The Tarantula Nebula is captured in the deepest X-ray images ever by Chandra

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Tarantula Nebula is the most important star-forming complex in local galaxy groups, including the Milky Way, the large Magellan cloud and the Andromeda galaxy. At its heart is the highly rich young star cluster R136, which contains the most huge known stars. The stellar wind and supernova carved the tarantula nebula into an astonishing display of arcs, pillars and bubbles.

This image of Chandra shows the Tarantula Nebula. Image credits: NASA/CXC/Penn State/Townsley et al.

The Tarantula Nebula is approximately 170,000 light years away from the southern constellation of Dorado.

The nebula, also known as the NGC 2070 or 30 Dorados, is part of the large Magellan cloud.

“The Tarantula Nebula is the most powerful and large star-forming region in the local galaxy group,” says Matthew Povich, astronomers at Polytechnic University in California, and Pennsylvania State University astronomers Raysa Townsley and Patrick Brose. I said that.

“The nebulae differ from the massive star-forming regions of the Milky Way galaxy. There is no different galactic rotation to tear the complex, so it provides fuel for at least 25 million years to supply large star-forming. It lasts and grows at the confluence of two super-huge shells, reaching a starburst percentage.”

“Today, it is dominated by a central large cluster R136, 1-2 million years ago, and includes the wealthiest young star population of the local group, and the largest star included It's here.”

“In contrast to the large star-forming regions of the galaxy, the location of the large Magellan tarantula nebula provides a low metallic starburst laboratory with low absorption and well-known distances. I'll do that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivd_gmu9p8c

New X-ray images of the tarantula nebula contain data from the large Chandra program, including observation times of approximately 23 days, with Chandra previously performed in the nebula for over 1.3 days.

The 3,615 x-ray sources detected by Chandra include large stars, double star systems, bright stars still in the process of formation, and much smaller clusters of young stars.

The authors also identified the oldest X-ray pulsar candidate ever detected in Tarantula Nebula, PSR J0538-6902.

“There are a ton of diffuse hot gases found in x-rays that come from various sources that arise from the giant star winds and gases expelled by supernova explosions,” the astronomer said.

“This dataset is ideal for the near future to study diffuse X-ray emissions in star-forming regions.”

Team's paper It will be published in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.

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Raysa K. Townsley et al. 2025. TARANTULA – Revealed by X-ray (T-REX). APJin press; Arxiv: 2403.16944

Source: www.sci.news

Tiktok is Reinstated on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Tiktok was made available on the US App Store by Apple and Google on Thursday after President Donald Trump postponed the ban on Chinese-owned social media apps. This ensured that the tech giants would not face fines for distributing or maintaining the app.

The popular short video app, used by nearly half of all Americans, faced a temporary ban last month. However, the ban was scheduled to take effect on January 19th due to national security concerns surrounding its Chinese ownership. The owners were asked to sell the app or risk being banned.

Following this, Trump signed an executive order the next day, delaying the enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing Tiktok to continue its operations in the US temporarily.

After receiving Trump’s assurance, Tiktok resumed its service, but Google and Apple continued to remove the app from the US App Store.

Tiktok, the second-most downloaded app in the US last year, announced on Thursday that the latest version of the app was now available for download.

Analysts speculate that there was a delay as Google and Apple were waiting for guarantees that they would not be penalized for hosting or distributing the app.

Trump’s order ensured that companies would not face fines for running the Tiktok app.

According to Market Intelligence Firm Sensor Tower, Tiktok was downloaded over 52 million times in 2024. The majority of downloads came from Apple’s App Store, with the rest from Google Play in the US.

Regulations demanding the sale of Tiktok’s US assets by a deadline, or the possibility of a ban, were put in place in April last year by then-President Joe Biden. This was in response to national security fears and concerns about potential surveillance by China through video sharing apps.

The US has never banned major social media platforms, and the law enacted last year gives the government the authority to ban or require the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.

Trump mentioned on Thursday that the 75-day deadline for Tiktok could be extended.

The uncertainty surrounding Tiktok has attracted interest from potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.

Trump indicated that he has been in talks with various parties regarding the purchase of Tiktok and is likely to make a decision on the app’s future in February.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Vista achieves unprecedented detail in capturing images of the RCW 38

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The astronomer using it Telescope for ESO visible infrared investigation telescopes (Vista) created something amazing 80 million pixel images Star cluster RCW 38.

This Vista/Vircam Image shows the Superstar Cluster RCW 38. Image credit: ESO/VVVX survey.

RCW 38 is an approximately superstar cluster 5,500 light years They are separated by Vera's constellation.

It is the youngest of the 13 superstar clusters in the Milky Way (less than one million years) and is the dense stellar system in 13,000 light years from the Sun.

Includes hundreds of young, hot, giant stars and brown dwarfs.

RCW 38 is a “embedded” cluster in that new clouds of dust and gas still envelop the stars.

The intense radiation poured from the newly born stars makes the surrounding gas bright and bright.

This is in stark contrast to the cool, cosmic dust streams that engulf the region.

“Compared to our Sun, which is at a stable stage in that life about 4.6 billion years ago, the RCW 38 star is still very young,” the ESO astronomer said in a statement.

“In less than a million years, RCW 38 contains around 2,000 stars, creating this psychedelic landscape.”

“The cluster of stars is like a giant pressure cooker, and contains all the ingredients for star formation: dense gas clouds and opaque masses of cosmic dust. This mixture of gas and dust itself If it collapses under the gravity of the 'stars','

“The strong radiation from these newborn stars creates the gas that brightens up the glow of the star cluster, creating the pink tint you see here.”

“It's a truly spectacular sight! But in visible light, many of the stars in the RCW 38 cluster remain hidden from us, and dust blocks those views.”

That's where the Vista telescope appears. Its Vircam camera observes infrared rays that can pass through almost unobstructed dust, unlike visible light, and reveals the true richness of the RCW 38.

“We also see a cold “failed” star known as a young star, or a brown dwarf, in a dusty coco,” the astronomer said.

“This infrared image was taken during that time. Vista variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) surveycreated the most detailed infrared map of Home Galaxy ever made. ”

“Studies like this either reveal unknown astronomical objects, or give us a new perspective on known objects.”

Source: www.sci.news

Curiosity Rover Discovers Noctilucent Clouds in Mars Atmosphere

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

New images and shows taken over 16 minutes by the Mastcam Instrument of NASA’s Curiosity Rover on January 17, 2025 Night or in twilight cloudsin the atmosphere of Mars. Sometimes these clouds create rainbows of color, creating rainbow clouds and mother clouds. If it is too faint to be visible in the daytime, the clouds will be particularly high and only visible when the evening falls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnaqwu1wzm4

Mars clouds are made of either water ice or carbon dioxide ice at higher altitudes and lower temperatures.

The latter is the only kind of cloud observed on the red planet, producing rainbow colors, and can be seen near the top of the new image at an altitude of 60-80 km (37-50 miles).

It also appears that white feathers fall into the atmosphere on a low ride 50 km (31 miles) from the surface before evaporating due to rising temperatures.

Temporarily visible at the bottom of the image are water ice clouds moving in the opposite direction about 50 km of the curiosity rover.

This Curiosity/Mastcam image shows simultaneous clouds in the atmosphere of Mars. Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SSI.

“When I first saw these rainbow clouds, I always remember, but at first I was sure it was a few colour artifacts,” said the Atmospheric Scientist at the Institute of Space Science. said one Dr. Mark Lemon.

“It’s now predictable, so you can plan your shots ahead of time. Clouds appear at the exact same time.”

“Each sighting is an opportunity to learn more about the particle size and growth rates of Mars clouds, which will provide you with more information about the planet’s atmosphere.”

“The potential source of clouds can be gravitational waves, which can cool the atmosphere.”

“We weren’t expecting carbon dioxide to condense into ice here, so we’re cooling until something is likely to happen.”

“However, the gravitational waves on Mars are not fully understood, and we are not entirely aware of what the Twilight clouds are formed in one place and not elsewhere. “

Source: www.sci.news

The Impressive UK Private Employment Drivers on Valentine’s Day in the Gig Economy

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

wHensimon Waite began working as a private rental driver in 2017. It gave him the flexibility and income to spend time with his children. “School is my son’s soccer, and I was able to make money in my life,” he says.

But over the past few years, the 41-year-old Waite from Hertfordshire says he has to spend dramatically more time on the roads to make a living. “It took me about 50 hours to make £1,000 a week a few years ago, but now it’s about 70 hours. Most drivers will need to pay insurance, taxes, vehicle fees, maintenance, fuel, license, rent, bills, and maintenance fees. Living costs.”

Waite claims that drivers reduced fares to compensate for costs after the Supreme Court was classified as eligible to acquire workers’ rights, such as holidays and sick pay in 2021.

To challenge his working conditions, Waite will not work for the private rental driving app on Valentine’s Day from 4pm to 10pm. He has taken part in logoff actions against Uber, Bolt, and Addison Lee and withdraws his labor Thousands of others Requires better pay, rights, and safety measures.

Friday’s action is organized by three drivers and supported by the Independent Workers Union UK (IWGB). “The driver reports that he just got worse. [2021] The ruling responded to the enforcement of rights by lowering its fees,” the IWGB said. Approximately 200 drivers from cities across the country contacted the Guardian and shared their opinions on the actions.

Wait, who is signed up with Bolt, says Uber is a great app that “has done so many amazing things about how people avoid it.” But he says the decline in wages has “at a place I can’t.” He is considering quitting his job.

Valentine’s Day action is about raising awareness among drivers [and] We build that momentum,” Waite said. “We’re going to strengthen Uber and run this system. If we’re united, we can actually make changes.”

Another driver scheduled to log off on Friday is Isaac Mohammed, 30, a part-time Cardiff driver since 2016.

Isaac Mohammed, 30, said fares could drop to £1 per mile. Photo: Isaac Mohammed/Guardian Community

“It used to be the best ride app, but things have changed dramatically over the past two years,” says Mohammed. It was often 3 pounds per mile.

“Today, having a takeaway for me is considered a luxury,” he says. “Unless you live in your car, it’s very difficult to survive.”

The core issue of Mohammed is what counts as working time. Uber calculates it from when the ride is accepted until the passengers leave the exit, but he says this doesn’t take into account the time they wait for the ride.

Also involved is Kieran Airey, 36, of Merseyside, driving for Uber and a local private employment company. He says he realized in early 2024 it was taking time to reach his £200 a day goal. This meant rising from 55-60 hours a week, up from 45 hours. “At one point, I was basically working seven days a week,” he says.

“I just want fair wages for fair work,” says 36-year-old Kieran Airey. Photo: Kieran Airey/Guardian Community

He had to take his 14-year-old son to soccer and had to take a weekend nap, as he had eaten a processed microwave meal rather than a home-cooked dinner due to increased fatigue. So, “I had enough energy to do the job then, then.”

Airey says he is frustrated with the lack of transparency around the algorithms and payment structure. “I just want to make fair payments for fair work,” he says.

Uber claims that drivers are being paid unfairly. “Uber offers a national living wage guarantee for all drivers, and while they can earn money below that level, most drivers can make more money,” the spokesman said. Ta.

“All drivers are paid weekly as cash, representing an additional 12% of the revenues paid each week.

A spokesman for Addison Lee said the company has “close collaboration with our drivers” and “doesn’t expect to see disruptions with volume or service levels” on Friday. I contacted Bolt for comment.

Gavin, a 45-year-old driver from Uber and Bolt of Birmingham, says he sympathizes with some concerns but has not taken part in the action.

“I really have to thank Uber for giving me this opportunity to acquire a private employment driver,” he says. More than his previous work.

But with Martin Hayward, 54-year-old Southampton, a private employment driver for 20 years, joining in, he says the logoff action hasn’t gone far enough to make an impact. “I’m happy to log off for a week,” he says.

“I work seven days a week for under £500,” says Martin Hayward. Photo: Martin Hayward/Guardian Community

He claims he could earn around £750 a week ago by October last year, but now he’s earning around £450 in the same time.

“I work seven days a week for under £500. I don’t have a social life,” he says. “The worst thing about being a driver is always having a place to have a good time, whether it’s a theatre, a holiday, a trip, or a cruise. You’re just thinking… I’m not going to do these things. you can’t.

“It’s just putting you on the floor.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

New study uncovers the potential for Earth-like life to exist near a white dwarf star

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to a new study from the University of California, Irvine University, white dwarfs are the life of planets that have produced a warmer surface environment than a warmer surface environment formed within a habitable zone or within a habitable zone. It may provide a suitable environment.

The drainage ability to orbit the habitable zone of the white dwarf may have more Clement states to compensate for the cooling and dimming of the host star over time. Image credit: David A. Aguilar/CFA.

