When it comes to natural disasters, it is often impossible to predict them more than a few months or even days in advance. We cannot say, “Let's prepare because an earthquake will occur within two years.'' But one of the few things we can really prepare for is an asteroid impact.
Although no one has yet discovered a large asteroid on a collision course with Earth, scientists, engineers, and policymakers are working on plans to defend the planet in the event it does. Techniques to avoid disaster are already being tested, such as impacting asteroids to change their orbits, as NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mission did successfully in 2022.
One of the most surprisingly useful planetary defense tools is running a role-playing game. This reveals roadblocks that can derail even the best-laid plans. Paul Chodas of NASA, who runs some of these exercises, says they reveal problems that would never have been considered otherwise. In our special feature, “If an asteroid is heading towards Earth, can we avoid disaster?”you can try such games yourself.
Compared to other existential threats, the risk from asteroids is relatively small
It goes without saying that factors such as the size of rocks coming from space and how quickly they are discovered have a major impact on whether disasters can be successfully avoided. So is the ability to communicate effectively. different options. These are important lessons that go beyond just protecting yourself from asteroids.
Compared to other existential threats, the risk of an asteroid coming our way is relatively small. Climate change is already happening. Pandemics have occurred regularly throughout human history, and global warming has made them even more likely. We know that these involve technical challenges, such as the development and deployment of green technologies, but the social challenges are equally important.
Only with effective global cooperation and communication can humanity tackle its greatest challenges. That's as true in the Asteroid Roleplaying Game as it is in real life.
A new study led by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, Karolinska Institutet, and Linköping University has revealed a landscape view of the human sense of touch.
Somatosensory diversity arises from heterogeneous dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. However, the cell body transcriptome, a key piece of information for deciphering the function of individual human (h)DRG neurons, is lacking due to technical difficulties. In a new study, Yu others. They isolated somatic cells from individual hDRG neurons and performed deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to detect an average of more than 9,000 unique genes per neuron, identifying 16 types of neurons.
Humans perceive touch, temperature, and pain through the somatosensory system.
The general understanding is that there are specific types of neurons for each type of emotion, such as pain, pleasant touch, or coldness.
But new research casts doubt on that notion and shows that bodily sensations are probably much more complex than that.
“Much of the knowledge we have today about how the nervous system works comes from studies of animals,” said Dr. Wenqing Luo of the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues.
“But how similar are mice and humans, for example?”
“Many discoveries made in animal studies have not been confirmed in human studies.”
“One reason for this may be a lack of understanding of how it works in the human body.”
“We wanted to create a detailed atlas of the different types of neurons involved in somatosensation in humans and compare it with neurons in mice and the primate macaque.”
The study involved a detailed analysis of the genes used by individual neurons, so-called deep RNA sequencing.
Neurons with similar gene expression profiles were grouped as one sensory neuron type.
In this way, the researchers identified 16 unique human neuron types.
This study is the first to link gene expression and actual function in different types of neurons.
To investigate the function of neurons, the scientists used microneurography techniques to listen to the signals of one neuron at a time.
Using this technique, skin neurons in awake participants are exposed to temperature, touch, or certain chemicals, and individual neurons are “listened in” to determine how those particular neurons respond and send signals to the brain. You can find out if it is.
During these experiments, the authors made discoveries that would not have been possible if mapping the cellular machinery of different types of neurons had not given them new ideas for experiments.
One such discovery concerns a type of neuron that responds to pleasant touch.
The researchers discovered that this cell type unexpectedly responded to heat and also to capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili peppers their heat.
Scientists were surprised that the touch-sensing neurons responded to such stimuli, since their response to capsaicin is typical of pain-sensing neurons.
Additionally, this type of neuron also responded to cooling, even though it does not produce the only protein known to date that signals the perception of cold.
This finding cannot be explained by what is known about cellular mechanisms and suggests that there are other mechanisms for detecting colds that have yet to be discovered.
The authors speculate that these neurons form an integrated sensory pathway that produces pleasurable sensations.
“We have been listening to the neural signals from these neurons for 10 years, but we knew nothing about their molecular characteristics,” said Dr. Håkan Ólausson from Linköping University.
“This study shows us what kinds of proteins these neurons express and what kinds of stimuli they can respond to, and we can now make connections between them. Moving forward.”
Another example is a type of pain-sensing neuron that conducts very rapidly and has been shown to respond to non-painful cooling and menthol.
“There is a common understanding that neurons are very specialized: one type of neuron detects cold, another type detects specific vibrational frequencies, a third type responds to pressure, and so on.” said Dr. Saad Nagy, also from Linköping University.
“That's how people often talk about it. But it turns out it's much more complicated than that.”
So how do mice, macaques, and humans compare? How similar are we? Many of the 16 types of neurons the researchers identified in their study are largely similar across species.
The biggest difference they found was that conduction in pain-sensing neurons was much faster in response to stimuli that could cause injury.
Compared to mice, humans have more pain neurons, a type of neuron that sends pain signals to the brain at high speeds.
“Our study doesn't answer why this is the case, but we have a theory,” Dr. Ólausson said.
“The fact that pain signals are emitted at a much faster rate in humans compared to mice is probably just a reflection of their body size.”
“Mice don't need such rapid neural signaling. But in humans, the distances are longer and the signals need to be sent to the brain more quickly, before reacting and withdrawing.” You will be injured.”
Regarding this research, paper in diary natural neuroscience.
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H. Yu others. Utilizing deep sequencing of single cell somatic RNA to explore the neural basis of human somatosensation. nut neurosipublished online on November 4, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01794-1
Even though he knows a bit of Welsh and building regulations, he refrains from comparing Rishi Sunak to Keir Starmer or delving into the complexities of the UK corporation tax system. The UK government is introducing an artificial intelligence chatbot to assist businesses in navigating through a maze of 700,000 pages on the UK government website. Users can expect a range of outcomes from this new tool.
This experimental system will be initially tested with up to 15,000 business users and is expected to be widely available next year. However, users are cautioned about the limitations of AI tools like this one, which can sometimes provide false information with confidence. It is advised to cross-check the website link provided with each answer, which will be delivered within approximately 7 seconds. In a trial run in February, Paul Willmott, director of the Government’s Central Digital Data Agency, told reporters that there was a need for improvements to address hallucinations that may arise.
During a test run with reporters, it was observed that the chatbot, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o technology, displayed discrepancies in responses, including jumbled web links and short answers. The chatbot provided information on regulations for cannabis farmers but refrained from making predictions on cannabis legalization in the UK. It answered queries on building cladding regulations post-Grenfell Tower fire but steered clear of discussing the public inquiry findings on government failures.
On one occasion, the chatbot responded briefly in Welsh and avoided answering questions about the corporate tax system. However, it did offer information on incentives for installing solar panels. The chatbot’s training currently lacks coverage of all UK government documents, like ministerial speeches and press releases.
To ensure safe interactions, “guardrails” have been implemented to prevent the chatbot from providing illegal answers, divulging sensitive financial details, or taking political stances. Despite efforts to safeguard against hackers manipulating the chatbot, there remains a residual risk that cannot be completely eliminated.
Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science and Technology, expressed the government’s commitment to leveraging AI for enhancing public services in a secure manner. The aim is for the UK government to set an example in driving innovation and efficiency in public sector operations.
He emphasized the importance of streamlining government processes to save people time, noting that the average UK adult spends significant time dealing with public sector bureaucracy annually. Through initiatives like the UK Government Chat, the government is exploring innovative technologies to simplify interactions and improve efficiency.
Elon Musk is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from registered voters who participated in a sweepstakes by signing a constitutional petition, hoping to win a month’s worth of donations each day. However, the lawsuit now alleges fraud.
According to a complaint filed by Arizona resident Jacqueline McCafferty in federal court, Musk and his organization, America Pac, allegedly misled voters into signing petitions under the pretense of a random selection process, when in fact, winners were chosen by members of the pack. Musk’s lawyer admitted that the sweepstakes results were not random, with the winner being pre-selected.
During a court hearing in Pennsylvania, Musk’s attorney Chris Gober stated, “The recipient of the $1 million was not chosen by chance. We know exactly who will be announced today and tomorrow as the recipients of $1 million.” Musk also mentioned at a campaign rally that the winners would be randomly selected.
McCafferty further claimed that the defendants used Musk’s social media platform “X” to gather personal information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers for potential profit. Representatives for Musk and McCafferty did not immediately respond to the allegations in the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed after a Philadelphia judge denied a request to stop the giveaway, which was deemed an illegal lottery by District Attorney Larry Krasner. The ruling was largely symbolic, as Musk had no plans for additional funding post the U.S. presidential election.
Musk, the world’s richest man, distributed gifts to voters in seven battleground states who supported free speech and gun rights through signed petitions. The lawsuit filed on Tuesday seeks at least $5 million in damages for all petition signatories.
During his presidential campaign against Kamala Harris, Musk backed Donald Trump and donated over $100 million through America Pac.
Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage
Bitcoin has reached record highs amidst speculation on Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, with many viewing him as a candidate supportive of cryptocurrencies.
The digital currency hit $75,005.08 on Wednesday morning, surpassing its previous peak of $73,797.98 achieved in March.
“Bitcoin’s price seems to be closely tied to President Trump’s standing in the polls and betting markets,” commented AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
Investors believe that a Republican win could lead to increased demand for digital currencies,” he added.
Although Trump previously criticized cryptocurrencies as scams during his tenure, he has since shifted his position and even introduced his own platform for the currency.
Nigel Green from DeVere also stated before the election that “President Trump’s victory could propel the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency to new heights.”
Green added, “If re-elected, there would likely be a focus on deregulation, tax breaks, and economic policies favoring investments like Bitcoin.”
President Trump has vowed to make the United States the “Bitcoin and cryptocurrency capital of the world” and appoint Elon Musk to oversee a comprehensive audit of government spending.
Trump’s corporate tax cuts during his previous term boosted market liquidity and encouraged investment in high-growth assets such as cryptocurrencies.
In September, Trump announced the launch of a digital currency platform named World Liberty Financial with his son and other entrepreneurs, although initial sales were sluggish.
World Liberty Financial provides a lending and borrowing service for cryptocurrencies, akin to platforms like Aave.
Since their inception, cryptocurrencies have made headlines for extreme volatility and the collapse of major industry players, notably the FTX exchange platform.
Leading up to the election, Trump made a purchase at a New York restaurant, touting it as a “historic transaction” and possibly becoming the first former president to use Bitcoin for a transaction.
“Who wants a hamburger?” Trump exclaimed to his followers in September, shortly after the platform’s launch.
Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage
Astronomers using the VLT survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile 283 million pixel image of the Dark Wolf Nebula.
This image was taken by ESO’s VLT survey telescope and shows the Dark Wolf Nebula. Image credit: ESO / VPHAS+ Team.
The Dark Wolf Nebula is located approximately 5,300 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.
“Dark nebulae are cold clouds of cosmic dust so dense that they obscure the light of stars and other celestial bodies behind them,” ESO astronomers said in a statement.
“As its name suggests, it does not emit visible light, unlike other nebulae.”
“The dust grains within it absorb visible light and only allow longer wavelength radiation, such as infrared radiation, to pass through.”
“Astronomers study these frozen dust clouds because they often contain new stars that are being born.”
“This image occupies an area of the sky equivalent to four full moons, but it is actually part of a much larger nebula called . gum 55” said the astronomers.
“If you look closely, the wolf may even be a werewolf, and its hands are trying to grab unsuspecting bystanders.”
“Of course, tracking the ghostly presence of a wolf in the sky is only possible because of its contrast with the bright background.”
“This image shows in stunning detail how the dark wolf stands out among the glowing clouds that form the stars behind it.”
“The colorful clouds are composed primarily of hydrogen gas, which glows with a reddish hue when excited by intense ultraviolet light from newborn stars.”
This image was taken as part of the VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+), which is studying about 500 million objects in the Milky Way.
“Studies like this help scientists better understand the life cycles of stars in our home galaxy,” the researchers said.
Newly discovered tardigrade species using genome, transcriptome and proteome analysis Hypsibius henanensis scientists investigated the molecular basis that contributes to radioresistance in these small invertebrates.
Schematic diagram of the mechanism conferring radiation resistance Hypsibius henanensis. Image credit: Li others., doi: 10.1126/science.adl0799.
Tardigrades, also known as tardigrades or moss piglets, are a diverse group of microscopic invertebrates famous for their ability to withstand extreme conditions.
First discovered in 1773, these organisms can live for up to 60 years, grow up to 0.5 mm in size, and are best seen under a microscope.
They can survive in temperatures as low as -272 degrees Celsius (-457 degrees Fahrenheit) or as hot as 150 degrees Celsius (302 degrees Fahrenheit), and temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius for several minutes, and for up to 30 years without food or water. Masu. Minus 4 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) continues for decades.
It can withstand pressures from virtually 0 atmospheres in outer space to 1,200 atmospheres at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
They also exhibit excellent resistance to ionizing radiation, withstanding doses of gamma rays as high as 3,000 to 5,000 grays (Gy), approximately 1,000 times the lethal dose for humans.
The mechanism of radioresistance in tardigrades remains largely unknown.
Previous studies investigating how they do this have shown that tardigrades have powerful DNA repair abilities.
