Argentina Unearths New Species of Titanosaurus from Cretaceous Era

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A genus and species of sauropod, a titanosaur mimicking rebachisaurid, measuring over 15 meters (50 feet) in length, has been unearthed in Patagonia, Argentina.

rebuilding the life of Inawentu Osratus. Image credit: Gabriel Rio.

The newly discovered dinosaur roamed the Earth during the late Cretaceous period, about 86 million years ago.

dubbing Inawentu Osratusthe animals were of the following types: titanosaurusa diverse group of long-necked sauropods that lived from the Late Jurassic period (163.5 million to 145 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago).

They are known for their large body size, long necks, and wide stance, and include species ranging from the largest known land vertebrates to “dwarfs” as large as elephants. Some species had osteoderm (armor plate).

“During the late Mesozoic Era, sauropod dinosaurs constituted the main herbivores in all terrestrial ecosystems of polar Gondwana,” said paleontologist Leonardo Filippi of Argentina's Municipal Museum of Urquiza and his colleagues.

“Quadrupedal locomotion and a gravitational posture, a proportionately small cranio-body ratio, and a common bow plan consisting of a series of elongated necks and tails made sauropods capable of large size, locomotion, defense, physiology, and feeding. They have evolved a variety of notable adaptations related to food and behavior.”

“They represented, in terms of diversity and abundance, the major medium- to large-sized herbivore component of the fauna in most of these southern landmass.”

partially completed specimen Inawentu Osratus It was recovered from fluvial deposits at the La Invernada archaeological site, part of the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in the Neuquen Basin of Patagonia, Argentina.

“The recovered human bones were found interlocked within a horizon of massive reddish solidified mudstone covered by a thin layer of sand (30 cm thick) associated with flood deposits of the river bank. ' explained the researchers.

Inawentu Osratus It shows remarkable convergent properties of the skull anatomy. rebatisauridae sauropodaccording to the author.

“Inawentu Osratus “It belongs to the square-jawed titanosaur clade and was restricted to the final stages of the Late Cretaceous of South America,” the researchers said.

“The discovery of new materials and different datasets providing new morphological information allows us to provide better support in future phylogenies confirming the existence of this square-jawed titanosaur clade. Become.”

“Inawentu Osratus And perhaps other members of this clade have obvious nutritional adaptations seen in preceding rebatisaurid sauropods, such as broad snouts and relatively short necks. ”

“In this connection, a series of shortened cervix Inawentu Osratus This may be consistent with low browsing feed behavior. ”

“This could have paleoecological implications, such as a zoological alternation in the Gondwanan ecosystem since the Turonian period or a low-browsing diet in two distinct lineages of sauropod dinosaurs.”

team's findings It was published in the magazine Cretaceous research.

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Leonardo S. Filippi other. 2024. Rebachysaurid-mimic titanosaurs and evidence of faunal disturbance events in southwestern Gondwana during the Late Cretaceous. Cretaceous research 154: 105754; doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105754

Source: www.sci.news

Neuroscientist Luana Colloca aims to revolutionize pain treatment through the power of the placebo effect

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Clove Jetsy; Fierce: Matthew Paul D'Agostino

Despite being a phenomenon known for hundreds of years, there is still much to learn about the placebo effect, which improves health after receiving dummy treatments like sugar pills. It is thought that behind this is the expectation of a positive outcome, and that negative expectations are responsible for the opposite undesirable phenomenon, the nocebo effect, which worsens symptoms. But questions remain about how the mind influences the body in this way and why some people feel its influence more strongly than others.

Luana Colloca are among those grappling with such questions. Colloka, a neuroscientist and director of the Placebo Beyond Opinion Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, and colleagues have shown how certain genetic variations shape the extent to which a person responds to a placebo. Ta. They are now studying how best to harness such effects to relieve pain, which could reduce the use of prescription opioid drugs and the risk of addiction to them. They are also exploring the use of virtual reality, with results published last year showing that virtual reality can effectively reduce levels of perceived pain and anxiety.

Colloca shares all of the latest discoveries about the placebo and nocebo effects in her book, which she co-edited. Placebo effect from a translational research perspective.she spoke new scientist About her research on pain relief, whether the placebo effect can help treat mental health conditions, and how it affects our lives…

Source: www.newscientist.com

This robot can autonomously unlock nearly any door.

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A wheeled robot released on a college campus has discovered how to roll around the real world and open all kinds of doors and drawers.

Robots have adapted themselves to new challenges, paving the way for machines that can independently interact with physical objects. “We want the robots to be able to operate autonomously, without having to rely on humans to keep giving them examples of all new kinds of scenarios during testing,” he says. Deepak Pathak at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pennsylvania.

Pathak and his colleagues initially trained the robot through imitation learning, which provided visual examples of how to open objects such as doors, cabinets, drawers, and refrigerators. They then unleashed it around CMU's campus, opening doors and cabinets they had never encountered before. This required the robot to adapt to each new object using artificial intelligence that rewards the robot for understanding things.

The robot typically spent 30 minutes to an hour learning how to open each object consistently. Haoyu Shion CMU Ph.D. built a robot to scout various testing locations on campus. The team included his 12 training objects for practice, and then he included eight additional objects to test the robot's abilities.

Initial success rates averaged about 50%, but the robot sometimes completely failed to open new objects when first started. Eventually, that success rate increased to about 95%.

In addition to learning on the fly, he said he had to be able to physically handle heavy doors. Russell Mendonca At C.M.U. Achieving both goals will cost him $25,000, which he says is much cheaper than other robotic systems with adaptive learning capabilities.

Demonstrating the robot outside the lab “represents a concrete step towards more general robotic manipulation systems,” he said. Yunju Lee At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Opening a door or a drawer is a seemingly simple task for humans, but it's actually surprisingly difficult for robots,” he says.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Gemini South Telescope zeroes in on unusual lenticular galaxy NGC 4753

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NGC 4753’s remarkable and complex network of dust lanes winding around its galactic core defines its “peculiar” classification, and was probably the result of the galaxy’s merger with a nearby dwarf galaxy about 1.3 billion years ago. It is thought that there is.

This image from the Gemini South Telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF’s NOIRLab, shows NGC 4753, a lenticular galaxy about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image credits: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / J. Miller, International Gemini Observatory and NSF’s NOIRLab / M. Rodriguez, International Gemini Observatory and NSF’s NOIRLab / M. Zamani, NSF’s NOIRLab.

NGC4753 is a lenticular galaxy located approximately 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo.

This galaxy, also known as LEDA 43671, UGC 8009, and IRAS 12498-0055, discovered It was proposed by German-born British astronomer William Herschel on February 22, 1784.

NGC 4753 is a member of the NGC 4753 group of galaxies in the Virgo II cloud, a series of at least 100 galaxy clusters and individual galaxies that extend away from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.

“There is an astonishing number of galaxies in the observable universe, with recent estimates putting the number between 100 billion and 2 trillion,” Gemini astronomers said in a statement.

“And just like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike. However, they can be divided into four broad classes based on their appearance and physical characteristics: elliptical, lenticular, irregular, and spiral. , with many subclasses in between.”

“However, galaxies are dynamic objects that evolve over time while interacting with their surrounding environment, meaning that an individual galaxy can fall into multiple classifications over its lifetime. ”

In 1992, Indiana University astronomer Tom Steiman-Cameron and colleagues published A detailed study of NGC 4753 reveals that its complex shape is likely the result of a merger with a small companion galaxy.

“Galaxies that swallow other galaxies often look like train wrecks, but this is a train wreck galaxy,” said Dr. Steiman-Cameron.

Galactic mergers occur when two or more galaxies collide, mixing their material and significantly changing the shape and behavior of each galaxy involved.

In the case of NGC 4753, the once-standard lenticular galaxy is thought to have merged with a nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxy about 1.3 billion years ago.

The dwarf galaxy’s gas, combined with the burst of star formation caused by this galactic collision, injected large amounts of dust into the system.

The galaxy’s gravitational inward spiral spread out the accumulated dust into a disk. And this is where the story gets interesting.

Astronomers have discovered that a phenomenon known as differential precession is responsible for NGC 4753’s tangled dust lanes.

Precession occurs when a rotating object changes its axis of rotation, like a spinning top that loses momentum and wobbles. And differential means that the speed of precession is different depending on the radius.

For a dusty accretion disk orbiting around a galactic nucleus, the rate of precession is faster toward the center and slower near the edges.

This fluctuating wobble-like motion is due to the angle at which NGC 4753 and its former dwarf companion collided, and is responsible for the strongly twisted dust lanes that we see today wrapping around the galaxy’s luminescent core. It becomes.

“For a long time, no one knew what to make of this strange galaxy,” said Dr. Steiman-Cameron.

“But by starting with the idea that the accreted material fills the disk and analyzing the three-dimensional geometry, the mystery was solved.”

“Thirty years later, we are now incredibly excited to be able to see this highly detailed image with the Gemini South Telescope.”

Source: www.sci.news

Reconsidering Classification: Climate Change’s Impact on Category 6 Hurricanes

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Studies have shown that although climate change is not expected to increase the number of hurricanes, rising ocean temperatures will make hurricanes more intense. Warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall and flooding from these storms.

Therefore, as long as global warming continues, we can expect more intense storms on Earth.

Researchers found that from 1980 to 2021, five storms in the past nine years had maximum wind speeds exceeding 192 miles per hour, which could have been classified as Category 6 storms. Their study also used models to explore how different climate scenarios could affect hurricanes and other large storms around the world. They found that if the Earth warmed by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the risk of Category 6 storms could double in the Gulf of Mexico and in Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

The researchers also highlighted that even the relatively low global warming target of the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, could significantly increase the likelihood of Category 6 storms.

These findings will continue the debate about how to better communicate the threat of extreme weather events and how climate change increases that threat. For example, scientists pointed out that the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale cannot convey some of the most destructive aspects of hurricanes, such as storm surge, rainfall, and flooding. Adding a sixth category to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale may raise awareness of the increased risk of major hurricanes due to global warming. The National Hurricane Center has also announced new experimental forecasts to better communicate the risk of inland winds during extreme weather events.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Ancient Fossils of Land-Dwelling Animals Found in Australia Dating Back 380 Million Years

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologist at Flinders University brian chu and his colleagues described a new genus and species of Devonian tetrapod fish based on several nearly complete skulls and postcranial skeletons.

rebuilding the life of Harajikadectes zumini. Image credit: Brian Choo, Flinders University.

“Tetrapodomorpha “It consists of tetrapods and their closest fish relatives, the oldest records of which are from the Pragians of China,” said Dr Chu and co-authors.

“This group diversified greatly in both marine and freshwater habitats during the Middle to Late Devonian, giving rise to several distinct lineages, including the earliest quadrupeds.”

“Tetrapods flourished after the Devonian limbless fish tetrapods experienced a marked decline in diversity during the Carboniferous, but only survived into the early Permian before disappearing from the fossil record. There were only a handful of representative animals.”

This new species of tetrapod lived about 380 million years ago and was up to 45 to 50 centimeters long.

with scientific name Harajikadectes zuminithis fish is particularly distinctive for its large opening at the top of its skull.

“These spire-like structures are thought to facilitate air breathing at the surface, and modern African bichir fish have similar structures for taking in air at the surface,” said Dr Chew. Ta.

“This feature appears in multiple tetrapomodorf lineages at about the same time during the middle to late Devonian period.”

“In addition to Harajikadectes zumini Large spiracles also appeared from central Australia. gogonathus El Pisto Stegarian from Western Australia Tiktaalik — are the closest relatives of four-limbed quadrupeds. ”

“And it shows up in unrelated places.” Pickeringius Western Australian stingray fin fish first described in 2018. ”

with Dr. Chu Harajikadectes zumini fossil. Image credit: Flinders University.

Professor John Long from Flinders University said: “This synchronous emergence of air-breathing adaptations may have coincided with a period of reduced atmospheric oxygen during the mid-Devonian.”

“The ability to supplement gill breathing with oxygen from the air may have provided an adaptive advantage.”

“We discovered this new form of lobe-finned fish in one of the most remote fossil sites in all of Australia, the Harajika Sandstone Formation in the Northern Territory, about 200km west of Alice Springs. It dates from the mid-Devonian period. Late period, approximately 380 years ago.'' 1 million years old. ”

“It's difficult to pinpoint the location. Harajikadectes zumini sit in this group of fishes because they appear to have convergently acquired a mosaic of specialized features characteristic of widely separate branches of the tetrapod radiation. ”

of findings will appear in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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brian chu other. A new species of pedunculated tetrapod fish that lived in the middle to late Devonian period of central Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, published online on February 5, 2024. Doi: 10.1080/02724634.2023.2285000

Source: www.sci.news

Study shows the world’s happiest people don’t reside in Scandinavia

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Consider the happiest country in the world. Are you thinking of somewhere in Scandinavia? Well, a new study has brought to light something that may have been overlooked. They are actually the happiest people in the world, but they are often not included in rankings.

