates. “Moreover, we discovered that the Eastern and Western chimpanzee subspecies, residing on different sides of Africa, exhibit distinct rhythmic patterns.”
Eleuteri explains that Eastern chimpanzees alternate between short and long intervals between beats, while Western chimpanzees maintain equally spaced hits. Additionally, these chimpanzees initiate drumming more quickly and use more hits to commence drumming early during a unique pant-hoot call.
Miguel Rulente from the University of Girona finds the notion that different subspecies display unique drumming styles compelling. “These patterns suggest the potential for not just individual idiosyncrasies but also cultural distinctions in how groups utilize drumming as communication tools.”
It is well understood that rhythm plays a crucial role in human social interaction, whether through music, dance, or even conversational rhythms, explains Hoheiter. “I’m not implying that chimpanzee drumming reflects the sophistication of modern human rhythms. However, this research is the first to show that we share fundamental rhythmic elements, suggesting that rhythms are intrinsic to our social environment even before we evolved into humans.”
“Previously, it was claimed that rhythmicity was exclusive to humans,” states Gisela Kaplan from the University of New England. “However, a growing body of evidence suggests this is not the case.”
Discarded Soviet-era spacecrafts do not pose a significant risk to Earth, according to experts.
The Kosmos-482, initially designed for a mission to land on Venus, has been stuck in Earth’s orbit for 53 years due to rocket issues. It is anticipated to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere in the coming days, with the latest forecasts predicting an uncontrolled descent on Saturday.
While the sight of large metal fragments falling back to Earth might seem alarming, old satellites and rocket debris actually re-enter the atmosphere almost daily. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), such events are quite common.
Typically, spacecraft burn up harmlessly upon re-entry. Even if some components survive the intense heat, it is rare for them to land on populated areas, mainly due to the fact that oceans cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface.
“The likelihood of a satellite re-entering and causing injury is exceedingly low,” noted an ESA official in Blog entries regarding Kosmos-482. “Statistically, an individual has less than a one in 100 billion chance of being harmed by space debris. In contrast, a person is approximately 65,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning.”
ESA’s Space Debris Office predicts that Kosmos-482 will start its descent around 4:26 AM on Saturday, with a possible variance of ±4.35 hours.
Meanwhile, U.S. space forces anticipate an earlier re-entry time of about 1:52 AM on Saturday.
The specific re-entry trajectory remains uncertain due to atmospheric dynamics, space weather, and orbital decay, complicating the task of accurately predicting when and where an uncontrolled spacecraft will land.
As the spacecraft nears re-entry, predictions may become more reliable, but pinpointing the exact landing site remains challenging.
NASA has indicated that the potential landing area could be “52 N-52 seconds latitude,” a vast expanse that includes much of Africa, Australia, North America, South America, and parts of Europe and Asia.
Officials from the Space Force have stated that current projections suggest Kosmos-482 will re-enter the Pacific Ocean, west of Guam, landing south of Australia, possibly over or near the southern ocean.
Launched by the Soviet Union in 1972, Kosmos-482 was part of a mission aimed at landing on Venus but ended up in orbit around Earth following a rocket failure.
While most of the debris from this ill-fated mission returned to Earth decades ago, the spherical landing capsule is anticipated to descend this weekend.
This capsule, measuring around 3 feet in diameter, was engineered to withstand the extreme conditions of Venus, raising questions about its capacity to survive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, as highlighted by Marco Langbroek, a scientist from the Delft Institute of Technology in the Netherlands, who has been monitoring Kosmos-482 and posting updates online.
“Even if it manages to re-enter, there’s a chance that it might collide intact,” Langbroek noted in a blog update on Thursday. “However, the impact could be severe, and I highly doubt the parachute deployment system will function after 53 years of battery drainage.”
Nonetheless, this does not imply that coastal populations are at imminent risk.
“While the risks are not exceedingly high, they aren’t nonexistent. With masses under 500 kg and impacts resembling those of meteorites, the probabilities are similar,” he wrote.
A Virginia man is facing two counts of murder following the fatal shooting of a teenager who was filming a TikTok prank called “Ding Dong Ditch” with friends around 3 AM on Saturday, as reported by court documents and local officials.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting report involving a resident during a robbery, discovering two teenagers with gunshot wounds. According to the Sheriff’s Office, one of the teenagers, Michael Bosworth Jr., 18, later succumbed to his injuries. The second teen was treated for minor injuries, while a third member of the group was unharmed. Both friends accompanying Mr. Bosworth were under 18.
The teenager had been in the area to create a TikTok video, as stated in an affidavit submitted to the Spotsylvania Circuit Court. The “Ding Dong Ditch” prank involves ringing a doorbell or knocking before fleeing, making it a prevalent trend on social media.
According to the affidavit, “The boy explained that this is a common activity for TikTok creators.”
The group was knocking on various doors in the neighborhood, with one teen mentioning they were not familiar with the area. They fled the house when shots were fired, and the affidavit indicates there is at least one video of the prank remaining on a friend’s phone.
Tyler Chase Butler, 27, from Spotsylvania County, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding, and using a firearm during a felony, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He is not currently held at Rappahannock Regional Jail.
Mr. Bosworth was a senior at Massaponax High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The school is set to hold senior graduations on May 13th, and has announced that counselors will be available to support students during this difficult time.
A representative from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office declined to provide further comments when contacted. Butler’s legal team did not respond to requests for comments immediately. Federal attorney G. Ryan Mehaffey for Spotsylvania County also refrained from comments, noting a preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 18th.
This kind of prank has resulted in severe consequences in the past. In 2020, a California man, after being pranked in a similar way, crashed his vehicle into a group of six teenagers, leading to the tragic deaths of three. He received a life sentence in 2023.
On Tuesday, a group of students gathered on the soccer field of Massaponax High School to honor their classmate. A video published on an Instagram account run by students showcased their reflections about Mr. Bosworth, who they honored by writing messages on balloons and releasing them at sunset.
Jonathan Wolf and Michael Levenson contributed to this report. Susan C. Beach assisted with research.
O Over the last ten years, Dean has built a robust collection of video games, ranging from mainstream blockbusters to niche favorites. His digital library is akin to a cinematic treasure trove, allowing instant access with a simple click. Yet, his son, Sam, has set his sights on just one game: Roblox. This expansive virtual universe and video game, Roblox is the leading title worldwide.
The company reports over 97 million daily active users on Roblox, with around 40% of them, like Sam, aged under 13. In 2024, Roblox generated approximately $5.6 billion (US$3.6 billion) in revenue, mainly from purchases of “Robux,” a form of in-game currency, with the average user spending about $25 a month.
Amid concerns about children’s exposure to bullying and inappropriate content, a recent report highlights the impacts of game monetization on young users.
Experts argue that Australia’s current classification system does not adequately assist child gamers and their parents in navigating the tricky monetization landscape.
New reports from Australian researchers scrutinize the manipulative “dark design patterns” in gaming that encourage spending and confuse children with unclear cryptocurrency transactions.
One recent report from Monash University and the Center for Consumer Policy Research (CPRC) focused on players aged 18 and older, revealing that games designed with dark patterns are almost unavoidable. Of the 800 surveyed, 83% reported “negative effects” from these designs, and 46% faced economic disadvantages, feeling pressured to purchase items and overspending.
Another recent study from University of Sydney researchers sought to understand how children, who represent one-fifth of the gaming population, recognize these mechanisms and perceive the design of video games.
“Concerns about children’s interaction with digital media often lead to panic and policy decisions that overlook the actual experiences of children,” states Taylor Hardwick, lead author of the study.
Hardwick and her team interviewed 22 children aged 7 to 14 and their parents. Each child received a $20 debit card and was instructed to explain their purchases.
Among the 22 children, 18 played Roblox, with 12 spending their entire $20 on Robux. The remaining five used the funds on other games like Call of Duty, Fallout 76, and Minecraft.
Participants expressed concerns about being misunderstood and frustrated by their purchases, especially if they suddenly lost access to their accounts or items.
Sam’s father shared that Sam has spent around $400 a year on Roblox over the past four years, with a recent purchase leaving him disheartened.
Sam had used some of his Robux to buy Godzilla “skins” (digital costumes) in a popular Roblox game called Monster Universe. However, upon logging in, he found his skin had vanished unexpectedly after the game was shut down by Toho, the copyright holder. He did not receive a refund from Roblox.
One major concern raised by Sydney researchers is the impact of “random reward mechanisms” (RRMs) on children. RRMs, like loot boxes, offer players mystery items through lottery-style draws.
While children in this study accepted RRMs as part of gaming, many expressed dissatisfaction with them.
“Even if children talk about game percentages in slang, they don’t entirely grasp the risks of navigating these digital experiences,” the authors note. “Gambling-like mechanisms such as RRMs are harmful and inappropriate for children’s games.”
Recommendations include eliminating RRMs, simplifying refund processes, enhancing account protections for children, and improving transparency regarding cryptocurrency.
Christopher Ferguson, a psychologist at Stetson University, found the study interesting but highlighted the small sample size and questioned the researchers’ definition of “harm.” He argued that while children may feel deceived, the monetization aspects could be more annoying than harmful.
“It’s encouraging that researchers are inquiring about children’s perspectives on their experiences,” he said.
A USTRALIA has attempted to shield children from monetized RRMs by introducing a new classification system that was implemented in September 2024. Currently, games containing RRMs or loot boxes are not recommended for those under 15.
However, these new regulations apply only to newly classified games, and pre-existing games are not required to update their classifications.
Leon Xiao, a researcher from City University of Hong Kong studying loot box regulation, states that Australia faces implementation issues rather than legal ones. He argues that several video games were misrated after the new law came into effect, indicating flaws in consumer education.
A preliminary study by Marcus Carter, co-author of the University of Sydney research, suggests that about 20% of the top 100 grossing mobile games on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store do not comply with Australian regulations. Hardwick and Carter recently noted that Australia’s guidelines “do not fulfill their intended purpose.”
Roblox, with its extensive user-generated content, exemplifies the confusion surrounding ratings. Xiao argues, “Roblox should either be rated or not recommended for players under 15.” However, the game is rated PG on the Google Play Store.
In contrast, Apple’s App Store lists a regional age rating of over 15 years, which aligns with global ratings from Apple that set the limit at 12.
A Roblox spokesperson informed Guardian Australia that developers must use the PolicyService API to comply with jurisdictional requirements, ensuring access only for eligible users with paid random items. Due to an update rolled out to developers in September 2024, paid random items are currently unavailable to users in Australia.
“As a platform for user-generated content, we provide developers with tools, information, and guidelines applicable to various gameplay aspects within games and experiences.
“We are committed to addressing reported content that fails to adhere to guidelines or does not effectively use tools necessary to meet Australia’s local compliance requirements.”
The company strives to inform parents about their children’s purchasing habits, does not store billing information as defaults, and fails to give warnings that real money is being spent during initial transactions. Parents are also alerted via emails regarding high spending activity.
“Our parental controls enable parents and caregivers to receive notifications about their child’s spending on Roblox and set monthly spending limits for their accounts,” said the spokesperson.
Hardwick believes navigating monetization is challenging for parents, who are often busy, informed, and lack resources. She feels they aren’t equipped to manage children’s in-game spending effectively.
Dean is making every effort to guide Sam through these trends, discussing what Sam spends Robux on and why. While Dean acknowledges Sam’s disappointment over the Godzilla skin, he has encouraged Sam to explore a gardening game where he can utilize Robux to purchase new species.
In September 2006, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg articulated the distinctiveness of his platform.
“Facebook is about genuine connections with actual friends,” he stated Company Posts.
Now, two decades later, this statement lies at the core of Zuckerberg’s pivotal antitrust trial against the social media giant, now called Meta, which is accused of unlawfully stifling competition. The trial essentially questions whether social networking is solely about personal relationships or something broader.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is prosecuting the case, aims to specifically characterize social networking as a service that connects friends and family. By this definition, Meta’s primary competition is with Snap, the creator of Snapchat, based on user reach. However, Meta argues that it competes with all social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube.
“The aspect of my friends has significantly diminished,” Zuckerberg testified during the trial last month, contradicting his earlier sentiments from 2006.
The contrasting definition of social media in the case—Federal Trade Commission vs. Metaplatforms—highlights the evolution and complexity of social networking over the years. Meta has broadened its origins to become a platform for college students, with numerous other companies now creating similar products that mimic features such as the “Like” button and news feed.
