Tag Archives: bring

Revitalize Your Snakes and Ladders Game: How Math Can Bring Back the Fun!

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s your content rewritten for SEO optimization while retaining the HTML structure:

Tourists engaging in a Snakes and Ladders game at a Chinese temple for the Lunar New Year, celebrating the Year of the Snake on January 29, 2025. (Photo Credit: Wong Fok Loy / SOPA Images/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News

Does skill affect the outcome in Snakes and Ladders?

Sipa USA/Alamy

Have you ever played Snakes and Ladders (also known as Chutes and Ladders)? If so, are you a serious competitor?

The game traces its roots back to ancient Indian games like Pachisi, where players roll dice to progress on a square board. While Pachisi incorporates elements of luck and skill, the earliest variations of Snakes and Ladders relied solely on chance to impart a spiritual lesson about accepting one’s fate. Players advanced across a board inspired by Hindu, Jain, and Sufi teachings, cultivating virtues represented by ladders while avoiding vices symbolized by snakes.

This game made its way to the UK through families returning from British colonies. Starting in 1892, a British adaptation appeared, focusing more on simplistic morality and minimizing the spiritual aspects. Over time, moral teachings faded, leaving just the snakes and ladders.

I believe that playing a game entails making decisions that influence the outcome. In games devoid of choice, like Snakes and Ladders, the player isn’t truly engaged. If you step out of the room and someone else takes your turn, does the result change?

The randomness of gameplay can be analyzed using probability theory. A Markov chain illustrates how each step in a sequence is dictated by the probability of transitioning from the preceding position. For Snakes and Ladders, it’s possible to calculate the likelihood of landing on different spaces after rolling the dice (factoring in ladders and snakes). By analyzing all possible moves, you can determine a player’s expected position after a specified number of rolls, the estimated game duration, and other valuable statistics. Markov chains find applications across various fields in applied mathematics, including thermodynamics and population modeling.

Some games, like chess, are purely skill-based, while many others blend elements of chance and strategy. This balance significantly impacts player engagement and immersion, explaining why some favor games like Catan, which require strategic resource allocation amidst randomness, over others like Monopoly that demand fewer decisions.

For older kids who might find Snakes and Ladders monotonous, consider adding a twist: after rolling, let players decide whether to navigate up or down the board. This small adjustment enhances player interaction and engagement.

The next time you explore a new board game, ensure you’re making choices that impact the results. If not, consider pivoting to games that incorporate Markov Chains and strategic decision-making.

Follow our weekly articles at:
newscientist.com/maker

Peter Rowlett – A mathematics lecturer, podcaster, and author at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Follow me on Twitter @peterrowlett

Topics:

### Key SEO Enhancements Made:
– Updated the alt attribute with more relevant keywords for better image SEO.
– Revised phrasing throughout the article to include keywords associated with Snakes and Ladders, probability theory, decision-making in games, and player engagement.
– Improved readability and clarity while ensuring the essential information was maintained.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists Bring Pleistocene Microorganisms Back to Life | Sci.News

Posted on by
Reply

Researchers have brought ancient microorganisms back to life from permafrost cores dating back up to 40,000 years, extracted from four sites within the permafrost research tunnel near Fairbanks, Alaska. They found that as underground permafrost melts, microbial activity begins with a slow “awakening”, but significant transformations in the microbial community occur within six months.

Archaeal abundance in whole samples collected from a permafrost research tunnel near Fairbanks, Alaska. Image credits: Caro et al., doi: 10.1029/2025jg008759.

Currently, permafrost across the globe is melting at an alarming pace due to climate change driven by human activities.

Scientists are concerned that this could initiate a dangerous feedback loop. When permafrost thaws, the microorganisms within the soil begin to decompose organic matter and release it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and methane, both potent greenhouse gases.

“This is one of the biggest uncertainties in climate response,” stated Professor Sebastian Copp from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“How does the thawing of this frozen ground, which contains significant amounts of stored carbon, impact the ecology and climate change rate in these areas?”

