DeepMind’s AI successfully tackles challenging geometry problems for Math Olympiad

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Geometric problems involve proving facts about angles and lines in complex shapes

Google Deep Mind

Google DeepMind's AI can solve some International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) problems in geometry almost as well as the best human contestants.

“AlphaGeometry's results are surprising and breathtaking,” says IMO Chairman Gregor Driner. “It looks like AI will be winning his IMO gold medal much sooner than was thought a few months ago.”

IMO is one of the most difficult math competitions in the world for middle school students. Answering questions correctly requires mathematical creativity, something AI systems have long struggled with. For example, GPT-4, who has shown remarkable reasoning ability in other areas, gets his 0% score on IMO geometry problems, and even a specialized AI can answer them just as well as an average contestant. I'm having a hard time.

This is partly due to the difficulty of the problem, but also due to the lack of training data. This contest has been held annually since 1959, and each round consists of only six questions. However, some of the most successful AI systems require millions or even billions of data points. In particular, geometry problems, which account for one or two out of six questions and require proving facts about angles or lines in complex shapes, are particularly difficult to convert into a computer-friendly format.

Thanh Luong Google's DeepMind and his colleagues got around this problem by creating a tool that can generate hundreds of millions of machine-readable geometric proofs. Using this data he trained an AI called AlphaGeometry and when he tested it on 30 of his IMO geometry questions, the IMO gold medalist's estimated score based on his score in the contest was 25.9, whereas the AI answered 25 of them correctly.

“our [current] AI systems still struggle with capabilities such as deep reasoning. There you have to plan many steps in advance and understand the big picture. That's why mathematics is such an important benchmark and test set in our explorations. to artificial general intelligence,” Luong said at a press conference.

AlphaGeometry is made up of two parts, which Luong likens to different thinking systems in the brain. One system is fast and intuitive, the other is slower and more analytical. The first intuitive part is a language model called GPT-f, similar to the technology behind ChatGPT. It is trained on millions of generated proofs and suggests which theorems and arguments to try next for your problem. Once the next step is proposed, a slower but more careful “symbolic reasoning” engine uses logical and mathematical rules to fully construct the argument proposed by GPT-f. The two systems then work together and switch between each other until the problem is resolved.

While this method has been very successful in solving IMO geometry problems, Luong says the answers it constructs tend to be longer and less “pretty” than human proofs. However, it can also find things that humans overlook. For example, a better and more general solution was discovered for the question from his IMO in 2004 than the one listed in the official answer.

I think it's great that you can solve IMO geometry problems in this way. Yang Hui He However, IMO problems must be solvable using theorems taught at undergraduate level and below, so this system inherently limits the mathematics that can be used. Expanding the amount of mathematical knowledge that AlphaGeometry can access could improve the system and even help make new mathematical discoveries, he says.

It's also interesting to see how AlphaGeometry deals with situations where you don't know what you need to prove, since mathematical insight often comes from exploring theorems that have no fixed proof. Yes, he says. “If I don't know what an endpoint is, can I find it in all sets?” [mathematical] Are there any new and interesting theorems? ”

Last year, algorithmic trading firm XTX Markets Total prize money: $10 million For AI math models, the first publicly shared AI model to earn an IMO gold medal will receive a $5 million grand prize, with small progress awards for major milestones.

“Solving the IMO geometry problem is one of the planned advancement awards supported by the $10 million AIMO Challenge Fund,” said Alex Gerko of XTX Markets. “Even before we announce all the details of this Progress Award, we are excited to see the progress we are making towards this goal, including making our models and data openly available and , which involves solving real geometry problems during a live IMO contest.”

DeepMind declined to say whether it plans to use AlphaGeometry in live IMO contests or extend the system to solve other IMO problems that are not based on geometry. However, DeepMind previously entered a public protein folding prediction competition to test the AlphaFold system.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers Are Investigating the Decline in Sperm Counts Globally

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The year was 1974. While newspaper columnists were busy talking about the development of in vitro fertilization and the possibility of “test tube babies,” the surprising discovery about male fertility completely escaped their notice.

Two doctors, Iowa State CM Kinloch Nelson and Raymond Bunge, compared semen samples from that time with historical data. Dramatic changes in a man’s sperm count Over the past 20 years. In 1951, one milliliter of semen contained 107 million sperm. By the 1970s, that number had fallen by more than 50% to just 48 million people. The average volume of semen per ejaculation also decreased.

By the 1990s, the problem began to receive considerable scientific attention, although some researchers remained skeptical. They blamed differences in technology or the fact that most of the research involved men already undergoing treatment for infertility. Those doubts are now diminishing. “There is a tremendous amount of scientific evidence showing this decline,” he says. Albert Salas-Huetos at the University of Rovira y Virgili, Spain.

For researchers like Salas-Huetos, the big question is no longer whether this so-called “Spermageddon” is really happening, but why and what to do about it. Research is beginning to uncover environmental toxins that may be the culprit, as well as other lifestyle factors that contribute to the problem. With a better idea of the prime suspects, we may finally be able to put the brakes on this trend, or even reverse it.

decreased sperm count

around the world 1 in 6 people have problems…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers Develop Large Quantum Vortex to Replicate Black Hole Properties

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers created tornado-like vortices in superfluid helium

Yoshigin/Shutterstock

Giant quantum vortices could allow researchers to study black holes. This vortex is a special form of liquid helium vortex that exhibits quantum effects. The result has some properties similar to a black hole and acts as a kind of simulator.

In the region around a black hole, the laws of gravity and quantum mechanics interact, producing effects that cannot be observed elsewhere in the universe. This makes these regions particularly important to study. “There are interesting physics happening around black holes, but many of them are out of our reach,” he says. Silke Weinfurtner at the University of Nottingham, UK. “Thus, we can use these quantum simulators to investigate phenomena that occur around black holes.”

To build the quantum simulator, Weinfurtner and his colleagues used superfluid helium, which flows at a very low viscosity, 500 times lower than water. Because it moves without friction, this form of helium exhibits unusual quantum effects and is known as a quantum fluid. The researchers filled a tank with helium with a rotating propeller at the bottom. As the propeller rotated, a tornado-like vortex was generated in the fluid.

“Similar vortices have been created in physical systems other than superfluid helium, but their strength is generally at least several orders of magnitude weaker,” he says. Patrick Svanchara, is also enrolled at the University of Nottingham and is part of the team. The strength and size of the vortex are critical to producing an interaction significant enough to observe between the vortex and the remaining fluid in the tank.

The vortices in this work were a few millimeters in diameter, much larger than other stable vortices created to date. quantum fluid In the past. In quantum liquids, rotation only occurs in tiny “packets” called quanta, which are essentially tiny vortices, so creating such large vortices is difficult. Many of them tend to become unstable when clustered, but the experimental setup here allows the researchers to combine about 40,000 rotating quanta to form what is called a giant quantum vortex. It's done.

“This is an experimental masterpiece,” he says Jeff Steinhauer He received his PhD from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a pioneer in laboratory simulations of black holes. “They took a very well-established, old, classic technology called superfluid helium and did something really new with it, significantly increasing their technical capabilities compared to what had been done in the past. .”

The researchers observed how small waves in the fluid interacted with vortices. This process mimics the way the universe's cosmic field interacts with a rotating black hole. They discovered hints of a black hole phenomenon called ringdown mode. This phenomenon occurs after two black holes combine and the resulting single black hole is shaken by the residual energy of the combination.

Now that it has been established that this type of vortex exhibits behavior similar to that seen in black holes, researchers plan to use quantum vortices to study more elusive phenomena. “This is an excellent starting point for investigating some black hole physics processes, seeking new insights and potentially discovering hidden treasures along the way,” Weinfurtner says. .

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Fermi makes a puzzling discovery of gamma rays from beyond our galaxy

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Interestingly, the gamma-ray signal detected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has a similar orientation to another unexplained feature produced by some of the most energetic cosmic particles ever detected. and are found to be approximately the same size.

This artist's concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays, with a magenta circle indicating the uncertainty in the direction in which more high-energy gamma rays appear to be arriving than average. In this view, the plane of the Milky Way crosses the center of the map. The circle encloses the region that contains these gamma ray sources with a probability of 68% (inside) and 95%. Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

“It was a completely serendipitous discovery. We found a much stronger signal in a different part of the sky than what we were looking for,” said the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Space. said academic Dr. Alexander Kashlinsky.

Dr. Kasilinsky and his colleagues were looking for gamma-ray signatures associated with the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the oldest light in the universe.

This light occurred when the hot, expanding universe cooled enough to form the first atoms, and this event released a burst of light that could penetrate the universe for the first time.

Stretched out by the subsequent expansion of the universe over the past 13 billion years, this light was first detected in 1965 in the form of faint microwave waves across the sky.

In the 1970s, astronomers noticed that the CMB had a so-called dipole structure, which was later measured with high precision by NASA's COBE mission.

The CMB has more microwaves than average in the direction toward Leo and is about 0.12% hotter, and in the opposite direction it is cooler by the same amount with fewer microwaves than average.

To study small temperature changes within the CMB, this signal must be removed.

Astronomers generally believe that this pattern is the result of our solar system's motion relative to the CMB at about 370 km per second (230 miles per second).

This movement causes a dipole signal in the light coming from astrophysical sources, but so far only the CMB has been accurately measured.

By looking for patterns in other forms of light, astronomers can confirm or refute the idea that the dipole is entirely due to the motion of the solar system.

“Such measurements are important because the discrepancy in the size and orientation of the CMB dipole allows us to extend the possibility of going back to the very beginning of the universe, when the universe was less than a trillionth of a second old. “Because we can get a glimpse of certain physical processes,” said Professor Fernando Atrio Barrandera from the University of Salamanca.

Astronomers reasoned this by summing up years of data from Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT).

Due to the effects of relativity, gamma-ray dipoles should be amplified five times more than currently detected CMBs.

The authors integrated 13 years of Fermi LAT observations of gamma rays above about 3 billion electron volts (GeV). For comparison, visible light has an energy of about 2 to 3 electron volts.

They removed all resolved and identified sources and removed the central plane of the Milky Way to analyze the extragalactic gamma-ray background.

“We have discovered a gamma-ray dipole, but its peak is located in the southern sky, far from the CMB, and its magnitude is 10 times larger than expected from our motion.” said astrophysicist Dr. Chris Schroeder. Catholic University of America.

“Although this is not what we were looking for, we think it may be related to similar features reported for the highest-energy cosmic rays.”

Cosmic rays are accelerated charged particles, primarily protons and atomic nuclei. The rarest and most energetic particles, called UHECRs (Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays), carry more than a billion times the energy of 3 GeV gamma rays, and their origin remains one of the greatest mysteries in astrophysics.

Since 2017, the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina has report Dipole in the direction of arrival of UHECR.

Because cosmic rays are electrically charged, they are deflected by galaxies' magnetic fields by different amounts depending on their energy, but the peak of the UHECR dipole is at a position in the sky similar to that found by researchers with gamma rays.

And both have surprisingly similar sizes. About 7% more gamma rays or particles than average come from one direction, and correspondingly less gamma rays or particles come from the opposite direction.

“The two phenomena are probably related, and an as-yet-unidentified source may be producing both gamma rays and very high-energy particles,” the scientists said.

“To solve this cosmic puzzle, we must either locate these mysterious sources or propose alternative explanations for both features.”

of findings Published in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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A. Kashirinsky other. 2024. Exploration of dipoles in the diffuse gamma-ray background. APJL 961, L1; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/acfedd

Source: www.sci.news

Men outperform women in navigation skills, but it’s not due to evolutionary factors

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

If men were encouraged to play outside as children, they may have better navigation skills than women

Colin Hawkins/Getty Images/Image Source

In fact, men tend to have a better sense of direction than women, but this is probably due to differences in upbringing rather than improved navigational skills being an evolutionary trait.

In previous research, Men slightly outperform women on spatial navigation tasks. Some researchers believe this is due to evolution, since in prehistoric times it was common for men to travel long distances to hunt, while women often stayed close to home. It suggests that it is. This may have resulted in selection pressure on men to develop advanced navigation skills.

But if that were the case, she says, those genes would be passed on to female offspring, as long as they're not on the Y chromosome. Justin Rose At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “The really obvious alternative is culture,” he says. “It plays a huge role in what men and women experience.”

