Homo sapiens are believed to have reached Northern Europe around 45,000 years ago, according to scientists.

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

homo sapiens is connected with Rinkombi Lanisia Yersmanovician Culture According to three papers published in , Neanderthals existed in central and northwestern Europe long before they became extinct in southwestern Europe. journal Nature And that journal natural ecology and evolution. The evidence is homo sapiens And the fact that Neanderthals lived side by side is consistent with genomic evidence that the two species occasionally interbred. Suspicions have also been raised that modern humans' invasion of Europe and Asia about 50,000 years ago may have driven Neanderthals to extinction.

Stratigraphy including location of homo sapiens Bones, a map of the LRJ site, and stone tools from the Ranis site in Germany. Image credit: Mylopotamitaki other., doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06923-7.

The Paleolithic Rincombi-Lanisia-Jerzmanovician (LRJ) culture or technocomplex spread across northwestern and central Europe.

The Ranis Cave site in the Orla River Valley, Thuringia, Germany, is one of the eponymous LRJ sites based on its unique configuration of bifacial and monofacial points.

Previous dating had shown that the site was more than 40,000 years old, but there were no recognizable bones to show who made the tools, so it was unclear whether they were the product of Neanderthals. It was unclear whether it was a product of Neanderthals or not. homo sapiens.

“The new discovery is homo sapiens Who created this technology homo sapiens At this time, 45,000 years ago, they were this far north,” said Dr. Elena Zavala, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.

“So these are some of the earliest.” homo sapiens In Europe. “

“The cave ruins of Ranis provide evidence of initial dispersal. homo sapiens It is widespread throughout the high latitudes of Europe,” said Professor Jean-Jacques Hubelin, a researcher at the Collège de France.

“It turns out that stone structures thought to have been made by Neanderthals were actually part of early Neanderthals.” homo sapiens toolkit. ”

“This fundamentally changes what we know about this period. homo sapiens Long before Neanderthals disappeared in southwestern Europe, they reached northwestern Europe. ”

Scientists carried out genetic analysis of hominid bone fragments from new deep excavations carried out at Ranis between 2016 and 2022, as well as from earlier excavations in the 1930s.

Because the DNA in ancient bones is highly fragmented, she used special techniques to isolate and sequence the DNA. All of it is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited only from the mother.

“We have confirmed that the bone fragments are: homo sapiens. Interestingly, some of the fragments shared the same mitochondrial DNA sequence, even if they were from different excavations,” Dr. Zavala said.

“This indicates that these fragments belong to the same person or his maternal relatives, and connects these new discoveries with discoveries from decades ago.”

The bone fragments were initially identified as human through analysis of bone proteins in a field called paleoproteomics.

The authors found that by comparing the Ranis mtDNA sequences with mtDNA obtained from human remains from other Paleolithic sites in Europe, they were able to construct an early Stone Age family tree. It's done. homo sapiens All over Europe.

All but one of the 13 Ranis fragments are very similar to each other and, surprisingly, to the mtDNA of a 43,000-year-old female skull discovered in the Zlaty Kush cave in the Czech Republic. Ta. The only standout player was in the same group as a player from Italy.

“That raises some questions: Was this a single population? What is the relationship here?” Dr. Zavala said.

“But when it comes to mtDNA, that's just one side of history. It's just the maternal side. We need nuclear DNA to investigate this.”

The researchers also found that Ranis Cave is primarily used by hibernating cave bears and denning hyenas, with only periodic human presence.

This low-density archaeological footprint is consistent with other LRJ sites and is best explained by short-term, opportunistic visits by small, mobile settler groups. homo sapiens.

“This means that even in these early groups, homo sapiens “Humans, dispersed across Eurasia, already had some ability to adapt to such harsh climatic conditions,” said Dr Sara Pederzani, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of La Laguna.

“Until recently, it was thought that resilience to cold climate conditions would not emerge until several thousand years later. So this is a fascinating and surprising result.”

The research team also carried out radiocarbon dating of human and animal bones taken from different layers of the site to reconstruct the site's age, focusing on bones with signs of human modification on their surfaces. They then correlated the age with the presence of humans in the cave.

“we, homo sapiens The Francis Crick Institute said Dr. Helen Furus, a postdoctoral researcher at .

“The evidence suggests that homo sapiens They occupied this site sporadically for 47,500 years. ”

Source: www.sci.news

New Species of Tabby Cat Discovered by Scientists

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In 2013, Oncilla (Hyōmon)a species of small spotted cat native to the Americas; the northern tabby cat (Hyōmon) and southern tabby cat (Hyōmon). A new study led by the University of Maranhão has shown that Oncilla is actually three different species.

Cloudy tabby cat (leopardus pardinoides). Image credit: Johannes Pfleiderer.

The oncilla is a wild cat about the size of a domestic cat that lives in the mountains and rainforests of Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina.

These creatures, also known as tabby cats, Margaise (Hyōmon) and Ocelot (Hyōmon)but they are small, with slender builds and narrow muzzles.

They weigh only 1.5 kg, but usually do not exceed 3 kg, with males being slightly larger than females. The body length is 35-60cm and the height is about 25cm.

Oncilla has a yellowish-ochre background fur with a pattern of mainly open rosettes.

They eat small mammals, lizards, birds, eggs, invertebrates, and sometimes even tree frogs.

They typically live between 10 and 14 years in the wild, but have been known to live up to 23 years in captivity.

They are threatened by habitat loss from cattle ranching, agriculture, and the local pet trade.

Tadeu de Oliveira, a researcher at the University of Maranhão, and his colleagues say: “The tabby cat species group is the progenitor of an ancient classification system and one of the most intriguing, mysterious and fascinating groups of cats. “It is,” he said.

“Due to the limited knowledge available, the tabby cat has long been subject to several preconceptions regarding its range and associated habitats, both before and after species divergence. These include: and its presence in the Pantanal.”

“As it stands, the tabby cat species complex currently consists of two species. Hyōmon and Hyōmonthe former is further divided into three subspecies. Leopardus tigrinus oncilla, Leopardus tigrinus pardinoidesand leopardus tigrinus tigrinus” they added.

“Hyōmon and Hyōmon Both are currently defined as globally endangered species. ”

“They live in some of the most endangered ecoregions and biodiversity hotspots in the Americas, including the Cerrado, the tropical Andes, the Atlantic Forest, and the Talamanca Mountains.”

“As an exception, leopardus tigrinus tigrinus, there are no published conservation priority areas for entities within the complex. ”

“Given the endangered status of these species and the high rates of habitat loss within their respective ranges, it is unlikely that viable populations of these species will exist. It is essential to identify areas with high levels.”

Typical examples of tabby cat species complexes: (a) Savannah tabby cat (Hyōmon); (b) Cloudy tabby cat (leopardus pardinoides); (c) Atlantic Forest tabby cat (Hyōmon). Image credit: Ricardo Ribeiro / Johannes Pfleiderer / de Oliveira other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52379-8.

In their study, the authors sought to determine the actual distribution range of tabby cat species and subspecies, compare their characteristics, and assess similarities and differences between them.

Ultimately, they aimed to characterize tabby cats and determine the actual number of the species.

“Our results revealed the existence of a cryptic species, the Claudi tabby cat (leopardus pardinoides), which includes both Leopardus tigrinus oncilla and Leopardus tigrinus pardinoides,” they said.

According to the team: leopardus pardinoides It is a long-tailed cat with short rounded ears and weighs 2.27 kg.

This new species has a strikingly margay-looking head with a rich reddish/oranged/gray-yellow background color and is adorned with irregularly shaped medium to large 'cloudy' rosettes. , with dense, soft fur, strongly marked and often coalesced.

The characteristic is LEopardus pardinoides There is only one pair of breasts/nipples.

This species is found in the extinct cloud forests of southern Central America and the Andes, usually above 1,500 meters above sea level, especially between 2,000 and 3,000 meters, in subtropical/temperate climates with mild temperatures and very abundant precipitation. You can see it. Usually located in areas where ocelot numbers are low or non-existent.

“leopardus pardinoides “Distributed along 11 mountain ecoregions,” the researchers said.

“In Central America, it is restricted to the Tilaran Mountains, Central Volcanic Mountains, and Talamanca Mountains (Talamancan Mountains Forest ecoregion) in Costa Rica and Panama and the eastern montane forests of Panama.”

“The lowland rainforests and wetlands of the Atrato River basin of the Choco Darien ecoregion are the main barrier between the populations of the brown tabby cat in eastern Panama and the Andes, while in the north the species is restricted to the Isthmian Atlantic rainforest. limited by.”

“In South America, its range extends from the Andean forests of Venezuela through the eastern, central, and western mountain ranges of Colombia to Ecuador, through Peru, Bolivia, and the Yungas Forest ecoregion of the southern Andes, and ends in northwestern Argentina.”

“The core area of its distribution is in Colombia, but it also extends to Ecuador.”

of the team result appear in the diary scientific report.

_____

TG de Oliveira other. 2024. Ecological modeling, biogeography and phenotypic analysis establish a transdimensional niche for the tabby cat, revealing a new species. science officer 14, 2395; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52379-8

Source: www.sci.news

Pregnancy Strap that Monitors Heart Rate Could Forecast Preterm Birth

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists used fitness tracker WHOOP to monitor heart rate during pregnancy

Oops

Wearing a wrist-strap heart rate tracker during pregnancy may help doctors predict who is at risk for premature birth.

In previous research, shon rowan Researchers at West Virginia University recruited 18 women to wear heart-tracking wrist straps from the brand WHOOP throughout their pregnancies.

They were all born at term, and tracking data showed that heart rate variability (the variation in the time interval between heartbeats) decreased clearly during the first 33 weeks of pregnancy, and then steadily increased until birth. It became clear.

Rowan was curious to see if the same pattern occurred in people who give birth prematurely. Emily Capodilupo A larger study is being conducted at WHOOP in Boston, Massachusetts. They and colleagues analyzed tracker data provided by 241 pregnant women between the ages of 23 and 47 in the United States and 15 other countries. It is unclear whether this data includes data for transgender men.

All participants were pregnant with one child born between March 2021 and October 2022. In total, more than 24,000 heart rate variability records were provided.

Similar to the previous study, those who gave birth at term showed an obvious switch in heart rate variability around 33 weeks of gestation, or an average of seven weeks before delivery.

However, the 8.7% who were born prematurely had much less consistent patterns of heart rate variability, Rowan said. This change from decrease to increase in variability occurred at different times during pregnancy, but similar to those born at term, the change occurred on average about 7 weeks before birth, although the birth was premature. It seemed like there was.

In the future, the device could identify pregnancies that require closer monitoring or benefit from administering drugs such as steroids to help the fetus' lungs develop, Rowan said.

You can also plan to stay near hospitals that provide specialized care, which can be especially helpful for people who live in remote areas, he says.

“Once we are able to remotely monitor some of their health using things like the WHOOP tracker, and we start to see changes in that. [in heart rate variability]Then you might be able to be a little more proactive,” says Rowan.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers report a 30% decline in California’s western monarch population last year

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

SAN FRANCISCO — The number of western monarch butterflies wintering in California declined by 30% last year, likely due to the high humidity, researchers announced Tuesday.

Volunteers visiting sites in California and Arizona around Thanksgiving removed 230,000 butterflies from 330,000 butterflies by 2022, according to the Xerses Society, an environmental nonprofit focused on invertebrate conservation. It is said that more than one fish was caught.

Populations of the orange and black insects have rebounded to hundreds of thousands in recent years. In 2020, the number of butterflies plummeted to just 2,000., the lowest on record. But even though the butterflies have recovered, their numbers are still far below what they were in the 1980s, when monarchs numbered in the millions.

Scientists say butterfly populations are critically low in western states because housing construction and increased use of pesticides and herbicides are destroying milkweed habitat along migratory routes. Says.

Climate change is also one of the main factors in the monarch butterfly's extinction, preventing the butterflies from migrating 3,000 miles (4,828 km) each year to coincide with spring and wildflower blooms.

“Climate change is creating challenges for many wildlife species, and the monarch butterfly is no exception,” said Emma Pelton, monarch butterfly conservation biologist at the Xerces Society. “We know that the severe storms we saw in California last winter, atmospheric rivers flowing back to back, are on some level connected to climate change.”

Western monarch butterflies migrate south from the Pacific Northwest to California each winter, returning to the same places and even the same trees, where they huddle together and stay warm. They breed multiple generations along the route until they arrive in California, usually in early November. When warm weather arrives in March, it spreads east of California.

East of the Rocky Mountains, another population of monarch butterflies migrates from southern Canada and the northeastern United States into central Mexico. Scientists estimate that monarch butterfly populations in the eastern United States have declined by about 80% since the mid-1990s, but the decline in the western United States is even steeper.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New Insights from a 45,000-year-old Bone Hole into the Lives of our Earliest Ancestors

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In a cave beneath a medieval German castle, researchers have discovered a bone pit that is said to reveal the secrets of early humans.