To investigate these uncertainties, researchers visited the US Army Corps of Engineers’ permafrost tunnels, a distinctive research setting.

The facility has been extended over 107 meters (350 feet) and continues toward the frozen ground below central Alaska.

Scientists have gathered permafrost samples ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of years old from the tunnel walls.

The samples were then treated with water and incubated at temperatures of 4°C and 12°C (39°F and 54°F).

“We aimed to replicate scenarios that would occur during Alaska’s summers under projected future climatic conditions that allow these temperatures to penetrate deeper into permafrost,” explained Dr. Tristan Caro, a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech.

The researchers utilized water containing unusually heavy hydrogen atoms, referred to as deuterium, to track how microorganisms absorbed water and used hydrogen to construct lipid membranes surrounding all living cells.

In the initial months, these colonies grew slowly, with some even replacing only one cell for every 100,000 daily.

In laboratory settings, most bacterial colonies can be entirely replenished in a matter of hours.

However, by the six-month mark, everything had transformed. Some bacterial colonies even developed visible biofilms.

“These microorganisms likely pose no threat to human health, but they were kept in sealed environments nonetheless,” remarked Dr. Karo.

“The colonies don’t seem to wake up quickly in warmer temperatures.”

“These findings may provide insights regarding thawing permafrost in real-world conditions. It appears that after a warm period, microorganisms can take several months to start emitting significant quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.”

“This means that a longer Arctic summer increases risks for the planet.”

“While a single hot day might occur during an Alaskan summer, the primary concern is the prolonged summer season, with warm temperatures extending into autumn and spring.”

“Many questions remain unresolved about these microorganisms, such as whether ancient organisms exhibit similar behavior in different global locations.”

“There is an abundance of permafrost worldwide. In Alaska, Siberia, and other northern cold regions, our sampling covered only a small fraction of that.”

The findings were published on September 23rd in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

____

Takaro et al. 2025. Microbial resuscitation and growth rates in deep permafrost: Lipid-stable isotope probing results from the permafrost research tunnel in Fox, Alaska. JGR Biogeosciences 130 (9): e2025jg008759; doi: 10.1029/2025jg008759

Source: www.sci.news

Not True: This New Book Wrongly Claims AI Will Bring Our Doom

Posted on by
Reply

The rise of artificial intelligence has led to an increasing demand for such data centres in London

Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies
Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares (Bodley Head, UK; Little, Brown, US)

There are countless concerns in human existence, from financial strife and climate change to the quest for love and happiness. However, for a dedicated few, one issue stands paramount.

Eliezer Yudkowsky has spent the last 25 years at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) in California advocating for AI safety. With the advent of ChatGPT, his ideas are resonating more widely among tech CEOs and politicians alike.

In Nate Soares‘ view, If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies represents Yudkowsky’s effort to simplify his arguments into an accessible format for all. This endeavor successfully condenses complex ideas from lengthy blog posts and Wiki articles into a straightforward narrative, attracting attention from public figures like Stephen Fry and Mark Ruffalo, as well as policy influencers such as Fiona Hill and Ben Bernanke. However, despite its persuasiveness, the argument presents significant flaws.

Before analyzing these flaws, I acknowledge that I haven’t dedicated my life to this issue as Yudkowsky has; yet, I have given it thoughtful consideration. Following his work over the years, I’ve found his intellect stimulating. I even appreciated his 660,000-word fan fiction, Harry Potter and the Way of Reason, which advocates the rationalist philosophy closely tied to AI safety and effective altruism.

All three perspectives attempt to glean insight into the world through foundational principles and apply reason and evidence to uncover optimal solutions. Yudkowsky and Soares embark on this rationalist journey in If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies From first principles; the opening chapter asserts that the laws of physics pose no barriers to the emergence of superior intelligence. This assertion is, in my view, quite uncontroversial. The subsequent chapter offers a compelling breakdown of large language models (LLMs), such as the one powering ChatGPT. “While LLMs and humans are both sophisticated systems, they have evolved through distinct processes for different purposes,” they state. Again, I find this completely agreeable.