For example, boys may be encouraged to play outside more than girls, which may help hone their navigation skills, he says.

To investigate this idea, Rose and his colleagues collected data from 21 species of animals, including humans. This data includes information about their spatial navigation skills and how far they travel on average from home.

If natural selection were at work, we would expect males and females that traveled farther from home to have better navigational abilities, and this is consistent across species.

Instead, the researchers found that males of all species are slightly better at navigating than females, although in some species, such as the rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) and the little devil poison dart frog (Uofaga Silvatica), females had a wider home range.

This finding suggests that differences in navigation between men and women may be cultural. It could also be a side effect of biological differences between males and females, as well as between male and female animals. For example, hormonal differences “can affect all kinds of traits,” Rose says. As long as those traits don't prevent reproduction, “evolution doesn't matter,” he says.

In previous spatial navigation research, There were no differences in these skills between men and women from similar backgrounds.

“The authors show in a very comprehensive way that sex differences in spatial ability are likely acquired, for example through culture.” Antoine Cutolo At the French National Center for Scientific Research. “Spatial skills are much like other cognitive skills: the more you use them, the better you become at them.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Alpine ibex are becoming more nocturnal as the climate warms up

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Ibex can be at risk from wolves if they move around at night

robert andrighetto

Alpine ibex have become increasingly nocturnal to escape rising daytime temperatures, despite the increased risk of encountering predators.

Animals living in cold regions are expected to be greatly affected by rising global temperatures due to climate change. Alpine Ibex (capra ibex), usually seen grazing during the day in the European Alps, is one such animal.

To see what the impact was, Stefano Grignorio Researchers from the University of Ferrara in Italy tracked 47 individuals in Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park or Swiss National Park from May to October between 2006 and 2019. The animals were fitted with collars equipped with movement sensors.

Researchers found that warmer daytime temperatures made ibex more active at night. Grignolio said the discovery was surprising because doing so increases the chances of encountering wolves, one of their main natural enemies.

“Global warming seems to be driving their behavior changes dramatically,” he says. “Predation is just a variable.”

The ibex, a climate-sensitive animal, has probably shifted to a more nocturnal schedule to avoid the heat. Warmer daytime temperatures mean your body needs to expend more energy to cool itself compared to the energy needed to stay warm at night, Grignolio says.

However, while this response may help ibex cope with warmer climates, it may not be a viable long-term solution for ibex. “[They] may not be able to meet their demands [dietary] If they become too nocturnal or have increased predation, their requirements will not be met.” Niels Martin Schmidt At Aarhus University, Denmark.

“This study successfully quantifies some of the more subtle and often overlooked responses to climate change,” Schimdt says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Turning Stress into a Positive Force: Hacking Strategies for a Stress-Free Life

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Many of us have felt some amount of stress over the past few years. Exhibit A for me is my teeth. A recent trip to the dentist confirmed that I had been clenching my jaw for months due to the pandemic. This was the result of the normal stress of deadlines, compounded by the demands of two young children, four of whom had broken bones.

A broken tooth is a small fry. Last year, the American Psychological Association Two-thirds of people in the US report feeling more stressed due to the pandemic, found, and predicted “a mental health crisis that could have serious health and social consequences for years to come.” Increased risks of diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease are all associated with high stress levels. Just thinking about it makes me feel stressed.

But maybe we just need to think about stress differently. At least, that's the surprising conclusion of researchers studying the mind-body relationship. They say there are natural benefits to feeling stressed, and if we change the way we “think about stress,” we can turn things around and make stress have a positive impact on our lives. maybe. Fortunately, there are some simple hacks that can help you do this, and you can expect to see improved physical health, clarity of thought, increased mental strength, and increased productivity. Masu.

There's no denying that too much stress can have a negative impact on your body and mind. In the West, it has been linked to all six major causes of death: cancer, heart disease, liver disease, accidents, lung disease, and suicide. Your immune system may be weakened, making you more susceptible to infections and less infectious.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Porous iceberg on Saturn’s moon Titan believed to be a strange ‘magical island’

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Infrared image of Saturn’s icy moon Titan

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology/Stephane Le Mouelik, Virginia Pasek

Saturn’s moon Titan is home to strange “magical islands” that appear and disappear over hours to weeks. These so-called islands are actually porous, sponge-like masses of snow that can slowly fill with liquid before sinking.

Titan’s thick atmosphere is filled with complex organic molecules that can clump together and fall to the moon’s surface like snow. Sintin Yu Researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio thought that snow could be the cause of the magical islands. To test their idea, they took advantage of what we know about these atmospheric compounds and how they are expected to interact with Titan’s oceans.

Titan’s liquid is methane, not water, so any solids on the surface of these oceans would normally be expected to sink quickly. Water molecules tend to stick together and displace other substances, but methane easily sticks to other molecules, so the surface tension of a pool of liquid methane is very low.

“Water molecules just love themselves by excluding certain molecules,” he says. michael marasca from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California was not involved in the study. “But if you put methane on the same surface, it’ll start crawling all over the place.” That means Titan’s methane oceans and lakes should immediately swallow up any solids that are expected to float. It means that.

But that clearly won’t happen on the magical island, which appeared as a temporary bright spot in observations from the Cassini spacecraft. “For us to see magical islands, they cannot float briefly and then immediately sink,” Yu said in the paper. statement. “You have to stay afloat for a while, but not forever.” Researchers have found a solution to this problem. When large amounts of snow accumulate on the coast, they can form sponge-like, porous ice. Once these porous “icebergs” separated from the land, they could float in Titan’s oceans for long enough to rival Cassini’s observations. The researchers calculated that this would work if the sponge-like structure contained enough free space (at least about 25 to 50 percent, depending on the exact composition of the ice).

However, this does not mean that these mysterious islands are definitely porous icebergs. “We’re narrowing down different scenarios for the magical island, but we don’t know the answer yet,” Malasca says. Other possible explanations include nitrogen gas bubbles, waves caused by wind or solid ocean deposits. However, this provides evidence that Titan’s temporary islands may actually be suspended matter from this strange world’s atmosphere.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Deep-sea Submersible Discovers Four New Species of Octopus

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A female octopus lays her eggs near a small rock outcrop, informally known as El Dorado Hill.

ROV Subastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute

Four new species of deep-sea octopus have been discovered in an underwater mountain range about two miles downstream in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica, according to the Schmidt Institute of Oceanography.

During expeditions in June and December 2023, researchers on the US nonprofit research vessel Falkor also used a remote-controlled vehicle to explore two low-temperature hydrothermal springs, two octopuses, and more. found a nursery, and one skate nursery. Subastian.

Previous research has found areas where octopuses live near low-temperature springs, but these environments have been difficult to find.

Typical 350°C hot hydrothermal vents are easy to spot thanks to smoke rising from the ocean floor. However, the cold spring's water temperature is only about 10 degrees Celsius higher than the average 2 degrees Celsius at the ocean floor, and is only visible through slight diffraction of light.

“It looks like it’s sparkling,” says expedition co-leader. Beth Orcutt at the Bigelow Marine Science Institute, another nonprofit in Maine.

Finding this subtle sign in the dark required multiple dives in different locations. “It's like walking through a forest you've never been in before with a flashlight looking for hot springs,” Orcutt said. “We were kind of making a bet.”

The four new species have not yet been officially described, but one has been named the dorado octopus, after the rock where it was discovered, known as El Dorado Hill.some kind of Muusocopsfemales gather to incubate eggs in warm water.

Orcutt said researchers believe the other species are new based on their appearance. They appear to be solitary, which is common among deep-sea octopuses. “They don't like having their neighbors close,” she says.

These insights into Costa Rica's unique biodiversity could inform regional conservation policy. “It is difficult [protect deep-sea wildlife] That’s when you don’t know it’s underground,” Orcutt says.

Undersea octopus farm

ROV Subastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute

These missions also help inspire and develop local scientific talent through training for early career researchers on how to lead deep-sea explorations, she says. The 310 specimens collected, which also include starfish, spider stars and sea cucumbers, will be kept at the Zoological Museum at the University of Costa Rica, rather than in the United States, where they are not easily accessible to local researchers.

More exploration is needed because the deep sea faces many threats, including mining, Orcutt said. “We're just scratching the surface.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Top 10 Multi-World Movies Chosen by a Physicist, Featuring ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Spider-Man’

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

'Groundbreaking': Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix

alamy stock photo

I Professor of Physics at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia He is also the author of 18 popular science books. Although my training was in theoretical physics, particularly the discovery and interpretation of unusual solutions to Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, I remained a lifelong admirer of his science fiction and fascinated by the phenomena of physics in culture. I'm here. In my latest book, The charm of the multiverse, I apply my experience and interests to the study of scientific debates and popular beliefs surrounding the concepts of parallel worlds and separate parts of reality. Here's a chronological list of my 10 favorite movies on the subject. Each one has been chosen to be thought-provoking and interesting.

It's a wonderful life (1946)

Beyond the key aspects of this issue Christmas classic There are lies worth chewing through, including the question of what the world would be like if we didn't exist. In theoretical physics, the hypothetical anthropic principle cuts off from all reality the realm of possibility that ultimately leads to the conscious observer. Sadly, unlike the film's protagonist George Bailey, we don't have guardian angels to tell us what the universe would be like without humanity. But maybe, in George's spirit, we recognize the fact that we exist as sentient beings on a fragile planet and take that responsibility seriously.

back to the future (1985)

Children dream of changing their parents. Thanks to the mysterious powers of the time-traveling DeLorean, Marty McFly inadvertently does just that. In physics, the feasibility of backward time travel is debatable. Could it be that the paradoxes caused by voyages into the past, such as acts that prevent the creation of time travelers, make them impossible? Marty's Voyage to 1955 He almost prevents his parents from falling in love until he finds a way to convince them. He returns to his 1985 present and finds himself in a parallel reality. His parents are much cooler there. Such a multiverse avoids paradox and gives hope to teenagers.

marmot day (1993)

In quantum physics, reality is a mixture of different particle histories. It's as if the inhabitants of a subatomic world need to try every possibility to make things right. Eastern philosophy similarly emphasizes that reincarnation ultimately leads to perfection. Similarly, funny movies, weatherman Phil Connors seems doomed to repeat the same terrible day over and over again until he sheds his self-centered attitude and becomes more sensitive to others. Along the way, he not only found love, but experienced enough time to master French, ice sculpting, and piano. Thanks to a kind of repeating multiverse, he contains a large number of things.

“Contains a large number of people”: Bill Murray in Groundhog Day

alamy stock photo

12 Monkees (1995)

Partly inspired by great things, La Jetée, 12 Monkees It offers plotlines like twisted knots of wire. But does it constitute a single coherent chain, or does it contain loose parts?The protagonist, James Cole, travels back in time from his imaginary 21st century to his 1990s. and tries to gather clues about the origins of a devastatingly deadly pandemic. Although his superiors stress that the past cannot be changed, he sometimes appears to be influencing reality, but only in the face of reality's resilience. His hopes that he can prevent the catastrophe eventually fade, but there are hints of an alternative even in the final scene.

“A surprising juxtaposition of fate”: Gwyneth Paltrow's “Sliding Doors”

alamy stock photo

sliding door (1998)

Have you ever missed a train by just a few seconds and cursed the time you lost? But if that delay resulted in an accident being avoided, it would seem more like a blessing. Brilliantly, through the magic of cinema, we see both parts of the many worlds in which the main character, Helen, misses and misses the subway. In the former case, the girlfriend was unable to witness her boyfriend cheating on her and continues to pretend that she didn't know. In the latter, she witnessed the incident and immediately met Mr. Right. However, both elements have something in common that ultimately points the way to a surprising juxtaposition of fate.

