As energy demands soar in data centers and the need for chips intensifies, could biological cells offer a solution? Australian startup Cortical Labs is pioneering this concept by establishing two innovative biological data centers in Melbourne and Singapore. These facilities will utilize chips populated with reproducible neurons for data processing.
Cortical Labs stands out as a leader in the emerging field of biological computing, using nerve cells linked to microelectrode arrays to both stimulate and record cellular responses during data input. Recently, the company showcased its flagship computer, the CL1, demonstrating its ability to learn to play games like Doom within a week.
The Melbourne data center is set to feature approximately 120 CL1 units, while a collaboration with the National University of Singapore will launch with 20 units, aiming for a total of 1,000 CL1s, pending regulatory approval. This ambitious expansion is designed to enhance their cloud-based brain computing services.
Michael Barros from the University of Essex remarks, “Biological computers like CL1 have been developed by multiple research teams globally but pose construction challenges for widespread adoption.” He continues, “Cortical Labs is making biocomputers more accessible, set to be the first company to do this at scale.”
These biological systems can be trained for tasks like playing Doom, although understanding the optimal training methods for neurons remains a complex issue. Reinhold Scherer, also from the University of Essex, notes, “Having access can facilitate explorations in learning and programming, yet neurons cannot be programmed as traditional computers.”
Moreover, Cortical Labs asserts that its biological data centers are significantly more energy-efficient than conventional computing systems, with each CL1 unit consuming just 30 watts compared to thousands of watts used by state-of-the-art AI chips.
Paul Roach from Loughborough University highlights that scaling up these systems to function like traditional data servers could lead to remarkable energy savings, even if they require nutrients to sustain the neuron chips. However, the cooling requirements are expected to be much lower than in traditional setups, indicating considerable power conservation according to Cortical Labs’ estimates.
Yet, the technology is still nascent. Tjeerd Olde Scheper, who has collaborated with a competitor, FinalSpark, poses questions about efficacy, stating, “We’re still in early development stages.” He emphasizes that transitioning from a small network managing simple tasks to a larger-scale language model is a substantial leap.
A primary challenge remains: the capacity to save training outcomes and utilize these neurons for computational algorithms beyond specific tasks like gaming. Retraining these neurons after their life cycle is another hurdle, as Scherer points out, “If retraining is needed every month, longevity of use becomes an issue.”
A small number of companies are developing biological computers
Floriana/Getty Images
Data centers consume vast amounts of energy while the demand for computer chips continues to soar. Could utilizing brain cells be the solution?
Australian startup Cortical Labs is pioneering this field, planning to establish two innovative “biological” data centers in Melbourne and Singapore. These cutting-edge data centers will feature chips integrated with reproducible neurons. Pon vs. Doom.
Cortical Labs stands out as one of the few firms creating biological computers that link nerve cells to microelectrode arrays, enabling the stimulation and measurement of cell responses during data input. Recently, the company successfully showcased that its primary model, the CL1, can learn to play games like Doom within just a week.
The first data center in Melbourne is set to accommodate around 120 CL1 units, while a second facility in collaboration with the National University of Singapore will initially support 20 CL1 systems, with plans to expand to 1,000 pending regulatory approval. This initiative aims to enhance cloud-based brain computing services.
According to Michael Barros from the University of Essex, UK, while biological computers have been constructed and tested globally, they remain challenging to build and use. He states, “We invest a lot of time and resources developing these systems.”
Barros further elaborates that Cortical Labs is democratizing access to biocomputers at scale, pioneering an accessible approach in the industry.
These systems can be trained for simple tasks, such as playing Doom, yet there are challenges in understanding how neurons function and training them for more complex tasks like machine learning. Reinhold Scherer, also from the University of Essex, notes, “When you access this technology, it opens doors to exploration in learning, training, and programming, but neurons cannot be programmed like standard computers.”
Cortical Labs asserts that its biological data centers use significantly less energy than traditional computing systems, with each CL1 requiring only 30 watts compared to thousands needed by leading conventional AI chips.
Paul Roach from Loughborough University, UK, emphasizes that scaling biocomputers into entire rooms, akin to traditional data servers, could yield substantial energy savings. Notably, while biological data centers may necessitate nutrients to sustain neuron chips, they require less cooling energy than conventional computing infrastructures, suggesting significant potential for energy conservation.
Nevertheless, experts like Tjeerd Olde Scheper, who holds a PhD from Oxford Brookes University, recognize that the technology remains nascent. “Will it perform as expected? We are still in the early developmental phase,” he comments.
Although direct comparisons between the sizes of biological and silicon AI systems remain complex, it’s notable that the envisioned biological data center would integrate hundreds of biological chips in contrast to the hundreds of thousands of GPUs typically found in large-scale AI data centers.
“We have a long way to go before these systems are production-ready. Transitioning from a small network playing games to a large language model is a substantial leap,” says Steve Furber from the University of Manchester, UK.
A pressing concern is the lack of clarity on how to store training outcomes within neurons as memory, or how to execute computational algorithms beyond specific tasks, such as video gaming.
Additionally, retraining neurons post-task completion poses challenges, as their training and learning may be lost upon the end of their lifespan. “Proper retraining is essential,” Scherer states. “If retraining is required every 30 days, it may hinder technological continuity.”
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Discover the record-setting image captured by astronomers from the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) as they unveil the intricate molecular center of our Milky Way galaxy.
This image showcases the intricate distribution of molecular gas in the Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). Image credits: ALMA / ESO / National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / NRAO / Longmore et al. / Miniti et al..
“It’s an extreme environment, hidden from our view, now revealed in stunning detail,” remarked ESO astronomer Dr. Ashley Burns.
In collaboration with the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey (ACES), Dr. Barnes and colleagues have meticulously mapped over 650 light-years of the Central Molecular Belt, enveloping our galaxy’s supermassive black hole.
This groundbreaking study offers the most detailed view to date of the cold gas fueling star formation in this turbulent region, detecting a variety of molecules from simple silicon compounds to complex organic species.
“This is the closest galactic nucleus to Earth that we can study with such granularity,” Dr. Burns stated.
“While designing the survey, we anticipated a high level of detail, yet we were genuinely astonished by the intricate complexity unveiled in the final mosaic,” said Dr. Katharina Immer, ALMA astronomer at ESO.
This unique dataset introduces never-before-seen central molecular zones, illustrating gas structures spanning tens of light-years down to minute gas clouds surrounding individual stars.
“The central molecular belt harbors some of the most massive stars known in our galaxy. Many of these stars have short lifespans, culminating in spectacular supernova events,” explained ACES leader Professor Steve Longmore, astrophysicist at Liverpool John Moores University.
