Hubble Offers Fresh Insights into the Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Posted on December 6, 2025 by

The Hubble team has unveiled breathtaking new images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This marks only the third instance of such a comet being observed.

This image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was captured by Hubble on November 30, 2025. At that time, the comet was around 286 million kilometers (178 million miles) from Earth. Image credits: NASA / ESA / STScI / D. Jewitt, UCLA / M.-T. Hui, Shanghai Observatory / J. DePasquale, STScI.

Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, 3I/ATLAS is a remarkable interstellar comet.

At the time of its discovery, the comet had a heliocentric distance of 4.51 astronomical units (AU) and an eccentricity of 6.13.

This object, also referred to as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) and A11pl3Z, approaches from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, traveling at an impressive radial velocity of about 58 km (36 miles) per second.

3I/ATLAS passed near Mars at a distance of 0.194 AU on October 3 and reached its closest encounter with the Sun, known as perihelion, on October 30.

On March 16, 2026, this interstellar visitor will approach Jupiter at a distance of 0.357 astronomical units.

On November 30th, astronomers utilized Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to observe 3I/ATLAS.

“Hubble tracked a comet across the sky,” they stated.

“As a result, the background stars appear as streaks of light.”

“Hubble had previously observed 3I/ATLAS in July, shortly after its discovery, and several NASA missions have also studied the comet since then.”

“Observations are expected to persist for several more months as 3I/ATLAS journeys out of the solar system.”

“This image displays a teardrop-shaped glowing halo extending toward the sun,” stated Harvard University Professor Avi Loeb about the new Hubble images.

“This extension of the tail toward the sun was also noticeable in the pre-perihelion Hubble images taken on July 21, where 3I/ATLAS was approaching the Sun from a distance 56% greater than that of Earth.”

“The new radius of the glow is estimated to be around 40,000 km (24,855 miles), with its retro tail extension reaching approximately 60,000 km (37,282 miles).”

“In recent papers, I suggested that the coma teardrops in the 3I/ATLAS post-perihelion images are linked to numerous macroscopic non-volatile objects that have separated from the Sun due to measurements of non-gravitational accelerations moving away from the Sun,” he elaborated.

“I predicted that if the object overlapped with 3I/ATLAS at perihelion, by November 30th, the swarm would be about 60,000 km closer to the Sun than 3I/ATLAS.”

“This separation aligns perfectly with the teardrop-shaped anti-caudal extension visible in the new Hubble image.”

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh Edition: At the Brink

Posted on November 11, 2025 by

Understanding Cholesterol

What truly drives the increase in blood fats? It seems our cholesterol levels are more influenced by our digestive processes than by our actual diets.

The Joy of Others

If you consistently agree when you’d prefer to decline, you might be a people-pleaser. Prioritizing others can sometimes detrimentally affect your well-being and relationships. Esteemed health journalist Amy Arthur delves into the psychology behind this phenomenon and offers guidance on escaping the people-pleasing cycle.

The Microbiome

Our gut is inhabited by countless bacteria, both alive and deceased. Surprisingly, it’s the dead bacteria—known as postbiotics—that have scientists intrigued. These postbiotics may significantly impact our gut health more than was previously understood. Strategies exist to leverage this knowledge for better health.

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season

Being stuck in bed during the holiday season is never enjoyable. Thankfully, there are proactive measures you can adopt to reduce the risk of getting sick. This issue debunks three prevalent myths surrounding cold and flu prevention. Discover what truly works (and what doesn’t).

Plus

Type 1.5 Diabetes: 14% of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may actually have a rare autoimmune condition. An in-depth analysis of its long-standing concealment and guidance on identification.
Ferrari Goes Electric: The anticipated EV version of this iconic vehicle could redefine the electric car landscape. Automotive reporter Quentin Wilson investigates this groundbreaking model.
Q&A: Your most intriguing inquiries answered. Topics include how the brain forms a sense of self, the deepest submarine dive, mechanisms behind hula hoop lifting, the number of electrons in the universe, gender-switching in animals, best air-purifying houseplants, longest-lived insects, and more.

No. 426 Released on Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Don’t forget that BBC Science Focus is also accessible on all major digital platforms. You’ll find it available on Android, Kindle Fire and Kindle e-readers, and the iOS app for iPad and iPhone.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Shut Down All Amazon Fresh Stores in the UK | Amazon

Posted on September 23, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Amazon is set to shutter all of its Amazon Fresh Stores in the UK, just four years after the initial launch of its grocery store in London.

The tech giant is planning to close its 19 fresh stores, with intentions to convert five of them into Whole Foods Market locations, a US organic grocery chain purchased in 2017.

The first fresh store opened in Ealing, West London in 2021, offering a shopping experience without traditional checkout processes.

Customers enter the store using an app, pay upon exiting, and are tracked by a network of advanced cameras and sensors that monitor items picked up in store.

Nevertheless, this innovative concept has faced challenges, especially as the demand for contactless shopping declined post-pandemic. Amazon has struggled to compete significantly with established retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury.

While Amazon did not specify how many employees would be impacted by the closures, it stated that it intends to provide new roles for these workers elsewhere within the company.

The company is further concentrating on its Whole Foods brand as part of a wider strategy to revamp its approach to the grocery sector.

Despite Whole Foods operating largely independently following its acquisition for $13.7 billion (£10.7 billion), Amazon has begun to exert more influence over the brand.

During the summer, Amazon expanded its corporate staff program, including wage standards and benefits, to include Whole Foods’ corporate employees in the US.

On Tuesday, Amazon announced its plan to double the number of UK Prime Subscription members eligible for at least three grocery options through partnerships with Morrison, Iceland, Co-ops, and Gopuff.

Starting next year, customers will be able to order fresh groceries such as dairy, meat, and seafood directly from the Amazon website, the company confirmed.

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Amazon’s grocery operations are currently under scrutiny in the UK, which includes a request to adhere to the grocery supply code.

In June, the Grocery Code Adjudicator (GCA), the industry watchdog, initiated an investigation into Amazon concerning allegations of delayed payments to suppliers.

“We’ve been striving to optimize our business,” stated John Boumphrey, Amazon UK’s country manager.

“We persist in innovating and investing to provide our UK customers with more choices and convenience, enabling them to shop for a wide array of everyday essentials and groceries at competitive prices with swift delivery options through Amazon.co.uk, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market Stores.

Source: www.theguardian.com

EA Sports FC 26 Preview: Fresh Playstyle Designed to Conquer the FIFA Challenge

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

In the expansive office space at EA’s Vancouver campus, numerous people gather around multiple monitors to engage in EA Sports FC 26. Nearby hang soccer jerseys from various global leagues, as staff members monitor the match feed. The players include members of EA’s Design Council, professional athletes, influencers, and devoted fans, who frequently join to play, pose questions, and offer feedback on new updates. These councils have been active for years, but their insights are being taken more seriously than ever for this third iteration of the EA Sports FC series, the successor to EA’s FIFA franchise.

Let’s delve into the game for the journalists invited here. Insufficient response for EA Sports FC 25 emphasizes that addressing user feedback is the priority. EA has launched a new player feedback portal and a dedicated Discord channel for fans to voice their concerns. Additionally, developers have implemented AI-driven social listening tools to track discussions about EA Sports FC across platforms such as X, Instagram, and YouTube.

EA Sports FC 26 – Manuel Neuer pulls out saves. Photo: Electronic Arts

“There were so many different groups working on feedback across EA that we were overwhelmed by the individual teams in the game,” explains lead producer Joel Doonan. “Now we’re really focusing on it. How can we ensure that people who need to know are getting the right information at the right time and can respond as quickly as possible?”

“There’s also been a shift in the percentage of team resources devoted to our feedback commitment. We have a continuous development team. Currently, ten engineers are dedicated to processing feedback rather than waiting for FC 27. That’s what players expect today.”

Significant changes are genuine surprises. Two distinct play styles are offered: competitive and authentic. The competitive mode emphasizes speed, fluidity, and high scoring, capturing the rapid gameplay of classic FIFA titles while omitting elements like player fatigue. It directly influences online competitive modes such as Ultimate Teams and Clubs. Conversely, the authentic mode serves as a pure simulation aimed at offline players, characterized by slow build-up play and realistic outcomes.

EA Sports FC 26 – Rush Stadium Photo: Electronic Arts

“I’ve wanted to do this for some time, but other areas took precedence,” states Sam Rivera, production director for gameplay. “It’s clear, based on feedback, that it’s impossible to satisfy everyone with a single gameplay experience. Some players prefer simulations, while others desire more responsive experiences that let AI take on more roles instead of just assisting with specific actions. We’re now better positioned to support both in ways that align with different community needs.”

The dribbling feels tight and fluid, allowing for increased directional freedom for players. When in a scoring position, there’s a new feature that enables users to double-tap the shoot button for a powerful low shot, as opposed to simply lofting the ball. Goalkeeping mechanics have been enhanced with smarter positioning, utilizing new reinforcement learning AI, to minimize the chances of the ball being sent back to the offensive player. Likewise, defensive tackles will see less rebound, while attacking players will benefit from improved ball shielding.

The development team seems to have drawn inspiration from contemporary games and genres. The new archetype feature in Club and Player Career Modes lets players design and create individuals across 13 types (including categories such as Magician, Recycler, Boss, etc.). This is reminiscent of character classes in RPGs, allowing players to earn experience points throughout their careers and upgrade stats. Additionally, the Manager Live Career Mode allows you to lead head coaches through multiple seasons, pulling from live service inspirations like Fortnite. Weekly challenges occur throughout the year, encouraging players to set targets, such as topping the Christmas league. Some features are inspired by real-life sports unpredictability. During the demo presentation, Pete O’Donnell, Design Director of Career Mode, highlighted an intriguing scenario: a food poisoning outbreak affecting the Italian Serie B team Salernitana at the end of the last season. Will the team handle the sudden epidemic before a crucial playoff match?

