It is not well known how lightning starts in a thunderstorm. With the newly developed 3D mapping and polarization system, physicists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory observed that some lightning not only began with positive high-speed discharges, but also faster and wider negative discharges soon began. Surprisingly, the signal polarization is tilted from the direction of the discharge propagation, and the polarization of the two opposite discharges rotates towards each other, indicating that the initiating high-speed discharge is not driven solely by the storm electric field. The authors analyzed these observations in a cosmic ray shower and found that these seemingly strange features could be consistently explained.
Lightning starts with a positive fast discharge followed by a faster, broader negative discharge observed in 3D. The signal polarization from the direction of discharge propagation tilts and rotates between two opposite high-speed discharges. These functions are through a cosmic ray shower that pretreats the discharge path and directs the direction of the discharge current. Image credit: ELG21.
“Scientists still don’t fully understand how lightning starts in a thunderstorm,” says Dr. Xuan-Min Shao, the lead author of the study.
“We noticed an unusual pattern of how lightning started using 3D radio frequency mapping and polarization techniques. Instead of a speedy electrical discharge, the flash of lightning quickly, faster, and negative emissions followed.”
Generally, after the opposition to electrical charge (positive and negative) is separated by clouds, lightning begins, resulting in the emissions that people consider lightning.
In their study, utilizing an innovative, Los Alamos-developed mapping and polarization system called BIMAP-3D, Dr. Xiao and colleagues observed that signal polarization from these discharges had a diagonal pattern from the direction of propagation.
This indicates that something other than the electric field played a role in the initiation of lightning.
In addition to being oblique, physicists have noticed that the direction of polarization has changed between positive and negative emissions.
They attribute this behavior to cosmic ray showers, high-energy particles from spaces entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
These cosmic rays can generate secondary high-energy electrons and positrons in the atmosphere, further ionizing the air, creating paths into thunder, and travel faster after lightning.
Researchers found that high-energy electrons and positrons are pushed in different directions by the Earth’s magnetic field and the cloud’s electric field, leading to oblique discharge currents, i.e. tilted polarization from the path of the cosmic ray shower.
Positrons and electrons were deflected in different directions of the electromagnetic field, explaining why they behaved differently between fast positive and negative discharges.
“This concept can also explain the common case that involves only high-speed positive discharges, and therefore the onset of most lightning flashes,” the scientist said.
Their result It was released on March 3rd Journal of Go Physical Research: Atmosphere.
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Xuan-Min Shao et al. 2025. 3D radio frequency mapping and polarization observations show that a flash of lightning was ignited by a cosmic ray shower. JGR atmosphere 130 (5): E2024JD042549; doi: 10.1029/2024JD042549
Antarctic adelie penguins are under threat from bird flu
Steve Bloom Images/Aramie Stock Photos
H5N1 bird flu was first discovered in a dead bird in Antarctica. Fatal tensions in avian flu are currently spreading south along the Antarctic Peninsula, with devastating consequences for wildlife such as penguins and could spread across the continent.
“It’s scary. Luckily, it only affects a few. [birds]”I say Juliana Viana at the Pope Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. “I hope it stays that way, but the bird flu in Chile and Peru was a disaster. It killed thousands of seabirds and sea lions.”
Between November 2024 and January 2025, Vianna’s team investigated 16 nesting sites for seabirds along the Antarctic Peninsula. Researchers found 35 dead Skuas with no signs of injury. Samples from 11 bodies were found to be positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus that has spread around the world in recent years.
Skuas removes corpses and is ahead of other birds, so eating infected birds is particularly likely to cause infection. Skuas in this area are hybrids between the Antarctic (Stercorarius Maccormicki) and brown (Stercorarius Antarcticus)SKUAS.
So far, no other species of birds have been confirmed, but Vianna says she was also said to have been found dead on March 9th. “We spoke with the Chilean Antarctic Institute,” she says. “They saw the dead squau and the penguin.”
As penguins breed in dense colonies, there is a fear that H5N1 spreads rapidly between them, killing most of several groups. Some penguin species may be resistant, as birds’ susceptibility to H5N1 varies from species to species, Vianna said.
The highly pathogenic form of H5N1 avian influenza has been circulating in Europe, Asia and Africa since 2020, killing many wild birds and causing outbreaks on poultry farms. For example, in the UK, H5N1 was killed A quarter of Gannett 2023.
In 2021, it arrived in North America and was later found to infect dairy cows’ breasts and spread between them. By the end of 2022 it had spread to the southern tip of South America, killing thousands of marine mammals and many different species of birds along the way.
The sick brown squat and giant plaster on Bird Island, just off a large island in South Georgia, tested positive for the virus in 2023. South Georgia is approximately 1,500 km from the Antarctic Peninsula.
“Reported deaths of SKUAS are of concern,” he says. Thijs Kuiken At Rotterdam, the University of Erasmus, Netherlands. Some species in the area are only found on small islands and could be wiped out by avian flu, he says.
However, the tests described in Vianna’s study only show that SKUA has been infected with H5 influenza, and Kuiken does not know whether it is a highly pathogenic form.
Vianna says that’s correct, but samples were sent for additional tests not detailed in the paper. “So it’s been confirmed as a highly pathogenic avian flu,” she says.
On February 25th, another group of researchers reported Find H5N1 in the Closet and Kergellen archipelago In the Indian Ocean near Antarctica, where the virus killed elephant seals and several species of birds. That is, the virus moved towards Australia and New Zealand along the way in Antarctica. This is the only major country that is free from the virus.
tThere’s a lot happening in the world of video games and AI generators right now. Both Microsoft and Google have developed models that allow you to imagine a virtual world, albeit with some limitations. People are also using Grok, the Gen-AI chatbot from Elon Musk’s Xai, to create basic clones of old arcade games.
All you have to do is type “write.” On February 21st, Xai employee Taylor Silveira claimed to have created an exact replica of the 1980 Coinop Pac-Man using Grok 3. This version of Pac-Man includes dots, power pills, fruit, and all ghosts moving around the maze.
The key takeaway is that as long as the AI has the right commands in its software, it can generate a version within seconds. But how accurate are these Pac-Man clones really? Can just anyone create them? To answer these questions, I randomly approached some individuals in X who had posted their own Grok Pac-Man clones and asked them about their process.
I’ll give it a shot
John Hester’s Pacman. Illustration: Generated by AI
Author: John Hester, @hesterjohn Time spent: 2 hours
First up, we have John Hester, a retired corporate software developer from California. When asked about Grok, Hester describes it as a large-scale language model (LLM) that competes with other models like ChatGpt and Llama. According to him, Grok 3 is the most advanced and continuously learns new things.
Hester’s experience with creating a Pac-Man clone using Grok was positive. He was able to give basic instructions to the AI and received a version of Pac-Man in seconds. Despite a few tweaks needed, Hester was impressed with Grok’s capabilities. He rates his experience 3 out of 5 stars.
Hester also mentions Elon Musk’s plans to use Grok for game development and emphasizes the cautious optimism surrounding AI advancements.
When her school closed in March 2020, Baltimore English teacher Chimere Sweeney thought that once the US got the new SARS-COV-2 virus, she would return to her students. But “There was another plan in life,” she said when she quickly got Covid and never recovered.
Initially, Sweeney developed only muscle pain. By the second week she began having panic attacks, blurry vision, constipation and partial hearing loss. Half of her face freezes “like concrete.” She forgot her phone number and address and stuttered. Within a month of contracting, she lost 30 pounds.
“In two weeks, I was told I would be better,” said Sweeney, now 42. “But my two weeks didn't come.”
Almost five years later, she still suffers from severe whole body pain, insomnia, depression, painful rash and boiling, uncontrollable urination, short-term memory loss and irregular periods.
“I'm a healthy 37-year-old woman and I might have had to pop allergy pills many times, but I took 10-12 medications per day to control almost every system in my body,” Sweeney said.
The World Health Organization characterized Covid as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, so scientists don't fully understand why some people develop chronic diseases and disordered conditions after their first virus infection. The US may have come throughout the winter after the first pandemic without a massive surge in cases, but each infection is at risk of developing a long community. Some scientists are looking for a new type of clinical trial designed for the longest and most debilitating covid patients.
Long covid is known to be the cause Over 200 different symptoms There are no approved tests or recommended treatments in almost 12 organ systems, including those of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, eyes and skin. Research shows long covid It's more common for middle-aged people, especially women and those with weakened immune systems, but anyone who catches the virus can get it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there is one in every 20 adults in the United States, or about 14 million. Living with a long covid. Other data shows that 5.8 million children It may be affected by the condition as well. However, experts say these numbers are likely to be underestimated as there is no official surveillance system in place.
Billion Dollar Research Initiative Called Recover Started by the National Institutes of Health, finding the causes and potential treatments of covid, I've reached that promisesays scientists and patient advocates.
Meanwhile, experts fear that extreme cuts in federal spending by the Trump administration could be possible It undermines long Covid's research effortswhich could further delay the discovery of treatment. Last month, President Donald Trump ended his secretary as a health and welfare secretary Advisory Committee on Long Covid.
This indefinite dye microscope image, available to the US National Institutes of Health in February 2020, shows the novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2, shown in yellow, emerges from the cell surface and is cultured in laboratory culture.niaid-rml via AP file
W. Medical Director, UT Health Austin. Dr. Michael Broad Post-Covid-19 Program In Texas, “We build boats while we're at the sea and we're trying to understand together. [with patients] …But we need to build on the progress we have already made. ”
“We are not offering answers that are worthy of the public health crisis we are facing,” he said.
Causes of long covids
SARS-COV-2, which causes Covid, is not the only virus that causes prolonged symptoms. Another condition called myalgia encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) shares many similarities with the long community; Caused by infection Among other things, Epstein Barr, influenza, and water cell-zoster virus.
Brode said Covid is unique because it is more likely to cause chronic disease than other pathogens. It has not yet been determined why it could lead to long-term symptoms. Experts have come to several theories so far.
One idea is that Virus remains hidden in different tissues Broad said after the infection subsided. These viral particles continue to thrust and stimulate the immune system in ways that cause long covid symptoms.
Another potential cause is Reactivation of other virusessitting in a dormant state of people's bodies, such as EBV and HIV.
Dr. Igor Coralnik, co-director of Northwest Medicine's Comprehensive COVID-19 Centre, said Covid could also trick the immune system into producing antibodies that attack people's own healthy organs and tissues.
Some evidence shows covid It affects the inner layer of blood vesselswhich leads to the formation of small clots and helps explain the symptoms, such as irregular heartbeat and heart failure, that some long-term community patients experience, Koralnik said.
It is unclear whether one or a combination of these factors will cause long covid, experts say. But the evidence suggests that they are all linked to an increase in inflammation in the body, Coralnik said, it's yours The risk of long covid increases with each covid infection.
“It's like a river that's over a dam,” Coralnik said. “The more episodes of Covid, the higher the river levels will go to where it is overflowing, and there will be a long flood of COVID symptoms.”
Diagnosis of long covids can be complicated
There are diagnostic tools to check for long covid symptoms, such as MRI scans for heart abnormalities. There are no tests that can diagnose the condition Or distinguish it from similar diseases, the CDC says.
As a result, people need to stay away from work, school or other responsibilities and endure numerous clinical tests and scans that are not only expensive, but also stressful and time-consuming. This is a broad exclusion process that prevents people from getting the help they need, Broad said.
Eye, intestine, and immune system clue
The current challenge is to find one or more biomarkers of genes, proteins, or other substances associated with a particular condition that will help diagnose long covid.
a Recover your research Released last year, routine lab tests, including 25 standard blood and urine tests, showed little difference in biomarkers, with or without previous symbiotic infections. Researchers concluded that these tests may not be useful in the diagnosis of long-term COVID.
Koralnik and his team recently discovered that people with long covids are reducing blood flow in small blood vessels in the retina. This reduced flow is thought to reduce blood circulation in and around the brain, and the small organelles called mitochondria, which convert oxygen into energy, are described as “toxic.”
This theory can explain why many people with long covid experience cognitive problems, fatigue and exercise intolerance, Coralnik said. Overall, the findings published in the Journal of Imaging in February are The retina can become a long covid biomarker.
Other studies suggest that biomarkers may be present in the gut and immune system, but Brode noted that these early findings are based on small groups of people and should be considered in salt grains.
As useful as diagnostic tests, experts say that for those with prolonged symptoms, some experts should not slow scientists in searching for long covid treatments.
Julia Moore Vogel, senior program director at Scripps Research, and Patient-led research cooperation Regarding long covid, he said that other conditions like migraines do not have reliable biomarkers or tests to confirm the diagnosis. Several drugs have been approved To handle it.
“I think we'll get there,” said Vogel, a long-distance runner before developing the long-time Covid in 2020. “But I personally don't think it should contain anything.”
Unfortunate advances in long covid treatments
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved treatments, particularly for long covids. Experts are not sure if they'll get it anytime soon.
“When I first got sick, I was OK, I had to survive for just three to five years. At least, I think I have options as I have decent symptom management trial data. But we've made little progress in treatment,” Vogel said. “There are currently promising research beginning, but it's not close to the amount that should be burdened by the disease.”
Most clinical trials test whether medications used to treat other conditions are useful for long-term COVID. For example, researchers at the University of British Columbia Low-dose naltrexone – Approved drugs for opioid and alcohol use disorders. The drug is thought to have anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties and is used off-label in people with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, making it potential as a long-term symbiotic treatment.
Other drugs Barishinibapproved for treating rheumatoid arthritis and acute charlation, and Temelimabuexperimental drugs often administered to people with multiple sclerosis have also been investigated as potential long covid treatments.
Instead of a particular treatment, people with long covids must balance rest and activity in a strategy called pacing and undergo physical and cognitive behavioral therapy for further support. Many people will often rely on several drugs, including antiviral Paxlovid, to treat symptoms.
But realistically, “we may not actually have one silver bullet treatment,” says Alison Cohen, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who coexisted for three years for a long time. Cohen said that long covid will take a “multi-faceted approach” to take a “multi-faceted approach” in a very diverse way.
What will you do in the future for recovery?
As long as SARS-COV-2 continues to spread, everyone is at risk of a long Covid, Cohen said. And now, evidence shows that recovery from the condition is rare. A survey released last month found it Only about 6% of people with long covid recover According to Cohen, two years later. Covid vaccinations were associated with better long-term recovery, especially among those who won booster shots.
People who improve are experiencing many “ups and downs,” Coralnik said. “You need to expect a lot of collisions on the road.”