This study included the University of California Irvine Astronomer. Aokawa Shield Coworkers compared the climate of the water world with an Earth-like atmosphere composition orbiting in habitable zones of two different types of stars: the white d star and the main sequence K-Dwarf star Kepler-62.

Using a 3D global climate computer model, normally used to study the Earth's environment, they say that despite similar stellar energy distributions, the explanet of the white d star is far more than the Kepler-62 deplanet I discovered it was warm.

“White dwarf stars may emit some heat from residual nuclear activity into the outer layer, but they no longer exhibit fusion at their core,” Dr. Shields said.

“For this reason, we don't take into account much of the ability of these stars to host habitable exoplanets.”

“Our computer simulations suggest that if rocky planets exist in orbit, these planets may have more habitable real estate on their surface than previously thought. ”

The White Dwarf habitable zone is much closer to the stars compared to other star settlements, such as Kepler-62.

The authors emphasized that this would result in a much faster rotation period (10 hours) for the white dwarf exoplanet, and that Kepler 62's exoplanet has a 155-day rotation period.

Both planets can be trapped in synchronous orbits with permanent daysides and permanent nightsides, but the rotation of the super-fast white dwarf planets extends the circulation of clouds around the planet.

The much slower 155-day orbital period of the Kepler-62 planet contributes to large dayside liquid cloud masses.

“Synchronous rotation of exoplanets in habitable zones of normal stars like Kepler 62 creates more cloud covers on Earth's dayside, reflecting incoming radiation away from the Earth's surface. I expect that,'' Dr. Shields said.

“That's usually good for planets orbiting near the inner edge of the star's habitable zone, where you can cool off a bit, rather than losing the ocean in a runaway greenhouse.”

“But for a planet orbiting straight in the middle of a habitable zone, that's not a very good idea.”

“The planet orbiting Kepler-62 has so many clouds that it is covered in clouds, sacrificeing valuable habitable surface area in the process.”

“On the other hand, planets orbiting the white dwarf spin so fast that they hardly have cloudy time during the day, so they retain more heat and work in their advantage.”

Less liquid clouds and the strong greenhouse effect on the Nightside creates a warmer state on the white dwar planet compared to the Kepler-62 planet.

“These results suggest that the once thought to be lifeless, white d star stellar environment could present a new pathway for exoplanet and astrobiology researchers to pursue. I'm doing that,” Dr. Shields said.

“With powerful observational capabilities online to assess exoplanet atmospheres and astrobiology, such as those related to the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, we are now studying a whole new class of whole new classes. You can enter a new stage of being. The world around the stars that was previously not announced.”

study It was published in Astrophysical Journal.

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Aokawa L. Seals et al. 2025. Increased surface temperature of the habitable white dwarf world compared to the main sequence exoplanet. APJ 979, 45; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/AD9827

Source: www.sci.news

Las Vegas Ends 214-Day Dry Spell with 0.01 Inch of Rainfall

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Las Vegas – After a staggering 214 days without any measurable rainfall, the Las Vegas Valley finally saw some drizzle.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service recorded 0.01 inch of rain at Harry Reed International Airport, ending one of the longest dry spells in the city’s history.

This marks the first time in 88 years that Las Vegas has gone more than 200 days without rain, according to the National Weather Service. The last significant rainfall in the area was seven months ago, before July 13th, 2024.

While this dry spell broke records, the city’s longest stretch without measurable rain remains at 240 days, a drought that occurred in 2020.

The current winter season is uncharacteristically warm and dry in the region.

Almost all of southern Nevada is currently facing “extreme” drought conditions. The US drought monitors release color-coded maps weekly to show the severity of drought conditions nationally.

The most recent drought monitor map shows that over 88% of the state is experiencing some level of drought, with around 21% facing “extreme” or “exceptional” dryness.

Thursday’s rain extended across desert areas in the southwest, affecting much of southern Nevada, as well as parts of California and Arizona.

The Las Vegas branch of the Meteorological Bureau stated that due to months of dry weather, the exact amount of rainfall from this event remains uncertain. According to x.

Higher elevations are expecting snow, with winter storm warnings in place for Nevada’s Spring Mountain area until Friday afternoon. Weather services predict 12-24 inches of snow in the mountains, with snowfall potentially reaching above 8,000 feet.

The precipitation is part of a storm system moving through southern Nevada on Thursday and Friday.

The Weather Service forecasts Las Vegas could receive 0.5-0.9 inches of rain over the two days.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Why We Crave Dessert Even After a Full Dinner

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

You always have room for sweet treats

Marioguti/Istockphoto/Getty Images

Even after eating a large meal, most people still find room for sweets. Currently, mouse studies show that neurons that cause fulfillment are also responsible for sugar cravings. In other words, there appears to be a neurological basis for our love for dessert.

Previous studies have shown that naturally occurring opioids in the brain play an important role in sugar cravings. The main producers of these opioids are neurons located in the brain region that regulates appetite, metabolism and hormones called the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. These cells, known as proopiomeranocortin (POMC) neurons, also control the feeling of fullness after eating.

To understand whether cells play a role in sugar cravings, Henning Fencerau The Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Germany and his colleagues tracked the opioid signals POMC cells send to the brain. They did so by bathing brain slices from three mice with a fluorescent solution that binds to the receptors of these opioids.

The brain regions with the highest density of these receptors were the paraventricular nuclei of the thalamus (PVT), known to regulate breastfeeding and other behaviors. It suggested that sugar craving was associated with communication between these two brain regions – arcuate nuclei and PVT of the hypothalamus.

Therefore, researchers monitored the activity of neurons in these regions when mice were eating regular food. After 90 minutes the animals looked full – they only bite into additional food. At that point, the team gave them a sugar-like butterfly dessert.

On average, neuronal activity between brain regions was nearly quadrupled during the time of dessert, compared to when eating a normal diet. Spikes begin before they start eating sweets, suggesting that this brain pathway determines sugar cravings.

Researchers confirmed this using a technique called optogenetics, which turns cells on and off with light. Inhibiting the signal from POMC neurons to PVTs led to mice consumed 40% less dessert.

“Cell types that are very well known for driving satiety also emit signals that cause sugar appetite, especially when they are full,” says Fencelau. “This would explain why animals-humans over-impose sugar when they actually fill up.”

I don’t know why this pathway evolved in animals. It may be because sugar is more likely to be more energy than other sources such as fat and protein, says Fencelau. So eating dessert is like refilling a gas tank.

He hopes that the study could lead to new treatments for obesity, but he acknowledges that hunger and craving are complicated in everyday life. “There are so many other pathways in the brain that of course you can disable this. We found this pathway, but how it plays with many others. That’s something we don’t know at this point.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Scarlett Johansson raises concerns about AI dangers following viral Kanye West deepfake video

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Scarlett Johansson raised concerns about the “immediate threat of AI” following the circulation of deepfake videos featuring her and other well-known Jewish celebrities in response to recent anti-Semitic comments made by Kanye West.

The deepfake video showcased AI-generated versions of numerous celebrities, such as Johansson, David Schwimmer, Jerry Seinfeld, Drake, Adam Sandler, Steven Spielberg, and Mila Kunis.

It began with a deepfake representation of Johansson wearing a t-shirt with raised hands and fingers adorned with the Star of David and Kanye’s name. The video was set to the tune of “Habanagira,” a traditional Jewish song typically played at celebratory cultural events and concluded with a message urging viewers to join the fight against anti-Semitism.

Other celebrities depicted in the video included Sacha Baron Cohen, Jack Black, Natalie Portman, Adam Levine, Ben Stiller, and Lenny Kravitz.

Johansson expressed her distress over the dissemination of AI-generated videos featuring her likeness online in response to anti-Semitic sentiments. In a statement to People, she stated, “As a Jewish woman, I unequivocally denounce all forms of anti-Semitism and hate speech. However, I believe the potential dangers posed by hate speech-enabled AI are far more concerning. We must hold AI accountable, as it presents a significant threat. Regardless of the AI’s message, there is a risk of inciting misuse of AI or real-life repercussions.”

A user known as Nishi made derogatory remarks, self-identifying as a “Nazi,” and lauding Hitler on social media before deactivating their account.

Nishi also featured in advertisements during the Super Bowl and directed viewers to their website, which was subsequently shut down by Shopify for policy violations. Fox TV station CEO Jack Abernethy also criticized the ads in a memo to staff.

Johansson has been an outspoken advocate against the unauthorized use of AI. She previously threatened legal action against OpenAI for using a voice resembling hers in their ChatGPT product. OpenAI eventually removed the prominently featured audio option from ChatGPT following significant backlash.

Johansson emphasized, “While I have been a prominent target of AI misuse, the reality is that the threat of AI affects us all.”

She further stated, “There is a pressing need for progressive nations to enact regulations safeguarding citizens from the imminent perils posed by AI, which regrettably the US government appears inert in addressing. It is alarming that the US lags in taking action.”

The actor urged lawmakers to enact legislation combating AI abuse, highlighting it as “a bipartisan issue with profound implications for humanity’s immediate future.”

These remarks coincide with the UK Advertising Standards Authority’s report stating the prevalence of fake ads featuring celebrities as the most widespread form of fraudulent online ads.

The AI-generated video was created by Ori Bejerano, as indicated in his Instagram Bio. His original post noted that the content was digitally altered or generated with AI to create a realistic appearance.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Acidic storms forecasted to increase aquifer levels

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Have you ever visited a cave? Most caves are formed from rocks made of calcium and carbonates, Limestoneand includes vast passages beautifully decorated with unique minerals in columnar formation. for example, Mammoth Cave Kentucky has 426 miles (or 686 kilometers) of corridors, with over 100 rooms lined with giant titro stones and stalagies.

Where the caves are located there are often underground reservoirs. Aquifer. Aquifers are also commonly formed from limestone, conserving enormous amounts of water in cracks and other pore spaces in the rock. The population harvests billions of gallons of water from the aquifer every day.

Chemical reactions between limestone and acid dissolve the limestone, resulting in caves and aquifers being formed in limestone. The most common acids that react with limestone to form caves and aquifers are Carbonated. Carbonated acids are weak acids that naturally form when carbon is indicated as CO.₂dissolves in water. However, other naturally occurring acids such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid can also dissolve limestone.

Scientists have shown that limestone melting affects the world's climate. Carboxylic acids dissolve limestone and consume Co₂this is a powerful greenhouse gas. However, when other acids dissolve the limestone, Co is released₂ For the atmosphere. In particular, sulfuric acid and nitric acid are produced during human activities such as agriculture and other industrial processes. Scientists want to know if these acids dissolve a significant amount of limestone in aquifers and other underground areas.

Recently, a team of researchers in Florida used chemical analysis and mathematical models to measure the amount of limestone dissolution caused by acids other than carbonic acid in large aquifers known as the Floridan aquifer. Researchers explained that the Suwanee River is above the Floridan Aquifer and that there is water from the Suwanee River refill. charging Aquifer. They wanted to determine how much dissolution would occur in the aquifer with this charged water.

First, they measured the co₂ and the concentration of acid in water samples from various surfaces and underground locations of the Suwanee River Basin, collected over five years. This data was then used to create a mathematical model that calculates the amount of limestone dissolved within the aquifer if all molecules of acid in the aquifer react with the limestone molecule.

Using this model, the researchers estimated that acid input to the aquifer could dissolve 100-10,000 kilograms (or 220-220,000 pounds) of limestone in six months. This corresponds to the weight of melting at least two humans or three or more rocks! Based on the model output, they also found that only carboxylic acids cannot drive the dissolution of all estimated limestones. Researchers concluded that other acids, such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid, must contribute to the dissolution of limestone.

The team also explained that water can flow through the aquifer in just a few hours or years. They reported that several storms had occurred while sampling the river. It increased charging and produced a surge that pushed water through the aquifer faster than usual. They calculated that the most limestone dissolved during these storm surges, suggesting that the storm could exacerbate aquifer growth.

For many Florida people, the Florida aquifer is the main source of clean water. Therefore, the researchers emphasized that how this aquifer interacts with the environment affects millions of livelihoods. The researchers concluded that acids released from human activity could affect the dissolution of all limestones from the aquifers we rely on from the caves we visited. They suggested that future researchers would consider weathering rocks when studying carbon dioxide dynamics in other limestone-dominated regions.

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Source: sciworthy.com

Review of Avowed: Where Annihilation Collides with the Intricacy of a Rich and Diverse Fantasy World

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

eYou need to switch between fantasy realms. Who am I again? What do I do here? Who are all these people? It’s been a golden age for fantasy recently, and inhaling Dragon’s Dogma 2, Metaphor: Rifantagiothe seasons of Dragon House and all seasons of Rebecca Jaros are beginning to blur the details of one kingdom with another, less than a year later.