They also express tardigrade-specific proteins called damage suppressors (Dsup), when expressed in human cells, protects DNA from radiation damage.
In a new study, Lei Li and colleagues at Qingdao University describe a new species of tardigrade. Hypsibius henanensis.
Through detailed morphological and molecular analyses, they also investigated the basis of radioresistance in this species.
The researchers evaluated how exposure to heavy ion beams changes the molecular profiles of animals. They found that 285 stress-related genes were upregulated.
They further uncovered three molecular mechanisms that contribute to radioresistance in organisms.
First, the horizontally transferred bacterial gene DOPA dioxygenase 1 (Doda 1) enhanced radiation resistance by producing betalains (pigments with powerful free radical scavenging properties commonly found in plants, fungi, and bacteria).
Second, proteins unique to tardigrades, TDP1promotes DNA double-strand break repair.
Finally, mitochondrial chaperone genes BCS1Proliferated during the evolution of tardigrades, it is uniquely upregulated in response to radiation and protects cells from radiation-induced mitochondrial damage.
“The extreme environmental tolerance of extremophiles such as tardigrades provides a treasure trove of unexplored molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance,” the authors write.
“Functional studies of these radioresistance mechanisms may further expand our understanding of cell survival under extreme conditions and provide inspiration for promoting human health and fighting disease.”
of result Published in the Journal on October 25, 2024 science.
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Ray Lee others. 2024. The multi-omic landscape of tardigrades and the molecular basis of radioresistance. science 386 (6720);doi: 10.1126/science.adl0799
A new genus and species of early-diverging oviraptorosaurs have been identified from two specimens discovered in Inner Mongolia, China.
rebuilding the life of Yuanyang Long Bai Nian. Image credit: Sci.News / Ddinodan.
“Oviraptorosauridae Dr. Xin Shu, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Center for Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has discovered that Penaraptor is a special species known primarily from the rich Cretaceous fossil record of Asia and North America. Said to be a group of order theropods. Yunnan University and colleagues.
“In recent years, a series of new discoveries have deepened our knowledge of their diversity, behavior, ontogeny, and reproductive biology.”
“More than 40 genera have been named, and Oviraptorosaurus undoubtedly includes some of the earliest divergent species. Inchesibosaurus Caudipterygidae and highly specialized edentulous species from northeastern China; Abimimus Oviraptoridae are from East Asia, Caenagnathidae are from Asia and North America, and the best known species date from the Late Cretaceous. ”
The new oviraptorosaur lived in what is now China during the early Cretaceous period, about 110 million years ago.
named Yuanyang Long Bai Nianit exhibits a unique combination of morphological features that distinguishes it from all oviraptorosaurs known to date.
“Yuanyang Long Bai Nian Identified as an oviraptorosaurian based on a short, deep skull and several pelvic features (i.e., triangular obturator process located in the center of the ischium and a long pubic bone oriented approximately ventrally) “We can,” the paleontologists said.
“However, some oviraptorosaurs, Yuanyang Long Bai Nian exhibits a unique combination of features not found in any previously known clade, such as a hook-shaped posterior process of the pubic boot that is longer than a rounded anterior process. ”
two jointed skeleton Yuanyang Long Bai NianThese bones, including part of the skull and part of the posterior skull, were collected in the summer of 2021 from the Maortu area of the Miaogou Formation in Chilantai City, western Inner Mongolia, China.
This discovery provides the first record of an Early Cretaceous oviraptorosaur near the Gobi Desert and provides further insight into the biology and ecology of early-divergent oviraptorosaurs.
“This new species is intermediate in morphology between the earliest and later divergent oviraptorosaurids, and our phylogenetic analysis suggests that this new species was formed by the Abymimididae and Caenagasoididae. “This finding supports the fact that it is a sister taxon to the clade that has been studied,” the researchers said.
“Remarkably, this new early-diverging oviraptorosaur has an extremely short postacetabular ilium and a hindlimb with a proportionally long and fused lower limb. The combination is not known in other oviraptorosaurs, but is common in wading birds, suggesting a potential ecology with wading birds.
“Preserved bezoars are Codypteryx Our new species suggests that it has a gastric mill function, and our preliminary observations suggest that the digestive mode of early-divergent and late-divergent oviraptorosaurs is indicates a potential mismatch. ”
of the team findings Published in a magazine Cretaceous research.
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Mingze Hao others. A new species of oviraptorosaur discovered from the Lower Cretaceous Miaogou Formation in western Inner Mongolia, China. Cretaceous researchpublished online October 24, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.106023
Global cancer deaths are expected to nearly double by 2050, primarily in low- and middle-income countries.
Habtum Bisaifu The professor and his team from Australia’s University of Queensland made the discovery by looking at recent morbidity and mortality figures for 36 types of cancer in 185 countries from the World Cancer Observatory’s database. These rates were then applied to the United Nations Development Programme’s 2050 population projections to predict future cases and deaths.
Researchers predict that the total number of cancer cases worldwide is expected to increase by nearly 77% between 2022 and 2050, representing 20 million cases in 2022 and an additional 15.3 million cases in 2050. It means that the number of people will increase. The number of deaths from cancer worldwide also increased by almost 90% during this period, with 9.7 million people dying from the disease in 2022, and 8.8 million people expected to die from the disease in 2050. It will be.
The biggest increases are expected to occur in countries that rank low or middle on the United Nations’ Human Development Index, which is based on life expectancy, education levels, and per capita income. In countries with low scores, such as Niger and Afghanistan, cancer incidence and deaths are expected to nearly triple on average by 2050. Meanwhile, countries with very high scores, such as Norway, are projected to see an average increase in infections and deaths of more than 42% and 56%, respectively.
This corroborates other evidence that: The number of cancer cases is on the risesay Andrew Chan at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and he was not involved in the study. Multiple factors are likely driving this, he says, including people living longer and increasing their risk of cancer. However, this study did not take into account the emergence of new or more effective treatments.
Chan says the least developed countries will probably experience the largest increase due to “the so-called Westernization of the population.” “Some of the habits traditionally considered to be associated with higher cancer risk, such as rising obesity rates and poor diet, are becoming trends in low- and middle-income countries.”
Administrative innovations in Southwest Asia in the fourth millennium BC, such as cylindrical seals wrapped around the earliest clay tablets, laid the foundation for one of the first writing systems, Protocuneiform. Although seals were rich in iconography, few studies have focused on the potential influence of specific motifs on the development of sign-based proto-cuneiform. in new researchpublished today in the journal ancient, scholars identified a basic proto-cuneiform symbolic precursor in seal motifs that described ships and textile transport, highlighting the synergy of an early system of clay-based communication.
Cylinder seal and seal impression: royal priest and his acolytes feeding the sacred flock. Uruk period, approximately 3200 BC. Image credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen.
The origins of writing in Southwest Asia are often traced to accounting systems developed during the 4th millennium BC. This accounting system physically documented transactions using tokens, tags, banknotes, numerical tablets, and seals.
Proto-cuneiform was first attested on clay tablets from the city of Uruk in southern Iraq around 3350-3000 BC. The script is a complex accounting system with hundreds of iconographic symbols, many of which remain difficult to interpret.
The elaboration of tokens, long used throughout Southwest Asia, may have stimulated the development of proto-cuneiform and served as a model for some symbols, but apart from numerical notation, the Comparisons can hardly be proven, and the forms that emerge from the multimedia environment of the origins of symbols can be diverse.
“The conceptual leap from pre-writing symbolism to writing is an important development in human cognitive skills,” said Professor Silvia Ferrara of the University of Bologna.
“The invention of writing marks a transition between prehistory and history, and the findings of this study demonstrate how some of the later prehistoric images are one of the earliest invented writing systems. We bridge this gap by showing how
“Although the close relationship between ancient seals and the invention of writing in Southwest Asia has long been recognized, the relationship between specific seal images and symbol shapes has remained largely unexplored,” she added. Ta.
“This was our starting question: Did seal images contribute significantly to the invention of symbols during the first writings in this region?”
To find the answer, Professor Ferrara and colleagues compared the design of the columns with proto-cuneiform, looking for correlations that might reveal a direct relationship, both in graphic form and meaning.
“We focused on images of seals, which arose before the invention of writing and continued to develop into the proto-writing era,” said Kathryn Kelly and Mattia Caltrano, researchers at the University of Bologna. Ta.
“This approach allowed us to identify a series of designs associated with the transport of textiles and pottery, which later evolved into corresponding proto-cuneiform scripts.”
This discovery reveals a direct link between the cylinder seal system and the invention of writing and provides a new perspective to study the evolution of symbolic and writing systems.
“Our findings show that the designs inscribed on the cylinder seals are directly related to the development of proto-cuneiform in southern Iraq,” Professor Ferrara said.
“These designs also show how the meanings originally associated with these designs were integrated into the writing system.”
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kathryn kelly others. Seals and symbols: Tracing the origins of writing in ancient Southwest Asia. ancientpublished online on November 5, 2024. doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.165
Zinc nanoparticles, a common sunscreen ingredient, could help protect rice from heat-related stress, an increasingly common problem under climate change.
Zinc is known to play an important role in plant metabolism. Minerals in the form of salts are often added to the soil as fertilizer or sprayed on the leaves, but this is not very efficient. Another approach is to deliver zinc as particles smaller than 100 nanometers, which can pass through microscopic pores in leaves and accumulate within the plant.
Researchers have been studying such nanoparticles as a way to deliver more nutrients to plants and maintain crop yields while reducing the environmental damage caused by excessive fertilizer use. now Hu Hong Researchers from China's Nankai University tested how zinc oxide nanoparticles affected crop performance under heat wave conditions.
They grew flowering rice in a greenhouse under normal conditions and a simulated heat wave in which temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius for six consecutive days. Some plants were sprayed with nanoparticles, while others were not treated at all.
When harvested, the average grain yield of plants treated with zinc nanoparticles was 22.1% higher than non-sprayed plants, and the rice also contained higher levels of nutrients. Zinc was also beneficial under heat wave conditions. In fact, in these cases, the difference in yield between treated and untreated plants was even greater.
Based on detailed measurements of nutrients in leaves, the researchers found that zinc boosts yields by fortifying enzymes involved in photosynthesis and antioxidants that protect plants from harmful molecules known as reactive oxygen species. concluded.
“Nanoscale micronutrients have great potential to increase climate resilience of crops through a number of unique mechanisms related to reactive oxygen species,” he says. jason white At the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
The researchers also found that rice plants treated with zinc nanoparticles maintained a greater diversity of microorganisms living on the leaves (called the phyllosphere), which may contribute to improved growth. I also discovered that.
Tests of zinc oxide nanoparticles on plants such as pumpkin and alfalfa have also shown increased yields. But Hu says more research is needed to verify that this could benefit other crops, such as wheat.
There has been a debated stance that children below the age of three should have no screen time, but research indicates that digital technology can offer valuable opportunities for the development of young children.
The study, titled Toddlers, technology and talk, was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and conducted by researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University, Lancaster University, Queen’s Belfast University, Strathclyde University, and Swansea University. It explored children’s interactions with various technologies in diverse communities, specifically focusing on the impact of technology on language and literacy skills of children aged 0 to 3 in the UK.
The research delved into how children engage with technology, whether with their parents or independently, through activities like taking photos, playing games using educational apps, listening to music, discussing favorite characters, and video calling.
Studies have shown that children start using smart devices and technology at a young age, and this can be beneficial for their language development and other skills.
The report highlights that young children’s digital activities involve various forms of sensory exploration which contribute to their cognitive development.
Parents acknowledge the advantages of technology for their children’s development, but they are also concerned about potential negative impacts from excessive technology usage.
The report also discusses how video calls provide valuable opportunities for children in multilingual families to learn different languages and cultures from their overseas relatives.
The study involved surveys with 1,400 UK parents, 40 home case studies, interviews with 20 education experts, and analysis of families’ TV viewing habits. It revealed that children could learn words and phrases from watching TV shows that they were passionate about.
Furthermore, shared TV viewing and music listening create bonding experiences for parents and children, nurturing emotional connections over time.
Even in homes where the TV is on throughout the day, children engage in various play and learning activities and may not pay much attention to the TV.
Some parents reported that their children under the age of 3 were learning sign language online, showcasing how young children adapt to interacting with smart devices.
The report emphasizes the need for better protection of children’s privacy and security in the digital age and hopes to guide policy and practices based on its findings.
Professor Rosie Flewitt from MMU acknowledges the challenges of balancing the benefits of digital communication, play, and learning for children with concerns about potential risks of overuse.
The Soy Habzak trenches in Tajikistan's Zeravshan Valley are the remains of several Paleolithic occupation phases rich in stone tools, fauna, and charcoal remains.
The Soi Habzak Caves are one of the few multi-layered Paleolithic ruins in Central Asia. Image credit: Yossi Zaidner & Sharof Kurbanov, doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.149.
Soy Habzak is a small tributary of the Zeravshan River approximately 10 km north of Panjikent in northern Tajikistan.
The Soi Havzak ruins are rock shelters/overhangs carved into the cliff face approximately 40 meters above the river.
Professor Yossi Zeidner of the Hebrew University, Dr. Sharov Kurbanov of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and colleagues excavated three areas of the site, revealing layers of human activity.