With the ACES project, astronomers aim to deepen our understanding of how such phenomena influence star formation and whether existing theories of star formation apply even in extreme environments.
“By investigating star formation in the central molecular belt, we can elucidate how galaxies develop and change over time,” Professor Longmore added.
“We believe this region shares many traits with galaxies in the early universe, where star formation occurs in chaotic, extreme settings.”
Astronomers utilizing the WHT Extended Area Velocity Explorer (WEAVE), a cutting-edge instrument aboard the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma Island, have uncovered an intriguing elongated structure of ionized iron within the renowned Ring Nebula.
A composite image of the Ring Nebula featuring four WEAVE/LIFU emission line images. Image credit: Wesson et al., doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf2139.
The Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57, M57, or NGC 6720, is a classic planetary nebula located approximately 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra.
This nebula was first discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier in January 1779 while he was on a mission to find comets.
Messier’s report about the discovery of Comet Bode reached fellow astronomer Antoine d’Alquier de Perpois shortly afterward, who subsequently rediscovered the Ring Nebula during his comet observations.
The newly identified rod-shaped cloud of iron atoms resides within the inner layer of this elliptical nebula.
Measuring about 500 times the length of Pluto’s orbit around the sun, this cloud’s atomic mass of iron is comparable to that of Mars.
This iron cloud was detected using the Large Integral Field Unit (LIFU) mode of the innovative WEAVE instrument on the 4.2-meter William Herschel Telescope, part of the Isaac Newton Group.
According to Dr. Roger Wesson, an astronomer from University College London and Cardiff University: “While the Ring Nebula has been extensively studied with various telescopes, WEAVE enables us to observe it in unprecedented detail, providing much richer information than previously available.”
“By continuously collecting spectra across the nebula, we can image it at any wavelength and analyze its chemical composition at any given location.”
“As we process the data and examine the images, we discover a never-before-seen ‘rod’ of ionized iron atoms at the heart of this iconic ring.”
The exact nature of the iron “rods” within the Ring Nebula remains uncertain.
Two potential scenarios emerge: the bar may offer new insights into the nebula’s formation and ejection by its parent star, or (more intriguingly) it could represent an arc of plasma from a rocky planet evaporating during the star’s initial expansion.
Professor Janet Drew, also from University College London, noted: “We need to investigate further, particularly to determine if the newly detected iron coexists with other elements. This could guide us toward the appropriate models to explore.”
“Currently, this crucial information is lacking.”
For more in-depth details, check out the findings published today in the Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.
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R. Wesson et al. 2026. WEAVE Imaging Spectroscopy of NGC 6720: Iron Rods in the Ring. MNRAS 546 (1): staf2139; doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf2139
Global investments in artificial intelligence are yielding remarkable figures, with approximately $3 trillion (£2.3 trillion) allocated to data centers.
These immense facilities serve as the backbone for AI applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Veo 3, driving the training and functioning of technologies that have attracted billions from investors.
Although there are worries that the AI boom might lead to a bubble poised to burst, indicators of such a downturn are currently absent. Recently, Nvidia, a Silicon Valley AI chip manufacturer, became the first company to reach a valuation of $5 trillion, while Microsoft and Apple each hit a $4 trillion valuation for the first time, marking a historic moment. OpenAI’s restructuring now appraises it at $500 billion, with Microsoft’s investment exceeding $100 billion. Projections suggest a potential $1 trillion surge as early as next year.
Moreover, Google’s parent company Alphabet announced $100 billion in revenue for a single quarter, driven by an increasing demand for AI infrastructure. Apple and Amazon also recently reported robust results.
Trust in AI extends beyond the financial sector; local communities housing the AI infrastructure are equally invested.
In the 19th century, the demand for coal and steel determined Newport’s trajectory. Today, Welsh towns are looking forward to a fresh era of growth generated by the latest global economic transformation.
At the site of a former radiator factory on the outskirts of Newport, Microsoft is constructing a data center to cater to the tech industry’s increasing demand for AI.
Microsoft is constructing a data center at Imperial Park near Newport, Wales. Photo: Dimitris Regakis/Athena Pictures
While standing on the concrete floor where thousands of buzzing servers will soon be installed, Dimitri Batrouni, the Labour leader of Newport City Council, remarked that the Imperial Park data center represents an opportunity to delve into the economy of the future.
“In a city like mine, what should we do? Should we dwell on the past in hopes of reviving the steel industry and bringing back 10,000 jobs? That’s not feasible. Or should we embrace the future?” he stated.
Yet, despite the current optimistic outlook regarding AI, uncertainties linger concerning the sustainability of spending in the tech sector.
The top four players in the AI industry (Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft) are ramping up their AI spending. Over the upcoming two years, they are expected to invest more than $750 billion in AI-related capital expenditures, covering not just data centers and staff, but also the chips and servers they contain.
This expenditure is highlighted by the American investment firm Manning & Napier, which describes it as “nothing too remarkable.” The Newport facility alone could demand hundreds of millions of dollars. Recently, Equinix, based in California, announced intentions to invest £4 billion in a central hub in Hertfordshire.
Joe Tsai, chairman of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, cautioned in March that the data center market was beginning to exhibit signs of oversupply. “We’re starting to observe the early stages of a potential bubble,” he commented, referencing projects that finance constructions without securing commitments from prospective clients.
There are already 11,000 data centers globally, representing a 500% increase over the past two decades, and more are on the horizon. The means of funding this expansion raises concerns.
Analysts from Morgan Stanley predict that worldwide spending on data centers will approach $3 trillion by 2028, with $1.4 trillion of that anticipated from cash flow generated by large US tech firms known as “hyperscalers.”
Consequently, $1.5 trillion will need to be sourced from alternative means, such as private credit, which has been increasingly scrutinized by institutions like the Bank of England. Morgan Stanley estimates that private credit could cover more than half of the funding shortfall. Meta Inc. utilized private credit markets to raise $29 billion for an expansion of a data center in Louisiana.
Gil Luria, the head of technology research at DA Davidson, described investments in hyperscalers as a “healthy” aspect of the current boom, while labeling the remainder as “speculative assets devoid of customers.”
He noted that the debt being utilized could lead to repercussions extending beyond the tech sector if the situation deteriorates.
“Providers of this debt are so eager to invest in AI that they may not have adequately assessed the risks associated with a new and unproven category reliant on assets that depreciate quickly,” he indicated.
“We are in the initial phase of this influx of debt capital, but if it escalates to hundreds of billions of dollars, it could ultimately present structural risks to the global economy.”