Avowed’s Fantasy Universe is ready-made from other Eternity Games pillars of developer Obsidian. The lore is dense, the in-game text is rich and the characters are redundant, but thankfully the land between them is fascinating to see the territory of Eora, full of political tensions and cool monsters. I remember valuable names and historical details, but I remember some of my experiences with this game – big enough for a crazy priest to build as a huge automaton inside The view from the rattle road hugging the walls of an underground cave and the secrets of the skin crawling I discovered in the basement of my fellow family homes. The appearance is annihilation and obliv with fungal and floral details that embroidery the structures and people you encounter, embroidering the ever-present tension between organic and rot.

The land in between is destroyed by a disturbing plague that angers people before it is consumed by mushroom-like growth. You, an envoy from the distant centre of the Empire, have been sent to investigate. You are like God, touched immortal, through this strange place, by the sacred voice in your head and the various native companions I felt truly enlightened. You will be guided. Avowed has many choices and self-direction, and it is a game that always respects your intelligence. The characters are interestingly written (densely) and there are many ways to respond to them. That’s far less than the Whedon-esque man/bad guy/joker reaction, as the cries echoes other games force you out of you.

I was hoping for a lively adventure of Obsidian sci-fi comedy The Outer Worlds for 20 hours, but readers, this is it’s not. This game is immeasurable. We spent some time in the opening area of Dawnshore and spent some old time familiarizing ourselves with spider-equipped caves (there are a lot of these, but this is not an Arachnophovictic game). Booty. (This is because I’m stagnant in the main quest, and I forgot about the important information that was displayed once in the text tutorial for about 5 seconds.) Only after 15 hours on this comfortable coastal land, I’d say I met one of my central antagonists. A memorable and terrifying warrior dressed in intricate armor and a mask with smoldering eyes. Then I found myself in a densely rotten jungle swamp filled with amazingly cheerful necromancers, and it big From Dawn Shore. When I arrived at my third new location about 30 hours later, I realized that there was no measure of this world at all.

Unfortunately, AVOWED is better It was 20 hours long. I’ve always been lost on strike from town and have come across something interesting like Skyrim and Fallout. However, there are two stickiness issues that suck fun over time. The first is common to many open world games. Once you arrive at a new location, all the quests and battles are a little difficult. After hours of quests, exploring weapons and armor, and upgrading, it hits a short sweet spot that all feels challenging but conquering. Then you start to feel like everything is too easy and empowering yourself, and it’s like a box-chic movement. This pattern repeatedly eroded my patience in the game.

The second problem is that the combat in Avowed is not as fun as it thinks. A lot of it. There are an impressive number of weapons and techniques, including Grimoire and Staff for spells, giant two-handed axes, bows and pistols, maces, shields, and more. But no matter what you choose, it feels inaccurate and boring, and the likelihood of success is determined by invisible numbers rather than skills. Make sure to take on enemies above your level, and how well you dodge the Great Sword path, or how cleverly you combine your magical effects to freeze undead skeletons. It hardly matters whether to grind it. The key is the quality of the gear. This should be continuously and painstakingly upgraded with random materials from warehouses that are found in every chest or lockbox. I was extremely tired of destroying R2 and firing magic projectiles, hacking tree monsters with my sword, and being so determined that I was missing from hit points. My companions either didn’t feel particularly useful in the fight.

All the diversity and textures in the fiction here are lacking in combat and loot. The end of the most interesting quests is home to unique swords and trinkets, but the fun of exploration is rarely found outside the scenery or characters. If you come across a powerful enemy, you may be losing your strength for the fight. If you find an appetizing, glowing breast in a cave, it can be filled with pennies, chunks of iron, and some fur.

Avowed began as Obsidian’s answer to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, reminding me of many oblivion and Skyrim in an exciting moment when I tripped over something unexpected in the wild. But it also shares a tendency to repeat those games and a sense of weightlessness in their fight. My first 15 or so hours on the land felt potentially rich, but I was tired of it long before the end.

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Source: www.theguardian.com

Experience the Virgin Money Flaster Chatbot in the heart of Scunthorpe

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Feedback is the latest science and technology news of new scientists, the sidelines of the latest science and technology news. You can email Feedback@newscientist.com to send items you believe readers can be fascinated by feedback.

NDCS TBC

In the fun world of international climate negotiations at this point, everything is a bit quieter. The final big news was the COP29 conference in Azerbaijan in November. This was a huge success for a fossil fuel company promoting bystanders' products. Donald Trump then returned to the White House as President of the United States. He immediately ordered the country to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which governs international climate action. Negotiators can make excuses that they are a bit shell shocked.

Nevertheless, the wheels of the climatic bureaucracy are crushed. This year, signers of the Paris contract must submit renewals Nationally determined contributions (NDC). This is essentially a list of promises to take action to address climate change. The deadline is February 10th, and most countries missed it. Climate strategist Ed King He's getting attention Newsletter “Three small hill countries with many sheep” (UK, New Zealand and Switzerland) managed to submit theirs, but “we will have to wait until the second half of 2025 for China, India and the EU ”.

No one is in a hurry. It will take time. It's not like half of Los Angeles got burned to the ground. Drink tea, lift your legs and live your best life. It will be done when it is complete.

V-word

Reporter Matthew Spark draws our attention to one experience David Burchwho discussed savings accounts online with virgin money and asked the chatbot: The chatbot responded: “Don't use such words. If you use that language, I won't be able to continue chatting.”

Online assistants appear to have been programmed to avoid certain words and phrases that were considered discriminatory or offensive, including “virgin.” After Birch I posted it angrily There were a few things about this on LinkedIn Media reporting and virgin money I apologized I've taken down the chatbot (it was an outdated model anyway).

This was yet another example of a recurring problem with online discussions. Context is important. It is certainly possible to use it to insult the string virgin, but it is also the name of a multinational corporation. Tools that simply filter specific strings are obligated to block many harmless messages, but also lack the obvious slur-independent abuse.

The issue dates back at least to 1996 when AOL refused to allow residents of Scunthorpe, UK, to create accounts. The town's name contains a string that many people find offensive.Scunthorpe problem“For such a technical disaster.

The “virgin” incident is just the latest example. The Wikipedia page for Scunthorpe questions is a treasure trove of careless toilet humor and, more importantly, surprises. Perhaps we can speculate on the problems faced by certain mushroom promoters with Japanese names, but why is the New Zealand town of Facatane, a similar context-blinded foul, similar? Ignore the reader to predict whether the situation has become blinded. control.

Readers are welcome to submit their stories, but feedback cannot guarantee that email filters will pass through them.

Is it finally happening?

January 26th, website Daily Express The newspaper issued a big warning:Yellowstone warning as Survercano “preparing for an explosion”“. Good gravy, we thought. Will the Super Orcano under Yellowstone stop that perennial rumble and eventually tear it and cover North America with ashes and suck the sun?

In a thorough examination, the story merely reported the existence of a short YouTube document. What happens if the Yellowstone volcano erupts tomorrow? It was released in March 2020 on a channel called What. Feedback may be felt and readers may agree. ExpressHeadline.

Still, I’ll fill out the page. Found Feedback a Half a dozen article This theme has been featured in early January with headlines like “”.Yellowstone Crater movements create fear of boss explosion as scientists assess the risk“This noted that some scientists discovered “movement deep within the crater” and that this was on alert. paper in Nature It used new imaging techniques to determine that the volcano was not contained close to the magma sufficient to erupt. Others said this study:New debate about when and where it will spurt“This is certainly one way to interpret research that an eruption is not imminent.

Going back further back in time: On July 23rd last year, there was a small hydrothermal explosion in the Biscuit Basin area of Yellowstone, essentially trapped steam escaped the ground and escaped. Queue the headlines”Is Yellowstone going to erupt?“This was answered to an affordable answer by geophysicists. Geophysicists only say that the volcano erupts when there is “enough magma and pressure that can be erupted,” and that “either state is in yellowstone He explained that it will only erupt if it is not present.

We tried to go back further, but after the 50th post with almost the same headline, the feedback brain broke. At this point there were so many stories that declared the Yellowstone eruption imminent. When we see it off on live TV, we don't know if we believe it or not.

Have you talked about feedback?

You can send stories to feedback by email at feedback@newscientist.com. Include your home address. This week and past feedback can be found on our website.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Tesla Armored Vehicles to Receive $400 Million Funding from US State Department

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The US State Department has allocated $400 million to purchase new Tesla armored vehicles, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk leading efforts to reduce government spending during Donald Trump’s term.

Sector-generated procurement forecasts indicate a proposed expenditure of $400 million (£320 million) for “armored Teslas (production units).” These vehicles could potentially be the Cybertrucks, Tesla’s latest electric pickup model, touted by Musk as being bulletproof.

This revelation raises concerns about a possible conflict of interest for Musk, who is a major beneficiary of US government contracts through his various companies.

While Musk’s wealth primarily comes from Tesla, his rocket company SpaceX is a key contractor providing space launch services to the US government.

Despite Musk’s efforts to streamline government spending, particularly through his initiative named Doge, Trump has also involved him in government efficiency efforts. These actions have been criticized for potentially violating the US Constitution.

State Department documents suggest that the Tesla contract will be finalized by the end of September.

The department’s website originally included a forecast document dated December 13, 2024, showing the Tesla procurement plan. However, a later version corrected this entry after it was reported by Drop Site News, replacing “Tesla” with “armored electric vehicles” (EVs) without specifying the brand.

In addition to Tesla, the US government also procures armored vehicles from other manufacturers, as indicated in the procurement documents.

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Both Tesla and the US State Department have been approached for comments on the matter.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Former Google CEO warns that AI can enable Rogue States to cause significant harm

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, warns that rogue nations like North Korea, Iran, and Russia could utilize artificial intelligence to harm innocent people. Schmidt, who served as the CEO of Google from 2001 to 2017, expressed his concerns on BBC Radio 4 about the misuse of technology and weapons by malevolent entities.

He emphasized the potential dangers posed by countries with malicious intentions, such as North Korea, Iran, and Russia, who could exploit advanced technology for harmful purposes. Schmidt highlighted the urgency of addressing this threat, citing the devastating impact it could have on innocent individuals.

In response to the export controls implemented by President Joe Biden to restrict the sale of AI-related microchips, Schmidt voiced his support for government oversight of tech companies developing AI models. However, he cautioned against excessive regulation that could stifle innovation.

While acknowledging the importance of government understanding and monitoring technological advancements, Schmidt also underscored the need for collaboration between tech leaders and policymakers to navigate ethical concerns and potential risks.

Speaking from Paris at the AI Action Summit, Schmidt highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing AI-related challenges. While some countries, like the UK and the US, did not sign a comprehensive AI agreement due to concerns about national security and regulatory impact on innovation, Schmidt stressed the need for a balanced approach to driving progress in AI.

Regarding the use of smartphones by children, Schmidt expressed concerns about their safety and advocated for measures to protect young users from online threats. He supported initiatives to regulate social media use for children and emphasized the importance of safeguarding children in the digital age.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Chinese Jurassic bird fossils challenge traditional theories of bird evolution.

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Excavated in southeastern China, fossils of Jurassic birds are said to have a significant impact on the history of bird evolution, according to researchers.

The recently discovered Baminolis Zengensis, a bird the size of a quail, flew in the skies approximately 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. A study about it was published on Wednesday in the Nature Journal. In essence, it is one of the oldest known birds to humanity, alongside the iconic Archeopteryx found in Germany in 1862 and of a similar age.

“For over 150 years, Archeopteryx has stood alone,” said Steve Bursatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh. Further explanation on the research accompanied this statement.

“All this time, it has remained as the sole unsuspecting bird fossil from the Jurassic era,” he mentioned to NBC News via email.

While other bird-like Jurassic fossils were found, there was a “significant mystery and frustrating gap” in the fossil record, according to Bursatte. So, where were their fossils?

The 2023 discovery of Baminornis in Zhenghe County, Fujian Province, China, filled that gap and became one of the most important discoveries since Archeopteryx, labeling it as “the second unsuspecting bird from the Jurassic era.”

Unlike the half-bird, half-reptile that had a long, thin tail resembling a velociraptor, Baminonis had a short tail where some vertebrae fused into short, sturdy nubins pushing the body center towards the wings, similar to modern birds for better flying.

Until the discovery of Baminoris, short tails were only found in birds known to have lived around 20 million years later, such as Eoconfuciusornis and Protopteryx.

Brusatte expressed excitement that Baminoris was more advanced than Archeopteryx and could fly much better.

Baminornis was more anatomically complex than Archeopteryx, being a “primitive” bird with claws and sharp teeth resembling dinosaur ancestors.

