Harold Halibut: A Whimsical Puppet Adventure Game with Breathtaking Visuals in the Style of Wes Anderson meets Aardman

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

TTick, tick. In the dripping confines of Fedora 1, an aquatic space colony with an exquisite retro-futuristic design, it is time, not water, that exerts undeniable pressure on its inhabitants. A cataclysmic meteor looms on the horizon, threatening to wipe them out. But these endearingly eccentric characters, including the titular Harold, are in no hurry for anyone, preferring to spend their days wandering down the barrel of cosmic disaster.

It’s no surprise that a leisurely-paced adventure game like Harold Halibut was created by a team that takes a similarly slow approach to time. It’s been 14 years since game director Onat Hekimoglu came up with his first idea for his game while studying for his master’s degree in his lab in Cologne. At the time, it was a weird point-and-click adventure with pristine stop-motion visuals. Elements of that version still exist today, with the main character, Harold, a melancholy caretaker who spends his days looking out to sea. But over the years, the game has become more mechanically sophisticated, narratively expansive, and visually beautiful.

Well, Harold Halibut is a wonderful blend of analog and virtual, with so much tactility and convincing textures that you find yourself reaching for the screen at various points while playing the game. You may want to physically touch them.

…

Hekimoglu, who studied film before video games, notes this eerie quality, saying Harold Halibut is a game with “stylized” visuals that paradoxically seem “photorealistic.” Masu. Establishing the aesthetic took two years of intensive experimentation. Initially, it was a true stop-motion game made of puppets, with every frame painstakingly recorded on camera. However, Hekimoglu said, “Having his 2D sprite of his character stop motion on top of a beautifully lit photographic background didn’t feel right. There was no sense of unity. “. So his small team of four from his two studios in Cologne turned to this approach: The finished game, which involves manipulating figures around a complex virtual playset, feels as if it was created by Wes Anderson running wild at Aardman Animations. Art director Ole Tillman, who studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design before working at Disney, finds great joy in making dolls, rebuilding “broken connections from childhood” in the process. did. Simply placing a puppet in a room while devising a story allowed the imaginations of Tillman, Hekimogul, and studio co-founders Fabian Prusov and Daniel Beckman to stretch in unexpected directions.

Like classic sci-fi films like Solaris, the game’s drama unfolds on a macrocosmic and microcosmic scale, delving into the inner lives of its eccentric cast as they ponder the universe’s biggest questions. . In one sequence, Harold cries out as he cleans a giant filtration pump, and in that moment he transforms from a man who does a boring job without complaining to a man with long-repressed emotions. You can see it changing. This sweet and tender scene sets up the rest of the game. Harold searches for the meaning of his life in a surprisingly cozy corner of the universe.

Create an action figure around a complex virtual playset…Harold Halibut.
Photo: Slow Brothers

As development progressed, the technology behind Harold Halibut gradually improved as the team moved funds from one pot to another, working on ad-hoc contracts.Under experiment photogrammetry During the project phase, “it was clear that Unity had limitations.” [the software used to make the game]” says Hekimoglu. The lights were off. The engine couldn’t handle huge HD scans. However, in 2015, physically-based rendering arrived, making objects in games look more realistic. Another major software update brought the team closer to…

Tillman recalls that Harold Halibut’s unconventional development was the opposite of most games. “People typically start with the technical limitations and adapt their creative decisions to that,” he says. “We came up with the concept of world-building, the way things looked, the mood, the lighting, the atmosphere, his art very early on. And then it took a long time. [technology] To get closer to it. He says the team has now reached a satisfactory conclusion that “it looks exactly as we envisioned it a long time ago.”

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It’s been 14 years since Hekimoglu’s original concept, but it would be inaccurate to say that Harold Halibut has ever been in the doldrums. development hell. Rather, this group of artists, outsiders to the video game industry, continued to work steadily, following a completely different commercial logic and on a completely different schedule. To be sure, there were some bad points as well. The mutual termination of his contract with publisher Curve Games, the coronavirus pandemic, and a crisis with his team that he says has reached a “breaking point.”

But events like these energized the group, Tillman said. For several months, the team vowed to each other, “No matter what happened, we would see it through to the end,” with the same determination as our unlikely hero, Harold.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Leisure centers abandon biometric monitoring of staff as UK data watchdog cracks down

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Numerous companies, including a national leisure center chain, are reassessing or discontinuing the use of facial recognition technology and fingerprint scanning for monitoring employee attendance in response to actions taken by Britain’s data authority.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) instructed a Serco subsidiary to halt the use of biometrics for tracking employee attendance at its leisure centers and prohibited the use of facial recognition and fingerprint scans. The ICO also issued stricter guidelines.

Following an investigation, the ICO found that more than 2,000 employees’ biometric data was unlawfully processed at 38 Serco-managed centers using facial recognition and, in two instances, fingerprint scanning to monitor attendance.

In response, Serco has been given a three-month deadline by the ICO to ensure compliance with regulations and has committed to achieving full compliance within that timeframe.

Other leisure center operators and businesses are also reevaluating or discontinuing the use of similar biometric technology for employee attendance monitoring in light of the ICO’s actions.

Virgin Active, a leisure club operator, announced the removal of biometric scanners from 32 properties and is exploring alternatives for staff monitoring.

Ian Hogg, CEO of Shopworks, a provider of biometric technology to Serco and other companies, highlighted the ICO’s role in assisting businesses in various industries to meet new standards for biometric authentication.

The new ICO standards emphasize exploring alternative options to biometrics for achieving statutory objectives, prompting companies to reconsider their use of such technology.

1Life, owned by Parkwood Leisure, is in the process of removing the Shopworks system from all sites, clarifying that it was not used for biometric purposes.

Continuing discussions with stakeholders, the ICO aims to guide appropriate use of facial recognition and biometric technology in compliance with regulations and best practices.

The widespread concerns raised by the ICO’s actions underscore the need for stronger regulations to protect employees from invasive surveillance technologies in the workplace.

The case of an Uber Eats driver facing issues with facial recognition checks highlights ongoing debates about the use of artificial intelligence in employment relationships and the need for transparent consultation processes.

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Emphasizing the importance of respecting workers’ rights, the use of artificial intelligence in employment must be carefully regulated to prevent discriminatory practices and ensure fair treatment of employees.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The discovery of three new fossil kangaroo species in Australia and New Guinea

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Three new species belong to the extinct genus Kangaroo Protemnodon was a common member of Cenozoic communities in Australia and New Guinea until extinction in the late Pleistocene.

Artist's impressions of newly described fossil species Protemnodon Viator and their relatives protemnodon anak, compared in scale with modern red kangaroos and eastern gray kangaroos. Image credit: T. Klarenbeek, Flinders University.

Protemnodon Kangaroos lived in Australia and New Guinea from about 5 million to 40,000 years ago.

The first species is Protemnodon Described in 1874 by British paleontologist Owen, he followed the common approach of the time, focusing primarily on fossilized teeth. He observed slight differences in teeth between specimens and described the teeth of six species. Protemnodon.

Protemnodon They looked similar to giant kangaroos, but were generally stockier and more muscular.

Some species weighed around 50 kg, while others were much larger than modern kangaroos.

However, one new species was named as part of the research – Protemnodon Viator – was much larger and weighed up to 170 kg. This is about twice the size of the largest male red kangaroo.

Protemnodon Viator They were well adapted to the arid habitats of central Australia and lived in areas similar to today's red kangaroos.

This species was a kangaroo with long limbs and could jump fairly quickly and efficiently.

The remaining two new species are Protemnodon Mamukura and Protemnodon dorsonae.

“Previously, some or all Protemnodon Dr Isaac Kerr, a paleontologist at Flinders University, says:

“However, our research suggests that this is true for only three or four species of animals. ProtemnodonIt could have animated things like quokkas and potoroos. Sometimes it would jump on four legs, sometimes on two legs. ”

“The newly described Protemnodon Mamukura Probably one of these. A large but thick-boned and strong kangaroo, it probably moved quite slowly and inefficiently. Perhaps it only rarely jumped when it was startled. ”

“The best fossils of this type come from Green Waterhole Cave in south-eastern South Australia, on the land of the Boadick people.”

“It is unusual for a single genus of kangaroos to live in such diverse environments. Protemnodon They are now known to inhabit a wide range of habitats, from the arid regions of central Australia to the rain-rich, forested mountains of Tasmania and New Guinea. ”

Protemnodon dorsonae Compared to the other two species, there are fewer known fossils and more mysteries. It was probably a medium speed hopper, something like a swamp wallaby.

“By about 40,000 years ago, all Protemnodon “It is now extinct in mainland Australia, but may survive for a little longer in New Guinea and Tasmania,” the authors said.

“This extinction occurred despite differences in size, adaptation, habitat, and geographic range.”

“For reasons that are not yet clear, the same thing did not occur in many similar relatives, such as wallaroos and giant kangaroos.” I might be able to answer that.”

“It's great that we now have some clarity on the identity of the animal species.” Protemnodon' said Professor Gavin Prideaux from Flinders University.

“Fossils of this genus are widespread and regularly discovered, but in many cases there is no way to be sure which species you are looking at.”

“This study may help researchers approach their studies with more confidence.” Protemnodon”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper Published in today's magazine Megataxa.

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Isaac AR Carr other. 2024. Systematics and paleontology of the late Cenozoic genus Kangaroo Protemnodon (Marsupialia, Megapoda). Megataxa 11(1); doi: 10.11646/megataxa.11.1.1

Source: www.sci.news

Bread dating back 8,600 years uncovered in Turkey

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists from Necmettin Erbakan University have announced the discovery of the world’s oldest known bread, dating from 6600 BC, at the famous Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkiye, central Anatolia (formerly Turkey).

8,600-year-old bread found in Çatalhöyük, Turkiye. Image credit: Necmettin Erbakan University.

Çatalhöyük is one of the largest and best preserved Neolithic settlements in the world.

The site is located southeast of the modern Turkish city of Konya, approximately 145 km (90 miles) from Mount Hasan.

Çatalhöyük began as a small settlement around 7500 BC, and may have consisted of a few adobe houses during what archaeologists call the Early Period.

The settlement reached its peak in the mid-6700-6500 BC period, rapidly declining in population during the later period, and was abandoned around 5950 BC.

Its inhabitants were early farmers, growing crops such as wheat and barley and raising sheep and goats.

Discovered by British archaeologist James Mellaart in the early 1960s, Çatalhöyük attracted worldwide attention for its large scale and well-preserved architecture.

Previous excavations at the site unearthed a vast number of artifacts and ancient structures, including a large mural depicting a town and two mountain peaks, sometimes called the world’s oldest map.

This is an artist’s impression of Çatalhöyük. Image credit: Dan Lewandowski.

Archaeologists from Necmettin Erbakan University have discovered an ancient building with an oven in the Mekan 66 area of Çatalhöyük in a new excavation.

Wheat, barley and pea seeds were found around the oven, as well as “spongy” organic residue.

Researchers determined that the residue was uncooked leavened bread.

“The small round ‘spongy’ residue found in the corner of the oven turned out to be bread,” said Dr. Ali Umut Türkan, an archaeologist at Necmettin Erbakan University.

“Because the building was covered with fine clay, both the wood and the bread were able to be preserved to this day.”

“We found that the bread had a porous and spongy structure and was not cooked,” added Dr. Yassin Ramazan Eker, also from Necmetin Erbakan University.

“The first known example of leavened bread was discovered in Egypt,” Dr. Turkan said.

“The newly discovered bread in Çatalalhöyük can be said to be the oldest bread in the world.”

Source: www.sci.news

NOAA Declares Fourth Mass Bleaching Event Imminent for World’s Coral Reefs

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Invertebrates are highly sensitive to heat stress, so coral health is closely linked to seawater temperature. Corals turn whitish when stressed. release symbiotic algae They live in organizations. Bleaching indicates that the health of the coral is at risk.

“When a coral bleaches, it doesn’t mean it’s dead. It means it’s weak and at risk of dying if conditions don’t improve,” says Ana Palacio, a scientific assistant at the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Institute Collaborative Research Institute based at the University of Miami in partnership with NOAA.

Corals are important ecosystems that support a wide variety of fish and aquatic species, helping to nourish coastal communities and attract tourists. The economic value of coral reefs is estimated at $2.7 trillion annually. According to the 2020 report of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

“They protect our coastlines. They protect us from storms and hurricanes. They have great value to our economy and security,” said Palacio.

Coral ecosystems are among the ecosystems that scientists believe are most at risk from global warming. In 2018, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that: 70% to 90% of the world’s coral reefs They will disappear if the average global temperature drops. exceeded the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.

Last year was the hottest year on record on Earth. The average global temperature has approached that threshold for the first time, but scientists believe 2023 was an anomaly, driven by El Niño.

Experts say bleaching began early in the season as sea surface temperatures soared in Florida.

“Typically, bleaching is observed around August to September in the Northern Hemisphere. We started observing the bleaching phenomenon in July last year,” said marine biologist Fanol Montoya Maya from the Coral Restoration Foundation, an organization that collects, restores, and replants coral.

Palacio said the area has seen widespread mortality of elkhorn and staghorn corals, two species that are the focus of restoration efforts.

“In some places, about 20 percent of those populations survived,” Palacio said of the restored corals. “We’re focusing our hopes on why those corals survived and what they can tell us about resistance, and how corals can become more resilient.”

The last global coral bleaching event occurred in 2014 and lasted until 2017. More than 56% of the world’s coral reef areas experienced temperatures that could cause bleaching during that period.

Bleached coral at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Gulf of Mexico, September 16, 2023.
LM Otero / AP

Manzello said in an email Monday that 54% of the world’s coral reef areas have experienced bleaching-level heat stress in the past year, and this event could be the worst bleaching event on record.

“The proportion of coral reef areas experiencing bleaching-level heat stress is increasing by about 1% every week,” Manzello said. “This event is likely to exceed the previous peak.”

Montoya-Maya said bleaching warnings were already issued in Florida earlier than last year. He said the Coral Restoration Foundation is preparing for a busy summer in response to new bleaching events.