The $500 billion Stargate project in Abilene, Texas, involves a collaboration between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. Photo: Daniel Cole/Reuters
Supporting this expenditure are heightened revenue forecasts from Morgan Stanley, which estimates that income generated from AI innovations such as chatbots, AI agents, and image generators could grow to $1 trillion by 2028 from $45 billion last year. To substantiate these revenue projections, tech firms are counting on enterprises, the public sector, and individual users to generate sufficient demand for AI and fund it.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a landmark product of the AI wave, currently boasts 800 million weekly active users. This statistic is a boon for optimists. However, concerns have arisen regarding user acquisition. For instance, investor confidence in the AI surge took a hit in August when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study indicating that 95% of organizations reported zero return on investment from generative AI projects.
According to the Uptime Institute, which inspects and evaluates data centers, many projects go unconstructed, suggesting that some are part of a hype cycle and fail to materialize.
“It is crucial to understand that much of this is speculative,” stated Andy Lawrence, the Uptime Institute’s executive director of research. “Frequently, many data centers announced with great excitement are either never built or are only partially constructed and developed progressively over a ten-year span.”
He further added that numerous data centers unveiled as part of this multitrillion-dollar initiative “will be specifically designed for or primarily intended to support AI workloads.”
Microsoft has pointed out that its Newport data center will not solely serve AI. Data centers form the core for AI systems like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot but also cater to everyday IT tasks many take for granted (like managing email traffic, storing company files, and supporting Zoom calls) as providers of “cloud” services, where companies lease servers rather than purchasing them outright.
“The infrastructure has multiple applications, making it highly versatile,” explained Alistair Speirs, general manager of Microsoft’s cloud operations.
However, various large-scale projects are completely committing to AI. The US Stargate initiative is a $500 billion partnership among OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, with plans to establish a network of AI data centers throughout the U.S. A British counterpart will also be set up in North Tyneside, in the northeast of England. Microsoft is constructing the most powerful AI data center in Fairview, Wisconsin, and is backing a dedicated AI site in Laughton, Essex, while Elon Musk’s xAI is developing a colossal project in Memphis, Tennessee.
Construction of an estimated 10GW of new data center capacity worldwide—equivalent to around a third of the UK’s electricity demand—is expected to commence this year, as reported by the property group JLL. However, this represents total maximum capacity, as data centers generally operate around 60% of their capacity.
JLL projects another 7GW will be completed this year.
The growth rate is swift, with current global data center capacity standing at 59GW, and Goldman Sachs forecasting capacity will double by the end of 2030. This expansion will elevate the costs related to the infrastructure, necessitating $720 billion in grid investments to satisfy that energy demand, according to Goldman.
Mike O’Connell, a construction safety specialist from Newport, has returned as a consultant at the Newport facility. With a career spanning oil rigs, offshore wind farms, and data centers globally, he returned to his hometown, now a tech hub filled with data centers and semiconductor firms.
“My aim is to remain within my local community,” he stated. Mr. O’Connell’s teenage grandson is embarking on his career at the Newport site as an electrical apprentice. There is optimism that such a data center will offer generational employment opportunities for the area.
Investors and tech giants are committing trillions of dollars in investments with hopes for long-term returns.
South Korea’s intelligence agency has elevated the national cyber threat level due to fears that hackers may exploit the chaos caused by recent fires in government data centers, which have disrupted crucial digital infrastructure nationwide.
The National Cybersecurity Centre, managed by the Intelligence Reporting Agency, has raised its alert from “Warning” to “Warning” as of Monday, highlighting fears that hackers could take advantage of the vulnerabilities during recovery efforts.
The incident occurred on Friday evening at the National Information Resources Service in Great Jeon, approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Seoul. This facility is one of three operational government data centers that handle critical digital infrastructure across the nation.
Workers had relocated a Lithium-ion battery from the server room on the fifth floor to the basement when the fire started. It spread to other nearby batteries and servers, resulting in one worker sustaining first-degree burns, while firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze after 22 hours.
By Saturday morning, officials had shut down 647 government systems to prevent further damage. Government email and intranet systems were offline, along with mobile identification services, postal banks, complaint portals, and major government websites.
Schools lost access to student records, and tax deadlines passed without being processed. Real estate transactions faced delays due to the inability to verify digital documents. The national crematorium reservation system was impacted, and many hospitals and transport terminals initially left citizens without physical identification cards.
As of 1 PM on Tuesday, 89 out of the 647 affected systems had been restored, including significant government portals, postal services, and identity verification systems.
Officials estimate that 96 of the affected systems have suffered complete failure, necessitating a recovery period of about four weeks as they are moved to a large backup facility. This disruption is expected to persist through Chuseok, the major public holiday in early October.
President Lee Jae Myung issued an apology on Sunday. During a crisis meeting, he expressed dismay at the lack of a backup operating system, stating, “It was a foreseeable incident, but there were no countermeasures. It’s not that the measures didn’t work; they simply didn’t exist.”
When questioned about the backup procedures, an official remarked that they were “driving without a map.”
The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, set to be hosted in the southeastern city of Kyoto at the end of October, has raised security concerns as officials from the US, China, and other regions plan to attend.
In October 2022, a fire involving a lithium-ion battery at Kakao, the company behind the popular messaging app KakaoTalk, resulted in millions losing access to messaging, taxis, and digital payments, leading to national chaos.
Following the Kakao incident, parliament passed legislation mandating redundant systems and intervals between batteries and other equipment for internet service providers and data center operators.
The left-leaning Hankyoreh newspaper questioned what last week’s failures indicated about “a nation that prides itself on being an information technology powerhouse.”
In a similar vein, the conservative Dong-a Ilbo remarked that referring to South Korea as a digital leader has become “embarrassing.”
Lawmakers from both the ruling party and the opposition have traded blame regarding the responsibility for the crisis. President’s Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-Sik directed authorities on Monday to focus on resolving the issue rather than criticizing the previous administration.
Galaxies are groups of stars held together by gravitational forces. Most galaxies originated in the first 200 million years after the Big Bang and have transformed over approximately 14 billion years. Early galaxies formed as aggregates of stars that clustered around the center of mass. In the youth of the universe, galaxies were in close proximity, exerting gravitational pull on one another. As the universe expands, the distances between galaxies have grown, reducing their interactions. They have remained far apart, allowing for internal development over billions of years.
Astronomers categorize galaxies based on their current shapes. Those resembling the Milky Way are termed spiral, while circular or oval-shaped ones are called elliptical. Galaxies that fall between spiral and elliptical forms are referred to as lenticular, and any that do not fit into these categories are labeled irregular. Over 75% of galaxies identified by astronomers are spiral in nature. If a spiral galaxy features prominent bars of stars and dust through its center, researchers classify it further as a barred spiral galaxy.
