Tag Archives: navigate

How Australian Teens Are Finding Ways to Navigate Social Media Bans

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Australia will restrict social media use for individuals under 16 starting December 10th.

Mick Tsikas/Australian Associated Press/Alamy

A historic initiative to prohibit all children under 16 from accessing social media is about to unfold in Australia, but teens are already pushing back.

Initially announced last November, this prohibition, proposed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, will commence on December 10th. On this date, all underaged users of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat will have their accounts removed.

Companies operating social media platforms may incur fines up to A$49.5 million (£25 million) if they do not comply by expelling underage users. Nonetheless, neither parents nor children face penalties.

This regulation is garnering global attention. The European Commission is considering a similar rule. So far, discussions have centered on implementation methods, potential age verification technologies, and the possible adverse effects on teens who depend on social media to engage with their peers.

As the deadline approaches, teens preparations are underway to defy these restrictions. A significant illustration is of two 15-year-old boys from New South Wales, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, who are challenging the social media ban in the nation’s highest court.

“The truth is, kids have been devising ways to bypass this ban for months, but the media is only catching on now that the countdown has begun,” Jones remarked.

“I know kids who stash their family’s old devices in lockers at school. They transferred the account to a parent or older sibling years ago and verified it using an adult ID without their parents knowing. We understand algorithms, so we follow groups with older demographics like gardening or walking for those over 50. We engage in professional discussions to avoid detection.”

Jones and Neyland first sought an injunction to postpone the ban but opted instead to present their opposition as a specific constitutional challenge.

On December 4, they secured a crucial victory as the High Court of Australia agreed to hear their case as early as February. Their primary argument contends that the ban imposes an undue burden on their implied freedom of political speech. They argue this policy would compromise “significant zones of expression and engagement in social media interactions for 13- to 15-year-olds.”

Supported by the Digital Freedom Project, led by New South Wales politician John Ruddick, the duo is rallying for their cause. “I’ve got an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old, and they’ve been mentioning for months that it’s a hot topic on the playground. They’re all active on social media, reaping its benefits,” Ruddick shared.

Ruddick noted that children are already brainstorming methods to circumvent the ban, exploring options like virtual private networks (VPNs), new social media platforms, and tactics to outsmart age verification processes.

Katherine Page Jeffrey, a researcher at the University of Sydney, mentioned that the impending ban is starting to feel tangible for teenagers. “Up until now, it seems young people hadn’t quite believed that this was actually happening,” she commented.

She adds that her children have already begun discussing alternatives with peers. Her younger daughter has downloaded another social media app called Yope, which is not listed on the government’s watch list yet, unlike several others like Coverstar and Lemon8 that have been warned to self-regulate.

Lisa Given, a researcher at RMIT University in Melbourne, believes that as children drift to newer, less known social media platforms, parents will struggle to monitor their children’s online activities. She speculated that many parents may even assist their children in passing age verification hurdles.

Susan McLean, a foremost cybersecurity expert in Australia, argued that this situation will lead to a “whack-a-mole” scenario as new apps emerge, kids flock to them, and the government continually adds them to the banned list. She insists that rather than taking social media away from teenagers, governments should compel large companies to rectify algorithms that expose children to inappropriate content.

“The government’s logic is deeply flawed,” she pointed out. “You can’t prohibit a pathway to safety unless you ban all communications platforms for kids.”

McLean shared a poignant quote from a teenager who remarked, “If the aim of this ban is to protect children from harmful adults, why should I have to leave while those harmful adults remain?”

Noah Jones, one of the teen complainants, stated it bluntly: “There’s no greater news source than what you can find in just 10 minutes on Instagram,” he insisted. “Yet, we faced bans while perpetrators went unpunished.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

This Magnet-Driven Microrobot Will Soon Navigate Your Bloodstream

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Researchers have revealed the development of a microrobot capable of utilizing magnets to deliver medications precisely where they are needed, as detailed in recent studies from the Swiss Zurich University of Technology.

This innovative technology has the potential to assist medical professionals in removing clots that lead to strokes, combat infections with antibiotics, and deliver cancer treatments directly to tumors without affecting other areas of the body.

The robot features a small spherical capsule made of a dissolvable gel, with iron oxide nanoparticles added to impart magnetic properties. The researchers can monitor the robots via X-ray technology.

“The blood vessels in the human brain are quite narrow, which limits the capsule’s size,” stated the lead researcher, Dr. Fabian Landers, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Multiscale Robotics, ETH Zurich.

“The technical challenge lies in ensuring that such a tiny capsule possesses adequate magnetic properties.”