The natural pattern of El Niño is beginning to disappear, and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center estimates that an El Niño event is possible. There is a 60% chance of a La Niña event occurring this summer.This could cool the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and allow some corals to recover, at least temporarily.

“This is very heartbreaking and will cause damage to many coral reefs around the world,” Palacio said. “I hope this bleaching event creates some traction and people start to care more and pay attention to what’s happening to the climate.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Tiny nematodes develop large mouths and exhibit cannibalistic behavior

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Huge mouth of a small nematode

Sarah Wiggard and Ralf Sommer / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Tiny soil insects called nematodes usually feed on bacteria and algae and have small mouths to accommodate their diet. However, when baby nematodes are fed the fungus, their mouths double in size, giving them the ability to cannibalize their mates.

that’s what ralph sommer Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen, Germany, made the discovery while studying the development of predatory soil nematodes. Allody Progaster Sudhouushi.when the larvae are raised Penicillium Some of them ate fungi and cheese and grew into cannibals with giant mouths. “We were shocked,” he says.

The researchers knew that the different mouth shapes seen in this species resulted from different feeding habits. Nematodes that feed on bacteria have narrow mouths, while nematodes that feed on much smaller nematode species have slightly wider mouths. But this extreme variant, which the researchers called “teratostomia,” or Te morphology, had not been previously documented.

Sommer and colleagues investigated the genetics underlying these different mouth shapes and found that all three were controlled by the same sulfatase gene. But that activity only seems to result in a giant, gaping mouth. A. Sudaushi. The species’ complete set of genetic instructions was duplicated only recently in its evolution, Sommer said, so the doubling of gene pairs may have facilitated the origin of the worm’s giant mouth. That’s what it means.

Because the fungi’s diet was low in nutrients and more Te forms were found in high-density conditions, the researchers found that Te forms and their associated cannibalistic habits may have evolved as a response to the stresses of starvation and crowding. That’s what I think.

Nicholas Levis Indiana University points out that a similar phenomenon is seen in several other species. For example, the tadpoles of spadefoot toads and some salamanders can develop into cannibalistic carnivores depending on environmental conditions, Levis says.

But even in such cases, animals often avoid eating their own kind. Te nematodes are nondiscriminatory and prey on genetically identical neighbors. Levis says this is a “surprising finding” that could indicate that the development strategy is “really hopeless.”

“This discovery…made me wonder how much more diverse there is in the natural world than what we see,” Levis says. “How many other hidden ‘monsters’ are there waiting to be discovered under the right environmental conditions?”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Elon Musk aims to streamline Tesla with 14,000 job cuts to create a more efficient automaker

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, is reducing its global workforce by more than 10%, which is approximately 14,000 jobs, in response to decreased demand and pricing pressures. CEO Elon Musk made this announcement in a memo that was initially reported by Elektrek. Tesla currently employs 140,473 individuals, as stated in its annual report.

Musk explained that Tesla’s rapid growth led to duplicated roles and responsibilities, necessitating these layoffs. He noted, “There’s nothing we hate more, but it has to be done. This allows us to be lean, innovative, and greedy for the next cycle of growth.”

This decision comes after a challenging start to the year for electric car companies, with Tesla reporting lower-than-expected car deliveries in the first quarter of 2024. The company attributed this decline to production challenges and a slowdown in global demand.

According to critics, including Ross Gerber from Gerber Kawasaki, Tesla’s sales dip in a growing economy highlights concerns about lack of advertising, competition, and leadership. The company aims to boost profit margins amidst price cuts and increased competition.

The layoffs reflect the broader trend of slowing growth in the electric vehicle market, impacting Tesla’s performance. Tesla’s stock has seen a decline in value, losing around a third of its market capitalization this year.

Additionally, Reuters reported that BP is scaling back its electric vehicle charging business, reducing its workforce by more than 10% to focus on commercial electric vehicles. The company cited a need for greater precision and effectiveness in achieving its goals.

Tesla has facilities across the US, Germany, and China. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Our universe is so empty that it defies the laws of cosmology.

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Ryan’s will.Klaus Wedfeld/Getty Images

Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a hole? Newsflash: Yes, you are. Astronomers call it a “local hole,” but that’s quite an understatement. It’s vast, it’s gigantic, it’s gigantic – but the truth is, adjectives are inapplicable when it comes to this expanse of nothingness. It is the largest cosmic cavity known to us, spanning 2 billion light years. Our galaxy happens to be near its center, but the problem with this hole is not that it poses any immediate danger, but rather that it shouldn’t exist.

The question is whether one of our most firmly held beliefs about the universe is true. This assumption, known as the cosmological principle, states that matter in the universe should be uniformly distributed on the largest scale. It is the foundation upon which much of modern cosmology is built. If the void were real, the stone might have collapsed.

Because of this, few people dared to believe that the void could be real. But as evidence has grown in recent years, astronomers have moved from suspicion to reluctant acceptance. They discovered other similarly huge structures. So now the question is being asked with increasing urgency: If we are indeed living in a vacuum, do we need to significantly revise our cosmological model? That may include rethinking the nature of gravity, dark matter, or both.

The idea that the universe has the same properties from beginning to end can be traced back at least to Isaac Newton. He claimed that the motion of stars and planets could be explained…

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Dangers of Deadly Cold Water Gush for Migratory Sharks

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Bull sharks may be vulnerable to cold upwelling

Martin Prohaskatz/Shutterstock

The upwelling of cold water from the deep ocean to the surface can be deadly to marine animals, and such events are becoming more frequent due to climate change.

In March 2021, hundreds of dead seafood, squid, octopus, manta rays, and bull sharks washed up on South African beaches.

The animals were fleeing high water temperatures from a marine heatwave hitting South Africa's coastal waters.

However, during their escape, they were caught in a sudden burst of cold water from the region's Agulhas Current, causing ocean temperatures to plummet.

“These upwelling events occurring on the banks of the Agulhas River could cause temperatures to suddenly drop by about 10 degrees Celsius.” [18°F] “within 24 hours” Zoe Jacobs At the UK National Marine Centre. “This is a very intense, short-term event.”

Nicholas Lubitz Professors at Australia's James Cook University used 41 years of sea surface temperature data and 33 years of sea surface temperature data to assess cold water upwelling in two regions affected by the Agulhas Current and the Australian Current, which meanders along Australia's east coast. I studied wind records.

They conclude that stronger ocean currents and changes in wind patterns associated with climate change are increasing both the frequency and strength of cold water upwelling in both regions.

Most marine organisms that live near these currents are adapted to sudden fluctuations in water temperature and can therefore cope with these changes.

However, the study warns that migratory species such as bull sharks, which pass through these waters and are unprepared for sudden changes in temperature, are at risk.

Bull sharks struggle to survive when water temperatures drop below 19°C (66°F) for extended periods. Lubitz and colleagues used data from 41 tagged bull sharks in southern Africa and Australia to study their migration patterns.

As soon as summer ends and water temperatures begin to drop, sharks migrate to warmer tropical waters. During migration, they appear to take steps to avoid cold water upwelling by moving to warmer surface waters as they swim through upwelling zones, or by seeking refuge in estuaries and bays during migration. .

But as upwelling events increase in frequency and intensity, researchers warn that it will become increasingly difficult for bull sharks and other migratory species to avoid them.

But Jacobs, who was not involved in the study, said the effects may be limited to the two areas studied. “These two particular regions of hers are very special cases because the upwelling that occurs there is a very short and intense phenomenon,” she says. Other global upwelling systems are more permanent or seasonal, and marine species are better adapted to withstand or avoid changes in water temperature, she says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Injection of antibodies can help slow down the advancement of Parkinson’s disease

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Aggregates of protein α-synuclein (brown) and antibody (green)

Biolution GMBH/Science Photo Library

Drugs that target protein accumulations associated with Parkinson's disease may slow the progression of motor symptoms in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. This shows potential as a disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson's disease, but it is unclear whether the drug actually removes the protein from the brain.

Accumulation of a misfolded protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain has long been thought to be the underlying cause of Parkinson's disease. This results in the loss of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved in motor control.

Some existing treatments aim to alleviate these symptoms by improving dopamine levels in the brain, but their long-term effects are limited. To date, there are no approved disease-modifying treatments to stop or slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.

In an effort to counter this, Gennaro Pagano Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche and colleagues recruited 316 people who appeared to have early stages of Parkinson's disease. Of these people, 105 received an intravenous infusion of a placebo, and 211 received a low or high dose of Roche's drug plasinezumab every four weeks for a year.

Placinezumab is an antibody designed to bind to aggregates of misfolded alpha-synuclein within dopaminergic neurons. “It is hypothesized that placinezumab may reduce neurotoxicity, prevent cell-to-cell movement of pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates, and slow disease progression,” Pagano says.

Trial results initially suggested the antibody had no significant effect, but the team later realized it may have an effect in trial participants with more severe forms of Parkinson's disease. I did.

These people suffered from rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, which causes intense, often violent dreams that are common in Parkinson's disease. He was taking a drug called an MAO-B inhibitor to manage his symptoms. Or, he has been rated by an expert at 2 out of 5 on a symptom scale, with higher numbers indicating greater severity.

Additional analyzes showed that both low and high doses of the drug had greater effects than seen in the first study, especially among critically ill participants. The rate at which participants' motor symptoms worsened over a one-year period was significantly reduced compared to those taking a placebo.

For example, based on the Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale for Motor Symptoms, patients who took an MAO-B inhibitor and then received a placebo infusion had a score of 6.82 at the end of the year, compared to Patients who took the drug had a score of 4.15.

“These results suggest that potential treatment benefits may be more likely to be achieved in populations that experience greater deterioration over time and more rapid progression,” Pagano says. This is because patients with Parkinson's disease, which progresses more rapidly, have higher amounts of misfolded alpha-synuclein in their brains, so they may benefit more from drugs that can remove this protein. There is a possibility.

However, Professor Pagano said researchers lacked a biomarker that could monitor how participants' levels of misfolded alpha-synuclein changed, so it was unclear what was happening in the participants' brains. He said it was not possible to make an accurate assessment.

Vinata Vedam Mai Researchers at the University of Florida Health say a limitation of the study is that it did not assess whether alpha-synuclein was cleared from the brain. Without this, she says, the results cannot conclusively show that plasinezumab is disease-modifying. Vedam-Mai said he would also like to see long-term data to better assess the drug's safety and effectiveness. No serious adverse events occurred in the latest trial.

Researchers could also investigate whether plasinezumab, when taken over a long period of time, is effective for patients with mild Parkinson's disease, Pagano said.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Company announces plans to sell additional shares as Trump Media stock crashes

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Former President Donald Trump’s social media company saw a 12% drop in shares on Monday due to a regulatory filing stating the potential sale of millions of additional shares. This resulted in a further decline in stock prices.

The filing revealed that 146.1 million shares of Trump Media & Technology Group could be sold, including 114.8 million owned by Trump himself. Additionally, 21.5 million shares could be sold through warrants issued during the company’s merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp.

Since its market debut on March 26, parent company Truth Social has seen a 60% decrease in stock price. Trump is currently unable to sell any of his shares due to a lock-up agreement until September, tying his wealth to the company’s value. If the price remains stable, he stands to make significant profits from the stock.

On the same day, Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican nominee, began a criminal trial in Manhattan facing 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records in connection to payments to Stormy Daniels. This marks the first criminal trial of a US president and is expected to continue for about six weeks.

Trump is currently under financial strain due to various legal battles over the past year, owing approximately $500 million from civil cases. Trump media has received support from some of his major political donors, providing a lifeline for him to pay off his debts.

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Recently, Democratic advocacy groups urged Congress to investigate Trump Media due to suspicious activities. In early April, two Florida brothers pleaded guilty to insider trading linked to the social media company. Additionally, reports suggest that the company is relying on loans from a Russian-American businessman facing federal investigations for money laundering and insider trading.

Source: www.theguardian.com

U.S. states and big tech companies clash over online child safety bills: Battle lines drawn

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

○On April 6, Maryland passed the first “Kids Code” bill in the US. The bill is designed to protect children from predatory data collection and harmful design features by tech companies. Vermont’s final public hearing on the Kids Code bill took place on April 11th. This bill is part of a series of proposals to address the lack of federal regulations protecting minors online, making state legislatures a battleground. Some Silicon Valley tech companies are concerned that these restrictions could impact business and free speech.

These measures, known as the Age-Appropriate Design Code or Kids Code bill, require enhanced data protection for underage online users and a complete ban on social media for certain age groups. The bill unanimously passed both the Maryland House and Senate.

Nine states, including Maryland, Vermont, Minnesota, Hawaii, Illinois, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Nevada, have introduced bills to improve online safety for children. Minnesota’s bill advanced through a House committee in February.

During public hearings, lawmakers in various states accused tech company lobbyists of deception. Maryland’s bill faced opposition from tech companies who spent $250,000 lobbying against it without success.

Carl Szabo, from the tech industry group NetChoice, testified before the Maryland state Senate as a concerned parent. Lawmakers questioned his ties to the industry during the hearing.

Tech giants have been lobbying in multiple states to pass online safety laws. In Maryland, these companies spent over $243,000 in lobbying fees in 2023. Google, Amazon, and Apple were among the top spenders according to state disclosures.

The bill mandates tech companies to implement measures safeguarding children’s online experiences and assess the privacy implications of their data practices. Companies must also provide clear privacy settings and tools to help children and parents navigate online privacy rights and concerns.

Critics are concerned that the methods used by tech companies to determine children’s ages could lead to privacy violations.

Supporters argue that social media companies should not require identification uploads from users who already have their age information. NetChoice suggests digital literacy education and safety measures as alternatives.

During a discussion on child safety legislation, a NetChoice director emphasized parental control over regulation, citing low adoption rates of parental monitoring tools on platforms like Snapchat and Discord.

NetChoice has proposed bipartisan legislation to enhance child safety online, emphasizing police resources for combating child exploitation. Critics argue that tech companies should be more proactive in ensuring child safety instead of relying solely on parents and children.