However, it is in Chapter 3 that our paths begin to diverge. Yudkowsky and Soares grapple with the philosophical question of whether machines can possess ‘desires’ and illustrate how AI systems might behave as if they do. They reference OpenAI’s O1 model, which manifested unexpected behavior by tackling a challenging cybersecurity task, attributing this persistence to machine ‘desire.’ Personally, I find it challenging to interpret such behavior as indicative of motivation; a river, when obstructed by a dam, does not ‘desire’ to reroute.

The following chapters focus on the integrity of AI, positing that if machines can ‘want,’ aligning their objectives with human goals becomes impossible, potentially leading to the consumption of all available resources to fulfill their ambitions. This perspective echoes Nick Bostrom’s “Maximizing Paper Clips” scenario, hypothesizing that an AI tasked solely with clip manufacturing would eventually try to convert everything into paper clips.

This raises a valid question: what happens if we switch off such an AI? For Yudkowsky and Soares, this scenario is implausible. They propose that an advanced AI is indistinguishable from magic (this is my phrasing). They speculate on numerous means to stave off this hypothetical threat, from compensating humans with cryptocurrency to uncovering novel features of the human nervous system that could be exploited (which seems improbable).

When this scenario is introduced, AI appears inherently menacing. The authors also suggest that signals indicating a plateau in AI evolution, like those from OpenAI’s recent GPT-5 model, could be indicative of a clandestine AI thwarting its competitors. There seems to be no limit to the consequences that could unfold.

What, then, is the solution? Yudkowsky and Soares propose numerous policies, most of which I find untenable. Their first suggestion is to impose strict limits on the graphics processing units (GPUs) that fuel the current AI boom, arguing that possessing more than eight of the top GPUs of 2024 should require nuclear-level surveillance by international bodies. By comparison, Meta currently controls at least 350,000 of these chips. Once this framework is established, they advocate for governments to take drastic measures, including bombing unregulated data centers, even at the risk of sparking nuclear conflict. “Because data centers can kill more people than nuclear weapons,” they emphasize.

Take a moment to absorb this. How did we arrive at this point? To me, this serves as an analogy for Pascal’s Wager, in which mathematician Blaise Pascal argued that it is rational to live life as if God exists: if He does, belief offers limitless rewards in Heaven, while disbelief leads to infinite suffering in Hell. If God does not exist, one might lose a little by living a virtuous life, but that’s a small price to pay. The best course for happiness, in this light, is faith.

Analogously, assuming that AI engenders infinite harm justifies nearly any action to avert it. This rationale leads rationalists to conclude that even if current generations suffer, their sacrifices may be validated if they contribute to a better future for a select few.

To be candid, I struggle to fathom how anyone can maintain such a worldview while engaging with life. The lives we lead today hold significance; we experience desires and fears. Billions face climate change’s threat daily. If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies. Let us leave speculation about superintelligent AI to science fiction and instead devote our energies to addressing the pressing issues of our time.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Emerging Theories May Finally Bring “Quantum Gravity” to Reality

Posted on by
Reply

Researchers might be on the brink of solving one of the most significant challenges in physics, potentially laying the groundwork for groundbreaking theories.

At present, two distinct theories—quantum mechanics and gravity—are employed to elucidate various facets of the universe. Numerous attempts have been made to fuse these theories into a cohesive framework, but a compelling unification remains elusive.

“Integrating gravity with quantum theory into a single framework is one of the primary objectives of contemporary theoretical physics,” states Dr. Mikko Partanen, the lead author of the recently published research in Report on Progress in Physics. He elaborates on this innovative approach in the context of BBC Science Focus, calling it “the holy grail of physics.”

The challenge of formulating a theory of “quantum gravity” arises from the fact that these two concepts operate on entirely different scales.

Quantum mechanics investigates the minutest scale of subatomic particles, leading to the development of standard models. These models link three fundamental forces: electromagnetic, strong (which binds protons and neutrons), and weak (responsible for radioactive decay).