In global happiness rankings, such as the World Happiness Report (WHR), researchers typically note a correlation between high levels of life satisfaction and high incomes. However, these rankings often fail to differentiate between small indigenous groups and the overall population of a nation. In some of these communities, money has a minimal impact on daily life and livelihoods.

A new paper suggests that not all happiness is tied to money. In fact, it turns out that some low-income societies, particularly those that rely on nature rather than money, exhibit significantly higher life satisfaction and may even be some of the happiest people in the world.

“The frequently observed strong correlation between income and life satisfaction is not universal and proves that the wealth generated by developed economies is not fundamentally necessary for humans to live happy lives.” – Professor Victoria Reyes Garcia, senior author of the study

Who is the happiest person in the world?

Although not conducted by the same research institute as WHR, this new study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and measured happiness in a similar way. The WHR asks respondents to imagine a ladder with 10 being the best life and 0 being the worst, and then evaluate their life on that scale.

In this study, researchers translated the question into local languages: “Taking all aspects into consideration, how satisfied are you with your life on a scale of 0 to 10?”

The research team collected responses from 2,966 people from 19 indigenous and local communities around the world. Only 64 percent of households surveyed in these communities had any cash income.

These 19 communities had an average score of 6.8, with the lowest score being 5.1. However, four of these communities scored above 8/10 and, if included in the WHR, these small societies would be among the happiest people in the world. In 2023, WHR found that the countries with the highest scores were Finland (7.8), Denmark (7.6), and Iceland (7.5).

The highest scores were reported in Latin America, despite many of these societies having suffered from histories of marginalization and oppression, according to the authors.

Researchers say the findings are positive news for sustainability in the face of climate change, as this research suggests that people can achieve high levels of happiness without the need for resource-intensive economic growth.

They encourage future research to examine specific factors that influence well-being in societies where money is not central, such as family and social support, spirituality, and connection to the natural world.

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Unique Crown Shapes of Early Carboniferous Tree Species

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Sanphodiacaulis densifolia is an extinct tree species that existed in what is now New Brunswick, Canada, between 359 and 347 million years ago (Carboniferous period). The structure consisted of an unbranched 16 cm diameter trunk and compound leaves arranged in a 13 cm spiral and compressed to a vertical trunk length of 14 cm. The compound leaves in the upper 0.75 m of the trunk were over 1.75 m long, with preserved alternating secondary collaterals starting 0.5 m from the trunk. In the lower region of the trunk there were only persistent leaf bases. Sanphodiacaulis densifolia shows that the early Carboniferous vegetation was more complex than expected, indicating that this was an experimental, perhaps transitional, period of diverse growth structures.

Sanphodiacaulis densifolia. Image credit: Tim Stonecipher.

Trees first appeared during the Middle Devonian period (393 to 383 million years ago), but modern woody plants did not appear until about 10 million years later.

Evidence for dendritic structures (tree-like structures) is primarily based on mud moldings, sand moldings, or calcified stumps, or extensive root structures in fossilized soils.

Under unique preservation conditions, these early trees fossilized with roots and crown structures attached to their trunks.

“The method is Sanphodiacaulis densifolia “It has very long leaves around its slender trunk, and it's amazing how many leaves there are on such a short trunk,” said Dr. Robert Gastaldo, a paleontologist at Colby College. he said.

“The morphology of these 350-million-year-old trees looks like ferns or palms, even though palms arose 300 million years ago.”

“However, the functional leaves of ferns and palm trees are clustered at the top and are relatively few in number.”

“in contrast, Sanphodiacaulis densifolia More than 250 leaves have been preserved around the trunk, with each partially preserved leaf extending 1.75 meters from the trunk. ”

“We estimate that each leaf grew at least another meter before it finished.”

“This means that ‘bottlebrush’ had a dense canopy of leaves that were not woody and spread for at least 5.5 meters around a trunk that was only 16 cm in diameter. Amazing to say the least. .”

Sanphodiacaulis densifolia It has compound leaves arranged in a spiral.Image credit: Gastaldo other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.011.

Dr. Gastaldo and his colleagues examined five fossil specimens. Sanphodiacaulis densifolia.

The fossil was excavated from the Sanford Quarry, part of the Albert Formation in New Brunswick, Canada.

“These fossils were preserved when an earthquake destroyed trees and other vegetation along the edge of a rift lake,” Gastaldo said.

“The first fossil wood was unearthed from a quarry about seven years ago, but it contained only one partial sample.”

“It took several years to find four other specimens of the same plant in close spatial proximity.”

“One of the specimens reveals how the leaves separate from the top of the tree, which makes this tree quite unique.”

“This is one of the few preserved trunks with crown leaves still attached in a fossil record spanning more than 400 million years.”

Actual and reconstructed heights and biostratigraphic ranges of Pennsylvanian trees from the Middle Devonian. Image credit: Gastaldo et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.011.

Sanphodiacaulis densifolia It probably relied on its unusual growth form to maximize the amount of light it could capture and reduce competition with other plants above ground.

This discovery provides important insights into the evolution of plants and arboreal growth, that is, plants that grow to the height of a tree, or at least 4.5 m, at maturity.

They also remind us that throughout the history of life on Earth, there have been trees that look like nothing we've ever seen before.

“We all have a mental concept of what a tree looks like, depending on where we live on the planet, and we all have a vision of something familiar,” Dr. Gastaldo said. Ta.

“The fossils we report are unique and represent some of the strangest growth forms in the history of life.”

“This is an evolutionary experiment during a period of forest plant biodiversity, and it appears to be a short-lived form.”

“The history of life on land consists of plants and animals that are different from those that live today,” he added.

“The evolutionary mechanisms that operated in the distant past allowed organisms to survive for long periods of time, but their shape, morphology, growth structure, and life history followed different trajectories and strategies.”

“Rare and unusual fossils like the New Brunswick tree are just a few examples of failed experiments that have colonized our planet.”

a paper The survey results were published in a magazine current biology.

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Robert A. Gastaldo other. A mysterious fossil plant with a three-dimensional tree-like growth structure from the earliest Carboniferous period in New Brunswick, Canada. current biology, published online on February 2, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.011

Source: www.sci.news

Close-up of Arp 140 captured by Hubble Space Telescope

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured an excellent image of the interacting spiral lens galaxy pair Arp 140.

Lenticular galaxy NGC 274 can be seen on the right side of this Hubble image, and barred spiral galaxy NGC 275 can be seen on the left side. Image credit: NASA / ESA / R. Foley, University of California, Santa Cruz / Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.

Alp 140 Located approximately at 70 million light years Beyond Cetus.

This galaxy duo Atlas of unique galaxiesA catalog of 338 galaxies compiled in 1966 by American astronomer Halton Earp.

It consists of NGC274 (also known as LEDA 2980) and NGC275 (LEDA 2984).

NGC 274 is classified as a lenticular galaxy, and NGC 275 is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.

“Lentiform galaxies and barred spiral galaxies have different structures,” Hubble astronomer explained.

“In a barred spiral galaxy, a bar of stars runs through the galaxy's central bulge (seen here as a bright white vertical haze in NGC 275).”

“Typically, the arms of a galaxy begin at the end of the bar.”

“Lentiform galaxies, on the other hand, fall between elliptical and spiral galaxies,” the researchers added.

“Its name comes from its edgy appearance, which resembles a saucer.”

“Lenticular galaxies have a large central bulge and a flat disk-like spiral, but no spiral arms.”

“It doesn’t have much gas or dust, and it’s mainly made up of old stars.”

Previous observations of Arp 140 revealed a tidal tail extending light-years from NGC 275 beyond the interacting pair.

They also showed that, contrary to the often assumed picture of interacting galaxies, NGC 275 does not exhibit enhanced star formation.

Source: www.sci.news

Super-Earth exoplanet found within habitable zone of TOI-715 by astronomers

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers discovered a habitable zone planet orbiting nearby red dwarf star TOI-715 every 19.3 days and characterized its characteristics. I made it clear. They also demonstrated that a second, smaller exoplanet with a period of 25.6 days may exist, located just inside the outer edge of TOI-715’s habitable zone. This system represents the first of his TESS discoveries to fall within this most conservative and widely applicable habitable zone.

Artist’s impression of the super-Earth exoplanet TOI-715b. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

TOI-715 is an M dwarf star of spectral type M4 located approximately 137 light-years away in the constellation Urae.

The star, also known as TIC 271971130, is about 6.6 billion years old, making it older than the Sun.

TOI-715 includes the super-Earth exoplanet TOI-715b and the smaller terrestrial exoplanet candidate TOI-715c.

“TOI-715b is about 1.5 times wider than Earth and orbits within the habitable zone around its parent star,” said Georgina Dransfield, an astronomer at the University of Birmingham.

“This is the distance from the star that can give the planet the right temperature for liquid water to form on its surface.”

“Of course, for surface water to exist, several other factors have to be in place, especially for us to have a suitable atmosphere.”

“However, the conservative habitable zone (which may be narrower and more robustly defined than the broader ‘optimistic’ habitable zone) is a It ranks first.”

“A smaller planet, TOI-715c, may be only slightly larger than Earth and may exist just inside the conservative habitable zone.”

“TOI-175b joins the list of habitable zone planets that could be scrutinized more closely by Webb, perhaps also for atmospheric signatures,” the astronomers said.

“A lot depends on other properties of the planet, such as how heavy it is and whether it can be classified as a water world. Its atmosphere, if any at all, is more massive, denser, and has an atmosphere. It’s less pronounced than the atmosphere, and much less difficult to detect. Drier worlds are likely to keep their inconspicuous atmospheres close to the surface.”

“If the possibility of a second Earth-sized planet in this system is confirmed, it would be the smallest habitable zone planet ever discovered by TESS.”

“This discovery also exceeds TESS’s initial expectations by discovering an Earth-sized world within the habitable zone.”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper inside Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

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Georgina Dransfield other. 2024. Earth's habitable zone planet hosted by the M4 star TOI-715 near the ecliptic south pole. MNRAS 527 (1): 35-52; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stad1439

Source: www.sci.news

New species of pterosaur identified by Skye fossil discovery

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new genus and species of pterosaur has been identified from fossils found at the site. Kilmalag Formation Originally from the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Reconstructed by artists Theoptera evansae. Image credit: Mark Witton / Natural History Museum, London.

Professor Paul Barrett of London's Natural History Museum and colleagues said: “The oldest known pterosaur fossils date from the late Triassic period, but the group persisted until extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.''

“Pterosaurs are known on every continent and experienced two major peaks in species richness during the Early-Middle Cretaceous and the Late Cretaceous.”

“However, that distribution is highly influenced by the 'Lagerstetten effect' and other forms of sampling bias.”

“Most of our knowledge about the evolutionary history of pterosaurs is based on material from a small number of archaeological sites with limited spatiotemporal extent.”

The newly discovered species lived in what is now Scotland between 168 and 166 million years ago (during the mid-Jurassic period).

named Theoptera evansaeIt was the first pterosaur named in Scotland and the most complete pterosaur discovered in Britain since its discovery by Mary Anning. Dimorphodon Macronix Early 1800s.

The remains of this flying reptile consist of a three-dimensionally preserved partial skeleton, including the shoulders, wings, legs, and part of the spine.

Many of the bones remain fully embedded in the rock and can only be studied using CT scans.

Theoptera evansae, almost as found (top) and with CT reconstruction using the elements (bottom). Image credit: Martin-Silverstone other.

“Theoptera evansae is part of the pterosaur clade Dalwinoptera'' said the paleontologists.

“The discovery shows that this clade is much more diverse than previously thought and persisted for more than 25 million years, from the Late Late Jurassic to the Late Jurassic.”

The discovery also shows that all of the major Jurassic pterosaurs evolved earlier than previously thought, well before the end of the Early Jurassic.

“Theoptera evansae “This helps narrow down the timing of some key events in the evolution of flying reptiles,” said Professor Barrett.

“Most of its relatives are from China, so its appearance in Britain during the mid-Jurassic period was a complete surprise.”

“This shows that the advanced group of flying reptiles to which it belongs appeared earlier than we thought and quickly acquired a near-global distribution.”

