Photo Credit: Zeke Rowe/British Ecological Society
While most animals avoid approaching crocodiles, the biting fly boldly lands on this intimidating predator to drink its blood. Captured by Zeke Lowe, this striking image showcases nature’s interactions at Panama’s Coiba National Park, recognized as the top entry in the British Ecological Society’s annual photo contest.
According to Lowe, a doctoral candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, “This crocodile was hiding in a tidal marsh off the coast. I got as close as possible, kept low, and waited for that direct eye contact.”
Cape Sparrows Alarmed by Lioness
Photo Credit: Willem Kruger/British Ecological Society
This captivating photograph by Willem Kruger, a South African photographer, won in the Interaction category. It was taken during the dry season in Kalahari Border Park, where a pride of lions startled a flock of birds drinking at a waterhole.
Wallace’s Flying Frog
Photo Credit: Jamal Kabir/British Ecological Society
Jamal Kabir won the animal category at the University of Nottingham for his captivating image of Wallace’s Flying Frog (Lacophorus nigroparmatus), named after renowned biologist Alfred Russell Wallace. These amphibians, found in Southeast Asia, utilize their webbed feet to glide gracefully between trees in the lush rainforests.
Bighorn Sheep Health Test
Photo Credit: Peter Hudson/British Ecological Society
In this striking image, a bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is captured having its nose swabbed. Peter Hudson, a photographer and biologist at Penn State University, was highly commended for his work related to behavioral ecology. This study addresses pneumonia outbreaks in bighorn herds, a significant concern impacting newborns in the spring.
Fly Resting on Mushroom
Photo Credit: Francisco Gamboa/British Ecological Society
This stunning image, taken by wildlife photographer Francisco Gamboa, won accolades in the Plants and Fungi category. The photograph shows a fly resting delicately on a mushroom in Chile’s Altos de Cantillana Nature Reserve.
Intertidal Zone Education
Photo Credit: Liam Brennan/British Ecological Society
In a notable educational initiative, wildlife researcher Liam Brennan captured this image of students conducting beach trawls to monitor coastal fish population changes in New Brunswick, Canada, further emphasizing the importance of ecological education.
Insect and Ecosystem Exploration Safari: Sri Lanka
Embark on a unique entomology and ecology-focused expedition to explore Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity.
Shortly after capturing the moment an endangered humpback whale was freed from its restraints, Miesa Grobbelaar remarked that the whale paused and gazed at them, seemingly grateful. The photos documenting the rescue were taken off the coast of Ha’apai, Tonga. For more, visit the Nature Conservancy’s 2025 Oceania Photo Contest.
Grobbelaar and the rescue team answered a distress signal regarding an entangled humpback whale. Upon arrival, they found a heavy, rusted chain embedded deep in its tail, as Grobbelaar shared upon receiving her award. They approached carefully and quietly to untangle her, and eventually succeeded in breaking the chains.
While humpback whales are no longer classified as endangered due to their population rebounding since the mid-20th century whaling days, some specific populations, like those around Tonga, still face risks. These numbers are currently in the low thousands, representing about 30 percent fewer than before commercial whaling started.
“This image captures a paradox: the horrific impacts of human behavior on nature alongside our compassion towards it,” remarked Jarrod Bourde, one of the contest judges, in an official statement.
Pluteus’ Firefly by Nick Wooding
Nick Wooding/TNC 2025 Oceania Photo Contest
The competition featured photographers from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands and awarded prizes in various categories. This enchanting photo above displays the Pluteus velutinornatus, a fungus growing on trees, which won in the “Plants and Fungi” category. Photographer Nick Wooding stumbled upon the hazel-colored fungus right before it blossomed, and upon revisiting days later, he found it transformed to a pristine white.
Windjana Valley by Scott Portelli
Scott Portelli/TNC 2025 Oceania Photo Contest
Scott Portelli received top honors in the land category with his stunning time-lapse image of stars captured (above) atop a rock wall in Windjana Gorge National Park in Western Australia, famous for its striking red rocks. The mesmerizing effect was crafted using over 600 photographs, illustrating the stars’ movement from dusk till dawn.
Peacock Mantis and Eggs by Peter McGee
Peter Magee/TNC 2025 Oceania Photo Contest
This striking image features a female peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus syralus) captured on film by Peter Magee in Bali, Indonesia. The photograph earned third place in the water category, showcasing the shrimp vigilantly guarding its precious red eggs while observing its surroundings.
An artificial intelligence company based in London has achieved a significant victory in a High Court case that scrutinized the legality of an AI model using extensive copyrighted data without authorization.
Stability AI, led by Oscar-winning Avatar director James Cameron, successfully defended itself against allegations from Getty Images, claiming that it infringed on the international photography agency’s copyright.
This ruling is seen as a setback for copyright holders’ exclusive rights to benefit from their creations. Rebecca Newman, a legal director at Addleshaw Goddard, cautioned that it suggests “the UK derivative copyright system is inadequate to protect creators”.
There was evidence indicating that Getty Images were utilized in training Stability’s model, which enables users to generate images via text prompts. In certain instances, Stability was also found to violate Getty’s trademarks.
Judge Joanna Smith remarked that determining the balance between the interests of the creative industries and AI sectors holds “real social significance.” However, she could only address relatively limited claims as Getty had to withdraw parts of its case during the trial this summer.
Getty Images initiated legal action against Stability AI for violations of its intellectual property rights, claiming the AI company scraped and replicated millions of images with “complete indifference to the content of the training data.”
