Consuming oats exclusively for two consecutive days may significantly impact your metabolic health, based on new research.
A study involving 17 participants had them eat 300 g (10.5 oz) of oatmeal daily, prepared with water and optionally topped with fruits and vegetables, for two days without any other food.
Participants lost approximately 2 kg (4.4 lb) and experienced a 10% reduction in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Improvements in gut health and blood pressure were noted, with lasting effects even six weeks after the diet.
Researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany compared this short-term intervention to a six-week long-term diet, where another group of 17 participants added 80 g (2.8 oz) of oats to their regular meals.
The short-term oat-only approach proved more effective, highlighting that the metabolic benefits observed stem from an intensive, short-term diet rather than gradual inclusion into everyday eating habits.
All participants were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, which affects nearly one-third of adults and is often accompanied by weight gain, elevated blood pressure, increased blood sugar, and high cholesterol levels.
Metabolic syndrome heightens the risk of obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart conditions, and is linked to poor gut health.
Research indicates that oats may provide essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory compounds known as polyphenols, making them beneficial for this demographic.
High LDL cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes – Credit: Getty Images
During the digestive process, some foods are metabolized by gut microorganisms, which release chemicals that can have various effects on your health depending on the food and the type of bacteria involved.
The two-day porridge diet led to an increase in beneficial compounds, particularly ferulic acid, known to lower cholesterol levels in past studies.
Participants who exhibited the highest increases in ferulic acid also experienced notable reductions in total and LDL cholesterol.
Scientists concluded that the gut interaction between bacteria and oats indicates that a brief oat-centric diet could serve as an affordable, sustainable, and effective strategy for addressing metabolic syndrome.
This research was published in Nature Communications.
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Ralph Fiennes’ Role in “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”
Sony Pictures
It’s hard to overstate the impact of 28 Days Later. This groundbreaking 2002 film features Jim the Courier (Cillian Murphy), who awakens from a coma to find Britain devastated by an “angry virus,” a precursor to the past two decades of zombie media. The film serves as a stark reflection of societal decay and chaos.
A new trilogy could have easily followed the original formula, but in 2025, 28 Years Later shatters that mold. Set decades after the initial outbreak, this film revitalizes the series by focusing on Spike (Alfie Williams), a young boy navigating life on a virus-free island amid the ruins of Britain. His journey introduces new species of the infected and intelligent ‘alphas’ like Samson (Chee-Lewis Parry), who exhibit strategic thinking.
The second installment, Bone Temple, written by Alex Garland and directed by Nia DaCosta, shifts its focus to “the Jimmys,” a gang of youth captivated by bloodsports rather than the infected. These characters are stripped of their identities, led by the enigmatic Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), who dubs them all “Fingers.”
As the story unfolds, the Jimmy family’s troubling regression poses a menace to Spike as well. The harrowing first scene of Bone Temple sees Spike fighting for survival against Jimmy, marking a pivotal moment where an uninfected individual is killed, initially highlighting a crucial distinction.
This film challenges our understanding of the infected. We meet Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a retired physician and Spike’s ally, who attempts to understand these new beings. He once used morphine to subdue Samson but finds the alpha craves the drug, establishing a reluctant bond between them.
Through shared experiences, Kelson—an anthropologist at heart—investigates the cultural remnants of humanity by creating monuments and reclaiming narratives from desolate towns. His quest prompts profound questions about the consciousness of the infected. “What if you could speak?” he muses. “Do you have memories? Are you evolving?”
As Bone Temple invites us to reconsider the nature of evolution, we ponder whether beings like Samson symbolize a new paradigm. Are they regaining their humanity or transitioning into something uniquely different? As the story progresses, we ask if a cure is possible for these once-infected beings, and whether the lines between human and infected remain clear after decades.
Kelson’s psychological exploration yields unexpected revelations. Upon encountering Jimmy and his gang, he discovers a potential path to healing for the remnants of humanity—infected or otherwise. The profound message of this riveting film is that our understanding of the infected must evolve. As we follow Spike’s journey through this dystopian world, it begs the question: could the infected become humanity’s saviors? With the trilogy’s finale on the horizon, anticipation builds for what lies ahead.
The chronicles of medical history demonstrate that the human body is remarkably resilient. Numerous documented cases illustrate this, including that of a French man who was discovered alive in 2007 with 90 percent of his brain missing.
This 44-year-old man was leading a typical life when it was revealed that he had severe hydrocephalus, a condition where cerebrospinal fluid replaces brain tissue.
His case exemplifies biological redundancy and adaptability, as remaining tissues compensate for lost functions (primarily through neuroplasticity).
Similar adaptations can occur with paired organs, like the lungs, kidneys, and testicles. When one organ fails, the remaining one can assume both functions.
In many instances, even after critical organ loss, advanced medical techniques can keep individuals alive.
For instance, a young American man carried a functioning artificial heart in his backpack for 555 days awaiting a transplant after his own was removed.
In some “pneumothorax cases,” surgeons can remove a patient’s heart and lungs, substituting them with a life support system known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
There are instances of individuals living without several organs.
The chronicles of medical history illustrate the incredible resilience of the human body – Image courtesy of Robin Boyden
Some patients with stomach cancer may need multiple digestive organs removed, including the full stomach, spleen, pancreas, small intestine, and colon.
Survival is possible in these situations through a combination of enzyme supplements, a tailored diet, parenteral nutrition, and sometimes insulin supplementation.
Additional internal organs that can be lived without include the gallbladder, bladder, thyroid, and appendix.
While it’s uncertain if there’s a maximum number of organs one can live without simultaneously, losing several organs in a single incident often leads to death due to blood loss, infection, or severe trauma.
This article is in response to Miriam Russell of Hull’s inquiry: “How many organs can you live without?”
If you have questions, please email us at:questions@sciencefocus.com or reach out viaFacebook,Twitter, orInstagramPage (please include your name and location).
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An artistic representation of a satellite in Earth’s orbit
Yusery Yilmaz/Shutterstock
In the event that all satellites ceased their ability to maneuver, a collision would likely happen in just 2.8 days, underscoring the dense nature of Earth’s orbital space.
Over the past seven years, the number of satellites has more than tripled, soaring from 4,000 to nearly 14,000. A significant factor driving this surge is SpaceX’s Starlink program, which currently includes over 9,000 satellites situated in low Earth orbit between 340 and 550 kilometers above our planet.
This dramatic rise necessitates that satellites frequently adjust their positions to avoid collisions, which could create thousands of metal fragments and make parts of Earth’s orbit unusable. This process is referred to as a collision avoidance maneuver.
Between Dec. 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, SpaceX executed 144,404 collision avoidance maneuvers within the constellation, averaging one every 1.8 minutes, per company reports. Notably, there has only been one documented orbital collision. In 2009, a functioning satellite from Iridium Communications collided with a defunct Russian Cosmos satellite, leaving hundreds of debris scattered in orbit.
Sarah Thiele and researchers from Princeton University utilized publicly available satellite tracking data to simulate the impact of increasing satellite numbers on collision risk. They introduced a novel measure named the Collision Realization And Significant Harm (CRASH) Clock to evaluate this risk. The title draws parallels to the well-known Doomsday Clock, which symbolizes the imminent threat of nuclear warfare. “We discussed it extensively,” he notes. Samantha Lawler, another team member from the University of Regina in Canada, contributed to this effort.
Their findings revealed that if all satellites in orbit as of 2018 (prior to the inaugural Starlink launch in 2019) suddenly lost control, a collision would have been imminent within 121 days. Presently, due to the surge in operational satellites, this timeframe has drastically reduced to a mere 2.8 days.
“We were astonished by how short it was,” Thiele comments.
The 2.8 days assumes a scenario where an event—such as a severe solar storm—renders all satellites incapable of altering their trajectories. In May 2024, a significant solar storm caused some Starlink satellites to react dramatically. A recurrence of the Carrington Event, the strongest solar storm on record from 1859, might bring serious challenges; Wind Vatapally from Luxembourg’s SES Satellites believes not all satellites would be incapacitated at once. “It would be implausible for all of them to fail simultaneously,” he states.
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Indicators like the crash clocks serve to emphasize the congested state of Earth’s orbit, he remarks. Hugh Lewis from the University of Birmingham in the UK questions, “Can we keep piling on this precarious structure?” He adds, “The more elements you introduce, the greater the risk of a collapse when problems arise.”
With plans for tens of thousands more satellites to be launched in the coming years by SpaceX, Amazon, and various Chinese enterprises for their extensive constellations, it’s plausible that the CRASH clock will indicate an even shorter timeframe, raising the potential for collisions. “It’s quite frightening to consider,” Thiele adds.