Run, Laura, run (1998)

If two versions of reality aren't enough, try three.in This seminal German film, fate gave Laura three chances to save her boyfriend, who had lost a huge amount of cash and needed it to carry out the mission of a crime boss. Each time, she somehow obtains her booty and takes 20 minutes to run across the city with it to her frenetic lover. Reflecting the butterfly effect of chaos theory, small discrepancies can lead to vastly different results. Her first two attempts prove fatal, but the third is the charm. This film shows that our passion for the multiverse reflects our desire for multiple opportunities in life.

matrix (1999)

Movies allow us to imagine entirely new worlds. Artificial intelligence strengthens that illusion. Imagine if an incredibly powerful and malicious electronic entity exploited our ability to be fooled and created a false world for us to experience life. All the while, it sucked energy from our bodies for its own evil purposes.of The film's groundbreaking sci-fi plot And special effects remain relevant to today's debates about AI capabilities and threats. Some thinkers speculate that the observable universe is a simulation. If that were the case, screenwriters elsewhere in the multiverse would win Academy Awards for the most original screenplays.

“The Haunting”: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Donnie Darko

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donnie darko (2001)

One of the most profound mysteries in theoretical physics is the concept of wormholes. A wormhole is a hypothetical connection between disparate sectors of the universe. Theorists have derived a wormhole solution to Einstein's general theory of relativity and demonstrated how it could potentially be used as a time machine. In reality, no one knows how to assemble the extraordinary amount of mass needed to create such an object, including a special negative mass component called “exotic matter.” Nevertheless, they serve as effective plot devices. this unforgettable movie The story of a troubled teenager who

Source: www.newscientist.com

Has the successful cloning of monkeys opened the door to human cloning?

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

cloned rhesus monkey

Zhaodi Liao et al.

After many years and many attempts, a healthy rhesus monkey was finally created by cloning. The clone was born in China on July 16, 2020, but its existence has only now been revealed.

“The cloned rhesus macaque is now 3 years old,” team members say Fallon Lu at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. “So far, no health problems have been found during routine medical examinations.”

However, because the monkeys were cloned from fetal cells rather than adult cells, the embryos had to be provided with a non-cloned placenta. Therefore, despite this progress, primate cloning remains extremely difficult. As a result, apart from ethical and legal issues, it may not yet be technically possible to clone an adult.

Cloning is the creation of an individual that is genetically identical to another individual. Cloning plants is easy, but for most animals it is much more difficult.

Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, was born in 1996. Since then, researchers have attempted to clone many mammalian species, with mixed results.

In some cases, cloning works relatively well.A Korean team created a clone over 1500 dogs For example, so far, success rates remain low, with fewer than 4 percent of cloned embryos leading to live births. In many other mammalian species, cloning either fails completely or produces unhealthy animals.

The main problem is that as cells in the body develop and become specialized, various so-called epigenetic markers are added to the DNA in order to turn certain genes on or off. When adult cells are cloned into empty eggs, they usually contain the wrong epigenetic markers.

Primates (a group that includes apes such as monkeys and humans) have proven particularly difficult to treat. There have been several previous reports of monkey clones, but each case so far has come with major warnings.

For example, the rhesus macaque born in 1999 is sometimes described as the first primate clone, but this individual was created not by cloning adult cells like Dolly, but by creating identical twins. It was created by splitting the embryo, as is done.

In 2022, rhesus macaques will be born. cloned from a genetically modified adult However, this clone died shortly after birth.

The most successful attempt to date was the birth of two long-tailed macaques in 2017. The researchers behind this study used a chemical cocktail to help reset epigenetic markers, but they were still able to clone only fetal cells, not adult cells.

Lu's team tried applying the same cocktail to rhesus macaques, but the only clone produced this way did not survive. The researchers concluded that the abnormalities in the cloned placenta were partially to blame, and decided to transplant the part of the early embryo that turns into a fetus (the inner cell mass) into a non-cloned embryo, where the inner cell mass forms. Developed new technology. Cell clumps were removed.

This means that the cloned fetus develops within a non-cloned placenta that is genetically distinct from it. Theoretically, the resulting fetuses could be a mixture of clonal and non-clonal cells, but the researchers found no evidence of such chimerism.

But even with the help of this complex technique, the researchers have so far only cloned fetal cells and not adult cells. In other words, healthy primates have not yet been created by cloning adult cells.

This means that whether it is possible to clone adults remains an open question. Lu wouldn't speculate on whether his team's technique would help.

“The act of cloning humans is completely unacceptable. We don't think about this,” he says.

Shukrat Mitalipov A professor at Oregon Health & Science University, who also works on cloning but was not involved in the study, says it's unclear whether the technology will help create cloned humans. “Aside from ethical issues, it is unclear whether there is any humanity. [cloned] “The fetus has placental abnormalities,” Mitalipov said.

Lu says the purpose of primate cloning is to advance research. “Rhesus monkeys are important and commonly used non-human primate laboratory animals in cognitive and biomedical research,” he says.

Meanwhile, Mitalipov's aim is to use cloning to generate stem cells that are compatible with individual treatments. “In our case, one day doctors will be able to use non-rejection, genetically compatible embryonic stem cells to replace diseased nerve, muscle, blood and other cells, or to produce eggs for infertility treatment. I hope we can produce it,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

YouTube challenges climate change denialism

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Climate change denial has taken on a new focus, according to a recent report from the Center for Digital Action. Instead of denying that the planet is warming, scientists and activists are now questioning climate change solutions and skepticism about policy. Hate, a nonprofit organization researching digital hate speech and misinformation, has outlined this shift in their analysis. They argue that YouTube’s parent company, Google, has ineffective content policy regulations aimed at blocking ad revenue from content denying the scientific consensus of climate change.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the organization, stated, “A new front has opened in this battle. They used to say climate change wasn’t happening, and now they’re saying, ‘Climate change is happening, but there’s no hope. There are no solutions.'” This reflects the evolution of the debate from outright denial to skepticism about the severity of climate change and potential solutions.

For decades, scientists have agreed that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are causing an imbalance in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. As the Earth warms, the impacts are becoming increasingly evident, such as melting ice shelves and rising sea levels. Public perception of climate change has changed over recent decades, although it remains highly politicized, according to Pew Research Center.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate utilized artificial intelligence models to analyze YouTube videos with climate change denial content. Their analysis revealed a shift in the denial narrative from denying the existence of global warming to attacking climate change solutions.

John Cook, a senior research fellow, sees similar trends in his work, stating that the focus has shifted from questioning the existence of climate change to evaluating the seriousness of the problem and the effectiveness of proposed solutions.

The report also highlighted YouTube’s policies regarding misinformation about climate change and their failure to stop the monetization of negative narratives. They suggest that YouTube and Google should expand the types of content they can’t monetize to include climate change denial and to update their policies based on current trends.

YouTube has responded, stating that they prohibit advertising on content that violates the scientific consensus on climate change. They allow discussion and debate on the topic but will not show ads on videos that cross the line of climate change denial.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Many in the UK contracting severe coronavirus infections in summer due to lack of vaccination

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A coronavirus vaccine is being administered at Epsom Racecourse in Surrey, England.

PA Image/Alamy

Around 7,000 people in the UK would have avoided dying or being hospitalized from coronavirus in the summer of 2022 if they had been fully vaccinated against the virus, a major study has found. This is the first time that the health impact of hesitancy to get a COVID-19 vaccine has been calculated on a national basis.

Since the emergence of the Omicron variant, covid-19 vaccines are less effective at preventing people from getting infected, but they still reduce the risk of dying or needing hospitalization from the virus.

katherine sudlow Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK used national health service data to determine how much vaccination would reduce hospitalizations and deaths in the summer of 2022, when most COVID-19 restrictions had ended. We investigated whether it had an impact on

Sudlow's team included data from June 1 to September 30, 2022, spanning the wave of coronavirus infections that peaked in July. During this period, 40,000 people died or required hospitalization due to the virus, all of which were classified as serious health hazards.

The team then looked at people who have received the recommended number of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters (for example, four doses for people 75 and older by that point) and those who have received fewer than the recommended number of doses. They compared rates of severe outcomes among people who received the vaccine or booster immunization. Not at all.

People who have not been fully vaccinated are more likely to develop severe disease than people who are fully vaccinated, and the exact increased risk depends on age. For example, people over the age of 75 are about three times more likely to develop severe illness from COVID-19 if they have not been fully vaccinated.

The researchers calculated that if everyone in the UK had been fully vaccinated, there would have been around 7,000 fewer deaths and hospital admissions. “Fully immunizing people will reduce adverse outcomes for society as a whole,” Sudlow said.

One caveat is that this study was not a randomized trial, which is the best medical evidence, but simply observed a correlation between vaccination status and outcome, which could bias the results. The fact is that there is, he said. stephen evans At the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Nevertheless, he says the results of studies on the vaccine's effectiveness are broadly consistent with previous randomized trials. “Their approach is a reasonable one.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Exoplanet similar in size to Earth found orbiting around star HD 63433

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized planet passing by the young Sun-like star HD 63433.

HD 63433d is located close to its parent star HD 63433, with two neighboring mini-Neptune-sized planets HD 63433b and HD 63433c orbiting further out. Image credit: Alyssa Jankowski.

HD 63433 is a G5V star located approximately 73 light years away in the constellation Gemini.

The star, also known as TOI-1726, is a member of the 414-million-year-old Moving Star Group in the Ursa Major constellation.

The newly discovered exoplanet HD 63433d is the third planet detected in this multi-planet system.

The discovery of two other planets — HD 63433b and HD 63433c (both mini-Neptunes) report By Astronomer in 2020.

The HD 63433d is tidally locked, meaning it has a day side that is always facing the stars and a side that is always in the dark.

The planet has an orbital period of 4.2 days and is very hot on its dayside (1,257 degrees Celsius, or 2,294 degrees Fahrenheit).

“These scorching temperatures are comparable to the lava world of: Corot-7b and Kepler-10bAnd we think the dayside of this planet may be a 'lava hemisphere,''' said the University of Florida astronomer. benjamin capistrant and his colleagues.

HD 63433d is the smallest known exoplanet less than 500 million years old.

The planet is also the closest Earth-sized exoplanet to be discovered at such a young age.

“HD 63433d is the closest planet to our solar system, orbiting a young star with a radius similar to Earth,” the astronomers said.

“This is therefore an attractive target for follow-up observations and provides an opportunity to uncover insights into the physics of atmospheric mass loss in exoplanets.”

“Between HD 63433d and the two larger planets known to date, the HD 63433 system is poised to play a key role in understanding the evolution of planetary systems during the first billion years after their formation. I am.”

The discovery of HD 63433d is paper inside astronomy magazine.

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Benjamin K. Capistrant other. 2024. TESS Search for Young and Mature Exoplanets (THYME). 11. An Earth-sized planet orbiting a nearby Sun-like host in the 400 million Ursa Majoris migration group. A.J. 167, 54; doi: 10.3847/1538-3881/ad1039

Source: www.sci.news

Homo longhi’s facial reconstruction

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Brazilian anthropologist reconstructs ancient human face Homolonghi This comes from a well-preserved skull discovered in northeastern China in the 1930s.

portrait of Homolonghi. Image credit: Cicero Moraes, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24648591.

Homolonghi It is an extinct species of the genus homo It lived in Asia during the Middle Pleistocene.

The species, also known as dragon man, was identified from a nearly complete skull dating back 148,000 years.

This fossil was discovered in 1933 when a bridge was being built over the Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.

Due to unsystematic recoveries and long periods of time, information about the exact location and fossil layers has been lost.

Harbin's skull is huge, larger than all other archaic humans. It is also relatively long and low, lacking the spherical shape of modern human brain cases.

It has larger, almost square eye sockets, thick eyebrow ridges, a wide mouth, and oversized teeth.

Its intracranial volume is estimated to be 1,420 ml; homo sapiens Neanderthals, and bigger than before homo seed.

This specimen, also known as the Harbin skull, probably represents a man less than 50 years old.

front view portrait of Homolonghi. Image credit: Cicero Moraes, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24648591.

“Uranium series dating gives the fossil a reliable date of 148,000 years ago, and its remarkable dimensions mean the skull is larger than all known archaic hominin skulls. ” he said. Cicero Moraesresearcher at the Ortogonline Treinamento em Desenvolvimento Profissional e Consultoria LTDA.

Regarding face approximation, Homo longhiMoraes used not only Harbin's skull, but also a computed tomography (CT) scan of Harbin's skull. homo erectus, homo sapiens and pan-troglodytes.

