Recent discoveries by archaeologists in Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, home to significant Middle to Late Paleolithic sites like Starosele, include a 5-centimeter-long bone fragment from a Neanderthal man, dating between 46,000 and 44,000 years ago. Genetic analysis shows this individual to be closely related to Altai Neanderthals through mitochondrial DNA, indicating that Neanderthal populations traveled great distances across Eurasia. Under favorable climatic conditions, these migrations likely involved the spread of the Micocchia stone tool industry, highlighting cultural continuity and regional adaptability during the Late Pleistocene.
A group of Neanderthals in a cave. Image credit: Tyler B. Tretsven.
Crimea is rich in well-preserved layered Paleolithic sites, many reflecting the biocultural and human occupation transition that occurred approximately 47,000 to 42,000 years ago.
According to earlier radiocarbon dating studies, the peninsula has been recognized as a refuge for late Neanderthals who survived just before their extinction.
Starosele, a rock shelter located in a steep valley, features four distinct cultural layers and has been researched since 1952.
“The archaeological layers of this site are rich in cultural artifacts,” stated Emily Piggott, a PhD student at the University of Vienna, along with her colleagues.
“Levels 1, 2, and 4 are linked to stone tools from the Crimean Mikokian stone tool industry, associated with Neanderthals.”
This study aimed to identify potential human remains from the thousands of fragmented bones excavated from the Starosele site.
From the 150 bone fragments analyzed, 97.3% contained sufficient collagen for taxonomic identification.
Approximately 93% of the remains belonged to horses and deer, with fewer found from mammoths and wolves, indicating that Paleolithic humans in Crimea heavily relied on horse hunting.
Notably, one bone fragment, measuring 49.8 mm in length and 18.8 mm in width, was classified as hominin.
Radiocarbon dating indicated an age range of 46,000 to 45,000 years, coinciding with the transitional period before the extinction of Neanderthals and the emergence of Homo sapiens in Western Europe.
“Particularly the remains of humans before Starosele are from a much later era of Homo sapiens,” Piggott remarked.
“Upon receiving the radiocarbon results, we realized we had uncovered a true Paleolithic hominin.”
“Neanderthals went extinct across Eurasia, replaced by Homo sapiens, yet genetic information about these earlier human populations is scarce.”
Researchers then sequenced the mitochondrial genome from this bone, confirming the individual was part of the Neanderthal lineage.
The mitogenome of this individual aligns with other Neanderthal mitogenomes previously documented in the Altai region of Siberia.
“Surprisingly, this individual shared the closest genetic ties with Neanderthals from Altai, over 3,000 kilometers to the east, as well as with Neanderthals that once roamed areas of Europe such as Croatia,” highlighted the researchers.
“This finding reaffirms previous studies suggesting that Neanderthals migrated extensively across Eurasia, traversing from central Europe to central Eurasia during the late Pleistocene.”
“This research highlights Crimea as a crucial junction in the Neanderthal migration routes.”
The findings of this study will be published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
_____
Emily M. Piggott et al. 2025. A new late Neanderthal from Crimea reveals long-distance connections across Eurasia. PNAS 122 (45): e2518974122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2518974122
HIDEO KOJIMA – The celebrated video game director who established his own studio before heading the stealth action Metal Gear series for decades and founded Death’s Random, a supernatural apocalyptic streaming game touted as “2019’s most intriguing blockbuster,” remains a captivating figure, often evoking awe. “George [Miller] is my mentor, my deity,” he joyfully proclaims.
Kojima is in Australia for a sold-out discussion with Miller, the mastermind behind the Mad Max film franchise, at the Sydney Film Festival. The duo forged an unexpected yet profound friendship nearly a decade ago. As a youth, Kojima shares that the first two Mad Max films inspired his direction in film, ultimately steering him toward video game development. During later panels, Miller reciprocates the sentiment, affectionately calling Kojima “almost like a brother.” The Australian even lends his likeness to a significant character in Kojima’s latest title, Death Stranding 2.
