The Emergence of Freshwater on Earth: A Sciworthy Exploration

The name Hadian Ion is derived from Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, and is used by geologists to describe Earth’s first 600 million years. While scientists initially believed that a sea of lava engulfed the Earth during the Hadean Eon, recent discoveries have revealed minerals from that era in newly formed rocks. These minerals, known as Zircon, indicate that Hadean Earth likely featured solid land, oceans, and possibly even an active water cycle.

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and China have been investigating whether freshwater existed on Hadean Earth. They collected sandstone samples from Jack Hills in Australia, which contained grains eroded from ancient rocks that housed weather-resistant zircon. Previous studies have shown that 7% of the zircon grains from Jack Hills date back to the Hadean Eon, making them among the oldest materials available today.

The team noted that zircon grains are ideal for this study because they retain the same chemical composition as crystallized Hadean magma. This allows researchers to analyze zircon grains to discern the original magma’s composition. To select the appropriate grains, researchers photographed the zircons and illuminated them with an electron beam using a method called Casodoriminesense.

The researchers focused on zircon particles that were structurally intact and exhibited homogeneous color and fluorescence. They measured uranium abundance and analyzed lead atoms with varying neutron counts. Using a technique called Mass analysis, they examined isotopes in the zircon. The ratio of these isotopes, 238U and 206Pb, provides insight into the age of the crystal and its origins.

The researchers also assessed the ratios of two oxygen isotopes, 18O and 16O, within the zircon. They explained that these oxygen isotope ratios are highly sensitive to interactions between liquids and rocks, allowing them to trace the variations in the Jack Hills Zircons’ O-isotope ratios to determine when the hydration cycle began. Their findings confirmed that the zircon grains originated from a primary magma source.

Next, the researchers analyzed how different oxygen isotope ratios in zircon were generated. They explained that 18O is heavier than 16O due to its additional two neutrons. Typically, zircon crystals formed in magma share oxygen isotope ratios similar to those in modern seawater. Higher heavy oxygen isotope ratios indicate the incorporation of more 18O fragments from the Earth’s crust rather than from seawater.

Meanwhile, interactions between magma and liquids produce distinct oxygen isotope ratios. Some zircons exhibited lighter oxygen isotope ratios of 18O, more than found in contemporary seawater. For such ratios to form, the magma must be at high temperatures and in contact with liquid. The researchers identified zircon crystals that crystallized with very light oxygen isotopic ratios between 200 million and 4 billion years ago, suggesting that the original melt interacted with surface water. These ratios imply that land emerged above the oceans, allowing water to accumulate on Earth’s surface.

To further investigate, the researchers employed computational models to determine the type of surface water that influenced the extreme oxygen isotope ratios in zircon particles. They tested whether the zircon oxygen isotope ratios result solely from interactions with seawater, freshwater, or a mix of both. Their findings indicated that magma interacting only with seawater could not account for the observed oxygen isotope ratios, suggesting a combination of influences. Consequently, researchers proposed that freshwater interacted with early Hadean crust over tens of millions of years to generate light oxygen isotopic ratios.

The researchers concluded that an active water cycle existed on early Earth. They noted that this revised timeline for the onset of the water cycle could significantly impact the emergence of life on Earth. The presence of land above sea level, freshwater, and an active water cycle implies that the building blocks for life may have been present just 550 million years after Earth’s formation. They theorized that life could have potentially originated in freshwater reservoirs in exposed crust. Ongoing research into geological materials from this period may yield further insights into the early processes that facilitated the emergence of life.


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Source: sciworthy.com

UK experiences emergence of Glyphosate-resistant weeds for the first time

Italian ryegrass is a common weed in agricultural crops.

John Cousins

Weeds resistant to the herbicide glyphosate have been discovered for the first time in the UK. The species in question is called Italian ryegrass and is very widespread in the UK, although chemical-free specimens have only been found on one farm in Kent.

Glyphosate says it's helping farmers adopt more environmentally friendly farming practices known as regenerative agriculture John Cousins a weed management expert at consulting firm ADAS. His team confirmed that the plants were resistant in greenhouse tests.

