Sea dolphins around the UK are almost dying from a combination of water temperature and toxic chemicals that the UK banned in the 1980s.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are long-lasting chemical contaminants that were once widely used in industrial manufacturing. They interfere with the breeding and immune response of animals and cause them cancer With humanity.
In a new study, researchers showed that higher levels of PCBs in the body and increased sea surface temperatures are at a higher risk of death from a common shunting dolphin infection (Delphines Delphis), the first of marine mammals.
The ocean is facing a “triple planetary crisis” – the “climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss,” but we often see the threat alone, says, Rosie Williams At the Zoological Society in London.
Williams and her colleagues analyzed postmortem data from 836 common dolphins marginalized in the UK between 1990 and 2020 and assessed the impact of these interlinked threats.
They found that a rise in PCB of 1 milligram per kilogram of fat has become fatal, with a 1.6% increase in the likelihood of infections such as gastritis, enteritis, bacterial infections, encephalitis, and pneumonia. Every 1°C increase in sea surface temperature corresponded to a 14% increase in the risk of death.
According to this study, the threshold for PCB fat concentrations to significantly affect the risk of dolphin disease was 22 mg/kg, while the average sample concentration was high at 32.15 mg/kg.
Dolphins have a long lifespan, are widely distributed around the UK and are widely distributed in the food chain, making them a good indicator species that shows how threats affect other animals.
“The location at the top of the food web means that toxins from prey accumulate in the enlargement, providing an intensive snapshot of chemical contaminants at the expense of health,” says Thea Taylor. Sussex Dolphin Project.
It was banned in the UK in 1981 and internationally in 2001, but the PCB is still washed down into the ocean. “They are probably still entering the environment through stockpiling, and often are side products or by-products of other manufacturing processes,” Williams says.
Cleaning up your PCB is extremely difficult. “They are nightmares to get rid of because they are so permanent,” she says. “There’s definitely no easy fix.”
While some researchers have explored edging as a cleanup technique, others have focused on improving the effectiveness of water treatment plants in the removal of sustainable chemicals.
These findings show what happens if not taken to ban Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), another broad group of so-called eternal chemicals.
“We cannot reverse any already-occurring pollution, but it’s important to prevent further chemical input into the environment,” Taylor says.
Tesla has halted orders in China for two models previously imported from the US in response to the imposed tariffs due to Donald Trump’s trade war.
The company, led by Trump’s close ally Elon Musk, has removed the “Order Now” option for the Model S Saloon and Model X Sport Utility vehicles.
The reasons for these changes were not disclosed by Tesla, but they coincide with the escalating trade tensions between the US and China. As a result of the tit-for-tat tariff increases, the cost of imported vehicles from the US to China has become significantly higher compared to locally produced cars.
New orders for these models are no longer available on Wechat, a popular Chinese social media platform, according to Reuters. The “Order Now” button on Tesla’s US website for the Model S and Model X has been replaced by “available cars,” with some vehicles being accessible to Chinese buyers.
Since 2020, Tesla has been manufacturing Model 3 and Model Y cars at a large factory in Shanghai, reducing the impact of customs duties. However, the company’s supply chain may still be affected due to the trade tensions between the two countries.
Elon Musk, a key figure in the Trump administration, has been advocating for lower tariffs, which contradicts the policies implemented by Trump. This discrepancy in views could potentially impact Tesla’s operations and sales.
Recently, Tesla warned the US government about the potential negative effects of tariffs on American businesses. This development poses a significant economic challenge for Tesla, particularly in the European market where demand is declining.
Analysts suggest that Tesla, despite its high market value, is currently undervalued and facing a significant crisis that may require Musk to distance himself from the Trump administration.
IIn the early 00’s, off-beat sports games were king. From the slam dunking shenanigans on NBA Street to the absurdity that stops the Mario Striker show, once serious competition has been rethought as a surprising, stupid grim match. But with the arrival of the era of live services, Sports Sims was not about playing pulse pumps, but about collecting more and more expensive virtual trading cards.
Please enter a rematch. This is a refreshing action-packed rethink of a beautiful game. Channel the crude thrills of five sides of the Power League and rematch tactics focused on FIFA teams and put you in a single player studded boot. With third-person action game-like controls, developer Sloclap has guided the channel to create heavy, skill-driven soccer, with martial arts-heavy experiences in previous titles SIFU and Absolver. It’s wonderfully agile, fast, and ferocious. The pass is delivered manually, the shot is curled in the heat of the moment, and the goalkeeper sprints down the half-hearted line, as Oliver Kahn owns. Free slide tackles and bike kicks are the order of the day, and I can’t stop grinning as I win my teammates and each half-line screamer.
“FIFA is a football simulation, and the rematch is a football player simulation,” says Pierre Tarno’s creative director. “In the game, there is no more kick action to pass to this type of pass, so “Let’s make it happen!”
Reflex test… a rematch. Photo: Sloclap
Sifu has also recursively tested the gameplay of the recursive test to kickabout, where you knocked out 7 shades from many martial arts masters. Thanks to high levels of player control, the match is surprisingly quick. Without the other 10 controllable players, the rematch is a game of constant movement. Sprints take valuable stamina and keeping the “Do” button at all times is always a quick way to FIFA. Thankfully there is a hidden trick underneath the knee pads. The tap on the bumper allows for a sudden, fast-speed explosion. Tied to another meter, this emergency boost is perfect for chasing a striker in a box or for throwing away a defender snapping on his heel. Immediately, I balance my midfield and defensive play and charge my goalmouse scramble in a true, crude way.
Sport the art style, a Breath of the Wild, some French Impressionism, and animated speed lines, and sprint through each rendered pitch. Scoring the goal will distort the virtual environment around you, change the Smash Bros style that has changed the background of the stage, and align the main team’s home stadium as the ball hits the back of the net with an explosion of color.
According to Tarno, Rematch’s visuals were an attempt to recreate the soft, dreamy look of paintings inside an immersive 3D stadium. But despite its charming cartoonish look, there is a welcome lack of feats against the super’s movements and gravity that fills the screen. “We once built up running the wall into the game,” he says.
A game of constant movement… a rematch. Photo: Sloclap
This is a world with a bright aesthetic and outlook. Instead of taking place within the normal Grimm Dark Dystopia of video games set in 2065, Sloclap offers a refreshing optimistic view of the future. The environment focuses on renewable energy and natural landscapes. One stadium is wrapped in a dam that generates hydraulic power, while another sees a match unfolding under the hillside with rotating wind turbines.
“We wanted to dream of a world where humanity made the right choice. It’s worth sharing cooperation and resilience on and off the pitch,” Tarno says. “It’s really about the joy of playing with friends.”
When the control finally clicks, you’ll be fully invested in the Ramshackle team. Just like Sloclap’s previous output, the rematch is about mastery. This is a game where the avatar begins with high power. In the world of Rematch, offsides, fouls, and merciless, Var is a thing of the past, and futuristic footies can’t slow the action. “I think players who are not soccer fans will be surprised that they can still enjoy football games because it’s so intense and dynamic,” Tarno says.
Since rematches are only online, the ball call system allows players to raise their hands as they scream and ask for the ball. Rematch’s futuristic footy has more to do than the touch of an Overwatch. I find the squad-driven approach and accurate manual aim as satisfying as setting goals as it scores. The rematch also shares the sense of Rocket League and Arcade relatives, but the rematch delivers a more reasonable approximation of the game, as Psyonix’s unstoppable hit watch players launch Hot Wheels-like vehicles into comical, big football.
The rematch is full of fun player customizations and you can design everything from choosing avatar earrings from your home or away kit. There are even vitiligo selectors and options for customizable prostheses for players to match a more comprehensive vision of the future. The rematch is a paid release, with additional items being sold in in-game currency, which is said to result in roughly half of the cosmetic items being unlocked through play.
Regardless of price range, Tarno is keenly aware that only one is really important. “There is no secret formula in game development,” he says. “The only way to achieve commercial success is to make a very good game. It’s more true about gaming than any other entertainment industry… Gamers are very discerning viewers. They are often very analytical, and the mechanisms and what works and what doesn’t work… If the game isn’t good enough, it simply doesn’t succeed.”
This month’s open beta is essential for a tweak rematch. That was promising in the first half, at least so far. I went into the demo, hoping for disposable fun like a Mario striker, leaving me with sweaty hands. Sloclap’s mission is to bring the pleasant sensation back to virtual football, and based on what he’s banded about this colorful pitch so far, the rematch has the depth to reach the big leagues.
Feather foil print. The barb on the right represents the population of British bird species from 40 years ago. The left shows the current population size.
Rebecca Kay
Rebecca Kay is also known as her alias ploterre With the help of hard data and clever design, turn the idle thoughts that occur while cycling into beautiful prints.
Edinburgh, UK, studied mathematics, worked as a data researcher, and developed her art as a side job. Covid-19 was then a hit, and she jumped into art full-time.
Her work inevitably begins outside in nature and arrives as an ever-inquisitive thought. How do tide ages change around the coast, where do oxai daisies grow across the UK, or how do the unique flashing patterns of lighthouses differ?
“Usually, I’d be wondering why the leaf pattern looks like it is, and most people would just keep walking and forget about it,” Kay said. “I turned it into a bit of a job.”
Ash Rise Weathering Letter Press Print. Using data from the UK Meteorological Service, each growth ring represents a year, with thin lines representing daily rainfall and gaps between lines representing daily temperatures.
Rebecca Kay
Once she gets an idea, the data hunt begins. The most recent question that came to mind was whether it was always raining somewhere in the UK. That led to her review of 130 years of records, leading to a perhaps surprising, pessimistic discovery.
Once the visual design is sketched on paper, Kay relies on computers to distort data into design, consolidating information and forms into a single piece that tells the story. This ultimately leads to a finished design that is screen printed by hand.
Elon Musk, the billionaire, was rebutted by ChatGpt developer Openai, who accused him of harassing the company. Openai requested a US federal judge to intervene and halt Musk’s “illegal and unfair behavior” towards the company.
Established in 2015 by Musk and CEO Sam Altman, Openai has seen ongoing disputes between the two founders, transitioning from a complex non-profit structure to a more conventional for-profit business.
Musk criticized the restructuring plan about a year ago, alleging that it betrayed the company’s fundamental mission by prioritizing profits over human interests. Although Musk withdrew the lawsuit in June, he filed a new one in August.
In February of this year, Musk led a consortium of investors in a surprising $97.4 billion bid for the company. Altman promptly rejected the offer, mentioning that Musk had acquired Twitter for $44 billion, rebranded as X in 2022.
In a recent filing in California’s district court, Openai accused Musk of using various tactics to harm the company, including press attacks, malicious campaigns to Musk’s large social media following, demands for access to corporate records, legal harassment, fake bids on Openai’s assets, among others.
Openai urged the judge to put a stop to Musk’s attacks and hold him accountable for the damages he has caused. The trial is set to commence in the spring of 2026.
Musk left Openai in 2018 and founded his own company, Xai. This year’s bid for Openai had the backing of Xai and other investment firms, including one led by Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of Spy Technology Company Palantir.
Tesla executives have criticized Openai for deviating from its original charitable mission by creating a for-profit subsidiary to raise funds from investors like Microsoft. Despite its nonprofit beginnings, Openai argues that new models are required to advance the development of superior AI models.
Recently, Openai secured $400 billion in funding rounds from investors like SoftBank, valuing the company at $300 million. The funds will be used to further AI research, enhance computer infrastructure, and provide enhanced tools for the millions of people using ChatGPT weekly.
Since the viral success of ChatGpt in 2022, Openai has encountered various corporate controversies. In 2023, the board removed Altman, citing issues with his communication transparency. After much internal unrest, Altman was reinstated within a week following threats of resignation from many company members.
President Trump’s tariffs had raised concerns about Apple’s manufacturing in China even before they threatened to disrupt it. This, coupled with the company’s struggle to innovate, has led to doubts within its Silicon Valley headquarters about its magic.
The introduction of tariffs on April 2nd led to a $773 billion loss in market capitalization in just four days, temporarily dethroning Apple as the world’s most valuable public company. Investors were already showing signs of dissatisfaction, with the stock dropping by 8% in the first four months of the year, outpacing the S&P 500’s decline.
Apple’s attempts to turn its fortunes around with products like virtual reality headsets, Vision Pro, and AI systems called Apple Intelligence have been met with disappointment. The headset sales were lackluster and the AI system’s key features faced delays due to functionality issues.
These challenges highlight the erosion of Apple’s reputation for innovation, causing anxiety and dissatisfaction among employees. Insiders fear that the company is mired in political infighting, cost-cutting, and talent drain, despite years of being a magnet for top talent.
Apple declined to provide a comment on the situation.
It’s been a decade since Apple’s last major commercial successes with the Apple Watch and AirPods. New services like Apple TV+ and Fitness+, launched in 2019, are lagging behind their subscription-based competitors. The iPhone, now 18 years old and accounting for half of Apple’s sales, continues to see incremental improvements annually.
While Vision Pro’s sales disappointed, Apple’s struggles with Apple Intelligence have revealed dysfunction within the company.
Last summer, Apple showcased AI products that could summarize notifications and provide enhanced writing tools for emails and messaging. However, the new iPhone shipped without the AI features as planned due to inaccuracies discovered during internal testing. This led to the postponement of the enhanced SIRI release.
After the delay, Apple’s software chief announced plans to restructure the executive team, shifting responsibility from AI head John Giannandrea to Vision Pro Headset leader Microcwell.
Technology analyst Michael Gartenberg, a former Apple product marketer, expressed concerns about the company’s handling of Apple Intelligence, calling it a case of overestimation and lack of boundaries.
Reports on changes within Apple’s SIRI team and challenges were previously covered by sources like Bloomberg and information.
Apple’s AI efforts faced setbacks in early 2023, with Giannandrea scrambling to procure GPUs for AI development, highlighting the lack of resources compared to competitors like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta.
Apple’s struggles with AI development were compounded by a shortage of GPUs, forcing teams to rely on external providers like Google and Amazon for computing power.