In the trial’s initial four weeks, numerous executives from companies like Reddit, Pinterest, and LinkedIn appeared, yet they did little to clarify what constitutes social networking. They acknowledged competing for the same user base, albeit with different offerings.
Determining Meta’s role in this landscape will be pivotal for Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who is overseeing the case.
“It’s not a walk in the park,” Judge Boasberg remarked in his opinion late last year.
The trial will assess whether Meta’s acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and its $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp in 2014 constituted illegal competition. The judge’s ruling could significantly influence tech markets as the industry faces ongoing bipartisan efforts to limit Silicon Valley’s influence on speech, entertainment, commerce, and computing.
Should he side with the government, which aims to dismantle Meta, it could hinder the inclination of major tech companies to acquire smaller competitors. This would disrupt the startup economy, as many founders depend on larger firms to provide liquidity for investors.
“The world we inhabit is becoming increasingly intricate, making this case significant. If the FTC prevails, we could see more vigorous antitrust enforcement,” stated Daniel Rubinfeld, a former Deputy Attorney General who was involved in the government’s antitrust action against Microsoft over two decades ago.
Under most antitrust regulations, competitive markets tend to be clearly defined, according to legal experts. Prices are typically the basis for evaluating a company’s competitive power and effects, including mergers or anti-competitive actions that raise the prices of products like airline tickets and appliances.
However, since internet companies like Meta provide services at no cost to users, this case represents a novel legal challenge.
In his opening statement, Daniel Matheson, the lead attorney for the government, accused Meta of possessing a “monopoly in U.S. personal social networking services.”
Matheson argued that Meta’s extensive network, which facilitates connections among users, was central to the company’s growth and attracted advertisers eager to reach closely connected audiences.
Meta countered by asserting that it primarily competes for user attention with platforms like YouTube and TikTok that focus on short-format videos. Mark Hansen, Meta’s chief litigator, mentioned that the company shifted into “crisis” mode following TikTok’s U.S. launch in 2018.
On Thursday, one of Meta’s attorneys queried Instagram director Adam Mosseri about the app’s resemblance to Facebook and TikTok.
“I see Instagram as being situated between the two; it aligns more closely with TikTok,” he replied. Instagram began as a platform for connecting friends but has evolved into a resource for entertainment.
Despite the influx of executives from other social media platforms, there has been little clarity regarding the market structure of the industry.
“YouTube and Instagram are the primary competitors of TikTok,” according to a 2021 internal TikTok document released by Meta’s legal team.
When queried about competition, TikTok’s business chief Adam Presser downplayed the notion, insisting that the app operates differently: “We don’t perceive it as a social app.”
YouTube, meanwhile, primarily serves entertainment needs, and it’s uncommon for users to share content or follow acquaintances on the platform, noted Aaron Filner, the company’s senior director.
As for social media platform X, Keith Coleman, vice president of product, remarked, “Many people now view it as a space to connect with friends and family, rather than just a news source.”
Experts indicated that it is normal for market definitions to be contested.
In 1997, the FTC successfully blocked the merger between Staples and Office Depot by highlighting their concentration in the office supply market, despite their claims of competition with big-box retailers like Walmart.
The following year, the government accused Microsoft of reducing competition by bundling internet browsers with their widely used Windows operating system, convincing judges to draw a narrow market definition around personal computers running on Intel chips, excluding Apple computers and handheld devices.
The FTC’s case against Meta adopts a conventional approach by narrowly defining the market; however, it also recognizes that digital realities alter the dynamics of competition, focusing on attention and user engagement. This insight comes from an FTC official involved in the agency’s lawsuit against Meta.
Judge Boasberg has kept his views largely private yet has pointed out that various social media applications share numerous characteristics, questioning whether their usage differs “only in degree.”
He mentioned that texting has largely replaced voice calls and that younger users frequently switch between different platforms and technologies.
“Are these norms in a constant state of flux?” Judge Boasberg, who does not engage with social media, queried expert witnesses.
Weeks after a federal appellate court mandated that Apple loosen the reins of CEO Tim Cook, his senior associate deliberated on the next steps.
For over ten years, Apple has insisted that apps utilize the App Store payment system, collecting a 30% commission on sales. However, in 2023, the court ruled that apps could bypass Apple’s payment system and allow users to purchase directly. Cook sought clarity on whether Apple could still impose fees on these sales without breaching the court’s directive.
Phil Schiller, responsible for overseeing the App Store, expressed concerns that the revised fees might be unlawful. He supported direct online sales without Apple’s commission. Luca Maestri, the company’s financial head, disagreed, advocating for a 27% commission to safeguard the business.
Ultimately, Cook sided with Maestri, attempting to rationalize this decision. A federal judge criticized the company in a recent ruling, accusing it of fabricating independent economic research to validate its choices and withholding thousands of documents under claims of attorney-client privilege. Furthermore, at least one executive allegedly misled the court.
The judge’s ruling, alongside witness testimonies this year and company documents disclosed Thursday, highlights the extreme measures Apple has taken to maintain every cent accrued from the App Store. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who presided over the initial lawsuit from Epic Games in 2020, could inadvertently impact Apple’s operations and hurt its credibility as scrutiny around the business intensifies.
Additionally, the company faces multiple legal challenges, including an antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice, which accuses it of maintaining a monopoly with its iPhone. Class Action Lawsuits from U.S. app developers and regulatory scrutiny from the U.K., Spain, and potentially China.
Mark A. Remley, a professor at Stanford Law, noted, “If you lose credibility with the court, the next judge may be less forgiving.” This situation could prompt future judges to suspect dishonesty during Apple’s subsequent cases.
Google’s corporate dealings have similarly cast a shadow over its legal processes. A recent judge noted in an antitrust case regarding Google’s advertising technology, the company’s attempts to obscure communications raised concerns about its adherence to court mandates.
In response to Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ ruling, Apple plans to appeal, asserting that the findings were “unjust” and deeming delays to the court order necessary. The company declined to provide further comments on this report.
In 2020, Epic, the creator of Fortnite, filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging antitrust violations related to the mandated use of the App Store payment system. Although Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled in Apple’s favor, asserting it wasn’t a monopoly, she highlighted that Apple breached California competition laws by requiring developers to use the App Store for software and services.
To comply with the court’s orders, Apple initiated a project termed “Wisconsin.” Two solutions were explored: one that would allow apps to include links for online purchases at designated locations without fees, and another that would require the app to charge a 27% commission for providing those links.
Without commissions and fees, Apple estimated potential losses totaling hundreds of millions, even exceeding a billion dollars. Opting for the 27% fee would minimize their losses.
In a June 2023 meeting, Cook evaluated commission options ranging from 20–27%. He reviewed analyses indicating that with a 27% commission, Apple could potentially lose its payment system while ultimately endorsing a plan that limited where app links for online purchases could be placed.
Consequently, Apple enlisted an economic consultancy to author reports to substantiate these fees, concluding that its developer tools and distribution services exceed 30% of an app’s revenue.
Apple also instituted a warning screen for online purchases. Cook instructed the team to enhance the warning to emphasize Apple’s commitment to privacy and security. “Rather than terminating their relationship with Apple, the company cannot be held accountable for the privacy or security of transactions made online,” he stated.
After introducing the 27% commission in January 2024, Epic brought Apple back to court, arguing it was not complying with the judge’s orders. Judge Gonzalez Rogers summoned both Apple and Epic to court, where Treasury VP Alex Roman testified that the commission had been finalized on January 16, 2024. Executives revealed that the consultancy report influenced the commission fee setting.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers expressed skepticism about Apple’s honesty and demanded documentation regarding their compliance. Apple submitted 89,000 documents, a third of which were marked confidential. The court dismissed these claims as “baseless,” stating Apple pressured them into concealing more than half the documents.
The findings indicated that Rome lied under oath, that the consultancy report was “deceptive,” and that Apple “willfully” ignored the court’s directives, as termed by Judge Gonzalez Rogers. She characterized this as “concealment.”
Her ruling may empower prosecutors, regulators, and judges in similar ongoing cases against Apple across the globe, according to various antitrust professors and lawyers.
When the company attempts to edit or conceal documents, it may draw the attention of prosecutors and judges to strategize against such “tactics to delay litigation,” especially in the Epic Games case. During testimonies, the credibility of Apple executives was called into question as it became apparent the company “conceals the truth.”
In other cases regarding Apple, such as the Department of Justice antitrust lawsuits, Colin Kass, an antitrust attorney for Proskauer Rose, indicated that the process will begin with a firm statement against Apple’s past tactics. “I won’t entertain any games they’ve played before,” he stated.
The company remains cautious regarding both the Justice Department’s lawsuit and its defense, noted Vanderbilt University law professor Rebecca Ho Allensworth, who studies antitrust. Apple previously claimed that green bubbles in messages from Android users were due to safety concerns. However, she suggested such claims may now be viewed skeptically following the recent ruling.
Allensworth remarked that the judges’ opinions could influence App Store practices, leading to enforced resolutions akin to those from the European Union, the U.K., and Spain—to guarantee regulatory and court confidence.
“Apple behaves as though it operates above the law,” she asserted. “This sends a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable.”
The landscape of iPhone apps has evolved recently. The Kindle app now enables users to purchase books directly. Spotify is offering a free trial for users, and Patreon is adjusting its subscription fees, leading to higher costs for creators.
This shift reflects the impact of recent court rulings on the iPhone shopping experience. A federal judge ruled that Apple must allow apps to provide promotions and accept payments directly, facilitating features like direct book purchases from the website. The ruling has the potential to lower consumer prices by circumventing the 30% fees Apple charges on app sales.
For over ten years, Apple mandated that apps use its payment systems and collect commissions on sales.
Everything is now subject to change. Here’s why:
What did the judge rule?
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who became involved in the case following Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple in 2020, ruled that Apple can no longer take commissions from sales linked through the app. She also stated that developers cannot be hindered by warning screens that restrict the creation of buttons and links for users to pay directly for products and services.
Amazon has requested updates to the Kindle app to enable direct book purchases. credit…Kindle
How will the iPhone app be changed?
For years, Kindle avoided selling books within the app to escape Apple’s 30% commission. It has now introduced a “Get Book” button that directs users to its website for purchases. Likewise, Apple has previously blocked Spotify from offering free trials, but now Spotify includes a button for a three-month trial in the app.
Other applications are now able to feature links for direct purchases from online stores, eliminating the need to pay Apple’s 30% fees. This means apps can provide lower prices and potentially reduce monthly subscriptions to $7.
Does this cost Apple?
Morgan Stanley estimates that Apple generates $11 billion annually from app sales in the U.S. While it won’t lose all of that revenue, $2 billion is currently considered at risk.
How much Apple stands to lose motivates changes in user behavior. The decade-old process for purchasing software and services via apps is not only well-known but also convenient. Users trust Apple with their payment information, and the company simplifies subscription cancellations, centralizing the experience. Many users may be hesitant to leave the app store for purchases, influencing apps to retain the existing system.
What does this mean for other parts of the world?
As Apple is required to permit apps to handle payments directly without levying a commission, similar expectations are emerging in the U.S. European, Japanese, and South Korean regulators, whom Apple is appealing to for leniency regarding the App Store, would likely oppose their developers and citizens facing higher costs than Americans.
Can Apple roll back changes?
Apple has announced plans to appeal the ruling, but overturning the decision may prove challenging. In 2021, the judge issued a non-normative ruling. Apple circumvented previous regulations by implementing a 27% commission on app sales. Mark A. Lemley, a Stanford antitrust professor, mentioned that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will likely uphold the judge’s initial ruling from 2021, suggesting that “they have to take their licks and let it happen.”
Over the last three weeks, the Department of Justice and Google have questioned over 20 witnesses in an effort to influence a federal judge’s ruling regarding the company’s unlawful monopoly in internet searches.
The hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday is anticipated to yield conclusions. To address the monopoly, the government has proposed robust measures, such as divesting Google of its widely-used Chrome web browser and obliging it to share its own data with competitors. Google contends that minor adjustments to its business practices would be more effective.
Both parties are set to present their closing arguments at the end of the month. Judge Amit P. Meta, who presides over the case, is expected to make a decision by August. His ruling could significantly impact how Google, its competitors, and users search for information online.