Much of the new game world is influenced by Miller, representing a whimsical interpretation of Australia. Death Stranding focuses on delivering narratives between isolated bunkers, set against expansive, perilous yet opulent landscapes that resonate with Australia’s rich biodiversity. Though the game’s geography is fictionalized, its allure and trepidation are palpable.
A devoted friendship… George Miller and Hideo Kojima at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2025. Photo: Tim Levy/Sydney Film Festival
In addition to the atmospheric outback scenery, DS2 also features some of the most intricately detailed (and likely costly) portrayals of Australian wildlife seen in gaming. It was a poignantly moving moment for Australians in this distinctly urban environment to witness the unique bounding of kangaroos on the sunlit horizon.
“I adore animals, and they’re unique here,” says Kojima. “Many on the team share a love for animals… They might decline to design new mechs but passionately advocate for creating more animal representations.”
The film enthusiast Kojima also drops nods to Australian cinema – he admires the 1971 classic *Walkabout* and acknowledges the DS2 subtitle’s inspiration from beach scenes. He had visited before but aimed to delve deeper “into the heart of the land, reaching the desert.”
Unfortunately, the pandemic necessitated that Kojima’s team rely on remote scouts for data collection. “It’s unfortunate I couldn’t be there in person,” he reflects. “Viewing photos doesn’t compare to the reality of experiencing a place.”
The transition to remote work during the pandemic posed considerable challenges for the game. “The most daunting aspect was performance capture,” he recalls. “Directing actors like Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux from Japan was incredibly daunting. Communicating direction through a Zoom call was nearly impossible.” With restrictions in place early in the development, the team prioritized scenes not involving main actors, which wasn’t always feasible.
“That was extremely challenging, particularly for new cast members,” he states.
A uniquely poignant view… Scene from Death Stranding 2: At the Beach. Photo: Kojima Productions/Sony
By 2022, the situation had improved, allowing him to fly to LA for direct interactions. “People involved in remarkable films had undergone performance captures against a green screen,” he explains. (In many game adaptations, real-life performances are translated into digital formats through motion capture, which can be challenging for actors on set.) “There’s actually a tool; looking at the monitor, you can witness [in-game] a world manifested in real-time.”
Kojima emphasizes the importance of keeping actors closely connected whenever possible, especially given the separations caused by Covid. Some issues unique to gaming arose too. For instance, repetitive in-game actions, like characters grunting in pain or eating apples, required specific recordings. “Sometimes we receive queries from Norman, where he says, ‘Eat an apple, it’s good,’ or ‘What’s the apple like?'” He notes, “We aim for those variations!”
Kojima at the Sydney Film Festival Photo: Jessica Fromomas/Guardian
The central theme of Death Stranding revolves around “connection.” Although players can’t see each other in-game, they can share resources and construct structures that benefit all, forming intricate service networks that complicate long deliveries. Thus, the sequel’s tagline poses a haunting question: “Should we have connected?”
“During the pandemic, I felt unwell and entirely isolated,” Kojima shares. To exacerbate matters, recent optical muscle damage from surgery hindered his ability to enjoy films or television. The world evolved around him, with everyone retreating, working online, and connecting through video calls while deliveries continued to dominate. His game, his vision, began to materialize.
“Indeed, we all appeared connected, but it wasn’t the connection I envisioned,” he reflects. His company, Kojima Productions, had been staffed. He would meet new hires on the first day but would not see them again for three years due to pandemic protocols.
Recently, he discussed legacy (evidenced by a USB drive containing game concepts left for his team), hinting at his readiness to leave a part of himself behind. Kojima believes in the necessity of direct collaboration to nurture new talent. “New hires are often drawn to work with us because they want to learn from their mentors or improve by teaming with others,” he states, emphasizing that growth stems from communication and exposure to diverse ideas.