This ruling comes amid ongoing debates about how the Labour government should legislate on copyright and AI matters, with artists and authors like Elton John, Kate Bush, Dua Lipa, and Kazuo Ishiguro advocating for protections. In contrast, tech firms are seeking broader access to copyrighted material to develop more powerful generative AI systems.
The government is conducting a consultation regarding copyright and AI, stating: “The uncertainty surrounding the copyright framework is hindering the growth of both the AI and creative sectors. This situation must not persist.”
Lawyers at Mishcon de Reya, pursuing this matter, are contemplating introducing a “text and data mining exception” to the UK copyright law, which would enable copyrighted works to be utilized for training AI models unless rights holders opt-out.
Due to a lack of evidence indicating that the training took place in the UK, Getty was compelled to retract its original copyright claim. Nevertheless, the company proceeded with its lawsuit, asserting that Stability continues to use copies of visual assets, which it describes as the “lifeblood” of its business. The lawsuit alleges trademark infringement and “spoofing,” as some generated images bore Getty’s watermark.
Highlighting the complexities of AI copyright litigation, the group essentially argued that Stability’s image generation model, known as Stable Diffusion, constitutes an infringing copy, as its creation would represent copyright infringement if produced in the UK.
The judge determined that “AI models like Stable Diffusion that do not (and never have) stored or reproduced copyrighted works are not ‘infringing copies.'” She declined to adjudicate on the misrepresentation claims but ruled in favor of some of Getty’s trademark infringement claims regarding the watermark.
In a statement, Getty Images remarked: “We are profoundly worried that even well-resourced organizations like Getty Images face considerable challenges in safeguarding creative works due to the absence of transparency requirements. We have invested millions with one provider alone, but we must continue our pursuit elsewhere.”
“We urge governments, including the UK, to establish more robust transparency regulations. This is crucial to avoid expensive legal disputes and ensure creators can uphold their rights.”
Stability AI’s General Counsel, Christian Dowell, stated, “We are pleased with the court’s ruling on the remaining claims in this case. Although Getty’s decision to voluntarily withdraw most of the copyright claims at the trial’s conclusion left the court with only a fraction of the claims, this final decision addresses the core copyright issues. We appreciate the time and effort the court has dedicated to resolving the significant matters in this case.”
The spider-tailed viper embodies the essence of two widely feared creatures: arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) and ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes).
Imagine the only scenario where you might confront both fears: donning a clown costume (a fear of heights) and dangling from a high ledge (another fear of heights).
Nevertheless, this scenario is improbable. The spider-tailed viper typically resides in the rocky crevices of the Zagros Mountains, straddling the borders of Iraq and Iran.
Its name derives from its extraordinary tail, which mimics a spider with a swollen tip adorned with elongated “leggy” scales.
The first documented specimen was captured in 1968 and preserved in formaldehyde. When researchers from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago examined it two years later, they initially mistook it for a Persian horned snake, which is prevalent in the Middle East.
Initially, the spider-like appendage on the snake’s tail was thought to be a spider that inadvertently ended up in the jar. However, further examination revealed that the peculiar ornament was actually part of the snake’s tail.
The significance of this unusual anatomical feature remained ambiguous, with speculation about it being a rare anomaly linked to a parasite or tumor.
Watch a snake hunt in this clip from the BBC documentary Seven Worlds, One Planet.
In 2003, a second specimen was discovered in a damaged state, yet still exhibiting the same tail’s adornment.
The snake was identified as a new species, Pseudocerastes uralachnoides, which translates to “false horn with a spider-like tail,” sparking curiosity among researchers about whether this reptile uses its tail as a lure.
While it may sound peculiar, numerous predators utilize parts of their bodies to draw in prey. For instance, monkfish develop bioluminescent lures protruding from their heads.
The tufted wobbegong shark boasts a caudal fin that resembles a fish. Additionally, over 50 snake species are known to employ a technique called caudal luring, where they wag their tails to entice prey.
The tail of the spider-tailed viper mimics a spider to lure its prey – Credit: reptiles4all via Getty
What makes the spider-tailed viper exceptional is that it is the only species known to have evolved a “caboose” that closely resembles a large arachnid.
It took thirty years for scientists to ultimately validate their hypothesis about its caudal luring technique. They set up camp in the arid mountains of Ilam province in western Iran and captured footage of six successful spider-tailed viper hunts, all occurring…
During these hunts, the snake wagged its spider-like tail, capturing the attention of nearby birds. As the birds approached, the snake struck and injected venom, resulting in the bird’s swift demise. Minutes later, the bird was consumed whole.
Spring marks peak hunting season, coinciding with birds nesting and feeding their young. However, juvenile spider-tailed vipers must adopt different hunting methods.
These young snakes hatch without their distinctive “spider butt” and develop it as they grow. Until reaching maturity, they are believed to prey on small mammals and amphibians.
The lesson here: if you’re trekking through the Zagros Mountains and spot a peculiar-looking spider, it’s best to keep your distance.
We don’t fully understand the effects of snake venom on humans, so you may want to avoid that curiosity altogether.
Exterior: A device designed to estimate your life expectancy.
So, is it going to tell me when I’ll die? No, thank you. Hold on, let me explain.
Not a problem, but that still sounds pretty terrifying. Just give me a moment. It operates similarly to what your doctor does.
Which is what? We will analyze your photos to evaluate your health.
Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad. However, this device can assess you even more accurately. It can also help predict your response to treatments.
