An analysis of all heatwaves around the world between 1979 and 2020 found that they now last an average of 12 days, compared to eight days at the start of the study.
As the Earth continues to heat, they will last even longer, says Zhang Wei at Utah State University. “Based on trends, by around 2060 it could double to 16 days,” he says.
Zhang’s team found that heat waves not only last much longer, but also become more frequent and progress more slowly. This means that certain locations have to endure heat wave conditions more frequently and for longer.
Although heat waves are typically thought of as phenomena that affect one region, the areas affected by heat waves change over time as the weather systems responsible for the hot conditions move.
According to the research team, the speed of heat waves has slowed from around 340 kilometers per day in the 1980s to around 280 kilometers per day today. Moreover, the rate of deceleration is accelerating.
Because heat waves last longer, they reach farther, albeit at lower average speeds, increasing the total distance from about 2,500 kilometers to about 3,000 kilometers. This means that a wider area is affected.
The study did not consider the causes of this trend. However, with global warming, heat waves will become more frequent, slower moving, and last longer, meaning they will be more devastating to society and nature than ever before, unless action is taken to prevent further warming. The research team warns that this could have a negative impact.
Most previous studies on heat waves focused on specific locations or regions. Zhang’s team is one of the few that can observe how heat waves move over time.
To do this, the team divided the world into grids. A heat wave is defined as one or more grid rectangles that significantly exceed the average temperature from 1981 to 2010, specifically, temperatures exceeding 95 percent of the temperatures for that period for three or more days. it was done.
The research team found that heat waves tend to move in certain directions depending on prevailing conditions. For example, heat waves in Australia tend to move more south-east, while in Africa they tend to move west.
“I think it’s really interesting to be able to see all the properties of heat waves that you can’t capture if you consider them statically,” he says. andrea beenish He was involved in one of the few other studies at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. Seeing heat waves as moving systems.
But when thinking about what we need to do to adapt to a hotter world, regional assessments can be more helpful than global ones, Beinisch says.
She also points out that, for example, heatwave persistence numbers depend largely on how the team defines a heatwave. Even with different definitions, the overall trend remains the same, but the numbers can change significantly. “This needs to be taken into account when looking at the exact numbers,” she says.
Other studies also show that hurricanes move more slowly, he says. david keelings at the University of Florida.
“In short, this means that these incredibly dangerous events last longer in one place and the impact is felt more strongly. In general, the longer a population is exposed to heatwave conditions, the more likely they are to be hospitalized. higher rates and higher mortality rates,” he says.
On March 25, 2024, Dr. Hanjie Tan, a PhD student in astronomy in Prague, Czech Republic, discovered a comet in a photo. ESA/NASA Solar Heliosphere Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft confirmed to be the 5,000th comet discovered using SOHO data. Even though this observatory was not designed as a comet hunter, it took him 28 years in space to accomplish this milestone.
SOHO-5000, the 5,000th comet discovered by the SOHO spacecraft, is indicated by a small white box in the upper left part of this image. The enlarged inset shows the comet as a faint dot between vertical white lines. This image was taken by SOHO’s Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) on March 25, 2024. Image credit: NASA/ESA/SOHO.
SOHO, a joint ESA and NASA mission, was launched in December 1995 to study the dynamics of the Sun and its outer atmosphere, called the corona.
spaceship Large angle spectroscopic coronagraph‘s instrument uses an artificial disk to block the sun’s bright light, allowing scientists to study the sun’s immediate corona and environment.
This will allow SOHO to do something that many other spacecraft cannot: see comets flying close to the Sun, known as sun-grazing comets or sungrazers.
Many of these comets only become bright when they are too close to the Sun to be seen by other observatories, otherwise they would go undetected and get lost in the bright glare of our star.
Astronomers had hoped that SOHO would discover a comet by chance during its mission, but the spacecraft’s comet-finding capabilities made it the most prolific comet detector in history, making it the most prolific comet detector known today. We have discovered more than half of the comets.
In fact, soon after the spacecraft launched, people around the world started spotting so many comets in images that mission scientists needed a way to track them all.
In the early 2000s, we launched the NASA-funded Sungrazer project to allow anyone to report comets they saw in SOHO images.
“When LASCO was launched, no one imagined that it would become the most prolific discoverer in history,” said Dr. Carl Battams, a research scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory who is the principal investigator for LASCO and the Sungraser program. Ta.
“The amount of data and science that has been returned is simply beyond our imagination.”
The 5,000th discovery was made by Hanjie Tang, an amateur astronomer from Guangzhou, China. He is currently completing his PhD in astronomy. Student in Prague, Czech Republic.
Tan has been part of the Sungrazer project since he was 13 years old and is one of the project’s youngest comet discoverers.
He discovered comet SOHO-5000 in images from LASCO’s C2 camera.
Unlike most SOHO comets, this one very likely survived the Sun’s passage.
It will pass approximately 8.2 million km (5.1 million miles) from the Sun. This is slightly farther from the Sun than the current orbit of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.
“Since 2009, we have discovered more than 200 comets,” Tan said.
“I joined the Sungrazer Project because I love looking for comets.”
“It’s really exciting to be the first to see a comet that has been traveling through space for thousands of years brighten so close to the sun.”
SOHO-5000 is a small, short-period comet that belongs to the Marsden family of comets, named after Dr. Brian Marsden, who first recognized the group.
The Marsden Group was unknown until SOHO/LASCO discovered it.
Of SOHO’s 5,000 comets, only about 75 belong to this group.
“Looking at the statistics of 5,000 comets and their orbits and trajectories through space is a very unique data set and really valuable science,” Dr. Battams said.
“This is a testament to the countless hours project participants have put into this.”
“We simply could not have reached this milestone without the work of our project volunteers.”
Memory is a mysterious phenomenon. Some life events remain sharp in our memories no matter how long ago they occurred, while details from the previous day can quickly fade away.
A recent study published in the journal Science has uncovered the mechanism behind this phenomenon. Researchers have identified a system in the brains of humans and other mammals that determines which experiences are significant enough to be stored in long-term memory and which are forgotten.
Experiments conducted on mice demonstrated that specific patterns of brain activity called “sharp ripples” in the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory formation, occur during wakefulness. These patterns act as tags for important experiences, which are then transferred to long-term memory during sleep.
Although the study was carried out on mice, the lead author, Dr. Johnson, believes that the findings are applicable to humans as well, given the similarities in certain brain processes across mammalian species.
György Buzaki, the Biggs Professor of Neuroscience at New York University Langone Health, emphasized the unconscious nature of this memory consolidation process.
In the study, mice were rewarded with a treat after successfully navigating a maze, while their brain activity was monitored using implanted electrodes. The researchers observed that specific brain activity patterns observed during wakefulness were replayed during sleep, facilitating the conversion of important experiences into long-term memories.
This process highlights the crucial role that sleep plays in memory formation, as experiences deemed important during waking hours are transformed into lasting memories during rest.
According to the researchers, experiences that do not trigger the formation of sharp ripples are less likely to be stored in long-term memory.
To enhance the likelihood of memory retention, Dr. Buzaki suggests taking breaks after significant experiences to allow for the consolidation of memories.
Long-term memory requires relaxation
Research indicates that intentional pauses after experiences can aid in the formation of long-term memories. Dr. Buzaki recommends engaging in relaxing activities post-experience to facilitate the creation of sharp ripples in the brain, a process crucial for memory storage.
For example, after watching a movie, going for a leisurely walk can enhance the chances of remembering the film, as it allows for the encoding of memories.
Dr. Daniela Schiller, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine, highlighted the study’s intriguing discovery regarding brain activity patterns during rest and their resemblance to real-life experiences.
Dr. Daphna Shohamy, director of the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University, emphasized the importance of pauses and bursts of brain activity in memory formation, noting that these elements enhance the likelihood of experiences being stored in long-term memory.
In conclusion, the study provides valuable insights into the unconscious mechanisms behind memory formation and underscores the significance of rest and relaxation in preserving lasting memories.
In October, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will begin a journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa (imagined above).
NASA has asked METI International, the scientific organization I lead, to leverage our expertise in trying to make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence by creating a symbolic engraved tantalum plate on a spacecraft. We asked them to help us create a message, a greeting from one water world to another.
We helped create two parts of the message. First, we collected a globally representative sample of recordings of water words in 103 languages. Each language is displayed as a waveform on the outside of the panel (pictured above) that protects sensitive scientific equipment.
On the other, inward-looking side (see below), we designed the scientific part of the message. This refers to water in terms of the “water hole,” a frequency band between the hydrogen and hydroxyl (combining to form water) emission lines in the radio spectrum where many of the early searches for intelligence beyond Earth took place. I’m explaining.
Other parts of the internal message include: Drake equation to estimate the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy. Microchips containing the names of 2.6 million supporters will be added soon.and Poet Laureate of the United States Ada Limon’s Poem to Europa ends like this. “O second moon, we too / are made of water, of a vast, beckoning ocean… / of the need to call out in the darkness.” The European Clipper will fly to Jupiter in April 2030. We are planning to enter the orbit of
douglas vacochChairman of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry International
The phrase ‘tip of the iceberg’ comes to mind as the UK government announces its plans to impose sanctions on two individuals and an entity for their alleged involvement in a cyber attack targeting British MPs in 2021. It seems like just the beginning. But underestimating the situation would be a mistake.
Home Secretary James Cleverley emphasized that these sanctions send a strong message that “targeting elected officials and electoral processes will not be tolerated.”
Despite this, some experts interpret the US’s decision to prosecute seven individuals associated with a hacking group called APT31 as a sign of trouble for Britain. They were involved in a widespread hacking operation, sending over 10,000 malicious emails to various individuals across multiple continents, including politicians, officials, journalists, and China critics.
Cybersecurity professor Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey believes that while the sanctions may not bring about immediate change in the UK’s cybersecurity, they are necessary to show solidarity with the US. However, he warns that more significant actions are needed to address the issue effectively.
The UK government also disclosed a historic hacking attempt, attributing it to “Chinese state-affiliated entities” targeting the Election Commission’s system from 2021 to 2022. The Chinese embassy in London denied these allegations, calling them baseless. However, the sanctioned entities were not directly linked to this specific incident, causing confusion among cybersecurity experts.
The broader context of Chinese cyber attacks reveals a pattern that all Western governments, including the UK, must navigate carefully. APT31 and other Chinese hacking groups have targeted countries like France, Finland, and New Zealand, according to reports. Such attacks underscore the challenges posed by China’s aggressive cyber activities.
Recent data breaches from Chinese cybersecurity company iSoon shed light on the extent of Chinese hacker activity and their pursuit of government contracts. With China being a leader in government-sponsored cyber exploitation, Western governments struggle to formulate a unified response to these threats.
The complexities of dealing with Chinese cyber attacks highlight the need for coordinated efforts among Western nations. China’s strategic denial and plausible deniability tactics make it challenging to hold them accountable for their actions. This, coupled with the elusive impact of data breaches, complicates the cybersecurity landscape.
While Russia’s hacking often causes immediate discord, China’s approach is more calculated, shaping global perceptions subtly. Understanding the nuances of Chinese cyber activities is crucial for international security experts, who view China as a long-term climate change compared to Russia’s intermittent storm.
The recent indictment of hackers linked to Chengdu 404 and the ongoing cyber operations against China reveal the ongoing struggle between intelligence activities and political espionage. As accusations and sanctions fly back and forth, the complexity of the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve.
IOver Easter weekend, Catholics like me spend hours in church listening to editors’ expanded versions of stories whose endings we already know. As I sat there recently for my millionth Passion performance, I started thinking about how few religious video game characters I’ve ever come across. In a world where so many people’s lives are dictated by their religious beliefs, it’s interesting to see such a lack of religion in games. That is, you could also argue that all The game is a homage to Jesus with respawns and extra lives, but even I admit that’s a stretch.
The Peggys in Far Cry 5 are a violent mind-controlling cult. The founders of BioShock Infinite use religion to heighten and justify hatred of foreigners. In Fallout, there are some eccentric people who worship the atomic bomb. Religion is used almost exclusively as a tool for leaders to get their minions to do bad things. (Sure, they might be on to something here.) With so many video games structured to place players as lone protagonists facing off against immense forces, I think it’s clear that religion is the go-to villain.
Altered Beast (Arcade version), 1988. Photo: Sega
For me, the scariest religious happening in a video game has always been in Altered Beast. A Roman centurion who has lived a life of horrific violence, pain, suffering, and marching down a straight path is rudely awakened from the dead and forced to further his efforts by Zeus (the game has a mix of that mythology) It has been). The poor guy probably wants to sleep forever. Instead, he is forced to punch and kick all sorts of beasts and shiny orbs. He has no choice. He can’t go back now. This is possible with horizontal scrolling.
My eldest daughter, a Zeldamaniac, tells me that religion in these games is “nothing but a problem, except for nature-worshipping religions.” Again, she’s a vegan who works at a veterinary hospital. There’s a heated debate on the internet about how John Marsten, a Catholic, acted in Red Dead Redemption, and that Doomguy was similarly persuasive, and that’s a fact. I found “evidence” as to why he took pleasure in hunting demons in The Exorcist of Upper Space.
My own relationship with religion is complicated. When the world is beyond a shadow of a doubt in the toilet, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God. The excuse that “all bad things happen because of the free will God gave us” seems like the religious equivalent of the infinite life cheat in video games. It’s a bit of a hack. To be honest, tomorrow I would give up my free will. As it stands, I have had to make too many decisions in my life. When I was young, I much preferred being told what to do and being cared for. To be honest, if I could get eight hours of sleep a night, I’d be a happy automaton.
What if, as some people believe, we were characters in a giant computer simulation? I feel that there is meaning in that. This is one of his theories that is accurate and at the same time supported by facts. please think about it. If this world were part of a video game, played by really shitty players, wouldn’t it all make sense? As someone in charge of a video game, how often do we make poor decisions? How many cities have you completely ruined and abandoned in SimCity? Have you ever seen world leadership this cruel and unethical outside of your Civilization playthrough?
The answer is obvious. God is not a very capable player. Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence that the end credits of Altered Beast reveal that it was all just a simulation.
Remember 2001’s “Black and White”? This video game allowed you to play as God and more. everytime I made a mistake? Yeah. Photo: Bullfrog/EA
There is one positive point to the simulation argument. It means criticism becomes less painful. There’s always this selfish fear that I’ll write something that people won’t like. In the days before online comments, when I spent a decade as the Daily Star’s only Liberal columnist, none of this mattered, but the toe-curling handwritten letter I could show them, but if I didn’t bathe them, I would then bury them in lime with holy water.
The great thing about simulation theory is that you can write anything you want and if people don’t like it, that’s okay. I’m not even the one writing that. In The Adventures of a Newspaper Columnist 5 there is a supreme being controlling me. Poor supreme being. This will be the most boring game they’ve played since Euro Truck Simulator.