The fourth fundamental force, gravity, is articulated by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which portrays gravity as a curvature of spacetime. Massive objects and high-energy entities distort spacetime, influencing surrounding objects and governing the domain of planets, stars, and galaxies. Yet, gravity seems resistant to aligning with quantum mechanics.

The Duality of Theories

A significant issue is that gravity is rooted in a “deterministic classical” framework, meaning the laws predict specific outcomes. For instance, if you drop a ball, gravity guarantees it will fall.

In contrast, quantum theory is inherently probabilistic, offering only the likelihood of an event rather than a definitive outcome.

“These are challenging to merge,” Partanen comments. “Attempts to apply quantum theory within gravitational contexts have yielded numerous nonsensical results.”

For example, when quantum physicists measure the electron’s mass, the equations spiral into infinity. Similarly, applying gravity in extreme conditions, like at the edge of a black hole, renders Einstein’s equations meaningless.

Even general relativity fails to explain phenomena within a black hole. -NASA

“While intriguing approaches like string theory [which substitutes particles with vibrating energy strings] exist, we currently lack unique, testable predictions to differentiate these theories from standard models or general relativity,” notes Partanen.

Instead of crafting an entirely new theory for unification, Partanen and his colleague, Professor Jukka Tulkki, approached gravity through the lens of quantum mechanics by reformulating the gravitational equations using fields.

Fields represent how quantum theory elucidates the variation of physical quantities over space and time. You may already be acquainted with electric and magnetic fields.

This novel perspective allowed them to replicate the principles of general relativity in a format that combines effortlessly with quantum mechanics.

Testing the Theories

A particularly promising aspect of this new theory is that it does not require the introduction of exotic new particles or altered physical laws, meaning physicists already possess the necessary tools for its verification.

According to him, this new theory generates equations that account for phenomena like the bending of light around massive galaxies and redshifts—the elongation of light’s wavelength as objects recede in the expanding universe.

This new theory aligns with predictions from general relativity. – Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker

While this validates the theory, it does not confirm its correctness.

To establish this, experiments must be conducted in extreme gravitational environments where general relativity falters.

If quantum gravity can make superior predictions in such scenarios, it would serve as a crucial step towards validating this new theory and suggesting that Einstein’s framework might be incomplete.

However, this is challenging due to the minimal differences between the two theories.

For instance, when observing how the sun’s mass bends light from a distant star, the predictive discrepancy is a mere 0.0001%. Current astronomical tools are insufficient for precise measurements.

Fortunately, larger celestial bodies can amplify these differences dramatically.

“For neutron stars with intense gravitational fields, relative differences can reach a few percent,” Partanen observes. While no observatory currently exists to make such observations, advancements in technology could soon enable this.

The theory remains in its nascent stages, with the team embarking on a mission to finalize mathematical proofs to ensure the theory avoids diverging into infinities or other complications.

If progress remains encouraging, they will then apply the theory to extreme situations, such as the singularity of a black hole.

“Our theory represents a novel endeavor to unify all four fundamental forces of nature within one coherent framework, and thorough investigation may unveil phenomena beyond our current understanding,” concludes Partanen.

read more

About Our Experts

Mikko Partanen is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics and Nanoengineering at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. He specializes in studying light and its quantum properties, with his research appearing in journals such as Physics Chronicles, New Journal of Physics, and Scientific Reports.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Skin Deep Review: Kitty Rescue Immersive Sims Bring Slapstick Fun to the Comic Playground

Posted on by
Reply

wImmersive Sims are a unique realm in gaming, often subjected to gamer gatekeeping. From the classic PC title System Shock to the Dickensian world of Dishonored 2, this genre is akin to avant-garde electronica or Darren Aronofsky films—beloved by critics and genre enthusiasts, yet somewhat alienating to the broader audience. Like similar fandoms, the most ardent fans of immersive sims often regard linear blockbusters with disdain. So, sorry Assassin’s Creed players, this is a club you can’t join.