He likens remote work to “fast food,” focused narrowly on singular tasks rather than holistic project development. “When people are silent, interactions are stifled,” he explains. Mistakes are later identified, but opportunities for serendipitous creativity and fresh perspectives may be lost.
Moreover, he notes that it limits his ability to connect with team members and understand their feelings or interest in personal hobbies. “Only 1% of my true self is displayed during online meetings,” he asserts. “This isn’t team-building akin to sports. When you recruit someone, they join your team, but if you can’t physically collaborate, they don’t evolve in their play style. They remain unchanged,” he adds.
Nevertheless, he acknowledges, “You cannot compel people back to the office; you can only encourage them.” “As a result, not all have returned. Yet, core members did, facilitating collaboration.”
“I aimed to visit Australia”… Scene from Death Stranding 2: At the Beach.
Despite this somewhat melancholic tone, the message remains fundamentally optimistic. Death Stranding is a profoundly solitary experience, which Kojima animatedly conveys during a subsequent group presentation. “Yet… you discover other players worldwide. You connect indirectly… and when you venture out, [the game] invites you outside… Much like the Sydney Bridge, you can observe the construct of life. Someone created it! They might have passed away years ago, but you remain linked to them. Even without meeting others, you are not alone in this world.”
There’s always room for new ambitions. Kojima harbors a longstanding dream of venturing into outer space. It’s not merely a fleeting billionaire space hop; it’s more profound. “It’s not just about space,” he asserts. “I want to train effectively, dock and learn how to reach the International Space Station and remain there for several months. I’m no scientist, but I believe I could create games in space. I desire to be the first. I have an astronaut aged over 60. There’s no gravity to aggravate their back issues!” He chuckles at the thought.
As our conversation concludes, he pauses thoughtfully before sharing one last ambition. “It’s ‘Tom Cruise’ syndrome,” Kojima elaborates. “Tom Cruise finds his purpose when he takes risks with his life.”
The human brain is so complex that the scientific brain has a hard time understanding it. Nerve tissue, the size of a grain of sand, could be packed with hundreds of thousands of cells connected by miles of wiring. In 1979, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Francis Crick concluded that the anatomy and activity of only a cubic millimeter of brain material would forever surpass our understanding.
“It’s useless to seek the impossible,” says Dr. Crick. I wrote it.
46 years later, a team of over 100 scientists achieved that impossible by recording cell activity and mapping the structure of cubic millimeters of the mouse brain. In achieving this feat, they accumulated 1.6 petabytes of data. This is equivalent to 22 years of non-stop high-resolution video.
“This is a milestone,” said Davi Bock, a neuroscientist at the University of Vermont. the studywas published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Dr. Bock said that it enabled advances that allowed it to cover the cubic bones of the cubic brain to map the entire brain wiring of a mouse.
“It’s completely doable and I think it’s worth doing,” he said.
Over 130 years It has passed since Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Kajal first spies on individual neurons under a microscope, creating a unique branching shape. Scientists from subsequent generations have resolved many of the details about how neurons send voltage spikes into long arms called axons. Each axon makes contact with small branches or dendrites of adjacent neurons. Some neurons excite their neighbors and fire their own voltage spikes. Some quiet other neurons.
Human thinking emerges in some way from this combination of excitation and inhibition. But how this happens remains a ridiculous mystery as scientists could only study a small number of neurons at a time.
Over the past few decades, technological advances have allowed scientists to begin mapping the whole brain. 1986, British researcher Published A small worm circuit made up of 302 neurons. The researchers then charted larger brains, including 140,000 neurons in the fly’s brain.
After all, is Dr. Crick’s impossible dream possible? The US government began in 2016 100 million dollar effort Scan cubic millimeters of mouse brain. The project was called Cortical Network (or Mechanical Intelligence from Microns) and was led by scientists from the Allen Institute of Brain Science, Princeton University, and Baylor School of Medicine.