“It could impact the ability to transition agricultural systems,” Cousins ​​said. “Herbicide resistance to glyphosate is a real issue of great importance to farms.”

In the UK, farmers primarily use glyphosate to remove all vegetation in a field before planting. This helps avoid tillage, which compromises soil health, increases erosion and reduces carbon storage.

Minimizing soil disturbance is one of the key efforts of regenerative agriculture, along with crop rotation and ground cover maintenance.

“Glyphosate is relatively environmentally friendly compared to other pesticides,” he says. Helen Metcalf At Rothamsted Research Institute, Harpenden, UK. “It has very little bioaccumulation and low toxicity. It also supports regenerative practices such as minimal tillage, which is very good for soil health. There may be benefits.”

He says weeds are a big problem for farmers. paul nave at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. “We lose more crop yields to weeds than to pests and pathogens.”

Around the world, Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) Glyphosate resistance is evolving and it is occurring independently in hundreds of different locations. Such weeds are a major problem for many farmers in the United States and Argentina, where crops developed to be immune to glyphosate have been grown on a large scale for years.

“But the fact is, this hasn't become a big problem, considering the first incident was 30 years ago,” Neve said.

Nave said resistant weeds are a big problem on individual farms, but they spread more slowly than insects that are resistant to pesticides, for example. Precautions such as cleaning farm equipment and removing seeds can slow the spread.

Farmers also need to employ a variety of weed control measures rather than relying solely on glyphosate, Metcalf says. “We found that if farmers focused on weed control and implemented all the alternatives to glyphosate, profits could start to recover after five to 10 years,” she says.

Cousins' team increased its surveillance in the UK in 2018, testing more than 300 samples of Italian ryegrass. He believes the resistant plants on the Kent farm were almost certainly evolved there, rather than being brought in from elsewhere.

He also said the fact that resistance appears to have taken longer to develop in the UK than in other countries means that British farmers have not genetically modified or conventionally bred crops to be resistant to glyphosate. They also think that this may be because they are not growing crops that are not cultivated. In such crops, glyphosate can be applied to control weeds before planting as well as during crop growth.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Orthosomnia: The Emergence of Sleep Perfectionists and the Resulting Exhaustion

While I was on the treadmill at the gym the other day, I overheard a conversation between two men.

“We had an amazing night last night,” one of them exclaimed.

Intrigued, I listened for more details, hoping for a juicy story.

“The score was 96 points,” he continued.

My interest waned.

“It’s insane,,” replied his companion. “My average is 67, and I don’t see it going any higher.”

“But what about your heart rate?”

“I never check, but I know my REM score this week is unusually high,” he responded.

At the mention of REM, rapid eye movement, they delved into a discussion about sleep performance.

Welcome to the realm of Orthosomnia. This term refers to an unhealthy fixation on achieving perfect sleep, often driven by wearable devices. American researchers coined the term in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. The study revealed that obsessively analyzing nightly sleep data might exacerbate insomnia. People may spend excessive time in bed striving for a flawless score, leading to heightened anxiety over their sleep performance.

“Perfect sleep doesn’t really exist” by behavioral sleep therapist Katie Fisher

But what constitutes a “good sleep score”? And can one manipulate involuntary biological processes?

According to behavioral sleep therapist Katie Fisher, many clients are fixated on achieving the “perfect” night’s sleep. She emphasizes that individuals who sleep well often don’t think much about it. Conversely, those who struggle with sleep attempt to hit a specific number of hours without realizing that their needs may differ. Fisher asserts that excessive monitoring of sleep data only induces stress and recommends focusing on how one feels rather than fixating on numbers.

Dr. Neil Stanley, author of How to Sleep Well, questions the utility of sleep tracking devices. While they can provide basic information on sleep duration, accurately discerning between sleep stages requires advanced monitoring. He highlights the importance of listening to one’s body rather than relying solely on data.

Professor Guy Leszziner also raises doubts about the efficacy of sleep tracking. He stresses the need to address underlying obstacles to good sleep, such as sleep disorders or lifestyle factors. Leszziner argues that while REM sleep plays a critical role, fixation on REM data may not yield significant insights into overall sleep quality.

