More than half of uncollected plastic waste is incinerated
Tim Gainey/Alamy
Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world have no access to waste collection services, making how to dispose of plastic waste a serious environmental issue.
Most of these households resort to incinerating their plastic waste or dumping it in the environment, new analysis argues, arguing that comprehensive collection services are the only way to curb global plastic pollution.
Costas Bellis Researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK used municipal waste data and census data to model plastic waste flows in cities around the world, then used this data to train an AI algorithm to predict how waste is generated and disposed of in more than 50,000 urban areas around the world.
Bellis says this bottom-up approach offers an “unprecedented” look at how plastic waste is processed and why it becomes a pollutant in different countries. “It's never been done before,” he says.
Velis' team estimates that 52.1 million tonnes of plastic waste (one-fifth of the global total) becomes polluting each year. Most of it occurs in poor countries where waste collection is unreliable or not available at all. Rather than being properly treated, most of this plastic waste is burned in homes, on the streets or in small dumps, without any environmental controls.
Researchers estimate that about 57% of uncollected plastic waste is disposed of in this way, while the remaining 43% is dumped into the environment. Burning plastic not only releases greenhouse gases, but also carcinogenic dioxins, particulate pollution, and heavy metals. All of these are harmful to human health..
Low-income countries generally produce much less plastic waste per capita, but much of that waste ends up polluting the environment, whereas in high-income countries, where the majority of waste is collected and treated, littering is the biggest source of plastic pollution.
The findings highlight the need for low-income countries to receive support to establish comprehensive waste collection systems for all their citizens, Velis said. India, Nigeria and Indonesia were named as countries with the highest rates of plastic pollution.
The study comes ahead of a conference in Busan, South Korea, in November to consider adopting the world's first plastic waste treaty. Velis calls for the treaty to include measures requiring countries to steadily increase the proportion of waste treated in appropriate facilities and for high-income countries to increase financial support. “Lack of waste collection is the biggest cause of the decline in plastic waste,” he says. [plastic pollution] “That's where the problem lies,” he says.
If you’re looking to upgrade your home with some new tech gadgets, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to do so. With a wide range of deals available, you’re bound to find some great discounts on everything from phones and laptops to electric scooters and smart home devices.
Keep an eye out for sales starting as early as November, with Black Friday falling on November 29th and Cyber Monday on December 2nd this year. Sales can start much earlier, so be sure to stay informed and bookmark this page for updates on the best tech deals.
When is Black Friday 2024?
This year, Black Friday falls on November 29th and Cyber Monday on December 2nd. Sales can start much earlier in November, so be sure to keep an eye out for deals throughout the month.
How to save money on Black Friday shopping in 2024
With so many promotions available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Before the sale begins, make note of the prices of items you’re interested in to ensure you’re getting a true bargain. Bookmark this page to stay updated on the best deals throughout the month.
Signing up for retailer newsletters and using tools like Camel Camel Camel or Keeper for Amazon shopping can also give you an edge in securing the best deals.
The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (Awesome Silver) with 128GB storage and a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display is a powerful and stylish device perfect for capturing every moment with its 48MP triple camera.
This Android 13 smartphone offers 5G connectivity for fast speeds and an immersive experience, making it a great choice for tech enthusiasts.
Amazon Fire Max 11 Tablet – £249.99 £134.99 (46% discount)
The Amazon Fire Max 11 Tablet boasts an 11-inch screen with 2.4 million pixels for incredible detail in movies and games, along with a powerful octa-core processor and 4GB of memory for responsive performance. It also features Alexa for smart home control and up to 14 hours of battery life.
Ring Video Doorbell – £99.99 £49.99 (50% discount)
If you’re looking to enhance your home security, the Ring Video Doorbell is a great choice, allowing you to see and speak to visitors at your door. With a 50% discount, it’s a must-have smart home device for added convenience and security.
Nordace Siena Smart Backpack – £139.00 £88.99 (36% discount)
The Nordace Siena Smart Backpack is a practical accessory with waterproof fabric, luggage straps, and a USB charging port, making it ideal for commuting and traveling. With a 36% discount, it’s a stylish and functional backpack for various occasions.
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Upgrade your entertainment experience with the 4K Ultra HD Amazon Fire TV, featuring built-in Alexa Voice Remote for easy access to your favorite content. With a 30% discount, it’s a great deal for enhancing your viewing experience.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones – £249.00 £197.99 (20% discount)
Elevate your audio experience with the Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones, offering up to 30 hours of battery life and convenient features like Speak-to-Chat. With a 20% discount, it’s a great deal for music lovers and audiophiles.
Explore more Black Friday deals, including the Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones.
JLAB AUDIO Go Air Sport Wireless Bluetooth Earphones – £29.99 £24.00 (20% discount)
JLab Headphones
The JLAB AUDIO Go Air Sport Wireless Bluetooth Earphones offer powerful sound at an affordable price, making them a great choice for music enthusiasts. With a lightweight and comfortable design, they’re perfect for active users and are currently available at a 20% discount.
Read our full review of the JLAB AUDIO Go Air Sport Wireless Bluetooth Earphones.
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Predicted trajectory of asteroid CAQTDL2 over the Philippines
Catalina Sky Survey/ESA
Astronomers have discovered that an asteroid is on its way to collide with Earth at thousands of kilometers per hour, likely somewhere east of the Philippines, over the ocean. Fortunately, this relatively small object won’t pose any harm and will simply burn up in the atmosphere in a fireball.
The asteroid, estimated to be about one meter in diameter, was a NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey. The asteroid has been named CAQTDL2 and is scheduled to impact Earth at approximately 16:45 GMT, 17:45 London time, 12:45 New York time, and at approximately 00:45 local time at the impact site in the Philippines.
It is currently estimated that CAQTDL2 will impact at a speed of 17.6 kilometers per second, or 63,360 kilometers per hour. Alan Fitzsimmons That’s average for such an object, says a researcher at Queen’s University in Belfast, UK. “Don’t be fooled by Hollywood movies where you see something screaming into the sky and you have time to run out the house, grab your cat, hop in your car and drive somewhere. You don’t have time for that,” he says.
Fortunately, no such evacuation is necessary. Although the impact would be dramatic and could shine as brightly as the moon in the night sky, it poses no danger to people on the ground. “An object this small can’t do any damage on the ground because it’s protected by the Earth’s atmosphere,” Fitzsimmons says. “It would just burn up harmlessly and then explode in a very impressive fireball.”
Asteroid CAQTDL2 can be seen moving across the sky in a purple circle.
Catalina Sky Survey
Fitzsimmons said two to three objects this size hit Earth each year, and early detection is becoming more common – astronomers first spotted a near-Earth asteroid before it fell to Earth in 2008. CAQTDL2 is the ninth asteroid to be accurately predicted to hit Earth.
“The really good thing about this is that our survey telescopes are now good enough to detect these objects as they approach and to provide a warning,” he says. “In other words, if this object was bigger and potentially threatening to people on the ground, it would have appeared brighter and projected farther. So this is a really cool demonstration that our current survey systems work really well. Right now, we’re probably averaging about one asteroid per year that gets detected before it hits the atmosphere, and survey systems are getting better and better.”
Not only is Earth developing and improving its early warning systems, but in 2022 NASA’s Dual Asteroid Reorientation Test (DART) spacecraft proved it could potentially save Earth from a catastrophic impact with a larger object. DART struck the 160-meter-wide moonlet Dimorphos, slowing it slightly, demonstrating that in theory such a disaster could be averted. Next month, the European Space Agency will launch the Hera mission to study the consequences of the impact up close and further our understanding of planetary defense.
Yes, hurricanes are getting worse. While there isn’t a significant increase in the frequency of hurricanes compared to 40 years ago, there is evidence that they are becoming more intense and destructive due to climate change. In 2022, it was predicted that the Atlantic hurricane season would be exceptionally severe with storms having more energy than before because of warmer sea levels.
According to the 2021 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, North Atlantic storms are more likely to intensify into “major hurricanes,” making them harder to predict and prepare for. This intensification trend is attributed to the warmer climate.
On a scale of 1 to 5 based on maximum sustained wind speed, hurricanes are classified. Category 5 storms with wind speeds exceeding 262 km/h are the most powerful and can cause catastrophic damage. However, storms of lower categories can also be devastating, as seen with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Climate change, by raising sea levels and affecting atmospheric conditions, is making hurricanes more destructive. The increase in extreme precipitation, slower storm movement across the Earth’s surface, and longer-lasting torrential rains are some of the impacts observed.
The forecast for the current Atlantic hurricane season suggests an above-average number of hurricanes due to the record heat in the region. The evidence points to hurricanes becoming more powerful, unpredictable, and persistent in a warmer world.
This article is a response to the question “Are hurricanes getting worse?” (asked by Johnny Adams of Peterborough).
If you have any questions, please send them to the email address below.For further information:or send us a messageFacebook,XorInstagramPage (be sure to include your name and location).
Named Haliotis pilimoana, the newly identified gastropod species is found only on the Manawatawi Three Kings Islands, off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
Shell Haliotis pilimoana Manawatawhi Three Kings Islands (AD) and Haliotis virginia (EG). Scale bars – 5 mm in. (AC) and 0.5 mm in. (DG). Image courtesy of Jean-Claude Stahl.
Abalone Family Haliotidae) are herbivorous marine gastropods that inhabit hard substrates in shallow, non-polar regions worldwide.
Several haliotiids are the basis of wild capture and/or aquaculture fisheries.
Additionally, the shells are often used in art, cultural practices, jewelry, and are prized among shell collectors.
Currently, there are approximately 70 species recognized by science, with many subspecies and forms, all belonging to this genus. Haliotis.
Haliotis pilimoana It lives under rocks and in crevices in the Manawatawhi Three Kings Islands at depths of 5-47 metres.
The new species differs subtly but consistently from New Zealand’s native abalone in that its spiral threads are thinner and more numerous. Haliotis virginia are at the same stage of development.
“Haliotis pilimoana Superficially it resembles specimens from the North Island (except near Wellington) population. Haliotis virginia “The shell morphology is similar but differs significantly in that at comparable stages of development, the dorsal surface has consistently thinner spiral threads that are more evenly spaced and closely spaced, and the stigma is more tightly coiled,” said Dr Kelly Walton, a researcher at the University of Otago and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and colleagues.
“These differences are between shells from the northernmost part of the North Island, closest to the Three Kings Islands, and Haliotis pilimoana“The former is obviously a cruder carving.”
“Haliotis pilimoana The mainland population is even more different. Haliotis virginia Average shell shape: Generally, the carapace has a lower profile, more angular carapace margin, and a flatter, wider, and more clearly delimited umbilical edge, especially in the carapace.
According to the study authors: Haliotis pilimoana Has a remnant distribution in or diverged from the Three Kings Islands Haliotis virginia It is unclear what his status will be after the quarantine period.
“The shallow coastal fauna of the Three Kings Islands is highly endemic,” the researchers said.
“The cause of the increase in local endemism in the Three Kings Islands is unknown, but the phenomenon is certainly influenced by successive periods of connectivity and isolation during glacial periods since the Miocene.”
“Strong upwelling can make water quality more stable during glacial cycles.”
“Given the Three Kings region’s small size, easy access from mainland New Zealand, proximity to major shipping lanes and high abundance of endemic species, the area has the potential to benefit from enhanced marine protection.”
Discovery Haliotis pilimoana It has been reported paper In the journal Mollusc Research.
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Kelly Walton others. Haliotis virginia Gmelin, 1791 and a new species of abalone (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Abaloneidae) from New Zealand. Mollusc ResearchPublished online August 30, 2024; doi: 10.1080/13235818.2024.2390476
Around a fifth of Brits believe that extraterrestrials have visited Earth, and an estimated 7% think they have seen a UFO. In the US, the figures are even higher and rising: the number of people who believe that UFO sightings are likely evidence of extraterrestrial life has risen from 20% in 1996 to 34% in 2022. Around 24% of Americans say they have seen a UFO. New Paper of Proceedings of the International Astronomical UnionDr Tony Milligan of King’s College London argues that belief in alien visitors is no longer an eccentricity but a widespread societal problem.
The idea that aliens may have visited Earth is becoming more and more popular. Image by Fernando Ribas.
This belief has now grown to the point that politicians, at least in the United States, feel they must respond.
The Department of Defense’s alleged disclosure of information about UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) has attracted bipartisan attention across the country.
Many of them draw on familiar anti-elitist tropes that both parties are happy to employ, such as the idea that a cabal of military and private commercial interests is hiding the deeper truth about alien visitation.
The truth is thought to involve sightings, abductions, and the reverse engineering of alien technology.
People who believe in a cover-up are even more numerous than those who believe in alien visitations: A 2019 Gallup Poll found that a staggering 68% of Americans believe the U.S. government knows more about UFOs than it is releasing.
This political bias has been decades in the making: Jimmy Carter promised to release the documents during his 1976 presidential campaign, several years after his own UFO sightings were reported. As with many other sightings, the simplest explanation is that he saw Venus.
When Cam Ferguson arrived at a spot near Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in downtown Phoenix, he prepared his usual supplies of cold water, sports drinks, peanuts, and candy about four hours before the first pitch.
The temperatures in downtown Phoenix were expected to reach around 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) on a Labor Day afternoon, promising brisk business for vendors like Ferguson.
Despite the scorching heat, Ferguson and other vendors at the game were determined to provide some relief for the fans, pointing out the price difference between buying a bottle of water outside versus inside the stadium.