About 60% of spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way, exhibit galactic bars, designating them as barred spiral galaxies. These bars also serve as nurseries for star formation and are catalysts for the galaxy’s evolution. However, astronomers understand that galaxies do not inherently begin with these bars, prompting further investigation into the formation processes and timelines of these features.
This diagram illustrates the galactic classification system developed by 20th-century astronomer Edwin Hubble. The galaxy marked with the “E” label represents elliptical galaxies, while S0 indicates lenticular galaxies. The other “S” labels refer to spiral galaxies, with those labeled “SB” denoting a spiral structure. “Hubble tuning fork diagram” by cosmogoblin is licensed under CC0 1.0.
An international team of scientists researched the formation of bars in 20 galaxies near the Milky Way using advanced analytical techniques developed over the last four years. They gathered data from the TIMER space investigation, focused on the light emission patterns known as spectra from stars near the centers of these galaxies. The TIMER survey utilized the Very Large Telescope in Chile, equipped with a multi-unit spectroscopic explorer called MUSE.
The team initially struggled to obtain spectra for individual stars within these galaxies. As a reference, the closest galaxy studied was 7 megaparsecs away, approximately 23 million light years, or 130 million miles. Individual stars are too diminutive to distinguish at such distances, even with the most precise instruments.
To overcome this challenge, the team analyzed the spectra of stars within two concentric rings representing different regions at the centers of these galaxies. The inner ring comprised stars strictly within the bars of the galaxy, corresponding to an area known as the nuclear disk, while the outer ring included both inner and outer stars of the bar, referred to as the main disk.
They subtracted the spectrum of the stars in the inner ring from that of the outer ring, yielding two distinct light patterns: one for stars within the bar and another for stars outside of it. By treating the combined patterns of each ring as representative of typical stars in those regions, they could estimate the age of individual stars and ascertain when they formed. Past astrophysical models suggest that galaxy bars enhance the star formation rate around their centers. Hence, the team inferred the formation timing of galaxy bars as stars began to form more rapidly within those structures.
With this innovative approach, they estimated the age range for the 20 galaxies studied, with an error margin of approximately 1.5 billion years. Among their sample, the galaxy that formed bars most recently was 800 million years old. Out of the 20 galaxies, 14 formed bars approximately 7.5 billion years ago or later, while the remaining six galaxies established bars around 9.5 billion years ago, with the oldest estimates dating back 13.5 billion years. In contrast to earlier predictions, they found that larger galaxies do not necessarily possess older bars.
From the diverse ages of the bars observed, the team concluded that the formation of galaxy bars is an ongoing process in the cosmos. Their methodology provides astrophysicists with a means of gaining deeper insights into the dynamics of the early universe and the interactions between ancient galaxies, which connect to their present forms. By doing so, future research teams can establish a refined timeline for the universe and identify changes in how dominant forces have shaped galaxies, from their interactions to their internal structuring.
If your cat is acting aloof, your dog is whining, or your rabbit is doing that quirky foot thing again, you might feel a familiar pang of guilt that most pet owners experience.
For those eager to gain insight into the minds of their devoted companions, help may soon be available thanks to the launch of the first scientific institution focused on the empirical study of animal consciousness.
The Jeremy Coller Centre at Animal Sentience, located at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will commence its research on September 30th, examining non-human animals, including evolutionarily distinct creatures like insects, crabs, and squid.
Leveraging a diverse range of global expertise, the £4 million center’s initiatives encompass neuroscience, philosophy, veterinary science, law, evolutionary biology, comparative psychology, behavioral science, computer science, economics, and artificial intelligence.
One of its most intriguing projects is to investigate the potential for humans to “communicate” with pets. – However, there are necessary precautions to consider.
“We attribute human traits to pets, and with the rise of AI, the way your pet interacts with you may evolve significantly,” stated Professor Jonathan Burch, the center’s inaugural director.
“Nevertheless, AI frequently produces pleasing but inaccurate responses rather than adhering to objective truths. This poses serious risks to pet welfare,” added Burch, whose advocacy for animal welfare has expanded to include cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans.
Burch highlighted issues like separation anxiety, where dog owners seek reassurance that prolonged absence won’t harm their pets. Future “translation” applications rooted in large-scale language models may promise that reassurance but could mislead by delivering comforting illusions instead of addressing true animal needs.
“We urgently require a framework to ensure the responsible and ethical application of AI concerning animals,” emphasized Burch. “Currently, there’s a complete lack of regulation in this domain. The Centre aims to establish globally recognized ethical standards.”
This research aims to “bridge the gap between what people believe about animals and their actual behavior towards them.” Photo: Zpagistock/Getty Images
Birch also underscored the absence of regulations concerning animals and unmanned vehicles. “We engage in many debates without addressing individuals, but we’re neglecting issues affecting pets.”
AI and agriculture represent another pressing concern for the center. “The agricultural sector is rapidly adopting automation, and this trend will only accelerate,” Burch noted. “Yet, it’s progressing with minimal oversight and dialogue. This poses significant ethical dilemmas about the nature of animal relationships in farming. If such relationships are essential, the current trajectory is not ideal.”
The centre will collaborate with non-governmental organizations to formulate guidance, conduct research, and establish codes of practice to advocate globally.
Jeff Sebo, director of the Environmental Animal Protection Center at New York University, stated that the issues surrounding animal perception and welfare, the influence of AI on animals, and public attitudes toward them are “among the most crucial, challenging, and overlooked matters we face as a society.”
“Humans coexist with millions of species and approximately 100 million individual animals, affecting them worldwide, willingly or not,” he remarked.
Professor Christine Andrews, a trustee of the new center, expressed her ambition to address what she perceives as a significant scientific dilemma. – Particularly, how to restore awareness in the event of a stroke or similar medical emergencies?
“We still struggle to understand why some humans remain aware while others become unresponsive,” she said. “Yet, we recognize that investigating simpler systems may yield answers. Science has advanced significantly in genomics and medicine through the study of basic organisms.”
“A deeper understanding of how other animals feel and communicate will help us recognize our own shortcomings in treating them,” Burch asserts. Photo: Robert Leader/Getty Images
Another trustee, Dr. Christophe Dont, expressed intrigue regarding human perceptions of animal sensations.
“One of today’s most pressing behavioral challenges is closing the gap between what people believe about animals and their actual actions,” he remarked.
“People generally care deeply about animals, yet numerous systems, habits, norms, and economic factors hinder genuine change in treatment practices.”
“I aim to utilize behavioral science to explore resistance to consuming cultivated meat, as an example.”