“During that period, Theoptera evansae This period is one of the most important in the evolution of pterosaurs, and it is also the period with the lowest number of specimens, demonstrating its importance,” said Dr Liz Martin-Silverstone, a palaeontologist at the University of Bristol. said.

“We found more bones embedded in the rock, some of which were essential to identifying the type of pterosaur.” Theoptera evansae This was an even better discovery than originally thought. ”

“This brings us one step closer to understanding when and where more advanced pterosaurs evolved.”

of the team paper will be published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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elizabeth martin silverstone other. 2024. A new pterosaur and the diversification of early flying reptiles from the Middle Jurassic of Skye, Scotland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontologyin press.

Source: www.sci.news

New study suggests sponges retain grim climate records

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

If temperature-tracking sponges can be trusted, climate change is happening much faster than scientists estimate.

A new study that used marine organisms called hard sponges to measure global average temperatures suggests that the world has already warmed by about 1.7 degrees Celsius over the past 300 years. This is at least 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than the scientific consensus stated in the UN report.

The findings, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, are surprising, but some scientists believe the study authors’ conclusions give more inferences about global temperatures than can be confidently gleaned from sponges. They claim that they are doing too much.

However, this study raises important questions. How much warmer did the world get when humans were less systematically measuring temperatures around the world, even as fossil fuel-powered machines were running hard? Scientists say this is an important question. It is a problem that needs to be better understood.

The study’s authors say that industrialization before 1900 had a greater impact than scientists previously realized, and that influence is captured in centuries-old sponge skeletons and that we The standards we have been using to talk about the politics of climate change have been wrong.

“Essentially, these studies show that the industrial age of warming started earlier than we thought, in the 1860s,” said the study’s lead author, a researcher at the University of Western Australia’s Global Professor of Chemistry Malcolm McCulloch spoke about sponges. “The big picture is that the global warming clock has been moved forward by at least 10 years to reduce emissions to minimize the risks of a dangerous climate.”

Scientists not involved in the study say their colleagues are grappling with how much warming occurred in the decades after the industrial revolution and before temperature records became more reliable. .

“This is not the only effort to reexamine what we call the pre-industrial baseline and suggest we may have missed the increase in warming during the 19th century,” said Brown University paleoclimate and oceanography expert. said Kim Cobb, author of the report. Brown Institute for the Environment and Society. “This is an important area of uncertainty.”

In its latest assessment of global warming, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that the Earth’s surface temperature has increased by up to 1.2 degrees Celsius since before the industrial revolution.

Some scientists believe that the IPCC process (which requires consensus) will yield conservative results. For example, scientists who study Earth’s ice have expressed concern that the Earth is approaching the tipping point of the ice sheet sooner than expected and that the IPCC’s sea level rise projections are too low.

Cobb, who did not contribute to the Nature Climate Change study, said a large amount of evidence would be needed to change what scientists call the pre-industrial baseline, but other researchers have argued that warming has increased since before the 1900s. He also said that he has found some signs that the system is not being properly accounted for. .

“How big this extra warming increase actually is is currently unknown. Is this important to study? We could be missing a tenth of a degree. Is there a? Yes, I think it’s been uncovered in a series of studies over the last six to 10 years,” Cobb said.

Scleros sponges are one of many climate proxies used by scientists to gather information about past climate conditions. In the dural cavernosa, the skeletal growth layers serve a similar purpose to marine biologists, just as tree rings serve a purpose to those working in the forest.

Dural sponges grow slowly, and as they grow, the chemical composition of their skeleton changes based on the surrounding temperature. This means that scientists can track temperature by looking at the ratio of strontium to calcium as an organism steadily grows.

Studies show that every half millimeter of growth is equivalent to about two years of temperature data. Living things can grow and add layers to their skeletons over hundreds of years.

“These are truly unique specimens. The reason we are able to obtain this unique data is because of the special relationship these animals have with their surrounding environment,” McCulloch said.

The study’s authors collected sponges from waters at least 100 feet deep off the coast of Puerto Rico and near St. Croix, analyzed the chemical composition of their skeletons, graphed the results, and used the data from 1964 to When compared with sea surface temperature measurements in 2012, the trends were almost identical.

Cancellous bone data dates back to 1700, predating reliable human records. This gives scientists a longer reference point to assess what temperatures were like before fossil fuels became widespread. Researchers believe this dataset is superior to other datasets calculated using her 19th century temperature measurements from ocean-going ships.

Sponge data shows that temperatures started rising in the 1860s, before the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change considered it.

But some outside researchers say the study may have made too much use of one type of proxy indicator, especially when the data is tied to only one location on Earth.

“We should be cautious in assuming that estimates from parts of the Atlantic Ocean always reflect global averages,” Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in an emailed statement. He added that the author’s claims are probably wrong. “It’s gone too far.”

The study authors said they believe the waters off Puerto Rico have remained relatively stable, reflecting global changes similar to those elsewhere in the world.

The results suggest that humanity has already surpassed political guardrails, such as world leaders’ goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Cobb said further work would need to be done with a dural sponge to ensure the work was accurate. And regardless of how much we are already pushing up the planet’s temperature, humanity must put the brakes on greenhouse gas production.

“Every time we get warmer, the climate impacts increase and the climate impacts worsen,” Cobb said. “We’re already living with an unsafe warming climate. … Jobs haven’t changed.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Formation and Potential Destruction of the Himalayas by Earth’s Tectonic Plates

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Deep underground in the heart of Asia, two giant plates are colliding with each other. Violent, slow-motion collisions between the geological plates are continuously shaping the towering Himalayas. However, newly discovered research suggests that this ongoing tectonic collision is also dividing Tibet in half.

A group of Chinese and American scientists conducted a study of underground seismic waves from earthquakes in and around Tibet and analyzed the geochemical composition of gases in surface hot springs. They found evidence that the Indian plate may be behaving unexpectedly as it collides with the Eurasian plate.

This research, which has not yet undergone peer review, was presented at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting in December. The scientists theorize that as the Indian plate continues its thrust beneath the Eurasian plate, it may be splitting apart beneath Tibet, separating the eastern and western halves of the slab. This fissure could have significant implications for the stability of the region, increasing the risk of earthquakes and other hazards.

The findings of the study provide an interesting and plausible explanation for the dynamic activity in this region, according to Barbara Romanowitz, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She also suggests that this potential split in the Indian plate may create a zone of weakness that could lead to large earthquakes.

The study proposes that the lithospheric mantle, one of the hard parts of the Earth’s crust, are sloughing off, leaving the crust behind, causing controversy within the scientific community as to how the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates would occur or what it would mean for the Earth.

The region where this collision is occurring is unique and serves as a natural laboratory for scientists to understand the process of continental collision in real time. It is compared to a game of hide-and-seek, providing a brief snapshot of a particular process of continental collision.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New ways to assess hurricanes may be necessary as their strength increases

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Satellite image of Typhoon Surigae over the Pacific Ocean in 2021

European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-3 images

In the past decade, five tropical cyclones have recorded wind speeds strong enough to be classified as Category 6 storms. Analysis suggests hurricane sizes may need to be updated as rising temperatures strengthen storms.

If carbon emissions continue at their current pace, a “Category 7” storm is even possible. 'It's certainly possible in theory if we keep warming the planet,' says climate scientist james cossin at the First Street Foundation, a nonprofit research organization in New York.

Officially, there is no such thing as a Category 6 or Category 7 hurricane. According to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale used by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States, storms with sustained wind speeds of 252 kilometers per hour or higher are categorized as Category 5.

But as the wind speeds of the strongest storms increase, Kossin and his colleagues say using this scale becomes increasingly problematic. michael wehner That's because a study at California's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory does not convey the increased risk posed by increasingly severe storms.

“The situation is bad and it's getting worse,” Kossin said. “As the climate changes, these storms will become stronger.”

They say there are three pieces of evidence that global warming is causing the wind speeds of the strongest storms to increase. First, the basic theory of hurricanes as a type of heat engine says that a hotter world should produce stronger storms.

Second, high-resolution climate models produce storms with faster winds as the Earth's temperature rises.

And finally, the real-world storm is getting stronger. Of the 197 Category 5 tropical cyclones between 1980 and 2021, half occurred in the 17 years ending in 2021, with the five fastest occurring in the last nine years of this period. It occurred on.

If the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale were expanded to rank storms with wind speeds over 309 km/h as Category 6, all five of these storms would fall into that category. The five are Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Hurricane Patricia in 2015, Typhoon Meranti in 2016, Typhoon Goni in 2020, and Typhoon Surigae in 2021.

However, Cossin and Wehner are not suggesting that the NHC formally adopt the Category 6 definition. Cossin says using a scale based on wind speed is fundamentally flawed, given that flooding and storm surges can pose a greater threat to life and buildings. .

Instead, they believe the NHC needs to implement an entirely new system to better communicate the overall risk posed by the storm. For example, 2008's Hurricane Ike was a massive storm that caused massive flooding and damage, but Kossin said it was only a Category 1 or 2 storm when it made landfall in the United States.

kelly emmanuel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology agree that a new scale is needed. “While I think it's important to recognize that hurricane intensity is increasing, we should also point out that most of the damage, injuries, and loss of life from hurricanes comes from water, not wind.” he says.

“I have been an advocate of replacing the venerable but outdated Saffir-Simpson scale with a new scale that reflects the totality of risk from a particular storm,” Emanuel says.

Another hurricane expert, Jeff Masters, now semi-retired, doesn't think the NHC intends or should change the Saffir-Simpson scale. “But it's important to understand how devastating these new superstorms could be, so talking about a hypothetical Category 6 storm is a valuable communications strategy for policymakers and the public. ” he says.

Masters said wind damage increases exponentially with wind speed, with a Category 6 storm with wind speeds of 314 km/h causing four times more damage than a Category 5 storm with wind speeds of 257 km/h. It is said that there is a possibility.

topic:

climate change/
Abnormal weather

Source: www.newscientist.com

Volcanic eruptions may have sparked life on Earth through lightning

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Volcanic lightning, which occurs within the clouds of volcanic ash released during some volcanic eruptions, may be a source of nitrogen.

Mike Rivers/Getty Images

Analysis of volcanic rocks revealed large amounts of nitrogen compounds, almost certainly formed by volcanic lightning. This process may have provided the nitrogen that the first life forms needed to evolve and thrive.

Nitrogen is a key component of the amino acids that are linked to make the proteins on which all life depends. Nitrogen gas is abundant, but plants cannot convert it into usable forms like carbon dioxide.

Instead, plants get most of their nitrogen from bacteria that can “fix” the gas by converting it into nitrogen compounds such as nitrate.But nitrogen-fixing bacteria didn't exist when life first evolved. Suliman Becchi There must have been non-biological sources early on, as it was at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

Lightning from thunderstorms is one possible cause. Currently, this produces relatively small amounts of nitrate, but it may have been important early in Earth's history. The famous Miller-Urey experiment of the 1950s demonstrated that nitrogen compounds containing amino acids could have been produced by lightning in Earth's early atmosphere.

Now Becchi and his colleagues show that another source may be lightning that occurs in ash clouds during volcanic eruptions.

When researchers collected volcanic deposits from Peru, Turkey, and Italy, they were initially surprised to find large amounts of nitrate in some layers. Isotopic analysis of these nitrates showed that they were originally present in the atmosphere and were not emitted by volcanoes. But Becchi says that amount is too much to be produced by lightning during thunderstorms. “It was an amazing amount of money,” he says. “It's really huge.” That means the nitrate was probably produced by volcanic lightning.

“When we looked at the various possibilities, volcanic lightning was the most likely,” Becchi said. “We know that when large-scale volcanic eruptions occur, a lot of lightning occurs.”

Tamsin Mather Researchers at the University of Oxford say their team's conclusions make sense. “Volcanic eruptions like the one studied in the paper would be expected to produce significant lightning, so it's quite possible that volcanic lightning generated this signal,” she says.

Life is thought to have first evolved around volcanoes, and the team's findings indicate that this environment may have been rich in nitrogen compounds, Becchi said.

The idea that volcanic lightning played an important role in the origin of life is not new. Jeffrey Bada Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California have previously shown that volcanic lightning passing through volcanic gases can produce molecules such as amino acids. “This paper just reinforces what I've published,” he says.

Source: www.newscientist.com

What’s Inside the Ancient Herculaneum Scrolls Revealed by AI

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Vesuvius Challenge Grand Prize winner used technology to decipher corrupted papyrus scrolls

vesuvius challenge

Artificial intelligence helped decipher ancient papyrus scrolls that were turned into blackened blocks of carbon by volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The first passage of this easy-to-read text reveals the Greek philosopher's never-before-seen musings.