Archaeologists have discovered a wealth of Paleolithic stone tools, animal bones, and plants.
The finds date back to various periods between 150,000 and 20,000 years ago.
These provide important evidence that Central Asia played an important role in early human migration and development.
“It turns out that the Zeravshan Valley, which in the Middle Ages was primarily known as the route of the Silk Road, was an important route for human expansion long before that, from 20,000 to 150,000 years ago,” said Zeidner. the professor said.
“This region may have served as a migratory route for several human species that may have coexisted in this region, including modern Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans, and our The aim of the study is to determine who the humans were who lived in this region and the nature of their interactions.
Paleolithic stone tools discovered in the Soi Habzak cave complex in Tajikistan. Image credit: Yossi Zaidner & Sharof Kurbanov, doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.149.
The well-preserved finds at Soi Habzak not only provide valuable clues about the ancient climate and environment, but also the possibility of discovering hominin artifacts that could identify the species of humans that lived in the area. also brings.
“The state of preservation of not only the bones but also the organic matter, such as the remains of burnt wood, is amazing,” said Professor Zeidner.
“This allows us to reconstruct the region's ancient climate and provides hope that further excavations may reveal clues about the region's human biology.”
“This is critical to understanding the development of human population and behavior in Central Asia.”
This research has broader implications for the study of human evolution and migration, particularly for understanding how ancient human populations interacted.
The Soi Habzak site in the mountain corridor of Central Asia may have served as an important transition point for human populations, allowing early humans to spread across vast areas.
“We hope that ongoing research at this site will provide new insights into how different human groups, including modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans, interacted in this region. '' said Professor Zeidner.
“This discovery is an important step towards understanding the history of ancient humans in Central Asia and demonstrates important collaboration between international scientific teams.”
a paper A description of the discovery was published in a magazine ancient.
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Yossi Zeidner & Sharov Kurbanov. Soii Havzak: A new Paleolithic site in the Zeravshan Valley in central Tajikistan. ancientpublished online on November 4, 2024. doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.149
Hello. Welcome to TechScape. I’m Blake Montgomery, technology news editor at Guardian US. In today’s newsletter, we discuss the final form of X, learnings from a jam-packed week of earnings, and niche online Halloween costumes. Thank you for your participation.
The US election culminates the transformation of X into Elon Musk’s weapon. He has managed to bend social networks to his will.
Last week, Musk tweeted and linked to a forum within X called the Election Integrity Community, encouraging his followers to report “potential voting fraud or fraud.” Experts told my colleague Johana Bhuiyan that the community, which has more than 50,000 members, has a swamp of conspiratorial overtones and uncorrected misinformation that will make it a face in 2020. It is said that it is similar to the book “Stop the Steal” group.
Users posting to the self-contained feed quickly began pointing out what appeared to be evidence of fraud and election interference.
Tweets showing everything from torn ballots to ABC News to system tests to postal workers doing their jobs and dropping mail-in ballots were all presented as evidence that the presidential election was compromised. Some of the tweets include attempts to record personal information and identify people who users have falsely accused of stuffing ballots and interfering with voting by Trump supporters. Before anyone can decide whether the allegation is true or false, users occupy the post and assume the unsuspecting person they see is guilty.
Mr. Musk has weaponized the ability of X. He is trying to bend the posts of others to his own political will and frame the discussion into an alternate reality. He gives preferential treatment to some posts and hides others. The Washington Post reported last week that of the top 100 tweeting accounts in Congress, only Republicans are spreading the word. When he first acquired Twitter, Musk deployed Twitter’s internal documents to rebuild its public image. twitter file. He then criticized his own account for supporting Donald Trump. He bombarded his followers with pro-Trump messages and flawed Trump interviews on the Twitter space.
We have never seen a transformation like X. Billionaires are not afraid of campaigning or naked partisanship, bending the connected networks of tens of millions of people to their own vision of reality. The October surprise was Elon Musk.
With no economic success with forced purchases, Musk turned to politics to make his $44 billion bet pay off. My colleague Dan Milmo says: “Company X’s continued influence as a news source and its role as a vehicle for broadcasting its owner’s right-wing views to over 200 million followers requires measuring the benefit to the world’s richest people. That means no ‘financial benchmarks alone.” Think of the restoration of Trump’s account and all of Musk’s pro-Trump tweets as an in-kind donation that Musk will cash in on during Trump’s presidency.
Will it ever end once the election is over? – The value of X decreases. It will become less important for the world’s richest man to make noise about voter fraud conspiracies. As with any media that has seen an increase in interest in political battles and the associated craters, X’s traffic will likely decline. We will see the effects of Mr. Musk’s weaponization in the light.
Lessons learned from profits
The floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: Spencer Pratt/Getty Images
Five of the Magnificent Seven (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple) announced their quarterly results last week. Not all stocks rose, but all beat Wall Street’s earnings expectations. Several lessons can be learned from their impressive performance.
1. Advertising remains the lifeblood of the internet economy Google’s revenue, Meta’s revenue, and even Amazon’s revenue show that digital advertising can still maintain an empire.
2. Investments in AI, especially in cloud businesses, are paying off. Bully Google, Microsoft, and Amazon! Like Meta, these companies have increased their capital spending by tens of billions of dollars to pay for their artificial intelligence products, but investors think it’s worth it. It seems so. Each company reported strong growth in its cloud business. Meta’s investments in open source AI likewise led to Meta AI being deployed at Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and claiming the title of most used AI. Investors loved it.
3. Both of these outcomes benefit one company in particular Last week, Reddit became the first publicly traded company to report a profit, posting a massive 68% increase in revenue compared to the same period last year. The company makes most of its revenue from advertising, so a strong market means Reddit makes more money, even if it’s a smaller player than Google or Meta. Reddit’s ad revenue increased by 56%.
Reddit chief Steve Huffman also attributed the company’s better-than-expected results to a new revenue stream: deals with AI companies. Anyone who wants to build a large-scale language model that generates English text uses Reddit to train their AI. That social network is a huge, well-organized collection of human-written texts. Reddit licenses its datasets to Google, OpenAI, and others for tens of millions of dollars. That funding source may not last forever, but it’s not going away anytime soon.
Reddit is also benefiting from AI. The social network’s monthly user count increased by half to 97 million in the past quarter alone. Huffman attributes the dramatic increase to the social network’s new translation feature, which uses AI to transliterate English posts into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German. The company plans to expand this feature in the coming months.
new york magazine John Herman points out on Reddit:As a repository of human-written material, it is also useful for people who want to be sure that what they are reading was not written by an AI. As a result, Reddit has become “Google’s favorite website” and a throne with the Sword of Damocles, Herman writes. Huffman said Reddit became the sixth most searched word on Google. Many digital media reach similar heights only to be brought down by a crash.
This week on iPhone
Halloween costumers made headlines on Twitter and Instagram this week. Photo: Sonia Bonnet/Alamy
Niche Halloween costumes have received meme treatment with a proliferation of jokes starting with “I hate gay Halloween…” on Instagram with X. This meme seems to point to something bigger. Online culture has gotten to the point where we’re not just debating the appeal of individual specific references. NeNe Leaks and the white refrigeratorFor example, we discuss the value of taking internet inside jokes seriously. Is it worth wearing a bulky cardboard box all night screaming, “This is from an early season of ‘The Real Housewives’!” It’s a little self-loathing to start a tweet about your costume with “I hate it.” We expect to see more witches and cats next year.
Although perhaps not. a Rebuttal from X In the Name of Joy: “I love everyone’s niche Halloween costumes!! “I love the specificity of it. I love the creativity. Putting so much time and effort into something literally just to make yourself laugh And I really love having things explained to me when I don’t understand.
As for me, I dressed up as a skeleton for the third year in a row.
Wider Techscape
Keeping up with tons of messages in group chats can be a pain. Photo: Weare/Getty Images
Fibers from wet wipes can get mixed into fertilizer if flushed down the toilet.
Linda Kennedy/Alamy
The natural fibers increasingly used in wet wipes can actually have a more negative impact on the environment than the synthetic fibers they are designed to replace.
Viscose and lyocell, made from wood cellulose, are often used in wet wipes and clothing as an alternative to fibers such as polyester, which are primarily byproducts of fossil fuels.
“These are in high street stores, so you can get them in the ethically conscious consumer sections of fast fashion stores,” he says. winnie courten jones At Bangor University, UK.
However, there is uncertainty as to whether they are truly better than alternative materials. “There's been a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to move away from traditional fossil fuel-based plastics and replace them with alternatives, and there hasn't been much testing of those other materials,” Corton says. Jones says.
To learn more, she and her colleagues tested the effects of viscose, lyocell, and polyester on the soil and some of the animals that live there. Wet wipes often end up in sewage treatment plants along with microfibers that fall off clothes in washing machines. These are accidentally spread into the soil through sludge from these plants, which is used as fertilizer.
The research team is a type of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) changes the concentration of viscose, lyocell, and polyester in the soil. Approximately 30 percent of people exposed to high concentrations of polyester died after 72 hours. In contrast, almost 60 percent of those exposed to lyocell and 80 percent of those exposed to viscose died.
When researchers tested it at lower concentrations that are more commonly encountered in the real world, they found that worms exposed to viscose or lyocell reproduced less than worms exposed to polyester. Ta. It is unclear why this occurs, but fibrous material, regardless of its composition, can be toxic to earthworms.
“Bio-based fibers are [be] “It's not fossil fuel-based, so it's great when it's produced, but we don't have a clear vision of whether it's great when it's broken down.” caroline goshott lindsay at the University of Glasgow, UK. “They still have a place because we still need to replace the fossil fuel industry. But it's important to know that the message is not that if they go into the environment it will be better.”
IIt’s one of the biggest injustices in video game history that the Sega Saturn is widely considered to be a failure. The console was released in Japan on November 22, 1994, almost two weeks earlier than the PlayStation, but has always been compared disparagingly to its rival. We hear that while Sony built high-end machine lasers intended to produce high-speed 3D graphics, Sega engineers had to add extra graphics chips to the Saturn at the last minute. I read that Sony’s Ken Kutaragi has provided creators with an even easier to use development system. We know that Sony used its power as a consumer electronics giant to take a financial hit and drive down the prices of Sega’s machines. That’s all true, but what’s always left unmentioned is the huge success of Japan’s Saturn launch and the extraordinary legacy left by Sega’s 32-bit machines.
What I remember is this. The Edge magazine reported from Akihabara, Tokyo, that its Japanese correspondent joined a line outside a major Laox computer game center to pick up one of the thousands of machines that fans had not yet reserved. I was trying to get it. Two and a half hours later, the author showed up with my purchase. Among them was a copy of Virtua Fighter, the best arcade fighting game of the year. It was a lucky purchase. Shelves around town were quickly emptying. Sega shipped an unprecedented 200,000 units that day.
The Saturn brought the feel of arcade titles like Daytona USA into your home. Photo: Justin Layton/Alamy
The following September, I joined Edge as a writer and stayed there for two years, coinciding with the creative peak of Saturn’s short life. What was clear to me at the time, and what still rings true today, is that Sega’s first-party output on this machine was one of the best of the decade. Arcade megahits “Sega Rally” and “Daytona USA” set the challenge for a new era of stylish 3D racers, while “Virtua Fighter 2,” “Fighting Vipers,” and “The Last Bronx” challenge the 1-on-1 brings complexity and depth to fighting games. Sega’s platform-exclusive titles were similarly vibrant and groundbreaking. Panzer Dragoon, Night Into Dreams, and Burning Ranger reinvented stalwart genres for a new generation with imaginative and rich visuals. But I also loved wacky experiments. There’s the toy-like platformer Clockwork Knight, the weird and frenetic puzzler Bakubaku Animal, and the self-consciously stupid Virtua Fighter Kids.
It’s often said that what Saturn lacked was support from third-party developers, but that wasn’t the case in Japan. Veteran shooter creator Treasure developed two of their best titles for this machine, Radiant Silvergun and Guardian Heroes. If you still want to play classic 2D shooter games, the Saturn is the way to go. Batsugan, Battle Garegga, and Darius Gaiden are all considered staples of the genre.
X-Men vs Street Fighter: Sega Saturn was the beginning of Capcom and Marvel’s relationship. Photo: ArcadeImages/Alamy
Atlus adapted the arcade hit Donpachi and created the underrated role-playing adventures Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner and Princess Crown. For horror fans, there’s Warp’s survival thriller Enemy Zero, and Capcom created a Saturn port of Resident Evil that included exclusive mini-games and new enemies and costumes. Capcom also produced many of the best fighting games of the time, including X-Men: Children of the Atom (originally a home exclusive), X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and Darkstalkers 3. I put it into Saturn.
Sega also had decent developer support in Europe, with programmers who grew up on home computers having experience programming in the assembly language supported by the Saturn (the PlayStation had a much rarer development environment based on C). Core Design originally targeted Tomb Raider for machines (and also made the unfairly forgotten action-adventure Swagman for consoles). WipeOut brought Psygnosis. Gremlins loaded top-down brawler for both consoles. And Knutsford-based Traveler’s Tales, who would go on to create the Lego series, co-created the underrated racer Sonic R with Sonic Team. This was a great technology showcase for Saturn, with smooth frame rates and gorgeous transparency effects.