Watch microrobots dissolve blood clots, which are obstructions in blood vessels that can lead to strokes.

The following challenge was maneuvering the robot through a complex network of blood vessels, navigating turns, junctions, and rapid blood flow.

“It’s astonishing how much blood travels through our vessels at such high speeds,” Landers remarks. “Our navigation systems must endure all of this.”

They then devised three methods to maneuver microrobots using electromagnets. Depending on the type of magnetic force applied, the scientists could roll the robot along the container’s walls or direct it towards a specific location.

Three distinct modes utilize specific magnetic forces to navigate blood flow, rolling along vessel walls, countering currents, and moving through confluences. – Credit: ETH Zürich

Employing these strategies, microrobots are capable of traveling along or against the current at speeds of up to 4 mm per second (or 1 inch every 6 seconds).

“Magnetic fields and gradients are optimal for minimally invasive approaches as they penetrate deeply into the body without adverse effects, at least at the intensities and frequencies we apply,” noted the last author, Professor Bradley Nelson, a microrobot researcher at ETH Zurich.

Upon reaching their destination, scientists employed a high-frequency magnetic field to heat the microrobot, causing it to melt its shell and release the drug contained within.

This invention was tested using silicon models that mimicked human and animal blood vessels, as well as the brains of pigs and sheep.

The scientists’ next objective is to initiate human clinical trials, paving the way for this technology to be utilized in hospital operating rooms shortly.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

OpenAI Expected to Navigate a $1 Trillion Market Shift

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OpenAI is said to be gearing up for a stock market debut, potentially becoming the largest initial public offering (IPO) ever, with a valuation of $1 trillion (£760 billion) expected as soon as next year.

The creator of the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT is contemplating an IPO filing in the latter half of 2026, as reported by Reuters, based on information from sources close to the matter. The company aims to raise at least $60 billion.

The fluctuations in stock market shares offer OpenAI an additional avenue for funding, supporting CEO Sam Altman’s vision of investing trillions in the construction of data centers and other necessary infrastructure to accelerate chatbot development.

During a livestream on Tuesday, Altman reportedly stated: “Given our future funding needs, this is the most likely path for us.”

An OpenAI representative noted, “We cannot set a date as the IPO is not our priority. Our focus is on building a sustainable business and advancing our mission for the benefit of all through AGI.”

AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is defined by OpenAI as “a highly autonomous system that surpasses humans in performing the most economically valuable tasks.”

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Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit, OpenAI aims to securely develop AGI for the benefit of humanity. Recently, the company underwent a major restructuring, transitioning its core operations to a for-profit model. Although still overseen by a nonprofit, this change facilitates capital raising and prepares the ground for an IPO.

As it stands, Microsoft holds approximately a 27% stake in the commercial entity, valuing OpenAI at $500 billion under the terms of their deal. Following the restructuring announcement, Microsoft’s valuation reached over $4 trillion for the first time.

Technology news outlet Information reported that OpenAI recorded revenues of $4.3 billion alongside an operating loss of $7.8 billion in the first half of this year.

Such enormous valuations do not ease concerns that the AI sector may be in a bubble. Bank of England officials have recently warned that tech stocks driven by the AI surge face heightened risk, noting market vulnerability if expectations about AI impact wane.

OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has reportedly informed colleagues that the company is targeting a public offering in 2027, although some advisers speculate it could occur in the year prior, as reported by Reuters.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists Reveal How Bogon Moths Navigate Using the Starry Night Sky as a Compass

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Every spring, billions of Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) migrate from their breeding grounds in southeastern Australia, covering distances of up to 1,000 km to reach previously unvisited locations.

The Bogong Moth utilizes stellar cues and Earth’s magnetic fields to develop a precise navigation system for long-distance night travel. Image credits: Lucinda Gibson & Ken Walker, Museum Victoria / CC by 3.0.

“While we already knew that certain birds and humans can navigate by stars, this is the first evidence showing that insects can do the same,” noted Professor Eric Warrant from the Australian National University and the University of South Australia.

“Bogong moths are remarkably precise navigators. They use stellar patterns as compasses, adjusting their course according to seasonal changes and the time of night.”

“Each spring, billions of Bogong moths emerge from their breeding sites in southeastern Australia, traveling up to 1,000 km to specific caves and rocky outcrops in the Australian Alps.”

“The moths remain dormant in cool, dark shelters throughout the summer and then return in autumn to breed and die.”

Researchers utilized advanced flight simulators and recorded brain activity in a controlled, magnetically neutral environment to study the moths’ navigation under various conditions.