Nope, I’m out again. Let me elaborate. Faceage is an AI innovation developed by scientists at Mass General Brigham in Boston. By examining a picture of your face, it can assess your biological age compared to your chronological age.
What does that imply? It means everyone ages differently. For instance, at 50, Paul Rudd had a biological age of 43, while fellow actor Wilford Brimley was biologically 69 at the same age.
Why is this significant? Individuals with older biological ages are less likely to withstand intensive treatments like radiation therapy.
Explain it to me as if I’m clueless. Sure thing. The older your face looks, the worse it is for your health.
Great, just what I needed to hear about my premature grey hairs. Actually, not exactly. Features like gray hair or hair loss can be misleading. This device evaluates factors like skin folding near the mouth and temple hollows for a more accurate health profile.
Wonderful, now I have to obsessively analyze my temple’s condition. No, this is beneficial. With proper usage, such diagnostic tools can enhance countless lives. Although the initial study focused on cancer patients, researchers intend to broaden the tests to others.
I just had plastic surgery. Will Faceage still work for me? As of now, it’s unclear. The developers still need to investigate this.
What about for people of color? Ah, yes. This model was predominantly trained on white faces, so its effectiveness on diverse skin tones is still uncertain.
This sounds a bit concerning. It’s simply a cautionary issue. Let’s consider how quickly AI evolves. Just last year, ChatGPT was lacking but has now transformed industries. We can expect Faceage to improve rapidly, too.
That’s encouraging. Indeed. Before long, it could assess your face and provide a calm, unbiased judgment on your health and longevity.
Is this for real? No, definitely not. At least, not yet.
Say: “Faceage represents a new frontier in medical diagnostics.”
Don’t say: “They claim we’ll perish during the 2028 robot uprising.”
The giant squid, the planet’s largest invertebrate, was first photographed alive in its wild habitat.
For decades, giant squids like Kraken (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) It was more myth than reality. Scientists only had a vague sense of its appearance from fragments of remains found in the stomachs of whales eating molluscs. In fact, it was those ruins that the species was officially described by zoologists in 1925.
Finally, in 1981, Antarctic fishermen happened to play a giant squid that lived in a fishing net. Since then, animals have been killed or washed sometimes as fishing baikatches or died on land.
Containers from last month Schmidt Ocean InstituteThe US-based nonprofit was investigating the South Sea near the South Sandwich Islands and was streaming footage from a remotely controlled deep-sea camera when online viewers flagged it that they might have just shot a giant squid.
Based on the hints, the researchers sent high-resolution footage to independent squid experts. Experts have confirmed that online viewers’ predictions are correct. The squid had a distinctive hook along the sucker on its eight arms, a characteristic of a giant squid. I was roaming 600 meters below the surface.
The giant squid is thought to grow up to 7 meters long and weigh up to 500 kilograms, but the squid caught between the camera was 30 cm long: baby.
“Every time you descend into the deep water, it’s amazing to find something new and exciting,” he says. Jyotika Virmani of the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
Giant squid It may have already been filmed Natural habitat for 2023, by researchers from another US-based nonprofit organization. Corosal – However, the quality of the footage was too low, so no sightings were confirmed. A new squid recording may suggest that the 2023 footage actually captures a giant squid. “In the southern oceans, they have the same size, the same color, and the same depth.” Matt Murennan At Kolossal, we are still waiting for more confirmation.
However, there are no footage of huge squids of adults in the wild yet, and the lives of these giant invertebrates are still mystical, says Steve O’Sheapreviously at Auckland Institute of Technology in New Zealand, he created the name “Colossal squid” in the early 2000s. He once touted the animals as “serious inhabitants of the deep sea,” but now he is convinced that “like a giant gelatinous mites, it envelops a column of water near the ocean floor.”
Soyuz MS Rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
Rhiannon Adam
This ghostly image of Soyuz Ms Rocket in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, was taken the night before it took off to the International Space Station in December 2021, and has a particularly moving resonance for the photographer. Rhiannon Adam.
About a month ago, she was said to be one of the eight-person crew members of the Dearmoon Project. It was set to become the first civilian mission to the moon, and was scheduled to be released in 2023 using a rocket developed by SpaceX, but was later cancelled.
Adam was part of a large crowd that was taken that night to see the Soyuz rocket. When the others began to leave, she strolled around to get a shot of her before being escorted by security. “Before I fired the shutter, I didn’t have a cable release so I held my breath and closed my eyes,” she says. “It was a creepy alien green light, and the flood lights mixed with the fog, so I thought it was a sight I might never see again.”
Adam had to take two frames and cross the fingers that came from the photo before being guided to the waiting bus. “Fortunately, I did. This image is a bit bittersweet for what’s symbolic to me now, but when I can separate it from my life, I still think it’s a beautiful monument to human achievement,” she says.
she, 2025 Sony World Photography AwardsCreate a cut in the “Creative” category of the Photo Series on Mission Cancellation. The overall winner of Photographer of the Year will be named on April 16th.
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flies by the small asteroid Donald Johansson on April 20, 2025.
By flashing between images captured by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft on February 20th and 22nd, 2025, this animation shows Donald Johansson’s perceived movement against the background star as the spacecraft rapidly approaches the asteroid. Image credit: NASA/GODDARD/SWRI/JOHNS HOPKINS APL.
Donald Johansson It is a carbonaceous small intestine about 4 km (2.5 miles) in diameter.
First discovered by American astronomer Sheltebas at the Siding Spring Observatory on March 2, 1981, it orbited within the inner region of the main asteroid belt.