“Forensic facial reconstruction, or forensic facial approximation, is an auxiliary recognition technique that reconstructs/approximates the face in a skull, and is used when there is little information to identify an individual based on the remains. ” explained Moraes.

portrait side view Homolonghi. Image credit: Cicero Moraes, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24648591.

“To be able to approximate the face, the jaw and missing teeth had to be reconstructed,” he added.

“For this purpose, we need a complete skull. homo erectus Teeth that underwent some structural modifications and were precisely adjusted in the tooth area were used. ”

“The remaining molars served as parameters for aligning other teeth as well as the alveolus in the upper jaw.”

“Thanks to the wide range of information obtained in previous studies, the reconstruction of the fossil and face is now possible. HomolonghiIn addition to undertaking some measurements and comparisons in the context of other species,” concluded Moraes.

of result Published in an online journal OrtogOnLineMag.

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Cicero Moraes. 2023. Facial shortcuts Homo longhi (Harbin, China, approximately 148,000 AP). OrtogOnLineMag 4(2); doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24648591

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers unravel enigmatic lunar geological puzzles

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New research from the University of Bristol has revealed the origin of titanium-rich basaltic magma on the Moon.

A map of titanium abundance on the moon's surface from NASA's Clementine spacecraft. The red area shows a very high concentration compared to terrestrial rocks. Image credit: Lunar and Planetary Institute.

The presence of surprisingly high concentrations of the element titanium (Ti) on parts of the moon's surface has been known since NASA's Apollo missions back in the 1960s and 1970s. The mission successfully recovered samples of solidified ancient lava from the moon's crust.

Recent maps from orbiting satellites show that these magmas, known as titanium-rich basalts, are widespread on the moon's surface.

Professor Tim Elliott and colleagues at the University of Bristol have used advanced isotopic analysis of lunar samples in a series of high-temperature lava labs to identify key reactions that control the composition of these characteristic magmas.

This reaction occurred about 3.5 billion years ago deep inside the moon, replacing elements of iron in the magma with elements of magnesium in the surrounding rock, changing the chemical and physical properties of the melt.

“The origin of the Moon's volcanic rocks is a fascinating story involving an 'avalanche' of unstable, planetary-scale piles of crystals produced by the cooling of a primordial magma ocean,” Professor Elliott said.

“Central to this epic history is the presence of a type of magma unique to the Moon, which explains how such magma reached the surface to be sampled on space missions. It was a tricky problem to solve. I'm really glad we were able to resolve this dilemma.”

“Until now, models have not been able to reproduce magma compositions that match the essential chemical and physical properties of high-titanium basalts,” said Dr. Martin Claver, a researcher at the Institute of Mineralogy at the University of Münster.

“Explaining that low density made eruptions possible about 3.5 billion years ago has proven particularly difficult.”

“We successfully mimicked high-titanium basalts in a laboratory process using high-temperature experiments,” the researchers said.

“Measurements of the titanium-rich basalts also revealed a unique isotopic composition, a signature of reactions that were reproduced in experiments.”

“Both results clearly demonstrate how melt-solid reactions are essential to understanding the formation of these unique magmas.”

of findings Published in today's diary natural earth science.

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M. Claver other. Titanium-rich basaltic melts exist on the lunar surface, conditioned by reactive flow processes. nut.earth science, published online on January 15, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41561-023-01362-5

Source: www.sci.news

Should the Great Pacific Garbage Patch be a priority for plastic cleanup efforts?

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Fish caught in discarded nets in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Ocean Voyages Institute/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock

It was a bright sunny day in September 2023. Excitement filled the air and a rainbow appeared on the horizon as the team slowly pulled a giant net out of the glistening sea. ocean cleanup This project was trialling System 03 in the North Pacific. Basically she had two ships dragging a 2.2 kilometer long net designed to remove as much trash as possible. This time it was filmed for a promotional video, with one scoop weighing a record-breaking 18 tons.

Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2012 on the simple premise of trawling ocean plastic hotspots and mopping up floating debris. After years of testing and refining the technology, the organization says it is now ready to begin the planned cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vast collection of plastic waste located between Hawaii and California. There is.

That sounds like a laudable goal. But in recent years, marine scientists have warned that efforts to mechanically remove plastic from the ocean are not only futile, but potentially harmful. It’s a waste, as we know that much of the ocean’s plastic waste is too small or out of reach to capture. And it’s probably harmful for two reasons. Firstly, new research shows that marine debris patches are home to all kinds of marine life, and secondly, cleanup efforts have removed such waste from its source. This is because efforts to stem the flow of the virus may be hindered.

So, given what we know…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Harnessing Nature: Releasing Billions of Engineered Mosquitoes into the Wild to Combat Disease

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Dengue fever is currently endemic in 100 countries, putting half of the world’s population at risk. The threat has increased dramatically, with the number of dengue fever cases increasing tenfold between 2000 and 2019, and the number of cases hitting an all-time high in 2023.

Bangladesh, Peru and Burkina Faso have all seen record outbreaks in the past 12 months, while France, Italy and Spain have also reported cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever.

What’s causing this? Scientists say global warming is making space more hospitable to insects, and that climate change is fueling the rise in this mosquito-borne viral disease. As mosquitoes become more common, we expect the time to outbreak of dengue fever to shorten and the transmission season to lengthen.

This is a worrying situation.But that’s what the sponsoring team decided world mosquito program There is a possible solution. They suggest treating mosquitoes with bacteria that can prevent the development of viruses in the body.

read more:

What are the symptoms of dengue fever?

There’s a good reason dengue fever has been labeled “breakbone fever.” 80% of cases are asymptomatic, but when symptoms develop, symptoms include high fever, muscle and joint pain, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea, and vomiting.

Symptoms begin 4 to 10 days after infection and can last from 2 days to up to a week. DHF (severe dengue fever) manifests as severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums or nose, blood in the stool or vomit, pale, cold skin, and fatigue. Doctors can only alleviate these symptoms because antiviral drugs are not available.

How does dengue spread?

Dengue fever is spread through the bite of an infected female mosquito. Aedes aegypti, typically found in tropical and subtropical regions. Originating from the forests of West Africa, Aedes aegypti They spread around the world during the African slave trade and have continued to hitchhike as a means of human transportation ever since.

other Aedes Other species can also transmit dengue fever, although to a lesser extent. The highly invasive Asian tiger mosquito is the likely cause of dengue infections in Europe. Unlike malaria mosquitoes, which usually bite at night and can be prevented with insecticide-treated bed nets, dengue mosquitoes bite during the day and are very difficult to control.

Mosquitoes are now highly urbanized creatures, admirably adapted to coexist with humans, their preferred blood source. In cities, stagnant water is key to survival, providing spawning grounds and habitat for aquatic larval and pupal development. Mosquitoes breed in small puddles in garbage, used tires, and man-made containers such as flower pots. Thus, humans have been the main driving force behind the success of the dengue mosquito.

How can we fight the spread of infection?

Dengue prevention requires a multipronged attack on mosquitoes, with a focus on insecticide spraying. However, insecticide resistance is developing in mosquito populations around the world, threatening their effectiveness.

what else? Control strategies also include adaptations to eliminate breeding sites or prevent reproduction. Aedes aegypti Prevent spawning in stagnant water (remove debris that could trap water and install covers on water storage containers).

Bacterial toxins are also applied to bodies of water to kill mosquito larvae. These strategies are labor intensive because it is difficult to identify, treat, and eliminate all breeding sites. Therefore, new methods of mosquito control are desperately needed.

The World Mosquito Program (WMP) has devised a non-chemical and non-GMO-based approach for dengue control. Bacteria called Wolbachia which occurs naturally in many insect species; Aedes aegypti.

WMP was found to be “infected”. Aedes aegypti and Wolbachia Prevented the onset of dengue virus in adult women. From a logistical point of view, this method is self-sustaining. Wolbachia It can spread to wild populations because it infects eggs through mating.

WMP reports a significant decrease in dengue cases. Aedes aegypti carry Wolbachia has been released.given that Aedes aegypti Since Zika and Chikungunya viruses are also transmitted, WMP has developed a potential “three-for-one” method of disease control.

It’s no exaggeration to say that mosquitoes are the most hated insects, but despite their notoriety, only a handful of the 3,500 species of mosquitoes transmit disease. They are also important to the ecosystem.

Mosquitoes are a food source for fish, frogs, reptiles, bats, and birds, and they are also pollinators, as male insects suck nectar from flowers (only females drink blood). The WMP approach is species-specific and targeted only. Aedes aegyptiThis is in contrast to the “blunt force” approach with insecticides, which can affect insects other than the target.

The climate change trajectory we are currently on is leading to rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, which will benefit this terrifying little insect and her viral cargo. Therefore, we need as many weapons as possible in our arsenal to combat the growing global dengue threat.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Hubble Space Telescope’s Focus on Galaxies with Supernovae

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken new photos of the relatively small galaxy UGC 5189A in the constellation Leo.

This Hubble image shows UGC 5189A, an irregular galaxy about 150 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / A. Filippenko.

UGC 5189A It is located approximately 150 million light years away in the constellation Leo.

This galaxy, also known as ECO 5363 or LEDA 27776, was observed by Hubble in 2010 to study supernova explosions.

This special supernova SN2010jlwas notable for its enormous brightness.

“In fact, over a three-year period, SN 2010jl alone emitted at least 2.5 billion times more visible energy than the Sun emitted in the same time frame across all wavelengths,” Hubble astronomers said.

“Even after a supernova has dimmed to an unobservable level, it can still be interesting to study the environment in which it occurred.”

“This could provide us with valuable information. Supernovae can occur for a variety of reasons, and understanding the environment in which they occur can help us understand why supernovae are triggered. It will help you better understand the necessary conditions.”

“Furthermore, follow-up studies after a supernova explosion could improve our understanding of the immediate aftermath of a supernova explosion, from the powerful effects on the surrounding gas and dust to the stellar debris left behind by the supernova.”

“To this end, UGC 5189A has been observed by Hubble many times since 2010.”

This new image of UGC 5189A consists of observations from. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Found in the ultraviolet and optical parts of the spectrum.

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

“This image is from data collected in three recent Hubble studies of UGC 5189A, which also examined several other relatively nearby galaxies that have recently gone supernova. “Relatively nearby” in this context means approximately 100 million light years away. ” said the astronomers.

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Fossilized Skin Preserved in 289-Million-Year-Old Cave System

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Fossilized skin fragments collected from the Richards Spur Cave system in Oklahoma, US, are at least 21 million years older than any previously reported skin fossil.

Fossilized skin is captorinus aguti.Image credit: Moony other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008.

The newly described fossilized skin is captorinus agutia type of early reptile that lived during the Permian period about 289 million years ago.

This reptile specimen and associated skeleton were collected by long-time paleontology enthusiasts Bill and Julie May. Richards Spara limestone cave system in Oklahoma that is currently undergoing quarrying.

The skin fragments are smaller than fingernails and have a pebble-like surface, most similar to crocodile skin.

This is the earliest preserved example of the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, in terrestrial reptiles, birds, and mammals, and was an important evolutionary adaptation in the transition to terrestrial life.

“Every once in a while, we have a unique opportunity to glimpse deep into time,” said Ethan Mooney, a graduate student at the University of Toronto.

“Discoveries of this kind can really enrich our understanding and appreciation of these pioneering animals.”

Skin and other soft tissue rarely fossilize, but Mooney and colleagues say that this is possible thanks to unique features of the Richards Spur Cave system, including fine clay deposits that slow decomposition, oil seepage, and a cave environment. We believe that in this case it was possible to save the skin. It was probably an environment without oxygen.”

“Animals would have fallen into this cave system during the early Permian period and become buried in very fine clay sediments, slowing down the process of decay,” Mooney said.

“What is surprising, however, is that this cave system was also the site of an active oil seepage during the Permian, and the interaction of the hydrocarbons in the oil with the tar is likely what enabled the preservation of this surface. is.”

Analysis of the specimens revealed epidermal tissue, a characteristic of the skin of amniotes, a group of terrestrial vertebrates that includes reptiles, birds and mammals that evolved from amphibian ancestors during the Carboniferous Period.

“What we saw was completely different from what we expected, so we were in complete shock,” Mooney said.

“Finding ancient skin fossils like this is a unique opportunity to peer into the past and learn what the skin of these early animals looked like.”

