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How Farming Transformed Human Evolution: The Impact of Agriculture on Our Development

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

The Advent of Agriculture and Evolutionary Pressures on Humans

Christian Jegou/Science Photo Library

Evolution and Agriculture Impact — The Advent of Agriculture and Evolutionary Pressures on Humans

Christian Jegou/Science Photo Library

The comprehensive analysis of ancient genomes has revealed significant insights into human evolution over the last 10,000 years. This research indicates that various populations worldwide have experienced similar evolutionary changes, particularly following the introduction of agriculture.

“Similar traits and genes are being selected in diverse populations,” says Laura Colbran from the University of Pennsylvania.

Evolution happens when genetic variation becomes prevalent in a population—often because it confers an advantage. By comparing genomes, we can identify recent signs of human evolution.

Colbran notes that ancient DNA is exceptionally valuable for this research, stating, “Using ancient genomes allows us to witness genetic history directly, as opposed to relying solely on inferential methods.”

Much of the recent research has primarily focused on European genomes, but Colbran’s team leveraged an increasing collection of genomes from outside Europe, analyzing over 7,000 ancient and contemporary genomes. Ancient genomes mainly originate from the last 10,000 years, while modern genomes are derived from living populations.

The research team utilized ancient genomes to predict possible modern genetic profiles without evolutionary influence, highlighting differences known as selection signals. They identified 31 selection signals, many of which were shared among varied populations, likely due to the independent rise of agriculture around the same era globally.

For instance, less than 25% of ancient individuals possessed the FADS1 gene, which encodes an enzyme that aids in converting short-chain fatty acids (common in plants) into long-chain fatty acids (predominant in meats). Increased production of this enzyme is thought to benefit individuals who adopt a plant-heavy diet. Currently, over 75% of people in Europe, Japan, and northern China carry advantageous FADS1 variants. The strength of selection for this gene has remained stable over the last 300 generations in Europe while intensifying in East Asia over the last century.

The genes impacting the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B enzyme, encoded by ADH1B, have also been critically analyzed. Variants of ADH1B are prevalent in East Asia and are associated with quick alcohol metabolism, leading to symptoms like facial flushing. Colbran stated, “This showcases the strongest selection signal we’ve observed in East Asia,” suggesting that this variant was favored to curb excessive alcohol consumption.

Even though this variant was absent in ancient Europeans, strong selection signals related to the ADH1B enzyme were identified. Colbran emphasized the need for further investigation to discern the involved variants and their specific impacts, indicating a likely adaptation to evolving alcohol consumption patterns.

The research team also explored traits influenced by multiple genetic variations, such as waist-to-hip ratios, often correlated with fertility. Surprisingly, they found a robust selection process stabilizing women’s waist-to-hip ratios within certain limits. “This is intriguing as it suggests a stabilization of selection,” Colbran remarked, emphasizing that while waist-to-hip ratios can differ across various populations, the ideal measurement likely exists in a balanced range.

As noted by Alexander Gusev at Harvard University, this study is remarkable for its analysis of ancient DNA that has yet to be thoroughly examined. Gusev explained, “The authors found enriched variants being selected within one population compared to others, indicating parallel selection across populations, previously hypothesized but not empirically demonstrated.”

Yashin Souilumi, from the University of Adelaide, emphasized that their novel approach reveals regions of the genome newly identified as subject to selection, complementing previously known areas. “Their innovative method optimally utilizes the vast amounts of available ancient DNA,” Souilumi stated.

Colbran concluded that these findings are merely the initial discoveries. As more non-European genomes are sequenced, we will uncover even more evidence of recent human evolution.

Discovery Tour: Archaeology, Human Origins, and Paleontology

New Scientist frequently covers extraordinary archaeological sites that reshape our understanding of human evolution and early civilizations. Join us on this fascinating journey!

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Advancements in Lab-Grown Brain Research: Exploring the Future of Cerebral Development

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Revitalizing Brain Organoids: A Breakthrough in Vascular Integration

Imago/Alamy

Developing brain organoid with vascular system — Revitalizing Brain Organoids: A Breakthrough in Vascular Integration

Imago/Alamy

A pioneering advancement has been made in growing a miniaturized version of the developing cerebral cortex, crucial for cognitive functions like thinking, memory, and problem-solving, complete with a realistic vascular system. This advancement in brain organoids offers unprecedented insights into brain biology and pathology.

Brain organoids, often referred to as “mini-brains,” are produced by exposing stem cells to specific biochemical signals in a laboratory setting, encouraging them to form self-organizing cellular spheres. Since their inception in 2013, these organoids have significantly contributed to research on conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, and dementia.

However, these organoids have a significant limitation: they typically start to deteriorate after only a few months. This degradation occurs because a full-sized brain has an intricate network of blood vessels that supply essential oxygen and nutrients, while organoids can only absorb these elements from their growth medium, leading to nutrient deprivation for the innermost cells. “This is a critical issue,” remarks Lois Kistemaker from Utrecht University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

To mitigate this issue, Ethan Winkler and researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, devised a method to cultivate human stem cells for two months, resulting in “cortical organoids” that closely resemble the developing cerebral cortex. They then introduced organoids composed of vascular cells, strategically placing them at either end of each cortical organoid, facilitating the formation of a vascular network throughout the mini-brain.

Crucially, imaging studies revealed that the blood vessels in these mini-brains possess hollow centers, or lumens, akin to those found in natural blood vessels. “The establishment of a vascular network featuring lumens similar to authentic blood vessels is impressive,” states Madeline Lancaster, a pioneer in organoid research at the University of Cambridge. “This represents a significant progression.”

Past attempts to incorporate blood vessels within brain organoids have failed to achieve this crucial detail; previous studies typically resulted in unevenly distributed vessels throughout the organoids. In contrast, the blood vessels formed in this new experiment exhibit properties and genetic activities more closely aligned with those in actual developing brains, thereby establishing a more effective “blood-brain barrier.” This barrier protects the brain from harmful pathogens while permitting the passage of nutrients and waste, according to Kistemaker.

The implications of these findings indicate that blood vessels are crucial for delivering nutrient-rich fluids necessary for sustaining organoids. Professor Lancaster emphasizes, “To function properly, blood vessels, similar to the heart, require a mechanism for continuous blood flow, ensuring that deoxygenated blood is replaced with fresh, oxygen-rich blood or a suitable substitute.”

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Neuroscientists Discover Five Key Phases of Brain Structure Development Across the Human Lifespan

Posted on December 2, 2025 by

Recent findings from neuroscientists reveal that the brain’s structure divides into five main stages throughout a typical person’s life, marked by four significant turning points from birth to death where the brain undergoes reorganization. Brain topology in children evolves from birth up to a crucial transition at age 9, then shifts into adolescence, which generally lasts until around age 32. In your early 30s, the neural wiring transitions to adult mode, marking the longest phase that extends for over 30 years. The third turning point occurs at about age 66, indicating the start of an early aging phase of brain structure, while the late brain phase begins around age 83.

Masry et al. Using a dataset of MRI diffusion scans, they compared the brains of 3,802 individuals aged 0 to 90 years. The dataset maps neural connections by tracking the movement of water molecules through brain tissue. Image credit: Mously et al., doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-65974-8.

“While we know brain wiring plays a crucial role in our development, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how and why it fluctuates throughout life,” explained Dr. Alexa Mausley, a researcher at the University of Cambridge.

“This study is the first to pinpoint essential stages in brain wiring throughout the human lifespan.”

“These epochs offer vital insight into our brain’s strengths and vulnerabilities at different life stages.”

“Understanding these changes could shed light on why certain developmental challenges arise, such as learning difficulties in early childhood or dementia later in life.”

During the transition from infancy to childhood, strengthened neural networks emerge as the excess of synapses (the connections between neurons) in a baby’s brain diminishes, allowing only the most active synapses to thrive.

The brain rewires in a consistent pattern from birth until approximately age 9.

In this timeframe, the volumes of gray and white matter grow swiftly, resulting in maximal cortical thickness (the distance from the outer gray matter to the inner white matter), with the cortical folds stabilizing.

By the first turning point at age 9, cognitive abilities begin to evolve gradually, and the likelihood of mental health issues becomes more pronounced.

The second stage, adolescence, is characterized by an ongoing increase in white matter volume, leading to an enhancement in the sophistication of the brain’s communication networks, measurable through water diffusion scans.

This phase is marked by improved connectivity efficiency across specific regions and swift communication throughout the brain, correlating with enhanced cognitive performance.

“As expected, neural efficiency is closely linked to shorter pathways, and this efficiency increases throughout adolescence,” Mausley notes.

“These advancements peak in your early 30s, representing the most significant turning point in your lifetime.”

“Around age 32, the change in wiring direction is the most pronounced, and the overall trajectory alteration is greater than at any other turning points.”

“Although the onset of puberty is clearly defined, the conclusion is far harder to identify scientifically.”

“Based solely on neural structure, we found that puberty-related changes in brain structure conclude by the early 30s.”

Post age 32, adulthood enters its longest phase, characterized by a more stable brain structure with no significant turning points for three decades. This aligns with findings indicating an “intellectual and personality plateau.”

Additionally, the researchers observed a greater degree of “segregation” during this phase, indicating a gradual fragmentation of brain regions.

The tipping point at age 66 is more gradual, lacking dramatic structural shifts; however, notable changes in brain network patterns were found around this age on average.

“Our findings indicate a gradual reconfiguration of brain networks that peaks in the mid-60s,” stated Dr. Mausley.

“This is likely linked to aging, as white matter begins to decline, reducing connectivity further.”

“We are currently facing an era where individuals are increasingly at risk for various health conditions impacting the brain, such as high blood pressure.”

The final turning point arises around age 83, ushering in the last stage of brain structure.

Data from this stage is scarce, but a key characteristic is the shift from global to local connectivity as interactions across the brain diminish while reliance on specific regions intensifies.

Professor Duncan Astle of the University of Cambridge remarked: “In reflection, many of us recognize that our lives encompass distinct stages.”

“Interestingly, the brain also navigates through these phases.”

“Numerous neurodevelopmental, mental health, and neurological conditions are tied to the brain’s wiring.”

“In fact, variations in brain wiring can predict challenges with attention, language, memory, and a wide array of other behaviors.”

“Recognizing that structural transformations in the brain occur not in a linear fashion but through several major turning points can assist us in identifying when and how brain wiring may be vulnerable to disruptions.”

a paper detailing the study was published in the journal on November 25. Nature Communications.

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A. Mausley et al. 2025. Topological turning points across the human lifespan. Nat Commun 16, 10055; doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-65974-8

Source: www.sci.news

Study identifies five distinct ‘eras’ of brain development throughout human life.

Posted on November 25, 2025 by

As we grow older, our brains undergo significant rewiring.

Recent studies indicate that this transformation takes place in various stages, or “epochs,” as our neural structures evolve, altering how we think and process information.

For the first time, scientists have pinpointed four key turning points in the typical aging brain: ages 9, 32, 66, and 83. During each of these phases, our brains display distinctly different structural characteristics.

The findings were Published Tuesday in Nature Communications, revealing that human cognitive ability does not merely peak and then decline with age. In reality, research suggests that the interval between 9 and 32 years old is the sole period in which our neural networks are increasingly efficient.

In adulthood, from 32 to 66 years, the structure of the average brain stabilizes without significant modifications, leading researchers to believe that intelligence and personality tend to plateau during this time.

Following another turning point, from age 83 and beyond, the brain increasingly relies on specific regions as connections between them slowly deteriorate.

“It’s not a linear progression,” comments lead author, Alexa Maudsley, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge. “This marks an initial step in understanding how brain changes differ with age.”

These insights could shed light on why certain mental health and neurological issues emerge during specific rewiring phases.

Rick Betzel, a neuroscience professor at the University of Minnesota and not a part of the study, remarked that while the findings are intriguing, further data is necessary to substantiate the conclusions. He cautioned that the theory might face challenges over time.

“They undertook a very ambitious effort,” Betzel said about the study. “We shall see where things stand in a few years.”

For their research, Maudsley and colleagues examined MRI diffusion scans (images illustrating water molecule movement in the brain) of around 3,800 individuals, ranging from newborns to 90 years old. Their objective was to map neural connections at varying life stages.

In the brain, bundles of nerve fibers that convey signals are encased in fatty tissue called myelin—analogous to wiring or plumbing. Water molecules diffusing into the brain typically travel along these fibers, allowing researchers to identify neural pathways.”

“We can’t open up the skull…we depend on non-invasive techniques,” Betzel mentioned, discussing this form of neuroscience research. “We aim to determine the location of these fiber bundles.”

A groundbreaking study utilized MRI scans to chart the neural networks of an average individual across their lifetime, pinpointing where connections strengthen or weaken. The five “eras” discussed in the paper reflect the neural connections observed by the researchers.

They propose that the initial stage lasts until age nine, during which both gray and white matter rapidly increases. This phase involves the removal of redundant synapses and self-reconstruction.

Between ages 9 and 32, there is an extensive period of rewiring. The brain is characterized by swift communication across its regions and efficient connections.

Most mental health disorders are diagnosed during this interval, Maudsley pointed out. “Is there something about this second phase of life that might predispose individuals to mental health issues?”

From ages 32 to 66, the brain reaches a plateau. It continues to rewire, but this process occurs at a slower and less dramatic pace.

Subsequently, from ages 66 to 83, the brain undergoes “modularization,” where neural networks split into highly interconnected subnetworks with diminished central integration. By age 83, connectivity further declines.

Betzel expressed that the theory presented in this study is likely reflective of people’s experiences with aging and cognition.

“It’s something we naturally resonate with. I have two young kids, and I often think, ‘They’re transitioning out of toddlerhood,'” Betzel remarked. “Science may eventually uncover the truth. But are they precisely at the correct age? I’m not sure.”

Ideally, researchers would gather MRI diffusion data on a large cohort, scanning each individual across their lifespan, but that was unfeasible decades ago due to technological constraints.

Instead, the team amalgamated nine diverse datasets containing neuroimaging from prior studies, striving to harmonize them.

Betzel noted that these datasets vary in quality and methodology, and attempts to align them may obscure essential variations and introduce bias into the findings.

Nonetheless, he acknowledged that the paper’s authors are “thoughtful” and proficient scientists who did their utmost to mitigate that risk.

“Brain networks evolve throughout life, that’s undeniable. But are there five precise moments of transition? I hope you’ll take note of this intriguing notion.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Four Major Stages of Brain Development from Birth to Age 90

Posted on November 25, 2025 by

The wiring of our neurons evolves over the decades

Alexa Mousley, University of Cambridge

Our brain’s functionality isn’t static throughout our lives. We know that our capacity for learning and the risk of cognitive decline fluctuate from infancy to our 90s. Recently, scientists may have uncovered a possible reason for this change. The wiring of our brains seems to experience four key turning points at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83.

Previous studies indicate that our bodies undergo three rapid aging cycles around the ages of 40, 60, and 80. However, the complexity of the brain complicates our understanding.

