Evidence suggests that Mars once hosted significant amounts of water. Past studies indicate that the majority of atmospheric water loss occurs during the Martian southern summer. During this season, warm and dusty conditions allow water vapor to ascend to high altitudes, where it escapes into space without condensing. A groundbreaking study has unveiled a previously unidentified pathway for water loss, observed for the first time in the Martian northern summer. This research highlights how a localized, short-lived sandstorm in Mars Year 37 (August 2023) caused a surge in water vapor.
Close-up color image of a small dust storm on Mars, captured by ESA’s Mars Express’ HRSC instrument in April 2018. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin / CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
Dr. Adrian Brines, a researcher at the Andalusian Institute of Astronomy and the University of Tokyo, stated, “Our findings reveal the impact of this type of storm on Earth’s climate evolution and open new avenues for understanding how Mars has lost water over time.”
While dust storms have long been recognized as significant contributors to water escape on Mars, previous discussions primarily focused on large-scale dust events occurring on a planetary scale.
In this study, Dr. Brines and colleagues demonstrated that smaller, localized storms can significantly enhance the transport of water vapor to high altitudes, where it is lost to space more readily.
Prior research concentrated on the warm and dynamic summers of the Southern Hemisphere, as this is the primary period for water loss on Mars.
The recent study detected an unusual spike in water vapor in Mars’ middle atmosphere, attributed to a localized dust storm during the northern hemisphere summer of Martian year 37.
Diagram demonstrating the atmospheric response to localized sandstorms in the Northern Hemisphere during summer. High dust concentrations significantly enhance solar radiation absorption, promoting atmospheric warming, especially in the middle atmosphere. This increased circulation enhances the vertical transport of water vapor, facilitating its injection at high altitudes and increasing hydrogen efflux from the exobase. Image credit: Brines et al., doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-03157-5.
This surge in water vapor was unprecedented, reaching levels up to 10 times higher than normal—an occurrence not predicted by existing climate models or observed in previous Martian epochs.
Following this event, the amount of hydrogen in Mars’ exobase—where the atmosphere transitions into space—also rose significantly, increasing by 2.5 times compared to the previous year.
Understanding how much water Mars has lost over time hinges on measuring the hydrogen that escapes into space, as this element is produced when water decomposes in the atmosphere.
Dr. Shohei Aoki, a researcher at the University of Tokyo and Tohoku University, noted, “These results provide a crucial piece to the incomplete puzzle of how Mars has persistently lost water over billions of years, demonstrating that brief but intense episodes can significantly influence the evolution of Mars’ climate.”
Discover more about these findings in the featured study, published this week in Communication: Earth and Environment.
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A. Brines et al. 2026. Unseasonal water escape during summer in Mars’ northern hemisphere caused by localized strong sandstorms. Communication: Earth and Environment 7, 55; doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-03157-5
Chronic fatigue syndrome has multiple influencing factors, with genetics starting to emerge as a key player.
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Recent research is illuminating how genetics contributes to the development of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS). This latest study, the most extensive of its kind to date, identifies over 250 genes, significantly outpacing previous discoveries. The findings paves the way for targeted treatments for ME/CFS and enriches our understanding of how it varies from conditions like long COVID-19.
“We are exploring numerous possibilities, including new treatment options and repurposing existing medications,” remarks Steve Gardner of Precision Life in Oxford.
ME/CFS is a chronic and often debilitating illness characterized primarily by severe fatigue following even minor exertion. The cause is often linked to infections, yet not every individual exposed to these infections goes on to develop symptoms.
To deepen the understanding of this condition, Gardner’s team analyzed genomic information from over 10,500 individuals diagnosed with ME/CFS. This data originated from the DecodeME project, which notably found that patients with ME/CFS possess distinct genetic characteristics when compared to individuals without the disorder.
Subsequently, Gardner and colleagues cross-referenced this data with information from the UK Biobank, focusing on genetic variations known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which occur when one letter of the genetic code is altered.
While traditional analyses often evaluate one SNP at a time, Gardner notes, “The complexity of disease biology doesn’t operate that way. Multiple genes interact, with some enhancing and others diminishing each other’s effects.”
In a different approach, the researchers sought groups of SNPs linked to the risk of developing ME/CFS, uncovering 22,411 such groups drawn from 7,555 combinations of SNPs, out of an extensive dataset of over 300,000. They also discovered that individuals with a higher count of these SNP groups faced an increased likelihood of developing ME/CFS.
“This is where their progress begins,” adds Jacqueline Cliff from Brunel University, London.
The researchers proceeded to map the SNPs to 2,311 genes. Each gene plays a subtle role in an individual’s risk, culminating in the identification of 259 “core” genes that had a robust association with ME/CFS and contained the most frequently observed SNPs. This represents a profound advancement from the earlier August study, which identified only 43 genes.