Even without the natural starry sky or magnetic fields, the moths consistently flew in the correct seasonal direction.

They reversed their flight path when the night sky was rotated by 180 degrees, but became disoriented when the stars were jumbled.

“This demonstrates they aren’t merely flying toward the brightest light or relying on simple visual indicators,” Professor Warrant remarked.

“They interpret specific patterns in the night sky to establish their geographical bearings, similar to migratory birds.”

Remarkably, when the stars were obscured by clouds, the moths relied solely on Earth’s magnetic field for navigation.

This dual navigational system guarantees reliable orientation in diverse conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqig_xbufe0

Professor Warrant and his team explored the neurological basis of this behavior and discovered specialized neurons in the moths’ brains that respond to star patterns.

These neurons, located in regions responsible for navigation and steering, are most active when the moth faces south.

“This directional tuning indicates that the Bogong moth’s brain encodes celestial information in an exceptionally sophisticated manner,” added Professor Warrant.

“This discovery exemplifies the complex navigational capabilities inherent in the brains of small insects.”

The findings could have implications for robotics, drone navigation, and conservation strategies for species threatened by habitat destruction or climate change.

Bogong moth populations have dramatically declined in recent years, prompting their listing as vulnerable.

This research underscores the necessity of protecting their migratory paths and the dark skies they depend on.

“This insight isn’t merely academic; it illustrates how animals perceive their surroundings,” Professor Warrant stated.

“The night sky has guided human explorers for millennia, and now we understand it also guides moths.”

This study was published this week in the journal Nature.

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D. Drayer et al. Bogong Moths utilize a star compass for long-distance navigation at night. Nature Published online on June 18th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09135-3

Source: www.sci.news

Australian Moths Navigate 1000 km Journeys Using the Stars as Their Compass

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Bogong moths seek refuge in cooler caves during the summer

Ajay Narendra/Macquarie University, Australia

Traveling distances exceeding 1,000 kilometers to escape the summer heat, Australia’s moths have been identified as the first invertebrates to utilize stars for navigation on long migrations.

Every spring, billions of bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) embark from various regions of southern Australia, surviving the winter as caterpillars by feeding on vegetation before retreating to the cool caves of Australia’s Alpine regions. Once in the caves, they enter a state of dormancy known as estivation until they return to breeding grounds.

The recent decline of these moth populations has led to inquiries about their navigation methods in reaching high-altitude caves, as noted by Andrea Aden from the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Previous studies have demonstrated their ability to use Earth’s electromagnetic fields but only in conjunction with visible landmarks. Aden and her team sought to explore other potential cues that moths might use for navigation.

“When you venture into the Australian bush at night, one of the most striking visual markers is the Milky Way,” she explains. “We know that diurnal migratory birds rely on the sun, so testing whether moths use the starry sky seemed like a logical step.”

To investigate, the team employed light traps to capture moths during migration and transported them to a laboratory. There, they were placed in a Perspex arena with images of a night sky projected overhead. Moths were free to choose their flight direction based on the sky images while the Earth’s magnetic field was neutralized using a Helmholtz coil.

Experiments revealed that moths did utilize a stellar compass, according to team member Eric Warrant from Lund University, Sweden. “When the tethered moths were placed under a realistic starry sky, they oriented themselves towards their migratory direction,” he states. “They achieved this solely with the assistance of these stars, independent of other visual cues and the magnetic field.”

Caption: Aestivating moths in alpine caves during summer (roughly 17,000 per square meter, with millions in each cave) Copyright: Eric Warrant

Eric Warrant

When the simulated starry sky was rotated 180 degrees, the moth flew in the opposite direction. Randomizing the star placements in the image left them disoriented.

In a subsequent experiment, very thin electrodes were implanted in the moth’s brain, revealing changes in neural activity as the projected starfield was rotated.

While dung beetles are known to maintain a consistent bearing using the Milky Way, no other insect species has previously demonstrated this level of celestial navigation.

“The bogong moth is the first invertebrate documented with the ability to navigate long distances using stars as a compass—a phenomenon previously recognized only in certain birds and humans,” Warrant states. “This capability is truly remarkable.”

Another insect recognized for its extensive migrations, the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), primarily relies on the sun supplemented by the environment.