What is the total number of senses that an average human possesses? When we consider senses as receptors like the retina of the eye and the cochlea of the ear, the usual response would be seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. That makes a total of five senses.
These senses are known as “exteroceptive” as they provide information about the external environment.
Aside from these, the body also has receptors that detect internal activities such as the heartbeat, lung expansion, stomach movements, and various other bodily functions that go unnoticed. These internal senses are collectively known as “interoception.”
However, the answer to the question is actually more intricate and fascinating. Apart from the traditional senses, the body also has receptors that transmit different types of information which are not commonly categorized as sensations, like temperature.
Furthermore, certain receptors serve multiple sensory functions. For instance, the retina not only processes light for vision but also informs the brain about the transition from day to night. This “day/night sensation” forms the foundation of circadian rhythms which impact metabolism and sleep patterns.
Explore more about the science of senses:
Even a basic sense like vision is intricately connected to other senses that are perceived independently.
For instance, our visual perception and how we perceive things are interconnected with the brain’s monitoring of our heart rate as part of interoception.
As the heart contracts and pumps blood, the brain receives reduced visual input from the surroundings.
The brain also synthesizes sensations for which there are no specific receptors. For instance, the perception of taste is constructed by the brain combining gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) signals, while the sensation of wetness is a blend of touch and temperature information.
In essence, the brain constructs all our perceptions of vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch based solely on sensory input from the body’s receptors. For instance, light waves don’t simply enter the eye; they travel to the brain as electrical signals that are then interpreted by the eye.
Moreover, the brain predicts in advance what we will perceive based on past experiences, current circumstances, and the body’s condition, blending these predictions with sensory input from the retina to create our visual perception of the world.
Similarly, when we touch our wrist to feel our pulse, we are essentially experiencing a mental construct based on the brain’s predictions and the actual sensory signals received. Our sensations are not solely experienced through our sense organs but are perceived in the brain.
FDayton, in southwestern Ohio, has been fighting for a decade to break out of its Rust Belt past. New apartment complexes, hotels, and breweries cut into a landscape dominated by abandoned warehouses and general industrial decline. But today, that transformation is shifting gears and taking to the skies.
Hundreds of flight facilities will be built in the town where the Wright brothers pioneered manned flight 120 years ago. futuristic flying taxi Every year.
Joby Aviation plans to build electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft here in Dayton, rather than in its home state of California.
Joby’s Didier Papadopoulos cited several reasons for the company’s plans to hire up to 2,000 people at a time. $500 million facility It is scheduled to open next year north of Dayton.
For one thing, “aviation has an immense history. It’s the birthplace of flight,” Papadopoulos said recently. He also said, “Ohio has a talented and skilled manufacturing workforce and we look forward to hiring and training both local and national applicants.”
Some expect the aircraft, which is scheduled to debut at this summer’s Paris Olympics, to reshape not just air travel but the broader mobility industry. In recent years, many startups and established companies have entered electric flying vehicles, and the global eVTOL market is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion by 2040.
Joby positions itself as the “Uber of the sky.” The aircraft has space for one pilot and four passengers and can reach speeds of up to 200 mph (322 km/h). A test flight in November took the plane from Lower Manhattan to JFK International Airport in just seven minutes, compared to an hour by taxi or subway.
The company aims to operate commercial flights between New York City and Los Angeles in 2025. Taxi service from home to airport on Delta Airlines.
President Joe Biden is plowing billions of dollars into a new era of manufacturing, with much of the money going to the industrial Midwest as part of a broader move to reduce U.S. dependence on other countries for key technology products. is flowing into. Millions of dollars in government incentives are being poured into new semiconductor and other mobility projects in Ohio. michigan and other states are often associated with socio-economic decline more generally.
The move could be a major turnaround for Dayton, which has lost nearly half its population since the 1960s.
“Ohio is Advanced air mobility plans” said Ted Angell of the Dayton Development Coalition, Joby’s liaison. “No other state was leaning so far forward.”
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located a few miles east of Dayton, is the largest single employer in Ohio and boasts significant federal military research and development spending power, resulting in It is attracting a growing ecosystem of space partners and startups. area.
Nearby Springfield, a city of 60,000 people, has also suffered years of manufacturing closures, but the U.S. Air Force is helping build a new National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, which is expected to become a hub for the aviation industry. . korean companies And elsewhere too.
“For products like this, [Joby] Jennifer Clark, a regional planning expert at Ohio State University, said: “That’s just normal in the airline industry. Almost every airline you can think of does both defense and civilian manufacturing. The Dayton area knows that very well.”
While the creation of thousands of new skilled jobs in economically challenged areas like Dayton has been widely welcomed, some of these communities may bear the cost.
Dayton has long been known as a place with an abundance of affordable housing, but rising rental prices over the past year have pushed residents to form a tenant associationin other citylarge manufacturing plants fueled a significant increase in real estate prices.
Ohio state government is the largest Taxpayers $325 million in taxes We will support Joby’s facility construction.Montgomery County, Dayton was suggested Donate $1 million to the company as “development costs.”
“There’s a belief among economic development officials that doing all this recruitment, retention and expansion with individual companies is risky and not the best use of taxpayer dollars,” Clark said. Stated. “Most of the research shows that if we want to have sustainable economic development, we need to invest in our entire institutional infrastructure. But it’s a long game.”
Mr Joby’s initial announcement suggested 2,000 jobs would be created, but that number has now been reduced to approaching 1,200may rise.
Still, investment from companies at the forefront of mobility is seen as a welcome shot in the arm for a region that has seen decades of population decline. That’s evidenced by the fact that the new factory sits on what was once a U.S. Postal Service airmail facility.
Angell, of the Dayton Development Coalition, said many community colleges and universities in the area are adjusting by opening training programs to establish a pipeline of technicians for Joby and other airlines. Ta.
“I can’t tell you how many tours I’ve done with school kids,” he says. ” [new] A flying revolution is happening here. ”
Following years of appearing in overlapping films, the monsterverse finally brings Godzilla and Kong together. But the question remains, who would emerge victorious in a showdown between the two?
Let’s address the elephant in the room – Godzilla and Kong are not real creatures, and similar animals have never existed. In the monsterverse, these colossal beings are a creation of imagination, reaching staggering dimensions that defy biological reality. Godzilla, standing at 177 meters tall and weighing over 90,000 tons, dwarfs Kong, who measures 103 meters in height and weighs over 50,000 tons.
The sheer size of these fictional creatures is impossible in nature. The largest land animals in history, such as the sauropod dinosaurs, only reached a fraction of Godzilla and Kong’s size, mainly due to biomechanical limitations. Nevertheless, let’s suspend disbelief and explore the hypothetical scenario of a battle between Godzilla and Kong using the lens of science.
Hailed as the King of Monsters, Godzilla boasts formidable armor and features reminiscent of prehistoric creatures like the Komodo dragon and ankylosaurus. His sharp-edged backplate can slice through metal, and his imposing size and powerful jaws suggest a devastating bite force. Additionally, Godzilla wields an astronomical force with his serrated tail, acting as a long-range weapon.
But Godzilla’s ultimate weapon is his radioactive atomic breath, capable of reaching temperatures over 500,000 degrees Celsius. This supernatural ability gives Godzilla a significant advantage in combat, making him a fearsome opponent.
With the intelligence of a primate and immense physical strength, Kong presents a formidable adversary to Godzilla. His ability to plan ahead, understand complex situations, and even use tools in battle sets him apart. Kong’s great ape lineage gives him a strategic edge in combat, allowing him to outmaneuver his opponents and perhaps outsmart Godzilla.
Despite Kong’s brute force, agility, and impressive bite strength, Godzilla’s unmatched powers, including his atomic breath and colossal size, tilt the scales in his favor.
In the ultimate face-off between Godzilla and Kong, Godzilla’s unrivaled attributes and devastating abilities secure his victory. Despite Kong’s intelligence and strength, Godzilla’s sheer power and supernatural arsenal prove insurmountable in this epic battle. Sorry, Mr. Kong, but the King of Monsters reigns supreme.
Here’s a question you probably shouldn’t think about while eating. What is the fastest peeing animal on earth? Elephants? Lions? Horse?
According to the magazine’s recent research, there’s one surprising candidate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: cicada. After studying urine flow throughout the animal kingdom, some scientists (preferably wearing goggles) have discovered that this tiny insect can spray pee at speeds of up to 3 meters per second. This is about three times faster than the average human.
So far so bad. But when you add that to the fact that a once-in-200-year event will soon see billions, perhaps trillions, of birds across the United States, you might start to feel a little nervous about your summer plans…
Now, is it time to hide out until the cicada storm passes? Experts say it probably is, but not for the reasons you might think…
What are cicadas and why do they come towards us?
“Cicadas are truly fascinating insects, known for their unique life cycles and unique sounds.” Dr. Elio Charita says the lead author of their urinary study. BBC Science Focus. “They belong to the order Hemiptera, are sap-feeding insects, and are found in temperate and tropical regions around the world.”
Cicadas can grow quite large, in some cases as large as hummingbirds, but in reality they really are quite noisy. In fact, their cries, clicks, and crackles are as noisy as a chainsaw.
“One of the most interesting things about cicadas is that they have a long larval stage, during which they stay underground for several years and feed on plant roots. Depending on the species, this stage lasts anywhere from a few years to 17 years. It can continue,” Charita continues.
This year, two “family members” of the so-called periodic cicadas (one emerges every 13 years, the other every 17 years) are synchronizing in some parts of the eastern United States. This is something that hasn’t happened since 1803 and will not happen again until 2245.
If you want to know more about the cicada life cycle, you can read all about cicadas in our explanatory article.
Is it time to prepare for the pee apocalypse?
Before we started buying canned goods and toilet paper in bulk in preparation for a summer spent indoors, the University of Kentucky entomologist said, Dr. Jonathan Larson, tells you BBC Science Focus Really, there’s no need to worry too much.
“For many people, the idea of a six-legged teenage insect invasion sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but in reality, it’s a beautiful life experience, just like Mardi Gras.”
Although cicadas are large, they are harmless to people, animals, and crops.
Larson also pointed out that the cicadas found in the recent study were a species that lives in Peru and emerges every year. As a result, they spend more time feeding and urinating than the U.S. species we expect this summer.
read more:
“Insect Apocalypse” will feature billions of cicadas. Here’s what you can expect
Top 10 largest insects in the world
Bugs on the brink: Why bugs are disappearing from your garden this year
“For species in the United States, we’re talking about species that feed much less as adults than some of the species studied. The periodicals here say that once they emerge as adults, it all comes down to finding a mate,” Larson says.
However, it takes a while for them to eat and pee. Charita explains that periodic cicadas have been observed to urinate on jets before. It was also captured on camera.
…
Another good thing (or should we call it that?) is that cicada pee is completely different from animal pee. As mentioned above, cicadas feed exclusively on the xylem sap of trees. This is the same thing that forms the basis of maple syrup. Therefore, what comes out is a sweet, watery liquid known as “honeydew.”
Despite its delicious name, we don’t recommend drinking cicada pee while walking around this summer, but at least you’ll feel a little less sick if cicada pee falls on your head during a walk.
In other words, as Larson says, “With these cicadas, you can leave your umbrella at home.” Phew.
“Please watch your step.”
So cicadas pee surprisingly fast, but that’s not really a problem. In fact, the bigger problem for Larson would be when he dies, not when he goes to the bathroom.
“They die in groups, so you get big piles of carcasses. If they get stepped on, they can make sidewalks slippery. I think it’s a bigger liquid nightmare,” Larson says.
How bad could this be? In 1990, there was a report as follows. Chigoan has to use a snow shovel to remove dead insects from the sidewalk.
To make matters worse, billions of bugs die and rot at the same time, leaving a terrible stench in the air. Several people explained this. Hmm, a unique smell like rotten nuts.
Billions of cicadas come out of the ground, mate, and then die one after the other. – Image credit: Getty
On the positive side, this process returns many nutrients, including nitrogen, to the ground. So, while they may stink, they benefit the ecosystems they end up in.
How cicada pee can help build future robots
The fact that cicadas urinate in such powerful jets was surprising for two reasons, Charita said.
Most insects do not urinate because it takes a lot of energy to urinate in a jet like larger animals do. Instead, they are excreted as droplets. Cicadas in particular feed on tree sap, which has little nutritional value, making their energetic eviction even more troublesome.
Not only is jet peeing less energy efficient, previous research suggested it would be impossible for animals weighing less than 1 kilogram because their orifices are too small to produce a dense jet.
Understanding this process is important for several reasons. Especially since cicada populations number in the trillions and the impact their excrement has on the environment can be significant.
“We still don’t fully understand the ecological impact of cicada excretion on surrounding flora and fauna, especially in the case of periodic cicadas,” Charita says.
Cicadas can produce jets that travel at speeds of up to 3 meters per second. – Image credit: Elio Challita
When feeding, cicadas can consume 300 times their body weight in sap each day, and all that sap has to go somewhere.
But the team also has other applications for this research in mind. The knowledge gained could be useful for manufacturing jets and nozzles for small robots, and could also be applied to additive manufacturing and possibly drug delivery.
“Our study highlights the importance of studying seemingly mundane aspects of animal biology, such as excretion,” concludes Charita. “Investigating these processes can reveal interesting adaptations and provide insight into how animals interact with their environments.
“It also reminds us that there is still much to discover about the natural world, even in the most unexpected places.”
About our experts
Elio Charita He is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Microrobotics Institute. Previously, at Georgia Tech, he studied fluid mechanics to help ultra-fast invertebrates (insects, hexapods, and arachnids) perform essential biological functions (e.g., feeding, excretion, and predator avoidance). I was researching how to deal with this issue.
Jonathan Larson He is an extension entomologist and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, providing insect expertise to those working on urban landscapes, turfgrass, nursery crops, greenhouses, and household problems. He is also the co-host of the Informative Insects Podcast. arthropod.
read more:
“Insect Apocalypse” will feature billions of cicadas. Here’s what you can expect
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Sugarcane is the world's most harvested crop by tonnage and has shaped world history, trade, and geopolitics, now responsible for 80% of the world's sugar production. Traditional sugarcane breeding methods have been effective in producing varieties adapted to new environments and pathogens, but sugar yield improvements have recently plateaued. The cessation of yield increase may be due to limited genetic diversity within the breeding population, long breeding cycles, and the complexity of its genome. Now, an international research team has created a polyploid reference genome for R570, a typical modern sugarcane variety.
Saccharum officinarum. Image credit: Ton Rulkens / CC BY-SA 2.0 Certificate.
However, all modern varieties are derived from several interspecific crosses made by breeders a century ago between “sweet varieties” and “sweet varieties.” Saccharum officinarum And that 'wild' natural sugar.