“Living with a long Covid is tiring,” Cohen said. “So for everyone who doesn't live with it, it's important to think about what we can do to support those who have them.”
In the meantime, clinical trials must be designed to accommodate and include the patients they intend, Vogel said. Many people are tied to their homes and beds and cannot travel due to the risk of multiple in-person visits or flare-ups of symptoms, she added. “There are too many things you can't know until you put them on the table,” she said.
Although we don't know when a long community community finally gets the answers and security they need, Vogel keeps her head high.
“We know we can do that. We are confident that a well-designed and well-tested exam will at least improve the quality of life. “But I can't think of any other way. I can't accept that this is for my life.”
Serhiihudak/ukrinform/future Publishing by Getty Images
Frequent blood donors may be gaining more than a warm, ambiguous feeling from altruism, as giving blood can increase their ability to produce healthy blood cells and potentially reduce the risk of developing blood cancer.
Hector Huerga Encabo The Francis Crick Institute in London and his colleagues analyzed genetic data extracted from blood cells donated from 217 German men aged 60 to 72 years old. They also looked at samples from 212 men of similar age who donated their blood less than 10 times and found that frequent donors were likely to have blood cells with specific mutations in the genes called. dnmt3a.
To understand this difference, the team added genetically engineered human blood stem cells that produce all blood cells in the body along with these mutations, along with unmodified cells, to the lab dish. To mimic the effects of blood donation, they also added a hormone called EPO. This was the body produced it later and added it to part of the dish.
After 1 month, cells with frequent donor mutations grew 50% faster than cells without mutations, but only in dishes containing EPO. Without this hormone, both cell types would have grown at similar rates.
“It suggests that all blood donation, you have a burst of EPO in your system, and this will support the growth of these cells dnmt3a Mutations,” Encabo says.
To investigate whether it would be beneficial to enable more effectiveness of these mutated blood cells, the team mixed with cells with mutations that cause the risk of leukemia, and again discovered that in the presence of EPO, frequent don cells can effectively lay other blood cells. this is, dnmt3a Mutations are beneficial and may inhibit cancer cell growth, Encabo said.
“It appears that blood donations provide selection pressure to improve stem cell fitness and capacity to fill up.” Ash Toy At the University of Bristol, UK. “It may not only save someone’s life, it may also increase fitness in the blood system.”
I say it needs more work to see if this is really true Markman Soor University College London provides a very simplified picture of what happens in the body of a lab experiment. “This should be examined across much larger cohorts, different ethnicities, women and other age groups,” Mansour says. He also points out that there is no donor. dnmt3a Mutations may not see this benefit.
Apple’s most affordable new smartphone is the iPhone 16E, which provides a basic, up-to-date iPhone experience with the latest chips and AI features, albeit slightly fewer than the other models.
Priced at £599 (699 Euros/$599/$999), the iPhone 16E is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE line. While the iPhone SE retains the old-school thick design with a home button, the 16E features an iPhone 14 body with an iPhone 16 chip at a cost of £799.
In essence, the 16E boasts a full-screen design and an aluminum body. It was impressive for the iPhone 14, but it still holds up well today. The phone is lightweight and relatively compact. The 6.1-inch OLED screen is sizable and suitable for most tasks, although it falls short of the standard iPhone 16’s brightness.
The 16E retains the old-style face ID notch at the top of the screen instead of the new “Dynamic Island” used in the recent iPhone lineup. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Available only in black or white, the 16E features a convenient action button to replace the mute switch on older iPhones, but lacks a camera control button found in the rest of the iPhone 16 line.
The entire 16E comprises slight compromises compared to the standard iPhone 16 experience. It includes the iPhone’s first new, power-efficient Apple 5G modem, but only supports WiFi 6, not the latest WiFi 7. It lacks Thread Ultra Wideband Radio, the latter being used for Apple’s Discovering the Accuracy of Lost Items and other systems.
Action buttons can be used to replace the mute switch on your old iPhone, activate the torch, or access the camera and other features. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
In a new laboratory experiment, scientists at the University of Southern California showed that when mice encountered a social partner familiar with the unconscious state caused by anesthesia, they escalated to powerful behaviors such as biting or pulling their partner’s mouth and tongue, showing clear and consistent behavior.
Mice have their own “first aid” practices to help other mice in need. Image credits: Sun et al. , doi: 10.1126/science.adq2677.
“There are many factors that determine mammals’ empathy and social bonds,” says Professor Li Zhang, a researcher at the University of Southern California.
“However, this is the first time this study has seen first responder-like behavior in mice.”
New research shows that mice tend to help other mice they know to be unconscious.
Their responses range from mild sniffing and grooming to more powerful actions such as mouth and tongue biting, and eventually escalates to pulling the tongue out of the unconscious mouse.
“The behavior was particularly unique because it was similar to how humans behave in emergency responses. Dr. Wenzian Sang, PhD of the University of Southern California, said:
Interestingly, scientists were first witnessed rehabilitation behavior in mice paired together in an unrelated study.
When humans encounter unconscious individuals, emergency response changes, such as assessing the situation, checking for responsiveness, seeking help and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the individual.
The urgent “helper mice” target the unconscious companion’s mouth and tongue appears to improve their companion’s airways and lead to faster recovery,” said Huizhong Tao, professor at the University of Southern California.
“We learned in this study that tongue pulling between mice cannot be interpreted as an offensive gesture.”
“Social behavior in this study was significantly more pronounced among familiar mouse pairs, and was rarely seen when one of the paired mice was simply sleeping or active.”
“And also, after the unconscious mice regained consciousness, they regularly used their tongues.”
In this study, the authors utilized advanced neuroimaging and optogenetics to investigate the neural mechanisms behind social behavior in helper mice.
“One of the most interesting aspects of our neurologic observations was the discovery of the activation of oxytocin neuropeptides,” Professor Chan said.
“Oxytocin is widely known as a hormone that plays an important role in social bonds.”
“Oxytocin is sometimes called love hormone because it is linked to trust, bonding and affection.”
“This was the first study showing that oxytocin is an important factor in social ties in mice.”
“Our findings not only enhance our understanding of animal behavior, they also highlight the important role of the oxytocin system.
result It will be displayed in the journal Science.
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Wenjian Sang et al. 2025. Prosocial behaviors like resurrection in response to the unconscious or dead homologue of rodents. Science 387 (6736); doi:10.1126/science.adq2677
The ARP 105 features star and gas tide tails that exceed 362,000 light years.
The elliptical galaxy NGC 3561B (top left) and the Spiral Galaxy NGC 3561A (bottom right) form the ongoing merger-sparking guitar shapes known comprehensively as ARP.
ARP 105 It is located approximately 400 million light years from Earth, in the constellation of Ursa major.
Also known as NGC 3561, it was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on March 30, 1827.
It consists of two huge galaxies, the elliptical galaxy NGC 3561B and the Spiral Galaxy NGC 3561A.
“The ARP 105 is one of the brightest objects in the busy Galaxy Cluster Abell 1185,” Hubble Astronomers said in a statement.
“Abell 1185 is a chaotic cluster of at least 82 galaxies, many of which are not only interacting, but many wandering spherical clusters that are not gravity attached to a particular galaxy.”
The gravity dance between the NGC 3561B and NGC 3561A creates the features of an attractive collision galaxy.
“The giant tail is drawn from two galaxies by gravity interaction, embedding a cluster of stars and a galaxy of d star,” the astronomer said.
“The uniquely shaped arrangement of the galaxy and tail gives the grouping the nickname: guitar.”
“The long lanes of dark dust emerging from the NGC 3561b oval galaxy may be ingesting the bright blue region of star-forming at the bottom of the guitar known as Ambartsumian's Knot.”
“Ambartsumian's Knot is a tidal star galaxy. It is a type of star-forming system that develops from fragments of the tidal arms of interacting galaxies.”
“The two bright blue regions of star formation are evident in Hubble images at the edge of a distorted helical galaxy.”
“The region on the left of the spiral galaxy may be very similar to the knot of Ambartumian, the knot of intense star-forming knot caused by the merger.”
“The area on the right is still under investigation. It may be part of the collision, but its velocity and spectral data are different from the rest of the system, so it could be a galaxy in the foreground.”
“The thin, faint gas tips are barely visible that stretch between two galaxies.”
“These tendrils are of particular interest to astronomers as they may help define the timescale of this collision evolution.”
Paleontologists working in northern Patagonia, Argentina, have excavated fossils of a small Rinconsaurus titanosaurus, a previously unknown species.
Chadititan Kalboy. Image credit: Gabriel Rio.
The newly discovered dinosaurs roamed the globe during the late Cretaceous period, about 78 million years ago.
It has been named Chadititan Kalboythe ancient species belong to the Argentine Titanosaurus group Rinconsora.
“Rinconsen Auria was first established in 2007 with the aim of incorporating the genus. Rinconsaurus and Muirensaur“The “Bernardino Rivadavia” of Argentino de Ciencias Natures and the “Felix de Azara” of Fandacion de Historia Natural, said Dr. Federico Agnolin, a fellow paleontologist.
“This clade contains a tiny Titanosaurus, elongated, lightly constructed – less than 11 m in length.
According to researchers, Chadititan Kalboy It was a very small, Rinconsaurus Titanosaurus constructed of gracyl.
“Compared to the length of the femur Bonatitanestimated body length Chadititan It could be estimated to be about 7 m in length,” they said.
“The new Titanosaurus shows that the Rinconsau factions are characterized by a different physique than other Titanosaurus.
Fossilized bones from several individuals Chadititan Kalboy Fossils found in new areas of Analecto Layer Near General Roca City in the Rio Negro province of Argentina.
“The new area is located within Marine Family Farm, close to the Pasocordoba area, 10km southwest of the city of Loca,” the scientist said.
“The area consists of scattered bad lands and low hills separating the eastern edge of the lowlands of “Salinity Moreno.” ”
“They produced numerous fossil specimens despite their relatively small outcrop size.”
“It's worth mentioning that there is no single osteoderm from Chadititan Kalboy It was discovered in this area,” they added.
“We can assume that these Titanosaurs are absent because no osteoderms were found in connection with other Rinconsenserurs.”
In addition to Chadititan Kalboythe authors unearthed new assemblages of invertebrates and vertebrate fossils.
The collection includes gulfish, lungfish, turtles, crocodile parents, dinosaurs, snails and beetles deposited in small ponds surrounded by dunes and palm trees.
The team revealed the first fossil record of Neocyclotidae (a family of tropical land snails) and the first incontroversial record of Sabrinid genus Reptinariaa kind of small tropical air-breathing land snail.
“In addition to ” Chadititan KalboyFossils identifying mollusks, fish and turtles enrich our understanding of this ancient ecosystem and expand our knowledge of life in Patagonia near the end of the dinosaur era.”
“Just looking at the presence or absence of species in the area can suggest what makes the environment unique.”
“In this case, the rarity of turtle-rich turtles and crocodiles compared to regions in Europe and North America during this period further emphasizes how Patagonia's ecosystems differ when the continent drifted during the Cretaceous period.”
“One of the most prominent aspects of the discovered fauna is its overwhelming freshwater turtle abundance, accounting for more than 90% of the recovered fossils.”
“This high proportion is very rare. Turtles rarely make up more than 50% of fauna, like in joint locales in North America and Europe,” added Dr. Agnolin.
Team's paper Published in the journal Revista Del Museo Argentino Ciencias Naturales.
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Federico L. Agnoline et al. 2024. A description of a new fossil region from the Anagre Formation (Late Cretaceous, Campanian) from northern Patagonia, a new Titanosaurus. Pastor Argentina cienc. nut 26(2): 217-259; doi: 10.22179/revmacn.26.885
Donald Trump stated on Sunday that negotiations are ongoing with four interested parties looking to acquire TikTok, and the Chinese-owned app is facing an uncertain future in the United States.
According to U.S. law, TikTok was mandated to be sold by its Chinese owner or face a ban in the country. When asked about the possibility of a deal on Sunday, Trump told reporters, “It could happen.”
“We are in discussions with four different groups, and there is significant interest, ultimately the decision lies with me,” he said aboard Air Force 1.
“All four potential buyers are reputable,” he added.
The TikTok ban came into effect on January 19th due to concerns that the Chinese government could potentially exploit the video-sharing platform to spy on Americans and manipulate public opinion.
TikTok was temporarily removed from the U.S. market and disappeared from app stores as the legal deadline approached, leaving millions of users disappointed. Trump paused the ban two and a half months after starting his second term in January, seeking a resolution with Beijing. TikTok later resumed its operations in the U.S. and returned to the Apple and Google App Stores in February.
Among the potential TikTok buyers is an initiative called “The People’s Bid for TikTok,” spearheaded by real estate and sports mogul Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty Initiative. Another interested group includes Microsoft, Oracle, and internet personality MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson.
TikTok does not appear to be in a rush to sell its platform.
Physicists have long known that electrons can form vortices from quantum materials. What's new is evidence that these small particles create tornado-like structures in momentum space.
In quantum materials called Tantalum harsenide (TAAS), electrons form vortices in momentum space. Image credits: Think-Design / Jochen Thamm.
Momentum space is a fundamental physics concept that explains electron motion in terms of energy and orientation rather than precise physical location.
The counterpart, the position space, is an area where familiar phenomena such as water vortices and hurricanes occur.
Until now, even quantum vortices of materials have been observed only in positional space.
Eight years ago, Dr. Roderrich Mossner of the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems and the Excellence ct.qmat of the Würzburg Denden cluster theorized that quantum tornadoes could also form in momentum spaces.
At the time, he described this phenomenon as a smoke ring. Because, like a ring of smoke, it is made up of vortices.
But up until now, no one knew how to measure them.
To detect quantum tornadoes in momentum space, Dr. Moessner and colleagues have enhanced a well-known technique called ARPES (angle-resolved light emission spectroscopy).
“ARPES is a fundamental tool in experimental solid-state physics,” explained Dr. Maximilian ünzelmann, researcher at the University of Werzburg, the experimental Physik VII and the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence Cluster.
“It involves shining light on a material sample, extracting electrons, and measuring energy and outlet angles.”
“This allows us to see the electronic structure of the material directly in the momentum space.”
“By skillfully adapting this method, we were able to measure orbital angular momentum.”
Team's work It will be displayed in the journal Physics Review x.