Every year, we dispose of hundreds of millions of tons of plastic
Cavan Images/Alamy
By incorporating chemicals that imitate natural polymers like DNA into plastics, we can develop materials that decompose in days, months, or years instead of persisting in landfills for centuries. Researchers are optimistic that this innovative approach will produce plastic items that fulfill their function and then safely disintegrate.
In 2022, over 2.5 billion tonnes of plastic are expected to be discarded globally, with merely 14 percent being recycled while the rest is either incinerated or buried. The quest for effective biodegradable plastics has spanned at least 35 years, utilizing various organic sources like bamboo and seaweed. However, in practice, many of these materials prove to be challenging to compost, and their manufacturers often make exaggerated claims.
Currently, Gu Yuwei, a professor at Rutgers University, is working on technology that creates plastics with precisely calibrated lifetimes, allowing them to break down swiftly in compost or natural environments.
Gu questioned why natural long-chain polymers such as DNA and RNA decompose relatively rapidly, while synthetic polymers like plastics do not, and whether it’s possible to replicate this process.
Natural polymers possess chemical structures known as adjacent groups, which facilitate their breakdown. These structures trigger an internal reaction called nucleophilic attack that disrupts the bonds in the polymer chains, which is energetically demanding for standard plastics.
Gu and his team synthesized artificial chemical structures that resemble these adjacent groups and incorporated them during the manufacturing of new plastics. They discovered that the resulting material could degrade easily, and by altering the structure of these additions, they could adjust how long the material remained intact before degradation.
As the plastic decomposes, Gu anticipates that the long polymer chains will fragment into smaller components that can either be repurposed to produce new plastics or dissolve safely in the environment.
“This method is optimized for plastics that require controlled degradation within days to months, so we believe it holds significant potential for uses like food packaging and other transient consumer products,” Gu explains. “It is not currently suitable for plastics that must remain intact for decades, such as construction materials and long-lasting structural components.”
Nonetheless, several challenges must be addressed before these plastics can be used in commercial applications. The liquid residue after the plastic’s decomposition consists of polymer chain fragments, necessitating further testing to ensure this mixture is non-toxic and can be safely released into the ecosystem.
Moreover, while UV light is presently required to initiate the degradation, natural sunlight is enough. Therefore, until the research team discovers a method to create materials that can decompose in darkness, buried or obscured plastics may persist in the environment indefinitely.
This moss sprouted from spores that were exposed to space for nine months
Tomomichi Fujita
On March 4, 2022, astronauts placed 20,000 moss spores outside the International Space Station, where they endured extreme space conditions for 283 days. Following their retrieval, the spores were brought back to Earth in a SpaceX capsule for scientists to attempt germination. Remarkably, these attempts proved successful.
Mosses, one of the oldest land plants, are renowned for thriving in some of the planet’s harshest environments, such as Antarctica, volcanic terrains, and arid deserts. Tomomichi Fujita was part of the research team from Hokkaido University in Japan that conducted this groundbreaking experiment.
“We were curious whether these spores could withstand conditions in one of the most extreme environments imaginable: outer space,” he remarks.
Numerous studies have simulated the survival of various mosses and plants under extraterrestrial conditions, particularly those anticipated on Mars. However, this marks the first instance where researchers examined whether a specific type of moss can endure the actual conditions of space. The spores originated from the species Physcomitrium Patent.
A control group of spores that remained on Earth exhibited a 97 percent germination rate, comparable to another group of spores that were shielded from the damaging ultraviolet rays while still in space.
Astoundingly, over 80 percent of the spores that faced the totality of space—its vacuum, extreme temperatures, microgravity, ultraviolet light, and cosmic radiation—survived and grew into healthy plants. Researchers predict that some spores could remain viable in space for as long as 15 years based on these experimental results.
“Opening the sample felt akin to unlocking a biological time capsule: life that has endured the void of space and returned to full functionality,” Fujita expresses.
Prior to the experiment, the researchers had already assessed other living components of the moss, such as its filaments, under simulated conditions. They discovered that other life stages of this moss succumb to environmental factors like UV radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, high salinity, and dehydration within days to weeks.
However, the spores appeared to withstand all these adversities. This is particularly impressive given that the spores outside the space station faced simultaneous attacks, while the Earth-based tests evaluated only one stressor at a time.
Fujita noted that the multilayered spore wall encasing the reproductive tissue acts as a “passive shield against harsh spatial conditions.”
He likens the spores to residing within their own spaceship, suggesting this might be an adaptive feature they developed to deal with the extreme environmental pressures present during the early stages of terrestrial life, hundreds of millions of years ago.
“Spores are, in essence, compact life capsules that lie dormant but are ready to reactivate when conditions are favorable,” he states. “It feels like evolution has given them their own survival pods designed to travel across time and space.”
Fujita cautioned that this research does not confirm the presence of extraterrestrial life, but it does bolster the concept that once life appears, it can be incredibly resilient. “The ability of terrestrial life to thrive under space-like conditions suggests that the fundamental building blocks of life might be more abundant and persistent than we typically assume.”
David Eldridge and fellow researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney emphasize that the ultimate test is not merely whether the spores can germinate on Earth, but if they can thrive in space.
“The critical point is to evaluate the growth rates of these taxa in space and determine if they can reproduce,” he concludes.
This was the day SolarWinds, a software company, learned it had been hacked by Russia.
As the chief information security officer, Brown quickly grasped the impact. The hack could potentially affect any of the company’s more than 300,000 customers globally.
The breach enabled hackers to remotely access systems of customers using SolarWinds’ Orion networking software, which included the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and numerous businesses and public organizations.
Brown mentioned he was “running on adrenaline” during the initial days following the breach.
Amid full-time remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s email system was compromised, rendering it unusable for internal communication.
“We stopped taking calls, and everyone came into the office for COVID-19 testing,” Brown recalled. “I lost 25 pounds in about 20 days. I just kept going.”
He has been featured on CNN and 60 Minutes, along with major newspapers.
“The world is on fire. We’re working to inform people about what is secure and what isn’t.”
Brown indicated the company moved to Proton email and Signal during the email breach, as he received calls from companies and government entities worldwide, including the U.S. military and the COVID-19 vaccine initiative, Operation Warp Speed.
“People prefer spoken communication to written communication. That’s a crucial lesson. You can document things, but people want personal interaction,” said Brown during a talk at Cybercon in Melbourne.
“They want to hear the nuances, so it’s vital to be ready for that kind of response.”
How did the cyberattack unfold?
The notification of the breach came via a call from Kevin Mandia, the founder of cybersecurity firm Mandiant, to SolarWinds’ then-CEO, Kevin Thompson.
Mandia informed Thompson that SolarWinds had “shipped contaminated code” within its Orion software, which aids organizations in monitoring their networks and servers for outages.
According to Mandia, the exploits in Orion were utilized to infiltrate government agencies.
“What you can see from that code is that it wasn’t ours, so we realized right away this was serious,” Brown recalled.
Brown stated that SolarWinds was not the main target of the hack but served as a “conduit to it.” Photo: Sean Davey/The Guardian
The Texas-based company discovered that 18,000 people had downloaded the contaminated product, and hackers, later attributed to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, managed to inject it into Orion’s build environment where the source code is converted into software.
The news broke on a Sunday, and SolarWinds released the announcement before the stock market opened on Monday.
Initial estimates suggested that as many as 18,000 customers might be impacted, which later adjusted down to approximately 100 government agencies and businesses that were truly affected.
“I wish I had known that on the first day, but that’s the reality,” Brown says. “We weren’t specifically the target; we were merely a gateway to it.”
SolarWinds enlisted the help of CrowdStrike, KPMG, and law firm DLA Piper to respond and investigate.
Aftermath: heart attack
For the next six months, SolarWinds suspended the development of new features and redirected its team of 400 engineers to focus on systems and security to restore the company’s stability.
“We prioritized transparency—how can we ensure people understand what threats there are, how those actors operate, how they gather information, how they execute attacks, and how they withdraw?”
Brown noted that the company’s customer renewal rate dropped to around 80% in the aftermath but has since risen back to over 98%.
However, legal consequences soon followed.
In 2021, the Biden administration enacted sanctions and expelled Russian diplomats in response to the attack.
In 2022, SolarWinds settled a class action suit related to the incident for $26 million. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated a lawsuit against SolarWinds and Brown personally in October 2023, alleging that the company and Brown misled investors regarding cybersecurity measures and failed to disclose known vulnerabilities.
Mr. Brown has remained with SolarWinds since the cyberattack. Photo: Sean Davey/The Guardian
Brown was in Zurich when he became aware of the charges.