Jeremy Koller, whose foundation has pledged a multi-year commitment to the Center, aims to revolutionize our “speciesism” mentality.
“Only through a better understanding of other animals’ feelings and communication can we confront our shortcomings in their treatment,” he explained. “Much like the Rosetta Stone revealed the mysteries of hieroglyphics, I believe AI will unlock our comprehension of how other animals experience interactions with humans.”
Artificial intelligence systems may represent nearly 50% of a data center’s power consumption by the end of this year, according to a recent analysis.
These estimates, provided by Digiconomist Tech Sustainability founder Alex de Vries-Gao, echo a prediction from the International Energy Agency regarding AI’s energy needs by the decade’s end, similar to current usage in Japan.
De Vries-Gao’s calculations, as detailed in the Sustainable Energy Journal Joule, are based on the energy consumed by chips developed by companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices that are used for training and operating AI models. The study also factors in energy usage of chips from other providers, such as Broadcom.
The IEA reported that all data centers (excluding those for cryptocurrency mining) consumed 415 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity last year. De Vries-Gao asserts that AI currently contributes to 20% of that total.
He highlights various factors influencing his calculations, including energy efficiency in data centers and the power requirements of cooling systems that manage AI workloads. Data centers serve as the central nervous system for AI technology, making their energy consumption a significant sustainability issue for AI development and usage.
De Vries-Gao projects that by the end of 2025, AI systems could consume up to 49% of total data center energy, potentially reaching 23 gigawatts (GW) — double the total energy usage of the Netherlands.
However, De Vries-Gao mentioned that several factors might dampen hardware demand, including reduced interest in applications like ChatGPT. Geopolitical tensions creating restrictions on AI hardware production, such as export limitations, are another hurdle. De Vries-Gao notes the challenges faced by Chinese access to chips, which led to the introduction of the Deepseek R1 AI model that purportedly required fewer chips.
“These innovations could help decrease both AI processing and energy costs,” said De Vries.
That said, he mentioned that enhanced efficiency could further encourage AI adoption. Additionally, a trend referred to as “sovereign AI,” where countries aim to create their own AI systems, might spur hardware demand. De Vries-Gao cited US Data Centre startup Crusoe Energy, which secured 4.5GW of gas-powered energy capacity, making it a leading contender for potential clients like OpenAI through its Stargate venture.
“These early indicators suggest that [Stargate] data centers may increase our reliance on fossil fuels,” noted De Vries-Gao.
On Thursday, OpenAI unveiled its Stargate project in the United Arab Emirates, marking its expansion outside the United States.
Last year, Microsoft and Google acknowledged that AI poses risks to meet their internal environmental objectives.
De Vries-Gao commented that information about AI’s power requirements is increasingly scarce, describing the industry as “opaque.” While the EU AI Act mandates that AI firms disclose energy consumption related to model training, it does not cover daily usage metrics.
Professor Adam Sobey, mission director for sustainability at the UK’s Alan Turing Institute, stressed the importance of enhanced transparency regarding the energy usage of AI systems and the potential savings from advancing carbon reduction sectors like transport and energy.
Sobey remarked, “We don’t necessarily need an extensive number of compelling use cases for AI to offset the energy costs incurred upfront.”
dDid you know that soundtrack concerts are the most popular orchestra tours? A third of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s first-time audiences have come to the concert hall through their favorite series, films, and video games. It is a huge cultural growth field and may not be recognized by the public.
“Now it’s impossible to ignore video game music,” says Tommy Pearson, founder and artistic director of London’s first soundtrack festival. “The creativity and artistry of the game are incredible and it’s fascinating to see many composers blossom in the genre.”
As one of the lead architects behind the festival, Pearson was keen to create space for video games as part of the celebration, not just as an “add-on” to television and film soundtracks, but also as an equality in art forms. “When we first thought about what we would do at a festival, including that music in the game isn’t easy, it must be there absolutely, along with film and television music. It has an audience of very dedicated fans, and the music is as good as what is written in any genre.”
Tommy Pearson, artistic director of the London Soundtrack Festival. Photo: London Soundtrack Festival
The festival from March 19th to 26th will consist of live performances, panel discussions, screenings, Q&AS and masterclasses. One of the important events The cutting edgea composer who won a Grammy and Iver Novello Award for his work in Video Game Music by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Masterclasses of Stephen Burton and Gordie Herbs, and a work in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Why is 2025 the best time for the first soundtrack festival in London? “We watch millions of streams of game soundtracks every day,” Burton says. “Instagram and Tiktok have a huge amount of social media content, not to mention the world of Twitch where streamer playlists are a big part of their identity. The record industry is keeping up with this.”
“You can see streaming numbers climbing in real time, but you can feel it anywhere, beyond the data,” adds Haab. “Game music is not limited to consoles anymore. It is woven into everyday life. For example, my nie and ne have purely rotated gaming soundtracks for pure fun. At game events, I know notes on these themes. I stand on my own as film music, as legitimate art forms.
“Fans know these themes. Photo: Kojima Production
Composers Rudig Forsell (Stronging of Death), Harry Gregson Williams (Metal Gear Solid), Stephanie Economy (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok), and Borislavslavov (Gate 3 of Bardur) are all part of a panel discussing game music before participating in the evening performance.
“It’ll be hard to find someone who can’t sing a song from Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, Hello, or The Legend of Zelda,” says Econow. “Video game music is common because video games are common. The industry itself is more profitable than the combined film, television, and music industries, so when people think that popularity is suddenly rising, all I can think of is getting more recognition and celebrations in the sphere that has finally been released.
“The London Soundtrack Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate the differences and diversity of media music,” adds Forssell. “Video games may still be Brock’s new kids, but in a way they will definitely stay here. And as composers, we hope that we will always have a unique approach to music in general, including movies, TV, video games, pop, rock, music.”
Pearson and the team of composers he framed are watching the event as a celebration of the state of video game music. “These are all amazing, highly respected composers who have produced amazing, exciting scores that have been extremely successful in the games and concert halls,” says Pearson.
Can non-game audiences accept video game music as much as television or movies?
“It’s always going to be a bit silly when it comes to media music,” Pearson says. “But it isn’t as close as it used to be.
tWith a wide range of boating hours from Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas province, Deodato Alves Da Silva is hoping for enough power to keep his Tucumã and Cupuaçu Fruits fresh. These highly nutritious Amazon superfoods are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and serve as the main source of income for farmers in the Silva region. However, there is a lack of electricity to refrigerate the fruit, making it difficult to sell produce.