The brain consists of distinct regions that communicate through white matter tracts. These tracts are wire-like structures formed by long, slender projections known as axons, which extend from neurons, or brain cells. These connections significantly influence cognitive functions, including memory. Nevertheless, it was uncertain if this substantial change in wiring transpires throughout one’s life. “No one has combined multiple metrics to characterize stages of brain wiring,” states Alexa Mousley from Cambridge University.

In an effort to bridge this knowledge gap, Maudsley and his team examined MRI scans of roughly 3,800 individuals from the UK and US, primarily white, spanning ages from newborns to 90 years. These scans were previously gathered as part of various brain imaging initiatives, most of which excluded individuals with neurodegenerative diseases or mental health issues.

The researchers discovered that the brain wiring of individuals reaching 90 years old typically progresses through five significant stages, separated by four primary turning points.

In the initial stage, from birth to age nine, the white matter tracts between brain areas seem to become longer, more intricate, and less efficient. “It takes time for information to travel between regions,” explains Mausley.

This may be due to the abundance of connections in our brains as young children. As we age and gain experiences, we gradually eliminate unused connections. Mausley notes that the brain prioritizes making broader connections, beneficial for activities like piano practice, though at the expense of efficiency.

However, during the second stage, from ages 9 to 32, this trend appears to reverse, potentially driven by the onset of puberty and hormonal shifts affecting brain development. “Suddenly, your brain’s connections become more efficient. Connections become shorter, allowing information to traverse more swiftly,” says Mausley. This could enhance skills such as planning and decision-making, along with improved cognitive abilities like working memory.

The third stage, which spans from 32 to 66 years, is the longest phase. “During this stage, the brain continues to change, albeit at a slower rate,” Mausley explains. Specifically, she notes that connections between regions have a tendency to become less efficient over time. “It’s unclear what exactly triggers this change; however, the 30s often involve significant lifestyle alterations, like starting a family, which may play a role,” she adds. This inefficiency might also stem from general physical wear and tear, as noted by Katia Rubia from King’s College London.

From ages 66 to 83, the connections between neurons in the same brain area tend to remain more stable than those among different regions. “This is noteworthy, especially as the risk of developing conditions like dementia increases during this period,” Mausley remarks.

In the final stage, from ages 83 to 90, connections between brain regions weaken and rely more frequently on “hubs” that link multiple areas. “This indicates that there are fewer resources available to maintain connections at this age, leading the brain to depend on specific areas to serve as hubs,” Mausley explains.

Understanding these alterations in the brain could provide insights into why mental health issues arise, typically before the age of 25, and why individuals over 65 are particularly vulnerable to dementia, she states.

“It’s vital to comprehend the normal stages of structural changes in the brain throughout the human lifespan, so future research can explore deviations that occur in mental health and neurodegenerative disorders,” Rubia notes. “Grasping the causes of these deviations can assist us in pinpointing treatment strategies. For instance, we might examine which environmental factors or chemicals are responsible for these differences and discover methods to counteract them through treatments, policies, and medications.”

Nevertheless, Rubia emphasizes the need for further research to determine whether these findings apply to a more ethnically and geographically diverse population.

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Compelling Evidence Links Epstein-Barr Virus to Lupus Development

Posted on November 13, 2025 by

Lupus can cause severe fatigue, rashes, and joint and muscle pain

Shahril Maulana/Alamy

The virus responsible for glandular fever, also referred to as mononucleosis or the kissing disease, has been shown to infect and modify the body’s immune cells, leading to the development of the autoimmune disease lupus in some individuals.

Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus, arises when the immune system becomes overly active, attacking healthy tissues due to the persistent activity of immune cells known as B cells and T cells. This can result in various symptoms such as muscle and joint pain, rashes, and profound fatigue. The exact cause of lupus remains unclear, though it likely involves a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors, including infections and microbiome imbalances.

Among those with lupus—about 90% are women—there tends to be a higher prevalence of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the virus causing glandular fever. While EBV infects most adults globally and typically remains asymptomatic, lupus impacts roughly 5 million individuals worldwide.

To explore the connection, William Robinson and his team at Stanford University devised a single-cell RNA-seq technology called EBV-seq to identify which B cells (responsible for producing antibodies against pathogens) in lupus patients are infected with EBV and which genes are being expressed by those cells.

In their research, they found that in blood samples from 11 lupus patients, approximately 25 out of every 10,000 sequenced B cells were infected with EBV. Conversely, in 10 asymptomatic individuals, only up to 3 in every 10,000 sequenced B cells were found to carry the virus.

The majority of infected cells were identified as memory B cells, which retain information about previous pathogenic exposures to facilitate a quicker response upon re-exposure.

Robinson and his colleagues demonstrated that these infected memory B cells express genes such as ZEB2 and TBX21, initiating a chain reaction that activates another immune cell type known as helper T cells, subsequently recruiting uninfected B cells. This escalates immune activity in a harmful cycle, eventually beginning to target the body itself.

A significant finding affirming the causal role of EBV in lupus erythematosus was the observation that the virus seems to promote the activation of memory B cells via a protein called EBNA2. ZEB2 and TBX21 activate relevant genes and amplify their activity. “What we discovered essentially reveals how this very common virus, affecting 95% of us, the Epstein-Barr virus, leads to lupus,” says Robinson.

As for why most individuals infected with EBV do not go on to develop lupus, Robinson hypothesizes that some people have a genetic predisposition that causes their B cells to erroneously target healthy cells. “The genetic and environmental contexts of EBV infections predispose individuals to lupus, and these factors combine to provoke the disease,” he asserts.

“EBV may not be implicated in all lupus cases, due to the diverse mechanisms involved in the disease’s development. However, in specific patients, we maintain that EBV serves as a primary cause,” he explains. George Tsokos reports from Harvard Medical School: The virus instigated an abnormal T-cell response, noted in individuals with lupus over 40 years ago.

A strong correlation between EBV and multiple sclerosis, another autoimmune disorder, was identified in 2022, and Robinson suggests that these new insights highlight how the virus can trigger such conditions more broadly.

This may also clarify why certain CAR T-cell therapies have yielded promising results in lupus clinical trials. These treatments, which genetically modify a patient’s T cells to target specific antigens, were originally designed for blood cancers that arise when B cells proliferate uncontrollably and are often reduced in number. “These CAR T-cell therapies seem to result in lasting remissions. [lupus] Patients have been able to discontinue all medications, implying that the therapy might potentially even cure some individuals. We believe they may achieve this by removing [B cells] or depleting EBV-infected B cells,” Robinson suggests.

Nonetheless, Tsokos cautions that the efficacy of this therapy for lupus remains uncertain, partly because while B cell levels in the blood of patients treated with CAR T cells appear diminished, these cells can often conceal themselves in the bone marrow, and there is currently no evidence confirming that all of them are being eliminated.

The research also underscores the potential for developing a vaccine to combat the saliva-transmitted Epstein-Barr virus, which may help avert various autoimmune diseases. “Such a vaccine could be pivotal in preventing EBV infections and thereby lupus in the future,” Professor Robinson states, though he notes it would not mitigate symptoms for individuals already infected with EBV, as B cell reprogramming appears to occur shortly after infection.

Tsokos believes the broad adoption of the EBV vaccine will hinge on weighing its costs against benefits and side effects. He notes that preventing a single case of lupus might necessitate vaccinating over 1,000 individuals.

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Researchers Examine Neanderthal DNA to Gain Insights into Human Facial Development and Evolution

Posted on November 12, 2025 by

Research led by scientist Hannah Long at the University of Edinburgh has found that specific regions of Neanderthal DNA are more effective at activating genes responsible for jaw development than those in humans, potentially explaining why Neanderthals had larger lower jaws.

Neanderthal. Image credit: Natural History Museum Trustees.

“With the Neanderthal genome being 99.7% identical to that of modern humans, the variations between species are likely to account for differences in appearance,” Dr. Hanna stated.

“Both human and Neanderthal genomes consist of roughly 3 billion characters that code for proteins and regulate gene expression in cells. Identifying the regions that influence appearance is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.”

Dr. Long and her team had a targeted approach, focusing on a genomic area linked to the Pierre Robin sequence, a condition marked by an unusually small mandible.

“Individuals with the Pierre Robin sequence often have significant deletions or rearrangements in this portion of the genome that affect facial development and restrict jaw formation,” Dr. Hanna explained.

“We hypothesized that minor differences in DNA could produce more nuanced effects on facial structure.”

Upon comparing human and Neanderthal genomes, researchers discovered that in this segment, approximately 3,000 letters long, there are only three one-letter variations between the species.

This DNA region doesn’t code for genes but regulates when and how certain genes, particularly SOX9, which plays a crucial role in facial development, are activated.

To confirm that these Neanderthal-specific differences were significant for facial development, scientists needed to demonstrate that the Neanderthal version could activate genes in the appropriate cells at the right developmental stage.

They introduced both Neanderthal and human versions of this region into zebrafish DNA and programmed the cells to emit different colors of fluorescent protein based on the activation of either region.

By monitoring zebrafish embryo development, researchers observed that cells responsible for forming the lower jaw were active in both human and Neanderthal regions, with the Neanderthal regions showing greater activity.

“It was thrilling when we first noticed the activity of specific cell populations in the developing zebrafish face, particularly near the forming jaw, and even more exhilarating to see how Neanderthal-specific variations could influence activity during development,” said Dr. Long.

“This led us to contemplate the implications of these differences and explore them through experimental means.”

Recognizing that Neanderthal sequences were more effective at activating genes, the authors questioned whether this would lead to enhanced target activity affecting the shape and function of the adult jaw, mediated by SOX9.

To validate this idea, they augmented zebrafish embryos with additional samples of SOX9 and discovered that cells involved in jaw formation occupied a larger area.

“Our lab aims to further investigate the effects of genetic differences using methods that simulate various aspects of facial development,” Dr. Long remarked.

“We aspire to deepen our understanding of genetic variations in individuals with facial disorders and improve diagnostic processes.”

“This study demonstrates how examining extinct species can enhance our knowledge of how our own DNA contributes to facial diversity, development, and evolution.”

The findings are published in the journal Development.

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Kirsty Utley et al. 2025: Neanderthal-derived variants enhance SOX9 enhancer activity in craniofacial progenitor cells, influencing jaw development. Development 152 (21): dev204779; doi: 10.1242/dev.204779

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers Explore Neanderthal DNA to Uncover Insights into Human Facial Development and Evolution

Posted on November 12, 2025 by

Scientist Hannah Long and her team at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that specific regions of Neanderthal DNA are more effective at activating genes related to jaw formation compared to human DNA, which might explain why Neanderthals had larger lower jaws.

Neanderthal. Image credit: Natural History Museum Trustees.

“The Neanderthal genome shows a 99.7% similarity to the human genome, suggesting that the differences between the species contribute to variations in appearance,” explained Dr. Hanna.

“Both the human and Neanderthal genomes comprise around 3 billion characters that code for proteins and regulate gene usage in cells. Therefore, pinpointing regions that affect appearance is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.”

Dr. Long and her collaborators had a targeted hypothesis regarding where to initiate their search. They focused on a genomic area linked to the Pierre Robin sequence, a condition characterized by a notably small jaw.

“Some individuals with Pierre Robin sequence exhibit significant deletions or rearrangements in this genomic region that disrupt facial development and impede jaw formation,” stated Dr. Hanna.

“We speculated that minor variations in DNA could subtly influence facial shape.”

Through the comparison of human and Neanderthal genomes, researchers identified that in a segment approximately 3,000 letters long, there are just three one-letter differences between the two species.

This DNA segment lacks any specific genes but regulates the timing and manner in which genes, particularly SOX9, a crucial factor in facial development processes, are activated.

To demonstrate the significance of these Neanderthal-specific differences for facial development, researchers needed to confirm that the Neanderthal region could activate genes in the correct cells at the appropriate developmental stage.

They introduced both Neanderthal and human variants of this region into zebrafish DNA concurrently and programmed the cells to emit different colors of fluorescent protein based on whether the human or Neanderthal region was active.

By monitoring zebrafish embryo development, researchers observed that the cells crucial for lower jaw formation were active in both regions, with the Neanderthal regions showing greater activity than those of humans.

“We were thrilled when we first detected the activity in a specific group of cells within the developing zebrafish face, near the jaw, and even more so when we realized that Neanderthal-specific differences could modify this activity during development,” Dr. Long noted.

“This led us to ponder the potential implications of these differences and how we may explore them experimentally.”

Recognizing that Neanderthal sequences were more adept at activating genes, the authors inquired whether this would correlate with heightened activity in target cells, influencing the shape and function of the adult jaw as governed by SOX9.

To test this hypothesis, they administered additional samples to zebrafish embryos. They found that the cells involved in jaw formation occupied a larger area.

“In our lab, we aim to investigate the effects of additional DNA sequence differences using methods that replicate aspects of facial development,” Dr. Long said.

“We aspire to enhance our understanding of sequence alterations in individuals with facial disorders and assist with diagnostic efforts.”

“This research illustrates that by examining extinct species, we can gain insights into how our own DNA contributes to facial variation, development, and evolution.”

Findings are detailed in the journal Development here.

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Kirsty Utley et al. 2025: Variants derived from Neanderthals enhance SOX9 enhancer activity in craniofacial progenitor cells that shape jaw development. Development 152 (21): dev204779; doi: 10.1242/dev.204779

Source: www.sci.news

Younger Game Development Stars Feel Like ‘Props’ at the ‘Oscars of Games’

Posted on November 11, 2025 by

Video Games have faced ongoing challenges with diversity and inclusion, making it unsurprising when Game Awards host and producer Geoff Keighley unveiled the Future Class program in 2020. The initiative aimed to spotlight individuals in gaming as part of a “bright, bold, and inclusive future” for the industry.

Considering the vast audience of the annual Keighley-led show, which garnered around 154 million livestream views last year, Future Class appeared to be a sincere attempt at fostering change. Hall of Fame inductees were invited to the prestigious December ceremony, often referred to as the “Oscars of Gaming,” and featured prominently on the official Game Awards website, with promises of networking and career development. However, reports indicate that the program faced difficulties from the outset, with support waning in recent years. It now appears that the Game Awards Future Class may have been entirely abandoned.

This marks the second consecutive year without any new Future Class members being announced. Typically, the program sees 50 inductees from various sectors of the gaming world, including writing, development, journalism, and community management. According to a report by a game developer, organizer Emily Weir stated, “We’re not planning a new Future Class.” [2025] There are currently no active plans for Future Classes.

Former Future Class inductees express that this outcome follows years of advocacy to enhance the program. As the video game industry navigates a cultural clash surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives (DEI), some Future Class members feel they were leveraged for positive portrayals and then abandoned when DEI initiatives lost momentum.

The 2024 Game Awards Ceremony. Photo: Frank Micelotta/Picturegroup/Shutterstock

“We were essentially props,” game producer Deanna Lora, who joined the inaugural Future Class in 2020, recounted during a video call. “At the Game Awards, most people had come from far away due to the costs, and I felt sidelined. I later learned that Casely was hosting a party in another room with influencers and industry leaders. Do you know where the Future Class gathered that day? At Starbucks.”