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T. figgemeier et al. 2025. Imaging of orbital vortex lines in three-dimensional momentum space. Phys. Rev. X 15, 011032; doi:10.1103/physrevx.15.011032
Elon Musk stated on Monday that X was hit by a “massive cyberattack,” causing intermittent service disruptions that affected social media networks throughout the day. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, was unresponsive for many users as posts failed to load.
“We face attacks every day, but this one was well-resourced,” said the platform’s CEO. He posted, “Large, coordinated groups and/or countries are involved.”
Down detector, a website monitoring for outages, showed a spike in thousands of outage reports around 5:45 am on various platforms. Another surge in reported outages occurred around noon, with most issues happening on the company’s mobile app. Tweets that failed to display showed a “something went wrong” message prompting users to try reloading.
The world’s richest man did not provide evidence for his claim. His statements were in response to cryptocurrency influencers suggesting a pause following other resistance to Musk’s ventures. Protests against the “Ministry of Government Efficiency” initiative resulted in vandalism against Musk’s leadership and Tesla dealers in the previous week.
The CEO of SpaceX, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, alleged that the previous platform outage was due to a cyberattack. Musk previously claimed a “massive DDOS attack” caused the crash of his live-streamed interview with Donald Trump last year, although company sources later told The Verge there was no attack.
The X outage adds to the challenges facing Musk’s businesses and initiatives. A SpaceX rocket exploded in flight near the Bahamas on Friday, scattering debris. “Tesla Takedown” protests across the nation targeted Tesla dealers, with owners selling vehicles, and the company’s stock prices hitting a low on Monday. Trump also had a heated meeting with Musk and his Cabinet Secretary, hinting at curbing Musk’s influence against government officials who fired many from various agencies.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have produced the epic image of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 4900.
This Hubble image shows the NGC 4900, a spiral galaxy about 45 million light years away in the Virgo constellations. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/SJ Smartt/C. Kilpatrick.
NGC 4900 It is about 45 million light years away from the Virgo constellations.
Also known as the Leda 44797 or IRAS 12580+0246, this Spiral Galaxy has 66,000 light years.
The NGC 4900 was discovered by German and British astronomer William Herschel on April 30, 1786.
Galaxy is a member of the NGC 4753 group and a member of the Virgo II group.
“The data are more than 20 years apart in two different observational programs. This is a true testament to Hubble's long scientific life,” said the Hubble astronomer.
“Both programs aimed to understand the end of a giant star.”
“For one, researchers were aiming to study the locations of past supernovaes, estimate the masses of the exploded stars, and investigate how the supernova interacts with their surroundings.”
“NGC 4900 was selected for research because it hosted a named supernova SN 1999BR. ”
“In other programs, researchers have laid the foundation for studying future supernovaes by collecting images of more than 150 nearby galaxies.”
“After a supernova is detected in any of these galaxies, researchers can look up these images and search for stars at the supernova location.”
“Identifying supernova progenitor stars in pre-explosion images gives valuable information about how, when, and why supernovae occur.”
But since then, the tech giant has been increasingly burning from researchers who say it’s not doing something of a kind. “My impression is that the response of the expert physics community is overwhelmingly negative. Personally, people are just furious.” Sergei Frolov at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Microsoft’s claim is based on an elusive, exotic quasiparticle called Majorana Zero Modes (MZMS). These can theoretically be used to create topological kibits, new types of qubits, i.e. components of information processing within quantum computers. Due to their unique properties, such qubits can be excellent at reducing errors and can address the major drawbacks of all quantum computers used today.
MZM is theorized to emerge from the collective behavior of electrons at the edges of thin superconducting wires. Microsoft’s new Majorana 1 chip contains some such wires, and according to the company it contains enough MZM to create eight topological maize. A Microsoft spokesperson said New Scientist Chip was a “big breakthrough for us and the industry.”
However, researchers say Microsoft does not provide sufficient evidence to support these claims. In addition to the press release, the company published its paper in the journal Nature He said the results confirmed the results. ” Nature The papermark shows a peer-reviewed confirmation that not only did Microsoft have been able to create majorana particles, but it also helps protect quantum information from random interference, but also allows for reliable measurement of information from that information. A Microsoft press release said.
But the editor Nature It explicitly made it clear that this statement was incorrect. A published report on the Peer-Review process states, “The editorial team wants to point out that the results of this manuscript do not represent evidence of the existence of Majorana Zero Mode in the device on which it was reported.”
In other words, Microsoft and Nature They are directly contradictory to each other. “The press release says something completely different [than the Nature paper]” I say Henry Legg At St Andrews University, UK.
This is not just an unorthodox aspect of Microsoft’s papers. Legg points out that two of the four peer reviewers initially gave rather critical and negative feedback. The peer review report shows that by the final round of editing, one reviewer still opposed the publication of the paper, and three others registered with it. spokesman for Nature I said New Scientist The ultimate decision to publish it came down to the possibilities we saw for future experiments with MZM on Microsoft devices.
Also, one of the reviewers is rare. Hao Chang Legg says that at China’s University of Tsingea, previously collaborated on MICSOFT and MZM research. The work published in Nature In 2018, it was later withdrawn, and the team apologized, “.” Scientific rigor is insufficient” After other researchers have identified inconsistencies in the results. “That’s very shocking Nature You can choose the judge who retracted the paper just a few years ago,” says Legg.
Chang says there was no conflict of interest. “I wasn’t an employee at Microsoft either. [the firm]. Of the more than 100 authors of Microsoft Paper recently, I have worked with three before,” he says. “It was seven years ago, but back then they were Tu Delft students. [in the Netherlands]not an employee of Microsoft. “
Microsoft says the team wasn’t involved in the selection of reviewers and was not aware of Zhang’s participation until the review process was completed. Nature The decision was based on a spokesman who said, “The quality of the advice received can be seen from the reviewer’s comments.”
Looking at the issue, both Leg and Frolov are making more fundamental challenges to Microsoft’s methodology. Experiments using MZM have proven extremely difficult to perform over the past decades. This is because imperfections and obstacles within the device can produce false signals that mimic quasiparticles even if they are not present. This was a challenge for researchers related to Microsoft, including the withdrawn 2018 paper. The withdrawal notice explicitly refers to new insights into the impact of the failure. To address this, Microsoft has been working on 2023. The procedure has been published in the journal Physical Review b It was called the “Topology Gap Protocol” and claimed to tease these differences.
“The whole idea of this protocol was that it was a binary test of whether Mallorna is there,” says Legg. His Unique analysis of code and data However, Microsoft implemented the protocol in 2023, which showed that it was less reliable than expected and changing the format of the data is sufficient to turn the failure into a path. Legg says he raised these issues with Microsoft before its publication. Nature Paper, yet the company was using protocols in new research.
NatureA spokesman for the journal’s editorial team “are aware that some people are questioning the effectiveness of the topology gap protocol used.” Nature Paper and other publications. This was an issue that we were also aware of during the peer review process. “Through the process, the reviewer determined that this was not an important issue at the end of the day, the spokesman said.
Microsoft says it will respond to leg analysis of the 2023 paper. Physics Review B. “Criticism can be summarised as a leg that will build a false strooger for our paper and attack it,” said Microsoft’s Chetan Nayak. He challenged some points to Legg’s work, saying that the 2023 paper “showed that we can confidently create topology phases and Mayorana Zero modes,” and the new paper only strengthens those claims.
A Microsoft spokesperson said: Nature The paper was submitted for review and the company built on its confidence and not only created multi-kut chips, but also tested how to operate these kitz as needed for a working topological quantum computer. The company will release more details at the American Physics Society’s Global Physics Summit in March, the spokesman said. “We look forward to sharing our results and transforming our 20+ year vision of quantum computing into a concrete reality, along with the additional data behind science.”
But for Frolov, the assertion that incomplete results from the past can be ignored as the company is trying to build a more sophisticated device lies in false logic. Legg shares this view. “The fundamental issues of obstacles and materials science don’t go away just because we start manufacturing more fancy devices,” he says.
a
The skeleton is at the center of the T. So, that’s because of Joyce Carroll Oates’s online infamy. In 2021, the award-winning novelist provided her most important contribution to literature: Diabolical Tweet anti-minating about existentialism in Halloween.
(You can always recognize places where no one feels or feels sad for the lost loved one and death, the one who dies, and the person who likes to break down into bones is just a joke.) https://t.co/1OuMqgw550
For beginners, the 86-year-old five-time Pulitzer finalist used the platform on X (formerly Twitter) to share photos of impressive American-style Halloween ornaments featuring dozens of plastic skeletons climbing the front of the house. “You can always recognize a place where no one has experienced much grief for a lost loved one,” she wrote. “Everyone who likes to break it down into bones is kidding.”
This unique take on Halloween tradition was filled with some kind of confused online glee. In an increasingly polarized political world, we rarely encounter such injustice and strong opinions. There is no culture war, nor popular discourse, Just a thought From Zeus’ forehead it turned like Athena. Or a creepy ghost who pops out at you in a haunted house – you shouldn’t be kidding about it.
However, this is not just a one-off phenomenon. In fact, this is one example of a bewildering array of classic Joyce Carroll Oats tweets. This makes another addition to her trophy shelf an attractive case. Winner of the Poet Award on Social Media. I’m not mean here. I really love her tweets and they are one of the only things that bring joy to me on the Nazi awarded platforms rapidly. As Twitter user Kaitlin Ruiz puts, “She doesn’t need to answer specialization. Oracles don’t see consistency.”
It is important to understand that Joyce Carroll Oates has definitive opinions on trance rights (good!) and dinosaur poaching (bad!), skeletons (worrisome!). She doesn’t need to answer any specialties. Oracles are not consistent.
Oates is a prolific writer in all aspects of her life. She published 58 novels, and more importantly, she wrote 170k tweets. Her targets are wide and abundant. There’s a political view: dozens of tweets a day Harris v Trump and Israel’s war with Gaza. She was one day outright about trans rights and wrote about it JD Vance’s other small eyes – But she is also not afraid to challenge a whimsical world. Her cat is pondering the problem with the trolley.
The point is that she posts frequently without agenda to sell anything and has seemingly embarrassing honesty. In an interview, she rejected the medium “It was short-lived and quickly forgotten.”. However, she feels her relationship with the platform is pure. How to use Twitter.
The unexamined premise of the “trolley problem” is that individuals, as we know, do not have any kind of subjective tendencies, including the Catnip’s drunkenness, the philosophers who have lived in the past, not subjective preferences/unconscious motives/free philosophers. You kill the poor… https://t.co/gze1kcjzyw
– Joyce Carol Oats (@joycecaroloates) May 27, 2024
All thoughts come directly from her huge creative brain, from the online farm to the table. “What we’ve heard about ISIS is pure and punitive. Is there anything fun to celebrate?” She asked in 2015. “Are there any examples of women getting obsessed with historical events?” She meditated in 2023. Then there was a time when she posted a really conflicting photo of her Infected feet online.
fOr, for many years, double roles have been played primarily for laughs. Think of Jack and Jill’s Adam Sandler’s Razzy Sweep Twin Turn, or Lisa Kudrow as both friends Phoebe and Ursula Buffay. Eddie Murphy has always been particularly prolific, and his most numerous performances as the clutch of clamps for Professor II of Nuts.
Of course, there are exceptions. But all legends and fame have Austin’s Powers, Bowfinger and – trembling turbit. But this year, we are giving us a more dramatic kind of overlap. Robert De Niro took a double dong job with the Alto Knights, Michael B. Jordan played twin leads in the supernatural sinner, and the pair of Robert Pattinson clones currently finds Bong Jun-ho’s Mickey 17.
And there’s more. Monkey provided horror with Theo James’ two bloody scoops. Zac Efron recently wrapped up an A24 thriller playing both a stalker and a superstar. Recently at Sundance, Dylan O’Brien played twin brothers in the dark comic drama Twinless. So, even if you ignore the genre of the film, it’s a noticeable surge in viewers who still watch the double. So why now? And how do these seemingly impossible shots come true?
“For years, filmmakers have been able to use a variety of techniques to show the actors multiple times in the same scene,” says Daniel Harrington, a London-based VFX artist and compositor. “In the parent’s trap, the split screen allowed the same actor to occupy both sides of the frame, while the social network used motion controls to portray the Winkleboss twins by repeating precise camera movements.”
However, before you tackle the technology, there is a brief history of dual roles. Because the concept is almost as old as the film itself. In 1898, pioneer Georges Méliès had already double-exposed to capture the portrait twice within the same frame. His methods jumped to feature films in 1917 when actor William Farnham performed on opposite sides of himself in Dickens’s two city tales adaptation.
The following year, Mary Pickford played dual roles in Stella Maris using new split screen technology that has been used for decades in films such as Deadlinger, Adaptation, and Double Impact of Jean-Claude Van Dam’s Asquado-Shooded Ask Ask. Altonite, more than a century later, uses similar techniques to double De Niro in a particular scene.
But today, split screening is just one of many tools in the dual-roll toybox. The most notable advance in this field was released in 1989 on the commission of future Part II and Director Robert Zemeckis’ Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) to create a vistaglide and create a motion-controlled camera dolly system for the robot.
This remains the most popular dual-roll method, Harrington says. Several mats (the individual shots that make up the final frame) are filmed with the same actor playing separate parts. This footage is then delivered to the rotoscope and paint artists. Rotoscopes and paint artists task by clearing the edges of the raw mats and then stitching the composite together into one seamless whole.
“Ultimately, the success of the fantasy depends on the synergy between onset preparation and post-production artistry,” says Harrington. “Digital effects can be increasingly refined, but when built on a strong practical foundation, they are still the most effective. Therefore, on set, consistent lighting, accurate framing, and stand-in are important to ensure seamless synthesis later. Without these elements, even the most sophisticated digital tools will struggle to create compelling results. It is teamwork, exemplified not only by films but also by television series such as Orphan Black.”
The small screen certainly earned the rewards for these technological advancements. 2025 will also be your final season, where you can also watch Netflix’s debut Twin Jamie Dornans at Underto and Twin Anna Camp. Malaki Kirby doubles for the Anansi boys on Prime Video, while Cynthia Eribo plays the same sexturette as Leanne Johnson’s poker face returns to Peacock. “And we are not solely responsible for breakthroughs, though [for this increase in dual roles]”Recent developments in AI-driven deepfakes and performance cloning have significantly reduced costs and increased production times,” says Harrington.