Here’s what you need to know about the discussions during the hearing:
What case does the hearing stem from?
In August, Judge Mehta ruled that Google breached antitrust laws by paying billions to companies like Apple, Samsung, and Mozilla to ensure its status as the default search engine on browsers and smartphones. He also found that Google’s monopoly could inflate certain search ad prices and create unfair advantages.
Last month, Judge Meta held a hearing to explore the best strategies for addressing search monopolies through a measure known as treatment. Executives from Google, competing search engines, and AI firms, along with experts, provided testimony regarding Google’s dominance on the Internet.
What did the government assert?
Government lawyers claimed that the only effective way to dismantle Google’s search monopoly is through decisive action.
They argued that Google should be compelled to spin off Chrome and share search results and ads with its competitors, enabling them to subscribe to their search engines. Other search engines and some AI firms require access to data regarding what Google users search for and the sites they visit.
During the hearing, the government cautioned that if Judge Meta does not act, Google could gain control over another technology, artificial intelligence. Searches may become chaotic as AI and chatbots transform the way users seek information online, similar to Google’s Gemini.
“The court’s remedy should be forward-looking and take into account future developments,” stated David Dalkist, the lead government attorney. “Google is employing the same strategies with Gemini that they once used for search.”
“It’s the first time in over 20 years in the last two months,” remarked Eddy Cue, an Apple executive who testified against Google. He linked this decline to the rise of AI.
What was Google’s defense?
Google’s attorneys contended that the government’s proposals could jeopardize products that consumers rely on for privacy and security during their online activities.
“There could certainly be many unintended consequences,” testified Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO.
The disclosure of Google data to competitors would compromise user privacy, the company’s attorneys claimed. They referenced incidents from 2006 when AOL released search data for research purposes, leading journalists to identify individuals through their searches.
They also noted that competition in AI is robust.
Instead, Google’s legal team suggested that web browsers and smartphone manufacturers should grant more freedom to competing search and AI services. Pichai testified that Google has already adjusted its contracts with other entities in line with the case’s proposals.
(The New York Times has sued OpenAI and its partner Microsoft over copyright infringement concerning news content related to AI systems, which they denied.)
What did other companies express?
During the hearing, several of Google’s competitors, including those from OpenAI and Chatbot Company, indicated they would consider purchasing Chrome if it were put up for sale. Government witnesses stated that access to Google’s search and advertising data would be beneficial for AI companies aiming to compete with Google.
What comments did the judge make?
When Judge Meta posed questions to the witnesses throughout the hearing, he offered insight into his perspective.
At times, he encouraged witnesses to discuss whether rivals could effectively compete with Google’s search dominance without court intervention.
Many of his inquiries focused on AI and its significance. Google competes against its rivals and has developed technology that has become a major influence in the tech industry.
When Pichai took the stand, Judge Meta mentioned he had noted the swift advancement of AI since the case commenced in the fall of 2023, highlighting his awareness of how technological developments have shaped the context of the hearing.
“One of the things that Pichai impressed upon me in these cases was that when we met long ago, consistent testimonies from witnesses indicated the combined AI and search impacts had been separate for years. By the time we convened today, the landscape had changed dramatically.”
The cybersecurity firm that gained notoriety last year for causing a significant global IT outage has revealed plans to partially reduce its workforce by 5% citing “AI efficiency.”
In a memo to employees earlier this week, CEO George Kurtz, who was released to the US stock market, stated that 500 jobs, or 5% of the total workforce, would be eliminated globally due to AI advancements created by businesses.
“We are at a pivotal point in the market and technology, where AI is transforming every sector, accelerating threats, and changing customer demands,” he explained.
Kurtz emphasized that AI “will streamline the adoption process and enable quicker innovation from concepts to products,” adding that it “enhances efficiency in both front and back offices.”
“AI acts as a force multiplier across the enterprise,” he added.
Other factors contributing to the layoffs include the need for sustainable market growth and expanded product lines.
The company anticipates incurring costs of up to USD 53 million due to the job reductions.
CrowdStrike reported a revenue of USD 1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting a 25% increase from the same period in 2024, despite a loss of USD 92 million.
Last July, CrowdStrike unintentionally promoted an erroneous software update intended to detect cybersecurity threats, which affected 8.5 million Windows systems globally.
The incident caused widespread disruption, impacting airports, hospitals, television networks, payment systems, and individual computers.
Aaron McCann, VP of research and advisory at Gartner, expressed skepticism regarding claims of AI efficiencies amid declining revenue forecasts, as seen with CrowdStrike in March.
“I view it as a justification for workforce reductions, particularly in tech. It’s fundamentally a financial decision,” he remarked, expressing immediate skepticism.
McEwan noted that firms are under pressure to justify significant investments made in AI.
“The productivity improvements we anticipated from AI are not materializing.”
Gartner’s survey indicates that fewer than 50% of employees utilize AI in their roles, with only 8% employing AI tools to boost productivity.
Toby Walsh, a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales, described CrowdStrike’s announcement as “somewhat alarming” following last year’s suspension.
“They would be more effective by reallocating these 5% of employees to emergency responses and bug fixes,” he advised.
Walsh suggested that the market should brace itself for more such announcements in the future.
“It’s straightforward. Increased profits for companies, fewer jobs for workers. We should learn from the first industrial revolution. By uniting, we could use these savings to enhance the quality and quantity of work for everyone.”
Niusha Shafiabady, an associate professor of computational intelligence at the Australian Catholic University, stated that AI-induced job displacement is an “inevitable reality.”
“Even with good intentions, this transformation will occur. Regrettably, many will lose their traditional roles due to AI and technology,” she remarked.
“If companies can save costs by leveraging AI and technology, they will do so, resulting in job losses. This is the stark reality.”
The 2023 World Economic Forum report predicted that AI and other macroeconomic factors would affect nearly 23% of jobs globally within five years. While 69 million jobs are expected to be created, 83 million are projected to be eliminated, leading to a net decline of 2%, according to Shafiabady.
McEwan asserted that companies, especially in high-tech sectors, are exploring ways to gradually reduce their workforce through AI.
“I firmly believe that companies are emerging that can effectively shrink their workforce thanks to AI,” he noted.
“It largely depends on the type of product being sold. However, most companies at this juncture would benefit more from enhancing their workforce rather than using AI as a replacement.”
Has your job been lost to AI? Please reach out at josh.taylor@theguardian.com
The Egg Drop Challenge is a time-honored tradition for many physics students. Participants often wrap eggs in cotton balls, tape, and various materials before dropping them from a school rooftop. Anyone who’s taken part knows how challenging it can be to design a structure that keeps the eggs intact upon impact. (That wasn’t my finest creation back in middle school!)
After the eggs break, teachers often share insights about the physics involved, suggesting that eggs dropped vertically tend to crack less than those resting flat.
But is that really accurate?
Following her experience with the egg drop challenge, Tal Cohen, an engineering professor at MIT, began to question whether traditional claims about falling eggs held up under scrutiny.
“It relates to the static behavior of the egg,” she remarked. “The dynamics of the impact are quite different.”
To validate her hypothesis, she conducted tests in the lab with eggs. Her findings turned out to be more complex; Thursday’s paper in the journal Communications discusses how eggs resting horizontally are actually less prone to cracking.
To carry out their experiments, the research team procured over 200 eggs from Costco (an advantage when prices were lower in 2023). They employed devices to crush some eggs and measure the force necessary to crack the shell. Remarkably, they found that eggshells broke under similar forces, regardless of whether the eggs were horizontal or vertical.
Next, they actually dropped the eggs. For testing purposes, they dropped them from a modest height of about 8 mm, allowing them to observe varying outcomes. When dropped from a greater height, all the eggs broke, regardless of their orientation.
Significant differences in outcomes were noted. Eggs dropped on their sides were much less likely to crack. Upon landing, their shells could compress, absorbing some of the impact. Conversely, eggs landing on their ends exhibited more rigid shells with no similar flexibility.
Joseph E. Bonavia, a graduate student in engineering at MIT and co-author of the paper, noted this similarity to human physiology.
“When falling from a height, you want to avoid locking your knees, as that can lead to fractures,” he explained. “Instead, you bend your knees—much like the eggs do.”
The way we typically cook eggs may have contributed to the misconception that eggshells are most fragile, according to Brendan M. Uniquewicch, another MIT graduate student and co-author. We often break eggs at their midpoint, which results in a long crack that allows for clean separation. As these experiments illustrate, breaking at that point causes the shell to cave inward—an undesirable outcome for omelet-making.
Indeed, the experiments challenge our intuitions about how objects behave when they fall, Dr. Cohen noted. This highlights the importance for engineering students to remain open to questioning established beliefs.
Has anyone tasted one of these eggs? Due to university policy, researchers can’t consume experimental materials in the lab. However, Dr. Cohen’s dog enjoyed a hearty meal under such restrictions.
The Trump administration has taken steps to revoke federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a vibrant grouse unfortunate enough to inhabit the southern and central grasslands, which have long been targeted for agricultural and energy development.
In a court filing on Wednesday, officials stated that the Fish and Wildlife Service mistakenly made a decision during the Biden era to classify these birds as endangered.
This move exemplifies the ongoing efforts of the White House to dilute or eliminate environmental regulations that hinder Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda.
Furthermore, it marks yet another development in the ongoing struggle for the species, a battle that has persisted for 30 years.
Known for their unique courtship rituals of stomping, tail feather flicking, and “flapping,” the lesser prairie chicken’s population has plummeted from hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to only about 30,000 due primarily to habitat loss.
“President Trump will always advocate for the elimination of burdensome regulations affecting the American agriculture sector, particularly as numerous ranchers voluntarily engage in protecting lesser prairie chicken habitats,” stated White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.
The filing, submitted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, aims to reevaluate the bird’s status by November 30, 2026.
While the species currently lacks protection under the Endangered Species Act, the filing asserted that “there are at least 16 different conservation initiatives and programs administered by state, federal, and private entities.”
Despite this, conservationists foresaw that the service would be under no obligation to reevaluate the species on its own timeline and would likely need to take legal action to prompt a review.
“The Trump administration is once again yielding to the fossil fuel industry, ignoring sound science and common sense while jeopardizing at-risk species,” stated Jason Rylander, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“A political decision to remove protections for endangered species is one that would not hold up in court,” he added, noting his group’s involvement in the issue.
Back in 1998, federal wildlife officials acknowledged that fewer grassland chickens warranted conservation efforts but initially prioritized other species. This led to the bird being tangled in a legal battle, fluctuating in and out of protected status.
In 2022, protections for the lesser prairie chicken were reinstated under President Biden, which split the species into two distinct populations: the southern population (encompassing eastern New Mexico and eastern Texas) and the northern population (covering central Kansas, western Oklahoma, central Texas, and the northeastern Panhandle).
The oil and ranch sectors faced lawsuits in 2023, similar to those filed in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Currently, the Trump administration contends that the Fish and Wildlife Service mischaracterized the species as a cohesive group and is “precisely contaminating” the validity of this assessment.
The major global authority on species, the United Nations List for Nature Conservation, classifies the lesser prairie chicken as vulnerable, similar to the U.S. endangered list.
Rylander from the Center for Biological Diversity stated his intention to challenge federal motions in the days ahead. The struggle over the lesser prairie chicken continues as scientists warn about unprecedented levels of biodiversity loss in human history.
Temperate grasslands are recognized as among the most endangered ecosystems globally.
In 2023, Maryland sewage treatment facilities began uncovering alarming issues. Hazardous “forever chemicals” were detected in the state’s wastewater, with many being converted into fertilizers and distributed across agricultural land.
To safeguard its food and drinking water, Maryland has started to limit the application of fertilizers derived from sewage sludge. Meanwhile, Synagro, a prominent manufacturer of sludge fertilizers, is seeking approval to expand their usage across state lines in Virginia.
Environmentalists, fishing associations, and some farmers are opposing this movement, arguing that the pollution poses a significant risk to farmland and delicate waterways that nourish the Potomac River.
“These sewage sludge fertilizers are coming to Virginia because they’re deemed unsafe for Maryland farms,” stated Dean Naujox from the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, who advocates for clean water. “This is unacceptable.”
Virginia is finding itself entangled in a rising national trend as it scrambles to address the spiraling farmland pollution crisis.