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/TSi0iJYSQ24?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="EA SPORTS FC 26 | Official Reveal Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

The most beloved aspect of the game, Ultimate Team, has received an array of new features. The controversial Panini sticker-style fantasy football mode allows players to create teams by opening randomized digital packs, where competitors engage in live tournament modes with linked competitions throughout the season. A new feature called Bounties introduces players to randomized challenges like “scoring first/last goal” and “maintaining a clean sheet,” ensuring that even in a losing online match, players still receive rewards. Additionally, Gauntlets present a rapid live event requiring competitors to complete a five-match series, with each match demanding a different player from the team.

I believe that the focus on user feedback serves as a timely PR strategy, much like the authentic design principles. The game’s recent launch trailers spotlight gameplay footage rather than flashy cinematics. The underlying message is, “We’re listening to you, stay with us.” Timing is also crucial; in June, FIFA launched a competitor for the casual mobile title, indicating they may collaborate with developers on a more refined football simulation ahead of next year’s Men’s World Cup. EA Sports has been in this arena for several years, but the window may be narrowing. Fan support for EA Sports FC 25 is invaluable.

EA Sports FC 26 will be available on PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch on September 26th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Fresh Beginnings at 60: Sharing My Old Diary Online and Discovering My Youthful Secrets Went Viral”

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

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Etsy Lerner may not view herself as a TikTok star, but the New York Times labels her as one, even calling her an influencer. To her, it signifies payment and illicit goods — all she possesses is a free pen. “I genuinely do it for myself,” she states, “and for those who follow me.”

Lerner is 64 years young. She spent over two decades as a literary agent, representing authors like Patti Smith and Temple Grandin. A non-fiction writer, she is the author of her debut novels, “The Shred Sisters” and “Love Letter to Loneliness.” However, her TikTok presence is noteworthy, boasting 1.5 million followers! There, she shares videos reading from a diary chronicling her chaotic 20s.

“I don’t know who you love, who loves you, what you do for your job, what your purpose is,” she expresses in one post. “This morning I stumbled upon a line in my journal. In my 20s, I wrote: ‘I feel like I don’t know who I am.'”

Lerner shares posts while in a dressing gown and without makeup. Initially, she ventured into BookTok to support authors, but as her new novel was approaching release, she started filming herself on camera, despite not initially gaining followers. “A friend advised me to embrace it like my own TV channel… so I thought, ‘I’ll read from an old diary.'”

She has kept journals since the age of 11, inspired by Anne Frank’s “The Diary of a Young Girl.” “I penned my first poem there, trying to understand myself…” Although her journal from ages 12 to 18 was lost when her car was stolen, she has roughly 30 volumes from her 20s safely stored away in her attic.

“My journals are incredibly melancholic. They discuss loneliness, the search for love and friendship, and the quest for identity,” she reflects.

Lerner describes herself as a “slow bloomer.” Accepted into Columbia’s MFA Poetry Program at 26, she entered the publishing world in her late 20s, a time when most editorial assistants were fresh college graduates. “I didn’t experience love until I was 30 and lacked any significant relationships… I lost much of my teens and endured depression through most of my 20s.”

“It’s all about connecting and trying to communicate,” … Betsy Lerner captured in New Haven, Connecticut.
Photo: Nicole Frapie/Guardian

At 15, her parents took her to a psychiatrist, which led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. “I resisted accepting that I had this condition. I fought against it for a long time,” she admits. Her 2003 memoir, Food and Loathing, recounts her relationship with weight, food, and depression, detailing one instance in her late 20s when she found herself standing on a bridge over the Hudson River.

A breakthrough occurred at 30 when she connected with a psychopharmacologist who could prescribe the right dosage of lithium (they have collaborated for 35 years). She also got married.

Writing in her journal became less frequent. While she initially wrote at night in bed, “I wasn’t feeling so sad and lonely anymore,” she reflects.

Over the years, Lerner says, “I was instinctively drawn to strength.” Currently, she prioritizes stability above all else.

She had no intentions of writing a novel. Nevertheless, in 2019, she faced “the tragic loss of four” individuals: her mother, two teenagers, Ruby and Hart Campbell, who were tragically killed by a drunk driver, and her best friend, author George Hodgman, who died by suicide. “I still grapple with the idea of grieving everyone, all the time,” she shares.

Following these losses, she began writing “Shred Sisters.” The novel serves as a means for her and her two sisters to care for one another while navigating their grief. She has also written another novel and continues to share insights from her diary as long as inspiration strikes. “It’s all about connecting and communicating,” she affirms.

“There’s a constant flow of comments from young adults in their 20s who resonate with my struggles. That connection motivates me immensely. I feel aligned with these young individuals.”

Shred Sisters is published by Verve Books. To support the Guardian, please order a copy from the Guardian Bookshop. Shipping fees may apply.

Tell me: Did your life take a new turn after turning 60?

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fresh Challenge: Lowering Earth’s Temperature

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Unwanted Thoughts

Sometimes our minds become cluttered with confusing thoughts. What can we do when we’re unable to release them? Here are some tips to manage these thoughts and soothe your mind:

Pups vs. Parenting

In recent years, many individuals have opted for furry companions over raising children. When it comes to achieving happiness, which is preferable: owning a dog or raising a child?

Asteroids and the Apocalypse

Meet the dedicated scientists, astronomers, and mathematicians who tirelessly monitor the skies, keeping a watchful eye on asteroids that could threaten our world.

Feelings of Isolation

Loneliness encompasses the negative emotional state we experience when we lack sufficient personal time. While social interactions are essential, carving out quality time for yourself can significantly lower stress levels.

Plus

Eliminate Fluoride from US Water: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has urged the CDC to cease recommendations for water fluoridation. Dental experts express concerns about potential impacts on oral health. Explore the facts.
Cyborg Advancements: Imagine a future where humans possess extraordinary strength, enhanced vision, and the ability to fly—it may sound far-fetched, but it’s already in progress. Discover the leading “cyborg technology” that will soon be commercially available.
Q&A: This month’s burning questions answered! Can animals become intoxicated? What’s the best way to use a defibrillator? What are tufted ground squirrels? How much exercise do you require? Do you really control my blood pressure? What if a Super Collider were built around the moon? What’s the ideal sleeping position? How do you combat compassion fatigue? Are there other sites akin to Stonehenge? And more…

Issue 421 Available on Tuesday, July 8th, 2025

Don’t forget, BBC Science Focus is accessible on all major digital platforms. You can find it on Android, Kindle Fire and Kindle e-readers, as well as on the iOS App for iPhone and iPad.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Destroyer World Review: Frank Close’s New Book Offers a Fresh Perspective on the Atomic Age

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Irène Joliot-Curie and her husband Frédéric Joliot managed to observe neutrons during their experiments.

Smith Archives/Alamy

WHA2R6 Frederick and Irene Joliet Curie's Paris Institute — Irène Joliot-Curie and her husband Frédéric Joliot managed to observe neutrons during their experiments.

Smith Archives/Alamy

Destroyers of the World
Frank Close (Allen Lane (UK); Basic Books (US)

Upon receiving a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023, particle physicist and Oxford University professor emeritus Frank Close underwent three weeks of radiation therapy, which provided him with a new understanding of radiation’s capabilities.

His 10-year-old grandson shared a detailed account of Emperor Bomba, a 50-megaton nuclear device tested by the Soviet Union in 1961, marking the most powerful human-made explosion. This prompted Close to elucidate the complexities of nuclear energy, highlighting its dual nature as both a power source and a peril.

A three-time winner of the British Science Writers Association Award, Close is well-versed in the intricacies of subatomic physics. His latest work, Destroyers of the World: Deep History of the Nuclear Age 1895-1965, starts with the Trinity Test Blast in July 1945, signifying the moment chemical explosions transitioned to nuclear ones. He takes readers on a historical journey beginning with 1896, when the first atomic traces sparked interest in the nuclear age.

The narrative features 19th-century scientist William Crookes, who delved into spiritualism after his brother’s death, observing “bright green clouds” in a gas-filled, charged vacuum tube. He believed he had synthesized external organisms and discovered phantoms. Theoretical physicist George Gamow is also mentioned, demonstrating that uranium can release charged alpha particles without contradicting energy conservation principles.

Close’s primary focus, however, revolves around the often-overlooked contributions of female physicists in the nuclear arena. He discusses Lise Meitner, who, despite holding a PhD, was banned from a male-only room at the University of Vienna. This didn’t thwart her efforts alongside Otto Hahn to provide X-rays for World War I injuries or her 1917 discovery of protactinium, element 91. In 1925, she was awarded the Lieven Prize, which marked a significant academic achievement.

He also highlights Elaine Joliot-Curie, the daughter of Marie Curie and Pierre Curie, who possessed her parents’ scientific prowess. In a notable scandal in 1910, Marie faced exclusion from the French Academy of Sciences due to her relationship with a married physicist. Elaine sought to defend her family’s legacy, underscoring work she conducted with her husband, Frédéric Joliot. The 1932 announcement of the neutron by James Chadwick shifted the course of nuclear physics.

Furthermore, Close examines the contributions of chemist Aida Noddack, who argued that uranium nuclei could be split into lighter isotopes but faced backlash from a male-dominated field. Noddack’s position as an industrial chemist challenged the established norms of elite nuclear physics.

In Destroyers of the World, Close also addresses the enigma surrounding Ettore Majorana, a theoretical physicist revered by Enrico Fermi, who mysteriously vanished in 1938. Speculation about Majorana’s fate has ranged from suicide to escaping fascism in Italy, but as with many similar cases, certainty eludes us.

As we navigate through the radioactive haze, one fact remains evident: many extraordinary individuals played pivotal roles in unleashing the Nuclear Demon from its confines.

George Bass is a writer based in Kent, UK.