“No one from the official leadership attended until the meet and greet was nearly over,” said Future Class member and Retcon Games creative director Jess Negron, reflecting on the Starbucks gathering. “We felt quite let down.”

At the 2021 ceremony, Lora, community manager Natalie Czech, podcast host Kalief Adams, and other Future Class members found themselves seated behind a camera riser, effectively blocking their view of the event.

Future Class inductees receive program benefits for a year, including tickets to the Game Awards (alumni were offered discounts on ticket purchases) and access to career advancement opportunities. Many noted that the early-career-focused event primarily featured discussions with notable industry figures like former Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aimé and Xbox head Phil Spencer, rather than a comprehensive mentorship program.

“It felt like Keighley gathered some friends for a Zoom call,” Lora remarked. “While those conversations were thrilling, that was pretty much the extent of it.”

Lora was among several Future Class members who urged Keighley and Weir to enhance the program.

Writer Emma Kidwell at the 2022 Game Awards. Photo: Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup for The Game Awards/Shutterstock

“They had everything the 2023 class received: a Future Class mixer;” commented Emma Kidwell, a writer who joined in 2023, about past inductees. “All the benefits we’ve gained are due to our previous classmates. They arranged for hotel stays and covered our flights… Everything we’ve received is thanks to our former peers.”

However, 2023 also saw a significant conflict between Future Class and Casely, which members believe may have hastened the program’s decline. In November, over 70 Future Class members signed an open letter advocating for a statement supporting Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire, given the heightened media focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The letter requested this statement be read at a December ceremony. Despite receiving media attention, the letter shared on the Future Class Discord, which both Keighley and Weir are part of, was ignored.

Shortly after, several Future Class members presented a virtual address to Keighley and Weir, acknowledging the program’s significance but voicing concerns about its “goals, structure, and sustainability.” They provided suggestions for enhancing both the program and the awards ceremony, such as incorporating more female presenters, improving accessibility, and recognizing recent mass layoffs in the industry. Younes Rabi, a Hall of Fame inductee from 2022, reported that Keighley appeared visibly frustrated during the discussion, while another member described him as “furious.”

Keighley and Weir did not respond to requests for comments.

All interviewed Future Class members expressed various levels of dissatisfaction with the program’s abrupt conclusion. Accessibility consultant Steve Thaler lamented, “It’s unfortunate that it was part of something meaningful with great individuals and was left in limbo.” He continued, “I’m not angry; I’m just disappointed.” Many speculated that the program’s disbandment was a result of inductees advocating for a superior Future Class. “You have influence, you can drive changes,” Lora highlighted. “However, since we challenged the status quo, it seems the sentiment became, ‘This is too challenging; it would be better to keep the peace.’” Czech added, “Due to our advocacy for ourselves—given that we were inducted—we faced repercussions for pushing for the same changes the organization publicly commended us for.”

Geoff Keighley is also the host of the annual Summer Game Fest showcase. Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup/Shutterstock

Several members pondered whether sponsorships linked to the program (a video introducing the 2023 Hall of Fame inductees was sponsored by Old Spice) meant they were effectively being “tokenized” to boost revenue. (The cost of a one-minute trailer for Keighley’s 2024 Summer Games Showcase was reportedly $250,000, with sources estimating the Game Awards will incur even higher costs.) “They didn’t acknowledge us at the 2022 Game Awards, and while we’re not well-known, we certainly didn’t receive financial support, other than the sponsorship they supposedly secured under the Future Class name,” Negron said.

At one point, the Future Class page disappeared from the Game Awards site. This action eliminated any official record of members. “Not only did they cancel the program, but they also erased our means to claim the honor we were previously awarded,” Czech said.

“Marginalized voices need recognition because it brings them at least to the same starting point as others,” Kidwell pointed out. “Now, you can’t even list that on your resume,” Negron noted, questioning the rationale behind such decisions. “Don’t assemble the leading advocates in the industry, treat us poorly, and then expect us to remain silent.”

The decline of the Future Class serves as a poignant reminder that alliances lacking genuine support are often mere performative gestures. Yet, for some, not all hope is lost. Midnight Hour founder Elaine Gómez emphasized that the most valuable aspect was “the camaraderie and community fostered by uniting nearly 200 developers and creators from underrepresented backgrounds.” Meanwhile, the official Future Class Discord remains operational and even more vibrant than in the past year.

Lead Exposure Could Have Shaped Human Brain Evolution, Behavior, and Language Development

Posted on October 21, 2025 by

Several hominid species — Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, early homo varieties, Gigantopithecus brachy, Pongo, papio, homo neanderthalensis, and homo sapiens — have undergone significant lead exposure over two million years, as revealed by a new analysis of fossilized teeth collected from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. This finding challenges the notion that lead exposure is merely a contemporary issue.

Lead exposure affecting modern humans and their ancestors. Image credit: J. Gregory/Mount Sinai Health System.

Professor Renaud Joannes Boyau from Southern Cross University remarked: “Our findings indicate that lead exposure has been integral to human evolution, not just a byproduct of the industrial revolution.”

“This suggests that our ancestors’ brain development was influenced by toxic metals, potentially shaping their social dynamics and cognitive functions over millennia.”

The team analyzed 51 fossil samples globally utilizing a carefully validated laser ablation microspatial sampling technique, encompassing species like Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, early homo variants, Gigantopithecus brachy, Pongo, papio, homo neanderthalensis, and homo sapiens.

Signs of transient lead exposure were evident in 73% of the specimens analyzed (compared to 71% in humans). This included findings on Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and homo species.

Some of the earliest geological samples from Gigantopithecus brachy, believed to be around 1.8 million years old from the early Pleistocene and 1 million years old from the mid-Pleistocene, displayed recurrent lead exposure events interspersed with periods of little to no lead uptake.

To further explore the impact of ancient lead exposure on brain development, researchers also conducted laboratory studies.

Australopithecus africanus. Image credit: JM Salas / CC BY-SA 3.0.” width=”580″ height=”627″ srcset=”https://cdn.sci.news/images/2015/01/image_2428-Australopithecus-africanus.jpg 580w, https://cdn.sci.news/images/2015/01/image_2428-Australopithecus-africanus-277×300.jpg 277w” sizes=”(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px”/>

Australopithecus africanus. Image credit: JM Salas / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Using human brain organoids (miniature brain models grown in the lab), researchers examined the effects of lead on a crucial developmental gene named NOVA1, recognized for modulating gene expression during neurodevelopment in response to lead exposure.

The modern iteration of NOVA1 has undergone changes distinct from those seen in Neanderthals and other extinct hominins, with the reasons for this evolution remaining unclear until now.

In organoids with ancestral versions of NOVA1, exposure to lead significantly altered neural activity in relation to Fox P2 — a gene involved in the functionality of brain regions critical for language and speech development.

This effect was less pronounced in modern organoids with NOVA1 mutations.

“These findings indicate that our variant of NOVA1 might have conferred a protective advantage against the detrimental neurological effects of lead,” stated Alison Muotri, a professor at the University of California, San Diego.

“This exemplifies how environmental pressures, such as lead toxicity, can drive genetic evolution, enhancing our capacity for survival and verbal communication while also affecting our susceptibility to contemporary lead exposure.”

Gigantopithecus blackii inhabiting the forests of southern China. Image credit: Garcia / Joannes-Boyau, Southern Cross University.” width=”580″ height=”375″ srcset=”https://cdn.sci.news/images/2024/01/image_12599-Gigantopithecus-blacki.jpg 580w, https://cdn.sci.news/images/2024/01/image_12599-Gigantopithecus-blacki-300×194.jpg 300w, https://cdn.sci.news/images/2024/01/image_12599-Gigantopithecus-blacki-84×55.jpg 84w” sizes=”(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px”/>

An artistic rendition of a Gigantopithecus brachy herd in the forests of southern China. Image credit: Garcia / Joannes-Boyau, Southern Cross University.

Genetic and proteomic analyses in this study revealed that lead exposure in archaic variant organoids disrupts pathways vital for neurodevelopment, social behavior, and communication.

Alterations in Fox P2 activity indicate a possible correlation between ancient lead exposure and the advanced language abilities found in modern humans.

“This research highlights the role environmental exposures have played in human evolution,” stated Professor Manish Arora from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“The insight that exposure to toxic substances may conjure survival advantages in the context of interspecific competition introduces a fresh perspective in environmental medicine, prompting investigations into the evolutionary origins of disorders linked to such exposures.”

For more information, refer to the study published in the journal Science Advances.

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Renaud Joannes Boyau et al. 2025. Effects of intermittent lead exposure on hominid brain evolution. Science Advances 11(42); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr1524

Source: www.sci.news

Maternal Voice Enhances Language Development in Premature Infants

Posted on October 14, 2025 by

Premature babies may face language challenges later, but simple interventions can assist.

BSIP SA/Alamy

The first randomized controlled trial of this straightforward intervention suggests that playing recordings of a mother’s voice to premature infants could expedite their brain maturation processes. This method may eventually enhance language development in babies born prematurely.

Premature birth alters brain structure, leading to potential language disorders and affecting later communication and academic success. A mother’s voice and heartbeat can foster the development of auditory and language pathways. Unfortunately, parents may not always be able to physically be with their infants in the neonatal units.

To explore whether this absence could be compensated for through recordings, Katherine Travis and her team at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York conducted a study with 46 premature infants born between 24 and 31 weeks gestation, all situated in the neonatal intensive care unit.

We recorded mothers reading from children’s books, including selections from A Bear Named Paddington. Half of the infants listened to a ten-minute audio segment twice every hour overnight between 10 PM and 6 AM, increasing their daily exposure to their mother’s voice by an average of 2.7 hours until they reached their original due date. The other infants received similar medical care but were not exposed to recordings.

Upon reaching their due date, these infants underwent two MRI scans to evaluate the organization and connectivity of their brain networks. The results indicated that those who heard their mother’s voice at night exhibited more robust and organized connections in and around the left arcuate fasciculus, a crucial area for language processing. “The structure appeared notably more developed,” said Travis. “The characteristics matched what one might expect to find in older, more mature infants.”

The scans also suggested that this maturation could be linked to increased myelination— the creation of a fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers, enhancing the speed and efficiency of signal transmission within the brain. “Myelination is crucial for healthy brain development, especially in pathways that support communication and learning,” noted Travis.

Previous studies have indicated that delayed development of these brain areas correlates with language delays and learning challenges. The latest findings imply that targeted speech exposure could improve these outcomes.

However, is it truly vital for infants to hear their mother’s voice rather than others? While this study did not address that, earlier research explains the phenomenon. Babies start hearing around the 24th week of pregnancy, and continue to recognize their mother’s voice after birth due to early exposure in the womb. Travis explained, “This voice is biologically significant and may be especially appealing to the developing brain.”

Nonetheless, Travis emphasizes that language exposure from other caregivers is also critical for language development, and future studies will explore this aspect further.

The intervention is straightforward and can easily be integrated into care protocols. However, David Edwards from Evelina London Children’s Hospital cautioned against overinterpreting the findings. “Given the small sample size, additional control groups, including different audio sources and forms of auditory stimulation, should be evaluated,” he suggested.

Travis and her research team aim to validate these results in larger trials involving medically vulnerable infants. They will continue to monitor current participants to determine if the observed brain differences result in tangible improvements in language and communication skills as these infants grow.

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Baby’s Brain Development May Affect Their Slow Adaptation to Mites Compared to Adults

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The infant’s brain functions at a distinct rhythm compared to that of adults

Goodles/Aramie

When infants attempt to comprehend their surroundings, their brain activity reveals slower rhythms compared to adults, aiding them in grasping new concepts.

Our brains utilize a network of neurons to interpret sensory input. When a neuron receives a sufficiently strong signal from its neighbor, it transmits that signal to other neurons, generating synchronized waves of electrical activity that alternate between activated and silent states.

These brain waves manifest at various frequencies. A specific brain area may show a greater proportion of neurons synchronized to one frequency over others if it exhibits a range of frequencies simultaneously. For instance, prior research indicates that the adult visual cortex displays a diverse range of frequencies when individuals are observing stimuli, but in higher proportions, more neurons synchronize with the waves at a frequency of 10 hertz.

To determine if the same holds true for infants, Moritz Kester from the University of Regensburg in Germany along with his colleagues enlisted 42 eight-month-olds via their parents. The researchers recorded the infants’ brain activity with electrodes affixed to the scalp, exposing them to dozens of friendly cartoon monsters for about 15 minutes, each monster flashing for two seconds.

The team relied on the fact that brain waves tend to oscillate in sync with rapidly flickering images, enabling them to assess the number of neurons synchronized to various frequencies within the infants’ visual cortex. Each monster was toggled on and off at eight different frequencies ranging from 2 to 30 hertz.

Analysis of the brain activity data revealed that the visual cortex produces waves of synchronized activity in response to the flickering cartoons. However, the most prominent signals emerged at four hertz, indicating greater synchronization with this flicker frequency than with others.

Moreover, this 4-hertz signal was consistently present even when the brain was exposed to flickering at higher frequencies, such as 15 hertz. “What’s particularly intriguing is that regardless of the different frequencies presented, a response at 4 hertz was always observed,” comments Kester.

This rhythm falls within a frequency band known as theta, which is associated with the formation of new concepts, potentially facilitating learning for young children as they observe their environment. “It suggests that infants are in a specific learning mode,” Kester explains.

Researchers supporting this theory further discovered that there were no 4-hertz EEG signals in the visual cortex, nor EEG signals at other frequencies, suggesting a broader neural circuit involvement in other brain areas related to concept formation.

Repeating the experiment with seven adults confirmed prior findings that visual brain circuits are predominantly activated by the 10 hertz frequency, which was also found to persist in the background despite varying speeds of the cartoon flickering.

Given adults’ extensive experiences, it appears that the visual sections of their brains are fine-tuned to respond to more frequent stimuli. They block irrelevant information and concentrate on acquiring conceptual knowledge, states Kester.

Further research is necessary to establish whether exposure to 4 hertz flickering images can enhance infants’ capacity to learn new concepts, according to Emily Jones at Birkbeck, University of London. The team is hopeful to gain further insights in an ongoing study, Kester added.

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Transforming Education: Educators Explore AI’s Role in University Skills Development

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently shared on a US podcast that if he were graduating today, “I would feel like the luckiest child in history.”

Altman, who launched ChatGPT in November 2022, is convinced that the transformative power of AI will create unparalleled opportunities for the younger generation.

While there are shifts in the job market, Altman notes, “this is a common occurrence.” He adds, “Young people are great at adapting.” Exciting new jobs are increasingly emerging, offering greater possibilities.

For sixth-form students in the UK and their families contemplating university decisions—what to study and where—Altman’s insights may provide reassurance amidst the choices they face in the age of generative AI. However, in this rapidly evolving landscape, experts emphasize the importance of equipping students to maximize their university experiences and be well-prepared for future employment.