This deepfake method of swapping faces (Robert Pattinson’s face was digitally ported to replace Mickey 17) was another ILM gimmick developed for the 1993 Jurassic Park. Oscar-nominated VFX supervisor Theo Jones works at Framestore, a studio that worked on many of Joon-Ho’s latest products. And while Jones doesn’t think there’s a single catalyst for the current moment of a dual-roll project, “it’s probably a kind of happy accident,” he says.
Poker face Cynthia Eribo and Natasharillon
Photo: Peacock
“It wasn’t Option 10, and probably not even five years ago,” says Jones. “But even this is not optimal for dual roles. You will need to find someone with similar features and proportions. Baseline performances will come from the stand-in rather than the actor. What’s more, “Off-the-Peg” deepfake technology certainly doesn’t suit IMAX quality at the moment, so VFX work is necessary to be trusted. ”
The Framestore, revealed by Jones, states that it has developed its own “neural face rendering technology” called Facade. “But for a purely dramatic moment,” he adds. “It would be much better to use practical techniques for filming and post-production modifications to make the finished photos seamless with post-production modifications. This may include rewriting the VFX rulebook, and sometimes using techniques that exist before computers become part of filmmaking.”
It’s a great way to approach the art of dual roles. Because whether it’s an actor attracted to creative challenges or a filmmaker trying to advance the technical aspects of his craft, these twin turns have always been a joint effort. By continuing to blend old and new techniques, viewers will not only guarantee performances that dodge envelopes, but the entire concept of dual roles will remain true to its innate patchwork nature.
microsoft announced Sunset Skype on the last day of February. By the time Death Knell paid, the video chat software that once revolutionized communications has become a ghost of its former self. Experts yelled half-baked tributes for the platform Microsoft has spent years neglecting, but few were surprised.
“The fact that Skype has been integrated into other Microsoft platforms, and that it has been redesigned to resemble other Microsoft Solutions, or included in user bundled commercial products, also clearly shows that Microsoft has long decided to discontinue the service despite user losses.”University of London.
But for long-awaited users of Skype, and those who have stopped it, yet still thought it was nostalgia, the coming end of Skype, which will be closed on May 5th, is a moment worthy of approval. Skype was a reminder of a bygone era and a source of inspiration for many. When there were few affordable means of making international appeals, it promoted relations across the ocean.
One nostalgic Guardian leader composed the song based on the familiar Skype ring. Michael Frischkop, professor at the University of Albert School of Music and director of the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology, created a Skype theme song and a short symphony in 2020. “It was originally for film scores (although it was never used that way),” Frishkopf wrote in an email.
“Skype has always been a tool to connect from isolation and it surprised me that many people probably associate it with being far from their loved ones,” Frishkopf said. “That Skype ringtone, I don't know who made it, but it has a kind of oddity. It can go either way, major or minor, either way. Likewise, it may sound happy or sad. It can represent sadness that longs for someone and the joy that connects with them. [Skype] It can cause a sense of loss for people because it is permanently declining.”
Skyping (orchestra)
Michael Frishkopf
Sorry, the browser does not support audio, but download it here to $https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2025/03/05/skyping_(orchestral)_-_ composed_by_michael_frishkopf.mp3
Inspired by Frishkopf's email, the Guardian asked readers to share their Skype memories. What they explained in touch with the tribute was technology that allowed parents to connect with their children, and startup founders to communicate across the ocean and the time zone, allowing two proposals.
Melanie Hegger. Photo: Melany Heger
A mother at home who has found a new career
I used Skype extensively as a way to contact clients when I had an intermediate career shift. It was 2019 and I started working again. I spent 10 years as a full-time mom. Before I started working online, I felt it was impossible to work and stay home for my kids. I can say that Skype has opened up a world of possibilities for me.
– Melanie Heger of Manila, Philippines
A couple that I proposed to date on Skype
Holly and her husband's wedding band Photo: Holly
I proposed to my Swedish husband and to my Swedish husband using sticky notes. We got married on 5-5-15. Skype will terminate the service on the same day. It's so sad, I especially liked it because it was from my husband's hometown Sweden. Skype played a major role in our lives to maintain our connections while we were dating.
I'Looking at artificial intelligence and ordering my groceries. Armed with my shopping list, enter each item into the search bar of the supermarket website, then click using your cursor. When you see what looks like a digital ghost, this is usually a mundane task that is mysteriously fixed. “Are you not just Indians?” my husband asks, peering over my shoulder.
I'm trying operatorOpenai's new AI “agent” is the manufacturer of ChatGpt. It was made available to UK users last month and has a similar text interface and conversation tone as ChatGpt, but rather than answering questions, it actually does do Things – if they involve navigating a web browser.
Soon after the large language model, AI agents are trumpeted as the next big thing, and you can see the appeal. Similar to Openai's offering, humanity introduced the “computer use” feature in Claude Chatbot towards the end of last year. Perplexity and Google have also released the “agent” feature for AI assistants, with more companies developing agents targeting specific tasks such as coding and research.
While there is debate about what is accurately counted as an AI agent, the general idea is that you need to be able to take action with a certain degree of autonomy. “As soon as you start performing an action outside the chat window, you'll be an agent from a chatbot,” says Margaret Mitchell, a leading ethics scientist at AI Company.
It's early. Most commercial agents still come with experimental disclaimers. Openai describes the operator as a “research preview.” Dozen eggs $31 Or you're trying to Return the groceries to the store They bought them. Depending on who you ask, agents are just the dawn of the future of AI that can shake up the next exaggerated high-tech or labor, rebuild the internet and change our lives.
“In principle, they're amazing because they can automate many drunk people,” says Gary Marcus, a scientist and skeptical linguistic model scientist at large. “But I don't think they'll work anytime soon, and it's partly an investment in hype.”
I sign up to the operator to see for myself. Grocery shopping seems like a good first job as there is no food at home. Once you enter your request, you will be asked if there is a shop or brand you like. I tell them to go with the cheapest person. A window will appear to display your web browser and search for “UK Online Grocery Delivery.” The mouse cursor selects the first result: ocado. Starts searching for requested items and filters the results by price. Select the product and click Add to trolley.
I was impressed by the operator's initiative. If only a description of a simple item such as “salmon” or “chicken” is given, it doesn't ask me any questions. Searching for eggs will help you pass through several non-egg items that appear as special offers. My list is looking for “several different vegetables.” Choose a broccoli head and ask if you want something else specific. I tell them to choose two more, and it goes for carrots and leeks – perhaps I chose myself. Encourage me, I ask you to add “sweet sweets” and literally watch as you type “sweet snacks” into the search bar. I don't know why I'm choosing 70% chocolate, but certainly not the cheapest option, but I don't like dark chocolate and I'll trade it for a Galaxy Bar.
Thomas Dohmke is the head of Github, which develops with an autonomous coding assistant called Project Padawan. Photo: DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy
When the operator realized that there was a minimum spend on Ocado, we bumped into a scratch. So, add more items to the list. You will then be logged in and the agent will encourage you to intervene. While users can take over the browser at any point in time, Openai says operators are designed to require “when entering sensitive information into the browser, such as login credentials and payment information.” Operators usually take constant screenshots to “see” what it is doing, but Openai says that they don't do this when the user controls it.
At checkout, you will be asked to complete the payment and test the water. But when I respond by asking for details of my card, I get the reins back. I have already provided Openai with payment info (operators need a ChatGPT Pro account that costs $200 a month), but I find it uncomfortable to share this directly with AI. I've ordered it and waited for next day delivery. But it doesn't solve dinner. Give the operator a new task. Can I order a cheeseburger and chips from a local highly rated restaurant? It asks for my postcode and then loads the Derveoo website and searches for “Cheeseburger”. Again, there is a pause when you need to log in, but Derveoo already stores the card details, so the operator can proceed to pay directly.
The restaurant it chooses is local and highly rated as a fish and chip shop. I'll end up with a big bag of total cheeseburger and chippy style chips. It's not what I imagined, but it's not I'm wrongeither. However, I am regretted when I realized that the operator was skipping the delivery rider conversion. I secretly take my food and add generous tips after the fact.
Of course, seeing operators hold actions will beat the time saving points of using AI agents for online tasks. Instead, you can keep it working in the background, focusing on other tabs. While drafting this piece, I make another request: Can it be booked for gel nail polish at a local salon?
Operators are struggling with this task more. I go to Frasha, a beauty booking platform, but when I was prompted to log in, I find myself choosing to book an hour or more by car, a week behind my house in East London. I point out these issues and it finds a slot for the right date, but it's still far away from Leicester Square. Only then will it ask my location and I recognize that it should not retain this knowledge between tasks. By this point I might have already booked my own. The operator will ultimately propose a proper appointment, but I will abandon the task and choke it up as a team human victory.
AI Shopping Assistants need to pause and human input when logging in to supermarket websites or making payments online. Photo: Marco Marca/Getty Images
It is clear that this first generation AI agent has limitations. It requires a considerable amount of human monitoring to stop and log in. However, operators store cookies so that users can continue to log in to the website on subsequent visits (Openai requires closer supervision on “particularly sensitive” sites, such as email clients and financial services). The results are usually accurate, but not necessarily my own. When my groceries arrived, I see that the operator ordered smoked salmon rather than fillets, and was twice as many with yogurt as a special offer. I interpreted “some fish cakes” as 3 packs (I intended only one), and saved the insult of buying chocolate milk instead of plain because the product was out of stock. To be fair to the bots, I had the opportunity to review the order. You will get better results if you get more specific at the prompt (“Pack of two raw salmon fillets”), but these additional steps will also undermine the saved effort.
Despite the current flaws, my experience with the operator feels like a glimpse of what's coming. As such systems improved and reduced costs, I was able to easily see them embedded in everyday life. You may already have written your shopping list on the app. Why doesn't it place an order? Agents also permeate workflows beyond the realm of personal assistants. Openai CEO Sam Altman predicts that AI agents will be able to “join the workforce” this year.
Software developers are one of the early adopters. Coding Platform Github Recently added agent features For AI Copilot tools. Github CEO Thomas Dohmke says developers are used to some degree of automated assistance. The difference between AI agents is the level of autonomy. “Not only gives the answer by asking a question, but you'll have a problem and then repeat it with the code you can access,” he says.
GitHub is already working on a more autonomous agent called Project Padawan ( Star Wars (a term used to refer to Jedi apprentice). This allows AI agents to work asynchronously rather than requiring constant monitoring. Developers can report the agent's team to them and write code for review. Dohmke says he doesn't think the developer's work is at risk. “I argue that the amount of work that AI has added to most developers' backlogs is higher than the amount of work it takes over,” he says. Agents can also create coding tasks that are more accessible to non-technical people, such as building apps.
AI company Margaret Mitchell warns against the development of fully autonomous agents. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Outside of software development, Dohmke envisions a future where everyone has their own personal Jarvis. Iron Man. Your agent will learn your habits and be customized to your tastes, making it more convenient. He used him to book holidays for his family.
But more autonomous agents have greater risks than they pose. Mitchell, from her hugging face, I co-authored the paper Warning against the development of fully autonomous agents. “Completely autonomously means that human control has been completely transferred,” she says. Rather than working within a set boundary, an agent that is completely autonomous can access things that don't notice or work in unexpected ways, especially if they can write their own code. If your AI agent makes a mistake in ordering takeout, that's not a big deal, but what if you start sharing your personal information or posting under the name of scary social media content on a scam website? High-risk workplaces can implement particularly dangerous scenarios. What if I have access to the missile command system?
Mitchell hopes engineers, legislators and policymakers will encourage guardrails to mitigate such cases. For now, she foresees that the agent's abilities will become more refined for certain tasks. Immediately, I watch the agent interact with it. For example, an agent could work with my agent to set up a meeting.
This surge in agents could potentially rebuild the internet. Currently, much of the information online is specialized in human language, but this can change if AIS is increasingly interacting with websites. “Through the Internet, you're seeing more and more information that agents need to act on, although not directly in human language,” says Mitchell.
Dohmke echoes this idea. He believes that the concept of homepages will lose importance and design interfaces with AI agents in mind. Brands may begin to compete for AI attention over the human eyeballs.
One day, the agent even escapes the computer range. You can see AI agents embodied in robots, which will open up a world of physical tasks for them to help. “My prediction is to see agents who can do our laundry, cook and cook for us,” says Mitchell. “Don't give us access to the weapon.”
In 2024, Africa experienced a surge in digital blackouts, prompting many governments to disconnect millions of citizens from the internet over the past decade. A report by Internet Rights Group Access Now and #Keepiton revealed a record 21 internet shutdowns in 15 countries, surpassing previous years. Countries like Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritius, as well as repeat offenders like Burundi, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, and Kenya, were cited for these actions. Authorities in Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania were also implicated, along with non-state actors like militias. Telecommunications and internet service providers that comply with government shutdown orders are complicit in violating people’s rights, according to Felicia Anthonio, #Keepiton Campaign Manager at Access Now.
Most closures were linked to conflict, protests, and political instability, with restrictions often imposed during elections. The global trend of escalating internet shutdowns continued, with 296 closures in 54 countries in 2024 compared to 283 closures in 39 countries the previous year. Access to the internet has faced its worst challenges since 2016, reflecting a pattern of weaponization and restriction of internet access worldwide.
The impact of these closures on individuals and communities during times of turmoil and conflict was highlighted in the report. While some African countries had endured year-long internet restrictions by the end of 2024, others faced ongoing limitations like in Uganda and Equatorial Guinea. However, efforts to reverse this trend were seen in the passing of a landmark resolution by the African Human and People’s Rights Committee in March 2024.
Despite efforts to address the issue, election-related internet shutdowns persisted in Africa and other regions in 2024, even after the adoption of the ACHPR resolution. Antonio emphasized the importance of civil society advocacy in holding governments accountable for these shutdowns. While progress may be slow, there have been instances where authorities reconsidered their shutdown orders, offering a glimmer of hope for a more open and connected future.
A traditional traction elevator operates using cables to move the cabin up and down within the building shaft. An attached counterweight at the opposite end of the cable helps facilitate the movement of the cabin. Simply enter the cabin, select a floor, press a button, and let the electric motor transport you to your desired level. As the cabin ascends, the counterweight descends, and vice versa.
Enter the concept of space elevators, a more ambitious take on this idea. The system relies on cables, spanning several thousand meters, extending from space to Earth. Instead of launching rockets into space, the cabin travels along these cables. By utilizing some of the energy from rocket launches, the cable eliminates pollution.
Although it may seem far-fetched, the idea of space elevators has been under serious consideration for many years. The concept was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist and space exploration pioneer Konstantin Ziolkovsky, who introduced the concept of the Sky Ladder.