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will pass within 960 km (596 miles) of Donald Johansson on April 20th.
“This second asteroid encounter for Lucy will serve as a rehearsal for Jupiter’s Trojan asteroid outfit, the spacecraft’s main target,” a member of the Lucy team said in a statement.
“The spacecraft had already successfully observed the main belt asteroid Dinkinesh and its moon, Serum and Serum in November 2023.”
This diagram shows NASA’s Lucy spacecraft passing through one of the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. Image credit: Southwest Research Institute.
“But at a distance of 70 million km (45 million miles), Donald Johansson is still dim, but he stands out clearly in this area of relatively faint stars in the constellations of Sextane,” the researchers said.
“The north of the sky is on the right side of the frame, with a 0.11-degree field of vision corresponding to 85,500 miles (140,000 km) of asteroidal distance.”
“Of the two images, another dimly lit asteroid can see the photobomb in the quadrant at the bottom right of the image.”
“However, as the headlights of approaching cars often remain relatively still, Donald Johansson’s obvious movement between these two images is much smaller than that of this intruder, who has fallen out of sight in the second image.”
According to scientists, Donald Johansson was named after anthropologist Donald Johansson, who discovered “Lucy.” Lucy Mission is named after the fossil.
“Lucy will continue to image Donald Johansson as part of his optical navigation program for the next two months. The optical navigation program will use the apparent position of the asteroid against the star’s background to ensure an accurate flyby,” they said.
This all-sky photo of the night sky was compiled by astrophotographer Eckhart Slavik using images taken from the best and darkest locations around the world. Image credit: NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / E. Slawik / M. Zamani.
“This complete collection of free, high-resolution, downloadable images of all 88 Western IAU-recognized constellations serves as an educational archive for personal and academic use,” NOIRLab astronomers said in a statement.
“This project also includes the release of the largest open-source and freely available all-sky photography of the night sky.”
The photographer behind these amazing high-quality images is German astrophotographer Eckhard Slavik.
“The images were taken on film and each panel consists of two separate exposures, one with a diffuser filter and one without, allowing the colors of the stars to shine through. visible,” the astronomers said.
“All products include a comprehensive description of the constellation and its historical origins, as well as corresponding standardized stick figures, outline drawings, finder charts, and descriptions of the constellation's most prominent deep-sky objects. Included.
“Existing astronomical images of these deep-sky objects taken with various NSF NOIRLab telescopes are also included.”
“Downloadable flashcards and other audio-visual aids and materials make it easy to bring constellations into the classroom.”
NOIRLab astronomers have also released the largest open-source, freely available all-sky photo of the night sky.
“With 40,000 pixels, this is probably one of the best images of its kind ever made,” they wrote.
“This giant skyscape was compiled using images taken by Slavik from the highest and darkest places around the world: Tenerife, La Palma, Spain; Namibia; and Chile.”
“The 88 constellation images can be viewed by all ages and are particularly suitable for use in planetariums and museums.”
“Please visit” Project webpage Learn about all 88 constellations and see how many you can spot in the night sky. ”
For the first time ever, scientists have successfully captured images of stars outside our galaxy. The images show a massive red supergiant star named WOH G64, located 160,000 light-years away. This star is in the process of shedding its outer layers, a sign that it may soon undergo a massive supernova explosion.
“This star, WOH G64, is incredibly unique, and we may witness significant changes that could lead to its explosive end,” said Dr. Jacco Van Loon, co-author of the study and director of the Kiel Observatory.
Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy at the edge of the Milky Way, this star is of particular interest to researchers. Only 25 objects in the Milky Way have been closely studied in such detail, making this discovery even more significant.
With the help of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, researchers were able to capture detailed images of WOH G64. The presence of a dust cocoon around the red supergiant star suggests the emission of gas and dust, possibly from the star itself or a companion star.
Despite the challenges posed by the distance of stars from Earth, advancements in technology and research have allowed scientists to observe and learn more about these celestial bodies. Understanding the final stages of a star’s life, such as before a supernova, can provide insights into the production of chemical elements.
About our experts:
Dr. Darren Baskill is a lecturer in astronomy and physics at the University of Sussex. With over 25 years of experience in the field of astronomy, he specializes in public education about space-related topics.
Left: Image of star WOH G64 taken with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer in Chile. Right: Artist’s impression of the star
ESO/K. Onaka et al., L. Calçada
Astronomers have taken the first detailed pictures of a star in another galaxy more than 160,000 light-years away. This giant star may be showing signs that it’s only a few years away from exploding, but we’ve never seen it in detail before.
The largest stars we know of are red supergiants, which are stars that have run out of hydrogen fuel in their cores. Instead, the shell of hydrogen gas surrounding the core burns, causing the star’s volume to expand significantly.
One of the largest red supergiants that we know of is WOH G64, also known as a giant star. It is 1540 to 2575 times larger than the Sun and resides in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The star has attracted the attention of astronomers since it was discovered in the 1970s, but its distance has made it difficult to study it in detail.
now, jacko van loon and colleagues from Keele University in the UK used the Very Large Telescope Interferometer in Chile’s Atacama Desert to take close-up pictures of WOH G64. The interferometer is a collection of four individual telescopes linked together to function as if they were 200 telescopes in one. meter telescope. “In this image, you can see details similar to what you would see in an astronaut walking on the moon,” Van Loon said. “You can’t see it with a normal telescope aimed at the moon.”