In Virginia, Synagro, a key player in providing sludge for fertilizer, is requesting permission to increase its sludge applications in rural areas, based on local accounts. Synagro operates under the Goldman Sachs Investment Fund.
In a statement, Kip Cleverley, Synagro’s Chief Sustainability Officer, noted that the presence of trace levels of PFAS does not necessarily indicate contamination. He emphasized that the company’s expansion into Virginia is independent of Maryland’s guidelines.
According to industry reports, over 2 million tons of dry sewage sludge were utilized on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. Farmers estimate they have secured permission to apply sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about one-fifth of U.S. agricultural land.
However, increasing research indicates that this black sludge, also known as biosolids, may contain perfluoroalkyl substances or substantial levels of harmful PFAs, resulting from wastewater from homes and industries. These chemicals are believed to heighten the risk for certain cancers and lead to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
For residents in areas like Virginia Gardens, the historical birthplace of George Washington, the threat feels doubly unjust. Much of the biosolids delivered across state lines originate from major urban areas like Baltimore.
The pollution that locals fear flows off farmlands into nearby rivers and streams, endangering farmers and watermen who rely on these resources.
“Water runs off the farms into the waterways,” explained Leedale, a seventh-generation waterman and owner of the Northern Neck Oyster Company, as he navigated his oyster boat through the winding tributaries of the Potomac. “And we’re experiencing substantial rainfall this season.”
His concerns are substantiated. New research published in Nature indicates that PFAS in sludge used as fertilizer can contaminate both farmland and adjacent rivers and streams.
“That stream could be part of your drinking water supply, and downstream, contaminants could accumulate in fish,” remarked Diana Oviedo Vargas, a researcher at the nonpartisan Stroud Water Research Center, who led the federally funded study. “There’s a lot we are yet to understand, but these pollutants are unquestionably reaching our surface waters.”
This presents a complex issue. While sludge fertilizers are nutrient-rich and significantly reduce the need for incineration or landfill disposal, they also counterbalance the use of synthetic fertilizers derived from fossil fuels.
Nevertheless, studies have shown that sludge can harbor pathogens and chemicals like PFAs. Synthetic PFAS compounds are commonly found in everyday items such as non-stick cookware and stain-resistant carpets, and are associated with various diseases.
The EPA regulates several pathogens and heavy metals in sludge used as fertilizers but has not established regulations for PFAs. This year, the EPA issued its first warning regarding health risks linked to PFAs in sludge fertilizers. The Biden administration also introduced the first federal drinking water standard for PFAS, asserting that virtually no safe level of these substances exists.
The absence of federal regulations regarding PFAs in sludge has shifted responsibility to states, leading to a jumble of regulations and the transfer of contaminated sludge into areas with less stringent oversight.
Maine banned the use of sludge fertilizers in 2022, resulting in some sludge being shipped out of state as local landfills could not accommodate it.
Maryland has temporarily halted new permits for sludge use as fertilizer. The Maryland Department of the Environment has also mandated PFAS testing at all sewage treatment facilities statewide. Despite treatment processes, contaminants have been detected in both wastewater and sludge, and while protocols are in place, guidelines are being established to report and dispose of high-PFAS sludge amounts.
In Virginia, groups against the importation of Maryland’s sewage are advocating for state-level PFAS regulation in sludge.
Meanwhile, data from Virginia shows that sludge from Maryland is already being transferred. An analysis by the Potomac Riverkeeper Network indicates that biosolids from 22 Maryland wastewater treatment plants have been approved for use as fertilizer in Virginia, all reporting PFAS contamination.
In Westmoreland County, Synagro is dealing with sludge from 16 plants in Maryland, all indicating PFAS contamination.
In December, Synagro applied for a permit expansion to use sludge on an additional 2,000 acres of farmland in Westmoreland. Following local feedback prompting a hearing, Synagro withdrew the application but is expected to reapply.
In Essex County, Synagro seeks to increase sludge applications over another 6,000 acres, raising this area by a third, according to their permit application.
Cleverley from Synagro assured that the biosolids applied in Virginia comply with Maryland’s PFAS standards.
Irina Karos, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, mentioned that Virginia hasn’t seen a significant increase in the amount of Maryland biosolids applied. The state is still evaluating the request for Synagro’s expansion.
Karos also stated that Virginia is unaware of any biosolids from Maryland exceeding the recommended PFAS levels. Environmental organizations counter that verifying this is challenging.
Maryland spokesman Jay Apperson emphasized that the state’s guidelines and testing protocols aim to assist utilities and farmers while prioritizing public health.
Rob Hinton, a fourth-generation farmer at Cedar Plains Farm in Heathsville, Virginia, has cultivated corn, soybeans, and other crops for 45 years. He worries that farmers in the Northern Neck are not receiving fair treatment.
“It’s tempting when people offer something for free or nearly free. I don’t blame farmers for considering it,” he remarked. “But it’s these large cities that are sending their waste to us.”
“I learned about PFAS only after discussing it with friends in the waterman community,” he shared. “I’m unsure whether Virginia has conducted adequate testing.”
Synagro actively engages with farmers and local residents. During a presentation in March, Synagro representatives, alongside Virginia Tech researchers, shared data suggesting that the PFAS levels from sludge fertilizers were significantly lower than the levels indicated in previous studies, similar to slides reviewed by The New York Times.
Synagro stated it cannot provide comprehensive research verifications since the company isn’t directly involved. The Virginia Tech researchers mentioned did not respond to requests for comments.
At a Virginia Water Management Board meeting in March, Bryant Thomas, the state’s Environmental Quality director, reported receiving 27 public comments on Synagro’s proposal to expand sludge use in Essex County. Of these, 26 expressed concerns regarding the impact of sludge on public health and wildlife, particularly shellfish.
The board subsequently requested further investigation and a report from the agency.
“I find it interesting that while Maryland is revising its regulations, they are still sending biosolids to us in Virginia,” remarked Waterboard Chair Lou Anne Jesse Wallas in an interview. “We in Virginia must remain vigilant to protect our water and our citizens.”
Experts believe Maryland’s approach is a constructive first step. However, a bill introduced to further restrict PFAs in biosolids failed at the last moment. “We are concerned about the regulatory patchwork between states,” expressed Jean Zhuang, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, an environmental nonprofit. “The federal government needs to step up.”
President Biden was poised to propose regulations limiting the discharges of PFAS by industrial facilities into wastewater. The Trump administration had previously rolled back this proposal but has recently indicated it may establish its own wastewater restrictions.
In the southern regions, the center is actively urging wastewater treatment facilities to demand local factories and industries clean up their wastewater before it reaches treatment plants. This would compel industries to manage contaminants at their sources or potentially eliminate the use of PFAs altogether, according to Zhuang.
“If a wastewater treatment plant takes action, then the industry will bear the costs of its pollution,” she noted.
On a recent evening, waterman Michael Lightfoot checked on a wire mesh cage of oysters raised in Jackson. He resides with his wife, Phyllis, in the creek. After nearly three decades in federal service, he retired in 2012 and has dedicated himself to waterman activities ever since.
Lightfoot is part of the ongoing oyster cultivation surge in Virginia, recognized as the top oyster producer on the East Coast and one of the largest in the nation. However, his proximity to the polluted farmland raises considerable concern for him. “There aren’t any farms in our waterways that aren’t discharging runoff,” he stated.
Small urban farms in Mexico City, referred to as Chinampas, employ a distinctive farming technique. Rather than transporting water to the land, Chinampas bring the land into the water.
Dating back over 1,000 years, the Chinampas were developed by Aztec farmers who constructed rectangular plots on expansive lakes to cultivate food for Tenochitlan. At one time, tens of thousands of these plots existed, organized in precise grids with narrow canals between them; however, many were damaged or abandoned after Hernan Cortes and his Spanish troops changed the region’s civil structure in 1521.
Yet, the Chinampas in Xochimilco continue to thrive in South Mexico City, despite pressures from developers and competition with industrial farms. The sustainable farming methods are gaining renewed interest amid the challenges of climate change and prolonged drought.
Could other regions around the globe adopt the concept of “floating islands,” as these fields are sometimes termed? A group of Mexican designers, landscapers, and farmers believes that this ancient technology could be adapted widely. They aim to replicate the Chinampas for their country’s pavilion at this year’s Venice Architectural Biennale.
“Chinampas boast a simple, clever design that has emerged collectively, benefiting not just people but all surrounding life,” remarked Lucio Usobia, who has dedicated the last 15 years to preserving the remaining Chinampas through his nonprofit, Arca Tierra.
The Mexican pavilion aligns perfectly with the major exhibition “Intelligent. Natural. Artificial.” The Chinampas are both artificial and organic, thriving only when there’s a close gaze on the rows of corn and inhabited plots, alongside farmers, policymakers, and tourists embarking on popular canoe tours.
Promoting the Chinampas as an eco-friendly design inspiration was an obvious choice for the Biennale, the team members stated. “Venice, built on water, shares vulnerabilities with Xochimilco,” mentioned Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo, the founder of the design company Pedro y Juana.
They highlighted that Venice and Xochimilco were both designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the same year, 1987, and that both places are waterborne communities where boats navigate, striving to balance tourism’s benefits and drawbacks.
Venice boasts its iconic gondolas, while Xochimilco features brightly decorated flat boats, known as trajineras, which take visitors on festive rides. Both types of boats are maneuvered by pilots using long poles.
Creating a replica of the Chinampas on-site required imagination and compromise.
The Aztecs methodically built the islands over time using branches and reeds to establish borders at the bottom. This allowed for layered sediment and decomposed vegetation to accumulate until the islands emerged above the water’s surface for cultivation. In addition to crops like corn, beans, and squash, traditional agricultural methods known as milpas are also utilized to naturally enrich soil nutrients by planting trees at the island’s corners.
The Mexican pavilion is situated in the Biennale’s Arsenale complex, featuring a scaled-down version at a mere fraction of the typical 500 square meters (0.12 acres) of a traditional Chinampa. A video produced in Mexico City, showcasing authentic Chinamperos, enhances the exhibition, complemented by bleacher seating along the walls. Artificial light simulates sunlight for the plants.
At the center lies a functional garden filled with vegetables, flowers, and herbs. (The plants originated from Italian nurseries and were transported by boat to the Arsenale in mid-April.) They will be in full bloom during the Biennale, which runs until November 23rd.
“By the end of the Biennale, we can harvest corn and make tortillas,” Usobia shared. “Before that, we can gather beans, squash, tomatoes, and chili.”
Visitors will have a chance to learn about unique seed cultivation techniques specific to Chinampas and even plant their seedlings by themselves.
Acknowledging local agricultural practices, Chinampas will also incorporate a version of Vite Maritata, an ancient Etruscan method that involves planting grapes alongside trees, thus creating a natural trellis system for the grapes. The exhibition team is investigating the synergy between these two agricultural immersion methods, blending trees and crops into a cohesive ecosystem.
“We observe a dialogue between these ancient cultures and discuss how we can progress,” noted Usobia.
The exhibition team emphasized their intention to avoid overly romanticizing the Chinampas, acknowledging the challenges of scaling practices to feed today’s population. The farms thrive in Mexico City because they are situated in a lake, allowing for manageable water control levels. In contrast, Venice, located in a lagoon adjacent to the sea, faces constant threats from flooding.
Additionally, the economics of small farms are challenging, with high production costs and low yields making profitability difficult. Many farmworkers receive inadequate wages and the repetitive nature of planting and harvesting jobs has diminished their appeal.
“This is a significant concern here. Young people, in particular, are less inclined to work on Chinampa farms,” stated Maria Maria de Buen, the graphic designer for the team.
Indeed, many Chinampas in Xochimilco lie fallow as their owners struggle to make a living. Some have been repurposed into soccer fields for community rental, while others serve as venues for events like weddings and birthday parties. Despite official restrictions against development, cattle grazing, and hunting for endangered species, such activities occur frequently.
Still, the team perceives the crucial connection between nature and urban development, advocating for the integration of existing water resources within residential and educational spaces as essential inspiration. Architects visiting the Biennale may not be able to design extensive agricultural landscapes, but they can adapt existing conditions to replicate ideas on a smaller scale, suggested Jachen Schleich, principal of the Mexico City architectural firm Dellekamp + Schleich.