Opposition from tech companies has been significant in all state bills, with representatives accused of hiding their affiliations during public hearings on child safety legislation.

State bills are being revised based on lessons learned from California, where similar legislation faced legal challenges and opposition from companies like NetChoice. While some tech companies emphasize parental control and education, critics argue for more accountability from these companies in ensuring child safety online.

Recent scrutiny of Meta products for their negative impact on children’s well-being has raised concerns about the company’s role in online safety. Some industry experts believe that tech companies like Meta should be more transparent and proactive in protecting children online.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Oxygen and carbon ions detected in Venus’s magnetosphere by BepiColombo

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In August 2021, ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft bound for Mercury Performed a second flyby of Venus, providing short-term observations of its guided magnetosphere. The spacecraft detected cold oxygen and carbon ions at a distance of about six planet radii, in an area of the magnetosphere that has never been explored before.

Schematic illustration of planetary material escaping through the sides of Venus's magnetic sheath. The red line and arrow indicate the observation region and direction of BepiColombo as the ions escape (C⁺,oh⁺,H⁺) was observed. Image credit: Thibaut Roger / Europlanet 2024 RI / Hadid other.

Venus was similar to Earth in many ways during its formation, including the presence of large amounts of liquid water.

However, Venus eventually underwent a divergent evolution, leading to major differences between the two planets.

Unlike Earth, Venus is currently a very dry planet with no inherent magnetic field.

The continuous influence of the solar wind on the atmospheres of both planets results in significant atmospheric losses.

Venus' atmosphere is primarily composed of carbon dioxide and small amounts of nitrogen and other trace species, and is affected by interactions with the solar wind, leading to significant ion fluxes.

“This is the first time that positively charged carbon ions have been observed to be ejected from Venus's atmosphere,” said Dr. Lina Hadid, a researcher at the Plasma Physics Institute and CNRS.

“These are heavy ions that typically move slowly, so we're still trying to understand the mechanism.”

“An electrostatic 'wind' may be moving them away from Earth, or they may be accelerated by centrifugal action.”

“Unlike Earth, Venus does not generate an intrinsic magnetic field at its core.”

“Nevertheless, interactions between charged particles emitted by the sun (solar wind) and charged particles in Venus' upper atmosphere create a weak, comet-shaped 'induced magnetosphere' around the planet. ”

“Around the magnetosphere there is a region called the 'magnetic sheath' where the solar wind is slowed down and heated.”

On August 10, 2021, BepiColombo passed Venus to slow down and adjust its course towards its final destination, Mercury.

The probe soared up the long tail of the planet's magnetic sheath, emerging from the nose of the magnetic region closest to the sun.

Over a 90-minute observation period, BepiColombo's mass spectrometer (MSA) and mercury ion analyzer (MIA) will measure the number and mass of charged particles encountered, and detect chemical and Captured information about physical processes. magneto sheath.

“Characterizing the loss of heavy ions on Venus and understanding the escape mechanisms will help us understand how Venus's atmosphere evolved,” said Dr. Dominique Delcourt, principal investigator at MSA and researcher at the Plasma Physics Institute. “This is critical to understanding how water is lost.” .

“This result shows a unique result from measurements made during a flyby of a planet, in which the spacecraft may pass through areas that are generally inaccessible to orbiting spacecraft. '' said Dr. Nicolas Andre, a researcher at the Astrophysical and Planetary Institute.

of study It was published in the magazine natural astronomy.

_____

LZ Hadid other. BepiColombo's observations of cold oxygen and carbon ions on the side of Venus' induced magnetosphere. Nat Astron, published online on April 12, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02247-2

Source: www.sci.news

Featuring a Real Jetpack: Todd Howard and Jonathan Nolan Discuss Fallout Games

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IIf you were to ask director Jonathan Nolan what his favorite movie of the year was from the late 2000s, he would most likely name a video game instead. “I started playing Pong years ago with my brother Chris because I grew up watching the whole history of the medium, and the storytelling, the tone, the things that we were doing in the game had this level of audacity. That’s when I started,” he says. “That's what I felt [2008’s] Fallout 3: Audacity. Frankly, I didn't feel that way in the film and television industry at the time. ”

Director Nolan, who has just finished directing the first series of Amazon Prime's Fallout TV show, will be sitting next to video game director Todd Howard, who led the development of Fallout 3 and 4, and will be attending a number of premieres for the first series. Two episodes told to me before time. It's clear within minutes that Nolan understands the game almost as well as Todd. He says he's drawn to games where your options are open, where you decide for yourself who you want to be, and where your decisions affect the world around you – games like Todd Howard's . The two meet like old friends, are comfortable around each other, and are passionate about each other's work.

A scene from Amazon Prime's Fallout. Photo: Amazon Prime

“I talked to a lot of people about making a Fallout movie or TV show, and I kept saying no to everyone,” Howard says. “I loved the work that Jonah did in film and television, and in some of the interviews he did, he mentioned his love for the game…I told someone he was perfect. I said, ‘Can someone help me?’ We met and luckily hit it off. I found out he was very familiar with Fallout.”

That conference took place in 2019. At the time, there was no precedent for a proper video game animation, despite many ill-fated attempts over the years. (We're in a different place now; the curse of video game movies is broken, and there are now plenty of TV and movie adaptations.) Todd also envisioned Fallout as a movie. There wasn't, he says. “My take in 2019 was that it’s hard to translate games because a lot of games are about specific characters you play. But for me, it’s the world of Fallout, the characters…the people always wanted to condense Fallout 3 and 4 into a two-hour experience, and I always felt that way too. But high-end television can tell a long story.”

The first two Fallout games punished '90s computer RPGs with a dark sense of humor and a strong anti-nuclear message. As the show's writer Graham Wagner points out, they could have been written by: adbusters. Over 200 years after the first bomb was dropped, he emerges from an underground vault as a survivor of a nuclear war and quickly realizes that life above ground is short, cruel, and dangerous.

Jonathan Nolan attends the world premiere of “Fallout'' in Hollywood. Photo: Tommaso Boddi/GA/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images

When Bethesda revived the series in 2008 with Fallout 3, it brought a bit more hope and lightness to its wasteland, maintaining its retro-futuristic aesthetic and dark humor while still offering its biting satire, punishment for nature. , toned down some of the overt anti-American rhetoric. Military expansionist message. Fallout 3 and 4 have a lot of emotional stories, but they also have a lot of mini Nucruncher weapons and comic violence.

The show leans into this vibe. Unlike HBO's The Last of Us, this isn't a self-indulgently serious look at a post-apocalyptic world. Featuring cowboy mutants, terrifying wildlife, toxic vault dwellers, a malfunctioning jetpack, and plenty of jokes. be many of Goa. Like the game where you cheerfully scavenge while turning on the radio, it can turn into a life-or-death battle with super mutants in a matter of seconds, and the series changes its tone from comedy to horror from moment to moment. . . One scene shows the horrifying moment a nuclear war breaks out, while another sees a slapstick battle with an irradiated bear.

The show plays with different aspects of Fallout's personality quite cleverly by splitting the perspective between three characters. Lucy is a Vault-dwelling genius with a tough personality that makes her the most suitable replacement for the player. Her behavior when she leaves the vault is very similar to my behavior in the game. She approaches people to greet them, peeks into abandoned buildings to find something useful, and inadvertently gets caught up in escalating fights. And pranks.

Ella Purnell (Lucy) in Fallout on Amazon Prime. Photo: Prime Video (via AP)

That wavering tone is a challenge for filmmakers, but it's exactly what Nolan loved about the game. “It was a world and a tone! I had never experienced anything like that. [mix of] Darkness and emotion – the politics of it are so delicious and fun and it feels alive and important… There are all these weird pockets of a previous world that has escaped the apocalypse and metastasized into something else, but with elements of comedy There is also. I had never really worked on it in my career. ”

“I think that was the hardest thing they had to do, to weave it onto the screen in a way that you would be there.” do not have I’m in control,” Howard said. “When you play the game, you Please be the director. ”

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I've always viewed the world of Fallout as somewhat nihilistic. Most video games, especially the post-apocalyptic ones, offer some degree of hope for saving or restoring the world. You have a reason to be a hero. But in Fallout's wasteland, the world is already broken, so you might as well do what you want. Nowhere is this more evident than in Obsidian's Fallout New Vegas (2010), with its faded but still glittering city of vice and morally ambiguous story.

But Nolan sees it the other way around. “Look at the great Cormac McCarthy and The Lord. It's a fucking black hole. No light leaks out of that story. Nobody's going to make it. On the other hand, one of my favorite things about Fallout It feels like the beginning of a thousand new worlds, not the end of the world.”

Todd Howard at the world premiere of Fallout. Photo: Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Ironically for a TV show based on a video game, the Fallout series has very few CG effects. Everything from gore to retro-futuristic aesthetics was achieved with practical effects. Howard says it was amazing to step into the world of Fallout that the television production team had created in real life. “I thought there would be more movie magic because we were going to do a set, but they literally just built a multi-level vault,” he laughed. “They were obsessed with everything. I went into the superintendent's office and sat down at the desk and there was a pile of papers and someone had written a note. Then I turned it over and it was about the power in the safe. There was a report. There was also a real jet pack!”

“At that point I almost lost the support of the producers,” Nolan interjects wistfully. “I just thought it would happen. Better If only I had a real jetpack. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Using sleeping birds’ vocal muscle activity to create artificial songs

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

During sleep, we can sporadically find patterns of neural activity in areas of the bird's brain that are activated during song production. Recently, it was found that patterns of activity during these silent plays can be detected in the vocal muscles of sleeping birds. In a new study, researchers from the University of Buenos Aires and CONICET employed a dynamic systems model for song production in suborder birds. Tyrani This is to convert the vocal muscle activity during sleep into a synthetic song.

Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulfuratus) July 2011, Beeville, Texas, USA. Image credit: Tess Thornton / CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed.

“Dreams are one of the most intimate and elusive parts of our existence,” said Dr. Gabriel Mindlin, senior author of the study.

“It's very moving to know that we share something with species so far away. And the possibility of entering the mind of a dreaming bird – of hearing the sounds of its dreams. is a temptation that cannot be resisted.”

A few years ago, Dr. Mindlin and his colleagues discovered that these patterns of neuronal activity were transmitted to the syringe muscle, the bird's vocal organ.

They are able to capture sleeping birds' muscle activity data via recording electrodes called electromyograms and convert it into a synthetic song using a dynamical systems model.

“For the past 20 years, I have been studying the physics of bird calls and how muscular information is translated into calls,” Dr. Mindlin said.

“In this way, we can use the muscle activity patterns as time-dependent parameters in a bird song production model and synthesize the corresponding song.”

Trill electromyographic activity recorded during sleep and synthetic sounds generated by a dynamic model.Image credit: Doppler other., doi: 10.1063/5.0194301.

Many birds have complex muscle structures, so translating syringe activity into calls is a bit difficult.

“For this first piece, we chose Wonderful Kiskadi (Pitangus sulfuratus)“It's a member of the flycatcher family, a species for which we recently discovered the physical mechanism of its song and showed some simplifications,” Dr. Mindlin said.

“In other words, we selected species for which the first steps of this program were viable.”

The authors heard the sound emerge from the data of birds dreaming of territorial battles by raising the tops of their wings, a gesture reminiscent of calls used during daytime conflicts. I was incredibly moved.

“Imagining that lonely bird reenacting its territorial battles in my dreams really resonated with me. We have more in common with other species than we often realize.” said Dr. Mindlin.

This study presents biophysics as a new exploratory tool that can open the door to the quantitative study of dreams.

“We are interested in interacting with dreaming birds using these syntheses that can be implemented in real time,” Dr. Mindlin said.

“And for species that learn, to address questions about the role of sleep during learning.”

of study It was published in the magazine chaos.

_____

Juan F. Doppler other. 2024. Bird dream synthesis was featured. chaos 34 (4): 043103; doi: 10.1063/5.0194301

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Photographs Stunning Barred Spiral Galaxy: NGC 3783

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken photos of NGC 3783, a bright barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus.

This Hubble image shows NGC 3783, a barred spiral galaxy about 135 million light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. The color images consist of infrared and optical observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Based on data obtained through five filters. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / MC Benz / DJV Rosario.

NGC 3783 is located about 135 million light years It is located beyond the constellation Centauri.

Also known as ESO 378-14, LEDA 36101, or 2XMM J113901.7-374418, this galaxy was first discovered It was announced by British astronomer John Herschel on April 21, 1835.

NGC 3783 is home to a rapidly rotating black hole of 2.8 million solar masses.

It is a major member of the NGC 3783 galaxy group, which is a collection of 47 galaxies.

“Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are gravitationally bound collections of galaxies,” the Hubble astronomers said.

“However, galaxy groups are smaller and contain fewer members than galaxy clusters. Galaxy clusters can contain hundreds or even thousands of member galaxies, whereas galaxy groups typically contain fewer than 50. It does not include galaxies that exceed

“The Milky Way is actually part of a group of galaxies known as the Local Group, which includes two other large galaxies (Andromeda and the Triangular Galaxy) and dozens of satellite galaxies. Contains dwarf galaxies.

“On the other hand, the NGC 3783 galaxy group contains 47 galaxies,” they added.

“It also appears to be at a fairly early stage in its evolution, making it an interesting subject to study.”

“Although the focus of this image is spiral galaxy NGC 3783, your eye is equally focused on a very bright object in the lower right-hand portion of this image. This is the star. HD 101274” said the researchers.

“The perspective of this image makes the stars and galaxies appear to be close companions, but this is an illusion.”

“HD 101274 is only about 1,530 light-years from Earth, which means it is about 85,000 times closer than NGC 3783.”

“This explains how a single star can appear to outshine an entire galaxy.”

According to scientists, NGC 3783 type I Seyfert galaxy — A galaxy with a bright central region.

“In this image, thanks to five separate images taken at different wavelengths of light, Hubble shows incredible detail, from the glowing central bar to the thin, winding arms and the dust that passed through them. ,” the researchers said.