The Saturn was innovative in other ways as well. Saturn Bomberman remains arguably the best title in Hudson’s explosive series, especially considering its support for chaotic 10-player matches with two multi-taps. The Saturn was the first major console to offer online gaming via a Net Link modem, and in 1997 it allowed players to participate in direct sessions of Sega Rally Championship and Virtual-On over the Internet. A party title that supported this technology was Shadows of the Tusk, a deck-building strategy role-playing game (years before the genre became mainstream) that came with its own physical card pack. Additionally, Sega’s 3D Control Pad, an analog controller designed specifically for Nights Into Dreams, outperformed the Nintendo 64’s pad by several weeks by market launch.
There was a period, perhaps for a year or two, when Saturn’s disappearance was inevitable. It held its own and rivaled everything that Sony and its lead development partner Namco could offer. Daytona vs. Ridge Racer, Virtua Fighter vs. Tekken, Virtua Cop vs. Time Crisis. And this rivalry has been an absolute boon for gamers, driving 3D game design and creating the technical expertise needed for the next generation of open-world 3D console titles. There’s a reason why refurbished and modified Saturns are still being sold on eBay and retro gaming sites 30 years after its release. They are often region-free and come with a switch to toggle between European 50Hz or NTSC 60Hz TV options. And that’s because the games I’ve mentioned here are still worth playing in their original form, their original home. Although the Saturn never really caught on as a mass market device, it was successful in many ways. When we think about the history of video games, we need to talk more about it.
The first cosmonaut to cast a vote from space was actually a cosmonaut (individuals trained by the Russian Space Agency for space travel) who flew from the Salyut-1 space station to the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1971. I voted.
Subsequently, three more cosmonauts voted in the 1989 Soviet parliamentary elections from the Mir space station, which operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001. Their votes were not confidential, and they communicated their choices to ground controllers instead of using regular communications. This public vote could have been great publicity for those seeking support from space.
However, when it came to democratic voting with secure ballots, there was a challenge. In November 1996, during the United States presidential election featuring candidates Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and Ross Perot, astronaut John Blaha, a U.S. citizen residing in Texas, wanted to vote. As he was on the Mir space station, NASA facilitated secure communications for his voting process. Yet, the Texas Secretary of State intervened due to the lack of provisions in Texas election law for electronic voting, preventing Mr. Blaha from casting his vote.
This situation led to the signing of a new bill in 1997 by Governor George W. Bush, explicitly allowing voting from space. Astronaut David Wolfe’s first vote took place in a local election in Texas.
Since then, astronauts have been able to vote from space, with most opting to do so. The majority of astronauts relocated to Texas for training, enabling them to vote legally under the new law. There are also provisions for residents of other states to vote through collaboration with NASA.
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So, how do astronauts actually vote from space? Before their launch, all military personnel overseas must register for a federal postcard application. When it’s time to vote, NASA’s Johnson Space Center sends test ballots provided by the relevant county clerk to the astronauts. The astronauts use a training computer to complete the ballot, ensuring it is correctly received on Earth. The authentic ballot, along with credentials from the county clerk, is securely transmitted to the astronaut’s computer for electronic completion, then sent to NASA.
The ballot transmission occurs through NASA’s Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) to the White Sands Complex in New Mexico, and then via landline to Mission Control at Johnson Space Center. The completed ballot is emailed as a password-protected secure file to the county clerk for formalization.
STS-86 crew member David Wolfe, first American to vote in space – Photo credit: NASA
With the upcoming US presidential election in November 2024, stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may still be in space, necessitating the need for them to vote from space. Originally scheduled to return in June 2024, delays have extended their stay, with their planned return now set for February 2025 by SpaceX.
The crucial question remains: did they submit the federal postcard application for voting prior to launch? Failure to do so may still prevent them from voting.
Check out our ultimatefun factsMore amazing science pages.
The origins of the world’s oldest known writing system may be traced back to painted decorated cylinders used for indicating ownership. Some symbols found on these cylindrical seals match those used in Protocuneiform, a form of protowriting utilized in Mesopotamia.
This finding suggests that the development of writing in Mesopotamia was a decentralized process, with numerous people from different regions contributing to the collection of symbols used.
“There have been various reconstructions over the years regarding the emergence of writing in Mesopotamia, but this is likely the earliest instance of writing invention in the world,” mentions Silvia Ferrara from the University of Bologna, Italy. “We are following a more vibrant and less constrained trajectory.”
The oldest confirmed writing system, cuneiform, was developed in Mesopotamia around 3200 BC. This was preceded by the introduction of a simpler writing system known as Protocuneiform, which was in use from 3350 to 3000 BC.
Proto-cuneiform texts lack grammatical rules, making them incapable of conveying complex meanings, as highlighted by Amy Richardson from the University of Reading, UK, who was not part of the research. For example, while proto-cuneiform can label something as “7 bushels of wheat”, only a sophisticated script like cuneiform can express “7 bushels of wheat are being delivered to you.”
The inception of proto-cuneiform is often associated with clay tokens, which were tokenized in various shapes like disks and spheres, engraved with patterns, and pressed into wet clay to create symbols. Some token symbols bear resemblance to those found in proto-cuneiform, as noted by Dennis Schmandt-Becker in a publication at the University of Texas at Austin in 1992 (before writing).
There is evidence supporting the role of tokens in the genesis of proto-cuneiform, according to Ferrara. However, as she mentions, not all signs can be explained by tokens.
Ferrara, along with her colleagues Kathryn Kelly and Mattia Caltrano, researchers at the University of Bologna, took a different approach by investigating another source of symbols: cylinder seals. These cylindrical artifacts, inscribed with patterns and images, when rolled over wet clay, imprint a set of rectangular symbols, often signifying the goods being transported or the individuals involved in the transaction, as described by Caltrano.
Both sides of the original cuneiform dial
CDLI
The researchers analyzed cylinder seals from the period between 4400 BC and 3400 BC across a vast region of southwest Asia, including Mesopotamia, and identified several symbols corresponding to those in proto-cuneiform.
“One prominent example we encountered was the depiction of fringed cloth and containers inside netting,” mentioned Caltrano. These symbols hold well-defined meanings related to goods transportation and are common in both cylindrical seals and proto-cuneiform tablets.
The concept that symbols on cylinder seals influenced those in proto-cuneiform had been previously proposed by scholars like Holly Pittman in a 1994 book chapter at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, with further developments in subsequent publications (link to publication). Pittman expressed satisfaction with the increasing recognition of her ideas among newer scholars with expertise in cuneiform.
“There seems to be a compelling correlation in the specific examples described in this article,” remarked Richardson. She cited her own research findings on the use of cylinder seals in recording interactions between cities.
This does not undermine the potential role of tokens. Richardson noted that there are still valid arguments suggesting the foundational importance of tokens, particularly in the development of counting systems.
If proto-cuneiform indeed originated from a mix of sources like tokens and cylinder seals, it sheds light on the diverse origins of this writing system. Ferrara pointed out that the evidence supports the argument that writing invention in Mesopotamia was more widespread and decentralized than previously thought. While the elites in the metropolis of Uruk played a crucial role, other administrators, as well as merchants scattered throughout the region, might have also contributed. “There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a broader and diversified impetus for the development of writing,” she added.
Initially, writing served administrative purposes rather than narrative ones. Richardson commented, “Early written records were primarily focused on organizing materials, goods, people, and things, aiming to establish social systems.”
Looking for information on the most dangerous cities in America? With thousands of cities and millions of people living in close quarters, there are bound to be areas with high crime rates. The FBI has compiled data tracking the most dangerous cities in America and has ranked the top 11 worst cities for crime based on serious felonies per 100,000 people in a year. These felonies include murder, manslaughter, assault, robbery, and other serious crimes. While some numbers may seem alarming, overall crime rates in the United States have been decreasing in recent years.
11. San Bernardino, California
Aerial view of a residential area in San Bernardino, California. Photo by Steve Proehl/Getty Images – Credit: Steve Proehl
San Bernardino, with a population of approximately 222,000, is California’s 18th largest city and one of the state’s oldest settlements. It’s known for its mining history and as the location of the first McDonald’s. In 2019, the city had a violent crime rate of 1,319 per 100,000 residents, with 46 people killed that year. Although crime numbers have since dropped, they remain above California’s average.
10. Indianapolis, Indiana
An aerial view of the downtown area of Indianapolis looking east-northeast. The Indiana State Capitol is visible in the foreground. Photo credit: TpsDave/Wikipedia
Indianapolis, known for the Indy 500 and its museums, also has a high violent crime rate, with 1,333.96 crimes per 100,000 people in 2019. Efforts like the Indiana Crime Gun Task Force aim to decrease violent crime rates and have shown some success in recent years.
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Monsoon season in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. This is the view from the Sandia Mountains at the Embud Canyon Trailhead. Photo by Mona Makela/Getty Images
Albuquerque, the most populous city in New Mexico, faces a violent crime rate of 1,369.14 felonies per 100,000 people. Efforts to combat this high crime rate include funding for law enforcement technology like gunshot recognition technology.
Police stand guard in front of a hotel ahead of the United Nations biodiversity conference COP16 to be held in Cali, Colombia on October 19th.
Fernando Vergara/AP/Alamy
Biodiversity loss is a crisis. And it's clearer than ever that the world isn't moving fast enough to solve it. Last weekend's COP16 summit in Cali, Colombia, collapsed in overtime, with too few countries present to agree on a global plan to halt the decline of nature.
“Unfortunately, too many countries and UN officials are working to address our species’ most pressing existential issues without the level of urgency and ambition needed to secure an outcome at COP16. “I came to Cali,” he says. Brian O'Donnell At the environmental advocacy group “Campaign for Nature.”
Signs of the lack of progress were evident from the start of the meeting, with nearly all countries demonstrating how far they have reached ambitious biodiversity targets set at COP15 two years ago, including protecting 30 percent of the planet's land. The deadline to submit a formal plan on how to achieve this was missed. Several more plans were brought forward during the two weeks of the summit, including plans from big countries like India and Argentina, but strategies for most countries have yet to be developed.
As COP16 began, it was clear that the world was not on track to achieve these goals. Since 2020, the area of Earth's land and oceans under formal protection has increased by just 0.5%, according to a UN report released during the summit. This is too slow a rate to protect 30 percent of the planet by the end of the decade.
And their protection is desperately needed. a report A report by the Zoological Society of London and the World Wildlife Fund released ahead of the summit found that vertebrate populations have declined by an average of 73 percent since 1970, and have increased by 4 percentage points since 2022. reportA report presented at a conference by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that 38 percent of the world's tree species are at risk of extinction.
Many low-income countries said a lack of financial resources prevented them from developing and submitting plans on time, let alone starting implementation. At COP16, high-income countries pledged a total of around $400 million to support these efforts, but funding remains billions of dollars short of the annual target of $20 billion pledged by 2025. .
Negotiations went into overtime early Saturday morning, with no clear plan to close the funding gap and monitor progress toward the goal left unresolved. As delegates left, the number of countries present fell below the minimum required for decision-making, and the meeting was adjourned without reaching a resolution. The topic will be taken up at an interim meeting to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2025.
“Nature is on life support and here in Cali, unless we reach a strong financial compromise, we risk collapse,” he says. Patricia Zurita At Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organization.
Although COP16's failure to change the direction of fiscal issues disappointed observers, one important agreement was reached at the meeting. It's an agreement on how to collect revenue from products developed using Earth's genetic data. Before the conference is adjourned, each country will require pharmaceutical and other biotech companies that use such “digital sequence information” to donate 0.1% of their revenue or 1% of their profits to the “Kali Fund” We agreed to ask. This fund will be used to protect the biodiversity that is the source of such genetic data.
The fact that the agreement, which took nearly a decade of negotiations and is voluntary and less comprehensive than the African Union and some low-income countries had hoped, means that individual countries and companies This means that it depends greatly on how you respond to the situation. But the United Nations estimates that the fund could raise up to $1 billion a year for biodiversity. “We may be able to get some, but it's nowhere near the scale and speed that is required,” said Pierre du Plessis, a longtime African Union negotiator. Ahead of the meeting, he claimed: new scientist The fund should be bigger.
Indigenous peoples also see a victory ahead of the conference's suspension, with the establishment of formal institutions that will give them a stronger voice in biodiversity negotiations.
However, the overall atmosphere was heavy. “The really disappointing thing about COP16 is that [debates on] “Digital sequence information sucks every last drop of energy and time,” he says. Amber Scholz At the Leibniz Institute DSMZ in Germany.
One reason for the apparent lack of urgency is that the world treats climate change and biodiversity loss as two separate problems. The annual global climate summit attracts more participants and far more attention than the biodiversity negotiations. While 154 people attended last year's climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, only six leaders attended COP16. This is a problem when the two issues are intertwined. Climate change is one of the main threats to biodiversity, and the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity often also have the greatest ability to store carbon.
“I think the most important thing we need is to change the persistent neglect of biodiversity, especially when compared to climate change,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the summit. mentioned in. “They are all interconnected and cannot be divided.”
Zinc nanoparticles, a common sunscreen ingredient, could help protect rice from heat-related stress, an increasingly common problem under climate change.