The remains, buried in layers of soil in a collapsed cave, contained genetic material from cave bears and hyenas, as well as the bones of 13 early humans who died about 45,000 years ago.

The discovery, described in three papers published Thursday in the journals Nature and Nature Ecology & Evolution, suggests that early humans may have traveled further north earlier than scientists realized. It shows that they went on an adventure, they were able to make spear-shaped tools, and then humans were able to make spear-shaped tools. A means to thrive in temperatures much colder than today’s climate.

These discoveries, perhaps made through the development of new DNA techniques, are reshaping the way scientists understand the time when humans and Neanderthals roamed the European continent.

Fragments of human bones excavated from a cave in Ranis, Germany.
From Tim Schuler, Springer Nature

The discovery could bring scientists closer to understanding why Neanderthals ultimately became extinct and what role humans played in their demise.

John Hawkes, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies ancient human relatives but was not involved in the study, said the study shows that as Neanderthals neared their demise, different human cultures He said this helps solidify the theory that these spots were developing.

“These groups are doing research. They’re going to go to new places. They live there for a while. They have different lifestyles,” he said of early humans. “They feel comfortable moving into areas where Neanderthals were.”

These discoveries were only possible because previous researchers left no stone unturned. Archaeologists in the 1920s and 1930s previously excavated the Ilsenhöhle Cave beneath Ranis Castle in the Thuringia region of Germany. The castle was built over the cave long before any excavations took place.

That’s when scientists were unable to drill into critical layers of the cave, which collapsed after hitting rock more than five feet thick.

In 2016, researchers returned with updated drilling techniques and new forms of analysis. About 24 feet below the surface, they discovered a layer containing leaf tips (like the tip of a spear) and human bone fragments.

The discovery of human bone fragments led researchers to dig deep into material excavated nearly 90 years ago, where they discovered additional skeletal fragments.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

India’s initial snow leopard study shows that there are only 718 of them remaining

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Snow leopard in Ladakh, India

Wim van den Heever/naturepl.com

India’s first snow leopard survey estimates that there are 718 big cats living in six mountainous regions of the country.

They make up about 10 to 15 percent of the world’s population, and conservationists believe they number between 3,000 and 5,400 people.

snow leopard (panthera uncia) inhabit vast areas of remote mountainous regions, making them one of the most difficult predators to study.

The study, led by Wildlife Trust of India, was conducted from 2019 to 2023 and involved setting up 1,971 camera traps covering 120,000 square kilometers of habitat.

This represents over 70 per cent of the snow leopard’s potential habitat across the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Approximately 34 percent of this area is under legal protection.

While 241 cats were photographed, evidence of leopard feces, fur, and body marks was found in the survey area, which covers approximately 100,000 square kilometers.

Snow leopards live in 12 countries in Asia, but primarily in the rugged Himalayas of China and India. The species was listed as endangered in 1972 and reclassified as endangered in 2017, but is still considered to be in decline.

“Snow leopards are beautiful, mysterious, ghostly animals, but they’re so much more than that,” says biologist George Schaller, who first photographed a snow leopard in Pakistan in 1971. “Snow leopards tend to symbolize the region and people of the time.” We begin to focus on the region as a whole, not just the snow leopard. Protecting it therefore protects the area for the benefit of all wildlife and local communities. ”

India’s goal is to use this baseline for long-term population surveys to improve monitoring, said Bhupender Yadav, India’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Forests and Climate Change. This is what the agency did in his 1970s with Project Tiger, creating conservation measures to increase the tiger population.

“These periodic assessments provide valuable insights to identify challenges, address threats, and develop effective conservation strategies,” says Yadav.

But some local figures fear the announcement could backfire. “This is one of the rarest animals, and this number may change the way we look at it,” said wildlife photographer Morap Namgair. snow leopard tour In Ladakh. “People might think 718 is an exaggeration, so it might change the psychology of conservation.”

Namgeir believes local people must take the lead in conservation efforts. “As locals, we share the mountain, so we have a responsibility to keep its numbers at the same level, if not increase,” he says. “They are the world’s most difficult animals to study, and we may never know how many there are. But we are committed to our efforts because protecting them protects us all.” Have to.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Humans were already present in Northern Europe 45,000 years ago

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Early European humans may have hunted mammoths in frozen landscapes

Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

When modern humans first began to settle in Europe, they headed straight to the cold north. Challenging excavations in Germany have revealed that our species was in the region at least 45,000 years ago, confirming earlier claims that our ancestors were in Britain shortly thereafter.

“They came into a very hostile environment,” he says
Jean-Jacques Hublin
At the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. “It felt like northern Finland.” [today]”

Modern people(homo sapiens) were the most recent humans to permanently settle in Europe about 45,000 years ago. Previously, this continent was dominated for hundreds of thousands of years by Neanderthals, who disappeared from the fossil record about 40,000 years ago.Modern humans and Neanderthals may have overlapped in France and Spain
Between 1400 and 2900.

“All the ancient humans, homo sapiens“This phenomenon occurred across Eurasia between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago,” Hublin said. This was a critical time, as multiple human species coexisted for millions of years, but only one survives today.

“This is the beginning of species invading every habitable crevice on Earth,” Hublin said. “I know it happened…but I don't know why or how it happened.”

of
transitional period
is a mystery. There are several types of stone structures from the period that may have been made by Neanderthals or modern humans. One is found at several archaeological sites in northern Europe.
Rincombians, Lanissians, Gerzmanovicians (LRJ) – Features a long leaf-shaped tip that may have been attached to a spear. These have never been found in association with confidently identified hominin bones. “I had no idea who made it,” Hublin said.

To find out, Hublin and his colleagues visited several locations where LRJ artifacts were obtained. Unfortunately, earlier archaeologists destroyed the ruins with shoddy excavation methods. The only exception was a cave called Ilsenhöhle near Ranis, Germany. Having collapsed several thousand years ago, initial excavations in the 1930s were difficult and some of the ruins were left in place. Havlin's team re-excavated and dug deep shafts into the relevant sediment layers.

So-called LRJ stone tools discovered in Germany's Ilsenhöhle Cave

Josephine Schubert, Burg Lanis Museum, (CC-BY-ND 4.0)

The excavation was said to have been “extremely difficult”.
Marie Solessi from Leiden University in the Netherlands was not involved in the study.

Havlin's team found many bone fragments buried in the sediment. They also reexamined similar fragments from the original excavations. Analysis of bone collagen proteins revealed that 13 species belong to the hominin family. To identify them more precisely, the research team extracted mitochondrial DNA, which humans inherit only from their mothers, from her 11 fragments. “they are homo sapiens” says Hublin.

The technology used was “first-class,” Solessi said. She also wants to see nuclear DNA. This is because these individuals may be hybrids with their Neanderthal fathers. Because it's not shown in mitochondrial DNA. However, she says this is “very unlikely”.

timing of homo sapiens The occupation of Ilsenhöhle is consistent with existing evidence. Havlin's team previously showed that modern humans lived in the Bacho Kilo cave in Bulgaria about 45,000 years ago. However, Ilsenhöhle is further north.

In the second study, Hublin's colleagues used chemical evidence obtained from preserved horse teeth to determine whether this region of Germany existed at the time, specifically between 45,000 and 43,000 years ago. It showed that the climate was cold. Again, this is consistent with previous evidence. In 2014, Hublin's team showed that modern humans lived in a cold steppe-like environment in Willendorf, Austria, north of the Alps.
43,500 years ago.

A third study examined animal bones collected at Ilsenhelle and revealed that the cave was primarily inhabited by cave bears and hyenas. This means that modern humans only existed intermittently.

This indicates “rapid occupation by a small group of 'pioneers',” Solessi said.

Similar claims have been made for France's Mandolin Cave, which may have been briefly inhabited by modern humans 54,000 years ago, before Neanderthals reclaimed the site.

Since the Ilsenhöhle LRJ tool is associated with modern humans, it is reasonable to assume that other LRJ artifacts were also created by modern humans. homo sapienssays Hublin. This means that modern humans arrived in Britain at an early date. A partial jawbone found in Kents Cave in Devon, England, has been tentatively identified and dated to a modern human.
Approximately 43,000 years ago – and was discovered along with the LRJ artifact.

topic:

archeology/
ancient humans

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Low Temperature Record Set by Large Molecules

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Vacuum chamber that cools four-atom molecules to near absolute zero

Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics

The four-atom molecule is the largest uncooled molecule to just 100 billionths of a degree below absolute zero.

Techniques researchers use to cool individual atoms, such as applying lasers or magnetic forces to them, have little effect on molecules. This is especially true for molecules made up of many atoms. Because to be very cold, the molecules must be very still. The more moving parts a molecule has, the more opportunities it has to move and heat up.

“There's a joke that we study molecules not because they're easy, but because they're difficult,” he says. Luo Xinyu at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany. He and his colleagues were able to make a four-atom molecule even cooler than before.

They started with thousands of molecules made up of one sodium atom and one potassium atom, trapped them in an airless chamber, and cooled them, or made them very still, with magnetic forces and bursts of light.of lowest possible temperature 0 Kelvin, or absolute zero; these molecules were only 97 billionths of a billionth of a degree Kelvin.

To turn these diatomic molecules into tetraatomic molecules, the researchers needed to combine them in pairs without warming them up. They used microwave fields to “glue” the molecules together, based on the following theoretical calculations. Tao Xi and Suey Chinese Academy of Sciences. “I didn't really know if I could put these molecules together, but Tao's team did the calculations and he said to me, 'This is possible, give it a try.'” says Luo.

Their attempt was successful. The researchers created about 1,100 molecules, each containing two potassium atoms and two sodium atoms, at a temperature of 134 billionths of a billionth of a kelvin. This is the largest molecule ever to reach this cryogenic temperature.

“One of the reasons we make molecules ultracold in the first place is so we can have more control over them, and this is a big step forward in that sense,” he says. john bourne At the University of Colorado Boulder. This new experiment is important not only because the molecules are at unprecedented temperatures, but also because at the coldest temperatures molecules can enter known quantum states and be forced into other states or processes. accuratelyhe says.

Luo says the atoms in these molecules are not “glued” to each other as strongly as the atoms in molecules at room temperature. But making them is a necessary step in studying complex chemical reactions, which are easier to observe when they are very cold and slow.

Next question is Is there something else, perhaps an even larger molecule? Using similar microwave technology, it could be made from similarly frigid materials at extremely low temperatures, he said. sebastian will At Columbia University in New York. “I think we are looking at exciting new opportunities in quantum chemistry!” he says.

topic:

chemistry /
quantum physics

Source: www.newscientist.com

App-Connected Smart Hat Detects Signal Changes and Sends Notifications

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This hat looks normal, but you can sense it when the traffic light changes color

Wang Zhihun

Flexible, wear-resistant strands of conductive fibers are used to make smart clothing with embedded computers and sensors, such as hats that can sense changes in signals.

Previous efforts to create fibers with wear-resistant coatings and conductive cores have encountered problems. When materials cool and shrink at different rates during manufacturing, or are twisted and cleaned once in the final product, small stress cracks can develop and often cause smart devices to stop working.

now, Rayway Researchers at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have discovered a conductive material that shrinks on cooling and does not develop stress cracks, similar to the aluminosilicate glass used in smartphone screens. The material borrows techniques from fiber-optic cable manufacturing, and the process is cheap and “industry-ready,” Wei said.

The technique involves placing a semiconductor wire made of silicon or germanium into molten glass at a temperature of about 1000 degrees Celsius and drawing it into thin strands. The glass is later etched away with hydrofluoric acid and replaced with a polymer coating that allows for a more flexible material. Fibers can stretch up to 10 kilometers.

A small amount of this fiber is then woven into fabric using a standard loom and regular cotton. Wei says the new material alone feels like “fishing line” on the skin, so cotton is needed to make the clothes comfortable.

The researchers used the fibers to create several prototypes, including electronic sensors and chips that communicate through conductive materials, such as a hat that detects changes in the color of traffic lights. It then passes that information to a smartphone app, a jumper that can receive and decode images sent by pulses of light rather than radio waves, and a watch strap that measures the wearer's heart rate.

In a six-month test where the garment was worn, washed and dried, the fibers were durable and continued to conduct electricity.

However, there are still weaknesses. The link between the flexible material and the rigid circuit board that holds computer chips and other components tends to fail after a few months, causing smart features to stop working.

“The only part that consistently leads to test failures is the connection between the fiber and the external circuitry,” Wei says. “The challenge now is to find a stable connection method.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Physicists’ Discovery Unveils Distribution of Strong Forces Within Protons

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The physics of proton gravitational form factors and their understanding in quantum chromodynamics have advanced significantly over the past two decades through both theory and experiment.a new paper inside modern physics review We provide an overview of this progress, highlighting the physical insights revealed by studies of the gravitational form factor and reviewing its interpretation in terms of the mechanical properties of protons.