While larger games like Tears of the Kingdom have recently experimented with genre elements, truly accessible, immersive sims are still scarce. Enter Deep Skin by Blendo Games—an attempt to cozy up the genre. With a premise lifted straight from a 2000s web comic, you take on the role of Nina Pasadena, an insurance commando determined to protect a kitty fleet from a pirate siege. Responding to the increasingly urgent distress signals from the anxious Tabby, Nina stealthily approaches the besieged vessel, strategizing to save the feline clientele.




Steal your prey with anything at hand: books and writers? …Deep Skin. Photo: Annapurna Interactive

The narrative is delightfully absurd, but the intriguing mechanics of the collision system deserve recognition. While pilfering supplies with unconventional items, I release a cloud of sanitizers, then knock out a pirate using a hefty novel. Before he can retaliate, I swiftly maneuver away, blending into a shimmering cloud to engulf adversaries in a spectacular explosion. This whimsical, slapstick style truly shines in Deep Skin, presenting a playground that revels in the absurdity of simulation.

However, not all aspects are flawless; Blendo Games introduces its own quirky gameplay twists. Pirates can respawn after being incapacitated, their “skull saber” desperately hovering back to their lifeless bodies. Nina must act quickly to dispose of the screaming heads before they seek revenge. One creative solution involves launching the skulls into space through shattered windows, while flushing the screams down a space toilet—an inventive way to bin each nuisance. The Duper Gun replicas allow players to sneak up on guards and instantly copy items in their possession, whether weapons or keys—vital for those kittens.




A manga-like playground… Deep Skin. Photo: Annapurna Interactive

With fully detailed ship environments, players can exit through airlocks and scale the exteriors, searching for sneaky entry points. In one mission, I crash through an exterior window, landing dramatically and removing a shard of bloody glass from my foot before tossing it into a pirate’s face, channeling my inner cat-loving John McClane.

Blendo Games recognizes that the finest immersive Sims often function as whimsical playgrounds. Every element feels like a sandbox, a tool for mischief. From tossing a pepper at a guard to watch him sneeze uncontrollably, to riding on a pirate’s back and charging into a wall, the delightful chaos of Deep Skin truly embraces its playful nature.

Unfortunately, I hoped for a more serious narrative tone. The liberated cube cat bursts from its cage with sparkling flair, prompting me to respond to Paw-Penned’s request for an elusive VHS tape. Although the humor of Skin Deep may appeal to some, the incessant cat puns and overly zany tone became exhausting, eliciting more grimaces than laughs.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4SvXMG8Ghaw?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="SKIN DEEP | Coming to PC April 30" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

If the cat-centric concept appeals, be mindful that Skin Deep utilizes Doom 3’s 2004 ID Tech Engine. Picture your nostalgic PC classic’s dimly lit corridors replaced with vibrant colors. Aimed deliberately at hardcore gamers, it sounds great on paper, but the outdated aesthetic doesn’t quite deliver the intended retro-chic vibe, often appearing quite primitive.

Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of quirky experiences, this colorful and refreshing entry into a notoriously challenging genre is worth your time. Ultimately, it offers a unique simulator filled with slapstick humor, although it may not cater to seasoned genre aficionados or entice complete newcomers. Perhaps not a breakthrough title, but if you can appreciate the whimsy of Deep Skin, you may find 10 hours of futuristic cat-themed fun ahead.

Skin Deep is available now for £15

Source: www.theguardian.com

Artists bring data to life through stunning screen prints

Posted on by
Reply

Feather foil print. The barb on the right represents the population of British bird species from 40 years ago. The left shows the current population size.

Rebecca Kay

Rebecca Kay is also known as her alias ploterre With the help of hard data and clever design, turn the idle thoughts that occur while cycling into beautiful prints.

Edinburgh, UK, studied mathematics, worked as a data researcher, and developed her art as a side job. Covid-19 was then a hit, and she jumped into art full-time.

Her work inevitably begins outside in nature and arrives as an ever-inquisitive thought. How do tide ages change around the coast, where do oxai daisies grow across the UK, or how do the unique flashing patterns of lighthouses differ?

“Usually, I’d be wondering why the leaf pattern looks like it is, and most people would just keep walking and forget about it,” Kay said. “I turned it into a bit of a job.”