Dr. Andrew Rogoiski from the People-Centered Institute of AI at Surrey University points out that many students are already navigating the AI landscape. “The pace of change is significant, often outpacing academic institutions. Typically, academic institutions move slowly and cautiously, ensuring fair access.”

“In a very short time, we’ve accelerated from zero to 100. Naturally, the workforce is adapting as well.”

What advice does he have for future students? “Inquire. Ask questions. There are diverse career paths available. Make sure your university is keeping up with these changes.”

Students not yet familiar with AI should invest time in learning about it and integrating it into their studies, regardless of their chosen field. Rogoiski asserts that proficiency with AI tools has become as essential as literacy: “It’s critical to understand what AI can and can’t do,” and “being resourceful and adaptable is key.”

He continues:

“Then, I begin to assess how the university is addressing AI integration. Are my course and the university as a whole effectively utilizing AI?”

While there’s a wealth of information available online, Rogoiski advises students to engage with universities directly, asking academics, “What is your strategy? What is your stance? Are you preparing graduates for a sustainable future?”

Dan Hawes, co-founder of an expert recruitment consultancy, expresses optimism for the future of UK graduates, asserting that the current job market slowdown is more influenced by economic factors than AI. “Predicting available jobs three or four years from now is challenging, but I believe graduates will be highly sought after,” he states. “This is a generation that has grown up with AI, meaning employers will likely be excited to bring this new talent into their organizations.”

“Thus, when determining study options for sixth-form students, parents should consider the employment prospects connected to specific universities.”

For instance, degrees in mathematics are consistently in high demand among his clients, a trend unlikely to shift soon. “AI will not diminish the skills and knowledge gained from a mathematics degree,” he asserts.

He acknowledges that AI poses challenges for students considering higher education alongside their parents. “Yet I believe it will ultimately be beneficial, making jobs more interesting, reshaping roles, and creating new ones.”

Elena Simperl, a computer science professor at King’s College London, co-directs the King’s Institute of Artificial Intelligence and advises students to explore AI offerings across all university departments. “AI is transforming our processes. It’s not just about how we write emails, read documents, or find information,” she notes.

Students should contemplate how to shape their careers in AI. “DeepMind suggests AI could serve as co-scientists, meaning fully automated AI labs will conduct research. Therefore, universities must train students to maximize these technologies,” she remarks. “It doesn’t matter what they wish to study; they should choose universities that offer extensive AI expertise, extending beyond just computer science.”

Professor Simperl observes that evidence suggests no jobs will vanish completely. “We need to stop focusing on which roles AI may eliminate and consider how it can enhance various tasks. Those skilled in using AI will possess a significant advantage.”

In this new AI-driven landscape, is a degree in English literature or history still valuable? “Absolutely, provided it is taught well,” asserts Rogoiski. “Such studies should impart skills that endure throughout one’s lifetime—appreciation of literature, effective writing, critical thinking, and communication are invaluable abilities.”

“The application of that degree will undoubtedly evolve, but if taught effectively, the lessons learned will resonate throughout one’s life. If nothing else, our AI overlords may take over most work, allowing us more leisure time to read, while relying on universal basic income.”

Ethiopia’s Electric Vehicle Revolution: Leading the Charge in Global Development

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

When Architect Hen Degareg Bekele, in his early 30s, purchased a Volkswagen electric vehicle this year, he felt a degree of skepticism. His hometown, Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, faced not only frequent blackouts but also doubts regarding the vehicle’s quality.

Four months later, Degareg is pleased with his choice. He no longer has to endure long waits at gas stations due to the chronic fuel shortages in Ethiopia.

“Even if I arrive early in the morning, I still have to wait two to three hours. Often, they run out of gas before my turn comes,” he explains. “Owning an EV saves time. I have no regrets.”

Architect Deghareg Bekele at an EV charging station in Addis Ababa. Photo: Fred Harter

Until recently, electric vehicles were nearly unheard of in Ethiopia. However, last year, it became the first nation to prohibit the import of combustion engine vehicles. Today, EVs can be seen frequently in the capital, with China’s BYD being the most prevalent brand. Despite its recent rise to become the world’s largest EV manufacturer, Western brands remain popular.

According to the Ministry of Transport, out of the country’s total of 1.5 million vehicles, around 115,000 are electric. The goal is to boost this number to 500,000 by 2030.

Ethiopia leans towards a shift to EVs, despite challenges. Close to half of the 126 million population lacks access to electricity, and only 20% have access at least 23 hours a day, with only a third connected to the grid. Frequent power outages hinder many factories from running efficiently.

These shortages are attributed to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which was completed earlier this month after 14 years of construction. With a maximum capacity of 5,150 megawatts, it aims to double Ethiopia’s current power generation, which is predominantly hydroelectric.

However, challenges persist, including the substantial costs involved in expanding electricity access to rural areas.

“Renewable energy has significant potential,” emphasizes Transport Minister Valeo Hassen, noting that the ban on fossil fuel vehicles aligns with Ethiopia’s green policies aimed at reducing urban pollution during peak hours.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam located on the Blue Nile River in Guba, northwest Ethiopia. Photo: Anadolu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The primary motivation, however, is economic. Ethiopia spends about $4.5 billion (£3.3 billion) annually on fuel imports, a considerable burden for a country struggling with foreign currency shortages and widespread poverty. “This is one of our main expenditures,” notes Bareo.

In contrast, the country’s hydroelectric production is notably cost-effective. This has allowed it to attract skeptical drivers in Addis Ababa, who have witnessed fuel prices more than double over the past three years.

Taxi driver Fire Tilahun reports his monthly fuel expenses were around 20,000 Ethiopian Birr (£105), while now, charging his EV costs less than 3,000 Birr.

“I won’t go back,” he declares while charging at a new station in Addis Ababa. “Occasionally, there are power outages, but we manage.”

To further support EV adoption, Ethiopia implemented tax exemptions. Despite being expensive, in a nation where doctors average £60 monthly, the BYD model is priced at around 2.2 million Birr (£11,000). Meanwhile, combustion engine vehicles have skyrocketed in price due to 200% import taxes prior to the ban, distorting the used car market.

Efforts to foster local manufacturing are underway, albeit at a small scale. One notable site is managed by the Belayneh Kinde Group, an industrial conglomerate situated on the western outskirts of Addis Ababa.

An electric vehicle being assembled at a factory on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Photo: Fred Harter

“We should not rely solely on imports,” Valeo states. “Our aim is to develop local production capacity to enhance skills and employment opportunities for our citizens.”

Yet, the sudden shift to EVs has been uneven. Drivers express concerns over insufficient preparation time. Currently, Ethiopia boasts just over 100 charging stations out of a target of 2,300, most of which are located in Addis Ababa. This limits road trips to rural areas that often experience more frequent blackouts, making it impractical for EVs beyond the capital.

Rema Wakugali recharging his electric vehicle, expressing the need for more charging stations. Photo: Fred Harter

At another charging station in Addis Ababa, Coffee Export Manager remarks that he is “genuinely satisfied” with his BYD, but wishes he could drive to Hawassa, a favored lakeside destination.

“They must construct more charging stations – it’s essential,” he insists. “There are too few in Addis. There are no electric vehicles operating outside the city. This car can travel 420km; what happens after that?”

Moreover, there are currently no plans to introduce electric versions of heavy trucks, which are vital for transporting most of Ethiopia’s imports from nearby Djibouti ports. As the fleet ages, the economic impact may be felt significantly.

The CEO of a prominent ride-hailing company in Addis Ababa reports that most of his drivers harbor doubts about the longevity of EV batteries and their resale value. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful that after his personal experience with an EV, the infrastructure will evolve to meet the growing demand.

“Initially, we believed this policy would fail due to inadequacies in power infrastructure, frequent blackouts, and a scarcity of charging stations,” he reflects.

“But now, I am cautiously optimistic.”

Deceived and Defeated: The Struggles of African Job Seekers Exploited by Asian Cyber Scammers

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

WAfter arriving in Bangkok from Nairobi last December, Duncan Okindo sensed something was amiss as he began his job as a customer service agent. The 26-year-old had previously sold cattle, borrowed funds from a friend, and used his savings to pay the recruitment agency 200,000 Kenyan Shillings (£1,150).

“I thought it was a positive step to leave [the country] and seek opportunities to support my family,” Okindo recalls.

Unfortunately, when a van collected Okindo and six other Kenyans at the airport, the driver took their passports and falsely informed Thai officials that they were tourists. After several hours of travel, they were taken to a boat to cross a river, confused and exhausted.

They were then taken to Myanmar. Walled compounds guarded by rebel militias awaited them.

For the next three months, he was forced to send thousands of messages from fake social media accounts, posing as a wealthy American investor to defraud U.S. real estate agents through cryptocurrency scams.

When he failed to hit his daily targets, he faced beatings, confinement in a freezing room, and sometimes went without food for up to two days. He prayed for the safety of others who suffered at the hands of the Chinese gangsters operating the center, wishing they could avoid the electrocution and sexual torture he witnessed.

“It was hell on Earth,” says Okindo. “I felt completely shattered.”

Eventually, he was released from Myanmar’s KK Park, a compound reflecting the rising number of Kenyans, Ugandans, and Ethiopians trafficked to Southeast Asia as criminal organizations look to expand the East African labor pool.

KK Park is a rapidly growing fraud center located in Myawadi, along Myanmar’s border with Thailand. Photo: Jittrapon Kaicome/The Guardian

Since the 2021 coup in Myanmar, there’s been a surge in cyber slavery compounds, taking advantage of the country’s weakened governance and fostering illegal activities. The number of such centers along the Thai border has escalated from 11 to 26 in just four years.

The United Nations estimates that at least 120,000 individuals are trapped in cyberscam compounds, and human trafficking experts and rescue organizations in Myanmar have noted that crackdowns have yielded minimal results. These centers are often run by Chinese criminal gangs, with some colluding with Myanmar’s military along the borders.

Map of the Myanmar-Thai border along the Moei River, showing locations of the fraud centre

Okindo considers himself fortunate. The mission to find and free trafficked individuals involves coordination among multiple governments, militias, and police forces. Thai officials have successfully promoted the release of thousands of trafficking victims, while East African governments are increasingly collaborating with Thai authorities willing to engage with Myanmar’s junta and militia forces at the border.

Victims can only be released into Thai custody if their home country agrees to take responsibility for their repatriation and the associated costs.

Since 2020, the Southeast Asian cyberslavery industry has ensnared hundreds of thousands, forcing individuals into what is colloquially termed “slaughtering the pigs,” a brutal way to build trust with scam targets before executing fraud. Initially aimed at Chinese and Taiwanese victims, the industry has expanded to Southeast Asians, Indians, and now, Africans.

“Sometimes I’m afraid to talk about it,” Okindo reflects. Photo: Provided by Duncan Okindo

The criminal syndicate is shifting focus to fraudulent victims in the U.S. and Europe, with China working to prevent citizens from becoming targets, an expert informed The Guardian.

This has led various human trafficking networks to search for recruits with English and technical skills, including East Africans. Estimates now suggest thousands are trapped in Southeast Asian compounds, according to Benedict Hoffman, a representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

As awareness grows among citizens in various countries, recruitment becomes increasingly challenging. “It’s much harder these days to enlist large numbers of individuals from India,” Hoffmann notes. “This is why we’re observing a rise in victims from Africa.”

Between January and April, the Kenyan government successfully repatriated 175 citizens from Myanmar; Roseline Njogu, the Director of the Diaspora Issues Department in Kenya’s State Department, noted that a substantial group of Kenyans, about 150 individuals trafficked from across Southeast Asia, was rescued between 2022 and 2024. This issue also extends to Ethiopia and Uganda.

In Kenya, approximately 80% of the population is under 35, and the unemployment rate is alarmingly high. The government under President William Ruto has actively promoted labor exports. Investigations indicate that four in ten young Kenyans are considering moving abroad.

Recruiters exploiting modern slavery are capitalizing on government migration promotion, targeting Kenya through online job advertisements, social media, texts, and in-person visits to rural areas, states Mutuk Nguri, CEO of the Counter Human Traffic Trust.

Chinese, Vietnamese, and Ethiopians rescued in Misawadi, Myanmar. They are recognized as victims of human trafficking at fraud centers. Photo: Thanaphon Wuttison/AP

The government acknowledges its precarious position, according to Nguri. The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Issues did not respond to requests for comments.

Thailand has aided thousands, but repatriation presents its own challenges and costs. Thai officials must establish that workers are indeed victims of human trafficking before releasing them to their home countries.

When Susan Wahura* was rescued from a Myanmar romance scam operation in 2022, she spent a month moving between four Thai detention centers before realizing she was trafficked and initiating legal steps to obtain freedom.

“I spent time in a solitary cell before accepting my status as a trafficking victim which ultimately led to my freedom,” shares 32-year-old Wahura.

Neither Uganda nor Ethiopia maintain embassies in Thailand, complicating their ability to identify victims in Myanmar, currently engulfed in civil conflict. Earlier this year, several Ugandans and Ethiopians found themselves stranded at the Myanmar-Thai border as repatriation efforts stalled.

Duncan Okindo has created a TikTok video detailing his trafficking experiences in Myanmar, aiming to raise awareness about predatory agencies and bogus job offers. Photo: Carlos Mureithi/The Guardian

The fraud syndicate is exploiting vulnerabilities in East Africa’s diplomatic representation to deter victims from seeking help, asserts Jason Tower, a global initiative against transnational organized crime.

“Ultimately, that’s the objective of the scam syndicate—to transform individuals into profit-generating machines, acting as high-capacity con artists,” states Tower.

Nevertheless, despite repatriation efforts by East African nations, deceptive recruitment agencies keep advertising fake job opportunities. Both Okindo and Wahura continue to share guardian messages with Kenyans contemplating moves to Southeast Asia.

In May, Okindo, who holds a mass communication diploma, filed a lawsuit against the recruitment agency and its staff, accusing them of conscription into slavery and human trafficking. A Nairobi court has issued a temporary injunction preventing the overseas employment of labor.

Since his return, Okindo has spoken publicly about his experiences through television, TikTok, and other social media outlets, connecting stranded victims with legal support, aid organizations, and ambassadors for their recovery.

His aim is to raise awareness about malicious institutions and false job opportunities while encouraging victims to seek justice.

“I’ve enlightened many individuals,” he asserts. “Though I sometimes feel scared discussing it, I share my story, knowing that speaking out could help save others.”

*Name changed to protect identity

China’s Cyber Abuse Scandal: Is the Government Taking Action Against Online Exploitation of Women?

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

wHeng Min* discovered a concealed camera in her bedroom, initially hoping for a benign explanation, suspecting her boyfriend might have set it up to capture memories of their “happy life” together. However, that hope quickly morphed into fear as she realized her boyfriend had been secretly taking sexually exploitative photos of her and her female friends, as well as other women in various locations. They even used AI technology to create pornographic images of them.

When Ming confronted him, he begged for forgiveness but became angered when she refused to reconcile. I said to a Chinese news outlet, Jimu News.