Sugarcane hybridization has led to major advances in disease resistance and adaptation to stressful environmental conditions. However, early generation hybrids also had much lower sugar yields due to the greater contribution of the wild genome.
The complexity of the hybrid sugarcane genome and phylogeny is R570 varietyproduced by a breeder on Reunion Island in 1980.
“The sugarcane genome is very complex because it is large and contains more copies of chromosomes than a typical plant, a feature called polyploidy,” said researchers at the Hudson Alpha Institute for Bioengineering. said Dr. Jeremy Schmutz and colleagues.
“Sugar cane has about 10 billion base pairs, the building blocks of DNA. By comparison, the human genome has about 3 billion genes.”
“Many parts of sugarcane DNA are identical within and between different chromosomes, which makes it difficult to correctly reconstruct all the small segments of DNA while reconstructing the complete genetic blueprint. Masu.”
“We solved the puzzle by combining multiple gene sequencing technologies, including a newly developed method known as PacBio HiFi sequencing that can precisely sequence longer sections of DNA.”
“This was the most complex genome sequence we have ever completed,” Dr. Schmutz added.
“It shows how far we have come. This is something that seemed impossible 10 years ago. We are now reaching goals that we thought were impossible with plant genomics. We have been able to achieve this.”
CSIRO researcher Dr Karen Aitken said: “This groundbreaking result addresses the critical challenge of stagnant sugar yields by harnessing previously inaccessible genetic information from the sugarcane genome. ” he said.
“This is a major step forward for sugarcane research and will improve our understanding of complex traits such as yield, adaptation to diverse environmental conditions, and disease resistance.”
“We are working to understand how specific genes in plants are related to the quality of the biomass obtained downstream, which can then be turned into biofuels and bioproducts.” said Dr. Blake Simmons, a researcher at the Joint BioEnergy Institute.
“A deeper understanding of sugarcane genetics will help us better understand the plant genotypes required for the production of sugar and bagasse-derived intermediates needed for sustainable sugarcane conversion technologies at scales relevant to the bioeconomy.” and be in control.”
New research has implications for crew safety in space and could give clues about how aging affects the balance systems of people on Earth.
horges other. We addressed the question of whether body posture influences humans' perception of self-motion and distance. They found that the same amount of optical flow can elicit the sensation of traveling farther when lying on one's back and when sitting upright; that is, optical flow We found evidence that it is more effective in eliciting the sensation of movement. This constitutes evidence that visual and nonvisual cues are at least partially integrated, even when self-movement is presented only visually. However, we found no significant differences in performance in microgravity on Earth and on the ISS, suggesting that vestibular stimulation is not important, if any, in estimating visually presented self-motion.
The study's lead author, Professor Lawrence Harris from the University of York, said: “The perception of gravity has been repeatedly shown to influence perceptual abilities.”
“The most profound way to study the effects of gravity is to remove it. That's why we brought our research into space.”
“We have had a steady presence in space for nearly a quarter of a century, but our efforts in space are ever-increasing as we plan to return to the moon and beyond, ensuring health and safety. It is becoming increasingly important to answer questions about
“Based on our findings, it appears that humans are surprisingly able to use vision to adequately compensate for the lack of Earth's normal environment.
For the study, Professor Harris and his colleagues surveyed more than a dozen astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits about 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
“Here, Earth's gravity is almost canceled out by the centrifugal force generated by the station's orbit. In the resulting microgravity, the movement of people becomes close to flight,” Professor Harris said.
“People had previously reported anecdotally that they felt like they were traveling faster or farther than they were actually in space, so this actually motivated us to record this.”
The authors compared the performance of 12 astronauts (six men and six women) before, during, and after a year-long mission to the space station and found out how far they traveled. I discovered that my sense of what I had done was almost intact.
Space missions were hectic endeavors, and it took several days for researchers to make contact with the astronauts after arriving at the space station.
“Our study may not have captured early adaptations that may have occurred during the first few days. Because whatever adaptations occur, they occur very quickly. This remains a good news message,” Professor Harris said.
Space missions are not without risks. Because the ISS orbits around the Earth, small objects can occasionally collide with it and enter the ship, where astronauts must move to safety.
“During the experiment, the ISS had to take many evasive maneuvers,” Professor Harris said.
“Astronauts need to be able to get to safety or escape through a hatch on the ISS in an emergency. So to see that they were actually able to do this with great precision was very exciting. I felt relieved.”
“Our research shows that exposure to microgravity mimics the aging process primarily at a physiological level, including bone and muscle wasting, changes in hormonal function, and increased susceptibility to infections. However, this paper found that self-movement was largely unaffected, suggesting a balance problem.''The problem, which often comes from old age, may have nothing to do with the vestibular system. ”
“This suggests that the mechanisms of movement perception in older people should be relatively unaffected, and that the problems associated with falls are probably more to do with this than in terms of perception of distance traveled. How can they translate that into a balance reflex? ”
B. Horges other. 2024. Effects of long-term exposure to microgravity and body orientation relative to gravity on perceived distance traveled. NPJ microgravity 10, 28; doi: 10.1038/s41526-024-00376-6
A team of physicists led by Dr. Yuan Lu of the Jean Lamour Institute at the University of Lorraine used electrical pulses to manipulate magnetic information into polarized signals. This discovery could revolutionize long-distance optical communications, including between Earth and Mars. This breakthrough involves the field of spintronics, which aims to manipulate the spin of electrons to store and process information.
Structure of SOT Spin LED: Control of emission intensity and charging current is the basis of information transfer and processing. In contrast, robust information storage and magnetic random access memory are implemented using carrier spins and their associated magnetizations in ferromagnets. The missing link between the respective fields of photonics, electronics, and spintronics is modulating the circular polarization of emitted light rather than its intensity through electrically controlled magnetization.Dynon other. demonstrated that this missing link is established in light-emitting diodes at room temperature in the absence of an applied magnetic field through the transfer of angular momentum between photons, electrons, and ferromagnets.Image credit: Dynon other., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07125-5.
Spintronics has been successfully used in magnetic computer hard drives, where information is represented by the direction of electron spin and its proxy, magnetization.
Ferromagnetic materials such as iron and cobalt have an unequal number of electrons, with their spins oriented either along or against the magnetization axis.
Electrons with spins aligned with the magnetization move smoothly in a ferromagnetic material, while electrons with spins in the opposite direction bounce. This represents binary information of 0’s and 1’s.
The resulting change in resistance is a key principle in spintronic devices, where magnetic states can be maintained indefinitely, which can be considered stored information.
Just as a refrigerator magnet requires no power to stick to a door, spintronic devices require much less power than traditional electronics.
But like pulling a fish out of water, when an electron is removed from a ferromagnetic material, the spin information is quickly lost and can no longer travel far.
This major limitation can be overcome by utilizing circularly polarized light, also known as helicity, as another spin carrier.
Just as humans used homing pigeons centuries ago to carry written communication farther and faster than on foot, the trick is to transfer the spin of an electron to a photo, a quantum of light. That’s probably true.
Such transfer is possible due to the presence of spin-orbit coupling, which causes spin information loss outside the ferromagnetic material.
The key missing link is to electrically modulate the magnetization and thereby change the helicity of the emitted light.
“The concept of spin LEDs was first proposed at the end of the last century,” Dr. Lu said.
“But to move into practical use, it must meet three important criteria: it must operate at room temperature, it does not require a magnetic field, and it must be able to be electrically controlled.”
“After more than 15 years of dedicated work in this field, our collaborative team has managed to overcome all obstacles.”
In their research, Dr. Lu and his colleagues succeeded in switching the magnetization of a spin injector using an electric pulse that uses spin-orbit torque.
The electron spin is rapidly converted into information contained in the helicity of the emitted photon, allowing seamless integration of magnetization dynamics and photonic technology.
This electrically controlled spin-to-photon conversion is currently realized with electroluminescence in light-emitting diodes.
In the future, through implementation in semiconductor laser diodes, so-called spin lasers, this highly efficient information encoding will pave the way for high-speed communication across interplanetary distances, since the polarization of light is preserved in spatial propagation. It is possible and could potentially make it possible. The fastest mode of communication between Earth and Mars.
It also has significant benefits for the development of a variety of advanced technologies on Earth, including photonic quantum communications and optical computing, neuromorphic computing for artificial intelligence, and ultra-fast and highly efficient optical transmitters for data centers and light-fidelity applications. will bring about.
“The realization of spin-orbit torque spin injectors is a decisive step in the development of ultrafast and energy-efficient spin lasers for next-generation optical communications and quantum technologies,” said Professor Nils Gerhardt of Ruhr University. ” he said.
team's work It was published in the magazine Nature.
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PA Dynon other. 2024. Optical helicity control by electromagnetic switching. Nature 627, 783-788; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07125-5
A team of researchers from Fudan University and others has successfully generated the genome. Emperor Wu of China led by Xianbei (Emperor Wu) Northern Zhou Dynasty. The authors determined that Emperor Wu had a typical East Asian or Northeast Asian appearance and was susceptible to certain illnesses, such as stroke.
Reconstruction of the face (left) and portrait (right) of Emperor Wu of China's Northern Zhou Dynasty. Image credit: Du other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.059.
For more than 2,000 years, Chinese emperors have been accorded symbolic importance and are considered “sons of heaven” endowed with a “heavenly mission” and enjoy what is seen as divinely ordained rule over the nation. was doing.
The title “emperor” first appeared in 221 BC. In Gencalls himself “First Emperor.''
This position continued until the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty abdicated. Aisin Geolo Puyirecorded a total of 2,132 years and 83 feudal dynasties.
Emperor Wu, known as Yuwenyong (543-578 CE), was a highly influential emperor who overthrew the Northern Qi dynasty, reformed the local military system, pacified the Turks, and unified northern China. was.
He was ethnically Xianbei, an ancient nomadic group that lived in what is today Mongolia and northern and northeastern China.
“Some scholars have said that the Xianbei people have an 'exotic' appearance, with thick beards, high noses, and yellow hair,” said Dr. Xiaoqing Wen, a researcher at Fudan University.
“Our analysis shows that Emperor Wu had typical East Asian or Northeast Asian facial features.”
In 1996, archaeologists discovered Emperor Wu's tomb in northwestern China and discovered his bones, including a nearly complete skull.
Thanks to recent advances in ancient DNA research, Dr. Wen and his colleagues have successfully recovered more than 1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from his DNA, some of which are associated with Emperor Wu's skin and hair color. information was included.
Researchers also succeeded in reconstructing the emperor's face in 3D.
They found that Emperor Wu had brown eyes, black hair, dark to medium skin, and facial features similar to those of modern North Asians and East Asians.
“Our work brought historical figures to life,” said Dr. Pianpian Wei, also from Fudan University.
“Previously, we had to rely on historical records and wall paintings to imagine what ancient peoples looked like.”
“We were able to directly reveal the true nature of the North Korean people.”
“Emperor Wu died at the age of 36, and his son also died young for no apparent reason,” the scientists said.
“Some archaeologists claim that Emperor Wu died of illness, while others claim that he was poisoned by his rivals.”
Analysis of Emperor Wu's DNA revealed that he was at increased risk of stroke.
This finding is consistent with historical records that describe the emperor as having aphasia, droopy eyelids, and an abnormal gait – potential symptoms of a stroke.
Genetic analysis shows that the Xianbei people intermarried with the Han Chinese when they migrated south to northern China.
“This is important information for understanding how ancient humans spread across Eurasia and how they integrated with local peoples,” Dr. Wen said.
of result Published in this week's magazine current biology.
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Panshin Du other. The ancient genome of Emperor Wu of northern China. current biology, published online March 28, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.059
NASA’s WB-57 research jet will be used to study solar eclipses
Amir Caspi
Solar scientists across North America will study April’s total solar eclipse to observe the sun’s strangest part: the corona.
Although it is briefly visible as a bright halo that appears only when it is total, it is a million times dimmer in visible light than the rest of the Sun. The corona is also a million degrees warmer than the sun’s surface, or photosphere, which only reaches about 6000 degrees Celsius, and extends millions of kilometers into the solar system.
The corona is where the sun’s magnetic field acts on charged particles to form complex shapes called streamers, loops, plumes, etc. Understanding the corona helps us predict the solar wind, the stream of charged particles that is blown into space from the Sun. This is the cause of the aurora borealis, but it’s also a potential threat to astronauts, satellites, and the power grid.
Expectations for the total solar eclipse on April 8th are extremely high. That’s because the total solar eclipse, in which the sun is completely covered, will last up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, the longest such period on land in more than a decade. We would like to introduce some of the experiments that will be carried out in the future.
solar wind sherpa
Shadia HabalThe solar researcher at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy has been tracking solar eclipses for almost 30 years, using special filters and cameras to measure the temperature of particles from the deepest part of the corona.
Habal’s group, now known as the Solar Wind Sherpas, has traveled to far-flung places, including the Marshall Islands, Kenya, Mongolia, Norway’s Svalbard, Antarctica, and Libya. Habal and her team use filters to image the corona during each solar eclipse, some of which last only a few seconds. By studying the different wavelengths of light emitted by charged iron particles in the corona, temperature can be revealed.
Most often, solar physicists who study the corona rely on space observatory coronagraphs, which use telescope disks to block the sun. But these devices obscure the deepest parts of the corona, towers of plasma called prominences and sources of eruptions called coronal mass ejections.
“Observations during totality are very important,” Habal says. There’s no other way to continuously observe a portion of the Sun’s atmosphere extending from the surface to at least 5 solar radii. “This is fundamental to understanding how the solar atmosphere originates from the Sun and then spreads out into interplanetary space,” she says. Only then will accurate computer models be devised to simulate the corona and help predict space weather.
In the past few years, Habal’s group has made a surprising discovery. The Sun is currently heading towards her solar maximum in 2025, the most active period of his 11-year cycle when solar winds strengthen. Because the corona appears larger during the maximum solar activity during a total solar eclipse, it was thought that there is a close relationship between the solar cycle and the temperature of the corona. But it may not be that simple.
In 2021, Habal and his colleagues published a study based on observations made during 14 total solar eclipses that suggest: The temperature of the corona does not depend on the solar cycle. The lines of the sun’s magnetic field can open and spread outward in the solar wind, or they can close and become hotter, forming a loop. “We found open magnetic field lines everywhere, regardless of the cycle,” Habal says. This means that the temperature of the corona is almost constant.
high flyer
Observations have been impossible since 2019 due to bad weather. “In 2020 there was rain in Chile and in 2021 there were clouds over the Antarctic ocean, but in 2022 there was no solar eclipse,” Habal said.Team members are on an expedition to Antarctica. Benedict Justen Next time, he suggested, they could fly a kite equipped with a spectrometer that separates light into its component wavelengths.