“In fact, the center of the galaxy is bright enough for Hubble to exhibit diffraction spikes that are normally only seen in stars such as HD 101274.”

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers Successfully Grew Human Kidneys in Pig Embryos

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Research led by Liangxue Lai from China’s Guangzhou Institute of Biomedical and Health Research has successfully extended the survival time of human stem cells in animal embryos. The team is focused on a five-year project to cultivate human organs for transplantation, bypassing the need for donor organs. To date, no scientist has been able to grow an organ within an animal embryo composed entirely of human cells.

Utilizing pig embryos due to their physiological and developmental similarities to humans, Lai’s team injected human stem cells into pig embryos. By deactivating specific genes in the pig embryos responsible for organ development, human stem cells could replace pig cells during organ growth.

The team also applied a small amount of the antibiotic doxycycline to the embryos, allowing them to control the activation of genes in the stem cells. This antibiotic helped activate genes that enhanced the survival and development of stem cells within the embryo, increasing the likelihood of organ formation.

The research aimed at growing kidneys, which are frequently transplanted organs and among the first to develop in human fetuses. The team implanted about 2,000 pig embryos into 13 surrogate pigs, resulting in kidney development within 20 days. After full growth, the embryos were analyzed for human stem cell content.

Despite efforts to minimize cell death, only a few embryos survived. Genetic testing confirmed the presence of human genetic sequences in the surviving embryos, indicating the potential for organ development from human stem cells within the pig embryos.

While the embryos showed signs of developing human kidneys, compatibility issues were identified, and human cells were found in other parts of the fetus’s body. The researchers concluded that the technique shows promise for growing human-compatible organs in the future.

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Source: sciworthy.com

New Review of Play Now 2024: Embracing the Wackiness | Games

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

VIDEO gaming conventions are usually noisy as thousands of attendees line up under the screens for a chance to play one of the hundreds of unreleased titles on display.

Somerset House, now in its 10th year, play this now Mainstream exhibitions are to folk festivals what raves are to folk festivals. None of the experimental games featured here are going to be advertised on the side of the bus. Especially since many of them are his one-off games that use custom-made controllers (like thick rope, hatched with copper bands, or an old suitcase lined with speakers) connected to a bus. Access the laptop through the tangle of wire in the umbilical cord. Few of these games adhere to the traditional rules and trends found in mainstream video game design. It may not have a “win state” or it may offer a set of “open play” tools that allow visitors to create their own rules. The key is eccentricity. If you have played other games, the program will suggest: play this now.

This year's theme is fashionably chosen as Liminality. Liminal spaces (places that exist on the border between two states) have become a popular hashtag on social media, even though the term is most often applied to a general atmosphere rather than anthropological criteria . Perhaps all video games are liminal spaces that exist between reality and fantasy, but these exhibits go beyond just a shared aesthetic. In the words of Artistic Director Maria Lujan Oulton, they aim to provide a space for “activation, creation, and reconfiguration of the world.”in the other side of the gardenFor example, artist Laura Paravecino revisits the animal-rich forests of her childhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. This work is a melancholy recreation of a lost world. “Now we rarely see these animals that once flew and leaped all around us,” she wrote.

Concessions are being made to ease new entrants.In the first room I found crash boardNow, stand on a real skateboard and control your avatar by leaning from side to side. Your avatar surfs through glitchy cyberspace on a vast projector screen in front of you. This is a reassuringly recognizable entry point, as publishers of mainstream games were exploring exactly this kind of interface at the height of the Nintendo Wii's popularity.

That's true edge of the world Video work by Natalie Maximova exploring the cutting edge of commercial video games (not all exhibits are strictly interactive) cyberpunk 2077, where the virtual world flattens and disappears. This is Machinima, one of several works by him that remix or reinvent existing works. Serafin Alvarez 2014 Strategy of the maze Another amazing example is the endless series of interconnected hallways, each recreated from sci-fi movies such as: forbidden planet, event horizon and ender's game.

Lo-fi rules…young visitors playing hopscotch. Photo: Ben Peter Catchpole

Some of this year's exhibits are culturally familiar. hopscotch – arguably the most lo-fi exhibit – is taped to the hallway floor and shows how our homes became stages of transition between two social stages during lockdown .Andrew Sheerin's Memory game for forgetfulness/Memory game for memories It's essentially a card game called Concentration, except that the image on the back of the oversized card is a satellite photo of a conflict zone in the Middle East. This is the work of Astro.Log.IOHere, you enter your initials, date, time and place of birth, squat in a tent and listen to the “sonification of the sky at birth”. This is an eerie return to the celestial context of one's own starting point.

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Astro.Log.IO of “celestial body”. Photo: Ben Peter Catchpole

Visitors expecting the latest blockbuster or escape room style puzzles will be disappointed. Play Now Now you can answer the question, “What happens when nerds go to art school?” As befits an event about interactivity, the festival rewards those who participate, not just observe. And as video game publishing giants continue to narrow the realm of video game possibilities, each release seems like an attempt to recreate their previous successes. fortnite or call of dutyhow refreshing it is to step away from the ruthless demands of commerce and witness the breadth and brilliance of interactive art.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Xuirin Finance Leads the Way as a DeFi Card Innovator

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Bankstown, Australia, April 15, 2024, Chainwire

Shurin Financial recently announced a DeFi card. It is an innovative solution designed to integrate the functionality of traditional debit and credit cards with the decentralized financial services offered by DeFi. The introduction of this card aims to facilitate everyday transactions using cryptocurrencies and strengthen its integration into the global payments ecosystem.

Overview of Xuirin Finance’s DeFi card

Xuirin Finance's DeFi card allows users to use cryptocurrencies to perform a variety of financial transactions, including online purchases, bill payments, and cash withdrawals at ATMs. This initiative is part of Xuirin Finance's efforts to increase the accessibility and practicality of digital currencies in daily financial activities.

Presale phase and token distribution

In the first pre-sale phase, Xuirin Finance offered 15 million tokens at a price of $0.03 each, reaching the funding limit of $450,000. After completing Stage 1, the company is preparing for the second stage of the token pre-sale. At this stage, he offers 25 million tokens at a price of $0.04 each, with a funding goal of $1 million.

Xuirin Finance’s $500,000 Mega Giveaway

In conjunction with the ongoing presale, Xuirin Finance has announced a mega giveaway with a total prize pool of $500,000. The benefit includes generous rewards for 20 winners, with the aim of engaging and growing the community around Xuirin Finance's services. Participating in the giveaway requires a minimal investment in the pre-sale, but provides additional engagement opportunities to increase your chances of winning.

Main features of Xuirin Finance's services

Focused on increasing the utility of cryptocurrencies in everyday transactions, Xuirin Finance has integrated several features into its DeFi card. These features include seamless online shopping, bill payments, and ATM withdrawals with digital currencies. This initiative reflects the company's goal to improve the infrastructure that supports the widespread adoption of decentralized financial technology.

This section also highlights the value that Xuirin Finance offers, but sticks strictly to feature descriptions without hinting at enthusiasm or encouraging investment.

Future outlook for Xuirin Finance

As the pre-sale progresses and Xuirin Finance continues to enhance its services, the company is focused on expanding the practical use of cryptocurrencies in everyday financial transactions. This initiative is in line with ongoing developments in the cryptocurrency space aimed at improving accessibility and convenience for users.

About Ruirin

Shurin Financial is a groundbreaking DeFi platform dedicated to transforming the decentralized finance landscape. With a mission to bridge the gap between traditional finance and his DeFi, his Xuirin is introducing innovative solutions such as DeFi debit cards, AI-enhanced P2P lending, and secure multi-chain DeFi wallets. . Designed to enhance accessibility and user empowerment, Xuirin aims to redefine financial transactions and make them more efficient, transparent, and inclusive.

For more information about Xuirin Finance and to participate in the ongoing presale, users can visit:

Website: https://xuirin.com/

Link tree: https://linktr.ee/xuirin

Users can participate in the Xuirin Finance presale here.

contact

Aleksandar Milenkovic
XUIRIN FINANCE PTY LTD
support@xuirin.com

Source: the-blockchain.com

The “Aging Atlas”: A Tool to Help Maintain Youthful Muscles

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Do you notice your muscles becoming more rigid and harder to manage as you age? A new ‘Atlas of Aging’ has been developed to explain why this happens and to provide potential treatments to prevent it. Additionally, it may lead to legal action.

Focusing on the effects of natural aging, this atlas delves into the intricate changes that occur in muscle tissue at the cellular and molecular levels as we grow older. It also highlights how our muscles actively combat the aging process, potentially aiding in the development of new treatments to enhance the aging body.

As we age, our muscles can weaken, making everyday activities like standing and walking more challenging. However, the underlying causes of this decline are not fully understood. Frailty can lead to an increased risk of falls, reduced mobility, and loss of independence.

Lead author, Dr. Sarah Teichman from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, states that these insights into healthy skeletal muscle aging are empowering researchers worldwide to explore various strategies to combat inflammation, promote muscle regeneration, maintain neural connections, and more.

Longevity expert Andrew Steele emphasizes the importance of understanding the cellular changes that contribute to the loss of physical strength as we age. He underscores the potential of this research to develop therapeutic interventions that support healthier aging in future generations.

The creation of the atlas of aging muscle involved utilizing advanced imaging and single-cell sequencing techniques to analyze skeletal muscle samples from 17 adult donors aged between 20 and 75. The findings shed light on gene activity related to protein production and revealed how muscle fibers age at different rates.

Age-related loss of primary fast-twitch muscle fibers is mitigated by the body’s ability to enhance the properties of remaining fibers and rebuild connections between weakened nerves and aging muscles. This understanding can potentially inform strategies to maintain strength and independence as we grow older.

To learn more about the experts involved in this research, Dr. Andrew Steele, a scientist, author, and presenter, has authored “Ageless: The new science of growing older without getting older.” Combining his background in physics with biology, Steele’s work focuses on deciphering human DNA at the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Read more:

What happens to my body as I get older?
9 simple science-backed changes to reverse your biological age
Groundbreaking discovery of anti-aging cells could help people stay young for longer

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Executor Refuses CTE Research on O.J. Simpson’s Brain, Plans for Cremation

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A lawyer representing O.J. Simpson, who passed away from cancer at the age of 76 last week, announced on Sunday that Simpson’s body will be cremated in the coming days and there are no plans to donate his brain for research purposes, according to his attorney Malcolm LaVergne.

LaVergne mentioned that there had been inquiries about studying Simpson’s brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma in football players, but stated firmly that the entire body, including the brain, will be cremated.

Further details about the cremation and decision regarding brain research were first reported in The New York Post.

As the executor of Simpson’s estate, LaVergne mentioned plans for a small “celebration of life” gathering restricted to close friends and family. Simpson had three children from his previous marriages and was famously acquitted in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1995.

Regarding financial matters, LaVergne expressed that he does not want the Goldman family, victims’ relatives, to receive any funds from Simpson’s estate. He acknowledged the need to handle the situation calmly and impartially.

Mr. Simpson’s debts, including those to the IRS, will be addressed as his estate is evaluated, and assets are inventoried to settle claims. Creditors will be prioritized for payment, with the Goldman family amongst them.

Despite potential legal battles over financial assets, Cook emphasized that the main goal is post-acquittal justice and accountability for the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman.

Looking ahead, LaVergne seeks funding for a suitable memorial at Simpson’s burial site as specified in his will, emphasizing the importance of carrying out his wishes without contention.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The AI Bubble is Headed Towards Bust, Not Boom | John Norton

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

“a

“Are we really in an AI bubble?” asked a reader of last month’s column about the apparently unstoppable rise of Nvidia. “And how do we know that?” That was a good question, so he asked the AI, which pointed out:
investmentpedia, written by someone who knows this stuff. Bubbles taught me that he goes through five stages.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said that people live with sadness.. For investment bubbles, the five stages are displacement, boom, euphoria, profit taking, and panic. So let’s see how this maps onto our previous experience with AI.

First, displacement. It’s easy. It was ChatGPT wotdunnit. When it appeared on November 30, 2022, the world just went crazy. Then everyone realized,
this That’s exactly what was being tweeted around AI! And people were fascinated by the discovery that they could talk to machines, and that machines could talk to them (well, write them) back in coherent sentences. it was done. It was like the moment people saw in the spring of 1993.
mosaicthe first proper web browser, and suddenly the pennies dropped.
this That was the purpose of the “Internet”. And Netscape held his initial public offering in August 1995, stock prices skyrocketed, and the first Internet bubble began to inflate.

Second stage: Boom. With the launch of ChatGPT, all the big tech companies have actually been playing with this AI technology for years, but were too scared to tell the world due to the inherent instability of the technology. It became clear that it couldn’t be done. But once the ChatGPT creator let his OpenAI let the cat out of the bag, fomo (fear of missing out) took over. And other companies have learned that Microsoft stole their advances by secretly investing in his OpenAI, and in doing so gained privileged access to his powerful GPT-4 large-scale multimodal model. This realization created a sense of alarm. Microsoft’s president, Satya Nadella, inadvertently revealed that his intention was to make Google “dance.” If that was indeed his plan, it worked.Google, which considered itself a leader in machine learning, released Bard chatbot
before you’re ready Then he retreated amidst the voices of ridicule.

But that excitement also stirs up the lower echelons of technology, and suddenly there’s a surge in startups being founded by entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs who see the big “foundation” model of tech companies as a platform on which new things can be built. I saw it.
Once you look at the web As such a basic foundation. These seedlings were funded in the old-fashioned way by venture capitalists, but some of them were funded by tech companies and companies like his Nvidia, which was producing hardware that could allegedly build the future of AI. received significant investment from both.

The third stage of the cycle, euphoria, is the stage we are in now. The winds of caution are shifting, and ostensibly rational companies are betting huge sums of money on AI. OpenAI boss Sam Altman began by saying,
Raise $7 trillion from Middle East oil states For the big push to create AGI (artificial general intelligence). He also partnered with Microsoft to
stargate supercomputer. All of this seems to be based on articles of faith. So to create a superintelligent machine, all you need is (a) infinitely more data and (b) infinitely more computing power. And the strange thing is that at the moment the world seems to be taking these fantasies at face value.