New Scientist Book Club

Do you enjoy reading? Participate in a welcoming community of fellow book enthusiasts. Every six weeks, we explore exciting new titles, offering members exclusive access to book excerpts, author articles, and video interviews.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Hubble Space Telescope Reveals Fresh Perspective on NGC 3511

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Hubble Team has unveiled a stunning new image of the intermediate Spiral Galaxy NGC 3511.

This Hubble image depicts NGC 3511, a mid-spiral galaxy located about 43 million light years away in the crater constellations. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Thilker.

NGC 3511 is situated approximately 43 million light years away from Earth, in the crater’s constellation.

Also referred to as ESO 502-13, Leda 33385, IRAS 11009-2248, or UGCA 223, this spiral galaxy spans a diameter of 107,000 light years.

NGC 3511 was discovered by the German and British astronomer William Herschel on December 21, 1786.

This galaxy is part of the NGC 3511 group, a small collection of galaxies that includes NGC 3513 and ESO 502-024.

“From Hubble’s perspective in orbit around Earth, NGC 3511 is tilted about 70 degrees, sitting in between galaxies that display edge-on features and those that exhibit dense flat discs, ideal for visualization,” Hubble astronomers stated.

Color images of NGC 3511 were created from individual exposures using UV light with the Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

Six filters were employed to capture different wavelengths. Colors are assigned by applying distinct hues to each monochromatic image tied to a specific filter.

“We are examining NGC 3511 as part of our research into the star formation cycle in nearby galaxies,” stated the astronomers.

“This observational program involves Hubble recording the properties of 55 local galaxies using five filters that permit light of varying wavelengths or colors.”

“One of these filters specifically transmits red light at a particular wavelength.”

“This vast cloud of hydrogen gas glows red when stimulated by the ultraviolet rays of a hot young star.”

“As illustrated in this image, NGC 3511 is filled with numerous bright red gas clouds, some of which encircle clusters of vibrant blue stars.”

“Hubble plays a crucial role in cataloging and determining the ages of these stars, which are generally a few million years old and several times larger than the Sun.”

Source: www.sci.news

Seven Years of Research Uncover Fresh Perspectives on Consciousness

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A diverse group of neuroscientists evaluated two rival theories of consciousness: Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Neuron Workspace Theory (GNWT). IIT posits that consciousness arises when information within a system is intricately connected and unified, provided it is consciously recognized and functions as a cohesive entity. In contrast, GNWT proposes that a network of brain regions emphasizes significant information, bringing it to the forefront of our awareness and broadly sharing it as it enters consciousness, thereby forming a conscious experience.

Various theories elucidate how subjective experiences emerge from neural activity. While these theories have independent support, they have not been directly compared. Ferrante et al. We present an open science adversarial collaboration that juxtaposes Integrated Information Theory (IIT) with Global Neuron Workspace Theory (GNWT) through a theoretical Chinese consortium. Image credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-CALTECH/STSCI/SCI.NEWS.

Both philosophers and scientists have engaged in the pursuit of understanding the subjective aspects of consciousness (like experiencing pain or seeing vivid rainbows) and their connection to brain’s physical processes.

This endeavor has led to the simultaneous development of various consciousness theories, offering conflicting interpretations of the neural foundations of consciousness.

Moreover, empirical support for any given theory often hinges on methodological choices, pointing to potential confirmation bias in testing these theories.

A convergence of consciousness theories into a broadly accepted neuroscience framework could have profound medical, social, and ethical repercussions.

To facilitate this aim, the authors examined both IIT and GNWT through expansive open science adversarial collaborations designed to foster progress in consciousness research based on constructive disagreements.

“IIT proposes that consciousness results from the cooperation of various brain regions, integrating information much like a cohesive team effort,” the researchers noted.

“It arises from how these regions are interconnected and how they communicate, extending beyond just individual brain parts.”

“However, this research did not uncover sufficient sustained connections in the brain’s posterior areas to substantiate this notion.”

“The GNWT posits that consciousness is localized in the brain’s frontal regions, but this study also found inadequate evidence to support this idea,” they added.

This study included 256 participants, marking a significant milestone for this kind of experimentation.

Researchers displayed various visual stimuli and monitored the brain’s activity while participants viewed these stimuli using three common neuroimaging methods that track blood flow and electrical/magnetic activity.

“Our findings indicate a functional link between neurons in the early visual areas and those in the frontal regions, helping illuminate how perceptions are intertwined with thoughts,” they remarked.

“These results underscore the prefrontal cortex’s significance in consciousness, suggesting that while it plays a vital role in reasoning and planning, consciousness itself may be tied to sensory processing and perception.”

“In essence, intelligence pertains to actions taken, while consciousness refers to mere existence.”

“This discovery could reshape our understanding of consciousness and inform issues related to loss of consciousness, such as in comas and nutrition.”

Understanding the origins of consciousness could aid in identifying “secret awareness” in patients who are severely injured yet unresponsive.

“It became evident that no theory could definitively refute the other,” commented Professor Anil Seth from the University of Sussex.

“The theories pursue fundamentally different objectives in their assumptions and explanations, and the available experimental methods are too coarse to allow one theory to conclusively prevail over the other.”

“Regardless, the findings from this collaboration remain invaluable. There’s a wealth of insights to gain about both theories, along with new understandings of when and where visual experiences can be discerned in the brain.”

Survey results this week will be featured in the journal Nature.

____

O. Ferrante et al. (Cogged the consortium). An antagonistic examination of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theory. Nature Released on April 30th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-0888-1

Source: www.sci.news

Exploring the Potential for a Black Hole’s Singularity to Herald a Fresh Start: Research

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to a new study by a physicist at the University of Sheffield and a certified officer at the University of Madrid, black holes can migrate into white holes, eject matter, and even return to space.

Steffen Gielen & Lucía Menéndez-Pidal Research Quantum dynamics of planar black holes require the unification of conjugation of natural time coordinates. Image credit: Sci.News.

According to Einstein's general theory of relativity, anyone trapped within a black hole falls towards the center and is destroyed by immeasurable gravity.

Known as a singularity, the center is a point where the problem of the giant star, thought to have collapsed to form a black hole, is crushed by an infinitely small point.

This singularity breaks down understanding of physics and time.

New research, a fundamental theory that uses the laws of quantum mechanics to explain the nature of the universe at the level of atoms and even smaller particles, proposes a fundamentally different theoretical perspective that may represent a new beginning, rather than a singularity that means an end.

“It is said that black holes often suck everything including time, but new papers theorize that white holes act inversely, bringing energy and time back into space,” said Dr. Stephen Gillen of the University of Sheffield and Dr. Lucia Menendez Pidal of Madrid's compliant university.

In their work, the authors use a simplified theoretical model of black holes known as planar black holes.

Unlike typical spherical black holes, the boundaries of planar black holes are flat, two-dimensional surfaces.

Researchers' research suggests that the same mechanism may also apply to typical black holes.

“It has long been a question of whether quantum mechanics can change the understanding of black holes and provide insight into their essence,” Dr. Gielen said.

“In quantum mechanics, it's the time when we understand that systems can't end because they change and evolve permanently.”

The scientists' findings use the laws of quantum mechanics to show how the singularities of black holes can be replaced by a large area of quantum fluctuation that does not end space and time – a region of small temporary changes in spatial energy. Instead, space and time move into a new phase called the Whitehall. So the white holes may start to take time.

“It is generally thought to be related to observers, but in our research it comes from the mysterious dark energy that permeates the entire universe,” Dr. Gielen said.

“We propose that time is all over the universe and is measured by dark energy responsible for its current expansion.”

“This is an important new idea that will allow you to understand what happens within a black hole.”

In this study, physicists use dark energy almost as a reference point, and as a complementary idea that allows energy and time to be measured from one another.

In appetite, the theory that what we perceive as a singularity is actually beginning suggests the existence of something even more enigmatic on the other side of the white hole.

“Hypossibly, an observer (a hypothetical entity) can pass through a black hole, through what we consider singularity, and appear on the other side of the white hole. It's a very abstract concept of an observer, but in theory it can happen,” Dr. Gielen said.

Team's paper It was published in the journal this week Physical Review Letter.

____

Steffen Gielen & Lucía Menéndez-Pidal. 2025. Black hole singularity resolution in monopolar gravity from uniformity. Phys. Pastor Rett 134, 101501; doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.134.101501

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh fossils discovered in Patagonia

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to a new study published in the journal Plos 1, anti-biologists analyzed the fossilized archaeological sites of Alvaretsu Saurdo Dinosaur, Bonapartenykus, from Patagonia’s Allen formation. Their findings provide new insights into the body plan of Bonapartenykus and other members of the Alvaretsu Sould Dinosaur Group Patagonykinae.

Reconstruction of the personal life of Bonapartenykus in Argentina, Patagonia Allen Solitoritral Ojodea Guo area. Image credit: Abel G. MONTES.

Bonapartenykus lived in Patagonia, Argentina, about 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.

This dinosaur, first described in 2012, belongs to one of the most enigmatic dinosaur groups, Alvarezsauridae.

Together with another genus from Patagonia, Patagonics, Bonapartenykus forms a small group within Alvarez Sauria called Patagonykinae.

“Alvarezsauria is a group of small to medium-sized coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs that lived from the late Jurassic to the late Cretaceous,” explained Dr. Gustabo Meso, a paleontologist specializing in ancient biologist.

“Originally, the distribution of this group was limited to Asia, with the earliest known member found in China’s Oxford (late Jurassic period).”

“Early fossils of Alvarezsauria were only found in Asia but now include up to three species.”

“By the latter half of the Cretaceous period, Alvarezsauria had diversified and spread globally, with abundant fossils found in Asia, Europe, North America, and the first records in South America from the Gondwana supercontinent.”

“Patagonykinae is a subgroup of Alvarezsaurids, named after the Patagonics and Bonapartenykus.”