The discovery of two similarly aged birds about 5,500 miles apart led the nature research team to believe that bird evolution took place millions of years earlier than previously thought.

In addition to dozens of fossils of aquatic or semi-aquatic animals, the Zhenghe Fauna collection included at least three Aviaran fossils, enriching the understanding of early diversification and filling important gaps in the evolutionary history of terrestrial ecosystems towards the end of the Jurassic era according to researchers.

Baminornis fossils preserved most of the skeleton, but the wings were not preserved, leaving questions about their size and wing structure. The lack of a skull also limits clues regarding their diet.

Nevertheless, Baminornis suggests that various birds lived during the Jurassic period and flew in different ways,” Brusatte said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

I Created the Best Worst Role-Playing Game Ever – and Enjoyed Every Second of It | Games

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

IT is said to host a magical artisan cheese festival every 100 years, a small fishing village on the south coast of an unknown fantasy realm. As an ethically produced dairy adventurer and fan, you decide to take part in the legendary event and arrive at the dock of a small boat with a few gold coins and dreams. This is the worst role-playing adventure background I've ever experienced, and by chance it's the only one I've ever designed.

The game-making package RPG maker has been around since 1992, the first version to be released on Japanese PC-98 computers. Since then, development has been handed over from veteran Japanese developer ASCII to Enterbrain and then to Chiyoda-based Gotcha Gotcha games, with dozens of installments coming up. Although it has become increasingly complicated over the years, RPG makers have no development experience and remain a very intuitive way to make adventure games.

The package comes with thousands of pre-built maps, buildings, characters and items that creators can use and modify. But you can also start from scratch and create your own assets and create unique games. Your project can be shared with the RPG maker community, and several highly acclaimed indie games have been programmed into the program, including To the Moon, Corpse Party, and Omori. Artisan Cheese Quest can tell you not to participate in them.

Exclusive screenshots of the RPG Maker's Artisan Cheese Quest. Photo: NIS America

To be fair, the game only took me and my 19-year-old son Zac, using the PlayStation 5 version of RPG Maker (released February 21st). Initially, we chose swamp locations from many types of ready-made maps. It mainly offers traditional fantasy and sci-fi options. Then we chose the characters – cute little anime style warriors. From here we begin the actual process of creating a game that offers challenging things. Everything that takes place in the world is called events and is necessary to create the events necessary to build a set of conditions using a very simple visual programming language.

If you've tried Scratch, a popular coding tool used in schools around the world, you're probably at home. Suppose you want to hide the magic key in the treasure chest: Place your chest on the map and place the key inside using the menu system. Add a locked door and then place the state on that door. If the player has a key, the door will open.

Using the same system, you can add branch dialogs with characters, plan enemy patrol passes, and ultimately create a combat system. During lockdown, Zack and I used scratch to create a very simple maze game, where we led the mouse towards a block of cheese, so we stuck to the game design expertise established here. I've done it. They built a tavern, installed the tavern interior to the main landscape map building, added characters to provide hints, and hidden artisan cheese festival passes in a small island treasure chest. We didn't use the original assets, but we wrote all the dialogue. The story – find the pass, open the tavern door, eat cheese – was completely ours. Remember us for the best narratives of this year's BAFTA Games Award.

PlayStation 5 RPG maker. Photo: NIS America

Most importantly, this process was very enjoyable. I was able to choose background music and sound effects and cried with laughter in search of very inappropriate options. Our treasure chest cried out as you opened it. The villagers barked randomly and groaned. And no matter how basic the end result is, you still get that thrill of making something that works and looks like a real game. Once you get used to the system, your ambitions grow: we later added zombies wandering around the map complaining about his lactose intolerance.

I'm not going to lie – the system is intuitive, but it gets Very Requests when you start thinking about creating a multi-stage boss encounter or designing a character leveling system. If you don't deal with game mechanics where long routines, subroutines, or game mechanics are confused with each other, then there's a long way to go. Certainly, whenever we didn't know how to make something work, the online gaming community helped us. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube, and there are many helpful people on Reddit. But we feel that it's some way from making something a little more similar to commercial games.

Perhaps at some point in the future, Artisan Cheese Quest will be one of the best Fromage-based fantasy role-playing adventures available on the PlayStation 5. For now, I'm going to continue adding stupid sound effects until they become interesting. Honestly, don't hold your breath.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Google eliminates AI Pledge and DEI Goals from All Staff Meetings, US News Reports

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Google executives discussed the tech giant’s diversity initiative, announcing its sunset and the removal of the pledge to create artificial intelligence for weapons and surveillance during all-staff meetings. Former Head of Diversity, Melonie Parker, mentioned updates to the company’s diversity and inclusion training programs. Parker, now Vice Chairman of Googler Engagement, highlighted the impact of changing geopolitical dynamics on Google’s AI principles, emphasizing the importance of being part of societal conversations. Company executives addressed questions from employees, including concerns about the removal of AI construction bans for weapons and surveillance. Google CEO Sundar Pichai reiterated the company’s commitment to following legal guidelines while striving for a diverse workforce that mirrors its global user base.

Google’s recent shift away from diversity goals and employment targets for underrepresented groups aligns with industry trends influenced by government policies. The company’s decision to collaborate on defense contracts, including the provision of AI services to the Israeli Defense Forces, has sparked internal and external discussions. Employee questions addressed concerns about the removal of AI principles related to weapons and surveillance, prompting further examination of Google’s ethical standards and corporate values.

The connection between Google’s DEI program and AI initiatives has raised questions about the company’s direction and ethical considerations. Employee activism within Google has highlighted the complex balance between corporate interests and societal impacts. As Google navigates its role in technology development and defense contracting, internal conversations around AI ethics and transparency continue to shape the company’s decision-making processes.

Google’s use of AI to summarize and address employee queries reflects the company’s efforts to streamline communication and address concerns effectively. Employee questions range from ethical AI development to corporate transparency, highlighting the need for open dialogue within the organization. As Google grapples with evolving industry standards and societal expectations, ongoing discussions about AI ethics and diversity initiatives will shape its future trajectory.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Discovery of new bird fossils from China sheds light on early evolution of avian species

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have excavated fossilized remains of two Jurassic bird species in the area of Zenge County, Fujian Province, southeastern China. These 149 million-year-old fossils exhibit early appearances of highly derived bird characteristics, and together with fossils of another bird from the same region, they have the early origins of the birds and the early Jurassic. It suggests bird radiation.

Baminornis Zhenghensis. Image credit: Chuang Zhao.

“Birds are the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates,” says Professor Min Wang. Paleontology and Paleontology of Vertebrates The Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues said in a statement.

“Specific macroevolutionary studies suggest that their early diversification dates back to the Jurassic period.”

“However, the earliest evolutionary history of birds has long been obscure by highly fragmented fossil records. Archeopteryx Being the only widely accepted Jurassic bird. ”

“nevertheless Archeopteryx It was closely similar, especially due to its distinctive long reptile tail, as it had feathered wings. This is in stark contrast to the short-tailed morphology of modern and Cretaceous birds. ”

“Recent research questions about Aviaran's status. Archeopteryx classifies it as a deinonychosaurian dinosaur, a sister group of birds. ”

“This raises the question of whether there is a clear record of Jurassic birds.”

In their new study, Professor Wang and co-authors discovered and investigated two early bird fossils that were part of the so-called Zhenghe Biota.

One of these birds named Baminornis Zhenghensis the earliest known short-tailed bird.

“Baminornis Zhenghensis The end of the short tail in a complex bone called Pygostyle is a characteristic that can also be observed in living birds,” the paleontologist said.

“Previously, the oldest record of short-tailed birds was from the early Cretaceous period.”

“Baminornis Zhenghensis It is the only Jurassic and the oldest short-tailed bird ever discovered, pushing back the appearance of this derivative bird's distinctive features for nearly 20 million years. ”

According to the team, Baminornis Zhenghensis It also represents one of the oldest known birds.

“A step back and reconsidering the uncertainty of the phylogenetics Archeopteryx we don’t doubt it Baminornis Zhenghensis said Dr. Zhonghe Zhou of the Institute for Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The second unnamed bird is represented by a single fossilized fullcula (wishbone).

“Our results support this introduction to Furcula ornithuromorpha a diverse group of Cretaceous birds,” the researchers said.

Team's work It was published in the journal today Nature.

____

R. Chen et al. 2025. The first short-tailed bird from the late late Jurassic period in China. Nature 638, 441-448; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08410-z

Source: www.sci.news

A new realm of tiny creatures shakes up conventional notions of existence

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Theodor Diener had a problem. It was in 1967, and he and his colleagues successfully isolated an infectious agent that caused spindle tuber disease in potatoes that destroy crops. But it wasn’t like what they realised. They called it a virus, but it didn’t act like one thing.

It took Diener four years to demonstrate that mystical beings are even simpler than viruses. It is a single “naked” molecule that can infect potato cells and thus reproduce. He suggested calling it a wild. It was the smallest replicating agent ever identified. With a stroke, dinner expanded my understanding of living in the microscope world.

You might think that such a dramatic discovery would, uh, go viral. Almost no one noticed it yet. Apart from several other plant pathologists, the world of science has forgotten much about wilds for half a century. They had never even heard of him in 2020 when Benjamin Lee of the National Center for Biotechnology Information in Bethesda, Maryland, was encouraged to look into Wild.

Since then, there has been an explosion of discovery thanks to Lee and others. Now we know thousands of wilds and violids-like entities, with exotic names such as obelisks, ribojunctions, satellites and more. They appear to be found everywhere in a vast range of organisms and microorganisms. I don’t know what most of them are doing, whether most of them are benign or dangerous. However, these simplest replicators raise basic questions about the meaning of being alive. They can even go back to the origins of…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Neutrinos shatter records as they tear through the Mediterranean Ocean

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Part of the undersea KM3NET neutrino detector

km3net

The incredibly powerful neutrinos that tore through a new Mediterranean particle detector have amazed physicists, offering a first glimpse into some of the universe’s most intense events, such as the collision of ultrafine black holes.

Neutrinos, sometimes known as “ghost particles,” interact minimally with matter due to their small mass and lack of charge. By placing detectors in dense mediums like water or ice, researchers hope to detect the subtle signals of neutrinos interacting with atoms and producing showers of particles. This, in turn, helps in understanding their properties.

Damian Dornick from the Centre for Particle Physics in Marseille, France, along with his team, discovered the most energetic neutrino ever recorded. Using the Cubic Kilometer Neutrino Telescope (km3net) at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, they detected this extraordinary neutrino on February 13, 2023. The discovery left the researchers astonished.

“Initially, we were puzzled,” he says. “As we delved deeper, we realized that this event was truly exceptional, and our excitement grew.”

The signal observed appeared as a bright, almost horizontal line on the detector, believed to be created by muons – small electron-like particles produced by neutrinos interacting with km3net’s detectors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpuargix2u4

When the researchers tentatively published their results in 2024, they were still in the process of calculating the exact energy of the particles. “The high energy levels surprised us, as our neutrino simulations had not yet reached such levels,” says Morgan Wasco from Oxford University.

To validate their findings, researchers meticulously considered the impact of other sources of illumination on the detector, such as neutrinos generated by cosmic rays – charged particles from space. These signals are believed to surpass higher-energy neutrinos originating from more distant cosmic sources by 1 to 100 million times.

The energy of the detected neutrino was calculated to be 120 peta electron volts (PEV), about 10 times higher than the previous record set by the IceCube neutrino observatory in Antarctica. Such high-energy neutrino detections offer unique insights into the events producing them, like black hole mergers and supernova explosions.

“While cosmic rays get deflected and lose their original direction as they pass through interstellar space, neutrinos travel straight,” explains Wascko. The relatively large spatial spread of the neutrino’s trail in this case makes pinpointing the exact source challenging, but future enhancements to the telescope could potentially identify similarly powerful neutrinos and their sources.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Common Painkillers During Pregnancy Linked to Increased Risk of ADHD in Children

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Microscopic view of paracetamol crystals

Henri Koskinen/Shutterstock

Children who used paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, during their mother’s pregnancy, are more likely to develop ADHD than those whose mothers do not, suggesting small studies. Although inconclusive, this finding gives weight to the contested idea that widely used painkillers can affect fetal brain development.

Previous studies on paracetamol and neurodevelopmental conditions provide conflicting findings. For example, a 2019 study linking over 4,700 children and their mothers with their mothers to use painkillers during pregnancy There is a 20% higher risk Children developing ADHD. However, the analysis presented by nearly 2.5 million children last year There is no such connection When comparing siblings who were exposed or not to paracetamol before birth.