The summer of 2024 in Phoenix was proving to be exceptionally hot, with the city experiencing its 100th consecutive day of temperatures at or above 100 degrees, breaking previous records. Meteorologist Shawn Benedict from the National Weather Service highlighted the significance of this streak.
Experts attribute the escalating temperatures to climate change caused by human activities, leading to extreme heatwaves, wildfires, severe storms, and prolonged droughts. The relentless heat in Phoenix was evident, with temperatures surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day since late May.
The upcoming week was expected to bring unseasonably high temperatures across the Western U.S., with extreme heat warnings in effect for cities like Phoenix and Lake Havasu City in Arizona, as well as parts of Nevada and California.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, public health officials reported a concerning number of heat-related deaths so far this year, with many cases still under investigation. The scorching conditions in 2024 were setting records not only in Phoenix but also in other Western states.
Amid the heatwave, California issued red flag warnings due to the increased risk of wildfires. Blazes had already started in some areas, leading to power outages and evacuations. The dangerous heat was a growing concern for residents and outdoor workers alike.
Although Chase Field provided some relief with its air-conditioned facility and closed retractable roof for most games, outdoor workers like Ferguson and landscaping professional Ramiro Lopez had to find ways to cope with the extreme heat during their work shifts.
As the record-breaking summer continued in Phoenix, staying cool and hydrated became essential for survival in the blistering heat. The challenges posed by the relentless heatwave were felt by everyone, especially in low-income communities where access to cooling facilities was limited.
Climatologists emphasized the importance of staying cool and hydrated to mitigate the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a species of flightless parrot endemic to New Zealand.
Kakapo (Strigops habroptilusImage courtesy of Jake Osborne.
“Our research has prompted us to rethink our native fauna,” said Dr Paul Schofield, from Canterbury Museum.
“Many species that were thought to be iconic natives of New Zealand – the classic example being the takahe – are now known to be relatively recent species that arrived from Australia only a few million years ago.”
In their study, Dr Schofield and his colleagues focused on the so-called St Bathans Fauna, a collection of more than 9,000 specimens from 33 palaeontological sites and individual deposits near the village of St Bathans in Central Otago, New Zealand’s South Island.
These sites, once the bed of a large prehistoric lake, provide the only significant insight into non-marine life in New Zealand from 20 million years ago (the Early Miocene).
Rare creatures in the St Bathans fauna include: Hercules’ Unexpected a giant parrot that scientists have named Squawkzilla, two mysterious mammals, flamingos, a three-metre crocodile, a giant horned turtle, and a giant bat.
“Twenty-three years of excavations at St Bathans have changed our ideas about the age of New Zealand’s fauna and the importance of some animals over others,” Dr Schofield said.
“For example, we previously thought that birds like kiwis and moas were the oldest representatives of New Zealand’s fauna.”
“We are now beginning to realise that the kakapo, New Zealand’s little wrens and bats, and even the odd freshwater limpet are the true ancient inhabitants of New Zealand.”
The authors conclude that this rare group of animals became extinct as a result of a dramatic drop in temperature over the past five million years or so.
“The work at St Bathans has transformed our understanding of the non-marine vertebrate fauna of New Zealand during the Early Miocene, around 20 million years ago,” Dr Trevor Worthy, from Flinders University, said.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be part of a project that continues to discover brand new things about what animals lived in New Zealand’s lakes, rivers, and surrounding forests at such a pivotal time in history.”
“Every year we find new specimens – amazing discoveries of new species that we never could have imagined when we first started working there.”
“The animals that lived in New Zealand 20 million years ago were very different to those found today,” said Dr Vanessa De Pietri, from the University of Canterbury.
“For example, there was another giant eagle that was not related to Haast’s eagle (Hieraethus Moulay)”
“We had a lot of pretty unusual songbirds, we had alligators and maybe even some small mammals that we call waddling mice.”
“Research is still ongoing to understand what it was exactly.”
This study paper Published in the journal Geobios.
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Trevor H. Worthy othersSummary of the Early Miocene St Bathans fauna of New Zealand. GeobiosPublished online August 6, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.geobios.2024.03.002
This article has been adapted from an original release by Canterbury Museum.
The Hubble team has released a striking new photo taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of NGC 346, an open star cluster in one of our Milky Way galaxy’s closest neighbors.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the open star cluster NGC 346, located about 210,000 light-years away in the constellation Sigurd. Image courtesy of NASA/ESA/C. Murray, Space Telescope Science Institute/Gladys Kober, NASA, and The Catholic University of America.
NGC 346 is located in the constellation Tucana and is about 210,000 light-years away.
Also known as ESO 51-10, Kron 39, and Lindsay 60, the star cluster was discovered on August 1, 1826, by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.
NGC 346 is part of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way galaxy.
The cluster was formed approximately 3 million years ago, has a diameter of 150 light years, and a mass 50,000 times that of the Sun.
“NGC 346’s hot stars are unleashing torrents of radiation and energy outflows that are eating away at the dense gas and dust of the surrounding nebula N66,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Dozens of hot, blue, high-mass stars shine within NGC 346, and the cluster is thought to contain more than half of the known high-mass stars in the entire Small Magellanic Cloud.”
The Hubble Space Telescope has previously observed NGC 346, but this new image shows the cluster in ultraviolet light, along with visible light data.
“Ultraviolet light helps us understand star formation and evolution, and Hubble is the only telescope capable of sensitive ultraviolet observations thanks to its sharp resolution and its location above the ultraviolet-blocking atmosphere,” the astronomers write.
“These particular observations were collected to learn more about how star formation shapes the interstellar medium – the gas distributed throughout seemingly empty space – in metal-poor galaxies like the Small Magellanic Cloud.”
“Elements heavier than hydrogen and helium are called ‘metals’, and the Small Magellanic Cloud has a lower metal content than most of the Milky Way.”
“This situation serves as an excellent example of a galaxy similar to those that existed in the early universe when there were few heavy elements to take up.”
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is home to an ancient impact structure called the Groove System, the largest impact structure in the outer Solar System, whose impact would have had a major impact on Ganymede’s early history.
The distribution of grooves and the location of the center of the groove system are always shown on the hemisphere away from Jupiter (top) and on a cylindrical projection of Ganymede (bottom). Grey areas represent geologically new terrains that are devoid of grooves. Gutters (green lines) are only present in geologically older terrains (black areas). Image courtesy of Naoyuki Hirata, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-69914-2.
Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system and has many unique features, including tectonic valleys known as grooves.
The grooves are the oldest surface features identified on Ganymede, as they are crossed by impact craters over 10 km in diameter. The grooves provide clues to the moon’s early history.
The trench is thought to be a fragment of a multi-ring impact basin structure similar to the Valhalla basin on Callisto and the Asgard basin.
The largest trench system lies across the Galileo-Marius region, the so-called Galileo-Marius trench system, which is the remnant of an ancient giant impact that radiates in concentric circles from a single point on Ganymede.
“Jupiter’s moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto each have interesting features, but what caught my attention were the grooves on Ganymede,” said planetary scientist from Kobe University. paper Published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“We know that this feature was created by an asteroid impact about 4 billion years ago, but we didn’t know how large that impact was or how it affected the Moon.”
First, Dr. Hirata noticed that the estimated location of the impact was almost exactly on the meridian farthest from Jupiter.
“Similarities with the Pluto impact that shifted the dwarf planet’s rotation axis, as seen through NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, suggest that Ganymede underwent a similar reorientation,” he said.
The asteroid that struck Ganymede was probably about 300 kilometers (180 miles) in diameter, roughly 20 times larger than the Chicxulub asteroid that smashed into Earth 65 million years ago, ending the age of the dinosaurs, leaving a temporary crater 800 to 1,000 miles (1,400 to 1,600 kilometers) across, according to the study.
Only an impact of this magnitude would be likely to shift the Moon’s rotation axis to its current position due to the change in mass distribution, regardless of where on the surface the impact occurred.
“We want to understand the origin and evolution of Ganymede and other Jupiter moons,” Dr. Hirata said.
“The giant impact must have had a major impact on Ganymede’s early evolution, but the thermal and structural effects of the impact on Ganymede’s interior remain largely unexplored.”
“We think that further research into the application of the internal evolution of icy moons could be done next.”
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N. Hirata. 2024. Giant impact on early Ganymede and subsequent reorientation. Scientific Reports 14, 19982. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-69914-2
The so-called i-motif is a knot-like DNA structure that forms in the nuclei of human cells and is thought to provide important genome control. Garvan Institute of Medical Research Other studies have used immunoprecipitation and next-generation sequencing to identify i-motif structures in human DNA.
Peña Martinez othersIn total, we observed 53,000 i-motifs across three human cell lines (MCF7, U2OS, and HEK293T). Image courtesy of Peña Martínez. others., doi: 10.1038/s44318-024-00210-5.
The I motif is a DNA structure that differs from the iconic double helix shape.
These form when runs of cytosine letters on the same DNA strand pair up with each other to form a four-stranded twisted structure that juts out from the double helix.
In 2018, scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research were the first to successfully directly visualize i-motifs inside living human cells, using new antibody tools they developed to recognise and bind to the i-motifs.
The new study expands on these findings by using the antibody to identify the location of i-motifs throughout the genome.
“In this study, we have mapped more than 50,000 i-motif sites in the human genome that are found in all three cell types we looked at,” said Professor Daniel Crist from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, lead author of the study.
“This is a surprisingly high number for a DNA structure whose presence in cells was once a matter of debate.”
“Our findings confirm that the i-motif is not just an object of laboratory study, but is widespread and likely plays an important role in genome function.”
The researchers found that i-motifs are not scattered randomly, but are concentrated in important functional regions of the genome, including those that control gene activity.
“We found that the i-motif is associated with genes that are highly active at specific times in the cell cycle,” said lead author Cristian David Peña Martinez, PhD, also of the Garvan Medical Institute.
“This suggests that it plays a dynamic role in regulating gene activity.”
“We also discovered that i-motifs are formed in the promoter regions of cancer genes. For example, MYC Oncogenes encode one of cancer’s most notoriously ‘untreatable’ targets.”
“This opens up exciting opportunities to target disease-related genes through i-motif structures.”
“The widespread presence of the i-motif near these 'holy grail' sequences implicated in hard-to-treat cancers opens up new possibilities for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches,” said study co-author Sarah Kummerfeld, PhD, a researcher at the Garvan Medical Institute.
“It may be possible to design drugs that target the i-motif to affect gene expression, potentially expanding current treatment options.”
Christian David Peña Martinez othersi-motif structures are widely distributed in human genomic DNA. Embo JPublished online August 29, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s44318-024-00210-5
Prior to giving birth, the pregnant porbeagle shark was expected to give birth soon, when one of the two tracking tags attached to the shark by marine scientists resurfaced near Bermuda.
Surprisingly, the tag emerged much earlier than anticipated. It had been affixed to the 7-foot-long shark only 158 days prior, after conducting an ultrasound scan off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in October 2020. The tag was supposed to remain attached for about a year.
“Something seemed amiss,” stated Brooke Anderson, a shark researcher at Arizona State University during that time.
The second tag, which was designed to transmit a signal when the shark’s fin breached the surface, never sent a signal again.
Data collected from the retrieved “pop-off” tag revealed an unusual pattern: for the initial five months, the depth and temperature information appeared normal for this species, but then deviations started to occur.
“Unexpectedly, temperatures suddenly spiked and remained high even at depths of 600 meters,” recounted Anderson.
The diving patterns of the creatures also became peculiar.
Of the 11 porbeagle sharks that researchers tagged, eight were pregnant, including this one. John Dodd
“All the data pointed in one direction: she had been consumed,” remarked Anderson.
The researchers ascertained that the irregular readings from the tag were due to it having been inside another animal’s stomach for several days.
Their conclusions were detailed in a study published in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal, shedding light on the fact that porbeagle sharks are being preyed upon by much bigger animals.
Naming a few possible predators, the researchers narrowed down their suspects based on biological characteristics – the data didn’t align with a mammal like a killer whale, leading them to focus on warm-blooded sharks with some heat-generating capacity.
“The predator needed to elevate its body temperature above the ambient water, have the size to inflict damage on the porbeagle, and reside in the area of the predation,” explained Anderson.
The researchers inferred that a great white shark or mako shark likely devoured the pregnant porbeagle, temporarily swallowing the tag.
“Our estimation is that it was a mature female great white shark, possibly exceeding 15 feet in length,” disclosed Anderson.
Previously, the notion that porbeagle sharks might fall prey to larger creatures had not been considered, she added.
Originally, their team aimed to track pregnant porbeagle sharks during their gestation period and pinpoint where they typically give birth.
Across two Atlantic seasons, they located and tagged a total of 11 porbeagle sharks, hauling each one onto the boat, treating them with aerated seawater, and concealing their eyes with wet towels.
“We operated like a NASCAR pit crew,” described Anderson. Eight of these sharks were pregnant.
Their expectations didn’t encompass uncovering a profound deep-sea mystery.
Matt Davis, a marine resources scientist from the Maine Department of Marine Resources not involved in the research, acknowledged that the study’s conclusions were plausible.
This incident underscores the continued need for scientific exploration of mid-depth ocean life and predator-prey interactions, added Davis.
The porbeagle shark is categorized as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Overfishing activities began in the 1960s, causing a population decline of 75 to 80 percent by 2001, as per Anderson.