“If someone executes this in their backyard, they could at least feed their family, or the people on the fourth floor of their building. It could serve as a micro-intervention in a landscape or public space.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Thursday that they will cease tracking the nation’s most costly disasters, those inflicting damages of at least $1 billion.
This decision means insurance firms, researchers, and policymakers will lack crucial data necessary for understanding trends associated with significant disasters like hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires, which have become more prevalent this year. While not all disasters stem from climate change, such occurrences are intensifying as global temperatures rise.
This latest move marks another step by the Trump administration to restrict or eliminate climate research. Recently, the administration has rejected contributions to the country’s largest climate study, proposed cuts to grants for national parks addressing climate change, and unveiled a budget that would significantly reduce climate science funding at the U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.
Researchers and lawmakers expressed their disapproval of this decision on Thursday.
Jesse M. Keenan, an associate professor and director of climate change and urbanism at Tulane University in New Orleans, stated that halting data collection will hinder federal and state governments in making informed budgetary and infrastructure investment decisions.
“It’s illogical,” he remarked. Without a comprehensive database, “the U.S. government will be blind to the financial impacts of extreme weather and climate change.”
In comments on Bluesky, Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, described this move as “anti-science, anti-secure, and anti-American.”
Virginia Iglesias, a climate researcher at the University of Colorado, emphasized that few organizations can replicate the unique information provided by this database. “This represents one of the most consistent and trustworthy records of climate-related economic losses in the nation,” she said. “The database’s strength lies in its reliability.”
The so-called billion-dollar disasters—those with costs exceeding ten digits—are on the rise. In the 1980s, there were, on average, three such events annually, adjusted for inflation. By contrast, between 2020 and 2024, the average rose to 23 per year.
Since 1980, the U.S. has experienced at least 403 of these incidents. Last year, there were 27, and this year is projected to see the second-highest number (28 events).
Last year’s incidents included Hurricane Helen and Milton, which together resulted in approximately $113 billion in damages and over 250 fatalities in Colorado. Additionally, drought conditions that year caused around $3 billion in damages and claimed more than 100 lives nationwide.
NOAA’s National Environmental Information Center plans to cease tracking these billion-dollar disasters as priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing change, according to an email from the agency.
When asked whether NOAA or another branch of the federal agency would continue to publicly report data on such disasters, the agency did not respond. The communication indicated that archived data from 1980 to 2024 would be available, but incidences from 2025, such as the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, will not be monitored or published.
“We can’t address problems that we don’t measure,” noted Erinsikorsky, director of the Climate Security Centre. “Without information regarding the costs of these disasters, Americans and Congress will remain unaware of the risks posed by climate change to our nation.”
Sikorsky highlighted that other agencies may struggle to replicate this data collection as it involves proprietary insurance information that companies are reluctant to share. “It’s a remarkably unique contribution.”
Recent studies reveal that climate-induced wildfires lead to thousands of deaths each year and significant economic impacts due to wildfire smoke in the United States.
A paper published this Friday in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment indicates that between 2006 and 2020, climate change was responsible for approximately 15,000 deaths related to exposure to fine particulate matter from wildfires, totaling around $160 billion in costs. The findings suggest an annual mortality range from 130 to 5,100, particularly high in states like Oregon and California.
Nicholas Nacicus, an author of the research and a professor at Harvard Medical School, stated, “What does it really mean in a changing environment for outcomes like mortality?” stressing the serious health implications.
Lisa Thompson, a professor at Emory University who studies air pollution and climate change, noted that this study is among the first to distinctly identify the impacts of climate change on mortality. She emphasized the uniqueness of examining these effects temporally and spatially.
The study concentrated on deaths linked to particulate matter exposure, specifically PM2.5, a significant concern stemming from wildfire smoke.
These tiny particles penetrate deep into the lungs, causing short-term symptoms like coughing and irritation. Over time, they can worsen pre-existing health conditions and result in serious, potentially fatal issues. Vulnerable populations include children, pregnant individuals, the elderly, and outdoor workers. The Health Effects Institute estimated that pollutants have caused 4 million deaths globally.
Evidence suggests that PM2.5 from wildfire smoke is more harmful than other pollution sources. In wildfire situations, toxic materials like burning cars can exacerbate the health risks.
Numerous studies have linked the rise in wildfires in North America to human activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and gas. Climate change is intensifying drought conditions, particularly in the West, alongside other extreme weather phenomena. The drying process reduces moisture in vegetation, which serves as fuel for fires. Together with increasing temperatures, this leads to more frequent, widespread, and severe wildfires.
Scholars find the findings disheartening yet unsurprising
Jacob Bendix, a professor emeritus of geography and the environment at Syracuse University, expressed disappointment in the results, stating he was not surprised by the study’s conclusions.
Xai, an AI startup founded by Elon Musk, is currently negotiating new funding that could elevate its valuation to between $80 billion and $120 billion, a notable increase from just over a month ago.
Sources speaking on condition of anonymity indicated that these discussions are in the preliminary stages and the company’s valuation could fluctuate as negotiations continue. Investors are contemplating a potential investment of $20 billion in Xai, though this figure may vary.
These discussions come on the heels of significant fundraising efforts by OpenAI, the San Francisco-based startup that announced a fundraising round valued at $300 billion in March. The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 sparked an AI boom, leading to substantial investments in various AI companies, including Xai.
Presently, Xai is linked to Musk’s social media venture, X. In March, Musk claimed to have sold X to Xai, stating that the trading of all shares valued Xai at $80 billion and X at $33 billion. Xai’s earlier valuation from a funding round in December was approximately $40 billion.
Grok, a chatbot developed by Xai, is trained using data from X users and is accessible via the platform. According to X’s banker, a segment of the social media company’s revenue is derived from Xai.
Interest in AI firms waned towards the end of last year as numerous notable startups merged with major tech companies like Google and Amazon. Despite this, Xai and OpenAI remain among the few seeking billions to develop crucial AI technologies.
Musk has not responded to inquiries regarding Xai. Previous reports have detailed the ongoing discussions, as mentioned by Bloomberg.
(The New York Times has sued OpenAI and its partner Microsoft over allegations of copyright infringement concerning news content related to AI systems.)
Musk, along with entrepreneur Sam Altman and others, co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but departed from the organization about two years later following a disagreement over its direction when it was still a non-profit entity.
After Musk’s exit from OpenAI, Altman transitioned it into a for-profit model, enabling the acquisition of the significant funding required to advance AI technologies that learn by analyzing vast amounts of digital data.
Following the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Musk established Xai, creating similar technology. Concurrently, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that OpenAI and its founders, Altman and Greg Brockman, had violated the company’s incorporation agreement by prioritizing commercial interests over public benefit. Musk eventually withdrew the lawsuit in August after initially reviving it in federal court months earlier.
Over 50 years after its launch, the Soviet spacecraft Cosmos 482 is set to return to Earth. Initially designed to land on Venus, it began to disintegrate in low Earth orbit, never completing its intended mission. After orbiting our planet for decades, it is finally on a path to re-enter.
Kosmos 482 was launched in 1972; however, much about its mission and structure remains classified due to its Cold War origins. The intention to reach Venus is inferred from other Soviet missions focused on the planet at that time, and indications suggest that the spacecraft attempted a maneuver in orbit before fragmenting. The exact reason for its failure is unclear, but three out of four pieces landed in New Zealand shortly after launch.
The last fragment has drifted into a higher orbit, approximately 210 km at its closest to Earth and as far as about 9,800 km. Over time, particles from the Earth’s upper atmosphere have slowed its descent, gradually bringing it closer to re-entering. It is projected to crash on May 9th or 10th.
The capsule remains of the spacecraft are estimated to be over one meter wide and weigh nearly 500 kilograms. Given its size and the possibility that it was engineered to withstand the intense conditions during a Venusian descent, impact speeds may exceed 200 km/h.
Predicting the exact impact site for Kosmos 482 is challenging. Based on its current trajectory, it could land anywhere between the latitudes of 52° south and 52° north, covering a vast area from the southern tip of South America to parts of Canada and Russia. Fortunately, despite the extensive range of potential landing sites, the likelihood of it striking a populated area is minimal. “The numbers are infinitesimally small,” stated Marsin Pilinsky from the University of Colorado Boulder. statement. “The ocean is a likely landing zone.”
Pilinsky is part of a team monitoring the debris. As the re-entry date approaches, landing predictions will become more accurate. Instances of space debris falling to Earth are not rare; for instance, NASA tracks one orbital object entering the atmosphere daily, with most either burning up or landing in oceans. However, Kosmos 482 is notably larger and more robust than typical space debris.
The Trump administration discontinued its $18.1 billion grant to the National Institutes of Health within just 40 days.
This information comes from an analysis published in JAMA on Thursday, which utilizes data from the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor accountability within the government grant system.
The analysis offers the most extensive overview to date regarding the reduction of NIH funding following the Trump administration’s significant efforts to eliminate perceived waste and inefficiency in federal spending.
Michael Liu, a student at Harvard Medical School, noted that while some grants are still uncertain due to new terminations and temporary revivals due to court orders, the HHS grant tracker remains the most reliable and current dataset available.
From February 28th to April 8th, the administration processed close to 700 grants at 24 NIH labs and centers, concentrating on areas such as aging, cancer, child health, diabetes, mental disorders, and neuropathy.
“These cuts haven’t been evenly distributed,” Liu remarked. “The National Institute on Health and Health Disparities in Minority has faced the steepest reductions, with approximately 30% of its funding cut—ten times the average.”
President Trump’s upcoming budget proposal aims to eliminate all funding for the National Institute focused on health disparities among minorities, labeling the Institute as “full of DEI spending.” His January executive order called for the cessation of a program centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The proposal also suggests an overall reduction in NIH funding, slashing its budget for the next fiscal year to $27 billion, a decrease of around $18 billion, which would eliminate gender-focused research and studies on climate change. The administration plans to emphasize research on chronic diseases and other epidemics.
So far, most NIH grants that have been finalized have been directed toward research projects, with about 20% allocated to early career grants, training, or development. The analysis indicates that larger grants are more prone to termination, though it’s unclear if they were intentionally targeted based on the data.
“These sizable grants typically support large clinical trials and extensive research centers,” Liu explained. “Halting these initiatives is incredibly damaging, as it prevents patients from receiving necessary medications or interventions.”
Liu also pointed out that the analysis suggests that the rescinded grants are severely disrupted by both public and private institutions.
Among the grant recipients, Columbia University faced the highest number of terminations, totaling 157. The Trump administration targeted Columbia for funding cuts, citing “ongoing omissions at schools amid the persistent harassment of Jewish students” following significant Palestinian protests on campus. Columbia recently laid off 180 staff members associated with federal grants affected by these cuts.
“Columbia’s leadership continues to engage with the federal government to seek a resolution for resuming these research activities,” an official wrote in a letter to the Columbia community. “We are actively planning to address all potential contingencies, but tensions with federal authorities impact our financial situation and our research mission.
A recent survey published in the journal Communication Physics reveals that eggs are more likely to crack when they fall on their sides.
What implications does this have for cracking eggs? Eggs for breakfast? It may not matter significantly. The middle section remains intact while the Golden Fork fills with escaping whites.
Scientists suggest that this knowledge could aid in cooking stubborn eggs: dropping them horizontally may prevent a destructive crack that leads to a messy, cloudy interior.
Common belief holds that eggs are strongest at their edges, as demonstrated by their packaging in cartons. It’s thought that the curved base of the egg helps distribute force and minimize impact.
However, during compression tests, scientists found that eggs cracked with the same force regardless of the direction of pressure.
“The fun started when I expected one outcome and got another,” remarked Hudson Borja da Rocha from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was involved in the experiment.
The researchers conducted simulations, releasing eggs from three heights in both horizontal and vertical orientations, ranging down to 0.4 inches (10 mm).
The outcome? Fewer eggs broke when dropped horizontally.
“Conventional wisdom holds that vertical eggs are stronger than they appear, but this research shows otherwise,” stated Mark Myers, a materials scientist at the University of California, San Diego, who was not part of the study.
The research found that the equator of the egg is more flexible and can absorb more energy from a fall before breaking.
Eggs are often used in at-home experiments for egg drop challenges, which has partly inspired this new research. It remains uncertain whether these findings will help safeguard these delicate eggs.
Tal Cohen, a co-author from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that it’s somewhat counterintuitive that the rectangular sides of the egg can better endure falls.