One problem is that most of these studies rely on self-reported medication use. This is a serious limitation as you may not remember taking paracetamol during pregnancy. For example, only 7% of participants in the 2019 study reported using paracetamol during pregnancy. It's well below the 50% seen in other studies. “A lot of people take it [paracetamol] Without knowing that” Brennan Baker At Washington University in Seattle. “It could be the active ingredient in some of the cold medicines you're using, and you don't necessarily know.”

So Baker and his colleagues used more accurate metrics instead. They looked for medication markers in blood samples collected from 307 women. They were all black and lived in Tennessee in the late pregnancy. None of them were taking medication due to chronic illnesses and were unaware of the complications of pregnancy. The researchers then followed up with participants when the child was 8 to 10 years old. In the US, Approximately 8% of children I have ADHD between the ages of 5 and 11.

On average, children whose mothers had a marker of paracetamol in their blood were three times more likely than children born to mothers, even after adjusting for factors such as mother's age and body mass index before pregnancy. There was a possibility (BMI), mental health status among close relatives of socioeconomic status and mental health. This suggests that using paracetamol during pregnancy may increase the risk of developing ADHD in children.

However, it is also possible that the actual factor that increases your risk of ADHD is not the drug itself, but the first thing you will be taking paracetamol. “They couldn't explain anything like the reason why their mother took it. [paracetamol]”It has been found to be risk factors for adverse development in children, such as headaches, fever, pain and infectious diseases.” Viktor Ahlqvist At the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

But Baker believes that it is the drugs that are responsible. Subsequent analysis of tissue samples from 174 of participants' placenta showed that people using paracetamol have different metabolic and immune system changes. These changes are similar to those seen in studies testing the effects of paracetamol in pregnant animals without infection or underlying health conditions.

“I think the fact that we see immune upregulation in animal models also really strengthens the causal case,” Baker says. “There are many previous studies showing that elevated immune activation during pregnancy is linked to adverse neurodevelopment.”

Yet these findings are far from conclusive. For one thing, the study included a small number of participants, all black and lived in the same city, limiting the generalization of the findings. Another case, it measured only the blood markers of paracetamol at one moment. These markers have stuck for about three days, so the study probably captured more frequent users, and may have a dose-dependent effect, says Baker.

“[Paracetamol] Now is the first-line treatment option for pain and fever during pregnancy,” says Baker. “But I think I'm an agency [US Food and Drug Administration] In addition, various obstetric and gynecological associations should continuously review all available research and update their guidance. ”

Meanwhile, if it's unclear whether to take paracetamol during pregnancy, people should talk to their doctor, Baker says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Strong evidence of Ozempic and Wegoby reducing alcohol consumption

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

People report lower alcohol cravings when using semaglutide

ShutterStock/David MG

According to the first randomized clinical trials of drugs for this purpose, semaglutide appears to help people who are truly obsessed with alcohol reduce their intake.

Semaglutide, sold under brand names including Wegovy and Ozempic, uses the work by mimicking the intestinal hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), so the technical term is GLP-1 receptor It's an agonist. This drug was first used to treat type 2 diabetes, but to reduce appetite, Wegovy is also approved for weight loss 8 countries. Semaglutide also offers tips to help with an extraordinary number of medical conditions.

Regarding alcohol use, there was a 2024 survey that 84,000 people injected Ozempic or Wegovy because of a lower risk of alcoholism. The results were promising and showed correlation rather than causality.

But now, Christian Hendershot The University of Southern California and his colleagues completed the first randomized clinical trial of the effects of semaglutide on alcohol use disorders.

Their trial involved 48 US people diagnosed with the condition, of which 34 were women and 14 were male. Half received a weekly low-dose injection of semaglutide for 9 weeks, and the rest received a placebo injection.

Semaglutide patients no longer consumed drinks per drinking session, reducing their weekly alcohol cravings compared to placebo drinks.

“There was no evidence of any significant adverse effects or safety concerns for drugs in this population. Overall, we found that it reduces the amount of alcohol people consume across several different drinking outcomes,” Hender said. Shot says.

“The results are promising.” Long Xu at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Ohio. “Despite the small sample size, this randomized clinical trial highlights the therapeutic potential of semaglutide in the treatment of alcohol use disorders.”

ziyad al-aly At Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the study added ” yet another evidence of GLP-1RAS . [GLP-1 receptor agonists] It could help with addiction disorders.”

He needs greater research to answer questions about whether people will increase their drinking, especially when they leave semaglutide, particularly what the long-term impact is, and whether people will increase their drinking. He says. Bone and muscle mass.

The study should be treated as a promising first evidence, says Hendershot, but more research is needed. People should not start taking semaglutide due to alcohol problems, he says.

“This is the first study like this and people are excited about it, but we have approved effective drugs for alcohol use disorders, so more research has been conducted. Until now, people are encouraged to pursue and approve the existing medicines there right now,” says Hendershot.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Sexually Transmitted Microorganisms in Forensic Investigations: A Potential Tool

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The male and female genitals provide a clear environment for microorganisms

Artur Plawgo/Getty Images

Sexual partners transfer their unique genital microbiota to one another during sexual intercourse. This can affect forensic investigations of sexual assault.

Brendan Chapman Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia and his colleagues collected swabs from the genitals of 12 monogamous heterosexual couples and used RNA gene sequences to identify microbial signatures for each participant. Researchers asked couples to refrain from sex for two days to two weeks, and took follow-up samples several hours after sex.

“We found that these genetic signatures from female bacteria can be detected in male partners and vice versa,” Chapman says. As the team infused it, this change in a person's “sexome” could prove useful in criminal investigations, he says.

The amount of transfers varies from couple to couple, and the team found that even the use of condoms completely prevented the movement of the Sensomem from one partner to another. However, one major limitation of the outcome was the significant changes in female sexsomes during the period.

Chapman says there may be long-term homogenization of the microbiota of monogamous couples, but the bacterial population clearly differs between genders.

“The big advantage we have in our penis and vaginal microbiota is that we observe very different types of bacteria in each because there are huge differences in the two environments,” says Chapman. “For example, the penis is primarily a skin-like surface and therefore reflects similarity to the skin microbiota. There are a variety of anaerobic bacteria in the vagina, and the aerobic type in the penis. .”

So many of these bacteria cannot last indefinitely in the opposite environment, he says. “It's like comparing land to sea animals. Some live exclusively in one or the other and die if removed, but they willingly move and last.”

After establishing bacterial movement during sex, the team wants to prove that individual sexsomes are unique, like fingerprints and DNA. “I think every person's Sensomem contains enough diversity and uniqueness, but there's still something to do to demonstrate it with robust enough techniques to meet the forensic challenges. There is,” says Chapman.

If researchers can prove this, it can help investigate sexual assaults, particularly those in which male suspects do not ejaculate, have had vascular resections, or use condoms. “The genetic profile of a bacterial may be able to support or oppose propositions or testimony about what happened in the allegations of sexual assault,” he says. Dennis McNevin At Sydney Institute of Technology, Australia.

In such cases, the standard profile of human DNA is always preferred due to the great power of distinguishing individuals, he says, but sexomes may offer useful alternatives. “Bacterial genetic profiles may one day complement DNA evidence, or may help refer to the perpetrator of a rare sexual assault where DNA profiles are not available,” McNevin says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The importance of AI companies adopting the practices of quantum computing research

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

David Parker/Science Photo Library

What is the difference between artificial intelligence and quantum computing? One is sci-fi sound technology that has long been committed to revolutionizing our world, providing researchers can sort out some technical wrinkles, such as the tendency to cause errors. In fact, the other one is too.

Still, AI seems breathless and inevitably inevitable, but the average person has no experience with quantum computing. Is this important?

Practitioners in both fields certainly commit the crime of hyping their products, but part of the problem with quantum advocates is that the current generation of quantum computers are essentially useless. With a special report on the state of the industry (see “Quantum Computers Finally Arrived, Will They Be Useful?”), races are intended to build machines that can actually do useful calculations. Currently underway. This is not possible on a regular computer.

There is no clear use case to prevent high-tech giants from forcing AI into the software they use every day, but the subtle nature of this hardware makes quantum computing the masses more difficult. It is much more difficult to bring in the same way. You probably won’t own a personal quantum computer. Instead, the industry is targeting businesses and governments.

Practitioners in both AI and quantum computing fields are guilty of hyping their products

Perhaps that’s why quantum computer builders seem to keep their feet on science, drumming business while publishing peer-reviewed research. It appears that the major AI companies have all those who have given up on publishing. Why are you troubled when you can simply charge a monthly fee to use your technology, whether it actually works or not?

The quantum approach is correct. When you are committed to technology that transforms research, industry and society, explaining how it works in the most open way possible is the only way to persuade people to believe in the hype. .

It may not be flashy, but in the long run it’s not style, it’s substance. So, I will definitely aim to revolutionize the world, but please show me your work.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

XMM-Newton discovers two supernova remnants near the Milky Way satellite galaxy’s edge

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Named SNR J0614-7251 and SNR J0624-6948, the newly discovered supernova remains are located on the outskirts of the large Magelanic Cloud, the largest milky white satellite galaxy.

In the center of the image, stars cluster into a large Magellan cloud, a bright, dark green candy floss colored haze. Scattered in the center of the image are about 50 small yellow crosses, some of which are almost overlapping as they are very close to each other. SNR J0624-6948 (orange, high image) and SNR J0614-7251 (blue, bottom image) are seen in the lower left quarter of the image. Image credits: Eckhard Slawik/ESA/Xmm-Newton/Sasaki et al. / F. Zangrandi.

“Supranovae are stellar explosions, caused by massive star core collapse, neutron stars or black holes (core collapsing supernovae), or by thermonuclear destruction of white nuclei in binary systems. Friedrich- “We are a scientist at the same time,” said Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and colleague Dr. Manami Sasaki.

“Supranovae are important for galaxy material cycles and the formation of next-generation stars. Shockwave produces supernova debris that heats environmental or interstellar media to ionize, sweeping and compressing the environment, and making the environment more environmentally friendly and compressing. Enrich it. With chemical elements.”

use ESA's XMM-Newton Spaceshipastronomers discovered two supernova remnants, SNR J0614-7251 and SNR J0624-6948, in the large Magellan cloud.

“The big and small Magellan clouds are the largest satellite galaxies in the Milky Way and the closest ones,” they said.

“The Magellan Cloud is also the only satellite galaxy in the Milky Way with current active star formation.”

“A large Magellan cloud at a small distance (49,600 Parsec), its morphology is almost a hassle disk, and its low foreground absorption provides a detailed laboratory ideal for the study of large samples of the remaining supernovae. Masu.”

“Proximity allows for spatially resolved spectroscopic studies of supernova debris, and precisely known distances allow for the analysis of the energetics of each supernova debris.”

“In addition, the rich data of wide-field multi-wavelength data available provides information about the environment in which these supernova debris evolves.”

XMM-Newton observed SNR J0614-7251 and SNR J0624-6948 with three different types of X-ray light.

They show the most common chemical elements in various parts of the debris.

The center of SNR J0614-7251 is primarily made up of iron, according to the team.

This clue allowed researchers to classify this remnant for the first time as a result of a type IA supernova.

“The discovery of supernova remnants on the outskirts of the large Magellan cloud confirms that stellar explosions occur outside the galaxy and allows us to study their shocks, stellar ejectors and environment,” they said. I said that.

“It will help us to better understand the evolution of the Magellan cloud and the history of interacting galaxies and their surrounding star formation.”

“We hope that new multi-wavelength investigations will reveal more supernova remnants around the Magellan cloud.”

“This new supernova remnants allows us to study the supernova explosions and the rest of the supernova evolution in low density and low metallic environments, and better serve to better the effects of metallicity on star formation and star evolution. I can understand it.”

result It will be displayed in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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Manamisasaki et al. 2025. The remains of a supernova on the outskirts of the large Magellan cloud. A&A 693, L15; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202452178

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers Uncover 74 New Stars

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers have imaged planetary belts of 74 planetary systems as part of resolved ALMA and SMA observations in nearby star (reason) investigations (reason).

The gallery contains 74 images of different star systems with exoconterry belts taken at the Sub-Millimeter Array (SMA) and Atacama's Large Millimeter/Sub-Millimeter (ALMA) Wireless Telescope Facility. Image credit: Luca Matrà.

To find evidence of comets outside our solar system, astronomers have turned to two facilities that detect specific bands of radio waves: sub-millimeter arrays (SMAs) and large millimeters/sub-millimeters in Atacama Meter array (ALMA).

Due to the dust and rock size of these belts, this type of light is especially good for finding and imaging these structures.

The stars in this study ranged from very young to middle-aged ages like our Sun.