While the species is recuperating due to fishing regulations, their longer lifespan and lower reproductive rate mean a protracted recovery process.
“We must continue tagging and monitoring these sharks to understand the frequency of such incidents,” emphasized Anderson regarding the predation. “In an instant, this critically endangered species lost not just its essential breeding females, but all its developing offspring as well. It is crucial to grasp both the frequency and impact of such events.”
Their research could play a pivotal role in restoring a healthy shark population in the Atlantic, where sharks prey on sharks.
Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem recorded the natural “phee call” conversations between pairs of marmosets. They found that the marmosets use these calls to vocally address each other. Moreover, these non-human primates respond more consistently and accurately to calls directed at them.
Humans, dolphins, elephants, and marmosets are the only species known to vocalize names for other animals of their own species. Image credit: Oren others., doi: 10.1126/science.adp3757.
In the study, Guy Oren, a graduate student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and his colleagues recorded natural conversations between pairs of marmosets and interactions between the monkeys and a computer system.
The researchers discovered that these monkeys use a “fee” call to address specific individuals.
Even more interesting, the marmosets were able to discern calls directed at them and responded more accurately when called.
“This discovery highlights the complexity of social communication between marmosets,” Omer said.
“These calls are not simply used to locate themselves, as previously thought. Marmosets use these specific calls to label and call to specific individuals.”
The authors also found that family members within marmoset groups use similar phonetic labels when calling different individuals and use similar phonetic features when encoding different names, which is similar to human use of names and dialects.
This learning appears to occur even among unrelated adult marmosets, suggesting that they learn both phonetic labels and dialects from other members of their family group.
Scientists think that the acoustic signatures may have evolved to help marmosets stay connected in dense forest habitats where visibility is often limited.
These calls allow primates to maintain social bonds and keep their groups cohesive.
“Marmosets live in small, monogamous family groups and care for their young together, just like humans do,” Omer said.
“These similarities suggest that they faced similar evolutionary social challenges as their early ancestors before acquiring language, which may have led to the development of similar ways of communicating.”
This study provides new insights into how social communication and human language have evolved.
“Our findings shed light on the complexity of social vocalizations in non-human primates and suggest that marmoset vocalizations may serve as a model for understanding aspects of human language and provide new insights into the evolution of social communication,” the researchers said.
Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Subaru Telescope, astronomers have discovered a merging pair of gas-rich galaxies that existed 12.8 billion years ago and housed a faint central quasar that may be the ancestor of some of the brightest and most massive quasars in the early universe.
Artist's impression of the quasars HSC J121503.42-014858.7 and HSC J121503.55-014859.3. Image courtesy of Izumi others., doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad57c6.
Quasars are luminous objects that gained energy from matter falling into supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies in the early universe.
The most accepted theory is that when two gas-rich galaxies merge to form one larger galaxy, the gravitational interaction between the two galaxies causes gas to fall towards a supermassive black hole in one or both of the galaxies, triggering quasar activity.
To test this theory, Dr. Takuma Izumi of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used ALMA to study the oldest known pair of close quasars.
The quasars, named HSC J121503.42-014858.7 and HSC J121503.55-014859.3, were discovered by the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam.
These objects are very faint, about 10 to 100 times fainter than highly luminous quasars at the same redshift.
“It is located approximately 12.8 billion light-years away, corresponding to the 'cosmic dawn' era when the universe was only 900 million years old, making it the farthest such quasar pair on record,” the astronomers said.
“Because of their faintness, we thought these objects were in the pre-merger stage, before the supermassive black holes rapidly grow.”
“However, observations with the Subaru Telescope only provide information about the central supermassive black hole, and it remains unclear whether the host galaxy is destined to merge and ultimately grow into a luminous quasar.”
“As a next step, we used the ALMA radio telescope to carry out observations of the host galaxies of these quasar pairs.”
“The results were surprising: the observed distribution of interstellar material and the nature of its motions indicated that these galaxies are interacting with each other.”
“They are definitely on a path to merge into one galaxy in the near future.”
“Furthermore, calculations from observational data reveal that the total gas mass of these galaxies – about 100 billion times the mass of the Sun – is comparable to or exceeds the gas mass in the host galaxies of most luminous quasars, which have extremely bright cores.”
“This enormous amount of matter should easily trigger and sustain the post-merger burst of star formation and fueling of the supermassive black hole.”
“These discoveries therefore represent a significant achievement in identifying the ancestors of luminous quasars and starburst galaxies, the most luminous objects in the early universe, from various perspectives, including galactic structure, motion and the amount of interstellar material.”
Takuma Izumi others2024. Gas-rich galaxy merger harboring a low-luminosity twin quasar at z = 6.05: a likely progenitor of the most luminous quasars. ApJ 972, 116;doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad57c6
A new genus and species of non-hadrosaur hadrosauroid dinosaur, Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi was identified from a specimen discovered in southwestern China in 2022.
Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi Image credit: Hai Xing/Sci.News.
Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi lived in China during the Late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago.
The 8-metre (26-foot) long herbivore Hadrosauroidea is a superfamily of ornithischian dinosaurs that includes the so-called duck-billed dinosaurs and their relatives.
“Hadrosauroids are a diverse and highly specialized clade of ornithischian dinosaurs whose fossils have been found in Early to Late Cretaceous deposits in Asia, Europe, America, Africa and Antarctica,” said paleontologist Dr. Hai Xin from the National Museum of Natural History of China, the Canadian Museum of Nature and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and his colleagues.
“Phylogenically, it is defined as the most inclusive taxon, Parasaurolophus but, Iguanodon It is noted for its duck-billed snout and complex skull dentition.”
“Since the early 20th century, hadrosauroids have been considered an important component of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the entire Cretaceous.”
“The fossil record of this group contains a large amount of loose elements, dozens of heavily articulated skeletons, egg and fetal material, and bone bed assemblages that produce soft-tissue impressions and footprints.”
“Within the hadrosauroidea, non-hadrosaur species form a paraphyletic group that reveals a transitional morphology from early-diverging iguanodonts to hadrosaurids.”
“Most non-hadrosaur hadrosaurids are found in Cretaceous Asia, especially in northern and central China, and in the Early Cretaceous Exhibits, Xu Wulong and Probactrosaurus and the Late Cretaceous Tanius, Gilmoreosaurus and Zhang Henglong has been recovered.”
“However, comparable material from the Cretaceous of southwestern China is extremely scarce and fragmentary.”
Incomplete, partially articulated skeleton Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi Collected in 2022 Positive Yang Layer Chongqing, southwest China.
“Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi is the second officially named hadrosauroid dinosaur discovered in South China. Nanningosaurus dassiensis” the paleontologist said.
This specimen represents a transitional morphology between hadrosauroid and non-hadrosauroid dinosaurs and enhances our understanding of the diversity and evolution of non-hadrosauroid dinosaurs.
“The age distribution of eight hadrosaurids is Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi. Phylogenetically, it corresponds to the apex of the Zhengyang Formation during the Santonian to early Maastrichtian period. Chienjiangsaurus chanshengi “Fossils found are probably limited to the late Late Cretaceous,” the authors say.
“Hierarchical clustering of 12 hadrosauroid dinosaur assemblages from Late Cretaceous deposits in Asia revealed strong correlations between the Zhongyang Formation and the Djadokhta and Barungoyot Formations in Mongolia, supporting contemporaneous exchange of dinosaur faunas across East Asia.”
Team paper Published in the journal on August 27, 2024 Cretaceous Research.
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Huy Dai others A new late-divergent non-hadrosaur hadrosauroid species (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from southwestern China: supports Late Cretaceous dinosaur fauna exchange across East Asia. Cretaceous Research Published online August 27, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105995
Eric S. Neitzel Fireground Communications LLC/AdobeStock
Central Park Reservoir is one of the few places in New York City to get a good view of the clouds. Looking north from the reservoir’s edge, there’s a large gap between the buildings that lets you see the clouds rolling in from the harbor. Meteorologist Kara Lamb suggested we try our hand at cloud watching here.
At the time, the sky is full of fluffy cumulus clouds beneath a ceiling of altostratus. One of them looks a lot like a whale. But Lam, who studies clouds at Columbia University in New York, doesn’t think they’re so strange. “Clouds are fascinating because they’re cool to look at,” he says. “But I think about clouds in terms of climate” – understanding how the sunlight they reflect and the heat they trap beneath them affect the Earth’s temperature.
What the casual cloud watcher might not know is that clouds are the biggest unknown in predicting future climate change to determine how this balance will change in a warming world. If we double carbon dioxide from pre-industrial levels, will the world get a manageable 1.5°C warming or a hellish 4.5°C warming? The biggest source of this uncertainty is our lack of understanding of clouds.
But researchers are making progress. Lamb is looking at ice crystals in the clouds, which play a surprisingly large role in influencing the climate. Some researchers are using cloud chambers, and are planning to set up cloud chambers…
Stem cells are produced in the bone marrow and develop into different types of blood cells.
Katerina Conn / SPL/ Alamy
Human blood stem cells have been grown in a laboratory for the first time, which could dramatically improve how certain types of cancer are treated.
The lab-grown cells have so far only been tested in mice, but when injected into the animals, they resulted in functional bone marrow similar to levels seen after umbilical cord blood cell transplants.
Treating cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma with radiation and chemotherapy can destroy blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. A stem cell transplant means new healthy bone marrow and blood cells can grow. The umbilical cord is a particularly rich source of stem cells, but there is a limited amount they can provide, and the transplant may be rejected by the body.
The new method allows researchers to create stem cells from actual patients, eliminating supply issues and reducing the risk that the patient's body will reject the stem cells.
First, they transformed human blood and skin cells into so-called pluripotent stem cells through a process called reprogramming. “This involves temporarily switching on four genes, so that the patient's cells revert to an earlier stage of development that can become any cell in the body,” he said. Andrew Elefanti At the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne.
The second step is to turn the pluripotent cells into blood stem cells. “You start by making thousands of tiny, free-floating balls of cells, each containing a few hundred cells, and then you induce them to turn from stem cells to blood vessels to blood cells,” Elefanti says. This process, called differentiation, takes about two weeks and produces millions of blood cells, he says.
When these cells were then injected into mice that lack immune systems, they produced functional bone marrow in up to 50 percent of cases. That means they made the same cells that carry oxygen and fight infection as healthy human bone marrow, Elefanti says. “This unique ability to make all blood cell types over an extended period of time defines them as blood stem cells,” he says.
Abbas Shafi A researcher from the University of Queensland in Brisbane said the work was an “exciting step forward” towards new treatments for blood cancers. “It's never been done before and has great potential for the future.” But even once animal testing is complete, he said a lot of human research still needs to be done before the technique can be used in the clinic.
Simon Cohn Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, say a key advantage of their approach is that it can be scaled up to produce “an essentially limitless supply” of blood stem cells, but they add that the work is based on blood or skin cells, and success rates and blood cell diversity depend on the starting cell type.
“This suggests that treatments are inconsistent even at the preclinical stage in mice, and will need to be addressed before clinical trials in human patients,” he says.
Gold nuggets reside primarily in quartz veins, and the current paradigm holds that gold precipitates from hydrothermal and carbon dioxide-rich fluids due to changes in temperature, pressure, and/or fluid chemistry. However, the widespread occurrence of large gold nuggets is inconsistent with the dilute nature of these fluids and the chemical inertness of quartz. Quartz is the only abundant piezoelectric mineral on Earth, and the cyclical nature of the seismic activity that drives the formation of gold deposits means that quartz crystals within veins are stressed thousands of times. New research by scientists from Monash University, CSIRO Mineral Resources and the Australian Neutron Scattering Centre suggests that stress on quartz crystals may generate enough voltage to not only electrochemically precipitate gold from solution, but also accumulate gold nanoparticles.
Energy dispersive spectroscopy map of the sample studied by Voysey othersImage courtesy of Chris Voisey.
“Prized for their rarity and beauty, gold nuggets have been at the heart of gold rushes for centuries,” says Monash University geologist Chris Voisey.
“The standard explanation is that gold precipitates from hot, water-rich fluids that flow through cracks in the Earth's crust.”
“As these fluids cool and undergo chemical changes, the gold separates and becomes trapped in the quartz veins.”
“Although this theory is widely accepted, it does not fully explain the formation of large gold nuggets, especially considering the extremely low concentrations of gold in these liquids.”
Dr. Voysey and his colleagues tested a new concept called piezoelectricity.
Quartz, the mineral that typically contains these gold deposits, has a unique property called piezoelectricity, which means it generates an electric charge when subjected to pressure.
This phenomenon is already well known in everyday items such as quartz watches and barbecue lighters, where small mechanical forces generate large voltages.
What if earthquake stresses caused something similar to happen within the Earth?
To test this hypothesis, the researchers conducted experiments designed to replicate conditions that quartz might experience during an earthquake.
They submerged the crystals in a gold-rich liquid and used a motor to apply pressure to it, replicating the shaking of an earthquake.
After the experiment, the quartz samples were examined under a microscope to see if any gold had been deposited.
“The results were surprising,” said Professor Andy Tomkins, from Monash University.
“The stressed quartz not only electrochemically deposited gold on its surface, but also formed and accumulated gold nanoparticles.”
“Surprisingly, the gold tended to deposit on top of existing gold grains rather than forming new gold grains.”
“This is because quartz is an electrical insulator, while gold is a conductor.”