Countless broken eggs illustrate “the bravery to question these widely accepted notions.”
An underwater volcano, located approximately 300 miles from the Oregon coast, seems to be reawakening.
Researchers monitoring this extensive submarine volcano over the years report that it may erupt due to recent signs of activity, such as nearby earthquake increases and inflation of the volcano’s structure.
Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist and research professor at Oregon State University, forecasts that the volcano, known as Axial Seamount, could erupt at any moment before the year’s end.
3D representation of the Axial Seamount’s marine bottom. Oregon State University
Chadwick and his team at the University of Washington and the University of North Carolina Wilmington leverage networks of underwater sensors to monitor volcanoes.
Recently, these instruments detected signs of unrest within the volcano. For instance, in late March and early April, researchers recorded over 1,000 earthquakes daily. The ongoing swelling of the volcano indicates it is filled with molten rock, according to Chadwick.
“This volcano is akin to Hawaiian volcanoes that erupt highly fluid lava,” he stated. “They tend to expand like balloons during eruptions. At Axial, the seafloor is actually rising, which is a significant indicator.”
However, unlike some Hawaiian volcanoes, there is minimal risk to human life if the Axial Seamount erupts.
Being hundreds of miles offshore and submerged about a mile deep in the ocean ensures that even powerful eruptions go unnoticed on land.
“There’s no explosive activity, so it really won’t impact people,” Chadwick remarked. “If you were on a boat nearby during an eruption, you likely wouldn’t even notice it.”
That said, such an eruption can still be a remarkable event. Researchers noted that the last eruption of Axial Seamount in 2015 released massive amounts of magma.
“For perspective, it’s roughly two-thirds the height of Seattle’s Space Needle,” Chadwick explained. “That’s a substantial amount of lava.”
The Axial Seamount formed over a geophysical hot spot, where a plume of molten rock rises from the Earth’s mantle to the crust. This geological process is common; hotspot volcanoes are found across the seabed, with some forming chains of islands like those in Hawaii and Samoa. What sets Axial Seamount apart is its position along the boundary of the Pacific and Juan de Fuca plates. The separation of these plates and the pressure that builds beneath the seafloor consistently drive volcanic activity and create new oceanic crust in the region.
A map displaying the relationship of Axial Seamount to the Cascadia subduction zone and the Mendocino fracture zone. Susan Merule / Oregon State University
Chadwick has observed the activities of Axial Seamount for three decades, with eruptions recorded in 1998, 2011, and 2015.
As he and his colleagues anticipate a potential eruption, they are exploring whether patterns of activity at Axial Seamount offer reliable predictions for when an underwater volcano may erupt.
However, accurately predicting eruptions remains a challenging endeavor. Volcanoes can behave unpredictably, and their warning signs can vary significantly.
“They are full of surprises,” commented Scott Nooner, a geophysics professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. “It’s uncertain whether magma is still moving beneath the Earth’s surface.”
Scientists have achieved some success with short-term predictions—usually just hours prior to an eruption—to help local authorities decide on evacuations or other necessary precautions. Long-term predictions, however, remain elusive.
This is why, according to Nooner, Axial Seamount serves as an excellent natural laboratory for testing eruption prediction models.
“On land, predicting an eruption weeks or months in advance can lead to substantial financial and emotional costs if incorrect. Luckily, eruptions at Axial Seamount don’t endanger anyone, so it’s safer to test models and refine predictions here without the same consequences as on land,” he concluded.
Meta has prohibited well-known Muslim news pages on Indian Instagram at the request of the government, with the account’s founder labeling the action as “censorship” that intensifies tensions between India and Pakistan.
An Indian Instagram user attempted to access a post from the account @muslim, which boasts 6.7 million followers. “Accounts not available in India. This is due to compliance with legal requirements restricting this content.”
There was no swift response from the Indian government regarding the ban, which followed a predicament where Pakistani actors and cricketers were blocked from their social media accounts.
“We’ve received numerous messages and comments from our Indian followers unable to access our account,” stated Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh, founder and editor of the news account. “Meta blocked the @muslim account following legal requests from the Indian government. This action is censorship.”
Meta chose not to comment, with a spokesperson referencing the company’s webpage that outlines their policy of restricting content if the government deems it “against local laws.”
This situation, first reported by US technology journalist Taylor Lorenz, has led to heightened violence between India and Pakistan—the most severe in two decades for these nuclear-armed nations.
Following New Delhi’s deadly missile strike against its rival, both countries engaged in heavy artillery exchanges along the disputed border.
At least 43 fatalities were reported amid the conflict, occurring two weeks after India accused Pakistan of supporting a deadly attack on tourists in the contested regions of Kashmir.
Pakistan has declined to file charges and warned it would seek “revenge” for those killed in India’s airstrikes.
The @muslim account ranks among the most-followed Muslim news sources on Instagram. Khatahtbeh expressed regret to his Indian followers, stating: “When platforms and nations attempt to silence the media, it highlights their role in holding powerful entities accountable.”
“We will persist in documenting the truth and standing firmly for justice,” he stated, urging Meta to restore access to the account for Indian users.
India has also prohibited over a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating “provocative” content, encompassing Pakistani news outlets.
Recently, access to the Instagram account of former Pakistan Prime Minister and cricket captain Imran Khan has also been restricted in India.
Fawad Khan and Atif Aslam, noted figures in Pakistani Bollywood films, have also been rendered off-limits in India, along with numerous cricketers including stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and retired icons Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram.
The escalating tensions between these South Asian neighbors have fostered a surge of online misinformation, with social media users mislabeling everything from deepfake videos to outdated images from unrelated conflicts to these Indian airstrikes.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump urged both India and Pakistan to cease hostilities promptly, offering assistance to quell the violence.
Feedback brings you the latest in science and technology news from New Scientist, alongside the latest updates in the field. You can reach out to Feedback@newscientist.com to share intriguing items that may captivate our readers.
The Collapse of a Whale
This section focuses on unusual measurement units and how to effectively communicate information scales. Keen readers may remember discussing how Christopher Dionne’s large datasets can be related to the blue whale genome (April 12).
Bruce Horton remarks that it’s a solid analogy. “The major takeaway from using the blue whale’s size for reference is that most people are familiar with it, making size visualization easier for the audience,” he explains. “However, few people can visualize blue whale DNA, which undermines this analogy.”
He raises a valid point. The concept still echoes the early 2000s during the Human Genome Project, which created comparisons to illustrate the vastness of DNA information. Often, these comparisons included stacks of Bibles reaching to the moon. Nowadays, we utilize what’s gathered from The Wheel of Time series.
Fortunately, Bruce offers a clever solution. He references a 2005 study from the Parody Science Journal. An Unlikely Research Chronicle highlights a study involving slugs: Snail-Based Data Transfer Protocol. Researchers placed giant African land snails on a two-wheeled cart with CD or DVD wheels. Although snails moved slowly, they transferred data at a speed of 37,000 kilobytes per second, outperforming current broadband connections.
The study concluded that this method is easy to visualize and comprehend, making it generally recommended.
Bruce suggests we await further developments and introduces a new unit conceptualized by Ken Taylor and his wife. They own an orchard with a damson tree known for its erratic annual yield. Consequently, they’ve coined the term “cramble,” denoting the quantity of desserts one can create per harvest. Ken shared, “2024 was particularly disappointing, yielding only three crumbles.”
The stark reality reveals that large SUVs pose a greater risk of fatal collisions compared to smaller vehicles. One might expect feedback to respond with sarcasm regarding this apparent truth: indeed, heavier objects will impart more force than lighter ones at equivalent speeds. Yet, a fundamental virtue of science is to challenge common knowledge instead of simply affirming it.
Here, we invite contributions for the category “No Kidding, Sherlock.” The more distressing and obvious the revelation, and the lengthier the methodical experimentation, the better. If ants invade, does it diminish our enjoyment of picnics? If a faucet leaks, does my water bill increase? I’d appreciate at least one enlightening question.
Licking the Badger
Historian Greg Jenner made a surprising discovery in April, stating on Blue Sky: “If you input a random sentence into Google and append ‘meaning,’ you’ll receive an AI-generated explanation for the idiom or phrase you’ve concocted.”
This is how Greg’s quirky phrase, “You can’t lick a badger twice,” prompted Google AI to interpret it as “You can’t deceive someone twice after they’ve already learned your trick.” However, to be fair, interpretations may vary among the US populace. Moreover, these constructions are often artificially generated. Nevertheless, that didn’t deter AI from dispensing extensive explanations. “In this context, ‘licking’ suggests cheating or misleading someone.” The badger anecdote does not hold any factual foundation.
Many submitted their own unique phrases with Google’s analyses. For example, Kit Yates coined, “Don’t run the miles without hitting it with a hammer,” interpreted as “a motivational phrase emphasizing the struggles involved in achieving goals.” Feedback especially appreciated its “frequent” occurrence in torrents of nonsensical dialogues.
Kai Kupferschmidt shared, “It’s better to have tentacles in the tent than mice on rat chairs.” Google deemed it “a humorous idiom, suggesting it’s preferable to find oneself in an uncomfortable situation rather than in a more perilous one.” Feedback found many amusing aspects in this, but it begs the question: why are illicit tentacles seen as uncomfortable, yet not dangerous? A nod to HP Lovecraft indicates tentacles are rarely a good sign.
Regrettably, the “meaning” feature appears to be disabled now. I attempted to coax Google into explaining “Don’t rub Roe Deer’s Cabbages,” but to no avail.
While utilizing AI to generate AI responses can yield novel answers, it won’t prevent individuals from concocting nonsensical excuses rather than admitting they lack knowledge.
This situation underscores the challenge of integrating technology into platforms that aim to serve as precise information sources. Currently, Feedback harbors a lack of trust in Google’s findings. Ironically, this suggests that AI may indeed be correct: one cannot truly lick a badger twice.
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You can send your stories to feedback@newscientist.com, including your home address. This week’s feedback and past editions are available on our website.
The charity that operates Wikipedia is contesting the UK’s online safety legislation in the High Court, arguing that certain regulations put the site at risk of “operation and vandalism.”
This case could mark the first judicial review concerning online safety laws. The Wikimedia Foundation contends that it faces the danger of being subjected to the stringent Category 1 obligations that impose additional requirements on the largest websites and applications.
The Foundation has stated that enforcing a Category 1 obligation could jeopardize the safety and privacy of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors, potentially leading to the manipulation and destruction of entries, while diverting resources away from the site’s protection and enhancement.
Phil Bradley Schmieg, the Foundation’s lead attorney, announced plans to pursue a judicial review of the classification regulations.
The Foundation clarifies that it is not disputing the entire act or the existence of the requirements but is questioning the process that determines how a platform is designated as Category 1.
These regulations were established in secondary legislation by technical secretary Peter Kyle. The Foundation is challenging Kyle’s decision to implement these statutory measures through a judicial review that evaluates the legality of decisions in the High Court of England and Wales.
According to one interpretation of the Category 1 obligations, the Foundation noted that if it opts not to authenticate Wikipedia users and editors, anonymous users would need to grant other contributors the power to block modifications or deletions of content. This is part of the legal measures aimed at addressing online trolling.
Consequently, thousands of volunteer editors would be required to undergo identity verification, conflicting with the Foundation’s commitment to minimizing data collection about its readers and contributors.
Violations of this law could result in penalties such as an £18 million fine or 10% of the company’s global revenue, and potentially, in extreme cases, access to services could be restricted in the UK.
Bradley-Schmieg emphasized that the volunteer community, which operates in over 300 languages, could face “data breaches, stalking, troubling litigation, and even incarceration by authoritarian regimes.”
“Privacy is fundamental to keeping our users safe and empowered. Designed for social media, this is just one of many Category 1 obligations that could severely impact Wikipedia,” he stated.
The Foundation argues that the definition of Category 1 services is both broad and ambiguous, encompassing the ability to share or display content. It also refers to “popular” sites, focusing on usage patterns rather than the nature of the platform’s use.
“I regret that the circumstances have compelled me to request a judicial review of the OSA classification regulations,” Bradley-Schmieg remarked. “It is particularly unfortunate that we must safeguard the privacy and security of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors from flawed legislation when the intent of the OSA is to make the online environment in the UK safer.”