Researchers have zeroed into part of the mouse’s brain, which receives signals from the eyes and reconstructs what the animal is seeing. In the first phase of the study, the team recorded the neuronal activity in that area as they showed mouse videos of different landscapes.
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Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Its archaeological record, including megalithic statues, has captured the imagination of many. Two major controversies have emerged from extensive study of the island. First, its history is presented as a cautionary tale of overexploitation of resources leading to a large-scale population decline – the “ecocide” theory. Second, the possibility of a voyage across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas before European contact is still debated. To answer these questions, a team of scientists from the Globe Institute and elsewhere sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 15 Rapa Nui people who lived between 1670 and 1950.
Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world.
It lies at the easternmost tip of the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of South America and over 1,900 km east of the nearest inhabited island.
Despite Rapa Nui's remote location, archaeological and genetic evidence indicates that Polynesians from the west had already arrived on the island around 1250 AD.
Over the next five centuries, Rapa Nui's inhabitants, the Rapanui, developed a culture characterized by iconic colossal stone statues (moai) and monumental stone platforms (ahu).
Due to Rapa Nui's isolation, Europeans did not reach the island until 1722 AD.
Over the years, European visitors have had a devastating impact on Rapa Nui, killing locals and introducing deadly pathogens the islanders had never encountered before.
Moreover, a third of the population was kidnapped by Peruvian slave raiders in the 1860s, and only a small proportion were repatriated following international condemnation of slavery.
A smallpox epidemic subsequently decimated Rapanui's population, down to an estimated 110 people.
“It is well known that Rapa Nui's environment was affected by human activities such as deforestation, but it was unknown whether and how these changes led to a dramatic population decline,” said Dr Anna Saffo Malaspinas, a researcher at the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.
The Tahitian warrior's shelter from Giulio Ferrario's Le Costume Ancien et Moderne, Milan, 1816-1827.
The authors studied the genomes of 15 ancient inhabitants who lived on the island over the past 500 years.
They found no evidence of a genetic bottleneck corresponding to the 17th century collapse.
The analysis suggests that the island was originally inhabited by a small number of people, but its population grew steadily until Peruvian slave raids in the 1860s forced a third of the island's population to relocate.
Furthermore, the analysis showed that, like modern-day Rapa Nui people, the ancient islanders also carried Native American DNA.
This mixing probably occurred sometime between 1250 and 1430 AD.
Taken together with archaeological evidence and oral history, the find suggests that Polynesians may have been crossing the Pacific long before Europeans arrived on Rapa Nui and long before Columbus reached the Americas.
“Our genetic analysis shows that there was a steady population growth from the 13th century until contact with Europeans in the 18th century,” said Dr Barbara Souza da Mota, a researcher at the University of Lausanne.
“This stability is extremely important because it directly contradicts the idea of a dramatic pre-contact population decline.”
“We investigated how Native American DNA is distributed in the genetic background of Rapa Nui Polynesians,” said Dr Victor Moreno Mayar, a researcher at the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen.
“This distribution is consistent with contact occurring between the 13th and 15th centuries.”
“Our study doesn't tell us where this contact occurred, but it may mean that the ancestors of the Rapanui reached the Americas before Christopher Columbus,” Dr Malaspinas said.
JV Moreno Mayal others2024. Ancient Rapanui genome reveals resilience and pre-European contact with the Americas. Nature 633, 389-397;doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07881-4
G7 leaders have raised concerns about China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war and the production of cheap goods causing “harmful overcapacity,” despite German apprehensions.
During the annual summit held in Puglia under the Italian presidency, a 36-page report by the U.S. condemned Chinese subsidies on products like solar panels and electric vehicles, attributing them to global distortions, market disruptions, and overcapacity that threaten worker resilience, industry security, and economic stability.
Specifically, U.S. officials pointed out China as a major supplier of materials used by Russia against Ukraine, expressing concern over the long-term security implications. Despite Ukrainian President Zelensky’s assurance that Chinese leaders vowed not to provide weapons to Moscow, U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted China’s arms supply to Russia.