“Once the gold is deposited, it becomes a focus for further growth, effectively attaching even more gold to the gold particle.”
“Our findings provide a plausible explanation for why large gold nuggets form in quartz veins,” Dr Voysey said.
When the quartz is repeatedly compressed by an earthquake, a piezoelectric voltage is generated, causing dissolved gold to be reduced and precipitated from the surrounding liquid.
Over time, this process can accumulate large amounts of gold, eventually producing giant gold nuggets that fascinate treasure hunters and geologists.
“Essentially, the quartz acts like a natural battery, with the gold as its electrodes, slowly accumulating gold with each earthquake,” Dr Voysey said.
“This process may explain why large gold nuggets are frequently associated with quartz veins that form in earthquake-related deposits.”
“This new understanding of the formation of gold nuggets not only solves a long-standing geological mystery, but also highlights the interrelationships between Earth's physical and chemical processes.”
a paper A paper describing the results was published today in the journal Nature Chemistry.
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CR Voysey othersThe formation of gold nuggets due to earthquake-induced piezoelectric effect in quartz. National GeographyPublished on September 2, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41561-024-01514-1
A replica of the “Welcome Stranger,” a 100 kg gold nugget discovered in Australia in 1869.
Ian Dagnall/Alamy
Earthquakes can create electric fields that attract gold dissolved in liquids pushed up from deep within the earth, causing gold nuggets to form in the quartz.
Giant gold nuggets are often associated with quartz, a ubiquitous but chemically inert mineral. The world's largest gold nuggets can weigh nearly 100 kilograms, but until now no one has been able to explain how such masses of precious metal formed.
“The mystery was how someone could create such a large nugget of gold in one place without any obvious chemical or physical traps,” he said. Chris Voysey At Monash University, Melbourne.
Voysey and his colleagues discovered a possible mechanism: applying pressure to the quartz creates a voltage that attracts gold dissolved in water.
The secret lies in the structure of quartz, Voysey explains. Quartz is the only abundant mineral whose crystals have no center of symmetry. This means that when these crystals are strained or stressed by seismic activity, their internal electromagnetic makeup changes, generating electricity. Electricity generated in response to mechanical stress is known as piezoelectricity.
Gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids rise up through fissures during seismic activity from the mid-to-lower crust, 15-20 km below the surface, but gold is so dilute that it would take the equivalent of five Olympic swimming pools of hydrothermal fluid to produce 10 kg of gold.
Voysey and his colleagues hypothesized that the piezoelectric properties of quartz would cause the gold to concentrate in nodules within the veins during repeated earthquakes. To test this idea, the team performed experiments in which they placed quartz crystals in a gold-containing solution and applied moderate pressure from an actuator.
Quartz samples that were not subjected to pressure did not attract gold, but samples subjected to force generated a voltage and attracted the metal. Some of the samples were coated with iridium to accentuate the piezoelectric response of the quartz and artificially mimic the expansion of seismic activity. In these samples, large gold flakes grew, over 6000 nanometers, compared to 200-300 nanometers in uncoated quartz.
Once gold starts to deposit on the quartz, it quickly attracts other gold, Voysey says. “Gold is a conductor, so gold in solution tends to deposit on top of existing gold,” he says. “It becomes like a lightning rod that attracts more gold.”
Alzheimer’s disease is, understandably, one of the most feared diseases of old age. It robs people of their memories, places a tremendous strain on caregivers, and imposes a huge economic burden on both individuals and society. Tens of millions of people have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and if predictions are correct, that number will more than double by 2050.
Until recently, it seemed there was no hope of averting this catastrophe, but rapid advances in medical science have made it realistic prospects that Alzheimer’s may be treatable and eventually eradicated (see “A new kind of vaccine could lead to Alzheimer’s eradication”).
The first of a new class of drugs is already creating buzz, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Last week, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the drug, called lecanemab. But NICE, the body that advises on whether new treatments are cost-effective, has made a provisional decision that taxpayers will not fund the drug in England. No decision has yet been made in the rest of the UK.
This is obviously a tough pill to swallow for Alzheimer’s patients and their families. But in the grand scheme of things, this is good news. Lecanemab is not a particularly effective drug. Its effects are modest, it has serious side effects, and it is expensive. But it does show that the causes of Alzheimer’s are now understood and treatable. This is further reinforced by the fact that the drug is also approved in the United States and Japan, but the European Medicines Agency has refused to approve it.
So the way is almost paved for the next wave of drugs to target the causes of Alzheimer’s, which could be ready around 2030. These are vaccines, not in the traditional sense of conferring immunity against an infection, but they work in essentially the same way, by stimulating an immune response against the misfolded proteins that cause the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The first vaccines will be therapeutic, slowing or stopping the progression of Alzheimer’s, but the next generation will be preventative, preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s. Eventually, the only memory that will fade will be Alzheimer’s itself.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft carried astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station.
NASA/Johnson Space Center
update: A statement was sent to SpaceNews’ Jeff Faust.NASA said the sound had stopped and explained why: “The feedback from the speakers was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner,” NASA said. “The space station’s audio system is complex, with multiple interconnected spacecraft and modules, and it is common for noise and feedback to occur.” They added that the feedback had no technical impact to the crew or spacecraft operations.
The ill-fated mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has run into trouble once again. The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who only recently learned they would be staying on the ISS until at least February, began hearing strange noises coming from the Boeing spacecraft over the weekend.
“We’re hearing some strange noises coming from the speakers,” Wilmore told Mission Control in Houston, Texas, on August 31. Recorded by an enthusiast“We don’t know what caused it.”
Mission Control told Wilmore they would investigate the regular pulsating noise. New ScientistBoeing referred requests for comment to NASA, which did not immediately respond.
The Starliner spacecraft delivered Wilmore and Williams to the ISS on June 5, but a thruster failure and helium leak made the planned return trip with passengers deemed too risky.
The noise has puzzled space industry experts and mission control. “It’s very strange,” one person said. Martin Barstow Professor at the University of Leicester in the UK. “I’ve never been on a spacecraft, so I have no idea.”
Social media posts have speculated about the possibility of sonar interference, but say such interference couldn’t come from outside the capsule because sound waves cannot travel in space. Jonathan Aitken “I don’t think it’s a big deal,” said the researcher at the University of Sheffield in the UK. “The bigger question for me is whether it’s a single speaker that’s making the noise, or the whole communications system.”
To investigate the source of the noise, Barstow recommends a thorough inspection of the aircraft. “Find out where there are microphones that might be providing input and isolate them,” he says. “But the sound could also be coming from the audio system electronics.”
Barstow noted that the regular but occasionally erratic nature of the pulse may support the idea that this is a problem with electronic interference.
This hypothesis is Phil Metzger “Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is very common and difficult to eliminate,” said John F. Kennedy, a professor at the University of Central Florida who helped test the ISS intercom system as co-founder of NASA’s Swamp Works research facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He wrote to X.
Metzger said: New ScientistIn response to an interview request from SpaceX, astronaut John McClellan explained on social media that the interference could be coming from outside the Starliner: “During one test, we heard a noise that we tracked down to its source and found to be coming from a power inverter that is part of the test facility and not the spacecraft,” he wrote. “We believe that the noise on Starliner was due to electromagnetic interference leaking into something like an audio cable with a loose braid at the connector interface.”
What to do about it is another matter: Wilmore’s radio communications with Mission Control suggest that neither he nor Williams were overly concerned about the noise, but were confused as to its source.
There’s no rush to find out what the problem is, since Starliner is scheduled to return to Earth on its own on September 6. “I don’t think it’s significant since there won’t be a crew on board, but anything unusual should always be investigated,” Barstow said. “It might shed some light on an underlying problem.”
Forest bathing is an ancient Japanese therapeutic technique dating back to the 1980s. It involves spending restorative time in forests and natural environments to connect with nature and achieve sensory relaxation. Despite sounding like hippie nonsense, there is scientific evidence emerging that supports the benefits of forest bathing.
This practice does not involve any nudity or water activities; instead, it encourages mindfulness, disconnecting from technology, light exercise, and escaping the sensory overload of the modern world. Research has shown that spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental and physical health, reducing blood pressure, cortisol levels, and heart rate.
Studies on green space exposure have demonstrated significant improvements in various health markers, such as lower rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Forest bathing is taken seriously in Japan and South Korea, where doctors prescribe it as a therapeutic intervention for stress and hypertension.
A UK study on forest bathing led by Dr. Kirsten McEwan has shown promising results, including a 12% improvement in heart rate variability and enhanced mood. The mechanism behind these health benefits is believed to involve the stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system and the release of chemicals by trees that boost the immune system.
Nature’s impact on long-term health outcomes is still being studied, but initial findings suggest that spending time in nature can have significant health benefits. Perhaps Western medicine is beginning to recognize and embrace the benefits of traditional practices like forest bathing, aligning with generations of knowledge that being outside in nature is good for overall well-being.
About our experts
Dr. Kirsten McEwan, Associate Professor of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Derby, is leading research on forest bathing through the Forest Therapy Hub.
Astronomers have captured stunning photos of the lenticular spiral galaxy IC 4709 using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a beautiful picture of IC 4709's swirling disk, filled with stars and dust bands, and the faint halo that surrounds it. The color image is composed of observations in the near-infrared and visible parts of the spectrum by the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The image is based on data obtained through two filters. The colors are obtained by assigning a different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Koss / A. Barth.
No. 4709 It is located in the Southern Telescope constellation and is about 240 million light years away from Earth.
Also known as ESO 182-14 or LEDA 61835, the galaxy has a diameter of 60,000 light years.
IC 4709 is Found It was discovered on September 14, 1901 by American astronomer DeLisle Stewart.
In the galaxy Active galactic nucleiIt is a compact region at the center, and the material inside it is being pulled towards the supermassive black hole.
“If IC 4709's core were simply filled with stars, it would not be as bright as it is,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Instead, we have a massive black hole with a mass 65 million times that of the Sun.”
“A disk of gas swirls around and eventually enters this black hole. As it spins, the gas collides with itself and heats up.”
“It reaches such high temperatures that it emits electromagnetic radiation ranging from infrared to visible light to ultraviolet light and beyond, including in this case x-rays.”
“The active galactic nucleus of IC 4709 is obscured by a dark dust belt that is barely visible in the galaxy's centre in Hubble Space Telescope images, blocking optical radiation from the nucleus itself,” the researchers added.
“But Hubble's incredible resolution gives us a detailed picture of very small active galactic nuclei and their interactions with their host galaxies.”
“This is essential for understanding supermassive black holes in galaxies much more distant than IC 4709, where it's impossible to resolve such fine detail.”
During evolution, new types of cells emerge and perform new functions, resulting in changes in animals. Scientists study the origin and development of these new cell types to understand how they affect the animal’s bodily functions, structure, or behavior.
Scientists previously Mammalian ancestors Mammals live solitary lives, and parental care of young has developed over time in some mammalian groups. A research team led by scientists from Columbia University in New York recently used two closely related mouse species to elucidate how parental care evolved in mammals. The first species, the Asian goshawk, is monogamous and displays strong parenting behaviors, including grooming, herding, and retrieving young that have strayed from their nests. The second species, the deer mouse, is promiscuous and does not display parenting behaviors. The researchers aimed to investigate the genetic drivers of parental care in Asian goshawks.
They performed their experiments on two small clusters of cells located in the top part of each kidney. Adrenal glands These glands produce fat hormones, Steroid hormones Once produced, it immediately affects bodily function. The researchers found that the adrenal glands of monogamous Oldfield mice were six times heavier than those of promiscuous deer mice, an unexpectedly large size difference for such closely related species. When the researchers examined the tissue composition of both glands, they realized that the larger adrenal glands of Oldfield mice were due to larger and more numerous adrenal cells.
To look for molecular differences between the adrenal glands of the two mouse strains, the team studied the RNA molecules in their glands. RNA molecules copy genetic instructions from DNA and carry out the functions of genes. By counting and comparing the types and amounts of RNA molecules in the adrenal glands, the scientists hoped to understand how the adrenal glands functioned differently. They took adrenal tissue from adult mice, broke it down to release the RNA, and counted that RNA. They looked for differences in the amount of RNA, called ribosomal RNA. Akrc18 This level was 3,200 times higher in Oldfield mice than in deer mice, a difference that led the researchers to wonder whether this RNA might be related to the parental behavior seen in Oldfield mice.
The researchers, Akrc18 It produces steroid hormones. Steroid hormones affect parental behavior, so the team tested whether the hormone had an effect on mice. They gave Oldfield mice a single dose of the hormone and measured their parental behavior 20 hours later. They observed that these mice groomed and cuddled their pups longer, brought them back to their nests more frequently, and built stronger nests. In deer mice, which don’t normally show parental behavior, 17% of the injected mice groomed and brought back their pups. From these results, the scientists concluded that the hormone shapes the parental behavior of Oldfield mice.
The researchers also explained that mate bonding is an important aspect of monogamy. To understand partner choice, the researchers measured how long mice huddled with their partners compared to opposite-sex mice of the same species. They found that monogamous Oldfield mice huddled three times longer with their partners than with new individuals, whereas promiscuous deer mice huddled neither with their partners nor with strangers. Injecting the Akrc18 steroid hormone did not change these preferences, suggesting that the hormone only affected parenting behavior and not pair bonding.