“The joint programme between SMA and Alma Dubbed reasons presents a significant milestone in the Exometallibelt study, as its images and subsequent analysis reveal where the pebbles and exomets are located. is”

“In these regions, it's very cold (minus 250 to minus celsius), so most compounds, including water, are frozen like ice from these exomets.”

“Exocomet is a rock and ice rock of at least 1 kilometre in size, and it collides together within these belts, and here produces pebbles that are observed in an array of telescope Alma and SMA,” says Dr. Matra. said.

“The Exometallibelt is located in at least 20% of our planetary systems, including our solar system.”

“The Kuiper Belt is an example of the comet belt of our own solar system.”

“Far beyond Pluto's orbit, some scientists believe the Kuiper belt is the source of the internal solar system where Earth was located, delivered through comets billions of years ago.”

The new image shows a significant diversity of structures within the belt. Some are narrow rings, while others are wider and may be classified as discs rather than belts.

Additionally, some of the 74 Exocomet systems have multiple rings or discs, some of which are eccentric. In other words, it's more like an elliptical shape, not a circular orbit.

This provides evidence that there are still undetectable planets or possibly moons, and that their gravity affects the distribution of pebble in these systems.

“The arrays like Alma and SMA used in this work are extraordinary tools that continue to give us incredible new insights into the universe and how it works,” says Harvard & Smithsonian Astrophysics. said Dr. David Wilner, an astrophysicist at the Center for Science.

“The research requires extensive community effort and has incredible legacy value with multiple potential pathways for future research.”

“The dataset of belt and planetary systems properties enables research into the birth and evolution of these belts, as well as the study of tracking observations across next-generation wavelength ranges from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webspace Telescope. “The huge telescope and future plans for Alma are plans to zoom further into the details of these belts.”

a paper The explanation of the results was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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L. Matra et al. 2025. Reasons for the nearby stars Alma and SMA: population resolved 74 planetary belts at millimeter wavelengths. A&A 693, A151; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202451397

Source: www.sci.news

British seniors feel greater satisfaction post-Covid-19 pandemic

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The pandemic may have changed people’s outlook for life

Disobeyart/Alamy

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased a stronger sense of purpose and life satisfaction as it deepened the appreciation of older adults in the UK for the simple things in life.

The happiness of some people Life satisfaction immersed in the early days of the pandemic however, after most restrictions have been lifted, what happened later is not much understood. “Unfortunately, most of the research conducted did not continue. [in the later years of] “Because it's a pandemic, there was a big gap in research.” Paola Zaninot University College London.

To address this, Zaninotto and her colleagues analyzed data from a survey on the well-being and depressive symptoms of approximately 4,000 people, primarily white.

Each participant completed the survey over two years from the second pandemic in the first year of the 2020 pandemic and the last participant between the end of 2021 and the last between 2023. The final survey of 2022 was after most infection control measures were concluded in the UK.

The team found that prior to the pandemic, participants rated their sense of purpose in life with an average score of 7.5 out of 10. This fell to 7.2 in 2020, rising from 7.6 in the final survey to 7.6 above pre-pandemic levels. .

Similarly, participants reported an average life satisfaction score of 7.3 prior to the pandemic, which fell to 6.9 early in the pandemic, but rose to 7.5 in the final survey.

These are small changes in happiness at the population level, but some individuals say they are experiencing major changes that affect their work and relationships. Rebecca Pierson At the University of Bristol, UK.

Zaninot may have reminded people of the importance of the global outbreak in life. “The pandemic has brought some challenges, but it has also brought a broad appreciation to our lives, perhaps about social connections and other meaningful activities,” she says.

The team also found that the average rate of depression (defined as having at least four depressive symptoms, such as feeling lonely) was more than doubled from the first to the second period. The final survey saw prices drop but exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

“People might feel like we've overcome it, I'm back to work, I've been able to see my family again.” You may be low at times and you may not be able to enjoy the same joy,” Pearson says. Furthermore, research needs to explore what drives these rates of depression increase, she says.

Additionally, additional studies say we need to investigate how results are converted to people elsewhere, Kelsey O'Connor At the National Institute of Statistics in Luxembourg. “The pandemic policy and the severity of the pandemic have been dramatically different in other countries,” he says. “You can't really generalize to young people, ethnic minorities, or marginalized groups.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Is Top of the Flop More Considered a Success in the Gaming Industry?

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

bSquare Enix, which ACK purchased the series from Eidos in 2013, has released a reboot of the 1990s hit action game Tomb Raider. I I loved that game despite the first nearby semi-assault scene, I later came to consider it a bit nasty. I wasn’t the only one. It was very well received, selling 3.4 million copies in the first month alone. After that, Square Enix came out. I called it a disappointment.

The sale did not meet the publisher’s expectations. It was What are your expectations? Was it supposed to sell 5m? One month? If the book sells 10,000 copies in a week, it is considered a bestseller. Even at its popularity in the 90s, no Tomb Raider game sold over millions. Square Enix’s expectations were clearly unrealistic. That’s not the last one. In a 2016 interview with Hajime Tabata, director of Final Fantasy XV, he told me that he needs to sell 10m for the game to succeed.

In last week’s revenue call, EA executives had to explain their lack of profits. It was driven primarily by EA FC. This is the ubiquitous football series, which saw revenue declines the previous year, but CEO Andrew Wilson also chose to go single-out for the much-anticipated RPG Dragon Age: Bailguard, which was announced last October. “Dragon Age had a high quality launch and was well reviewed by critics and those who played it. However, in this highly competitive market, it didn’t resonate with a wide audience,” he says. I did.

Dragon Age “reached 1.5 million players” for several months since its release. This is likely to include people paying through subscription services and direct sales. If 3.4m was Square Enix’s disappointment in 2013, then the game can imagine 1.5m was a disaster for EA in 2024.

But as Polygon’s Maddie Myers points out Detailed analysis of comparable games 1. Last year’s genre breakout hit, Dragon’s Dogma, sold 3.3m over six months.

Breakout hit… Dragon’s Dogma 2. Photo: Capcom

Source: www.theguardian.com

Monitoring waste at only 20 airports can help identify potential pandemics

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A network of airports like Hong Kong International Airport could effectively detect disease outbreaks

Yuen Man Cheung / Alamy

A global early warning system for disease outbreaks and future pandemics is possible with minimal surveillance. We test wastewater from just a few of our international flights at just 20 airports around the world.

If passengers fly while infected with bacteria or viruses, traces of these pathogens can be left in the waste, allowing airports to gather from the plane after the flight. “If you go to the airplane toilet, blow your nose and place it in the toilet, some of the genetic material from the pathogen can go. In the wastewater.” Guillaume St-Onge at Northeastern University, Massachusetts.

St-Onge and his colleagues used an A Simulator Called the Global Epidemic and Mobility Model, it analyzes how airport waste monitoring networks can detect new variants of the virus, such as those that cause Covid-19. By testing the model using different numbers and locations at airports, they have been able to provide 20 strategically located “sentinel airports” around the world and are as quickly as a network involving thousands of airports. It has been shown that occurrence can be detected efficiently. The larger network was only 20% faster, but cost more.

To detect new threats from anywhere in the world, your network should include major international airports in cities such as London, Paris, Dubai and Singapore. However, the team also showed how networks containing different airport sets could provide a more targeted detection of disease outbreaks that are likely to occur on a particular continent.

“This modeling study is the first to provide the actual number of sentinel airports needed to support effective global monitoring while optimizing resource use,” he says. jiaying li At the University of Sydney, Australia.

Additionally, airport-based networks provide useful information on disease outbreaks during an epidemic, such as how quickly diseases spread from person to person, and estimating people who may become infected from exposure to a single case. You can also do it, says ST-. Onge.

Such wastewater surveillance provides early warnings for known diseases and could also track new and emerging threats if genome data for bacterial or viral is available. “I don’t think I can look at the wastewater and say, ‘There’s a new pathogen out there.'” Temi Ibitoye At Brown University in Rhode Island. “But when new pathogens are announced, we can look at previous waste data very quickly and say, “Is this present in the sample?” “

A map of Sentinel Airport shows how quickly the network detects new disease outbreaks at various sites around the world

Northeastern University

There are still some nuances, such as the frequency of ingesting wastewater samples to track different pathogens. Other challenges include knowing the most efficient way to sample wastewater from an aircraft and assessing the actual effectiveness of the system, says Li.

Long-term surveillance programs also require cooperation from airlines and airports, along with consistent funding sources.

Individual airports can hesitate to participate as risks are recognized for business if infectious disease statistics become widely available. Unless a data processing agreement can alleviate such concerns, Trevor Charles At the University of Waterloo, Canada. He emphasized the importance of coordinated international funding to offset “local political considerations.”

However, given President Donald Trump’s launch of the US withdrawal from the organization, even coordination through international organizations such as the World Health Organization is bringing its own political complications, according to Ibitoye He said. Still, such research is “contributed to making it.” [the monitoring network] She says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Harrison Ford captivates the world with his groundbreaking video game AI | Games

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Harrison Ford commended voice actor Troy Baker’s performance in the latest video game featuring Indiana Jones. Ford emphasized that stealing his essence doesn’t require artificial intelligence, but rather good ideas and talent. The ongoing strike by SAG-AFTRA Union video game performers is primarily focused on the use of AI in the industry. The union is advocating for compensation, consent, and transparency when it comes to AI-generated performances. Major video game publishers like Activision Blizzard, Disney, Warner Bros, and Electronic Arts are involved in the conflict, resulting in the absence of English voice performances in recent titles such as Destiny 2: Heresy and Genshin Impact. Voice actor Sarah Elmaleh, chair of the SAG-AFTRA committee negotiating with the gaming industry, echoes Ford’s sentiment on the importance of human-to-human interactions in game performances.

Many video game developers are open to meeting the union’s demands, with over 160 video game productions already signing AI protection contracts. However, major publishers are still pushing back against some of the union’s proposals. SAG-AFTRA is battling to prevent motion capture work from being classified as “data” rather than “performance” in the gaming industry. Despite the challenges, Elmaleh remains resolute in fighting for actors’ rights and fair compensation across all entertainment sectors. Ford’s advocacy sheds light on the importance of safeguarding actors’ work and preventing exploitation in the digital age.

As negotiations continue, the struggle for fair treatment of actors in the gaming industry persists. The commitment to protecting performers’ rights remains a top priority for SAG-AFTRA, as they push for industry standards that uphold the value of human performances over AI-generated replicas. Ford’s intervention serves as a reminder of the ongoing battle for recognition and compensation for all actors, regardless of their level of fame or the medium in which they work.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Technology Zones Overwhelming Musk and Trump

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Hello, return to TechScape. This week in Tech, Elon Musk and Donald Trump are using brinkmanship as a negotiation tactic. US immigration and customs enforcement are optimizing search engines during arrests and deportations. Spotify is working on improving its image with more human-centered public relations. Thank you for reading.

Zone Flood: Trump’s Executive Order and Musk’s Doji

Donald Trump has been busy issuing executive orders, from ending birthright citizenship to imposing bans on gender transitions. Elon Musk, known as the world’s wealthiest person and in charge of the “Government’s Ministry of Efficiency,” is targeting federal agencies to reduce waste. Both Trump and Musk are using brinkmanship tactics to achieve their goals in negotiations.

Trump recently threatened tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, only to delay them after agreements were reached. Musk, on the other hand, is reshaping government agencies, with USAID likely being folded into the State Department. Their aggressive tactics aim to overwhelm opposition and media coverage.

Musk has a history of using similar tactics in business dealings, such as with X, where he made bold moves and threats but later backtracked. His approach, while effective at times, has faced challenges and scrutiny.

Silicon Valley companies like Musk move fast and disrupt the status quo, aligning with Trump’s approach. Their next targets could be Medicare and Medicaid, signaling potential upheavals in the healthcare sector.

The Logical End of SEO: Deportation Mirage in Google Search Results

SEO tactics are crucial for ranking on Google search results, but even governmental agencies are using these tactics. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently updated old press releases to appear as recent enforcement actions, highlighting the challenges of SEO manipulation.

Reports of immigrant arrests have sparked controversy, with ICE press releases dominating search results. However, closer inspection reveals that many of these actions took place years ago but are presented as recent events, showcasing the power of SEO in shaping perceptions.

Spotify Balances Human Touch and AI Features

Spotify has faced criticism from artists like Björk for its impact on the music industry. However, the company is emphasizing the role of AI in transforming music discovery while also highlighting the human touch behind its recommendations.

Despite the shift towards AI-generated playlists, Spotify is showcasing the human element through stories like that of Sulinna Ong, who brings a personal touch to finding new hits. While AI plays a significant role, Spotify is keen on maintaining a human connection with its users.