A 2D representation of the quark contribution to the force distribution within the proton as a function of distance from the proton center. Light gray shading and long arrows indicate areas of stronger force, while dark gray shading and short arrows indicate areas of weaker force. Left panel: Normal force as a function of distance from center. The arrows change size and always point radially outward. Right panel: tangential force as a function of distance from center. The force changes direction and magnitude as indicated by the direction and length of the arrow. The sign of the force changes around 0.4 fm from the proton center. Image credit: Burkert other., doi: 10.1103/RevModPhys.95.041002.

“This measurement reveals insight into the environment experienced by the proton's components,” said Volker Burkert, principal investigator at the Jefferson Institute.

“A proton is made up of three quarks held together by a strong force.”

“At its peak, this amounts to more than four tons of force that would have to be applied to the quark to pull it out of the proton.”

“Of course, it is not possible in nature to separate just one quark from a proton because quarks have a property called color.”

“Protons have three colors mixed with quarks, and appear colorless from the outside. This is a requirement for them to exist in the universe.”

“When you try to extract a colored quark from a proton, the energy you invested in separating the quarks is used to create a meson, a pair of colorless quark and antiquark, leaving behind a colorless proton (or neutron).”

“In other words, the number four tons represents the strength of the force inherent in protons.”

The result is only the second of the mechanical properties of the protons to be measured.

Mechanical properties of protons include internal pressure (measured in 2018), mass distribution (physical size), angular momentum, and shear stress (shown here).

This result was made possible by predictions from half a century ago and data from 20 years ago.

In the mid-1960s, nuclear physicists realized that if they could observe how gravity interacted with subatomic particles like protons, such experiments could directly reveal the mechanical properties of protons. It was theorized that

“But at the time, we had no choice. For example, if you compare gravity to electromagnetic forces, there's a difference of 39 orders of magnitude. So it's pretty hopeless, right?” said Latifa El-Adhriri, a staff scientist at the Jefferson Institute. .

This data comes from experiments conducted at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at the Jefferson Research Institute.

A typical CEBAF experiment involves a high-energy electron interacting with another particle by exchanging a packet of energy and a unit of angular momentum called a virtual photon with the particle. The energy of an electron determines which particles it interacts with in this way and how it reacts.

In the experiment, a high-energy beam of electrons interacting with protons inside a target of liquefied hydrogen gas exerted a much greater force on the protons than the four tons needed to pull out the quark/antiquark pair.

“We have developed a program to study deep virtual Compton scattering,” said Dr. El-Adrili.

“This is where electrons exchange virtual photons with protons.”

“And in the final state, the proton stays the same but recoils, and you actually produce one very high-energy photon, and you also get a scattered electron.”

“At the time we acquired the data, we did not know that beyond the intended 3D imaging with these data, we were also collecting the data needed to access the mechanical properties of the protons.”

“It turns out that this particular process, the highly virtual Compton scattering, may be related to how gravity interacts with matter.”

“A general version of this relationship is stated in Einstein's 1973 textbook on general relativity.gravityWritten by Charles W. Meisner, Kip S. Thorne, and John Archibald Wheeler. ”

“In it, they say, “A massless spin 2 field would give rise to a force indistinguishable from gravity, because a massless spin 2 field would couple with a stress-energy tensor in the same way as a gravitational interaction.'' It is written as 'It is from.'.'.

“Thirty years later, theorist Maxim Polyakov continued this idea and established a theoretical foundation linking deep virtual Compton scattering processes and gravitational interactions.”

“This theoretical breakthrough establishes a relationship between measurements of deep virtual Compton scattering and the gravitational shape factor.”

“And we were able to take advantage of that for the first time and bring out the pressure that we gave during the game.” Nature A paper was published in 2018 and now normal and shear forces are being studied,” Dr. Burkert said.

“A more detailed explanation of the relationship between deep virtual Compton scattering processes and gravitational interactions is provided in a new paper describing the first results obtained from this study.”

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V.D. Burkert other. 2023. Colloquium: Gravitational shape factor of protons. Rev.Mod. Physics 95(4):041002; doi: 10.1103/RevModPhys.95.041002

Source: www.sci.news

Arabica Coffee Genome Sequenced at Chromosome Scale by Scientists

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

researchers Genomica Application Laboratory and elsewhere are releasing improved genome assemblies. Arabica coffee (arabica coffee tree)a hybrid of coffee tree and robusta coffee (Coffea genus) contributes to approximately 60% of the world's coffee production.

arabica coffee tree. Image credit: Fadil Askar.

arabica coffee tree derived from interbreeding between modern ancestors Coffea genus and another closely related coffee species, coffee tree.

As a result of this hybridization, arabica coffee treeflavor and its large and complex genome pose challenges to breeding and genetic research.

Some partial genome assemblies arabica coffee tree is currently available, but the mechanisms that generate its genetic diversity are unknown.

Researchers Michele Morgante and Gabriele Di Gaspero and their colleagues at the Istituto di Genomica Appplicata used the latest sequencing technology to generate a more complete genome assembly. arabica coffee treeallowing detailed analysis of its chromosomal structure.

Analysis of the genome, including previously inaccessible regions such as around centromeres, revealed differences in genome structure, function, and evolution contributed by the two ancestral species, particularly in genes involved in caffeine biosynthesis. found.

For this study, they also analyzed the genomes of 174 samples collected from different species within Earth. coffee genus and found a very low level of genetic diversity within it. arabica coffee tree.

Diversity found to be increasing in some regions arabica coffee tree Varieties of specific genomic regions due to two different sources of variation: chromosomal abnormalities and gene segments provided by so-called Timor hybrids. Arabica coffee x Canephora coffee tree A hybrid from East Timor.

This hybrid is the parent line for many modern varieties that combine disease resistance traits. Coffea genus And its unique flavor is arabica coffee tree.

The authors argue that genetic diversity arabica coffee tree Essential for commercial success, this discovery could help develop new coffee varieties with desirable traits, such as disease resistance or different flavor profiles.

“Resequence data from large accession sets reveal low intraspecific diversity at the center of species origin. arabica coffee tree” the authors write in their paper.

“Across a limited number of genomic regions, the diversity of some cultivated genotypes has increased to levels similar to that observed in one of the ancestral species. Coffea genusThis is probably the result of introgression derived from Timor hybrids. ”

“We also found that in addition to very few early exchanges between homologous chromosomes, there are many recent chromosomal abnormalities such as aneuploidies, deletions, duplications, and exchanges.”

“These phenomena are still polymorphic in the germplasm and may be the root cause of genetic variation in such low-variability species.”

of paper Published in this week's magazine nature communications.

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S. Scalabrine other. 2024.Chromosome-scale assembly reveals chromosomal abnormalities and exchanges that generate genetic diversity arabica coffee tree germ plasm. Nat Commune 15,463; doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44449-8

Source: www.sci.news

The Unexpected Advantages of an Asymmetric Face, Body, and Brain

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

When you look in the mirror, you may notice slight imbalances in your facial features, such as your nose crooked to the left, a wrinkle that only appears under one eye, or your ears slightly higher than the other. .

For centuries, this lack of perfect balance has been thought to detract from our beauty, and there are a number of services aimed at “fixing” it, from photo filters to cosmetic surgery. But asymmetry is built into the human body and brain, and for good reason. Moreover, new research suggests that it has little effect on your appeal to others.

First, lopsided arrangement of our internal organs. For most people, the heart, stomach, and spleen are all on the left side of the spinal cord, and the liver and gallbladder are on the right side. This makes more efficient use of thoracic and abdominal space compared to a structure that aligns all organs to the spine.

Why is the human brain asymmetrical?

What about your brain? Although her two hemispheres may appear to be reflective of each other, corresponding areas on each side have different responsibilities. You will notice the effect this has on your movements. If you're right-handed, it's because the left hemisphere of your brain, which is connected to the right side of your body, is slightly more specialized in controlling the fine muscles of your fingers, increasing your manual dexterity. .

You may be surprised to find that this “lateralization” is seen in many fields…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists Uncover Four New Emperor Penguin Colonies in Antarctica through Fecal Analysis

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguin, often weighing around 90 pounds. However, they also have one of the most precarious breeding methods on the planet.

To ensure their chicks leave the nest in the summer, they breed during the coldest months of the year, when temperatures are close to -50 degrees Fahrenheit and Antarctic winds can gust at 190 miles per hour. Male penguins keep their chicks warm by balancing eggs on their feet, and colonies of up to 5,000 penguins huddle together to stay warm, each with their own body temperature. They are said to be walking around with a limp so that they can take turns.

But these animals do all of their breeding on Antarctic sea ice, and last year’s sea ice reached its lowest peak since scientists started measuring it in 1979. Some scientists fear that the decline is now so extreme that it has become an inevitable snowball effect.

If the ice sheet breaks before the emperor penguin colony leaves its chicks, the chicks will fall into the water and die, Fretwell said. That has happened over the past two years, particularly in 2022, with another study by Fretwell published last year showing “complete breeding failure” in all but one of the five known breeding sites.

The new colonies identified by Fretwell are mostly small. They said in a paper published in the journal Antarctic Science that at least some penguins appear to have migrated because of unstable sea ice conditions.

“If the colonies fail, they will move to other areas,” Fretwell told NBC News.

“We spend all this time monitoring these animals and seeing if they can adapt to climate change, but the truth is that penguins ultimately need to adapt. Not us,” Fretwell added. “We need to end our dependence on fossil fuels, not just for penguins, but for all species and ourselves.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Despite its wealth, why is the United States still not as healthy as it should be?

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

People wait in line to get vaccinated at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Orlando, Florida, United States.

SOPA Image/LightRocket (via Gett)

People in the United States are watching with increasing caution. aging progresses Among Washington, DC's elected leaders, the two current leading candidates for the 2024 presidential election are currently 81 and 77 years old. But the longevity of the leadership stands in sharp contrast to the reality in other parts of the country. Americans are literally dying of disease.

Ten years ago, I led a study. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) This paper is the first to document that the United States has a disadvantage in health and survival among high-income countries.our report The United States has the lowest life expectancy of any country and has been shown to have high rates of morbidity and mortality from dozens of causes. This health and survival deficit has been growing for more than 40 years, affecting men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and of all races and ethnicities.

Average life

Meanwhile, other the study This trend has been confirmed as the life and death situation worsens. Life expectancy in the U.S., after plateauing for several years, had declined for three consecutive years before the global pandemic hit. What followed was devastating. COVID-19 has killed more than 1 million people in the United States and cut life expectancy by an additional two years, twice as much for Hispanics, Blacks, and Native Americans. This was the steepest decline in life expectancy since then. Second World War and nothing comparable happened other wealthy countries.

During the pandemic, Eight Among the 10 main causes of death, the following also increased: maternal and children and youth death. Given these harsh realities, the pressing question is why are Americans so unwell?in new scientist Ten years ago, I realized the reason was simple, yet deceptively complex. That's pretty much it.

Even a casual look at life in America today reveals an incredible situation.The country is entering its third decade of national deaths. opioid epidemic – unleashed by pharmaceutical industry – 110,000 lives were claimed in 2022 alone. And along with drugs, there are also bullets. In 2020 and 2021, Guns killed more American children It is more common among people between the ages of 1 and 17 to die from any other cause.

Circumstances that cause poor health, such as high economic levels inequality and instabilityalong with limited safety net Institutions and social support systems are found in every aspect of life. children and youth In the United States. For over 10 years now, Cross-border comparison The well-being of children and adolescents in wealthy countries shows that children in the United States are worse off than other children in virtually every area measured.

Health insurance

Given the poor health status of Americans, this country needs a reliable health care system. However, the United States is well known for being one of the most complex and fragmented nations. expensive medical system world.largely 30 million the american people No health insuranceAnd for millions of others, quality, affordable, and accessible health care is simply out of reach or effectively not available.

The final feature of the U.S. situation is one of its most important factors: systemic racism and the injustices that accompany it. In 2021, Average life For Asian Americans it was 84 years, for Hispanic Americans it was 78 years, for white Americans it was 77 years, for black Americans it was 72 years, and for Native Americans it was 67 years. native community They have long experienced some of the most severe health inequalities in this country, a direct reflection of the cumulative violence, trauma, and injustice inflicted on them over generations. . It is difficult to overstate the impact of racism in the United States today.

If health is wealth, then the United States is far from being the rich and powerful country many imagine.other countries will do well too do not have They will follow the Americans down this deadly path. And the United States should consider the many ways other industrialized democracies are achieving far better and more equitable health outcomes at far lower costs.

A longer version of this article was first published in German at Der Pragmaticus Verlag AG.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Newly Found Anti-Aging Cells Offer Potential for Prolonged Youthfulness

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The ‘fountain of youth’ isn’t locked away in a philosopher’s stone or a mythical body of water, according to new research. In fact, US scientists say the key to slowing aging is hidden within our bodies.

It was announced in new research that: The secret to anti-aging lies in white blood cells known as T cells. The researchers behind the study discovered that these cells can be reprogrammed into senescent cell-killing machines known as CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cells.

When they tested this treatment on mice, they lost weight, improved their metabolism and glucose tolerance, increased physical activity, and led healthier lives. Moreover, there is no tissue damage or toxicity.