Cody Freas from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, emphasized the incredible efficiency of insect navigation, stating, “Stellar navigation showcases the remarkable visual acuity found in nocturnal insects, enabling them to utilize various cues (Sun, Moon, Stars) even in low-light conditions,” adds Freas.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Bogong Moths May Be Using Stars to Navigate Their 600-Mile Journey

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“To our knowledge, Bogon Moss is the first species identified to navigate using stars,” said Andrea Aden, a postdoctoral researcher at the Francis Crick Institute in London, who contributed to this research.

The researchers uncovered the stellar navigation abilities of moths by capturing wild bogon moths and suspending them with fine tungsten rods inside a small cylindrical “flight simulator.”

With its back affixed to the rod, the moth flapped its wings within the simulator, allowing it to turn as if it were flying in a natural environment.

“It can rotate freely,” noted David Dreyer, a researcher at Lund University and a co-author of the study. “You can choose the direction you wish to fly.”

The researchers created a magnetic vacuum to neutralize the moth’s internal magnetic compass, allowing them to focus on other sensory inputs.

Images of the night sky were projected onto the top of the flight simulator.

During trials, researchers manipulated the rotation of the sky, noting that the moth adjusted its flight patterns to adapt and establish new headings. However, the moths became disoriented when presented with randomized, fragmented sky images within the simulator.

“The moths were entirely confused,” Dreyer explained. “For us, this served as compelling evidence that they indeed utilize stars for navigation.”

In additional experiments, researchers drilled a small opening in the moths’ brains, inserted a glass tube into a neuron, and recorded the electrical impulses triggered by star projections. They discovered that electrical activity peaked when a specific angle of the sky was depicted. Conversely, there was little response to randomly generated patterns.

According to the findings, Bogon Moss possesses limited vision and likely perceives only a select few of the brightest stars. The researchers suspect that these moths navigate by the Milky Way.

“They probably perceive the Milky Way much more vividly and luminously than we do,” stated Warrant.

Furthermore, Warrant proposes that moths likely utilize olfactory cues as they approach alpine caves.

“They are probably detecting compounds emitted from the cave—odorous markers that act as olfactory beacons leading them there,” he mentioned, adding that these smells resemble the scent of decaying meat.

These moths have a lifespan of about a year, spending a dormant summer in the cave before returning to their original location.

Ken Rohman, a professor at the University of North Carolina’s Department of Biology, noted that although he did not participate in the research, he found the study compelling, with experiments that were both thoughtful and rigorously controlled.

“One of the remarkable aspects of this study is how moths manage such extensive navigation with a relatively small brain,” said Roman, who studies animal migrations. “This highlights the ingenuity driven by natural selection.”

Bogon Moss is currently at risk and was listed by the United Nations for the Conservation of Nature in 2021. The authors assert that these new insights could assist in preventing the decline of the species.

“Moth populations have dramatically decreased in recent years, particularly due to the droughts and wildfires experienced in Australia in 2020,” added Aden. “Understanding that they rely on vision as part of their navigational toolkit can inform conservation strategies, especially concerning light pollution in urban settings.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

What’s Going on with Elon Musk? Tech Leaders Navigate the Trump Landscape

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The Oval Office was bustling, and reporters cautioned him to avoid bumping into the significant desk. Beside him, dressed in black, stood Donald Trump’s billionaire associate, leading his administration’s efficiency initiative.

“Elon is from South Africa. I don’t want to draw Elon into this,” the US president said to South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa during a conversation regarding crimes against white farmers. “He actually came here on a different topic: launching rockets to Mars. He’s even more passionate about that.”

Musk’s quiet demeanor throughout the hour-long discussion hinted at the evolving dynamics in Trump’s sphere. He planned to stay close to the president and remain welcome in the West Wing. He also made two visits to the Pentagon this week. However, the relationship, once predicted to result in a clash of egos, appears to be gradually fading instead.

On Monday, Politico published an analysis titled “Why Has Elon Musk Disappeared from the Spotlight?” revealing a notable decline in the frequency of Trump’s posts about Musk on his social media platform, with an average of four mentions weekly in February, dropping to none from early April to March.



In February, Trump’s fundraising team reported he mentioned Musk almost daily in emails for fundraising. However, those references abruptly ceased in early March, save for one email in May promoting the “American Bay” hat Musk wore.

Furthermore, White House staffers no longer filled their social media feeds with Musk-related content. Reporters seldom inquire about him during White House press briefings. Council members are steering clear of his name.

Musk appears to have noted the shift. Recently, Tesla’s CEO confirmed he has scaled back his involvement in the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to merely two days a week. Reducing his political expenditures serves as his latest indication that he is redirecting his focus to his business empire, amidst rising concerns from investors.