The research team found that Oldfield mice had larger adrenal glands and that Akrc18 RNA production was related. To test whether the adrenal glands of the two mouse species had different cell types, the researchers used the RNA from the adrenal glands of both mice that they had previously counted. They used computational methods to search for specific RNAs in the cells and identify what cell types were present. They found that nearly all cell types were shared between the two species, except for one type that was present in Oldfield mice but not in deer mice.
Also, Akrc18 RNA was the most abundant element in these new cells. The researchers examined the structure and composition of the tissue and observed these cells lining the adrenal glands of wolf mice, which are absent in deer mice. The researchers suggested that these cell types may have evolved from existing adrenal cells by increasing production of steroid hormones and related genes. The researchers concluded that the parenting behavior of wolf mice is linked to this new type of cell in the adrenal glands.
So far this year, hail — not hurricanes, floods or tornadoes — has caused the most costly weather damage in the United States.
Research suggests that large hailstorms will become more frequent due to climate change.
Next year, scientists are planning the first field study of hail in the United States since the 1970s, and will track hailstorms in the same way they track tornadoes.
Barb Berlin was standing in the garage of her farmhouse near Inman, Nebraska, when she heard a sudden crackling noise.
“I thought it was a gun,” she said.
Then a streak of white appeared, and she realized the sound wasn't a gunshot, but hail.
Fist-sized hailstones pounded on the tin roof of Berlin's garage, and soon others began punching softball-shaped holes in the hood of her Ford Mustang parked outside.
“It was very loud and scary. I prayed a lot,” Berlin said, adding that she was worried about her livestock. “I've never seen hail like that before.”
Hail is a hidden danger: Despite the extreme weather this spring and summer, hail — not hurricanes, floods or tornadoes — caused the most losses in the U.S., according to Gallagher Re, a global reinsurance firm that tracks such data.
And as the planet warms, research suggests large hailstorms like the one observed in Berlin on Monday will become more frequent. A study published last monthThis suggests that the chances of smaller, less damaging hail will decrease.
A study by researchers at Northern Illinois University projects that the frequency of hailstones larger than about 1.5 inches could increase by 15% to 75%, depending on the amount of greenhouse gas pollution humans emit.
Hail occurs when thunderstorms circulate raindrops in the upper layers of the atmosphere, and typically occurs where temperatures are between -22°F and 14°F. Climate change affects hail because warmer temperatures create more energy to push air upwards.In a thunderstorm.
“We expect to see stronger updrafts in the future as the atmosphere becomes more unstable,” said Victor Gensini, a professor of meteorology at Northern Illinois University and lead author of the study.
According to the study, these strong updrafts allow hail to remain in the right places in the storm longer, allowing more ice to accumulate before the hail becomes too heavy and falls to the ground.
“Imagine trying to balance a ping pong ball on an upside-down hair dryer pointing up into the sky,” Gensini said, explaining how updrafts lift hailstones. “Now try balancing a baseball or a grapefruit. You'll need a stronger updraft to…
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Many of the AI-generated images look realistic upon closer inspection.
On the road
Did you notice that the image above was created by artificial intelligence? It can be difficult to spot AI-generated images, videos, audio, and text as technological advances make them indistinguishable from human-created content and more susceptible to manipulation by disinformation. However, knowing the current state of AI technology being used to create disinformation and the various signs that indicate what you're seeing may be fake can help you avoid being fooled.
World leaders are concerned. World Economic Forum ReportMisinformation and disinformation “have the potential to fundamentally disrupt electoral processes in multiple economies over the next two years,” while easier access to AI tools “has already led to an explosion in counterfeit information and so-called 'synthetic' content, from sophisticated voice clones to fake websites.”
While the terms misinformation and disinformation both refer to false or inaccurate information, disinformation is information that is deliberately intended to deceive or mislead.
“The problem with AI-driven disinformation is the scale, speed and ease with which it can be deployed,” he said. Hany Farid “These attacks no longer require nation-state actors or well-funded organizations — any individual with modest computing power can generate large amounts of fake content,” the University of California, Berkeley researchers said.
He is a pioneer of generative AI (See glossary below“AI is polluting our entire information ecosystem, calling into question everything we read, see, and hear,” and his research shows that AI-generated images and sounds are often “almost indistinguishable from reality.”
However, Farid and his colleagues' research reveals that there are strategies people can follow to reduce the risk of falling for social media misinformation and AI-created disinformation.
How to spot fake AI images
Remember when we saw the photo of Pope Francis wearing a down jacket? Fake AI images like this are becoming more common as new tools based on viral models (See glossary below), now anyone can create images from simple text prompts. study Google's Nicolas Dufour and his colleagues found that since the beginning of 2023, the share of AI-generated images in fact-checked misinformation claims has risen sharply.
“Today, media literacy requires AI literacy.” Negar Kamali at Northwestern University in Illinois in 2024 studyShe and her colleagues identified five different categories of errors in AI-generated images (outlined below) and offered guidance on how people can spot them on their own. The good news is that their research shows that people are currently about 70% accurate at detecting fake AI images. Online Image Test To evaluate your detective skills.
5 common types of errors in AI-generated images:
Socio-cultural impossibilities: Does the scene depict behavior that is unusual, unusual, or surprising for a particular culture or historical figure?
Anatomical irregularities: Look closely. Do the hands or other body parts look unusual in shape or size? Do the eyes or mouth look strange? Are any body parts fused together?
Stylistic artifacts: Do the images look unnatural, too perfect, or too stylized? Does the background look odd or missing something? Is the lighting strange or variable?
Functionality Impossibility: Are there any objects that look odd, unreal or non-functional? For example, a button or belt buckle in an odd place?
Violation of Physics: Do the shadows point in different directions? Does the mirror's reflection match the world depicted in the image?
Strange objects or behaviors can be clues that an image was created by AI.
On the road
How to spot deepfakes in videos
An AI technology called generative adversarial networks (See glossary belowSince 2014, deepfakes have enabled tech-savvy individuals to create video deepfakes, which involve digitally manipulating existing videos of people to swap out different faces, create new facial expressions, and insert new audio with matching lip syncing. This has enabled a growing number of fraudsters, state-sponsored hackers, and internet users to produce video deepfakes, potentially allowing celebrities such as Taylor Swift and everyday people alike to unwillingly appear in deepfake porn, scams, and political misinformation and disinformation.
The AI techniques used to spot fake images (see above) can also be applied to suspicious videos. What's more, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University in Illinois have A few tips There has been a lot of research into how to spot these deepfakes, but it's acknowledged that there is no foolproof method that will always work.
6 tips to spot AI-generated videos:
Mouth and lip movements: Are there moments when the video and audio are not perfectly in sync?
Anatomical defects: Does your face or body look strange or move unnaturally?
face: Look for inconsistencies in facial smoothness, wrinkles around the forehead and cheeks, and facial moles.
Lights up: Is the lighting inconsistent? Do shadows behave the way you expect them to? Pay particular attention to the person's eyes, eyebrows, and glasses.
hair: Does your facial hair look or move oddly?
Blink: Blinking too much or too little can be a sign of a deepfake.
A new category of video deepfakes is based on the diffusion model (See glossary below), the same AI technology behind many image generators, can create entirely AI-generated video clips based on text prompts. Companies have already tested and released commercial versions of their AI video generators, potentially making them easy to create for anyone without requiring special technical knowledge. So far, the resulting videos tend to feature distorted faces and odd body movements.
“AI-generated videos are likely easier for humans to detect than images because they contain more motion and are much more likely to have AI-generated artifacts and impossibilities,” Kamali says.
How to spot an AI bot
Social media accounts controlled by computer bots have become commonplace across many social media and messaging platforms. Many of these bots also leverage generative AI techniques such as large-scale language models.See glossary below) will be launched in 2022, making it easier and cheaper to mass-produce grammatically correct, persuasive, customized, AI-written content through thousands of bots for a variety of situations.
“It's now much easier to customize these large language models for specific audiences with specific messages.” Paul Brenner At the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Brenner and his colleagues found that volunteers were only able to distinguish between AI-powered bots and humans when About 42 percent Even though participants were told they might interact with a bot, they would still be able to test their bot-detection skills. here.
Brenner said some strategies could help identify less sophisticated AI bots.
5 ways to tell if a social media account is an AI bot:
Emojis and hashtags: Overusing these can be a sign.
Unusual phrases, word choices, and analogies: Unusual language can indicate an AI bot.
Repetition and Structure: Bots may repeat words that follow a similar or fixed format, or may overuse certain slang terms.
Ask a question: These may reveal the bot's lack of knowledge on a topic, especially when it comes to local locations and situations.
Assume the worst: If the social media account is not a personal contact and its identity has not been clearly verified or confirmed, it may be an AI bot.
How to detect audio duplication and audio deepfakes
Voice Clone (See glossary belowAI tools have made it easier to generate new voices that can imitate virtually anyone, which has led to a rise in audio deepfake scams replicating the voices of family members, business executives and political leaders such as US President Joe Biden. These are much harder to identify compared to AI-generated videos and images.
“Voice clones are particularly difficult to distinguish between real and fake because there are no visual cues to help the brain make that decision,” he said. Rachel TobackCo-founder of SocialProof Security, a white hat hacking organization.
Detecting these AI voice deepfakes can be difficult, especially when they're used in video or phone calls, but there are some common sense steps you can take to help distinguish between real human voices and AI-generated ones.
4 steps to use AI to recognize if audio has been duplicated or faked:
Public figures: If the audio clip is of an elected official or public figure, review whether what they say is consistent with what has already been publicly reported or shared about that person's views or actions.
Look for inconsistencies: Compare your audio clip to previously authenticated video or audio clips featuring the same person. Are there any inconsistencies in the tone or delivery of the voice?
Awkward Silence: If you're listening to a phone call or voicemail and notice that the speaker takes unusually long pauses while speaking, this could be due to the use of AI-powered voice duplication technology.
Weird and redundant: Robotic or unusually verbose speech may indicate that someone is using a combination of voice cloning to mimic a person's voice and large language models to generate accurate phrasing.
Out of character behaviour by public figures like Narendra Modi could be a sign of AI
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Technology will continue to improve
As it stands, there are no consistent rules that can consistently distinguish AI-generated content from authentic human content. AI models that can generate text, images, videos, and audio will surely continue to improve, allowing them to quickly generate content that looks authentic without obvious artifacts or mistakes. “Recognize that, to put it mildly, AI is manipulating and fabricating images, videos, and audio, and it happens in under 30 seconds,” Tobac says. “This makes it easy for bad actors looking to mislead people to quickly subvert AI-generated disinformation, which can be found on social media within minutes of breaking news.”
While it's important to hone our ability to spot AI-generated disinformation and learn to ask more questions about what we read, see and hear, ultimately this alone won't be enough to stop the damage, and the responsibility for spotting it can't be placed solely on individuals. Farid is among a number of researchers who argue that government regulators should hold accountable the big tech companies that have developed many of the tools that are flooding the internet with fake, AI-generated content, as well as startups backed by prominent Silicon Valley investors. “Technology is not neutral,” Farid says. “The tech industry is selling itself as not having to take on the responsibilities that other industries take on, and I totally reject that.”
Diffusion Model: An AI model that learns by first adding random noise to data (such as blurring an image) and then reversing the process to recover the original data.
Generative Adversarial Networks: A machine learning technique based on two neural networks that compete by modifying the original data and attempting to predict whether the generated data is genuine or not.
Generative AI: A broad class of AI models that can generate text, images, audio, and video after being trained on similar forms of content.
Large-scale language models: A subset of generative AI models that can generate different forms of written content in response to text prompts, and in some cases translate between different languages.
Voice CloneA potential way to use AI models to create a digital copy of a person's voice and generate new voice samples with that voice.
Increasingly frequent and intense heat waves in the Southwest are damaging some of the desert plants known to thrive in harsh conditions.
Saguaro cacti and agaves were damaged by the extreme heat this summer and last.
Ecologists are working to understand how different species respond to prolonged heatwaves and pinpoint how hot is too hot for them.
LAS VEGAS — On a sun-dappled stretch of West Charleston Boulevard, Norm Schilling parked his truck on the side of the road just to check out his favorite tree.
Schilling, a local horticulturist and owner of a landscape company and garden shop called Mojave Bloom Nursery, rescued the African sumac decades ago after its branches froze and died during an unusually frosty winter. Careful pruning helped the tree survive, but this summer, it faces a new danger: Months of intense heat have dried out the branches, causing the droopy leaves to die in clumps.
This is a seemingly counterintuitive question: the Southwest is accustomed to sweltering heat, and desert plants and trees are drought- and heat-tolerant. Dry, harsh environments are exactly where desert plants and trees thrive.
But as climate change makes heat waves more frequent, intense, and long-lasting, experts say increasingly harsh conditions are testing some iconic desert plants known for their resilience, including saguaro cacti and agaves.
“This summer we’ve seen damage to plants that previously didn’t show heat stress,” Schilling said.
Sun-bleached mock-orange shrub leaves, photographed Aug. 23. Brown spots indicate areas of damaged tissue. Dennis Chou/NBC
As we drove through Las Vegas, he pointed out the results.
A magnolia shrub in a quiet residential neighborhood was sunburned, its shiny leaf tissue bleached and damaged in places by the sun. On another street, two mulberry trees were dying, likely because they weren’t getting enough water to survive the heat. Around the corner, a large juniper tree was showing signs of “severe decline,” Schilling said, with brown, dead leaves still hanging from its dead branches, evidence that the heat damage was recent.