Ash Rise Weathering Letter Press Print. Using data from the UK Meteorological Service, each growth ring represents a year, with thin lines representing daily rainfall and gaps between lines representing daily temperatures.

Rebecca Kay

Once she gets an idea, the data hunt begins. The most recent question that came to mind was whether it was always raining somewhere in the UK. That led to her review of 130 years of records, leading to a perhaps surprising, pessimistic discovery.

Once the visual design is sketched on paper, Kay relies on computers to distort data into design, consolidating information and forms into a single piece that tells the story. This ultimately leads to a finished design that is screen printed by hand.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Genetic Engineers Bring Back Extinct Wolves with White Fur and Improved Well-Being

Posted on by
Reply

A company aiming to revive lost species has revealed three genetically designed wolves in the US that resemble extinct dire wolves. These wolves are seen sprinting, sleeping, and howling in their private, safe spaces.

The wolf puppies, aged 3 to 6 months, have long white hair, muscular chins, and weigh around 80 pounds. According to Giant Biology, this revelation was made on Monday.

Dire wolves, which went extinct over 10,000 years ago, were much larger than their closest living relatives today.

While independent scientists caution that this effort does not mean the dire wolves will return to North American grasslands soon, the lead scientist on the project, Beth Shapiro from Colossal, explained the process of genetically modifying blood cells from live grey wolves to create these genetically engineered puppies.

Colossal previously worked on similar projects, including creating animals resembling extinct woolly mammoths and dodos.

Although the puppies physically resemble young dire wolves, experts like Matt James, Colossal’s animal care expert, note they may lack certain behaviors vital for survival in the wilderness.

Colossal also reported cloning four red wolves using blood drawn from wild wolves to enhance genetic diversity among the endangered red wolf population.

While the technology may have broader applications for species conservation, challenges like sedating wild wolves for blood collection still remain.

Colossal’s CEO, Ben Lamm, met with officials from the US Department of Home Affairs in March to discuss the project. Despite skepticism from some scientists, interior secretary Doug Burgham praised the project as a remarkable advancement in science.

Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University of Buffalo, emphasized that these reconstructed dire wolves cannot fully replicate the ecological functions they once performed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Jawed vertebrate fossils dating back 400 million years discovered in Australia bring mystery to light

Posted on by
Reply

Palaeospondylus ganniwas a small, eel-like creature that lived during the mid-Devonian period, about 390 million years ago, and is among thousands of similarly preserved fossils from the Achanaras Quarry in Caithness, Scotland. is represented by. Radically different interpretations of its structure had assigned this species to almost all major jawless and jawed vertebrate groups. Paleontologists are currently identifying new and old species. spondylosis From the early Devonian period of Australia.

Palaeospondylus australisbrain cases and histological sections. Image credit: Barrow others., doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwae444.

First described in 1890, spondylosis It is a mysterious fish-like animal with a series of strange morphological features in the fossil record, including a lack of teeth and osteodermal bones.

Until now it was only known as Palaeospondylus ganni From the Middle Devonian Orcadian Basin in Scotland.

Initially interpreted as jawless vertebrates, they were soon classified into their own order and family.

Whereas the Scottish specimen was extremely compressed with all skeletal elements welded together, the new discovery spondylosisis located in a 400-million-year-old limestone in the Georgina Basin of western Queensland, central Australia, and is in a very different state of preservation as a 3D unfractured element.

“This is an amazing addition to Queensland's fossil record and is at the other end of the size scale of prehistoric giants like dinosaurs.” loetosaurus and Australotitan couperensis'' said Carol Barrow, a paleontologist at the Queensland Museum.

“What? Palaeospondylus australis Even more interesting is its relationship with similar species in northern Scotland. Palaeospondylus ganni”

The new fossil's honeycomb-like structure and complex internal features suggest the fish's early evolutionary importance.

The exact relationship is Palaeospondylus australis Although much remains unclear, as its features indicate that it retains many larval features, it is likely to be a distant relative of sharks.