The primary challenge lies in establishing the connection point of the cable to space. Geostationary orbit satellites provide a solution. Positioned at a specific distance from Earth, geostationary orbit satellites remain fixed in one spot above the Earth, creating an ideal anchor point approximately 36,000km (22,200 miles) above the equator.
The process involves dropping lengthy cables from the satellite, causing the satellite to rise and counteract the weight of the cable to maintain its position. To counteract gravity’s effect on the cable under geostationary orbit, the centrifugal effect also contributes to stabilization.
The cables must be anchored and secured to the ground. Some proposals suggest securing anchors on mountaintops or towers to reduce the length of cables required. Another innovative concept suggests utilizing a mobile base on marine aviation vessels or platforms in international waters, allowing for flexibility in avoiding inclement weather or mitigating potential failures at the top.
Currently, a space elevator prototype, known as the “Climber,” is used to transport payloads up the cable. However, experts propose the idea of pulling the entire system into space once payloads reach orbit. Calculations indicate that payloads representing up to 1% of the cable’s mass can be accommodated. Despite the challenges, such as developing a cable 50 times stronger than steel, advancements in materials like carbon nanotubes or graphene offer promising solutions.
With predictions suggesting that space elevators could become a reality in the near future, ongoing research continues to explore innovative approaches to overcome the remaining obstacles.
This article addresses the question posed by Thomas Bletso, “Can we really build a space elevator?”
To submit a question, please email Questions@sciencefocus.com or message us on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Page (be sure to include your name and location).
For fascinating science content, visit our Ultimate Fun Facts page.
Many people around the world now associate Tuesday’s Shrove – the day before Christian Lent that marks the traditional East Feast – with pancakes.
Pancakes are enjoyed by cultures worldwide in various shapes and sizes. French crepes, American griddle cakes, and Indian dosas are just a few examples of these versatile fried batter circles that offer endless sweet and tasty possibilities.
To ensure pancake day success, a bit of science can make a big difference. Materials chemists and food scientists Professor Matt Harting and Professor of Fluid Mechanics Ian Eames have shared their insights to enhance your favorite pancake recipes.
1. Replace regular milk with buttermilk
To achieve the perfect stack of fluffy American pancakes, consider substituting regular milk with buttermilk. Buttermilk adds a unique flavor profile to the pancakes and contains key molecules like diacetyl, aldehydes, ketones, amino acids, and lactic acid that enhance both taste and texture.
If you don’t have buttermilk at home, adding lemon juice to the batter can mimic the acidic effect of buttermilk.
2. Add melted butter to the batter
Melted butter in the pancake batter helps achieve a golden brown color and rich flavor due to the Maillard reaction. Butter ensures consistent thermal contact with the hot pan and contributes to the browning process.
Pro-tip: If using buttermilk, consider adding more baking soda to balance the acidic environment.
3. Use the Golden Ratio
The perfect pancake balance depends on the baker’s ratio, which determines the thickness and texture of the pancakes. For British pancakes, a ratio of 100g flour to 200ml milk is recommended.
4. Let the batter rest!
Allowing the pancake batter to rest for about 30 minutes helps relax the gluten in the flour, resulting in lighter pancakes with a smoother texture.
About our experts
Matt Harting is an associate professor of chemistry at the American University of Washington with expertise in food chemistry.
Ian Eames is a professor of fluid mechanics at the University of London and has conducted scientific studies on pancake-making.
The first researchers in science created mice that exhibit properties similar to extinct woolly mammoths.
Colossal Biosciences, an American Biotechnology Company, utilized CRISPR genome editing technology to develop the “Colossal Woolly Mouse.”
These mice are not miniature mammoths but have DNA designed to express mammoth-like properties, making them well-suited for cold environments.
An unpublished study published on Biorxiv explains how researchers modified seven mouse genes to give them a woolly coat.
This marks the first instance of a “living model” of animals with mammoth-like attributes.
Two “woolly mice” created by scientists
“Observing these mice is akin to peering into the past through a specialized lens,” said Dr. Louise Johnson, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading not involved in the study. “This technology provides an exciting avenue to test our theories about extinct organisms.”
She added, “Researchers successfully adjusted the mouse genome towards the mammoth genome for the first time.”
Through extensive computer analysis, researchers studied mammoth and African elephant genomes from 1.2 million years ago, modifying mouse genes related to hair growth and cold tolerance to create the final edited seven-gene combination. However, these mice do not possess an exact replica of mammoth genes, leading researchers to doubt the genes responsible for mammoth properties.
The Significance of this Discovery
According to Colossal Biosciences, this development is a groundbreaking step in addressing extinction. The company aims to reintroduce other extinct species with the goal of rebuilding ecosystems to maintain Earth’s balance. Founder Ben Lam envisions reviving species like dodos, giant ice age bears, and extinct Tasmanian marsupials known as thylacines.
Not all scientists are convinced of the immediate impact of this discovery.
While genetic manipulation has been used to create various models, including humans and extinct species, some remain skeptical. Professor Dusko Ilic, a stem cell science professor at King’s College London, acknowledges the milestone but warns of potential risks and ethical implications of such experiments.
While comparing mammoth and elephant genomes offers insights into adaptation and genetic traits, transforming mice into mammoth-like creatures may not directly translate to creating woolly elephants adapted for Arctic environments.
Many scientists doubt the feasibility of replicating mammoths through genetic manipulation alone without a complete understanding of their genetic makeup.
Colossal Biosciences, a US biotech startup, has announced the birth of what is called the “wool mouse.”
The company says gorgeous hair rodents are living evidence that their mission to restore wool mammoths from extinction within a few years is progressing.
To make mice, scientists have introduced eight simultaneous editing into the genome of experimental mice using modern genetic techniques. These include the addition of genes that make fur grow up to three times longer than usual, as well as other genes that make hair wavy and golden.
Other editing targets target genes associated with fat metabolism, which are thought to help increase mammoth size.
Mice are the result of years of hard work by scientists to reconstruct important parts of the mammoth genome. The last wool mammoth is believed to have died about 3,000 years ago, and scientists are stitching together mammoth DNA, which has been decomposed from relics that range from 35 to 1.2 million years ago.
This is the first time that some of the important genes identified throughout the study have been expressed in living animals.
read more:
Mammoth 2.0
Colossal's ambitious long-term plan is to add many of these mammoth genes to modern elephant embryos to create a mammoth-like hybrid.
Despite claiming to be revived wool mammoth, the original Mammuthus Primigeniuswith all the original genetic complexity and population diversity, it has not been brought back to life. Creatures are more accurately referred to as “cold-resistant elephants.”
Scientists designed a “wool mouse” with the mammoth gene, giving it a very long, wavy golden fur. – Photo Credit: Colossal Biosciences
The Mammoth's return was repeated by various groups and dates back to 2011. The group is generally privately funded, and the exact details of their work are rather opaque.
However, these lifestyle, breathing, and rather cute wool mice show that scientists have made impressive advances in reconstructing some of the key genes that have made mammoths unique. Colossal's Chief Scientist Dr. Beth Shapiro The mouse says it is a “critical step in examining an approach to revive the properties lost to extinction.”
A huge task
There's still a lot to do before you see mammoth-like creatures crossing the tundra or walking through the zoo.
Initially, it is much easier to create gene-edited mice than elephants. Mice have been a staple of genetic experiments for decades and can be quickly raised in a huge number.
Elephants, on the other hand, are rarely used in laboratory experiments, and live mammals happen to have longer gestation periods of over 18 months.
Colossal has made impressive advances by manipulating elephant cells into stem cells.
However, even if Colossal could create a viable elephant mammoth embryo, it would not be able to be used as a large number of surrogates, if any, because both Asian and African elephants are at risk of extinction.
This means that Colossal must develop its own artificial uterus to develop experimental embryos until birth. This has never been done before. Such a system should not only replicate all the complexity of the placenta, but also support calves that are as heavy as Asian elephant calves, exceeding at least 100 kg (220 lbs).
But perhaps the biggest question remaining is simply, why? Colossal says other similar tasks to revive mammoths and revive dodos and tylacine will lead to biotechnology that will help save other species from environmental changes.
The company claims to stimulate interest and investment so that they can't do anything else, starting with these iconic extinct creatures.
Certainly, the project has attracted a lot of media attention and has attracted more than $200 million (£157 million) of investments that probably wouldn't have made it to a traditional conservation project.
And there are already examples of the technology being used to support species facing extinction today. For example, in Australia, gene editing is used to provide resistance to the poison of cane toads, an invasive species that kill many animals in the region (adorable, endangered marsupials).
In the US, scientists used similar biotechnology to increase the genetic diversity of ferrets with black feet, but it had dipped to a population size that was essentially involved.
More broadly, Colossal's research could help scientists produce eggs, sperm and embryos of a variety of endangered species, including Asian and African elephants, which help to increase numbers.
We can ask questions
But do these lofty ambitions justify? Jurassic Park– Blatant use of genetic engineering? Many people are particularly intelligent social animals like elephants, and feel uneasy about corrections, not to mention a complete overhaul of the genome.
And what is the life of the first artificial wool elephant like? Where do they live and are they introduced to herds and families?
Are they healthy or tired of genetic problems? And shouldn't we focus our efforts on saving habitats and ecosystems, not individual species?
Giant wool mouse showing the properties of an extinct wool mammoth – Photo credit: Giant bioscience
In recent years, genetic engineering has gained greater acceptance among the public, and is generally considered an important way to produce new drugs and disease-resistant crops.
Does the creation of a large, shaggy elephant make people feel that biotechnology is going too far? Or, as a huge hope, will it serve as an inspiring symbol of how technology can save thousands of species that are at risk of extinction each year?
This is a question that biologists, ethicists and biotechnology regulators need to carefully consider the work of scaling up from mice to mammoths.
sO Microsoft It's decided An internet telephony company purchased it for $8.5 billion (£6.6 billion) in 2011 to end Skype. Millions of unfortunate users flock to the Microsoft Team, a virtual camp with a brain-dead aesthetic that even Zoom looks cool. This unforeseen situation has been telegraphed for quite some time, but even so, Skype is an astounding venture, and its ending mise is brought as a shock as it closes an interesting chain chapter in technological history.
The Internet has been around for a long time than most people notice. It dates back to the 1960s and back to the creation of Alpanet, a military computer network that emerged after the US had the “Sputnik moment.” It's a terrible perception that the Soviet Union appears to be moving forward with technology interests. The Internet design used today, the successor to Arpanet, began in the early 1970s and was first switched in January 1983.
From the start, the network designers decided to avoid limitations on previous communication systems, particularly voice-optimized analog telephone networks. This was owned by companies that were hopeless about digital signals and resisted innovation that they themselves had not been generating. Therefore, new networks have no owners or are not optimized for a particular medium, making them more tolerant than previous networks. Anyone can access it and create a service run as long as the computer meets the network's protocols.
As a result, we are an explosion of creativity that we live together today. What the Internet designers built was what scholars later called “an architecture for unauthorized innovation.” Or, in another way, global Platform for gushing surprises.
Created by Tim Berners-Lee in the late 1980s, the World Wide Web was one of those surprises. However, there was also something called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Speeches can be digitized (one and zero) and placed in data packets that can be sent over the Internet. And after reaching the destination it was converted to audio. Results: Free telephony anywhere in the world!
Skype was the first company to bring this magic to ordinary consumers. Founded in 2003 by Janus Friis (A Dane) and Niklas Zennström (Swedish) and headquartered in Luxembourg. However, the software that was equipped with it was written by three Estonians who also wrote peer-to-peer file sharing software. In 2005, eBay bought it for $2.6 billion (£2 billion). By 2006 there were 100 million registered users, and by 2009 it had added about 380,000 new users every day, generating approximately $740 million (£575 million) in annual revenue. So, Skype was the first European company to reach US-level size.
At that point, something inevitable happened: in 2011 Skype was purchased by Microsoft and absorbed by Tech Colossus' Maw. Many observers, including this columnist, wondered what Microsoft thought was doing with the new toy. Last week's news suggests that the company never understood it. Either way, after the pandemic arrived in 2020 and people started working from home, it was clear that Microsoft needed to have something to drive away the threat posed by Zoom. Skype may have probably become the core of that response, but instead the decision was made to place all the energy to make the team a Behemoth answer to remote working. Since then, Skype has been surplus to the requirements and dies have been cast.
But before it disappears, it is worth remembering that it was on the scene 20 years ago. Today, most people don't know how close telephony is, in the analog era, is, closed and depressing. It was an industry run by either a complacent, unresponsive, dominant monopoly (USA AT&T) or governmental institutions (UK GPOs). It may take several months to install a phone in your home. The phones were expensive and international calls were actively prohibited.
I grew up in the country (Ireland) with a huge diaspora at a time when calls from the US only meant one family death. If immigrants were in touch with people returning home, it was just letters and perhaps a strange parcel. It's not a phone call. In rural Ireland, their families will occasionally wake up the night before their sons and daughters leave for America or Australia.
And now? The VoIP technology that Skype brings to people's lives is commoditized. Social media platforms like WhatsApp and Signal offer unlimited and free audio (and video) connections with friends, family and colleagues around the world. Calls that were once bankrupt are made every day. Microsoft may not have thought that Skype would ultimately help. But the rest of us certainly did.
What I've read
3 Market Economy Dave Karpf's A sharp essay Identify the three types of money behind the power of Silicon Valley.
I will take home sovereignty an An insightful editorial in Norma Why the current and the 47th President is acting like the 25th by Nathan Gardells.
A story of battle David Allen Green is in the offshore earthquake control collision Foresightful analysis in Financial Times.
Are you looking to keep your mind sharp as you age? One secret could be as simple as regularly exercising your brain with mathematics and reading comprehension, whether it’s at work, at home, or even while reading this article.
A groundbreaking new study led by Professor Eric Hanushek of Stanford University suggests that engaging in mathematics and reading can help prevent age-related cognitive decline. The research shows that individuals who regularly practice these skills do not experience significant declines in cognitive abilities over time, whether they are reading emails, doing calculations, or reading articles like this one. This challenges the notion that cognitive decline is inevitable with age.
The study reveals that cognitive skills typically peak in a person’s 40s before slowly declining. However, those who consistently engage in mathematics and reading, whether at work or in their daily activities, show no decline at all.
“Our findings indicate a significant increase in average skills in literacy and numeracy until the 40s. After this point, there is a slight decrease in literacy skills and a more noticeable decline in numeracy,” the study notes.