Silva's fruit cultivation work is located in the village of Boa Frente in Novo Alipuana, one of the most energy-poor regions in Brazil, with only one diesel-powered generator working several hours a day.
Seventeen families in the community pay for diesel, but due to the high prices, everyone agrees to use the generator between 6pm and 10pm. This is also the only time they can communicate with the outside world. There is no mobile phone connection in this area, only satellite internet.
“The power is supplied for four hours per night. The motor is off and the switch is turned back the next night,” says Silva, 72, a rural health worker and fruit grower who has lived in the area since birth.
“If we have the power to preserve Cupuaçupulp, we will have much higher incomes. Our community is a massive producer of Tucumã, but lack of power prevents conservation.”
CCenter staff at some of the world's biggest tech companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Netflix, have all accused the employer of retaliating against union organizers, constantly monitoring staff and denying them even bathroom breaks.
In the United States or Europe, if you're looking for technical or customer support from a major technology company, you might end up talking to an employee at Tele Performance's call center in Greece.
Teleperformance, the world's largest call center operator, Approximately 12,000 workers Based in Greece, we serve over 140 markets around the world in 43 different languages and dialects. The company is 7 multilingual hubs In Greece, it takes place in Athens, Chania and Thessaloniki.
Workers in Greece who have been seeking a collective agreement with Teleperformance say that the company has recently retaliated Targeted firings of union leaders, etc.
they say wages have increased unchanged Since 2010, Greece has been hit by creditor austerity measures despite high inflation and rising costs of living in recent years.
Mr. Nikos Spilleris, a call center worker at Teleperformance, Setep, The union representing teleperformance workers in Greece explained that its efforts began in early 2024 in response to years of no wage increases and increased production pressures placed on workers.
Setep Teleperformance call center employees go on strike in Greece. Photo: SETEP/Courtesy of SETEP
“They judge you on dozens of productivity metrics, and depending on the project, you have to be on the phone multiple times. Not being allowed to go to the bathroom even if you want to. is common,” Spilleris said. “If an employee is sick or absent for any reason, that is considered counterproductive and is grounds for renewing or not renewing the employee’s contract.”
In a life-size model of a house, a 50,000-pound mannequin capable of breathing, blinking, and coughing awaits a replica ambulance.
The remarkably lifelike technology developed by the model-makers who created the ‘bodies’ for the BBC’s Silent Witness integrates real-world training with simulated environments, including virtual reality, to enhance medical training and address the shortage of student lab time.
Kevin Reilly, technical services manager at the National Healthcare Innovation Center (NHIC), explains the capabilities of human patient simulation: “If you inject them, they’ll react. If they collapse your lungs and intubate you, your lips will become cyanotic. Even in worsening scenarios, we can resuscitate them exactly as we would a real patient.”
Yorkshire and the Humber region has the highest level of overweight individuals, the second highest infant mortality rate, and the third lowest life expectancy in the UK. NHIC, located at the University of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, aims to alleviate NHS staffing shortages, address inequality, and promote regeneration.
NHIC, spanning seven buildings upon completion, plans to serve a population of 7 million people from South Yorkshire to Greater Manchester, offering state-of-the-art facilities and innovative healthcare solutions.
The NHIC celebrates the history of the NHS while looking towards the future, honoring individuals like Daphne Steele, the first black hostel director in Britain, through the newly opened simulation facility.
The center’s innovative approach to medical training includes a ‘community house’ within the Daphne Steele building, allowing trainees to practice in realistic scenarios with a range of mannequins.
NHIC also addresses the need for healthcare workers, including nurses, paramedics, and podiatrists, in the face of NHS staffing challenges.
Local connections and a focus on skill development relevant to the region distinguish Huddersfield as a prime location for medical training, with the NHIC viewed as a groundbreaking project in the North of England.
Robert Steele, son of NHS worker Daphne Steele, praises NHIC’s tribute to his mother’s legacy, recalling her impactful career in healthcare that garnered global recognition.
Amazon.com has recently signed three agreements to collaborate on the development of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power technology. This cutting-edge technology aims to address the increasing demand for power, particularly from data centers. Amazon has solidified its position as a major player in the high-tech industry.
One of the agreements involves Amazon funding a feasibility study for an SMR project near its Northwest Energy site in Washington state. X-Energy will be responsible for developing the SMR, with financial specifics remaining undisclosed.
As per the agreement, Amazon will have the option to procure power from four modules. Energy Northwest, a group of state utilities, may also include up to 80 MW modules, resulting in a total capacity of up to 960 MW. This power will be able to supply over 770,000 US homes, with excess energy being allocated to Amazon and utility companies for residential and commercial usage.
Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services, expressed, “Our agreement will expedite the advancement of new nuclear technologies that will provide energy for years to come.”
SMR leverages factory assembly of components to reduce construction expenses, a departure from the conventional on-site assembly of large nuclear reactors. While some critics argue that achieving economies of scale with SMR technology may be costly, it remains a promising development.
Nuclear power, known for its near-zero greenhouse gas emissions and creation of high-wage union jobs, garners bipartisan support in the US. Despite this, the country is yet to have a working SMR. NuScale was the lone US entity to secure an SMR design license from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently.
Furthermore, SMRs produce lasting radioactive waste, and the US lacks a definitive disposal site for such byproducts. Scott Burnell, a representative from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, stated that regulators still await detailed information about planned SMR implementations.
Westfield Shopping Center is not an ideal place for studying, but for Deborah Botende, it was one of her few options.
Botende grew up in a foster care home in Brisbane and did not have internet access at her residence. During high school, she would return home after her retail job and use the shopping center’s Wi-Fi on a second-hand laptop to complete her school assignments.
On her days off, Botende would go to the library, but her time there was limited as the library closed early.
“It was extremely challenging. I often found myself falling behind on assignments and struggling to understand them,” she recalls. “The lack of internet was a significant barrier to my education. I had to take proactive measures.
“I would use the internet after work, sometimes coming home late to work on assignments. I felt like I had no other choice. This was my reality.”
As end-of-year exams commence nationwide, the Smith family is urging the federal government to establish a national device bank to bridge the digital divide among young individuals.
According to the latest data from the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII), nearly a quarter of Australians are digitally excluded, lacking access to vital technologies such as fast internet and digital devices.
Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family, mentions that around 10 million laptops, tablets, and PCs have been discarded by businesses and governments in the last five years. If these were recycled, 10 million students could benefit.
“Digital poverty is a new aspect of poverty that people are facing,” Taylor notes. “It’s a barrier that goes beyond just access.”
Device banks have been successful in other countries. Since 1993, the Canadian government has refurbished and distributed approximately 2 million digital devices through the Computers in Schools program, aiming to reduce electronic waste and enhance young people’s digital skills.