“That juniper is probably close to 40 or 50 years old. It’s a magnificent tree, but it will soon die,” he said, patting and kissing its rough trunk.
Norm Schilling surveys the deaths of juniper trees in Las Vegas on August 23. Dennis Chou/NBC
Then, a few blocks away, there was a row of succulents known as gopher spurge, parts of which looked burnt, branches yellowed with dried sap splayed out in all directions.
“This species is very dependable and very common throughout the valley,” Schilling said, “and some of the plants here are getting to the point where they’re not likely to recover.”
Las Vegas has already broken several heat records this summer, including the hottest day on record when temperatures reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit on July 7. Then, seven consecutive days of temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded. For most of June, July, and August, temperatures remained in the triple digits with little cooling at night.
“The heat we’re seeing right now is a new paradigm. It’s like the ground is shifting beneath our feet,” Schilling said.
Ecologists across the Southwest are studying how different species respond to the annual heatwaves, trying to understand how hot is too hot for desert plants and trees.
Kevin Hultin, director of research at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, studies the effects of heat stress on ecosystems in the Sonoran Desert. He and his colleagues have been tracking an uptick in saguaro cactus mortality that began in 2020 when the state was in the midst of its worst years-long drought and hasn’t slowed down.
“The summer of 2020 was the hottest on record until last year, and we saw a lot of deaths,” Hultin said. “We’ve been seeing deaths ever since, and we’ve seen an accelerated pace of deaths in 2023.”
The debate on whether cats or dogs are smarter has been ongoing for ages. Dogs typically have larger brains than cats, with more neurons in their cerebral cortex and brains overall. Golden Retrievers, for example, have been found to have 623 million neurons in their cortex compared to 429 million in small dogs and 250 million in cats.
It’s not just about the number of neurons, though. Dogs have been studied more extensively than cats, making their intelligence capabilities more well-known. Cats are harder to study due to their aversion to new environments like laboratories.
Researchers have categorized the intelligence of pets based on three main factors.
Social Intelligence
Social cognition, or an animal’s ability to understand the mental states of others, can be evaluated through unsolvable tasks. For example, when faced with a closed container, dogs are known to turn to humans for help, displaying referential signaling similar to pointing. Cats, on the other hand, are less likely to seek help but show some level of visual communication skills.
When it comes to “counting,” both cats and dogs can discriminate between quantities. Studies have shown that vision plays a crucial role in this ability, with neither species relying heavily on other senses.
Self-awareness
The mirror test, a common method for testing self-recognition, has shown that cats and dogs do not pass the visual test. However, studies have explored the olfactory version of the mirror test, with dogs showing the ability to recognize scents associated with themselves or other dogs.
Cats have also demonstrated the ability to distinguish their feces from others, indicating a level of self-awareness based on smell.
Final Verdict
Intelligence in pets is multifaceted and context-dependent. Cats and dogs exhibit intelligence in different ways, influenced by factors such as genetics, socialization, and training. While some dogs may excel in tasks like remembering toy names, each pet has its unique strengths.
Ultimately, both cats and dogs are intelligent creatures in their own right, deserving of love and appreciation for their individual characteristics.
Embark on a journey through the most peculiar corners of the cosmos, where the laws of “normal” reality are left behind. Explore places where time can be squeezed, bubbles blown, and glass rain falls… sideways.
Diamond Planet – Planet 55 Cancer e
Artwork for exoplanet 55 Cancri e. – Image courtesy of Science Photo Library
At a distance of 41 light years lies the star 55 Cancri, or Copernicus, accompanied by a planet named 55 Cancri e, also called Jansen’s Star, completing an orbit in just over 17 hours.
With a mass eight times that of Earth, 55 Cancri e is a scorching super-Earth with temperatures soaring to 2,400 °C (4,350 °F), capable of melting almost any metal.
In 2010, a study discovered that the planet’s host star has a high carbon-to-oxygen ratio, hinting at the possibility of carbon existing mainly in diamond form on 55 Cancri e. It may be a blazing planet adorned with diamonds.
However, subsequent investigations have revealed a different carbon-to-oxygen ratio, casting doubt on the diamond hypothesis. Nonetheless, even if the ratio doesn’t align, 55 Cancri e could still hold the title of the most valuable planet in the known universe.
The deformed star Vega
Vega, the egg-shaped star – Image credit: Matúš Motlo/Wikipedia
Vega, a brilliant star in the sky, serves as a reference point for measuring the brightness of other stars. Astronomers use apparent magnitude, Vega’s magnitude being zero. A magnitude 1 star is 2.5 times dimmer, while a magnitude -1 star is 2.5 times brighter than Vega.
Vega has also taken on the role of the North Star in the past due to Earth’s axial movements. The star’s rapid rotation, complete every 12.5 hours, causes it to bulge at its equator, giving it an egg-shaped appearance unlike the Sun’s near-perfect sphere.
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Curveball Cluster – Globular Cluster NGC 6791
Open cluster NGC 6791, Hubble Space Telescope image. – Image courtesy of Science Photo Library
NGC 6791, a globular cluster, challenges traditional classifications by blending characteristics of both globular and open clusters. Its ancient, metal-rich stars with unique compositions defy typical cluster norms, hinting at a new cluster type distinct from the traditional categories.
Learn more about the universe’s mysteries and anomalies with Professor Brian Cox from the BBC: universe.
NGC 261 is located within the Small Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way's closest neighbors.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the diffuse nebula NGC 261, about 200,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sivir. Image courtesy of NASA/ESA/LC Johnson, Northwestern University/Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.
NGC 261 It is a diffuse nebula located about 200,000 light years away in the constellation Tetranychus.
The object, also known as Brook 42, ESO 29-12, and IRAS 00447-7322, Found It was discovered on September 5, 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.
“The ionized gas burning up from within this diffuse region characterizes NGC 261 as an emission nebula,” the Hubble astronomers said.
“The stars are so hot that they irradiate the surrounding hydrogen gas, giving the clouds a pinkish-red glow.”
The Hubble Space Telescope has turned its keen eye to NGC 261 to study how efficiently stars form within molecular clouds, extremely dense regions of gas and dust.
“These clouds are often composed of large amounts of molecular hydrogen and are the cold regions where most stars form,” the researchers explained.
“But molecular hydrogen is poorly radiative, making it difficult to measure this fuel for star formation in stellar nurseries.”
“Because they're difficult to detect, scientists instead track other molecules present within the molecular cloud.”
“The Small Magellanic Cloud contains a gas-rich environment of young stars, as well as traces of carbon monoxide, which correlates with hydrogen and is a chemical often used to confirm the presence of such clouds.”
“The combined powers of the ACS and WFC3 instruments allowed us to probe the star formation properties of the nebula through its carbon monoxide content at visible and near-infrared wavelengths,” the scientists said.
“This work helps us better understand how stars form in our host galaxy and in our Galactic neighbours.”
Archaeologists say Genovesa Cave Discovered in Mallorca, the main Balearic island and the Mediterranean's sixth largest, the find suggests that humans settled in the western Mediterranean much earlier than previously thought.
5,600-year-old underwater stone bridge in Genovesa Cave, Mallorca, Spain. Image courtesy of R. Landreth.
Limited archaeological evidence makes it difficult to reconstruct early human colonization of the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean.
By studying the 7.7-metre (25-foot) submerged bridge, Professor Bogdan Onak of the University of South Florida and his colleagues were able to provide compelling evidence of prior human activity within Genovesa Cave.
“The presence of this underwater bridge and other artefacts indicates a high level of activity and suggests that early settlers were aware of the cave's water resources and strategically built infrastructure to navigate through them,” Prof Onak said.
Genovesa Cave, located near the coast of Mallorca, has had parts of its passage flooded by rising sea levels and has clear calcite deposits when sea levels were higher.
These layers, along with the light-colored bands on the submerged bridge, act as markers to precisely track historical sea-level changes and pinpoint the date of the bridge's construction.
Previous studies had suggested a human presence at the site as far back as 9,000 years ago, but inconsistencies in nearby carbon-dated bones, pottery and other evidence, as well as poor preservation, had left the findings in doubt.
Recent studies have used charcoal, ash and bones found on the island to create a timeline of human settlement dating back about 4,400 years ago.
This allows the timeline of human presence to coincide with important environmental events, such as the extinction of the goat antelope. Myotragus balearix.
By analysing the bridge's mineral overgrowths and the height of the bridge's colour bands, the authors found that the bridge was built around 6,000 years ago – more than 2,000 years older than previous estimates, narrowing the gap in the timelines between eastern and western Mediterranean settlements.
“The history of the bridge's construction appears to be closely linked to the rapid Holocene sea-level rise just before 6,000 years ago and the brief period of sea-level stillness that caused parts of the upper part of the cave to be flooded,” the researchers said.
“Our chronology shows that sea-level rise stopped and stabilized for several hundred years, between 5,964 and 5,359 years ago. During this time, so-called phreatic expansions of speleothems (POS) formed in the cave lake and the characteristic 'bathtub ring' formed on the bridge.”
“Construction of the bridge probably began early in this period, as it was needed to cross the 0.25 metre deep lake, but it must have been completed before 5,600 years ago, when the upper part of the bridge was submerged.”
“Evidence suggests that humans constructed a cobblestone path and a sturdy bridge leading to the cave's water pool, facilitating access to the only dry part of the cave, located in the Sala d'Entrada across the lake.”
“The exact reason these structures in Genovesa Cave were built remains unclear.”
“However, the dating constraints imposed by the depth of the bridge, and the similar depths at which the POS and colour marks are found, support the idea that early humans were present on the island by 5,600 years ago, potentially extending the date back to 6,000 years ago.”
a paper A paper describing the findings was published in the journal Neurology today. Communication Earth and the Environment.
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BP Onac others2024. An underwater bridge built at least 5,600 years ago marks early human arrival on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Community Global Environment 5, 457; doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01584-4
Recent respiratory disease epidemics have attracted a lot of attention, yet most respiratory monitoring is limited to physical signals. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is packed with rich molecular information that can reveal various insights into an individual's health. Now, Professor Wei Gao and colleagues at California Institute of Technology have developed EBCare, a mask-based device that monitors EBC biomarkers in real time. For example, the EBCare mask can monitor asthma patients for their levels of nitrite, a chemical that indicates airway inflammation.
This diagram shows how the smart mask detects breathed chemicals, such as nitrite, an indicator of airway inflammation. Images by Wei Gao and Wenzheng Heng, Caltech.
“Monitoring a patient's breathing is routinely done, for example to assess asthma and other respiratory diseases,” Prof Gao said.
“However, this method requires patients to visit a clinic to have a sample taken and then wait for the test results.”
“Since COVID-19, people have started wearing masks. We can leverage this increased use of masks for remote, personalized monitoring to get real-time feedback on one's health from the comfort of one's own home or office.”
“For example, we could use this information to evaluate how effective a medical treatment is.”
To selectively analyze the chemicals and molecules in your breath, you first need to cool them down and condense them into a liquid.
In a clinical setting, this cooling step is separate from the analysis: Moistbreath samples are cooled in a bucket of ice or a large refrigerated cooler.
The EBCare mask, on the other hand, is self-cooling, according to the team.
The breath is cooled by a passive cooling system that integrates hydrogel evaporative cooling and radiative cooling to effectively cool the breath on the facemask.
“This mask represents a new paradigm for respiratory and metabolic disease management and precision medicine because wearing it daily allows for easy collection of breath samples and real-time analysis of exhaled chemical molecules,” said Wen-zheng Heng, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology.
“Breath condensate contains soluble gases as well as non-volatile substances in the form of aerosols and droplets, including metabolic products, inflammatory indicators and pathogens.”
Once the breath is converted into liquid, a series of capillaries in a device called bioinspired microfluidics immediately transports the liquid to a sensor for analysis.
“We learned how to transport water from plants, which use capillary action to pull water up from the ground,” Professor Gao said.
“The analysis results are then sent wirelessly to an individual's phone, tablet or computer.”
“The smart mask can be prepared at a relatively low cost. The materials are designed to cost just $1.”
To test the masks, the authors conducted a series of human studies, focusing primarily on patients with asthma or COPD.
The researchers specifically monitored the patients' breath for nitrite, a biomarker of inflammation in both diseases.
Results showed that the masks accurately detected biomarkers indicative of inflammation in patients' airways.
In a separate experiment, the masks demonstrated that they could accurately detect subjects' blood alcohol levels, suggesting that they could potentially be used for field DUI checks and other alcohol consumption monitoring.
We also explored how the mask can be used to assess blood urea levels in the monitoring and management of kidney disease.
As kidney function declines, by-products of protein metabolism, such as urea, accumulate in the blood.
At the same time, the amount of urea in saliva increases, which breaks down into ammonia gas, leading to high ammonium concentrations in the breath condensate.
The study showed that the smart mask could accurately detect ammonium levels, closely reflecting the urea concentration in blood.
“Our smart mask platform for EBC collection and analysis represents a major advancement in the potential for real-time monitoring of lung health,” said Professor Harry Rossiter, director of the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
“This concept, with the potential to add biosensors for a wide range of compounds in the future, highlights the groundbreaking potential of smart masks in health monitoring and diagnostics.”
An AI-generated replica scene from the computer game Doom
ID Software
Recreating classic computer games with AI Doom It's playable without any computer code or graphics, and researchers on the project say it may be possible in the future to use similar AI models to create games from scratch, in the same way that we currently create text and images.