A NASA-funded kite with a wingspan of 6.5 meters was successfully tested in Western Australia during a total solar eclipse in April 2023. It was launched on a kilometer-long tether attached to a vehicle. “It was truly miraculous,” Habal says. Due to bad weather, the team flew for the first time only 45 minutes before the total flight. “It was thrilling.”
This box-shaped kite will fly a NASA-funded scientific instrument to study total solar eclipses.
Clemens Bulman and Benedikt Justen
If the technology works well on future eclipses, more kites will be deployed in the future, and perhaps cameras will be added. “It’s much easier and cheaper than using balloons,” Habal says. But if things don’t work out, there’s always a backup.
During a total solar eclipse, two WB-57 planes will track each other just southwest of the eclipse’s maximum at 740 kilometers per hour, about one-fourth the speed of the moon’s shadow. At this speed, the total velocity increases from 4 minutes and 27 seconds to more than 6 minutes when viewed from the ground. “The WB-57 is perfect for this purpose because the nose cone has a built-in camera and telescope system that allows it to rotate and point at anything no matter what direction the aircraft is flying. ” says Mr. Amir Caspi At the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, he is in charge of the second WB-57 experiment to study the corona in a different way.
Caspi and his team will use a stable platform to image the eclipse using both a visible-light camera and a high-resolution mid-infrared camera developed by NASA. The latter captures light at seven different wavelengths and helps determine which structures in the corona are emitting their own light and which are just scattering light from the Sun’s surface. “To make these observations, we need to be as high up in the atmosphere as possible,” Caspi said. Infrared radiation is difficult to observe from the ground because it is absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere.
live streamer
Caspi is also part of the Citizen Continental American Telescope Eclipse (CATE) project. The project is an attempt to create a continuous 60-minute high-definition film using a team of 35 citizen scientists who travel a total path from Texas to Maine. They have the same cameras, telescopes, and training, so they can make exactly the same kinds of observations. “Each team will be spaced out so that each station overlaps its neighboring station,” Caspi said. “If one station can’t get data because of clouds or equipment failure, that’s okay.”
He is hopeful the device will work after it was successfully tested in Western Australia last year. “That was the first solar eclipse I ever saw,” Caspi said. He was busy live streaming on his YouTube, so he could only watch a few seconds. “Our devices couldn’t go online, so we spent the whole time holding our phones in front of our faces.”
New and impressive images of the supermassive black hole located at the center of our galaxy show that its powerful magnetic field twists and rotates in a spiral pattern.
This is a never-before-seen view of Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A*), the massive black hole in the Milky Way galaxy that consumes nearby light and matter.
The images suggest similarities in structure between this black hole and the black hole in the galaxy M87. Although the black hole in M87, which was imaged for the first time, is over 1,000 times larger than Sagittarius A*, both exhibit strong, organized magnetic fields.
This pattern hints that many, if not all, black holes may share common traits, according to the scientists who published their findings in the Astrophysics Journal Letter on Wednesday.
“We’ve discovered that strong, orderly magnetic fields are crucial in how black holes interact with surrounding gas and matter,” said study co-leader and NASA Hubble Fellowship Program co-author, Einstein Fellow Sarah Isaun, as stated in a press release.
Isaun worked with an international team of astronomers known as the Event Horizon Telescope to conduct the research. This team comprises over 300 scientists from 80 institutions worldwide.
This same collaboration captured the first direct visual evidence of Sagittarius A* in 2022 and also studied the M87 galaxy, which is located approximately 53 million light-years away from Earth.
The magnetic field around the massive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, known as M87*, is believed to play a vital role in its extraordinary behavior. Black holes emit powerful jets of electrons and other subatomic particles into space at nearly the speed of light.
Although no such bursts of activity have been observed from Sagittarius A*, the similarities between the two black holes suggest that hidden jets may still be detected. Researchers suggest this possibility in the new images.
Next month, people across the continental United States will have the opportunity to witness a partial or total solar eclipse. However, it is crucial for them to take precautions to prevent eye damage during this rare astronomical event.
On April 8th, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, causing a temporary blockage of the sun’s light. This will result in a darkening of the afternoon sky along a path approximately 160 miles wide across Mexico, parts of the United States, and parts of eastern Canada.
Those outside of this path will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse, where only a portion of the sun is obscured by the moon.
To safely view the eclipse, special glasses or a pinhole projector can be used. It is important to note that regular sunglasses or other tools like telescopes should not be used to observe the eclipse even while wearing special glasses.
Here are some key points to keep in mind:
How to select the right eclipse glasses
The only safe way to directly view a solar eclipse is by using glasses specifically designed for this purpose. These glasses should be equipped with an ISO 12312-2 filter to prevent photothermal damage to the retina, as advised by Dr. Nicole Bajic from the Cleveland Clinic Cole’s General Ophthalmology Institute.
Eclipse glasses are significantly darker than regular sunglasses, making them safe for solar viewing.
Failure to take precautions while observing a solar eclipse can result in permanent damage to the eyes, known as solar retinopathy, which affects the retina’s ability to transmit light into electrical signals for vision.
When and how to use glasses
According to NASA, it is only safe to view a solar eclipse directly without glasses during the brief period of totality when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face. Before and after totality, eclipse glasses must be worn to protect the eyes.
Totality, when the sun is completely covered, lasts approximately three and a half to four minutes and can vary by location.
For those observing a partial solar eclipse, wearing eclipse glasses throughout the event is essential. Additionally, using tools like binoculars or cameras without solar filters can cause serious eye damage.
Ensuring the safety of your glasses
While NASA does not endorse specific solar viewers, it is recommended to choose reputable options from sources like the American Astronomical Society to avoid counterfeit or substandard products.
If you saved your eclipse glasses from the 2017 event, they can be reused as long as the lenses are undamaged. However, if there are any scratches, holes, or wrinkles on the lenses, it is advisable to purchase new glasses.
Creating and using a pinhole projector
In the absence of proper glasses, a pinhole projector can be made to safely view the solar eclipse without looking directly at the sun. This device captures sunlight through a small hole, projecting it onto a surface to create a safe image of the sun.
To make a pinhole projector, cut a hole in a piece of paper, cover it with aluminum foil, poke a small hole in the foil, and use another piece of paper as a screen for the projected image. Adjusting the distance between the projector and the screen will change the size of the image.
Other household items like a colander or a cereal box can also be used to create a pinhole projector for eclipse viewing.
Alternatively, stand under a shady tree during the eclipse to observe the crescent-shaped shadow cast on the ground.
Hotspot analysis of unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) sightings reported from 2001 to 2020. Excerpt from the paper “Environmental Analysis of Public UAP Sightings and Sky View Potential”.
RM Medina et al.
My favorite subgenre of scientific writing is “Usually associated with conspiracy theories and cheesy sci-fi movies, but please take this seriously.” So I gleefully dove into a recent example with a very technical title. Environmental Analysis of UAP Public Sightings and Sky View Potential”. Translation: “We looked at where the most people saw UFOs and correlated that with how easy it was to see them in the sky.”
First of all, I want to emphasize that this is not a silly thesis, and I am not saying that UFOs should not be studied as a cultural or physical phenomenon. The authors, two geographers and a military intelligence expert, are acutely aware of how ridiculous their work may sound to some readers, and their method of analysis is entirely rational. It is.
That being said, I would like to celebrate some of the acronyms I learned while reading this paper. We will henceforth refer to UFOs as UAPs, or “unidentified anomalous phenomena.” This is partly to avoid the stigma of the pseudoscientific UFO community, and partly so that future generations can collect data on giant monsters and such anomalies not captured by science. I think it’s for the purpose of The term “flying object”.
The authors used data from NUFORC. NUFORC sounds like his 1970s new wave band, but it actually stands for National UFO Reporting Center. Its website allows people to report sightings, and the number of people doing so increased during the study period from 2001 to 2020. This is largely due to the increased number of sensors, phones, and other technologies that can record strange things in our environment. To study the geographic distribution of these sightings, the authors examined approximately 200,000 reports per U.S. county. What they found was that more people saw UFOs, er, UAPs, in the western part of the country, where less population means generally darker skies.
But how exactly did researchers know where all these sightings were coming from? Which brings us to VGI, or “Voluntary Geographic Information.” The authors acknowledge that this is “usually provided voluntarily by individuals, consciously or unconsciously, with the assistance of location-enabled digital tools.” Many cell phone cameras and apps automatically record the geographic coordinates of the photos you take, whether you know it or not. While this is great for friendly scientists looking for data about UAPs, VGI is also used in the United States by law enforcement and marketing companies to understand where they are at any given time.
But perhaps my favorite acronym is AARO (All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office). This is the department within the Department of Defense where one of the author’s boyfriends, Sean Kirkpatrick, worked until two years before him, and it has a nice name. he got tired of it and quit Late 2023. AARO may sound like Charles Stross invented it for him. laundry file Although it is a series of fantasy novels, it is actually called in to determine whether the military secretly possesses alien “biological agents” or spaceships. Kirkpatrick told Congress that the answer is a resounding “no,” and that conspiracy buffs inside and outside the government have discovered extraterrestrial weapons in the huge warehouse where the Pentagon stores the Ark of the Covenant and the Sacred Ark. He resigned because he continued to insist that something must be hidden. Holy Grail.
As can be inferred from Kirkpatrick’s involvement in the paper, the authors found no evidence of alien visitors. By correlating VGI-labeled sightings with data collection including military bases, airports, light pollution, cloud cover, and tree canopy locations, they found that most UAPs are found in deep, easy-to-see locations. It means that it is. To the night sky. According to NUFORC, his most commonly reported UAPs turned out to be either Starlink satellites or the planet Venus. Other reports come from locations where it is easy to observe human-built objects, such as airplanes and drones, moving quickly and in irregular patterns across the sky.
There are also more reports coming from areas with a “culture of paranormal ideas,” such as the area around Roswell, New Mexico, where UFOs are said to have crashed in the 1940s. Still, researchers conclude that some sightings remain unexplained.
This paper confirms that people who report UAP are not suffering from mental illness or hallucinations. There is clearly something strange in the sky. Perhaps it’s not aliens, but our environments always produce bizarre visual effects that are strange yet realistic. And the heavens are full of imaginary and unknown objects created by humans. Analyzing anomalies with scientific rigor does not dispel the wonder, but it does reveal that we can witness wonders in our own backyards every day.
Annalee’s week
what I am reading
Stuart Hall’s Classic Media Studies Essay encode/decode, it is still relevant.
what I see
dungeon food, Anime about cooking from dungeon to table.
what I am working on
Make Google Gemini say weird things.
Annalee Newitz is a science journalist and author. Their latest novel is Terraformars, and they are co-hosts of the Hugo Award-winning podcast Our Opinions Are Correct. Follow @annaleen and their website is: techsploitation.com
View of the lunar surface taken from the tilted position of the SLIM lander
JAXA
Most landers we send to the Moon will operate for one lunar day, or about two weeks on Earth, until they die from the extreme cold of the lunar night. But Japan’s Smart Lunar Lander (SLIM) has now survived two nights on the moon and continues to send images back to Earth, an amazing feat.
SLIM is Japan’s first lunar lander and becomes the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. When the plane landed on January 19, it was tilted and the solar panels could not provide enough power to continue operating for more than a few hours. After nine days, the sun began to move again, moving across the sky.
But just three Earth days later, the lunar night began. Nighttime temperatures on the moon can drop as low as -133°C (-208°F), potentially damaging the spacecraft’s batteries and electronics. Normally, the lunar lander shuts down on a lunar night and never wakes up again, but it started up again on February 25 as the sun rose above Slim.
This in itself was a surprise. The lander was not specifically designed to withstand lunar nights, and its original mission was scheduled to end at night. So, as night approached again, this seemed to be the end of SLIM.
However, on March 27th, the SLIM official account I posted an image above X has the following caption: “Last night, we received a response from SLIM confirming that SLIM achieved its second success during the night. Last night, the sun was still high and the equipment was hot, so I quickly turned on my navigation camera. It looks like the lander will be able to resume analyzing its surroundings within the next few days.
Its survival is especially surprising because while some spacecraft use radioactive elements to stay warm, SLIM does not. “This is a significant achievement considering we are not using radioisotope heaters,” he says. Haim Benaroya at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “This result is important and impressive, given that this is a major design consideration for electronics (and people) to survive moonlit nights.” SLIM has failed while many other spacecraft have failed. Analyzing how they survived may help us understand how they stay warm on the moon.
There’s new evidence that it pays to yell at referees at sports stadiums. The evidence comes in a study by Joel Guerret, Caroline Blais, and Daniel Fisset of the University of Quebec in Outaouais, Canada, titled “Verbal attacks on Major League Baseball umpires influence decision-making.” They published it in a magazine psychological science.
Guerret, Brace, and Fisset examined 10 years of Major League Baseball game data. They stress that these games are played out in an “ecological environment rife with hypercritique.”
They discovered what they called “the double-sided benefits of resorting to verbal abuse.” After being heavily criticized, “home plate umpires were less likely to call a strike to the complaining team’s batter and more likely to call a strike to the opposing team’s batter.”
Mr. B. McGraw (who did not specify his name) brought the matter to Feedback’s attention, impressed by the authors’ development of a disciplined academic voice: “Our findings support the hypothesis that under certain conditions, verbal aggression can be advantageous to the accuser.”
ice cream nozzle
Questions arise when the nozzle starts to collect foreign matter, but if you diligently clean the nozzle after using it to dispense a scoop of ice cream, the question becomes less pressing. Because if you don’t clean the nozzles and other parts of your food machine, things can grow healthy (from a material point of view).
Psychrotrophic bacteria are bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, temperatures such as those that can occur in refrigerators and freezers.
Research called ”Psychrotrophic bacteria with virulence and colonization properties live in the ice cream production environment”, the need for nozzle maintenance comes to mind. The purpose of this discussion is to prevent horror stories from happening. The authors, from Italy’s University of Naples Federico II, said: “We provide evidence for the existence of a complex microbial community that overcomes the sanitary conditions of ice cream production facilities.” Therefore, Harken is an ice creamer. Please clean the nozzle.
your chocolate nozzle
For example, considering what shape nozzle to use for 3D printing chocolate can raise unexpected and vaguely related questions.research in frontiers of psychology We focus on one surprisingly subtle and complex question. So when it comes to the question of taste, how much chocolate is too much chocolate?This study is called ”Effect of bouba and kiki-like shapes on the perceived taste of chocolate pieces”.
”Booba” and ”kiki” are coined words, and psychological experiments suggest that they somehow evoke the concept of shape. To many people, a ”bouba” looks curvy and a ”kiki” looks pointy. The researchers found evidence that Booba was subtly sweeter than Kiki, but to measure the difference they had to limit the amount of chocolate in each bite.