Zinc is known to play an important role in plant metabolism. Minerals in the form of salts are often added to the soil as fertilizer or sprayed on the leaves, but this is not very efficient. Another approach is to deliver zinc as particles smaller than 100 nanometers, which can pass through microscopic pores in leaves and accumulate within the plant.
Researchers have been investigating such nanoparticle carriers as a way to provide more nutrients to plants and help maintain crop yields while reducing environmental damage from excessive fertilizer use. Ta. now Hu Hong Researchers from China’s Nankai University tested how these zinc oxide nanoparticles affected crop performance under heat wave conditions.
They grew flowering rice in a greenhouse under normal conditions and a simulated heat wave in which temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius for six consecutive days. Some plants were sprayed with nanoparticles, while others were not treated at all.
When harvested, the average grain yield of plants treated with zinc nanoparticles was 22.1% higher than non-sprayed plants, and the rice also contained higher levels of nutrients. Zinc was also beneficial under heat wave conditions. In fact, in these cases, the difference in yield between treated and untreated plants was even greater.
Based on detailed measurements of nutrients in leaves, the researchers found that zinc boosts yields by fortifying enzymes involved in photosynthesis and antioxidants that protect plants from harmful molecules known as reactive oxygen species. It was concluded that it increased.
“Nanoscale micronutrients have great potential to increase climate resilience of crops through a number of unique mechanisms related to reactive oxygen species,” he says. jason white At the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
The researchers also found that rice treated with zinc nanoparticles retained a greater diversity of microorganisms living in the leaves, called the phyllosphere, which may contribute to improved growth. I discovered it.
Tests of zinc oxide nanoparticles on other crops such as pumpkin and alfalfa have also shown increased yields. But Hu says more research is needed to verify that this could benefit other crops.
The 7.2 million solar mass black hole, named LID-568, appears to be feeding on matter 40 times faster than the Eddington limit and is thought to have existed just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
An artist's impression of the accreting black hole LID-568 in the early universe. Image credit: NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / J. da Silva / M. Zamani.
eddington limit The maximum brightness a black hole can achieve is related to the rate at which a black hole can absorb matter, such that the inward gravitational force is balanced with the outward pressure generated from the heat of the compressed and falling matter. I will.
LID-568 appears to be feeding on matter at a rate 40 times faster than the Eddington limit.
This accreting black hole was detected by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope in a sample of galaxies from the COSMOS Legacy Survey of Chandra.
This galaxy population is very bright in the X-ray part of the spectrum, but invisible in the optical and near-infrared.
Webb's unique infrared sensitivity allows it to detect these weak corresponding emissions.
LID-568 stood out in the sample for its strong X-ray emissions, but its exact location could not be determined using X-ray observations alone.
So instead of using traditional slit spectroscopy, Webb's measurement support scientists suggested that the study authors use an integral field spectrometer. Web's NIRSpec (near infrared spectrometer) equipment.
“Due to its faint nature, detection of LID-568 would be impossible without Webb,” said Dr. Emanuele Farina, an astronomer at the International Gemini Observatory and NSF's NOIRLab.
“The use of an integral field spectrometer was innovative and necessary to obtain the observations.”
“This black hole is having a party,” said Dr. Julia Schallwechter, also of the International Gemini Observatory and NSF's NOIRLab.
“This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism that exceeds the Eddington limit is one possible explanation for why we see these extremely massive black holes in the early universe.”
These results provide new insights into the formation of supermassive black holes from smaller black hole “seeds.” Until now, theories have lacked observational support.
“The discovery of super-Eddington accretion black holes suggests that, regardless of the black hole's origin as a light or heavy seed, a significant portion of the mass growth can occur during a single episode of rapid feeding. “This suggests something,” said Dr. Hyewon Seo. Also provided by the International Gemini Observatory and NSF's NOIRLab.
“The discovery of LID-568 also shows that black holes can exceed the Eddington limit, giving astronomers the first opportunity to study how this happens,” the astronomers said. .
“The strong outflow observed on LID-568 may act as a release valve for excess energy generated by extreme accretion, preventing the system from becoming too unstable.”
“The team plans a follow-up study with Mr. Webb to further investigate the mechanisms involved.”
Their result Published in today's diary natural astronomy.
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Sue H others. A super-Eddington accretion black hole observed by JWST about 1.5 Gyr after the Big Bang. Nat Astronpublished online on November 4, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02402-9
This article is based on a press release provided by NSF's NOIRLab.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope took this photo of barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672, visible from the southern hemisphere.
This Hubble image shows NGC 1672, a barred spiral galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Sera. Color images were created from separate exposures taken in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum using Hubble’s Advanced Survey Camera (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Six filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: ESA / Hubble / NASA / O. Fox / L. Jenkins / S. Van Dijk / A. Filipenko / J. Li / PHANGS-HST Team / D. De Martin / M. Zamani.
NGC1672 is located approximately 49 million light-years away in the constellation Sera.
This galaxy, also known as ESO 118-43, IRAS 04449-5920, LEDA 15941, or VV 826, has a diameter of 75,000 light years.
it was discovered It was proposed by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on November 5, 1826.
NGC 1672 is a typical barred spiral galaxy, which differs from normal spiral galaxies in that its spiral arms do not twist all the way to the center.
Instead, they are attached to each end of the star’s straight rod that surrounds the core.
NGC 1672 is visible almost head-on and shows regions of intense star formation.
The highest concentrations of star-forming regions are near the edges of galaxies’ strong galactic bars.
NGC 1672 is Seyfert Galaxyis named after astronomer Carl Keenan Seifert, who extensively studied galaxies containing active nuclei in the 1940s. The energy output of these nuclei can exceed that of the host galaxy.
Active galaxies also include the exotically named quasars and blazars.
Each type has unique characteristics, and they are all thought to be powered by the same engine – a supermassive black hole – but seen from different angles.
“NGC 1672 is a versatile light show that showcases the impressive lights of a variety of celestial objects,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Like other spiral galaxies, its disk is filled with billions of bright stars, giving it a beautiful glow.”
“Along its two large arms, bubbles of hydrogen gas glow with a striking red light due to the powerful radiation of newly formed stars within.”
“There are some particularly spectacular stars near the center: newly formed, extremely hot stars that are embedded in a ring of hot gas and emit powerful X-rays,” the researchers said. added.
“And at its center lies an even brighter X-ray source, an active galactic nucleus produced by the heated accretion disk around NGC 1672’s supermassive black hole. This makes NGC 1672 a Seyfert galaxy. Masu.”
“But the highlight of the new photos is the most fleeting and ephemeral of these lights: supernovae. SN2017 GaxIt appears in only one of the six Hubble images that make up this composite image. ”
“this is Type I supernova Caused by the collapse of a core and the subsequent explosion of a giant star, it goes from invisible to new light in the sky in just a few days. ”
“In images taken later that year, the supernova was already fading, so it’s only visible here as a small green dot just below the bend of the spiral arm on the right.”
“In fact, this was intentional. We wanted to look for companion stars that the supernova progenitor might have had, something that would be impossible to find outside of a living supernova.”
For years, special mud has been rubbed onto baseballs before major league games to make them less slippery.
The story of mud dates back to the 1930s, and MLB still relies on one small supplier.
New research explains the science behind why mud works. Mud contains a perfect proportion of clay and sand.
For more than 80 years, baseball has relied on special mud stashes to remove the shine from the ball's smooth leather and give fielders a better grip. This substance is applied to all baseballs before major league games.
The mud, called “Lena Blackburn Baseball Rubbing Mud,” comes from a single source: a secret location on the banks of a tributary of the Delaware River. Jim Bintliff, a retired printing press operator in New Jersey, collects mud from his grandfather's old fishing pond about once a month. He likens its consistency after processing to “cold cream or hard pudding.”
Despite mud being ubiquitous, scientists have been unable to explain why mud makes gripping the ball easier, or even provide empirical evidence that mud actually works. Until now.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania designed a series of tests to study the mud and even created synthetic rubber “fingers” to measure its properties. their results are Published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesprovides the first published scientific evidence that the power of mud is more than a myth.
“It goes on like a face cream, but it grips like sandpaper. It has this magical ability,” said Doug Jeromack, a geophysicist at the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of the study. states.
The magic mud will be applied to all balls used in Major League Baseball, including this year's World Series.Mark Griffey/Penn Engineering
Jeromac's team found that the mud contains the perfect ratio of sticky clay and sand particles. The latter drives rivets into the surface of the ball like barnacles to increase friction, but the material still spreads thin and evenly like toothpaste.
“The harder you work, the better it flows,” Jeromac says.
The authors concluded that attempts to create synthetic alternatives to mud (something Major League Baseball has researched) are foolish.
“It's a very special combination of ingredients that nature creates that makes it work,” Jeromac said.
The death raised concerns about wild pitches and the danger of fresh, shiny baseballs slipping out of pitchers' hands. So in 1929, the National League president required umpires to dirty the ball to give it a better grip. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
However, finding a suitable substance proved difficult.
“They tried to use infield dirt, which scratched the leather too much. They tried shoe polish and cigarette spit. Those things made the ball too dark,” Bintliff said. .
Finally, in 1938, Philadelphia Athletics third base coach Lena Blackburn remembered the finely filtered dirt of her childhood in New Jersey. He returned to the source, collected it and began to apply it.
An undated photo shows Lena Blackburn Loving Mud's previous owner, Burns Bintliff, holding a can of mud.Lena Blackburn rubs mud
The mud was so popular that Blackburn set up a business to process and sell it. Eventually, he handed over the business to a childhood friend with whom he used to fish and swim, and his grandson Bintliff now runs the company with his wife.
Starting in 2022, MLB will require at least 156 balls to be prepared for each game, with at least 156 balls for each game. Scrub mud for 30 seconds within 3 hours.
Bintliff said MLB buys each team a bucket of mud for $100 each, adding two during the regular season and more during spring training. Some clubs, like the World Series champion Dodgers, are purchasing additional containers for their farm systems, he added.
“This mud acts as a super-fine abrasive, removing shiny coatings without damaging the leather or laces,” Bintliff said.
He collects the mud in 5-gallon buckets (usually about 10 to 20 buckets each time he visits the riverbank), drains the river in his garage, removes twigs and rocks, and uses tap water. plus processing. This process yields approximately 150 pounds of product on average.
Are there any special ingredients added?
“It's a proprietary part,” he said.
The scientists who studied the mud are not big baseball fans, but they became interested after conducting an informal analysis of the mud five years ago. Two students from Jeromac's lab then set out to prove whether the mud worked. They developed three important tests.
From left: University of Pennsylvania researchers Shravan Pradeep, Doug Jeromak, Paulo Arathia, and Chen Xiangyu.Felipe Masera/Penn Engineering
First, they used an atomic force microscope to analyze the adhesion, or stickiness, of the mud. Atomic force microscopy measures the resistance of the mud as the instrument is pulled away from it. Then, to understand how well the mud was flowing, the researchers placed the mud in a machine called a rheometer, which rotated the sample and measured its viscosity.
The third test estimated the friction between human skin and a baseball. The idea was to make a “finger'' out of synthetic rubber and apply a drop of whale oil instead of the oil secreted by human skin. The “finger” was pressed against a strip of leather baseball and rotated on the rheometer.
To test the properties of the magical mud, the group developed a custom-built device.Mark Griffey/Penn Engineering
Emanuela del Gado, director of Georgetown University's Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, said the properties uncovered in these tests are rare and sought after in cosmetics and other fields.
“Industry spends a lot of time tweaking formulations to get those properties,” said Del Gado, who was not involved in the research.
“Substances that are simple to us can be very complex, and they can tell us a lot,” she adds, adding that mud is a product of long cycles of flow, rainfall, and seasonal environmental changes. It was pointed out that it was formed by
These days, Bintliff's clients include college coaches, Little League umpires, and National Football League teams. He plans to pass the business on to one of his children.
So far, mud has withstood the new technologies competing to replace it.
The study authors recommended keeping the mud in place because of new evidence that confirms what baseball players intuited more than 80 years ago: “This works,” Jeromac said.
WAnthropomorphic squares have a strange but not undesirable presence. He lives in a spacious empty house, where Sam, the friendly local postman, regularly delivers tiled puzzles. A subscription that never expires. Wilmot unpacks each new shipment and scatters the pieces on the bare floor. Then shunt, grab, and rotate each piece to form a coherent picture. Each picture is drawn by British illustrator Richard Hogg. Once the matching pieces snap together and your artwork is complete, you can hang it on Wilmot’s big empty wall. As soon as one puzzle is completed, Sam arrives with another, and soon Wilmot’s walls are as cluttered and colorful as a search gallery.
Usually, when you finish a painting, some debris will remain, so identify these rogue debris, put them aside (you are free to organize the floor space according to your organization’s requirements) and move them back to their original location. Part of the challenge will be to bring it back to . Once you have all the necessary components. Eventually, you’ll be able to do several puzzles at once, each with varying degrees of completion. It’s this arrhythmia that gives the game its unique feel and makes it more than just a digital jigsaw simulator.