This represents a stark contrast to the opening week of Trump’s second term, during which Musk attended the inauguration, was a constant figure at Mar-a-Lago, regularly appeared in the Oval Office with Trump, and exchanged mutual accolades during a Fox News interview. DOGE dominated headlines as he aimed to streamline the federal bureaucracy.

Trump seemed captivated by the wealthiest individuals intent on launching rockets into space, contributing at least $250 million to last year’s election campaign. In March, the president converted the South Lawn of the White House into a temporary Tesla showroom, showcasing five electric vehicles and promising to buy one for himself.




Elon Musk and his son x† depart the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Wednesday. Photo: Oliver/EPA

However, the polls painted a different story. Last month, a national survey by Marquette University Law School revealed only a 41% approval rating for Musk’s management of DOGE, while 58% disapproved. Around 60% of respondents held unfavorable views of Musk, compared to just 38% who viewed him positively.

Congressman Khanna, a Democrat familiar with Musk for over a decade, remarked, “As his approval ratings decline, so do Trump’s fortunes. When Trump’s ratings drop, he tends to distance himself from people in a similar situation. It’s indicative of his fleeting charm and the feeling of abandonment.”

Khanna, representing a district in Silicon Valley, predicted Musk would not last beyond four or five months in this role.

At that time, Khanna wished for DOGE to focus on reducing the Pentagon’s budget. Instead, they downplayed the importance of reforming entities such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education, the Internal Revenue Service, and other targets.

“I noted he wouldn’t enact a $2 trillion cut anywhere. He didn’t even reach a trillion. It’s closer to around $81 billion. He learned the lessons many very successful business leaders do,” Khanna stated.

Certainly, Musk continues to face significant challenges. On Wednesday, the American Institute of Peace was revising its governance after a federal judge ruled it illegal to dismiss the board and employees by DOGE. On Thursday, a federal judge in San Francisco stated Trump could not restructure and downsize the U.S. government without Congressional approval, likely extending a decision that would inhibit federal agencies from executing large-scale layoffs.

Nevertheless, DOGE has already initiated deep cuts in the workforce and expenditures, attempting to shutter entire agencies, resulting in severe disruptions to government operations.

For instance, internal agency reviews reveal that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is “not prepared” for the onset of hurricane season next month, as CNN reports. The disaster relief agency, employing over 20,000 personnel, faced approximately a 30% staff reduction due to layoffs and DOGE acquisitions.

Khanna warned: “[The National Institutes of Health] have been harmed, the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has been compromised, and the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] stands diminished, significantly impacting the State Department, all of which will require a generation to rebuild.”

“I hope the damage halts. We need to observe what unfolds, but ideally, these institutions will regain their strength.”

Even conservatives advocating for a smaller government have expressed concerns. Rick Tyler, a political strategist with experience in Republican campaigns, stated, “What they’re attempting to do is shrink the government. This isn’t reform; it’s merely dismantling and destruction.”

Tesla, a significant source of Musk’s wealth, has incurred considerable brand damage and lost sales, particularly due to political engagements with Trump. He has also shown support for the far-right anti-immigrant AFD party in Germany. Tesla dealerships have become sites of protests and vandalism in the U.S. and beyond.

Perhaps Musk encountered his political downfall in Wisconsin. His investment of over $3 million made the Supreme Court race there the most expensive in U.S. history. He appeared in Green Bay wearing a cheesehead hat, popular among NFL Green Bay Packers fans, personally handing out a million-dollar check to supporters.




Musk will address City Hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on March 30th. He spent $3 million on a candidate who lost by 10 points in the judicial election. Photo: Jeffrey Phelps/AP

However, the candidate he backed lost ground, dropping 10 percentage points. Democrats successfully mobilized voters to counter his influence in the elections dubbed “People vs Musk.”

This week, Musk stated at Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum in Doha that the biggest funder in Republican politics might just “take his toys and go home,” as reported by the Associated Press.

Clearly, Musk and his disruptive approach are politically impactful for Republicans seeking re-election next year. Democrats across the nation are expected to leverage Musk as a political boogeyman in attack ads against their opponents.

Tyler remarked: “I believe he has instigated enough conflicts, and his relationships have diminished Trump’s standing, which poses a threat to his party and agenda.”

Wendy Schiller, a political science professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, noted: “There is a trial balloon regarding how they would reduce federal employment. If it worked and people approved, they could have continuously used him as a scapegoat and as a tool for reform.”