They wrote: “Previous studies have found no difference in participants’ reports of a difference in taste after actually eating round and square chocolate pieces. Because there was so much chocolate in the cup, we thought that the actual taste might have dominated the effect of perceived shape on taste.”
They devised a solution. “We designed a ring-shaped stimulus with no chocolate filling in the center to avoid the need to ingest excess chocolate taste or flavor while maintaining perceived shape differences.”
Reducing chocolate consumption by using sweeter-tasting forms, they say, would reduce chocolate production and, in turn, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting even those who don’t eat chocolate. The Booba/Kiki-inspired choice of chocolate dispenser nozzle is implicit and may be more than just a symbolic weapon in the fight against global warming.
diagonal nozzle
If you really want to install a turbofan engine in a jet aircraft, and if you want quietness, make the nozzle diagonally. Make a chamfer. These are the words of Julien Christophe, Julien de Dekker and Christophe Schramm of the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium.Writing in progress flow, turbulence, combustionThey explain the reason as follows: “The beveled nozzle provides noise reduction at all emission angles, with up to 2 dB reduction at the receiver’s position perpendicular to the plate.” For peace of mind, bevel.
cryptographic emoji
If there’s a contest for a jargon-heavy study about a sketchy financial business, perhaps you could submit your cryptocurrency to a study called ”Emoji-led crypto market reaction”, written by Xiaorui Zuo, Yao-Tsung Chen, and Wolfgang Karl Härdle.
The word “pith” is sometimes defined as “the spongy white tissue that lines the inside of the peel of oranges and other citrus fruits.” This study contains a pointed explanation of itself. “We leverage GPT-4 and his fine-tuned Transformer-based BERT model to perform multimodal sentiment analysis and focus on the impact of emoji sentiment on the crypto market.” The paper does not say what “BERT” is. “Similar sentiment analysis techniques could be applied to a broader range of financial markets,” the paper says.
Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com.
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○On March 14, Team 0% was on the verge of finishing their seven-year mission to conquer all 80,000 incomplete levels of the 2015 Nintendo game Super Mario Maker. They only had two challenging maps, “Herb Trimming” and “The Last Dance,” left to conquer. But as time ticked away, Nintendo dropped the bombshell that they would be shutting down the game’s servers on April 8th. Any level unfinished by then would remain that way forever. Unfortunately, Team 0% fell short at the final hurdle.
When Super Mario Maker was released for the Wii U, players discovered the thrill of creating their own levels and sharing them online. However, to upload a level, players had to beat it themselves first. Little did they know that one of the remaining levels was a hoax.
From its launch, Super Mario Maker inspired players to create incredibly difficult levels with inventive designs. A website called Super Mario Maker Bookmarks tracked every uploaded level, generating stats on completion rates. In 2017, a Reddit user named the0dark0one compiled a list of levels yet to be beaten, unknowingly sparking a journey.
Jeffie, the founder of Team 0%, launched a Discord server in December 2017 to tackle the backlog. They faced technical challenges due to the volume of data but persisted, clearing the initial list after eight months. However, new levels kept pouring in, each more challenging than the last.
Super Mario Maker allows players to craft levels using the Wii U’s touchscreen, resulting in a range of creative challenges. Photo: Nintendo
The team developed training levels within Super Mario Maker to teach newcomers the unique skills required to ace tricky levels. As they sharpened their skills, the task became more daunting with the deadline looming, requiring nearly 100 levels to be completed daily.
As the team neared the finish line, they faced suspicions regarding the legitimacy of the last level, “Trimming the Herbs.” Some speculated it might have been completed using cheats like TAS (Tool-Assisted Speedrun). Ultimately, the creator admitted to using TAS, tarnishing the victory moment.
Despite the disappointment, players continue to tackle “Trimming the Herbs” before the shutdown. The accomplishment lies not just in completing every level in Super Mario Maker, but in preserving the efforts of all creators in the game’s history.
serial Wide range of weekly episodes available The OG of podcasting returns for an amazing Season 4 with Sarah Koenig and Dana Chivis’ History of Guantanamo. This is a story they’ve wanted to tell for years, but haven’t been able to move much beyond the official boundaries until now. Today, staff and detainees are ready to talk. While the former report partying “pissed off,” the latter, whose response costs each $13 million a year, discuss their fears. Hannah Verdier
die for Widely available, all episodes now available Seduction and “sexual exploitation” may sound like the stuff of male fantasy, but Neil Strauss gives a Russian woman a chance to talk about the trappings of surveillance and love. First, he has to figure out if she’s the real deal, since she claims to be a “victim who was brainwashed into thinking I’m a hero.” HV
hidden heroes of history Wide range of weekly episodes available There’s nothing better than hearing Helena Bonham Carter (pictured below) tell the story of Ida and Louise Cook. In an archival interview with Sue McGregor, Mills & Boon novelist Ida talks about romance, then Bonham Carter talks about the pair’s relationship with opera stars and helping Jews escape from Nazi Germany. Explore the lives of the sisters. HV
Helena Bonham Carter. Photo: Theo Wargo/FilmMagic
It’s like a joke Wide range of weekly episodes available Hearing Katie Kershaw, Tien Tran, and ER Fightmaster talk about “all things queer, trans, and pro-women in sports” is a workout for your gossip muscles. The trio of friends talk about bad coaches, being called dykes by rival teams, and sports moments that made them gay, and they say some funny and outrageous things. HV
murder in hollywood hills Wide range of weekly episodes available Christy Johnson was 21 when a man made a charming advances on her at a Los Angeles shopping mall, saying he was a film producer looking for the next Bond girl. He took her to a photo shoot in his sports car, but his girlfriend was never seen alive again. The series, hosted by NBC’s Keith Morrison, tells the story of women who band together to find and trap a smooth-talking predator. Holly Richardson
There’s a podcast for that
Quest love. Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust
this week, Ammar Kalia Our picks for the 5 best podcasts on hip hopfrom The Roots founder’s interviews with rap stars to Romesh Ranganathan’s ode to the genre.
questlove supreme Questlove, the Oscar-winning director and founder of the hip-hop group The Roots, has become something of a rap authority. His Instagram profile includes a treasure trove of tributes to lesser-known and recently deceased artists, while his series of podcasts asks living greats to share the highs and lows of their careers. I’m interviewing you about time. Eschewing the aimless chatter of other hip-hop celebrity podcasts, Questlove Supreme always brings selected anecdotes from his guests, keeping the content scholarly without losing its enthusiastic flair. Highlights include a deep dive into LL Cool J’s superstardom, the genius of producer J Dilla by writer Dan His Charnas, DJ Marley’s commentary on his ’80s hip-hop with Mar, and more. included.
Louder Than riot Hip-hop has existed for the past 50 years as an important means of social and political expression, alongside a reputation for excess and controversy. Louder Than a Riot explores how this vibrant artistry born in some of America’s most neglected communities is being policed, coinciding with the rise of mass incarceration and… is examining in detail whether they have expressed prejudice within their own ranks. Hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden combine fascinating reporting and interviews to explore how rappers have often run afoul of the criminal justice system, before dissecting misogyny and homophobia within hip-hop. I’ll explore.
blog era Brothers Jeff and Eric Rosenthal host this fascinating series that dissects a niche but pivotal year in hip-hop history. After the birth of the Internet, but before the streaming era took off, blogs could make or break a rap artist, and the frenzied writing of blogs began to influence the very type of music that was made. Some people do. In “The Blog Era,” the Rosenthal brothers cover the music he made between 2007 and 2012 (after which SoundCloud became a dominant force), featuring appearances from J. Cole to Kid Cudi. It features people and depicts the fate of the editor who ran the site. .
dissect This long-running series from host Cole Cucina takes a break from the genre’s larger history and focuses on hip-hop one album at a time. In each series, by revealing the lyrics, music, and contextual information of a different record, Cucina draws on her songwriting training to explore how artists like Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West work on beats. It explores the details of the flow and explains the intent of the lyrics. Dissect has already covered everything from Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” to West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” to Tyler, the Creator’s “Igor.” , an exhaustive but essential listening experience for existing fans, and an ideal entry point for casual listeners as well.
hip hop saved my life Hip-hop may have started out as a distinctly American genre, but 50 years after its creation, it now has a legacy that spans the globe. The series by comic Romesh Ranganathan takes a tongue-in-cheek yet encyclopedic approach to hip-hop fandom, exploring his love for hip-hop while interviewing British celebrities and artists. Masu. Grime star Kano talks about her uniquely British spin on the genre, Mercury Prize winner Little Simz talks about her rise as a woman in hip-hop, and the late Jamal Edwards talks about pioneering grime. He talked about the establishment of the platform SBTV.
Why not try it…
Chameleon: Gallery of Lies is a six-episode tale into a world of deceit, deceit, and the possibility of redemption.
The Mediator actor James Buckley and his wife Claire discuss the nitty-gritty details of marriage and non-negotiable relationships Both when sick and when healthy.
Professional wrestler Ashley Massaro died by suicide in 2019. Ashley vs WWE, Tracing the events leading up to her death and investigating allegations of abuse during her time at the company.
In my family, we have developed a habit of ordering affordable DVDs whenever we discover a show or movie that we know we want to watch again (which is a trick in itself!).
Towards the end of 2020, when I relocated to a new apartment in another area of Seattle, I ended up disposing of a trash bag full of VHS tapes. While it was inevitable due to spatial constraints, I had a strong feeling that I might regret it. A sudden shift in the TV landscape where channels started charging viewers for access to old content (from Jaws to Airplanes to classic dramas) literally overnight caught us off guard. We hadn’t anticipated such a rapid change. mountain aspect
‘In the end, it will become a future landfill site.‘
I enjoy the concept of having a DVD collection and perusing its shelves like a rental store.
However, I can’t shake off the realization that most of the valuable possessions we accumulate will eventually end up in future landfills, left for future generations to grapple with. I am also keenly aware that at some point, I will either have to take on the responsibility of disposing of and redistributing my various interests, or pass the task on to a close relative. In that sense, the thought of owning even a modest DVD collection extensive enough to cover all bases fills me with dread. I think of my grandparents and the boxes they amassed over their lifetimes, destined for disposal in the dump, their parents’ attic, or the charity shop. TypeON negative
‘There’s a significant disparity in quality…‘
I may be considered a Luddite, but I’m not particularly captivated by this trend of streaming.
I recently watched a movie on Disney+. Newer movies often exhibit overly dark visuals (a complaint echoed by several acquaintances). Older films are frequently displayed in incorrect proportions or feature subpar soundtracks. My son has recently subscribed to Prime Video mainly for the TV shows but has yet to explore the movie offerings. For some reason, I harbor doubts about being able to find the movie I wish to watch.
Fortunately, we still have a local HMV store. Nothing beats the experience of strolling there, browsing around for an hour or so, and selecting a Blu-ray. The disparity in quality between watching movies via streaming and physical media is quite pronounced. “After Hours”, “Eraserhead”, “Boogie Nights”, “Naked”, “The Conversation”, “The Passengers”… While casual movie enthusiasts may indulge in a Netflix binge, more dedicated film fans prefer a shelf stocked with physical media. man without fear
A bustling video store in 2009. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images
‘This current phase is the worst‘
Rental spaces will once again thrive, though it may take time, bringing a sense of nostalgia for some and a fresh experience for others. As mentioned in the article, there is a resurgence fueled by the revival of vinyl records. The more enthusiasts of the original content and the younger generation realize that they can’t access the authentic material, the more the market will adapt. However, this phase is undoubtedly the most challenging, especially with streaming services pulling titles in multiple directions. Mr username 2014
‘the hype is real‘
I recently canceled my streaming subscription and started collecting “final format” 4K Blu-rays.
The hype is justified. The quality is exceptional, with no discernible drop in visual and audio quality that can happen with streaming. Some discs are particularly well-optimized for the format. Oppenheimer is a prime example (using high-quality headphones and viewing on a 4K disc makes for a very satisfying 3-hour experience). The advent of Villeneuve is also commendable.
As a gamer, I rarely have time to dedicate to playing for more than 20 hours nowadays, so having a PS5 gives me something to engage with. blue jay 2011
‘Household finances are stretched‘
Speaking personally, I believe the streaming industry will eventually rue its efforts to lock in customers. Unfortunately, household budgets are tight, and the cost of subscribing to streaming services adds up. And it’s not just me – there are numerous services vying for attention, leading to decision fatigue.
When movies and similar content are sold on DVD or Blu-ray, the consumer is committing to a one-time purchase. As a result, these companies, and the film industry as a whole, may end up forfeiting a significant portion of their downstream revenue while also being under pressure to ensure customer satisfaction. As this discussion underscores, many of us still yearn for the ability to purchase movies in physical formats. buzz 2023
‘I have reverted‘
Honestly, I shifted to streaming platforms for movies and music for a while, but I found myself reverting back. Not only did the platform remove content I desired (movies and shows), but (especially when it came to music) changing platforms essentially meant I was “purchasing” music when I wasn’t truly owning it. I decided to change my approach. I lost money and didn’t actually possess my music. Because I had never truly bought the music in the first place, my wallet disagreed with the arrangement. That realization made me uneasy about the entire situation. Additionally, DVDs turn out to be much more cost-effective to own. Beacon of Hope Discount
‘very cluttered‘
It’s quite cluttered. I keep the CDs in a disc folder and discard the cases. While some may consider it sacrilege, it’s a satisfying compromise for me. Seven Highter
‘I’m not fixated on the format‘
Having films in digital format is too convenient for me to go back to physical formats. I do, however, continue to buy DVDs and Blu-rays of movies that aren’t digitized, but it’s a hassle to remove the DVD from its case, go to the DVD player, and start it up. …With digital media, you can initiate a movie in moments, regardless of your location. I’m not hooked on any particular format or medium. The main desire is to be able to watch our favorite movies whenever and wherever we want, and digital media is the best option for that. bf_Silver Town
‘I wasn’t intrigued until DVDs were introduced‘
Collecting movies was never as popular as amassing books or music (CDs, records, tapes). I had no inclination toward it until DVDs made their debut.
What I miss about the rise of physical media is the ability to visit someone’s home, peruse their collection of books, records, and DVDs, and discover their diverse interests. It’s a conversation starter. Jifujiji
DVDs on display in HMV stores in London. Photo: David Levin/The Guardian
‘Biggest film loss since the fires in the old studio vaults‘
We are witnessing the greatest loss of films since the fires that ravaged the old studio vaults. While some may argue that inaccessible films still exist somewhere, what if no one is able to view them?
Furthermore, digital formats are subject to frequent changes. Eventually, all digital copies of films will become obsolete. Will Disney or any other entity go to the lengths and expense of transferring all their popular movies to a new format? Possibly.