By leveraging AI for improved recommendations, Spotify aims to balance technology with human interaction. While facing criticism from some artists, the company is focused on providing a personalized experience for its users.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Google Calendar removes Black History Month, Pride and other cultural events sparking controversy

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Google’s online and mobile calendars no longer feature Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and LGBTQ+ Holidays.

Previously, the world’s largest search engine acknowledged the beginning of Black History Month in February and Pride Month in June, but they will not be included in 2025.

The removal of these holidays was first reported by The Verge last week.

Google spokesperson Madison Cushman Veld shared a statement with The Guardian stating that the listed holidays were not “sustainable” for the model.

“A few years ago, the calendar team started manually adding broader cultural moments in many countries worldwide. It was noted that several other events and countries were missing, making it unsustainable to maintain hundreds of moments globally. So, in mid-2024, we decided to only display public holidays and national compliance from Timeanddate.com worldwide, allowing users to manually add other important moments,” the statement said.

The decision to remove black, LGBTQ+ and women’s holidays is another change by Google following Donald Trump’s second presidency.

Recently, Google announced a rollback of previous commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in employment policy following an order by the US President to end DEI in federal agencies.

Google also revealed that US users will now be referred to as “American Gulf,” following an executive order by Trump to rename Alaska’s mountains to “Mount McKinley”. The company announced the name change for US users will take effect on Monday.

Many users on social media have expressed disappointment and frustration at Google’s latest decision. Users who wish to track events like Pride Month, Black History Month, and Indigenous Month will need to manually add them to their calendar.

Google assured The Guardian that changes to the calendars will not impact future Google Doodles, which typically celebrate these events with digital artwork on the website’s homepage. The company stated, “Google continues to actively celebrate and promote our cultural moments as a company,” and offers a Black History Month Playlist on YouTube Music.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elon Musk’s Potential Ownership of OpenAI Could Have Negative Consequences, Despite Possibility of it Occurring

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

eLon Musk and Sam Altman are not exactly best friends. Altman’s pursuit of a for-profit approach for Openai, a company founded in 2015, seems to have irked Musk. Altman’s focus on making money rather than advancing humanity’s interests clashed with Musk’s vision for Openai.

As a result, Musk, who previously attempted to acquire Twitter, has now acquired ownership of an entity called X, which is linked to Openai’s growth.

Musk, characterized by the US government as lean, efficient, and globally influential, made a substantial bid of nearly $100 million for Openai’s nonprofit sector. Musk emphasized the need for Openai to return to its original open-source and safety-focused model. However, this bid was rejected by Altman, who jokingly mentioned that he would buy Twitter for $97.4 billion if necessary.

Musk’s bid was not about enriching investors or inflating corporate valuations, but about steering AI development towards societal benefits. Although the bid to reclaim control of Openai’s nonprofit was significant, the outcome remains uncertain.

The ongoing feud between Musk and Altman may escalate further, especially considering the history of their disagreements. Musk’s bid to take over Openai’s nonprofit could be seen as an attempt to thwart Altman’s for-profit ambitions for the company.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Washington, January 19, 2025. Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Musk’s bid for Openai’s nonprofit could have multiple interpretations, ranging from a strategic move to a mere publicity stunt. Given Musk’s penchant for unconventional actions, the true motives behind his bid remain uncertain.

There are various theories regarding the significance of the bid, including references to literature and playful numbers. However, the bid’s seriousness cannot be discounted, especially in light of potential political implications.

The bid may also reflect Musk’s attempt to disrupt the status quo and reshape the future trajectory of AI development. The possibility of Musk and Openai merging in the future cannot be ruled out entirely, given the unpredictable nature of the current situation.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists suggest that the composition of the inner core of the Earth is undergoing changes

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Geoscientists at the University of Southern California, the University of Los Angeles, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cornell University, the Institute of Geology at the University of Utah and the University of Utah have said they have detected structural changes near the center of the Earth.

The inner core of the Earth was previously thought to be solid. Image credit: USC Graphics/Edward Sotero.

Professor John Vidale, a researcher at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said:

“What we discovered is evidence that the surface near the inner core of the Earth is undergoing structural changes.”

Located 5,000 km (3,000 miles) on the surface of the Earth, the inner core is fixed by gravity within the outer core of the molten liquid. Until now, the inner core was widely considered to be a solid sphere.

“The original purpose was to further diagram the deceleration of the inner core. However, when I was analyzing decades of earthquake records, one dataset of seismic waves remained. It was strangely distinctive from that,” Dr. Vidale said.

“Later I realized I was staring at evidence that my inner core was not solid.”

In this study, the authors recorded seismic waves recorded by Yelson and Yellow Knife Receber Array Stations in North America from repeated seismic pairs in the North-South Sandwich Islands between 1991 and 2023.

One dataset of seismic waves from the latter station contained non-characteristic properties that researchers have never seen before.

“The dataset initially confused me,” Dr. Vidale said.

It was not revealed that seismic waveforms represent additional physical activity in the inner core until the team improved their resolution techniques.

Physical activity is best described as a temporal change in the shape of the inner core.

New research shows that surfaces near the inner core can undergo viscous deformation, altering their shape and shifting at the shallow boundary of the inner core.

The most obvious cause of structural changes is the interaction between the inner and outer cores.

“It is widely known that the melted outer core is a turbulent flow, but that turbulence has not been observed to contiguously contiguously to the inner core of the human timescale,” Dr. Vidale said. Ta.

“The first thing we're looking at in this study is the outer core that probably disrupts the inner core.”

“This discovery could open the door to uncover previously hidden dynamics deep within the Earth's nucleus, and lead to a better understanding of the Earth's thermal and magnetic fields.”

study Published in the journal Natural Earth Science.

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Je Vidale et al. Variations in annual scales at both rotation speed and surfaces near the inner core of the Earth. nut. GeosciPublished online on February 10th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41561-025-01642-2

Source: www.sci.news

Review of Beats PowerBeats Pro 2: Apple’s Top Headphones for Fitness and Performance

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Five years later, Apple is back with a complete revamp of its earphones, which rebranded the Beats Headphones brand for athletes and sports enthusiasts as the Powerbeats Pro 2.

Designed to be attached to the ear and placed without wires, the original PowerBeats Pro is the perfect earphone for workouts and was worn by sports superstars such as Lebron James and Anthony Joshua.

In 2025, Apple refined the fit, slimmed the bulk, added noise cancellation and heart rate monitoring to the original Powerbeats Pro, priced at $250, aiming to reclaim the top spot in the industry.

The overall design of the earphones remains the same, with a flexible silicone wire that hooks behind the user’s ears and connects to earphones with arms sitting in the ears. It is lighter and more secure than its predecessor, making it comfortable for extended listening sessions during commute and active exercise without any discomfort.

Each earphone includes a multi-functional “B” button for playback and noise cancellation control, as well as a volume locker for easy adjustments during workouts. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The earphones provide approximately 8 hours of playback with noise cancellation (10 hours without it) and come with a flip-top case that can charge the earphones three times. The case, which is 30% smaller than before, is still quite spacious and fits easily in a bag, but may be a bit bulky for pockets.

The PowerBeats Pro 2 features the same H2 chip and connectivity as Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, offering seamless connections with various Apple devices, spatial audio for movies and music, audio sharing, SIRI support, lossless audio, and more when used with the Apple Vision Pro.

Additionally, the earphones support advanced Android features, making the Beats app more versatile than other Apple earphones, allowing for one-touch pairing, customization, updates, and other functionalities.

Great Sound Quality and Effective Noise Cancellation

Adjust noise cancellation and other settings using iPhone Bluetooth settings or the Android Beats app. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The H2 chip equips the Powerbeats with many top features of AirPods, including active noise cancellation that is nearly as effective as Apple’s top buds, providing significant reduction of external sounds. The earphones handle wind noise well and boast the best-in-class transparency mode.

The new Powerbeats offer excellent sound quality, with great separation of tones, well-controlled bass, and detailed high notes. They perform well across various music genres, from pop and hip hop to classical and jazz. They may not match the AirPods Pro in sound adjustment capabilities, but they excel in most workout scenarios.

Additionally, they support Apple’s personalized spatial audio system for immersive sound experiences and offer exceptional call quality.

Specifications

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, H2 chip, HR sensor
Battery life: 8 hours ANC playback (36 hours with case)
Water resistance: IPX4 earphones (sweat resistant)
Earphone dimensions: 45 x 41 x 24mm
Earphone weight: 8.7g each
Charging case dimensions: 75 x 66 x 34mm
Charging case weight: 69g
Case charging: USB-C, QI wireless

Ear Heart Rate Monitoring

The optical heart rate sensor is located just inside the ear next to the silicon tip. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The Powerbeats Pro 2 feature an optical heart rate sensor that enables pulse monitoring through the ears, similar to Sennheiser’s Momentum Sport Earbuds. The sensor, located on the earphones’ inner side touching the tragus, achieves accurate pulse readings when both earphones are worn.

Data from the heart rate sensor is stored in the health app on iPhones or connected training apps for Android users, providing accurate and useful fitness tracking.

Sustainability

The PowerBeats Pro 2 case is sturdy and charges via USB-C and QI, but lacks water resistance and may be bulky for some users. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Apple has not disclosed the expected battery lifespan, but it is estimated to endure over 500 full charge cycles at 80% capacity. Additionally, the earphones incorporate recycled plastic in some internal components and offer individual replacements for lost or damaged parts.

While the earphones are not repairable, Apple supports trade-in and recycling programs for its products, including non-Apple devices, promoting responsible disposal and reducing environmental impact.

Price

The PowerBeats Pro 2 are priced at £249.95 ($249.99).

When compared to other models, the Beats Fit Pro is priced at £219.99, Beats Studio Buds+ at £179.99, Beats Solo Buds at £79.99, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 at £229, and Sennheiser Momentum Sport at £199.

Verdict

The PowerBeats Pro 2 represents a significant upgrade from its predecessor, offering top-notch features and performance for premium training earphones.

With secure and lightweight fit, effective noise cancellation, and heart rate monitoring, these earphones cater to a wide range of workout needs. They excel in sound quality, call quality, and offer platform compatibility with iPhone and Android devices.

While the price point may be high, the PowerBeats Pro 2 stand out as versatile and high-performance earbuds suitable for various activities, especially for iPhone users seeking a secure and reliable fit.

The main drawback is the non-replaceable batteries, which may impact the long-term sustainability and lifespan of the earphones.

Strong Points: Excellent sound quality, effective noise cancellation and transparency mode, long battery life, secure and comfortable fit, user-friendly controls, spatial sound experience, excellent call quality, cross-platform compatibility with iPhone and Android.

Cons: High price point, bulky case, limited iPhone app support for heart rate monitoring features, lack of multipoint connection, non-replaceable batteries.

The music pauses when you remove the PowerBeats Pro 2, thanks to the sensor located on the earphones’ bottom. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Source: www.theguardian.com

Astronomers Possibly Found the Swiftest Exoplanet System on Record

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Candidate planetary systems detected by microlens method are thought to travel at least 540 km (1.2 million mph) per 540 km.

Impressions of the superniputin exoplanet artist orbiting a low-mass star near the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt, Caltech-IPAC.

“I think this is the so-called Super Neptune world orbiting a low-mass star at the distance between Venus and Earth's orbit,” University of Maryland, College Park, NASA Goddard. At the Space Flight Center.

“The star is so weak that it is outside its habitable zone. If so, it will be the first planet ever discovered orbiting a fast star.”

The system was first discovered indirectly in 2011 thanks to the microlens event MOA-2011-BLG-262.

“Microlenses occur because a large amount of presence distorts the fabric of space-time,” the astronomer explained.

“Whenever an intervening object appears to drift near a background star, light from the star curve passes through space-time, distorted around nearby objects.”

“If the alignment is particularly close, the distortion around the object behaves like a natural lens and can amplify the light of the background star.”

In MOA-2011-BLG-262, microlens signals revealed pairs of celestial bodies.

Astronomers have determined relative masses (one is about 2,300 times heavier than the other), but their exact mass depends on how far they are from the Earth.

“It's easy to determine the mass ratio,” said Dr. David Bennett, a senior research scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center at the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA.

The MOA-2011-BLG-262 Discovery Team has a microlens object that is about 20% of the stars, about 29 times heavier than Earth, or Jupiter's mass with Exomoon. They suspected it was one of roughly four times more illicit planets.

To understand which explanations were more likely, Dr. Terry, Dr. Bennett and his colleagues searched data from the Keck Observatory in Hawaii and the Gaia satellite at the ESA.

If the pair are illegitimate Exoplanets and Exomoons, they will not look effective – dark objects lost in the black space of the universe.