The U.S., Japan, and the EU, along with an informal eighth partner at the G7 summit, have expressed worries over Beijing’s heavy subsidies in green energy and technology sectors flooding global markets with unfairly priced products, creating stiff competition for Western companies, especially in the green technology space.
The National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, mentioned plans to address China’s non-market policies having detrimental global effects. China’s top official, First Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, is set to visit Brussels to discuss EU plans for increased tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars.
In a bid for diversity at the summit, global leaders from countries like India, Turkey, UAE, Brazil, and Mauritania were invited to participate. The G7 emphasized the importance of cooperation to address collective challenges, as expressed by Italian Prime Minister and G7 President Giorgia Meloni.
Russia faced stiff consequences at the summit, including wider sanctions, loss of control over state assets, and a new 10-year US-Ukraine security pact. A proposed $50 billion loan to Ukraine funded by interest profits from Russian state assets marked the beginning of economic pressure on Russia.
The final statement from the summit demanded Russia to cease its illegal aggression in Ukraine, pay reparations for inflicted damage, and explore legal options to enforce compliance. Russia dismissed the security pact as a nominal agreement and criticized the appropriation of frozen asset proceeds.
While Zelensky addressed Indian Prime Minister Modi on revising India’s reliance on Russian oil, discussions focused on the rising oil prices set by Russia and India’s growing purchases of Russian offshore crude.
The U.S. and EU impose price restrictions on Russian crude sales to prevent Western involvement unless sold below a certain cap. India, currently the largest buyer of Russian offshore crude, has not joined this ban, prompting calls for stricter price caps and actions against transportation exceeding the imposed price limit.
US politicians have voted to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok unless its owner, the technology company ByteDance, sells it.
US House of Representatives I voted The app restriction bill on March 13th was approved by a vote of 352-65. The bill would require ByteDance, which is headquartered in China but incorporated in the Cayman Islands, to sell TikTok within six months due to concerns about its ties to China. The bill must pass one more vote in the U.S. Senate before it goes to President Joe Biden's desk. previously told reporters He will sign it into law.
Last week, as a smaller committee considered the Protecting Americans from Foreign Regulated Applications Act, TikTok users contacted their public representatives through the app to protest a potential ban. I received a notification reminding me to do so. Despite the flood of messages, lawmakers passed the bill out of committee on March 7 and approved it for a full vote this week.
TikTok enthusiasts aren't the only ones opposed to the bill. “The law that protects Americans from foreign regulatory filings is censorship, plain and simple,” he says. kate luan Member of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit organization that advocates for digital rights in the United States. “This is fundamentally flawed and would functionally act as a ban on TikTok in the United States.”
Despite these concerns, there is a bipartisan consensus in the United States that China's ruling Communist Party could force TikTok to hand over user data for behavioral tracking purposes. Although the app is just one of many online services that collect data about users, the U.S. and many other countries have classified TikTok as a “national security threat,” making it a government-owned company owned by public officials. The use of the app on terminals is prohibited. However, no evidence has been presented by any country to support these claims.
TikTok, which operates from offices in the US, UK and elsewhere, has always denied receiving data-sharing requests from the Chinese government and insists it will never hand over user information. However, Chinese law requires all companies operating in China, including ByteDance, to comply with government mandates.
TikTok itself called before The proposed bill violates the “First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans,” the number of app users in the United States. That number also includes many politicians, including Biden, who are debating the fate of TikTok.
tom devon The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, said the controversy surrounding the app was [TikTok’s] It has been shut down over concerns about data collection and surveillance, but it has used its huge audience to profit from its campaigns. ” He is prioritizing political maneuvering over real concerns and risks, such as alienating young voters, who are more likely to use TikTok, and increasing distrust of traditional media. I believe.
US politicians have voted to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok unless its owner, the technology company ByteDance, sells it.