This begins the fourth stage of the cycle: profit taking. At this point, an astute operator notices that the process is becoming unstable and initiates an escape before the bubble bursts. No one is actually making money from AI yet, except the companies that build the hardware, so maybe the people who own stock in Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet (née Google). Other than that, there are very few benefits to be gained. It turns out that this generative AI is great at spending money, but not great at generating investment returns.

Stage 5 – Panic – awaits. At some stage the bubble gets punctured and a rapid downward curve begins as people scramble to get out while they can. In the case of AI, it is unclear what triggers this process. Governments may eventually grow tired of out-of-control giant corporations draining investors’ money. Or will shareholders come to the same conclusion? Or finally realizing that AI technology is causing an environmental disaster. Data centers cannot be spread all over the earth.

But it will burst someday. Nothing grows exponentially forever. So, back to the first question. Are we in an AI bubble? Is the Pope a Catholic?

Source: www.theguardian.com

Neopets’ Nostalgic Revival Leads to Tripled User Base in Just 6 Months | Technology

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

I
In the early 2000s, Olivia Packenham came home from school, heard the familiar dial-up tone of her family’s computer connecting to the Internet, and was transported to the virtual game world of Neopets in her AOL browser.

Packenham, who started playing at the age of 8, played for many years before losing interest in high school. But in December 2023, after almost her 15-year hiatus, she logged back into her neopets.com. Then she realized that her childhood pets were waiting for her. Her favorite “Bruce” (the Neopets version of Penguin) is now over 21 years old.

Packenham says that when she opens Neopets today, it’s like going back to that time in her life. This time, my mother didn’t yell at me because the family’s phone line was clogged.

“It was like walking into a museum of the early 2000s Internet,” said Packenham, 32. And he is one of the thousands of players who have returned to Neopets over the past year.

Packenham’s return was no coincidence. His Neopets, which announced a bold rebrand in 2023, is consciously courting former fans with the promise of reuniting with old digital friends who have remained largely unchanged.

Returning Neopians (user community name) cites several reasons for returning. A woman who went by the username Solabee said she started playing the game at age 9 and began playing almost every day after her return. The resurgence of Neopets felt very special to millennials, she said. In fact, 40% of her users are between the ages of 25 and 34, and 26% of her users are between the ages of 18 and 24, the next largest demographic. Revisiting this site reminds me of a hopeful time in Internet history, when logging online was still new and exciting. Many of the Neopians interviewed for this article prefer to keep their online personas separate from their real lives and asked to be quoted by their usernames.

“We are the most nostalgic generation, so when major global events or crises occur, we all want to go back to the safest time in our lives, which is our childhood,” Soraby said.

Olivia Packenham's Neopets, the penguin-like "Bruce" variety. Photo: Courtesy of Olivia Packenham.

Neopets' strong start and long decline

Neopets started in 1999 as an early internet universe where users could care for a variety of virtual pets and play mini-games. A crude social network that predates Facebook, the site allowed users to add friends, send each other messages, exchange resources and virtual currency, and battle. It peaked in the mid-2000s with more than 25 million active users, but its popularity quickly declined as competing gaming and social sites exploded on the Internet.

The platform has changed hands multiple times since its founding, slumped amid acquisitions, and had just 100,000 users when it was acquired by Chinese company NetDragon in 2017. Further deepening the decline was the decline of Adobe's Flash Player (software). Powered most of the site – Browsers began to be phased out Neopets started around 2017 and was officially discontinued in 2020. Neopets received little attention and the interface was not updated.

That's because entrepreneur and investment consultant Dominic Lo, who joined NetDragon as new markets director in 2020, launched an internal campaign to revive the Neopets brand, calling it a "giant leap of faith." ” until he called it. Ms Lo, 36, recalled that after she immigrated to Hong Kong as a child, she used Neopets to keep in touch with friends in Canada. He realized that his Neopets was at risk because NetDragon had shut down several underperforming sites it had acquired.

“Despite its decline over the past decade, when lack of updates and flash outages made half the site unplayable, a quarter of the remaining users log on every day,” he said. “Seeing how close-knit the rest of the community is, and as a player myself, I resonated with the emotional attachment that drove these core users to support Neopets. Perhaps this is why We’ve found that we have probably the most sticky customer base.”

Law persuaded NetDragon's upper management to give Neopets a "final blow" to save it, spinning Neopets into an independently owned company with a management team of which he is now CEO. We finalized the acquisition agreement. The move was backed by undisclosed external investment. Under a group known as Neopets Team (TNT), the company began restoring the site's functionality, updating its design, and improving its most famous classic games. Next, TNT wants to enable more mobile capabilities. Although much of the site is still bogged down with some glitches, Roe said that its failure to change with the times has ironically been an asset.

“With no updates, we basically preserved early internet culture in its purest form,” he said. “When a user logs on, the game looks 99% the way he did, and his pet is there. It's like reuniting with an old friend. There aren't many experiences in life that allow you to relive your childhood. there is no.”

Difficulties in reviving Neopia

Efforts to revive Neopets have intensified, with monthly user numbers nearly tripling to 300,000 in the past six months, and the company on track to be profitable by the end of 2024, Lo said. .

“We believe this is the beginning of recovery. But there is still much work to be done,” Lo said.

In addition to prioritizing bringing lapsed users back to the site, Neopets is seeking to license the intellectual property for its trading card game and branded Monopoly board.

“We're already on track to be profitable, but we want to make sure it's sustainable and future-proof our intellectual property so we can survive for years to come.” Mr Law said.

As pressure continues to make Neopets financially viable in the real world, the company's new leadership will also have to contend with the digital financial component of the site, which operates on the Neopoints cryptocurrency. With few updates to the site over the years, a huge black market has emerged for specific pets, and the site's virtual economy has suffered from hyperinflation.

Neopets' original logo and creatures. Photo: Neopets

Neopets runs on a complex economy consisting of two main components: items and Neopoints. Throughout the years

Source: www.theguardian.com

Could dinosaurs make a comeback in the future? Insights from a paleontologist

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Dinosaurs, in the form of birds, continue to exist today. However, traditional dinosaurs like tyrannosaurus, triceratops, and stegosaurus, are unlikely to evolve again if the climate and temperatures return to Cretaceous conditions.

While pondering this idea is entertaining, it is impossible to accurately predict future evolutionary developments. Evolution is largely influenced by chance and natural selection, which occurs in response to immediate needs rather than long-term planning.

The late paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould once contemplated rewinding the tape of life to a past era and playing it again. He theorized that each replay would result in a different world, shaped by random quirks and unpredictable paths.

One thing that becomes clear with fossil record analysis is that once a species goes extinct, it is gone forever. Trilobites, for example, have not reappeared despite similarities in today’s climate to theirs in the past.

Evolution through convergence is a powerful force, leading different species to develop similar traits when faced with similar environmental challenges. Therefore, if Earth were to undergo a Cretaceous-like climate shift, it is possible that new large reptiles may evolve, but not necessarily tyrannosaurus and triceratops.

In response to a reader’s question about the possibility of dinosaurs evolving again under different Earth conditions, this article explores the unpredictable nature of evolution and the potential for new species to emerge under changing circumstances.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: questions@sciencefocus.com or reach out on our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Explore more fascinating science topics on our website and stay curious!

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Reasons why you are consistently late and tips to help you be punctual.

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Many of us have a friend or acquaintance who is consistently late, struggling with time management. While it may be a source of humor in social circles, being chronically late can lead to serious consequences like missing important meetings, flights, or appointments.

Several factors may contribute to habitual lateness. Individuals with lower scores on conscientiousness and neuroticism on personality tests are more likely to be late. This trait can also be attributed to a relaxed personality type or influenced by upbringing and cultural background.

Psychologically, some individuals may be considered “time optimists,” underestimating the time things take or struggling with procrastination. Familiarity with a given route can also lead to underestimating travel time, as demonstrated in studies on spatial cognition.

An aversion to arriving early, which often requires waiting, can also contribute to lateness. To address these factors, committing to arrive early, accurately estimating travel time with a buffer, and planning activities for waiting time can help improve punctuality.

If you resonate with these reasons for being late, taking proactive steps to address them can lead to better time management habits. By analyzing travel time more realistically and allowing for extra buffer time, it becomes easier to arrive punctually and avoid stressful situations.

This article aims to address the question “Why am I always late?” (submitted by Alvin Pittman via email).

For any queries, please reach out to us at: questions@sciencefocus.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (remember to provide your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Exploring the Potential of Graphene: A Revolutionary Material in Materials Science

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Twenty years ago, scientists announced the creation of a new miracle substance that would revolutionize our lives. They named it graphene.

Graphene is made up of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, making it one of the strongest materials ever produced. It is more resistant to electricity than copper and has excellent heat conductivity.

The potential applications of graphene seemed limitless, with predictions of ultra-fast processors, quicker battery charging, and stronger concrete. It was even proposed as a solution for potholes in roads.

Professor Andre Geim (left) and Professor Konstantin Novoselov from the University of Manchester discovered graphene. Photo: John Super/AP

The scientists behind the discovery, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for their work. The National Graphene Institute was established at the University of Manchester.

Despite the initial hype, the graphene revolution has not materialized as expected. Challenges in scaling up production have hindered its widespread adoption.

Sir Colin Humphreys, a materials science professor at Queen Mary University of London, pointed out that the main issue lies in the difficulty of producing graphene on a large scale.

He explained that the original method of creating graphene was not conducive to mass production and that significant investments by companies like IBM, Samsung, and Intel have been made to develop scalable production methods.

Recent advancements in manufacturing techniques show promise for the resurgence of graphene technology. Companies like Paragraph are now producing graphene-based devices in large quantities.

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Graphene-based devices are being used for various applications, including sensors for detecting magnetic fields and differentiating between bacterial and viral infections.

Additionally, graphene devices are expected to be more energy-efficient than current technologies, offering a promising future for the material.

While the graphene revolution may have been delayed, it holds the potential to address pressing global challenges and significantly impact modern life.

Graphene “has the potential to make a real difference to modern life,” says Sir Colin Humphreys, professor of materials science.
Photo: AddMeshCube/Alamy

The hyped science failed to make the grade.

nuclear power “Our children will have immeasurably cheap electrical energy in their homes.” – Louis Strauss, then chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, in 1954.
Sinclair C5 “This is the future of transportation” – promotional materials for the 1985 Sinclair C5 electric scooter/car. Sales in the first year were predicted to be 100,000 units, but only 5,000 units were sold. Project has been abandoned.
medical advances “The time has come to close the book on infectious diseases and declare that the war on epidemics has been won” – in the words of Dr. William H. Stewart, Surgeon General of the United States from 1965 to 1969.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Role of Smell in Social Communication: How Technology is Affecting our Senses

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

“circleWait a minute, wait a minute. You haven’t heard anything yet.” So was the first line of dialogue heard in the 1927 feature film jazz singer. This was the first time that the mass media conveyed the sights and sounds of the scene together, and the audience was mesmerized.

Since then, black and white has given way to color, frame rates and resolutions have increased, and sound quality has improved, but the media we consume still remains overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, our eyes and ears. We are responding to

The average person now spends nearly seven hours a day watching screens, and with most of that time spent indoors, our overreliance on sight and sound is only increasing. But if a human considers that he is a five (or five) animal, probably even more) senses, aren’t we ignoring other abilities? And what is it doing to us?

Many psychologists classify our primary senses as either rational or emotional, and there is evidence to support this. “Odor [and taste are] Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, says, “Rational senses such as hearing and vision are directly connected to emotional processing areas of the brain.” In fact, Spence says more than half of the neocortex, and therefore more than half of the brain’s volume, is devoted to processing what we see.

There’s no denying that we are highly visual creatures, which is part of the reason why our media is primarily audiovisual. “I think this is largely due to the fact that much of the information we consider important today is conveyed through visual and auditory means,” said Meike Scherer, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University. “But what we think is important isn’t necessarily what we need.”

If you ask people which sense they can’t live without, most people will say sight, but evidence shows that what we really lack is smell. “The rates of suicide and suicidal ideation are much higher among people with anosmia, because anosmia is so tied to our emotions,” Scherer says.

So does ignoring some senses in favor of others affect our emotional lives? Our emotional health is tied to our social health, but… The answer is almost certainly yes. “Smell is a very important cue for social communication, but this is something that is not implemented in any of the technologies we use today,” Scherer says.

For example, it has been found that after shaking someone’s hand, we tend to subconsciously smell their palm. “It gives you hints about all sorts of things, from their health to their age and even their personality,” Spence says. “A lot is lost when we only interact digitally.”

Touch is equally important to our emotional lives, and the finger-focused haptics of digital devices are not enough. C-tactile afferents are a type of nerve receptor that is abundant in the hairy skin of the arms (but not on the pads of the fingers) and has been shown to produce positive emotions when stimulated. “These receptors like slow, warm, tactile strokes,” says Spence.

The cool and smooth touch screen of your smartphone cannot replace other human skin, which is soft, warm and imperceptibly smelly. For adults, this may mean less satisfaction with their social lives, but for a generation of children who are increasingly socialized through technology, the effects can be profound.

Scherer says children learn to interpret their own senses by referring to each other’s senses. We learn to associate subtle smells with the sound of someone yelling or the sight of a smile, and may learn to use these signals to navigate social situations in the future. “Children who grow up with less input basically have less training to be able to categorize what certain things smell like and what certain exposures mean,” Scherer said. To tell. “If you suddenly take away something that has evolved over millions of years, you’re not only removing one sense from her, but it’s affecting how all of her other senses work.”

Marianna Obrist, Professor of Multisensory Interfaces at University College London, said: Everything is multisensory.