The image, taken using infrared light, shows a bright ball of gas and dust, exhaled by the star and now surrounding it in a dense cocoon, at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit). “This is a structure that we really didn’t expect to see,” Van Loon said. “We expected to have a star in the middle.”
The star appears dimmer than when it was last observed, so the gas and dust likely appeared relatively recently, Van Loon said. It may have been created by a star blowing away its outer layers, and astronomers have never seen it in a red supergiant.
If that happens, and the process is similar to that seen in similar stars called blue supergiants, it could be a sign that the star will take decades or even years to explode. I don’t know. “If we can watch this star explode, we will be able to learn much more about the star before it explodes,” Van Loon said.
“Being able to reconstruct an image of this object at such a great distance is technically quite impressive,” he says. paul krauser At the University of Sheffield, UK.
But it’s difficult to say with certainty whether the observed gases and dust, and the accompanying dimming of the brightness, are signs of an impending explosion. “Stars like this object are well known to be highly volatile,” Krauser said. “It’s simply what happens in these objects where there’s a dense, slow outflow that doesn’t go very far from the star. They’re well known to be dust factories.”
aAt 7 a.m. on Wednesday, I drop my kids off for a two-night school camp. The first large-scale school training camp. Children hold pillows under their arms and drag suitcases, barely able to support the wheels or weight. they are nervous. I was excited. Some people cry. By 7:45 a.m., they were loaded. Through the tinted windows of the bus, I saw my daughter settling down next to her friend, so I waved goodbye and headed to work.
The phone rings just before 10am. Parents were asked to download an app so they could be contacted while the school was away. The app's post features 10 photos of the class crammed onto a ferry and arriving at camp. I feel a sense of relief. I was worried about the bus arriving safely, which I knew was irrational, but I felt relieved when I saw my child being beaten by his friends and smiling at the camera. I did.
The phone rings again soon. And again. And again. By the end of the day, I had received 20 posts of up to 10 photos each, which I believe was the largest.
There are 12 more posts by noon the next day.
I keep unlocking my phone because my day is interrupted by mail after mail, not only from camp but also after-school care and other children's school days. . I swipe through the carousel of photos of kids playing and scan my own photos to make sure they're safe and happy. This is an ongoing record of my childhood that took place away from my physical supervision.
Does anyone really want this?
BIt is estimated that by the time the child turns 13 72 million pieces of data About them will be collected. 80% of children in developed countries Creates a digital footprint by age 2. Much of this is being blamed on premature access to social media, the subject of a new federal plan to restrict access for teenagers.“Sharing” – Excessive sharing of photos of one’s children online.
It's not hard to picture tweens scrolling through TikTok or smug parents posting Instagram photos of their toddler sleeping next to a laser-cut wooden sign proclaiming their age.
We have a broader and more intimate culture of documenting our children. About taking pictures of our children. Receive and request data about children. It is found in cribs, nurseries and schools. It's eating up our phone's memory. And it's almost inevitable.
of Australian community attitudes towards privacy survey was released last year and spoke to around 700 parents. Half of respondents said they felt they had control over their children's data privacy. Three in five said they had no choice but to enroll their child in a particular service. Almost all said their children had the right to grow up without being profiled or targeted.
But we record from their first day. It is an act of love, narcissism, habit, and insurance against forgetting. These creatures that we create, that we nurture, that we worship – why not capture each unreproducible, beautiful, funny, gentle expression, moment, footsteps? Even when taken uncontrollably and almost unconsciously, it still feels private. A typical Saturday for my family can result in up to 32 photos being taken. Old-fashioned roll of film.
There's something else too. Since our earliest days, we have been conditioned to believe that surveillance is safe. Without data, parents cannot guarantee the health of their children. Baby monitor – promising “Complete sense of security” – Livestream a video of your baby sleeping, as well as data about oxygen levels, heart rate, and sleep behavior, to your phone in one of the rooms or half a city away.
It appeals to a parent's most basic instinct: to protect their baby.
“Photography at early learning centers has become a runaway train in some ways.” Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
When a child enters daycare, an app asks for a bunch of photos to be downloaded, and some parents welcome it, while others simply accept it. These photos serve as a kind of continuing evidence of life and a demonstration of safety and good practices for early education providers. Most sites provide information about children throughout the day, with up-to-date information such as what was served for morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea, how much they ate, when they went to bed, and which early learning curriculum touchstones they reached. I am posting a photo of. It can be a comfort and a source of joy. Once this expectation is established, the day you don't receive a photo can be worrying.
Early Education Consultant in 2019 Karen Hope writes on her industry blog:The Spoke says, “Photography in early learning centers has become, in some ways, a runaway train…a photo of a child in front of a puzzle is not necessarily evidence of learning, development, or engagement. How are you going to tell your family?” ? ”
It doesn't end with childcare alone.
“Schools play a major role in how children experience privacy on a daily basis,” the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Privacy wrote at the time. Reports published in 2021. The massive shift to online learning at the start of the pandemic sparked a technology boom in the classroom, adding that “the power disparity that existed between ed-tech companies and children, and between governments and children and parents'' Equilibrium has expanded even further.
One day during school camp, I received over 100 photos of children.
These posts evoke contradictory reflexes in me. First of all, I was relieved that she was safe. Second, leave her alone.
IIn the final section, which consists of 10 photos of the class returning by boat from the island, the daughter is not visible. For a moment, I felt uneasy. Was she left alone? Is she okay? This is an anxiety I would never have experienced otherwise. I would have worked alone. She is somewhere else, protected by people I trust. But on the contrary, I am worried. Until I found her behind photo 9. She's fine. Of course.