Disagreements within Apple’s software teams and leadership clashes contributed to delays and challenges in launching new AI capabilities like Siri.
The departure of key Apple design and product development leaders has left the company with a mix of experienced and inexperienced executives in critical roles.
Apple’s lack of clear leadership and communication has been cited as a major factor contributing to its current challenges in product development.
Despite setbacks, Apple plans to release an improved Siri virtual assistant in the fall, aiming to address previous shortcomings.
While delays have raised concerns among some Apple leaders, others believe it’s crucial to get AI right, even if it takes time to perfect.
Scientists extracted and analyzed 34 new mammoths (Mamutus spp. ) mitochondrial genomes containing two early Pleistocene and nine mid Pleistocene giant specimens in Siberia and North America. They identified the oldest known mammoth DNA in North America from 200,000-year-old specimens found on the Old Crow River in the Yukon Territory of Canada. The results support previous research and show that mammoths from around 1 million years ago do not resemble the later mammoths.
Reconstruction of the life of the grassland mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii). Image credit: Beth Zaiken/Center for Palaeogenetics.
Ancient DNA was recovered from specimens dated in the early Pleistocene (2.6 million to 780,000 years ago), and the stages in the Middle Pleistocene (780,000 to 126,000 years ago) could allow for the direct study of deep temporal evolutionary events that are key to understanding species formation.
Unfortunately, access to such deep-time DNA is limited, and so far only a handful of studies have been able to obtain either genome-wide data or the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) from deep specimens.
“Our analysis offers an unprecedented glimpse into how major deep-time demographic events have shaped mammoth genetic diversity over time.”
By analyzing 34 new mammothmite genomes along with more than 200 previously published mammothmite genomes, the researchers found that diversification events across the mammoth lineage appeared to be consistent with well-explained demographic changes during the early and mid-Pleistocene.
Their findings support the ancient Siberian origins of the major mammoth lineage and reveal how changes in individual dynamics contributed to the expansion and contraction of different genetic clades.
“The constant cost of sequencing technology has left mitogenomes somewhat forgotten. However, our study shows that they are more abundant than nuclear DNA and are therefore important for evolutionary biology.
The current research not only advances understanding of mammoth evolution, but also contributes to a wider field of ancient DNA research.
Scientists have developed and applied an improved molecular clock dating framework and improved methods of estimating sample age beyond radiocarbon dating limits using genetic data.
This methodological advancement provides a powerful tool for future research into extinct and endangered species.
Professor Love Darren, a researcher at Stockholm University, said:
“We are extremely excited to see genetic data from more mammoth specimens sampled over the past million years.
Team’s result Published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
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J. Camilo Chacón-Duque et al. 2025. The evolution of the mammoth genome for a million years. Molecular Biology and Evolution 42(4): MSAF065; doi: 10.1093/molbev/msaf065
According to an analysis of ancient proteins, the 190,000-10,000 fossil mandibles found in the Taiwanese Pengu Channel in the 2000s belonged to male Denisovan. The findings provide direct evidence that Denisovan occupied a diverse climate, from the cold Siberian mountains to the warm, humid subtropical latitudes of Taiwan.
The concept of artist Peng Denisovan walking under the bright sun during the Pleistocene of Taiwan. Image credit: Cheng-Han Sun.
“Recent discoveries and reanalysis of fossil specimens, along with the application of molecular technology and new dating methods, revealed unexpected diversity among the archaic Hymonin of mid- to late Pleistocene East Asia before the arrival of modern humans.”
“Identifying Denisovan is an important example of such advances.”
“Denisovan was recognized as a group of humankinds that differ from Neanderthals and modern humans by analyzing fragmentary bone and teeth DNA excavated from Denisova Caves in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.”
“Their nuclear genome shows that Denisovan formed its own clade as a sister group of Neanderthals, forming a calculated genome difference between the two clades that occurred more than 400,000 years ago.”
“Genetic evidence also shows the flow of genes between Denisovans, modern people, and Neanderthals.”
“Studies of incorporated denisova DNA in modern human populations suggest the existence of multiple genomically distinct denisova populations, once distributed across Asia in the eastern part of the continent and perhaps part of the islands Southeast Asia.”
“However, outside the Denisova caves, direct molecular evidence of Denisovan has been found only from a single site on the Tibetan Plateau.”
“In Baishiya Karst Cave in Xiahe, the mandible and rib bone are identified as denisovan based on protein sequence.”
With label Penguo 1New Denisovan fossils were collected in the 2000s through drage activities related to commercial fishing from the seabed (60-120 m) about 25 km from Taiwan’s west coast.
The area is located 4,000 km southeast of Denisova’s Caves and 2,000 km southeast of Baishayakarst Caves.
It was part of the Asian mainland during the low sea level episodes of Pleistocene.
“Penghu 1 is under 450,000 years old, with the most likely age range from 10,000 to 70,000 or 130,000 to 190,000 years old, depending on the content of trace elements, biostratigraphic evidence, and past changes in sea level,” the researchers said.
“Direct uranium dating of Penghu 1 failed due to the effects of uranium from seawater.”
Using ancient proteomic analysis, Dr. Tsutaya and his colleagues extracted proteins from bone and dental enamel from the fossils, recovering 4,241 amino acid residues.
These variants are rare in modern human populations, but are more common in areas associated with the genetic temptation of Denisovan.
Furthermore, morphological analysis of Penghu 1 reveals a robust jaw structure with large molars and distinctive root structures. This is a feature consistent with the properties found in Tibetan Denisovan specimens, suggesting that these properties are lineage and possibly gender characteristics.
“It is clear that two contrasting groups of Hymonin – the small-tooth Neanderthal with tall but flexible mandibles and the low but robust mandible (as a population or as a male character) coexist during the late mid- and early Pleistocene Eurasia,” the scientists said.
“The latter form is rare or absent in neonatal fossils from Africa and Eurasia, and is therefore not a primitive retention that is likely developed or enhanced, as it was probably developed or enhanced in Deniso Banklade, after genetic separation from Neanderthals more than 400,000 years ago.”
“Recent discoveries of the island from Southeast Asia (Homo Flores Ensis and Homo Lusonensis) and South AfricaHomona Lady) highlights the diverse evolution of the genus Homoin contrast to the strain Homo sapiens. ”
“The Dentgrat morphology of Dennisovan can be interpreted as another such distinct evolution that took place in our genus.”
result It was published in the journal today Science.
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Takumi Tsutaya et al. 2025. Mandible Denisovan from Pleistocene Taiwan. Science 388 (6743): 176-180; doi: 10.1126/science.ads3888
The emergency department waiting room was packed as always, with patients crammed closely into hard metal chairs, as if they had been sitting for hours. Only those needing immediate care, like a heart attack, were seen right away.
One man had enough and slammed the glass window in front of the receptionist before storming out. He took a smoking break and verbally attacked the nurse, questioning her hard work as he left.
Although not a real event, this scene was portrayed in the Max series “The Pitt,” which airs its season finale on Thursday, set in a fictional Pittsburgh Hospital emergency room. The underlying theme of overwhelming overcrowding is a universal issue in this country, and not an easy one to solve.
“This system is at its breaking point,” stated Dr. Benjamin S. Abela, chairman of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
“The Pitt” depicts the daily struggle of emergency room doctors, nurses, medical students, custodians, and staff dealing with a variety of medical issues, from heart attacks and strokes to overdoses and severe burns. The show neatly resolves many of the complex issues in its 15 episodes, but reflects the real-life problems faced by medical systems operating beyond capacity.
The jammed waiting room and patients waiting for days in emergency rooms highlight a critical issue – overcrowding – labeled a “National Public Health Crisis” by the American University of Emergency Medicine.I’ll call boarding
Medical supplies in hallways and patients seen in hallways due to lack of available space further emphasize the strain on the system.
Instances of violence between patients with mental health issues and nurses are depicted in “The Pitt,” echoing the reality of the situation seen in emergency rooms nationwide.
Dr. Abela emphasizes that the show portrays a system on the brink of collapse, reflecting what is happening in emergency rooms across the country.
The complex nature of the issue, as explained by Dr. Ezekiel J. Emmanuel from the Health Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, points to the lack of a simple solution and the challenges posed by limited resources.
Financial constraints, patient flow issues, and capacity limitations in nursing homes contribute to the ongoing crisis in emergency departments.
Dr. Jeremy S. Faust from Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Emergency Medical Office highlights scheduling challenges for patient discharges and the role of primary care in alleviating overcrowding in emergency rooms.
In the real world and on screen in the “pits,” patients often end up in emergency rooms for issues that could be addressed by primary care physicians, emphasizing the need for better access to primary care services.
Dr. Emmanuel underlines the difficulties in finding and accessing primary care, leading many to seek immediate help in emergency rooms rather than wait for appointments.
The trend of seeking immediate solutions contributes to the ongoing problem of overcrowding in emergency rooms despite efforts to expand facilities.
Dr. Faust recalls how opening a new emergency room with more beds led to an influx of patients, demonstrating that expanding facilities alone does not solve the issue of overcrowding.
For decades, fishermen sailing off the coast of Taiwan have occasionally discovered bones from other large mammals that lived tens of thousands of years ago, such as elephants, buffaloes, and other large mammals.
However, in 2010, Taiwanese paleontologists were presented with a particularly strange discovery. This fossil looks like half the jaw of a gorilla. Scientists have been baffled by it ever since.
The mystery of the underwater jaw has now been solved. Wednesday, the researchers team made an announcement that it was part of Denisovan, a member of the mystical human lineage associated with the Neanderthals. This finding greatly expands the range of well-identified denisovan fossils previously known from Siberia and Tibet.
“Indeed, Denisovan was east all the way to the coast,” says Frido Welker, a molecular anthropologist and author of the new study.
Chun-hsiang Chang, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences of Taiwan, first learned about the jaws from a private collector in 2010. After examining it, he quickly determined that it did not belong to a gorilla, as gorillas and other apes have U-shaped jaws. Instead, the fossil jaws were angled outward from the jaw, just like ours.
However, the jaws were missing the prominent jaws seen in modern-day humans. “At the time, I thought it looked human, but not like modern-day human,” Dr. Chang said. “I thought it was very important, so I pushed the private collector to lend it to my museum.”
Over the next five years, Dr. Chang studied the jaw anatomy, working with an international group of scientists. Its shape resembles the jaws of extinct relatives of humans known to have lived in Asia for over a million years. However, Penghu 1 also had distinctive features, including large teeth.
Determining the age of Penghu 1 was also a challenge, as they were not sure exactly where Dr. Chang discovered it on the seabed. He and his colleagues analyzed the chemistry of the jaw and discovered that it resembles that of fossils of hyena species that evolved in East Asia about 400,000 years ago.
At that time, Taiwan was separated from the mainland by water. However, 190,000 years ago, sea levels fell sufficiently to create a land bridge that lasted until 130,000 years ago. The ocean then rose again until 70,000 years ago. This pattern continued until 10,000 years ago when another land bridge formed. Dr. Chang and his colleagues believe that Penghu 1 lived in one of these periods when sea levels were lower.
One possibility was that Penghu 1 belonged to a mysterious group of humans called Denisovans. Researchers discovered Denisovan in 2010 while examining fossils from the Siberian Denisova Cave. The bones of teeth and fingers contain ancient DNA with unusual mutations, revealing previously unknown human strains.
Subsequent research shows that Denisovans, Neanderthals, and modern humans share common ancestors who lived in Africa about 600,000 years ago. The Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestors migrated from Africa, and then these two lineages split about 400,000 years ago, with the Neanderthals spreading to Europe in the west.
Denisovan’s spread was difficult to chart. For years, the only known Denisovan fossils have been teeth and bone fragments found in Denisova caves. However, a valuable clue comes from living humans. Many people in East Asia and the Pacific today have small amounts of Denisovan DNA, suggesting that Denisovans must have interbred with East Asian Homo sapiens before their extinction and lived far beyond Siberia.
Dr. Chang and his colleagues noticed that the teeth in the Penghu 1 jaw resemble the teeth found in the Denisova Cave. But those clues were not enough to link them. They attempted to search for DNA in their jaws but found nothing. This was not surprising given that the Penghu 1 fossils had been sitting on the seabed for thousands of years.
After Dr. Chan’s team revealed their analysis in 2015, Penghu 1 became an even more enigmatic, human-like fossil at the museum. “Our research was stagnant,” Dr. Chan said.
Over the next few years, Dr. Welker and other researchers pioneered ways to recover ancient proteins from fossils. They discovered that even if a fossil loses all its DNA, it could still retain protein fragments.
Using such methods, Dr. Welker studied the 160,000-year-old jaws found in a high-altitude cave in Tibet. In 2019, the team reported that Tibetan fossils contained fragments of ancient collagen and other proteins.
These proteins resemble modern human proteins but also exhibit differences indicating that the jaw belonged to a Denisovan.
With that discovery, Dr. Welker searched other Asian fossil scientific literature for jaws resembling the Tibetan jaws that could be tested for proteins.
“That’s when the lower jaw of Penghu came on my radar,” he said.
Both the Tibetan and Taiwanese jaws had very large teeth. Dr. Welker and his colleagues reached out to Dr. Chang. In 2023, Dr. Chang and his team flew to Copenhagen with their jaws. Analysis of the results revealed protein fragments that were only present in Denisovans.
“Since the first publication of Penghu’s lower jaw, many of us thought it might be Denisovan, mainly based on being in the right place at the right time,” said Bens Viola, a paleontologist at the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the study. “But of course, assumptions are assumptions, and we need actual data to validate them.”
Another clue came from fragments of enamel protein in the teeth. Modern humans carry enamel genes on the X chromosome, while men carry slightly different enamel genes on the Y chromosome. Denisovan was carrying the Y-chromosome version, indicating that it belonged to a male adult.
The two Denisovan jaw anatomy may turn out to be a hallmark of male Denisovan. Women’s Denisovan may have a thinner anatomy, but scientists will need more evidence to know for sure.