But will they undertake the arduous and costly task of migrating thousands of potentially forgotten films that haven’t seen the light of day in years and are buried in long-unused databases? Highly unlikely. son of the desert
‘I no longer live like an obsessive hoarder‘
Two years ago, I donated thousands of DVDs and Blu-rays to charity shops. I’ve abandoned the life of an obsessive hoarder and now find more peace of mind. With numerous old and new titles to watch, there are discs in my possession that I’ve never viewed in decades, some of which I’ve even given away while still in their original shrink wrap. Had streaming been available 30 years ago, it might have paid off my mortgage. R Gouveia
‘Film production courses‘
One of the reasons I’ve bought and continue to purchase numerous DVDs over the years is for the bonus content such as director commentaries, behind-the-scenes features, and interviews with cast and crew. While David Fincher’s “Seven” may be available on some random streaming service, the DVD’s commentary track alone is a treasure trove for film enthusiasts. sagarmatha 1953
‘DVDs are delicate and not everlasting‘
I still retain all my DVDs and am actively acquiring new ones. Many movies are not consistently available on streaming services, if at all, hence retaining them as physical media is crucial. The only challenge is that DVDs are susceptible to damage and cannot stand the test of time. The same can be said for DVD players. I’ve contemplated buying a new DVD player as a backup. While I do utilize a streaming service, it often has limited offerings and I struggle to find what I’m looking for, particularly when it comes to “older” movies from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1970s. Recently, I revisited the original “Ladykillers” – the remakes just don’t compare. about
‘It’s not an either-or situation‘
For me, it’s not about choosing one over the other. Streaming (via the usual platforms) has its place. It allows for discovering new movies or trying something different. Physical media, on the other hand, enables me to build my collection of movies that I can’t stream or that I prefer to own while watching them again. iron moog 007
My daughter used my credit card to book a 5-month stay using Airbnb after taking an internship in Toronto. After the host accepted the booking, she received an email saying the entire stay had increased by £4,000 for her (plus 39% for her).
In a panic, she canceled because she couldn’t afford to pay the extra fee. Airbnb took it. There is a £1,962 handling fee plus £682 cleaning fee and tax. Her daughter canceled immediately, so it is unlikely that your reservation will be lost.
Airbnb endlessly cites its terms of service. I asked the host to give me the money back, but he said he wouldn’t give it back. Feels as if it helped this guy perpetuate something. Seems like a scam.
JS, on mail
I’m surprised Airbnb didn’t resolve this issue in your favor before I got involved. You were asked to pay an additional 39% after booking – seriously? Fortunately, the company has now refunded you the full amount.
I was told that I should have declined the host’s request for additional fees. In that case, it was up to the host to decide whether to proceed at the original rate or cancel.
You wonder who at the company came up with the terms and conditions that allow for such a request, but all’s well that ends well. I hope your daughter enjoys Toronto.
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Many of us include staple foods like pasta and rice in our diets for balance, while avoiding unhealthy options like potato chips and sugary snacks. However, determining the healthiness of processed and packaged foods based on their labels can be challenging.
It’s essential to understand that all foods can have a place in a healthy diet, but not all are equally nutritious. Rather than relying solely on food labels, it’s crucial to consider how these foods fit into your overall lifestyle and goals, taking into account factors like health, finances, work, and time constraints.
When faced with headlines about certain foods increasing the risk of disease by a certain percentage, it’s important to remember that these numbers represent relative risks in the population, not individual risks. Factors like the amount and frequency of consumption, overall diet, and disease likelihood all play a role in determining actual risk.
Nutrition is not isolated but influenced by evidence, hype, and context when making healthy choices. Here are some common supermarket products that are often misunderstood:
“Premium” Instant Meals
Prepackaged meals marketed as premium options may seem convenient and tasty, but they often contain added preservatives, stabilizers, and high levels of salt. Cooking from scratch at home is typically a more nutritionally sound choice.
When preparing meals at home, there’s more opportunity to add vegetables and whole grains for a balanced diet, something often lacking in ready-made options.
Plant Milk
Plant-based milks marketed as alternatives to dairy products vary in nutritional value, and they can be highly processed. While they can be useful for those who cannot or choose not to consume traditional milk, their long-term health effects are not well-studied compared to whole plant foods.
Meat Substitute
Similarly, meat substitutes may be processed and lack the full benefits of whole plant foods. Replacing meat in the diet can be beneficial for health, but choosing minimally processed plant-based options is key.
Meal Replacement Drinks
While meal replacement drinks can offer complete nutrition and convenience, they lack the bioactive substances found in whole foods. It’s important to incorporate a variety of foods into your diet and seek professional advice if relying heavily on meal replacements.
Breakfast Cereal
Breakfast cereals range in nutritional quality, with some being minimally processed and others high in sugar. Studies suggest that consuming breakfast cereal can improve overall nutrition, but the context of an entire diet is crucial.
Granola/Protein Bars
Bars can be convenient but are often processed and may contain excessive salt, sugar, and additives. While they can offer benefits over unhealthy snacks, they should not replace whole foods in the diet.
New research led by University of Wyoming Laramie provides additional evidence that tardigrade proteins could ultimately be used to provide life-saving treatments to people for whom refrigeration is not possible and to enhance storage of cell-based treatments.
Sanchez Martinez other. We provide insight into how tardigrades induce reversible biostasis through self-assembly of labile CAHS gels.
First discovered in 1773, tardigrades are a diverse group of microscopic invertebrates best known for their ability to survive in extreme conditions.
Also known as tardigrades or moss piglets, these creatures can live up to 60 years, grow to a maximum size of 0.5 mm, and are best seen under a microscope.
They can survive temperatures as low as -272 degrees Celsius (-457 degrees Fahrenheit) or as high as -150 degrees Celsius (-302 degrees Fahrenheit), and temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius for several minutes, and for up to 30 years without food or water. Masu. Minus 4 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) continues for decades.
Tardigrades can withstand pressures from nearly 0 atmospheres in space to 1,200 atmospheres at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and radiation levels of up to 5,000 to 6,200 Gy.
They survive by entering a state of suspended animation called biostasis, using proteins that form gels within their cells and slow down life processes.
“Surprisingly, when you introduce these proteins into cells, they gel and slow down their metabolism, much like tardigrades do,” says researcher Sylvia Sánchez Martinez, Ph.D., of the University of Wyoming, Laramie.
“Furthermore, just like tardigrades, putting human cells with these proteins into biostasis makes them more resistant to stress, giving human cells some of the tardigrade's abilities.”
“Importantly, our study shows that the entire process is reversible,” said researcher Thomas Boothby, Ph.D., of the University of Wyoming, Laramie.
“When stress is reduced, the tardigrade gel dissolves and human cells return to normal metabolism.”
“Our findings provide an avenue to pursue technologies centered on inducing biostasis in cells and even whole organisms to slow aging and increase shelf life and stability.”
Scientists on board the research vessel atlantis Five new deep-sea hydrothermal vents have been discovered on the ocean floor at a depth of 2,550 meters (1.6 miles). All exhaust fluids are hotter than 300 degrees Celsius (570 degrees Fahrenheit).
vehicle carried by humans alvin Arrived at the ocean floor. Image credits: J. McDermott, Lehigh University / T. Barreyre, CNRS / R. Parnell-Turner, Scripps Institution of Oceanography / D. Fornari, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution / National Deep Diving Facility / Alvin Group.
Hydrothermal vents are rich in chemicals that provide energy for animal life, fueling rich and productive ecosystems.
The location of the new hydrothermal vent was discovered by a team of scientists during a research expedition funded by the National Science Foundation.
They are located on the East Pacific Ridge near 10 degrees north latitude and are part of the trans-Earth mid-ocean ridge volcanic mountains, where two tectonic plates are breaking apart at a rate of about 11 cm (4.3 inches) per year.
Expedition researchers used underwater robots to map the area at night guard.
rear guard Retrieved each morning, high-resolution maps from the vehicle’s sensors were used to plan the day’s dives by the manned vehicle. alvinThis gives scientists a first-hand look at the complex and ever-changing environments of places like the East Pacific Rise.
“High-resolution maps are guard There is a possibility that new hydrothermal areas will be discovered soon guard will be back on deck,” said Dr. Jill McDermott, a researcher at Lehigh University.
“This gives us great goals such as: alvin And the opportunity to make multiple discoveries in one dive.”
scientists infiltrate alvin He first discovered a hydrothermal vent in 1977 while exploring an oceanic ridge north of the Galapagos Islands.
The discovery has reshaped scientists’ understanding of the conditions that can support life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.
“Mid-ocean ridges account for more than 75% of all volcanic activity on Earth,” said CNRS researcher Dr. Thibault Valley.
“There are thousands of these deep-sea hot springs, which together extract 10 percent of the Earth’s total internal heat.”
“We want to better understand how hydrothermal vents release heat and chemicals as they flow beneath the ocean floor, impacting global oceans.”
“new guard “Using the map, we can see vital details of lava flows erupting in the deep ocean and target them for rock sample collection, just as geologists do on land.” said Dr. Daniel Fornari, a researcher at the institute.
“These new perspectives and analysis of rock samples will help us understand how fast the lava erupted, how far it traveled, and how deep-sea lava eruptions affect hydrothermal eruptions. I guess.”
“By working together these two state-of-the-art deep-sea submersibles, we will make surprising new discoveries about how the deep sea floor is constructed in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Yes, we can,” said Dr. Ross Parnell Turner., a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
According to astronomers’ best models of black hole evolution, the magnetic field within the accretion disk must be strong enough to push the accreted plasma out into the surroundings. New results from Sagittarius A*, the 4.3 million solar mass black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and its much larger cousin M87* provide the first direct observational evidence supporting these models.
This image from the Event Horizon Telescope shows a polarized view of Sagittarius A*. The lines superimposed on this image show the direction of polarization associated with the magnetic field around the black hole’s shadow. Image credit: EHT Collaboration.
In 2022, EHT collaboration The first image of Sagittarius A*, about 27,000 light-years from Earth, has been released, showing that the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole looks very good despite being more than 1/1000th smaller and lighter in mass than M87. revealed that they are similar.
This led scientists to wonder if the two men had more in common than just their looks. To find out, they decided to study Sagittarius A* in polarized light.
Previous studies of the light surrounding M87* revealed that the magnetic field around the supermassive black hole causes powerful jets of matter to be ejected into the surrounding environment.
Based on this study, new EHT images reveal that the same may be true for Sagittarius A*.
“What we’re seeing now is a strong, twisted, organized magnetic field near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way,” said astronomers at the Harvard University & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. said Dr. Sarah Isaun.
“In addition to having a polarization structure that is strikingly similar to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole, Sagittarius A* has a polarization structure that is strikingly similar to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole. We found that strong, well-ordered magnetic fields are important for how they act.”
Light is a vibrating or moving electromagnetic wave that allows us to see objects. Light can oscillate in a particular direction, which scientists call polarization.
Polarized light is all around us, but to the human eye it is indistinguishable from “normal” light.
In the plasma around these black holes, particles swirling around magnetic field lines impart a polarization pattern perpendicular to the magnetic field.
This will allow astronomers to see in clearer detail what’s happening in the black hole region and map its magnetic field lines.
“By imaging polarized light from glowing gas near a black hole, we are directly inferring the structure and strength of the magnetic field that flows through the streams of gas and matter that the black hole feeds and ejects.” said Dr. Angelo Ricarte. Astronomer at Harvard University and the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“Polarized light can tell us much more about astrophysics, the properties of the gas, and the mechanisms that occur when black holes feed.”
But imaging black holes under polarized light isn’t as easy as wearing polarized sunglasses. This is especially true for Sagittarius A*. Sagittarius A* changes so quickly that you can’t stand still and take a photo.
Imaging supermassive black holes requires sophisticated tools beyond those previously used to capture a more stable target, M87*.
“Sagittarius A*s are like enthusiastic toddlers,” said Avery Broderick, a professor at the University of Waterloo.
“For the first time, we see invisible structures that guide matter within a black hole’s disk, drive plasma to the event horizon, and help the plasma grow.”
“Sagittarius A* moves around while trying to photograph it, so it was difficult to even construct an unpolarized image,” said astronomer Dr. Jeffrey Bower of the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica in Taipei. Told.
“The first image is an average of multiple images from the movement of Sagittarius A*.”
“I was relieved that polarized imaging was also possible. Some models had too much scrambling and turbulence to build polarized images, but nature isn’t that cruel. did.”
Professor Maria Felicia de Laurentiis, University of Naples Federico II, said: “Using samples of two black holes with very different masses and host galaxies, we can determine what they agree on and what they do not agree on.” It’s important.
“Since both point us toward strong magnetic fields, this suggests that this may be a universal and perhaps fundamental feature of this type of system.”
“One similarity between these two black holes could be a jet. But while we imaged a very obvious black hole in M87*, we have yet to find one in Sagittarius A*. not.”
Collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope. 2024. Horizon telescope results for the first Sagittarius A* event. VII. Polarization of the ring. APJL 964, L25; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad2df0
Collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope. 2024. Horizon telescope results for the first Sagittarius A* event. VIII. Physical interpretation of polarization rings. APJL 964, L26; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad2df1
Paleontologists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others have discovered a partial fossil of an ancient tapeworm preserved in Kachin amber from Myanmar from the mid-Cretaceous period.
A 99-million-year-old amber fragment containing a tapeworm fossil (long tentacles) and other inclusions: (AB) Overall view of the amber fragment. (C) Trichophytes of Gleichenidae. (D) Scale insect larva. (E) Sand grains. Scale bar – 2 mm inches (A, B), 0.1 mm inches (CE).Image credit: Luo other., doi:10.1130/G52071.1.
Parasites, especially parasitoids, are ubiquitous in extant ecosystems but poorly preserved in the geological record.
One such group is Sestoda (tapeworms), a special group of internal parasites flatworm.
These organisms have complex life cycles with at least two hosts and infect all major vertebrate groups.
However, due to its soft tissue and hidden habitat, the fossil record is very sparse, with the only widely accepted example of a pre-Quaternary period being a shark egg found in a Permian coprolite. be.
The lack of body fossils greatly hinders our understanding of early evolution.
Dr. Bo Wang, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: “The fossil record of tapeworms is extremely poor due to its soft tissue and endoparasite habitat, which is a major hindrance in understanding its early evolution. ''. Science.
The new fossil exhibits unique external (armature pattern) and internal (partially invaginated tentacles and rootless hooks) features that are most consistent with extant tentacles. Trypanolhynch tapeworm Parasitic substances of marine life elasmobranch (mainly sharks and rays).
“This discovery is the most convincing platyzoan fossil ever discovered,” said Dr. Cihang Luo. candidate at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Our study provides an exceptional example of a marine endoparasite trapped in amber and also sheds new light on amber taphonomy.”
“Specifically, we showed that amber can preserve the internal structure of helminths.”
“Using high-resolution micro-CT, we discovered that inside the modern fossil, a folded vertical structure extending spirally around the longitudinal axis extends to the very front. It matches the tentacle you entered.”