“Donald Trump believes he is the sole generator of his appeal, so it’s hard to believe he sees Musk as pivotal to his popularity and stature, and I doubt he is mistaken about that.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Way to Navigate the Housing Crisis: Join a Facebook Group Celebrating Retro Australian Homes and Culture

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One of my favorite Facebook group members is someone who shares a dislike for white paint.

In the comments, people discuss old houses from the mid-century era that have been painted white. Some debate whether they can undo the damage caused by previous owners. The focus is on the “incredibly destructive act” of whitewashing these homes, with a link shared to a house that is currently for sale. “I scrolled past three pictures and had to stop,” reads one of the 80 intense replies.

“Unbelievable destructive act”: A white-painted trend that surrounds the beauty of the Middle Ages. Photo: facebook / meta

These are my people and we belong to a retro house for sale group in Australia. This group is dedicated to sharing links to houses from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s (or earlier!) that are currently on the market. We also admire well-maintained vintage beach houses while mourning the tragically renovated interiors that have lost their charm due to new colors.


I may not know what this group is all about, but now it occupies most of my scrolling time and mental space. I find great joy in eavesdropping on discussions about old houses, connecting with strangers over a shared passion. The allure of retro pastel bathrooms and wooden paneling is like a free fashion show. My current favorite discovery is a church converted by Welby. It has a ghostly appearance and sits on 5 acres of land with aging houses around it. In Teac, Victoria, there are remnants of a cult commune or “church-based community” with a “rich heritage,” as delicately put in the listing.

But my obsession goes beyond curiosity. It’s no secret that the Australian housing market is tough, but within this Facebook group, dreams can flourish. I share links to remarkable properties with the group chat, envisioning myself repairing and restoring them.

“Church that looks like a ghost that looks like a ghost” … or a fixer upper that is perfect for this housing crisis. Photo: Realestate.com.au

I skip over listings in pricey Sydney suburbs that are out of reach and focus on fixer-uppers outside the city. I imagine a different life that could have been mine if I had bought one of these homes.

Could I live in a town like Kyogle, NSW, with a population of 2,751? Or perhaps Mount Barker, South Australia? But most of all, I dream of Tasmania with its retro mysteries, affordable prices, and proximity to the beach – if only the water temperature were a bit warmer.

“Can I live in Kaoguru, New South Wales? Population 2,751?” Photo: facebook / meta

This charm is on borrowed time. Retro houses in Australia continue to dwindle as money often triumphs over taste, leading to the demolition of older homes in favor of newer, cheaper options. I witness this reality daily. Despite the construction boom near my beachside Sydney neighborhood, I long for the stories that old houses hold. However, online, I maintain hope that one of these houses can be mine, exchanging thoughts and ideas with others in the group.

www.theguardian.com

Using Earth’s Magnetic Field as a GPS, Migratory Birds Navigate Their Way

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Giant reed warbler migrating between Europe and Africa

AGAMI Photo Agency / Alamy Stock

Many migratory birds use the Earth's magnetic field as a compass, and others can use information from that field to more or less determine where they are on their mental map.

Greater Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus skillupaceus) appears to calculate geographic location by drawing data from various distances and angles between the magnetic field and the shape of the Earth. The study suggests that birds use magnetic information as a kind of “GPS,” telling them not only where to go, but also their initial whereabouts, they said. richard holland At Bangor University, UK.

“When we travel, we have a map that shows us where we are and a compass that shows us which direction to go to reach our destination,” he says. “We don't expect birds to have this much precision or knowledge about the entire planet. Yet, when they travel along their normal path, or even when they travel far from that path, they , and observe how the magnetic cues change.”

Scientists have known for decades that migratory birds rely on cues from the ocean. solar, star and earth's magnetic field To decide which direction to go. But using a compass to figure out direction and knowing where a bird is in the world are markedly different, and scientists are wondering if and how birds figure out their current map location. I'm still debating whether to do it or not.

Florian Packmore Germany's Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park Administration suspected that birds could detect detailed aspects of magnetic fields to determine their global location. Specifically, magnetic obliquity (the change in the angle of the Earth's surface relative to magnetic field lines) and magnetic declination (the difference in orientation between the geographic and magnetic poles) are used to better understand where you are in the world. He thought he might be able to do it.

To test their theory, Packmore, Holland and colleagues captured 21 adult reed warblers in Illmitz, Austria, on their migration route from Europe to Africa. So the researchers temporarily placed the birds in an outdoor aviary, where they used a Helmholtz coil to disrupt the magnetic field. They artificially altered the inclination and declination in a way that corresponded to the location of Neftekamsk, Russia, 2,600 kilometers away. “That's way off course for them,” Packmore says.