In their new study, Dr. Gustabo Meso and his co-author examined numerous Alvarezsaurus fossils from the Patagonia Allen layer of Solitral Ojo de Agua.

“These specimens were collected at various times without precise original locality information but are now all from the same section and layer as the holotype of the alvarezsaurid. We conducted X-ray micro-CT scans of the specimens,” mentioned Dr. Meso.

“Based on this new information and the morphological similarities of the specimens, we provisionally assign them to the genus Bonapartenykus.”

The newly described specimen provides valuable insights into the body plan of Patagonykinae, allowing for a more complete reconstruction of the neck, chest, hindlimbs, and tail.

“Our results support the idea of a single species of Alvaresaurus, but future research in the Solitral Ojo de Agua area may reveal further evidence for testing,” they added.

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JG MESO et al. 2025. New information on Bonapartenykus (Alvares Sauda: Seropododa) from the Allen layer in Rio Negro State, Patagonia, Argentina (Middle Compania Mariana) Plos 1 20 (1): e0308366; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308366

Source: www.sci.news

Top New Science Fiction for the Month Includes TJ KLUNE Thrillers and Fresh Adrian Tchaikovsky Works

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Dark Moon is the location of the new science fiction novel Schloud by Adrian Chaikovsky

LaperRuque / Alamy

Humanoid mosquitoes, fatal lunar aliens contact, implants that tell you all about your partner … I feel that the science fiction novel provided in February is particularly interesting. Other worlds This year's cold, dark season. You will find it, regardless of whether you are following the classic science fiction such as Gareth L. Powell, Adrian Tchaikovsky, high concept thriller, or future global flooding. enjoy!

After reading Tchaikovsky's excellent science fiction novel Alien clay In the case of a new Scientist Book Club -we are in the middle now, so sign up and participate in us. It's free, I'll talk to Adrian next month! -I'm definitely getting better from this wonderful writer. This latest one is a story of a deadly black moon survival and the first contact, and is crowded with radio activities. When two people have to land in a hostile month, they begin to learn more about the strange species they live there. Our science fiction columnist Emily H Wilson really enjoyed this. Please be careful about next week's review.

Eliya persuades Anna to go to EminMind to celebrate the 10th anniversary. This high -tech company provides implants so that you can hear each other's thoughts. But Anna may have something hidden from her partner … I love the good concept thriller, which is a fun (and terrible) idea.

Powell is the author who won the British Science Fiction Award. Stars and bones and Remaining of warAnd his latest novel sounds like another great slice in hard science fiction. It follows the story of archaeologist Ursula Morrow, who will be infected with alien parasites. Her worries about the danger of her career, do nothing because the Earth is later destroyed and no one really needs an archaeologist. Two years later, she is in a refugee camp in the backwater world when she is in charge of finding an infected alien crafts, hoping that humanity may help survive. 。

I love how wonderful and strange this novel sounds. In 2272, New York and Buenos Aires have been underwater for years, and the Patagonia Islands are the only lands that can live on Earth. Our protagonist is a humanoid mosquito where everyone has a terrible appearance. When the world collapses around him, Dengue's boy looks for the truth about his origin and the meaning of his life. This is translated from Spanish by Rahle Berry, and I think it's surprising!

Many of the earth are underwater for the boy with dengue fever …

VICNT/ISTOCKPHOTO/Getty Images

I like the sound of this blend of archeology and science fiction. There, you will reach the unexpectedly arriving at the Malboro downs, which is approaching the city of Swindon. Claire Holworth is part of the archeological survey on its origin to manage sites before public pressure to reach the summit.

The blend of this science fiction and thriller will continue to return to the summer cabin of Oregon's family and start again to start again. In the cabin, he discovers Alex, a 10 -year -old girl, Artemis Darth Vader.

I haven't read it yet, so I can't promise that this is a science fiction, but it's compared to the works of speculative fiction writers such as Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, and Karian Bloodle (Time in time The author), and it sounds very interesting. It is mainly for women who are older or died, but the people around her are scary and the same way through the continent for centuries for centuries. Can she stop? This can be more fearful than science fiction. We will report in both methods.

This time, compared to the Jordan Peal movie, more speculative fear here Stranger Singus -I're very here here. Kara is a 25 -year -old and a passive guardian of 16 -year -old brother Jamie. Meanwhile, she has been suffering from the “nightmare” of Jamie and her siblings, Dre, who continues to die. When Jamie's actions become unable to control, the brothers continue to run and realize that their lives and reality are facing the balance.

Octavia E. Butler

Marcom Ali/Wire Image/Getty

This is for my fellow Octavia E. Butler fans, you are there. This book looks at the book's collection, the influence of her childhood, and the books that are not well known, and “animals, science fiction, black girls, racial and racial and racism.” I will explore. Environmental justice, “says the publisher.

As I mentioned last month, the hard back actually occurs in February, so I remember it because it sounds great. As I mentioned earlier, it has been turned over by our science fiction columnist Emily H Wilson, and after the extinction of humanity, I decided to write a novel about Android and AI. Continue to the author Zelu of SF. However, as she wrote, the lines between what she wrote and the reality begins to blur …

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Planetist scientists offer fresh insights into the warm and wet conditions on ancient Mars

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The team of the planetary researcher led by Caltech has decided on a chemical mechanism that can maintain sufficient warmth in the early days of ancient Mars, perhaps to host life.

Adams et al。 Mars has experienced a temporary warm period for the 40 million years of integration, estimating that each event lasted about 100 to 00 years. Image credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO / N. risinger, Skysurvey.org.

“Because Mars is far from the sun, it was a very puzzle that Mars had liquid water on Mars. Dr. Adams said.

“Hydrogen was previously theoretical as a magical component, mixed with carbon dioxide in Mars, causing an episode of greenhouse warming.”

“However, the life of air hydrogen was short, so a more detailed analysis was needed.”

In this study, Dr. Adams and his colleagues used photochemical modeling to describe the details of the relationship with hydrogen in the early atmosphere of Mars and how the relationship has changed over time.

“The early Mars is a lost world, but if you ask the right question, you can reconstruct in detail,” said Professor Robin Wordworth at Harvard University.

“In this study, we will integrate the atmosphere and climate of the atmosphere for the first time and bring some impressive new predictions that can be tested if you bring back Mars to Earth.”

The authors changed the model called dynamics to simulate how the combination of hydrogen and other gas, which responded to both the ground and air, reacted the early Mars climate.

They discovered that Mars has been a warm episode of about 40 million years, 400 million to 3 billion years ago during the Noatian and Hesperian days in Mars, and that each event lasted more than 10000 years.

These estimated values match today's geological characteristics of Mars.

During the warm and damp period, the hydrogen of the crust or the lost water on the ground was driven, and sufficient hydrogen was supplied to accumulate in the atmosphere for millions of years.

During the fluctuations between the warm climate and the cold climate, the chemistry of the atmosphere of Mars also fluctuated. Carbon dioxide is constantly attacked by sunlight and is converted to carbon monoxide.

During the warm period, carbon dioxide can return to carbon dioxide and control carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

However, if it is long enough, the recycling decelerates, accumulates carbon monoxide, and reduces the reduction, that is, less oxygen.

Therefore, the red oxidation state of the atmosphere changed dramatically over time.

“We have identified all of these alternate time scale,” said Dr. Adams.

“And I explained all the same parts of the same photochemical model.”

Modeling work gives a potential new insight into the conditions for supporting the pre -buiotics chemistry (the basis of life after we know), and to the end of its life at intervals between cold and oxidation. Lends issues.

Researchers are working to find evidence of these alternatives using isotopic chemical modeling.

They will compare these results with the rocks of the Mars Sample Return Mission in the future.

Since Mars has no plate tectonics, unlike the earth, the surface seen today resembles the surface long ago, making the history of lakes and rivers more interesting.

“It will be a really wonderful case study for how the planet evolves over time,” said Dr. Adams.

study Published in the journal Natural global science。

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D. Adams et al。 The warm climate of the early episode on Mars prepared by hydration of the crust. nut. GeosciReleased online on January 15, 2025. Doi: 10.1038/S41561-024-01626-8

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh research illuminates the evolution of lepidosaurs

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New research led by scientists at the University of Bristol shows how lepidosaurs, the most diverse clade of quadrupeds that includes lizards and snakes, evolved an astonishing variety of jaw shapes and He revealed what has brought him extraordinary success.

The rate of evolution of lepidosaur jaw morphology. Image credit: Ballell others., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2052.

Lepidosauria is a clade of lizards, snakes, and tuataras with over 11,000 species, representing the most specialized group of today's tetrapods.

Since their origin over 240 million years ago, lepidosaurs have diversified into countless sizes and body shapes.

Among extant species, body size ranges over three orders of magnitude, typified by body lengths of approximately 1.7 cm. Sphaerodactylus Geckos and giant anacondas that are about 10 meters long.

The extreme size becomes even more dramatic when you consider extinct mosasaurs (up to 17 meters long).

Differences in body shape are reflected in different degrees of body elongation and reductions or modifications of limb elements in multiple lineages, and snake-like body shapes have evolved independently at least 25 times.

Similarly, lepidosaurs exhibit rich diversity in skull composition, shaped by the loss and gain of cranial bones over their evolutionary history and the acquisition of varying types and degrees of cranial motion.

As a result of this morphological diversification, Lepidosaurus conquered diverse ecological niches in most regions of the planet.

In a new study, University of Bristol researcher Antonio Barrel-Mayoral and his colleagues show that the evolution of jaw shape in lepidosaurs was influenced by ecological factors, including phylogeny (evolutionary relatedness) and allometry (scaling of shape with size). They found that it is influenced by a complex interaction of factors that go beyond science.

In terms of jaw shape, the snake was found to be a morphological outlier, exhibiting a unique jaw morphology. This is probably due to the snake's highly flexible skull and extreme mechanism that allows it to swallow prey many times larger than its head.