“As I ascended a hill, I felt out of breath, my arms were heavy, and my chest was tight—I wasn’t getting enough oxygen,” he recalled. “I made a poor decision and flew home. I couldn’t walk from the terminal to my car without pausing; it was a journey I had made countless times.”
He was experiencing a heart attack. Upon returning home, his wife took him to the hospital for surgery, after which he recovered.
“The stress continued to mount, leading me to think I was handling it well without proactively visiting a doctor,” he explained.
Now, Brown is advocating for companies facing similar crises to engage psychiatrists to assist employees in managing stress.
“My stress levels were at a peak, and I was really close to the edge, though the pressure had been building for a while.”
A proposed confidential settlement with the SEC was announced in July but still awaits approval. The finalization of the agreement has faced delays due to the U.S. government shutdown.
Mr. Brown has remained with SolarWinds throughout this entire ordeal.
“This happened on my watch, and that’s how I perceive it. There are factors that contributed, like a state-sponsored attack, but it still occurred under my supervision,” he reflected.
“I admit I can be stubborn, but it was paramount for us to navigate this entire process, and leaving before it was resolved wasn’t an option.”
Shanghai endured prolonged extreme heat and humidity in 2024
Reuters/Nicoco Chan
The planet faced an unprecedented number of perilous hot and humid days in 2024, as climate change heightened global humidity levels to new extremes.
The worldwide average of humid heat days exceeded the 1991-2020 baseline, reaching 35.6 days last year—a rise of over 9.5 days compared to the previous high recorded in 2023. Climate Report 2024 Status as published by the American Weather Society.
During hot and humid weather, cooling becomes challenging as moist air hinders the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating. This makes such conditions exceptionally hazardous for human health. Kate Willett, who contributed to the report at the UK Met Office, states, “Your body starts to really struggle to offload the heat, so it’s really dangerous.”
Meteorologists track “wet bulb temperature” to assess heat and humidity. This involves utilizing a wet cloth on a thermometer bulb to illustrate the cooling effect of evaporation. High humidity diminishes the evaporation’s cooling effect, causing wet bulb temperatures to approach those of dry air.
As global temperatures rise, the atmosphere can retain more moisture, leading to not only stronger rainfall and storms but also heightened humidity levels. Willett notes that 2024 is “exceptionally” humid and ranks just behind 2023 in moisture content.
Certain regions, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East China, have experienced extreme temperatures of 31°C (88°F) over short periods, with wet bulb temperatures surpassing 84°F multiple times, as indicated in the report. At such levels, prolonged exposure is deemed extremely hazardous and potentially fatal to human health.
Historically, scientists have considered a wet bulb temperature of 35°C as the survival threshold, beyond which individuals cannot endure outdoor conditions for more than a few hours without dire consequences. However, recent research published in 2022 suggests that the actual limit may be significantly lower, around 31°C. “Over 30°C is where your body really struggles,” Willett explains.
Shanghai endured extreme heat and humidity for days in 2024
Reuters/Nicoco Chan
The Earth recorded an unprecedented number of hazardous hot and humid days in 2024, as climate change escalates global humidity to alarming levels.
The worldwide average of humid heat days on land surpassed the 1991-2020 average, reaching 35.6 days last year, an increase of over 9.5 days from the previous record in 2023. Climate Report 2024 Status published by the American Weather Society.
Under hot and humid conditions, it is challenging for individuals to cool down, as moist air diminishes the evaporative cooling impact of sweating. Such weather poses serious risks to human health. Kate Willett from the UK Met Office, who contributed to the report, states, “Your body starts to struggle to shed heat, making it very dangerous.”
Meteorologists measure heat and humidity using “wet bulb temperature.” This is typically done by wrapping a wet cloth around a thermometer bulb, demonstrating the cooling effect of evaporated water. The readings indicate temperatures lower than in a dry bulb, as high humidity limits the cooling effect of evaporation and brings the wet bulb temperature closer to that of dry air.
As the globe heats up, the atmosphere can retain more moisture, leading to increased heavy rainfall, storms, and higher humidity levels. Willett describes 2024 as “exceptionally” humid, second only to 2023 due to higher moisture levels.
Specific regions, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East China, have reached 31°C (88°F) within a short time span, with wet bulb temperatures exceeding 84°F multiple times, according to the report. At these levels, extended exposure outdoors is deemed extremely perilous and potentially lethal.
Traditionally, scientists consider a wet bulb temperature of 35°C the threshold for human survival, as people cannot withstand outdoor conditions for more than a few hours before succumbing. However, research published in 2022 suggests that the actual limit may be lower, around 31°C. “Over 30°C, your body really struggles,” Willett explains.
wHeather Jane Johnson heard that Jeff Bezos got married in Venice this June, but she felt worse than ever. Twenty-five years ago, she closed her bookstore in Boston, Massachusetts. “I lost a lot because of Bezos and the American accomplices behind Amazon’s rise,” states the 53-year-old. “The primary reason I moved to Italy was my sense of betrayal by my homeland.”
When a public meeting was announced in the city, she immediately attended. Since then, she has participated in every gathering of anti-Bezos activists, including the one right before last week’s wedding. “These young people have truly restored my faith in humanity,” Johnson remarks.
Many activists part of the “Bezos No Spaces” movement are based at Laboratorio Accupatato Morion, which identifies as “an anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, and transfeminist political space.” Federica Toninero, 33, describes it as “the home of many struggles.” The venue boasts the same vaulted ceilings and grandeur as others nearby, but is adorned with banners and placards ready to transform Venice in anticipation of Bezos’ wedding festivities, starting Thursday. (During my visit on Sunday, I didn’t spot any billionaires; their inclination for invisibility is strong.) It is all visually stunning, reminiscent of one of Venice’s countercultural spaces, filled with striking graphics from past campaigns against big ships, cruises, and tourists. A grassroots movement emerges here, advocating for refugees, with feminist unions popping up to address issues such as climate crises and urban poverty.
“I don’t think he’s welcome”… his fiancées, Lauren Sanchez and Bezos. Photo: Bruce Glikas/Wireimage
Noemi Donà, a 19-year-old activist from USG (a slowly growing union of young leftists), mentions Oliver, 43, who works as a receptionist in a historic Venetian hotel, not one of the hyper-luxury ones, but rather a “small 14th-century palace.” “Bezos can pay and stay here,” he says, “but thousands of Italian shops have closed due to Amazon’s rise. There are universities aligning with us, many of which occupied campuses last year to protest against the Israeli bombings of Gaza.”
The atmosphere is charged with the scent of aerosols and felt-tip pens. Some banners proclaim “Free Palestine,” while others demand the cessation of bombings in Iran. The Palestinian Libre organization actively condemns the U.S. attack on Iran, which feels particularly shocking just under 24 hours since it occurred. Yet, in opposition to Bezos, Marta Sottoliva, a 34-year-old middle school teacher, asserts, “This isn’t just a group; it’s a platform.”
“If Bezos had announced his wedding here without our movement, the media’s narrative would have centered on a luxurious hotel, VIPs, and gossip,” Sottliva reflects. “We aimed to highlight the obscene wealth that enables men like him to monopolize a city.”
On June 12th, the activists unfurled a massive 8-meter banner featuring Bezos’ name encircled in red. Tonyelo jokes about their lively banter on social media, saying, “You must be embarrassed!” A similar banner was displayed on the Rialto Bridge shortly after.
Protest at San Giorgio Maggiore. Photo: Marta Sottoriva
The activists have shifted their focus from merely questioning, “How much money does he have?” to “What conversation will arise from Bezos’ presence? What numbers will they draw?” As Elon Musk captures the public’s attention, there’s a growing discontent regarding the high purchasing power of elites in the face of societal upheavals. One aspect Bezos cannot buy is public goodwill—nor respect for his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, nor for the 200 guests he plans to invite. That, indeed, is significant.
Not all demonstrations will be publicized, but one detail is clear: a protest will block access to the Scola Grande della Misericordia this Saturday, where Bezos is set to host the celebration.
On a Sunday evening stroll around the venue, I analyzed the logistics for a protest designed to obstruct any chance of the Kardashian presence. A three-meter-wide strip runs along the canal, with a steep drop, creating a narrow bridge that unexpectedly terminates at metal gates in Venice. On the west side, a pavement parallels the canal, leading to a small bridge that could facilitate both police and protesters, but only permits slow movements. With so many stunning bridges dotting Venice, this is the most beautiful, though not conducive to fast access. A square lies at one end and a canal at the other. If 200 protesters show up, they could indeed create significant disruption.
Rumor has it that Bezos isn’t relying solely on police protection but is also engaging former Marlins, hoping to bolster his public image. “How can I get someone away from the water without causing harm?” Toninero muses, her tone playful rather than anxious. “We use our bodies to convey, ‘Stop it, we don’t want this.’”