The researchers then placed the birds in special cages to study their migratory instincts and asked two independent researchers, who were unaware of changes in the magnetic field, to record which direction the birds headed. In the changed magnetic field conditions, most birds showed a clear tendency to fly west-southwest, as if trying to return to their migratory route from Russia. In contrast, when the magnetic field was unchanged, the same birds attempted to fly south-southeast from Austria.

This suggests that the birds believed they were no longer in Austria, but Russia, based solely on magnetic inclination and declination, Packmore said.

“Of course they don't know it's Russia, but it's too far north and east from where they should be,” Holland says. “And at that point, they look at their compass system and figure out how to fly south and west.”

However, the neurological mechanisms that allow birds to sense these aspects of the Earth's magnetic field are still not fully understood.

“This is an important step in understanding how the magnetic maps of songbirds, especially the great reed warbler, work,” he says. Nikita Chernetsov The professor at the Institute of Zoology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg was not involved in the study.

The study confirms that the great reed warbler relies on these magnetic fields for positioning, but that doesn't mean all birds do, he added. “Not all birds work the same.”

Packmore and Holland said the birds were released two to three weeks after the study, at which point they were able to continue their normal migration. In fact, one of the birds they studied was captured a second time a year later. This means that the researchers' work did not interfere with the birds' successful migration.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Fusion experiments successfully navigate major operational barriers

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Inside the DIII-D tokamak fusion reactor

Ruth Wilcox (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Fusion reactions have overcome two important barriers to operating in the “sweet spot” needed for optimal power production: increasing plasma density and keeping a denser plasma confined. This milestone marks another stepping stone toward fusion power, although commercial reactors are likely still years away.

One of the main avenues being considered in efforts to achieve fusion power generation is the use of tokamak reactors. These have donut-shaped chambers in which plasma, hotter than the surface of the sun, is trapped by giant magnets.

It was thought that there was a point known as the Greenwald limit, beyond which the plasma could not become denser without escaping the influence of the magnets, potentially damaging the reactor. However, experiments have shown that the power of a tokamak reactor increases proportionally to the square of the fuel density, so increasing the density is important to increase the power.

now, Siye Din General Atomics in San Diego, California, and colleagues have shown that there is a way to increase plasma density and have shown that plasma density can be stabilized. DIII-D National Fusion Facility The tokamak reactor was operated for 2.2 seconds at an average density 20 percent above the Greenwald limit. This barrier has been crossed before with low stability and short duration, but this experiment was importantly also performed with a metric greater than 1, known as H98(y,2).

H98(y,2) states that it is a complex combination of measurements and values ​​that indicate how well the plasma is confined in the magnet. gianluca sarri At Queen's University Belfast, a value of 1.0 or higher indicates normal plasma retention.

“He's starting to show some sort of stable behavior where he can consistently be in the sweet spot,” Sarri says. “This was done on a small machine. If we extrapolate these results to a larger machine…we would expect to find a situation where we can achieve gains and significant power production over a significant period of time.”

Sarri said the DIII-D experiment relied on a combination of approaches that are not new in themselves, but that their combination appears to have produced a promising approach. The researchers increased the power by increasing the density in the center of the donut-shaped plasma, while allowing the plasma to sink at the end closest to the containment vessel, avoid plasma leakage. They also injected deuterium gas into the plasma to calm the reaction in certain areas.

DIII-D's plasma chamber has an outer radius of just 1.6 meters, but it remains to be seen whether the same method will work for ITER, the next generation tokamak being built in France. ITER has a radius of 6.2 meters and is expected to be completed. It is planned to generate plasma by 2025 at the earliest.

“These plasmas are very complex,” Sarri says. “Small changes in circumstances lead to large changes in behavior. Experimentally, it was a trial-and-error kind of approach, trying out many different configurations and basically seeing which one worked best. It was all about It's about forcing the plasma to do something that is completely against its nature and that it doesn&#39t actually want to do.”

Ding says the experiment bodes well for the future of fusion power generation. “Many reactor designs require high confinement and high density at the same time. Experimentally, this is the first time this has been achieved,” he says. “Next steps will be costly and research is currently moving in many directions. We hope this document will help focus efforts around the world.”

Sarri says this work is another step toward a practical fusion power plant, but no one should expect a commercial reactor to be completed within the next five or even 10 years.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Tiny robots may soon navigate human livers to combat cancer

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Science fiction has often depicted microscopic robots, but these tiny machines have become a reality with a wide range of real-world applications such as disease prevention and building repair.