Illustration: Jess Jenkins/Guardian

Both experts advocate for a more holistic approach to sleep, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and lifestyle adjustments rather than fixating on sleep data. They highlight the need to prioritize self-care and listen to the body’s cues for optimal rest and well-being.

Dr. Neil Stanley, author of How to Sleep Better.

Ultimately, the focus should be on improving overall well-being and quality of life, rather than fixating on arbitrary sleep scores. By tuning in to one’s body and making sustainable lifestyle choices, individuals can optimize their sleep and overall health.

The quest for perfect sleep may lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety, detracting from the essence of rest and relaxation. Instead of relying solely on data, individuals should prioritize self-care, listen to their bodies, and adopt healthy sleep habits to achieve long-term well-being.

As technology advances, sleep tracking may become more sophisticated, but the fundamental principles of good sleep remain unchanged. It is essential to strike a balance between leveraging technology for insights and honoring the body’s natural rhythm and needs.

In a world obsessed with metrics and data, the key to quality sleep lies not in numbers but in a holistic approach that integrates self-awareness, healthy habits, and a deep connection with one’s body.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Emergence of Complex Life under Extreme Stress

Plants and humans have one thing in common: They both consist of a single cell containing a nucleus that serves a specialized function that benefits the entire organism. When life first emerged 4 billion years ago, it consisted of simple cells that lacked a nucleus. ProkaryotesAt least 2 billion years later, a major evolutionary change gave rise to the first cells with nuclei. EukaryotesAlgae and fungi are eukaryotes, as are plants, animals, and some single-celled organisms.

Genomic studies have shown that all eukaryotes share a common ancestor, or RekaHowever, these studies can only provide limited information about LECA's characteristics, so researchers know almost nothing about their abundance, appearance, or where they live. Scientists hope to understand the origins of LECA on Earth and determine how complex life arose on Earth and how it might arise on other planets.

A team of researchers from the Australian National University, the University of Bremen and the Strasbourg Institute of Chemistry sought to trace the oldest evidence of eukaryotes in rocks and determine when eukaryotes diverged from prokaryotes. They found that only eukaryotes Structure and function of cell membranes, It is called Sterols. So to find the oldest traces of eukaryotes, researchers went looking for these molecules in sediments that accumulated beneath the oceans, where many researchers think early eukaryotes evolved.

When cells die, they sink to the ocean floor and over time completely or partially decompose and become buried in marine sediments. When these sediments harden into sedimentary rocks, all the remains of the cells become trapped within them. These researchers believe that sterols and the molecules derived from them are Decomposition productsThese molecules remain in sediments for millions of years after cells die, so the researchers reasoned that the abundance of these molecules in sedimentary rocks should correspond to the number of eukaryotic organisms living in the oceans when the sediments formed.

To find out what sterols break down into, the researchers burned different amounts of sterols found in modern eukaryotes and analyzed the sterol breakdown products using techniques that identify organic molecules. Gas ChromatographyThe researchers compared the sterol breakdown products of modern eukaryotes with organic molecules they measured in rock samples from the Burnie Creek Formation in northern Australia, which contained petroleum that dates back about 1.7 billion years. Their goal was to test whether the rock samples contained the same molecules as the burned sterols, confirming that eukaryotic organisms were present in the oceans at that time.

The researchers found that the rock samples contained only a fraction of the molecules they measured in the burned sterols. The molecules in the rocks were responsible for stabilizing eukaryotic cell membranes against environmental stresses such as high temperatures and high salinity. The researchers explained that sterols help some modern eukaryotes survive such extreme conditions by attaching to cell membranes and making them strong and flexible, preventing cell rupture caused by external stresses.

The researchers propose that the rock sample preserved the remains of early eukaryotes that produced sterols to strengthen membranes to survive in extreme conditions. Although it is unclear whether eukaryotes produced sterols before or after the development of a nucleus, they suggest that sterols may have provided early eukaryotes with a distinct ecological advantage in adapting to extreme environmental stresses, potentially facilitating the evolution of more specialized life forms.

The team suggested that changing atmospheric conditions may also have triggered the formation and adaptation of eukaryotes. They explained that oxygen first accumulated in the atmosphere about 2.3 billion years ago, which represented a chemical stress in the environment that would have been lethal to early cells that were allergic to oxygen. However, the sterols present in the cell membranes of early eukaryotes may have helped them adapt to the changing atmosphere and develop a preference for more oxygen-rich environments.