Researchers discovered a strong suspect about 24,000 light years away and put it in the bulge of the Milky Way galaxy.

By comparing the position of the stars in 2011 and 2021, they calculated its speed.

But that's its 2D motion. If it's heading towards us or away from us, it must be moving even faster.

Its true speed may increase to the galaxy's escape speed exceeding 600 km/s (1.3 million mph) per second.

If so, the planetary system is destined to traverse intergalactic space for millions of years to come.

“To make sure the newly identified star is part of the system that caused the 2011 signal, we looked again in another year and it moved the right amount and moved in the right direction. And I want to see where it is. We've detected a signal,” Dr. Bennett said.

“If a high-resolution observation indicates that the stars remain in the same position, it can be sure that it is not part of the system that caused the signal,” says Aparna Bhatacharya at the University of Maryland. The doctor said. College Park and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

“That means the Rogue Planet and the Exomoon model are preferred.”

Team's paper It was released this week Astronomy Journal.

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Sean K. Terry et al. 2025. A candidate high-speed peeling system for galaxy swelling. AJ 169, 131; doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad9b0f

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers find unusually high levels of cosmic formation beryllium in the Pacific Ocean

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A team of scientists from Helmholtz Senturm Dresden Rossendorf, Tad Dresden Institute of Technology, and the Australian National University have discovered an “unexpected” accumulation of Beryllium-10 from the bottom of the central and North Pacific Oceans.

Col et al. Report on the discovery of anomalies in the beryllium-10 concentration profiles of several deep-sea ferromanganese crusts (stars) from the late Miocene central and North Pacific Oceans. The main bottom (blue line) and surface (red line) ocean currents of the thermal halin circulation are shown. Image credit: Koll et al., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55662-4.

Radionuclides are types of nuclei (isotopes) that decay into other elements over time.

They are used to date archaeological and geological samples, and radiocarbon dating is one of the best-known methods.

“The major ocean floors on Earth show one of the most pristine geological archives documenting environmental conditions and changes over millions of years, the ferromanganese crust,” Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and his colleagues.

“Dating these marine archives can be achieved through fossils through changes in biostratigraphy, isotope, or elemental composition. Alternatively, we can analyze the imprinted changes in the Earth's magnetic field due to magnetic stratigraphy. Masu.”

“Another commonly employed technique is dating space-forming nuclides,” they added.

“The radionuclide Beryllium-10 is continuously produced in the upper atmosphere, primarily through cosmic ray spallation for nitrogen and oxygen.”

“The residence time of Beryllium-10 in the atmosphere is about 1-2 years for it to adhere to the aerosol and precipitate.”

“In the ocean, atmospheric beryllium-10 mixes with the stable beryllium-9 of the lithosphere, which is transported to the ocean by river runoff and river dust, primarily after erosion of terrestrial minerals.”

Dr. Koll and co-authors have discovered long-term cosmicogenic beryllium-10 anomalies in central and North Pacific samples.

Such anomalies can be attributed to changes in ocean currents or astrophysical events that occurred during the late Miocene era around 10 million years ago.

The findings have the potential to serve as a global time marker for promising advances in dating geological archives over millions of years.

“For a period of millions of years, such space-forming time markers still do not exist,” Dr. Koll said.

“However, this beryllium abnormality can act as such a marker.”

result It will be displayed in the journal Natural Communication.

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D. Koll et al. 2025. Cosmic genome ¹⁰It becomes abnormal in the late Miocene as an independent time marker for marine archives. Nut commune 16, 866; doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55662-4

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Reveals 82% of Paradise Bird Species are Biofluorescent

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paradise birds are families of small to medium-sized forest birds found in the New Guinea region. With its elaborate and colorful feathers, these birds are one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. A new study found that ornithologists at the American Museum of Natural History and ornithologists at the University of Nebraska Lincoln University were biological fluorescents out of 45 currently recognized paradise. They suggest that this special “brightness” is important among male birds due to hierarchy and mating displays.

The bigger bird bird (Paradisaea apoda). Image credit: Andrea Lawardi.

With colorful feathers and intricate courtship displays, the paradise bird has a special place in natural history.

They serve as examples of school books for sexual choice. This is the result of the selection of male female peers with attractive features.

The results show unparalleled radiation of species in which men exhibit extreme morphological features and behaviors, and behaviours that have no evolutionary meaning other than attracting women due to coalescence.

“The unique mating rituals and exhibitions of paradise birds fascinated scientists and promoted countless research focusing on the evolution of traits and sexual choice,” said Rene Martin, PhD, University of Nebraska, Dr. Lincoln. The doctor said.

“It seems appropriate that these flashy birds are likely signaling each other in an additional flashy way.”

Biofluorescence is a phenomenon that occurs when an organism absorbs light, converts it, and releases it as a different color.

“More than 10,000 people recorded birds and despite numerous studies that included bright feathers, elaborate mating displays and excellent vision, we surprisingly investigated the presence of biological fluorescence. There are very few people.”

“Bowerbirds and Fairy Wrens were unable to shine, but bright green yellow fluorescent light was found among the bird birds.”

Biological fluorescence is found in Emperor's birds (Paradisaea guilielmi). Image credit: Rene Martin.

Researchers discovered that when exposed to not only bird light, but also purple light, the birds also fluorescently, and that the birds emitted fluorescence.

This phenomenon is particularly prominent in men, focusing on the bright feathers and skin of the area highlighted during the exhibition: the mouth and bills of the head, neck, and belly.

In women, biological fluorescence is usually restricted to feathers in the chest and belly.

“These birds live near the equator, where bright sunlight is abundant all year round, and in forests where light complexity is heavily affected by different canopy differences, enhancing bioflaorent signals. It could be,” Emily said. Kerr, PhD student at the American Museum of Natural History.

“Studies based on closely related species found that bird eye pigments align with fluorescent peaks measured by researchers.”

“Based on this, we speculate that avian paradises can see these biological fluorescent patterns, which enhance the contrast with dark feathers and possibly play an important role in courtship and hierarchy. there is.”

study It will be published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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Rene Martin et al. Royal Society Open Sciencein press; doi: 10.1098/rsos.241905

Source: www.sci.news

Whoa! The Sims Have Taken a Dark Turn | Games

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

when I was growing up, the genre-defining dollhouse sim Sims was the ultimate escape. I built my dream home, grew the neighborhoods of strange and wonderful friends, and lived a fantasy adult life.

So when EA drops surprise Sims 1 and 2 Last weekend, all expansions are included to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series (my 9 year old self dream) I was naturally forced to return to my happy place. Beginners, rooms, goths, and sometimes, I removed the pool ladders while swimming a bit, and only had the pauses I needed for my mommy roast dinner.

I’ve introduced familiar music, tragic pool accidents, and my own personal nostalgia of French maids, but there’s something lurking beneath the game’s quirky and hilarious look. Surprisingly, this game now feels more like a struggle simulator than a chance to live your dream life. (I forgot how much time the Sims spent playing chess.) Like the town of Picket Fence in Lynch, I realized that there was darkness lurking under the sheen of the suburbs.

The original Sims Game was more dystopian than the cheerful and brightly colored Sims 4 of today. Contrast is not just about aesthetics. Twenty years ago, Sims had no dreams or ambitions. Your virtual family has worked long hours for a pricey life, some of the most poignant music in the history of death and gaming.

Forget your personality, desires and preferences. Sims 1 is a capitalist nightmare where survival outweighs self-realization.

Be careful of ovens that burn spontaneously! …Sims 1 + 2.

I forgot the time my original Sim actually spent on work. They are doing boring and boring work from your vision. Create a simple message you get when they are oddly shocked (or handed over). It’ll probably be fired and kill you, heading towards the cheapest oven that’s offered that small wage packet. This is a game that punishes you for being poor. It means that, like the iconic Goth family of rich people, the poor remain in their stay in stone mansions, still surrounded by charming cemeteries while the poor are poor. I have learned that social mobility in Sims 1 is nearly impossible.

And do you live in a social life? Forget that at least when you’re at the bottom of your random career ladder. There’s no time to make friends. I didn’t remember from my time as a tween who was obsessed with Sims. I now find that the nasty EastEnders-level entanglements in my neighborhood are mostly scripted in my head. Instead, you should remove the ++ and –relationship scores until you’ve finally “played in bed” anti-climic. -olds. There’s nothing dark about that heart-shaped bed of extension. I still want that in real life.

Even these moments with the most meaningful love in my Sims life seemed to offer them nothing. They were transactions and no use was helpful other than unlocking new interactions. They are playing for my enjoyment, not for theirs.

Friendships are also very traded here. To improve your rank at work, you need a certain number. Keeping yourself alone will make you poor and you will likely die of having a cheap, spontaneously burning microwave. This is particularly sad for Sims, who live alone. I’m exhausted from work. If you don’t have time to call friends over the phone for hours, or if they refuse to come, your relationship will quickly break

It’s a capitalist nightmare, but still, it’s an escape… Relaise from Sims 1 + 2.

alleys. Like the award-winning No Deeve episode of Black Mirror, when you lose social credibility, the spiral will soon go downhill for your Sim.

And it’s not as fast as music that announces the stomachs of millennials of a sudden, terrifying robbery. It’s still terrifying 25 years from now, so I hope there was a foresight to spend a small savings on theft alarm. That’s before we enter from a visit from the harsh Grim Reaper and even from a creepy prank call. These unexpected callers scared me just as they did back then.

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Perhaps my new, dark perspective on the game comes from the world we live in now. I’m finally living a fantasy adult life – I’ve been on the brink of less relaxation in my gothic apartment dream home, more overwork, lower wages, and spiral breakdowns I didn’t realize that it was. In a time of economic insecurity and burnout in 2025, Sims’ crushing feels brutal.

For all existential horrors, Sims 1 is still an escape. Certainly, it presents a kind of capitalist nightmare. But it’s a capitalism nightmare you can control. No matter how hard your daily slogans work, you can always enter your cheat code and click to wipe out any financial stress. This is the ultimate fantasy. It’s also strangely accurate. Just like in real life, external benefits (and systemic misconduct) are more likely to lead to success than shattering rules and following them.

Yes, Sims 1 was and remains a dystopian suburban treadmill, but there is also room for humor. Confusion is interesting, failure is temporary, and the worst tragedy can be reversed by clicking the mouse.

Source: www.theguardian.com

US and UK refuse to endorse summit declaration on “all-encompassing” Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The US and the UK have opted not to sign the Paris AI Summit declaration concerning “comprehensive and sustainable” artificial intelligence.

The rationale behind the two countries’ decision to withhold their signatures from the document, endorsed by 60 other signatories, including China, India, Japan, Australia, and Canada, was not immediately clarified.

The UK’s Prime Minister’s official spokesperson stated that France is among the UK’s closest allies, but the government is committed to signing initiatives that align with the UK’s national interests.

Nevertheless, it was mentioned that the UK did sign the Sustainable AI Coalition of the Summit and supported the cybersecurity statement.

When asked if the UK’s refusal to sign was influenced by the US’s decision, the spokesperson asserted that the UK does not acknowledge or align with the reasons or stance of the US detailed in the declaration.

The rejection was confirmed following US Vice President JD Vance’s critical speech at the Grand Palais, denouncing the “overregulation” of European technology and cautioning against collaboration with China.

The Communique emphasized priorities such as ensuring AI remains open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and reliable, while establishing an international framework for all stakeholders.

After the event, Elise Palace suggested that more countries could eventually sign the declaration.

Vance’s address conveyed dissatisfaction with the global approach to regulating and developing technology before leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Keir Starmer was notably absent from the summit.

During his inaugural overseas trip as US Vice President, Vance expressed concerns about the EU’s regulatory measures, cautioning that excessive regulation in the AI sector could stifle transformative industries.

Vance also highlighted the risks of engaging with authoritarian regimes and issued sharp warnings directed at China regarding their exports of CCTV and 5G equipment.

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China’s Vice President Zhang Guoqing echoed Vance’s sentiments, cautioning against deals that appear too good to be true, referencing his Silicon Valley learnings.

Vance’s speech primarily focused on AI safety, criticizing the cautious approach of the UK’s inaugural global AI summit in 2023 branded as an AI safety summit. He contrasted this with the potential of cutting-edge technologies that could be both self-aware and risky.

In a closing remark before departing from the meeting, Vance drew parallels to the significance of swords like the one held by Marquis de Lafayette, emphasizing their potential for freedom and prosperity when wielded appropriately.

He reflected on the shared heritage between France and the US, symbolized by the Sabers, emphasizing the need for a thoughtful approach to potentially dangerous technologies like AI, guided by the spirit of collaboration seen in historical figures like Lafayette and the American founders.

Source: www.theguardian.com