“If you give this to old mice, it rejuvenates them. If you give this to young mice, it slows down the aging process. There are currently no other treatments that can do this.” Corina Amor Vegas is an assistant professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in the United States and one of the authors of the paper.

Researchers call this treatment a “living drug.” That’s because when CAR T cells are genetically modified, they become more aggressive in attacking a group of cells known as senescent cells.

Senescent cells are responsible for many of the conditions and diseases that develop as we age, such as obesity and diabetes. As the years go by, we accumulate more and more of them, and this causes a buildup of harmful inflammation. However, CAR T cells may be able to eliminate them and slow the effects of aging.

This treatment is already approved in the United States to treat blood cancers. But this is the first time scientists have shown that CAR T cells can slow or even reduce the effects of aging.

There are already drugs that can eliminate senescent cells, but these must be taken repeatedly. The effects of CAR T cells, on the other hand, are long-lasting. If he takes one dose when he is young, he will be protected for life.

“With CAR T cells, you could potentially get away with just one treatment. For chronic diseases, this is a big advantage. Think about the patients who need treatment,” said Amor Vegas. If administered intravenously, it will be fine for several years. ”

Scientists will then investigate whether the cells not only make you healthier for the rest of your life, but also help you live longer.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Recent Discovery of Messier 87 Black Hole Supports Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration resolved the central black hole of the giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M 87), known as M87*, the first-ever event horizon-scale black hole. I reported the image. . In a new paper, astronomers present new images of M87* from data collected by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Greenland Telescope, and several other instruments within the EHT. doing. These new images show the shadow of his M87* as predicted by general relativity. Interestingly, the peak brightness of the ring is shifted by about 30 degrees compared to the first image. This is consistent with the theoretical understanding of fluctuations due to turbulent matter around a black hole.

The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration has released new images of M87* from observations taken in April 2018, one year after the first observations in April 2017. The new observations reveal a familiar bright luminescent ring, the same size as the one originally observed. The brightest part of the ring has moved about 30 degrees to the 5 o'clock position compared to the 2017 image. Image credit: EHT Collaboration.

“A fundamental requirement of science is to be able to reproduce results,” says Dr. Keiichi Asada, an astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica.

“The confirmation of the ring in a completely new data set is a major milestone for our collaboration and a strong indication that we are observing the shadow of a black hole and the matter orbiting around it. .”

An image of M87* taken in 2018 is strikingly similar to what astronomers saw in 2017.

They see bright rings of the same size, with a dark central area and one side of the ring brighter than the other.

Because M87*'s mass and distance do not increase appreciably over a human lifetime, general relativity predicts that the diameter of the ring will remain the same from year to year.

The diameter stability measured in the 2017-2018 images strongly supports the conclusion that M87* is well described by general relativity.

“One of the remarkable properties of a black hole is that its radius strongly depends on only one quantity: its mass,” said Dr. Nitika Yadrapalli-Yurku, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“M87* is not a material that gains mass rapidly, so according to general relativity, its radius will change little throughout human history. We see our data confirm this prediction. That's very interesting.”

Although the size of the black hole's shadow did not change between 2017 and 2018, the location of the brightest region around the ring changed significantly.

The bright area rotated about 30 degrees counterclockwise and settled in the lower right part of the ring, at about the 5 o'clock position.

Historical observations of M87* with less sensitive arrays and a small number of telescopes also show that the shadow structure changes from year to year, but with low precision.

Although the 2018 EHT array cannot yet observe jets emerging from M87*, the black hole's axis of rotation predicted from the location of the brightest region around the ring is more consistent with the axis of jets seen at other wavelengths. Masu.

“The biggest change is that the brightness peak has moved around the ring, which is actually the first time in 2019 that “This is what we predicted when we announced the results.”

“According to general relativity, the size of the ring should remain approximately constant, but radiation from the turbulent and messy accretion disk around the black hole causes the brightest parts of the ring to move toward a common center. It wobbles around you.”

“The amount of wobble observed over time can be used to test theories about the magnetic field and plasma environment around the black hole.”

of new results appear in the diary astronomy and astrophysics.

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Collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope. 2024. The persistent shadow of M 87's supermassive black hole. I. Observation, Calibration, Imaging, and Analysis. A&A 681, A79; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202347932

Source: www.sci.news

Research Indicates Multicellularity Emerged in Streptococcal Plants Approximately One Billion Years Ago

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new study led by scientists at the University of Göttingen has provided evidence that the first multicellular streptococci probably existed about a billion years ago.

bierenbrodspot other. We sequenced 24 new transcriptomes of Klebsormidiophyceae and combined them with 14 previously published genome and transcriptome datasets. Image credit: Bierenbroodspot other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070.

streptococcus is best known as a clade of plants that contains a rich diversity of embryophytes (land plants).

However, next to the embryophytes there is a series of freshwater and terrestrial algae that are responsible for important information on the emergence of key traits in land plants.

this house, Klebsolmidioalgae stand out. Klebsolmydiophytes thrive in diverse environments, from the mundane (ubiquitous on tree bark and rocks) to extreme environments (from the Atacama Desert to Antarctica), display filamentous body surfaces, and can be found on land. They can show remarkable resilience as habitat colonizers.

Currently, the lack of a strong phylogenetic framework for Klebsolmydiophyceae hinders our understanding of the evolutionary history of these important traits.

Dr Tatyana Dariyenko, co-lead author of the study, said: “These small, hardy little creatures have a very high diversity in their morphology and are very good at living in sometimes very harsh environments. “It's really interesting that we're adapting.”

“Our comprehensive sampling aimed to map the global distribution of Klebsolmydiophyceae and highlight its adaptability, ecological importance and hidden diversity.”

“We analyzed the molecular clock based on genetic data calibrated using fossils.”

When delving into the complex evolutionary history of Klebsolmydiophyceae, Dr. Darienko and colleagues faced the challenge of disentangling phylogenetic relationships using traditional markers.

To overcome this, they utilized hundreds of genes obtained from the transcriptomes of 24 isolates from different continents and habitats.

“Our approach, known as phylogenomics, was to reconstruct the evolutionary history by considering whole genomes or large parts of genomes,” said Iker Irisarri, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. Ta.

“This very powerful method allows us to reconstruct evolutionary relationships with very high precision.”

Researchers have uncovered a new phylogenetic tree for the family Klebsormydiophyceae, revealing that it can be divided into three orders.

“A deep dive into phylogenetic frameworks and our molecular clocks has revealed the ancient ancestor of Klebsormydiophyceae, a multicellular entity that flourished millions of years ago. Its descendants began to diverge into three distinct branches more than 800 million years ago,” said co-lead author Maaike Bierenbroodspot.

Scientists are investigating the evolutionary history of multicellularity within streptococci.

They discovered that the ancient common ancestor of land plants, other chain algae, and Klebsormydiophyceae was already multicellular.

“This discovery reveals the genetic potential of multicellularity among streptococci and shows that the origins of this important trait date back almost a billion years,” said co-author Jan de Vries. the professor said.

of study It was published in the magazine current biology.

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Maike J. Bielenbrodspot other. Phylogenomic insights into the first multicellular streptococci. current biology, published online on January 19, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070

Source: www.sci.news

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes is More Challenging Than Clinical Trials Indicate

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Insulin injections help control type 2 diabetes

Inner/Shutterstock

People with type 2 diabetes who lose weight while participating in clinical trials appear to be significantly more likely to have their symptoms reversed than those who lose weight outside of such studies.

Treatments such as insulin injections can help people with type 2 diabetes maintain healthy blood sugar levels. However, if you are overweight or obese, your symptoms may improve when you lose weight.

In fact, less than 10 percent of people with type 2 diabetes who lose weight outside of these trials actually lose weight, even when followed for several years. Wu Hongjian At the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In exams, this number can be closer to 90%.

These discrepancies may be due to sometimes different definitions of what it means to reverse type 2 diabetes, as well as the support and different interventions that often accompany participation in clinical trials. he says.

To better understand this, Dr. Wu and colleagues looked at more than 37,000 people in Hong Kong aged 18 to 75 who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2000 and 2017, about half of whom were women. ) was studied.

Each participant was followed for an average of just under eight years, and the researchers looked at how their weight changed in the year after diagnosis and whether their symptoms improved during the study period.

The researchers measured glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, which reflect the participants’ blood sugar status over several months. To reverse type 2 diabetes, also called remission, Generally defined as an HbA1c of less than 6.5 percent. When measured at least 3 months after stopping treatment. The researchers were investigating whether these levels occurred during her two consecutive tests conducted six months apart.

The research team only measured the participants’ weight one year after diagnosis, at which point 2% were in remission and half had gained weight, Wu said.

By the end of the study, 6% were in remission at some point, Wu said. About two-thirds of these people needed diabetes medication to get their symptoms back under control within three years.

However, by simply recording participants’ weight one year after diagnosis, the researchers were not able to determine whether the participants continued to gain weight or whether other factors, such as gaining weight at a particular time, could account for some of the weight. We do not know whether it brought participants out of remission. Fat that accumulates around the waist and certain internal organs.

In contrast, one small clinical trial found that up to 86% of type 2 diabetics who lost at least 15 kg went into remission within 1 year. People participating in such studies often benefit from professional dietary management, physical exercise programs, moral support, regular monitoring, feedback, reminders and encouragement, Wu says.

But even people who participate in the control groups of some clinical trials and don’t undergo intensive weight loss programs have higher remission rates than what was seen in Wu’s team’s study.

That may be because, outside of clinical trials, doctors are often reluctant to advise patients with type 2 diabetes to stop treatment, he says. This likely also has to do with differences in how remission is defined, Wu said, since trials often require only one HbA1c measurement in a healthy patient.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Webb’s Observation of a Massive Star-Forming Complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Use of Mid-infrared measuring instrument With (MIRI) aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have captured stunning images of N79, a region of interstellar ionized hydrogen in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

This Hubble image shows star-forming region N79 located 163,000 light-years away in the constellation Sera. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / M. Meixner.

N79 is a massive star-forming complex spanning about 1,630 light-years in the generally unexplored southwestern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring dwarf galaxy about 163,000 light-years from us.

This region is usually considered a younger version of the 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula.

N79 has a star formation efficiency more than twice that of Doradas 30 over the past 500,000 years.

This particular image centers on one of three giant molecular cloud complexes called N79 South (S1 for short).

The distinctive “starburst” pattern surrounding this bright object is a series of diffraction spikes.

“All telescopes that use mirrors to collect light, like Webb, have this form of artifact resulting from the design of the telescope,” Webb astronomers said.

“For Webb, the six largest starburst spikes appear due to the hexagonal symmetry of Webb's 18 primary mirror segments.”

“Such patterns are only noticeable around very bright and compact objects, where all the light comes from the same place.”

“Most galaxies appear very small to our eyes, but we don't see this pattern because they are dimmer and more spread out than a single star.”

“At the longer wavelengths of light captured by MIRI, Webb's view of N79 shows glowing gas and dust in the region.”

“This is because mid-infrared light can reveal what's going on deep within the cloud (whereas shorter wavelength light is absorbed or scattered by dust particles within the nebula). Still embedded Some protostars also appear in this region.”

Star-forming regions such as N79 are of interest to astronomers because their chemical composition is similar to that of giant star-forming regions observed in the early universe.

“The star-forming regions of our Milky Way galaxy are not producing stars at the same ferocious rate as N79 and have a different chemical composition,” the astronomers said.

“Webb now offers us the opportunity to compare and contrast observations of star formation in N79 with deep telescopic observations of distant galaxies in the early universe.”

“These observations of N79 are part of the Webb program to study the evolution of circumstellar disks and envelopes of forming stars over a wide range of masses and at different evolutionary stages.”

“Webb's sensitivity allows us to detect for the first time disks of planet-forming dust around stars of the same mass as the Sun at distances in the Large Magellanic Cloud.”

Source: www.sci.news

Experience the World from Different Animal Perspectives

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Most animals see the world differently than humans, and now it's a little easier to see through their eyes. Using two cameras and some software, the system can create videos that show people what a scene looks like to different species.

“We went outside to photograph birds in the trees, and only then did the brightness of the ultraviolet-colored sky sink in,” he says. Bella Vasas at Queen Mary University of London. “The color of the sky for most animals is different from the color of the sky for us.”

Vasas and colleagues used two commercial cameras housed in 3D-printed cases to record video in both visible and ultraviolet light. They then ran that footage through the software they developed to estimate the wavelengths of light that a particular animal sees with the naked eye. The program processes video frames to reflect the perspective of a particular animal.

The results include a colorful video showing a bee watching a caterpillar reveal hidden body parts to fight off predators, and a close-up of a jumping spider. The camera system works best within 2 meters (6 feet) of the animal, which is not moving so fast that the camera loses focus. Daniel Hanley Co-authored by researchers at George Mason University in Virginia. He says the method works on many insects, spiders, lizards, turtles, birds and mammals.