The researchers concluded that ecological stress can fundamentally change cells, and that certain compounds unique to eukaryotes can be used to find them in ancient rock samples. In the future, the scientists plan to analyze other rock samples from Northern Australia to validate their results and look for other types of molecules that could provide information about LECA.


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Source: sciworthy.com

The Emergence of British Nerdcore in Video Games: Hacked Gameboys, Compliment Battles, and Mr Blobby

circleA live jazz band plays Mario Kart, Full Orchestra Sonic plays. But there's an entire subgenre of video game music artists, who are happy to describe their sound as even nerdier. “Nerdcore has been around for 25 years – it's hip hop with nerdy themes, mostly about video games,” says Nick Box, 41, from Blackpool. Box has been in all sorts of “weird, silly bands,” including an electronic horror punk band. Hot Pink Sewer“All I did was dress up as a disabled person and play some backing tracks.” Cliff Grichard And it's weirder than you might think.

“The setting is a ZX Spectrum run by an AI clone of '90s TV presenter Noel Edmonds,” he explains. “The show starts with a Spectrum loading screen, followed by a pixelated Edmonds telling the audience that he's responsible for every celebrity death, political decision and catastrophe of the last 40 years. I run around screaming about stupid celebrities and end up fucking Mr Blobby onstage.”

According to Box, they were a nerdcore rap band based in Sunderland in the 2000s. B Type are his main inspiration and are “probably the biggest nerdy rap band in the UK right now”.

“We weren't the cool kids”… Mega run. Photo: Megaran

“In the early 2000s, there was a music explosion that mixed video game soundscapes with punk rock, hip hop and rap,” says Steve Brunton, aka BType, 39. “Final Fantasy VII was the first game that got people hooked on music, which led to remixes and covers.”

BType have covered Pokémon, Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat and Cannon Fodder. “Each track is a love letter to the original,” he adds. The band performs with modified Game Boys and live beatboxers. “I'd describe our sound as the Beastie Boys working for Nintendo,” he says. Their shows draw “a wide variety of fans, from metal fans to nerds and geeks who you can tell from their T-shirts. When we started it was a huge untapped reservoir. Now, because everyone plays video games, a lot of people self-identify as fans.”

“What we really need to talk about is Megaran“He's a former English teacher from the US who became popular rapping about Final Fantasy VII and Mega Man and will be opening for Wheatus on their UK tour. He's a really great guy,” he advises.

“Hip hop's second golden age came in the early '90s, when Snoop Dogg, Nas and Wu-Tang Clan were releasing their seminal records,” Philadelphia-born Raheem Jarboe, aka Mega Ran, 45, told me over Zoom from Los Angeles International Airport, where we were waiting for a delayed flight to London. “Some of us were like, 'Let's just write songs,' but we weren't the cool kids, so we just wrote about our lives playing video games.”

Mega Run released his first album in 2006. He quit teaching in 2011 when he received a job offer from Capcom to write music for Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. “The songs are still nerdy, but the lines are blurring. If you listen to a Kanye West song, you hear a reference to a video game. Before, you didn't think anyone would notice a reference to Marvel Comics. Now Marvel is one of the biggest franchises in the world.”

BxLxOxBxBxY. Photo: Connor Standfield

“Mega Run supported Wheatus on their UK tour in June this year, taking to the stage with the band and rapping during their set of Teenage Dirtbag. “It touches on Nintendo Power, AOL, Yahoo and all the stuff we did when we were kids in the early 2000s,” he says.

Have you heard of Mr B? [The Gentleman Rhymer] “They're British nerdcore artists, and instead of insulting each other, they're praising each other and battling each other. 'You're so cool, your fashion accessories are amazing.' Talk to them, they're fun.”

“It would be nice, especially if we get some positive press,” said the 49-year-old, from Brighton. Paul Alborough Also known as Professor Elemental. “Ten years ago, Michael Gove Mentioned He liked my music and it was in the Guardian. I had to contact him and tell him that if he came to my show, I would have the audience beat him with sticks.”