The discovery of other Denisovan fossils could expand the scope of humanity. In 2022, researchers found teeth from 160,000 years ago in a cave in Laos. They resemble the teeth of the jaw in Tibetan Denisovan. Anyone who lived there would have had to survive in the tropical forests far from Siberia.
However, Laos’ teeth do not contain DNA, and the protein fragments did not clarify the type of human it belonged to. However, the cave and its neighbors still retain many teeth that have not been fully analyzed. Other traces of Denisovan may not have been found in the museum yet.
But so far, evidence reveals that Denisovans were able to thrive for thousands of miles and in a variety of environments. Janet Kelso, a paleontologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, was impressed by the differences between the Penghu 1 protein and the protein found in Tibet. As Denisovans expanded throughout different environments, they adapted and became genetically distinct populations.
“There’s still a lot to learn about Denisovan,” she said.
According to industry experts, companies can set high prices for their products due to the intricacies of Medicare pricing rules. During the first six months of a new bandage product’s lifespan, Medicare sets a refund rate based on the company’s chosen price. The agent will then adjust the refund to reflect the actual price that your doctor will pay after any discounts.
To avoid decreases in refunds, some companies opt to introduce new products regularly.
For example, in April 2023, Medicare started reimbursing $6,497 per square inch for bandages called Zenith sold by Legacy Medical Consultants, a company based in Fort Worth, Texas. However, six months later, the refunds for Zenith dropped to $2,746.
In October 2023, Medicare began reimbursing $6,490 for a “double layer” bandage for a new product called Impax from Legacy.
Both products use the same images and similar descriptions in their marketing materials, touting them as offering optimal wound care and protection.
Analysis by Earty Read shows that spending on Zenith and Impax has surpassed $2.6 billion since 2022.
When asked about the marketing and pricing strategies for these products, Legacy Medical Consultants did not provide a response. Company spokesman Dan Childs stated, “Legacy abides by laws that govern the system.”
Doctor discounts
In the field of wound care, doctors and nurses visit patients’ homes for treatment. Some companies that specialize in skin alternatives target doctors to help mitigate the rise in bandage prices.
Dr. Caroline Fife, a Texas-based wound care physician, highlighted the industry’s excesses in her blog last year. She shared an email she received from an undisclosed skin replacement company, which claimed that doctors could generate significant revenue from their bandages.
Some companies offer doctors bulk discounts of up to 45%, as reported by interviews with doctors and contracts reviewed by The Times. However, doctors could still receive Medicare rebates for the full price of the product.
The anti-kickback law prohibits physicians from receiving financial incentives from pharmaceutical or medical supply companies. While Medicare allows for discounts, experts suggest that rebates on bandages may have violated federal law by not requiring actual bulk purchases. In some cases, doctors only needed to buy three products to qualify for a 40 or 45% discount.
Lawyer Reuben Guttman from Washington, D.C., who represents Medicare whistleblowers, commented, “That’s not a volume discount,” indicating that such practices could be a way to disguise kickbacks.
In 2024, at least nine healthcare practices claimed over $50 million in Medicare reimbursements for skin replacements, according to an analysis conducted by The Times and the National Association of Associations representing healthcare organizations incentivized to reduce Medicare spending.
My husband is with his IP, Advertisement or his phone. That’s the last thing he does before going to bed and the first thing he attends to in the morning.
We have toddlers and are pretty good at sharing childcare, but the moment we show up after work, he gets me.pad out. It grabs me more than I can say (especially if I’m eating the dinner I’ve cooked). Parenting is lonely and boring, and I think he likes to relax at the end of the day, but I hope we spend time together as a family.
I know that there’s nothing sexier and more fun than devices designed by a lot of rich people silicon. I’m a volleyball expert, but I try so hard not to be on my phone all the time with my kids, as I don’t want it to impact them negatively. The phone seems more important to him than spending time with me. We thought we were on the same page about this, but it appears that my partner doesn’t see the disconnect between “our kids aren’t getting an iPad” and “I’ll be on mine all the time.”
I feel like I’m becoming more isolated, and I don’t know how to address it. Despite my love for him and thinking he is kind, fun, and cheerful, I miss having a relationship without the constant device presence.
In rare cases, we have a date night away from the baby, and he spends time with me without reaching for his phone. It was amazing, and I desire more of these moments in our daily lives. I want to establish some boundaries, but there never seems to be a good time to discuss it since we are always tired. How can I request one screen-free night a week together?
Eleanor says: I see multiple issues here. The screen use is affecting your connection with each other and potentially your child. When he falls into an iPad Vortex, it may feel like he’s bringing work home. There’s also the challenge of finding the right time to address this, but he may not realize how you feel unless you communicate your concerns to him.
It appears that each screen use case may require a tailored approach to resolve.
It’s easy to assume that once the screen is out of the equation, everything will return to normal. However, in today’s age, there is a new void created when we push away the iPad, where old hobbies and social connections used to exist.
On the flip side, excessive screen use can lead to neglecting other aspects of life. When we put down the screens, it might feel like we are waiting for something that never comes. This realization can lead to a sense of emptiness. By immersing in screens, we may inadvertently isolate ourselves from non-screen activities.
I believe the antidote to excessive screen use isn’t just avoiding screens but engaging in activities outside the digital realm that make screens seem less appealing.
You might find it helpful to propose positive alternatives for the various aspects of your lives. Not only should you aim for screen-free nights, but also plan concrete activities – games, outings, or movies that you both enjoy. Don’t just focus on avoiding the screen with your kids; think about creating meaningful experiences together.
Even activities that were once considered recreational – like date nights, movie nights, or reading to your kids – may feel burdensome due to screen immersion. Instead of considering them as chores, view them as opportunities to connect and recharge.
Given his willingness to abstain from the phone on date nights, it seems like he values your time together. If not, expressing your feelings about missing him and cherishing the moments spent with him, even when tired and stressed, could be enlightening. It’s evident how much you appreciate his company.
Asking him to reduce screen time shouldn’t feel like an imposition. Instead, it can be a way of showing him your love for spending time together. This could serve as a gentle reminder of the connection you share beyond the digital realm. Communicate your feelings, and it may pave the way for a positive change.
Pre-Lamp Disease is a potentially serious complication of pregnancy
Half Point Image/Getty Image
Pre-lamp syndrome can lead to many pregnancy complications, including death, but can be difficult to detect in the early stages of pregnancy. New blood tests can help doctors identify people at risk of developing a condition before symptoms begin.
“We can narrow it down to four really high-risk pregnancies. That’s a big step.” Maneesh Jain at Mirvie, a California-based health startup.
Pre-salping syndrome is a type of hypertensive disorder (HDP) during pregnancy, which occurs when scientists are not sure exactly – occurs during placenta development. This can lead to high blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular disease, organ damage, seizures and even death. It can also cause harm to the developing fetus.
However, catching pre-lammosis and other HDP is difficult. This is because symptoms usually do not appear for at least 20 weeks after pregnancy. Sometimes, no signs are detected until work. It is difficult to monitor placenta development. This is because taking tissue samples from organs is very invasive.
New blood tests are relatively non-invasive and use RNA markers to predict whether someone may develop HDP. Specifically, this test focuses on specific genes PAPPA2 and CD163its overexpression was previously linked to HDP. The researchers wanted to see if they could detect this overexpression of blood samples.
Their validation studies of over 9,000 pregnant people suggest that they can: Jain says that tests can be determined with accuracy of over 99% and above with accuracy of over 99%, whether people without existing risk factors overexpress the gene and therefore are at higher risk of pre-ec syndrome or another HDP. Almost a quarter of participants without existing HDP risk factors overexpressed the gene.
People with a certain demographic (for example, those with a family history of preexisting hypertension or pre-sexual pre-lampsia) are known to be at a moderate risk of developing the condition, he says. Morten Rasmussen At Mirvie. But for many, it comes from the blue at first glance.
Once someone knows that they are at high risk of pre-lamps, they can take action to prevent this. Common interventions include taking medications like aspirin, switching to a Mediterranean diet, and monitoring your daily blood pressure.
However, the new test only looked at people between 17.5 and 22 weeks after pregnancy. “Ideally, you should start aspirin 16 weeks in advance.” Kathryn Gray At Washington University in Seattle. “So by the time most people get the results of this test, they’ve already missed that window.”
Mirvie plans to sell blood tests on the market soon. Once it’s on the market, the team hopes other scientists will use it to develop drugs that specifically target the expression of genes such as PAPPA2. Such molecular pinpoints “give a much better opportunity for treatment to be effective,” says Rasmussen.
Gray also hopes researchers will use Mirvie’s RNA bank data to further identify the genes behind the risk of prelammosis in certain people. She says narrowing down your search profile could reduce the cost of testing and make it affordable for more people.
The article was revised on April 8, 2025
This article has been revised to reflect the risks posed by pre-lammosis during pregnancy
The article was revised on April 10, 2025
We have revealed that the test has identified people at risk of developing pre-lammosis.
France has implemented stricter rules on the use of mobile phones in middle schools, with students aged 11 to 15 required to keep their devices in lockers or pouches during school hours and can only access them again at the end of the day.
The Education Minister informed the Senate that the goal was for children to be completely separated from their phones throughout the school day in all French middle schools starting in September.
Elisabeth Borne stated, “Given the widespread concerns about the negative impact of screen time, this measure is crucial for the well-being and academic success of children in school.”
In 2018, a ban was imposed on mobile phone use for children in all middle schools in France – Colege. Phones must remain switched off in school bags and cannot be used anywhere on school premises, including during breaks.
Schools have reported positive outcomes such as increased social interactions, more physical activity, decreased bullying, and improved focus. However, some students still find ways to access their phones, such as sneaking into the restroom or watching videos during breaks.
The government is now requiring children to be completely separated from their devices for the entire school day, enforcing a “digital suspension.” Pilot schemes at around 100 middle schools over the past six months have shown that children have been willing to surrender their phones upon arrival.
Mobile devices are prohibited at elementary schools as well.
Borne informed the Senate, “Feedback from the trials has been overwhelmingly positive, with strong support from parents and teachers for enhancing the school environment.”
In response to concerns about costs and logistics from some unions, Borne stated that principals can choose the format for implementing the ban, such as lockers or pouches.
Referring to a recent study by the National Council of France, Borne mentioned, “Currently, young people spend an average of five hours a day on screens but only three hours a week reading books.”
Last year, a scientific report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron recommended that children should not use smartphones until age 13 and should not have access to social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat until age 18.
According to the report, children should not own phones before age 11 and should only have phones without internet access until age 13.
Macron expressed his support for measures to limit children’s screen time.
The largest education union in England called for a statutory ban on mobile phone use in schools, with a survey revealing that 99.8% of elementary schools and 90% of middle schools in Britain have implemented some form of ban.
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.
Whales are not Wales
Feedback is a science journalist of more years than we remember, and as a result we have come across a significant share of the odd units of measurement. The human mind wrestles with very large and very small things, so as a writer, it’s fascinating to get you to say that the huge iceberg has an area x times the size of Wales, the mountains are at the height of Burj Khalifa, or the bad books contain Z plot holes. Fourth Wing.
In this spirit, Christopher Dionne CNN Article About Blue Ghost Lunar Lander sending the final message from the moon. He points out that the writer is trying to convey the amount of data on the probe, saying that he “returned around 120 gigabytes of data, which amounted to over 24,000 songs, to Earth.”
“This made me think,” says Dionne. With so much music streaming today, the size of the song file is “generally not important.” The size of the file also depends on how you compress it and the length of the song. We can certainly agree with it Too well (10 minutes) It’ll be a slightly larger file Please love me – Therefore, songs cannot be used as standardized units of dataset size.
Luckily, Dionne came up with a solution. “Why don’t we use internationally agreed metrics: blue whales?” Blue whale genome It is a base of 2.4 billion. “So it appears that the Blue Ghost sent back data from the moon about 50 Blue Whale.”
Feedback is because we enjoy it Douglas Adams style images A rapid of whales that flow from the moon to the Earth. But we quiesce Dionne’s mathematics. The genome’s base is not equivalent to bytes in the dataset. Each byte is 8 bits, similar to the base. DNA is not binary either. For each position in the genome, there are four options (a, c, g, or t). This means that you can encode the byte using bits on the base half. So, multiplying 8 and dividing 2, I think Blue Ghost sent back around 200 blue whales.
As Dionne suggests, we recommend submitting to our readers that “other comparison units of digital measurement… might be even better to convey the scale of the information.” I look forward to “a thoughtful discourse on this most pressing issue.”
Goodbye, Alice and Bob
Few are likely to kill jokes. So the feedback is a bit nervous about this. This is because it involves both local events and encryption jokes.
We think this might require readers to review, so let’s start with encryption. When describing how a secure messaging system works, it has become traditional to call the two main agents “Alice” and “Bob.” For example, “How can Alice send secure messages to the BOB using a signal messaging app?”
The name has been in use since 1978 and is very popular. Wikipedia Page. In addition to explaining the device history, this page also depicts a very extended list of additional characters that may be involved in these thought experiments. From Chad to “the third participant, usually malicious intent,” Wendy and “whistleblower.”
Basically, if you’re a regular New Scientist Readers, you’ve probably read stories that use Alice and Bob (and their friends/enemies/acquaints/lovers) to explain complex ideas of encryption and physics. You’re familiar with this. So the parody is interesting.
We will not name any related news events. It was widely covered and discussed. But who knows: We’re writing this on March 27th, so by the time you read this you might have forgotten it. The United States may have tentatively invaded Svalbarbad, as he had forgotten which Arctic land Donald Trump wanted.
Anyway, I’ll go here. Bluesky posts to software developer John Vanenk I shared a screenshot Wikipedia page page. “Hegseth and Waltz are fictional characters commonly used as placeholders in discussions about cryptographic systems and protocols, and thought experiments created by Jeffrey Goldberg, who was created by Jeffrey Goldberg in a 2025 article. This was accompanied by a diagram described as an example of a scenario where communication between Hegseth and Waltz is intercepted by Goldberg.”