According to reports Monday, Bezos has been compelled to relocate the party to a different venue.
Rialto Bridge banner. Photo: Manuel Silvestri/Reuters
Even as the city showcases its exquisite eccentricities, it’s difficult to imagine hosting a lavish party in such a locale with a dead-end bridge resembling a 14th-century lagoon. If you spread the word to just 15 people that you’re not welcome, you realize how inherently impossible it is to execute a glamorous, star-studded event here. Perhaps Venice is a mere facade, and the real celebration is set for Maui.
The activist assembly aired their views amidst all this. Critics argue Bezos and Sanchez may not be ideal foes for the anti-tourism sentiment. Yet, many Venetians recognize a common disregard from local authorities. In their quest to appease billionaires, the city effectively shuts down its center. They exert significant influence over short-term rentals yet refuse to take action. Last year’s initiative, taxing tourists €5 a day, was believed to address the situation, but as Sottoliva points out, locals feel they “are like animals in a zoo or cartoon characters from Disneyland.”
Sofia, 26, originally from Barcelona, has engaged in numerous discussions regarding overtourism, but she sees a uniquely vibrant community within Venice, supporting one another beyond mere intellectual endeavors.
Venice’s politically radical lens, influenced largely by its tourism, contrasts sharply with Bezos’ wedding deal, revealing inconsistencies in his values. His conduct as an employer and his apparent disregard for corporate tax responsibilities reflect a divide that becomes glaringly visible in such discussions.
Michael Jordan’s yacht docked in Venice ahead of Bezos’ wedding. Photo: Yara Nardi/Reuters
Climate change activists have also voiced concerns about promoting a culture of extreme consumption, as noted by Stella Faye, a 27-year-old university researcher.
Politically, Bezos’ transition from a perceived mild Democratic supporter to an active Trump advocate has not gone unnoticed. “We are witnessing a disturbing fusion between the private interests of digital capitalism and fascism,” argues Sottoliva. “This is not just confined to Venice.”
Perhaps most troubling for Bezos is the emerging critique of billionaires not just as individuals, but as systemic forces. “There’s a rise in anti-wealth movements,” states Robin Piazzo, a political scientist at the University of Turin. Traditionally, Marxist discourse focused less on billionaires as individuals, instead analyzing capitalism as a collective system. The grassroots movements increasingly question the narratives around the affluent, especially as they light on the influence of wealth over politics and media.
Yet, within grassroots movements, a consistent anti-Western critique is evident, bridging both religious and political sentiments. Piazzo, who also serves on the city council for the Democratic Party, recounts a 90-year-old woman approaching him post-meeting, saying, “You must act against the rich; I detest them.” She aligned herself with the sentiments expressed by Pope Francis. “This is a critical juncture for ultra-high-net-worth individuals,” he warns, as wealth’s perception shifts to a self-serving entity, starkly contrasted with the struggles faced by the less fortunate.
Wealth is showing its sharper edge once again. In 2001, during the G8 summit in Genoa, police responses were harsh and swift after a protester named Carlo Giuliani was killed by Carabinieri. During that tumultuous time, a leftist in England warned that if pushed, resisting police involved serious risks. The memories of such violence linger deeply.
After Giuliani’s death, a specialized police unit was deployed, known for its distinctive blue uniforms and aggressive tactics. Most surreal was the heavy steel fence constructed to shield leaders at the G8. However, despite the barriers, a single protester managed to break through and was quickly arrested. The show of force reflected a stark division between state officials and protesters—clearly demonstrating that their interests were at odds.
Twenty-four years later, Bezos’ wedding symbolizes everything he represents—wage reduction, rampant consumerism, environmental degradation, and wealth supremacy—casting a shadow over a city struggling to maintain its identity. “Honestly, it terrifies me,” states Noemi Donà. “But I’m here.”
Don Pettit, NASA’s oldest active astronaut, made his return to Earth on April 20th, coinciding with his 70th birthday. This marked the end of his fourth mission, a demanding 220-day stay at the International Space Station.
Throughout his time aboard the space station, Pettit engaged in various experiments, interacted with students, and exercised extensively to maintain his health and combat bone density loss. However, his most captivating contribution was through his photography.
For many on Earth, going to space is simply a dream. “I caught a glimpse of how they perceive my image,” said Pettit during a press conference following his return to Japan.
Pettit mentioned that dedicated photographers always carry a camera. “I could gaze out of the window and enjoy the stunning views,” he described. “But every time I look out, I am just enjoying it, saying to myself, ‘Wow, look at that. Oh, there’s a flash. What’s happening there?’ and, ‘Ah, a volcano appears.’ Then I think, ‘Where’s my camera?’
At times, he would set up five different cameras simultaneously in the cupola module, where seven windows offered sweeping vistas of space and Earth.
Capturing images in space shares similarities with night photography; the stars are faint and require longer exposure times to gather sufficient light. However, in orbit, everything is in constant motion, with the space station racing at 5 miles per second while the Earth spins beneath.
At times, Pettit embraced the dynamic beauty. The shimmering lines blurred under the light showcased the stars tracing arcs across the night sky.
“These meld science with art,” Pettit noted on X. “There are so many techniques to observe, or you can simply sit back and think, ‘How cool!’
His camera was fitted with a “trajectory fitting tracker,” a homemade device that gradually adjusts for the space station’s movements, keeping the lens focused on a particular point in the sky.
Thanks to this tracker, he was able to capture a 10-second exposure of the Milky Way shining above the cloudy Pacific Ocean just before dawn, revealing a captivating blue-purple glow from sunlight scattering through nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere.
The sidereal tracker also contributed to capturing the image below from the windows of the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The photo reveals the large and small Magellanic Clouds, the closest galaxies to our Milky Way on a cosmic scale.
In April, Pettit filmed the mesmerizing rhythmic pulsations of the aurora, a glowing phenomenon caused by high-energy solar particles interacting with atmospheric molecules.
On occasion, vibrant lights were the result of human activity, not celestial events. The green lines seen in this photo are similar in color to the aurora but actually result from fishing boats off Thailand attracting squid.
While photographing Earth, Pettit recorded lightning striking in the upper atmosphere above the Amazon Basin in South America. These videos captured time intervals ranging from 6 to 33 seconds, showcasing more intricate details of the flashes.
The Betoshiboca River in Madagascar reminded Pettit of the visual patterns seen in human eyes’ blood vessels.
Similar to wildfires, urban areas intensify in brightness at night.
Pettit seized the opportunity to document spacecraft launching and returning to Earth, including a test flight of a SpaceX Starship rocket from Texas last November…
…and the docking of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, scheduled to transport cargo to the space station in December.
During his mission, Pettit also designed an entertaining science experiment. One showcased electrically charged water droplets dancing around a Teflon knitting needle. “I aim to do in space what can only be done in space,” he stated. “I’m worried that when I return, I’ll have to catch up on all the TV shows.”
In another experiment, he injected food coloring into a droplet of water, producing a sphere resembling Jupiter or a pristine marble.
Pettit also dissolved antacid tablets in water. In a microgravity environment, the escaping bubbles create entirely different patterns of pop, fizz, and hiss compared to on Earth.
He even froze thin water ice wafers at minus 140 degrees Fahrenheit. “What can you do with a freezer in space?” He wrote on X. “I decided to grow a thin layer of water ice just for the fun of it.”
Photographing the ice layer through a polarizing filter revealed intricate crystal formations.
While Pettit holds the title of the oldest NASA astronaut, he is not the oldest person to orbit Earth; that honor goes to John Glenn, who flew around the Earth in 1962 and again in 1998 at the age of 77.
Pettit is also not the oldest individual to spend time aboard the International Space Station; that distinction belongs to private astronaut Larry Connor, who was 72 during his two-week mission in 2022, organized by Axiom Space in Houston.
“I’m only 70, with a few good years ahead of me,” Pettit remarked during a news conference. “We’ve managed to squeeze in another flight before we had to finalize the rocket nozzle.”
Shortly after President Trump issued an executive order to expedite submarine mining efforts, the US government received its first permission application. This initiative is championed by notable supporters within the metal industry.
On Tuesday, CEO Gerald Baron was present in Washington for a controversial hearing before the House Committee on Natural Resources. He likened the beginning of this process to a “starting gun” signaling a race to extract minerals like cobalt and nickel from nodules situated 2.5 miles deep on the ocean floor.
Debate erupted among committee members from both parties regarding the environmental implications of this mining practice. The Trump administration indicated it would contemplate permits for mining activities within US jurisdiction and international waters.