Alborough describes his character, Professor Elemental, as “a mad, optimistic but woefully incompetent eccentric British explorer and inventor”. He has been performing for over a decade and can be seen at Glastonbury this year in a rainbow suit and pith helmet, with chimpanzees and lions as backing dancers.

Like Mega Ran, Professor Elemental has written songs for Sega and Nintendo, and if you want him to write a personal song it will cost you £500 a song.

So what does he think of his nerdcore contemporaries? “Sometimes I hear people rapping about, say, Mr Blobby, and I think, 'I can't stand this newfangled rap, it's not proper hip-hop'. But then I remember what I do…”

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Weirder than you'd think… Cliff Grichard. Photo: Cliff Grichard

The Mr. Blobby-themed rap leads us to Dan Buckley, 39, the leader of a Mr. Blobby-themed grindcore band. Underline.

“I'm really interested in the blend of music, comedy, surrealism and a good, healthy dose of weirdness,” Buckley says of his two decades in the industry.

www.theguardian.com

The Emergence of Extortion as a Growing Ransomware Threat

Cyber ​​criminals are Their efforts to maximize disruption and force payment of ransom demands have become more aggressive and new extortion tactics are now being implemented.

In early November, the notorious ALPHV ransomware gang, also known as BlackCat, used an unprecedented extortion tactic, weaponizing the U.S. government’s new data breach disclosure rules against one of the gang’s own victims. I tried. ALPHV has filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging that digital lending provider MeridianLink failed to disclose what the gang calls a “significant breach of customer data and operational information.” did. The gang took the credit..

“We would like to draw your attention to a concerning issue regarding MeridianLink’s compliance with the recently adopted Cybersecurity Incident Disclosure Regulations,” ALPHV wrote. “We are aware that MeridianLink has failed to file the required disclosures under Item 1.05 of Form 8-K within the required four business days, as required by new SEC rules.”

ALPHV’s latest extortion campaign is the first of what is expected to be a trend in the coming months after the rule goes into effect. Although novel, this is not the only aggressive tactic used by ransomware and extortion gangs.

Hackers, typically known for deploying ransomware, are increasingly resorting to “double extortion” tactics, where in addition to encrypting a victim’s data, they also threaten to release stolen files if a ransom demand is not paid. We are transitioning. Some people go further with “.”triple “Extortion” attack. As the name suggests, hackers use her three-pronged approach to extort money from victims by extending blackmail and ransom demands to the original victim’s customers, suppliers, and associates. To do. These tactics have been used by the hackers behind the widespread MOVEit mass hack, marking a significant milestone in the trend of extortion attempts that do not use encryption.

While vague definitions may not seem like the biggest cybersecurity issue facing organizations today, the distinction between ransomware and extortion is important. Especially since defenses against these two types of cyberattacks can be very different. This distinction also helps policy makers learn what ransomware trends are and whether anti-ransomware policies are working.

What is the difference between ransomware and extortion?

Ransomware Task Force I will explain Ransomware is “an evolving form of cybercrime in which criminals remotely infiltrate computer systems and either restore data or demand a ransom in exchange for not releasing the data.”

In reality, ransomware attacks can have far-reaching effects. In an analysis with TechCrunch, ransomware experts Allan Liska, a threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, and Brett Callow, a threat analyst at Emsisoft, explained that ransomware, broadly defined, is a collection of content on an insecure Elasticsearch instance. From a “$50 attack” to a devastating “encryption-based attack that poses a life threat to hospitals”.

“But obviously they’re very different animals,” Liska and Callow said. “One is an opportunistic porch pirate who steals Amazon deliveries, and the other is a team of thugs who break into homes, terrorize families, and take away all their possessions.”

Researchers say there are similarities between “encryption and extortion” attacks and “extortion-only attacks,” including their reliance on brokers selling access to compromised networks. But there are also important differences between the two, especially when it comes to victim clients, vendors, and customers, whose own sensitive data may be caught up in an extortion-only attack.

“We’ve seen this play out repeatedly, where attackers organize stolen data to find the largest or most well-known organizations and launch attacks against them. “This is not a new tactic,” Liska and Callow said, noting that one ransomware group claims to have hacked a major technology company, when in fact it hacked a little-known technology vendor. He gave an example of data theft.