Ming is not alone; many women in China have fallen victim to voyeuristic filming in both private and public spaces, including restrooms. Such images are often shared or sold online without consent. Sexually explicit photos, frequently captured via pinhole cameras hidden in everyday objects, are disseminated in large online groups.

This scandal has stirred unrest in China, raising concerns about the government’s capability and willingness to address such misconduct.

A notable group on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, is the “Maskpark Tree Hole Forum,” which reportedly boasted over 100,000 members, mostly male.

“The Mask Park incident highlights the extreme vulnerability of Chinese women in the digital realm,” stated Li Maizi, a prominent Chinese feminist based in New York, to the Guardian.

“What’s more disturbing is the frequency of perpetrators who are known to their victims: committing sexual violence against partners, boyfriends, and even minors.”

The scandal ignited outrage on Chinese social media, stirring discussions about the difficulties of combating online harassment in the nation. While Chinese regulators are equipped to impose stricter measures against online sexual harassment and abuse, their current focus appears to prioritize suppressing politically sensitive information, according to Eric Liu, a former content moderator for Chinese social media platforms and present editor of the Digital Times based in the US.

Since the scandal emerged, Li has observed “widespread” censorship concerning the Mask Park incident on Chinese internet. Posts with potential social impact, especially those related to feminism, are frequently subject to censorship.

“If the Chinese government had the will, they could undoubtedly shut down the group,” Li noted. “The scale of [MaskPark] is significant. Cases of this magnitude have not gone unchecked in recent years.”

Nevertheless, Li expressed that he is not surprised. “Such content has always existed on the Chinese internet.”

In China, individuals found guilty of disseminating pornographic material can face up to two years in prison, while those who capture images without consent may be detained for up to ten days and fined. The country also has laws designed to protect against sexual harassment, domestic violence, and cyberbullying.

However, advocates argue that the existing legal framework falls short. Victims often find themselves needing to gather evidence to substantiate their claims, as explained by Xirui*, a Beijing-based lawyer specializing in gender-based violence cases.

“Certain elements must be met for an action to be classified as a crime, such as a specific number of clicks and subjective intent,” Xirui elaborated.

“Additionally, there’s a limitation on public safety lawsuits where the statute of limitations is only six months, after which the police typically will not pursue the case.”

The Guardian contacted China’s Foreign Ministry for a statement.

Beyond legal constraints, victims of sexual offenses often grapple with shame, which hinders many from coming forward.

“There have been similar cases where landlords set up cameras to spy on female tenants. Typically, these situations are treated as privacy violations, which may lead to controlled detention, while victims seek civil compensation,” explained Xirui.

To address these issues, the government could strengthen specialized laws, enhance gender-based training for law enforcement personnel, and encourage courts to provide guidance with examples of pertinent cases, as recommended by legal experts.

For Li, the recent occurrences reflect a pervasive tolerance for and lack of effective law enforcement regarding these issues in China. Instead of prioritizing the fight against sexist and abusive content online, authorities seem more focused on detaining female writers involved in homoerotic fiction and censoring victims of digital abuse.

“The rise of deepfake technology and the swift online distribution of poorly filmed content have rendered women’s bodies digitally accessible on an unparalleled scale,” stated Li. “However, if authorities truly wish to address these crimes, it is entirely feasible to track and prosecute them, provided they invest the necessary resources and hold the Chinese government accountable.”

*Name changed

Additional research by Lillian Yang and Jason Tang Lu

Smoking Avatars in Online Games: Big Tobacco’s Strategy to Reach Youth in the Metaverse

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

In the image, a group of friends is gathered at the bar, with smoke curling upwards from a cigarette in hand. Additional cigarettes are in open packets resting on the table between them. This is not a photo from before the ban, but rather one shared on social media from a Metaverse gathering.

Virtual online environments are emerging as a new frontier for marketing, as tobacco and alcohol promoters target the youth without facing any legislative repercussions.

A report presented at the World Conference on Tobacco Management in Dublin last month provided several examples. New technologies such as digital token launches and sponsorships from vaping companies in online games are being utilized to promote smoking and vaping.

This information is derived from a surveillance initiative known as Canary—acting like a canary in the coal mine. The project is managed by public health organizations around the globe.

The caption for this post reads, “I’m drinking coffee at Metaverse.” Has someone stolen the writer? Photo: Icperience.id Instagram via Instagram

“Cigarette companies are no longer waiting for regulations to catch up. They are proactively advancing while we’re still trying to comprehend what’s happening on social media, and they’re already operating in unregulated spaces like the Metaverse.” “They utilize NFTs [non-fungible tokens] and immersive events to attract young audiences to their offerings.”

In India, one tobacco company has launched an NFT symbolizing ownership of digital assets, celebrating its 93rd anniversary.

Canary monitors and analyzes tobacco marketing on various social media platforms and news sites in India, Indonesia, and Mexico, and has recently expanded to Brazil and China, covering alcohol and ultra-processed food marketing as well.

The Metaverse is not fully monitored. This 3D immersive internet allows interactions in digital environments using technologies like virtual reality headsets. However, references to activities happening there are captured through links and information shared on traditional social media platforms.

Researchers suggest that children are more susceptible to tobacco marketing in this new digital arena, given the age demographics—over half of the active Metaverse users are under 13 years old.

Social media companies possess extensive insights into how to boost engagement and attract users back for more, according to Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, CEO of Vital Strategies.

“When you combine this with the tobacco industry’s experience in hooking individuals, these two elements converge in a murky, unknown space.”

Mark Zuckerberg, a prominent proponent of the Metaverse, has stated that in the future, you’ll be able to do almost anything you can envision. This already encompasses virtual shopping and concerts.

However, Magsambol describes it as “a new battleground for all of us,” shifting towards entities pushing products that are detrimental to health.

“My daughter is usually quite reserved, but in [the gaming platform] Roblox, while battling zombies and ghosts, she morphs into an avatar resembling a blend of Alexander the Great, Bruce Lee, and John Wick. She becomes quite bloodthirsty,” she remarked.

“Our behaviors shift. Social norms evolve… the tobacco industry is highly aware of this, making it easier to subtly promote the idea that anything is possible.”

The Metaverse art encountered by the team in Indonesia was showcased on the Instagram account of music enthusiasts linked to Djarum, one of Indonesia’s largest tobacco firms. Another instance highlighted a group enjoying coffee searching for something lighter.

All of this contributes to an initiative aimed at “normalizing” smoking and vaping, according to Magsambol. “Such behaviors are enacted by your avatar, but do they seep into your real life?”

“Digital platforms are being leveraged to evade traditional advertising barriers and appeal to younger audiences,” she states. “This scenario reflects not merely a shift in marketing strategies, but a transformation in influence dynamics.”

Other researchers have presented instances where alcohol is marketed and sold in virtual stores.

Online marketing constitutes a global concern. At the same conference, 53% of Irish researchers reported having seen e-cigarette posts daily on social media.

Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) note that the increase in youth smoking in Ukraine can be partially attributed to Covid and the war pushing children “online,” exposing them to various forms of marketing.

In India, youth ambassador Agamloop Kaur is leading a campaign for children to stay cigarette-free, which includes social media marketing to educate school children about the risks associated with cigarettes and vaping. She has noticed vapes being marketed as “wellness” products.

“I believe it’s crucial to educate young individuals about recognizing ads, understanding their implications, and realizing that they might not even be visibly tied to the tobacco industry. [Content posted by] influencers hold significant sway, as they help build awareness. Digital natives, when engaged on social media, can discern what’s genuine and what’s not; recognizing these attractions as empty is vital, especially for younger audiences.”

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates strict regulations regarding tobacco advertising, promotions, and sponsorships. Last year, signatories acknowledged the necessity for action to focus on “digital marketing channels such as social media that amplify tobacco marketing exposure among adolescents and young individuals.”

A boy smokes a cigarette in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

Yet, there are no straightforward solutions, as Andrew Black from the framework’s secretariat points out.

“The difficulty in regulating the Internet isn’t inherently linked to cigarettes. Rather, it’s a tangible challenge for governments to devise ways to safeguard societal norms in a landscape where technological advancements have transcended borders.”

Nandita Murktla, who leads the Canary initiative, urges regulators to exercise caution:

Behind the Lens: Bending Back for Good Fortune in Global Development

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

gMy experience in Columbia and online rowing has shaped my artistic expression. My identity blossomed within a country rife with superficial, conservative values—where happiness coexists with violence, and where men pray to virgins while sometimes resorting to lethal actions against others.

The internet offered me a sanctuary, a place where I could explore who I wanted to be. As a sensitive young girl, it helped me discover my personality and interests, even as it distanced me from the tangible world, leaving me to ponder my existence and perspectives.

In 2023, after leaving home and embarking on my journey of self-discovery, I became enthralled by online self-help culture, particularly the pseudo-psychic phenomenon known as Hashtag Lucky Girl Syndrome. TikTok promised a new life of dreams through specific audio tracks, like “layer frequency,” gentle synths, and mystical elements such as Reverse Wispel’s Ayyams. Users claimed, “If you hear this, step into a new chapter. Expect your blessing within 24 hours.”

I longed to embody this lucky girl who could attain all her desires by meticulously following these rituals. While part of me engaged with it ironically, another segment of my being genuinely resonated with it.

This image embodies Lucky Girl Syndrome, a facet of my project born from deep online exploration. I aimed to engage with this obsession to distance myself. In my bedroom, I craft mood boards, adorning the walls with printed affirmations sourced online. Some resonate deeply, while others satirize the culture with humor: “I’m in my safe zone.” “I’m not clenching my chin right now.” “The angel is observing 333.” “I shine”; “Click to save.”

I noticed that these positive visuals often featured luminous orbs, symbolizing the feelings we aspire to embody. I aimed to construct a theatrical environment that could personify various interpretations of lucky girls. This includes Yogi’s version of a lucky girl who embraces retrospection for fortune.

The Lucky Girl Syndrome Project represents a hopeful critique of how girls like me find solace in our devices and personal spaces as gateways to health and self-improvement. Yet, it extends beyond that; I’m keenly interested in questioning the constructs surrounding female identity. Cosmetic surgery has become commonplace in a culture where beauty equates to worth, while Catholic morals continue to influence gender roles, family dynamics, and perceptions of sexuality.

Cyborg Tadpoles Illuminate the Start of Brain Development

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Immunofluorescence-stained tadpoles visualize internal anatomy, utilizing brain-tracking devices implanted as embryos.

Hao Sheng et al. 2025, Jia Liu Lab/Harvard SEAS

Do our brains really develop from practically anything, allowing us to generate complex thoughts, actions, and even reflections on ourselves? Recent experiments with tadpoles have integrated electron implants into brain precursors during early embryonic stages, potentially bringing us closer to answering this question.

Earlier efforts to investigate neurodevelopment relied on tools like functional magnetic resonance imaging and rigid electrode wires. Unfortunately, the imaging resolution was often too low to be effective, while the rigid wires caused significant damage to the brain, yielding little more than a snapshot of specific developmental moments.

Researchers, including Jia Liu from Harvard University, discovered a material (a type of perfluropolymer) closely resembling brain tissue. They employed this to create a flexible, elastic mesh encasing an ultra-thin conductor, which was placed onto the neural plate—a flat structure that serves as the precursor to the brain—in the embryos of the African clawed frog (Axenopath Ravis).

As the neural plates folded and expanded, these ribbon-like meshes were enveloped by the developing brain, maintaining functionality amidst stretching and bending in the tissue. When the researchers sought to measure signals from the brain, they connected the meshes to computers to visualize neural activity.

The implants did not harm the brain nor provoke an immune reaction, and the tadpole embryos developed as anticipated. In fact, at least one grew into a normal frog, according to Liu.

“It’s incredible to integrate all these materials and ensure everything operates seamlessly,” said Christopher Bettinger from Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania. “This tool has the potential to significantly advance basic neuroscience by enabling biologists to observe neural activity throughout development.”

The team derived two key insights from their experiments. First, the patterns of neural activity shifted as tissue differentiated into specialized structures, resulting in distinct functions. Liu noted that tracking an organism’s self-organization to a computer was previously deemed impossible.

The second area of focus was how brain activity in animals changes following amputation. Traditionally, it was believed that electrical activity would revert to its original developmental state. The research team confirmed this by utilizing implants in experiments with Axolotls.

Liu’s team is now broadening their research to include rodents. Unlike amphibians, rodent development occurs within the uterus, making the implantation of meshes more challenging. It requires in vitro fertilization and more intricate signaling measurement techniques compared to simply wiring the mesh to computers. Nonetheless, Liu is optimistic that the insights gained from observing early stages of conditions like autism and schizophrenia will justify the complexities involved.

Bettinger mentioned that similar devices could also be applied to monitor neuromuscular regeneration following injuries and during rehabilitation. “Overall, this highlights the remarkable potential of highly compliant electronic applications,” he stated.

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Former OpenAI Board Member: US Targets Science and Research While Criticizing ‘Big Gifts’ to China in AI Development

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The former OpenAI board member, Helen Toner, commented that the US administration’s focus on academic research and its approach to international students is “a tremendous gift” to China in the competition surrounding artificial intelligence.

Toner, who serves as the Strategic Director of Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), joined OpenAI’s board in 2021 following a career dedicated to analyzing AI and the dynamics between the US and China.

At 33 years old, Toner—an alumna of the University of Melbourne—was part of the board for two years until she left alongside founder Sam Altman in 2023. There were concerns regarding Altman’s communication consistency and the board’s confidence in his leadership.

In the following tumultuous month, Altman was initially dismissed and then reinstated, while three board members, including Toner, were sidelined. Their situation has become the subject of an upcoming film, and along with the film’s director Luca Guadagnino, they have reportedly met in person.

According to Time Magazine, Toner was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential figures in AI for 2024, a testament to her advocacy for AI regulation by policymakers worldwide.

At CSET, Toner leads a team of 60 researchers focusing on AI applications for white papers aimed at briefing policymakers, particularly in military, labor, biosecurity, and cybersecurity contexts.

“My primary focus is on the intersections of AI, safety and security issues, the Chinese AI landscape, and what is termed frontier AI,” explained Toner.

Toner expressed concern that the US may fall behind China in the AI race. Although US export controls on chips complicate China’s access to competitive computing power, the country is making substantial strides in AI, illustrated by the surprising success of its generative AI model, Deepseek, earlier this year.

Toner criticized the Trump administration’s research cuts and international student bans as being “gifts” to China in the AI competition with the US.

“It’s undeniably a significant gift for China. The current US approach to attacking scientific research and the talents of foreigners—a considerable part of the US workforce comprises immigrants, many from China—is a boon for them in this contest,” she remarked.

The AI boom has raised alarms about job security, with concerns that AI may replace many human jobs. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, which developed the generative AI model Claude, recently stated that AI could eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs, potentially leading to a 20% unemployment rate over the next five years.

Though Toner acknowledged Amodei’s predictions, she noted, “While I often find his assertions directionally correct, they tend to sound overly aggressive in timelines and figures,” but she agreed that disruptions in the job market are already occurring.