The skin shares features with ancient and extant reptiles, including a pebble surface similar to crocodile skin and hinge areas between epidermal scales similar to the skin structure of snakes and earthworm lizards.

However, because the skin fossils are not associated with skeletons or other artifacts, it is not possible to determine which species or body part the skin belonged to.

The fact that this ancient skin resembles the skin of reptiles living today shows how important these structures are for survival in terrestrial environments.

“The epidermis was an important feature for vertebrates to survive on land. It is an important barrier between internal processes and the harsh external environment,” Mooney said.

“This skin may represent the skin structure of an early amniote terrestrial vertebrate ancestor that allowed for the eventual evolution of feathers in birds and hair follicles in mammals.”

of findings appear in the diary current biology.

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Ethan D. Mooney other. Paleozoic cave systems preserve the earliest known evidence of amniote skin. current biology, published online on January 11, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008

Source: www.sci.news

Scented Traps Used for Removing Invasive Mink from Areas of England

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Mink are currently being spotted across the UK after escaping from fur farms or being released by animal activists

Roy Waller/Alamy

Wildlife conservation groups aim to eradicate the invasive American mink from all parts of the UK after removing it from parts of the country during a three-year trial. This includes a new approach that uses the odor of the mink's anal glands to lure them into clever traps, making it the first time in the world that the animals have been eradicated from a large area.

“Until about a month ago, we didn't think mink had been eradicated anywhere,” said association president Tony Martin. Waterlife Recovery Trust, organized the trial with volunteers. “Then we found reports of them being exterminated on a small island off the coast of Estonia, but nothing on this scale. This is an order of magnitude larger.”

Mink are small semi-aquatic predators related to weasels and are often farmed for their fur. Over the past century, the American mink (Neo Gale Vizon) is native to North America and has spread to many parts of Europe and South America.

There, the small European mink (Itachi Lutreola) Native to continental Europe.

Mr Martin said the idea of eradicating mink was previously considered completely unbelievable and attributed the success of the Waterlife Recovery Trust's attempt to two innovations. First, they use traps equipped with devices that detect when something is caught and alert the volunteer in charge. “This means you don't have to go to the traps every day,” Martin says.

This is especially important at the end of eradication efforts, he says, when mink may not be captured for months and volunteers are tired of checking traps every day. It is also more humane because traps are readily available and mink can be killed immediately.

The second innovation is the use of scent harvested from the anal glands of captive mink as bait. This makes the trap more attractive to mink and less likely to catch other animals.

In 2020, around 500 traps were set in an area of 6,000 square kilometers covering most of East Anglia. Currently, only traps on the border between the test area and other areas where mink still exist are capturing mink, Martin said. On January 15, the Waterlife Recovery Trust announced that its trials were successful in eradicating mink from designated areas.

The trust has already been given £500,000 by government agency Natural England to expand its eradication efforts to wider areas of the country, with the aim of eradicating mink from across the UK.

“We now know we can do this,” said Martin, who previously led a successful effort to eradicate rats from South Georgia. How long it takes depends on how many traps you can set, he says.

The same approach would work in continental Europe and South America, he says. “With proper planning, any size can work.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Porous iceberg on Saturn’s moon Titan may be a mysterious ‘magical island’

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Infrared image of Saturn’s icy moon Titan

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology/Stephane Le Mouelik, Virginia Pasek

“Water molecules just love themselves by excluding certain molecules,” he says. michael marasca from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California was not involved in the study. “But if you put methane on the same surface, it will start crawling all over the place.” That means Titan’s methane oceans and lakes should immediately swallow up any solids that are expected to float. It means that.

Researchers have found a solution to this problem. When large amounts of snow accumulate on the coast, they can form sponge-like, porous ice. Once these porous “icebergs” separated from the land, they could float in Titan’s oceans for long enough to rival Cassini’s observations. The researchers calculated that this would work if the sponge-like structure contained enough free space (at least about 25 to 50 percent, depending on the exact composition of the ice).

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Important Facts about Testing and Accuracy

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The United States is currently in the midst of an outbreak of the new coronavirus. JN.1 variant That's driving up hospitalizations and deaths across the country. But for most people, the new variant does not seem to cause worsening of symptoms.

That's why many people are wondering whether they should keep swabbing their nasal passages for coronavirus tests at the first sign of nasal congestion or pain. How well do rapid at-home tests work against new variants?

Here's what you need to know:

Do I still need to take a Covid test?

Influenza and some cold viruses are also circulating along with the new coronavirus. So there is good reason to know which virus you have, especially if you are at high risk of becoming seriously ill.

“It's important to know whether you have COVID-19, influenza, or a completely non-viral infection such as strep throat,” said Dr. Abrar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University. Because they have different treatments.” “There are different treatments for each, and the sooner you receive treatment, the better the results.”

If you're a healthy 25-year-old, there’s still some value in getting tested. For example, if you have someone in your household with a weakened immune system or someone who is battling cancer, it is important to isolate them to see if they have COVID-19.

“Remember that all of these viral and bacterial infections are transmissible differently and get sick differently,” Curran said.

Joseph Petrosino, a professor of molecular biology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, said while there may not be much need for young, healthy people to get tested at home, they should be tested for the coronavirus just in case. He acknowledged that it might be helpful to know. Eventually, the symptoms will persist.

“Some people, even healthy people, runners and people who train, can get a prolonged COVID-19 infection,” he said. “We really don't know. It's difficult to predict based solely on comorbidity factors.”

Otherwise, for people at low risk, a positive coronavirus test does not change treatment much. Whether you have coronavirus, a cold or the flu, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and stay away from others.

How will new variants impact testing?

Experts say there is no data showing the JN.1 variant affects the results of rapid home tests.

“We have not seen anything to suggest that the new variant has evaded test detection,” Curran said. “Certainly, similar things have happened in the past with other diagnostics early in the pandemic, but right now tests should be able to detect these mutations.”

Susan Butler Wu, a clinical pathologist at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, said she hasn't seen any data on this particular variant, but if it's similar to other variants, it’s not a problem. Rapid tests actually look for parts of the virus that are less likely to mutate and bypass testing.

“There's always the fear that a mutation will occur and the test won't work, but so far that hasn't really happened,” Butler-Wu said.

When is the best time to test?

An individual's viral load is highest early in a pandemic, when most people first develop symptoms, either after infection or before they have developed any immunity from vaccines.

Now, one researcher says that virus levels may actually be at their highest in the first few days of illness. study It was published last fall in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases by researchers at Harvard Medical School. They found that in people with pre-existing immunity, virus levels peaked around the fourth day after symptoms appeared.

This means that if you are tested in the early stages of the disease, it may turn out to be negative.

“Their symptoms may be caused by an immune response,” Curran said. “That means there's inflammation going on, which is causing the symptoms, and that's preventing the virus from multiplying as quickly. That's why the initial test could be negative.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends getting tested immediately if you think you have been infected with the coronavirus and have symptoms such as a stuffy nose, cough, or body aches.

The CDC says to wait five days if you are infected but have no symptoms.

Butler-Wu says there is a misconception that rapid tests are “one-and-done”.

“If you have symptoms and your first test was negative, you should test again,” she says.

Official guidance from the CDC is to get a rapid test if you have symptoms and then test again 48 hours later if you test negative.

The test result was positive. Does that mean I'm contagious?

A rapid at-home test is a good way to find out if someone is contagious.

Simply put, rapid tests require higher levels of virus to be positive, and higher virus levels usually mean you're more contagious.

However, the test has some limitations.

Curran said they can be a good surrogate for contagiousness in the early stages of the disease, but are not as reliable at the end of the disease.

Rapid tests have shown positive results, but data shows the virus could not be cultured when samples were taken from people. That means those people are less likely to be contagious, Curran said.

2022 study Researchers at Harvard Medical School suggested that only half of people who test positive after five days are actually infectious.

“Even after that period, even if you test positive on a rapid test, there is no guarantee that you are still contagious.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

2024: The Longest-Living Animal on Earth

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The concept of time

Understanding time can be challenging, as Einstein demonstrated time’s relativity and how it can be experienced differently based on an object’s speed. But what about the animals’ experience of time? Many animals around the world have lived incredibly long lives, defying the odds. So, what is the world’s longest-living animal species?

Scientists have been studying the secrets of longevity, and the species on this list may offer hints about living longer and healthier lives in the future. Let’s take a look at some of the world’s longest-living creatures.

Humans are the longest-lived land mammals

A photo of Jeanne Calment in 1995 at the age of 120. Photo courtesy: Pascal Parrot/Sygma/Getty Images

A photo depicts Jeanne Calment, recognized as the world’s oldest person, who lived an astonishing life of 122 years and 164 days. Despite smoking after every meal, she attributed her long life to her lack of stress and her sense of humor. She passed away in 1997 at the age of 117, outliving her only daughter and grandson, who both died much younger.

The longest-lived aquatic creature – glass sponge

Stalked vitreous cavernoma (hexatinerid) of Borosoma photographed at Maruru Seamount.Photo credit: National Marine Sanctuary/Wikipedia

One of the longest-lived creatures on Earth is the vitreous cavernosa, estimated to live up to 15,000 years. Found in all oceans, its unique ability to generate electrical impulses throughout its body sets it apart from other species.

The longest-living bird – Parrot Cookie

Cookie the pink parrot, photographed at Brookfield Zoo, USA, in 2008. Photo: Nimesh Madhavan/Wikipedia

Cookie, a male pink parrot recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, lived to the age of 83. He outlived the next longest-living pink parrot by 52 years.

Longest living rodent – naked mole rat

Close-up of a naked mole rat (Heterocepalus glaber) in its underground burrow.Photo courtesy: Getty Images

Naked mole rats, known for surviving 18 minutes without oxygen and resistance to cancer, are burrowing rodents with long lifespans. One male was reported to have lived 37 years, making it the longest-living rodent on the planet.

The longest-lived invertebrate – ocean quahog

The oldest marine quahog is thought to be over 500 years old and is known as “Min”.Photo courtesy of Bangor University

The ocean quahog’s age is estimated by counting its shell stripes, with one specimen found to be 507 years old. It was named “Ming” after the Ming dynasty that ruled China when it was born.

The longest-lived turtle – Aldabra giant tortoise

Adwaita, a giant Aldabra tortoise, rests in a cage at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, India, on April 25, 2005. Photo by Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images

The Aldabra giant tortoise is the longest-living turtle, with the oldest individual reaching 255 years. It is a species native to the Seychelles’ Aldabra Atoll, known for its large population living in the world’s largest turtle habitat.

Longest living fish – Greenland shark

Greenland shark or Greenland sleeper shark (Somniosus microcepalus) swimming along the St. Lawrence River estuary in Canada.Photo credit: Alamy

The Greenland shark, estimated to live to between 252 and 512 years, is the longest-lived shark species due to its slow metabolism in cold oceans.

The longest-lived dog – Bobbi

A photo taken on February 12, 2023 shows Bobi, the world’s oldest dog according to Guinness World Records, at her home in the village of Conqueiros, near Leiria, Portugal.Photo by Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images

Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro de Alentejo, lived to the age of 31, surpassing previous records as the oldest dog in history. However, there are claims that this age may be incorrect.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

AI Discovers that Your Fingerprint is Not Actually Unique

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New AI has revealed unexpected discoveries. Surprisingly, your fingerprints aren’t as unique as previously thought.

Well, at least when compared to each other. It has long been believed that fingerprints on different fingers of the same person are unique. In other words, the fingerprint on your index finger bears little resemblance to the fingerprint on your thumb.

This belief that “intrapersonal fingerprints” are unique has had a major impact on forensic science. For example, if a criminal leaves different finger prints at different crime scenes, it is difficult for police to link them to one person.

But a new “deep contrast network” artificial intelligence built by scientists at Columbia University could leave a big mark on future crime scenes. The researchers found that they could make predictions after training on a database of 60,000 fingerprints. Two prints are from the same person with 77% accuracy.

This number would rise even more if the AI was fed other fingerprints from the same hand. Researchers say this breakthrough could improve current forensic efficiency by more than 10 times.

“Imagine how well this would work [AI] “If it’s trained on millions of fingerprints instead of thousands, it will work,” said Anib Ray, engineering senior at Columbia.