This discovery won a grand prize of $700,000. vesuvius challengeThey then used a combination of 3D mapping and AI techniques to detect ink and decipher the shapes of the letters in digitally scanned segments of a scroll known as the Herculaneum Papyrus. Winning team members Yusef Nader, Luke Fariter and Julian Siliger help pave the way for further discoveries from additional papyrus scrolls once housed in the library of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum. there is a possibility.

“I think this is a huge boon to our knowledge of ancient philosophy. It's just a huge amount of new text,” he says. michael mc oscar A professor at the University of London, he was not involved in the discovery.

The winning entry met the Vesuvius Challenge criteria of deciphering at least 85 percent of the letters in four sentences of 140 characters each. Plus, as a bonus, we included 11 more columns of text totaling over 2000 characters.

These rediscovered Greek letters reveal the thoughts of Philodemus, who is believed to have been the resident philosopher of the library containing the Herculaneum Papyrus. The deciphered texts focus on how the scarcity or abundance of food and other goods affects the pleasure they bring. This fits with Philodemus' philosophy of the Epicurean school, which prioritized pleasure as the main goal of life. His 2,000-year-old writings even seem to delve into the philosophy of Stoicism, which “says nothing about pleasure.”

And the Vesuvius challenge is not over yet. Goals for 2024 include finding ways to scale up his 3D scanning and digital analysis technology without becoming too expensive. Current technology costs $100 per square centimeter. That means it could cost anywhere from $1 million to $5 million to effectively unravel the entire scroll, and there are 800 scrolls waiting to be deciphered.

“Realistically, the majority of the known libraries already in the public domain are Epicurean philosophy, and that's what we should expect, but there are also important Stoic texts, perhaps some history and Latin literature. Yes. Full text of early Roman writers such as Ennius and Livius Andronicus. [whose works] “Even if we don't survive, that would be great,” McCosker said. “Epicurus' SymposiumThe book he wrote about the biology of wine consumption would be a lot of fun. ”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Potential of Marine Fungi: Harnessing Water Mushrooms to Combat Antibiotic Resistance and Pollution

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Microscopic marine fungi are abundant, with approximately 2000 species discovered to date.

Dayarathne MC et al. (2020)

Take a walk along the coast almost anywhere in the world and you'll see colorful patches of life growing on rocks, seawalls, and driftwood. These are lichens, a mutualistic partnership between fungi and algae. In the UK, this may include brightly colored orange marine lichens and yellowish coastal sunburst lichens, as well as many other Drabber species.

Lichens are typically thought of as terrestrial organisms, and in fact, the majority grow inland on rocks, tree trunks, leaves, and soil. However, coastal organisms are not creatures that accidentally washed ashore from land; they are marine-adapted species found only on or in close proximity to shores. Until recently, they were considered to be outliers in the almost entirely terrestrial fungal kingdom. No more. “Fungi are present in every marine ecosystem we observe,” says Michael Cunliffe of the University of Plymouth in the UK.

Research on marine fungi is currently rapidly increasing, but their exact role and importance in marine ecosystems remains a mystery. Nevertheless, there are high hopes that it could save us from the two great scourges of the 21st century: antibiotic resistance and plastic pollution.

What are marine fungi?

The existence of marine fungi has been known for many years. The earliest descriptions were published in his mid-19th century to his early 20th century, but these were largely ignored by mainstream mycologists. Most of the species discovered are found on the roots of seaweed that live near the coast.

Source: www.newscientist.com

It is possible that global temperatures surpassed 1.5°C of warming a decade ago.

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Activists participating in COP28 climate change conference to be held in Dubai in December 2023

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The 1.5°C limit was exceeded in 2010 or 2011, and the world is already 1.8°C warmer than it was before the industrial revolution, according to researchers using sponges to find out how seawater and air temperatures in the Caribbean have changed through 2018. The researchers who investigated this claim. Past 300 years.

“The increase in Earth's average surface temperature was 0.5 degrees Celsius greater than currently accepted estimates.” Malcolm McCulloch at the University of Western Australia. “What our research shows is that global warming scenarios are 10 years away, or even further.”

But other climate scientists argue that data from a single region is not a reliable way to understand past global temperatures.

The 2015 Paris Agreement called on countries to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, but it did not define exactly what this meant. So climate scientists compiling the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report defined it as the average temperature from 1850 to 1900.

By this time, the Earth had already begun to warm as a result of emissions from burning fossil fuels. However, because there were few temperature measurements before 1850, there is great uncertainty about how much warming was caused by fossil fuels during the early industrial era. Therefore, choosing 1850–1900 as the baseline was pragmatic.

But McCulloch and his colleagues think they have discovered exactly what fossil fuel-induced warming was early on after analyzing samples of very long-lived sponges (Ceratoporella nicolsoni) forms a calcium carbonate skeleton.

The 10-centimeter-wide corpora cavernosa could be about 400 years old, team members say amos winter at Indiana State University. “These sponges grow very slowly.”

The sponges were collected by divers at depths of 33 to 91 meters off the coast of Puerto Rico. Although the original goal was to study the ocean's pH in the past, the researchers also measured the ratio of strontium to calcium, which varied with water temperature when calcium carbonate was formed.

Researchers noticed a close correlation between temperatures “recorded” by sponges and the average surface temperature of the Earth measured by instruments, especially after 1960, when measurements became more reliable. That means there is.

“This is kind of a serendipitous discovery, but the connection is very strong,” McCulloch says. “They are changing proportionately to the world average. The main differences occur when instrumental records are the poorest.”

The researchers therefore calculated the average global temperature before the industrial revolution back to 1,700 degrees Celsius, assuming that the sponges accurately reflected this.

The researchers believe their study should be taken into account when assessing whether the IPCC has exceeded the 1.5°C limit. “The bottom line is yes, the IPCC should take this issue seriously,” McCulloch said.

He also thinks climate modelers need to take the findings into account. If previous carbon emissions are causing more warming than thought, the impact of further emissions may be underestimated, he says.

But other climate scientists are far from convinced. “In my view, it would be imprudent to claim that an instrumental record is wrong based on paleocavernoids from one region of the world,” he says. michael man at the University of Pennsylvania. “That doesn't make sense to me. That said, our own early research supports the idea that there was at least another 0.2 degrees Celsius of warming by the late 19th century.”

In fact, anthropogenic warming may have started thousands of years ago. According to the early Anthropocene hypothesis proposed by William Ruddiman The University of Virginia announced that the first farmers' clearing of forests and creation of rice paddies produced enough carbon dioxide and methane to stop the planet from cooling and entering a new ice age.

Recent studies by other researchers have provided increasing evidence to support this hypothesis, but it is still far from being widely accepted.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Nuclear fusion reactions produce nearly double the energy they consume

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Nuclear fusion experiments at the US National Ignition Facility reach a significant milestone

philip saltonstall

Scientists confirmed that a 2022 fusion reaction reached a historic milestone by releasing more energy than it put in, and subsequent tests yielded even better results. Says. The findings, now published in a series of papers, offer encouragement that fusion reactors will one day produce clean, abundant energy.

Today's nuclear power plants rely on nuclear fission reactions, in which atoms are shattered to release energy and small particles. Fusion works in reverse, pushing smaller particles together into larger atoms. The same process powers our sun.

Nuclear fusion can produce more energy without any of the radioactive waste that comes with nuclear fission, but science has yet to find a way to contain and control the process, let alone extract energy from it. Researchers and engineers couldn't find it for decades.

Experiments to do this using laser-irradiated capsules of deuterium and tritium fuel – a process called inertial confinement fusion (ICF) – began in 2011 at California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) . Initially, the energy released was only a fraction of the energy. The laser energy input was gradually increased and the experiment finally crossed the important break-even milestone on December 5, 2022. That reaction generated his 1.5 times the laser energy needed to kickstart.

One paper claims that the institute's National Ignition Facility (NIF) has seen even higher ratios in subsequent commissioning, peaking at 1.9 times its energy input on September 4, 2023. .

Richard Towne LLNL said it believes the team's checks and double-checks since the 2022 results have proven it was “not a flash in the pan” and there is still room for improvement.

Town said yields are likely to improve with the hardware currently in place at NIF, but things could move further if the lasers can be upgraded, which would take years. “A sledgehammer always comes in handy,” he says. “If I could get a bigger hammer, I think I could aim for a gain of about 10.”

But Town points out that NIF was never built as a prototype reactor and is not optimized for high yields. His main job is to provide critical research to the US nuclear weapons program.

Part of this research involves exposing the bomb's electronics and payload to the neutron irradiation that occurs during the ICF reaction to see if they would function in the event of an all-out nuclear war. The risk of electronic equipment failure was highlighted during a 2021 test when NIF opened fire, knocking out all lights throughout the site, plunging researchers into darkness. “These lights were not hardened, but you can imagine military components having to withstand much higher doses,” Town says.

This mission means that some of the project's research remains classified. Until the 1990s, even the concept of ICF was secret, Town says.

The announcement that ICF would reach break-even in 2022 raised hopes that fusion power is on the horizon, and this will be further strengthened by news that further progress has been made. However, there are some caveats.

First, the energy output is far below what is needed for a commercial reactor, producing barely enough to heat a bath. What's worse is that this ratio is calculated using the power of the laser, so for him to produce 2.1 megajoules of energy, the laser consumes her 500 trillion watts. That's more power than the output of the entire U.S. national power grid. Therefore, these experiments apply even in a very narrow sense.

martin freer The researchers, from the University of Birmingham in the UK, say these results certainly do not indicate that a practical fusion reactor can now be built. “Science still has work to do,” he says. “We don't know the answers to all of these, and we don't need researchers anymore.”

Freer says that as scientific experiments advance, they pose engineering challenges to create better materials and processes, which in turn enables better experiments and further progress. “Nuclear fusion could happen,” he says. “But the challenges we face are quite steep from a scientific perspective.”

Aneeka Khan The professor at the University of Manchester, UK, agrees that recent advances in fusion research are positive, but stresses that it will be decades before commercial power plants are operational, and that only global cooperation and He stressed that it depends on a concerted effort to train more people. field. She cautions against interpreting advances in fusion research as a possible solution to dealing with dependence on energy from fossil fuels.

“Fusion is already too slow to address the climate crisis. We are already facing the devastation of climate change on a global scale,” says Khan. “In the short term, we need to leverage existing low carbon technologies such as nuclear fission and renewables, and in the long term, invest in fusion to become part of a diverse low carbon energy mix. must commit to tackling the climate crisis.”

topic:

nuclear energy/
nuclear fusion power generation

Source: www.newscientist.com

Staying Calm: The Science behind Stress-Free People

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

you know that person. People who use train delays as an excuse to get absorbed in good books. Someone who can crack a joke 10 seconds after breaking his ankle. He loves presentations and is never afraid of pressure. They seem to float through life, unperturbed by the stresses that can overwhelm us. What is their secret?

Are they blessed with stress-resistant genes? Did their upbringing make them exceptionally resilient? Are they learning specific ways to deal with life's challenges, or do they just know how to avoid stress altogether? To answer these questions, researchers have investigated how humans and animals respond and adapt to adversity, identifying which animals are particularly resistant to stress and elucidating the factors that contribute to this ability. Ta.it's the journey that took them Romanian orphanage From an interrogation room in North Carolina to a fire station in Indianapolis to a humor classroom in Austria.

This research helps the military recruit applicants for high-stress jobs. It also led to the first human trial of a “stress vaccine” that has the potential to prevent the devastating effects of conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to depression. But there are greater benefits to understanding the secret to a stress-free life. Knowing why some people cope with stress better than others and what we can all do to increase our resilience can only help us all cope better with the challenges of everyday life. But it may also teach you how to use stress to your advantage.

One thing you can be sure of is whether or not you're going to be late.

Article amended on February 27, 2020

We found out when people are negatively affected by stress.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Insight into historical scientific advancements provided by antique clocks

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Shimei medium with a print of the coronation of Louis XIV

National Palace Museum

These gorgeous antique clocks not only represent time, but also a window into an era of cutting-edge scientific innovation.

Each of these works, dating from 1662 to 1795, is part of a new exhibition. Zimingzhong: The Clockwork Treasure of China's Forbidden City At the Science Museum in London. It “explores how we measure time and the technical expertise, creativity and international trade behind centuries-old clocks,” said curator Jane Desborough. states.