“Interestingly, we found that jaw shape evolves particularly rapidly in ecologically specialized groups, such as burrowing, aquatic, and herbivorous lizards. This may be due to evolutionary innovations in the lower jaw. “We suggest that this is the key to achieving these unique ecologies,” said Dr. Barrel-Mayoral. Said.

“Our research shows how lizards and snakes have evolved different jaw shapes to adapt to their wide range of ecology, diets and habitats, driving their extraordinary diversity. ”

This study highlights the important role of morphological innovations in promoting diversification in highly biodiverse groups such as lepidosaurs.

“The mandible, an important component of the vertebrate feeding apparatus, has been an important element in vertebrate ecological experimentation and adaptation.”

Looking ahead, the research team plans to further investigate the evolution of lepidosaur heads.

“The lower jaw is important because it works with the muscles that close the jaw to support important functions such as feeding and defense,” Dr. Barrel-Mayoral said.

“We are investigating the relationship between the shape of the skull and the placement of the jaw-closing musculature throughout evolution, and how this influenced the diversification of feeding mechanisms and habits.”

team's work Published today on Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

_____

antonio barrel others. 2024. Ecological factors in the evolution of jaw morphology in lepidosaurs. Procedure R. Soc. B 291 (2036): 20242052;doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2052

Source: www.sci.news

Webb Reveals a Fresh Perspective on the Sombrero Galaxy

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

sharp resolution Web’s mid-infrared device (MIRI) focuses on details of the outer ring of the Sombrero Galaxy, providing insight into how dust is distributed.

This web image shows the Sombrero Galaxy. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.

The Sombrero Galaxy is located approximately 28 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo.

This spiral galaxy, also known as Messier 104, M104, or NGC 4594, was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain on May 11, 1781.

It is about 49,000 light-years in diameter, about one-third the size of our Milky Way galaxy.

The Sombrero galaxy has a very large central bulge and a supermassive black hole.

We are looking directly at the galaxy, at an angle of 6 degrees south of its face. Its dark dusty path dominates the view.

“The clumpy nature of the dust, in which MIRI detects carbon-containing molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, may indicate the presence of young star-forming regions,” Webb astronomers said in a statement.

“But unlike some of the galaxies studied with Webb, such as Messier 82, which has 10 times as many stars as the Milky Way, the Sombrero galaxy is not a special hotbed of star formation.”

“The Sombrero ring produces less than 1 solar mass per year of stars, compared to about 2 solar masses per year for the Milky Way.”

“The supermassive black hole at the center of the Sombrero galaxy, also known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), is fairly docile, even at a massive 9 billion solar masses,” the researchers noted.

“Classified as a low-luminosity AGN, it slowly chews up material falling from the galaxy while emitting bright and relatively small jets.”

“Also, there are about 2,000 globular clusters within the Sombrero galaxy, which are collections of hundreds of thousands of old stars held together by gravity,” the researchers said.

“This type of system acts as a pseudo-laboratory for astronomers to study stars. There are thousands of stars in one system of the same age but with different masses and other properties, making it difficult to compare It’s an interesting opportunity for research.”

“In the MIRI images, galaxies of different shapes and colors are scattered across the cosmic background.”

“The different colors of these background galaxies can tell astronomers about their properties, such as their distance.”

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh research illuminates the mechanisms behind the end-Triassic mass extinction

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The end-Triassic extinction is, along with the end-Permian and end-Cretaceous events, the most severe mass extinctions of the past 270 million years. The exact mechanism of the end-Triassic extinction has long been debated, most notably because the carbon dioxide that had accumulated over thousands of years and appeared on the surface from volcanic eruptions was a persistent This caused temperatures to rise to impossible levels and seawater to become more acidic. but, new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences I say the opposite. The main cause is not warmth, but cold.

Outcrop areas of Pangea's CAMP rocks are located at the time of CAMP (201 million year ago). and the Central High Atlas (CHA) Basin of Morocco. Image credit: Kent others., doi: 10.1073/pnas.2415486121.

The end-Triassic mass extinction occurred 201,564,000 years ago, resulting in the extinction of approximately 76% of all marine and terrestrial species.

This mass extinction coincided with a massive volcanic eruption that split the supercontinent Pangea.

millions of kilometers³ Over 600,000 years, lava erupted and separated what is now the Americas, Europe, and North Africa.

This event marked the end of the Triassic period and the beginning of the Jurassic period. The Jurassic period was the period when dinosaurs appeared to replace the Triassic period creatures and dominated the Earth.

A new study provides evidence that the first lava pulses that ended the Triassic period were extraordinary events that each lasted less than a century, rather than hundreds of thousands of years.

During this condensed time frame, sunlight-reflecting sulfate particles spewed into the atmosphere, cooling the Earth and freezing many of its inhabitants.

A gradual rise in temperature in an already hot environment (carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during the Late Triassic was already three times higher than today's levels) may have finished the job later, but it caused the most damage. It was a volcanic winter.

“Carbon dioxide and sulfate not only act in opposite ways, but in opposite time frames,” said Dr. Dennis Kent, a researcher at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

“While it takes a long time for carbon dioxide to build up and heat up objects, the effects of sulfates are almost instantaneous. It takes us into the realm of human grasp. These The events happened in a lifetime.”

The Triassic-Jurassic extinction has long been thought to be related to so-called atmospheric eruptions. mid-atlantic magma zone (camp).

In their study, Dr. Kent and colleagues correlated data from CAMP deposits in the mountains of Morocco, along the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, and in New Jersey's Newark Basin.

A key piece of evidence is the arrangement of magnetic particles in rocks that record the past drift of Earth's magnetic poles during eruptions.

Through a complex series of processes, this pole is offset from the planet's fixed axis of rotation, or true north, and its position changes by a tenth of a degree each year.

Because of this phenomenon, magnetic particles in lava that are placed within decades of each other all point in the same direction, but those placed, say, thousands of years later, point in different directions by 20 or 30 degrees.

What the researchers discovered were five consecutive early CAMP lava pulses spread over about 40,000 years. Each magnetic grain is aligned in a single direction, indicating that the lava pulse appeared less than 100 years before magnetic drift appeared.

These large eruptions released so much sulfate so quickly that it blocked most of the sun and lowered temperatures.

Unlike carbon dioxide, which lingers for centuries, volcanic sulfate aerosols tend to rain out of the atmosphere within a few years, so the resulting cold snaps don't last very long.

However, due to the speed and scale of the eruptions, these volcanoes' winters were devastating.

Scientists compared the CAMP series to sulfates produced in the 1783 eruption of Iceland's Laki volcano, which caused widespread crop failure. Only the first CAMP pulse was several hundred times larger.

Triassic fossils lie in the sediments just below the CAMP layer. This includes large terrestrial and semi-aquatic relatives of crocodiles, strange tree lizards, giant flat-headed amphibians, and many tropical plants. After that, it disappears with the eruption of CAMP.

Small feathered dinosaurs existed for tens of millions of years before this, surviving along with turtles, true lizards, and mammals, and eventually thriving to become much larger. This is probably because they are small and able to survive in burrows.

“The magnitude of the environmental impact is related to the concentration of events,” said Dr. Paul Olsen, also of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

“A small event spread over tens of thousands of years has a much smaller impact than the same amount of volcanic activity concentrated over less than a century.”

“The most important implication is that CAMP's lava represents an unusually concentrated event.”

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Dennis V. Kent others. 2024. Correlation of sub-centennial-scale pulses of early mid-Atlantic magmatic field lavas and the end-Triassic extinction. PNAS 121 (46): e2415486121;doi: 10.1073/pnas.2415486121

Source: www.sci.news

New Podcast Highlight: Davina McCall’s Latest Show Explores Tears and Turnarounds for Fresh Beginnings

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This week’s picks

start again
Wide range of weekly episodes available
There’s nothing more inducing an existential crisis than a ’90s icon being a midlife expert, but Davina McCall is the genre’s OG. Introducing a new podcast about new starts, turning points, and the “curving lines” of life. McCall, as always, is a bundle of empathy and isn’t afraid to cry with his guests. The first person is Fearne Cotton, who talks about her challenges. This isn’t your average celebrity chat podcast, as McCall listens intently and digs into his guests’ answers. Hannah Verdier

hyperfix
Wide range of weekly episodes available
This peppy podcast bills itself as a help desk for life’s most intractable problems. An “overconfident moron” (his words), Alex Goldman spends as much time on the gram as he does America’s Cup trying to create the perfect cake as he does investigating why driving in New York is so bad. It’s just as interesting as helping women who are trying to convert. HV

X marks the place… New podcast questions Elon Musk’s use of surveillance. Photo: David Swanson/Reuters

not too extreme
Wide range of weekly episodes available
Dr. Bernie Fisher played a pivotal role in improving the way breast cancer patients are treated. Without his work, women might still undergo disfiguring surgeries. Here, Dr. Stacey Wentworth takes us from the operating room to the White House and explains how Fisher, the women’s movement, and science have fundamentally changed breast cancer treatment. Holly Richardson

elon’s spy
Widely available, all episodes now available
Is Elon Musk using secret agents to gather information on the people he has his ax to grind with? That’s the allegation this series explores, featuring an extensive interview with a British diver whom he called a “pedo bastard” after making a remarkable rescue of a team of trapped young Thai soccer players in an underwater cave. I am doing it. Alexi Duggins

Lost Notes: Groupies – From Pills to Punks, the Women of the Sunset Strip
Wide range of weekly episodes available
The podcast begins with a group of teenage girls being chased by the likes of Led Zeppelin and David Bowie in the ’70s. That’s amazing, but shallow. There’s no shortage of wild party stories – and they’re worth hearing – but judging by the first episode, it’s supposed to do much more to interrogate the ethics of power and age dynamics. advertisement

There’s a podcast for that

Fail upwards…Elizabeth Day, host of the hugely successful How to Fail. Photo: David Levenson/Getty Images

this week, Rachel Aroesti choose the best five listen comfortablyfrom a viral wedding mystery to Elizabeth Day’s seminal show about failure.