“The current capabilities of [language model-based AI] are best suited for small, manageable tasks rather than long-term projects that require human oversight,” she advised.

Experts suggest that organizations heavily invested in AI are feeling pressure to demonstrate returns on their investments. Toner remarked that while practical applications of AI can yield considerable value, it remains unclear which business models or players will successfully unlock that value.

The integration of AI services could range from enhancing existing applications, such as a phone keyboard that transcribes voices, to standalone chatbots, but she remarked that it’s still uncertain what role AI will ultimately play.

Toner noted that the push for profitability presents risks that could overshadow the advancement race in AI.

“This reflects how companies are weighed down by the need to balance between rapid product releases and the thorough testing needed to implement additional safety measures that could also complicate user experience,” she elaborated.

“Such companies must make these trade-offs while feeling the pressure to accelerate as much as possible.”

Toner voiced her concerns regarding the concept of a “progressive power” of AI, which suggests gradual integration of AI systems into various societal and governmental facets; acknowledging it may be too late to reevaluate this path.

She expressed optimism regarding AI’s potential to enhance scientific research, drug discovery, and autonomous driving solutions like Waymo, which could significantly reduce road fatalities.

“With AI, the goal isn’t perfection; it’s to exceed existing alternatives. In the automotive sector, the alternative involves thousands of annual deaths. If we can improve that scenario, it’s remarkable; countless lives could be saved,” she articulated.

Toner humorously mentioned that a friend suggested potential actresses to portray her in the film.

“One suggestion was a stunningly talented actress,” she said. “Anyone they choose will definitely be a worthy pick.”

Tech Elite-backed California city stirs controversy with new development plans

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

In 2023, a group called California Forever funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, has introduced a flashy proposal to build a new city on tens of thousands of acres of farmland that has taken northeast of San Francisco.

The Solano County residents and officials, where the city sits, were dissatisfied with the lack of local opinions and concerns of wealthy outsiders with big plans to rebuild the area. California has forever changed its track after months of coverage and efforts to attract local leaders. They quickly tracked the plan and instead retracted voting measures that they had sought approval through the standard county process.

This month, California has been in the spotlight for a new proposal. And they were greeted much warmer, using the land they owned to create the shipbuilding hub. The Trump administration reportedly Presidential Order It will stimulate the US shipbuilding industry.

The company, which currently owns more than 65,000 acres in Solano County, said in a statement that Solano is “in its own craft to answer the call to rebuild our country’s naval power,” and that it can “promote economic revitalization” across the region.

“We are working very early in the process with elected officials and communities to explore ways to use these assets to support American sailors and stimulate economic growth in cities, counties and wider regions,” the company said in a statement.

The artist rendering provided by California shows the main street of the proposed new city in Solano County, California. Photo: AP

Located about 60 miles from San Francisco, Solano County lives around 450,000 people and has a history of shipbuilding. It was the site of the first US naval base in the Pacific, operating for over 140 years. Today, the region’s largest employer is Travis Air Force Base, the country’s busiest, with over 10,000 people.

California began purchasing land within the county to sensitivity before it was made public with plans for the new city. They promoted efforts as a solution to California’s housing crisis, saying the new city has pledged to bring widespread new job opportunities for the area with its green infrastructure and a utopian vision of a walkable area, and that the project will not impose financial obligations or taxes on residents outside the community. However, they soon encountered a fierce pushback.

The Sierra Club’s local branch has stated that the company’s efforts include:Hostile takeover”. Last year, they withdraw the measures from the vote and agreed to an environmental report and development agreement on the project.

Meanwhile, last year, Joe Biden expressed interest in bringing shipbuilding back to the US, so the company was in touch with local officials expressing interest in pursuing such opportunities on the West Coast.

after that last week Edwin Okamura, mayor of the Solano County town of Rio Vista, announced that he met with representatives from California Forever and met with retired military leaders and other officials in the county to discuss the issue.

Vacaville mayor John Carli also visited the area and said he met with retired military officials who described the site as one of the most ideal locations in the United States and described the shipbuilding efforts there as a “unique opportunity.” Its site, California, has forever stated in its statement, with over 1,400 acres of land actively zoned for “maritime industrial use.” Carli said the manufacturing and assembly locations will be used rather than ports.

The effort is still in its early stages, officials said they are holding the executive order.

But so far, officials in the area have expressed enthusiasm for their efforts to expand the maritime industry. Alma Hernandez, mayor of Swissun, about 30 miles northwest of Collinsville, said in a statement that the city supports the expansion.

“Suisun City supports the local efforts to invite the US government and key defense contractors to invest in the future of Solano County,” Hernandez said. “Our area has a proud history of shipbuilding. It’s part of our identity. We are keen to contribute in every way to ensure maritime success in our area.”

Carli said the profits are far beyond shipyards and refer to more than $2.7 billion in economic impacts that air force bases have in the area. And he said that maritime industrial bases would benefit the air force bases.

With the history of shipbuilding in the region and the role it plays in the US defense, it makes sense to have this kind of project here, state Rep. Lori Wilson said, and that would bring great opportunities. Going forward, Wilson hopes the shipyard will become the largest employer in the county.

Wilson said he’s heard of the project from many members, but most of them were supportive. Given the level of distrust present in the organization, some have expressed concern about the environmental impact of the maritime industry and the role of California. Lawmakers were skeptical of themselves about the company.

“It’s something I’m careful about as a legislative representative in this area, but that’s not something I can deal with. It’s up to them to build trust.”

Still, even those who don’t support planning for the new city are interested in the project, Wilson said. “People are really excited about this opportunity. [the potential] For the shipbuilding to return to Solano County. There is a groundwell in support for this project and I am truly excited to do my part to make this happen. ”

Carli hopes the community will see beyond landowners. “We are confident that if the opportunity appears here locally, residents will recognize and support the project,” Kari said. “It deserves a thoughtful discussion with the community to understand that this is different from the city being proposed.”

Struggle for Power: Could Brazil’s Growing Data Center Industry Leave Everyday People Behind?

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

tWith a wide range of boating hours from Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas province, Deodato Alves Da Silva is hoping for enough power to keep his Tucumã and Cupuaçu Fruits fresh. These highly nutritious Amazon superfoods are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and serve as the main source of income for farmers in the Silva region. However, there is a lack of electricity to refrigerate the fruit, making it difficult to sell produce.

Silva's fruit cultivation work is located in the village of Boa Frente in Novo Alipuana, one of the most energy-poor regions in Brazil, with only one diesel-powered generator working several hours a day.

Seventeen families in the community pay for diesel, but due to the high prices, everyone agrees to use the generator between 6pm and 10pm. This is also the only time they can communicate with the outside world. There is no mobile phone connection in this area, only satellite internet.

“The power is supplied for four hours per night. The motor is off and the switch is turned back the next night,” says Silva, 72, a rural health worker and fruit grower who has lived in the area since birth.

“If we have the power to preserve Cupuaçupulp, we will have much higher incomes. Our community is a massive producer of Tucumã, but lack of power prevents conservation.”

More than 1.3 million Brazilians still live, like Silva. There is one of them, but
The cleanest power grid in the worldthe country has vulnerabilities. Reliance on hydroelectric power causes fluctuations in power generation and power outages during severe droughts.

Video Game Development for Football Manager 25 Cancelled due to Multiple Delays

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The developer of soccer management games has decided to cancel the release of the 2025 game due to multiple delays.

Sports Interactive (SI) has confirmed that FM25 has been scrapped, and they will focus on upcoming games, typically released in November. SI, a subsidiary of Sega, issued an apology to fans for the “hard decision” to cancel the game due to technical difficulties.

“I know this is extremely disappointing, especially with the game’s release date being delayed twice already,” the statement read.

The developers had intended to introduce “significant technical and visual improvements to the series for years,” but found it unattainable.

They explained: “While many aspects of the game met our expectations, the overall player experience and interface fell short. Releasing FM25 in its current state would have been below our standards. We could have fixed issues, but that wouldn’t have been fair. Additionally, expecting players to purchase another game later in the year is unrealistic due to the timing of the football season, so we chose not to exceed the March release date.”

SI also confirmed that they will not update the 2024 game with 2025 team and roster information, but will provide full refunds to fans who pre-ordered FM25.

Newly discovered Silurian fossils provide insight into the intricate early development of molluscs

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered two new three-dimensionally preserved aculiferous mollusks from the Silurian period, showing that the earliest molluscs were more complex and adaptable than previously known. It was revealed that there was.

3D model of punk ferox (above) and emo swirl (Bottom) Reconstructed as a digital virtual fossil. Image credit: Mark Sutton, Imperial College London.

The two new Aculifera species are punk ferox and emo swirllived about 430 million years ago.

The specimen was discovered in a Silurian deposit in the county of Herefordshire, England.

These had distinctive spikes and other features that set them apart from the earlier molluscs mentioned above.

Dr Mark Sutton, a paleontologist at Imperial College London, said: “Molluscans are one of the largest and most diverse groups of animals on Earth.

“However, early acripheran molluscs are less well known than their relatives.”

“Information about this group was limited, and for a very long time we thought they were fairly basic, simple, and primitive.”

“It's extremely rare to find fossils that are so well-preserved and have such detailed soft tissues.”

“We were able to create 'virtual fossils', or 3D digital models. This provided us with a treasure trove of information and revealed that the evolutionary branches of molluscs include: It helps you understand that punk ferox and emo swirl It was much more evolutionarily rich and diverse than we expected. similar to other mollusk groups. ”

Sutton and his colleagues used two different methods to obtain clear images of both the interior and exterior of the fossil.

First, an X-ray scan was used to closely observe the internal structure without damaging the exterior.

The fossil is then carefully crushed into very thin layers and photographed at each stage to create 3D images of its external features.

The researchers found that both fossils had smooth undersides, suggesting they lived on the ocean floor, and both had some unique features and unconventional locomotion strategies.

of emo swirl The fossil is preserved in a folded position, suggesting it moved like an inchworm to grasp the vertebrae and push forward.

Meanwhile, how punk ferox Scientists weren't sure if it was still mobile, but it turned out that it had ridge-like legs, unlike any mollusk that exists today.

“The name is punk ferox and emo swirl In fact, our first nicknames for these ancient mollusks were inspired by some of their unique features and personalities,” Dr. Sutton said.

“punk ferox In particular, its spiky appearance clearly resembles a rebellious punk rocker. emo swirl It complemented it nicely. ”

“meanwhile punk ferox They resemble insect-like molluscs with long spines, but also have wide legs and chiton-like gills. ”

“emo swirlIt resembles an earthworm with a similarly long body and spines, but also features a chiton-like shell and compressed body. ”

“Such a combination of features helps us better understand the evolutionary tree of molluscs. This points to a story involving more complexity and diversity than previously thought.”

of study Published in a magazine nature.

_____

MD Sutton others. New Silurian aculiferan fossils reveal the mollusk's complex early history. naturepublished online on January 8, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08312-0

Source: www.sci.news

Chimpanzees show signs of increasing technological advancement through their cultural development.

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Some chimpanzees use sticks to catch termites

Manoj Shah/Getty Images

Chimpanzees in the wild, just like humans, seem to learn skills from each other and improve their skills from generation to generation.

In particular, young females who migrate between groups bring cultural knowledge with them, allowing groups to combine new and existing techniques to become better at foraging. Such “accumulated culture” means that some chimpanzee communities are becoming more technologically advanced over time, even if very slowly, he says. Andrew Whiten At the University of St. Andrews, UK.

“If chimpanzees have cultural knowledge that the community they migrate to doesn’t have, they may pass it on in the same way they pass on genes,” he says. “And that’s where the culture is built.”

Scientists already knew that chimpanzees use tools in sophisticated ways and can pass on that knowledge to their offspring. However, compared to humans’ rapid technological development, chimpanzees did not seem to have advanced in previous technological innovations, Whiten said. The fact that chimpanzee tools are often made from biodegradable plants makes it difficult for scientists to track chimpanzee cultural evolution.

Cassandra Gunasekaram Researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland thought they might be able to apply genetic analysis to this puzzle. Male chimpanzees remain in their home regions, but young females leave their home communities to search for mates elsewhere. She wondered if these women were bringing their skill sets to the new group.

To find out, she and her colleagues obtained data from 240 chimpanzees representing all four subspecies. previously collected by other research groups At 35 research facilities in Africa. The data included precise information about what tools, if any, each animal used and their genetic connections over the past 15,000 years. “Genetics gives us a kind of time machine to see how culture was transmitted among chimpanzees in the past,” Whiten says. “It’s quite a revelation to have new insights like this.”

Some chimpanzees used complex combinations of tools to hunt termites, including drill rods and fishing brushes made by pulling plant stems between their teeth. The researchers found that even if they lived thousands of miles apart, chimpanzees with the most advanced tool sets had the same level of performance compared to chimpanzees that used simple tools or chimpanzees that did not use any tools at all. They found that they were three to five times more likely to share DNA. Also, the use of advanced tools is more strongly associated with women’s migration compared to the use of simple tools or no tool use.

“Our interpretation is that these complex toolsets were actually invented, perhaps building on earlier, simpler forms, so we learned from the community that first invented them and from all the others along the way. “We need to rely on women’s transmission to communities,” she says. Whitens the skin.

“This shows that complex tools rely on social interactions between groups, which is very surprising and interesting,” says Gunasekaram.

thibault gruber The University of Geneva professor said he was not surprised by the results, but said the definition of complex behavior was debatable. “Having worked with chimpanzees for 20 years, I would argue that cane use itself is complex,” he says.

For example, his own team discovered what is called a cumulative culture of chimpanzees that make sponges from moss instead of leaves. This is not very complicated, but Works more efficiently to absorb mineral-rich water from the clay pores.. “It’s not a matter of more complexity, it’s just that some technologies build on previously established technologies,” he says.

Gunasekaram says that cumulative culture in chimpanzees is still significantly slower than in humans, likely due to differences in chimpanzees’ cognitive abilities and lack of language skills. Additionally, chimpanzees interact far less with others outside their community than humans, and have fewer opportunities to share culture.

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Intricate bird fossils reveal insights into the development of avian brains

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Skeleton of Nabaornis Hestia, an 80-million-year-old bird fossil

S. Abramowitz/Dinosaur Institute/Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

An 80-million-year-old fossil bird skull is so well preserved that scientists were able to study the detailed structure of its brain.

In both age and evolutionary development, new species Nabaornis Hestiae, It falls about halfway between the earliest known bird-like dinosaurs. ArcheopteryxBirds that lived 150 million years ago and modern birds. They lived along with dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period. tyrannosaurus and triceratops.

The fossil, which superficially resembles a pigeon, was discovered in 2016 near Presidente Prudente, Brazil, and quickly became important because of the rarity of complete bird skeletons, especially those from the same period. recognized as something.

but daniel field It wasn't until 2022 that Cambridge University professors realized that the skull was so intact that it could be scanned to create a 3D model of the brain.