Postwoman Sam’s breezy dialogue tells a tender story through lively exchanges, adding a touch of human warmth to the relentless inscrutability. But as well as Witch Beam’s zen 2021 Bafta winner Unpacking, Willmott works fine. It’s almost a therapeutic approach. The puzzles are not difficult or complicated. Rather, it’s a slow, satisfying game that feels like untangling a complicated knot. This effect is calming, like a jigsaw, but there is a little more room for creative flair when it comes to placing artwork.
The universe has changed significantly in the 14 billion years since its creation. It was a dusty start, and all chemical elements were missing at that time. Stars form as the universe evolves, and astronomers classify them into three groups: population. The youngest, most metal-rich stars like the Sun are classified as Population I, while old, metal-poor stars are classified as Population II.
Astronomers also classify the oldest metal-free stars as Population III or pop. III. To date, no astronomer has discovered a Pop. III star due to their theoretical age being older than the Milky Way and other surrounding galaxies, requiring telescopes to explore extreme distances.
An international team of scientists proposed a new approach to searching for Pop. III stars by expanding the search to include supernova explosions, improving the odds of discovering these ancient stars.
The research team focused on a type of supernova explosion called a white dwarf reignited by injection of a substance, resulting in flare-ups like Type Ia supernova.
To test their hypothesis, astronomers used a stellar astrophysics experimental code module called mesa to conduct simulations. Through these simulations, they found that Pop. III stars could indeed produce type Ia supernovae, debunking previous doubts. They then estimated the frequency of these supernovae in observable regions of space.
Based on their calculations, scientists could expect to find up to two Pop. III Type Ia supernovae in a three-year mission covering 0.002% of the sky. They emphasized the need for telescopes like JWST, which can observe extreme distances of 24 billion light-years.
While their discovery relies on assumptions about unseen physics, the researchers believe that most distant supernovae come from ancient stars, potentially allowing us to witness events from billions of years ago.
Whether you're roasting a chicken in the oven, browning onions in a skillet, or choosing a spread for your toast, oil is at the heart of our culinary endeavors.
The choices are dizzying. Around 30 different oils are currently used in cooking, from sunflower to flaxseed, avocado to coconut. Deciding which one to use can have a big impact on your health, including your cholesterol, blood pressure, and risk of cardiovascular disease.
If the headlines are to be believed, palm oil is obsolete, sunflower oil is in limbo, and there seems to be no end to the benefits extra virgin olive oil can bring to our plates. But are these claims backed by solid science, and how do the health impacts of these products compare to their environmental costs?
Saturated or unsaturated?
First, let's talk about chemistry. Edible oil contains fat, which is made up of long chains of carbon atoms. Saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products are so named because each carbon atom is connected to the next carbon atom by a single bond. The remaining electrons of each carbon atom are available to form bonds with hydrogen atoms, and the molecule becomes completely “saturated” with this element. This structure makes these fats very hard and stable, which is why butter and lard are solid at room temperature.
Unsaturated fats, which are commonly found in plants and fatty fish, have at least one double bond between adjacent carbon atoms, which reduces the number of bonds.
Human contestants at the event, held in London near the Shard at the Times’ parent company News UK, were remarkably quick, swiftly filling in clues before moving on. Can AI outsmart us humans?
For now, humans still have the upper hand. Ross “surrendered” when Mark Goodliffe, the reigning champion, signaled the end of the battle.
Serial crossword solver Mark Goodliffe competing in the Sudoku Championship. Photo: Terry Pengilly
This was an unexpected turn of events. Ross must have figured it out…
1ac Completely disenfranchised MPs expelled by the Liberal Party (9)
… Replace MP in IMPLICITLY (a synonym for “absolutely” in the clue) with L ILLICITLY (“without authority”) in the solution. Some human contestants were still debating between adjective, adverb, or MP for the answer. Ross seems to “know” almost everything.
But here’s where Ross is stumped.
13th A fundamental review of motorsports image (9)
Radicals are sometimes portrayed as FIREBRAND, or as setters might say, F1 RE-BRAND. This clue stands out from the rest, almost like a joke. It’s a human touch that AI struggles with. The question remains, “Have we seen this before?”
Introducing the setter, Paul. Photo: John Halpern
This was a unique clue from the Times. It’s interesting how AI humorously confronted Paul, asking, “Picnicker, does that sound like art thieves?”
For now, that human connection from setters acknowledging, “Yes, I’ve been there,” is something we as humans need to appreciate.
Instead of identifying objects, online security could focus on deciphering cryptic clues with clever wordplay. Guardian setters are ready.
(Full disclosure: I was involved in testing some of the puzzles with an earlier version of Ross. I developed a fondness for Ross and was curious if clues allowed for multiple interpretations. Sometimes we use “he” for confirmation.)
Thank you to all the contributors at the clue conference for STOKES. The runner up had a clever clue involving “Runs!” leading to the England captain. The winning clue creatively used “Loads Tinder, fingers right Swipe to.”
Kudos to Danat. Share your entries below for the next challenge: How do you clue PUNNY?
TThe conveniences of modern life are incredible. Currently, my phone is wirelessly playing some of the greatest hits from the 1700s (like Bach) through a portable speaker. You can easily get a ride, order food to your doorstep, or start chatting on a dating app using the same device. To quote Arthur C. Clarke, for modern humans, this technology is third lawindistinguishable from magic.
It’s understandable that our culture seeks out and celebrates these shortcuts. They eliminate boredom, enhance fun, and save time and effort. However, it’s evident that convenience also has a downside.
Before discussing that, it’s crucial to understand why convenience is so attractive. We often resist doing what’s necessary for progress, whether it’s taxes, a pending report, or training. There’s a sense of inertia behind every well-meaning plan. Why is this resistance and the desire for comfort ingrained in us?
Insights from evolutionary psychology, specifically the concept of “evolutionary mismatch,” can provide clarity. Evolutionary mismatch suggests that we evolved for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle while our environment drastically changed, leaving our instincts out of sync with our surroundings.
Viewing the issue through this evolutionary lens makes sense of our tendency towards lethargy and seeking shortcuts. For early humans, food and energy were scarce and unreliable. Survival meant conserving energy wisely to tackle the challenges they faced.
In today’s world, technology has altered our environment to cater somewhat to our energy-conservation instinct. However, adopting trends that prioritize comfort and convenience may come at a cost. While innovations like washing machines and phones have enriched our lives, excessive convenience may pose challenges rather than easing them.
For instance, the increase in depression and anxiety linked to smartphones and social media is worrying. Also, metabolic issues from sedentary lifestyles and reliance on convenient but low-nutrient foods are on the rise. Loneliness levels have prompted the UK to appoint a ‘Minister for Loneliness’ in 2018, partly due to the technologies fostering such isolation.
Over-reliance on coping mechanisms can exacerbate problems they were meant to solve. Choosing comfort excessively can hinder our ability to face life’s challenges. Some discomfort is vital for our growth and survival, as evidenced by our ancestors’ ability to balance safety and risk intelligently.
Super-convenience has its allure, but it might also deplete us unknowingly, making it harder to achieve true success. Human flourishing hinges not just on survival but on growth, problem-solving, and unity in adversity.
Embracing life’s challenges is essential for personal development. While technology offers convenience, it’s crucial to recognize that overcoming obstacles and discomfort is part of our evolutionary heritage. This lesson is critical for the younger generation.
Dr. Alex Carmi is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and speaker. thinking mind Podcast.
Paleontologists have unearthed and examined the fossilized foot bones of a Phorsulaceae bird that lived in South America 12 million years ago.
model of parafisolnis At the Vienna Natural History Museum. Image credit: Armin Reindl / CC BY-SA 4.0.
Terrorbird is a member of Forsulaceae a family of large carnivorous flightless birds in the order Calliamales.
These extinct birds were very large, weighing up to 70 kg and measuring 0.9 to 2 m (3 to 6.6 ft) in height.
They had slender bodies and unique motor adaptations for moving around.
Their huge beaks and mechanical adaptations of the skull suggest that they were efficient predators.
They lived in South America during the Cenozoic era, but are also known from the Pliocene-Pleistocene of North America and the Eocene of Africa.
Phorsuracidae includes nearly 20 species in 14 genera and 5 subfamilies (Brontornithidae, Mesembriornithidae, Patagornithidae, Phorsuracidae, and Psilopterinidae).
The closest living relative is believed to be Selimas, the only survivor of the family. Cariamydae.
Dr. Siobhan Cooke, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: “Fearbirds lived on the ground, had limbs adapted for running, and fed primarily on other animals.”
The end of the left tibiotarsus of a fear bird found in Colombia's Tatacoa Desert. Image credit: Degrange others., doi: 10.1002/spp2.1601.
In the 2000s, fossilized leg bones of the feared bird were discovered in the fossil-rich area. Tatacoa desert In Colombia.
The fossil dates back to the Miocene epoch, about 12 million years ago, and is thought to be the northernmost evidence of a fear bird in South America to date.
“The size of the bones indicates that this fearsome bird may be the largest species identified to date, approximately 5-20% larger than any known Phorsulaceae.” said Dr. Cook.
“Previously discovered fossils indicate that the size of the feared bird species ranged from 0.9 to 2.7 meters (3 to 9 feet) tall.”
The fossil probably has tooth marks, such as: Purusaurusan extinct species of caiman thought to have been up to 9 meters (30 feet) long.
“Given the size of the crocodile 12 million years ago, we believe this fearsome bird may have died from its injuries,” Dr Cook said.
This fearsome bird also coexisted with primates, ungulate mammals, giant sloths, and glyptodonts, car-sized relatives of armadillos.
“This is a different kind of ecosystem than what we see today and what we saw in other parts of the world in the era before South and North America connected,” Dr. Cook said.
team's paper be published in a magazine paleontology papers.
_____
Federico Javier Desgrange others. 2024. A new species of gigantic fear bird (Caryamiformes, Phorsulaceae) from the mid-Miocene tropical environment of La Venta, northern South America. paleontology papers 10 (6): e1601;doi: 10.1002/spp2.1601
dog. Love them as much as you want, but you can't stop them from rampaging all kinds of mud, slugs, stones, non-existent homework, and yes, poop. But have you ever wondered why do they eat anything? For example, why do dogs eat grass?
I'm glad you asked. This canine conundrum has some interesting answers. Well, at least in theory. Canine neuroscience is a growing field of research, but scientists have yet to uncover the exact motivation behind this mysterious behavior.
Dr Emily Blackwell, lecturer in companion animal behavior and welfare at the University of Bristol, explains: “The few studies that have investigated this question are inconclusive.'' “There are many possible reasons for dog herding, and there is more than one correct answer.”
That being said, what are the valid explanations for why dogs eat grass? Here's everything you need to know.
Why do dogs eat grass?
First, it is thought that eating grass can be a sign of anxiety or conflict in dogs, perhaps suppressing the urge to perform another behavior.
“It could be migratory behavior, which is what happens when animals have conflicting motivations,” Blackwell explains. “It's like when we're sitting in the dentist's waiting room. We might really want to escape, so we do something else, like bite our nails, to relieve our anxiety.”
Read more about dogs:
However, for many dogs, eating grass can be a way to chase you for affection.
“If the owner responds to this behavior, the dog quickly learns that it's a good way to get attention,” Blackwell says.
“Admittedly, this is not one of the most common attention-seeking behaviors, but it can develop for that reason. And if they don't get a response from you, they'll look elsewhere.” They may just be grazing because they don't have much to do.”
But what if your dog is feasting on your front lawn when you're not around? Surely that's not howling for attention, right? In fact, it could be because your dog is trying to supplement his diet.
“Some people have theorized that dogs do this to get more fiber in their diets,” Blackwell says. “But this is just a theory; it has not been tested whether dogs with less fiber are more likely to eat grass.”
Most dogs do not get sick from eating grass. – Photo credit: Getty
What about the most worrying possibility? Is your pup guzzling grass with an upset stomach?Again, potentially. After all, there's a theory that wolves also eat grass to get rid of parasites in their intestines.
But grass is unlikely cause Your dog gets sick. One 2008 study found that while 68% of dogs ate grass regularly; Only 22 percent of them subsequently become ill.. All in all, there's a pretty good chance you'll never have to remove dog vomit from your lawn.
And what if they were sick? Well, be thankful they didn't eat something even worse…
Why do dogs eat poop?
We are all friends here. It's okay to admit that you've seen your dog eat its own poop or the poop of other animals.
Fortunately, Blackwell says feces are unlikely to harm puppies unless they come from an animal with a serious illness.
But, unfortunately, just like with grass, we don't know exactly why dogs want to crawl into feces. However, dog behavior experts believe that doo-doo dining may be due to a dog's curiosity at a young age.
“Puppies are naturally exploratory and will taste everything,” Blackwell says. “Puppies don't find the taste or smell of feces as unpleasant as we do.”
But even if the taste isn't the selling point, you can inadvertently encourage your dog to eat feces when you're trying to prevent the behavior itself.
“Usually, this behavior results in the dog owner running up to the fecal area during a walk and trying to get there first to stop the dog. However, this is a signal that the fecal matter is important to the owner. “And that may make the dog more determined to get there before the owner.”
“So many dogs actually eat poop because it's mostly trained by their owners. It's all about how you react.”
Bottom line: If you spot an unsuspecting number two while walking in the park, the most important reaction is not to rush towards him. Especially if you don't have a dog (which will look really weird).