This study may inspire you to tackle your taxes – Credit: Skynesher
These findings challenge previous studies that suggested cognitive decline begins in early adulthood. Unlike past research that compared different age groups at one point in time, this study followed the same individuals over several years, providing a more accurate understanding of how cognitive abilities change with age.
Hanushek and his team propose that what was previously thought to be age-related cognitive decline might actually be due to differences in skill levels between generations rather than the natural effects of aging itself.
By analyzing data from language and mathematics assessments in the German population aged 16-65 and retesting the same group 3.5 years later, researchers found that women’s math skills declined significantly over time, indicating potential gender disparities. Further exploration of these differences is planned for future studies.
Have you ever wondered why some dogs look naturally rounded, no matter how much they run around? After all, the same genes that contribute to human obesity are also found in our dogs.
in New genome researchscientists have identified several genes associated with obesity in dogs. This is a gene that we humans share. This means that our favorite furry friends (sorry, cats) will actually help researchers unlock new insights into weight gain, health and complex diseases.
Environmental factors such as Inexpensive availability of ultra-processed foods Scientists, commonly chosen for increased rates of obesity, emphasize that it is a complex condition with a large number of biological root causes. The main factor is hereditary Research from 2007 People estimate that there is 40-70% of people who develop obesity due to genes they inherit from their parents.
As Dr. Eleanor Rafansaid he will lead the academics with new research. BBC Science Focus, “If you're unlucky enough to get the genes that are prone to obesity, it manifests as a bigger appetite and makes it difficult to resist those drives. Slim people aren't morally good. You don't need to show that much willpower to maintain a healthy weight.”
To see if obesity in dogs is also hereditary, researcher Natalie Wallis and her team looked at the genes of a 241 pet Labrador retriever.
Oscar and Isla, and the Labrador used in this study. Photo credit: Natalie Wallis
Using a heterologous approach, they identified multiple obesity-inducing genes shared by dogs and humans. Among these, the gene dennd1b plays an important role in the way our cells process energy – has emerged as a particularly strong genetic association between human and dog obesity.
“By looking at just a few hundred Labrador retrievers, we discovered new biology about the associations of the whole species. We hope that more people will consider using dog genetic models for more scientific discoveries in the future, especially for complex diseases,” Wallis said. BBC Science Focus.
Not only does it provide scientists with new models to understand human diseases, but this study also helps to care for dogs. Pet obesity is on the rise, and at Royal Veterinary College in London Recently, we have reported 1 in 14 dogs It is recorded as overweight every year in the UK.
In the US, 2022 Pet Obesity Association (APOP) Survey It is found that 59% of dogs are overweight, indicating a wide range of issues in pet health. However, up until now, the genetic basis of dog obesity has not been extensively studied.
Dr. Eleanor Lafan takes chocolate Labrador retrievers. Photo credit: Dr. Eleanor Rafan
Understanding pet genetics may be a game changer for their care. “Our results underscore the importance of encouraging exercise and limiting food intake for pet dogs,” says Dr. Rafan.
“Many people still blame the owners of fat dogs, saying they are lazy or extravagant, and the same stereotypes are reflected on obese people. Our data shows that controlling food intake in high-risk dogs is much more difficult. It should actually change the way dogs deal with obesity. They should target high-risk dog owners and support effective management (rather than criticizing them).”
gThe famous brand of Lobabury didn’t want to be associated with the German far-right opposition. But Tesla, one of the world’s largest company names, does not have a traditional CEO.
After Elon Musk supports the alternative, Fool Deutsla Land (AFD), it is called Germany’s “only hope” – voters are considering replacing Tesla. Data released Thursday showed that the German company’s electric vehicle registrations fell 76% last month to 1,429. Overall, electric vehicle registrations increased by 31%.
Tesla’s biggest shareholder, who has expressed support for right-wing leaders around the world, is now a de facto American cabinet member under the Donald Trump administration.
Tesla’s reputation is closely tied to mask politics. After he spent $288 million on Trump’s 2024 election victory, Tesla’s valuation passed $1tn. But Musk’s political involvement is unprecedented for the head of a company of that size — and could also have a negative impact.
On Friday, a group of extinct rebel activists occupied a Tesla store in central Milan. Activists chained themselves to the tires of the car, while others glued them to the window along with slogans, “Let the billionaires pay again” and “Ecology, no ecofascism.”
Analysts openly wonder whether Musk is causing permanent damage to the brand he made synonymous with electric vehicles, and even brings a liberal aspiration to tackle climate change.
Tesla was asked to comment.
Tesla was the world’s largest producer of battery electric vehicles in 2024, but sales fell to 1.79 million. This was the first time since 2011 that it had withstanded a decline in sales since 2011 after years of rapid growth that became the world’s most valuable automaker.
The manufacturer said in January that global sales will increase in 2025, and Wall Street analysts hope Tesla will sell more than 2 million cars this year. But even these predictions represent little fiery return to form. Recently, Musk said in October that it expects sales growth of 20% to 30% per year, meaning that as many as 2.3 million cars are on sale.
“Customer retention will be important as customers…
Other analysts are more optimistic. Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, a US financial company, is a longtime Tesla supporter. Ives believes…
As the sun returns and the winter blues float away, it’s almost time to adjust the American clock. Daylight Saving Time (DST), a practice of changing your clock twice a year, has a long history full of controversy, diplomacy, and some unique quirks depending on where you live.
Despite its routine nature, DST means longer evenings to enjoy the sun in the end. So, as the date approaches, we’ve gathered all the information you need to know, including when to change the clocks, why it happens, and why some want to do away with DST altogether.
When will the clocks change in March 2025?
For Americans, the time changes on Sunday, March 9th. It will happen at 2 am local time, moving forward by one hour.
This marks the start of DST, but the transition may vary depending on your location. Here’s how it looks in major cities:
Los Angeles: Along with other West Coast cities like Seattle and San Francisco, will shift from standard Pacific time to daylight Pacific time. The sunrise will move from 6:15 am to 7:15 am, and the sunset from 5:54 pm to 6:54 pm.
Chicago: Will transition from Central Standard Time to Central Daylight Time. The sunrise will change from 6:17 am to 7:17 am, and the sunset from 5:47 pm to 6:47 pm.
New York and Washington DC: Will switch from Eastern Standard Time to Eastern Daylight Time. This will shift the sunrise from 6:22 am to 7:22 am, and the sunset from 5:53 pm to 6:53 pm.
How does daylight saving time work?
The concept of Daylight Saving Time is fairly simple. Every year, we adjust our clocks by adding or subtracting an hour. This occurs twice a year and alternates between the two.
These time changes are known as Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time. DST begins in March, moving us forward an hour, ends in November, and then moves back an hour.
On the surface, this may seem strange, but it serves a purpose. DST aims to make better use of sunlight and save energy by providing more daylight in the evening, allowing for more time to enjoy the sun and reducing electricity demands at home.
What is the history of daylight saving time?
The history of Daylight Saving Time dates back quite a long time. While often attributed to Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the actual origins can be traced back before 1907.
William Willett, an advocate for more daylight hours, proposed changing how we view time. This proposal, involving moving the clock forward by 80 minutes in four increments of 20 minutes each Sunday at 2 am, eventually led to the establishment of Daylight Saving Time.
Since then, the system has been refined and simplified. Despite initial resistance, DST eventually became a standard practice in 1966.
Why do some people want to abolish daylight saving time?
Aside from the inconvenience of changing the clock annually, there are reasons why some advocate for the abolishment of DST.
Studies suggest that clock changes can have a negative impact on health, with an increased risk of heart attacks following the spring time change. Additionally, the economic cost of DST changes is estimated to be significant, affecting productivity.
Another important reason is the impact on pets. It’s recommended to gradually adjust your pet to the time change to avoid disruptions to their routines.
It feels harsh. Being forced to sacrifice valuable sleep is tough. In the United States, Daylight Saving Time (DST) will begin on March 9, 2025. At 2am local time, the clock will spring forward an hour, skipping straight to 3am.
Not only does this make the following day feel a bit groggy, but experts are growing concerned about the potential negative impacts of the DST switch on our health.
“When the clock changes, there is a slight increase in stroke, heart attack, car accidents, and sleep loss,” says Vanderbilt’s Director of Sleep, Dr. Beth Malow to BBC Science Focus.
The effects of this time shift are felt not only by the youth but also by older individuals. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2015 found that teenagers lose approximately 2 hours and 42 minutes of weekday sleep after the time change.
Mallow continues, “It has health repercussions for nearly eight months due to the shift in light exposure from the morning and evening times.”
“Morning light is essential for waking up, regulating our biological clock, and enhancing our mood. We use light therapy in the morning to treat seasonal affective disorders and improve sleep quality. Exposure to morning light supports nighttime sleep, while evening light disrupts it.”
However, all hope is not lost. Here are some simple strategies to alleviate the impact of losing that hour:
1. Back up your bedtime for a few days before the clock change
While it may be too late this time, keep this in mind for the future. Sleep experts recommend gradually shifting your bedtime 15-20 minutes earlier each night leading up to the time change.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sudden changes in sleep schedules, such as switching to daylight saving time, can lead to temporary insomnia symptoms affecting about 30-35% of adults.
By easing into it gradually, Malow suggests, “you can adjust to the new time and get a bit more sleep in the process.”
If you’re short on time and feeling drowsy, going to bed earlier on the night of the time change can also be helpful.
2. Expose yourself to bright light in the morning
Daylight Saving Time aims to provide an extra hour of sunlight in the evening. While this is ideal for post-work socializing, it may disrupt natural sleep-wake cycles and circadian rhythms.
To help you wake up in the morning and consequently sleep better at night, exposing yourself to bright light is crucial. Malow recommends natural light for this purpose, especially as the sun rises earlier during the summer months.
“Morning bright light exposure helps synchronize your biological clock,” she explains. “Aligning your clock will improve your nighttime sleep.”
3. Avoid lengthy naps and late-day caffeine. Opt for exercise instead
If you enjoy taking naps (who doesn’t?), this news may be disappointing. However, if you want to maintain good sleep, avoiding long naps is essential.
“Naps and caffeine impair our ‘sleep drive’,” Malow clarifies. Her solution? Engage in physical exercise instead.
“Physical activity in the afternoon energizes us during that afternoon slump, but comes bedtime, it promotes sleepiness. It enhances our sleep drive,” she adds.
But remember, avoid exercising just before bedtime, as it can stimulate endorphins and raise body temperature, both of which can interfere with sleep.
4. Put away your phone before bedtime
You’ve likely heard this advice before, but it remains just as relevant, particularly when the clock springs forward an hour. Bright light at night, especially from screens emitting blue light, can disrupt your sleep.
Blue light, found in LED screens, inhibits the natural release of melatonin in the brain, a hormone that regulates sleep. Additionally, content like news can trigger anxiety before bed.
Perhaps it’s time to eliminate daylight saving time
While the aforementioned strategies can minimize the impact of the time change, many experts are calling for the abolishment of this antiquated practice entirely.
So, should standard time become the new norm?
Alice Gregory, a psychology professor at Goldsmith’s, believes so. She argues that permanent standard time aligns better with our circadian rhythms compared to daylight saving time.
Mallow echoes this sentiment, stating, “Most individuals are quite fatigued by the interaction.”
About our experts:
Dr. Beth Malow is a neurology and pediatrics professor, Director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Division, Chair of Barry Donations for Cognitive Childhood Development, and Vice-Chair of Clinical Research at Vanderbilt University, USA. She is board-certified in Neurology and Sleep Medicine, conducting research on sleep and its medical and genetic implications.
Alice Gregory is a psychology professor at Goldsmith’s. She conducts research on the link between sleep and mental health, behavioral genetics, sleep paralysis, and nightmare disorder. She is also a prolific science communicator, publishing articles in various outlets like Guardian, GQ UK, and Slate fr.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have created a beautiful new image of the Intermediate Spiral Galaxy NGC 5042.
This Hubble image shows NGC 5042, a mid-spiral galaxy, about 48 million light years away in the Hydra constellations. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Thilker.
NGC 5042 It is located approximately 48 million light years from Earth, the Hydra constellation.
The galaxy has a diameter of 80,000 light years, known as ESO 508-31, LEDA 46126 or IRAS 13127-2343.
That's what NGC 5042 was I discovered it by British astronomer John Herschel on March 25, 1836.
“The NGC 5042 fills this frame of Hubble image nicely, and there is a single milky star marked with cross-shaped diffraction spikes that attempt to blend in with bright stars along the edge of the galaxy,” the Hubble astronomer said in a statement.
The NGC 5042 is packed with ancient stars, and the galaxy's spiral arms are decorated with patches of young blue stars.
“The elongated yellow orange objects scattered around the image are background galaxies that are far more distant than NGC 5042,” the astronomer said.
“Perhaps the most impressive feature of the NGC 5042 is its collection of vibrant pink gas clouds scattered throughout the spiral arm.”
“These flashy clouds are called the H II region and get a unique color from hydrogen atoms ionized by ultraviolet rays.”
“If you look closely at this image, it appears that many of these reddish clouds are associated with a mass of blue stars, often appearing to form shells around the stars.”
“The H II region is generated by vast clouds of hydrogen gas, producing sufficient high energy light to create the HI II region, and only hot, large stars are produced.”
“The stars that can create the H II region only live for millions of years, and therefore the eye blinks from the galaxy's perspective, so this image represents a fleeting snapshot of the life of this galaxy.”
Six filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Colors are attributed to assigning different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“Hubble observed NGC 5042 in six wavelength bands ranging from ultraviolet to infrared and created this multicolored portrait,” the researchers said.
It is explained in the paper published today journal Natural Astronomy the discovery means that habitable deplanets may have begun to form much earlier, before they were formed billions of years ago.
This artist's impression shows the evolution of the universe, beginning with the Big Bang on the left. After that, you will see the microwave background of the universe. The formation of the first stars ends the dark ages of the universe, followed by the formation of galaxies. Image credit: M. Weiss/Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“We had no oxygen before the first star exploded, so there was no water in space,” said Daniel Warren, an astronomer at the University of Portsmouth.
“Only a very simple nucleus survived the Big Bang: hydrogen, helium, lithium, trace amounts of barium and boron.”
According to Dr. Whalen and his colleagues, water molecules began to form shortly after the first supernova explosion known as the Population III Supernova.
These cosmic events that occurred on first generation stars were essential to creating the heavy elements (such as oxygen) needed for water to exist.