Other nations have accused the US of attempting to bypass international law, arguing that the waters designated for submarine mining should come under the governance of an independent international authority.
To date, no commercial submarine mining has been conducted.
California leader Jared Huffman, a ranking Democrat on the committee, criticized both the Metals Company and Trump for advancing undersea mining in “reckless cowboy fashion.” Democrats raised concerns over the financial viability of mining cobalt and nickel, citing major electric vehicle manufacturers’ shift towards alternative battery materials.
“The financial model of the industry is based on overly optimistic assumptions and does not reflect the realities and volatility of the global mineral market,” remarked Oregon Democrat Maxine E. Dexter.
The Metals Company attempted to reassure the committee, arguing that the potential harm to the seabed would outweigh the limited job creation and that accessing these minerals could reduce dependence on Chinese sources. They stated that a decade of extensive environmental studies supports their position.
Trump’s order follows years of delays by international authorities in establishing a regulatory framework for submarine mining. The authorities, established under United Nations auspices decades ago, are likely to miss another deadline this year for finalizing these regulations.
Baron informed the committee that it took him 14 years to draft the mining code, describing it as a “deliberate strategy” to slow undersea mining.
He further claimed that a polymetallic nodule extracted by his company is now on President Trump’s desk in the Oval Office.
According to the US Geological Survey, it is estimated that nodules within the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Eastern Pacific contain more nickel, cobalt, and manganese than all terrestrial reserves combined. This proposed mining zone spans half the size of the US between Mexico and Hawaii.
Committee Chair Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, insisted that subsea mining is essential for liberating the US from China’s “supply chain control.”
China has recently placed export restrictions on several rare earth elements, raising concerns that American companies may face shortages in producing advanced electronic devices.
The House Committee also considered a study discussing the impact of submarine mining on the seafloor conducted by Thomas Peacock, a mechanical engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, partially funded by metal companies.
Dr. Peacock indicated that there may be countless undiscovered species in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, suggesting that certain areas should be off-limits for mining. However, he noted that the anticipated environmental impacts of nodule mining might not be as severe as speculated.
He specifically minimized the risk of mining causing plumes of sand and debris that could harm seabed life, comparing the fragments to “grains of sand in a fishbowl.”
In attendance with Mr. Baron was the CEO of Impossible Metals, a future deep-sea mining company. Unlike other companies that use vacuum-like extraction technologies along the ocean floor, Impossible Metals claims to have developed machines that can collect nodules selectively without disturbing the seabed.
“Our underwater robots hover to gather mineral-rich nodules from the seabed through AI-guided selective harvesting,” explained Oliver Gunasekara, CEO of Impossible Metals. “We avoid all visible marine life and leave 60% untouched.”
The company has reapplied for permission to conduct operations in US Samoa. Gunasekara noted that their previous applications were rejected during the Biden administration, but with new leadership in both American Samoa and Washington, he is optimistic about gaining approval.
An Alabama woman lived with pig kidneys for a record-breaking 130 days before her body began rejecting them, leading to their removal and a return to dialysis, doctors announced Friday.
Following her removal surgery on April 4 at Nyu Langone Health, Towana Rooney steadily recovered and went back to her home in Gadsden, Alabama. Rooney expressed gratitude to the doctors for allowing her to take part in the study.
Rooney stated, “While the outcome was not what anyone would have hoped for, I have learned a great deal from having pig kidneys for 130 days. I believe this experience can benefit and inspire many others on their journey to overcome kidney disease.”
Scientists are working on genetically modifying pigs so that their organs are more similar to human organs, addressing the significant shortage of transplantable human organs. With over 100,000 people on the US transplant list, most in need of kidneys, and thousands waiting and dying, this advancement is crucial.
Prior to Rooney’s transplant, only four other Americans had received experimental xenotransplants using gene-edited pig organs – two hearts and two kidneys – all of which failed within two months. The recipients, who were severely ill before the surgery, did not survive.
Currently, researchers are attempting to transplant these pig organs into patients with less severe illnesses, like Rooney. A man from New Hampshire who received pig kidneys in January is doing well, and a comprehensive study of pig kidney transplants is scheduled for this summer. A Chinese researcher also reported successful renal xenotransplants recently.
Since 2016, Rooney has been on dialysis and was ineligible for conventional transplants due to her body’s predisposition to reject human kidneys. Turning to pig kidneys proved successful for her, allowing her to extend her life significantly. She referred to herself as a “superwoman” and lived longer than anyone with gene-edited pig organs before her body began rejecting them in early April.
Dr. Robert Montgomery, a pioneer of Nyu XenoTransplant and Rooney’s surgeon, stated that the rejection is being investigated. He emphasized that removing the pig kidneys was a safer option than continuing with high-risk rejection drugs.
Montgomery explained, “We took a safe approach. Rooney is not worse off post-XenoTransplant. In fact, she feels better as she had a four-month break from dialysis.”
Prior to the rejection, Rooney experienced infections associated with dialysis, while her immunosuppressive anti-rejection drugs were slightly reduced, allowing her immune system to revitalize after the transplant. These factors likely contributed to the rejection of the new kidneys.
Rejection is a common concern following organ transplants, which can result in the loss of new organs. Doctors must strike a delicate balance between suppressing the patient’s immune system, fighting infections, and maintaining the new organs.
This challenge is even greater with xenotransplants, where patients still require immunosuppressive medications despite modifications made to pig organs to prevent immediate rejection. Researchers are exploring different combinations of medications to find the most effective approach.
Montgomery believes Rooney’s experience will yield valuable insights for future clinical trials. Achieving successful xenotransplants would be a significant achievement with benefits for patients in need of organ transplants.
On the last day of March, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital began surgery that they hoped would lead to lasting changes in the way the kidneys are implanted in people.
The patient that morning was not a human. It was a pig and was anesthetized on the table. The pig had one kidney missing and needed an implant.
Kidneys usually need to be transplanted within 24-36 hours, but the kidneys that enter the pig were removed 10 days before and frozen earlier that morning.
No one ever transplanted frozen organs into large animals. There were a lot of things that didn’t work out.
“I think there’s about a 50% chance that it will work,” said Kolkout Wygun, a surgical professor and team leader, before the surgery. Dr. Uygun is on the Scientific Advisory Committee of Sylvatica Biotech Inc., a company that develops freezing methods for organ maintenance.
But the promise from the organs of freezing and storage is fantastic.
There is a severe and continuous shortage of kidneys for transplants – That’s all 92,000 People are on the waiting list. One reason is that the 24-36 hour window is very short, so limit the number of recipients that are good matches.
How good is it to have a bank of stored frozen organs, as organ transplants can be like an elective surgery?
At least, it was a decades-long dream of a transplant surgeon.
However, the medical researchers’ attempts to freeze organs were thwarted at every turn. In many cases, ice crystals formed organs and destroyed them. The material was also intended to stop the crystals from forming, the anti-freeze agent was toxic and killed cells. Or the frozen organs became very brittle and cracked.
DNA can store digital data such as visual and audio files
Science Picture Co / Alamy
Artificial intelligence can read data stored in DNA strands within 10 minutes, not the day required for previous methods, and DNA storage approaches practical use of computing.
“DNA stores huge amounts of data in a very compact form and remains intact for thousands of years.” Daniella Bar-Lev At the University of California, San Diego. “In addition, DNA is naturally replicable and offers a unique advantage for long-term data storage.”
However, getting encoded information within DNA is a monumental challenge as the strands become confused when mixed and stored. During the data encoding process, individual strands may be replicated incompletely, and some fragments may be lost completely. As a result, data readings stored in DNA are similar to reconstructing books from boxes filled with pages that go beyond the finest, varied.
“The traditional methods suffer from this confusion and require several days of processing,” says Bar-Lev. The new approach “rationalizes this with AI trained to find patterns of noise,” she says.
Bar-Lev and her colleagues developed an AI-driven method called DNAFormer. The system includes a deep learning AI model trained to reconstruct DNA sequences, another computer algorithm to identify and correct errors, and a third decoding that brings everything back to digital data while correcting any remaining mistakes. Includes algorithms.
In experiments, DNAFormer can read 100 megabytes of DNA storage data 90 times faster than the next fastest method developed with traditional rules-based computing algorithms, while achieving better or equivalent accuracy. I did. The decoded data included colored images of the test tube, a 24-second audio clip from astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous Moonlanding speech, and text on why DNA is a promising data storage medium .
The team says they plan to develop a version of DNAFormer tailored to new technologies for encoding data into DNA. Omar Savery Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
“Crucially, our approach doesn't rely specifically on us. [DNA] Synthesis or sequencing methods can be adapted to future, still undeveloped technologies that are more commercially viable,” he says.