After all, if you didn’t find it interesting, feedback encourages you to send your comments to our signal account, but we don’t have one.
How awful
Readers Patrick Fenron and Peter Thressenger both wrote to emphasize the same thing. article in Guardianon how migratory birds use quantum mechanics to navigate. According to the biologist cited in the article, it appears that most “we travel at night and ourselves, so no one should follow.” Her name is Miriam Reedvogel, which of course means “songbird.”
As Fenlong said: “Wonderbar.”
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Whale watching and marine ecosystems in the Azores: Portugal
Discover the hidden paradise of the Azores, a group of islands filled with rich biodiversity, lush landscapes, volcanic craters, peaceful lagoons and charming towns.
Pelvic width can affect the risk of birth complications and back pain
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According to the largest research of this kind, a person’s waist width appears to be the result of a complex trade-off between larger brain evolution and upright walking.
“If the brain is growing bigger and bigger over the same evolutionary time as the pelvis is narrowing, this of course leads to conflict.” Vagheesh Narasimhan At the University of Texas at Austin.
This idea, first proposed in the 1960s, is known as the obstetric dilemma. Recently, it has been suggested that the risk of pelvic floor conditions is also considered. The pelvic floor is the layer of muscle that keeps organs in place. If it becomes weak or tear, it can lead to incontinence and problems during childbirth.
“The obstetrics dilemma has been very heated and debated,” says Narasinghan. For example, there have been many previous studies that attempt to relate pelvic structures to walking speed and efficiency, but these studies usually involve a small number of people and produce conflicting results.
Now, Narasinghan and his colleagues are looking at 31,000 men and women using data from the UK biobank. The team measured various aspects of the pelvis based on the type of scan called dual energy x-ray absorption measurements and looked for correlations with genetic variation and aspects of people’s health, including the need for emergency Caisalians.
Results show that wider pelvis reduces the risk of birth complications, but slower walking and higher risk of pelvic floor-related conditions, leading to hip osteoarthritis. On the other hand, narrower pelvis can speed up walking, but increases the risk of birth complications, lower back pain and knee osteoarthritis.
Previously, it has been suggested that there is a link between narrow-back births and reducing the risk of prenatal births, but the team found no association between pelvic width and pregnancy length. “This is consistent with other studies showing that no human children are born. [relatively] Faser than other apes,” says Narasinghan.
The team observed a link between pelvic width at birth and baby’s head size. “Individuals who may give birth to a wider head child often have a wider pelvis,” says Narasinghan. “It happens because of natural selection, which is a continuous selection of this correlated individual.” According to a 2016 survey, this selection may have ended for the C section.
Another finding is that most people have slightly asymmetric pelvises that correlate with their dominant hand. Being left or right-handed usually determines which legs dominate. This affects walking and pelvic development, which can lead to slight asymmetry as we grow, says Narasinghan.
“This is an extraordinary contribution to fundamental aspects of human evolutionary biology.” Scott Simpson Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. “By integrating anatomical, genetic, clinical and behavioral data, the authors provided important insights into this unique human adaptation.”
“It’s good to be able to take advantage of large datasets.” Nicole Webb At the University of Zurich in Switzerland, the chimpanzee birth canal was far larger than the people’s birth canal. Webb points out that all people in the dataset are older than 40 years old and are from the UK. “If this work is done in a young, diverse group, the results can be even more impressive,” she says.
On Thursday, researchers released the most accurate measurements of neutrinos, reducing the maximum possible mass of ghostly speckles of matter permeating our universe.
result, Published Science journals do not define the exact mass of neutrinos, but do not define just the upper limit. However, this discovery helps physicists get closer to understanding what is wrong with the so-called standard model. One way physicists know that it is not accurate at all is that they suggest that neutrinos have no mass at all.
In Grander Scales, learning more about neutrinos can help cosmologists fill in hazy pictures of the universe. This includes how galaxies gather and what will affect the expansion of the universe since the Big Bang.
“The new research is a great opportunity to learn more about the world,” said John Wilkerson, Chapel Hill, a physicist at the University of North Carolina and author of the new study. “And that’s what neutrinos may play a key role.”
Physicists know a few things about neutrinos. They are prolific across the universe and are actually created whenever atomic nuclei snap together or fall apart. However, they are notoriously difficult to detect because they do not carry charges.
There are three types of neutrinos, which physicists describe as flavors. And, strangely enough, they change from one flavor to another when they travel to space and time, a discovery recognized by the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015. The underlying mechanism that allowed these transformations meant that neutrinos had to have some mass.
But that’s the case. Neutrinos are dauntingly light, and physicists don’t know why.
Revealing the exact values of neutrino masses, Alexei Lokhov, a scientist at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, said that new physics could lead to “some kind of portal.” “At the moment, this is the biggest limitation in the world,” he said of the team’s measurements.
Dr. Rokhov and his colleagues conducted an experiment using Karlsrue tritium neutrinos or catrine to narrow down the neutrino mass. One end of the 230-foot-long device is a heavy version of hydrogen, a source of tritium and with two neutrons in its nucleus. Tritium is unstable and collapses into helium. A neutron is converted into a proton, and in the process the electrons are ejected. It also spits out antinutrinos, the antimatter twins of neutrinos. The two require the same mass.
The original tritium mass is divided into helium, electrons, and antioxidant spoilage products. Neutrinos and anti-anti-utrinos cannot be directly detected, but the sensor on the other side of the experiment recorded 36 million electrons over 259 days and was washed away by attenuated tritium. By measuring the energy of electron movement, they were able to indirectly infer the maximum possible mass for antinutorino.
They found that the value was less than 0.45 electron volts, one million times lighter than electrons, in the unit of mass used by particle physicists.
The upper limit of mass was measured only for one flavour of neutrinos. But Dr. Wilkerson said that nailing one chunk would allow you to calculate the rest.
Latest measurements reduce the potential mass of neutrinos Previous limit Set in 2022 by Katrin Collaboration under 0.8 Electronvolts. It’s also almost twice as accurate.
University of Washington physicist Elise Nowitzky praised the Catlin team for their careful efforts, although not involved in the job.
“It’s really the power of tours,” she said of her experiments and discoveries. “I’m totally confident in their outcome.”
The Catlin team is working on further boundaries of neutrino masses from 1,000 days of data and is expected to be collected by the end of the year. This allows physicists to measure even more electrons, leading to more accurate measurements.
Other experiments also contribute to a better understanding of neutrino mass. Project 8 Seattle and deep underground neutrino experiments spread across two physical facilities in the Midwest.
Astronomers studying the structure of the universe, thought to be influenced by the vast collection of universes, have a vast collection of neutrinos that are flooded into the universe, and have their own measurements of the maximum mass of particles. However, according to Dr. Wilkerson, the boundaries that astronomers stare at the void do not match what particle physicists calculate in their lab when scrutinizing the subatomic world.
“There’s something really funny going on,” he said. “And the possible solution to that would be physics beyond the standard model.”
For months, Nintendo, the maker of famous video game series like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, had expected the morning of April 2nd to be a celebration.
For many fanfares, the company has announced the price and release date for the Switch 2, a new video game console for eight years. At an event in New York City, Nintendo’s US President Doug Bowser took to the stage as fans cheered on the arrival of the new game to accompany the console. Mario Kurt, Donkey Kong, Kirby.
That same day, President Trump announced tariffs that piqued the global stock market and put the Mario Party at risk. The new switch took place in Vietnam, one of the countries on the tariff list.
Two days later, Nintendo said it could delay pre-orders for the Switch 2 and raise the price from $450. It was unclear how expensive it was. But on Wednesday, Trump said he has been slowing the expansion of tariffs in Vietnam and many other countries for 90 days. Nintendo has yet to say how delays will affect the price of the Switch 2.
Nintendo’s Whip Saw Experience shows the wider disruption Trump has caused for technology makers and the uncertainty of what the market will look like for consumer technology in the coming months.
In a statement before Trump delayed the expanded tariffs of countries other than China, Nintendo said it plans to release the Switch 2 in June, but did not set a date on whether to resume pre-orders or announce new prices.
Gamers had already taken thousands of people to social media sites like X and Reddit to complain. It is a common practice in the industry for gamers to blame the high costs of corporate greedy consoles and games, but instead they have denounced Trump.
Gamer and Philadelphia writer Jake Steinberg visited New York last week to perform a Switch demonstration.
“People were always saying this modest and they always said, ‘we’re going to keep politics out of the game,’ so the irony is extreme,” Steinberg said. “Well, I’m here.”
For years, Nintendo has been making game consoles in China. However, it moved most of its production to Vietnam during Trump’s first term in 2019, moving into tariffs and the threat of trade war between China and the United States.
These operations appeared to be nothing as Trump’s plans announced last week threatened heavily new tariffs on goods from Vietnam (46%), Japan (24%), Malaysia (24%) and Cambodia (49%).
However, due to the delay announced Wednesday, Nintendo may be one of the lucky ones. The majority of home appliances, including smartphones and other gaming consoles, are still made in China. And they are expected to be subject to a 145% tariff, which is larger than a few days ago. Like most countries, products made in Vietnam still suffer from 10% tariffs.
According to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, the delay will increase production and inventory over 90 days, and increase inventory in US inventory. However, for other tech companies like Apple that normally don’t start producing new iPhones until a few months before the release date, that may not be an option.
Nintendo has ended up playing a sensitive game where they decide how much they can raise prices without chasing away gamers who already feel $450 is steep enough, or ultimately, how much they can raise prices without retaining hope that they won’t be hit by the expanded tariffs.
For gaming companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, selling consoles is just one aspect of their business. If a customer chooses not to purchase a new console, they will not be able to purchase software for the game itself that sells at a higher margin than the hardware.
Pachter added that the cost of consumer tech products could rise all the way, but he added that prices for buzzy items people have been waiting for for years, like the Switch 2, the first console Nintendo released since 2017. He estimated that if the Trump administration proceeded with tariffs, the new costs for Switch 2 could increase by up to $100.
“No one is waiting for a TV to buy on June 5th, so you’re not sure if the TV prices will go up,” Patter said. “They will notice it gradually, but it’s different with the launch of such a product.”
In an interview with news media before Trump’s tariffs were announced, Nintendo’s Bowser said the expected costs of future tariffs were not taken into account at the console’s $450 price. However, analysts are primarily disputing the claim, referring to the $340 price for Switch 2, which is sold in Japan. (Nintendo spokesman said that Japanese models are limited to Japanese, so some are low cost reasons.)
Nintendo will likely wait for the dust to settle down in Trump’s tariff disruption before announcing new prices, said Doug Creutz, an analyst at investment firm Cowen. He added that there is still a possibility that Trump will withdraw from tariffs entirely.
“They don’t need to change prices again,” Krutz said. In the decision, he said he weighed the company: “Are we willing to make less profits in the US? Do you want to protect our profit margins?”
Nintendo has not delayed pre-orders for Switch 2 elsewhere in the world, where costs vary from region to region. $442 in the UK, $435 in Australia and $450 in Canada. Nintendo still does about 30% of its manufacturing industry in China, which it uses to supply non-US buyers, says David Gibson, an analyst at MST Financial.
In the short term, it helps offset some of the costs by the end of February, Nintendo had already shipped 746,000 units of Switch 2 to the US.
“It protects them in a quarter,” he added. “But then the price will be total duties.”
Nintendo is not just a high-tech company that places importance on the trade-off of increasing product prices. Similarly, Apple moved part of its manufacturing industry from China to Vietnam in 2019. Other console manufacturers, such as Sony and Microsoft, will face a similar dilemma when they manufacture their next console, scheduled to be released around 2027.
“We’re going to be attacked by all the big appliance companies, including Samsung, LG, Apple, major TV makers, gaming consoles,” Gibson said. “That’s everything.”
Apple is reportedly launching ferry iPhone cargo flights from its manufacturing plants in India to the US in order to counter Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Since March, the tech giant has transported 600 tonnes of iPhones, equivalent to 1.5 million mobile phones, from India after ramping up production at its local factories, as reported by Reuters.
Following President Trump’s call for a 90-day suspension and the pending 26% threatened tariffs on Indian imports, Apple faces the pressure of escalating tariffs on goods from China, where most iPhones are assembled, to a rate of 125%.
A source familiar with Apple’s strategy revealed to Reuters that the company’s objective is to evade tariffs. While India incurs import taxes based on Trump’s actions, it imposes a 10% tax rate.
Analysts caution that iPhone prices could soar after the US imposes hefty tariffs on Chinese imports, with estimates suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 256GB storage could see a price increase from $1,199 (£925) to over $2,000.
Reports indicate that Apple aimed for a 20% production boost at its iPhone facility in India, achieved by scaling up the workforce and extending operations at Foxconn’s largest factory in Chennai over the weekends.
The Chennai factory, which churned out 20 million iPhones last year, including the latest models, is part of Apple’s trio of manufacturing plants in India operated by Foxconn and Tata.
This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple planned a temporary surge in iPhone shipments from India to the US to navigate through a “short-term suspension,” while also trying to secure a tariff waiver in China. If all iPhones made in India are redirected to the US, they would meet about half of the US demand this year, according to US Bank analyst Wamsi Mohan.
Experts caution that relocating iPhone production to the US is financially impractical due to factors like labor costs, with analysts at Wedbush Securities indicating a price tag of $3,500 for a domestically manufactured iPhone.
In a note to investors this week, WedBush analyst Dan Ives stated, “If consumers want a $3,500 iPhone, they need to make them in New Jersey, Texas, or another state.”
Former President Sinn Fair Jerry Adams is contemplating legal action against Meta for potentially using his book to train artificial intelligence.
Adams claims that Meta, and other tech companies, have incorporated several books, including his own, into a collection of copyrighted materials for developing AI systems. He stated, “Meta has utilized many of my books without obtaining my consent. I have handed the matter over to lawyers.”