US House of Representatives I voted The app restriction bill on March 13th was approved by a vote of 352-65. The bill would require ByteDance, which is headquartered in China but incorporated in the Cayman Islands, to sell TikTok within six months due to concerns about its ties to China. The bill must pass one more vote in the U.S. Senate before it goes to President Joe Biden's desk. previously told reporters He will sign it into law.
Last week, as a smaller committee considered the Protecting Americans from Foreign Regulated Applications Act, TikTok users contacted their public representatives through the app to protest a potential ban. I received a notification reminding me to do so. Despite the flood of messages, lawmakers passed the bill out of committee on March 7 and approved it for a full vote this week.
TikTok enthusiasts aren't the only ones opposed to the bill. “The law that protects Americans from foreign regulatory filings is censorship, plain and simple,” he says. kate luan Member of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit organization that advocates for digital rights in the United States. “This is fundamentally flawed and would functionally act as a ban on TikTok in the United States.”
Despite these concerns, there is a bipartisan consensus in the United States that China's ruling Communist Party could force TikTok to hand over user data for behavioral tracking purposes. Although the app is just one of many online services that collect data about users, the U.S. and many other countries have classified TikTok as a “national security threat,” making it a government-owned company owned by public officials. The use of the app on terminals is prohibited. However, no evidence has been presented by any country to support these claims.
TikTok, which operates from offices in the US, UK and elsewhere, has always denied receiving data-sharing requests from the Chinese government and insists it will never hand over user information. However, Chinese law requires all companies operating in China, including ByteDance, to comply with government mandates.
TikTok itself called before The proposed bill violates the “First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans,” the number of app users in the United States. That number also includes many politicians, including Biden, who are debating the fate of TikTok.
tom devon The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, said the controversy surrounding the app was [TikTok’s] It has been shut down over concerns about data collection and surveillance, but it has used its huge audience to profit from its campaigns. ” He is prioritizing political maneuvering over real concerns and risks, such as alienating young voters, who are more likely to use TikTok, and increasing distrust of traditional media. I believe.
New high-definition images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) reveal intricate details of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), which is struck by a gas outlet by a star before exploding. It shows an expanding shell of matter. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danny Milisavljevic (Purdue University), Ilse De Looze (UGent), Tea Temim (Princeton University)
NASAWebb Space Telescope observes newly exploded star…
The team prepares to install the moon rocket hardware…
And we completed NASA’s first bidirectional end-to-end laser relay system…
Some of the stories we want to share with you – this week at NASA!
Watch the web’s new high-definition exploded stars
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently captured this new image of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. This image, taken with Webb’s near-infrared camera, shows the star’s explosion at a resolution previously unattainable at these wavelengths, giving astronomers a hint at the dynamic processes occurring. . It’s inside a supernova remnant.
NASA’s Artemis II mission is making final preparations for its SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center. The Orion stage adapter, a critical component that connects Orion to his SLS, recently underwent critical installation work on its diaphragm at Marshall Space Flight Center. This adapter plays an important role in preventing hydrogen gas buildup and ensuring safety during launch.Credit: NASA/Sam Lott
Team prepares to assemble moon rocket and spacecraft connectors
A team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center recently flipped the Orion stage adapter over and prepared the adapter for diaphragm installation.
The stage adapter connects the Orion spacecraft to the Space Launch System rocket’s intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). The diaphragm helps prevent highly flammable hydrogen gas, which could leak from the rocket’s propellant tanks, from accumulating beneath Orion and its crew before and during launch.
NASA’s ILLUMA-T payload communicates with the LCRD via laser signals.Credit: NASA/Dave Ryan
Space station laser communication terminal achieves first link
NASA’s LCRD and the new space station technology experiment ILLUMA-T successfully exchanged data for the first time, establishing the first laser link between ILLUMA-T and an on-orbit laser relay system. LCRD and his ILLUMA-T teamed up to complete NASA’s first bidirectional end-to-end laser relay system.