Zimeichu in the shape of an artificial flower pot

National Palace Museum

called Ziming Middle School This bell, which means “self-ringing bell” in Mandarin, was brought to China by European missionaries during the Qing Dynasty and was prized by the Chinese emperor, who collected hundreds of them and built them in the Forbidden City in Beijing to emphasize his imperial status. It was exhibited in the palace. And a luxurious taste.

Zimingzhong celestial globe and original case included

National Palace Museum

Many of the things that made Ziming Middle School The technology incorporated into the intricate case was so prestigious that hundreds of skilled craftsmen were required to produce just one watch. Some of the complex devices still used in some clocks may have been used to time the duration of celestial events.

European style Shimeichu

National Palace Museum

The main image is Ziming Middle School It depicts the coronation of King Louis XIV of France, with other images depicted in smaller images (taken from below the main image): penjing (“Potted Landscape”) Delicate artificial flowers. A small celestial observation device that displays the movement of stars and planets around the Earth. There is also a print by 18th century painter Joshua Reynolds (pictured above). The exhibition will run until June 2nd.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Global Shark Attack Deaths Expected to Double by 2023

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Bull sharks live in shallow waters and occasionally attack humans.

Leonardo Gonzalez/Shutterstock

Shark bites and deaths will increase globally in 2023, with Australia recording the highest number of deaths, with surfers being the biggest victims.

The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File (ISAF) investigated 120 “alleged shark-human interactions” around the world in 2023. These included nine “boat bites” and injuries at public aquariums.

Of the 120 incidents that occurred around the world, 69 were confirmed to be unprovoked bites of humans when the shark was in shark habitat and unprovoked. This number was up from his 57 cases in 2002.

A further 22 attacks were triggered, defined as “a human initiating an interaction with a shark in any way.” These include scenes of people feeding sharks, touching sharks, and attempting to free sharks from fishing nets. The rest were either scavenged bodies or their circumstances were not confirmed.

Globally, 10 people will die from unprovoked shark attacks in 2023, double the number in 2022. 42% of shark bite victims worldwide were surfers and 39% were swimmers.

Four of the deaths occurred in Australia, three of which were attributed to great white sharks (carcharodon carcharius) attack the surfer.

gavin naylor Researchers at the University of Florida said the number of unprovoked bites around the world is in line with the average for the past five years. “But the rise in the number of unwarranted deaths is a bit worrying, especially in Australia,” he says. “We will continue to monitor incidents related to nearby surfing spots.” [great] A collection of great white sharks. ”

The report comes a week after a woman was seriously injured when a bull shark bit her on the leg while swimming in one of Sydney Harbour's busiest areas at dusk.Porgy whale).

phoebe meagher Sydney's Taronga Zoo helps manage Australia's shark incident database and works closely with researchers in Florida.

He said on average over the life of the database, which goes back to 1791, Australia recorded just one death a year, a significant increase of four deaths in 2023. .

The last time Australia had no deaths was in 2019, but Meagher doesn't think the trend has changed significantly. “An increase in deaths does not mean an increase in bites,” she says.

She attributes the rise in deaths in 2023 to bad luck, with deaths more likely if attacks occur far from the coast or far from hospitals, for example. .

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Hubble Captures Images of Irregular Galaxy LEDA 6430

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA has released a stunning new image of the irregular galaxy LEDA 6430 captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

This Hubble image shows LEDA 6430, an irregular galaxy about 15 million light-years away in the constellation Phoenix. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Messa.

LEDA6430 It is located in Phoenix, a small constellation in the south, about 15 million light years from Earth.

This galaxy, also known as ESO 245-5 or HIPASS J0145-43, 15,000 light years Across.

“The Hubble image of LEDA 6430 shows a dense starry sky over a background of dust, gas, and light from more distant objects,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“In the image, the stars take up most of the field of view, so it's a little difficult to realize that you're actually looking at a large portion of the galaxy.”

“Another reason why LEDA 6430 is probably a bit difficult to tell is a galaxy is its apparent lack of structure,” the astronomers added.

“We frequently enjoy Hubble's spectacular images of spiral galaxies, which are extremely interesting to watch, in part because the stars, gas, and dust appear to be arranged in an unusually orderly manner. .”

“In contrast, the LEDA 6430 de vaucouleurs system”

“The IB(s)m designation specifically means that the galaxy is irregular (I), banded (B), has a slight spiral structure (s), and is Magellanic (m). ”

“Irregularity is very intuitive in this context; galaxies do not appear to have a regular, ordered structure,” the researchers said.

“In fact, the entire landscape here is covered in stars from this galaxy.”

“The second term means there is a bar-like shape at the center of the galaxy, which is a dense expanse of stars across the center of this image.”

“Paragraph 3 says there are hints of a helical structure, but nothing clear or definitive (hence the 's' in parentheses).”

“Finally, the last term shows that LEDA 6430 is similar to the Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies that flank the Milky Way.”

Color images of the LEDA 6430 were created from separate exposures taken in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Equipment.

Five filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

Source: www.sci.news

Years of Study and a Grand Vision to Merge Computers and Brains

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Elon Musk’s announcement on Monday caught the attention of a small community of scientists who work with the body’s nervous system to treat disorders and conditions.

Robert Gaunt, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, said, “Inserting a device into a human body is not an easy task. But without neuroscience research and decades of demonstrated capabilities, I don’t think even Elon Musk would have taken on a project like this.”

Musk tweeted, “The first humans @Neuralink I was recovering well yesterday. Initial results show promising neuronal spike detection.” However, many scientists are cautious about the company’s clinical trials and note that not much information has been made public.

Neuralink won FDA approval to conduct its first human clinical study last year, and the company is developing brain implants that allow people, including severely paralyzed patients, to control computers with their thoughts.

Although it’s too early to know if Neuralink’s implants will work in humans, Gaunt said the company’s announcement is an “exciting development.” His own research focuses on restoring motor control and function using brain-computer interfaces.

“In 2004, a small device known as the Utah array was implanted in a human for the first time, allowing a paralyzed man to control a computer cursor with nerve impulses,” according to a report from University of Utah. Scientists have demonstrated how brain-computer interfaces can help people control robots, stimulate muscles, decode handwriting, speech, and more.

Musk said the clinical trials will aim to treat people with paralysis and paraplegia. However, many scientists believe enhancing human performance through brain-controlled devices is far in the future and not very realistic.

Still, Neuralink’s clinical trials represent a major advance for the fields of neuroscience and bioengineering. Funding basic science research is key to private companies advancing commercially viable products, says Gaunt.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Finally Breaking Free from Smartphone Addiction: A Step-By-Step Guide

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

According to Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, the average Brits check their phones every 12 minutes. For many of us, it’s the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night. It is a persistent, persistent obsession caused by molecules in the brain.

Usually, one specific molecule is thought to be responsible for this type of behavior: dopamine. This neurotransmitter is called a “feel-good” molecule because of its role in the brain’s reward system.

But it’s not just about joy. Dopamine receptors in the brain respond when we expect something pleasurable. And that’s why we keep checking our phones.

Mobile games and social media apps are designed to maintain that urge.

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Anna Lembke He is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. She believes smartphones are like hypodermic needles, providing an endless supply of “digital dopamine” to their billions of users.

“Digital media activates the same parts of the brain as drugs and alcohol, releasing dopamine,” Lembke says. “With repeated use, our brains adapt by downregulating dopamine transmission.” They enable this by shrinking dopamine receptors.

“If exposure continues in sufficient amounts, our brains enter a state of dopamine deficiency characterized by depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and cravings. When that happens, we are unable to perform certain tasks. You reach for digital media not as a tool to achieve something, but to get out of your dopamine-deprived state and stop feeling bad.”

Behavioral addictions, such as compulsive use of social media, are the subject of much debate. While it is true that digital media use increases the release of dopamine, the amount is much lower than that of cocaine or methamphetamine, so some believe that drug abuse should not be discussed on a par with drug abuse.

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Addicted or not, we Brits spend an average of four hours a day on our phones. Most of us probably wish we could go back to those days. So can we use what we know about the brain’s reward system to loosen the grip of our smartphones? Perhaps…

One idea you may have heard of (ironically, on Instagram or TikTok) is dopamine fasting.

This is a type of meditation or cognitive behavioral therapy, a practice that attempts to limit compulsive urges and change behavior. The idea is to consciously disconnect yourself from things that overstimulate you, such as social media, for a short period of time.

Proponents argue that short-term abstinence allows you to do more of the things you actually love while developing a healthier relationship with technology. But critics warn there is little evidence to support this claim.

Still, researchers who study excessive social media use often agree that some kind of digital detox may be a good thing.

“I’m a strong supporter of social media fasting,” he says Daria Kuss, a psychiatrist and professor of psychology at Nottingham Trent University. “Drinking this on the weekend may help you stop habitual social media use and reset your behavior.”

“My research shows that spending time with friends and family outside of social media, in the offline world, creates positive emotions and strengthens bonding experiences and feelings of connection.” Kuss says. “Therefore, meeting a friend for coffee can be a more positive experience than chatting with a friend on Messenger.”

About our experts

Anna Lembke He is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and the author of the book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in an Age of Luxury. Her research is of American Journal of Therapeutics, American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and British Medical Journal.

Daria Kuss He is a professor of psychology at Nottingham Trent University and an author. Internet Addiction – Evidence-Based Practice in Psychotherapy. Her research is of Addiction Research and Treatment Journal, psychopathology and frontiers of psychology.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The reasons behind diet failures, as explained by a weight loss surgeon, and the key to successful eating.

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Perhaps many of us have attempted to reduce our waistline by watching our calorie intake or hitting the gym, only to find little success. Should we be doing things differently?

According to Dr. Andrew Jenkinson, a consultant bariatric surgeon at University College London Hospital and the author of “Why do we eat (overeating)?” and “How to eat (and still lose weight)”, losing weight has more to do with eating foods that manage levels of leptin hormone rather than focusing on calorie counting or exercise.

So what exactly is leptin, and how does it work? Dr. Jenkinson shared insights in a recent discussion with us about leptin, food consumption, and strategies to reduce appetite.

When it comes to the problem of obesity, Dr. Jenkinson views it as a major health and economic issue that could lead to the collapse of healthcare systems. He highlighted the prevalence of obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint problems, and an increased risk for cancer.

Leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells, regulates body weight by signaling the hypothalamus, the weight control center of the brain. However, certain foods can block leptin signals, such as sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods, which increase insulin levels and block leptin.

Dr. Jenkinson emphasized that the concept of calories alone is not an effective approach to weight loss. Instead of focusing on calorie counting, he suggested avoiding foods that negatively impact insulin, which can shift the weight set point downward without significant effort.

In terms of exercise, Dr. Jenkinson explained that intense exercise can burn calories, but it can also lead to increased hunger and decreased metabolic rate if not balanced with calorie restriction. He recommended a combined approach of calorie restriction and intense exercise to achieve effective weight loss.

This interview with Dr. Andrew Jenkinson has been edited for clarity and length.

Dr. Andrew Jenkinson is a Consultant in Bariatric (Weight Loss) and General Surgery at University College London Hospital and the author of “Why do we eat (overeating)?” and “How to eat (and still lose weight).”

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Surprising Reasons Why Cats Lick People

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Licking: Cats are obsessed with licking. Research shows that adult felines can spend up to 8% of your waking hours grooming themselves. Licking also serves an important social role in felines, and adult cats often lick each other just before mating. But what about humans? Why do cats lick people? There is no evidence that your cat considers this part of a pre-mating ritual.

Scientists and cat behavior experts aren’t entirely sure why cats lick your face or hands with their little tongues. However, while there is no comprehensive and definitive explanation for this behavior, there are several theories as to why domestic cats lick humans. Your cat might not like all of them.

Why do cats lick people?

There is no single reason why a cat might lick you. However, there are three main theories as to why domestic cats behave this way:

It shows they trust you.
They are accessing biochemical information from your skin.
They are marking you as their property.

trust theory

Cats may lick you to show that they trust you or to show that they don’t consider you a serious competitor.

“This type of licking is similar to the cat-to-cat behavior known as allogrooming, which is essentially mutual grooming. When cats are young kittens who are blind and deaf, “They learn this from their mothers. It’s basically cleaning the kittens and strengthening their social bond.” doctor dEnthusiastic, Sands is an expert in animal psychology with over 25 years of clinical experience.

Read more about cats:

“Due to this maternal influence, adult cats will only lick other cats that they trust and are not in competition with. And this trusting grooming behavior may be transmitted to humans.

“At the end of the day, cats don’t sit there saying, ‘I’m a cat and you’re a human.’ To them, the animal is either in competition with them or not. And licking. That shows you’re not competing.”