This model Game NGenIt was compiled by Dani Walewski of Google Research and his colleagues, who declined to be interviewed. New ScientistAccording to them paper According to the study, the AI can play for up to 20 seconds while retaining all the features of the original, including score, ammo levels, map layout, etc. The player can attack enemies, open doors, and interact with the environment as normal.
After this period, the model's memory begins to run out and the illusion begins to break down.
original Doom It was released in 1993 and has since become a popular subject for computer science projects. Running on specially restricted hardware Toasters, treadmills, espresso machines, etc.
But in all of these cases, the hardware is simply running the original game's code. What GameNGen does is fundamentally different: a type of AI called a neural network learns by observation how to recreate a game, without ever seeing the game's code.
The researchers first created an AI model that learned how to interact with Doom in a human-like way, then had it play the game over and over again, and then the second AI model learned how to interact with Doom in a human-like way. Stable diffusion The image generator learned how the game state changes with hundreds of millions of inputs.
The second model was essentially a copy of the game, with all of the knowledge, rules, and instructions from the original code encoded into a mysterious network of artificial neurons within its own architecture. In tests, human players were slightly better than chance at distinguishing between short clips of the game and clips of the AI simulation.
In their paper, GameNGen's developers claim that this is a proof of concept that games can be created by neural networks rather than lines of code. They suggest that games can be generated from text descriptions and concept art, making them cheaper to produce than using human programmers.
Andrew Rogojski Researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK say the idea of having neural networks hallucinate game environments and human interactions is an interesting step forward, but it's not meant to replace human game designers.
“I don't think it's the end of game studios. I think what game studios have is the imagination and the skill – the ability to actually create these worlds, understand gameplay, understand engagement, understand how to draw us into a story – that's not just the nuts and bolts or bits and bytes,” he says. “There's something very human about creating compelling experiences that we humans enjoy, and that's going to come primarily from other humans at the moment, and for the foreseeable future.”
Polarized light can erase messages encoded in quantum holograms
Hong Liang, Wai Chun Wong, Tailing Ang, Jensen Lee 2024
The quantum evanescence phenomenon makes it possible to embed secure messages in holograms and selectively erase parts of them even after they have been transmitted.
Quantum optical signals are inherently secure information carriers: any interception of the message destroys the fragile quantum states that encode it. To harness this without the use of bulky devices, Jensen Lee Researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK MetasurfaceIt is a 2D material engineered with special properties to create quantum holograms.
Holograms encode complex information that can be restored when light is shone on it. For example, when light hits a 2D holographic paper card at the right angle, a 3D image appears. To create quantum holograms, researchers encoded information in the quantum state of particles of light, or photons.
First, they used a laser to emit two photons from a special crystal that were tightly bound by quantum entanglement. The photons traveled along separate paths, with only one encountering the metasurface along the way. Thousands of tiny components on the metasurface, like nano-sized bumps, altered the photon’s quantum state in a preprogrammed way, encoding a holographic image into it.
The partner photon encountered a polarizing filter, which controlled which parts of the hologram appeared and which disappeared. The first photon’s state was a superposition of holograms, so it contained different variations of the message at the same time. Because the photons were in an entangled state, polarizing the second photon affected the image the other photon created when it hit the camera. For example, a test hologram contained the letters H, D, V, and A, but adding a filter for horizontal polarization caused the letter H to disappear from the final image.
Li says metasurfaces could be used to encode more complex information into photons, for example as part of quantum cryptography protocols. He calls the research SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference August 21st, San Diego, California.
“Everyone dreams of quantum technology going from square metres on a table to being compact enough to fit in a smartphone, and metasurfaces seem like a good way to achieve that. [about that]” Andrew Forbes A researcher at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, said quantum holograms like the one used in this experiment could also be used to image tiny biological structures in the rapidly expanding medical field.
A research team from Finland and Norway has identified two candidate anti-toxic compounds against enteric pathogens. E. coli Marine actinomycete strains from the bacterial metabolite (EPEC) infection Cochlea and Rhodococcus From the Arctic Ocean.
Strain T091-5 of this genus RhodococcusImages/Photos Courtesy of: Pylkkö others., doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1432475.
“We show that advanced screening assays can identify anti-toxic and antibacterial metabolites from actinomycete extracts,” says Professor Paivi Tamela from the University of Helsinki.
“We discovered compounds in the Arctic actinomycete that inhibit virulence without affecting EPEC growth, as well as compounds that inhibit growth.”
Professor Tamera and his colleagues have developed a series of new methods that allow them to simultaneously test the antitoxic and antibacterial effects of hundreds of unknown compounds.
They targeted a strain of EPEC that causes severe, sometimes fatal, diarrhea in children under the age of 5, especially in developing countries. EPEC attaches to cells in the human intestine and causes disease.
Once EPEC attaches to these cells, it injects so-called “virulence factors” into the host cell that hijack its molecular machinery and ultimately kills the cell.
The compounds tested were extracted from four species of actinomycetes isolated from invertebrates collected in the Arctic waters off the coast of Svalbard during an expedition by a Norwegian research vessel. Cronprince Haakon August 2020.
These bacteria were cultured, the cells were extracted, and their contents were separated into fractions.
Each fraction was then tested in vitro against EPEC attached to cultured colon cancer cells.
The researchers discovered two previously unknown compounds with strong anti-toxic or anti-bacterial activity: one from an unknown strain of the genus (called T091-5); Rhodococcusand another strain from an unknown strain of this genus (T160-2). Cochlea.
These compounds exhibited two complementary biological activities.
First, it inhibits the formation of the so-called “actin pedestal” by EPEC bacteria, a key step in the attachment of this pathogen to the host intestinal wall.
The second is to block EPEC binding to so-called Tir receptors on the surface of host cells, a necessary step to rewire intracellular processes and cause disease.
Unlike compounds in T160-2, compounds in T091-5 did not slow the growth of EPEC bacteria.
This means that T091-5 is the most promising of the two strains, as EPEC is unlikely to eventually develop resistance to its antivirulence effects.
Using advanced analytical techniques, the authors determined that the active compounds in T091-5 were likely phospholipids, a type of fatty phosphorus-containing molecule that plays an important role in cellular metabolism.
“The next steps are to optimise the culture conditions for compound production and to isolate sufficient quantities of each compound to elucidate their structures and further explore their respective biological activities,” Prof Tamera said.
of Survey results Published in today's journal The cutting edge of microbiology.
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Tuomas Pirko others2024. Bioprospecting EPEC virulence inhibitors from metabolites of an Arctic marine actinomycete. Front. Microbiol 15;doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1432475
Researchers are experimenting with biosensors that can monitor workers’ vital signs and provide warnings if they show signs of heatstroke.
The four-year study involves more than 150 farmworkers in Florida who have been wearing sensors in the fields.
Agricultural workers are 35 times more likely to die from heatstroke than other workers.
People who work outdoors are at greatest risk from extreme heat, which can be fatal within minutes, so researchers have begun experimenting with wearable sensors that can monitor workers’ vital signs and warn them if they are starting to show the early symptoms of heatstroke.
In Pearson, Florida, where temperatures can soar to nearly 90 degrees just before and after noon, workers on a fern farm wear experimental biopatches as part of a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. National Institutes of HealthThe patch also measures a worker’s vital signs and skin hydration, and is equipped with a gyroscope to monitor continuous movement.
Scientists from Emory University and Georgia Tech are collecting data and feeding it into an artificial intelligence algorithm. The ultimate goal is for the AI to predict when workers are likely to suffer from heatstroke and send them a warning on their phone before that happens. But for now, the researchers are still analyzing the data and plan to publish a research paper next year.
“There’s a perception that field work is hot, and that’s the reality,” says Roxana Chicas, a nurse researcher at Emory University who has been overseeing Biopatch data collection. “I think with research and creativity, we can find ways to protect field workers.”
average 34 workers died of heatstroke According to the Environmental Protection Agency, farmworkers will be killed every year from 1992 to 2022. 35x odds Workers are more likely to die from heatstroke than other workers, but until now it has been left to states to decide how to protect workers from heatstroke. California, for example, requires employers to provide training, water, and shade when temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but many states have no such rules.
Chicas and his team partnered with the Florida Farmworkers Association to recruit participants for the study, aiming to have 100 workers wear the biopatch over the four-year study, but were surprised by how many volunteered, ultimately enrolling 166.
Participating workers arrive at work before dawn, receive a patch, have their vital signs monitored, and then head out into the fields before the hottest, most dangerous parts of the day.
“We hope this study will help improve working conditions,” study participant Juan Pérez said in Spanish, adding that he has worked in the fern fields for 20 years and would like more breaks and higher wages.
Other farmworkers said they hoped the study would shed light on just how tough their jobs are.
Study participant Antonia Hernandez, who lives in Pearson, said she often worries about the heat hazards facing her and her daughter, who both work in fern fields.
“When you don’t have a family, the only thing you worry about is the house and the rent,” Hernandez said in Spanish. “But when you have children, the truth is, there’s a lot of pressure and you have to work.”
Chicas said he could see the heat-related fatigue showing on some of the workers’ faces.
“They look much older than their real age, some of them look much older than their real age, because it takes a toll on their body and their health,” she said.
Chikas has been researching ways to protect farmworkers from the heat for nearly a decade. In a project that began in 2015, workers were fitted with bulky sensors that measured skin temperature, skin hydration, blood oxygen levels, and vital signs. This latest study is the first to test a lightweight biopatch that looks like a large bandage and is placed in the center of the chest.
Overall, wearable sensors are much easier to use, and some are becoming more widely used. While the biosensors that Cikas’ team is experimenting with aren’t yet available to the public, a brand called SlateSafety sells a system (sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) that is available to employers. The system includes an armband that transmits measurements of a worker’s core temperature to a monitoring system. If the temperature is too high, the employer can notify the worker to take a break.
A similar technology, called the Heat Stroke Prevention System, is used in the military. Developed by the U.S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine, the system requires soldiers or Marines in a company to wear a chest strap that estimates core temperature, skin temperature and gait stability, allowing commanders to understand a soldier’s location and risk of heatstroke.
“The system is programmed to sense when a person is approaching higher than appropriate levels of heat exposure,” says Emma Atkinson, a biomedical researcher at the institute. stated in a news release “Our system allows us to provide warnings before heat stroke occurs, allowing us to intervene before someone collapses,” the report, released in February, added.
The system that Chicas and his team are developing differs from those systems in that it notifies workers directly, rather than in a larger system controlled by their employers. They haven’t finished collecting data from farmworkers yet, but the next step is for algorithms to start identifying patterns that might indicate risk of heatstroke.
“Outdoor workers need to spend time outdoors – otherwise food wouldn’t be harvested, ferns wouldn’t be cut, houses wouldn’t be built,” Chicas said. “With the growing threat of climate change, workers need something to better protect themselves.”
David Bennett Jr. knelt at his bedside, phone in hand, anxiously waiting for the call he’d never received before: The hospital was supposed to update him on whether his father, who had received a new heart transplanted from a pig, was still alive.
It was the first time a living human had received a pig organ transplant.
“I don’t know what the news is, but my dad opened his eyes, he was awake and he was OK. It was unbelievable,” Bennett Jr. said.
Bennett’s father, David Bennett Sr., had severe congestive heart failure and was not a candidate for a transplant. He knew he would likely die soon. There was nothing else he could do but take a chance on a novel, cutting-edge procedure. Bennett Sr. and his son agreed it was worth the risk.
The achievement made headlines around the world following the transplant in January 2022. Initially, the results looked promising, with some family members beginning to entertain the idea that Bennett Sr. might eventually be released from the hospital.
“There were definitely future-oriented conversations about the home environment, who was going to care for him and what that was going to look like,” Bennett Jr. said. “Everyone was very optimistic and hopeful.”
David Bennett Jr. and his family. Jesse Barber, NBC News
But two months later, Bennett Sr.’s body rejected the heart and he died at age 57. paperDoctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center said his body likely produced too many antibodies to fight the new organ. The drugs he was given may have also increased the chance of rejection, and a virus in the pig’s heart further complicates things.
Three other patients have followed in Bennett Sr.’s footsteps and received pig organs, most recently a pig kidney transplant in April. Together, they are pioneers in the burgeoning field of xenotransplantation. For them, the journey has been a roller coaster of emotions, from anxiety to blind hope and ultimately praise for their loved one’s decision, three family members told NBC News.
“Obviously, I wish my dad was still here, but I know his sacrifice was not in vain,” Bennett Jr. said.
None of the patients survived more than three months. To the public, it may have seemed a failure. But to their families, the transplants had accomplished a goal: to buy their loved ones more time and to advance research that may one day save their lives.
“Larry thought: He’s going to die. It’s inevitable, it’s coming,” says Anne Fawcett, whose husband of nearly 38 years, Laurence Fawcett, is the second person to receive a pig heart transplant. “So to gather as much data as we can, to do as much research as we can, why not use Larry’s body as a test subject, to give people in the future who need a transplant another option?”
The potential of xenotransplantation lies in the shortage of available human organs. 17 people die every day in the United States while waiting for an organ transplantBecause pig organs are more readily available, doctors expect such surgeries to become as common as hip replacements in the future, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“There’s no moon, but the sky is full of stars.” The Milky Way in the Atacama Desert
Alamy Stock Photo
Chapter 1
Everything you touch changes.