Expectations of information destroy healthy distance, healthy ignorance between children and parents. It may cause anxiety to parents. We are so burnt out that having to constantly evaluate and monitor our children doesn't help.
And it's an insult to a child's privacy.
Children now expect their intimate moments to be recorded. As a friend of mine pointed out, it's no longer “Mom, look at me!” it's “Mom, take a picture of me!”
They know to review their photos. My youngest daughter came home from daycare and was eager to watch her child. It was a hassle. It was a shitty photo.
Privacy is essential to children's development. Safety, absolutely. However, their privacy is being ignored and violated.
“Adult interpretations of children's privacy needs can hinder the healthy development of autonomy and independence and limit children's privacy in the name of protection,” the UN Special Rapporteur wrote. There is. “Adults' reliance on surveillance to protect children limits children's rights to privacy and autonomy.”
Privacy is critical to children's ability to develop self-esteem, self
The Hubble team has released a striking new photo taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of NGC 346, an open star cluster in one of our Milky Way galaxy’s closest neighbors.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the open star cluster NGC 346, located about 210,000 light-years away in the constellation Sigurd. Image courtesy of NASA/ESA/C. Murray, Space Telescope Science Institute/Gladys Kober, NASA, and The Catholic University of America.
NGC 346 is located in the constellation Tucana and is about 210,000 light-years away.
Also known as ESO 51-10, Kron 39, and Lindsay 60, the star cluster was discovered on August 1, 1826, by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.
NGC 346 is part of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way galaxy.
The cluster was formed approximately 3 million years ago, has a diameter of 150 light years, and a mass 50,000 times that of the Sun.
“NGC 346’s hot stars are unleashing torrents of radiation and energy outflows that are eating away at the dense gas and dust of the surrounding nebula N66,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Dozens of hot, blue, high-mass stars shine within NGC 346, and the cluster is thought to contain more than half of the known high-mass stars in the entire Small Magellanic Cloud.”
The Hubble Space Telescope has previously observed NGC 346, but this new image shows the cluster in ultraviolet light, along with visible light data.
“Ultraviolet light helps us understand star formation and evolution, and Hubble is the only telescope capable of sensitive ultraviolet observations thanks to its sharp resolution and its location above the ultraviolet-blocking atmosphere,” the astronomers write.
“These particular observations were collected to learn more about how star formation shapes the interstellar medium – the gas distributed throughout seemingly empty space – in metal-poor galaxies like the Small Magellanic Cloud.”
“Elements heavier than hydrogen and helium are called ‘metals’, and the Small Magellanic Cloud has a lower metal content than most of the Milky Way.”
“This situation serves as an excellent example of a galaxy similar to those that existed in the early universe when there were few heavy elements to take up.”
Astronomers have created a beautiful image of the barred spiral galaxy UGC 11861 using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows UGC 11861, a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Cepheus, 69 million light-years from Earth. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / C. Kilpatrick.
11861 posts It is located in the northern constellation Cepheus and is about 69 million light years away from Earth.
The galaxy, also known as LEDA 67671, IRAS 21557+7301, or TC 609, is classified as a barred spiral galaxy and a candidate active galactic nucleus.
UGC 11861 is Composed It consists of an exponential disk, a central box-shaped structure, and two broad spiral arms.
“The galaxy is actively forming new stars amidst clouds of gas and dark dust grains, visible as glowing blue spots in the outer arms,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“As a result of this activity, three supernova explosions have been observed in and near UGC 11861, in 1995, 1997, and 2011.”
“The first two were both Type II supernovae, the kind that result from the collapse of a massive star at the end of its life.”
“This Hubble image was made from data collected to study a Type II supernova and its environment.”
The color image of UGC 11861 was created from images taken separately in the visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
Two filters were used to sample different wavelengths, and color was generated by assigning a different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“UGC 11861 is located 69 million light-years from Earth, which may seem a very long distance, but it was just the right distance for the Hubble Space Telescope to capture this spectacular photo of the galaxy’s spiral arms and the short, bright bar at its center,” the astronomers wrote.
In this new image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the glow of spiral galaxy NGC 4951.
This Hubble image shows NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Thilker / M. Zamani, ESA and Hubble.
NGC 4951 is located about 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.
Also known as AGC 530015, IRAS 13025-0613, or LEDA 45246, the galaxy has a diameter of about 65,000 light-years.
It was discovered on April 17, 1784 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.
The new image of NGC 4951 is Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is in the ultraviolet, infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.
It is based on data acquired through six filters: color is generated by assigning a different hue to each monochrome image associated with an individual filter.
“The data used to create this image was taken by Hubble as part of a program to study how matter and energy move in nearby galaxies,” Hubble astronomers said. statement.
“Galaxy undergoes continuous cycles of star formation: gas within galaxies forms molecular clouds, which collapse to form new stars, and then the formed clouds are dispersed by powerful radiation and stellar winds in a process called feedback.”
“The remaining gas will form new clouds elsewhere,” the researchers added.
“This cycle of matter and energy transfer determines how quickly a galaxy forms stars and how quickly it exhausts its supply of gas — in other words, how the galaxy evolves throughout its life.”
“To understand this evolution, we need to know the nebulae, stars and star clusters in our galaxy, when they formed and what their past behavior is.”
“The Hubble Telescope has always excelled at measuring stellar populations, and its work tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception,” the astronomers noted.
NGC 4951 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a so-called active galactic nucleus.