In other words, if your cat licks you, it’s not a positive sign of affection. That’s not a negative thing at all (it’s as good as a cat).

Helpful note: Always think about where your cat last licked before allowing this. Photo credit: Getty

If in doubt, consider the cleverly titled Lincoln University study. Domestic cats show no signs of being attached to their owners.

Researchers swapped human owners with 20 felines and discovered they were felines. He seemed to be deepening his bonds with strangers. than in the actual owner (shown through behaviors such as play and mirroring).

The researchers wrote: “These results are consistent with the view that adult cats are also typically very autonomous in their social relationships and are not necessarily dependent on others to provide a sense of security and security.”’ “We are doing it,” he concluded.

biochemical theory

This sounds complicated, but essentially it’s a very simple idea: cats like you because they’re interested in the smell on your hands.

“Cats’ taste buds are so sensitive that they can detect the smell of our skin, which can contain pheromone secretions from other animals,” says Sands. “There could also be salt, moisturizer, or something else you’ve eaten on your hands. To cats, these are all interesting scents, and they can detect it by licking. It could just be that.”

possession play theory

As Sands says, cats are “head-to-tail sniffing machines.” And what’s their favorite smell? Themselves. In fact, they love their unique scent (which acts as a fingerprint suspended in the air) so much that they think it should replace other scents.

Sands explains that this is why cats lick themselves after petting you. “It’s purely to get rid of your smell!” he says.

Many other cat behaviors come down to ownership and territory. Everything they do is very territorial,” Sands added. “When cats groom other cats or humans, they may remove scents and replace them with their own. It’s their way of marking and saying, ‘This is mine.’ I’m yours!”

About our expert Dr. David Sands

Sands, who holds a PhD in animal behavior (animal psychology) from the University of Liverpool, has over 25 years’ experience in animal behavior clinics. He is a Fellow of the Dog and Cat Behavior Association (CFBA) and the Society for the Study of Animal Behavior (ASAB).

Sands is also the author of the following books: Cats 500 questions answered (Hamlin, £4).

Read more about cat science

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Enhancing Virtual Reality with Artificial Touch Technology for a More Immersive Experience

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

When you open the door, it hits you and warmth spreads over your skin. Fighting the smoke and heat, I brace myself and head inside. As you walk through a burning building, flames flicker around you. You find what you want and run away. It's so cold outside that I start shivering and my hands and feet go numb.

But when I remove the headset, everything stops. An incredibly realistic training exercise is now complete. All of these sensations felt real, but they were not caused by changes in my surroundings. Instead, carefully selected chemicals were injected into the skin to mimic different emotions.

Such stimuli have long helped us understand the most complex of the human senses: touch. In the 1990s, research into capsaicin, an extract from chili peppers, and menthol, found in peppermint, helped determine how our bodies respond to heat and cold. now, Jasmine Lu and colleagues at the University of Chicago They use this knowledge to create chemically induced sensations that make virtual environments incredibly realistic.

With a technology called chemical haptics, they built a wearable device that, when placed on the skin, can cause the wearer to experience different sensations, such as hot or cold, numbness or tingling, depending on their needs. . Its uses could include creating highly realistic virtual worlds for gamers to explore, training firefighters, and more. But will we ever be able to fully recreate the experience of touching the real thing? And if we can't, what might we stand to lose?

Source: www.newscientist.com

Mathematicians conclusively demonstrate Bach’s greatness as a composer

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

According to information theory, Johann Sebastian Bach was a great composer

Granger Collection / Alamy Stock Photo

Johann Sebastian Bach is considered one of the great composers of Western classical music. Researchers are currently trying to find out why by analyzing his music using information theory.

Suman Kulkarni Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania wanted to understand how the ability to recall and predict music is related to its structure. They decided to analyze Bach's works because he produced a huge number of works with a variety of structures, including religious hymns called chorales and the fast-paced masterpiece Toccata.

First, the researchers transformed each configuration into an information network by representing each note as a node and each transition between notes as an edge and connecting them. Using this network, we compared the amount of information in each work. Intended to entertain and surprise, toccatas contain more information than chorales, which are composed for more contemplative settings such as churches.

Kulkarni and her colleagues also used information networks to compare listeners' perceptions of Bach's music. They started with an existing computer model based on an experiment in which participants responded to a series of images on a screen. The researchers then measured how surprising the elements of the array were. They adapted an information network based on this model to music, where the links between each node are used to determine how likely a listener thinks two connected notes are to be played in succession, or how likely they actually are. It expresses how surprised you would be if that happened to you. Because humans don't learn information perfectly, a network that shows people's estimated sonic changes to a song is unlikely to accurately match a network based directly on that song. Researchers can quantify that discrepancy.

In this case, the discrepancy is low, suggesting that Bach's works convey information fairly effectively. But Kulkarni wants to fine-tune computer models of human perception to better match actual brain scans of people listening to music.

“More than just knowing frequencies, neuroscience has the missing link between complex structures like music and the brain's response to them. [of sounds]. This study could provide an exciting step forward.” randy mackintosh At Simon Fraser University, Canada. However, there are many other factors that influence how a person perceives music. For example, how long the person listens to songs, whether they have musical training, etc. These still need to be explained, he says.

Even in information theory, it is still not clear whether Bach's compositional style was exceptional compared to other types of music. McIntosh said his own previous research has found some general similarities between the musicians, similar to the differences between Bach and rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, but more detailed analysis is needed. It states that.

“I would like to perform the same analysis for different composers and non-Western music,” Kulkarni says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Chatbots Powered by AI Show a Preference for Violence and Nuclear Attacks in Wargames

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In wargame simulations, AI chatbots often choose violence

Gilon Hao/Getty Images

In multiple replays of the wargame simulation, OpenAI's most powerful artificial intelligence chooses to launch a nuclear attack. Its proactive approach is explained as follows: Let's use it.'' “I just want the world to be at peace.''

These results suggest that the U.S. military is leveraging the expertise of companies like Palantir and Scale AI to develop chat systems based on a type of AI called large-scale language models (LLMs) to aid military planning during simulated conflicts. Brought to you while testing the bot. Palantir declined to comment, and Scale AI did not respond to requests for comment. Even OpenAI, which once blocked military use of its AI models, has begun working with the US Department of Defense.

“Given that OpenAI recently changed its terms of service to no longer prohibit military and wartime use cases, it is more important than ever to understand the impact of such large-scale language model applications. I am.”
Anka Ruel at Stanford University in California.

“Our policy does not allow us to use tools to harm people, develop weapons, monitor communications, or harm others or destroy property. But there are also national security use cases that align with our mission,” said an OpenAI spokesperson. “Therefore, the goal of our policy update is to provide clarity and the ability to have these discussions.”

Reuel and her colleagues asked the AI to role-play as a real-world country in three different simulation scenarios: an invasion, a cyberattack, and a neutral scenario in which no conflict is initiated. In each round, the AI provides a rationale for possible next actions, ranging from peaceful options such as “initiating formal peace negotiations,'' to “imposing trade restrictions'' to “escalating a full-scale nuclear attack.'' Choose from 27 actions, including aggressive options ranging from

“In a future where AI systems act as advisors, humans will naturally want to know the rationale behind their decisions,” he says.
Juan Pablo Riveraco-author of the study at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

The researchers tested LLMs including OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, Anthropic's Claude 2, and Meta's Llama 2. They used a common training method based on human feedback to improve each model's ability to follow human instructions and safety guidelines. All of these AIs are supported by Palantir's commercial AI platform, but are not necessarily part of Palantir's U.S. military partnership, according to company documentation.
gabriel mucobi, study co-author at Stanford University. Anthropic and Meta declined to comment.

In simulations, the AI showed a tendency to invest in military power and unexpectedly increase the risk of conflict, even in simulated neutral scenarios. “Unpredictability in your actions makes it difficult for the enemy to predict and react in the way you want,” he says.
lisa cock The professor at Claremont McKenna College in California was not involved in the study.

The researchers also tested a basic version of OpenAI's GPT-4 without any additional training or safety guardrails. This GPT-4 based model of his unexpectedly turned out to be the most violent and at times provided nonsensical explanations. In one case, it was replicating the crawling text at the beginning of a movie. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Reuel said the unpredictable behavior and strange explanations from the GPT-4-based model are particularly concerning because research shows how easily AI safety guardrails can be circumvented or removed. Masu.

The US military currently does not authorize AI to make decisions such as escalating major military action or launching nuclear missiles. But Koch cautioned that humans tend to trust recommendations from automated systems. This could undermine the supposed safeguard of giving humans final say over diplomatic or military decisions.

He said it would be useful to see how the AI's behavior compares to human players and in simulations.
edward geist at the RAND Corporation, a think tank in California. However, he agreed with the team's conclusion that AI should not be trusted to make such critical decisions regarding war and peace. “These large-scale language models are not a panacea for military problems,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

A newly discovered kangaroo lizard species found in India

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A research team led by scientists from Calicut University has described a new species of agamid lizard discovered in the Indian state of Kerala.

Agastya Gama Edge, an uncollected female from the reference locality habitat of Kuramab, Idukki District, Kerala, India. Image credit: Sandeep Das.

The newly confirmed species belong to the following: Agastya Gama, a previously monotypic genus of diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous lizards of the family Agamiidae.

This genus includes Indian Kangaroo Lizard (Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory) Originally from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

“Terrestrial agamids, which inhabit the forests of southern India and Sri Lanka, are currently classified into two separate genera. Agastya Gama and Otocryptis It is based on genetic and morphological grounds,” said Calicut University researcher Sandeep Das and colleagues.

“Genus Otocryptis It originally included two species. Otocryptis Bed Dormitory From the southern Western Ghats of India, Otocryptis wigmannii It comes from the humid region of Sri Lanka. ”

“After a long gap, additional species Otocryptis nigristigma Illustrated from the dry forests of Sri Lanka. ”

“In 2018, scientists showed that the Sri Lankan kangaroo skink is paraphyletic with the Western Ghats kangaroo skink.”

“This prompted them to establish a monotypic genus.” Agastya Gama to accommodate Indians. Otocryptis Bed Dormitory however, no molecular data are available. Otocryptis nigristigma”

Agastya Gama Edge Lifetime: (A) An unrecovered adult male from Kuramab, Idukki District, Kerala, India. (B) Females not collected from the same locality. Image credit: Sandeep Das.

named Agastya Gama EdgeThe new species is a small agamid lizard with a body length of 3 to 4.3 centimeters.

“Agastya Gama Edge It is the second species of the genus Agastya Gama” said the researchers.

“On the surface, they are similar. Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory They vary in overall shape, size, and color, but can be distinguished by the combination of letters. ”

Agastya Gama Edge It is currently known only from evergreen forests in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. All records of this species are between 636 and 835 m above sea level.

“We encountered more individuals from March to May,” the scientists said.

“Disturbed habitats such as roadside vegetation and plantation areas had lower numbers compared to undisturbed vegetation types.”

“During the breeding season from March to May, males had creamy spots on their throats. Young individuals were observed in June and July.”

“Discovery of the second species Agastya Gama “The reptile diversity of the Western Ghats is increasing,” they added.

“Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory Its range is home to a variety of habitat types, including myristica wetlands, hilltop tropical evergreen forests in the south, tropical evergreen forests on the west coast, tropical semi-evergreen forests on the west coast, and secondary moist mixed deciduous forests in the south. I am. Agastya Gama Edge So far it has been recorded only from tropical semi-evergreen and evergreen forests. ”

“Our study shows that the two species are geographically separated by about 80 km in a straight line.”

discovery of Agastya Gama Edge is explained in paper It was published in the magazine vertebrate zoology.

_____

S. Das other. 2024. Discovery of a new species of kangaroo lizard (Squamatora: Agamiidae: Agastya Gama) from the southern Western Ghats of India. vertebrate zoology 74: 151-168; doi: 10.3897/vz.74.e113084

Source: www.sci.news

California’s recovery from last year’s storms hindered by new atmospheric river floods

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

As California prepares for another strong atmospheric river storm on Sunday, Lake Tulare serves as a reminder of the impactful effects these extreme storms can have.

The lake’s floodwaters, which were formed after approximately 12 atmospheric river storms hit California in 2023, are still present 9 months after the resurgence of the “ghost lake.” More than a month later, they still cover thousands of acres of prime farmland.

This summer, the stagnant water of the lake became a gathering place for wild birds and caused an outbreak of avian botulism. Wildlife officials had to patrol daily by airboat and collect hundreds of dead birds. Submerged flooded vehicles and communication equipment at the bottom of the lake left farmers unable to access their fields.