“On the other hand, rootless hooks are the same as trypanorhynch hooks.”
“Previous studies have shown that internal structures can be preserved intact, similar to modern forms, but all such studies have focused on arthropods.”
A hypothetical ecological recreation of the Trypanorhynch tapeworm fossil. Image credit: Dinghua Yang / Luo other., doi:10.1130/G52071.1.
“Our results show that amber can preserve the internal structure of helminths such as tapeworms over geological time scales,” Dr. Wang said.
“In addition to remarkable examples of marine endoparasites trapped in amber, several Gleichenia trichomes and scale insect larvae were also preserved in the same amber specimen along with partial insect remains. I did.”
“This clearly indicates that it was in a terrestrial or terrestrial environment at the time it was trapped in the resin.”
“Additionally, many sand grains are evenly distributed throughout the amber, suggesting that the fossil was buried in a sandy environment.”
“Furthermore, evidence so far indicates that Kachin amber was deposited in a near-shore environment.”
“One possible scenario for the tapeworm being deposited in the amber is that its elasmobranch host became stranded by tides or storms.”
“In such a scenario, the host would have been bitten by a high level of terrestrial predator or scavenger.”
“When the host was consumed by a predator, the tentacles were pulled apart, detached from the intestine, and attached to nearby resin.”
“Our study further supports the hypothesis that Kachin amber was probably deposited in a paleoenvironment in the Pala region, and also highlights the importance of amber studies in paleoparasitology.”
team's paper It was published in the magazine geology.
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Jikyoura other. Exceptional preservation of marine tapeworm tentacles preserved in Cretaceous amber. geology, published online March 22, 2024. doi: 10.1130/G52071.1
Recently, I was walking alone down a quiet, winding road. The road is snowy and slippery, making it difficult to walk. The sun felt warm on my face. As I trudged uphill, I missed seeing my girlfriend’s partner, but I was grateful to be able to visit my little sister, who I don’t see often.
I spent a few hours alone that day. At that time, I felt a variety of emotions, including curiosity, anxiety, and joy. It was a welcome period of solitude, and I returned to civilization feeling calmer and clearer than when I left.
Think back to the last time you were alone. Maybe you were commuting to work or getting up before the rest of your family. Maybe you live alone. Did you enjoy that period of solitude and long to connect with others, or did you let it pass without much thought?
Loneliness is inevitable. The adults inside England And the US One-third of your waking life is spent alone And it increases as you get older. In many places, we live alone more than ever before.Recent Survey of 75 countries We find that 17 of these locations have more than 25% single-person households.
As social creatures, research has historically kept us from spending time in solitude. But these days, more and more people seem to be craving time away from the crowds. Well, we now have evidence as to why spending time alone feels so good and may actually be essential to your health and well-being. Furthermore, we…
When it comes to gaming, the experience is everything. Whether you’re into Fortnite or Baldur’s Gate 3, full immersion is key, and that requires a laptop that can keep up. According to expert Eleanor Alley, who coordinates events at the University of Warwick Esports Center, the laptop you choose will depend on the specific requirements of the game you want to play. From beginners to seasoned pros, there are certain technical aspects that everyone should be aware of…
What should you consider in a gaming laptop? One crucial factor that can elevate your gaming experience is the speed of your computer. This directly impacts how smoothly the game runs and how realistic the graphics appear. Performance is influenced by three main components: the CPU (Central Processing Unit), which serves as the computer’s “brain”; RAM (Random Access Memory), which stores data required for quick access during operations, similar to short-term memory; and the GPU (graphics processing unit), which generates the images displayed on the screen.
What are the key features of a high-performance gaming laptop? Nothing is more frustrating than a game freezing at a critical moment, indicating that your computer may not meet the game’s requirements. If the CPU, RAM, or GPU are not powerful enough, loading times and frame rates will suffer. Higher frame rates result in smoother visuals, while faster loading speeds lead to seamless transitions between scenes.
When shopping for a laptop, processing power should be a top consideration. The CPU, the main processor, typically contains multiple cores that handle instructions. While a “quad-core” processor may be adequate for some laptops, those designed for gaming should ideally have 8 or more cores. For top-notch performance, a processor with 16 cores, like the newly launched Intel Core Ultra 7 and Intel Ultra 9 in the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra, is recommended.
Immerse yourself in the action with high-quality audio
Increasing the amount of RAM can also enhance your gaming experience by ensuring smoother gameplay. Insufficient RAM can lead to lag, instability, and frustration. Gaming laptops should ideally have at least 16 GB of RAM, with options for more like the 32 GB available in the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra.
The final piece of the puzzle is the graphics processing unit, which is essential for better visuals and gameplay. A dedicated GPU, separate from the CPU, is crucial for improved performance, especially in demanding games like Red Dead Redemption 2. The Galaxy Book4 Ultra offers two highly acclaimed NVIDIA RTX graphics options.
For Lee, the overall gaming experience hinges on the integration of these elements.
Her recommendation is to compare your system’s specifications with the game’s hardware requirements and test your favorite games on the laptop you’re considering or try out more demanding titles like Baldur’s Gate 3.
What is the ideal screen size for gaming? Lee suggests a minimum screen size of 15.6 inches, which is met by the 16-inch screen of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra. She advises opting for a screen resolution of at least 1080p and a refresh rate of 120 Hz for an enhanced gaming experience. The Galaxy Book4 series features a 3K screen resolution, providing a superior gameplay experience, especially for players who enjoy first-person games.
Modern laptops utilize AI and high-performance GPUs to create more realistic visuals. Vibrant colors and a visible touchscreen even in bright conditions further enhance the gaming experience.
Besides a great screen, top-notch audio is essential for gamers. Therefore, the inclusion of high-quality speakers and a studio-quality microphone with AI noise cancellation ensures immersive sound and minimal distractions.
How can I ensure my laptop is compatible with gaming hardware? Portability is a key aspect of laptops. However, this should not limit your ability to use various hardware such as external screens, controllers, charging docks, headsets, and other accessories. Therefore, a laptop with multiple ports is essential. The Galaxy Book4 series laptops are equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with USB, HDMI, headphone, and microphone jacks.
What are the most important factors to consider when choosing a gaming laptop? As long as you have a capable CPU and GPU, sufficient RAM, and a quality screen, you likely have a great gaming laptop. While some may prioritize a 4K display, the graphics processor is more crucial and should be the main focus when balancing costs.
One of the advantages of laptops is their portability, as noted by Lee who values the ability to take it anywhere. In the past, this could mean compromising performance, but modern laptops maintain both portability and power.
For more information on which Samsung Galaxy Book4 laptop suits your gaming needs, visit:samsung.com/uk/galaxy-book
A humanoid robot can predict one second in advance whether someone will smile and match the smile on its own face. The creators hope this technology will make interactions with robots more realistic.
Artificial intelligence is now able to imitate human language to an impressive degree, but interacting with physical robots often falls into the “uncanny valley.” One reason for this is that robots cannot reproduce the complex nonverbal cues and mannerisms that are essential to communication.
now, Hod Lipson Researchers at Columbia University in New York have developed a robot called Emo that uses AI models and high-resolution cameras to predict and attempt to reproduce people's facial expressions. It predicts whether someone will smile about 0.9 seconds in advance and smiles accordingly. “I'm a jaded roboticist, but when I see this robot, I smile back,” Lipson says.
Emo consists of a face with a camera in its eyeball and a flexible plastic skin with 23 individual motors attached by magnets. This robot uses her two neural networks. One looks at people's faces and predicts their expressions, and her other one figures out how to create expressions on her own face.
The first network was trained on YouTube videos of people making faces, while the second network was trained by watching the robot itself make faces on a live camera feed. “You learn what your face looks like when you pull all your muscles,” Lipson says. “It's like being in front of a mirror. Even if you close your eyes and smile, you know what your face looks like.”
Lipson and his team hope Emo's technology will improve human-robot interaction, but first they need to expand the range of expressions robots can perform. Lipson also wants to train his children to express themselves in response to what people say, rather than simply imitating others.
For decades, physicists have been searching for gravitons, the hypothetical particles thought to carry gravity. Although they had never been detected in space, particles like gravitons have now been observed in semiconductors. Using these to understand the behavior of gravitons could help unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, which have long been at odds.
“This is a needle in a haystack. [finding]. And the paper that started all this goes back to 1993. ” lauren pfeiffer at Princeton University. He wrote the paper with several colleagues. Aaron Pinchukdied in 2022 before finding any hint of the elusive particle.
Pinchuk's students and collaborators, including Pfeiffer, have completed the experiment they began discussing 30 years ago. They focused on electrons within a flat piece of the semiconductor gallium arsenide, which they placed in a powerful refrigerator and exposed to a strong magnetic field. Under these conditions, quantum effects cause electrons to behave in strange ways. The electrons interact strongly with each other, forming an unusual incompressible liquid.
Although this liquid is not gentle, it is characterized by collective motion in which all the electrons move in unison, which can lead to particle-like excitations. To investigate these excitations, the team illuminated the semiconductor with a carefully tuned laser and analyzed the light scattered from the semiconductor.
This revealed that the excitation contains a type of quantum spin that had previously been theorized to exist only in gravitons. This isn't a graviton itself, but it's the closest thing we've ever seen.
Liu Ziyu The professor at Columbia University in New York who worked on the experiment said he and his colleagues knew that graviton-like excitations could exist in semiconductors, but they needed to make the experiment precise enough to detect it. He said it took many years. “From a theoretical side, the story was kind of complete, but the experiments weren't really convincing,” he says.
This experiment is not a true analog of space-time. Electrons are confined in flat, two-dimensional space and move more slowly than objects governed by the theory of relativity.
But he says it is “hugely important” and bridges various previously underappreciated areas of physics, such as materials physics and the theory of gravity. Kun Yan from Florida State University was not involved in this study.
but, Zlatko Papik Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK cautioned against equating the new discovery with the detection of gravitons in space. He said the two are equivalent enough for electronic systems like the one in the new experiment to serve as a testing ground for theories of quantum gravity, but they are not equivalent for all quantum phenomena that occur in space-time on a cosmic scale. It says no.
This connection between particle-like excitations and theoretical gravitons also yields new ideas about exotic electronic states, team members say. de Linjie At Nanjing University, China.
Europe’s longest Hyperloop test line opening has once again sparked hopes for a future that combines maglev and vacuum tube transportation technologies.
Operators believe that this facility will demonstrate the feasibility of Hyperloop, paving the way for a high-speed tube network spanning 6,200 miles (10,000km) across the continent by 2050.
Currently, the testbed at the European Hyperloop Center in Veendam is a 420-meter-long bifurcated white pipe running alongside a track and road, not yet transporting people in the Netherlands.
The test pipe, constructed from 34 connected 2.5-meter-wide prefabricated steel cylinders, partially funded by the EU, falls short of the envisioned two-mile track for 2020 due to speed limitations. The goal is to achieve the required 620 mph (1,000 km/h) in the future.
Test track at the European Hyperloop Center in Veendam. Photo: Hollandse Hoogte/Rex/Shutterstock
The Vandeem pipe’s fork will be instrumental in testing “lane switching” during high-speed vehicle course changes, with initial tests conducted by Hard Hyperloop in the Netherlands.
The center’s director, Sacha Lam, hailed this development as a pivotal moment, envisioning a pan-European network with infrastructure branching to various destinations like Paris and Berlin.
The concept of the Hyperloop was introduced by Elon Musk in 2013, proposing a line between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This innovative transportation method could revolutionize travel speed and efficiency.
Despite past setbacks, such as Hyperloop One’s bankruptcy, proponents like Sacha Lam see a bright future where a European Hyperloop network could become a reality within decades, offering a cleaner, quieter, and faster mode of transportation.
This innovative technology could help Europe catch up with pioneering developments in China, where a “low-vacuum pipeline magnetic levitation technology” test track was unveiled in 2022.
Antibodies are proteins that can target and attack specific cells.
Mirror Images/Alamy
An experimental treatment rejuvenates the immune systems of older mice and improves the animals’ ability to fight infections. If this treatment is effective in humans, it could reverse the age-related decline in immunity that makes older people more susceptible to illness.
These reductions may be due to changes in blood stem cells, which can develop into all types of blood cells, including important components of the immune system. As we age, a greater proportion of these stem cells tend to produce some immune cells than others. Jason Ross at Stanford University in California. This imbalance impairs the immune system’s ability to fight infection. It also promotes chronic inflammation, which accelerates aging and increases the risk of age-related diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Ross and his colleagues have developed a treatment that uses antibodies, proteins that recognize and attack specific cells, to target these biased stem cells. Next, they tested the treatment on six mice aged 18 to 24 months. This is roughly equivalent to a human being between 56 and 70 years old.
One week after receiving the antibody injection, these abnormal stem cells in the mice had decreased by about 38 percent compared to six rodents of the same age who did not receive treatment. They also had significantly higher amounts of two types of white blood cells important for recognizing and fighting pathogens, and lower levels of inflammation.
“You can think of this as turning back the clock,” says Ross. “We are adjusting these percentages [immune] more similar cells [those of] A young adult mouse. ”
To test whether these changes result in a stronger immune system, the researchers vaccinated 17 older mice with a mouse virus. Nine of these mice had received antibody treatment eight weeks earlier. The researchers then infected rodents with the virus. After two weeks, the number of infected cells in the animals was measured and it was found that almost half of the treated mice (4 out of 9) had completely cleared the infection, compared to 1 out of 8 of the untreated mice. It turned out that there was only one.
Taken together, these findings demonstrate that antibody treatment rejuvenates the immune system of aged mice. Humans, like rodents, have more abnormal blood stem cells as they age, so a similar antibody treatment could also boost their immune systems, Ross said.
Such a possibility is still far away, robert signer at the University of California, San Diego. First, we need a better understanding of the potential side effects of treatments. In an accompanying article, Signer and his colleagues write: Yasar al-Fat KassResearchers, also at the University of California, San Diego, suggest that depletion of stem cells, even abnormal stem cells, may increase cancer risk. On the other hand, “if you have a better immune system, you’ll be better at investigating cancer, so we don’t know exactly what will happen yet,” Signer says.
Still, Ross says these findings are a promising advance in understanding age-related immune decline and how to reduce it.
Aging is the biggest risk factor for various diseases. “Rejuvenating or improving immune function in older adults could really help fight infectious diseases,” Signer says. “It may also have an impact on different types of chronic inflammatory diseases. That’s what’s so exciting here.”
A recent report accuses Meta and Google of obstructing information about abortion and reproductive health in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
MSI Reproductive Choices and the Center to Combat Digital Hate claim that while these platforms restrict advertising for local abortion providers, they don’t limit public access to reproductive health care, leading to the spread of damaging misinformation.
Mehta has agreed to review the findings of the report.