High-resolution CT scans allow paleontologists to see inside fossils. “This involves careful 'digital dissection' – separating the individual components of the skull and reassembling them to create a complete, undistorted three-dimensional reconstruction,” Field said. says Mr.

“This new fossil provides unprecedented insight into the patterns and timing of the evolution of specialized brain functions in living birds.”

Professor Field said that based on the brains his team reconstructed, human cognitive and flight abilities: nabaornis It was probably inferior to most living birds.

Artist's impression of Nabaornis Hestia

J. D'Oliveira

The parts of the brain responsible for complex cognition and spatial awareness are not as enlarged as they are in modern birds, he says.

“It’s cerebral, but nabaornis greatly expanded compared to more archaic bird conditions such as . Archeopteryx, It is not as expanded as we see in living birds. ”

Professor Field said the enlarged brains of modern birds support a wide range of complex behaviors, but there is a lack of sufficiently complete and well-preserved fossil bird skulls from early bird relatives. This makes it difficult to understand how their brains evolved.

“nabaornis This fills an approximately 70 million-year gap in our understanding of how the distinctive brains of modern birds evolved. ”

topic:

Exploration of Cylinder Sealing and its Influence on the Development of Writing in Ancient Southwest Asia

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Administrative innovations in Southwest Asia in the fourth millennium BC, such as cylindrical seals wrapped around the earliest clay tablets, laid the foundation for one of the first writing systems, Protocuneiform. Although seals were rich in iconography, few studies have focused on the potential influence of specific motifs on the development of sign-based proto-cuneiform. in new researchpublished today in the journal ancient, scholars identified a basic proto-cuneiform symbolic precursor in seal motifs that described ships and textile transport, highlighting the synergy of an early system of clay-based communication.

Cylinder seal and seal impression: royal priest and his acolytes feeding the sacred flock. Uruk period, approximately 3200 BC. Image credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen.

The origins of writing in Southwest Asia are often traced to accounting systems developed during the 4th millennium BC. This accounting system physically documented transactions using tokens, tags, banknotes, numerical tablets, and seals.

Proto-cuneiform was first attested on clay tablets from the city of Uruk in southern Iraq around 3350-3000 BC. The script is a complex accounting system with hundreds of iconographic symbols, many of which remain difficult to interpret.

The elaboration of tokens, long used throughout Southwest Asia, may have stimulated the development of proto-cuneiform and served as a model for some symbols, but apart from numerical notation, the Comparisons can hardly be proven, and the forms that emerge from the multimedia environment of the origins of symbols can be diverse.

“The conceptual leap from pre-writing symbolism to writing is an important development in human cognitive skills,” said Professor Silvia Ferrara of the University of Bologna.

“The invention of writing marks a transition between prehistory and history, and the findings of this study demonstrate how some of the later prehistoric images are one of the earliest invented writing systems. We bridge this gap by showing how

“Although the close relationship between ancient seals and the invention of writing in Southwest Asia has long been recognized, the relationship between specific seal images and symbol shapes has remained largely unexplored,” she added. Ta.

“This was our starting question: Did seal images contribute significantly to the invention of symbols during the first writings in this region?”

To find the answer, Professor Ferrara and colleagues compared the design of the columns with proto-cuneiform, looking for correlations that might reveal a direct relationship, both in graphic form and meaning.

“We focused on images of seals, which arose before the invention of writing and continued to develop into the proto-writing era,” said Kathryn Kelly and Mattia Caltrano, researchers at the University of Bologna. Ta.

“This approach allowed us to identify a series of designs associated with the transport of textiles and pottery, which later evolved into corresponding proto-cuneiform scripts.”

This discovery reveals a direct link between the cylinder seal system and the invention of writing and provides a new perspective to study the evolution of symbolic and writing systems.

“Our findings show that the designs inscribed on the cylinder seals are directly related to the development of proto-cuneiform in southern Iraq,” Professor Ferrara said.

“These designs also show how the meanings originally associated with these designs were integrated into the writing system.”

_____

kathryn kelly others. Seals and symbols: Tracing the origins of writing in ancient Southwest Asia. ancientpublished online on November 5, 2024. doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.165

Source: www.sci.news

New study shows digital technology can enhance children’s development opportunities

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

There has been a debated stance that children below the age of three should have no screen time, but research indicates that digital technology can offer valuable opportunities for the development of young children.

The study, titled Toddlers, technology and talk, was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and conducted by researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University, Lancaster University, Queen’s Belfast University, Strathclyde University, and Swansea University. It explored children’s interactions with various technologies in diverse communities, specifically focusing on the impact of technology on language and literacy skills of children aged 0 to 3 in the UK.

The research delved into how children engage with technology, whether with their parents or independently, through activities like taking photos, playing games using educational apps, listening to music, discussing favorite characters, and video calling.

Studies have shown that children start using smart devices and technology at a young age, and this can be beneficial for their language development and other skills.

The report highlights that young children’s digital activities involve various forms of sensory exploration which contribute to their cognitive development.

Parents acknowledge the advantages of technology for their children’s development, but they are also concerned about potential negative impacts from excessive technology usage.

The report also discusses how video calls provide valuable opportunities for children in multilingual families to learn different languages and cultures from their overseas relatives.

The study involved surveys with 1,400 UK parents, 40 home case studies, interviews with 20 education experts, and analysis of families’ TV viewing habits. It revealed that children could learn words and phrases from watching TV shows that they were passionate about.

Furthermore, shared TV viewing and music listening create bonding experiences for parents and children, nurturing emotional connections over time.

Even in homes where the TV is on throughout the day, children engage in various play and learning activities and may not pay much attention to the TV.

Some parents reported that their children under the age of 3 were learning sign language online, showcasing how young children adapt to interacting with smart devices.

The report emphasizes the need for better protection of children’s privacy and security in the digital age and hopes to guide policy and practices based on its findings.

Professor Rosie Flewitt from MMU acknowledges the challenges of balancing the benefits of digital communication, play, and learning for children with concerns about potential risks of overuse.

“Pakistani Businesses Face Internet Speed Challenges, Attribute Issues to Firewall Testing” – Global Development

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

debtOr when he advertised a free online tech-skills class, it got hundreds of likes on Facebook and eventually 1,500 people signed up. But on the first day last week, only a handful of those registrants were able to log in to the live session, and the internet was moving at a snail’s pace.

“We received hundreds of complaints,” said Warda Noor, founder and course instructor at XWave, an IT training company based in Raya, Punjab province, Pakistan.

What is the domestic internet speed? Dropped The Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (Wispap) said internet connection speeds have fallen by 30-40 percent in the past few weeks, costing Pakistani businesses hundreds of millions of dollars, according to IT companies.

Those who were able to connect to Noor’s lecture complained of audio dropouts and poor connection. “We were forced to cut the two-hour lecture to one hour, and the Q&A portion of the program was cut,” she said.

Although live sessions have now been replaced with recorded lessons, Noor says it’s “just not the same.”

Many in the IT and software industry believe the turmoil is due to the government’s testing of a new nationwide Internet firewall.

“On the one hand, the new government is promising an information technology revolution in Pakistan, but on the other hand, it is completely suppressing it,” Noor said.

The government has repeatedly denied responsibility for the problem but has acknowledged plans for a firewall to regulate and block malicious content and protect government networks.

Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Sunday that her team had been working “tirelessly” with internet service providers to resolve the issue. Blaming Pakistan for its “large population” To put strain on the network.

“Given the cyber attacks Pakistan is facing, it is the government’s right to take steps to safeguard its national interests,” she said.

Khawaja said the firewall would give the Pakistani government access to those conducting “anti-national propaganda.” Iran, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and several other countries already have such firewalls in place.

After the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan last year sparked riots, the Pakistani government blocked and slowed down social media sites that had fostered support for Khan.

Platform X has been blocked since the February election over “national security” concerns, and supporters of Khan’s party point out that he is the most popular Pakistani on the platform, with nearly 21 million followers.

If the new firewall is the cause of the massive chaos the country is experiencing, there should have been some kind of warning. Pasha The association has approximately 1,500 member software and IT companies.

“It makes sense to take steps in the interest of national security, but in retrospect it could have been better planned and managed,” he said.

Azam Mughal, a cybersecurity expert at P@SHA, said his members are reporting huge financial losses. “International clients are telling these companies that they no longer want to commission projects from them because in the tech world, everything has to be delivered on time,” Mughal said.

He said companies could have been given warning: “Whenever new software is implemented, it is tested in a close lab environment to anticipate any initial struggles. But that was not done.”

“Our investigation found that internet outages over the past few months have cost the country up to $300 million in losses,” he said.

Pakistan recorded $298 million IT exports were worth £228 million in June, up 33% from a year ago. IT exports were worth $3.2 billion in the financial year that ended in June, up from $2.5 billion in 2023.

“The belief that the world is harsh has always driven me”: Hidetaka Miyazaki on his relentless pursuit of game development | Games

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

MaA lot has changed for Hidetaka Miyazaki in the past decade. In May 2014, he became president of FromSoftware, the Japanese game developer known for the dark fantasy blockbusters Demon’s Souls (2009), Dark Souls (2011), and Bloodborne (2015), all of which he directed himself. At the time, FromSoftware’s games were critically acclaimed and had a devoted following, but they sold poorly, only selling a few million copies each. But in 2022, the company released the gloriously imposing Elden Ring, a collaboration with fantasy author George R.R. Martin. Not only is it Miyazaki’s best work, it’s also his most popular to date, having sold 25 million copies to date. FromSoftware is no longer a niche company that produces cult hits; it’s now a company that produces bona fide blockbusters.

Has this changed Miyazaki’s thinking? Given how unforgiving and ruthless his game world is, it may not be surprising that he’s not the most optimistic person you’ll ever meet. “Elden Ring was in a league of its own in terms of success and critical acclaim, but what we try to do as a company is to never assume that it’s going to happen again in future games,” he told me in an interview in Los Angeles. “We never make decisions based on the assumption that because we did it once, it’s going to happen again. Allowing for this fairly conservative prediction gives us room to fail, which ultimately leads to better games and better decisions. Indirectly, I think that the assumption that we’re not going to make hits anymore, that conservative outlook, inspires and helps our game design.”

Miyazaki and the From Software team Comfortable. And even if they did, it’s hard to imagine they would have made a game as demanding, ambitious, and at times brutal.

Shadow of the Eldtree, a major expansion for Elden Ring, is released today. It takes players to a terrifying land of shadows, filled with amber skies, fearsomely grotesque monsters, and vengeful, forgotten warriors. From Software’s games are notoriously difficult, demanding extraordinary grit, determination, and drive from the player. Shadow of the Eldtree may be the hardest yet. Shadow of the Eldtree will put even those with 100 hours of Eldtree experience on the back foot. But it handsomely rewards persistence with a complex, fascinatingly opaque storyline and memorable battles against fearsome entities, from ghostly, leaf-adorned dragons to giant walking cages of human ash. The sense of accomplishment you feel when you finally conquer the unconquerable in a Miyazaki work remains unmatched.

The harsh nature of Eld Tree feels like a dump of cold water on me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been playing this game for 15 years, but Elden Ring feels just a little more approachable than other FromSoftware games. If you get stuck somewhere, you can move somewhere else, rather than charging at the same near-impossible boss over and over again. There are more options, and you can always try a different approach. It doesn’t feel like you’re having your face shoved in the dirt, as I said to Miyazaki. all At the time. Does he think this is part of the reason Elden Ring has garnered more fans than Dark Souls or the 2019 ninja fantasy Sekiro?

Miyazaki: “I’ve always felt that the world is a really harsh place.” Photo: FromSoftware/Sony

“That’s certainly part of the intention. Elden Ring gives players a lot more freedom because of its open-world nature and game design,” he muses. “At no point in the game did we want players to feel boxed in or overly limited in the scope of what they can do and experience in that world. It’s not a very gloomy, dark fantasy that we’ve become accustomed to in past FromSoftware games… The same starkness and coldness is still there, but we wanted to create beautiful moments. Conceptually, there’s a bit of high fantasy in there. It feels like you have a break, both in terms of the difficulty and the learning curve, but also in the world setting.”

Every new FromSoftware release brings up a bit of a discussion about difficulty and accessibility in modern games. Some developers choose to offer easier modes for less experienced or time-poor players. Sometimes they even remove enemies from the game entirely.

But this doesn’t suit a game like Elden Ring – difficulty is what the game is about, and reducing the difficulty stifles creativity.

“If you really want people all over the world to play your game, you can just make the difficulty lower and lower, but that wasn’t the right approach,” Miyazaki said. “If we had taken that approach, I don’t think the game would have turned out the way it did, because the sense of accomplishment that players get from overcoming these hurdles is a very fundamental part of the gaming experience. If you lower the difficulty, you take away that joy. I think it ruins the game itself.”

For Miyazaki, improving through failure isn’t just a game design principle, it’s something of a personal philosophy. As president, he creates a work environment where developers can experiment and ideas don’t get bogged down. No one project dictates a developer’s entire future. His big break came in 2006, when he was put in charge of managing a struggling fantasy project at FromSoftware. The game would become Demon’s Souls. “I thought if I could figure out how to manage the game, I could turn it into whatever I wanted,” he told The Guardian’s Simon Parkin in 2015. “The best part was that if my idea failed, nobody cared. It was already a failure.”

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s that different now than it was 15 years ago when we were making Demon’s Souls,” he laughs when I remind him of this. “What I try to foster in our environment is to make sure that young directors and game designers have the same kind of experience that I had when I was working on Demon’s Souls, that if this game fails, it’s not the end of the world. I think that mentality and attitude helps people grow.”

Mr. Miyazaki is different. The first time I met him In 2011“I’ve always been a big fan of the game,” he said at Tokyo Game Show, just before the release of Dark Souls, the game that would thrust him into the spotlight. Quiet and soft-spoken, his eyes glued to the carpet, he says he used to shy away from being the center of attention. But now he’s much more confident and comfortable talking about both business and game design. When he thinks, he looks up at the ceiling, not down at the floor. He’s now a father to a young daughter and leads a company. And like players of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, he’s emerged as a more capable person.

However, he remains as hands-on as ever as a game designer. “Regardless of my title or position in the company, there is always the joy and satisfaction I get from making games,” he says. “I enjoy helping to nurture and develop young directors who will take the company to the next level. But sitting in an administrative office all day is not my style. I want to really get my hands dirty and continue to make games together, and through that, pass on my process to other generations of talent. I’ve held the title of president for almost 10 years now, but I’d say about 95% of my work and time at the company is devoted to game making and game direction. In this ratio, I’d say I’ve only had about 6 months of actual experience as an executive!”

The world is also very different from when Demon’s Souls was a big hit. I think the reason why more people are resonating with the work of Hayao Miyazaki and From Software is because we’ve become accustomed to a feeling of helplessness. For those who have lived through the last 15 years of pandemics, political turmoil, and looming climate disaster, bleak situations are not so foreign. What Elden Ring gives us is a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, if we are strong and persistent enough, we can triumph against all odds.