The “gold standard” for this type of research, he said, is hyperspectral imaging, a technique that can capture uniform wavelengths of light across the visible and ultraviolet spectrum. Jolyon Troscianko at the University of Exeter, UK. But while such equipment costs him more than $20,000, a new camera system costs only a few thousand dollars. This could allow it to be used more widely for photographing moving, life-like animal exhibits. “Imagine a bird of paradise that shows color instantly,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Atomic scientists set the ‘Doomsday Clock’ closer to midnight than ever before

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

WASHINGTON – Atomic scientists on Tuesday pushed the “Doomsday Clock” closer to midnight than ever before, warning Russia's nuclear weapons actions amid the invasion of Ukraine, nuclear-armed Israel's war in Gaza, and worsening climate change on a global scale. cited as a factor causing the crisis. A disaster.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, as it did last year, set the clock to 90 seconds to midnight, the theoretical extinction point. Scientists set the clock based on “existential” risks to the planet and its people, such as nuclear threats, climate change, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and new biotechnologies.

“Conflict hotspots around the world threaten nuclear escalation, climate change is already causing death and destruction,” Rachel Bronson, the magazine's president and CEO, told Reuters. “Disruptive technologies such as AI and biological research are advancing faster than safeguards.” He added that the fact that there is no change from the previous year “does not indicate that the world is stable.”

A staff member shows the position of the minute hand of the “Doomsday Clock” in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2024. Jacqueline Martin/Associated Press

The Chicago-based nonprofit created the clock in 1947 to warn the public of how close humanity was to global destruction.

Russian massive invasion of Ukraine is set to celebrate its second anniversary next month, and tensions with the West have escalated to the most dangerous levels since the Cold War.

“A permanent end to Russia’s war in Ukraine seems far away, and the possibility that Russia will use nuclear weapons in that conflict remains serious. Over the past year, Russia has sent a number of alarming nuclear signals. '' Bronson said.

Bronson quoted the Russians President Vladimir Putin To be determined in February 2023 Suspend Russia's participation In the New START Treaty with the United States, which limits both countries' strategic nuclear weapons. The United States and Russia possess nearly 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, enough to destroy the Earth multiple times.

Bronson also referenced President Putin's March 2023 announcement regarding Russia's weapons deployment. tactical nuclear weapons Belarusian and Russian parliaments pass laws in October 2023 withdraw ratification A global treaty banning nuclear weapons testing. Russian analyst Sergei Karaganov also spoke last year about the need to threaten nuclear strikes in Europe to intimidate and “calm down” Moscow's enemies.

Israel has so far at war with Hamas According to an Israeli tally, about 1,200 people have been killed since the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic extremist group launched attacks in southern Israel in October 2023. More than 25,000 people have been killed in the Israeli military offensive, according to Gaza health authorities.

“As a nuclear-armed state, Israel's actions are clearly relevant to the Doomsday debate. Of particular concern is the possibility of a broader escalation of conflict in the region, leading to larger conventional wars and more “It could draw in nuclear or near-nuclear states,” Bronson said.

When watches were first made, the greatest danger came from nuclear weapons. climate change It was first considered as a factor in 2007.

“The world in 2023 has been hit by a major disaster and has entered uncharted territory. hottest year on record And global greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise,” Bronson said. “Global and North Atlantic sea surface temperatures both broke records, and Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest daily area since the advent of satellite data.”

Bronson said 2023 was also a record year for clean energy, with $1.7 trillion in new investment. But this was offset by nearly $1 trillion in fossil fuel investments, Bronson added.

“This shows that current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while promising, are far from sufficient to avoid the dangerous human and economic impacts of climate change, and that Changes disproportionately affect the world's poorest people,” Bronson said.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by scientists such as Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. It relies on a panel of experts in nuclear technology and climate science to set the clock each year. This watch was first introduced during the Cold War tensions following World War II.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Overcoming the Midlife Spread: It’s Not About Metabolism, But We Have the Solution

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Few life milestones are less glamorous and ritualistic than the arrival of middle age. Our skin becomes visibly looser, we get more gray hair, and of course our clothes usually start to feel a little tighter, especially around the waist.

The last one is known as the midlife spread, and it's a commonly accepted idea that as we get older, we start to gain weight around our abdomen. This extra weight is said to be easier to gain and less stable than when we were younger, and it is thought that our active metabolism may slow down as we age. You can no longer get away with consuming this much, and your efforts to get rid of your stomach through diet and exercise will become a losing battle.

So far so miserable. However, in July last year, A study of more than 6,000 people around the world quickly debunked this idea.. It showed that our metabolism remains remarkably stable as we age, at least until our 60s. “From age 20 to age 60, the amount of calories you burn per day is about the same,” says Herman Pontzer of Duke University in North Carolina. “It turns out we have a much lower ability to control our metabolism than we thought.” This will be welcome news for those approaching the age of 45 (usually defined as those between 45 and 65) and facing a frightening epidemic. But that leaves a burning question: If metabolism isn't to blame, what is? And what can you do?

The spread of middle age is even more…

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Weight Loss Drugs: Will Ozempic, Wegovy and Future Solutions Finally Conquer Obesity?

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

There are TikTok hashtags with millions of followers, endless columns about celebrity waistlines, and a flurry of media coverage when test results come out. It is rare for a new drug to receive so much attention. However, it is even more rare for approved drugs to cause safe and rapid weight loss with minimal effort.

A year ago, most people had never heard of semaglutide. Semaglutide is a drug developed about 10 years ago under the brand name Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes. It was later approved as a weight loss aid in the US in 2021 under the name Wegovy. With this drug, people can lose a whopping 15% of their body weight.

The impact of this new class of medicines could be unprecedented and could end the world's growing obesity epidemic. “I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet,” he says. Jonathan Campbell At Duke University in North Carolina, he studies how these drugs affect the body.

First, Wegovy was just the beginning. The next generation of these drugs is in development and will be cheaper, easier to use, and, importantly, even more powerful. Additionally, new evidence suggests that Wegovy and its similar products are more effective when given at a younger age, so doctors are considering their use in teenagers and young children. This increases the possibility of switching from obesity treatment to prevention. “Over the past 40 years, we have seen the obesity landscape change dramatically,” Campbell says. “Now we may be at a tipping point where that goes backwards.”

Why is obesity on the rise?

The rise in obesity has been occurring since the 1970s…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Revolutionary Method for Ending Pregnancy Nausea Quickly: Discover the Morning Sickness Cure

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

We have all experienced vomiting at some stage in our lives. Whether it’s due to a nasty bout of food poisoning or the well-known norovirus that infects the population episodically. And we can all agree that it’s scary.

But imagine what it would do to you physically, mentally, and emotionally if you were to expect constant nausea and vomiting at a critical stage in your life.this is the reality for them
4 in 5 women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Even mild cases can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting.

for 3% of women develop a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum.things get worse and require hospitalization and treatment.

According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2022 this will result in: 20,000 women hospitalized.

But until recently, little was known about the causes of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the more nausea and vomiting you have, the healthier your pregnancy, and even suggests that it is related to the number of babies you have.

However, real-world evidence shows this is not true. In fact, nausea and vomiting can vary widely in severity and pattern during pregnancy.

Often referred to as “morning sickness,” nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can occur at any time of the day or night. Usually it’s worse for the first 12 weeks, then it calms down. However, for many women, it lasts throughout the pregnancy.

Read more about women’s health:

However, after more than 20 years of research in this field, a breakthrough has been made that identifies a causal relationship. This was promoted by Dr. Malena Fezo, a geneticist at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Fezo was inspired to pursue this career after suffering from severe nausea and vomiting during her second pregnancy in 1999. She was unable to eat or drink without vomiting, and she rapidly lost weight and became so weak that she could no longer stand or walk.

However, doctors were skeptical that she might be exaggerating her symptoms to get attention. Fezo was eventually hospitalized and she miscarried at 15 weeks.

Fezo will conduct genetic research on previously pregnant women in collaboration with 23andMe, a private company that allows individuals to send samples of their DNA to determine health status and insights into their ancestry. did.

She identified a link with a woman who suffered from severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (requiring an intravenous fluid). and a variant of the gene encoding a protein named GDF15, a hormone that acts on the brain stem.

This association pinpointed the need for further research to understand the role of GDF15 protein in pregnancy.

GDF15 is secreted by the placenta during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. It also likely plays a role in preventing the mother from biologically rejecting the baby, which is essential to allowing the pregnancy to continue. However, GDF15 has been shown to regulate physiological body weight and appetite through the brain. This substance is produced in excess in cancer patients who suffer from severe appetite and weight loss.

In addition to previous research, research led by Fejzo and the University of Cambridge Professor Stephen O'Rahilly We found that the level of GDF15 was high. Seen in women with severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. However, the effects of this hormone appear to depend on the woman's susceptibility and her exposure to GDF15 before pregnancy. Women who received higher levels of exposure before pregnancy had higher levels of the GDF15 hormone but did not have symptoms of nausea or vomiting.

It has been hypothesized that long-term exposure to GDF15 before pregnancy may have a protective effect and reduce a woman’s sensitivity to the hormonal surge caused by fetal development.

This exposure relationship is very unique and provides more understanding and knowledge as well as the potential that women may be desensitized by increasing their exposure to hormones before pregnancy. It also suggests possible treatments. Just like some people treat food allergies with controlled exposure therapy.

Many of the common symptoms affecting women, such as nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, are poorly understood despite their very high incidence. Women’s healthcare is not a niche, and there is much to understand and learn through this type of research.

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Amazing Way Insects Survive Raindrops: A Stunning Slow-motion Video

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Although water striders are small insects, they have an amazing ability to withstand the impact of raindrops that are tens of times heavier than themselves. Slow-motion video of being crushed by water reveals tricks to avoid being crushed by water, including how to ride a water jet, shoot into the air and somersault before landing. There is.

As their name suggests, water striders can be found walking along the surface of ponds, lakes, and rivers around the world. They have long legs covered in microscopic hairs that trap air and help the insect float in water.

“One day I saw them skating by the water and thought, ‘What do they do when it rains?'” andrew dickerson at the University of Tennessee. The weight of a raindrop is more than 40 times that of an adult water strider. “How do they survive? Submerged or thrown into the air?” he added.

To investigate, Dickerson and his colleagues placed several water striders in a glass aquarium filled with water, applied droplets of water, and recorded the creatures’ reactions on slow-motion video.

The researchers noticed that when raindrops hit insects on the water’s surface, the insects initially remained unharmed because of their low density. However, it was dragged into the resulting impact crater. The crater’s collapse then spewed out a stream of water that returned to the surface, taking the insects with it.

In a few cases, the researchers witnessed water striders jumping from the water jets before they returned to the surface. “It was so beautiful. You could see it do backflips out of that jet,” Dickerson says.

However, if the water strider cannot escape from the jet of water, it will be sucked back down. Luckily, their hairy, water-repellent feet allowed them to float and swim back to the surface.

“This is the equivalent of them surviving when we get hit by a car, and in some cases going through a very acrobatic journey in the process,” Dickerson said. .

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The prehistoric gliding reptile of Britain.

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The gliding-winged reptile called Queneosaurus lived in what is now the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, during the Triassic period, about 210 million years ago.

Queneosaurus latus (right) and Queneosuchus latissimus (left). Image credit: Nobu Tamura http://spinops.blogspot.com.

Queneosaurus Although they resembled lizards, they were more closely related to crocodiles and dinosaur ancestors.

It was a small animal that could fit in the palm of your hand.

There were two species: Queneosaurus latus and Queneosuchus latissimus.

One had broad wings, the other short wings, made of a layer of skin stretched over elongated transverse ribs, which allowed it to swoop from tree to tree.

Like a modern flying lizard draco Hailing from Southeast Asia, they are likely to roam the ground or climb trees in search of insect prey.

When startled or when they saw a tasty insect flying by, they could fly into the air and land safely 10 meters away.

The discovery was made by Mike Cawthorn, a student at the University of Bristol, and his colleagues.

The authors examined a large number of reptile fossils taken from three limestone quarries: Enborough, Butscombe and Highcroft. These quarries were located on the largest subtropical island at the time, Mendip Paleo Island.

In addition to Queneosaurus latus and Queneosuchus latissimusthey recorded the existence of Trilophosaurus, a reptile with complex teeth. Variodence and aquatic life Pachystropheus It probably lived a bit like modern otters, eating shrimp and small fish.

These creatures fell or their bones were washed away into caves and limestone cracks.

“The beasts were all small. We were hoping to find dinosaur bones or even isolated teeth, but in fact we found everything but dinosaurs,” Cawthorn said.

“The collections I studied were created in the 1940s and 1950s, when the quarries were still active, and paleontologists could visit to see fresh rock surfaces and talk to the quarrymen. is completed.”

Professor Mike Benton, from the University of Bristol, said: “It took a huge amount of effort to identify the fossil bones, most of which were separate and not part of the skeleton.”

“But we have a lot of comparative material and Mike Cawthorn was able to compare the isolated jaw and other bones with more complete specimens from other sites around Bristol.”