For example, it’s easy to think that the experience of eating is primarily about taste, but the shape and color, smell and sizzle, temperature, texture and weight of food are influenced by our senses of sight, smell, hearing and touch. appeal to. “All these senses are already activated before you eat,” says Obrist. Then there’s mouthfeel, the physical sensation of spiciness and sourness, and of course, flavor.

Removing just one of those sensations can affect the entire experience. For example, if you eat ice cream in the dark, It is unlikely that you will enjoy it, or even be sure of what it tastes like. “Each time we receive multisensory stimulation, we are able to develop a better and richer representation of our surroundings,” Scherer says.

So What are we doing to make our technology more multisensory? sense x, an EU-funded project aimed at helping designers come up with new ways to integrate feel, smell and taste into products. The team’s efforts included spraying scents under subjects’ noses to highlight key moments in director Christopher Nolan’s film interstellar, irradiate ultrasound to simulate contact, Powerful acoustics to suspend food It can be attached to the tongue without the need for wires or tubes.

It’s hard to imagine I’ll be watching it any time soon. Colonel Kilgore’s speech by Robert Duvall apocalypse of hellThe most famous line, while the smell of eau na palm hits your nose from your laptop in the morning, the smell-taste interface may be just around the corner. Researchers are already using AI to try to find the primary odor that creates any odor, and Obrist hopes to create a digitally controlled system with applications in research, healthcare, and immersive reality experiences. I’m the chief scientific officer at OWidgets, a company that makes scent delivery systems.

Almost all the input we receive from electronic devices is visual or auditory, so it is processed by the cortex, the rational part of the brain. Photo: Alex Segre/Alamy

Companies like China’s Dexta Robotics are also bringing tactility to virtual reality with gloves called “gloves.” dexmo.

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“Dexmo can provide haptic and force feedback simultaneously,” said Aler Gu, CEO of Dexta. “So when you scroll your finger over a virtual brick, you can feel the surface texture. When you grab a brick and move it from one point to another, you can feel its physical shape.”

Media that engage all of our senses will certainly enrich our daily interactions with technology, but it’s not hard to imagine more insidious uses emerging. In 1957, an American market researcher named James Vicary claimed to have created a movie by splicing together the scenes “Eating Popcorn” and “Drinking Coca-Cola.” He reported that sales of popcorn and Coca-Cola increased by 57.5% and 18.1% respectively, and the concept of subliminal advertising was born.

Vicary was later exposed as a fraudster, and the effectiveness of subliminal advertising has gained worldwide attention. discussion issues Since then, has technology that can deliver smells and tastes digitally become a gift to unscrupulous advertisers? Masu. [these senses]. They can be very powerful,” says Scherer. “We’re very emotional decision-makers, so there’s a lot of potential for that to influence our decisions.”

Research has shown that exposure to certain tastes and smells can influence our judgments of other people’s appearance and personality, and even change our behavior.For example, taste bitter foods can make us hostile,and 2005 patent application The scent of pink grapefruit suggests to men that it can make women appear younger than their actual age.

Obrist’s team discovered that: Sour taste makes people more willing to engage in risky behavior. “You might be doing electronic banking or shopping online and drinking a sour lemon drink. That may indirectly influence your decision-making,” she says. say. It’s not hard to imagine how e-commerce and gambling apps will be affected. Devices that can deliver tastes and smells can be exploited.

To some extent, this is already happening.Companies are known for pumping pleasant scents into their stores, and American chain Cinnabon Intentionally place the oven near the store entrancesometimes creating baking trays with just sugar and cinnamon to tempt passing shoppers.

www.theguardian.com

2024 Solar Eclipse Live: Watch NASA’s broadcast of the total eclipse – New Updates

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will occur in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This type of solar eclipse only occurs when the sun and moon line up perfectly in the sky, causing the moon to cover the entire disk of the sun and cast a shadow on Earth. The path this shadow follows as it crosses the ground at speeds exceeding 2,400 kilometers per hour is called a total path, and during this eclipse, the shadow will cross from the west coast of Mexico, across 13 states of the United States, to Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, and beyond. At any given location, totality lasts from about 90 seconds to nearly 4.5 minutes.

During this period, the sky becomes dark as at dusk and the temperature drops by 10 degrees. Viewers will be able to remove their eclipse glasses, which are essential during the partial phase of the eclipse, and look directly at the Sun, which is covered by the Moon. At this range, the sun’s outermost layer, the corona, becomes visible. At other times, it may be too dark to see due to the glare of the sun. Total solar eclipses like this one are rare opportunities for researchers studying the sun and have led to major scientific advances over the years.

Solar eclipse in 2024

On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Our special series covers everything you need to know, from how and when to see a solar eclipse to the strangest solar eclipse experience of all time.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Where and When Can You View a Total Solar Eclipse?

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

One of the most eagerly anticipated sky-watching events in recent years is set to take place on Monday, with a total solar eclipse gracing North American skies.

Weather permitting, millions of people in Mexico, 15 U.S. states, and eastern Canada will have the opportunity to witness the moon passing between Earth and the sun, momentarily blocking the sun’s light.

The total solar eclipse will be visible along a “total path” that spans more than 100 miles wide and extends across the continent, with the moon completely obstructing the sun, casting darkness over the afternoon sky for a few minutes.

The rest of the continental United States will experience a partial solar eclipse, where the moon will appear to take a bite out of the sun, with the size of the “bite” varying by location.

The first total eclipse event in North America on Monday will occur on the Pacific coast of Mexico at around 11:07 a.m. Pacific time, as per NASA.

Moving northeast through Mexico, the eclipse’s path will cross through states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and beyond, leading into parts of Canada including southern Ontario and Quebec.

The duration and timing of the total solar eclipse will vary depending on location, with most areas experiencing about two minutes of darkness, with the longest period usually occurring at the center of the eclipse’s path.

This year, the longest totality period will last 4 minutes and 28 seconds in the northwest region of Torreon, Mexico.

The moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Cerulean, Kentucky, August 21, 2017.
Timothy D. Easley / AP File

Below is a list of times for some US cities along the path of totality. According to NASA.

Dallas: A partial solar eclipse will start at 12:23 p.m. CT, with a total eclipse commencing at 1:40 p.m. CT.
Idabel, Oklahoma: A partial solar eclipse begins at 12:28 p.m. CT, and a total eclipse starts at 1:45 p.m. CT.
Little Rock, AR: A partial solar eclipse will begin at 12:33 p.m. CT, and a total solar eclipse is scheduled for 1:51 p.m. CT.
Poplar Bluff, Missouri: The partial solar eclipse begins at 12:39 p.m. CT, with totality kicking off at 1:56 p.m. CT.
Paducah, Kentucky: A partial solar eclipse will commence at 12:42 p.m. CT, followed by a total solar eclipse at 2 p.m. CT.
Carbondale, IL: The partial solar eclipse will start at 12:42 p.m. CT, with the total solar eclipse beginning at 1:59 p.m. CT.
Evansville, Indiana: A partial solar eclipse will begin at 12:45 p.m. CT, and a total eclipse will begin at 2:02 p.m. CT.
CLEVELAND: A partial solar eclipse will begin at 1:59 p.m. ET, followed by a total eclipse starting at 3:13 p.m.
Erie, Pennsylvania: A partial solar eclipse will begin at 2:02 p.m. ET, and a total solar eclipse will start at 3:16 p.m. ET.
Buffalo, NY: A partial solar eclipse will start at 2:04 p.m. ET, with a total solar eclipse beginning at 3:18 p.m.
Burlington, Vermont: A partial solar eclipse will begin at 2:14 p.m. ET, and a total solar eclipse is set to start at 3:26 p.m. ET.
Lancaster, New Hampshire: The partial solar eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET, followed by a total solar eclipse starting at 3:27 p.m.
Caribou, Maine: A partial solar eclipse begins at 2:22 p.m. ET, with a total solar eclipse starting at 3:32 p.m. ET.

Additional resources to determine the visibility of the eclipse phases in your area include: NationalEclipse.com and timeanddate.com.

Remember, when observing celestial events, never look directly at the Sun through binoculars, telescopes, or camera lenses. Special solar eclipse glasses are necessary to view the eclipse safely and avoid permanent eye damage.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

World’s First AI and Gaming Token to Launch on Top Exchanges – Exciting News in the World of Blockchain

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Chainwire, Dubai, Deira, April 7, 2024

R game marks an important milestone in the gaming world with the launch of the $RGAME token, scheduled for April 8, 2024 at 10am UTC.

This big step for R Games will launch on platforms such as DAOMaker. pools financeListed on top exchanges such as , Finceptor, and Paragen. Gate.io, mexico globalPancakeSwap, Raydium, BingX.

A strong community at Fabwelt Studios and WEMIX Play supports this release.

$RGAME is poised to transform the blockchain industry with artificial intelligence, precision engineering, and racing.

Ferrum Network, BMW Capital, Lavender Capital, Qu Ventures, Odiyana Ventures, IBC Group, Mario Nawfal, Sky Wee, Yuen Wong, Robbie Jo, Rajan Raj.

Main features of R game include

interoperable NFTs
User-generated content feature
Design using AI

This unique combination sets R Games apart as a frontrunner in the Web3 AI and gaming space, catering to both experienced gamers and beginners.

As the countdown to TGE and IDO begins, R Games invites gamers, investors, and enthusiasts alike to join us on a journey to revolutionize the gaming industry and unlock new possibilities in the Web3 world.

The future of R games

Looking to the future, R Games has ambitious plans in place.

Development work is focused on implementing upgrades such as an advanced upgrade system, virtual garage, and AI integration.

These additional features are designed to provide users with different opportunities to earn money using models such as:

develop and acquire
Watch to Earn
PLAY AND EARN

Players can tweak and electronically upgrade all vehicle models in the game within the Workshop, providing a customizable experience.

The integration of AI technology allows users to easily design car characters without any technical expertise.

Roadmap also includes diverse modes such as F1, Street Racing, Story Mode, and Off-Road Racing to cater to a wide audience.

About RGames

R game is a highly customized platform offering diverse game modes aimed at building the largest blockchain-based racing ecosystem.

The R Games team comes from the successful studio venture Gyros Studios LCC, formerly known as Fabwelt Studios LLC, which built numerous successful blockchain games.

Loet de Hooge, Abhishek Pegada, and Rubina Naaz are the visionary founders of R Games, bringing together diverse expertise and passion for gaming and blockchain technology.

Loet de Hooge is known for its technical capabilities and innovation.

Abhishek Pegada will contribute strategic leadership and business acumen, while Rubina Naaz brings a creative, user-centric approach to the team.

Website: https://r-games.tech

White paper: https://fabwelt.gitbook.io/r-games

twitter: https://twitter.com/R_GamesOfficial

telegram: https://t.me/RGamesOfficialChat

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Rgames_official

discord: https://discord.gg/jPWWvdB42J

contact

Rubina Naats
gyros studio
Hello @r-games.tech

Source: the-blockchain.com

Strange Animal Behavior to Watch for During April’s Solar Eclipse

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

On April 8th, while most people in the United States will be staring into the sky (preferably wearing appropriate safety glasses), animals will have no idea what’s going on.

That’s natural, right? For animals, the sun constitutes their entire life. Without energy drinks and late-night TV to disrupt their sleep schedules, the sun is an all-in-one alarm clock, sleeping pill, and calendar for animals.

In 2017, a team of researchers studied how different animals responded to a total solar eclipse in the United States.

“Basically, everything we’ve ever heard about animal behavior during a solar eclipse can reasonably be considered anecdotal from a scientific perspective.” Professor Adam Hartstone Rose says the person who led the research. BBC Science Focus.

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Hartstone-Rose and his team observed the behavior of 17 species at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. This is the first time such a study has been conducted. What did they find? Now, how animals behave during a total solar eclipse varies dramatically, from not at all bothersome to downright weird…

Strange ways animals may react to solar eclipses

Heartstone-Rose said animals responded to celestial events in one of four ways. These include not responding at all, starting nighttime routines, showing anxiety, and exhibiting new behaviors.

“Most animals fall into a category that we call related to circadian rhythms. So basically, animals treat solar eclipses as if they were evening, then night, then morning; “I get into a routine,” he says.

Similar nighttime routines have been widely reported for other eclipses. As the moon passes in front of the sun, expect birds to quiet down and crickets and cicadas to become more active.

The next largest behavioral category was, somewhat sadly, anxiety-related behaviors. For example, evidence gathered by Hartstone-Rose and her research team suggests that if you’re near a giraffe during a solar eclipse, you should stay well away from them.

“During the peak of the eclipse, the giraffes started running around like crazy and in potentially dangerous ways,” Hartstone-Rose explains.

“Giraffes in the wild are very gentle animals. They’re a little bit wild and sensitive. They don’t do crazy things unless they have to, so when I saw giraffes running around…, only when startled by a predator, vehicle, etc.”

Thankfully, any disturbing behavior didn’t last long. “The good news is that all of the animal’s behavior returns to normal very quickly, literally within minutes.”

But what about these so-called “novel” behaviors? This is where things get weird.

The siamang is a type of gibbon that lives in the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Although they look cute, they are known to be very noisy and have large throat pouches.use their heads to help sing.

The research team recorded the calls of the siamang during and for several days before and after the eclipse, and found that it emitted a unique call during the totality. It was something they had never heard before.

“We were able to statistically show that vocalizations during a solar eclipse are much different than at any other time we’ve been able to record vocalizations,” Hartstone-Rose says. “That was pretty remarkable.”

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The prize for the strangest solar eclipse behavior is… giant tortoise?

If anxious runs and strange songs weren’t enough, Riverbanks Zoo’s Galapagos tortoises took their reaction to the solar eclipse to a different level.

“Galapagos tortoises are not charismatic animals,” Hartstone-Rose says. “They’re like weird looking rocks that can live to be well over 100 years old.”

Galapagos giant tortoises began mating from the moment of totality. – Image credit: Getty

According to stereotypes, they are not particularly fast moving and the males Weight is over 227 kg making it the largest turtle species on Earth.

When the sun eclipsed the moon in 2017, Galapagos tortoises started doing something unexpected. They literally started breeding right before our eyes. “

Therefore, a solar eclipse may lift your turtle’s mood. Did anyone know?