I
When I can't last more than 5 minutes without needing some kind of stimulation, I wanted to make a change. Music, podcasts, movies, reels, a combination of them, or all at the same time (probably) created the soundtrack of my life. I'm not alone in this inability to sit still and pay attention without distraction. You also won't feel drained and depressed by endless scrolling. more boredom. But I don't want this state to be the default.
We want to stop using screens, music, and podcasts to fill the void when we should have downtime. I want to be able to be bored. To me, boredom is a state of being unable to suppress the desire to do something. I think you can instill a sense of tranquility by consciously not using your devices and instead using your downtime to spend time with yourself in your local spaces. In doing so, I think we can learn to slow down and be present without the need for digital distractions. It's embarrassing that you can't stand boredom. But it's not just that, I'm scared of not being able to decide where to focus my attention.
When I started the challenge, I hoped that this would lead me on a path to greater attention and awareness of the world around me. There, stopping to smell the roses is not only worth your time, but you'll notice that there are roses there. Start with I want to rebuild my attention span.
1st week
The novelty of starting something new makes me excited and optimistic.
It starts with disconnecting yourself from your phone. I deleted my social media apps and tried not to listen to anything during my commute or daily tasks.
This is certainly uncomfortable and difficult at first (you keep thinking of things to do to avoid getting bored, who would have thought!), but when you finally get down to just staring into space, it's not at all unpleasant. there is no. It's refreshing to have the time and space to have my ideas heard.
2nd week
As I walked without listening, I started noticing things that I normally wouldn't look at twice.
But this is how I feel when I hear unexpected news about my life situation.The urge to rid yourself of all negative emotions. What is the solution? Separation due to large amounts of multimedia content.
I feel guilty for backtracking before my video call with Professor James Danckert, an expert on the psychology of boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Could he tell I wasn't bored enough?
However, cognitive neuroscientists explain that forcing boredom or making yourself “boredible” is bad.
Turns out I was wrong about boredom. Dankert tells me it actually is“I’m highly motivated – but I’m frustrated at the moment because I want to do things that are important to me and I can’t find an outlet for that motivation.”
Boredom is beneficial, he says, because it encourages you to explore your environment and engage in something meaningful. The difficult part is finding or rediscovering the “things” that are important to you.
So I realized that the challenge is no longer about wanting to be bored, but about learning how to tolerate the feeling of boredom, so that you have the space to pay attention to where you are and where you want to be. I decided that I could do it.
3rd week
After the conversation with Dunkert, think about what it felt likeDo you like being bored and how long has it been since you had that feeling? When was the last time that anxious restlessness welled up within you? When was the last time you wandered around the living room aimlessly?
The silence I wanted to avoid wasn't as scary as I thought. It actually helps you identify what is worth paying attention and care to in your life.
I was used to jumping from stimulus to stimulus, so when I started leaning into stillness, I realized that I had more time because the world wasn't moving at 10 TikToks a minute. So, I used the time I had back to make a list of things I wanted to do over the next few weeks. At the top is the desire to return to painting.
When I sit down, my instinct is to reach for my phone, but instead I stop and think about what I actually want to do. Instead of wasting your energy on pointless scrolling, you might be able to channel this feeling into something that gives you more energy. It's finally time to hang up your photos and make your room your own.
Week 4
During my off time, I often take walks outside without my earphones.
I noticed brush staining the sidewalks and jacaranda trees sprouting bright purple in places I didn't expect them to. Was summer this close? These cues from nature remind us of how time passes in a very physical sense that goes beyond the numbers on a clock and refers to the ground we walk on.
I realized that the way I had been thinking about time was wrong. Browsing a lot of social media apps condensed it. Stopping and paying attention to what was around me was stretching my time.
Week 5
In a boredom-induced moment of reflection, I think about my friend's birthday this week and remember my bucket list. There is one item of note on the list. It's about making birthday cards.
When I was a child, I often made cards. I love making gifts for my friends and I wonder why I never made time for it. Maybe you didn't think you had enough time, maybe you weren't attentive enough to see the process from beginning to end, or maybe you lacked concentration.
I gave it to a friend as a gift and the response was better than I expected. It makes me feel full. I had a very fulfilling time.
Week 6
There were moments when I felt confident that I wasn't stuffing my phone up my nose or covering my ears. I've noticed that people around me always pull out their phones when they're waiting for something.
By aligning with the boredom and resisting its calls for attention, I am actively choosing to be present, and to be honest, this is a feeling I'm not very familiar with. But as I grew in my ability to work with myself, I realized that it deepened our friendships. Now you have more to say than just entertaining your friends with meaningless memes. I feel connectedIt's not just about watching the same content.
Week 7
Despite all this challenge, the desire to consume some content is always present. I remember my conversation with Dunkert. Dunkert assured me that “giving up vegetables” isn't a bad thing, but “recognizing the fact that it's what we want to do.”
So I decided to try watching slow TV instead of what I usually watch (comfortable sitcoms) to cultivate a sense of calm.
The 7-hour train journey began from Bergen to Oslo Although it was boring, I had the ability to slowly choose where to focus my attention and when to stop.
Week 8
Being outside the city makes it easier to kill boredom. So, to change my usual way of socializing, I went to a barren nature reserve with some friends.
Immersing yourself in local wildlife and surrounded by
Effective immediately, the company will be discontinuing its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program as of Friday, following Meta’s announcement that fact-checking would be eliminated by Mark Zuckerberg.
An internal memo from Meta acknowledged the changing legal and policy landscape surrounding DEI efforts in the United States, referencing recent Supreme Court decisions and the concept of DEI. It also highlighted the “reprehensible” views held by some individuals. Axios and Business Insider initially reported on the memo. Mehta confirmed the termination of DEI practices but did not provide further comment on how this decision aligns with the company’s overarching goals.
Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources, mentioned in the memo the discontinuation of various programs targeting underrepresented groups, such as the Diverse Slate Approach and Representation Goals, which are currently facing challenges. These programs were utilized to promote diverse employment practices.
Despite Meta’s efforts to increase diversity in the workforce, the company will no longer implement certain diversity employment practices, as stated in a new announcement.
Furthermore, the company will be ending its equity and inclusion training program and permanently disbanding its DEI-focused team.
The decision to terminate diversity efforts contradicts Meta’s AI-powered Instagram and Facebook profiles, which highlighted the need for a more representative team.
The termination of DEI initiatives follows Meta’s alignment with Donald Trump and the addition of Trump ally Dana White to the company’s board of directors. Meta joins a list of companies, including McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, and Lowe’s, that have voluntarily halted their diversity initiatives or have been targeted by far-right groups.
The impacts of climate change are widespread, ranging from biodiversity loss to extreme weather events, rising sea levels, wildfires, and mass human migrations. Each year reveals more about our impact on the environment, with some discoveries more surprising than others.
One of the most shocking revelations to join this list is the recent discovery that our greenhouse gas emissions are altering the Earth’s rotation.
As a result, Earth days are gradually becoming longer, potentially leading to significant changes in how we experience time in the future.
“It’s fascinating how our actions as humans can have such a profound impact on the entire planet through the extensive climate change we’ve triggered over the last century,” says Professor Benedict Soja, a scientist at ETH Zurich who contributed to uncovering this concerning trend.
“This effect may surpass previous significant influences on Earth’s rotation.”
Could we see more hours in a day?
We are familiar with the greenhouse effect, where gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to a rise in temperatures.
Last year, global temperatures were 1.18 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average, approaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius target set in 2015 as a limit to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
Record melting of Swiss glaciers in 2022 – Credit: Getty Images
The primary consequence of this warming is the melting of large ice areas in the Arctic and Antarctic, with Switzerland losing 10% of its glacier mass in the last two years, Antarctica shedding 150 billion tons of ice annually, and Greenland losing 270 billion tons.
While many are concerned about the impact of this melting on coastal areas, Soja and his team posed a different question: Will this significant mass redistribution likely prevail? What will be its broad-scale impact on the planet? In a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they provided an answer.
“As the ice melts, the Earth’s mass shifts from the polar regions to the oceans,” Soja explained. “This results in the Earth becoming flatter and more oblate, with its mass moving further from the rotation axis.”
Understanding the Mechanism
Similar to any rotating object, the Earth adheres to the law of momentum conservation. Simply put, momentum must be preserved, and it depends on the moment of inertia and rotational speed. As mass moves away from the rotation axis due to melting ice, the moment of inertia increases.
Therefore, to uphold its momentum despite ice melting, the Earth’s rotation slows down, elongating our days.
Soja likens this concept to a figure skater performing a spin, where extending the arms slows down the rotation, while pulling them in speeds it up.