The continuing presence of the lake in this part of the Central Valley emphasizes how the environmental impacts of last year’s extreme rainfall are still affecting California. While this weekend’s storms could bring heavy precipitation to other parts of the state, most flooding effects are not expected to last long.

Currently, Lake Tulare is rapidly shrinking despite recent rainfall. As of Thursday, about 4,532 acres of farmland were still underwater, but the floodwaters have subsided, according to Kings County spokesman Justin Caporusso. This means the lake is now less than 20 times smaller than last year’s peak, and life is returning to normal for nearby residents.

Sgt. Nate Ferrier of the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, who visited the lake in late January, noted that much of the lake has been cleaned up.

“The farming community was already revitalized,” he said. “There were tractors everywhere.”

The lake was a natural feature of the southern San Joaquin Valley until settlers dug irrigation canals to reroute water and drain agricultural land more than a century ago. Last year, the Tulare Basin flooded after a series of storms because reservoirs could not handle heavy snowmelt runoff from the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Caporusso stated that this week’s atmospheric river storms, expected to be accompanied by a significant storm on Sunday, are unlikely to have a significant impact on Tulare Lake. The reservoir upstream of the lake has the capacity to handle the precipitation, and the California Department of Water Resources found that about 45% of normal snow falls in the southern Sierra Nevada during this period.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Cicada Spectacle: What to Expect from the Insect Apocalypse

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Remember in 2021, when Brood XIII and it’s coming soon.

What is a cicada?

Cicadas are large, durable insects with transparent wings and large compound eyes. They have a unique corrugated exoskeletal structure called a “timbal” on the side of their abdomen, and it is this organ that produces the loud buzzing sound.

By rapidly contracting and relaxing the “ribs” of the eardrum (essentially folding the eardrum), cicadas produce chirping, clicking, or snapping sounds. And thanks to the insect’s hollow abdomen, this sound is amplified.This is the most complex sound- and vibration-producing organ of any arthropod, and the eardrum is probably evolved over 300 million years ago.

Each species has a unique call, and the African cicada Brevisana Brevis, Also known as the high-pitched cicada, the cicada is very noisy. It has been recorded that it reached a whopping 106.7 decibels. – It’s almost as loud as a chainsaw.

There are over 3,000 species of cicadas around the world, but only one species exists in the UK: the endangered New Forest cicada. cicadetta montana. In fact, it is so endangered that No one has seen it since the 1990s.There is a possibility that that species is already extinct.

Adult cicadas can take up to 17 years to complete development. – Photo credit: Getty

Why a huge cicada explosion will occur in 2024

To make it easier to track the patterns of occurrence of different populations, entomologists divide cicadas into “family members.” This is especially helpful for periodic cicadas that spend longer underground than their annual or dog days.

Different chicks usually appear at different times. But this year is quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime event, as his two offspring, Brood XIII (born every 17 years) and Brood XIX (born every 13 years), will be born at the same time.

The last time these brothers were in sync was 221 years ago* in 1803. And he is in 2245 when it happens again. And it just so happens that these two of his brothers are geographically adjacent. So if you live in Illinois or Indiana, you’re in for a double whammy.

result? Billions of cicadas will emerge in a noisy mating frenzy sometime this spring. Some estimates suggest that as many as 1 trillion cicadas could be seen in this so-called “insect apocalypse.”

Brood XIII last saw the light of day in 2007, but it may first appear in April or when soil temperatures reach around 17.7°C (64°F). Brood XIX is also expected to follow him around mid-May.

Be careful of rain showers at this time of year. The influx of warm water will encourage these noisy creatures to leave their underground nests.

How many cicadas are there?

There are seven types of periodic cicadas, Magicada. Currently, in the 13 year cicada he has 3 different chicks and in the 17 year cicada he has 12 chicks. They are all native to the United States.

The next cicada emergence period is as follows.

2024: Brood XIII and XIX – see below

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Twitter War Erupts as Bot Armies Clash over China’s Balloon Incident

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Chinese reconnaissance balloon flies over Canada and the United States just before being shot down over South Carolina in 2023

Joe Granita/ZUMA Presswire/Shutterstock

When Chinese reconnaissance balloons flew over the United States and Canada last year, tens of thousands of bots competed to shape the discussion on Twitter, according to an analysis of social media posts.

Kathleen Curley and Lynette Hui Xiang Ng A research team from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania tracked approximately 1.2 million tweets posted by more than 120,000 users on Twitter (later renamed to X) between January 31, 2023 and February 22, 2023. did. All tweets included the hashtags #chineseballoon and #weatherballoon and discussed the controversial airborne. The US claimed that China used it for espionage.

Tweets were then located using Twitter's location feature and checked with an algorithm called . bot hunterlook for signs that the account is not managed by a human.

“There are many things going on. [identifying a bot] Examples are whether messages are being sent so fast that a human could literally not type them that fast, or if someone is geotagged for one minute in London, but in New Zealand a person can physically type For example, if it is not possible. Please do that,” says Carly.

Researchers found that about 35 percent of geotagged users in the U.S. exhibited bot-like behavior, while 65 percent appeared to be human. In China, the proportions were reversed, with 64 percent bots and 36 percent humans.

Of the accounts claiming to be from neither country, 42 percent were bots and 58 percent were human. Although reliable numbers are difficult to come by, previous research suggests that 10-20% of Twitter users are bots. The bot autonomously performs tasks such as sending her Twitter messages to users on the platform and “liking” other posts.often used to try influence public opinion.

“We're seeing more bot activity in tweets that appear to be coming from Chinese communities than we are seeing coming from American communities,” Curley said. The overall rate of bot accounts was also higher during the Chinese spy balloon debate than at other events, researchers said.

As an example, a bot based in China posted: “#USA #China #February 14th” […] Some may speculate that the US is using the #China spyballoon “excuse” to escalate tensions with #Beijing. Remember, US airspace is highly controlled and we have more accurate satellite technology for spying. ”

Neither Carley nor Ng would speculate on who might be behind the bot. stephen buckley Researchers at City University of London said: “There is likely to be a mix of state and individual actors seeking to sway and manipulate public opinion regarding breaking news.”

As for whether bot activity has made a difference, Curley said: “The fact that bots speak a little differently to humans means what people were reading will look a little different and future conversations will look different.” Buckley says it's important to be “very wary” of content you post and assume it wasn't posted by a human.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers are uncertain about the origins of life on Earth

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

If you open your eyes anywhere on Earth, there is life, whether it’s pigeons in the park or invisible microbes covering every surface. However, when the Earth was born 4.5 billion years ago, it was barren. How did the first life originate?

Simply put, I don’t know. Then you’ll be able to reproduce it. Scientists can put the right chemicals into a sealed container under the right conditions, and when they open it, they will find a living organism. No one has ever done this before.

But while we don’t know exactly how life began, there are plenty of clues.

Let’s start with the simplest. What is life made of, and where do its components come from? Living organisms contain thousands of chemicals, including proteins and nucleic acids that carry genetic information. Although these chemicals are complex, we now know that their constituent parts are very easily formed.

The first evidence for this was published in 1953 by a young chemist named Stanley Miller. He filled a glass device with water and his three gases to imitate the oceans and air of the young Earth. Miller heated water and delivered an electric shock to the air to imitate lightning. Within a few days, the setup produced amino acids, which are fragments of proteins.

Since then, scientists have conducted many similar studies. In a study published in September 2020, researchers led by Sara Simcucci, now president of a startup company, Alchemy Co., Ltd.), compiled dozens of experiments. They created a “map” that shows how chemicals change into other substances. He started with just six chemicals used daily, such as water and methane. Creates the tens of thousands of substances found in living things.

The implication is that the young Earth was a biochemical factory. However, having a large amount of these chemicals does not necessarily mean that life will emerge. Just like a pile of bricks automatically becomes a house.

This is where things get tricky. Because we have to think about why something is alive. It boils down to three things. Firstly, the organism often has to maintain itself with an outer layer, and removing that outer layer immediately becomes a problem. Secondly, it must feed itself. This involves complex chemical reactions. And third, life must reproduce itself. In other words, life must have genes that can be inherited.

Research into the origins of life over the past 50 years has been dominated by attempts to create one of these systems on our own, for example by creating genetic molecules that reproduce by copying themselves. Other bits were supposed to come later.

Personally, I have doubts about this approach. None of the three systems live alone; they need each other. Moreover, if Earth were so good at making all the chemicals for life, all three systems could have formed in the same place at the same time. This may be more likely to occur in confined spaces such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents or terrestrial pools.

We still don’t know exactly how life originated, but what was once a complete mystery is now less inexplicable.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Men who consume kimchi daily may have a lower risk of obesity

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In a cross-sectional study, researchers from Chung-Ang University and elsewhere analyzed data from the Korean HEXA Cohort Study to investigate the association between kimchi consumption and obesity among Korean adults. They showed that total kimchi intake of one to three servings per day was inversely associated with obesity risk in men. Additionally, in men, higher intakes of baechu kimchi (cabbage kimchi) were associated with lower prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity. It was found that higher intake of gakdugi (radish kimchi) was associated with lower prevalence of abdominal obesity in both men and women. However, all results indicate a “J-shaped” association, suggesting that overconsumption may increase obesity prevalence.

Consuming 1 to 3 servings of kimchi per day has been shown to reduce obesity risk in men. Image credit: Lee Dong-won.

Kimchi is traditionally consumed as a side dish in Korea and is produced by salting and fermenting vegetables with various flavorings and seasonings such as onions, garlic, chili powder, salted shrimp, and fish sauce.

The main vegetables in kimchi are cabbage and radish, and kimchi is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, and polyphenols.

Fermented kimchi contains the following major types of lactic acid bacteria: leuconostoc seed, lactic acid bacteria Species and Weissella spp.

especially, lactic acid bacteria It is the dominant species of kimchi lactic acid bacteria in late seed fermentation.

In previously published experimental studies, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum Components isolated from kimchi had anti-obesity effects.

And researchers Hyein Jung and colleagues at Chung-Ang University wanted to know whether regular consumption was associated with a reduced risk of overall and/or abdominal obesity, which is considered to be particularly harmful to health. .

Scientists used data from 115,726 participants (36,756 men and 78,970 women, average age 51 years) who took part in the Health Examination (HEXA) study.

HEXA is a large-scale community-based longitudinal study of the Korean Genomic Epidemiology Study, which aims to investigate environmental and genetic risk factors for common long-term conditions in Korean adults aged 40 years and older.

Dietary intake in the previous year was assessed using a validated 106-item food frequency questionnaire. In this survey, participants were asked to indicate how often they ate one serving of each food item: never, rarely, or three times a day.

Kimchi total includes Baechu. Kakudugi. Nabak and donchimi (watery kimchi). Others include takana kimchi.

Baechu kimchi or gahdugi kimchi weighs 50g, and nabak kimchi or donchimi kimchi weighs 95g.

We measured each participant's height, weight, BMI, and waist circumference. BMI 18.5 was defined as underweight. Normal weight is 18.5-25. Obesity for people over 25 years old.

Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference of at least 90 cm for men and at least 85 cm for women. Approximately 36% of men and 25% of women's girlfriends were obese.

The results showed a J-shaped curve, likely because the higher the consumption, the higher the intake of total energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, sodium, and cooked rice, the researchers said. ing.

Compared to participants who ate less than one serving of kimchi per day, those who ate five or more servings were more likely to gain weight, have a larger waist size, and be obese.

They were also less highly educated, had lower incomes, and were more likely to drink alcohol.

However, after accounting for potentially influencing factors, researchers found that consuming up to three servings of kimchi per day was associated with an 11% lower obesity rate compared with less than one serving per day.

Among men, those who consumed three or more servings of baechu kimchi per day had a 10% lower prevalence of obesity and a 10% lower prevalence of abdominal obesity compared to those who consumed less than one serving per day.

For women, consuming this type of kimchi two to three times a day was associated with an 8% lower obesity rate, and consuming one to two times a day was associated with a 6% lower incidence of abdominal obesity.

It was found that eating less than the average amount of gakdugi kimchi reduced obesity rates by about 9% for both men and women.

Consumption of 25 g/day for men and 11 g/day for women reduced the risk of abdominal obesity by 8% (men) to 11% (women) compared to no intake.

“A 'J-shaped' association was observed across all outcomes, suggesting that overconsumption may increase obesity prevalence,” the authors said.

“Kimchi is also one of the major sources of sodium intake, so the health benefits of other ingredients should be considered when recommending appropriate amounts.”

of findings appear in the diary BMJ Open.