A perfect day with Jessica Knappett
There are many “perfect” podcasts out there covering everything from dreamy meals (off-menu) to ideal vacations (life is on the beach) to fantasy funerals (where there’s a will and where there’s a wake). A relatively recent addition to the genre, it’s definitely one of the most comforting. That’s partly because of the subject matter – it’s quite a meditative experience to hear all the lovely, relaxing things our guests incorporate into their perfect day schedules – and partly because of the energy of our friends. Thanks to our hilarious host for venting (it helps that she’s actually friends with guests like Tim Key and Emerald Fennell), she lets us veer off into weird stories. Fearlessly leading meandering conversations.

Who squatted on the floor at my wedding?
The rise of podcasting and the rise in actual involvement in crime go hand in hand, and it’s no wonder. Immersive, detailed, and cliffhanger-heavy investigations are the perfect fuel for the audio format. But what if you want the satisfaction of crime-solving but don’t want any of the depressing violence or global corruption? This podcast is your answer. In this podcast, amateur detective Lauren Kilby tries to figure out who was responsible for the defecation incident at her friends Karen and Helen’s wedding on a boat. The resulting pod is a highly entertaining and pleasantly low-stakes addition to the true crime genre. Even better, the team recently returned with another delightfully fun mystery titled The Case of The Tiny suit/Case.

how fail
Elizabeth Day’s hit podcast isn’t exactly an exercise in schadenfreude, but by inviting celebrities (including Kate Winslet, Bonnie Tyler, and Richard Osman) to reveal their top three mistakes, Elizabeth Day’s hit podcast to Fail” certainly helps listeners feel a little better about their failures. We did something wrong in our lives. The show often serves as a reminder that no one has a perfectly great life, a necessary corrective in the Instagram era, but the show also features guests with stories of shocking adversity. Bringing in also provides evidence that success is possible even through periods of turmoil.

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Green Wing: Resurrection
Comfort is often closely tied to nostalgia. That’s why shows like Friends have made a comeback during the pandemic. In fact, there’s something about 2000s television that looms especially large in our collective comfort zones. For comedy fans of a certain age, the hospital comedy Green Wing definitely fits this concise description. And for those who have completed a simple trip down memory lane, the return of this podcast will be gratefully received. Green Wings: Resurrection is faithful to the original story, starring Stephen Mangan (as the pathetic surgeon Guy Secretan), Julian Lind-Tutt (as the swoon-worthy Mac), and Michelle Gomez (as the Cracker Stuff liaison). The majority of cast members will return, including Sue (Sue). . Note the familiar strangeness and uncompromising stupidity.

See What Crappens
For anyone in need of peace of mind, reality shows should be very high on their agenda. In particular, the Real Housewives series is a non-stop festival of bickering and petty drama. This podcast is brought to you and released by enthusiasts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam Five Once a week – We recap all 11 US Housewives programs (and others from reality network Bravo). It’s your in-depth guide to every character, storyline, and feud, plus your chance to gossip, joke, and vent your grievances about your most infuriating cast members. All delivered with the kind of growing hysteria that such a relentless schedule inevitably produces.

Why not try it…

How to saveis a hopeful series about conservation campaigns that are getting results, from protecting manatees to restoring Papua New Guinea’s coral reefs.
Holiday with Woody and PierceIn this article, two indie musicians tell fans about the trials and rewards of following a team across the country (or the world, really).
dylan douglas young americaa bold effort to understand the political desires of America’s Gen Z.

If you want to read the full newsletter, subscribe to receive Listen Here in your inbox every Thursday.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fresh Insights into OCD Will Lead to Innovative Treatments

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

When my daughter was little, she would wash her hands a lot. We might have lightly teased her, saying she was a bit OCD. Then she started to reveal “bad thoughts” that I thought were typical of a child's imagination. I told her that everyone has these thoughts and that they will go away if she ignores them.

That wasn't the case with her. At 21, her emotions were out of control and completely out of proportion to reality. She was diagnosed with OCD, and I finally realized there was nothing “a little” about this condition.

OCD is complex, widely misunderstood, and treatment options are limited. But in recent years, the brain and body mechanisms that cause OCD have finally been uncovered, revealing a complex picture that involves genetics, various brain networks, the immune system, and even gut bacteria. The resulting improved understanding is opening up new possibilities for tackling this life-destroying condition.

Around the world, It is estimated that 1-3% of people suffer from OCD.Obsessional thoughts typically begin during adolescence or early adulthood. As its name suggests, it is characterized by obsessions, or intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, which are habits that cannot be stopped. “Obsessive thoughts capture and dominate our attention because they have become obsessive habits,” says Barbara Sahakian At Cambridge University…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Fresh study challenges commonly accepted ideas of how continents are formed

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In the new study, Dr David Hernández Uribe from the University of Illinois at Chicago used computer models to study the formation of magma, which is thought to hold clues to the origin of Earth's continents.

Hadean Earth. Image by Alec Brenner.

Magma is molten material that forms rocks and minerals as it cools.

Dr Hernández Uribe searched for magma that matched the compositional characteristics of rare mineral deposits called zircons, which date back to the Archean Era (2.5 to 4 billion years ago), when scientists believe the continents first formed.

In a recent study, researchers argued that Archean zircons could only have been formed by subduction, i.e. two crustal plates colliding under the ocean and pushing land up onto the surface.

This process still occurs today, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and reshaping the coastlines of continents.

However, Dr. Hernández Uribe found that subduction was not necessary for the formation of Archean zircons.

Rather, he found that the minerals may have formed due to the high pressures and temperatures associated with the melting of Earth's thick primordial crust.

“Using my calculations and models, we can get the same characteristics in zircons and even a better match through partial melting at the base of the crust,” Dr Hernández Uribe said.

“So based on these results, we don't yet have enough evidence to say by what process the continents formed.”

The findings also create uncertainty about when plate tectonics began on Earth.

If Earth's first continents formed by subduction, then the continents would have started moving between 3.6 and 4 billion years ago, or just 500 million years after Earth existed.

But an alternative theory, that the first continents formed from melting crust, means that subduction and tectonic shifts may have started much later.

“As far as we know, Earth is the only planet in the solar system where plate tectonics is actively occurring,” Dr Hernández Uribe said.

“And this has implications for the origin of life, because how the first continents moved controlled the weather, controlled the chemistry of the oceans, and controlled everything related to life.”

of study Published in the journal on July 11, 2024 Nature Chemistry.

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Hernández-Uribe, D. Generation of Archean oxidized and wet magmas by mafic crustal overthickening. National GeographyPublished online July 11, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41561-024-01489-z

This article is a version of a press release from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh Off the Press: Latest Release on Supervolcanoes from BBC Science Focus Magazine

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Michael Mosley

This avant-garde science communicator is a colleague BBC Science Focus Contributor, Professor Giles Yeo.

Cosmic String

Cosmic strings would be the Holy Grail of physics: if discovered, they would unify our theories and even make time travel possible. Now, astronomers may have found the first evidence that cosmic strings exist.

Back pain

Most common treatments for back pain don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny. Experts dispel myths about back pain, including common causes and treatments. Learn the best ways to reduce strain and relieve back pain.

Hedonic happiness

The everyday actions you take can make or break your happiness. Here are some less-talked-about lifestyle choices you can make to improve your baseline happiness and stop chasing elusive feelings.

plus

Creatine: Every supplement claims to have positive effects on the body and brain. But research shows that these claims are false. actually When it comes to creatine, we’ll explore whether these claims are true and cover the potential side effects of the supplement.
Question-and-answer session: Answers to all the questions you didn’t know you needed answers to.
Doomsday Glacier: Thwaites Glacier is the world’s largest glacier, covering an area larger than Florida, but it may be on the verge of collapse… and that’s a big problem.

Issue 407 will be released on July 9, 2024

Please do not forget BBC Science Focus It is also available on major digital platforms.
Android,
Kindle Fire and Kindle e-Reader,and
iOS App
For iPad and iPhone.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Fresh Release: The Hunger Games

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Graviton

It is one of the four fundamental forces, but what is gravity? It is made of? A quantum theory of gravity doesn’t exist (yet), but that hasn’t stopped scientists from pursuing these elusive particles.

Unusual waves

Ship-sinking “storm waves” are hitting our oceans… Scientists don’t know why. But there are calls for increased monitoring to build predictive models for these deadly waves. Here’s what we know about these mysterious, seemingly random phenomena.

Glowing Cave

Contrary to popular belief, radioactive material does not actually glow (as you can see by looking at a uranium rod). The Simpsons However, a team of nuclear forensics experts is working on developing a device that will do just that. BBC Science Focus News Editor Noah Leach meets the scientists behind this revolutionary device.

What will the universe become?

Using giant supercolliders, scientists hope to discover hidden instabilities built into the fabric of existence… instabilities that could destroy everything. So will it freeze, crumble, rip apart or get sucked away? Here’s how cosmologists are tackling one of the biggest questions of all: “What will happen at the absolute end of all things?”

plus

Master your motivation: Why are some of us procrastinators and others drive and proactive? It’s all in the brain. Understanding the science behind motivation might help you achieve more. We’ve created a simple step-by-step guide to help you do just that.
Zero-emission aviation: After a long wait, the world’s first zero-emission aircraft is finally a reality, but are these battery-powered aircraft really the solution we need?
How to slow down time: In today’s modern world, with phone notifications, emails, endless meetings, and caffeine breaks, your days may feel like a blur. Sensing The more time you have, the more time you will feel like you have.