About Dr. Emily Blackwell
Dr. Emily Blackwell He is a Senior Lecturer in Animal Behavior and Welfare at the University of Bristol. Much of her research focuses on why our animals behave the way they do and how to improve their lives.
There is a common misconception that mucus and phlegm are harmful to the body and should be expelled. However, mucus actually serves as a protective barrier between our body and the outside world.
Just like flypaper, mucus covers the moist surfaces of our nose, sinuses, and lungs to filter out harmful substances we inhale. It consists mostly of water along with proteins, sugars, and molecules that help control harmful bacteria. Therefore, there is no need to get rid of it as it forms a protective layer.
We constantly produce mucus, but it goes unnoticed most of the time. Microscopic hairs called cilia push it back into the throat, and we unconsciously swallow it. Only when excess mucus is produced during illness does it become more noticeable.
When we are sick, the mucus becomes thicker and stickier, but it still plays an essential role in trapping bacteria, viruses, and cells involved in the immune response. So, it is generally best to let the mucus do its job without interfering.
While removing mucus may not provide immediate relief, excess mucus can be uncomfortable. Maintaining moist air, using saline irrigation, gargling with salt water, and staying hydrated can all be beneficial. Nasal decongestants from pharmacies can also help, but should not be used for more than a week to avoid worsening nasal congestion.
In conclusion, there is no need to remove mucus, and doing so will not speed up recovery. However, if it makes you feel better, there is no harm in clearing it.
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Asked by: Daniel Grant, Sunderland
To submit a question, please email questions@sciencefocus.com (remember to include your name and location)
As natural disasters increase in frequency and severity, FEMA and NOAA are becoming politicized. Their future hangs in the balance of elections.
Project 2025, a conservative policy roadmap, recommends “breaking up and downsizing” NOAA and shifting much of the burden of disaster recovery from FEMA.
Experts and current and former officials said the changes could make the U.S. more vulnerable to extreme weather events.
With the close 2024 election just days away, the future of federal agencies responsible for weather forecasting, climate change research and disaster recovery is at stake.
These agencies, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), have become increasingly politicized in recent years, despite a history of conflict. But natural disasters caused by climate change are now hitting the United States on a regular basis, with 24 weather events already occurring this year. Each caused at least $1 billion in damage — Government agencies are taking on a bigger role. As a result, it has become a target for some conservatives who are skeptical about climate change and want to cut government spending.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised deep cuts to the federal budget, and one of his most vocal allies, Elon Musk, said last week: He will cut at least $2 trillion Those who served in the second Trump administration will be exempt from the budget. project 2025A 922-page conservative policy roadmap compiled by the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, recommends “dismantling and downsizing” NOAA and zeroing in on FEMA, which would shoulder much of the financial burden of disaster recovery. This suggests that the transfer will be made. to state and local governments;
If that happens, it could dramatically change the way disaster relief is provided in the United States.
Craig Fugate, who served as FEMA administrator under the Obama administration, said it has become “almost inconceivable that states will be able to recover without a lengthy and costly recovery period drawn from state and local budgets.” .
It's not entirely clear what a second Trump administration means for FEMA and NOAA. President Trump has publicly distanced himself from Project 2025, even though many of its authors were his advisers. “Project 2025 has nothing to do with President Trump or the Trump campaign,” Trump campaign officials said in an email to NBC News. “It's not the organization or its former staff.” The campaign did not respond to additional questions about the plan from NOAA and FEMA.
FEMA has already come under scrutiny and criticism from some Republican leaders in the wake of Hurricanes Helen and Milton. Mr. Trump and several other prominent Republicans even pushed false claims that FEMA funds were illegally flowing to U.S. immigrants. At the same time, rampant misinformation about the two storms made meteorologists the target of threats, even though their predictions were surprisingly accurate.
Because NOAA oversees the National Weather Service, these forecasts may no longer be freely available to the public or state governments if the Project 2025 recommendations are implemented.
Academics and current and former officials said in interviews that even an agenda based in part on a conservative roadmap would make the U.S. an outlier in a world where large-scale disasters are already intensifying and becoming more serious. He said it could make them more vulnerable to weather. frequently.
Currently, FEMA aid covers at least 75% of the cost of major disasters, but Project 2025's proposal would reduce that percentage to just 25%.
Restrictions on relief supplies could turn some communities into ghost towns, said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (Fla.), who served as Florida Emergency Management Director from 2019 to 2021 under Gov. Ron DeSantis. He said that there is a sex. He cited Hurricane Michael, which hit Florida as a Category 5 storm in 2018.
“These areas would not have recovered without the federal government stepping in and paying for the response and recovery efforts,” Moskowitz said.
He added that the hardest-hit areas that benefited the most from federal aid “voted for Donald Trump, voted for Rick Scott, voted for Ron DeSantis.”
Since Hurricanes Helen and Milton, the federal government has approved more than $1.2 billion in aid for recovery efforts. According to FEMA. This includes more than $185 million in assistance to 116,000 households in North Carolina and more than $413 million in assistance to more than 125,000 households in Florida, where both storms made landfall.
A home destroyed by Hurricane Milton on Thursday, October 10, 2024, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg – Getty Images File
If Project 2025's proposals had been implemented during Helen's time frame, “more lives would have been lost, the response would have been much slower, and there would have been little financial assistance to help communities rebuild.” '' Fugate said.
Project 2025 recommends that NOAA be “disbanded, many of its functions eliminated, transferred to other agencies, privatized, or placed under state and territory control.”
Matthew Saunders, acting deputy director of Stanford University's Environmental Law Clinic, said privatizing weather forecasting could lead to a decline in the quality of forecasts by putting corporate profits ahead of providing robust public services. He said there is.
“A neutral, centralized government agency has an important role to play here that private industry cannot or will not play,” Sanders said.
Matthew Burgess, an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming's School of Business, said privatizing weather forecasting gives states and local governments with more resources access to higher quality forecasts, while leaving municipalities with fewer resources left behind. He said that a situation could arise. dark. Or areas with a higher risk of hurricanes or tornadoes may have to pay more for their predictions, he said.
“Right now, the state of Florida gets hurricane forecasts free of charge from the federal government,” Burgess said. “If you privatize it, the private sector will probably operate more efficiently on average, but will that be offset by price gouging incentives? Because basically, when a hurricane hits, , because we really need that forecast and will pay whatever they charge.”
The Heritage Foundation said in a statement: “Project 2025 is not calling for the abolition of NOAA or NWS. That claim is false and ridiculous.”
“There is a difference between privatization and commercialization,” the statement added. “Using commercially available products to provide better outcomes for taxpayers at a lower cost is nothing new.”
In addition to proposals for specific agencies, Project 2025 also calls for disbanding federal climate change research. But understanding the effects of climate change is an essential part of predicting storms in particular. That's because as the ocean warms, hurricanes strengthen more quickly, and as the atmosphere warms, they can produce more rain.
“That's why everyone wakes up every day to come out here and do research and prepare people to make decisions that matter to them and their families,” said Dena Karlis, NOAA's National Severe Storm Preparedness Director. he said. Laboratory.
Fugate said ending climate research would make the United States even more vulnerable to its effects.
“Just because you don't like the answer doesn't mean the information isn't important,” he says. “If we ignore what's coming, how can we prepare for it?”
Sanders said deep cuts to research, weather and disaster agencies could further erode trust at a time when trust in government agencies is growing.
“Climate change, like most environmental issues, is a very unique problem in that it does not respect our political boundaries or our state boundaries,” he said. “We need a centralized federal agency to respond to climate change, an agency that can respond at scale to large and significant multi-state disasters.”
Gender plays a significant role in determining where fat is stored in the body. Men tend to store fat around their abdomen, while women tend to store fat in their thighs, buttocks, and hips.
“From a childbirth and childcare perspective, pregnancy and subsequent breastfeeding consume energy, so storing energy in these areas is very helpful,” explains Dr. Adam Collins, Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Surrey. Hormonal differences also play a role in fat storage.
Estrogen, a female hormone, is believed to play a key role in determining body fat distribution, particularly in women.
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Premenopausal women with higher estrogen levels are less likely to store fat in the abdomen and near vital organs. This may offer some protection from conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. However, men are more susceptible to developing these conditions earlier in life.
After menopause, women experience a decline in estrogen levels, leading to a shift towards the typical male fat distribution pattern.
Genetics also play a role in determining fat distribution, particularly in women. Studies have shown that genetic influences on fat distribution are stronger in women compared to men.
Stress and cortisol levels may also impact fat storage, with some studies suggesting a link between elevated cortisol levels and abdominal fat. However, the exact mechanisms involved are not fully understood.
Recent research indicates that poor quality sleep may affect body fat composition, with lower quality sleep potentially leading to increased abdominal fat accumulation. However, more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.
The type of fat present in the body also plays a crucial role in determining overall health. Subcutaneous fat lies just under the skin and provides a store of energy, while visceral fat accumulates deep in the abdomen and around vital organs, posing health risks.
Lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, can influence body fat levels and distribution. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a balanced diet, can help in controlling overall fat levels and reducing the risk of metabolic problems.
What types of fat are present in my body?
Lifestyle factors such as exercise and diet can influence body fat levels. – Photo credit: Getty Images
There are two main types of body fat: subcutaneous fat, which lies just under the skin, and visceral fat, which accumulates deep in the abdomen and around organs. Excess body fat is more likely to be stored as visceral fat.
Reducing overall fat levels through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise can help in controlling deep visceral fat levels and reducing the risk of metabolic problems.
About our experts
Dr. Adam Collins is an Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Surrey with over 20 years of experience as a qualified dietitian. His work has been published in various journals.
fredric calpe is a Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Oxford, with publications in reputable journals.
Two Microsoft employees, recently terminated for organizing a vigil in memory of slain Palestinians in Gaza, allege that their dismissal was a form of retaliation by the company for their pro-Palestinian stance.
Abd Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist, along with Hossam Nasr, a software engineer, orchestrated the vigil outside Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington headquarters on October 24th, only to be fired later that evening.
Nasr voiced, “Microsoft caved to internal and external pressures to retaliate by terminating my employment and shutting down events. It wasn’t due to policy infractions, but simply because we dared to humanize Palestinians and challenge Microsoft’s association with a military accused of genocide.” Nasr’s show of support for Palestine has garnered attention on social media and employee communication platforms within Microsoft.
Both individuals were part of No Azure for Apartheid, a group within Microsoft advocating against the sale of the company’s cloud computing technology to Israel.
The group is urging Microsoft to terminate all Azure contracts and partnerships with Israel, demand a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict, and uphold the freedom of speech for employees.
Microsoft refuted claims that the dismissals were related to activism. A company spokesperson emphasized the importance of maintaining a professional work environment while ensuring compliance with policy and behavioral expectations.
Mohamed and Nasr contest the notion that the vigil was disruptive or violated Microsoft’s policies. They assert that the event was conducted to raise funds for humanitarian efforts in Gaza and followed standard procedures for employee charity events.
More than 200 employees participated in the vigil, either in person or virtually, as reported by There is no azure in apartheid.
Nasr and Mohamed maintain that they had engaged with Microsoft beforehand to address any concerns about the vigil, which was an act of remembrance for Palestinian lives lost in the conflict and to spotlight Microsoft’s ties with Israel.
At the time, Nasr received a call from Microsoft at 9 p.m. on October 24, although groups had announced his termination on social media earlier.
The No Azure for Apartheid group views the terminations as retaliatory and accuses Microsoft of intimidating Palestinian voices. They seek reinstatement and clarification on the premature disclosure of the dismissals.
Does aspartame cause cancer? The possible cancer-causing effects of popular artificial sweeteners, added to everything from soft drinks to pediatric medicines, have been debated for decades. Its approval in the US was controversial in 1974, some British supermarkets banned its use from their products in the 2000s, and peer-reviewed academic studies have long been at odds. Last year, the World Health Organization said that aspartame is possibly carcinogenic. On the other hand, public health regulators suggest that it is safe to take in commonly used small doses.
While many of us may try to resolve our questions with a simple Google search, this is exactly the kind of controversial discussion that could cause problems for the future of the Internet.
Generative AI chatbots have developed rapidly in recent years, with technology companies quickly touting them as a utopian alternative to a variety of jobs and services, including internet search engines. The idea is that instead of scrolling through a list of web pages to find the answer to a question, an AI chatbot can scour the internet, look up relevant information and compile a short answer to the query. Google and Microsoft are betting big on this idea, already bringing AI-generated summaries to Google Search and Bing.
However, being touted as a more convenient way to find information online has prompted scrutiny of where and how these chatbots choose the information they provide. Looking at the evidence that large-scale language models (LLMs, the engines on which chatbots are built) are the most convincing, three computer science researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, say that current chatbots are found to be overly reliant on superficial relevance of information. They ignore text that includes relevant technical terms and related keywords, while ignoring other features they typically use to assess trustworthiness, such as the inclusion of scientific references and objective language free of personal bias.
Online content can be displayed in a way that increases visibility to the chatbot, making it more likely to appear in the chatbot’s output. For the simplest queries, such selection criteria will provide a sufficient answer. But what a chatbot should do in more complex discussions, such as the debate over aspartame, is less clear.