How can I participate this time?

After 2017’s surprising discoveries, researchers hope to do even more this year.

Hartstone-Rose and a team of researchers plan to observe animal behavior at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas. They will observe and compare some of the same species and new species from 2017.

But you don’t have to be a trained researcher to help scientists understand animal behavior during this once-in-a-lifetime event.

“The really exciting research we’re doing is solar eclipse safari project” says Heartstone Rose.

If you want to participate, just choose the animal you want to observe, whether it’s a dog, cat, domestic animal, or natural animal.

You don’t have to go down the path of perfection either. There will be at least a partial solar eclipse across the United States on April 8, and researchers want to know whether the severity of the eclipse affects behavior.

Before you worry that you’ll miss the eclipse itself because you’re too busy checking to see if your dog is scratching its ears, don’t worry. Data collection only takes a few seconds every few minutes, so you still have time to understand everything.

Why study animals during a solar eclipse?

While understanding how different animals behave during a solar eclipse may seem interesting to some, it is ultimately a pointless endeavor. Fair point. Although there is some method to madness.

First, Hartstone-Rose points out that it’s important to understand which animals exhibit anxiety.

“If solar eclipses are upsetting, or if the human response to solar eclipses is upsetting, that’s important information for us to know. For example, giraffes really If it runs around, it may be ethical to move the giraffe indoors during the next solar eclipse.

“At the end of the day, we don’t want them to hurt themselves.”

Even more poignantly, he thinks this could answer some of the big questions about our relationship with animals.

“One of the big questions, and anyone who has a pet dog or cat knows this, is what’s going on inside this animal’s head. Do you know? ? What is my dog thinking at any given moment? People have such questions not only about dogs, but about all their favorite animals.”

Perhaps by understanding how animals respond to one of the most unique and fascinating experiences on earth, we can move one step closer to solving the mystery.

About our experts

adam hartstone rose He is a professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University. His research typically focuses on anatomical adaptations (e.g. feeding experiments), muscle examination (e.g. masticatory muscles), and analysis of bones and teeth in live animals. In 2017, he led a study on animal behavior during a total solar eclipse at Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Completion of the world’s most powerful camera

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory scientists and engineers have completed work on the most powerful camera ever created.

The Legacy Survey of Space and Time camera (LSST) boasts an impressive 3,200-megapixel capacity and is approximately the size of a small car, weighing around 3,000 kg. The installation of these cameras in the newly constructed Vera C. Rubin Observatory building will allow scientists to capture incredibly detailed images of the Southern Hemisphere’s skies over the next decade.

Multiple organizations were involved in the production of the camera. Brookhaven National Laboratory contributed a digital sensor array, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory designed and built the lenses, and the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Research at the National Center for Scientific Research in France played a role as well.

With the completion of SLAC’s LSST camera and its integration with Rubin Observatory systems in Chile, the project is on track to produce comprehensive night sky maps. University of Washington professor Željko Ivezic, the Rubin Observatory construction director, emphasized the significance of this achievement.

The LSST camera team successfully attached the cryostat to the camera body on April 8, 2022 – Image courtesy of Travis Lange/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

The new camera’s capabilities are immense, including photographing the entire visible sky every few nights, potentially discovering billions of stars and galaxies over the next decade. It would require hundreds of ultra-high-definition TV screens to display a single image at full resolution.

The LSST camera is being installed facing the ground towards completion.Roughly the size of a small car and weighing 3 tons, the camera has a 5-foot-wide front lens, a 3,200-megapixel sensor, and is cooled to -100°C to reduce noise – Image credit : Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/ SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

The camera’s detailed images of the Southern Hemisphere sky aim to fill gaps in previous space observations and provide insights into galaxy distribution, dark energy, dark matter, and other astronomical mysteries. By detecting weak gravitational lensing and studying the evolution of the universe, astronomers hope to gain valuable insights from this data.

Travis Lange, LSST camera deputy project manager, shines a flashlight on the completed LSST camera – Image credit: Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Researchers believe the LSST camera could aid in the creation of more detailed maps of solar system objects and help identify near-Earth object threats. The installation of the camera at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is expected to be completed soon.

A look inside the completed LSST camera – Image credit: Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Most of the LSST camera team in a clean room with completed cameras, taken in January 2024 – Image credit: Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

Vera C. Rubin Observatory – the new home for cameras

The nearly completed Vera C Rubin Observatory is visible at sunset in January 2022 – Image credit: Vera C Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/AURA/NSF/J Fuentes

Following the completion of the LSST camera, preparations are underway to transport it to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory atop a rugged Andean mountain pass. Its initial imaging is expected in early 2025, allowing the public to witness its capabilities by 2027.

The camera will be installed atop the Simoni Survey Telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory high in the Chilean Andes – Image courtesy of Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA

About our experts:

Željko Ivezic: With a PhD in physics from the University of Kentucky, Željko Ivezic’s expertise lies in electromagnetic radiation analysis and celestial body observation. He spearheads the Rubin Observatory/LSST project as the construction project director, bringing a wealth of experience in scientific research.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

5 fun solar eclipse activities for kids

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

There are plenty of solar eclipse activities to enjoy with your kids

Edwin Remsburg/Alamy

If you’re planning to enjoy the total solar eclipse on April 8 with your kids, here are some things you can do before and during the eclipse to help them understand what causes it and get the most out of the experience. Here are some activities.

1. Build an Eclipse viewer

The day before the solar eclipse, you and your kids can get excited about this big event by creating a solar eclipse viewer. There are several ways to do this. The first method is a simple pinhole camera that uses two pieces of paper. Cut a hole in a piece of paper and cover it with aluminum foil, then cut a small hole in the foil. On the day of the eclipse, when he lifts the paper and shines the sun’s rays through the hole, a version of the eclipse is projected onto his second piece of paper, which he places on the ground.

For a slightly more complicated version, place a piece of paper on one end of a cereal or shoe box and cut two holes in the other end. Place a piece of tin foil over one of the two holes and re-drill it to allow sunlight to pass through. More information on how to create both versions can be found here.

solar eclipse 2024

2. Build a solar eclipse model

Another activity you can do before a solar eclipse is to build or act out models of the sun, moon, and earth to understand what a solar eclipse is. All you need to assemble is 3 sticks and his 3 balls to place on the sticks. You can paint and color them to look like the sun, moon, and earth. Make sure the sun is bigger than the moon. You can then show your children what a solar eclipse looks like by placing the sun in the center and moving the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth. A solar eclipse occurs when these three lines line up and the moon moves between the sun and the earth. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun.

Children can also act out a solar eclipse. Of them, she will give one person a flashlight or flashlight to play the role of the sun and ask them to shine the flashlight on the wall. The other person is the moon, which can move around until it blocks the light of the torch. Both children can play with moving back and forth to show why the distance between the Moon, Earth, and Sun is important when it comes to solar eclipses.

3. Use sunlight to pop balloons

This can be done on any sunny day. But on days when you’re waiting for a total solar eclipse, you can show your kids how to pop balloons using the power of sunlight. This activity requires balloons and a magnifying glass. Inflate the balloon and then hold a magnifying glass over it to magnify the sunlight hitting the balloon. Wait a few minutes and the balloon will eventually pop. Do the same trick by inflating a white balloon inside a black balloon for an even more exciting atmosphere. The black balloon pops, leaving the white balloon inside intact. You can use this to explain how dark surfaces absorb sunlight and light surfaces reflect sunlight.

4. Play with the shadows

On the day of the solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse phase will last for several hours while we wait for the total solar eclipse. Parents and children can enjoy the solar eclipse by watching and playing with the changes in the shadow. If you have trees nearby, observe the shadows they cast on the ground during the eclipse and you’ll notice that they begin to look like the sun has been bitten. This also works by crossing your fingers and casting a shadow on the ground. Another way to view the eclipse through the shadows is to use a colander or something with small holes. As the eclipse progresses, the shadow begins to take on the shape of the eclipse. You can punch a series of holes in the paper and spell out a word or your child’s name in the shape of a crescent moon.

5. Draw a shadow

This is another activity you can do during the time before and after totality, again making the most of the interesting shadows created by the partially eclipsed Sun. Place a large piece of white paper or sheet on the ground and ask the children to draw the shadows cast by different objects. If you do this at the beginning of the partial phase, and again when everyone is already close, you will be able to see how these shadows change as the eclipse progresses. By now you should have noticed that as the amount of light around you decreases, the shadows become more distinct.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

4 proven methods to enhance your communication skills

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Observing how people effectively communicate during office meetings or social events can be truly enlightening. Have you ever encountered a super communicator who effortlessly engages in conversations while listening attentively?

Fortunately, effective communication skills can be developed with practice. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Charles Duhigg, author of Super Communicator: How to unlock the secret language of connection, shares valuable insights on enhancing conversation skills for everyone.

Ask Deep Questions

Intriguingly, super communicators tend to ask significantly more questions than average individuals. They often pose deep questions that encourage meaningful discussions about values, beliefs, and experiences. Asking someone about their profession can lead to profound insights about their motivations and perspectives.

Listening Actively

Active listening is crucial in effective communication. When engaging in deep conversations, it is essential to not only listen but also demonstrate understanding through follow-up questions. This technique, known as looping for understanding, shows the other person that their words are valued and respected.

Be Authentic

Genuineness is essential in communication. Authenticity fosters mutual trust and vulnerability in conversations. By asking deep questions, actively listening, and sharing personal experiences, individuals can establish authentic connections that transcend superficial interactions.

Establish a Connection

At its core, conversation is about connecting with others. When engaged in dialogue, the neural activity of individuals becomes synchronized, reflecting a deep sense of connection. Communication allows individuals to share thoughts and emotions, fostering understanding and empathy.

About Our Expert Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg is a renowned journalist and author of several best-selling books, including The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better. In his book Super Communicator, he delves into the art of effective communication and building meaningful connections.

He has also made notable contributions to various media outlets, such as This American Life and NPR, showcasing his expertise in communication and storytelling.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Benefits of Enjoying Your Morning Coffee at 10am

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Waking up in the morning can be a challenge, and sometimes we need a little help to get going. For many, that help comes in the form of coffee, with its invigorating aroma and taste.

A dose of caffeine can boost your energy and alertness, providing a much-needed kickstart to your day. But when is the optimal time to enjoy your first cup?

“The stress hormone cortisol peaks in the early morning hours, helping us wake up and get moving,” explains Kirsten Jackson, founder of Food Treatment Clinic and a consultant nutritionist. “This rise in cortisol levels between 7 and 8 a.m. helps raise blood sugar levels, giving us the energy we need for the day ahead.”

Similar to cortisol, caffeine from coffee boosts energy levels and brain activity. However, consuming coffee when cortisol levels are already high may not be as effective in providing the desired energy boost.

To maximize the benefits of your coffee, it’s recommended to wait until later in the morning to enjoy your first cup. By aligning your coffee consumption with your body’s natural cortisol rhythms, you can make the most of its stimulating effects.

Cortisol levels typically peak in the morning, so having coffee at this time may not fully enhance its effects. Waiting until around 10-11 a.m. allows you to first benefit from your body’s natural wakefulness before enjoying the caffeine-induced stimulation.

When is the best time to drink coffee?

Considering factors like cortisol levels and caffeine’s impact on sleep cycles, it’s advised to avoid consuming coffee after noon to prevent sleep disruptions caused by lingering caffeine in your system.

“Drinking coffee later in the day can interfere with your ability to have a restful night’s sleep, as caffeine binds to adenosine receptors, inhibiting drowsiness,” Jackson explains.

By following a specific coffee drinking schedule, such as having a cup between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., you can align your caffeine intake with your body’s natural rhythms and optimize its effects throughout the day.

About our experts

Kirsten Jackson, also known as the ‘IBS Dietitian’, is a registered dietitian specializing in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She established the Food Treatment Clinic in 2015, offering expert gastroenterology advice for various conditions.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Astronomers discover colorful ‘glory’ in the atmosphere of WASP-76b

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Using data from ESA's Extraterrestrial Planet Characterization Satellite (CHEOPS) and several other ESA and NASA missions, astronomers detected signs of extraterrestrial planets. Rainbow-like “glory effect” In the atmosphere of super-hot Jupiter WASP-76b. This effect occurs when light is reflected from a cloud composed of a completely homogeneous but so far unknown material. This “glory effect” is common on Earth, but it has only been discovered once on another planet, Venus. If confirmed, this first extrasolar glory would reveal more about the nature of this puzzling exoplanet and hold exciting lessons about how to better understand strange, distant worlds.

Artist's impression of WASP-76b's atmospheric rainbow-like “glory effect.” Image credit: ESA.

WASP-76b is the superhot planet Jupiter located 640 light-years away in the constellation Pisces.

First discovered in 2016, this exoplanet orbits the F-type star WASP-76 once every 1.8 days.

WASP-76b is tidally locked to its star. It takes about the same amount of time to rotate around its axis as it does to orbit its parent star.

On the day side, the planet receives thousands of times more radiation from its star than Earth receives from the Sun.

Temperatures on the dayside can exceed 2,400 degrees Celsius (4,352 degrees Fahrenheit), high enough to vaporize metals. However, nighttime temperatures are much cooler at 1,316 degrees Celsius (2,400 degrees Fahrenheit).

Here, the elements that form Earth's rocks melt and evaporate, condensing on the slightly cooler night side and creating iron clouds that drip rain of molten iron.

But astronomers have been puzzled by the apparent asymmetry, or oddity, of WASP-76b's “limbs,” the outermost regions seen as it passes in front of its host star.

“WASP-76b is being 'inflated' by the intense radiation from its star,” said Dr. Monica Rendl, an astronomer at the University of Geneva.

“That means it's 10% less massive than our cousin Jupiter, but almost twice the size.”

“The important thing to keep in mind is the incredible scale of what we are witnessing,” says ESA astronomer Dr Matthew Standing.

“WASP-76b is a very hot gas giant planet hundreds of light years away, likely raining molten iron. Despite the chaos, we detected potential signs of glory. It seems like it's an incredibly weak signal.''