Dr. Hod Lipson“If this information tipped the balance, I imagine there would be a resurgence of cold cases and even innocent people could be exonerated,” said the author, who oversaw the study.

So what has AI discovered that forensic scientists have missed for decades? Unlike traditional fingerprint comparisons, AI detects “minutiae,” or similarities between the branches and ends of fingerprint ridges. was not focused on. Instead, they focused on the angles and curvature of the whorls and loops at the center of the fingerprint.

Fingerprints are examined by minutiae (L) and central ridge angle (R). – Photo credit: Columbia University.

“Many people think that AI can’t actually make new discoveries, it just regurgitates knowledge,” Lipson says. “However, this study shows that even very simple AI, based on very simple datasets that the research community has had lying around for years, provides insights that have eluded experts for decades. This is an example of how we can deliver.”

After all, the fingerprints on your fingers may not be that different from each other, but it is unlikely to be shared with others. In fact, the chances that two people share the same fingerprint are estimated to be less than 1 in 64 billion. This means that probably more than 1 million years two people with identical fingerprints happen to appear in Scotland Yard’s fingerprint database.

Identical twins also have unique patterns. This is because the bumps on your fingers are determined not only by your DNA, but also by how you developed as a fetus. The length of the umbilical cord, its position in the uterus, blood pressure, nutrition, and rate of finger growth all play a role.

Gorillas, chimpanzees, and koalas are some of the animals that have been found to have unique markings.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Huge new tyrannosaurus rex found in New Mexico

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

discovery of Tyrannosaurus macraiensissister species of the famous one tyrannosaurus rexsuggests that tyrannosaurid dinosaurs originated from Laramidia, an island continent that existed between 100 million and 66 million years ago and stretched from present-day Alaska to Mexico.

rebuilding the life of Tyrannosaurus McClain. Image credit: Sergey Krasovskiy.

“Tyrannosaur dinosaurs were the dominant predators of North America and Asia during the Late Cretaceous period,” said Dr. Sebastian Dalman of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and his colleagues.

“Evolved from a diminutive ancestor in the mid-Cretaceous period, became an apex predator in the late Cretaceous period, and eventually tyrannosaurus”

“tyrannosaurusWith a sturdy skeleton and powerful bone-crushing jaws, this animal was the dominant carnivore of the late Maastrichtian period in western North America. ”

“Grows up to 12 meters long and weighs 10 tons, tyrannosaurus It was the largest terrestrial predator of its time, and perhaps of all time. ”

“where and when Tyrannosaurini (tyrannosaurus and relatives) origin remains unknown. Competing hypotheses place its origin in Asia or western North America (Laramidia). ”

The newly identified species is Tyrannosaurus McClainlived in what is now the United States 71 million to 73 million years ago, or 5 million to 7 million years ago. tyrannosaurus.

The fossilized partial skull of this dinosaur was discovered in the Hall Lake Formation in New Mexico.

Although the specimens were initially assigned; tyrannosaurus and its size is tyrannosaurusPaleontologists have proposed that the specimen belongs to a new species, due to several subtle differences in the shape and joints between the specimen and the skull. tyrannosaurus.

Analysis of the relationship between Tyrannosaurus McClain and other theropod dinosaur species. Tyrannosaurus McClain It may have been a sister species of tyrannosaurusmaking it the closest known relative. tyrannosaurus.

The authors suggest that Tyrannosaurini may have originated in southern Laramidia, an island continent that existed between 100 million and 66 million years ago and stretched from present-day Alaska to Mexico.

Additionally, Tyrannosaurus, along with other giant dinosaurs of southern Laramidia such as ceratopsians, hadrosaurs and titanosaurs, may have evolved to large body sizes by about 72 million years ago, the researchers say. is suggesting.

They speculate that the evolution of giant tyrannosaurines may have been driven by the enormous body size of the herbivores they preyed on in southern Laramidia.

“The evolution of giant tyrannosaurs in southern North America suggests that large dinosaurs evolved at lower latitudes in North America, along with giant ceratopsians, hadrosaurs, and titanosaurs.” said.

of study It was published in the magazine scientific report.

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SG Dalman other. 2023. Giant tyrannosaurs that lived in southern North America from the Campanian to the Maastrichtian and the evolution of giant tyrannosaurids. science officer 13, 22124; doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47011-0

Source: www.sci.news

The ‘Lost City’ of Amazon thrived for a millennium in an ancient complex

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists in the Amazon have discovered a series of “lost cities” that have flourished for thousands of years, the results of which were published Thursday in the journal Science.

Laser images have revealed an intricate network of roads, districts, and gardens as complex as those built by the Maya civilization.

Traces of the city were first noticed more than 20 years ago by archaeologist Stephane Rostain of France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), but “I didn't have a complete overview of the area,” he told Science. Told.

A new laser mapping technology called LIDAR helped researchers see through forest cover and map new details of mounds and structures in Ecuador's Upano Valley settlement.

The images reveal a geometric pattern of more than 6,000 platforms connected by roads, intertwined with the agricultural landscape and river drainage channels of an urban farming civilization in the eastern foothills of the Andes.

“It was the Valley of the Lost City. It's unbelievable,” Rostain, who is leading the investigation at CNRS, told The Associated Press.

The image shows a main street cutting through the city area, forming an axis around which a complex of rectangular platforms is placed around a low square.
Antoine Dollison, Stéphane Lotay/AP

These sites were built and inhabited by the Upano people between about 500 BC and 300-600 AD, but the size of their population is not yet known.

The research team found five large settlements and 10 smaller settlements with housing and ceremonial buildings across 116 square miles of the valley. Its size is comparable to other major ruins. For example, the core area of Quilamope, one of the settlements, is as large as the Giza Plateau in Egypt or the main thoroughfare of Teotihuacan in Mexico.

The landscape of Upano societies may be comparable to Mayan “garden cities,” where homes were surrounded by farmland and most of the food consumed by residents was grown in the city, the authors write in Science. Told.

Co-author Fernando Mejia, an archaeologist at the Pontifical University of Ecuador, said the discovery of Upano was so far only the “tip of the iceberg” of what could be discovered in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

The Amazon is considered the world's most dangerous forest, home to dense towering trees, tangled vines, hostile wildlife, and poisonous insects. Archaeologists believed it was primarily suitable for hunter-gatherers, but inhospitable to complex civilizations.

But over the past two decades, scientists have discovered evidence of human habitation, including mounds, hillforts, and pyramids, in the Amazon River from Bolivia to Brazil.

The newly mapped city in the Upano Valley is 1,000 years older than previous discoveries, including the Bolivian Amazonian society Llanos de Mojos. The discovery shattered what scientists previously believed about civilizations in the Amazon rainforest.

And the details of the cultures of these two places are only just beginning to emerge.

German researcher Carla Jaimes Betancourt, an expert on Llanos de Mojos, told Science that the people of both Upano Valley and Llanos de Mojos were farmers. They built roads, canals, and large public and ceremonial buildings. But “we're just beginning to understand how these cities functioned, their populations, who they traded with, how their societies were governed, etc.” she said.

Rostain emphasized how much remains to be revealed. “We say 'Amazonia,' but we should say 'Amazonia' to capture the diversity of ancient cultures in this region,” he says.

“The Amazon has always had an incredibly diverse range of people and settlements, and there is not just one way of life,” he added. “We're still learning more about them.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Artificial Intelligence Can Identify if Fingerprints from Two Different Fingers belong to the Same Person

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Fingerprints from two fingers on the same hand may look different, but AI can find basic similarities

Andrey Kuzmin/Shutterstock

Artificial intelligence can accurately identify whether fingerprints left by different fingers belong to the same person. This helps forensic investigators determine whether one person was at separate crime scenes.

Current technology can only match fingerprints left by the same finger. However, previous research suggests that all human fingertips may have fundamental similarities.

So, Gabe Guo Researchers at Columbia University in New York trained a machine learning model to determine whether fingerprints from different fingers can be identified as belonging to the same person. More than 50,000 fingerprints from around 1,000 people were used in the training. Samples were obtained from public databases at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University at Buffalo, New York. All fingerprints either belonged to deceased individuals or were anonymized from those living.

The team then tested the trained model on another set of more than 7,000 fingerprints from about 150 people. They evaluated the model using a statistical measure that estimates accuracy on a scale of 0 to 1. The researchers found that the model's score was greater than 0.75. This suggests that the model can reliably identify whether fingerprints from different fingers belong to the same person.

This technology has the potential to improve the efficiency of forensic investigations. “It could be useful if fingerprints found at multiple crime scenes don't match anyone in the database,” he says. ralph listenbutt at Pennsylvania State University. “Is the person who left fingerprints at this particular crime scene the same person who left them?” [different] What about this other crime scene print? ”

However, “the accuracy is not sufficient at this time.” [for this model] The court will have to decide this,” Guo said.

“If this is actually used for legal purposes, it will require professional retraining. [bigger] database” Hod Lipsonalso part of the research team at Columbia University.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

NOAA Reports a Record-Breaking, Unbearably Hot Year

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It is now confirmed that the previous year has been noted as the warmest year in the history of the Earth.

The average land and ocean surface temperature in 2023 will be 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average, surpassing the next closest temperature in 2016, as stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a Friday press conference with NASA.

The troubling records set in 2023 don’t stop there. The amount of heat stored in the upper ocean is at an all-time high, and Antarctica’s sea ice is at the lowest level on record. World temperature records date back to 1850.

This announcement did not come as a surprise to those closely following the climatological record but it does highlight the rapid changes occurring in the world as climate change and excessive greenhouse gas emissions continue to transform our planet.

According to NOAA, the past decade has been the warmest decade in modern history. Scientists predict that the Earth will continue to warm until world leaders effectively limit the use of fossil fuels.

The magnitude of the temperature change in 2023 surprised scientists, especially in comparison to the expectations for the year.

“We are observing this and, frankly, we’re surprised,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. “The prediction we had at the beginning of the year was that this year would be pretty much on trend and there was a slim chance of a record because we were starting out in La Niña phase. That didn’t work out.”

Land and ocean temperatures exceeded previous records by about 0.27 degrees Fahrenheit.

“That’s really big. Most records are set in a few hundredths of a degree. This is a huge leap forward,” said Russell Vohs, NOAA’s director of climate monitoring and evaluation.

Schmidt said researchers do not fully understand why average temperatures have risen so much, and more research is needed to understand why 2023 was such a significant outlier.

“More research is needed to understand what happened in 2023,” Schmidt said. “I’m baffled by the results so far. Oh my goodness, it’s been another record year.”

Temperatures in the U.S. reached the fifth-highest level of the year, according to NOAA. Severe weather caused record losses in the US, with government agencies reporting $28 billion in disasters, six more than the previous record.

On Friday, the World Meteorological Organization also confirmed that 2023 will be the warmest year in global temperatures. WMO compared six climate datasets produced by different organizations, and all six ranked 2023 as the warmest year on record.

The group said El Niño, a natural climate pattern that releases heat from the ocean into the atmosphere, could contribute to record heat in 2023 and dictate this year’s weather.

“The shift from a cooling La Niña to a warming El Niño by mid-2023 is clearly reflected in the increase in temperatures since last year. El Niño typically has its greatest impact after global temperatures peak. 2024 could be even hotter given the global warming,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Sauro. “While El Niño events occur naturally and come and go from year to year, long-term climate change is intensifying and is unquestionably the result of human activity.”

NOAA estimates there is a one in three chance that 2024 will be warmer than 2023.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Stunning Photos of Starlings Singing in Various Locations Throughout Europe

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Black Sun #145

Seiren Solcare

These exquisite images show starlings swirling and swooping to create dramatic cloud-like flocks known as murmurs.Photographer Seiren SolcareBest known for his portraits of Björk and Paul McCartney, these are from his new photo collection.

As a child growing up in southern Denmark near the Wadden Sea, Solker was fascinated by the murmurs of starlings. Returning several years later, he witnessed large flocks of these birds being attacked by peregrine falcons. “The shapes and formations the flock created to ward off attacking birds of prey amazed me. They were beautiful and dramatic, like ink paintings or calligraphy,” he says.