On Wednesday, Sinn Féin released a statement listing the titles that were included in the collection, which contained a variety of memoirs, cookbooks, and short stories, including Adams’ autobiography “Before the Dawn: Prison Memoirs, Cage 11; Reflections on the Peace Process, Hope, and History in Northern Ireland.”
Adams joins a group of authors who have filed court documents against Meta, accusing the company of approving the use of Library Genesis, a “shadow library” known as Libgen, to access over 7.5 million books.
The authors, which include well-known names such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jacqueline Woodson, Andrew Sean Greer, Junot Díaz, and Sarah Silverman, have alleged that Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, knew that Libgen contained pirated material.
Authors have identified numerous titles from Libgen that Meta may have used to train its AI system, Llama, according to a report by the Atlantic Magazine.
The Authors Association has expressed outrage over Meta’s actions, with Chair Vanessa Fox O’Laurin stating that Meta’s actions are detrimental to writers as it allows AI to replicate creative content without permission.
Novelist Richard Osman emphasized the importance of respecting copyright laws, stating that permission is required to use an author’s work.
In response to the allegations, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company respects intellectual property rights and believes that using information to train AI models is lawful.
Last year, Meta launched an open-source AI app called Llama, a large language model similar to other AI tools such as Open Ai’s ChatGpt and Google’s Gemini. Llama is trained on a vast dataset to mimic human language and computer coding.
Adams, a prolific author, has written a variety of genres and has been identified as one of the authors in the Libgen database. Other Northern Ireland authors listed in the database include Jan Carson, Lynne Graham, Deric Henderson, and Anna Burns as reported by BBC.
When it comes to tariffs increasing costs, the term “cheap” can provide a sense of relief for many. Google has recently launched its affordable smartphone shortly after Apple introduced a slightly cheaper iPhone.
This week, Google unveiled Pixel 9a, priced at $500, as a budget-friendly alternative to the $800 Pixel 9 flagship. It directly competes with the $600 iPhone 16E, which is the more affordable version of Apple’s $800 iPhone 16.
Both these new phones offer essential features that users prioritize, such as excellent cameras, quality screens, fast performance, updated software, and long-lasting battery life. To keep costs low, some advanced camera features have been omitted.
Is it smart to save money or invest in a more luxurious phone? To find out, I tested all four phones rigorously last week while lugging them around in a fanny pack.
Results show that, as expected, you get what you pay for. The $800 phone offers slightly better functionality and performance than the lower-priced model, while the $600 iPhone boasts a better camera compared to the $500 Pixel.
Interestingly, in some of my tests, the cheaper Pixel and iPhone models were almost indistinguishable from their pricier counterparts. In some aspects, the budget phones even outperformed, especially in terms of battery life.
The future of smartphone pricing remains uncertain, but an upward trend is likely. Following President Trump’s announcement of tariff suspension but an increase in tariffs on products from China, where many phones are manufactured, consumers may need to act fast and consider more affordable options.
While Apple has not confirmed any price adjustments for the iPhone, analysts predict potential increases due to tariffs, possibly raising the cost of the iPhone 16 Pro model to as high as $2,300. Google, on the other hand, has stated no changes for the $500 Pixel 9a price but did not comment on the pricing of the $800 Pixel 9.
The cheaper iPhone and Pixel models bear a striking resemblance to their pricier counterparts. Here’s a rundown of their key differences:
Phone Screen: Both have the same size which is 6.1 inches diagonal for iPhone 16E and 6.3 inches for Pixel 9a. The iPhone 16E screen appears slightly dimmer than the iPhone 16, but the variance is minimal.
Camera Features: Neither budget phone includes all the camera functions present in their pricier versions. The Pixel 9a has a smaller camera sensor than the Pixel 9, resulting in less light and detail. The iPhone 16E features a single camera lens, lacking the capability for certain special effects like “ultra-wide” photos.
Processing Power: Both budget phones are slightly less powerful than their higher-end counterparts. They share the same processor, but the Pixel 9a has less memory for multitasking, and the iPhone 16E has a slightly weaker graphics processing unit for handling graphic-intensive games.
Magsafe Feature: The iPhone 16E omits the Magsafe functionality available on the iPhone 16, which allows the attachment of accessories using magnets. Although wireless charging is still possible, it utilizes a slower standard called QI.
Artificial Intelligence: Both phones support AI capabilities. The iPhone 16E leverages Apple’s AI for tasks like text summarization and image generation, while the Pixel 9a utilizes Google’s AI for various applications. However, the AI software is still in development and may not be critical for most users.
Battery Life
For many new phone buyers, the extended battery life of the budget-friendly Pixel 9a and iPhone 16E stands out as a major advantage. These phones incorporate larger batteries due to the absence of certain features found in their pricier counterparts.
Both the iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A typically last a day and a half with regular usage like web browsing, photography, and video playback, surpassing the battery life of the higher-priced models that last only about a day.
Camera Test
One notable drawback of cheaper phones is evident in their camera performance.
During my camera tests, both the Pixel 9a and Pixel 9 captured clear and accurate photos in various lighting conditions, with the Pixel 9 suffering in challenging light situations where details were lost.
In more demanding lighting scenarios, such as shadows cast by trees with filtered sunlight, the Pixel 9a struggled to differentiate light and dark, resulting in overexposure. (The Pixel 9 handled this situation better.)
The camera performance of the iPhone 16E and iPhone 16 excelled during these tests, displaying consistent results with minimal variations.
Both iPhones surpassed the Pixel phones in video recording. Videos of Max, the Corgi, taken on an iPhone were smoother and clearer compared to the choppier footage captured on the Pixel Phone.
The primary limitation of budget iPhone cameras is the absence of certain features. For example, the iPhone 16E lacks a second lens, preventing the capture of wide-angle shots.
Speed
Higher-priced phones exhibited slightly better speed performance than budget phones.
According to GeekBench speed test results, the Pixel 9a is approximately 4% slower than the Pixel 9, while the iPhone 16E lags behind the iPhone 16 by 3%.
In everyday use, most users might not notice these speed differences. When I compared the phones side by side, launching various apps and games, the performance felt largely similar to me.
Implications for Users
Whether you opt for the iPhone 16E or Pixel 9a, you’ll likely be satisfied with a smartphone that offers long battery life and good camera capabilities. However, if premium features like detailed photography or Apple’s Magsafe charging are important to you, investing in a higher-end model remains a viable choice.
With potential price hikes on the horizon, considering your smartphone as a long-term investment like a car is advisable.
Congressional speeches have shifted to not based on evidence
volodymyr tverdokhlib/alamy
The language used by US Congress members in the debate has increasingly included words like “fake,” and “suspectful” for words like “proof,” and “reason.”
This linguistic trend, away from evidence in support of intuition, was revealed in an artificial intelligence analysis of millions of Congress speech transcripts. It also says it coincides with both the larger political polarization in Congress and the decline in the number of laws enacted through Congress. Stephen Lewandowski At the University of Bristol, UK.
“We can think of the truth as something that can be achieved based on an analysis of evidence, or we can think of it as the result of intuition or “gut sensation,” says Lewandowsky. “The concepts of integrity and truth are expressed in how we use everyday language.”
Adapting the ready-made AI language model, Lewandowsky and his colleagues analyzed the words used in the transcripts of eight million council speeches given between 1879 and 2022. They then calculated scores indicating whether a particular parliamentary speech was leaning towards evidence or intuition.
They found that since the 1970s, Congress has increasingly supported languages based on intuition rather than evidence-based languages. Before that, in the golden age of 1899-1901, and in the Great Repression of 1933-1935, intuitive language also skyrocketed.
“The findings fit the other impressions of anti-intellectualism, populism and rejection of science experts over the last decades.” John Jost At New York University.
The specific strength of the research is not only tracking frequency, but also assessing the context in which the words are displayed, he says Renata Nemet At the University of Eötvös Loránd, Hungary. “These models can capture deeper and often subtle connections between words, even reflecting cultural meanings and social relationships,” she says.
Second, Lewandowsky and his colleagues will look for similar language shifts for individual lawmakers in both Congress speeches and social media posts. They also seek to compare similar trends among other parliaments throughout history, including speeches from lawmakers from Italy and Germany.
The rapid adoption of AI technology globally is projected to consume a substantial amount of energy equivalent to Japan’s current energy consumption by the end of the decade. However, only half of this energy demand is expected to come from renewable sources.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) report suggests that the electricity consumed by processing data with AI in the United States alone will be significant by 2030. The overall electricity demand from data centers worldwide is anticipated to more than double by 2030, with AI being a key driver of this surge.
One data center currently consumes as much energy as 100,000 households, but newer ones under construction may require up to 20 times more. Despite these demands, fears that AI adoption will hinder efforts to combat climate change are deemed “exaggerated” in the report, which highlights the potential for AI to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Executive Director of IEA, Fatih Birol, emphasizes that AI presents a significant technological shift in the energy sector and underscores the importance of responsible use. AI has the potential to optimize energy grids for renewable sources and enhance efficiencies in energy systems and industrial processes.
Furthermore, AI can facilitate advancements in various sectors like transportation, urban planning, and resource exploration. Despite the energy challenges posed by AI, strategic government intervention is crucial to ensure a sustainable balance between technological growth and environmental preservation.
However, concerns persist regarding the potential negative impacts of AI, such as increased water consumption in arid regions and potential reliance on non-renewable energy sources. To address these challenges, transparent governance and proactive measures are essential to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating its adverse effects.
Portuguese paleontologists have discovered several specimens of the large Ankiroprolexian Iguanodon (late Jurassic epoch) that lived 150 million years ago.
A massive reconstruction of the Iguanodon dinosaur of Ankiropolo Lexia interacting with a late Jurassic boy in the late European period. Image credit: Vitor Carvalho.
New dinosaur fossils have been found in various regions of the Lusitania Basin in western Portugal.
One of the specimens labeled shn.jjs.015 is Ankiroporo Lexia, a mysterious group of herbivores Iguanodontian dinosaur. It lived from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous period in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
“That was a surprise,” said Dr. Filippo Maria Rotetri, a Geobiotech paleontologist, at the University of Nova de Lisboa and the Museum’s Da Rourinha.
“We believed that the diversity of this dinosaur group was already well documented in the late Jurassic of Portugal, but this discovery shows that there is still much to learn and that exciting discoveries could continue to emerge in the near future.”
“Unfortunately, due to the limited amount of recovered materials, it is not yet possible to assign a formal scientific name to this species.”
“It was heavyweight,” added Dissancia, professor Fernando Escaso, a paleontologist at Exaicon University.
“When we estimated its size and weight, we found that this new dinosaur is much bulkier than other Iguanodon species. Draconyx or eousdryosaurus, it is likely that they share ecosystems.”
Paleontologists also excavated a series of small, isolated bones in the same Lucitane basin.
These fossils may represent the same species of Ankiroprolexia Iguanodon dinosaur, just like shn.jjs.015.
“The explanation of shn.jjs.015 adds new members of Ankiroporolexia to the inadequately known Jurassic Iguanodonn fauna of Iberian land, and at least at the bottom of the Titonian (149-143 million years ago), three medium-sized European countries (143 million years ago), from Europe, three medium-sized ankiropound Europe. The researchers said.
Furthermore, it supports the interpretation of Iguanodon diversification early discovered by Europe in the late Jurassic, and demonstrates the fundamental role of Iberian land in achieving a better understanding of biogeographic patterns. ”
Survey results It will be displayed in Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
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Filippo Maria Rotatori et al. 2025. Evidence of a large Ankiropolar Lexian dinosaur (Ornithischia: Iguanodontia) in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23(1): 2470789; doi: 10.1080/14772019.2025.2470789
The UK startup, valued at $20 billion (£1.6 billion), is utilizing artificial intelligence to create lifelike avatars. They have recently partnered with Shutterstock, a stock footage company, to enhance their technology.
Synthesia is paying Shutterstock undisclosed amounts to access their video library for training their AI models. By incorporating these clips into their models, Synthesia aims to improve the realism, vocal tones, and body language of their avatars.
Synthesia has licensed the actors’ portraits for a three-year period and compensates them for up to six hours of filming work. Illustration: Synthesia.io
In a statement, Synthesia expressed their goal of enhancing the realism and expressiveness of AI-generated avatars through this partnership with Shutterstock. They aim to bring these avatars closer to human-like performance standards.
The collaboration has sparked discussions around the use of copyrighted material by AI companies without proper permission. The UK government’s proposal to relax copyright laws has faced criticism from creative industry experts.
Synthesia creates digital avatars using human actors, which are then utilized by various companies including clients like Lloyd’s Bank and British Gas. Their technology is also employed by organizations like the NHS, the European Commission, and the United Nations for different purposes.
Recently, Synthesia announced that they would provide stock options to the actors featured in their popular avatars. The company licenses the actors’ portraits for three years and compensates them for filming work.
Synthesia prohibits the use of stock avatars for political or news-related purposes. Illustration: Synthesia.io
Synthesia does not allow the use of stock avatars for political or news-related purposes. Instead, they utilize Shutterstock footage to enhance their models’ understanding of body language and workplace settings. This helps in creating more realistic scenarios for the avatars.
Established in 2017 by two Danish entrepreneurs and two academics, Synthesia, based in London, reached a valuation of $2.1 billion this year through a funding round that raised $180 million.
Beeban Kidron, a vocal critic of the government’s copyright policies, highlighted the significance of the Shutterstock agreement as an indication of the government’s flawed stance on copyright issues.
The government argues that current copyright regulations need to evolve to support the full potential of AI and technology in the creative industry, media, and technology sectors.
Over the past five years, a significant portion (almost a third) of maternal deaths in the United States were reported within six weeks after birth, according to a study published on Jama Network Open. This study was one of the first to track maternal health complications during pregnancy and the postpartum years.
Pregnancy-related mortality rates in the US increased by almost 28% between 2018 and 2022, but researchers noted a slight decline since 2021, which was at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Rose L. Morina, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of the study, emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on maternal health due to these findings.