Everything you change changes you.
The only lasting truth is change.
God is change.
Earthseed: The Book of the Living
Saturday,July20,2024
I had the same dream last night. I should have expected it. This dream appears when I am struggling – when I am trying to twist my own personal hooks and pretend nothing unusual is happening. It appears when I am trying to be my father’s daughter. Today is our birthday – mine is 15, my father’s is 55. Tomorrow I will try to please my father, my community and God. So last night I had a dream that reminded me that it is all a lie. I feel I need to write about this dream because this lie is bothering me so much.
I am learning to fly, to levitate. Nobody is teaching me. I am learning bit by bit, in my dreams, little by little. Not very subtle images, but persistent images. I have taken many lessons, and I am better at flying than I was before. I trust my abilities a lot more now, but it still scares me. I still can’t control my direction very well.
I lean toward the door. It’s the kind of door between my room and the hallway. It seems far away from me, but I lean toward it. I stiffen and tense, releasing everything I’ve been holding onto that’s kept me from rising or falling. I lean into the air, straining upward. Not moving upward, but not falling completely either. And I begin to glide on the air a few feet above the floor, oscillating between fear and delight.
I drift toward a doorway. A cold, pale light shines from it. I slide a little to the right, then a little further. I pass the door and nearly hit the wall beside it, but I can’t stop or turn. I drift away from the doorway, away from the cold, glowing light and into another light.
The wall in front of me is on fire. Fire has come out of nowhere, eating through the wall, coming towards me, towards me. The fire spreads. I drift into it. It burns around me. I struggle and struggle, grasping for air and fire, kicking and burning, trying to swim back out of it. Darkness.
Maybe it wakes me up a little. When the fire engulfs me, I wake up sometimes. That’s bad. If I wake up completely, I can’t go back to sleep. I try, but I’ve never been able to fall asleep.
This time I didn’t wake up completely. I gradually blended into the second half of the dream, the part that actually happened years ago when I was little, the part that seemed like no big deal at the time.
darkness.
Darkness turns to light. Stars.
The stars cast a cold, pale light.
“We were invisible So “When I was little, I could see a lot of stars,” my mother-in-law tells me. She speaks Spanish as her native language. She stands small and still, gazing up at the wide sweep of the Milky Way. She and I went outside after dark to retrieve the laundry that was hanging on the clothesline. The day was still hot, and we both like the cool darkness of the early evening. There is no moon, but it’s easy to see. The sky is full of stars.
The neighborhood wall is a huge, looming presence. To me it looks like a crouching animal, ready to pounce at any moment, more threatening than protective. But my mother-in-law is there and she is not scared. I am with her. I am 7 years old.
I look up at the stars and the deep black sky. “Why didn’t you see the stars?” I ask her. “Everyone can see them.” I speak to her in Spanish, just like she taught me. It feels somehow intimate.
“The city lights,” she says. “The lights, the progress, the growth, all that stuff, I just don’t care anymore because it’s too hot and too poor.” She pauses. “When I was your age, my mother told me that the stars, the few stars we could see, were windows to heaven. Windows through which God could look at us. And for almost a year, I believed her.” My stepmother handed me an armful of diapers for my youngest brother. I took them and walked back to the house where she kept a big wicker laundry basket, and piled the diapers on top of the rest of the clothes. The basket was full. I made sure she wasn’t looking, and then collapsed backwards onto the pile of stiff, clean, soft clothes. For a moment, the fall felt like floating.
I lie there and look up at the stars, pick out some constellations and name the stars that make up them, which I learned from an astronomy book that belonged to my paternal grandmother.
Suddenly, I saw a streak of light from a meteor streak across the western sky. I stared at it, hoping to see another one. Then my mother-in-law called me, and I returned to her.
“We have city lights now,” I told her. “They don’t hide the stars,” she shook her head. “There aren’t as many as there used to be. Kids today don’t know how bright the city lights used to be, and that wasn’t that long ago.” “I want stars,” I said.
“The stars are free,” she shrugs. “I want the city lights back, I wish they’d come back soon. But you can buy the stars.”
excerpt The Parable of the Sower Written by Octavia E. Butler and published by Headline, this is the latest selection from the New Scientist Book Club. Sign up here to read it with us.
Driving these days can be quite challenging with traffic jams, road construction, and unexpected hazards causing delays to your daily schedule. But imagine if things were even worse, like driving down a mountain road where one wrong move could mean catastrophe.
This is a reality in many parts of the world, where the only way to get from point A to point B is by taking your life into your own hands.
Buckle up and prepare for a harrowing journey on some of the most treacherous roads in the world.
Keylon Kishtwar Road, India
The mountainous section of India’s “Kila-Kishtwar” road. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
If a 235km stretch of single-track dirt road through treacherous mountain passes sounds like a fun road trip to you, then the road from Keylong to Kishwar in India is perfect for you.
With no safety fences and cliffs thousands of metres below, along with the risk of landslides and unpredictable weather, it’s no surprise this road is one of the most perilous in India.
A portion of the road called the “Cliffhanger” is narrow and could collapse if too close to the cliff.
Ibarska Magistrala, Serbia
A truck climbs the steep hill towards Mount Rudnik on the Ibar highway in Serbia. Photo credit: BrankaVV/Wikipedia Commons
National Route 22 or the “Ibar Highway,” also known as the “Black Highway,” is among the most dangerous roads in Europe and one of the busiest in the country.
Connecting Belgrade with other major municipalities in Serbia and neighboring countries like Montenegro, this highway features long stretches of straight road with perilous curves that lead to many accidents, especially at night, often due to speeding or drunk driving.
The village of Vrjani, a quiet corner of the Ibar Highway, Serbia. Photo credit: BrankaVV/Wikipedia Commons
Transfagarasan, Romania
Romania’s Transfagarasan Highway is one of the most beautiful roads in Europe, but also one of the most dangerous. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Romania’s highways might not be the best in Europe in terms of quality, but the most famous and perilous is the Transfagarasan highway.
This winding mountain road climbs to over 2,000 meters, offering breathtaking views along its 150-kilometer route. Its hairpin turns, tunnels, and dramatic elevation changes pose a real challenge for drivers, with the added danger of encountering large flocks of sheep on the road, as shepherds use it to move their sheep between pastures.
Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand
Skippers Canyon, Queenstown, New Zealand. Photo by Bernard Spragg/Wikipedia Commons
Skippers Canyon is a hazardous road in New Zealand, carved into rock by miners using hand tools and explosives. With steep cliffs, hairpin turns, and a one-way road for most of its 22-kilometer length, it’s extremely dangerous, and rental car insurance doesn’t cover this section.
Though the Gold Rush that spurred its construction is long over, the area’s historical significance and stunning landscapes make it a tourist attraction today.
A warning sign highlighting the dangers encountered on the road to Skippers Canyon, New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Alamy
James Dalton Highway, USA
A truck drives along the James Dalton Highway (also known as Haul Road) in the Arctic Circle of Alaska, USA, on a stormy day. Photo credit: Alamy
Made famous by the TV show “Ice Road Truckers,” the James Dalton Highway is a challenging road in Alaska that connects Fairbanks to Deadhorse north of the Arctic Circle.
This 666-km road, named after an Alaskan engineer, is the main route for trucks transporting fuel and supplies to oil field workers. Only a third of the road is paved, with the rest being gravel and stone.
The main hazards on this highway include severe weather, isolation, and encounters with polar bears, making it a risky journey for any driver.
A large trailer truck travels along the Dalton Highway through the Brooks Range region of Alaska’s North Slope, USA. The Dalton Highway (Alaska State Route 11) runs 412 miles (666 km) through northern Alaska from Livengood (53 miles north of Fairbanks) to Prudhoe Bay. Photo by Lance King/Getty Images
Zojila Pass, India
Indian Army vehicles travel through the Zojila Pass in India, the only road connecting Kashmir with Ladakh. Photo: Faisal Khan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Zojila Pass is a critical road linking Ladakh with the Kashmir Valley, situated high in the Himalayas. The road faces challenges like snow, ice, and seasonal closures lasting months.
The narrow pass with no safety fences has no room for more than one car at a time, making it a daunting route with cliffs that drop straight into the valley below – not for the faint of heart.
A new tunnel is under construction to protect the road from harsh winters, keeping it open year-round, but its safety remains to be seen.
Fairy Meadows Road, Pakistan
This photo of Fairy Meadows Road in Pakistan shows how narrow and dangerous the road is. Photo by Alamy
The harrowing Fairy Meadows Road in Pakistan winds through mountainous terrain over 3,000 meters above sea level. With only enough room for one car at a time and no safety barriers, accidents are frequent.
This 16km road connects the Karakoram Highway to the village of Tato inside Fairy Meadows National Park, reserved exclusively for local drivers due to its extreme danger.
Yungas Road, Bolivia
Bolivia’s North Yungas Road, known as the “Road of Death,” is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Looking at this image, it’s easy to see why. Photo: Anton Petras/Getty Images
The North Yungas Road in Bolivia, famously known as the “Road of Death,” is a treacherous 64km route connecting La Paz to the Yungas region. The road saw an average of 200 to 300 fatalities annually until a safer alternative was built.
This gravel road climbing up the mountain is notorious for poor visibility due to fog and rain, narrow and winding paths, and steep cliffs that make overtaking traffic a dangerous endeavor.
A bus approaches a simple bridge on Bolivia’s “Road of Death.” Photo by Anton Petras/Getty Images
Sichuan-Tibet Expressway, China
The winding road connecting Sichuan and Tibet on the snow-covered Qier Mountains in Dege County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
The Sichuan-Tibet Expressway in China, one of the world’s highest roads, presents challenges like avalanches, landslides, and single-track sections at high altitudes with low grip.
This busy road, known for frequent traffic jams and gridlock, can take up to 15 days to navigate, testing drivers’ patience and skill amid snow-capped mountains and dramatic canyons.
Bayburt D915, Türkiye
Drivers Yagiz Avci and Dmitry Sotnikov speed along the D915 road from Trabzon to Bayburt in Turkey. Photo courtesy of Alamy
The twisty D915 in Turkey is often cited as one of the world’s scariest roads due to its numerous hairpin turns through mountainous terrain. Linking the Black Sea to Bayburt, a city with roots in the ancient Silk Road trade route, this road demands careful navigation due to its loose surface, exposure to bad weather, and various hazards.
The winding Bayburt D915 highway crosses the Soganli mountainside in Trabzon, Turkey. Photo: Ali Ihsan Özturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Paleontologists have unearthed the 20-million-year-old fossil skeleton of a species of sirenian mammal from the dugong family. Cleavage Shark and crocodile bite marks have been found in northwestern Venezuela. The most prominent bite marks are from deep, dragging tooth impacts concentrated on the snout of the animals. Researchers interpret this as the result of active predation, as they are similar to bite marks made by crocodiles when they grab and roll their prey. Moreover, shark bite marks can be observed throughout Venezuela. CleavageThe skeleton of Tiger shark (Galeocerdo Aduncus) The teeth associated with this skeleton.
Tiger sharks are congregating to make easy catches of larger prey as crocodiles attack ancient dugong-like siren mammals. CleavageImage courtesy of Jaime Bran Sarmiento.
“Our discovery adds to the growing evidence that food chains millions of years ago worked in a similar way to how they do today,” said Dr Aldo Benitez Palomino, a paleontologist at the institute. University of Zurich.
“Today, when we observe predators in the wild, we often find dead prey, indicating that the animal also served as a food source for other animals. However, the fossil record of this is rare.”
“It was unclear which animals would serve this purpose as a food source for multiple predators.”
“Our previous research has confirmed that several shark species scavenge sperm whale carcasses, and this new study highlights the importance of sea cows in the food chain.”
Evidence for food web interactions is abundant in the fossil record, but most of it is represented by fragmentary fossils that provide ambiguous meaning.
Therefore, it is often difficult to distinguish between active feeding and signs of saprophytic activity.
“Our results are one of the few to document multiple predators on a single prey and provide a glimpse into food webs in the region during the Miocene,” Dr Benitez-Palomino said.
The dugong specimen studied by the team was collected from an outcrop of the Agua Clara Formation, south of the city of Coro, Venezuela.
The fossil is closely related to a species of sirenian in the dugong family. Cleavage.
“We first heard about the site through word of mouth from local farmers who noticed some unusual 'rocks'. We were intrigued and decided to investigate,” said Professor Marcelo Sánchez-Vilagra from the University of Zurich.
“Initially, we weren't familiar with the geology of the site, and the first fossil we unearthed was just part of a skull.”
“It took us a while to identify what it was – very strange looking remains of a sea cow.”
“By studying geological maps and examining the sediments at the new site, we were able to determine the age of the rocks in which the fossils were found.”
“One of the factors that allowed us to observe evidence of aquatic mammal predation, which is known to exist in this region, is the extremely well-preserved cortical layer of the fossil, which is likely due to the fine sediment in which the fossil was embedded.”
“After locating the fossils, our team organized a paleontological rescue operation, employing extraction techniques with full case protection.”
“A team of five people was involved in working on the fossil, and the job took about seven hours.”
“The subsequent preparations, particularly the meticulous task of preparing and repairing the skull, took several months.”
Team Survey results Published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
_____
Aldo Benitez Palomino othersTrophic interactions between sharks and crocodiles and Sirenia in the Miocene of Venezuela. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontologyy, published online August 28, 2024, doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2381505
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