A Canadian research team is now focusing on using these small robots to target liver cancer in various fields. They are working on using them in conjunction with MRI equipment to treat diseases (source).

A series of small biocompatible robots, made of magnetizable iron oxide nanoparticles guided by an external magnetic field, could potentially deliver medical care in a highly targeted manner.

Despite the potential of this technology, it faces a major technical challenge. The gravity of these microrobots exceeds the magnetic force, limiting their guidance if the tumor is located higher than the injection site.

To address this challenge, Dr. Jill Soules, a researcher at the CHUM Research Center at the University of Montreal, developed an algorithm that combines gravity and magnetic navigation forces to guide the microrobots into the arterial branches that feed the tumor.

This research has the potential to change the way liver cancer is treated with radiation therapy, which is the most common type of cancer causing 700,000 deaths annually worldwide.

Dr. Soulez emphasized the advantages of the magnetic resonance navigation technique, indicating that the tumor is better visualized on MRI than on X-ray.

In an experiment using pigs to recreate anatomical conditions, the researchers successfully navigated the hepatic artery branches of the animals and arrived at their destination using the microrobots.

Furthermore, using an anatomical atlas of the human liver, the researchers were able to simulate microrobot maneuvers on 19 patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization, finding that in more than 95% of cases, the location of the tumors matched the navigation algorithm to reach the targeted tumor.

Despite these significant advances, clinical application of this technology is still in the distant future, as artificial intelligence models need further training and improvements for real-time navigation of microrobots to the liver.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The ISS Crew Stay Busy While Waiting for SpaceX’s Dragon to Navigate through Weather Conditions

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This night view of southern Europe looks from Milan, Italy, northwest to southeast (bottom right), across the Adriatic Sea to Split, Croatia. At the time this photo was taken, the International Space Station was orbiting 423 miles above eastern France.
Credit: NASAExpedition 70 crews continue to pack up the U.S. cargo spacecraft for departure early next week. The seven residents living on the ship are international space station (ISS) has also explored virtual reality while providing various scientific and life support hardware services.
NASA and space x The undocking of the SpaceX Dragon cargo replenishment spacecraft from the International Space Station will be postponed to Sunday, Dec. 17, due to inclement weather as a cold front moves through the spray belt off the coast of Florida.The joint team will continue to assess weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously leave the space station and determine the next available opportunity by 5:05 p.m. EST Monday, December 18th.The vibrant city lights of Tokyo were captured from the International Space Station, orbiting 421 miles above the sky.
Credit: NASAWeather permitting for Monday’s undock, coverage of Dragon’s departure will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA streaming service. web or NASA app. The coverage will also be broadcast live on NASA Television. YouTubeand the agency’s Website. After re-entering the atmosphere, the spacecraft will fly off the coast of Florida, but the event will not be broadcast on NASA TV.
NASA astronaut Jasmine Moghbeli and NASA’s Satoshi Furukawa JAXA The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has resumed transferring cargo freezers packed with science from the station’s Express Rack to Dragon. The two activated and configured the scientific freezer within the Dragon, securing biological samples stored for recovery and analysis on Earth.
Prior to this, Moghbeli replaced hardware in the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, a research instrument that studies crystal morphology and growth. She also shook up mixing tubes containing seed samples for astrobotany research. Furukawa reconnected the power and communications units within the combustion research hardware in Kibo’s laboratory module.
Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island shaped like a palm tree, is a highlight of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in this nighttime photo taken from the International Space Station, which orbits 454 miles above the Persian Gulf. Masu.
Credit: NASAESA Commander Andreas Mogensen (european space agency) His day began with an experiment aimed at strengthening computer programming skills Promote STEM careers for students across the globe. Mogensen then donned virtual reality goggles and watched a 360-degree film to understand the stabilizing effects of the nervous system. VR mental care experiment.
NASA flight engineer Loral O’Hara spent the day performing laboratory maintenance throughout the orbiting outpost. She replaced orbital plumbing components, deployed a portable her fan inside the Tranquility module, and replaced a broken wireless antenna inside the Unity module.
The space station’s three astronauts remained focused on scientific activities and maintaining the orbital system. After breakfast, flight engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubb scanned the stomach again with an ultrasound machine. Roscosmos Research on spatial digestion. Mr. Kononenko relocated the eggs into incubators for biological experiments, and Mr. Chubb transferred the dismantled life support equipment from the Zarya module to Unity. Flight engineer Konstantin Borisov spent the morning working on the orbital plumbing and ended the day by photographing and inspecting the windows of the Zvezda service module.

Source: scitechdaily.com