Women need access to high-quality care from conception through the first year after giving birth, according to Dr. Rose L. Morina. The study, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Reproductive Health Department, highlighted the risk of maternal deaths occurring within six weeks to one year postpartum.
The study also revealed significant disparities in maternal mortality rates among different racial and ethnic groups, with Native American and Alaska Native women having higher mortality rates compared to white women.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that all women receive postnatal care within the first three weeks after giving birth and continue to receive ongoing care as needed.
Dr. Tamika Auguste, chair of Women and Infant Services at Medstar Washington Hospital Center, stressed the importance of timely postnatal care, especially for women with hypertension.
Mortality rates related to pregnancy have more than tripled across different states, with the southeastern states having higher mortality rates compared to states like California and Minnesota.
Cardiovascular disease was identified as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, particularly among women aged 25-39, highlighting the importance of monitoring and managing cardiovascular health during and after pregnancy.
The Trump administration has slashed funding and staff for a program overseeing the primary federal report on the impacts of global warming on the country, leading to concerns among scientists about the future of assessments.
Congress mandates the National Climate Assessment every four years, examining the effects of rising temperatures on various sectors of the US economy. The most recent report was published in 2023 and is being utilized by state and city governments and private companies to prepare for climate change.
The Global Change Research Program, established by Congress in 1990 and supported by NASA, coordinates efforts among 14 federal agencies, the Smithsonian agency, and external scientists to produce these reports.
NASA recently issued stopwork orders for consulting firms ICF International, which provided crucial technical support and staff for the Global Change Research Program. The cancellation of this support has raised uncertainty about the future of the assessment.
Scientists are unsure how the assessment can proceed without ICF’s support, as they have played a significant role in previous assessments.
In response, NASA is working to rationalize contracts and improve efficiency in supporting Congress-mandated programs. The cancellation of the ICF contract was first reported by Politico.
The next national climate assessment, scheduled for 2027 or 2028, may face challenges following these developments, with many climate scientists already expressing concerns about its future.
During Trump’s first term, the administration attempted to undermine the nation’s climate assessment, releasing the 2018 report on the day after Thanksgiving to minimize its impact.
Climate assessments involve scientists nationwide who volunteer to write reports, which then undergo reviews by federal agencies. The delay in the review process for the upcoming assessment has raised concerns among scientists.
Federal involvement in the assessment adds significant value, according to experts, as it ensures a comprehensive review by all federal agencies and the public.
The National Climate Assessment is crucial for understanding how climate change impacts everyday life in the United States, bringing the global issue closer to home.
Climate scientists emphasize the importance of the assessment in highlighting the effects of climate change on various aspects of daily life.
Apple’s MacBook Air, a beloved consumer laptop, has received a significant power boost for 2025, along with a better webcam and unexpected price cuts, making it even more appealing.
The thinnest laptops from the company now start at £999 (€1,199/$999/$1,699), which is £100 less than last year’s model. With Apple’s top M4 chips and a minimum of 16GB of memory, even the cheapest model is significantly more powerful.
Externally, there haven’t been many changes apart from a new light blue color replacing the long-standing “space grey” since 2022. The aluminum body remains well-crafted, thin, and lightweight. The keyboard is excellent, the power button touch ID fingerprint reader is fast, and the trackpad is generous and perfect for everyday use.
The 13.6-inch LCD screen, while limited to 60Hz, is crisp and of good quality. This year’s new features include upgraded webcams supporting 12 megapixels and featuring Apple Center Stage Technology with automatic panning and scanning. Desk view M4 MacBook Pro, to display things remotely.
The center stage camera at the top of the screen is a major upgrade for those who spend time on video calls. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Two significant internal changes have been made. The new M4 chip essentially makes the MacBook Air as fast as the MacBook Pro. In tests, it performs slightly slower than the PRO and faster than the iPad Pro with an M4 chip, despite not having fans to keep it cool for extended periods. The air can handle external workstation-class workloads without any issues. Note: The cheapest models have two fewer graphics cores, making them slightly more powerful in certain apps and games.
All MacBook Air models now come with at least 16GB of memory, the minimum recommended amount for modern laptops. Previous models started with only 8GB of memory and cost significantly more starting from £200.
In addition to the powerful performance, the main selling point of the air – a long battery life – remains. For typical light workloads involving browsing, note-taking, word processing, image editing, chatting, and emailing, the air lasts over 16 hours between charges. Even with slightly more demanding tasks like development and photo editing, the air offers over 10 hours of battery life.
Full charge using a power adapter of 70W or more and the included Magsafe cable took about 105 minutes, reaching 50% in 28 minutes. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
specification
screen: 13.6in LCD (2560×1600; 224 PPI) True tone
Processor: Apple M4 with 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU
Ram: 16, 24, or 32GB
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB SSD
operating system: MacOS 15 SECOIA
camera: 12MP Center Stage
Connectivity: Wifi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, 2x Thunderbolt/USB 4, Headphones
size: 215 x 304.1 x 11.3mm
Weight: 1.24kg
Sustainability
The recycled aluminum lid on the Sky Blue MacBook Air looks grey on some lights and blue on others. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The MacBook Air is made from 55% recycled materials such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, plastic, rare earth elements, steel, tin, and more. Apple provides detailed reports on the environmental impact of the laptop.
The computer is Generally repairableand the battery can be replaced by Apple for £159. The machine received a repairability score of 5 out of 10 from the repair specialists at aquixit. Apple also offers trade-in and free recycling programs for non-Apple products.
MacOS Secoia 15.4
MacOS continues to be one of the best operating systems for laptops, with many customization options and a very useful new window tile tool. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The MacBook Air runs the same MacOS Sequoia software as the rest of the Mac lineup and has been recently updated to version 15.4.
The Mac Mail app now resembles an iPhone app with AI email classifications such as promotional emails, receipts, and more. The AI notification overview and iPhone mirroring features are useful for users with an Apple smartphone. The new snap and window tile tool is very convenient and allows for quick window placement using either the mouse or keyboard shortcuts, eliminating the need for third-party tools.
Price
The Apple 13-inch MacBook Air starts at £999 (€1,199/$999/$1,699) with an 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The 15-inch version starts at £1,199 (€1,499/$1,199/$2,099).
For comparison, the M4 MacBook Pro starts at £1,599, while the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge is priced at £1,399, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 starts at. £1,049.
Verdict
The MacBook Air is a top-notch consumer laptop that stands out unless you specifically require Windows. It offers a superior combination of performance, battery life, speakers, keyboards, and trackpads compared to its competitors.
The M4 chip upgrade, with a fanless design, keeps it ahead of the competition, always running silently. The new centrestage webcam is also a major improvement for users who rely heavily on video calls for work. While the screen is still great, it may be an area where competitors offer better displays at a higher cost. The device has only two USB-C ports, but they can be utilised for connections via the Magsafe port.
With a minimum of 16GB of memory and price reductions of around £1,000 on the 13-inch model, the MacBook Air is highly appealing.
Strong Points: Ultra-fast M4 chip, silent and cool running, extremely long battery life, good 13.6 inch screen, great keyboard, best-in-class trackpad, magsafe, good speakers, center stage webcam, touch ID.
Cons: Two USB-C ports and no USB-A or SD card slots, Face ID, RAM and SSD upgrades are expensive and cannot be changed after purchase. There is no WiFi 7.
The Touch ID Power button is perfect for storing up to three fingerprints and logging in to your laptop. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
During a rare sit-in interview with CBS News, National Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended getting a measles vaccine and stated that he was “unfamiliar” with reducing state and local public health programs.
The conversation took place after a visit to West Texas, where he attended the funeral of an eight-year-old girl who succumbed to measles. An intense outbreak in the area has resulted in over 500 illnesses and the deaths of two young children.
In a clip from the interview released on Wednesday, Kennedy emphasized the importance of the measles vaccine. He stated, “People should receive the measles vaccine, but the government shouldn’t mandate it.”
However, he also expressed concerns about the safety of the vaccine, as he has done previously.
Kennedy has been heavily criticized for his handling of the West Texas outbreak by health professionals who believe that lack of full support for vaccinations is hindering efforts to control the virus.
Additionally, he has promoted unproven treatments for measles like cod liver oil. Physicians in Texas have linked its use to signs of liver toxicity in some children admitted to local hospitals.
Throughout the outbreak, Kennedy has often combined his support for vaccines with discussions about safety concerns and an alternative “miraculous” treatment.
Recently, he took to social media to declare that measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are the “most effective way” to prevent the spread of measles. This statement has relieved infectious disease experts but angered vaccine opponents.
That evening, he posted again, this time praising “two extraordinary healers” who claim to have successfully treated around 300 children with measles using antibiotics.
Scientists argue that there is no cure for measles and promoting alternative treatments undermines the importance of vaccination.
In a CBS interview, Kennedy was questioned about the recent suspension of over $12 billion in federal grants to state programs addressing infectious diseases, mental health, and childhood vaccinations.
(The cuts were temporarily blocked after a lawsuit was filed by a state coalition against the Trump administration.)
Kennedy claimed to be unaware of the suspension and suggested it was primarily aimed at cutting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs targeted by the administration.
Dr. Jonathan Lapook, a medical correspondent for CBS, inquired about specific research cuts at universities, including a $750,000 grant for diabetes research in adolescents at the University of Michigan.
Kennedy responded, “I was not aware of that, and that’s what we’re seeing. There were many research projects that caught our attention and did not deserve to be cut, and we are reinstating them.”
The sun smashed through the sandstone arches of window rocks in northeastern Arizona, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of Blue Jeans finally became his element: Hiking.
It was his final day of his multi-state Make American Healthy Tour. It is designed to highlight various aspects of Kennedy’s plan to combat chronic illness, including healthy school lunches and clinics, which take a holistic approach to patient care.
Currently, the Health Secretary is on a walk with the Navajo president, representatives of the National Council and representative director of Indian Health Services, discussing the challenges of providing quality health care to tribal groups. Here, weaving in the desert brush, Mr. Kennedy seemed to be striking his journey.
Kennedy had left Washington on questions about the handling of measles outbreaks in western Texas and the firing of thousands of Department of Health and Human Services employees. On his way out west, he had to stop by Texas on Sunday to attend the funeral of an 8-year-old who had not been vaccinated.
And at the start of the tour the following day, Kennedy looked stoic as he was led by Salt Lake City Health Center, focusing on nutritious diets. He declined a bag of fresh groceries, citing upcoming flights. In “Training Kitchen,” he dropped ice cubes, dribbled mango lassi, and stood faceless as the medical students reached to activate the secretary’s food processor without a lid. (The administrator stopped her just in time.)
“That would have been a bad thing,” the student said. I glanced at the secretary’s white shirt and pressed my suit. Finally, Kennedy broke a smile.
By Tuesday, Kennedy had loosened, wearing a stegosaurus tie at a health center near Phoenix and shaking hands with a Navajo toddler. The Health Secretary thrusts his head into the food distribution centre’s refrigerator, looks up the food label and nods “very impressive.”
There was one minor fake PA at a tribal conference of 1,300 people who tried to show off their knowledge of dress for Wampanoag, who lives in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyards in Massachusetts. (“My home tribe,” he said.) When he spoke from the glittering casino stage, he pointed out the tribe’s chairman’s traditional Shellbead earrings and necklaces, and announced, “If you want to know what Wampum originally looked like, she’s a museum piece!” (She was breathless.)
At a press conference on the school lunch assembly at the Arizona State Capitol, Kennedy was adjacent to dozens of school children. There was a loud applause, “I’m off to Bobby!” a chant from behind. By then he was shining.
On the hiking trail Wednesday morning, Kennedy got a glimpse of the persona he once exhibited on the presidential trail. From heroin addiction By throwing yourself into a new extreme.
He first scrambled towards the top of the window rock formation, a balanced silhouette of 1,000 feet of the valley floor.
When it comes to his own battle with chronic illness, Kennedy relies on natural diet, intermittent fasting, and morning routines such as 12-step meetings, gym time, and meditation. However, since arriving in Washington, he had to give up his favorite daily ritual. It’s a 3-mile hike with your dog.
On the trek, authorities discussed initiatives like the Navajo long-standing 2% tax on junk food, which was adopted as part of a law passed in 2014. They also spoke about the Navajo Agricultural Industry, a tribal program that sells corn, beans and other products under the “Navajo Pride” brand to support the community.
To close the tour in the southwest, Kennedy visited the Hózhó Academy in Gallup, New Mexico, a K-12 school that hosts family-friendly gardening and cooking events and uses the curriculum to help students plan their own health goals.
Epidemiologists say there are factors that promote the rate of promotion of chronic disease, such as genetics, altered gut microbiota, and the fact that Americans generally live longer and therefore face new conditions with age.
Kennedy says there is a tendency to deemphasize these factors, and these experts say they have instead focused on childhood vaccine schedules, psychiatric medications and other variables. But here on the tour, Kennedy maintained most of his personal health attention as an important way to deal with the crisis.
The enthusiasm of the secretary taking on a large food company seems to match more with the traditional political left than the right. As he called it, the fight against artificial food dyes called “poison” is an echo of existing California law, and his school visits are reminiscent of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! A campaign to take on obesity in children.
For some, Kennedy’s advocacy of healthy food laws comes at a paradoxical moment. This is because last week the Food and Drug Administration’s extensive layoffs included lab scientists who tested contaminant foods. The administration also eliminated major food safety commissions and cut funding for state-based food inspectors.
And Kennedy promoted chronic disease prevention, which eliminated important efforts like the 29-year-old research initiative, the Diabetes Prevention Program. On his descent from the hike, a representative from the Navajo Council of States, struggling to get his diabetes medication, intercepted the secretary, unzipped his jacket and revealed the t-shirt with handwritten phrases. (IHS stands for Federal India Health Services.)
“A subtle message,” she said.
Kennedy promised her that he would talk to his team and see what he could do. She tied her arms to Kennedy, who was worried about maintaining Kennedy’s balance, and put it all the way down.