“A lot of From Software’s games throw you into this barren wasteland and make it a very harsh, harsh, cold experience… I don’t think what we’ve done in the game has changed, but maybe the world will change. Have “The last few years have been exceptional in terms of what’s going on around us, but even before that I felt the world was a very harsh place. I’ve always lived with that worldview, that value system. So this idea of being cast out into the wilderness and planting the seeds of growth feels almost universal to me. Maybe more people are discovering that now.”

I think what a lot of people miss in From Software’s games is a sense of hope. First Interview In a 2010 email exchange with Miyazaki, he told me about the origins of Demon’s Souls’ unusual multiplayer, in which players can summon anonymous helpers to help them get through a particularly frightening area or boss encounter. He was driving up a hill in the winter when everyone got stuck. It wasn’t until everyone in the back started helping by pushing the car in front to the top of the hill that someone finally made it. He called it a “connection of mutual aid between fickle people,” adding, “Oddly enough, that event will probably stick in my mind for a long time. It sticks for a long time precisely because it was so fleeting.”

Elden Ring is filled with these fleeting moments of beauty and friendship, and they’re all the more meaningful because they’re so rare. In a harsh world, moments of respite are precious.

“If I look deeply into my history, there are definitely experiences that have influenced my identity, the worldview that drives me to make games,” Miyazaki said. “I’ve never taken a step back and thought about what triggered it, but there’s definitely something that’s the reason these are the types of games I want to see and make. If I looked in the mirror and took a hard look at myself… if I went on a soul-searching journey to find out why, I might be disappointed in myself. It would force me to face how boring and ordinary I am. Maybe I’m intentionally avoiding that. That’s what keeps the creativity flowing.”

America needs to prioritize AI development like the Manhattan Project – John Norton

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

TTen years ago, Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom Super IntelligenceThe book explores how superintelligent machines might be built and the implications of such technology, one of which is that such machines, if built, would be difficult to control and might even take over the world to achieve their goals (in Bostrom's famous thought experiment, this was to make paperclips).

The book was a huge hit, generated lively debate, but also attracted a fair amount of opposition. Critics complained that it was based on an overly simplistic view of “intelligence,” that it overestimated the likelihood of the imminent emergence of superintelligent machines, and that it offered no credible solutions to the problems it raised. But the book had the great merit of forcing people to think about possibilities that had previously been confined to academia or the fringes of science fiction.

Ten years later, he takes on the same target again. This time, instead of a book, he makes a film titled “Situational Awareness: The Next DecadeThe author is Leopold Aschenbrenner, a young man of German origin who now lives in San Francisco and hangs out with Silicon Valley's intellectual elite. On paper, he sounds like a Sam Bankman Freed-type whiz kid: a math genius who graduated from a prestigious US university as a teenager, spent time at Oxford with his colleagues at the Future of Humanity Institute, and worked on the OpenAI “superalignment” team.Currently disbandedAfter working at Yahoo! Auctions for $1.2 billion in 2017, he founded an investment firm focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI) with funding from Stripe founders Patrick and John Collison. These are two smart guys who don't play for losers.

So this Aschenbrenner is clever, but at the same time, he's playing the game.The second point may be relevant, since the gist of his lengthy essay is essentially that superintelligence is coming (with AGI as a stepping stone), but the world isn't yet ready to accept it.

The essay is divided into five sections. The first section lays out the path from GPT-4 (its current state) to AGI (which the author believes could arrive as soon as 2027). The second follows a hypothetical path from AGI to true superintelligence. The third describes four “challenges” that superintelligent machines would pose to the world. The fourth section outlines what the author calls the “projects” necessary to manage a world with (or dominated by) superintelligent machines. The fifth section is Aschenbrenner's message to humanity in the form of three “tenets” of “AGI realism.”

In his view of how AI will progress in the near future, Aschenbrenner is fundamentally an optimistic determinist, i.e., he extrapolates the recent past under the assumption that trends will continue. To see an upward curve, he has to extend it. He grades LLMs (large-scale language models) by their capabilities. Thus, GPT-2 is at the “preschooler” level, GPT-3 at the “elementary school student” level, and GPT-4 at the “smart high school student” level, and it seems that with the massive increase in computing power, by 2028 “models as smart as PhDs and experts will be able to work next to us as colleagues.” By the way, why do AI advocates always consider PhDs to be the epitome of human perfection?

After 2028 comes the big leap from AGI to superintelligence. In Aschenbrenner's world, AI won't stop at human-level capabilities. “Hundreds of millions of AGIs will automate AI research, compressing a decade's worth of algorithmic progress into a year. We will rapidly evolve from human-level to superhuman AI systems. The powers and dangers of superintelligence will be dramatic.”

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The third section of the essay explores what such a world might be like, focusing on four aspects of it: the unimaginable (and environmentally catastrophic) computational requirements needed to run it, the difficulty of maintaining the security of an AI lab in such a world, the problem of aligning machines with human purposes (which Aschenbrenner believes is difficult but not impossible), and the military implications of a world of superintelligent machines.

It is not until the fourth topic that Aschenbrenner's analysis really begins to disintegrate thematically. Like the message in the Blackpool stone pole, the nuclear weapons analogy runs through his thinking. He sees the US as being at a stage in AI after J. Robert Oppenheimer's original Trinity experiment in New Mexico, ahead of the USSR, but not for long. And of course, China fills the role of the Soviet empire in this analogy.

Suddenly, superintelligence has gone from being a human problem to being a US national security imperative. “The US has a lead,” he writes. “We must maintain that lead. And now we're screwing it. Above all, we must lock down AI labs quickly and thoroughly before major AGI breakthroughs leak out in the next 12 to 24 months. … Computer clusters must be built in the US, not in the dictatorships that fund them. And US AI labs have an obligation to cooperate with intelligence agencies and the military. A US lead in AGI cannot ensure peace and freedom by simply building the best AI girlfriend app. It's ugly, but we must build AI for US defense.”

All we need is a new Manhattan Project and the AGI Industrial Complex.

What I'm Reading

The dictator is shot
Former Eastern Bloc countries fear Trump It's an interesting piece. New Republic About people who know something about life under oppression.

Normandy revisited
Historian Adam Tooze 80 Years Since D-Day: World War II and the “Great Acceleration” The piece looks back on wartime anniversaries.

Lawful interference
Monopoly Recap: The Harvey Weinstein of Antitrust This is a blog post by Matt Stoller about Joshua Wright, the lawyer who has had a devastating impact on U.S. antitrust enforcement for many years.

New Study Finds Surprising Similarities in Brain Development Between Sea Lampreys and Humans

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The lamprey and human hindbrains are built using very similar molecular and genetic toolkits, according to a new study led by the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

These images show an adult lamprey (top and left) and a developing lamprey embryo. Image credit: Stowers Medical Research Institute.

“Our research on the hindbrain (the part of the brain that controls important functions such as blood pressure and heart rate) is essentially a window into the distant past and can serve as a model for understanding the evolution of complexity. “, said Dr. Hugo Parker. Researcher at Stowers Medical Research Institute.

Like other vertebrates, sea lampreys have a backbone and skeleton, but they noticeably lack a jaw, a characteristic feature of the head.

Most vertebrates, including humans, have jaws, so this striking difference in sea lampreys makes it a valuable model for understanding the evolution of vertebrate traits.

“About 500 million years ago, at the origin of vertebrates, there was a split between jawless and jawed animals,” said Dr. Alice Bedois, also of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

“We wanted to know how vertebrate brains evolved and whether there is something unique to jawed vertebrates that jawless vertebrates don't.”

Previous research had identified genes that structure and subdivide the sea lamprey's hindbrain as identical to genes in jawed vertebrates, including humans.

However, these genes are part of an interconnected network or circuit that needs to be initiated and directed to properly build the hindbrain.

In a new study, the authors identify common molecular cues known to direct head-to-tail patterning in a variety of animals as part of a genetic circuit that guides hindbrain patterning in the lamprey. .

“We found that the same genes, as well as the same cues, are involved in hindbrain development in sea lampreys. This suggests that this process is ancestral to all vertebrates. ,” Dr. Bedwa said.

“This signal is called retinoic acid, commonly known as vitamin A.”

Researchers have known that retinoic acid signals the genetic circuits that build the hindbrains of complex species, but they believe it is involved in more primitive animals like sea lampreys. was not considered.

Surprisingly, they discovered that the lamprey's core hindbrain circuit is also initiated by retinoic acid, providing evidence that these sea monsters and humans are much more closely related than expected.

“People thought that because lampreys don't have jaws, their hindbrains don't form like other vertebrates,” says Dr. Rob Krumlauf, a researcher at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

“We showed that this fundamental part of the brain is built exactly the same way as in mice, and even in humans.”

Signaling molecules that signal cell fate during development are well known.

Now, researchers have discovered that retinoic acid plays another key role in signaling important steps in development, such as the formation of the brainstem.

Furthermore, if hindbrain formation is a conserved feature in all vertebrates, other mechanisms must be involved to explain its incredible diversity.

“We all come from a common ancestor,” Dr. Bedwa said.

“The lamprey provided further clues.”

“We now need to go further back in evolutionary time to discover when the genetic circuits controlling hindbrain formation first evolved.”

of study It was published in the magazine nature communications.

_____

AMH Bedwa other. 2024. Lamprey reveals the origins of retinoic acid signaling and its coupling to vertebrate hindbrain segments. Nat Commune 15, 1538. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45911-x

Source: www.sci.news

UN Secretary-General condemns big tech companies for prioritizing profits over ethics in AI development at Davos 2024

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The pursuit of profits from artificial intelligence by big technology companies is reckless. Urgent action is necessary to mitigate the risks from this rapidly growing sector, the UN chief has warned.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a scathing attack on technology multinationals during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. He stated that each advance in generative AI has heightened the threat of unintended consequences.

Guterres connected the risks related to AI to those posed by the climate crisis, highlighting that the international community lacks a strategy to address either issue.

During the WEF in Switzerland, the UN Secretary-General appealed to technology industry representatives in the audience to collaborate with governments in establishing guardrails for AI.

He referred to a warning in an IMF report, saying, “This technology has great potential for sustainable development, but it is very likely to exacerbate inequality.”

Guterres argued that influential technology companies are prioritizing profits without regard for human rights, personal privacy, and social impact.

While tech companies claim to have preventive measures in place to stop AI from being used for crime or other nefarious purposes, Guterres insisted that more action is necessary, urging governments and international organizations such as the United Nations to play a role in ensuring that AI is a force for good.

He emphasized the need for governments to work with technology companies to develop a risk management framework for current AI developments and to monitor and mitigate future damage, as well as to increase access to AI to bridge the digital divide.

Sam Altman, an executive at OpenAichief, highlighted the requirement for energy breakthroughs to meet the future demands of AI. He underlined the need for climate-friendly energy sources such as nuclear fusion, cheap solar power, and storage.

Guterres also criticized fossil fuel companies for impeding progress on climate change and stressed the importance of phasing out fossil fuels for a just and equitable transition to renewable energy.

In summary, Guterres highlighted the need for a significant global strategy to address the threats posed by climate change and uncontrolled AI.

AI’s potential for improving software development comes with hard truths

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

aAs you may have noticed, we’re in the midst of a craze about something called generative AI. Many hitherto ordinary people, and economists alike, are riding a wave of irrational enthusiasm about the potential for change. It’s the newest new thing.

Two antidotes are recommended for people suffering from fever. The first one,
Hype Cycle Monitor created by consultant Gartner
This indicates that the technology is currently at the “peak of inflated expectations” before plummeting into the “trough of disillusionment”. the other one is,
hofstadter’s law
describes the difficulty of estimating the time required for difficult tasks: “Even when Hofstadter’s law is taken into account, it always takes longer than expected.” Just because a powerful industry and its media patrons are losing their marbles about something doesn’t mean it’s going to wash over society as a whole like a tsunami. Reality moves at a much slower pace.

In the Christmas issue,
economist We published an instructive article titled “
Tractor history in English
” (itself a low-key homage to Marina Levicka’s hilarious 2005 novel).

History of Ukrainian tractors

of

)This article aims to explain “What tractors and horses can tell us about generative AI.” The lesson is that tractors have a long history, but they took a long time to transform agriculture. He has three reasons for this. Early versions were not as useful as backers thought. Introducing these required changes in the labor market. And farms had to reinvent themselves to use them.

So history suggests that whatever transformations AI hypemongers predict, they will materialize more slowly than expected.

However, there is one exception to this rule. It’s computer programming, or the business of creating software. Ever since digital computers were invented, humans have had to tell machines what they want them to do. Because machines could not speak English, machine code and programming languages such as Fortran, Algol, Pascal, C, C++, Haskell, and Python evolved over generations. So if you wanted to communicate with a machine, you had to learn to speak Fortran. , C++ or whatever, is a tedious process for many people. And as the title the great Donald Knuth gave to the first book of his seminal five-volume guide suggests, programming has become something of an esoteric craft.

the art of computer programming
. As the world went digital, this craft became industrialized and rebranded as “software engineering” to downplay its artisanal origins. But mastering it remained an esoteric and valuable skill.

Then along came ChatGPT and the amazing discovery that not only could you create apparently clear sentences, but you could also create software. What’s even more remarkable is that when you outline a task with a plain English prompt, the machine writes the Python code needed to accomplish that task. Often the code is not perfect, but can be debugged by further interaction with the machine. And suddenly, a whole new perspective opened up. Even non-programmers can tell a computer to do something without having to learn computer conversation.

inside
new yorker Programmer James Summers recently wrote the following:
Lamentation essay What are the implications of this development? “A range of knowledge and skills that previously took a lifetime to acquire are being swallowed up all at once,” he said. “For me, coding has always felt like an endlessly deep and rich field. Now, I want to write a memorial to it. I’ve been thinking about Lee Sedol. Sedol is the world One of the best Go players and a national hero in South Korea, he is now best known for losing to a computer program called AlphaGo in 2016.”

That seems a little strange to me. The evidence we have suggests that programmers are embracing AI assistance like ducks to water.a
recent research
For example, 70% of software developers are using or plan to use AI tools in their work this year, and 77% of them have a “favorable or very favorable” opinion of these tools. I found out that They see them as a way to increase your productivity as a programmer, speed up your learning, and even “improve accuracy” when writing computer code.

This doesn’t seem like defeatism to me, but the attitude of experts who see this technology as “power steering for the mind,” as the saying goes. In any case, they don’t sound like horses.
economist's story. But just as tractors ultimately transformed agriculture, this technology will ultimately transform the way software is developed. In that case, software engineers will need to be more like engineers than craftsmen. It’s almost time (says this engineer and columnist).

what i was reading

Smart move?
Great quote from Gary Marcus on his Substack blog.
AI companies will be exempted from lobbying activities Not responsible for copyright infringement.

control mechanism
A very thoughtful article by Diana Enríquez on the Tech Policy Press website about what it means to be.
“managed” by algorithms.

Get out of your head

a
nice post Margaret Atwood’s Substack on films about the French Revolution, including Ridley Scott’s works
napoleon.