“The image gives a good glimpse into how energetic the galaxy is and some of the dynamic galactic activity that transports matter and energy throughout the galaxy: a glowing core surrounded by swirling arms, pink-hued star-forming regions, and thick dust,” the researchers said.
In a time where concerns over media manipulation are at an all-time high, the Princess of Wales’ photo scandal highlights the sensitivity towards image manipulation.
Back in 2011, Duchess Kate found herself in an image-editing scandal when Grazia altered a photo of her on her wedding day. However, this was before advancements in artificial intelligence raised significant concerns for everyone.
Recent years have seen an abundance of AI-generated deepfakes, from manipulated videos of Volodymyr Zelensky to explicit images of Taylor Swift. While historical instances of image manipulation have been controversial, AI-generated content is now highly reliable.
Duchess Kate’s recent adjustment to a family photo amidst social media speculation about her health reflects growing questions about trust in images, texts, and audio content as the world faces crucial elections.
Shweta Singh, an assistant professor at Warwick Business School, emphasized the importance of addressing manipulated media in the critical year of 2024.
Michael Green, a senior lecturer at the University of Kent, noted that the Welsh family photos were amateurishly edited but pointed out that recent online uproar prompted major video agencies to remove them for violating guidelines.
Despite guidelines against manipulation, the photos passed through. This incident serves as a reminder for media organizations to thoroughly scrutinize every story in an age of technological sophistication.
Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, provided assurance that the images were not entirely generated by AI, indicating the need for deeper scrutiny.
Technological advancements like AI pose new challenges in detecting manipulated media, requiring a diverse approach to combat disinformation.
Efforts to address this issue include the Coalition on Content Authenticity, involving members like Adobe, the BBC, and Google, to establish standards for identifying AI-generated disinformation.
Dame Wendy Hall, a professor at the University of Southampton, emphasized that the Welsh family photo incident underscores the ongoing challenge of trusting the narrative in evolving technological landscapes.
The CEO of Google expressed concern over some responses from the company’s Gemini artificial intelligence model, calling them “unlikely” and pointing out issues such as depicting German World War II soldiers as people of color. He described this bias as “totally unacceptable.”
In a memo to employees, Sundar Pichai acknowledged that images and text generated by modern AI tools were causing discomfort.
Social media users highlighted instances where Gemini image generators depicted historical figures of different ethnicities and genders, including the Pope, the Founding Fathers, and Vikings. Google suspended Gemini’s ability to create people images in response.
One example involved Gemini’s chatbot responding to a question about negative social impacts, leading to a discussion about Elon Musk and Hitler. Pichai addressed this issue, calling the responses upsetting and indicative of bigotry.
Viking AI image Photo: Google Gemini
Pichai stated that Google’s teams were working to improve these issues and have already made significant progress. AI systems often generate biased responses due to training data issues, reflecting larger societal problems.
Gemini’s competitors are also working on addressing bias in AI models. New versions of AI generators like Dall-E prioritize diverse representation and aim to mitigate technical issues.
Google is committed to making structural changes and enhancing product guidelines to address biases. Pichai emphasized the importance of providing accurate and unbiased information to users.
Elon Musk criticized Google’s AI programs, pointing out the bias in generated images. Technology commentator Ben Thompson called for a shift in decision-making at Google to prioritize good product development.
The emergence of generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT presents a competitive landscape in AI development. Google’s Gemini AI chatbot, formerly known as Bard, offers paid subscriptions for enhanced AI capabilities.
Google DeepMind continues to innovate in AI, with breakthroughs like the AlphaFold program for predicting protein structures. The CEO of DeepMind acknowledged the need to improve diversity in AI-generated images.
Yellow-bellied shrike (Prionops alberti). Image credit: University of Texas at El Paso.
First described in 1933, the shrike is a member of the bird family. Bangidae.
Also known as the King Albert Shrike, this bird is distinguished by its black plumage and bright yellow crown.
This species is endemic to the mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The yellow shrike is endemic to the western slopes of the Albertine Rift in Central Africa, an area that has been largely inaccessible due to war and security issues, but has recently become safe to visit. '' said Dr. Michael Harvey.ornithologist University of Texas El Paso.
Dr. Harvey and his colleagues made the discovery during a six-week expedition to the Itombwe Massif, a mountain range in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“It was a shocking experience to encounter these birds,” Dr Harvey said.
“I knew they might be possible here, but I wasn't prepared for how grand and unique it would be.”
The ornithologists walked more than 121 kilometers (75 miles) deep into the Itumbwe massif, studying birds, amphibians and reptiles along the way.
While exploring the cloud forest on the side of a mountain, they encountered a striking black bird with a bright yellow “helmet”, the long-eared shrike.
“These birds appeared to be a fairly noisy and active flock in the mid-levels of the forest,” they said.
A total of about 18 birds were spotted at three locations during the expedition.
“This gives us hope that perhaps this species still maintains a reasonably healthy population in the remote forests of this region,” Dr Harvey said.
“However, mining, logging, and deforestation for agriculture are encroaching deep into the forests of the Itombwe Mountains.”
“We are in discussions with other researchers and conservation groups about further efforts to protect forests and shrike in this region.”
“Now is a great time to protect these tropical forests so species like the long-eared shrike are not lost before they are known and studied.”
As midnight approaches in Svalbard, a young polar bear climbs onto an iceberg, makes himself a makeshift bed, and falls asleep. This year’s winner, Nima Sarikani, captured this peaceful moment that captures the essence of Earth’s fragility. Wildlife Photographer of the Year, People’s Choice Awarddecided by public vote.