Issue 406 is scheduled to be released on June 11, 2024

Please do not forgetBBC Science FocusIt is also available on major digital platforms.Android,Kindle Fire and Kindle e-Reader,andiOS AppFor iPad and iPhone.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

An action-filled weekend of gaming reveals, featuring a fresh Call of Duty and Star Wars Outlaws

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

debtFor nearly 15 years, I used to fly to Los Angeles every June to cover E3, the massive video game conference where major games and consoles were unveiled for the first time, from PlayStation to Wii U, from Fallout 4 to Final Fantasy VII Remake. However, due to the pandemic, E3 was canceled this year and replaced by a series of loosely connected events: Summer Game Fest, organized by The Game Awards’ Jeff Keighley, the Xbox Game Showcase, and the indie-led event Day of the Devs. It all kicks off tomorrow, June 6th.

Publishers like Ubisoft and Devolver are hosting their own broadcasts, while other E3 regulars like EA and Square-Enix are absent. Live Show From leading games and entertainment website IGN – I worked there during the height of E3 in the early 2010s, when companies would rent studios and broadcast basically all of their announcements over four consecutive days. What’s basically happened is that it seems like we still get as much gaming news as we get at E3, but now it’s much more spread out and crammed into one weekend instead of a week-long conference.

In short, it’s all a bit chaotic right now, but I’m on a plane to Los Angeles just like the old days, so I’ll do my best to play and cover as many interesting games as I can. If you’re looking to follow events other than E3 over the weekend, here are five things to keep an eye on (and where to watch them).

Summer Game Fest Live Stream – Friday, June 72pm PST / 10pm BST

It’s a two-hour live showcase hosted by Keighley from LA’s YouTube Theatre. Based on my previous experience with both SGF and the Game Awards, it’s going to be a series of blockbuster trailers interspersed with very tepid, very rehearsed conversations with developers. It’ll be an endurance test, but with all the big names in the video game industry in attendance, including Capcom, 2K Games, and PlayStation, there should be at least two major game announcements and it should be worth watching. Straight afterwards, for those staying up late in the UK, the Day of the Devs indie showcase (4pm PST/midnight BST) and Devolver Direct broadcast (5pm PST/1am BST) will showcase the satire and independent spirit of the games industry, dispelling any corporate chic.

Wholesome Direct – Saturday, June 89am PST / 5pm BST

If you’re looking for a cozy gaming vibe, this is the place. Farming simulators, dating games, anything with cats and frogs. I get a lot of emails from Pushing Buttons readers asking where to find non-violent, approachable games, and this is the place. In past years, this showcase has proven to be long-lasting enough to get cloyingly cute, and with over 70 games on display, it’s quite possible that will be the case in 2024 as well, but the wholesome intention behind it makes up for it for me.

Looks promising… Star Wars Outlaws. Photo: Ubisoft

Xbox Games Showcase – Sunday, June 9th9am PST / 5pm BST

I’m very interested to see how the rather embattled Xbox division will fare this year, having pushed through the Activision/Blizzard/King mega-merger last year and then made the very unpopular decision to close down some of their studios. With a new version of Xbox on the horizon, the Game Pass strategy seems to be shifting, and Microsoft now owning a lot of developers, should There’s no shortage of games to premiere, with the sequel to the Call of Duty Black Ops series (above), due to launch this year, also premiering shortly thereafter.

PC Game Show – Sunday, June 9th1pm PST / 9pm BST

PC releases tend not to get as much attention in the games media as console releases, so this will be a most exciting showcase for a readership that loves real-time strategy, 4x, Moba, team-based FPS games, CRPGs, and other genre acronyms that accompany PC-exclusive games. Organized by venerable magazine PC Gamer, the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Ubisoft Forward – Monday, June 1012pm PST / 8pm BST

Ubisoft’s lineup this year is promising, with the new Assassin’s Creed game set in feudal Japan and the promising Star Wars Outlaws alone being enough to keep me entertained for an hour, but I Mario vs Rabbids Kingdom Battle 2017 Edition Shigeru Miyamoto made an appearance, Rabbids creative director Davide Soliani got emotional, and it wouldn’t be E3 without a slightly embarrassing “Just Dance” performance.

What to Play

One of the best… Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Photo: FromSoftware

I have two long-distance flights coming up, so it’s time to get serious. Elden Ring On Steam – Fortunately, the best game of 2022 (and in fact one of the best fantasy games of all time) runs great on a portable PC console. Shadow of the Elder TreeThe expansion is out on June 20th and is small enough to be considered a mini-sequel. The good news for those of you who haven’t finished Elden Ring yet, like me, is that you don’t have to finish the game to the end before the expansion comes out, but you’ll still get to enjoy the brutal yet exhilarating rhythm of the combat (and Substantial We’ll be looking back at the game’s history before taking on a new challenge later this month.

Available on: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox
Estimated play time: 60+ hours (expansion will take at least another 15-20 hours)

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What to Read

Now on TV… Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Photo: SEGA

Amazon Prime Unexpectedly Live-action television series It’s based on the fantastic cult-favorite crime drama game, Like a Dragon (pictured above).
Sony’s State of Play showcase last week technically kicked off a summer of gaming-related announcements. Gamesradar There is an overview Highlights from the trailer Astro Botstarring an adorable little white robot who serves as PlayStation’s best mascot, is a playful mix of platforming, puzzles, and action that’s great fun.
In news that’s too depressing for me to even think about, IKEA plans to pay its employees the minimum wage. Virtual Roblox Store You wanted the metaverse? Here’s the metaverse. Working at IKEA for minimum wage. But now. Not real.
Actor and developer Abubakar Salim recently released his debut game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, with his studio Surgent. made a statement He talks about the targeted racist harassment he and his team suffered, part of a resurgence of the anti-woke culture wars that have resurfaced this year in the games industry and beyond. “There’s always going to be a reason why diverse stories can’t exist. These exclusionary rules keep piling up, and the goalposts keep shifting, until I, my studio, and people like us just sit back, shut up, and accept the fact that we’re outsiders. And I won’t,” he says.

What to click on

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www.theguardian.com

Research indicates that fresh water emerged on Earth approximately 4 billion years ago.

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Geologists have analysed 4-billion-year-old zircon crystals from Jack Hills in Western Australia’s mid-west region to date the emergence of fresh water back just a few hundred million years after the Earth formed.

Artistic conception of early Earth. Image by Simone Marchi/NASA.

On the early Earth, extensive interactions between flowing (fresh) water and the emerging continental crust may have been key to the emergence of life, but when the water cycle first began is unclear.

In the new study, Curtin University scientist Hamed Gamaleldien and his colleagues used the oxygen isotope composition of zircon crystals from Jack Hills in Western Australia to determine when the water cycle began.

Their findings suggest that meteoric water appeared on Earth about 4 billion years ago, 500 million years earlier than previously thought.

“We were able to date the origins of the hydrological cycle, the ongoing process by which water moves around Earth and is essential for maintaining ecosystems and supporting life on Earth,” Dr Gamalerdien said.

“By examining the age and oxygen isotopes of microscopic crystals of the mineral zircon, we discovered an anomalously light isotopic signature that dates back 4 billion years.”

“These light oxygen isotopes typically result from hot freshwater altering rocks several kilometers below the Earth’s surface.”

“The evidence for the presence of fresh water this deep in the Earth casts doubt on existing theories that the Earth was completely covered by oceans 4 billion years ago.”

“This discovery was crucial for our understanding of how Earth formed and how life began,” said Curtin University scientist Hugo Orioluk.

“This discovery not only sheds light on the early history of Earth, but also suggests that land and freshwater systems provided the foundation for life to thrive within a relatively short time frame – less than 600 million years after Earth’s formation.”

“This discovery represents a major advance in our understanding of Earth’s early history and opens the door to further exploration of the origin of life.”

of Investigation result Published in this week’s journal Nature Chemistry.

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H. Gamaleldine othersThe Earth’s water cycle began 4 billion years ago or sooner. National GeographyPublished online June 3, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41561-024-01450-0

Source: www.sci.news

Fresh research offers new understanding of baobab’s evolutionary past

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The iconic baobab, also known as the upside-down tree or tree of life, is most likely native to Madagascar, according to a new study.

Baobab tree in Senegal. Image credit: Viajesunion2.

genus AdansoniaThis plant, better known as the baobab or “Mother of the Forest,” has fascinated botanists, tourists, naturalists, and passersby for centuries.

Perhaps the earliest record of humans marveling at these amazing trees can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians around 2,300 BC.

Their grotesque appearance, gigantic size, reputed longevity, and diverse uses have made baobabs one of the most charismatic species on Earth.

Embedded in folklore and tradition, baobabs have inspired countless works of art and have been associated with human settlements and cultures for thousands of years.

Adansonia consisting of Eight morphologically distinct species: one distributed throughout Africa, one in northwestern Australia, and six endemic to Madagascar.

However, the origin of baobabs has been debated for many years due to a lack of fossil evidence.

“Our study reveals new insights into baobab speciation patterns and shows how climate change has influenced baobab distribution and speciation patterns over millions of years.” said Dr Ilia Leech, researcher at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Dr. Leach and his colleagues conducted genomic analyzes of all eight baobab tree species and combined these datasets with ecological analyses.

As a result of the analysis, Adansonia They originated about 41 million years ago and diversified about 20 million years ago.

The researchers found that the historical population dynamics of baobabs are closely linked to both interspecific competition and geological changes in Madagascar, particularly changes in sea level.

Based on data including phylogenetic relationships, gene flow, and genetic diversity of different baobab species, they believe that the hypothesis of mainland Africa and Madagascar as the center of origin for baobabs is the most reasonable explanation for the current data. suggests providing. Australia.

The discovery also allowed scientists to reassess the baobab's conservation strategies and current status.

For example, they suggest that two endangered baobab species in Madagascar should be assigned higher conservation status. Adansonia Suarezensis and Adansonia grandidieri.