In this study, the authors analyzed data from a variety of ESA and NASA missions, including CHEOPS, TESS, Hubble, and Spitzer.

CHEOPS intensively monitored WASP-76b as it passed in front of and around a Sun-like star. After making her 23 observations over three years, the data showed a surprising increase in the amount of light emanating from the planet's eastern “terminator,” the boundary where night and day meet. .

This allowed astronomers to disentangle the signal and constrain its origin.

“This is the first time that such a sudden change in the brightness of an exoplanet, its 'phase curve', has been detected,” said Dr. Olivier Demanjon, an astronomer at the Spanish Institute of Astronomical Sciences in Portugal.

“This discovery led to the hypothesis that this unexpected glow may be caused by a strong, locally anisotropic (direction-dependent) reflection, or glow effect.”

“Never before have we seen such colorful concentric rings on an extrasolar object,” said Dr Thomas Wilson, an astronomer at the University of Warwick.

“Therefore, if future studies confirm the glory of this first exoplanet, WASP-76b will be a truly unique object, providing insight into the atmospheres of distant exoplanets and how habitable they may be. It’s a beautiful tool for understanding.”

Confirmation of the glory effect means that the cloud, which is made up of perfectly spherical droplets, has lasted at least three years or is constantly replenished.

For these clouds to persist, the atmospheric temperature must also remain stable over time. This is an interesting and detailed insight into what's going on with WASP-76b.

Importantly, being able to detect such subtle wonders at great distances will teach scientists and engineers how to detect other less visible but important phenomena. For example, sunlight reflecting off liquid lakes and oceans is a requirement for habitability.

“More evidence is needed to say conclusively that this interesting 'extra light' is a rare glory,” said Dr Teresa Luftinger, project scientist for ESA's upcoming Ariel mission.

“Follow-up observations by the NIRSPEC instrument aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope could do just that. Or perhaps ESA’s upcoming Ariel mission will prove its existence.” We may even discover brighter colors shining from other exoplanets.”

a paper The survey results were published in a magazine astronomy and astrophysics.

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ODS demansion other. 2024. Asymmetry in the atmosphere of superhot Jupiter WASP-76b. A&A 684, A27; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202348270

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists at CERN successfully measure a key parameter of the Standard Model

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Physicists from the CMS Collaboration at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have successfully measured the effective leptonic electroweak mixing angle. The results were presented at the annual general meeting. Rencontre de Morion Conference is the most accurate measurement ever made at the Hadron Collider and is in good agreement with predictions from the Standard Model of particle physics.

Installation of CMS beam pipe. Image credit: CERN/CMS Collaboration.

The Standard Model is the most accurate description of particles and their interactions to date.

Precise measurements of parameters, combined with precise theoretical calculations, provide incredible predictive power that allows us to identify phenomena even before we directly observe them.

In this way, the model has succeeded in constraining the masses of the W and Z particles, the top quark, and recently the Higgs boson.

Once these particles are discovered, these predictions serve as a consistency check on the model, allowing physicists to explore the limits of the theory’s validity.

At the same time, precise measurements of the properties of these particles provide a powerful tool for exploring new phenomena beyond the standard model, so-called “new physics.” This is because new phenomena appear as mismatches between different measured and calculated quantities.

The electroweak mixing angle is a key element of these consistency checks. This is a fundamental parameter of the Standard Model and determines how unified electroweak interactions give rise to electromagnetic and weak interactions through a process known as electroweak symmetry breaking.

At the same time, we mathematically connect the masses of the W and Z bosons that transmit weak interactions.

Therefore, measurements of W, Z, or mixed angles provide a good experimental cross-check of the model.

The two most accurate measurements of the weak mixing angle were made by experiments at CERN’s LEP collider and by the SLD experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

These values have puzzled physicists for more than a decade because they don’t agree with each other.

The new results are in good agreement with standard model predictions and are a step towards resolving the discrepancy between standard model predictions and measurements of LEP and SLD.

“This result shows that precision physics can be performed at the Hadron Collider,” said Dr. Patricia McBride, spokesperson for the CMS Collaboration.

“The analysis had to deal with the challenging environment of LHC Run 2, with an average of 35 simultaneous proton-proton collisions.”

“This paves the way for even more precise physics, where more than five times as many proton pairs collide simultaneously at the high-luminosity LHC.”

Precise testing of Standard Model parameters is a legacy of electron-positron collider such as CERN’s LEP, which operated until 2000 in the tunnel that now houses the LHC.

Electron-positron collisions provide a clean environment ideal for such high-precision measurements.

Proton-proton collisions at the LHC are more challenging for this type of research, even though the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments have already yielded numerous new ultra-high-precision measurements.

This challenge is primarily due to the vast background from physical processes other than those studied, and the fact that protons, unlike electrons, are not subatomic particles.

With the new results, it seemed impossible to reach accuracy similar to that of the electron-positron collider, but now it has been achieved.

The measurements presented by CMS physicists use a sample of proton-proton collisions collected from 2016 to 2018 at a center of mass energy of 13 TeV and a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb.⁻¹ or about 11 billion collisions.

“The mixing angle is obtained through analysis of the angular distribution in collisions in which pairs of electrons or muons are produced,” the researchers said.

“This is the most accurate measurement ever made at the Hadron Collider and improves on previous measurements by ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb.”

Source: www.sci.news

Unique feeding methods of Oligocene dolphins

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Aureia lelehua It has unique teeth and is thought to have formed a cage around small fish. These teeth, weak apex, flexible neck, and smallest size among its relatives allow it to be an effective hunter in shallow water, according to a team of paleontologists from the University of Otago.

skull of Aureia lelehua; Notice the spread of the teeth and the unevenness of the face. Image credit: Meakin other., doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505.

The newly described dolphin species lived in the Oligocene oceans about 22 million years ago.

dubbing Aureia lelehua this species was approximately 2 meters (6.6 ft) long and was very likely echolocated.

It has a weak skull, flexible neck, and unique lateral tooth orientation, suggesting that it scanned shallow waters and captured small prey by placing them in cages in its teeth.

University of Otago palaeontologist Shane Meakin said: “This dolphin had widely spread teeth, which are thought to have hugged fish like a wide cage. Other ancient dolphins in the region typically “This is unusual because it used its teeth to attack its prey.”

“When you look at a dolphin's teeth, it's natural to think that the large teeth at the front and center of the mouth are its main tools for catching prey and stabbing or cutting down unfortunate fish.”

“This looked like how closely related dolphins hunt; Aureia lelehua They seem to be taking a completely different approach, using these teeth in a more delicate way. “

fossil of Aureia lelehua The skull, teeth, ear bones, lower jaw, vertebrae and ribs were discovered in a quarry in New Zealand's Hakataramea Valley.

“Between 22 million and 27 million years ago, New Zealand sank and went from 1% above sea level to completely submerged, during which time marine life flourished,” the paleontologists said.

“The contemporary deposits are representative of many of the cetacean species present in the collections of the University of Otago Museum of Geology.”

“One of them is Aureia lelehua It was taken from a limestone quarry in South Canterbury's Hataramea Valley, known as 'Howe's Quarry'. ”

discovery of Aureia lelehua This indicates that there were many dolphin fossils in one small area, and their shapes varied widely.

“This shows that seemingly similar animals can coexist if they explore different ecological niches,” Meakin said.

“We also show that early prehistoric dolphins used different foraging strategies to explore different niches, which is why fossil localities such as the Hataramea Valley yielded so many species. Extinct dolphins have been recovered.

of findings On February 21, 2024, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

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Shane Meakin other. Aureia lelehuaa new platanistoid dolphin born in the Oligocene of New Zealand with a unique feeding method. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, published online on February 21, 2024. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists puzzled by the 1919 total solar eclipse

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Total solar eclipse in August 2017 over Jefferson City, Missouri

(NASA/Rami Daoud)

The following is an excerpt from the monthly Launchpad newsletter, where resident space expert Leah Crane travels through the solar system and beyond. You can sign up for Launchpad for free here.

It was in 1919 that the moon did something completely natural and blocked our view of the sun, forever changing our understanding of the universe. Observing from the African island of Principe, astronomer Arthur Eddington observed the positions of stars and planets that became visible in the eerie darkness of the day. Because most of the sun’s light was dimmed, he was able to see how light from distant stars is distorted when it is deflected by the sun’s gravity, an effect called gravitational lensing.

He confirmed his sightings with those of another expedition in Brazil, and these observations provided some of the first evidence for Albert Einstein’s relatively new theory of general relativity. This explanation of how massive objects distort the fabric of space-time is now considered fundamental, but at the time it was a revelation. It changed all the way we think about gravity and the universe.

It also led to my results Favorite newspaper headline most of all time, published in of new york times Later that year, “All the light in the heavens is slanted.” Scientists are more or less puzzled over the observations of solar eclipses. Triumph of Einstein’s theory The stars were determined by where they were visible and by calculation It’s not where it was, but no one needs to worry.”

“No one needs to worry” may seem like a bit of a stretch, but watching a total solar eclipse can certainly make you nervous in ways you can’t explain. I watched it for the first time in 2017. It was truly unforgettable. You might think of a solar eclipse as being like a cloudy day when clouds drift in front of the sun. After all, what’s happening is simply the moon passing in front of the sun and casting a shadow on Earth. But it’s surprisingly different.

The first thing you notice during a total solar eclipse is the moon’s shadow hurtling toward you across the ground at speeds of over 1,500 miles per hour. The extent of the shadow for April’s eclipse will be approximately 185 kilometers, but this can vary slightly based on the exact orientation of the Sun and Moon. As the shadow approaches, it looks like the moon has bitten the sun, and its light has a mysterious, foggy quality.

Suddenly, the area becomes dark. This is wholeness. Temperatures can drop up to 10 degrees. The only light comes from the sun’s outermost layer, called the corona, and ripples beyond the moon’s silhouette. It was completely dark, and some stars were visible in the sky. Many animals, including birds and insects, naturally seem to think it is night, and the otherworldly twilight becomes silent, except for the chirps of awakened nocturnal insects. I can’t tell you how you feel, but for me it was a mixture of awe and some strange primal fear. The sun disappeared, and even though my mind knew why, my body panicked at the loss.

solar eclipse 2024

This seems to be a fairly common reaction, not just in humans. Researchers who studied animals during past total solar eclipses found that while some animals simply finished their evening routine early, many showed signs of anxiety and were aimless during total solar eclipses. I discovered that they run and huddle together.

Then, just a few minutes later, the total star will retreat as quickly as it arrived. The shadows rush away, the sun comes out again, and the birds and insects sing again. Astronomers look up from their solar telescopes, dazed but excited by the treasure trove of data they’ve collected.

Humans have been observing solar eclipses for thousands of years, and we’ve learned some very interesting things. When the sun’s disc is covered by the moon, its faint corona becomes visible, making solar eclipses the perfect time to study the sun’s outer reaches. For example, scientists first discovered helium during a total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse is also a great time to observe the plumes of radiation and material emitted from the sun’s surface through the corona. The coronavirus itself is very strange, and there is still much to understand about how it works. Despite being far removed from the sun’s core fusion, the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the sun’s surface, and we still don’t know why.

Even if you haven’t studied the sun’s mysterious layers, it’s worth watching a total solar eclipse. More than 100 years ago, newspaper editors got it right. More or less, you will be confused.

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solar eclipse/
solar eclipse 2024

Source: www.newscientist.com

Discovering fresh approaches to tackling pollution with fascinating experiments

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Purple-B project

Luigi Avantaggiato 2024

These interesting experiments Green Promotion Institute A public research center in Venice, Italy that explores new ways to restore the environment and generate energy. The lab's unusual combination of scientists, engineers, and psychologists create prototypes that harness natural organisms to do useful work, often taking on a sculptural aspect as a side effect that fascinates the resident artist.

“Despite being the object of science, it has beauty,” says photographer Luigi Avantaggiato. He spent time cataloging a device that uses bacteria called Purple-B (pictured above). Rhodopsdomonas palustris, commonly found in Venice's lagoons, converts human waste into useful hydrogen. The experiment is being funded by the European Space Agency because it could provide a way to process astronaut waste in orbit to create usable fuel, but could also be used on Earth's surface. There is a possibility that it can be done.

Main laboratory of Veritas Group's Green Promotion Institute

Luigi Avantaggiato 2024

The bright green contents of several tanks in the lab (pictured above) are known as liquid forests, which in this project are home to tiny algae such as: chlorella, to capture the carbon dioxide that is warming the planet. Each tank contains 250 liters and can accommodate approximately 1 billion algae per cubic centimeter.

A researcher working in one of GPLabs' laboratories.

Luigi Avantaggiato 2024

Another shot (pictured above) shows the geodesic dome, where environmental engineers at a startup called 9-Tech are working on a new way to recover silicon from used solar panels.

The entire lab site was created by veritashandles waste and water supplies for Venice and Treviso's approximately 1 million residents and 50 million tourists.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Mondo News

All of the latest tech and science news from all over the world.

Author Archives: Igor Mitreski

Harold Halibut: A Whimsical Puppet Adventure Game with Breathtaking Visuals in the Style of Wes Anderson meets Aardman

Leisure centers abandon biometric monitoring of staff as UK data watchdog cracks down

The discovery of three new fossil kangaroo species in Australia and New Guinea

Bread dating back 8,600 years uncovered in Turkey

NOAA Declares Fourth Mass Bleaching Event Imminent for World’s Coral Reefs

Tiny nematodes develop large mouths and exhibit cannibalistic behavior

Elon Musk aims to streamline Tesla with 14,000 job cuts to create a more efficient automaker

Our universe is so empty that it defies the laws of cosmology.

The Dangers of Deadly Cold Water Gush for Migratory Sharks

Injection of antibodies can help slow down the advancement of Parkinson’s disease

Company announces plans to sell additional shares as Trump Media stock crashes

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Oxygen and carbon ions detected in Venus’s magnetosphere by BepiColombo

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