“The oxygen forged in the hearts of these supernovas combines with hydrogen to form water, paving the way for the creation of the essential elements needed for life,” Dr. Whalen said.
In their study, researchers looked at two types of supernovae. This produces corecrolaps supernovae, which produces a modest amount of heavy elements, and more energetic POP III supernovae.
They discovered that both types of supernovae form dense masses of rich gas in water.
The overall amount of water produced by these early supernovae was modest, but was highly concentrated in a gas-dense area called the cloud core, which is thought to be the birthplace of stars and planets.
These early, water-rich regions may have sown planetary formations at the dawn of space long before the first galaxy took shape.
“A significant discovery is that the primitive supernova formed water in the universe ahead of the first galaxy,” Dr. Hualen said.
“So water was already an important component of the first galaxy.”
“This means that the conditions necessary for the formation of life were in place faster than we could have imagined, meaning it was an important step in our early understanding of the universe.”
“The total water mass was modest, but it was very concentrated on the only structures that could form stars and planets.”
“And that suggests that before the first galaxy, a water-rich planetary disc could form at the dawn of space.”
aSelon Musk laughed at Oval Office, one of the UK's most influential technology investors. “He's absolutely horrible. I've said that many times: I think it's horrible what's going on,” says Martha Lane Fox.
For British peers and former Twitter board members, the musk view from Donald Trump's White House bully's pulpit shows that Silicon Valley's dreams have turned sour.
“The wealthiest man in the world who can stand there with the president, and Cult Blanche Please joke about how he carves out people's work in government. He can then be there with a chainsaw laughing on stage…
“It's really, really unsettling and I find it very uncomfortable on a value-based level. It makes me very worried. I think it's gross.”
In an interview with observer To mark International Women's Day, the UK Chamber of Commerce (BCC) president warned against a pushback of diversity that Trump and his technological peers not only hurt society, but also the economy as a whole.
Since he returned to the White House, the US President has shut down all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, but Musk's “Doctors of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is torn apart the funding scheme.
Some of the world's largest companies have followed suit. Of the broad pushback to everything from environmental goals to sustainable development, among the most notable participants are US finance companies and high-tech companies, including Goldman Sachs, Accenture and Amazon, but also UK companies such as GSK.
“He needs to be locked up,” Lady Lane Fox said of Mask's role in the rollback. “I think it's extraordinary that the wealthiest guys in the world are trampling on these things, and that we still have fanboys from the tech sector. It's already corrosive to society and I'd argue that it's going to last.”
For businesses, she says it's better for diversity to ultimately appeal to the widest talent pool of employees and target the widest range of customers. This is just as much about profit as social justice, she adds. However, she has broader concerns about the future.
“First, it's financial. But secondly, it's about power and money – like everything, is it?
“If you're looking at a sector like the digital sector where employment growth, opportunities growth, it's the growth sector of the economy. But you don't include a lot of people in it. Then you'll create inequality. Full stop. It's financial and a social justice issue.”
Given the close relationship between the UK and the US, there is an opinion that the UK continues naturally in the places it stepped in America. But there are indications that some UK businesses, and even US companies, are ready to go away.
Accounting firm Deloitte has directed staff working on a contract to remove pronouns from emails to announce the end of the DEI program. However, the British boss told the staff that the UK business was ” [its] The goal of diversity.”
“I feel like a global company rooted in the US is emphasizing the slight politically motivated change until it all rows out, and I feel it's been a little more tempered here,” says Lane Fox.
She says that UK businesses have the opportunity to do something different. “I think we have a better shot at building a more robust company, attracting talent and building the most resilient company of the future.”
For almost 30 years, LaneFox has built a career and millions of pounds of fortune in technology. She created the first Big Money Floating LastMinute.com on LastMinute.com, an online travel site co-founded with Oxford alumnus Brent Hoberman in 1998.
Elon Musk will be holding a courthouse with Son X in the White House oval office in February. Photo: Abaca/Rex/Shutterstock
She joined Twitter's board of directors (now X) in 2016 and after landing a major payday in 2022 with a $44 billion hostile takeover of Musk, he dissolved the board and appointed its sole director.
He saw musk in his oval office, paraded his Son X over his shoulder, raising doubts about gender division. “Can you imagine it if it was a woman? Can you imagine what it would look like? I mean, I just think the whole thing is really awful.”
But, in personal abilities, the BCC president has not suggested that this approach is not for everyone. “It's really hard to navigate. It's a responsibility to our customers and employees that may differ from our personal views.”
Government regulations enshring diversity targets are also a bad idea, she says. Instead, businesses prefer to report their progress. “It's important to keep that in the light and keep reporting. Keeping good investors, looking at the right metrics, investing in the right companies all helps.”
However, there has not been enough progress. This week's analysis showed that women's unemployment and worsening participation in the workforce have pushed the UK behind Canada to the lowest global ranking for workplace equality in a large economy in a decade.
Gender wage gaps slowly decrease over time, The average salary is still 7% less For women rather than men. That's a challenge that Lane Fox knows too much. “Look at the data. It's really loud. It's not moving,” she says.
“What I'm worried about is that it's too easy to find the numbers we thought were moving forward.
“This week on International Women's Day, we see that representatives at the executive level have returned. I think the board progress is still good at the FTSE 100 level, but it's bad at the FTSE 250 and 350 levels.
“I know there are people in the sector who are thinking, 'Oh, here she's going again.' That applies to many women [that people think that]. But it is very important to continue these discussions. ”
Ultra-high energy cosmic rays are the highest energy particles in the universe, and their energy is more than one million times greater than what humans can achieve.
Professor Farrar proposes that the merger of binary neutron stars is the source of all or most ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This scenario can explain the unprecedented, mysterious range of ultra-high energy cosmic rays, as the jets of binary neutron star mergers are generated by gravity-driven dynamos and therefore are roughly the same due to the narrow range of binary neutron star masses. Image credit: Osaka Metropolitan University / L-Insight, Kyoto University / Riunosuke Takeshige.
The existence of ultra-high energy cosmic rays has been known for nearly 60 years, but astrophysicists have not been able to formulate a satisfactory explanation of the origins that explain all observations to date.
A new theory introduced by Glennnies Farrer at New York University provides a viable and testable explanation of how ultra-high energy cosmic rays are created.
“After 60 years of effort, it is possible that the origins of the mysterious highest energy particles in the universe have finally been identified,” Professor Farrar said.
“This insight provides a new tool to understand the most intense events in the universe. The two neutron stars fuse to form a black hole. This is the process responsible for creating many valuable or exotic elements, including gold, platinum, uranium, iodine, and Zenon.”
Professor Farrer proposes that ultra-high energy cosmic rays are accelerated by the turbulent magnetic runoff of the dual neutron star merger, which was ejected from the remnants of the merger, before the final black hole formation.
This process simultaneously generates powerful gravitational waves. Some have already been detected by scientists from the Ligo-Virgo collaboration.
“For the first time, this work explains two of the most mystical features of ultra-high energy cosmic rays: the harsh correlation between energy and charge, and the extraordinary energy of just a handful of very high energy events,” Professor Farrar said.
“The results of this study are two results that can provide experimental validation in future work.
(i) Very high energy cosmic rays occur as rare “R process” elements such as Xenon and Tellurium, motivating the search for such components of ultra-high energy cosmic ray data.
(ii) Very high-energy neutrinos derived from ultra-high-energy cosmic ray collisions are necessarily accompanied by gravitational waves generated by the merger of proneutron stars. ”
study It will be displayed in the journal Physical Review Letter.
____
Glennys R. Farrar. 2025. Merger of dichotomous neutron stars as the source of the finest energy cosmic rays. Phys. Pastor Rett 134, 081003; doi:10.1103/physrevlett.134.081003
New observations from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope support the presence of three specific functions in the atmosphere (clouds, hot spots, and changes in carbon chemistry) of the rapidly rotating and free floating planetary mass object SIMP J013656.5+093347.
Impressions of the artist of SIMP 0136. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/J. Olmsted, Stsci.
SIMP J013656.5+093347 (SIMP 0136 for short) is a rapidly rotating, free-floating object located just 20 light years from Earth.
It may have a mass of 13 Jupiter masses, does not orbit the star, and instead may be a brown dwarf.
Because it is separated, SIMP 0136 can be directly observed and is not afraid of mild contamination or variability caused by the host star.
The short rotation period, only 2.4 hours, allows for very efficient investigation.
“We've been working hard to get into the world,” said Allison McCarthy, a doctoral student at Boston University.
“We also thought that it might have an effect on temperature fluctuations, chemical reactions, and perhaps the activity of the aurora affecting brightness, but we weren't sure.”
Webb's NirSpec Instruments We captured thousands to 5.3 micron spectra of SIMP 0136. The object completed one full rotation, so I captured it one at a time, one at a time, one at a time, one at a time, over 3 hours.
This led to immediate observation Webb's Milli Musical Instrumentshundreds of measurements of light between 5 and 14 microns were collected. One is one every 19.2 seconds, one in another rotation.
The results were hundreds of detailed rays, each showing a very accurate wavelength (color) brightness change, with different sides of the object rotating into view.
“It was incredible to see the entire range of this object change over a few minutes,” said Dr. Joanna Foss, an astronomer at Trinity College Dublin.
“Until now, we only had a small near-infrared spectrum from Hubble, but we had some brightness measurements from Spitzer.”
Astronomers almost immediately noticed that there were several distinct ray shapes.
At any time, some wavelengths were growing brightly, while others were either dimmed or not changing at all.
Many different factors must affect brightness variation.
“Imagine looking at the Earth from afar,” said Dr. Philip Muirhead, a former member of Boston University.
“Looking each color individually gives you a variety of patterns that tell you something about the surface and the atmosphere, even if you don't understand the individual features.”
“As the ocean rotates towards vision, blue increases. The brown and green changes tell us something about the soil and vegetation.”
To understand what could cause variability in SIMP 0136, the team used an atmospheric model to show where each wavelength of light is occurring in the atmosphere.
“The different wavelengths provide information about the different depths in the atmosphere,” McCarthy said.
“We began to realize that the wavelengths that had the most similar ray shapes also investigated the same depth and reinforced this idea that they must be caused by the same mechanism.”
For example, one group of wavelengths occurs deeply in the atmosphere where there may be patchy clouds made of iron particles.
The second group comes from high clouds, which are thought to be made from small grains of silicate minerals.
Both of these light curve variations are related to the patchiness of the cloud layers.
The third group of wavelengths appears to be occurring at very high altitudes far above the clouds and tracking temperatures.
Bright hotspots may be associated with previously detected auroras at radio wavelengths, or hot gas upwelling from deeper in the atmosphere.
Some light curves cannot be explained by clouds or temperature, but instead show variations related to atmospheric carbon chemistry.
There may be chemical reactions in which carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide pockets rotate within and outside of view, or alter the atmosphere.
“We still don't understand the chemical part of the puzzle yet,” Dr. Vos said.
“But these results are really exciting because they show that the richness of molecules like methane and carbon dioxide can change over time from location.”
“If you're looking at a deplanet and only have one measurement, you should assume that it may not be representative of the entire planet.”
Survey results It will be displayed in Astrophysics Journal Letter.
____
Allison M. McCarthy et al. 2025. JWST weather report from isolated exoplanet analog SIMP 0136+0933: pressure-dependent variability driven by multiple mechanisms. apjl 981, L22; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/AD9EAF
According to new research by scientists at Tsukuba University and the Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, heat from our sun promotes changes in the atmosphere temperature on Earth and changes in the atmosphere temperature on Earth.
The sun is seen by solar orbiter in extreme ultraviolet rays from a distance of approximately 75 million km. This image is a mosaic of 25 individual images taken on March 7, 2022 by the high-resolution telescope of an extreme ultraviolet imager (EUI) instrument. The image, taken at a wavelength of 17 nanometers in the extreme ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, reveals the corona, the upper atmosphere of the sun, with a temperature of about 1 million degrees Celsius. Image credits: ESA/NASA/SOLAR ORBITER/EUI Team/E. Kraaikamp, Rob.
Seismic studies have revealed many of the fundamentals of earthquakes: the tectonic plates move, strain energy accumulates, and that energy is ultimately released in the form of an earthquake.
However, when it comes to predicting them, there is still much to learn to evacuate cities before a catastrophe like the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tōhoku earthquake
In recent years, research has focused on possible correlations between the sun or moon and seismic activity on Earth, with several studies pointing to tidal or electromagnetic effects that interact with the Earth's crust, core, and mantle.
In a new study, Matheus Henrique Junqueira Saldanha and his colleagues explored the possibility that solar-induced climate could play a role.
“Solar heat can promote changes in atmospheric temperature, which can affect rock properties and groundwater movements, among other things,” said Dr. Junqueira Saldanha.
“Such variations can make rocks more brittle and more prone to breaking, for example. And changes in rainfall and snow thaw can change the pressure on the boundaries of the tectonic plate.”
“Those factors may not be the main factors that cause earthquakes, but they may still play a useful role in predicting seismic activity.”
Using mathematical and computational methods, researchers analyzed seismic data along with solar activity records and surface temperatures on Earth.
Among other findings, they observed that when the surface temperature of the earth was included in the model, predictions of particularly shallow earthquakes are more accurate.
“That makes sense because heat and water mostly affect the upper layers of the Earth's crust,” said Junqueira Saldanha.
The findings suggest that solar heat transfer to the Earth's surface affects seismic activity, but this is only a small measure, and incorporating predictions of solar activity into a detailed earth temperature model could help issue seismic predictions.
“It's an exciting direction and I hope our research will shed some light on the larger picture of what causes earthquakes,” said Dr. Junqueira Saldanha.
study Today I'll be appearing in the journal chaos.
____
Matheus Henrique Junqueira Saldanha et al. The role of solar heat in seismic activity. chaos 35, 033107; doi:10.1063/5.0243721
Antarctic Circulating Current (ACC), which is more than four times as strong as the Gulf Stream, is the world’s strongest ocean current and plays an unbalanced role in the climate system due to its role as a major basin conduit. Scientists at the University of Melbourne and the Research Centre in Nordic Norway have shown that ACC will slow by about 20% by 2050 in high carbon emission scenarios. This influx of freshwater into the southern ocean is expected to alter the properties such as the density (salinity) of the ocean and its circulation patterns.
Sohail et al. High-resolution ocean and sea ice simulations of ocean currents, heat transport, and other factors were analyzed to diagnose the effects of temperature changes, saltiness, and wind conditions. Image credit: Sohail et al. , doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/adb31c.