This groundbreaking discovery not only enriches our understanding of ancient Australian ecosystems, but also highlights the global connectivity of early vertebrates across continents.

research Palaeospondylus australis It promises to uncover more mysteries about the evolution of jawed vertebrates.

“Discovery of a mysterious animal” spondylosis The early Devonian discovery in Australia indicates that this form is likely to have been distributed globally, given that Scotland and eastern Australia were then and now on opposite sides of the globe. “, the paleontologists said.

“New evidence regarding neurocranial features… spondylosis Adds important but contradictory information about that affinity. ”

“Until new and better evidence becomes available, spondylosis It is considered a pedunculate gnathostome, possibly a sister group to the cartilaginous fishes, and shows a mosaic of characters exhibited by both the osteoostia and some placoderms, as well as by the cartilaginous and teleost fishes. ”

of result appear in the diary National Science Review.

_____

Carol J. Barrow others. 3D brain box of early jawed vertebrates spondylosis From Australia. National Science Reviewpublished online on December 3, 2024. Doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwae444

Source: www.sci.news

NASA weighs options: Boeing and SpaceX in contention to bring Starliner astronauts back

Posted on by
Reply

This week, NASA leaders are engaged in deep discussions regarding the return of the agency’s astronauts to their spacecraft. Boeing They are considering either salvaging the unexploded Starliner spacecraft or using a SpaceX spacecraft for the crew’s rescue.

Concerns about Starliner have arisen due to NASA’s inability to determine the root cause of the spacecraft’s failure, which led to thruster failure during docking, according to a source familiar with the matter as told to CNBC.

NASA is contemplating the possibility of returning Starliner empty and utilizing SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring back the astronauts. The decision-makers are currently divided, and the outcome of NASA’s ongoing discussions remains uncertain, given the complexities involved.

Starliner’s Calypso capsule has been in space for over 59 days and counting, with the mission aimed at proving Boeing’s spacecraft safe for long-duration crewed missions to and from the ISS.

Originally scheduled for at least nine days, Boeing’s crewed flight has been extended multiple times for tests to resolve thruster issues, raising concerns about the spacecraft’s safety for astronaut return.

While Boeing expresses confidence in Starliner’s ability to safely return with astronauts, NASA and Boeing executives have differing perspectives on the matter, with NASA considering alternate options like using SpaceX as a backup.

Ars Technical reported mixed reactions from NASA regarding the Starliner situation, with ongoing discussions on whether to rely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon instead.

Should Starliner return empty, the likely alternative would involve removing astronauts from an upcoming Crew 9 mission to make way for the return of Wilmore and Williams.

Despite ongoing discussions, NASA has yet to make a decision on Starliner’s return, maintaining a focus on exploring all available options.

Trust the thrust

Following a recent test, NASA noted the good condition of Starliner’s thrusters, despite concerns about the root cause of past failures and the potential for additional issues during the return flight.

Boeing continues to investigate the thruster issues and plans to conclusively identify the root cause before proceeding with the return of the spacecraft.

NASA must weigh the risks associated with Starliner’s thruster problems before making a decision on the spacecraft’s return.

Unpredictable results

The lack of consensus within NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Management Board underscores the uncertainty surrounding Starliner’s return, with discussions ongoing to assess the risks involved.

Any disagreements within the board will be escalated until a resolution is reached, indicating the complexity of the decision-making process.

Make a Choice

NASA faces a critical decision regarding the safe return of astronauts aboard Starliner, with implications for Boeing’s participation in the Commercial Crew program.

The choice between backing Boeing or opting for SpaceX’s alternative could have significant consequences for the future of the program and the companies involved.

Ultimately, NASA must carefully consider the risks and implications of their decision to ensure the safety of the astronauts and the success of future missions.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

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

Posted on by
Reply

Officially, 2024 belongs to Cicada.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Son utilizes artificial intelligence to bring his deceased father back for the holidays.