Similarly, The Smith Family has repurposed around 6,500 laptops as part of their digital inclusion efforts, noting that over 80% of students have shown improved academic performance after receiving these devices.
Mr. Taylor emphasizes that with the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and new technologies, digital skills are now as crucial as basic literacy and numeracy skills in children’s education.
“We anticipate that more jobs will require higher education, and it’s difficult to envision pursuing higher education or entering the workforce without a laptop,” Taylor states.
“Furthermore, schools now view AI as an indispensable tool. Without access to it, students may face further disadvantages in their education.”
The primary reason for digital exclusion is affordability. Research from ADII shows that 65% of people in public housing experience digital affordability stress, needing to allocate more than 5% of their household income for a reliable internet connection, with 70% of them being unemployed.
Without a national digital inclusion framework, families in need must navigate fragmented state and territory grants, loans, and policies that lack coherence, according to Taylor.
There has been progress in recent years. The Queensland Government, for instance, has introduced funding for public schools to partially cover devices for economically disadvantaged students. Grant schemes are also available for upgrading broadband internet for distance learning students.
In Victoria, schools have implemented BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs, encouraging parents to provide devices for their children. In New South Wales, principals can approve the loan of digital devices for home use, though it is not mandatory.
“This is a solvable problem,” Taylor affirms. “We need to consider universal access. Just last week, I spoke to a student who was one of the few not taking notes on a laptop in a lecture. It struck me.”
“When students feel disconnected from the school environment, it impacts their educational experience. Grades suffer, and attendance declines.”
For Botende, who recently completed her advanced degree with the assistance of a donated laptop, individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds already face numerous disadvantages.
“Digital inclusion may seem basic, but it levels the playing field,” she concludes.
Dead Planets Society is a podcast that takes some crazy ideas for how to tinker with the universe and tests their effects against the laws of physics, from snapping the moon in half to causing doomsday events with gravitational waves. apple, Spotify Or check out our podcast page.
By the end of the 16th century, pretty much everyone knew that the Earth revolved around the Sun, not the other way around. This was a huge blow to those who thought the Earth was the center of the universe, but the Dead Planets Society is here to ease their disappointment. Yes, we're trying to revive geocentrism.
Putting Earth at the center of the solar system requires more than just fudging the math: The Sun is much more massive than our puny planet, so forcing it to orbit the Sun would be nearly impossible, so hosts Chelsea White and Leah Crane would have to make some major changes to the solar system as we know it.
In this episode, Andy Rivkin Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland say the only way to make Earth an Earth-centered solar system would be to make it the most massive thing around – which would have some strange effects, assuming it doesn't collapse the planet into a black hole.
First, the Moon would have to speed up to maintain its orbit, orbiting the Earth in an hour or so before it would break apart. If the remaining planets didn't speed up too, they would all crash into the new giant Earth within a decade or two. The Earth's extra mass could also disrupt other nearby stars, causing them to start attracting it to Earth. A victorious Earth-centered solar system might not last long, but it would certainly come to a dramatic end.
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered an “exhaust vent” that directs hot gas away from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The vent is about 26,000 light-years from Earth and is connected to a previously discovered chimney-like structure perpendicular to the galactic plane. Chandra's data shows a cylindrical tunnel that helps collect gas towards the outer edge of the Milky Way. The results reveal how the Milky Way's black hole takes in and rejects matter.
This image shows a region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in X-rays and radio waves. At the bottom of the image, near the center, there are knots of shiny, tangled material that resemble paint splatters. This is the brightest region in the image and contains the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy known as Sagittarius A*. The bottom third of the image looks like an angry firestorm. Red and orange stripes were scattered in all directions, as if the embers of a fire had crackled and shot into the air all at once. A flame-like structure is licking from the right side towards the center. Most of the image is injected with a wispy blue cloud indicating his X-rays detected by Chandra. In some places, wispy blue clouds appear to form balls of blue-green light, known as dust rings. They are caused by X-rays from a bright X-ray source reflecting off the dust around them. These dust rings resemble underwater lights glowing in a cloudy pool at night. Rising from Sagittarius A* in the center of the image is a pillar of blue light called a chimney. This chimney of hot gas is surrounded by a red cloud filled with stars, appearing as a small red speck. Near the top of the blue pillar is a light blue stripe surrounded by an illustrated gray box. This line is called the chimney exhaust. Immediately to the left is another illustrated box showing a close-up image of the chimney vent that Chandra observed.Image credits: NASA / CXC / Chicago Space / Mackey other. / NRF / SARAO / MeerKAT / SAO / N. Walk.
The chimney begins at the center of the Milky Way and stands perpendicular to the galaxy's spiral disk.
Astronomers previously identified the chimney using X-ray data from NASA's Chandra mission and ESA's XMM Newton mission.
The radio emissions detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope show the influence of the magnetic field surrounding the gas in the chimney.
The latest Chandra data reveals several X-ray ridges nearly perpendicular to the galactic plane.
Astronomers believe these are cylinder-shaped tunnel walls that help collect hot gas as it moves upwards along the chimney and away from the center of the galaxy. .
The newly discovered vent is located near the top of a chimney about 700 light-years from the center of the galaxy.
“We suspected that the magnetic field was acting as a chimney wall, allowing hot gases to rise through it like smoke,” said Dr. Scott McKee, an astronomer at the University of Chicago.
“I just discovered an exhaust near the top of the chimney.”
Astronomers believe the vent formed when hot gas rising through the chimney collided with cooler gas in its path.
The brightness of the exhaust wall in X-rays is caused by the shock wave created by this collision, similar to the sonic boom from a supersonic airplane.
The left side of the exhaust port is thought to be particularly bright because the upwardly flowing gas hits the tunnel wall at a more direct angle and with more force than other areas.
The researchers believe that the hot gas originates from a series of events in which material falls into Sagittarius A*, then erupts from the black hole, sending gas upward along the chimney and out the exhaust vent. I think it is most likely that it did.
However, it is not known exactly how often black holes are fed.
Previous studies have shown that dramatic X-ray flares occur every few hundred years at or near the central black hole, so that these flares send hot gases upward through the exhaust vent. may play an important role in pushing up.
Astronomers also estimate that Sagittarius A* tears apart and swallows a star approximately every 20,000 years.
Such an event would lead to a powerful and explosive release of energy, much of which would rise through the chimney vent.
Dr Mark Morris, an astronomer at the institute, said: 'We don't know whether this energy and heat is caused by a large amount of material being thrown into Sagittarius A* at once. It's like being thrown into it.” University of California, Los Angeles.