After three years of photographing the phenomenon known as the “black sun” in Denmark, he expanded the project to other parts of Europe. What is shown in the main image is Black Sun #145, photographed over Rome's Piazza Venezia from a nearby rooftop. Moving clockwise, Black Sun #50, The top photo was taken in Glastonbury, England, and the bottom photo was taken in Glastonbury, England. Black Sun #230taken early one morning on the Italian island of Sardinia, as the birds were leaving their roost.

“I believe that patterns in nature speak to us as humans on a deep and universal level,” Solkar says. “Experiencing these pure forms creates joy and recognition. To me, they seem to form a kind of language that many people can relate to. We want to inspire a deeper connection with ourselves.”

These images are featured in his new book starlingIt is a sequel. black sun. Solkær's photo is National Nordic MuseumSeattle, through March 10.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Irish Beer has a Genetically Unique Yeast in Guinness

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Some of the yeasts used to brew Guinness today are descendants of those used in 1903.

Artur Widak/NurPhoto SRL/Alamy

The yeast strain used to brew Guinness, Ireland's traditional stout, is genetically different from the yeast strains used to make other Irish beers.

Brewer's yeast (budding yeast) is an essential element in beer production. During fermentation, these microorganisms convert sugars from malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Using different strains of this yeast can result in different types of beer, such as stouts and lagers, and can also affect its flavor profile.

Daniel Kerruish A research team from food and drink company Diageo Ireland Unlimited has determined which yeasts are used to brew Guinness, based on records kept by the Guinness brewery since 1903 of the yeast strains used in its malty, bitter stout. investigated its evolution over many years.

The research team compared the genomes of 13 strains. S. cerevisiae There are up to 160 different strains, including those currently or historically used to brew Guinness, and six used by other Irish breweries.

Although Guinness yeast and other Irish brewer's yeasts belonged to the same lineage, Kerruish and his team discovered that they were genetically distinct enough that Guinness yeast belonged to a previously unidentified subpopulation. Did. Irish brewer's yeasts, other than Guinness, were more closely related to strains of British origin.

Guinness strains were also found to produce a particular balance of flavor compounds, including 4-vinylguaiacol, which produces a subtle clove-like aroma, and diacetyl, which imparts a buttery taste.

The research team also discovered that the two strains currently used in Guinness are descendants of the strain used to brew stout in 1903.

“The more we learn about Guinness yeast, the more we realize how unique and special it is,” says Keluisch. “Guinness is a great beer, so it probably won’t surprise you.”

“What's particularly unique and exciting about this study is that the company has very detailed records of past handling of the strains,” he says. brian gibson at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. “This information could be used to further develop these yeasts and others used in industrial applications.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Assessing the Effectiveness of Lockdowns and Masks in Controlling Coronavirus: An Explanation from a Professor

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Over the past four years, we’ve learned tough lessons about the balancing act of public health. Recent coronavirus research has highlighted the need to carefully weigh the benefits and harms of any action taken to mitigate the impact of the disease.

We need clarity on what has worked and what hasn’t in the fight against the coronavirus. One objective of a study was to understand more about this. Here’s what was found out…

Was the spread of the new coronavirus in nursing homes inevitable?

Early in the pandemic, being a resident or staff member in a care home carried the highest risk of death from coronavirus. The virus spread to nursing homes as elderly patients were discharged to make room for new hospitalizations. It was nearly impossible to stop infectious diseases from spreading within nursing homes, even if all patients were tested before being transferred to hospital, as tests can be negative until the person becomes infectious.

Did the personal protective equipment really work?

The importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of infection in hospitals and nursing homes was widely accepted even before COVID-19. The lack of availability of PPE was one of the main factors influencing coronavirus transmission in nursing homes.

Early in the pandemic, the benefits and risks of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in the community were uncertain. NPIs such as closing schools and banning public gatherings were effective at reducing the spread of the virus.

Did wearing a mask help protect against coronavirus?

Wearing masks did reduce community transmission of coronavirus, at least until the Omicron variant emerged. The value of masks in schools is still debated, with some studies showing that mandatory mask-wearing in schools reduced infections at least for the first few weeks.

Has quarantine helped?

Testing and self-isolation should reduce coronavirus transmission, but studies have shown that for this to work, a significant proportion of infected people would need to self-isolate. Self-isolation rates may not have made a significant difference, as many infected people are never identified.

How effective was the lockdown?

Lockdowns have been associated with mental and musculoskeletal health problems. The overall impact of NPIs in relation to their harms is a broader societal debate beyond just a scientific question.

How effective has the vaccine rollout been?

Rapid development of effective vaccines has been a real success during the pandemic, preventing many more deaths. However, the vaccines did not create herd immunity and eradicated the virus. They also had side effects, such as blood clotting and heart inflammation. Advancements in vaccine science during the pandemic may benefit other infectious diseases for decades to come.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

UV Light Found to Inactivate Coronavirus Particles, New Study Shows

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a profound impact on humanity. Prevention of infection by disinfecting surfaces and aerosols using non-chemical methods is highly desirable. Ultraviolet C (UVC) light is uniquely positioned to achieve pathogen inactivation.in new paper in a diary ACS PhotonicsScientists have reported the inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by UVC radiation and are investigating the mechanism.

David other. demonstrated inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by 266 nm UVC light. This closely matches the absorption spectra of RNA and aromatic amino acids.Image credit: David other., doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00828.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 spreads through nosocomial, public, and workplace-based infections.

Transmission is thought to be direct through respiratory droplets or indirect through fomites, leading to increased interest in virus disinfection.

The SARS-CoV-2 virion consists of a core of nucleic acid strands containing the virus's genetic information, surrounded by a lipid membrane with protruding protein spikes. Each component is required for infection.

In the new study, Sumeet Mahajan and colleagues at the University of Southampton investigated how ultraviolet laser light affects each of these key components and destroys the virus.

By using special lasers with two different wavelengths, they were able to see how each viral component breaks down under bright light.

They found that the genomic material was highly sensitive to degradation, and the protein spike lost the ability to bind to human cells.

UV light includes UVA light, UVB light, and UVC light. Very little UVC light with frequencies below 280 nm reaches the Earth's surface from the sun.

The authors used UVC light in their study, which is less studied because of its antiseptic properties.

UVC light is strongly absorbed by various viral components, such as genetic material (about 260 nm) and protein spikes (about 230 nm), allowing the team to choose laser frequencies of 266 nm and 227 nm for this project.

Researchers found that low-power 266nm light causes RNA damage and affects the genetic information of viruses.

266 nm light also damaged the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, reducing its ability to bind to human cells by breaking disulfide bonds and aromatic amino acids.

Although 227 nm light was less effective at inducing RNA damage, it was effective at damaging proteins through oxidation, a chemical reaction involving oxygen that unravels protein structures.

Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 has one of the largest genomes of any RNA virus. This makes them particularly sensitive to genomic damage.

“Inactivating airborne viruses with light provides a versatile tool for disinfecting public spaces and sensitive equipment that is difficult to decontaminate using traditional methods,” Professor Mahajan said.

“We found differences in the susceptibility of the molecular components of the virus to light inactivation. This opens up the possibility of fine-tuned disinfection techniques.”

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George David other. Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 inactivation using UVC laser irradiation. ACS Photonics, published online on December 25, 2023. doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00828

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists have successfully captured direct images of noble gas nanoclusters at room temperature

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

For the first time, physicists have directly imaged small clusters of noble gas atoms at room temperature. This result opens up exciting possibilities for fundamental research in condensed matter physics and applications in quantum information technology.

Xenon nanoclusters between two graphene layers. Sizes range from 2 to 10 atoms. Image credit: Manuel L'Engle.

“When I was researching the use of ion irradiation to modify the properties of graphene and other two-dimensional materials, I noticed something unusual. They can become trapped between the sheets,” the University of Vienna said. Dr. Jani Kotaski and his colleagues.

“This happens when noble gas ions pass through the first graphene layer fast enough to pass through, but not the second graphene layer.”

“Once trapped between the layers, the noble gases are free to move because they do not form chemical bonds.”

“But to accommodate the noble gas atoms, the graphene bends to form tiny pockets.”

“Here, two or more noble gas atoms can meet and form two-dimensional noble gas nanoclusters that are ordered and densely packed.”

The researchers' method overcomes the difficulty that noble gases do not form stable structures under experimental conditions at ambient temperatures.

“We observed these clusters using a scanning transmission electron microscope, and they are really fascinating and very fun to look at,” said Dr. Manuel L'Engle, a physicist at the University of Vienna.

“They rotate, jump, grow, and shrink as we imagine them.”

“Getting the atoms between the layers was the most difficult part of the job.”

“Achieving this gives us a simple system to study fundamental processes related to the growth and behavior of materials.”

“The next step is to study the properties of clusters containing different noble gases and how they behave at low and high temperatures,” Dr Kotasky added.

“With the use of noble gases in light sources and lasers, these new structures may enable future applications such as quantum information technology.”

a paper The findings were published in this week's magazine Natural materials.

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M. Langre other. Two-dimensional few atomic noble gas clusters within a graphene sandwich. nut.meter, published online on January 11, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41563-023-01780-1

Source: www.sci.news

The Extinction of the World’s Largest Ape: A Result of Climate Change

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

HONG KONG — Didn't fall from the Empire State Building.

Instead, the giant ape, sometimes called the “real King Kong,” was driven to extinction by climate change that made its favorite fruit unavailable during the dry season, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The results have been announced.

An artist's impression of a herd of giant apes Gigantopithecus blackii in a forest landscape in southern China.Southern Cross University/AFP – Getty Images

They can grow up to 10 feet tall and weigh up to 650 pounds. Gigantopithecus brachy Hundreds of thousands of years ago, they roamed the forested plains of southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, feeding on fruits and flowers.

But researchers have discovered that the apes' harsh diet may have led to the species' extinction.

The herbivorous apes made the “fatal mistake of becoming reluctant to change their food preferences to find new, more nutritious foods,” the study's lead researcher Yin-chi Chan said Thursday. told NBC News.

“As the environment changed, the food this great ape preferred became unavailable. But this great ape did not adapt to its dietary preferences. It remained dependent on a diet with low nutritional value. ” he added.

Zhang, a Beijing-based paleontologist, said the creatures stuck to dense forests, while apes like orangutans quickly adapted and moved into open forests, eating small animals.

Gigantopithecus blackii, thought to be the largest primate on Earth, roamed the plains of southern China before going extinct. Southern Cross University/AFP – Getty Images

The reason for the species' extinction has been a mystery ever since a tooth was discovered in a Hong Kong pharmacy in 1935 by German-Dutch paleontologist Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Königswald. It was sold as “Dragon Tooth”.

This discovery led to extensive research for more fossils, but 85 years later, only 2,000 isolated teeth and parts of the lower jaw have been discovered. No parts other than the skull were recovered.

Without a “precise timeline” of extinctions, “we're looking for clues in the wrong places,” said Kira Westaway, one of the study's lead authors and a geochronologist at Macquarie University in Sydney. says.

However, the researchers were able to use one of the latest techniques, called “luminescence dating,” which allowed them to determine the age of the soil around the fossils in 22 caves in southern China.

From this, they concluded that the great apes went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago.

“Now we have a target zone. We have a target period. So we start looking at changes in the environment,” Westaway said.

The researchers also found clues in the fauna around the cave, with analysis of pollen and wear on the great apes' teeth showing that changing seasons led to a lack of fruit and reduced reliance on less nutritious food. It became clear that he was no longer able to earn money.

“Gigants couldn't really expand their foraging range to find more suitable food because they're so big. Orangutans are also very small, mobile, and very “It's agile,” Westaway said, adding that the new study provided a blueprint for further research into the main extinction event.

“You need to get a very precise timeline. You need to look at what the environment is doing and then look at how they acted,” she said.

From about 2 million to 22 million years ago, dozens of species of great apes lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Today, only gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans remain.

Westaway said the research could also open the door to future possibilities for how humans can adapt to adverse weather events and ensure species survival.

“This sets a precedent for trying to understand how primates respond to environmental stress and what makes certain primates vulnerable and what makes others resilient.” she says.

Mitchell Agarwal

Mithil Aggarwal is a reporter and producer for NBC News based in Hong Kong.

alice kong

Alice Kong is an intern on NBC News' Asia desk.