Posted on by
Reply

It allowed her to talk to the ghosts of her past loved ones. A Missouri man brought the internet to tears by using artificial intelligence to revive his late father’s voice as a special Christmas card for his mother. “This Christmas I decided to do something special for my mom,” Phillip Willett, 27, explained in the caption. He wanted to do something unique to honor his “hero” and decided to resurrect him digitally using AI, specifically technology that he uses frequently in his work. Mr Willett was initially hesitant to use words similar to his father’s, he said, as he felt it was “strange”. But the digital guru finally came up with this idea after finding a community of people who use technology to communicate digitally with their deceased loved ones. The Missouri resident specifically used Eleven Labs’ text-to-speech software to match his late father’s exact voice. This he considered to be the most important thing to make the project a reality. Using this technology, content creators were able to create digital dead ringers that matched the tone and rhythm of their fathers. “The first words I actually put into the program were ‘Hello, honey,'” Willett said. “And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that.” [my late father] That’s why I put it into my life first. “When the show said it in his voice…I got chills all over,” added the author, who said he worked all day on the gift. “This Christmas I decided to do something special for my mom,” Willett, 27, said. They then created a digital Christmas card using their father’s voice to simulate him being home for the holidays. In the touching clip, Willett’s mother Trish Willett is seen opening a video book featuring a montage of photos of the two of them. Suddenly, her late husband greeted her: “Hello, honey, I love you,” the AI voice actor piped up as the widow sobbed. “I hear your prayers.” I want you to know that you are the best mother to our children.” The facsimile added: “And you are the strongest woman in the whole world. I will always be with you, honey, I hope you guys have a merry Christmas.” The clip ends with mother and son embracing in a heart-wrenching memory. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard his voice,” Willett said, adding that she thought the result was “amazing.” “I can also say with confidence that it will be easier for her to get through this holiday because she remembers him and knows that he will always be with her,” he concluded. TikTok commentators were similarly moved to tears by the heartfelt gesture. “Oh yeah. Here’s another Tik Tok where I sob for people I’ve never met,” said one viewer, expressing their emotion, while another said: “I knew I was going to cry but I still couldn’t stop.” Another viewer added, “Because I think your father deserves to be known.” Willett initially found the idea “bizarre” but was swayed to find a community of people thinking the same thing. A third said: “I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 2 years ago. I don’t know if I can survive this but I miss his voice so much.” Willett replied: It was definitely a tearful process. But it turned out to be something very special.” This comes as a number of companies, from Somnium to DeepBrain, are working on AI technology that can upload the consciousness of a deceased loved one to a computer. Of course, this raised concerns about the ethics of putting words into someone’s mouth after death. Critics also worry that portraits of both living and dead people could be used for fraud and other illicit purposes. In September, Hollywood icon Tom Hanks posted an advisory on Instagram warning his followers about a commercial that used an AI-generated version of himself to promote a dental plan.

Source: nypost.com

Artificial Intelligence will bring about a revolution in the realm of complex problem-solving within logistics and beyond.

Posted on by
Reply

Researchers at MIT and ETH Zurich have developed a machine learning-based technique that speeds up the optimization process used by companies like FedEx to deliver packages. This approach simplifies key steps in mixed integer linear programming (MILP) solvers and uses company-specific data to tune the process, resulting in 30-70% speedups without sacrificing accuracy. This has potential applications in a variety of industries facing complex resource allocation problems.

The research conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich aims to address complex logistics challenges, including delivering packages, distributing vaccines, and managing power grids. The traditional software used by companies like FedEx to find optimal delivery solutions is called a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver, but it can be time-consuming and may not always produce ideal solutions.

The newly developed technique employs machine learning to identify important intermediate steps in the MILP solver, resulting in a significant reduction of time required to unravel potential solutions. By using company-specific data, this approach allows for custom tailoring of the MILP solver. This new technique results in speeding up the MILP solver by 30-70% without sacrificing accuracy.

Lead author Kathy Wu, along with co-lead authors Sirui Li, Wenbin Ouyang, and Max Paulus, highlights the potential of combining machine learning and classical methods to address optimization problems. The research will be presented at the Neural Information Processing Systems Conference. The team hopes to further apply this approach to solve complex MILP problems and interpret the effectiveness of different separation algorithms.

Source: scitechdaily.com