“He showed that the ancient Mendip islands, some 30km long, stretching from Frome in the east to Weston-super-Mare in the west, were home to a wide variety of small reptiles that fed on plants and insects.”

“He didn’t find any dinosaur bones, but dinosaur bones have been found elsewhere in the same geological period around Bristol, so dinosaur bones may have been there.”

During the Late Triassic period, 200 million years ago, the area around Bristol was an archipelago of small islands in a warm subtropical sea.

“These bones were collected in the 1940s and 1950s by some of the great fossil finders, including Tom Fry, an amateur collector at the University of Bristol, who often cycled to the quarry and picked up heavy stones. “They came home with bags of stuff,” said Dr David from the University of Bristol. white side.

“Other collectors were Walter Kuehne, a talented German researcher who was imprisoned in Britain during World War II, and Pamela L. Robinson of University College London.”

“They donated the specimens to the Natural History Museum in London and the Geology Collection at the University of Bristol.”

team's paper Published in Proceedings of the Association of Geologists.

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Michael Cawthorn other. A modern Triassic terrestrial microvertebrate assemblage from caves at Emborough Quarry, Batscombe Quarry and Hycroft Quarry on the Old Islands of Mendip, south-west England. Proceedings of the Association of Geologists, published online on January 20, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2023.12.003

Source: www.sci.news

Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Urban Center System in the Ecuadorian Amazon Dating Back 2,500 Years

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The Amazon forest is dense as it is and difficult to penetrate, either on foot or with scanning technology. But over the past few years, improved light detection and ranging scans have begun to penetrate the forest canopy, revealing previously unknown evidence of past Amazonian cultures. In a new paper, CNSR archaeologist Stephen Rostain and his colleagues describe evidence of such an Amazonian agricultural culture that began more than 2,000 years ago. The authors described more than 6,000 platforms distributed in a geometric pattern connected by roads and intertwined with agricultural landscapes and river drainage channels in the Upano Valley of Amazonian Ecuador, at the eastern foothills of the Andes. Such large-scale early development in the Upper Amazon resembles similar Maya urban systems in Central America.

Rostain other. They discovered a dense system of pre-Hispanic urban centers, characterized by constructed platforms and plazas, and connected by large straight roads.Image credit: Rostain other., doi: 10.1126/science.adi6317.

Although a growing number of studies focus on the extent and scale of pre-Hispanic occupation of the Amazon, evidence of large-scale urbanization remains elusive.

Rostain and his co-authors found evidence of an agricultural civilization that began more than 2,500 years ago in the Upano Valley of Amazonian Ecuador, a region at the eastern foothills of the Andes.

“Based on more than 20 years of interdisciplinary research, including fieldwork and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) mapping, we depict urbanism on a scale never before recorded in Amazonia,” they said. said.

“We describe the construction of more than 6,000 anthropogenic rectangular earth platforms and plazas connected by footpaths and roads and surrounded by extensive agricultural landscapes and river drainages within 300 km.² This is the research area. ”

The authors identified at least 15 different settlements of varying size based on clusters of structures.

However, the most notable element of this built environment is the extensive and complex regional road network that connects the city center with the surrounding hinterland.

Archaeological excavations show that the construction and occupation of the platforms and roads took place between 500 BC and 300-600 AD, and was carried out by groups of the Kiramopu culture and later the Upano culture.

Such large-scale early development in the upper Amazon is comparable to similar Maya urban systems recently noted in Mexico and Guatemala.

“The Upano site is different from other monumental sites discovered in the Amazon; these are more recent and less extensive,” the researchers said.

“Discoveries like this are another vivid example of how the Amazon's dual heritage, not only environmental but also cultural and indigenous, is undervalued.”

“We believe it is important to radically revise preconceptions about the Amazonian world and, in doing so, reinterpret contexts and concepts in terms necessary for inclusive and participatory science.”

team's paper Published in the January 11th issue of the magazine science.

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Stefan Rostain other. 2024. Two thousand years of garden urbanization in the upper Amazon River basin. science 383 (6679): 183-189; doi: 10.1126/science.adi6317

Source: www.sci.news

Interview with Jim Peebles: Renowned cosmologist discusses the search for deeper theories of the universe

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Jim Peebles is widely known as the architect of modern cosmology and its nice-guy chief executive.give half a share of 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, the committee said he “took up the universe” and helped create the framework known as the Standard Model of Cosmology, which is now considered “the basis of modern understanding of the history of the universe.” Others described him as an “extraordinary physicist” and “extraordinarily thoughtful, polite and kind.”

Now the Albert Einstein Professor Emeritus of Science at Princeton University, Peebles' career began there in the 1960s, focusing on Einstein's theory of general relativity, in which gravity occurs as a result of distortions of mass in spacetime. . He later characterized the cosmic microwave background (CMB), an “echo” of the Big Bang, a discovery that made cosmology an experimental science. He also showed that halos of dark matter around galaxies create a mass distribution consistent with astronomers' observations, and that the description of our universe requires reinstatement of Einstein's much-derided cosmological constant. I convinced the field that there was. Initially incorporated into the equations of general relativity as an unwieldy trick, it is now thought of as dark energy, the repulsive force driving the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Despite the success of the standard cosmological model, Peebles has always sought to undermine it. In recent years, he has focused his musings on observing astronomical anomalies – strange galaxies and other interesting phenomena – that may expose flaws in our thinking.

he says new scientist On his vision for cosmology and why it's important to deviate from the mainstream…

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Evidence of Ice-Rich Layered Deposits Found at Medusae Fossai by Mars Express

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Over 15 years ago ESA's Mars Express spacecraft studied the Fossae Formation of Medusae and revealed mysterious deposits up to 2.5 km deep. These early observations left it unclear what the sediment was made of, but a new study provides an answer.

This image shows a height map of the surface of Mars, with the lowest land areas shown in blue and the highest land areas shown in white. Image credit: ESA.

of Formation of medusae fossa (MFF) – a huge and unusual soft rock deposit near Mars' equator – is about one-fifth the size of the continental United States and 100 times the mass of the largest explosive volcanic deposits on Earth.

It consists of several wind-carved features hundreds of kilometers in diameter and several kilometers high.

This feature, discovered at the boundary between highlands and lowlands on Mars, is probably the largest single source of dust on Mars.

Initial observations from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft show that the MFF is relatively transparent to radar and has low density, both characteristics seen in ice deposits.

But planetary scientists couldn't rule out the possibility that the terrain is actually drier, a huge accumulation of windblown dust, volcanic ash, or sediment.

“When we reexamined the MFF using new data from Mars Express's MARSIS radar, we found that the deposits were even thicker than we thought,” said Dr. Thomas Watters, a planetary researcher at the Smithsonian Institution. It's up to 3.7 kilometers thick,” said Dr. Thomas Watters, a planetary researcher at the Smithsonian Institution.

“Interestingly, the radar signal is consistent with what we would expect to see from layered ice, and is similar to the signal seen from the polar caps of Mars, which we know are very ice-rich.”

“If it were to melt, the ice trapped in the MFF would cover the entire planet in a layer of water 1.5 to 2.7 meters deep. This would be the largest amount of water ever discovered in this region of Mars. That's enough to fill Earth's Red Sea.”

“This is where the new radar data comes in. Given its depth, if the MFF is just a huge dust pile, we would expect it to be compressed under its own weight,” says the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics. said researcher Dr. Andrea Cicchetti.

“This will produce something much denser than what we're actually seeing with MARSIS.”

“And when we modeled how different materials behave without ice, nothing reproduced the properties of MFF. We need ice.”

“The new results suggest that there is instead a layer of dust and ice, topped by a protective layer of dry dust or ash hundreds of meters thick.”

In this image, the white line on Mars' surface (top) indicates the stretch of land scanned by Mars Express's MARSIS radar. The graph below shows the topography and subsurface structure of the land, with layers of dry sediment (likely dust or volcanic ash) shown in brown and layers of likely ice-rich sediment shown in blue. I am. The graph shows that the ice deposits are thousands of meters high and hundreds of kilometers wide. Once all the suspected water ice in the MFF melts, Mars will be covered by an ocean of water up to 2.7 meters deep. Image credit: CReSIS / KU / Smithsonian Institution.

“This latest analysis challenges our understanding of the MFF and raises as many questions as it answers,” said ESA Project Scientist for Mars Express and the ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. said Dr. Colin Wilson.

“How long ago did these ice deposits form? What was Mars like at that time?”

“If confirmed to be water ice, these giant deposits could change our understanding of Mars' climate history.”

“Any ancient water reservoir would be an attractive target for human or robotic exploration.”

Result is, journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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thomas watters other. 2024. Evidence for ice-rich layered deposits in the Medusa Fossa Formation on Mars. Geophysical Research Lettersin press.

Source: www.sci.news

Slowing Aging and Preventing Dementia Through Restoration of Brain Mitochondria

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Protein plaques in the brain may be caused by mitochondrial dysfunction

Sebastian Kauritzky/Alamy

If you own a car, you’ve probably noticed that your engine becomes less efficient over time. The farther you drive, the more fuel it takes to cover the same distance. Eventually, you’ll end up with so little power that you need a physical push to climb a gentle hill.

It is now becoming clear that much the same holds true for the human brain. Microscopic structures called mitochondria, found in all brain cells, are literally the engines of our thoughts and emotions. As we age, we find it increasingly difficult to generate enough energy to power mental activity. Worse, just like an old car leaves behind a cloud of smoke, the power source of our cells begins to produce unnecessary waste products that slowly pollute our brains. This means that mitochondrial dysfunction may underlie some of the most serious brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and motor neuron disease.

According to this “grand unified theory” of neurodegeneration, recharging neurons through restoration of their power plants can prolong healthy brain function. This idea has already inspired some exciting new treatments for age-related brain diseases, with multiple drug candidates under investigation. Some researchers are exploring the possibility of transplanting healthy mitochondria into damaged, aging brains to reactivate them. “If you keep replacing the parts in your car, it can last forever,” he says. claudio soto, a neurologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. “So what happens if we try to run this…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Confining Atoms in a Small Tube Creates a Strange “Primary Gas”

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A single atom of krypton trapped in a Buckminsterfullerene cage

University of Nottingham

The krypton atoms become stuck in a “traffic jam” inside the carbon nanotube, unable to pass through each other, allowing scientists to more easily observe how the krypton atoms interact. Researchers hope that this “primary energetic body” can shed light on fundamental physical forces.

Andrey Klobistov and his colleagues at the University of Nottingham, UK, have discovered that the narrow space restricts movement and makes it easier to observe the inside of carbon nanotubes, which are just 1.5 nanometers thick (one-half millionth the width of a human hair). He spent years studying chemical reactions. They have now developed a way to do the same thing with atoms of the rare gas krypton, creating a so-called one-dimensional gas.

The researchers used a buckminsterfullerene molecule, a spherical cage made of 60 carbon atoms, with a krypton atom trapped inside. These molecules are sucked into the carbon nanotube by van der Waals forces, weak attractive forces caused by fluctuations in the electron cloud surrounding the atomic nucleus. Once filled, the tube is heated to 1200 °C and the cage is destroyed. The carbon atoms are absorbed into the nanotube, leaving behind a string of krypton atoms.

A single atom of krypton confined in a Buckminsterfullerene cage inside a nanotube, observed with an electron microscope

University of Nottingham

Klovistov said the result is like a “traffic jam” in which atoms can be observed slowly, rather than flying around at up to 400 meters per second, as they often do in three-dimensional gases. The group used a transmission electron microscope to image atoms, allowing them to accurately measure the distances between them.

“They fundamentally change their behavior,” Klovistov said. “This is a very interesting system. We can track their trajectories, how they move and how they interact. This is a great toy to play with with noble gases. “We can gain a fundamental understanding of the behavior of atoms under extreme confinement.”

Other researchers have already observed that krypton atoms form pairs held together by van der Waals forces. This phenomenon is difficult to observe in unconstrained atoms and can also occur within nanotubes. Klobistov said future experiments will be “full of surprises.”

Future research will investigate how temperature affects primary gas. If you reduce the temperature of a gas in three-dimensional space, it will condense into a liquid and then solidify, but there is no guarantee that the same rules will apply in his one dimension.

“Maybe there's no such thing as a 1D liquid, it's just a 1D solid. It's a bit of a voyage of discovery,” says Klobistov.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

At the moment, AI is cost-prohibitive for automating vision-related jobs.

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

AI has great capabilities, but remains an expensive option for some tasks

Yuichiro Kayano/Moment RF/Getty Images

Artificial intelligence may find its way into many people's jobs, but AI computer vision technology is still cheap enough to be valuable to most U.S. companies today, according to Fortune 500 CEOs and Silicon Valley leaders. Not. This finding comes from a study of human tasks, particularly those involving vision, that are at risk of machine automation.

In this study, researchers focused on whether vision tasks involved in various human jobs are economically worth replacing with existing AI computer vision. “There are a lot of tasks that you can imagine applying AI to, but you wouldn't actually want to do because of the cost,” he says. neil thompson Co-authored by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Published today as a working paper.