The study indicated that from 1900 to 2000, the climate’s impact on the length of Earth’s day ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 milliseconds per century. Since 2000, accelerated melting has raised this rate to 1.3 milliseconds per century, with a potential increase to 2.6 milliseconds per century by 2100 if emissions remain unchecked.
While these changes may seem small in our daily lives, they could have significant effects on a globally synchronized technological network.
Considerations on Time Management
Three main timescales play crucial roles in timekeeping: International Atomic Time (TAI), Universal Time (UT1), and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). TAI relies on atomic clocks, UT1 is determined by Earth’s rotation, and UTC synchronizes the two.
Leap seconds were introduced in 1972 to align UTC with UT1 within 0.9 seconds.
Unlike predictable leap years, leap seconds are added irregularly as needed. Since 1972, 27 leap seconds have been added, with the most recent in 2016. Disruptions from leap seconds have caused issues in the digital age, impacting technology companies striving for synchronization.
Atomic clock made in Germany – Credit: Alamy
The recent discovery of Earth’s core slowing down further complicates matters. If the planet’s rotation continues to accelerate, a negative leap second may need to be introduced to UTC. This unprecedented situation poses substantial challenges as systems are unprepared for negative adjustments.
“This has never occurred before, and frankly, I don’t think anyone anticipated it,” Agnew remarked. He compares this scenario to the Y2K scare when concerns about potential computer errors surfaced at the end of the 20th century.
“The critical aspect is that we don’t know the consequences of introducing a negative leap second,” he cautioned. “The negative impacts could be unforeseen.”
According to Agnew, if the effects of climate change had not slowed down, a negative leap second would have been necessary in 2026. “Global warming might postpone negative leap seconds and eliminate their need entirely,” he noted.
While this discovery regarding climate change may offer a positive effect, considering less necessity for negative leap seconds, the implications of further greenhouse gas emissions outweigh any potential benefits. As the situation stands, negative leap seconds may still be required in 2029.
Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the current system?
Agnew proposed a solution to reduce the required precision between timescales, eliminating the need for negative leap seconds and allowing for more predictable positive adjustments.
“It could resemble a leap year. You add a fixed number of seconds at a specific time and accept that it may not be exact but is tolerable,” suggested Agnew.
This proposition aligns with the dominance of slowing over longer timescales, rather than the complex interactions involving Earth’s core or ice melting.
Efforts are reportedly underway to implement this system, with a target to eliminate the need for leap seconds by 2035. However, international agreement hurdles must be overcome. Failure to adapt before requiring a negative leap second could lead to unprecedented chaos, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Meet the Experts
Benedict Soja: Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geoengineering at ETH Zurich.
Duncan Agnew: Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, specializing in crustal deformation measurement and geophysical data analysis.
Excitement in the world of mathematics has been sparked by a significant discovery. The previous record for the largest prime number has been surpassed.
A prime number is only divisible by 1 and itself. For example, 23 is a prime number. Dividing by 1 results in 23, dividing by 23 gives 1, but dividing by any other number does not give an integer.
The new prime number is 2136,279,841-1 (known as M136279841). This prime number has a length of 41,024,320 digits, which is 16 million digits more than the previous record holder. It would take 237 days to fully read M136279841 if you read two digits per second.
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Additionally, this new prime number is a Mersenne prime, which is a special type of prime number of the form 2P-1. M136279841 is the 52nd Mersenne prime number discovered so far.
The discovery of M136279841 was the most challenging Mersenne Prime to date. It was found using free software from the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) by 2-year-old Luke Durant, a 36-year-old volunteer, using a graphics processing unit (GPU) supercomputer.
This achievement earned Durant a $3,000 prize, which he will donate to the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science.
While the discovery of prime numbers may seem like a recreational pursuit, Mersenne primes, in particular, are of significant interest to mathematicians like Sophie MacLean, a PhD student in analytical number theory at King’s College London. MacLean is fascinated by the rarity and complexity of Mersenne primes and is eager to explore more about them.
About our experts
Sophie MacLean is a PhD student in analytical number theory and additive combinatorics at King’s College London. She has lectured at the Royal Institution and Cheltenham Science Festival and published videos on the Numberphile YouTube channel.
Seismologists detected unusual vibrations and determined that a 650-foot-high tsunami had occurred in Greenland.
The tsunami was caused by melting glacial ice that triggered landslides and washed away water in Greenland's fjords.
The waves it created continued to travel back and forth across the fjord for nine days.
Last September, seismologists around the world detected vibrations never before observed.
The monotony seemed to come from Greenland and continued for nine days.
“We saw some very strange signals at some stations in the north that we'd never seen before,” said Karl Ebeling, a seismologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.
Shortly after the vibrations began, a cruise ship sailing near a Greenland fjord noticed that a key landmark on the remote island of Ella, a scientific research and Danish military dog sled patrol base, had been destroyed.
The event drew an international group of seismologists, the Danish military and oceanographers into the mystery: what struck the island, and where did it come from?
It was the result of a rare series of cascading events caused by climate change.
The researchers traced the initial trigger to the collapse of a glacier tongue that had been thinned by rising temperatures. This destabilized the steep mountainside, sending an avalanche of rock and ice into Greenland's deep Dikson Fjord. Massive amounts of water were displaced, causing towering waves to move across the narrow fjord, about a mile and a half wide.
The tsunami, at least as high as the Statue of Liberty, surged up the steep rock faces along the fjord and, because the landslide struck the waterway at a nearly 90-degree angle, sent waves circling the channel for nine days — a phenomenon scientists call a seiche.
“No one has ever seen anything like this,” said Christian Svennevig, lead author of the study and a geologist and senior research scientist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.
The findings are the result of a complex year-long investigation. The team determined that Ella Island, about 45 miles from the landslide site, was hit by a tsunami at least 13 feet high.
Tourists visit the island from time to time.
“The cruise ship had been docked off the coast just a few days before,” Svennevig said. “We were really lucky that no one was there when it happened.”
The seiche was the longest scientists had ever observed: Until now, tsunamis generated by landslides have typically produced waves that dissipate within a few hours.
“This is really a cascade of events that has never been observed before,” said Alice Gabriel, co-author of the study. “The Earth is a very dynamic system, and we're currently at a stage where this very delicate balance is being disrupted pretty dramatically by climate change.”
Tsunamis triggered by landslides occur more frequently than many people realize and are a danger to people living and working in some Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.
In 2017, a landslide triggered a tsunami that killed four people and destroyed 11 homes. Attacked the village of Ngaatsiaq in West GreenlandThe tsunami was estimated to be at least 300 feet high. Two villages were abandoned in the aftermath of the tsunami due to fears of further landslides, and Svennevig said hundreds of people remain evacuated.
Bretwood “Higg” Higman, an Alaska geologist who studies landslide tsunamis but was not involved in the new study, said evidence suggests landslide tsunamis are a growing problem, but more research is needed.
“I'm pretty confident that these events are becoming more and more frequent,” he said. “Exactly how frequent these events are and can we predict the future? We're not there yet.”
Higman said he thought the Greenland study's researchers were “spot on” and that the research was an important example of how dangerous landslide-induced tsunamis could be.
First, rising temperatures are eroding the permafrost within rock formations, weakening slopes and making them more susceptible to collapse. Second, warming is thinning the glaciers that support the rock slopes. Without the ice, sudden collapses could occur. Third, climate change is increasing the likelihood of heavy rains, which are the biggest risk factor for landslides because saturated rocks and soils become more slippery.
Higman has compiled a list of Alaska's slopes that are at risk for landslides that could trigger tsunamis. He said there are dozens of sites of concern that need further study, some of which are near populated areas where a landslide could be catastrophic.
“We're in an awkward position: Scientists know something, but they don't know enough to provide certainty to take action,” Higman said.
Last month, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 56-foot-high landslide tsunami in Alaska's Pedersen Lagoon. Higman visited the site and believes the tsunami was larger than initially predicted.
Globally, risks are growing due to expanding development in some polar regions and increased visitation by miners, shippers and tourists, Svennevig said.
“At the same time as the population increases, the risk of landslides, geological hazards also increases,” he said. “It's an unfortunate combination.”
When Cam Ferguson arrived at a spot near Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in downtown Phoenix, he prepared his usual supplies of cold water, sports drinks, peanuts, and candy about four hours before the first pitch.
The temperatures in downtown Phoenix were expected to reach around 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) on a Labor Day afternoon, promising brisk business for vendors like Ferguson.
Despite the scorching heat, Ferguson and other vendors at the game were determined to provide some relief for the fans, pointing out the price difference between buying a bottle of water outside versus inside the stadium.