“For drug discovery, it’s essential to focus on variants with greater prevalence and significant effect sizes,” Gardner states. While there are currently no specific medications for ME/CFS, symptomatic treatments like pain relievers and antidepressants may be offered, along with resources for energy management.
Danny Altman, a professor at Imperial College London, expresses optimism that investigations like this will highlight the severe impact of ME/CFS, a condition that has long been misunderstood. “We are gaining momentum in understanding genomics and pathophysiology.”
Previous studies have sought to pinpoint genetic risk factors for ME/CFS, but often duplicated findings. “It’s primarily about scale and statistical power,” explains Altman, emphasizing that inadequate sample sizes can overlook significant genetic signals.
In August, DecodeME researchers indicated several mutations in eight genomic regions, identifying 43 genes with links to ME/CFS risk, though not all could be validated in independent datasets. Nevertheless, PrecisionLife verified all eight regions, reinforcing their status as legitimate risk factors for the ailment.
ME/CFS is frequently compared to long COVID, given that both arise from infections and frequently result in post-exertional fatigue. In this recent study, researchers aimed to explore the connections between these conditions by analyzing gene lists associated with ME/CFS against those linked with long COVID-19. “Approximately 42 percent of the genes identified in long COVID-19 have been demonstrated in multiple cohorts of ME,” Gardner observes, underscoring the partially overlapping nature of these two diseases.
Despite this, Cliff cautioned that differing analyses of long COVID patients limit researchers’ confidence in the outcomes. The authors indicate that their genetic overlap findings represent a “minimal estimate,” implying a greater genetic similarity than previously assumed between these conditions.
Altman and his colleagues, including Rosemary Boyton, have recently secured £1.1 million in funding to explore the potential links between ME/CFS and long COVID-19. The focus will be on recruiting individuals with both conditions to conduct a comprehensive analysis that includes an overview of participants’ health, the immune system, and aspects such as latent viruses within the body and gut microbiome, believed to be contributors to these symptoms.
By delving into the mechanisms behind ME/CFS and long COVID, as well as individual variations, Altman aspires to create tailored interventions.
Maintaining good oral hygiene may be especially important during pregnancy
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A popular saying suggests that “if you give birth to a child, your teeth will fall out.” While pregnancy is known to elevate the risk of dental issues, the underlying reasons remain somewhat unclear. Recent studies indicate that the oral microbiome alters during pregnancy, becoming less diverse and potentially more susceptible to inflammation.
Disruption of the oral microbiome, which comprises over 700 bacterial species, can lead to dental issues regardless of pregnancy status. However, Yoram Luzon and his team from Bar-Ilan University in Israel aimed to explore whether this typically stable ecosystem shifts during pregnancy. They collected saliva samples from 346 Israeli women across all three trimesters: 11-14 weeks, 24-28 weeks, and 32-38 weeks.
Their investigation revealed a decrease in species diversity in saliva samples starting from the transition between the first and second trimesters, continuing to decline throughout the pregnancy. A notable characteristic was the reduction in the number of species, with Akkermansia muciniphila, often hailed as a beneficial bacterium, declining alongside an increase in pro-inflammatory bacteria like Gammaproteobacteria and Synergystobacteria.
“While the oral microbiome is generally stable, we have noted a gradual decrease in its diversity over the years,” Louzoun observes. “Pregnancy accelerates this slow evolution, allowing changes that typically take years to manifest in just nine months.”
Despite being relatively minor overall, numerous factors may contribute to these changes. “Pregnancy involves a multitude of hormonal shifts and inflammation, leading to alterations in your microbiome,” explains Lindsay Edwards from King’s College London. “Dietary changes are frequent during pregnancy, and various factors such as nausea, medication cessation, and altered eating habits all play a role.”
The participants filled out questionnaires regarding their diets and health, allowing the researchers to identify similar yet distinct effects among different women. This included those who followed a gluten-free diet, took antibiotics, experienced stress, or were current or former smokers. “Many women quit smoking during pregnancy, but their prior smoking habits can impact their microbiome,” notes Dr. Luzon, emphasizing the potential long-term effects.
A parallel study found similar changes in the oral microbiomes of 154 pregnant women in Russia during their second and third trimesters.
Although pregnancy heightens the risk of dental complications, particularly in the early stages, Luzon does not definitively link oral microbiome changes to these issues. “We can’t conclude whether these microbiome alterations are beneficial or detrimental, but they are undoubtedly changing rapidly,” he states.
Conversely, Edwards suggests that shifts in microbial composition might be a contributing factor, highlighting that saliva tends to become more acidic during pregnancy, altering the types of bacteria present.