High levels of inbreeding, low genetic diversity, and population declines all mean these endangered species lack resilience to ecological perturbations and could be seriously threatened by climate change. It suggests that.

“We are thrilled to be part of this project that uncovers patterns of baobab speciation in Madagascar and the subsequent remarkable long-distance dispersal of two species, one to Africa and one to Australia. I was delighted,” said Professor Andrew Leach, a researcher at Queen Mary University. London.

“This has been accompanied by the evolution of some interesting pollination syndromes involving hawkmoths, lemurs and bats.”

of study It was published in the magazine Nature.

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JN. One other. Baobab tree prominence in Madagascar. Nature, published online April 19, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07447-4

Source: www.sci.news

A fresh perspective on tinnitus and hearing loss may offer potential for their reversal

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Ten years ago, while working as a DJ in Liverpool, England, James Rand would often leave work hearing strange sounds he knew weren't real: high-pitched growls or low-pitched rumblings. . These tinnitus symptoms always went away by the time he woke up… and one day in 2017, they didn't go away.

Doctors confirmed that the sounds were probably caused by Rand's exposure to loud music for hours at a time. There was no cure, no way to get him used to it. “I thought I would never hear silence again,” he says. “He was incredibly depressed.”

But today, the outlook for tinnitus treatment is not so bleak. New research has developed a neurostimulator that reduces the volume of sounds. Additionally, there are several treatments in development that can even stop tinnitus completely. “For the first time, we are discussing potential treatments,” he says. Stéphane Maison at Harvard Medical School.

These insights also shed light on common causes of hearing loss. In fact, they suggest that the same treatments for tinnitus may also restore hearing in people who have become partially deaf due to aging. “The way we think about hearing loss has completely changed,” Maison says.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is one of the most common long-term medical conditions. Affects up to a quarter of older adults. While the crying and rumbling sounds that Rand experiences are common, others may hear whistling, humming, clicking sounds, and even musical hallucinations. Sound can be annoying and distracting, and in some cases can cause depression and anxiety…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Discovering fresh approaches to tackling pollution with fascinating experiments

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Purple-B project

Luigi Avantaggiato 2024

These interesting experiments Green Promotion Institute A public research center in Venice, Italy that explores new ways to restore the environment and generate energy. The lab's unusual combination of scientists, engineers, and psychologists create prototypes that harness natural organisms to do useful work, often taking on a sculptural aspect as a side effect that fascinates the resident artist.

“Despite being the object of science, it has beauty,” says photographer Luigi Avantaggiato. He spent time cataloging a device that uses bacteria called Purple-B (pictured above). Rhodopsdomonas palustris, commonly found in Venice's lagoons, converts human waste into useful hydrogen. The experiment is being funded by the European Space Agency because it could provide a way to process astronaut waste in orbit to create usable fuel, but could also be used on Earth's surface. There is a possibility that it can be done.

Main laboratory of Veritas Group's Green Promotion Institute

Luigi Avantaggiato 2024

The bright green contents of several tanks in the lab (pictured above) are known as liquid forests, which in this project are home to tiny algae such as: chlorella, to capture the carbon dioxide that is warming the planet. Each tank contains 250 liters and can accommodate approximately 1 billion algae per cubic centimeter.

A researcher working in one of GPLabs' laboratories.

Luigi Avantaggiato 2024

Another shot (pictured above) shows the geodesic dome, where environmental engineers at a startup called 9-Tech are working on a new way to recover silicon from used solar panels.

The entire lab site was created by veritashandles waste and water supplies for Venice and Treviso's approximately 1 million residents and 50 million tourists.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Webb’s fresh perspective on supernovae, laser connections between space stations, and the Europa Clipper mission

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New high-definition images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) reveal intricate details of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), which is struck by a gas outlet by a star before exploding. It shows an expanding shell of matter. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danny Milisavljevic (Purdue University), Ilse De Looze (UGent), Tea Temim (Princeton University)

NASAWebb Space Telescope observes newly exploded star…

The team prepares to install the moon rocket hardware…

And we completed NASA’s first bidirectional end-to-end laser relay system…

Some of the stories we want to share with you – this week at NASA!

Watch the web’s new high-definition exploded stars

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently captured this new image of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. This image, taken with Webb’s near-infrared camera, shows the star’s explosion at a resolution previously unattainable at these wavelengths, giving astronomers a hint at the dynamic processes occurring. . It’s inside a supernova remnant.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is making final preparations for its SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center. The Orion stage adapter, a critical component that connects Orion to his SLS, recently underwent critical installation work on its diaphragm at Marshall Space Flight Center. This adapter plays an important role in preventing hydrogen gas buildup and ensuring safety during launch.Credit: NASA/Sam Lott

Team prepares to assemble moon rocket and spacecraft connectors

A team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center recently flipped the Orion stage adapter over and prepared the adapter for diaphragm installation.

The stage adapter connects the Orion spacecraft to the Space Launch System rocket’s intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). The diaphragm helps prevent highly flammable hydrogen gas, which could leak from the rocket’s propellant tanks, from accumulating beneath Orion and its crew before and during launch.

NASA’s ILLUMA-T payload communicates with the LCRD via laser signals.Credit: NASA/Dave Ryan

Space station laser communication terminal achieves first link

NASA’s LCRD and the new space station technology experiment ILLUMA-T successfully exchanged data for the first time, establishing the first laser link between ILLUMA-T and an on-orbit laser relay system. LCRD and his ILLUMA-T teamed up to complete NASA’s first bidirectional end-to-end laser relay system.

Laser communications uses infrared light rather than traditional radio waves to send and receive signals, allowing spacecraft to pack more data into each transmission.

The “Message in a Bottle” campaign offers anyone the opportunity to stencil their name onto a microchip inscribed with U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s “Mystery Praise: A Poem to Europe.” The chip will be mounted on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, bound for Jupiter and its moon Europa. Credit: NASA

Add your name to join the European Clipper Mission

The deadline to participate in NASA’s European Clipper mission’s Message in a Bottle campaign is 11:59 p.m. EST, December 31, 2023. You can join the mission and carve your name on his Clipper spacecraft as it travels and explores 1.8 billion miles of Europe. Jupitericy moon, Europa.

For more information, visit go.nasa.gov/MessageInABottle.

What’s happening this week at @NASA!

Source: scitechdaily.com

How Our Minds Control Impulses: A Fresh Perspective

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

In a groundbreaking study, researchers identified the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) as important in the brain’s inhibitory control circuits. Using dynamic causal modeling and fMRI in 250 participants, this study found high connectivity in this circuit that was influenced by gender and performance. The findings reveal hemispheric asymmetries and sex-related differences in brain processes and provide insights that may improve treatment strategies for psychiatric and neurological disorders associated with response inhibition.

Researchers have discovered a critical role for the right inferior frontal gyrus in the brain’s inhibitory control, revealing implications for the treatment of gender differences and related diseases.

Published in Volume 3 in 2023 psychoradiology A team of dedicated researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China has conclusively identified the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) as a key input and causal regulator within the subcortical response inhibition node. This right-lateralized inhibitory control circuit is characterized by its important intrinsic connectivity, highlighting the critical role of rIFG in coordinating top-down cortico-subcortical control and supporting the brain in response inhibition. It emphasizes the complex dynamics of function.

Advanced research methods and results

In this comprehensive study, researchers used dynamic causal modeling (DCM-PEB) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a substantial sample size to investigate inhibitory circuits in the brain, with a particular focus on the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), caudate nucleus (rCau), globus pallidus (rGP), and thalamus (rThal). (n = 250). This approach treated the brain as a nonlinear dynamical system and enabled the inference of directed causal relationships between these nodes, influenced by task demands and biological variables.

Brain activation map of general response inhibition at the whole-brain level (control: NoGo > Go; P < 0.05 FWE, peak level). L, left. Mr. R, that’s right. The color bar represents the t-value of the BOLD signal and reflects the significance level of the contrast.Credit: Psychoradiology

Our findings reveal high intrinsic connectivity within this neural circuit, with response inhibition markedly enhancing causal projections from rIFG to both rCau and rThal, particularly in the regulatory role of rIFG during such tasks. It has become clear that the role will be expanded. This study also revealed that gender and performance metrics significantly influence the functional architecture of the circuit. For example, females showed increased self-inhibition of rThal and decreased regulation to GP, whereas better inhibitory performance was associated with stronger transmission from rThal to rIFG.

Sex differences and hemispheric asymmetry

Interestingly, these communication patterns are not reflected in the left-lateralized model, which emphasizes hemispheric asymmetry. This study shows that different brain processes may mediate similar behavioral performance in response inhibition across genders, and that response inhibition may be higher in the thalamic loop in particular. Accuracy Associated with stronger information flow from rThal to rIFG.

(a) Location of the region included in the right model. A matrix: Intrinsic connectivity across all experimental conditions (b, f). B matrix: modulatory effects on effective connectivity between regions and self-inhibition from NoGo (c, g) and Go conditions (d, h). C matrix: Driving ROI inputs (e, i) in NoGo and Go conditions. The values in the matrix reflect the connection parameters.Credit: Psychoradiology

Impact and future directions

These insights into the brain’s inhibitory control mechanisms have important implications for understanding a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders characterized by response inhibition deficits. The results of this study may guide the development of targeted neuromodulatory strategies and personalized interventions to address these disorders, enhancing the treatment and management of such conditions..

Reference: “Right inferior frontal gyrus as an effective regulator of the cardinal node and basal ganglia thalamocortical response inhibition circuit” Qian Zhuang, Lei Qiao, Lei Xu, Shuxia Yao, Shuaiyu Chen, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Jialin Li, Meina Fu, Keshuang Lee, Deniz Vatancevar, Stefania Ferraro, Keith M. Kendrick, Benjamin Becker, October 13, 2023. psychoradiology.
DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad016

Source: scitechdaily.com