Lightweight based computer chip made by Pace, LightElligence
Light Ergens
Computers that use light rather than data to represent and manipulate data can reduce data center power requirements and at the same time speed up calculations. Two studies published today describe breakthroughs in performing real problems on light-based computers, creating techniques that are on the verge of commercial applications, the researchers say.
Electronic computers have historically followed Moore’s law, as we all use today. The power of the machine doubled every two years. However, in recent years, progress has slowed down as transistor miniaturization reaches its fundamental physical limits.
Researchers are working on many potential solutions, including quantum and photonic computing. However, Quantum Computing still struggles to achieve true utility, but Photonic Computing has reached the point where chip designs like those set in two new research are performing authentic calculations. In addition, these photonic chips can be manufactured using the same factory that manufactures silicon chips for electronic computers.
Photonic computers offer greater potential benefits than electronic computers. One is that photons travel faster than electrons do in the circuit, allowing for faster calculations and less pauses between each step of the calculation. Second, photons move without resistance and are rarely absorbed by the material on which the chip is made, allowing the same job to be performed using less energy than an electric computer that requires energy-intensive cooling.
In its research, Lightelligence, a Singapore-based company, shows that a device called a Photonic Arithmetic Computing Engine (PACE), which combines photonic and microelectronic chips, can successfully execute ISING problems that apply directly to the logistics industry and many other areas.
Meanwhile, US startup LightMatter claims that its own chip can run AI model BERT to create text in Shakespeare’s style. New Scientist Could not reach Lightmatter due to comments.
Bo Peng At LightElligence, the sector is increasingly busy with start-ups and technology is rapidly maturing. “We’re more or less pre-production,” says Peng. “It’s more like a real product than just a lab demonstration.”
Just as the world of quantum computers is trying to demonstrate the benefits of quantum, quantum machines are the point where classical computers can provide useful things. He won’t draw when this will happen, but says that this technology is closer to being ready for commercial applications – perhaps it works as a photonic chip that works with the electric chip, rather than completely replacing them to handle the specific tasks that it can provide boost.
Needless to say, hardware based on the research and Lightelligence PCI Express format. This is a standard motherboard add-on format for desktop computers that allow you to add graphics cards and other devices. Company devices can already be added to any commercial desktop, but require the appropriate software to communicate.
Robert Hadfield At the University of Glasgow in the UK, two studies show that “it’s a kind of boiling area.” “This is close to the point where the industry may consider photonic processors a viable alternative,” he says. “It’s really interesting to see how mature this architecture has become. These are photonic chips manufactured in one of the world’s leading foundries, so they can be expanded for mass production.”
Stephen SweeneyThe University of Glasgow also says that they have already seen optical data transmissions roll out around the world, with optical optical computing approaching too. “With Photonics, you can do things at a lower loss than electronics can,” says Sweeney. “And if you need to be able to do a huge amount of calculations, you need to start looking at it.”
What health professionals see when overseeing IVF procedures via live streams
Possible life sciences
A highly automated form of in vitro fertilization (IVF) leads to successful births and we hope that this approach can reduce the risk of artificial errors during such procedures.
One method of IVF is intratesticular sperm injection (ICSI). Here, sperm is injected into the egg into the lab dish. This is commonly used in cases of male infertility, as the sperm does not need to work to reach the egg. The resulting embryo is then inserted into the uterus. IVF can also be done by mixing sperm and eggs into a lab dish in the hopes of fertilization being performed, which is generally less successful, but requires fewer medical interventions.
ICSI also suffer from drawbacks as it relies on high levels of accuracy and judgment from healthcare professionals. “Like everyone else in most professions, they are sometimes tired and distracted. [the] “Fertilization and the possibility of birth.” Jack Cohen With the Life Sciences, a biotech company in New York City.
To address this, Cohen and his colleagues developed a machine that can perform the 23 important steps required for ICSI. Each is started by a person by pressing a button when watching the live stream of the process. This can also be done from another part of the world.
In one step, the machine uses an AI model to select the healthiest sperm cells for fertilization based on appearance. In other cases, the machine will fix sperm by laying its tail with a laser to make it easier to pick up. The sperm is later injected into the already collected eggs. A similar approach has been tested previously, As a result, two births are bornhowever, some steps were not performed by the machine.
To test the machine, researchers recruited couples struggling to get pregnant because the man had sperm that he couldn’t swim properly. Women also had problems with egg production, so donors’ items were used in the procedure.
The researchers randomly allocated five of the eight donor eggs to be fertilized by an automated system that generated the four embryos. The remaining three eggs were fertilized using a standard manual ICSI approach. All of these formed embryos.
We then used another AI model to select two best embryos based on the appearance of the chromosomes. Both of these were generated using automated systems, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this approach leads to healthier embryos than manual ICSI, Cohen says. This cannot be measured because there are fewer eggs involved, he says.
When the team inserts one of the embryos into the female uterus, it fails to develop, but the second successfully birth.
It’s an exciting proof of concept, I say Joyce Harper University College London. However, large-scale studies that randomly assign couples to be randomly assigned to perform either automated or manual LCSI procedures should establish whether the former approach leads to increased fertility rates, she says.
Harper said automated IVFs are unlikely to be widely used, as they are at an additional cost, at least if they were first deployed. But Cohen hopes this will improve over time. “We expect patients and clinics to decline as we optimize, standardize and refine our systems,” he says.
The United Launch Alliance plans to send 27 Kuiper satellites into low Earth orbit as Amazon begins full-scale deployment of its satellite internet network
Amazon
Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite internet division, plans to launch 27 satellites into orbit today. We dig into the situation.
What is Kuiper?
In short, Kuiper is a network of thousands of satellites with beams of internet traffic around the world. This allows people in remote areas to access the internet without the need for local infrastructure.
This idea is exactly the same as Starlink, a SpaceX-owned company that already offers such services under Elon Musk’s leadership. Project Kuiper is a subsidiary of Amazon, founded in 2019 and owned by another billionaire, Jeff Bezos.
The satellite is carried into orbit by the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Amazon says it will be the heaviest payload ever released in this craft.
United Launch Alliance plans to live stream flights on that websitestarts 20 minutes before startup.
Is this the first release of Kuiper?
Kuiper put two prototype satellites into orbit in October 2023, which is the first release of the final version, and the company has said it is a “significant upgrade.”
It has better solar panels, propulsion systems and communications equipment, but astronomers appreciate it being a dielectric mirror film coating designed to scatter reflected sunlight. Other companies have launched reflective satellites that have serious impact on imaging. Astronomers say it is “truly an existential issue of astronomy.”
Who’s ahead, Starlink or Kuiper?
starlink. In a pretty good way.
Kuiper has been granted permission from the US Federal Communications Commission to operate 3,236 satellites, and will only start renting internet connections to users after the 578 satellites are launched, the company says.
So, if the launch today is successful, the company still has 551 satellites to send into space before generating revenue.
The company says it has secured more than 80 launches at various companies to deploy additional satellites. Ironically, some launches are handled by SpaceX.
Certainly there are many reasons to compensate. Starlink’s lead is big and has the obvious advantage of being owned by a rocket launcher.
Although it is not owned by Amazon, Bezos now has Space Company Blue Origin at your disposal. It helps to fill the gap.
In other areas, Amazon may have advantages. Already there are hundreds of millions of users who shop and stream regularly on the site and may try to add satellite internet through various transactions and seductions.
Plus, there is a market as hundreds of millions of people around the world lack reliable internet connections. Only time can tell if it’s big enough to maintain two major competing satellite operators, let alone small players like partially UK-owned OneWeb.
Some companies are also working on unfiltered solar aircraft that can loiter in high atmospheres for months at a time, potentially reducing satellites at cost.
However, one thing is clear. It certainly is a boon for consumers to bring their competitors to the market.
Openai requested a federal court on Wednesday to prohibit Elon Musk from unfairly attacking them through a lawsuit he filed last year.
In a filing in federal court in San Francisco, Openai stated that Musk “initiated his project to defeat Openai.” The company insisted that the tech billionaire cease all actions against Openai and is seeking damages caused by Musk.
This filing highlighted the ongoing conflict between Musk, the founder of Openai, and the company regarding the direction of advancing technology. Last year, Musk sued Openai and its founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, accusing them of prioritizing commercial interests over public interest in technology.
Openai stated: “Elon continues to engage in bad faith tactics to hinder Openai’s progress for his own benefit. These actions are anti-competitive and contradict our mission.”
Musk and his legal representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(The New York Times filed a lawsuit against Openai and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement related to AI Systems. Openai and Microsoft denied these allegations.)
Musk played a role in founding Openai as a nonprofit organization in late 2015, alongside Altman and others. However, disputes over control of the company hindered AI progress, leading Musk to exit the organization. Openai has since launched ChatGpt and become a prominent AI player with millions of users. Altman secured significant funding for Openai to develop AI technology.
Last year, Openai began transitioning from a nonprofit entity to a company owned by investors. Shortly after, Musk sued Altman and Brockman, alleging violations of the company’s incorporation agreement by prioritizing commercial gains over public interest.
This year, Musk and investors proposed acquiring assets of the managing nonprofit for over $97 billion, which Openai’s board rejected.
In a recent filing, Openai criticized Musk’s bid as “deceptive” and misrepresenting the company’s intentions to change its structure.
“Musk is making false claims that Openai plans to convert from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity,” the filing stated.
Openai clarified that they are considering restructuring as a public benefit corporation (PBC), aiming to serve public and social interests as a for-profit organization.
In another development, a coalition of nonprofit, labor, and charity leaders submitted a petition urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate Openai’s efforts to convert into a public benefits corporation. The petition can be viewed here.
The billionaire battle in space between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk has entered a new arena, the satellite internet.
Started as an online bookstore 30 years ago, Amazon is Merchandising Behemoth, the owner of the James Bond franchise, and is a seller of electronic gadgets like the echo smart speaker and one of the most powerful providers of cloud computing.
So it’s not surprising that Amazon is launching the first few of the thousands of satellites known as Project Kuiper, offering another option to keep them connected in the modern world. The marketplace that brings high-speed internet from orbit to the ground is now dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rocket Company, which operates similar services. Starlink has thousands of satellites in orbit and has more launches almost every week, and Starlink already serves millions of customers around the world.
When will it be released and how can I see it?
The first 27 projects Kuiper Satellites are scheduled to lift from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7pm Eastern time on Wednesday.
They fly on Atlas V, a rocket created by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. ULA plans to do it Provides live coverage From 6:35pm
The forecast only predicts 20% of the chances that winds and showers from coastal storms are likely to cause potential problems. However, there is a two-hour window where the load of propellant on the rocket begins and the launch may occur.
The spacecraft deploys the Kuiper satellite in a circular orbit 280 miles above the surface. The satellite’s propulsion system gradually raises its orbit to an altitude of 393 miles.
What is Project Kuiper?
Project Kuiper is the constellations of Internet satellites aimed at providing high-speed data connections to almost every point on Earth. To make this a success, you’ll need thousands of satellites. Amazon’s goal is to operate more than 3,200 over the next few years.
The company competes with SpaceX’s StarLink, which was originally sold primarily to residential customers.
Kuiper aims to make its market, especially remote locations, but will also be integrated with Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing product popular with large companies and governments around the world. This could make it more attractive for businesses with satellite images and weather forecasts that need to perform data calculations, as well as moving large amounts of data throughout the Internet.
Ground stations connect Kuiper satellites to the web service infrastructure in a way that allows businesses to communicate with their own remote devices. For example, Amazon suggests that energy companies can use Kuiper to monitor and control remote wind farms and offshore drilling platforms.
In October 2023, two prototype Kuiper satellites were launched and the technology was tested. Amazon said the test was successful. These prototypes were not intended to be useful in operational constellations, and after seven months they returned to a burnt-out atmosphere. company I said Since then, we have updated the design of “subsystems on all systems and subsystems.”
“There’s a huge difference between launching two satellites and launching 3,000 satellites,” said Rajeev Badyal, Amazon executive who works for Kuiper, in a promotional video before its launch.
When does Amazon offer internet services from the space?
Amazon told the Federal Communications Commission in 2020 that the service would start after deploying the first 578 satellites. The company says it expects customers to connect to the internet later this year.
A fully functional constellations require thousands of satellites, but the company is able to serve in certain regions with far fewer orbits before expanding into later, more global coverage.
The approval of the FCC constellations required that at least half of the satellites be deployed by July 30, 2026. Industry analysts say if they show significant progress by then, the company can get an extension.
Putting a satellite into orbit also depends on the launch of the rocket that occurs on a schedule. This can be a problem if sufficient rockets are not available. Amazon also needs to build hundreds of ground stations to relay signals to users.
The tariffs implemented in the US overnight on Wednesday are expected to raise the prices of new smartphones. However, opting to repair an old or damaged device to save money may not necessarily result in a lower bill.
“Unfortunately, I anticipate having to increase my prices for parts,” explained Elizabeth Chamberlain, sustainability director at IFIXIT, a device repair company. “While we are actively seeking domestically-sourced parts, even with higher prices, repairs are still more cost-effective than purchasing new devices.”
Donald Trump’s tariffs could impact smartphone repair costs due to the global supply chain for device components. Many parts for popular Apple and Samsung mobile phones are manufactured outside the US. iPhones are primarily made in China, and companies exporting to the US face over 100% customs duties. India, where Apple and Google also have production facilities, is subject to a 26% tariff. Samsung’s supply chain is mainly in South Korea and could see a 25% tariff if agreements are not reached with the Trump administration.
The tariffs could drive up the demand for phone repairs as individual parts remain more affordable than buying new devices, even with higher prices. Customs duties could add nearly $300 to the price of the latest iPhone.
“It’s too early to determine if the tariff news is leading to increased repair demand, but it makes more sense than ever to repair what we have,” Chamberlain noted. “I believe tariffs could also stimulate demand for renovations and local parts sourcing in the repair industry.”
Increase in Parts Prices
Both large and small repair shops are bracing for higher prices for imported parts. A Brooklyn shop manager, who preferred not to be named, revealed that a national repair chain location is anticipating a 20% price hike for many necessary repair parts.