“Alternatively, it could result from multiple small loads being fed into the black hole, similar to kindlings thrown in periodically.”
Particles and energy within the vents provide clues about the origins of two mysterious and much larger structures near the center of the Milky Way. Fermi bubbles observed in gamma-rays by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and eROSITA bubbles detected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. ESA's eROSITA X-ray telescope.
These are both pairs of structures that extend thousands of light-years away from the center of our galaxy.
These provide important information about past explosive activity near the center of the galaxy.
Both the Fermi and eROSITA bubbles are aligned along the direction of the chimney and a second X-ray chimney that starts at the center of the galaxy and points in the opposite direction.
The funnel effect of the exhaust near the top of the chimney keeps the hot gases concentrated as they move upwards, which can promote the formation of a bubble agglomerate structure.
“The origin of the Fermi and eROSITA bubbles is one of the greatest mysteries facing the study of high-energy radiation from the Milky Way,” said Dr. Gabriele Ponti, an astronomer at Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics.
“We discovered small structures that may play a major role in the creation of these giant bubbles.”
a paper Regarding the survey results, astrophysical journal.
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Scott C. McKee other. 2024. X-rays from the central “exhaust” of the chimney at the center of the galaxy. APJL 966, L32; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad3248
Using new 21 cm radio observations made with NSF's Green Bank Telescope, astronomers have discovered that more than 250 clouds of neutral gas are blasting out into interstellar space from the center of the Milky Way. These clouds are likely the product of the same phenomenon that created the Fermi bubble.
The artist's concept is that clouds flowing from the center of the Milky Way are caught up in extremely hot winds and accelerated to speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second. Image credit: NSF/GBO/P. Vosteen.
It has long been known that energetic processes at the center of the Milky Way generate high-velocity hot winds that spread through intergalactic space with temperatures of millions of degrees and speeds of thousands of kilometers per second. Most large galaxies have winds like this.
The serendipitous discovery that some of this hot gas is trapped in cold hydrogen clouds was made by Australia's ATCA telescope, which measured 21cm radio emissions from interstellar hydrogen atoms.
This suggests that there may be an undiscovered population of clouds transporting material away from the Milky Way's core.
Hydrogen clouds are important in their own right, but they also act as probes for hot air.
Conditions in very hot winds are difficult to measure, but just as a few leaves thrown up on Earth indicate the direction and speed of the wind in the area, cold clouds can You can track its status.
The sensitivity of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) makes it an ideal instrument for detecting faint signals from interstellar hydrogen, but mapping these clouds and understanding their true extent is essential. It wasn't easy.
Dr Felix James 'Jay' Rockman, senior astronomer at Green Bank Observatory, said: 'It took many years to systematically map hundreds of square degrees using GBT in search of weak hydrogen emissions. ” he said.
“Once we identify a few promising candidates, we can follow up with targeted observations with other telescopes to show us even more.”
“This cloud must have been ripped off from a region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy and flung outward by a burst of star formation or black hole activity.”
Some of these clouds have the fastest outflow velocities of any cloud ever observed in the Milky Way, and may even escape from the Milky Way.
In an unexpected development, new data from the APEX telescope reveals that some hydrogen clouds contain molecules and dense cold gas.
“No one would have expected that the clouds violently ejected from the Milky Way would harbor relatively fragile molecular material, but that's what happened,” Rockman said.
Astronomers using the MeerKAT array recently mapped hydrogen in several clouds with high angular resolution, showing that it evolves and gets shredded as it flows into interstellar space.
“These new results open the door to further discoveries,” Dr. Rockman said.
“How clouds that are accelerated to speeds of more than 400 kilometers per second remain stable is a mystery.”
“The chemical processes inside these clouds are very unusual and unexplored.”
Dr. Rockman and his colleague Dr. Enrico Di Teodoro of the University of Florence, findings in AAS243243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
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Felix Rockman and Enrico di Teodoro. 2024. New investigation of neutral clouds in the Milky Way's core wind. AAS243Abstract #2851
The Amazon forest is dense as it is and difficult to penetrate, either on foot or with scanning technology. But over the past few years, improved light detection and ranging scans have begun to penetrate the forest canopy, revealing previously unknown evidence of past Amazonian cultures. In a new paper, CNSR archaeologist Stephen Rostain and his colleagues describe evidence of such an Amazonian agricultural culture that began more than 2,000 years ago. The authors described more than 6,000 platforms distributed in a geometric pattern connected by roads and intertwined with agricultural landscapes and river drainage channels in the Upano Valley of Amazonian Ecuador, at the eastern foothills of the Andes. Such large-scale early development in the Upper Amazon resembles similar Maya urban systems in Central America.
Rostain other. They discovered a dense system of pre-Hispanic urban centers, characterized by constructed platforms and plazas, and connected by large straight roads.Image credit: Rostain other., doi: 10.1126/science.adi6317.
Although a growing number of studies focus on the extent and scale of pre-Hispanic occupation of the Amazon, evidence of large-scale urbanization remains elusive.
Rostain and his co-authors found evidence of an agricultural civilization that began more than 2,500 years ago in the Upano Valley of Amazonian Ecuador, a region at the eastern foothills of the Andes.
“Based on more than 20 years of interdisciplinary research, including fieldwork and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) mapping, we depict urbanism on a scale never before recorded in Amazonia,” they said. said.
“We describe the construction of more than 6,000 anthropogenic rectangular earth platforms and plazas connected by footpaths and roads and surrounded by extensive agricultural landscapes and river drainages within 300 km.2 This is the research area. ”
The authors identified at least 15 different settlements of varying size based on clusters of structures.
However, the most notable element of this built environment is the extensive and complex regional road network that connects the city center with the surrounding hinterland.
Archaeological excavations show that the construction and occupation of the platforms and roads took place between 500 BC and 300-600 AD, and was carried out by groups of the Kiramopu culture and later the Upano culture.
Such large-scale early development in the upper Amazon is comparable to similar Maya urban systems recently noted in Mexico and Guatemala.
“The Upano site is different from other monumental sites discovered in the Amazon; these are more recent and less extensive,” the researchers said.
“Discoveries like this are another vivid example of how the Amazon's dual heritage, not only environmental but also cultural and indigenous, is undervalued.”
“We believe it is important to radically revise preconceptions about the Amazonian world and, in doing so, reinterpret contexts and concepts in terms necessary for inclusive and participatory science.”
team's paper Published in the January 11th issue of the magazine science.
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Stefan Rostain other. 2024. Two thousand years of garden urbanization in the upper Amazon River basin. science 383 (6679): 183-189; doi: 10.1126/science.adi6317
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