Associated Press contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Genetic Origins of Multiple Sclerosis in Northern Europeans Revealed by Ancient DNA

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Northern Europeans have a higher risk of multiple sclerosis due to ancient DNA, a study reveals. About 5,000 years ago, people flocked to this area.

This discovery emerged from a large-scale study comparing modern DNA with DNA obtained from ancient human teeth and bones. This allowed scientists to explore prehistoric migration and associated disease-related genes.

Results show that when the Yamnaya people migrated from present-day Ukraine and Russia to northwestern Europe during the Bronze Age, they carried a genetic mutation. This mutation is now known to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis.

The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that these genes not only allowed the Yamnaya to flourish and spread but also protected them from infectious diseases carried by cattle and sheep.

The project, led by Eske Willerslev and the University of Copenhagen, is pioneering ancient DNA research and comparing it to similar research, including tracking down early cousins such as Neanderthals.

The process of ancient DNA extraction at the Lundbeck Foundation Geogenetics Center in Copenhagen.Michal Schlosser / University of Copenhagen (via AP)

This gene bank’s first exploration of multiple sclerosis is especially relevant since the disease is most common among people of white Scandinavian descent, yet the reason remains unknown.

Scientists believe certain infections can cause MS in genetically susceptible individuals. Over 230 genetic mutations have been identified that may increase the risk of this disease.

The study uncovered major changes in the population of northern Europe, tracing the migration of the Yamnaya people around 5,000 years ago. The gene bank was used to compare ancient DNA with around 400,000 modern humans

Comparisons revealed that MS-related genetic variants remained in the north, the direction the Yamnaya migrated, rather than in southern Europe. This supports the idea that the Yamnaya people are the closest ancestors of modern Danes, and the incidence of MS is particularly high in Scandinavian countries.

Dr. Astrid Iversen from the University of Oxford explains how exposure to animal-based bacteria may lead to imbalances in the immune system, possibly playing a role in the early development of autoimmune diseases.

While the study provides a potential explanation for the North-South MS disparity in Europe, further research is required to confirm the link. This statement comes from New York’s M.D., Samira Asghari, a genetics expert at Sinai School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Largest ancient city ever discovered found in the Amazon

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Lidar scan of Ecuador’s Upano Valley reveals raised platform

Stephen Rostain

Aerial survey reveals the largest previously discovered pre-colonial city in the Amazon, connected by an extensive road network.

“This settlement is much larger than other settlements in the Amazon,” he says. Stefan Rostain at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Paris. “They are equivalent to Maya sites.”

Additionally, these cities are between 3,000 and 1,500 years old, making them older than other pre-Columbian cities found in the Amazon. It is not clear why the people who built them disappeared.

The Amazon rainforest was thought to be largely untouched until Italian explorer Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in the 15th century. In fact, the first Europeans reported seeing many farms and towns in the area.

These reports, long ignored, have been borne out in recent decades by the discovery of ancient earthworks and vast expanses of black soil created by farmers.According to some estimates, the pre-Columbian population of the Amazon was Up to 8 million.

Since the 1990s, Rostain and his colleagues have been studying archaeological sites in the Upano Valley of the Amazon River in Ecuador, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Traces of an ancient settlement were first discovered there in his 1970s, but only a few remains have been excavated.

In 2015, Rostain’s team conducted an aerial survey using LIDAR, a laser scanning technology that can create detailed 3D maps of the surface beneath most vegetation, revealing features that are normally invisible to the eye. did. The findings, which have just been published, show that the settlements were much more widespread than anyone realized.

The survey revealed more than 6,000 raised earth platforms within an area of 300 square kilometers. These are the sites where wooden buildings once stood, and excavations have revealed postholes and fireplaces in these buildings.

Most of the platforms are approximately 10 x 20 meters and 2 meters high and are believed to be the site of residential buildings. The largest was 40×140 meters and 5 meters high and was considered the site of a monumental building used for rituals.

Surrounding the home were fields, many of which were drained by small canals dug around them. “The valley has been almost completely modified,” Rostain says.

Analysis of pottery suggests that corn, beans, caniolk, and sweet potatoes were cultivated.

Overall, there were five major settlements in the study area. According to Rostain, these could be described as garden cities because of their low density of buildings.

The survey also revealed a network of straight roads made by digging out soil and piling it up on the sides. The longest span at least 25 kilometers, but may extend beyond the surveyed area.

Upano Valley in Ecuador

Stephen Rostain

What's strange, Rostain says, is that the people of Upano went to great lengths to straighten the road. For example, in one place they dug down 5 meters instead of along the contour line. So the road probably had a symbolic meaning, he says, since there was no practical reason to make it straight.

There are traces of defensive structures such as ditches in places, suggesting that there may have been some sort of conflict between groups.

In the rest of the Amazon, many settlements were abandoned after the arrival of Europeans, as most of the population died from disease and violence, probably caused by the invaders.

However, the Upano artifacts dated by Rostain's team are all more than 1,500 years old, suggesting that the valley settlements were abandoned after this period, long before colonial times. doing. It's not clear why, but the team found layers of volcanic ash, suggesting a series of eruptions may have forced people to leave the valley.

“This demonstrates the unprecedented degree of complexity and density of payments in this early period,” he says. michael heckenberger at the University of Florida. “The authors rightly conclude that the complexity and scale are now comparable to well-known cases such as the Maya.”

“This is the largest complex containing a large settlement ever found in the Amazon,” he says. charles clement at the National Amazonian Institute in Manaus, Brazil.

They were also found in an area of the Amazon that other researchers had concluded was sparsely inhabited during the pre-Columbian period, Clement said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Oldest Fossilized Crocodile-Like Skin Discovered by Scientists

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have discovered what is believed to be the oldest skin fossil on record.

The alligator-like skin, which is at least 286 million years old, was preserved in an ancient buried cave in what is now Oklahoma. The discovery could help unravel evolutionary mysteries and provide important clues to a time when some animals were transitioning to living on land.

“Finding old skin fossils like this is a great opportunity to peer into the past and learn what the skin looked like on these early animals,” said the University of Toronto graduate student and co-author of the book. says lead author Ethan Mooney. the paper said in a news release.

Three-dimensional skin casting and compacted fossil of an unknown amniote.
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

Discovery announced Thursday Published in the scientific magazine “Current Biology”, created in a quarry and cave system called Richard's Spur. Researchers believe the animals fell into the cave system and were preserved by seeping oil and tar that enveloped them.

Skin is a three-dimensional mold with fossilized tissue attached to it.

“There are very few examples of Paleozoic land animals that have preserved skin,” said Paul Olsen, a paleontologist and Columbia University professor who was not involved in the paper. “He's one of the reasons why this is so important.”

Lepospondyl, temnospondyl, and dermal scales of an unknown quadruped.
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

The preserved skin was discovered at a site full of fossils of lizard-like creatures called lizards. captorinus aguti, However, it was not clearly associated with any particular skeleton.

Olsen said the skin could help solve the mystery of how reptiles and mammals diverged from each other during evolutionary history. Her two branches of life have a common ancestor.

“They hypothesize that the common ancestor of reptiles and mammals had reptilian-like skin, but their reptilian-like skin is not associated with the skeleton, so they have We can't really show that with the materials we have,” Olsen said of the authors. “Maybe this site will reveal that in the future.”

Horny zone of Captorhinus aguti (OMNH 52541).
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Discovery of new Tyrannosaurus species through early fossil findings

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Artist's impression of Tyrannosaurus macraensis, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex

sergei krasinski

A portion of a dinosaur skull discovered 40 years ago has been identified as a new species of dinosaur. tyrannosaurusand is probably the closest relative tyrannosaurus rex. The study adds a new twist to the long-standing debate about how many different tyrannosaurus species there were, and could help shed light on how the iconic predator evolved.

tyrannosaurus They first appeared in North America about 68 million years ago, 2 million years before the mass extinction event that wiped out most dinosaurs. Paleontologists are puzzled about the origins of this carnivore. Some suggest that it is an ancestor of tyrannosaurus Some people walked across land bridges from prehistoric Asia, while others traced their origins to southern North America.

Anthony Fiorillo Researchers from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science reviewed fossils in the museum's collection that were discovered in a rock formation known as the McRae Formation in western New Mexico.

Skulls were originally classified as: tyrannosaurus, Fiorillo and his colleagues noticed differences in the bones.They proposed that this specimen represented an older species, which they named Tyrannosaurus macraiensis in reference to the rock in which it was found.

They estimated that the dinosaur was about 12 meters long, comparable in size to an aosaurus. Tyrannosaurus, However, it lived about 4 million years ago.

difference between tyrannosaurus and T. macraensis It would have been relatively subtle.on the other hand tyrannosaurus He had a prominent ridge on his eyebrow, and a bone-crushingly wide jaw with the same ridge. T. macraensis The body is less developed and the skull is thinner, Fiorillo said.

Jawbone identified as new species of Tyrannosaurus

nick longrich

Other recent studies have proposed that several species exist. tyrannosaurus And the so-called tyrannosaurus Fossils need to be reallocated. However, such proposals are controversial and are mostly rejected by dinosaur paleontologists. The new study is likely to spark further debate about that number. tyrannosaurus The species was found in North America.

“I hesitate to consider Tyrannosaurus macraiensis as different from tyrannosaurus rex” Jared Voris at the University of Calgary, Canada. He points out that many of the anatomical features that make the new species unique are also present in the specimen. tyrannosaurus.

Regardless of species assignment, the existence of such large tyrannosaurs millions of years ago is tyrannosaurus This suggests that southwestern North America was an important center of dinosaur evolution. “The age range of the proposed specimen is unique and requires further study,” Voris said. That's because it could outline a clearer picture of dinosaur evolution during the last few million years of the Cretaceous.

The New Mexico tyrannosaurus was discovered in the same rock as a giant horned dinosaur, an anthropomorphic duck-billed dinosaur, and a long-necked herbivore up to 30 meters long. Fiorillo and his colleagues tyrannosaurus It may have evolved to its gigantic size to prey on these large herbivores, and later spread north as the last “tyrant lizard” to stalk the planet.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Possums in Australia are struggling with extreme heat conditions

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A quoll searches for termites in a fallen log.Poor night vision is also part of the reason they have to forage for food in the heat of the day.

kristin cooper

As Australia's temperatures continue to get hotter, the specialized fur that possums evolved to save energy is now putting them at risk of overheating.

possum (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is an unusual marsupial in that it is active during the day, feeding on termites hidden under tree logs and topsoil. Because these insects are low-calorie foods, possums, which typically weigh about 500 grams, have evolved fur that absorbs heat from the sun, saving calories spent on generating body heat.

As temperatures rise, that evolutionary trait can backfire, causing possums to overheat within minutes of feeding in direct sunlight. kristin cooper at Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Quolls once roamed southern Australia, but over the past two centuries they have fallen prey to cats and foxes introduced by European settlers. Currently, these endangered animals are concentrated in just two small nature reserves in Western Australia.

To increase their numbers, conservation groups are gradually moving the marsupials to areas protected from their native predators. But global warming is making some of these regions even hotter and drier.

“Environmental change is occurring at an unprecedented rate due to anthropogenic global warming, which means that predicting future species distribution and population patterns, protecting and managing them requires environmental conditions “This means it is important to understand the ecological consequences of changes in philip withers researchers from the University of Western Australia write in a paper.

To learn more, the pair used a thermal imaging camera to film 50 wild animals eating termites at different times of the day from 2020 to 2021.

At each site, portable weather stations were used to record factors such as temperature, wind speed, and humidity. They then incorporated this data into a computer program to model how environmental conditions affected the quolls' internal temperatures.

The researchers found that on days of high heat stress, such as in dry environments with temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, possums overheat within 10 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight. After that, they need to stop eating and hide from the sun until their body temperature drops.

Shade is helpful, but shade is often scarce, and seeking shade limits the termite-hunting territory of possums, Cooper says. The model also suggests that the combination of high outdoor temperatures and radiant heat from the ground can cause possums to overheat even in the shade.

Feeding at night is not an option for possums, as they have poor night vision and lack the strength to invade termite mounds at night.

To overcome these problems, Cooper recommends conservation groups move quolls to cooler areas of their territory and provide plenty of shade.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

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