“Do we want them to simply summarize the search results, or do we want them to function as mini-research assistants who weigh all the evidence and provide a final answer?” asks undergraduate researcher and co-investigator Alexander Wang, author of the study. The latter option provides maximum convenience, but the criteria by which the chatbot selects information becomes even more important. And if one could somehow game those standards, can we guarantee the information chatbots put in front of billions of internet users?
It’s a problem plaguing animation companies, content creators, and others who want to control how they are seen online, and an emerging industry of marketing agencies offering a service known as generative engine optimization (GEO) has caused it. The idea is that online content can be created and displayed in a way that increases its visibility to the chatbot, making it more likely to appear in the chatbot’s output. The benefits are obvious.
The basic principle is similar to search engine optimization (SEO). This is a common technique for building and writing web pages to attract the attention of search engine algorithms, pushing them to the top of the list of results returned when you search on Google or Bing. GEO and SEO share some basic techniques, and websites that are already optimized for search engines are generally more likely to appear in chatbot output.
But those who really want to improve their AI visibility need to think more holistically. “Rankings on AI search engines and LLMs require features and mentions on relevant third-party websites, such as press outlets, articles, forums, and industry publications,” says Viola Eva, founder of marketing firm Flow Agency, incorporating her SEO expertise into GEO.
Chatbots for games are possible, but not easy. And while website owners and content creators have derived an evolving list of SEO do’s and don’ts over the past two decades, there are no clearer rules for working with AI models.
Researchers have demonstrated that chatbots can be controlled tactically through carefully written text strings. So if you want to get a better grip on chatbots, you might want to consider a more hacky approach, like the one discovered by two Harvard computer science researchers. They have proven how chatbots can be tactically controlled by introducing something as simple as a carefully written text string. This “strategic text sequence” looks like a meaningless series of characters, but is actually a subtle command that forces the chatbot to generate a specific response.
Current search engines and the practices surrounding them are not without their own problems. SEO involves some of the most hostile practices for readers on the modern internet. Blogs create a large number of nearly duplicate articles targeting the same high traffic queries. Text tailored to get the attention of Google’s algorithms rather than the reader.
An internet dominated by obedient chatbots raises questions of a more existential kind. When you ask a search engine a question, it returns a long list of web pages. In contrast, chatbots only refer to four or five websites for information.
“For the reader, seeing the chatbot’s response also increases the possibility of interaction,” says Wang. This kind of thinking points to a broader concern called the “direct answer dilemma.” For Google, the company integrated AI-generated summaries into its search engine with a bold slogan: “Let Google do the searching.” But if you’re the type of internet user who wants to make sure you’re getting the most unbiased, accurate, and useful information, you might not want to leave your search in the hands of such susceptible AI.
Early November is the perfect time for sky-gazing, with three active meteor showers giving you the chance to see shooting stars lighting up the night sky.
The Southern Taurid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight Monday through Tuesday. The Taurid meteor shower, which is a week away, is predicted to peak between November 11th and 12th. Both meteor showers tend to produce about five slow-moving meteors per hour under clear and dark skies, and even more on days when the two coincide. According to the American Meteor Society.
At the same time, the last Orionid meteor shower should still be visible following its peak on October 20th. The Orionids meteor shower appears to be streaming out of the constellation Orion and can be seen until November 22nd. According to EarthSkya website dedicated to skywatching and astronomy.
On the other hand, the Southern Taurids and Northern Taurid meteor showers are both long-lasting meteor showers, and their peaks are not as obvious as other shooting star shows. The two showers tend to be consistently visible in September, October, and November (weather permitting), but early November is usually the easiest time to spot them.
The Taurid meteor shower gets its name from the appearance of shooting stars coming from a point in the sky in the constellation Taurus. Taurid meteors can be seen from almost anywhere on Earth except the South Pole.
The best chance to see the Taurid meteor shower, According to EarthSkywill likely be around midnight on November 5, when bright moonlight will not wash out the shooting stars. After midnight, Taurus will reach its highest point in the sky, increasing your chances of seeing shooting stars.
In addition to regular shooting stars, Taurid meteors tend to produce very bright and sometimes colorful meteors known as “fireballs.”
As with any sky watching event, it's best to choose a viewing location well away from street lights and other light pollution.
Even if you miss Taurus during the first two weeks of November, you can still see it any time it's on the horizon this month.
By the middle of this month, yet another meteor shower, the Leonids, is expected to occur.
The annual Leonid meteor shower will peak from late November 17th until the early hours of November 18th. Although not the most active meteor shower of the year, the Leonids can produce up to 15 shooting stars per hour under clear conditions.
Meteors can be seen in both the northern and southern hemispheres and often appear to stream out of the constellation Leo in all directions.
Leonids are usually bright, fast-moving meteors, and the shooting stars can appear colorful. According to NASA.
Meteors, or shooting stars, occur when tiny pieces of space debris burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Orionid, Taurud, and Leonid meteors are all produced when a planet passes through a cloud of dust particles and debris left behind by a comet.
Poisonous spiders are known as some of the deadliest and most dangerous creatures in the world. They are the stuff of nightmares and horror movies, famous for their ability to paralyze and subdue their prey while still alive.
While most spiders have venom glands, only some pose a threat to humans. Certain species can cause pain and discomfort similar to bee or wasp stings, while others can be more severe.
If you are unfortunate enough to be bitten, seeking medical advice and treatment is recommended.
Here are the top 10 deadliest and most venomous spiders to be aware of:
10 – Mouse Spider
Eastern mouse spider (Missulena bradleyi) photographed in Brisbane, Australia. Photo by Robert White/Wikipedia Commons
Mouse spiders, despite their name, do not actually eat mice. They are named for their underground burrowing habits rather than their prey.
While their venom can cause headaches and numbness, mouse spiders are not typically aggressive, and there is generally no cause for alarm despite their intimidating appearance.
9 – Lycosa Tarantula Spider
Portrait of a spider wolf (Lycosa tarantula) taken in a field. Photo credit: Getty Images
The tarantula spider wolf is nocturnal and has excellent eyesight. While they may appear intimidating, they are rarely aggressive towards humans, and their venom is not highly dangerous.
8 – Bulbul Spider
Female adult brown widow (Latrodectus geometaus) on her web. Photo credit: Getty Images
Bulbul spiders, with their distinctive markings, are found worldwide. While their bites can cause pain and symptoms like vomiting, they are not as dangerous as some other species.
7 – White-Tailed Spider
The white-tailed spider (Lampona cylindrata) lives in southern and eastern Australia. Photo credit: Getty Images
White-tailed spiders prey on other spiders and can cause nausea and headaches if they bite humans. They are often found hiding in clothing and shoes.
6 – Minami Microcrystal Spider
A female black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) hangs upside down in its nest, displaying its distinctive red hourglass pattern. Photo credit: Getty Images
Black widow spiders are known for their venomous bites, but they only bite when threatened. While their venom can be harmful, serious illness or death is rare.
5 – Redback Spider
Australian redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) on red soil. Photo credit: Getty Images
Redback spiders are known for their painful bites, which can cause headaches and nausea. They are commonly found indoors.
4 – Brown Recluse Spider
Front view of the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa). Photo credit: Insects Unlocked/Wiki Commons
Brown recluse spiders are shy and typically avoid humans. Their bites can be painful and may cause vomiting or fever.
3 – Chilean Spider
An immature male brown spider (Loxosceles laeta) photographed at the Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki. Photo credit: S Siltane/Wiki Commons
The Chilean spider can cause severe tissue damage and scarring with its bites. In rare cases, it may lead to kidney failure or death.
2 – Brazilian Wandering Spider
A Brazilian wandering or banana spider (Phoneutoria spp.) photographed in the Tambopata Nature Reserve in the Madre de Dios region, Peru. Photo credit: Getty Images
The Brazilian wandering spider is large and venomous, with a bite that can cause various symptoms including paralysis, respiratory arrest, and even death if untreated.
1 – Australian Funnel Web Spider
A poisonous Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robotus) showing its fangs. Photo credit: Getty Images
The Australian funnel-web spider is incredibly venomous and aggressive. Their bites can lead to serious illness or death, particularly in children.
“What a privilege to be able to run in the rain. What a privilege to have a house to clean.” Social media is often criticized for its toxicity, but a new trend is emerging that embraces gratitude.
Posts titled “What a privilege” feature images of everyday activities such as cozy beds (being tired after a long day), travel videos (carrying heavy luggage), and even mundane tasks like cooking dinner. This trend has gained attention on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Screenshot from @tanyaloucas Photo: TikTok
While not as widespread as previous trends, Gratitude 2.0 is gaining popularity with some posts receiving over 200,000 likes. This trend celebrates both simple and luxurious experiences, from commuting to shopping for designer items.
According to lexicographer Tony Thorne, this trend originated from American evangelicals and lifestyle influencers expressing gratitude. It may come across as self-satisfactory and humbly boastful, but it aims to ground people in reality and away from the virtual world created by social media.
Screenshot from @tanyaloucas Photo: TikTok
Rukiat Ashawe, a junior strategist at Digital Fairy, believes that highlighting ordinary aspects of life resonates well with audiences online. By showcasing the everyday, this trend aims to shift focus from idealized virtual realities to genuine experiences.
Is the internet reshaping the concept of privilege? According to Thorne, platforms like TikTok add nuance to the word and turn it into a powerful symbol that taps into specific moods and attitudes.
What might the future look like in a world without men? Recent studies indicate that the Y chromosome, a crucial factor in determining male identity, is experiencing malfunctioning.
The Y chromosome has already undergone significant degeneration and could potentially vanish entirely. But what implications would this disappearance have?
Could new sexes emerge? Or could the male species face extinction? Renowned Australian geneticist Jenny Graves, an expert on the Y chromosome, sheds light on these developments.
Why is the Y chromosome disappearing?
First, let’s revisit the concept of sex chromosomes. Women typically have two X chromosomes, while men possess one X and one Y chromosome.
These chromosome pairs, which account for about 4% of an individual’s DNA, play a vital role in determining sex.
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“Chromosomes typically occur in pairs, with men and women sharing the same sex pairs. Women have two large X chromosomes, whereas men have one X and one Y,” explains Graves.
“In comparison to the X chromosome, the Y chromosome is relatively small, containing only 45 genes, with one gene determining maleness and several others involved in sperm production. The remaining genes serve uncertain purposes. By contrast, the X chromosome contains 900-1400 genes.
Originally, the Y chromosome had over 900 genes similar to the X chromosome. Presently, only 45 genes remain. These sex chromosomes evolved from identical non-gender-associated chromosomes, rendering much of their current makeup functionally redundant.
The degeneration of the Y chromosome is not unique to humans; it also occurs in other species. For instance, fruit flies have lost the majority of their Y chromosomes.
“The loss of the Y chromosome seems to stem from a couple of factors. The Y chromosome is exclusively present in the testes, never in the ovaries; thus, it is constantly exposed to mutations during sperm production,” explains Graves.
“Sperm production involves numerous cell divisions, each susceptible to mutations that can substantially affect the chromosomes. Moreover, the Y chromosome cannot engage in genetic exchange, hindering its ability to repair mutations effectively.”
Most chromosomes repair mutations by exchanging DNA with their counterpart chromosome, a process known as recombination. However, the Y chromosome, inherited singly unlike the dual X chromosomes in women, lacks this mechanism for genetic exchange.
What does this mean for the future of the male species?
Compared to its original state, the human Y chromosome has lost 97% of ancestral genes, while the X chromosome remains relatively intact.
What are the implications of this rapid degeneration for the male species? Are we on the verge of a world devoid of human males?
“When I mention rapid degeneration, I refer to an evolutionary timeframe. Sex chromosomes have undergone roughly 180 million years of evolution in mammals. It took this long for the Y chromosome to erode to its current state,” notes Graves.
“The impending loss of the Y chromosome has stirred concern in some quarters. A rough estimate suggests it might take another six or seven million years before the chromosome completely disappears.”
Unless global billionaires achieve immortality breakthroughs, humans may never witness the initial stages of Y chromosome degradation. But hypothetically, what might this development entail?
While some species can reproduce through parthenogenesis (unfertilized egg development), humans require sperm-bearing genes for optimal functioning. These genomically imprinted genes necessitate male involvement for reproduction. However, viable alternatives exist.
“Evolving new sex-determining genes could pave the way, as seen in certain rodent species like the eastern European mole rat and Japanese spiny rat, which lack a Y chromosome entirely. These rodents adapted by relocating crucial Y chromosome genes to other chromosomes.”
Although successful in rodents, this strategy may not yield the same results in humans. While creating new sex genes is feasible, the ensuing clash between old and new genes poses uncertainties.
“This gene conflict scenario could potentially lead to divergent sex-determining systems across human populations,” Graves explains. At present, these speculations predominate. While the Y chromosome’s deterioration is evident, the future outcomes remain uncertain, encompassing the possibility of evolutionary changes resulting in new sexes.
Given the Y chromosome’s peculiarities and the substantial human population, Graves suggests that an individual born without a Y chromosome might already exist somewhere in the world, broaching intriguing evolutionary prospects.
About our expert Jenny Graves
Jenny Graves is a geneticist and professor at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences. She has authored over 430 articles and four books on genetics, establishing herself as a leading authority on human evolution and the evolving landscape of the Y chromosome.
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