“Preventing attackers from encrypting files on your network is one thing, but how do you protect the entire data supply chain?” Liska and Callow said. “In fact, many organizations don’t think about their data supply chain… yet each point in that supply chain is vulnerable to data theft and extortion attacks.”

We need a more precise definition of ransomware

Authorities have long prevented hacked organizations from paying ransom demands, but it’s not always an easy decision for companies victimized by hackers.

In encryption and extortion attacks, companies have the option of paying a ransom demand to obtain the key to decrypt their files. However, if you pay a hacker using aggressive extortion tactics to delete your stolen files, there is no guarantee that the hacker will actually delete them.

This was demonstrated in the recent ransomware attack on Caesars Entertainment, which rewarded hackers in an effort to prevent the release of stolen data. In its own admission, Caesars told regulators that it had “taken steps to ensure that the data stolen by the wrongdoers is deleted, but we cannot guarantee the outcome.”

“In fact, we should assume they won’t do that,” Liska and Callow said, referring to claims that the hackers would delete the data they stole.

“With a better definition of ransomware that accounts for the distinction between different types of attacks, organizations should be able to identify any type of ransomware, whether it occurs within their own network or a third-party network. We will be able to better plan and respond to Were attacks, Liska and Callow said.

Source: techcrunch.com

The Emergence of the Anthropocene Era

New research supports the concept of the Anthropocene, a proposed geological era characterized by the significant impact humans have had on Earth. This study used fossil pollen data to analyze changes in North American vegetation since the end of the Pleistocene. Their findings show that recent changes in vegetation are comparable to those observed during the last epoch transition, suggesting significant changes in ecosystem function that justify the classification of a new epoch. There is.

The researchers determined that human activity shaped the environment as much as the retreat of glaciers at the end of the Ice Age.

Scientists have long debated the Anthropocene, a proposed unit of geological time that corresponds to the most recent epoch in history. It is characterized by the enormous impact humans have on the earth.

Are we living in the Anthropocene? If so, when did it start?

In a research paper published this month, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Trisha Spanbauer of the University of Toledo and Dr. M. Alison Stegner of Stanford University lend credence to the argument for its existence. The pair analyzed open-source data to track changes in vegetation across North America since the end of the Pleistocene and concluded that humans have impacted the landscape as much as the retreat of glaciers at the end of the Ice Age. Ta.

research method

“As a paleolimnologist, I’m very interested in what the past can tell us about the future,” said Spannbauer, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences. “Biological changes have been used to delimit eras in the past, so this analysis suggests that what we see today is what we would have seen during the transition between the Pleistocene and the Holocene. It provides valuable context for understanding whether the scale is essentially the same over time.”

Spanbauer and Stegner used the Neotoma Paleoecology Database, a community-curated repository of multi-species paleoecological data. They specifically looked at fossil pollen data from 386 sediment core records taken from lakes across North America.

Sediment cores are samples taken from the bottom of a lake that preserve the sedimentary order. Spannbauer and Stegner looked at samples taken during the late Pleistocene, about 14,000 years ago.

Analysis of ecological change

They analyzed the data according to seven indicators: taxonomic richness, or pollen diversity; seed; first occurrence data, last occurrence data, and short-term gains and losses in taxa. It measures how often species appear and disappear in the fossil record. A sudden change in the community, referring to the species identified in the sample. They organized data points within a 250-year period at both continental and regional scales, incorporated age model uncertainties, and produced conservative estimates to account for differences in sample sizes.

Their results show that vegetation changes over the past several hundred years are comparable to those associated with the last epochal transition, including increases in first and last emergence and abrupt community shifts.

“The power of a database like this is that you can ask questions about macroscale ecological change,” says Spannbauer. “While scientists have documented the effects of human activities on single species and on biodiversity generally, our study places these observations in a broader context. “We show corroborating changes in ecosystem function.”

Reference: “North American pollen record provides evidence of large-scale ecological change in the Anthropocene,” by M. Alison Stegner and Trisha L. Spanbauer, October 16, 2023. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306815120

Source: scitechdaily.com