MSI, operating in 37 countries, has had ads containing sexual health information rejected or removed by the platforms.
MSI Ghana and Vietnam reported that their ads promoting reproductive health content were removed or flagged as violating community guidelines.
Whitney Chinogwenya, Global Marketing Manager at MSI, expressed concerns about the censorship of reproductive health content on social media platforms like Facebook, which many women rely on for information.
MSI Mexico faced removal of a Facebook post promoting legal abortion services despite the recent decriminalization of abortion in some states.
The report highlighted Meta’s inaction against anti-abortion misinformation and misleading content about abortion procedures.
The report also revealed fake MSI pages on Facebook that exploit the organization’s reputation for various malicious purposes.
MSI clinics in Ghana were targeted by disinformation campaigns on messaging platforms.
MSI Ghana Advocacy stresses the importance of fact-checking systems on digital platforms to promote accurate reproductive health information.
The report, compiled from interviews and evidence from MSI teams in several countries, aims to raise awareness among digital platforms about their responsibilities.
Meta and Google responded to the report’s allegations, with Meta emphasizing its policies against false information and Google denying any inconsistent enforcement on its platforms.
Both companies stated their commitment to ensuring accurate and compliant advertising on their platforms.
Using data from ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, planetary scientists created a 1:30,000-scale geological map of the Oxian Plain, the landing site for ESA’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission. Created.
Faudon other. Created the most detailed geological map of Oxia Planitia, the Mars landing site for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover. Image credit: Faudon other., doi: 10.1080/17445647.2024.2302361.
Oxia Planum Located on the northern edge of Arabian Terra, it preserves a record of the diverse geological processes that shaped the region.
It is a transitional region between the cratered Arabian Terra and the young lowland plain of the Chryse Planitia.
“Oxia Planum is located near the Martian equator and contains deposits that are nearly 4 billion years old,” said Open University researcher Peter Faudon and colleagues.
“On a geological scale, this would be the oldest landing site ever visited by a spacecraft on Mars.”
“This region is rich in clay minerals that form due to the presence of water. These rocks are ideal for preserving evidence of the earliest forms of life. This makes it possible to predict that life once existed on Mars. It’s a great place to look for clues as to whether this is the case.”
To map the Oxian Plains, the authors used several instruments, including the Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and the HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). We used data from.
This map details 15 rock units classified into 6 groups and 7 textural and surface units.
“This map includes the main types of rock and structures with unique shapes, such as ridges and craters,” the researchers said.
“It also features materials that are placed on top, blown by the wind or blown long distances when a meteorite hits the Earth’s surface, for example.”
The result is the highest-resolution map of the Oxian plains to date at a scale of 1:25000, where 1 centimeter corresponds to 250 meters on the surface of Mars.
Average daily driving time is 25-50 minutes. rosalind franklin rover On the map it is 1-2 mm.
“This map is really interesting because it’s a guide to where the answers are,” Dr. Faudon said.
“This serves as a visual hypothesis for what we currently know about the different rocks at the landing site.”
“With the instruments on board the Rosalind Franklin rover, you can test your knowledge on the fly when the time comes.”
peter faudon other. 2024. High-resolution map of the Oxian Plains on Mars. Landing site for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission. map journal 20(1); doi: 10.1080/17445647.2024.2302361
Global warming is causing the Earth’s rotation to slow slightly, which could affect the way we measure time.
A study published Wednesday found that the melting of polar ice, a trend accelerated primarily by anthropogenic climate change, is causing the Earth to spin more slowly than it would otherwise.
Study author Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, said melting polar ice changes where the Earth’s mass is concentrated. This change affects the planet’s angular velocity.
Agnew likened the dynamic to a figure skater spinning around on ice. He said, “If a skater starts spinning and lowers his arms or extends his legs, he will slow down.” However, if the skater’s arms are pulled inward, the skater will rotate faster.
So less solid ice at the poles means more mass around the equator, at the Earth’s waist.
“What melting ice does is take water that has solidified in places like Antarctica or Greenland, and when that frozen water melts, it moves that liquid to other parts of the planet. “Thomas Herring said. He was a professor of geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but was not involved in the new research. “Water flows toward the equator.”
In other words, this study shows how human influence can successfully manipulate forces that have puzzled scholars, stargazers, and scientists for millennia: forces long thought to be constants beyond human control. It suggests that it has happened.
“It’s kind of impressive, even to me, that we were able to accomplish something that measurably changed the rotational speed of the Earth,” Agnew said. “Something unprecedented is happening.”
His research, published in the journal Nature, suggests that climate change is playing a significant enough role in the Earth’s rotation to delay the possibility of a “negative leap second.” If the polar ice hadn’t melted, clocks around the world might have needed to subtract one second by 2026 to synchronize universal time with the Earth’s rotation, which is influenced by a variety of factors.
Rather, the impact of climate change has delayed that outlook by an estimated three years. If timekeeping organizations ultimately decide to add negative leap seconds, the adjustment could disrupt computer networks.
A view of the Earth captured by a deep space climate observation satellite.NASA
The leap second adjustment is necessary because even without climate change, the Earth’s daily rotation tends to slow down over time, even though it appears constant.
Studies show that about 70 million years ago, days became even shorter, lasting about 23.5 hours. Implications of paleoceanography and paleoclimatology. This means that Cretaceous dinosaurs experienced 372 planetary days a year.
Several important factors influence a planet’s rotation, but they sometimes act in opposition.
Due in part to the moon’s gravitational pull, tidal friction in the oceans slows the Earth’s rotation. Meanwhile, since the last Ice Age, the Earth’s crust has been uplifting in some areas in response to the removal of ice sheet weight. This effect changes the distribution of mass, causing the planet to spin faster. Both of these processes are approximately constant and have predictable rates.
Yet another factor is the movement of fluids within Earth’s liquid inner core, a wild card that can either speed up or slow down Earth’s rotation, Agnew said.
Here, melted polar ice was added to the mix. As climate change intensifies, researchers expect melting ice to have an even more profound effect on the Earth’s rotation.
“As we predict, as melting accelerates over time, its contribution will become even larger,” Herring said. He added that the new study is a thorough and robust analysis that combines research from multiple scientific fields.
The need for timekeepers to adjust universal time to match the Earth’s rotation is not a new phenomenon. But historically, this involved adding leap seconds to the common standard for clocks. This is because astronomical time lags behind atomic time (measured by the vibrations of atoms in atomic clocks) due to the slowing of the Earth’s rotation.
But in recent decades, changes in the Earth’s core have caused the Earth to rotate faster than expected. This has led timekeepers, for the first time since Coordinated Universal Time was officially adopted in the 1960s, to consider whether it makes sense to subtract leap seconds to synchronize universal time with the Earth’s rotation. Ta.
The melting of polar ice counteracted that trend, avoiding any decision points regarding negative leap seconds. According to Agnew’s estimates, if the current rate of Earth’s rotation is maintained, it will likely be delayed by three years from 2026 to 2029.
Adding or subtracting leap seconds is troublesome because it can disrupt satellite, financial, and energy transmission systems that rely on very precise timing. For that purpose, Timekeepers around the world have voted to abolish leap seconds in 2022. By 2035, addition and subtraction will shift universal time from the pace of the Earth’s rotation.
“Since around 2000, there has been a movement to abolish leap seconds,” Agnew said.
Regardless of whether the clocks ultimately change, the idea that melting polar ice is affecting the Earth’s rotation speaks to how important an issue it has become. Studies have already shown that ice loss has significant impacts on coastal communities.
Scientists predict that sea level rise will accelerate as the climate warms, a process that will continue for hundreds of years. Last year, leading polar researchers warned in a report that parts of the major ice sheets could collapse and coastal regions should brace for several feet of sea level rise. If humans allowed global average temperatures to rise by 2 degrees Celsius, Earth could see sea levels rise by more than 40 feet.
I love how games keep me so occupied that I think about them all day long while living my real life. This doesn’t happen a lot these days because I’ve played so many games over the past 30 years. It happens when a game does something I’ve never seen before. For example, last year’s The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom of Tears featured a reckless gimmick. Or sometimes it’s because of something I do, like Dragon’s Dogma 2, which I’m still playing after reviewing last week. We’ve seen it before, but not for very long.
In the 12 years between the original Dragon’s Dogma and this sequel, Elden Ring is the only game that has come close to recapturing that brand of fantasy action role-playing with its chaotic, stubborn idiosyncrasies. This is a game where you can ruin a quest by fooling around for too long before pursuing the next objective. On an otherwise empty journey through the countryside, a griffin can appear and run you over to death almost instantly. The multidimensional beings who act as your companions on your journey contract a mysterious disease that unleashes the apocalypse when you save the game. You only have one save slot, so every decision counts. If you make a mistake, you have to accept it.
While some players have had disappointing reactions to the game’s inflexibility, I respect Dragon’s Dogma 2’s willingness to ruin your day at times. It will not bend to your will. You need to work around the rules, even if you don’t necessarily know what they are at first. At first, you might be annoyed that characters often tell you about interesting legends and rumors, but the game also marks them on the map to show you where they are likely to be found. And over time, when you are left out in the wilderness at night, without camping gear, and try to take shelter in a cave which leads to a crumbling mountain shrine, you may find a real Sphinx there. You realized that even if someone had marked the location on your map, you would never have done that. You must have been in awe the first time you saw those glowing eyes in the dark.
Conventional wisdom in open-world games has long held that games are structured like to-do lists. A character with an icon above their head will appear, they will give you something to do, and the game will conveniently mark the location and start checking boxes before receiving the reward. The map is full of small icons that show you where to find things you might need to upgrade your equipment or further your objectives. In recent years, games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring have ditched these conventions, making their worlds feel once again mystical, realistic, and dangerous, but not Dragon’s Dogma 2.
The appeal of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is that it is less susceptible to external influences. Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels like the development team has spent the last decade or more playing only their own games. It’s appealingly free from outside influences and doesn’t adopt any of the ideas that other games have become standard for since 2012. For example, you cannot use menus to fast-traverse the map, except in a few rare cases. If you want to go somewhere, you have to walk. For many years.
You follow that path and if you stray from it, you’re very likely to run into something that will kill you. But you’ll also have adventures like when I found a haunted castle full of skeletons. By the time you and your team reach your next town as the night draws on, exhausted and full of trinkets you picked up along the way, you’ll feel like you’ve actually accomplished something. One way to get around on foot is by riding an oxcart. This takes even more time than incredible walking, unless the character falls asleep and wakes up at the destination. Also, during your journey, you may be attacked by monsters, destroy your entire cart, and end up stranded in a strange land in the middle of the night. It’s like a cruel joke.
What all of this gives the player is what I would describe as a feeling of being fully awake. You can’t switch off your brain when playing games like this. With no minimap or quest markers to tell you where to go, you have to remember what people say, use your eyes to read your way, and find things in the distance. You must be ready to fight when called upon, and be ready to run for your life when cornered. I keep seeing things I’ve never seen before.
Games like this have periodically pulled me out of my funk over the decades, reminding me that they can still be exciting and unpredictable. Regular reader Iain wrote the question last week that was part of the impetus for this issue. “As a gamer in my late 70s, I’ve been playing games since 1985. I think I’ve reached a point where I’ve seen it all before. Are there truly innovative titles, or do they stick to the ongoing series (some of which reach double digits)?” Well, Ian, for me Dragon’s Dogma 2 is one of those games that restores my faith. It may be a sequel, but it hasn’t been this great yet.
It has been close to two years since the world was first introduced to Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole residing at the center of the Milky Way.
A true behemoth, Sgr A* boasts a mass equivalent to 4 million suns and is encircled by hot pockets of swirling gas. Despite its immense size, it sits about 27,000 light-years away from Earth, appearing in the sky only as large as a donut on the moon’s surface.
In a recent study published in the Astrophysics Journal Letter and released by the event horizon telescope (EHT), Sgr A* was captured in polarized light for the first time.
Similar to how sunglasses can filter polarized light from the sun, astronomers utilize polarized light to unveil concealed magnetic fields.
The lines within the image indicate the direction of polarization, which correlates with the structure of the magnetic field surrounding the black hole.
“The spiral pattern observed swirling around the black hole signifies that the magnetic field must also be swirling, indicating a very strong and ordered field,” stated Dr. Sarah Isaun, an Einstein Fellow and co-leader of the project in the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, as quoted in BBC Science Focus.
A comparison between the supermassive black holes M87* and Sagittarius A*, depicted in polarized light, reveals similar magnetic field structures, suggesting a universal feature among supermassive black holes. – Image credit: EHT Collaboration
The first-ever image of a black hole was unveiled by EHT in 2019, featuring a much grander black hole at the core of the Messier 87 galaxy (M87*).
M87* is approximately 1,000 times heavier than Sgr A*, leading to a slower rotation making it easier to image.
Further developments include astronomers releasing images of the magnetic field encompassing M87* in 2021. Overcoming the challenge of capturing our own supermassive black hole in polarized light took an additional three years.
In a surprising revelation, despite the contrasting sizes of the two black holes, the new images demonstrate strikingly similar magnetic field structures, emphasizing the prevalence of strong magnetic fields in both. This highlights a fundamental feature of supermassive black holes.
Isaun emphasized, “Sgr A* now holds a polarization structure remarkably akin to the larger, more potent M87* black hole, supporting the significance of a robust, well-ordered magnetic field in these entities.”
A comparison of the sizes of two black holes imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration: M87* at the core of the galaxy Messier 87 and Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at the center of the Milky Way. – Image credit: EHT Collaboration (Acknowledgment: Lia Medeiros, xkcd)
Previous investigations on M87* disclosed that the encircling magnetic field generates potent jets of energy and matter extending far beyond the galaxy. While astronomers have visualized the jet around M87*, it has remained elusive around Sgr A*. However, recent images unveil remarkable similarities between the two black holes, suggesting the potential existence of jets in both.
Isaun highlighted, “The jets within the host galaxy can stimulate or counteract star formation, exhibiting a fascinating interplay between the dynamics of these emanating jets from these black holes and the evolvement of the host galaxy. There exists a connection.”
“I believe we can extract valuable insights into our galaxy’s history from this connection.”
Upon the release of this image in 2022 by the EHT collaboration, it served as the premier visual evidence of a supermassive black hole residing at the heart of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*. – Image credit: EHT Collaboration
The upgraded EHT is set to observe Sgr A* once more next month, with astronomers hopeful of uncovering concealed jets and other facets of the galaxy’s central region.
Anticipate further groundbreaking revelations from EHT, potentially including more awe-inspiring images and even real-time video footage in years to come.
About our experts
Sarah Isaun is an observational astronomer and member of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration. Her research focuses on aggregating, calibrating, and visualizing millimeter-wave radio observations of supermassive black holes. She led a project to produce new images of Sagittarius A* in polarized light.
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