The summer of 2024 in Phoenix was proving to be exceptionally hot, with the city experiencing its 100th consecutive day of temperatures at or above 100 degrees, breaking previous records. Meteorologist Shawn Benedict from the National Weather Service highlighted the significance of this streak.
Experts attribute the escalating temperatures to climate change caused by human activities, leading to extreme heatwaves, wildfires, severe storms, and prolonged droughts. The relentless heat in Phoenix was evident, with temperatures surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day since late May.
The upcoming week was expected to bring unseasonably high temperatures across the Western U.S., with extreme heat warnings in effect for cities like Phoenix and Lake Havasu City in Arizona, as well as parts of Nevada and California.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, public health officials reported a concerning number of heat-related deaths so far this year, with many cases still under investigation. The scorching conditions in 2024 were setting records not only in Phoenix but also in other Western states.
Amid the heatwave, California issued red flag warnings due to the increased risk of wildfires. Blazes had already started in some areas, leading to power outages and evacuations. The dangerous heat was a growing concern for residents and outdoor workers alike.
Although Chase Field provided some relief with its air-conditioned facility and closed retractable roof for most games, outdoor workers like Ferguson and landscaping professional Ramiro Lopez had to find ways to cope with the extreme heat during their work shifts.
As the record-breaking summer continued in Phoenix, staying cool and hydrated became essential for survival in the blistering heat. The challenges posed by the relentless heatwave were felt by everyone, especially in low-income communities where access to cooling facilities was limited.
Climatologists emphasized the importance of staying cool and hydrated to mitigate the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Bitcoin Dogs raised a total of $3.1 million in the first six days of its historic presale. The project's BRC-20 token, 0DOG, is the first-ever ICO on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Bitcoin dog Leveraging the recent Ordinals protocol to break new ground in the Bitcoin ecosystem, the team plans to launch a 10,000-strong NFT collection later this year.
The opportunity to be a part of history is a key selling point for the brand, which is no doubt boosted by the token price increasing every three days until the pre-sale ends on Friday, March 15th, after which the token will be available for trading.
Within 6 days, the Bitcoin dogs X community has over 80,000 followers and an additional 145,000 people actively discussing the project. Telegram community.
Bitcoin Dogs (0DOG) is available on the official website Website.
Future path for Bitcoin dogs
Beyond the historic ICO that launched the 0DOG token, Bitcoin Dogs has a very comprehensive roadmap: White paper consisting of a new Play-to-Earn game and one of the largest Bitcoin NFT collections ever.
Retro 8-bit graphics bring the world of Bitcoin Dogs to life, subtly echoing early NFT collections like CryptoPunks and classic pet simulator games like Tamagotchi.
Gameplay is tightly integrated with social media, a mechanism aimed at building community and bringing the game to a wider audience. By sharing their progress, players have the opportunity to earn in-game currency, which they can use to compete against other players in gruesome races and canine-themed competitions.
0DOG price factors
Bitcoin Dogs' success can be attributed to a number of factors, including strong project fundamentals, a resurgence in the Bitcoin-led cryptocurrency market, and a strong value proposition.
Bitcoin Dogs offers specific products such as: Games and NFT collections On the horizon. The project roadmap is also clear, with a long-term strategy to maintain interest beyond the ICO.
The ICO itself is also an important selling point. Being the first pre-sale for Bitcoin-based tokens has attracted a large number of buyers, and the short 30-day period is encouraging potential buyers to participate early. This momentum increase can also be caused by the 3-day price increase.
The project's proximity to Bitcoin is also likely to be a boon. Bitcoin will rise in value in 2024, stabilizing above $50,000 at the time of writing ahead of the next halving scheduled for April.
including media Cointelegraph The broader market could also benefit from predicting new highs after the halving, which would put Bitcoin Dogs in a good position to benefit from Bitcoin's slipstream.
Additionally, the BRC-20 token standard (which allows new cryptocurrencies to be deployed on and secured by the Bitcoin blockchain) has been making waves since its announcement in 2023. His BRC-20 projects such as ORDI and ORNJ achieved 3,000% rallies and 677% each.
Bringing this possibility to the forefront, Bitcoin dog We aim to become a strong candidate to carry the torch of BRC-20. With only 23 days left, time is running out for the long-awaited public trading to begin.
About Bitcoin Dog
Bitcoin Dogs is breaking new ground in the Bitcoin ecosystem. For the first time ever, NFTs, games, and a new type of token come together to deliver the first ICO on the original Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin's true permissionless immutability has been leveraged to create the 0DOG token, and a play-to-earn (P2E) gaming experience and NFT collection has been developed exclusively for his 0DOG holders.
For more information (0DOG) users please visit Bitcoin Dogs. Website.
New research reveals how cladoceran jellyfish can regenerate tentacles in just a few days, highlighting the role of unique stem-like proliferating cells in this rapid regeneration process. This breakthrough provides insight into similar regeneration processes in other species. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Japanese scientists have discovered that the cladoceran jellyfish uses stem-like proliferating cells to regenerate its tentacles, providing new insights into the process of blastogenesis and its evolutionary similarities in other organisms. . seed Like a salamander.
A type of jellyfish about the size of a little fingernail cladonema Amputated tentacles can regrow in a few days, but how do they regrow? Functional tissue regeneration across species such as salamanders and insects repairs damage and grows into missing appendages It relies on its ability to form blastocytes, which are masses of undifferentiated cells. Jellyfish, like other cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones, exhibit high regenerative abilities, but how their vital blastema cells are formed has remained a mystery until now.
Japanese research team reveals that stem-like proliferating cells (actively growing and dividing but not yet differentiated into specific cell types) appear at injury sites and help form blastomas. I made it.
The results of this study were published in the journal Science on December 21st. PLOS Biology.
The jellyfish Cladonema pacificum exhibits branched tentacles that can strongly regenerate after amputation.Credit: Sou Fujita, University of Tokyo
“Importantly, these stem-like proliferating cells in the blastema are different from the resident stem cells localized in the tentacles,” said corresponding author Yuichiro Nakajima, a lecturer at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. “Repair-specific proliferating cells primarily contribute to the newly formed tentacle epithelium (thin outer layer).”
According to Nakajima, the resident stem cells present in and near the tentacles are responsible for generating all cell lineages during homeostasis and regeneration, and maintain all the cells needed throughout the jellyfish’s life. means to repair. Repair-specific proliferating cells appear only upon injury.
“The combination of resident stem cells and repair-specific proliferating cells enables the rapid regeneration of functional tentacles within a few days,” Professor Nakajima said, adding that jellyfish use their tentacles to hunt and feed. he pointed out.
Resident stem cells (green) and repair-specific proliferating cells (red) contribute to the regeneration of Cladonema tentacles.Credit: Sou Fujita, University of Tokyo
According to lead author Sosuke Fujita, a postdoctoral researcher in the same laboratory as Nakajima at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the discovery will help researchers understand how blastoma formation differs between different animal groups. It shows that you understand.
“In this study, our aim was to use the tentacles of the cnidarian jellyfish to address the mechanisms of blastogenesis. cladonema “As a regeneration model for non-bilateral animals, or animals that do not form bilaterally symmetrically during embryonic development,” Professor Fujita said, explaining that this study could provide insights from an evolutionary perspective.
For example, salamanders are bilaterally symmetrical animals that can regenerate limbs. Their limbs contain stem cells that are restricted to the needs of specific cell types, and this process is thought to function similarly to the repair-specific proliferating cells observed in jellyfish.
“Given that repair-specific proliferating cells are similar to restricted stem cells in the limbs of bilateral salamanders, the formation of blastema by repair-specific proliferating cells has been linked to complex organs and appendages during animal evolution. We can infer that this is a common feature that was acquired independently for organ regeneration,” said Fujita. Said.
After 72 hours of amputation, Cladonema’s regenerating tentacles are fully functional.Credit: Sou Fujita, University of Tokyo
However, the cellular origin of the repair-specific proliferating cells observed in blastema cells remains unclear, and researchers believe that the tools currently available to investigate their origin are too limited. They say they are unable to elucidate or identify other distinct stem-like cells. cell.
“It is essential to introduce genetic tools that allow tracing and intracellular manipulation of specific cell lineages. cladonema‘ said Nakajima. “Ultimately, understanding the mechanisms of blastoma formation in regenerating animals, including jellyfish, may help us identify cellular and molecular components that improve our own regenerative abilities.”
Reference: “Distinct stem-like cell populations promote functional regeneration of Cladonema medusa tentacles” by Sosuke Fujita, Mako Takahashi, Manabu Kumano, Erina Kuranaga, Masayuki Miura, and Yuichiro Nakajima, December 21, 2023. PLOS Biology. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002435
This research was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and a grant from the National Institute for Basic Biology Joint Research Project.
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