In response, a spokesperson for the UK government stated, “We are dedicated to implementing online safety laws to foster a secure online space for everyone. We cannot comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.”
New York City’s skyline may undergo significant changes as major cities continue to sink.
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Over 20 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States are experiencing subsidence, impacting thousands of structures and millions of residents.
This phenomenon has been noted especially in coastal areas. However, utilizing satellite technology that gauges the duration it takes radar signals to reach the Earth’s surface and return, researchers discovered that 25 out of the 28 largest cities in the country are affected.
“By analyzing multiple images taken over time from the same region, we can identify subtle vertical shifts in the ground that can reach several millimeters annually,” explains team member Manoochehr Shirzaei from Virginia Tech. “It’s akin to capturing a high-resolution time lapse of the Earth’s surface, revealing whether it is rising or sinking over time.”
Fort Worth, Houston, and Dallas demonstrate the highest rates of subsidence among major cities, averaging over 4 millimeters per year. Cities like New York, Chicago, Houston, Columbus, Seattle, and Denver show average subsidence rates surpassing 2 millimeters annually.
“Houston, the fastest sinking city among the 28 most populous in the US, has 42% of its land area sinking at rates greater than 5 mm per year, with 12% sinking faster than 10 mm annually,” researchers reported.
Most subsidence is attributed to groundwater extraction, although cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, primarily experience sinking due to “glacial isoplasm regulation.”
“During the last glacial period, these regions were covered by massive ice sheets. The considerable weight of the ice compressed the Earth’s crust, akin to resting on a memory foam mattress,” says Shirzaei. As the ice melted thousands of years ago, the pressure released and the terrain began to slowly recover,” he explains.
“However, this rebound isn’t uniform,” Shirzaei notes. “In some areas, particularly along the East Coast and in the Midwest, the land is subsiding rather than rising due to the residual weight of nearby ice and their proximity to regions currently collapsing.”
In Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, plate tectonics may account for some of the subsidence.
“We must address sinking as a gradually unfolding disaster,” Shirzaei argues. Researchers also noted that cities can sink at varying rates in different locations or sink continuously in one area while other regions remain stable. “This uneven movement can create angular distortions and stress, resulting in cracks in walls and foundations, misalignments in windows and doors, or even significant structural failures,” Shirzaei warns.
Jesse Cars from Kyoto University in Japan demonstrated similar findings using satellite data, showing that many cities in New Zealand are also experiencing subsidence. “A crucial challenge for the geophysical community remains understanding how the observed trends stem from particular causes, whether they are artificial or naturally occurring geological processes,” he states.
Donald Trump represents the forefront of these funding cuts, but the harsh realities of his administration are just part of the narrative. Following a surge in the 2000s, contributions to global health stagnated throughout the 2010s. The landscape of charitable giving has also shifted notably in the era of pledges. The wealthiest individuals globally have committed to donating over half of their fortunes to various causes. After Gates’ divorce in 2021, Melinda eventually departed the foundation to pursue her own philanthropic endeavors. Recently, long-time ally Warren Buffett announced his plan to channel most of his remaining wealth into a charitable trust; his children will manage this, and he will not provide any additional funds to the Gates Foundation beyond his passing. Following a slowdown after the Covid years, this year saw a decline in foreign aid—Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, recently wrote in The Economist about falling aid levels, describing it as “falling off a cliff.”
On the ground, progress has been uneven, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic emergency, which led to the suspension of many routine vaccination programs, leaving the world’s poorest nations in severe debt distress. While the proportion of the global population living in extreme poverty fell by nearly three-quarters from 1990 to 2014, that progress has stalled since then.
This is the crucial moment to reflect on Gates and his team’s narrative—given the gap between post-pandemic setbacks and the challenges posed by Trump’s policies, the Gates Foundation will emphasize once more the potential of biomedical tools and life-saving innovations in the current development landscape, including advancements in AI. They envision a future where the Gates Foundation is no longer needed. This vision is undeniably attractive. But with the challenges ahead, can it truly be realized?
During two days in late April, I engaged in discussions with Gates about the current state and legacy of his philanthropy, reviewing both accomplishments and setbacks thus far, as well as the challenges yet to come. Below is a revised, condensed account of those conversations, capturing his optimistic, detailed, confident, and at times bold perspective as he describes the coming decades as an “era of miracles,” representing even more fundamental advancements than he has previously cited.
I. “Millions of Additional Child Deaths”
Let’s discuss the current tensions surrounding the Trump administration. It appears that the administration is poised to abandon foreign aid entirely, leaving millions of people and many global institutions in jeopardy. How dire is this situation?
A man lay on the sidewalk in New York City, injured by a gunshot, holding his side.
Emily Bolgaard, a social worker providing supplies to the homeless through her nonprofit, discovered him and prepared to call 911. Nonetheless, the man pleaded with her not to make the call.
“No, no, no,” he insisted.
Bolgaard attempted to reassure him that federal law mandated hospitals to treat patients regardless of immigration status, but his fear was palpable.
“He expressed, ‘If I go to the emergency department, I’ll be on their radar,'” she recounted in an interview about the event.
Across the nation, healthcare professionals are increasingly worried that individuals with severe medical issues, including injuries and chronic illnesses, are forgoing treatment due to fears of arrest by immigration officials. After the Trump administration’s announcement of extensive deportation plans, the Biden administration’s strategy of safeguarding areas like hospitals and clinics has led to a noticeable increase in patient anxiety and a decrease in treatment uptake.
If this trend persists, healthcare professionals indicate that the consequences could be severe. Uncontrolled infectious diseases could spread, healthcare costs would rise due to untreated chronic conditions, and complications during childbirth may pose increased risks to women delaying care.
In a KFF survey, 31% of immigrants reported concerns that their status (or that of family members) could adversely affect their health. About 20% of all surveyed migrants shared struggles with diet and sleep, while 31% experienced increased stress and anxiety.
A White House representative did not respond to a request for comment. Following the announcement on January 21 to end protections at hospitals, a statement from the Department of Homeland Security indicated that the updated policy was “designed to enforce immigration laws and apprehend criminal foreigners.”
“We are not only creating significant health risks, but also long-term economic risks for our nation,” stated Julie Linton, a pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Federal Committee. “These policies instill very real fear and uncertainty among people, drastically impacting their daily functioning.”
Chronic Conditions
Numerous immigrant communities grapple with a high prevalence of chronic diseases, including hypertension and diabetes. Without treatment, this can lead to serious complications like heart attacks and strokes.
Doctors express concern for patients like Maria, a 47-year-old pre-diabetic woman who has visited the same primary care clinic since arriving in the U.S. from El Salvador two decades ago. Even during the first Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants, she sought medical care consistently. However, after protections around hospitals were lifted earlier this year, Maria canceled her appointment to check her blood sugar.
“We are in the clinic and deeply afraid of ICE arriving while we wait,” she said in Spanish.
Maria, who requested to remain anonymous, described herself as being in “continuous anguish.” She is formulating a plan to care for her American citizen child in the event she and her husband are deported.
One of her daughters, aged 15, is being treated for fatty liver disease, while another child requires care for developmental issues. Their eldest daughter has a doctor’s appointment scheduled for June. Maria and her husband wish to continue their child’s treatment but are apprehensive about attending appointments alone. “It’s very complicated,” Maria said. “I can risk myself for my child, but when it comes to my own health, I prefer to let it go.”
The repercussions of forgoing regular medical care can escalate quickly. Jim Manzia, president of St. John’s Community Health Network in Los Angeles, described a diabetic patient who ceased attending weekly diabetes education classes. Upon contacting her, the clinic staff discovered she was too terrified to even go grocery shopping and had subsisted on tortillas and coffee for days.
“We’re thankful we managed to reach her and that she came in,” Manzia noted. The network serves approximately 25,000 undocumented patients across more than 20 locations. Clinic exams indicated her blood sugar levels were dangerously elevated.
“This is becoming increasingly common,” Manzia lamented. “It breaks my heart to discuss these situations.”
Acute Care
In emergency care settings, doctors have noted several unusual indicators reflecting the impact of immigration enforcement. For instance, Dr. Amy Zidan, an emergency physician in Atlanta, reported a more than 60% decline in requests for Spanish interpretation in her hospital’s emergency department from January to February.
Theresa Cheng, an ER physician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, recounted an incident where one of her residents cared for an immigrant patient who had sustained multiple facial fractures from an assault but hadn’t sought care for over two weeks. “There is an overwhelming sense of fear,” Dr. Cheng stated.
In late January, Dr. Cheng treated a patient with severely untreated diabetes. The undocumented woman shared her terror and had been waiting for assistance. Tragically, she passed away that same day.
Dr. Carolina Miranda, a family physician in the Bronx, discussed a patient granted legal asylum, yet fearing ICE, who missed an appointment regarding a potential brain tumor.
Similar delays and cancellations have been observed among pregnant women and new mothers nationwide. Dr. Caitlyn Bernard, an obstetrician in Indiana, noted a patient who skipped a postnatal visit, indicating she no longer felt safe leaving her house. Staff on the obstetrics floor of a San Diego hospital reported a significant drop in immigrant women experiencing acute pregnancy-related issues following the administration change.
“These women undeniably still exist,” a doctor, choosing to remain anonymous due to institutional restrictions on public statements, expressed. “I fear this will drive up maternal mortality rates over time.”
Children’s Health
Many children of immigrant parents who skip appointments or leave prescriptions unfilled are American citizens. In mixed-status families, parents facing deportation often hesitate to bring their children to clinics or pharmacies.
Pediatricians serving underserved populations in Central Coast California reported a 30% increase in missed child appointments. Many families who sought professional care for their children, including evaluations for speech therapy and autism, cited fear as a barrier, with some wishing to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of their situations.
Dr. Tania Caballero, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins, has encountered parents reluctant to visit emergency rooms, including those with children suffering from chronic conditions such as cerebral palsy, asthma, and diabetes.
“I tell my patients, ‘I cannot control what happens outside of my clinic. I can’t ensure against an ICE visit, but you know me, and I possess the resources to help you navigate this journey together,'” she explained.
Some parents facing dire circumstances, like those of children undergoing cancer treatment, believed their child’s medical conditions might shield them. They sought letters from pediatricians outlining their child’s medical needs, hoping this information would convince immigration authorities to allow them to remain in the U.S. for survival.
Dr. Lisa Gwyn, a pediatrician in South Florida, reported alarming drops in patient attendance as families from the Caribbean and South America miss essential pediatric vaccinations needed to prevent illnesses like measles, pneumonia, and whooping cough.
Dr. Gwyn also expressed concern for children who have endured significant trauma before arriving in the U.S. and who are not connected with social workers or psychologists for needed support.
“Imagine a child living in a home filled with fear. They came to this country hoping to find safety, only to feel afraid again,” she said. “We understand that prolonged stress negatively impacts health. Children who are stressed perform poorly in school and often battle mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.”
Hospital Dilemma
Some medical facilities have stated they will comply with immigration authorities. NYU Langone has issued warnings to employees cautioning against attempting to shield undocumented patients. However, many other health centers and organizations are finding ways to protect their patients by displaying “Know Your Rights” information and advising staff not to log immigration status in patients’ medical records.
Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article detailing how physicians continue to provide healthcare while legally distancing themselves from ICE requests.
The St. John’s Clinic Network in Los Angeles recently instituted an ambitious home visit initiative where doctors, nurses, and medical assistants conduct examinations and deliver medication, working to inform all undocumented patients of this service.
The New York Regional Hospital Association proposed designating a “hospital contact” to quickly guide law enforcement to private offices, emphasizing the necessity of viewing signed warrants.
In the emergency department at University Hospital, a safety-net facility in Newark, staff distribute cards in Spanish and other languages to remind patients of their rights, stating, “You have the right to refuse consent to searches of yourself, your car, or your home.”
Yet, fear remains palpable. Dr. Annaly M. Baker, an emergency physician, recounted witnessing a young woman who had been beaten unconscious waiting for hours to receive care.
Dr. Baker also attended to a minor who had been stabbed but required parental consent for treatment. The boy was reluctant to provide details, fearing that his parents might be caught in immigration enforcement.
What troubles Dr. Baker most is the number of people who never seek treatment at all.
“The tragic message to these individuals is to remain hidden, and I hope you don’t die,” she remarked.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns about the safety of mRNA vaccines for Covid-19. Scientists have sought funding from the National Institutes of Health: Scrub their grants of mRNA references. State legislatures nationwide are debating bills that aim to ban or limit these vaccines. Weapons of mass destruction.
Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have gained significant attention recently, though they were first discovered in 1961. Since then, scientists have explored their potential in preventing infections and treating cancer and rare diseases.
What is mRNA?
mRNA is a large molecule present in all cells, serving as a template to produce the proteins encoded by our DNA. It carries instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the cell’s protein synthesis machinery. According to Jeff Koller, a professor of RNA biology and therapy at Johns Hopkins University, a single mRNA molecule can generate multiple copies of a protein, and is designed to break down after fulfilling its role.
How do mRNA vaccines work?
Currently, there are three FDA-approved mRNA vaccines for older adults. These vaccines utilize strands of mRNA that encode specific viral proteins.
Upon receiving a Covid-19 vaccine, the mRNA chains, encapsulated in tiny fat particles, enter muscle and immune cells, explained Robert Alexander Wesselhoif, director of the RNA Therapy Institute at Mass General Brigham’s Institute of Genetic and Cell Therapy. These intracellular factories then use mRNA instructions to produce proteins resembling those on the Covid-19 virus surface. The body perceives these proteins as foreign, triggering an immune response.
While most mRNA degrades within days, the body keeps a “memory” in the form of antibodies, noted Dr. Koller. As with other vaccines, immunity may wane over time, requiring updates for new variants.
Why are mRNA vaccines being used now?
In the mid-2000s, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered a method to introduce foreign mRNA into human cells without it degrading first, paving the way for vaccine development.
Currently, the primary application of these vaccines is to prevent infectious diseases like Covid-19 and RSV, according to Dr. Wesselhoeft, who founded a company focused on RNA therapy. mRNA vaccines can be developed quickly, as the non-RNA components remain consistent across different vaccines.
This rapid development could aid in creating annual flu vaccines, stated Florian Krammer, a virologist from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Typically, choice of flu vaccine strains is made in late winter, but mRNA vaccines can adapt more swiftly, allowing for better efficacy against circulating strains.
Are these vaccines safe?
A common question is whether mRNA vaccines can impact DNA. Dr. Boucher clarified that this is not possible; mRNA cannot be converted into DNA or integrated into the genome.
Covid-19 vaccines may cause temporary muscle pain and other mild side effects, as noted by Dr. Krammer.
Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infection specialist in New York, remarked that in the over four years since the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, there have been “no long-term safety signals.” He noted parental concerns regarding myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, but emphasized that the risks associated with actual Covid-19 infections far outweigh those of vaccination.
What additional applications does mRNA have?
mRNA-based vaccines may target a variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular conditions, autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes, and rare diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
For cancer, the concept is that mRNA can encode tumor-associated proteins, prompting an immune response against tumors. In genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis, mRNA can produce a functional version of a missing protein, restoring normal function in affected tissues.
A recent paper published in Nature outlined an experimental mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer, which elicited immune responses in some patients post-surgery. Those who experienced immune activation had improved survival rates compared to those who did not.
Another study on monkeys investigated inhaled mRNA therapy aimed at producing proteins necessary for cilia formation, which play a crucial role in clearing mucus in the airways. This therapy targets dysfunctions associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
This research is in its preliminary stages, with the Phase I trial for pancreatic cancer involving only 16 patients, which may lead to variability in survival outcomes. Dr. Stephen Rosenberg, an expert in cancer immunotherapy at the National Cancer Institute, has indicated that interventions can stimulate immune responses without significantly altering patient outcomes.
Dr. Richard Boucher, a pulmonary scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, noted that targeting the correct cells with mRNA-carrying particles for lung diseases is particularly challenging.
Overall, Dr. Ratner described mRNA vaccines as “exciting” and holding promise for treating conditions where prior technologies have struggled. However, he cautioned that mRNA therapies should be seen as one of many drug technologies, with varying efficacy depending on the illness.
Severe thunderstorms in April resulted in historic downpours and flooding across Arkansas, Kentucky, and other states, exacerbated by climate change.
This information comes from the World Weather Attributes Project, a consortium of scientists studying major weather events in relation to climate change.
From April 3 to April 6, heavy rainfall hit the southeastern U.S., leading to widespread flooding, flood warnings for over 70 million individuals, at least 15 fatalities, the sweeping away of vehicles, and train derailments.
By utilizing climate models alongside historical data, researchers examined storm systems across eight affected states and concluded that the current weather patterns were approximately 9% more intense due to global warming, with a 40% increased likelihood compared to a scenario without such warming.
Ben Clark, a researcher at Imperial College London, stated, “We conclude that the existing 1.3 degrees Celsius of warming has intensified the extreme rainfall leading to flooding in the region. A warmer atmosphere retains more moisture.”
The outcome was severe flooding in Frankfort, Kentucky, along with a rainy day in the Midwest on April 7th. Leandro Lozada/AFP Getty Images file
The 1.3 degrees reference indicates how much warmer the planet has become in Celsius since humanity began releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere post-Industrial Revolution—a conversion of approximately 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clark noted that the probability estimates from the group are conservative. The researchers identified a unique weather configuration that contributed to the extreme rainfall.
Shell Winkley, a meteorologist with Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization involved in the report, explained that a low-pressure system interacting with a high-pressure ridge caused the thunderstorms to repeatedly affect the same areas in the Southeast and Midwest.
“This front was the route through which these storms moved, and there was also a trigger mechanism. The thunderstorms accumulated rain on already saturated soil,” Winkley noted. “This event is a fascinating intersection of weather and climate change.”
According to Winkley, the National Weather Service issued the third highest weather warning on April 2.
“By the end of the day, the National Weather Service had released 728 separate thunderstorm and tornado warnings from various offices, with numerous locations experiencing extreme rainfall between April 3 and April 6, with some areas seeing up to 16 inches,” Winkley explained.
After a significant storm in Portageville, Missouri on April 7th, vehicles navigate through flooded streets. Scott Olson/Getty Images File
Upon reviewing historical rainfall from April, researchers indicated that similar storm systems are anticipated every century in the current warm climate.
Gerald Brotzge, a Kentucky climatologist and professor at the University of Kentucky Western University, initially approached such studies with skepticism, particularly those linking large-scale flooding to climate change without accounting for unique weather setups. However, he found this study credible.
Brotzge remarked, “It appears they conducted a thorough analysis. In this instance, a stagnant boundary allowed thunderstorms to constantly form in the same locality—an accurate observation.”
Brotzge noted that Kentucky has warmed by nearly 1.8 degrees Celsius (approximately 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) over the last 130 years and has been experiencing increased rainfall.
“Our annual rainfall has risen by about 10%,” Brotzge stated. “Half of our ten wettest years have occurred since 2011, with 2011 being the wettest and 2018 as the second wettest.”
The World Weather Attribution is a team of scientists who quickly assess the influence of climate change on extreme weather events. Their methodology has undergone peer review, though some analyses are not immediately reviewed. Previous studies by the group on heatwaves, wildfires, and hurricanes have also faced academic scrutiny.
Utah and Tennessee have enacted laws mandating that foods containing vaccines be categorized as drugs, despite the fact that such products are not currently available. Legislators reference a University of California study that investigates the possibility of incorporating vaccines into lettuce.
“We’ll consume this batch of lettuce, take these mRNA vaccines, and then retest the DNA. The results will likely differ. This poses a risk.”
In reality, mRNA vaccines cannot alter genetic material because they do not interact with the cell nucleus, where DNA is located. While small amounts of DNA may be present in all vaccines—similar to what can be found in influenza vaccines—the Food and Drug Administration enforces strict limitations, typically rendering these levels negligible. Researchers have been exploring mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer for years, dating back to the 1990s with mice, and human trials since the early 2000s. Vaccines containing live viruses have recognized side effects; mRNA vaccines generally experience fewer adverse reactions compared to traditional vaccines.
“mRNA is not a foreign agent. It is something we are regularly exposed to,” stated Melissamua, Chief Science Officer at Moderna, the producer of the COVID vaccine. “Every time you consume whole foods, meat, or vegetables, you ingest substantial amounts of mRNA, which your body degrades and utilizes.”
Even should the bill fail to pass, its advocates assert they are in it for the long haul. Last month, Minnesota Republicans introduced a proposal to classify mRNA products as weapons of mass destruction, adding them to a list including natural PO, charcoal, bacteria, and mustard gas. This initiative mirrored the language of a bill drafted by Florida hypnotist Joseph Santhorne. In his newsletter, Mr. Santhornelauded local Republican groups for passing resolutions supporting the ban and urged his followers to participate in political events to confront officials.
“It ‘punches them in their eyes,'” he remarked. “It carries significant psychological impact.”
something exciting is coming to Grand Theft Auto Universe next year. This isn’t just about stunning graphics or uncharted territories in Rockstar’s version of the US; it goes much deeper. If you caught the recently released second trailer for GTA6, it was unveiled mercilessly just days after the announcement that the game won’t be available until May next year. What’s new is romance.
The main characters in this latest gangster saga are Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, two young lovers from rough backgrounds. He’s a former attire turned drug runner, while she’s just out of prison and determined to create a better life for herself and her beloved mother. Their paths cross as they devise plans to escape their gritty surroundings. However, when a seemingly straightforward robbery takes a dangerous turn, they find themselves entangled in a sprawling criminal conspiracy. If Rockstar is telling a love story, you can bet it includes an Underworld Kingpin, gang members, conspiracy theorists, and a horrifying array of corrupt politicians.
Slazy Rider…Grand Theft Auto 6. Illustration: Rockstar Game
But how do writers create a couple that resonates with the series’ tone and lore? Traditionally, it has focused on deeply flawed, solitary characters like the PTSD-afflicted veteran Nico Bellic and the volatile Trevor Phillips. There was a brief romantic subplot in previous games—Mercedes Cortes, CJ’s short affair, the entanglements of Catalina in San Andreas, and the flirtations woven throughout Tommy Vercetti’s escapades. Even Trevor’s odd interactions with Patrice in GTA5 featured sparse love stories filled with Stockholm syndrome. Yet, in these narratives, emotional dynamics often took a backseat to violent heists and adrenaline-fueled car chases. The GTA universe has been largely nihilistic, emphasizing individualism often accompanied by a façade of camaraderie before brutal betrayal. However, the new GTA trailer hints at a fresh integrity. “Rather than superficial fantasies, Lucia is prepared to seize control. A life with Jason could lead her to new horizons.”
Writers still look to cinema for inspiration. With its themes of violence and luxury cars under the sun, Vice City drew from Scarface and Miami Vice. GTA: San Andreas channeled the cinematic essence of early ’90s South Central LA through films by John Singleton and the Hughes brothers. GTA 4 took cues from French crime dramas and Russian gangster films. Already, GTA6 is drawing comparisons to Bonnie and Clyde, another tale of troubled lovers willing to risk everything for love. Yet, Rockstar seems to have delved deeper, studying the true romance depicted in Sam Peckinpah’s classics and Terrence Malick’s Badlands—a story of a thrilling but ultimately discontent couple. Even Natural Born Killers may provide surreal inspiration for this new arc.
Regardless, this is timely. With all its satire and moral ambiguity, GTA titles have often lacked subtlety. Relationship dynamics have traditionally been tied to the honor code of dysfunctional families and the hypermasculine gangland ethos. This series has never featured a female lead protagonist until now. We’re witnessing the emergence of new dynamics.
Perhaps GTA will approach romance similarly to how it has explored friendship in the past. Take Roman and Nico in GTA 4, who embody contrasts of darkness and violence alongside meaningful risks. Expect minimal player influence in the relationship’s development since GTA isn’t a strict role-playing adventure. Story progression hinges more on actions rather than dialogue. However, I’m curious about what the writers have observed about human behavior from the increasingly popular multiplayer spinoff, GTA Online, where dedicated role-playing servers have fostered virtual relationships.
In any case, I’m rooting for Lucia and Jason. They represent some of the most intriguing characters we’ve seen in the series—already generating buzz online as fans have shipped them. While Rockstar’s art team typically depicts characters as reflections of internal decay, these two are undeniably attractive and share a strong chemistry. Perhaps Rockstar recognizes that the current state of the world—and perhaps our desires—yearns for genuine romantic connection. Next May, expect both love and bullets to fly.
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