“The oceans are extremely complex, finely balanced,” says Dr. Bishakhdatta Gayen, liquid mechanic at the University of Melbourne.
“If this current ‘engine’ collapses, serious consequences, including more climate change, including extreme extreme climate variability in certain regions, will accelerate global warming due to a decline in the ability of the ocean to function as a carbon sink. “
The ACC acts as a barrier to invasive species, like the southern burkelp and marine vectors such as shrimp and mollusks, which travel in the current from other continents reaching Antarctica.
If this current slows and weakens, it is more likely that such species will head towards the fragile Antarctica, potentially serious effects on food webs, which could change the available diet of Antarctic penguins, for example.
The ACC is an important part of the marine conveyor belt around the world, moving water around the world and linking the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian seas. These are the main mechanisms of exchange of heat, carbon dioxide, chemicals and biology throughout these basins.
In their study, the authors used Gadi, the fastest supercomputer in Australia located on the Access National Research Infrastructure.
They discovered that transport of seawater from the surface to the deepest could also be slower in the future.
“If ice melting accelerates as predicted by other studies, slowdowns are predicted to be similar in low emission scenarios,” Dr. Sohail said.
“The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”
“Many scientists agree that we have already reached this 1.5 degree target, which could have an impact on the melting of Antarctic ice, making it even hotter.”
“Cooperative efforts to limit global warming (by reducing carbon emissions) will limit the melting of Antarctic ice and avoid the expected slowdown in ACC.”
This study reveals that the effects of ice melting and ocean warming on ACC are more complicated than previously thought.
“The melted ice sheets throw a large amount of fresh water from salt water into the salty sea.”
“This sudden change in ocean salinity has a series of results, including weakening of subsidence to the depths of surface seawater (called Antarctic bottom water), and based on this study, it includes weakening of the powerful marine jets surrounding Antarctica,” Dr. Gayen said.
study Published in the journal Environmental Survey Letter.
____
Taimoor Sohail et al. 2025. Decreasing the polar current in the Antarctic due to polarization. environment. res. Rent 20, 034046; doi:10.1088/1748-9326/adb31c
Paleontologists have discovered three racewing larvae in Myanmar's 100 million Kachin amber with large forward trunks (the eyes of Holometabolan). These specimens show highly developed, simple eye convergent evolution of at least two additional lines, indicating the enormous diversity of Cretaceous larvae.
A larva from Kachin Amber, 100 million years ago. Image credit: Haug et al. , doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.13509.
Adult insects are known for their fascinating and complicated eyes. This allows you to achieve amazing sensory feats when performing functions such as food and peers search.
However, in many insect larvae, these eyes are not yet developed. The simple eyes known as the stem are usually sufficient for these larvae. Often, it is a machine that is mostly eating at this stage.
However, some insect larvae are predators, and a few of these have developed highly efficient imaging systems from simple stems.
“The adults and pups of beetles, bees, flies, butterflies and close relative insects also have complex eyes that are present in some larvae,” says Dr. Carolin Haug, researcher at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
“In contrast, most holometaboran larvae have a small group of up to seven simple eyes, known as stems, on either side of the head.”
“The trunk is inherent to holometaborane, usually a simple structure, often slightly radial oriented, creating a wide field of view.”
“However, the fields of the right and left trunks rarely overlap, but denies binocular vision in the larvae.”
“And more, most stems lack the complex internal structures needed to create images.”
“In contrast, several predatory holometaboran larvae evolved anteriorly directed stems, which were expanded with overlapping fields of vision that promote binocular vision.”
“Examples include the larvae of diving beetles known as water tigers, tiger beetles, anthraion and the Whirlgihi beetle.”
“The trunk has been reported in over 120 fossil larvae, but no imaging eyes have been identified that allow binocular vision.”
In a new study, the authors discovered three predatory larvae with unusually large and positive trunks in the Cretaceous Cachin Amber.
They found that the size and orientation of the larvae eyes are comparable to the size and orientation of modern anthraions, allowing for similar optical resolution.
“This is evidence of the first fossils of such an eye and therefore the oldest,” Dr. Haug said.
“The highly refined, simple eyes of predatory larvae evolved with a further double convergence, not just anti-, water tigers and tiger beetles, but also at least among extinct larvae.”
“Our results reveal greater diversity in morphology, ecology, and feeding strategies among Cretaceous larvae than today.”
Karolyn Haug et al. Cretaceous horny larvae with binocular vision show convergent evolution of refined, simple eyes. Insect SciencePublished online on February 18th, 2025. doi:10.1111/1744-7917.13509
A devastating tornado near Minden, Iowa in April 2024
Jonah Lange/Getty Images
Wide range of firing and staffing changes at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) could reduce the reliability of the country's weather forecasts, according to several researchers and the American Meteorological Association.
“The consequences for Americans will be vastly broad, including increasing vulnerability to dangerous weather,” the organization states: statement.
More than 880 NOAA employees have been fired under President Donald Trump's control. statement From US Senator Maria Cantwell. This includes researchers working to improve hurricane predictions and build next-generation weather models, as well as more than 200 people within the National Weather Service, part of NOAA. According to two former NOAA employees, another 500 people accepted an offer to resign from their previous “Folk in the Road” offer, and shouted more for the agency.
A NOAA spokesman declined to discuss shootings and staffing changes. They said the agency will “continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings based on our public safety mission.” However, external researchers and former NOAA employees say the cuts could reduce the quality of the agency's weather forecasts.
The change states, “it has a clear cascade effect that affects predictions, even what people are watching on the phone via third parties.” Kari Bowen University of Colorado at Boulder University.
Cuts can quickly affect alerts about extreme weather like tornadoes and hurricanes, and in the long run, even commercial weather apps rely on modeling from NOAA, allowing general weather reports to be more accurate. Below are four ways experts can predict a shooting storm, and four ways that resignation can affect weather forecasts.
Delayed Tornado Warning
National Weather Service operates a network of 122 weather forecasting offices nationwide. At least 16 offices in the central part of the country's prone to tornadoes are currently understaffed. William Galls At Iowa State University. A former NOAA employee said that over 12 offices in the central region have resigned from head meteorologists. And then the harsh weather season begins in the region.
Nearby offices may be able to help understaffed sites track and alert tornadoes, but confusion can lead to delays. “There's a good chance there's a lot of mistakes,” Gallus says.
Such delays were evident last year when a tornado evacuated local forecast offices in Iowa, Galls said. An adjacent station intervened to track the storm. But amidst the chaos, some residents received five minutes of warning that the tornado was heading their path, rather than the minimum 15 minutes that the forecaster aims to provide. In an emergency, these lost times can make a difference whether they can reach safely.
I don't know when a hurricane suddenly becomes stronger
Some employees fired from NOAA were working to improve hurricane forecasts. In particular, we estimate the time when the situation will rapidly intensify. Rapid strengthening can make hurricanes even more dangerous by reducing the time people prepare. However, these events are well known for predicting.
Hurricane modelers at NOAA and other agencies have made great strides in predicting rapid strengthening in recent years, says Brian Tan At Albany University in New York. This is due to improved modeling, data collection and data integration efforts by NOAA researchers. Currently, personnel delivery “destabilizes the entire process of improving hurricane track and intensity prediction,” he says.
“It will be slower to promote the improvements we have been expecting to improve hurricane forecasts over the past 30 years.” Andy Hazeltonworking on improving NOAA's hurricane forecasts before being fired from its position at the agency's environmental modelling centre last week. He says several people have been fired from a group of “Hurricane Hunters” that fly planes into the storm to collect data, including two flight supervisors.
Unreliable weather data
Accurate weather forecasts rely on a continuous stream of information about real-time conditions around the world, collected from marine buoys, satellites, radars and other sensors. Data will then be fed into global weather models that underlie both public and private forecasts. Much of the world's data and modeling is provided by NOAA.
Staff reductions could impact these critical data collection efforts and would reduce the quality of forecasts. In fact, some locals Weather Forecast Center Due to a lack of staff, regular balloon launches have already been suspended.
“All of these observation networks are maintained and run by people.” Emily Becker At the University of Miami in Florida. “And we've already lost a lot of people from those teams. That's going to be an aggregate effect.”
Improvements to future weather forecasts have stopped
At least eight people, a quarter of the staff, were fired from the Environmental Modeling Center. This is responsible for verifying weather data and integrating it into a model that is more or less underlying all predictions, says Hazelton. “What is the temperature this weekend?” and everything is “Are there any tornadoes?”
Personnel delivery at the Environmental Modeling Center will slow research to improve current global weather models, he says. Additionally, 10 people have been fired from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, which researchers were building. Next Generation Global weather and climate models.
Such reductions are “very harmful” to efforts to make forecasts more reliable, Gallus says. He says that almost every improvement in forecasts over the past decades depends on improvements in modeling. “If we're losing a ton of researchers working on them, you're basically saying my predictions will never get better.”
Standing up to a science rally in Washington Square Park, New York City on March 7th
James Dinneen
Thousands of people in American cities protested March 7th against the Trump administration's cuts to scientific funding.
In New York City, over 1,000 people gathered at Washington Square Park and chanted “Fund Science Not War!” People had signs of mourning the cut, including one that said, “Science makes America great.”
The protest was one of at least 30 “stand-up for science” rallies in US cities, and over 150 events were expected worldwide. The researchers also left the institute as part of the protest.
Since President Donald Trump took office on January 20th, the administration has cancelled or frozen billions of dollars in federal funds for scientific and medical research. Much of the reduction focuses on research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and research on climate change and gender. The government has also fired thousands of federal employees at U.S. scientific institutions, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Science is something that needs to be cherished. I think everyone has to be here. I'm rather working with my cells in my lab, but I think we need to bring awareness to these issues.” Anna Vivineteda neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medicine who participated in the New York protest. She had signs that read, “So bad, even introverts are here.”
Demonstrators keep signs during stand-up at a science rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC on March 7th
Tierney L Cross / Bloomberg via Getty Images
“Science is being attacked, and funds are now being cut for decades in ways that affect the well-being of our country,” says Maia, a researcher at the Columbia University Eco Museum in New York. She says she and her colleagues lost funds for their research.
The largest gathering took place in Washington, D.C., where thousands of people attended. It included scientist Bill Nye. Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Several members of the Congress. Over 1,500 people attended the New York event. There, notable researchers also spoke, including Lisa Randall, the chief scientist at Meta Ayan Lekun, former NIH director and Nobel laureate, theoretical physicist at Harvard.
Researchers from around the world participated in the New York protests. “America has been a very exceptional thing to science. I really believe that science has made America great. We are very disappointed because everything is destroyed,” says a French cancer biologist.
New Scientist We also spoke with scientists from Argentina, Israel, Canada and Australia at the rally. Some of them worried that they might have to leave the US to continue their work. “I am heartbroken. Vivinezze, from Argentina, said:
Dennis Robbinsa science educator at Hunter College in New York had a sign that read, “Now I am a crazy scientist.” He says he had the same signs in his first “March for Science” protest in 2017.
#StandUpForScience2025 At the Michigan State Capitol. It's time to still come out and defend government scientific funding and sustaining evidence-based decision-making. pic.twitter.com/jvtktzocaf
– Rebecca Santelli (girlfriend) (@rebeccasantelli) March 7, 2025
A crowd of people at the Philadelphia science march! The most popular sign: “I left the lab for this.” The protests have just begun, so please join us! #marchforscience #science #philly
Paleontologists describe new genus and species of extinct scorpions from the early Cretaceous Ixia Formation in China.
Jeholia Longkengi It is China's first Mesozoic scorpion. Image credit: Jie Sun/Xuan et al. , doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.01.035.
It has been named Jeholia LongkengiThe new species lived around 125 million years ago (early Cretaceous period).
The fossilized scorpion ruins are Yixian Layer In the village of Heishangou in Chifen City, Nei Mongolia, China.
“Scorpions belong to the Arachnida class within the arthropod and have a relatively small number of fossil records,” said Dr. Qiang Xuan, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Paleontology and a researcher of excellence for the excellence of life and paleoenvironment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Early scorpions came from the Midsilurian era, and at least some of them are interpreted as transient forms from sea to land.”
“Even though they are among the early terrestrial arthropods, fossils and living scorpions retain mostly conservative body plans.”
“Mesozoic scorpions are primarily from the Burmese system in the Middle Cretaceous, but compressed scorpion fossils that usually accumulate in the hierarchy are relatively rare, except for late Triassic Cuper sandstone formation in England and late Cretaceous Krato formation in Brazil.”
“Three fossil scorpions, including the Miocene scorpion, have been reported from China Sinoscorpius Shandongensis From Devonian Scorpion, County Chandon Hubeiscorpio gracilitarsis From Hubei Province and Permian Scorpion Eoscorpius sp. From Uda, Nei Mongol. ”
Jeholia Longkengi He was a member of the early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem known as Jehoru Biotait is internationally renowned for the discovery of exceptional fossils, including feathered dinosaurs, early birds, diverse mammals, pterosaurs, and several arthropod fossils.
“The Jehol Biota is one of the most important and prolific fossil sites for studying early Cretaceous life,” the paleontologist said.
“No previous fossil scorpions have been recorded despite many fossil species being reported.”
The full length of Jeholia Longkengi It was about 10 cm (4 inches). It is larger than other Mesozoic scorpions and considerably larger than many living scorpions.
“Jeholia Longkengi They may feed primarily a variety of insects, including herbivorous, omnivorous, corrosive, fungal and predatory species that are common in gel biotas, and perhaps spiders, frogs, small salamanders, lizards and mammals,” the researchers said.
“We recommend that potential natural enemies of this Cretaceous scorpion include dinosaurs, birds and mammals, according to previously reported Jehol Biota food web model.”
“However, there is no fossil record for the oral sector, so speculation about their feeding habits is in the preliminary stage.”
“Middle centrality is a metric that quantifies the importance of a node in connecting other nodes in the network,” they added.
“It plays a pivotal role in assessing the extent to which a node acts as a bridge and linking other nodes in the network.”
“In Jehor's Biota Food Network, large scorpions exhibit the highest intermediate centrality of all guilds, highlighting the possibility that fossil scorpions had extensive ecological interactions with other species of early terrestrial ecosystems.”
“Our findings contribute to new insights into the complexity of Yel Biota's food web,” they concluded.
Team's paper Published in the journal Science news.
____
Qiang Xuan et al. The first Mesozoic scorpion from China and its ecological meaning. Science newsPublished online on January 24th, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.01.035
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