Dan Fernando, owner of Tecquecia, an independent repair shop in Philadelphia, has already seen fluctuations in prices for components like specific hard drives used for computer repairs. Fernando sources parts from a supplier called MobilesEntrix, which imports parts to the US.
“For phone screen replacements, we charge a $50 flat fee plus the screen cost,” Fernando explained. “Customers may now expect to pay between $80 and $90 for a screen replacement, with the new tariffs potentially resulting in a 50% increase.”
Fernando is also exploring cheaper repair options, stating, “Some people buy parts from eBay or Amazon which I don’t use due to quality concerns.”
With the rising costs of new devices and repairs, the second-hand device market, such as Swappa, offers a viable alternative for consumers. Swappa’s top-selling devices currently include the iPhone 13 and 14, according to Ben Edwards, the site’s founder.
“If tariffs persist and drive up new device prices further, I believe many buyers will turn to Swappa and similar platforms,” Edwards predicted. “The latest generation may not offer enough technical advantages to justify the increased costs.”
However, the prices of refurbished devices on Swappa could also rise as sellers adjust to the higher costs of new devices. Edwards explained that market dynamics determine prices on Swappa, with individual sellers setting their own prices.
“Ultimately, demand dictates prices,” Edwards highlighted. “In the Swappa marketplace, sellers have the freedom to set prices based on supply and demand.”
For consumers in the market for second-hand devices, Edwards advised, “Don’t wait.”
Waterproof, plant-based materials that break down quickly in the ocean may provide a sustainable alternative to the plastic used in cups and straws.
Transparent paperboard is a molecule that makes up the plant cell wall, like cellophane made from cellulose. Because it is a coagulant chemical used in the production of cellophane, it has previously been impossible to make it harder and limit it to applications such as food packaging.
Noriyuki Isobe At Yokohama and his colleague, Marine Geoscience and Technology Agency, they discovered that cellulose was treated with a solution of lithium bromide, and did not require coagulants.
“We’ve now developed a regenerated cellulose material from this solvent system. This solvent system not only shapes it, but also can serve as a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics,” says Isobe.
Researchers found that cups made of clear paperboard can just hold boiled water without leaking for more than three hours. Adding a coating made from plant-derived fatty acid salts made the cup completely waterproof.
This material can be made from both recycled and upcycled cellulose products such as recovered clothing. Isobe and his colleagues also tested how the material breaks in the ocean, finding that it completely deteriorated in 300 days in the deep sea and deteriorated faster at shallower depths.
Bhavna Middha While Royal Melbourne, Australia says that having a paper-based alternative to plastic is “not a bad thing,” there are some reservations on this approach to tackling the issue of waste.
“I think there should be objections to using single use unless, for example, the medical industry, the use of a single use is really necessary,” she says.
Xavier Le Pichon, a French geophysicist who revolutionized the way in which a pioneering model of the Earth’s tectonic plates was able to understand the movement of the Earth’s crust, and died on March 22 at his sister’s home in southern France. He was 87 years old.
His death was announced in a statement from Collegie de France, France’s premier educational institution. There, Dr. Le Picon was Professor Emeritus and Chairman of Geodynamics.
Dr. Le Picheon, who internized in Japanese concentration camps as a child, continued to build a second career as a deep sea explorer, working with Mother Teresa of India for a while. However, it was in the field of geodynamics that he made his biggest contribution. Use a computer to create a model of the Earth plate.
His formulation has six such plates, as he said when he won in 2002, “for what is essential to the structural symptoms of the Earth’s surface.” Balzan PrizeAwarded in science fields not covered by Nobel.
Plate tectonics with Earth’s surface studies is a “framework” for understanding earthquakes, volcanoes, and the Earth’s long-term “climate stability.” David BelkovichYale geophysicist. He added that Dr. Le Picon was one of the architects of the framework.
Professor Bercovici emailed him “one of the giants of the plate structure revolution, especially when practicing its mathematical theory.”
His work was built on the theory of plate tectonics developed by Princeton scientist W. Jason Morgan in 1967. “Now we are entering an age of quantification for tectonics,” wrote Dr. Le Picon.
“The University of Rochester has a great opportunity to develop a new world of geophysics,” said John Taldono, professor of geophysics at the University of Rochester.
Dr. Pichon came to view the Earth as “an extraordinary creature with ocean and continental movement.”
After years of studying the ocean and its floors, including Columbia University, Dr. Lupicheon achieved a breakthrough in the mid-1960s. He called the “incredibly unpleasant” months of cruise hosted by Columbia, and observed a 37,000-mile-long ridge in the South Atlantic and Southwest Indian oceans.
The object was to detect seismic activity along the coat of arms of the ridge and test predictions made in the 1950s by Jean Pierre Rothet, another French scientist. “We went zigzag on this famous earthquake line for nine months,” Dr. Le Picon wrote in his 2003 book, Plate Tectonics: The Insider’s History of Modern Theory of the Earth.
The trip confirmed it and he continued to earn his Ph.D. Based on that study, at the University of Strasbourg in 1966.
“As such, the central ridge has achieved a victory over tectonics, becoming the most important structure in the world due to stroke,” he wrote.
But this was in the early 1960s, and he ran “in what we call “fixed mentors,” things weren’t moving.” Like he put it down On the 2009 episode of the podcast “Being With Krista Tippett.”
“The Earth was considered everything to be a static place,” he said. “Things were moving up and down, but never sideways. The continent was always there. The ocean was always there.”
Dr. Le Picon initially defended these concepts, but he realized they were wrong. He returned from the lab one day and told his wife, “My paper’s conclusions are wrong.”
Rather, I felt that he was an American geologist. Harry Hess The assumption in 1962 that the seabed had continued expansion was correct. After all, there was seismic activity along the top of the ridge. Measuring magnetic anomalies along the ridge is important in proofing Dr. Hess’s hypothesis.
Dr. Le Pichon recalled his Eureka moment in an episode of the podcast. “I worked all night on a computer, and one night I put it all together and found out that Hawaii approaches Tokyo at 8 centimeters each year.”
He recalls what he told her: “I discovered how the Earth works. I really know that now.” And I was so excited. ”
His passion for what was happening under the ocean developed quickly. After growing up in what was a French protectorate in Vietnam at the time, he was interrupted by his family during World War II when Japan invaded.
“When I was in the concentration camp, we were on the Pacific coast, and I was wondering what was under the water, and I was on the beach,” Dr. Le Picon said in 2009.
After publishing his groundbreaking paper in 1968, Columbia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology presented the first quantitative global model of plate boundaries and movement, offering him a teaching position. However, he instead led the Institute of Oceanography in Brittany, France, where he began his second career as an underwater ocean explorer, advancing into the depths of small submarines on joint Franco-American expeditions.
In 1973, he said he had taken such a ship 3,000 meters below him while exploring the ridges in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean.
“I had the impression that I was a religious man and had the return to Genesis,” he added. Other sea floor trips in Greece and Japan followed.
Dr. Lupichon, a Roman Catholic who attended Mass every day since childhood, experienced what was called a “great crisis in my life” in 1973 and worked for Mother Teresa in the city of Calcutta, India.
“I was very immersed in my research. I wasn’t looking at anyone else anymore,” he said. “In particular, I didn’t see people suffering and difficulties. It was a very strong crisis.”
His experience in Calcutta changed him by his account, and then he, his wife and his children engaged in charity and charity in the French Lach community for people with intellectual disabilities. They lived there for nearly 30 years. He and his family then find a similar community and help them live there.
Xavier Thaddée Le Pichon was born on June 18, 1937 in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, France, to Jean Louis Le Pichon and Helene Pauline (Tyl) Le Pichon, rubber plantation managers.
The family moved to France in 1945, with Xavier attending the Institute of Cherbourg Saint Paul and the Lyce Sainte Geneviève in Versailles. In 1960 he received his Bachelor of Engineering from the Institut de Physique Du GlobeHe received a Fulbright Fellowship in Strasbourg to study at Columbia University’s Lamont Daughertier Observatory.
His original works will be carried out over the next decade, and in 1973 he wrote with Jean Bonnin and Jean Franciteau.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Le Picheon taught at the Sorbonne and Ecole Normal Superfoil. He became a professor at the French Collège de France in 1986 and remained there until his retirement in 2008. Besides Balzan, he won many awards and was a member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States.
He was survived by his wife Bridget Suzanne (Barselmee) le Pichon, a pianist. His children, Jean Baptist, Marie, Emmanuel, Raffaère, Jean Marie and Pierre Guien. 14 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren.
In lectures and interviews, Dr. Le Picon linked his discoveries to his Catholic faith as a scientist and the prayer work it stimulated. The bridge between them was his concept of “vulnerability,” and he said, “is the essence of men and women, at the heart of humanity.”
The earth is also vulnerable. “I have a very close relationship with the Earth, so I think a little like a mother,” he said in 2009.
Sheila McNeill and Daphne Angles Contributed research.
Following a helicopter collision with a Washington passenger jet, 67 people lost their lives in January, waking Joe Ellis up to a flurry of text messages two days later.
Ellis, a transgender helicopter pilot for the Virginia Army National Guard, found herself at the center of a social media frenzy where she was wrongly identified as the pilot involved in the crash. Online mobs tied the incident to diversity initiatives due to Ellis being transgender.
To debunk the false claims, Ellis posted a “Proof of Life” video on Facebook, reassuring everyone of her well-being despite the rumors swirling around her.
“At that moment, my life turned upside down,” Ellis shared in an interview. She recounted how her employer provided armed guards for her family’s protection, and she felt the stigma of being labeled as ‘that transterrorist’ for the rest of her life.
In response to the false allegations, Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit against Matt Wallace, a prominent influencer with millions of followers, for spreading misinformation about her.
After Ellis’s video gained traction online, Wallace deleted the posts related to her and issued an “important update” clarifying that she was not involved in the helicopter collision.
The lawsuit accuses Wallace of launching a damaging and irresponsible campaign against Ellis. Her lawyers have filed the case in the U.S. District Court in Colorado, seeking financial damages from Wallace.
Wallace has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
The legal action against influencers and creators for spreading false information online is gaining momentum as a way to combat misinformation in the digital age.
Ronell Andersen Jones, a law professor at the University of Utah, highlighted the growing trend of honor loss lawsuits, like the one filed by Ellis. These legal actions aim to restore a person’s reputation and combat social falsehoods.
Recent successful honor loss cases against major entities, such as Dominion and Alex Jones, have paved the way for similar action against individuals like Wallace.
Ellis’s lawsuit was supported by the Equality Legal Action Fund, a group of volunteer lawyers advocating for LGBTQ rights.
Challenges such as constitutional hurdles and free speech laws complicate honor loss lawsuits. Proving intentional and malicious intent behind spreading false information is crucial in such cases.
Ellis expressed her intention to donate any financial compensation she receives to the families of the crash victims.
She emphasized the consequences of freedom of speech and the impact it can have, especially when false information incites online mobs. The speculation linking the transgender pilot to the crash emerged as a conspiracy theory shortly after the incident.
Despite the challenges, Ellis remains determined to seek justice and hold those accountable for spreading harmful misinformation online.
The Sakhallo-Arabian desert is one of the largest biogeographical barriers on Earth, hindering the dispersion between Africa and Eurasia, including human movements in the past. Recent research suggests that this barrier has been in place for at least 11 million years. However, a new Griffith University-led study shows that numerous humidity intervals have occurred in the Sakhallo-Arabian desert over the past 8 million years.
Marcouska et al. It shows wet intervals that have recurred inside Central Arabia over the past 8 million years. Image credit: Paul Breeze.
Arabia is at the heart of the largest near-continuous chain of arid lands on the planet. A harsh and often highly dry belt that stretches from the Sahara to the Tar Desert.
Sakhallo-Arabian desert barriers limit animal dispersion and divide Africa and Eurasia into areas of Afrotropic, palate, and Indomalaya biogeography, each characterized by a distinct assemblage of plants, animal species and communities.
While the persistence of this desert barrier serves as a major control over the depiction of these biogeographical regions, improvements in climate throughout the Sakhallo-Arabian region allow for dispersion among them.
As a result, the region is a “transition zone” and hosts a complex fauna mixture with characteristics of Africa, Eurasia and South Asia.
Recent research suggests that a dry beyond this desert barrier and that it has begun to be highly aridity and highly dry on the edge of northern Arabia 9 million years ago in the completely arid state of the Sahara at least 11 million years ago.
“However, fossil evidence from the late Miocene (marked by rising earth temperatures) and the Pleistocene (including multiple ice ages) suggests the existence of an episode within the interior of the water-dependent animal Sakhallo-Arabian desert.”
“It is possible that animals such as crocodiles, quids, cobopotamids, and absoscideans were supported by rivers and lakes that are almost nonexistent from today’s arid landscape.”
“These wet conditions could promote the dispersion of these mammals between Africa and Eurasia, and Arabia serves as an important crossroads in continental-scale biogeographic exchange.”
In the new study, Professor Petraglia and colleagues analyzed a set of osteoscopic electrons (mineral deposits such as bulls and stellates) from a series of caves from within Arabia.
It is one of the longest aleoclimatic records available in Arabia today, and represents one of the longest space paleoclimatic records in the world.
“Little was known about Arabian paleoclimate before this time,” said Dr. Monica Markowska of Northumbria University.
“The findings highlight that the effects of monsoons have been weakened and polar ice coverings in the Pleistocene during the Pleistocene have been strengthened, reducing precipitation during humidity intervals and changing over time.”
“Although Arabia has traditionally been overlooked in the dispersion of Africa and Yolasia, research like ours is increasingly revealing the central location of mammal and human migration,” added Dr Faisal Al-Jiblin, who led Saudi archaeologists on the Heritage Committee.
result It will be displayed in the journal Nature.
____
M. Markouska et al. The recurrence of humidity in Arabia over the past 8 million years. NaturePublished online on April 9, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08859-6
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