Thompson and colleagues identified 414 visual tasks in U.S. occupations that could potentially be automated with existing AI technology. These jobs include those of retail store supervisors who visually check to see if products have the correct price tag, or who notice dilated pupils or changes in cheek color that can be warning signs of potential problems. Includes a trained nurse anesthetist who monitors the patient's care.

The researchers calculated the cost of training and operating an AI computer vision model that can handle these tasks with the required precision. We then compared the cost of AI to the cost of human labor. The latter is expressed as a percentage of the employee's total salary and benefits. This is because visual tasks typically make up a small portion of a given employee's job duties.

As a result, while 36 percent of U.S. non-agricultural businesses have at least one employee task that can be automated with AI computer vision, there are few tasks that would be cost-effective to automate using AI. was found to be only 8%.

They also concluded that only 0.4 percent of U.S. non-farm worker pay and benefits is actually cost-effective for employers to automate.

The current cost of AI computer vision means that even large U.S. companies with 5,000 or more employees (over 99.9 percent of all U.S. companies) can cost-effectively automate less than one-tenth of their existing vision tasks. It means that.

While such a finding that AI computer vision would be too costly for most U.S. companies “may sound like a reassuring finding,” “there may be other consequences.” [AI] “Applications with low automation costs.” Gino Gancia at Queen Mary University of London.

rush to Adopts “generation AI” The ability to create new content is already having a negative impact on the number of jobs available and the incomes of human freelancers on online platforms such as: upwork. Gancia's research also shows that regions of the U.S. with industries that are more advanced in adopting AI, such as California, are already experiencing greater job losses.

“In general, we find that new technologies spread unevenly,” Gancia says. “As a result, automation and AI are likely to contribute to increasing inequality between businesses and workers.”

Thompson and his colleagues expect a significant amount of human work to be automated in the long term. But that depends on how quickly the costs of training and developing AI technology come down.

“There is going to be a significant amount of automation going forward, so governments need to start preparing for it,” Thompson said. “But there is plenty of time to put in place real programs that can bring benefits. [displaced] Worker. “

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Identifying Lost Bullets at a Crime Scene Through Ricochet Residue

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Analytical chemistry could help forensic teams get more information from crime scenes

Orange County Register/Media News Group (via Getty Images)

Even if no bullets are found at the scene, the brand of bullet used in the crime can be determined by analyzing the small pieces of metal left behind.

Forensic experts may try to link a suspect to a crime by analyzing bullets or spent shell casings found at a crime scene and proving that they were fired by the suspect's gun. . But doing so when the bullet is not present at the scene, such as when it has been removed…

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Megalodon differed from a giant great white shark

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The real megalodon may have been longer and slimmer than this illustration.

Kathmandu/Shutterstock

A new analysis of fossil evidence reveals that the megalodon, an ancient shark often depicted as a super-sized great white, was actually a very different beast. A team of shark scientists concluded that this fearsome predator was longer, thinner and hunted in a different way.

He is well known for his depiction of “. meg movie franchise, Otodus megalodon It became extinct about 3.5 million years ago. It was one of the largest marine predators of all time, but no complete skeleton has ever been found, so we don’t know exactly how big it was.

2022 survey by jack cooper Doctors from Swansea University, UK, et al. IRSNB P 9893, It is housed at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. They found it to be a stocky, powerful shark, similar to the great white shark, built to attack at breakneck speeds to attack its prey.carcharodon carcharius) current –?? but at 15.9 meters long, it is about three times longer.

charles underwood Researchers from Birkbeck, University of London, said the study made “tenuous assumptions” about megalodon’s size, mainly based on the fact that it has teeth similar to great white sharks, although it is much larger. ing. He is part of a group of 26 shark experts aiming to set the record straight with new research.

Underwood said Cooper’s team didn’t realize how incomplete the partial skeleton was. The vertebrae lack the typical size of a shark, tapering toward both the tail and the head, indicating that much of the vertebrae are missing, he said.

The researchers of the new study say that the strength of the spinal column suggests a slender body shape than the great white shark, which would make megalodon sharks very unwieldy.

“It almost certainly doesn’t feed like modern great white sharks,” Underwood said. “You wouldn’t just hover over the ocean floor, wait for the whale to move over it, and then hit the whale from below and basically tear it apart. It’s better than an ambush predator. , you’re going to need more straight-line tracking, longer tracking, because you don’t have top speed. You don’t have acceleration.”

Based on other partial fossils, the largest known specimen of Megalodon was estimated to be 20 meters long. Mr. Underwood believes that it was actually 20% longer than him, and that he was 24 meters long.

But Professor Cooper dismissed the new study as too simplistic, favoring a reconstruction of a shorter, stockier megalodon. “The bottom line is, no matter which theory you support about its body shape, it was a very large shark,” he says. “Of course, a complete skeleton would go a long way in helping us learn more. But I also don’t think we should think that this settles all debates about this very charismatic animal.”

However, the chances of finding a complete, well-preserved specimen may be low. eva stewart A professor at Britain’s Southampton University, who was not involved in the study, said he had recovered many megalodon teeth while searching for a new living species, but had seen no sign of a more complete specimen.

“I think the rest of the skeleton is just not well preserved,” she says. “For megalodon, there’s actually no fossil evidence at all.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New Study Claims Megalodon Sharks Were Not as Powerful as Previously Believed

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study suggests that the megalodon’s body shape might not have been as chunky as previously thought. Contrary to popular belief, researchers now suspect that this prehistoric fish, also known as the megalodon (Otodus megalodon), may have had a more elongated form, akin to modern slim sharks.

The typical estimation of the megalodon’s length is between 15 to 20 meters (50 to 65 feet), and they inhabited the earth’s oceans from 15 million to 3.6 million years ago. However, the fossil record contains limited evidence of the megalodon, mainly consisting of teeth and vertebrae rather than intact skeletons.

While previous estimates of its body size were based on the bodies of contemporary great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharius), resulting in the assumption of a thick and round body shape, a new study published in the Old Trogia Electronica journal suggests that the megalodon was more than just a larger version of the great white shark. The study contends that the animal may have had similarities to the slimmer modern mako shark.

So what’s the controversy?

Essentially, two groups of scientists are at odds over the actual size and shape of the megalodon.

A study led by scientists from DePaul University and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) employed a CT scanner on a live great white shark to compare its vertebral skeleton to existing reconstructions of the megalodon’s spinal column. This study suggests significant enough differences between the two sharks to propose that the megalodon was not merely a larger great white shark.

However, a UK-based research team utilized advanced 3D modeling to study the body structures of various shark species, including great whites, mako sharks, and salmon sharks. With this approach, they concluded that the megalodon may have been even larger than previously anticipated, with a dorsal fin comparable in size to an adult’s height.

The earlier study’s authors critiqued the new findings, asserting that they rely on circular logic and lack statistical validation. They also mentioned the absence of raw data for future researchers to verify or reproduce the study’s results. Their study was peer-reviewed by prominent shark experts from around the world, although not by the authors of the new study.

Yeah, but…can Jason Statham still defeat Megalodon?

Regardless of the megalodon’s shape, the lifespan and dietary habits of this extinct shark remain unclear. To further advance their understanding, researchers will need to find a complete or near-complete skeleton. The potential elongated body of the megalodon, if confirmed, could prompt a reassessment of its life, diet, and extinction causes.

As for the debate over the megalodon’s size and shape, the fact that it was a large, formidable predator is indisputable. However, the question of whether Jason Statham could defeat it in battle remains up for discussion.

“Even with the interpretation of the megalodon’s shape as more slender, I don’t think the odds for that matchup will change significantly,” Cooper stated. “Regardless of which theory you favor, whether the shark was fat or skinny, the short answer is that megalodon was still a very large shark. Either way, it’s a massive challenge for Statham.”

About our experts

Jack Cooper is a postdoctoral researcher in palaeontology at Swansea University. His research covers scientific report, scientific progress and the Fish Biology Journal.

Professor Catalina Pimiento is a Senior Lecturer in Paleontology at Swansea University. Her research specializes in Frontiers of ecology and evolution, natural ecology and evolution, and scientific progress.

Professor John Hutchinson is Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College. His research spans nature communications, anatomy journal, and scientific progress.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists puzzled by mysterious burst of intergalactic radio waves hitting Earth.

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It may be hard to miss, but unimaginably strong bursts of cosmic radiation happen possibly a thousand times every day. They are bright enough to overwhelm our radio telescopes from billions of light-years away.

However, fast radio bursts (FRBs) were not detected until 2007. Despite over a decade of investigation, they remain one of the most intriguing mysteries in astrophysics. Recent research offers new and promising clues about their origins, while also revealing why these space phenomena are so perplexing in the first place.

When FRBs were first discussed in seminars, the big question wasn’t “What astrophysical cause is causing this?” Instead, it was, “Isn’t this just a mechanical failure?”

FRBs last about 1 millisecond and spread out in frequency in a manner very similar to a blip from a pulsar. But the problem is, they don’t come from any known pulsars, they don’t repeat like pulsars, and they’re clearly much more powerful than any pulsar pulses we’ve seen before.

To make matters worse, for many years the only telescope that observed FRBs was the Parkes Observatory in Australia. The debate became even more heated when it turned out that some of the FRB-like bursts observed by Parkes did not come from astronomical sources.

These bursts, called “peritons,” were always suspected to be of terrestrial origin. But clever detective work by astronomers solved the case. Dr. Emily Petrov and her colleagues showed that Periton had a strong correlation with local lunchtime. In reality, radiation leaked from the observatory’s microwave when the door opened too early.

It was eventually revealed that the FRBs were indeed from far away in space. More radio telescopes were configured to record very short bursts of radio waves, and detection rates began to skyrocket.

Those bursts came from all over the sky, suggesting they didn’t originate in our galaxy. In the first decade after the discovery, theorists produced a huge number of papers explaining the possible origins of the bursts.

In 2012, repeated FRBs were discovered, ruling out origins requiring complete destruction, such as supernovae. It was soon discovered that there were many more repeated bursts, mostly occurring at irregular intervals.

As more outbursts are discovered, there is growing evidence that FRBs may be associated with extraordinarily powerful magnetars: neutron stars that rotate in extremely strong magnetic fields.

Recent evidence suggests that at least some FRBs originate from nearby spiral galaxies rather than elliptical galaxies.

Astronomers will need to continue collecting clues, looking for suggestive patterns in the data, and eagerly awaiting observational upgrades that will allow them to pinpoint the FRBs’ local environment.

Whatever the outcome, the fast radio burst is a great example of the fact that in science, when we look at the universe in new and different ways, we almost always discover something surprising that no one had ever thought to look for.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Rare Bizygotic Event in 2024 to Bring Billions of Cicadas to Surface

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Officially, 2024 belongs to Cicada.

This spring, in a rare synchronized phenomenon that last occurred in 1803, swarms of two different cicadas, one with a 13-year cycle and two with a 17-year cycle, emerge from the ground at the same time.

Billions of winged insects emerge from the Midwest to the Southeast, beginning in late April in some regions and performing noisy mating rituals that tend to fascinate and disgust in equal measure.

This year’s twin feathering is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Although a particular 13-year offspring and his 17-year offspring may appear at the same time, the cycles of a particular pair align only once in his 221 years. Additionally, this year’s groups of cicadas, known as Brood XIII and Brood XIX, happen to have habitats adjacent to each other and narrowly overlapping in central Illinois.

“The last time these two brothers were on the scene, Thomas Jefferson was president, so is that unusual? Yes.” said Gene Kritsky, author of “A Tale of Two Broods,” a book about this year’s double broods.

After 2024, Brood XIII and Brood XIX cicadas will not synchronize their emergence for another 221 years.

These types of cicadas are regular insects that spend most of their lives underground feeding on tree roots. After 13 or 17 years, depending on the mate, the cicada tunnels to the surface and matures, noisily searching for a mate for a month.

Cicadas typically appear on the surface in the spring when soil temperatures reach about 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

Blue dots on the map indicate Brood XIII cicadas, and red dots are areas where Brood XIX has appeared in the past. These areas may experience periodic cicadas in 2024.semi-safari

The Blued XIII cicada appears in the Midwest, primarily in Illinois, but has also spread to Wisconsin, Ohio, and Iowa. Stage XIX cicadas have been sighted in a much wider geographic area, including Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.

When these insects emerge, they occur in large numbers. And they are not quiet at all in the mating frenzy.

The insects are known to emit a high-pitched buzz, or mating song, that can reach up to 100 decibels, which is about the same as a motorcycle or a jackhammer.

The insects themselves are harmless to humans, but billions of insects emerge from the ground, making the cicada noisy for several weeks during its lifespan. When that happens, the ground can also be littered with large amounts of dead insects.

In 2019 “ semi-safari This will allow citizen scientists to report cicada sightings from their location.

“I’ve already spoken to six people who want to take a vacation and come to the area for the cicadas,” he said. “In years past, I’ve helped people plan vacations that depart while the cicadas are singing.”