Laser communications uses infrared light rather than traditional radio waves to send and receive signals, allowing spacecraft to pack more data into each transmission.
The “Message in a Bottle” campaign offers anyone the opportunity to stencil their name onto a microchip inscribed with U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s “Mystery Praise: A Poem to Europe.” The chip will be mounted on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, bound for Jupiter and its moon Europa. Credit: NASA
Add your name to join the European Clipper Mission
The deadline to participate in NASA’s European Clipper mission’s Message in a Bottle campaign is 11:59 p.m. EST, December 31, 2023. You can join the mission and carve your name on his Clipper spacecraft as it travels and explores 1.8 billion miles of Europe. Jupitericy moon, Europa.
For more information, visit go.nasa.gov/MessageInABottle.
Jagat, a social network designed to help you get out more with friends instead of mindlessly scrolling on your phone, has over 10 million users worldwide. Launched in March earlier this year, this location-based social network wants to help people focus on real-life connections and make friends.
The app is basically a social map that shows you your friends and nearby activities. Jagat features an interactive map interface that lets you stay in touch with friends and discover new people and activities around you in real time. Jagat is a bit similar to Zenly, the social mapping app owned by Snap that went out of service last year.
The startup is based in Singapore and Indonesia and was founded by Jagat president Barry Beagen and CEO Loy Xing Zhe. The two met in December 2021, when Biegen was advising the Indonesian government on digital economy policy and Zee was working on GameFi products focused on Web3, social, and gaming. Biegen said both he and Zee had the idea of building a social network.
“We had the same vision of taking on big tech and really building something that could take on the world from Southeast Asia,” Begen told TechCrunch. “We were also fed up with mainstream social apps that were becoming more passive, and we were also fed up with mainstream social apps that were becoming more passive, and more spontaneous ways to explore the world and places and meet new friends, such as hiking, local concerts, and friend-picking.” We were both really excited about finding ways to do things differently, whether it was playing a basketball game or just going for a long walk.”
The two decided to build a social network where users could create their own spaces and interact virtually with avatars.
The social map is what you see when you open Jagat and shows you the location of your friends in real time. It’s also where you can track where you’ve been and tap your friends’ avatars to send them messages, stickers, and updates. Jagat sees maps as the primary interface for discovering activities and people around you. See your friends’ status updates in real time and know what they’re up to.
Image credits: Jagat
The startup is currently building features aimed at competing with Facebook Groups by allowing users to organize local events and find people with similar interests. We’re also building the ability to explore beyond your local community by enabling you to discover a global community.
“We want to bring social back to social apps, focusing on social networking rather than media,” Biegen said. “We want to care about people, not posts. We want to be close friends, discover new friends, and connect with people in real life instead of scrolling through for entertainment.” It’s built to help you get more. We’re excited to see that other new social apps are also taking on this challenge. Mainstream social media is no longer about making friends and making connections; is passive consumption of entertainment. That’s why we’re focusing on features that allow users to share real-time, unsophisticated updates in a fun way.”
Biegen said most active users check the app three to four times a day, and most people want to know where their closest friends and loved ones are after school or work. . Instead of sending a text message to see if a friend is nearby and wants to grab dinner, the app lets you see where they are.
Approximately 85% of Jagat users are Gen Z. Since its release, the app has topped the charts in Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Spain, France, and Singapore. Biegen said the app’s appeal is universal and the startup will continue to develop it into the next generation.
The company closed a Series A funding round in October with participation from Southeast Asian investors, but declined to disclose the amount raised.
Looking to the future, Biegen said the startup wants to build “the next generation of default apps.” “We believe social apps should create real, authentic connections and deliver on the promise of connecting people in real life. In the meantime, we’re building new and exciting features and are committed to helping our community We’re focused on continuing to build, and that what we’re building – expanding social experiences on maps – is empowering a new generation of creators and businesses around the world. I believe we can do it.”
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