Sarikani, from the UK, spent three days exploring Norway’s Svalbard archipelago in hopes of catching a glimpse of these iconic arctic animals. After the expedition vessel decided to change course, he was finally able to see both the older and younger males. Salikhani seized the opportunity to photograph a young bear dozing on an iceberg. This scene not only evokes the bond between animals and their habitat, but also the need to act against global challenges such as climate change and habitat loss.
These days, the sight of a lone polar bear on melting ice has become a familiar symbol of the effects of climate change. But there are good reasons for this. Global warming is affecting the Arctic particularly rapidly, where temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average. Bears are among the hardest hit, and are increasingly threatened by the loss of sea ice on which they depend for hunting and raising their young.
Salikhani is optimistic that while his shots are meant to stir the emotions of viewers, they will ultimately give polar bears hope that if they do the right thing, it’s not too late.The image will appear like this exhibition It will run until June 30th at the Natural History Museum in London, with four runners-up in the competition.
Proving that stunning, otherworldly nature is never far away, these images have been selected as finalists in this year’s International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition.
Above is a composite shot of the trio by Barry Webb. Cribularia Slime mold was found next to a rotting pine log in a forest in Buckinghamshire, England, after weeks of searching. Webb’s initial motivation to simply photograph slime molds evolved into a “relentless quest” to document as many slime molds as possible, “always creating images that captured the otherworldly beauty of slime molds.” “I try to do that,” he says.
Measuring only a few millimeters, these organisms were once classified as multicellular fungi, but are now considered to be a unique type of unicellular protozoa in their own right. They became known as slime molds when they fused together while hunting together for food, sometimes forming slimy clumps and sometimes pinhead-like clumps. will be done.
These “heads” are CribulariaThe fruiting bodies of slime molds, which resemble small watermelons, are formed when food is scarce, and spores are released from them to begin the life cycle again.
Mycena mushroom
Jay Birmingham/IGPOTY
a Misena The photo above, taken by Jay Birmingham in Dorset, UK, shows a mushroom sprouting from a pine cone. This type of fungus is found throughout the UK and is characterized by its bell-like cap. Both images were selected as finalists in the contest’s “The World of Fungi” category.of IGPOTY exhibition will be shown at Kew Gardens in London until March 10th.
For more information about fungi, see Can mysterious marine fungi save us from antibiotic resistance?
Looking for ghosts requires special patience. The chances of finding it are low, but doubting means giving up, so keep looking.
This is a technique for tracking snow leopards. Morap Namgair learned that early. He was five years old when he first saw the animal in his remote village of Ulay in Ladakh, India. The area is full of wildlife and is a paradise for aspiring photographers like Molap and his younger brother Stanzin. These big cats are called locally. Shanimmortalized in the BBC series Planet Earth II They were mainly grateful to their father, Norbu, who followed them as a crew member.
Ladakh had just become famous for its sightings, but everything was shut down due to the pandemic. That’s when the brothers vowed to photograph something no one had ever photographed before: a snow leopard under the stars. They hoped the image would highlight the beauty of this mountain region and its apex predator, thereby spurring efforts to conserve both. The region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, threatening landscapes and wildlife. The brothers believed that if the outside world could only see what was at stake, that would influence the government’s actions.
They spent months blanketing the area with cameras. However, halfway through the project, Stanzin died of heart disease. Although it was difficult, Morap pushed forward on his own.
Last August, on a 33°C (91°F) day, he climbed a ridge at 4,900 meters above sea level. “What I found on camera was a dream come true,” Morap says. He was bittersweet though. “Buddhism believes in reincarnation. I always look at snow leopards and often think, ‘What would happen if Stan Jin was reincarnated as a snow leopard?’ Perhaps he will stop for a photo or perhaps say hello. Maybe he did.”
Are you passionate about photography but feeling limited by the capabilities of your iPhone’s camera? Finding the perfect photography gifts and equipment can be overwhelming, but there’s no need to break the bank for a new camera. These fun options prioritize play and allow anyone to expand their photographic horizons without spending a fortune.
When it comes to hobbies, photography is very personal, with everyone having their own style, tastes, and equipment preferences. Whether you prefer film or digital photography, there are plenty of options to explore. Instant photography provides exciting and tactile options for those looking to break out of the smartphone photography mindset. Film and instant photography have made a comeback, focusing on the fun and serendipity of printing photos on the fly.
For aspiring content creators or those looking to elevate their vacation photos, consider Joby’s series of tripods designed for smartphones. Joby tripods allow you to securely mount your smartphone anywhere, making use of its high-resolution front-facing camera for stunning shots.
For those seeking adventure and fast-paced action photography, GoPro cameras are durable and designed for extreme environments. The industry-standard GoPro Hero Black is versatile and comes with a variety of accessories.
When it comes to camera bags, Peak Design and Wandrd offer a range of options to fit different needs. Whether you need a small hip-belt pack or a spacious backpack for all your gear, these brands have you covered.
If you’re interested in instant photography with filters and customizable options, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo offers a twist on traditional instant cameras. You can choose which photos to print and even wirelessly send photos from your smartphone for printing.
For a truly unique and thoughtful gift, consider vintage film cameras and high-quality film. Shooting with film slows you down and makes each shot feel special, providing a more tactile photography experience.
No matter what type of photography you’re interested in, there are plenty of options for fun and unique gifts to expand your creative horizons.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