In parts of the Southeast where the Blued XIX cicada occurs, the insects may begin to emerge from underground in late April.

Then, as temperatures warm across the Southeast and Midwest, more cicadas will show up throughout May and June.

When the insect reaches the surface, it sheds its nymph exoskeleton and spreads its wings. It usually takes a few more days for adult skin to harden.

The mating ritual itself is hectic, with cicadas taking only a few weeks to find a mate and lay eggs. This entire process takes approximately 6 weeks.

“By July 1st, they’ll be gone,” Kritsky said.

But while cicadas are on the ground, scientists are keen to track where they appear. Kritsky himself plans to study cicadas in the Chicago area, and hopes people in the Midwest and Southeast will report sightings using the Cicada Safari app.

Mapping insect ranges helps researchers understand how cicadas adapt and change between cycles. During this year’s double emergence, scientists are also interested in whether mating will occur between two different chicks.

But beyond science, Kritsky said this year is also a chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

“This year marks 50 years since I started researching cicadas,” he says. “Many of us will be in the borderlands of Illinois, driving back and forth, meeting for coffee and eating pie.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Your brain is naturally inclined to avoid exercise: The science behind it.

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Humans are not the fastest or strongest species. We have no wings, fangs, claws, poison, or armor. Physically, we are primarily controlled by nature.

However, the words “run the same way'' are ironic. This is because humans physically dominate all other species in one area: long-distance running. Thanks to our bipedalism and unique sweat glands, humans can continue running long after other species have collapsed from exhaustion.

Humans have evolved to train their bodies, or exercise, over long periods of time. But while many people actually enjoy exercise, they're in the minority (as evidenced by uncrowded gyms and abandoned New Year's resolutions in mid-February).

So why doesn't everyone enjoy exercise, even though we've evolved to do so? It’s because of the mysterious complexity of the human brain.Evolving abilities does not automatically evolve want to use it. Armored creatures do not want to be actively attacked.

Although physical exercise is not that Bad, but still usually unpleasant and uncomfortable. It must be so. You end up pushing your body to its physical limits, which leads to significant discomfort. There are limits for a reason.

What does the brain think about exercise?

Another problem is that the human brain is extremely sensitive to wasted effort. Research has shown that the insular cortex contains dedicated circuitry. Calculate the effort required for an action – They are there to ask “Is it worth it?”

This is a trend that evolved to prevent us from wasting vital resources on pointless endeavors, such as walking 20 miles to buy a handful of berries.

However, regular exercise to “get in shape” requires constant and great effort. It's all about gradual progress and uncertain rewards (it's impossible to guarantee success in advance). In other words, your brain tends to ask, “Is it worth it?” It would be difficult to keep quiet.

This trait also means that we typically prefer things that give us the most reward with the least amount of effort. So we choose the path of least resistance, stick to our routine, and stay in our comfort zone.

Starting to exercise means changing everything for an uncertain result. To keep us safe, our brains typically tend to value risk over reward, making us more reluctant to engage in physically demanding activities.

read more:

So while our bodies may be adapted to continuous exercise, our brains are adapted to avoid it in many ways. And we have built a world for ourselves where avoiding physical activity is a viable option.

Thankfully, the human brain is an incredibly complex organ, so there are some metaphorical tricks up your sleeve. Most obviously, it is not dominated by more primitive and direct instincts and impulses. Many species' thought processes are limited to “Food, eat!”, “Danger, run!”, “Pain, avoid!”, but we have evolved beyond that.

The human brain is capable of forming multiple long-term goals and ambitions. We are rarely satisfied with just day-to-day survival. We simply simulate a desired future scenario, figure out how to achieve it, and then…do it. Or at least strive towards it.

This directly affects how our brains process motivation and willpower in many interesting ways. First, it allows you to delay gratification. In other words, you will realize that it is important to refuse the reward now. Can lead to bigger rewards later, and act accordingly.

In this case, eating four bags of potato chips as a family while watching TV is fun in the moment, but going to the gym will make you fitter, stronger, and fitter later on.

And then there's the “just world” fallacy. Here we assume the world is fair and that is what makes us believe. research shows this – No matter how much suffering you suffer, it will always lead to reward. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain.

How the brain increases motivation

So how does the brain process all these different motivations? Self-contradiction theory suggests that we have multiple “selves” active in our minds at any given time. The “real” self, the “ideal” self, and the “ideal” self.

Your “actual” self is your current state, or how you are right now. Your “ideal self” is yourself. want Something to do. And your “ideal” self is one that does whatever it takes to become your “ideal” self.you do what you do should What I'm doing. In other words, if your “ideal” self is a professional soccer player and your “real” self is not, then the “ideal” you is someone who has to train, exercise, and train a lot to get better at soccer. It's someone who spends their time.

This is just one framework for how motivation works when it comes to physical exercise. Of course, there are many other factors that play an important role, such as time constraints, body image, and ease of movement.

However, as far as the brain is concerned, there are processes that prevent movement and processes that promote movement. Ideally, you'll end up focusing more on the latter than the former. Also, moving weights is a classic exercise, so it's a good idea to start somewhere.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

New discovery: Water found under Mars’ equator

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists have made a monumental discovery about what lies beneath a mysterious mass buried below Mars’ equator, revealing the presence of ice that could be crucial in planning for potential life on the red planet.

New data from ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft has uncovered ice extending several kilometers below the surface of Mars, providing unprecedented insight into the planet’s subsurface.

Fifteen years ago, Mars Express explored the wind-sculpted Medusae fossai formation, which is where the ice is currently located. The spacecraft initially found large deposits estimated to be 2.5 km (1.6 miles) deep, but the content of these deposits remained a mystery until now. Scientists have since confirmed that the deposit stretches an incredible 3.7 km (2.3 miles) deep and is thicker than previously thought.

The volume of ice discovered is substantial, with enough water content to cover Mars with a layer 1.5 to 2.7 meters (4.9 to 8.9 feet) deep if melted – equivalent to the Red Sea’s capacity on Earth.

“Interestingly, the radar signal is consistent with what you would expect to see from layered ice, and from the polar caps of Mars, which we know to be very ice-rich,” said Thomas Watters of the Smithsonian Institution, lead author of the study.

The recent discovery, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, constitutes the largest detection of water in this region of Mars yet. The presence of water could significantly impact future human exploration of Mars, potentially favoring equatorial locations over the ice-rich polar caps.

“The finding of water ice buried underground on Mars does not directly provide optimism for discovering extraterrestrial life there, but it does offer hope for human colonization on the red planet,” commented Dr. Darren Baskill, an astronomy lecturer at the University of Sussex.

The deposit’s location close to the equator suggests that the water ice is a relic from Mars’ history, challenging current understandings of the planet’s climate and prompting further research into its implications.

About our experts

Dr. Darren Baskill is an Outreach Officer and Lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. He previously lectured at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and organized the annual Astronomical Photographer of the Year competition.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

2024 Full Moon Schedule: When is the Next Full Moon?

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

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A full moon low on the horizon is one of the most fascinating sights in the night sky. It is also one of the easiest astronomical phenomena to observe. You don't need any special equipment to see the full moon, and you don't need a star map to find it.

It's helpful to learn a little about the different craters on the moon. By observing the moon regularly, you can see how its characteristics change as the moon waxes and wanes.

Whether you're an experienced astronomer, a budding astrophotographer or someone with an interest in astrology, it's useful to know when the next full moon will be visible in the UK. For those who want to try their hand at moon photography, expert Pete Lawrence has put together a guide on how to take great photos of the moon. This guide is full of helpful (and practical!) tips and hints.

Discover more amazing views of the night sky with our beginner's guide to astronomy, and record natural fireworks on your calendar. All 2024 meteor showers are listed in our definitive guide.

When is the next full moon?

Next full moon is January 25, 2024, also known as the Wolf Moon. Other names for January's full moon include Moon After Yule, Ice Moon, and Old Moon.

A full moon is part of a lunar cycle that takes 29.53 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds) to complete. In other words, a full moon occurs every 29.53 days. Since this is less than one calendar month, you may see two full moons in one month, and that “extra” full moon is known as a “blue moon.”

During the Full Moon phase of the lunar cycle, the Moon, Earth, and Sun are aligned, with the Moon 180 degrees opposite the Sun. That's why during a full moon, the moon rises and the sun sets (and vice versa).

Full moon day in 2024

January 25th, 5:54pm: wolf moon
February 24th, 12:30pm: snow moon
March 25th, 7am: worm moon
April 23rd, 11:49pm: pink moon
May 23rd, 1:53pm: flower moon
June 22nd 1:08am: strawberry moon
July 21st 10:17am: back moon
August 19th, 6:26pm: sturgeon moon
September 18th, 2:34am: corn moon
October 17th 11:25am: hunter's moon
November 15th, 9:28pm: beaver moon
December 15th 9:02am: cold moon

When will the 2024 supermoon occur?

Supermoon is an unofficial name that has become increasingly popular in recent years. This refers to a full moon that appears larger and brighter than other full moons that year.

Because the Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical shape, its distance from us changes throughout the year. When the moon is closest to us, this is called lunar perigee. When it is farthest from us, it is known as the moon's apogee.

When perigee occurs near a full moon, the moon appears larger and brighter, creating a supermoon. Typically, this is when the Moon is about 360,000 km or less from us, but this is not always the case.

2024 supermoon dates

sturgeon supermoon

August 19th: 361,969 kilometers (224,917 miles)

corn supermoon

September 18th: 357,485 kilometers (222,131 miles)

hunter's supermoon

October 17th: 357,363 kilometers (222,055 miles)

beaver supermoon

November 15th: 361,866 kilometers (224,853 miles)

What is the lunar cycle?

The moon appears to change shape throughout the lunar cycle.

new moon
waxing crescent moon
1st quarter
The waxing Gibbs moon
full moon
The fading gibbous moon
3rd quarter
waning crescent moon
Another new moon.

We can see the moon because it reflects light from the sun. As it orbits the Earth, the amount of light reflected back to us changes. When the moon passes between the sun and the earth, light can no longer be reflected back to us and a new moon occurs.

A full moon occurs when the Earth is between the sun and the moon, when the moon's surface is completely illuminated by the sun. During those hours, only part of the moon can reflect light back to Earth.

If the moon orbits the Earth in the same plane that the Earth orbits the sun, the moon will block light from the sun every time a new moon occurs.

However, this does not happen because the Moon orbits at an angle of about 5 degrees compared to the Earth's orbit of the Sun. When the Moon passes through the Earth's orbit and her three celestial bodies, the Earth, Moon, and Sun, line up.

This is called Shijiji. A solar eclipse occurs when a lunation occurs during a new moon, and a lunar eclipse occurs when a lunation occurs during a full moon.

How can I photograph the moon at night?

To photograph the moon with your phone, you may need to play around with your camera settings. No flash, lower ISO and set focus to 100.

If you don't know how to make these changes, use the Night Photography app ( night cap– Available at app store£2.99) gives you more control over your camera settings than the regular camera app.

The moon is a perfect target for photographing with a DSLR camera © Getty Images

If you're using a digital camera, start with an aperture between f/11 and f/16 and a shutter speed between 1/60 and 1/125 seconds. A tripod can help reduce shaking in low-light situations when you need to hold the camera still and keep the shutter open a little longer.

To get the best photos of the moon, you need to be creative with your shots so that you can fit the moon in the frame depending on the surrounding scenery. There is a lot of software available to help you plan where you will see the moon or anything else in the night sky ( moon locator App – available at android device, free).

To find more software worthy of your home screen, check out our guide to the best astronomy apps.

Moon photography is a great way to get started with astrophotography. The moon's appearance changes throughout the month. Not only the shape changes, but also the craters and the moon. Similarly, shadows create tricks of light that make the moon a brilliant subject.

You don't need much in terms of equipment. If you have a smartphone and a tripod, you can take good photos.

Related: Read Pete Lawrence's expert guide on how to photograph the moon. It features beginner, intermediate, and advanced projects that you can try at home.

Does the moon rotate?

Yes, the moon rotates. But it is tidally locked and rotates in sync with Earth's orbit, so for every Earth orbit he makes one revolution.

This means that the same side is always facing us as we move around the Earth. This is why we have the term “dark side of the moon,” which refers to the side we never see. In fact, that side of the moon receives as much sunlight as the side we see, so the correct term is “far side of the moon.”

What is a Blood Moon? How can I see it?

“During a total lunar eclipse, the moon turns red because Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light and only lets red light through. This is called a blood moon,” says Abigail Beale.

The next total lunar eclipse visible from the UK will be on 14 March 2025 (UK, Europe, Africa, the Americas, East Asia, Australia).

We have some time before we wait for the next Blood Moon. Below are the dates of the next total lunar eclipse that will result in a blood moon.

March 14, 2025:UK, Europe, Africa, America, East Asia, Australia

September 7, 2025:UK, Europe, Asia, Australia

March 3, 2026: America, Asia, Australia

December 31, 2028:UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, Western US, Canada

Read more about the moon:

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com