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H. Jung other. 2024. Association between kimchi intake and obesity based on BMI and abdominal obesity in Korean adults: A cross-sectional analysis of a health checkup survey. BMJ Open 14: e076650; doi: 10.1136/bmjoopen-2023-076650

Source: www.sci.news

NGC 5427 captured in close-up by Hubble Space Telescope

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

astronomer using NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope They captured a striking photo of NGC 5427, which is part of the interacting galaxy pair Arp 271.

This Hubble image shows NGC 5427, a spiral galaxy located about 120 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image credit: NASA / ESA / R. Foley, University of California, Santa Cruz / Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.

Alp 271 It was originally discovered in 1785 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.

a pair that interacts consisting of Two spiral galaxies of similar size: NGC5426 and NGC5427.

It is located about 120 million light-years away toward the constellation Virgo, and its extent is about 130,000 light-years.

It is unclear whether the interaction experienced by NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 will end in a collision and ultimately lead to the merger of the two galaxies, or whether the galaxies will simply experience a very close encounter.

It is absolutely certain that they are already interacting with each other, as material has been stripped from galaxies to create bridges of stars and dust that connect them.

In the distant future, our Milky Way galaxy will undergo a similar collision with the Andromeda galaxy, which is currently located about 2.6 million light-years away from the Milky Way.

“NGC 5426 is below NGC 5427 and outside the frame of this image,” Hubble astronomers said.

“However, the gravitational effects of this pair can be seen in the distortion of the galaxy and the cosmic bridge of stars seen in the lower right region of the image.”

“NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are locked in an interaction lasting tens of millions of years.”

“Whether they will eventually collide and merge is still uncertain, but their mutual attraction has already led to the birth of many new stars.”

“These young stars are visible in the faint bridge connecting the two galaxies at the bottom of the image.”

“Such bridges provide a path for the two galaxies to continue sharing gas and dust that will form new stars.”

“We believe Arp 271 serves as a blueprint for future interactions between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, which are expected to occur in about 4 billion years.”

Source: www.sci.news

Discovery of four new species of deep-sea octopus in the Pacific Ocean

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Marine biologist at Schmidt Ocean Institute R/V Falco Two expeditions in 2023 exploring seamounts off Costa Rica's Pacific coast discovered at least four new species of deep-sea octopus.

A newly hatched octopus swims away from its egg near a small rocky outcrop informally known as El Dorado Hill. Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute.

“The impact is that R/V Falco Research to understand Costa Rica's deep Pacific Ocean will continue into the future and hopefully generate awareness that will lead to policies that protect the country's deep sea,” said Dr. Jorge Cortés, a researcher at the University of Costa Rica.

“We hope this expedition will inspire new generations. Further international cooperation is needed to increase knowledge about our deep-sea heritage.”

During the first expedition in June 2023, Dr. Cortes and colleagues discovered two octopus farms associated with thermal springs.

Six months later, they returned to the nursery and confirmed that they appear to be active year-round.

They also observed several other new species of octopus away from the hot springs.

One of the new species belongs to the genus Octopus Muusocops The octopus is named after the small rocky outcrop, informally known as El Dorado Hills, where it was first discovered.

This is a different species, closely related to, but a different deep-sea octopus farm, found in California's Davidson Seamount in 2018.

Of the four new species in Costa Rica, only the dorado octopus was observed spawning in hot springs.

This discovery is Muusocops This genus evolved to raise its eggs in warm springs on the ocean floor.

“After hard work, our team has discovered a new hydrothermal spring off the coast of Costa Rica, which has become a nursery for deep-sea octopuses and a unique biodiversity site,” said Dr. Beth Orcutt, a researcher at the Bigelow Institute of Marine Science. We confirmed that this is the habitat.”

“It was less than 10 years ago that low-temperature hydrothermal eruptions were detected in ancient volcanoes located far from mid-ocean ridges.”

“These locations are very difficult to find because you can't detect any trace of it in the water column.”

Researchers also discovered a thriving deep-sea skating nursery on the top of another seamount in Costa Rican waters, which they named Skatepark.

They also discovered three hydrothermal springs within the region, located 10 to 30 nautical miles from each other.

These springs all differ from each other in the temperature and chemistry of their fluids, indicating that unique reaction processes drive their formation.

“The Schmidt Ocean Institute supports the global scientific community wherever it is located. Falcor ” said Dr. Jyothika Virmani, Executive Director. Schmidt Ocean Institute.

“Dr. Cortés and Dr. Orcutt have assembled a team that truly embodies international collaboration that empowers Costa Rica's domestic scientists and enriches local knowledge and understanding of the ocean.”

“We look forward to operating off the coasts of Peru and Chile in 2024 and welcoming scientists from South America.”

Source: www.sci.news

XMM-Newton discovers ultrafast black hole wind in Markarian 817

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Markarian 817 is the Seyfert 1 galaxy located 430 million light-years away in the constellation Draco. Also known as Mrk 817 or QSO J1436+5847, it hosts an active supermassive black hole of 81 million solar masses.

This artist's impression shows super-fast winds blowing from the center of the galaxy Markarian 817. These winds travel at millions of kilometers per hour and remove interstellar gas from vast regions of space. Without this gas, galaxies cannot form new stars, and the black holes at the galaxies' centers have little left to eat. The inset shows what is happening at the center of the galaxy. A supermassive black hole draws in gas from its surroundings to form a hot, brightly lit accretion disk (orange). The wind (white) is caused by a magnetic field within the disk, which causes particles to fly in all directions at incredibly high speeds. These winds effectively block the X-rays (blue) emitted by the extremely hot plasma surrounding the black hole, called the corona.Zack other. Using his X-ray telescope XMM-Newton at ESA, he captured Markarian 817 blowing out super-fast winds. This wind, which lasts for about a year, will have a major impact on star formation in the galaxy. The fact that black holes at the centers of galaxies exhibited fairly average activity levels before generating winds suggests that supervelocity black hole winds are much more common than previously thought. doing. In other words, black holes and their host galaxies strongly influence each other's evolution. Image credit: ESA / CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

At the center of every large galaxy is a supermassive black hole whose enormous gravitational pull pulls in gas from its surroundings.

As the gas spirals inward, it collects in a flat accretion disk around the black hole, where it heats up and glows.

Over time, the gas closest to the black hole passes the point of no return and gets swallowed up.

But black holes consume only a portion of the gas that swirls toward them.

While surrounding the black hole, some matter is bounced back into space, much like a messy toddler spilling everything on his plate.

In a more dramatic episode, a black hole turns the entire table upside down. The gas in the accretion disk is thrown off in all directions at such high velocities that it wipes out the surrounding interstellar gas.

This not only deprives the black hole of food, but also means that new stars cannot form over large areas and the structure of the galaxy changes.

Until now, this ultrafast black hole wind had only been detected as coming from a very bright accretion disk at the limit of its ability to pull in matter.

At this time, ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft detected superfast winds in Markarian 817, a decidedly average galaxy that could be described as “just having a snack.”

“With the fans on the highest setting, we would expect very fast winds,” said Dr. Miranda Zak, an astronomer at the University of Michigan.

“In the galaxy we studied called Markarian 817, the fans were turned on at a lower power setting, but still produced incredibly energetic winds.”

“It is very rare to observe ultrafast winds, and even rarer to detect winds with enough energy to change the properties of the host galaxy.”

“The fact that Markarian 817 produced these winds for about a year, even though it was not particularly active, suggests that the black hole may have changed the shape of its host galaxy much more than previously thought. “This suggests that there is a sex,” said Roman astronomer Elias Cammun. Tre University.

Active galactic nuclei emit high-energy light, including X-rays. Markarian 817 stood out to astronomers because it was extremely quiet.

“The X-ray signal was so weak that I knew I was doing something wrong,” Zak said.

Follow-up observations using ESA's XMM Newton revealed what was actually happening. The superfast winds from the accretion disk acted like a shroud, blocking the X-rays emitted from the black hole's immediate surroundings.

These measurements were supported by observations made with NASA's NuSTAR telescope.

Detailed analysis of X-ray measurements revealed that Markarian 817's center did not send out a single puff of gas, but instead created a gust of wind storm over a wide area of the accretion disk.

The winds lasted for hundreds of days and consisted of at least three distinct components, each traveling at a few percent of the speed of light.

This solves an unsolved puzzle in understanding how black holes and their surrounding galaxies interact with each other.

Many galaxies, including the Milky Way, appear to have large regions around their centers where few new stars form.

This could be explained by black hole winds sweeping away star-forming gas, but this works only if the winds are fast enough, persist long enough, and are produced by black holes at typical activity levels. limited to cases where

“One of the many unresolved problems in black hole research is the problem of achieving detection through long-term observations over many hours to capture important events,” said Dr. Norbert Schartel, a scientist on the XMM-Newton project. says.

“This highlights the paramount importance of the XMM-Newton mission into the future.”

“No other mission can achieve that combination of high sensitivity and the ability to make long, uninterrupted observations.”

a paper Regarding the survey results, Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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Miranda K. Zackother. 2024. Seyfert 1.2 Markarian 817 Hidden Sub-Eddington Feedback Intense Feedback.APJL 962, L1; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad1407

Source: www.sci.news

New Map Reveals Pregnancy’s Impact on Organ Interactions

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Mapping how interactions between different organs change during pregnancy could help us better understand conditions such as pre-eclampsia.

Tetra Images, LLC / Alamy

Scientists have mapped for the first time the metabolic changes that different parts of a primate's body undergo during pregnancy. The results suggest that pregnancy-related conditions such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes may be due to “rewiring” errors when these changes occur.

Outside of pregnancy, different body systems normally “supply” each other with molecular nutrients, known as metabolites, in relatively equal exchange.

However, during pregnancy, major changes occur in tissues throughout the body. for example, Heart pumps up to 40% more. However, the thymus gland, which is involved in the immune system, “shrinks very quickly” to prevent rejection of the fetus. See Chan Ng at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

After studying Effects of metabolites on stem cells, Ng was curious about the role they play during pregnancy. During this period, “a lot of things are growing and regenerating…It's something you only see in comic books and superhero movies where people transform,” he says.

To learn more, Ng et al. collected 273 tissue samples from 12 cynomolgus monkeys (cynomolgus monkey), including when the monkey was in each trimester of pregnancy and when it was not pregnant. Samples were taken from 23 body parts, including five areas of her body: uterus, liver, spinal cord, skin, blood and heart.

The researchers analyzed the samples for metabolites and compared each site during non-pregnancy to the equivalent site during the third trimester.

As expected, when the macaques were not pregnant, Ng said, the metabolites were distributed fairly evenly across the body. But to her surprise, pregnancy caused her interactions to be “dramatically reprogrammed.”

For example, during the first trimester, the uterus reduced communication with the heart and skeletal muscles and instead “coupled” with the developing placenta. During the second trimester of pregnancy, the fully formed placenta began pumping “large amounts of metabolites” to the heart, ovaries, and liver. On the other hand, the uterus gradually migrated towards union with the scalp by the third trimester of pregnancy.

Also, during the third trimester, important exchanges between skeletal muscles and the spinal cord took place. Researchers have not investigated why these coupling changes occur.

When the flow of “reprogrammed” metabolites deviates from what is considered normal during pregnancy, certain conditions can occur, Ng says.

In a separate experiment, researchers took serum samples from 32 pregnant women and found that levels of the metabolite corticosterone were “significantly reduced” in patients with preeclampsia, Ng said. He states: Then, when they removed corticosterone from human placental cells in the lab, they caused pre-eclampsia-like inflammation. “Corticosterone is an important steroid in human pregnancy,” says Ng. “It’s been undervalued.”

The second important metabolite is thought to be palmitoylcarnitine, which helps process fatty acids and regulate immunity. Ongoing human stem cell research led by Ng suggests that human stem cells may be involved in gestational diabetes, he says.

Based on their findings, the researchers developed an “atlas” of 91 metabolites that consistently change in the tissues of pregnant cynomolgus monkeys. This provides a framework for the involvement of metabolites in regulating health during human pregnancy, Ng said. “There is a treasure trove of small molecules and metabolites that we have discovered. [which] I hope this will further encourage research into new treatments,” he says.

Previous studies have investigated metabolic changes such as: While pregnant rats and mice do, cynomolgus monkeys have reproductive systems much more similar to humans, Ng said. Even though macaques have a shorter gestation period than humans (about 26 weeks compared to the average 40 weeks), they still serve as a reliable model for human reproduction, especially pregnancy-related conditions, he said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com