Valentina Biagioli and her colleagues from the University of Genoa in Italy assert that changes in the oral microbiome may correlate with variations in systemic hormone levels, as both systems potentially influence each other. “There exists a plausible biological link connecting the observed microbiome changes to prevalent dental issues during pregnancy, such as tooth loss,” she comments.
Disruption in the oral microbiome has been noted to relate to pregnancy complications. Consequently, establishing what constitutes an optimal microbiome during pregnancy could serve as a benchmark for monitoring pregnancy progression. “Once we establish the baseline oral microbiome of pregnancy, deviations can be detected,” Louzoun states.
Moreover, ongoing research aims to elucidate this microbiome’s role in the immune system, affecting both the health of the pregnant woman and her unborn child. “The microbiome is instrumental in shaping the immune system, fostering a reciprocal relationship,” Edwards explains.
In light of this, enhancing our understanding of how to sustain a healthy oral microbiome (e.g., via good dental hygiene and a balanced, nutritious diet) could yield significant benefits. “Microbiome changes may influence the inflammatory state of expectant parents and better prepare the child’s immune system, potentially affecting long-term health, allergies, infection susceptibility, and chronic inflammatory conditions,” cautions Edwards.
AI aids mathematicians in solving diverse problems
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The AI tools created by Google DeepMind are proving to be remarkably effective in aiding mathematical research, and experts believe this could initiate a wave of AI-driven mathematical breakthroughs on an unprecedented scale.
In May, Google unveiled an AI system named AlphaEvolve, which may reveal new algorithms and formulas. This system generates numerous potential solutions through Google’s AI chatbot Gemini, which then feeds them into a distinct AI evaluator. This evaluator filters out nonsensical outputs that chatbots are prone to produce. During initial tests, Google researchers pitted AlphaEvolve against over 50 unresolved mathematical problems, and discovered that it accurately rediscovered the most prominent solutions established by humans in approximately three-quarters of the cases.
Recently, Terrence Tao and his team at UCLA assessed the system using 67 more rigorous and extensive mathematical research queries. They found that AlphaEvolve did more than merely revisit old solutions; in certain instances, it could generate improved resolutions suitable for integration into other AI systems, like a more resource-intensive version of Gemini or AlphaProof, the AI that secured a gold medal in this year’s International Mathematics Olympiad, to craft new mathematical proofs.
Tao noted that it’s challenging to gauge overall effectiveness, as the problems differ in their complexities. However, the system consistently operated much faster than any individual mathematician.
“Addressing these 67 problems through traditional methods would require us to design a specific optimization algorithm for each task. That would take years and we might never have initiated this project at all. This initiative offers a chance to engage in mathematics on a previously unseen scale,” Tao states.
AlphaEvolve is particularly adept at solving what are known as optimization problems. These encompass tasks like determining the optimal figures, formulas, or objects that best resolve specific challenges. For instance, calculating the maximum number of hexagons that can occupy a defined area.
While the system is capable of addressing optimization problems across various branches of mathematics, such as number theory and geometry, these still represent “only a small fraction of all the problems that mathematicians are interested in,” according to Tao. Nonetheless, the power of AlphaEvolve is such that mathematicians might attempt to reformulate non-optimization problems into solvable forms for AI. “These tools offer a fresh perspective for tackling these issues,” he adds.
A potential drawback, however, as Tao explains, is that the system sometimes tends to “cheat” by producing answers that seem correct but utilize loopholes or methods that don’t genuinely solve the problems. “It’s akin to administering a test to a group of exceptionally bright yet morally ambiguous students who will do whatever it takes to score highly,” he remarks.
Even with its flaws, AlphaEvolve’s achievements are garnering interest from a broader segment of the mathematical community that might have previously leaned towards more general AI solutions such as ChatGPT, according to team member Javier Gomez Serrano from Brown University. Although AlphaEvolve isn’t publicly accessible yet, numerous mathematicians have expressed interest in testing it.
“There’s definitely a growing curiosity and openness to employing these tools,” asserts Gomez Serrano. “Everyone is eager to discover their potential. Interest in the mathematical community has surged compared to a year or two ago.”
Tao believes that such AI systems alleviate some of the burdens of mathematical work, allowing researchers to focus on other areas. “Mathematicians are few in number globally, making it infeasible to consider every problem. However, there exists a multitude of mid-level difficulties where tools like AlphaEvolve are particularly effective,” he notes.
Jeremy Avigado, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, observes that machine learning methods are increasingly beneficial to mathematicians. “The next step is enhancing collaboration between computer scientists skilled in machine learning tools and mathematicians with domain-specific knowledge,” he emphasizes.
“We aspire to witness more outcomes like this in the future and identify methods to extend this approach into more abstract mathematical fields.”
The Trump administration has significantly reduced essential U.S. health research
Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Essential public health research in the United States is experiencing severe cutbacks following extensive layoffs among government employees responsible for key national data systems. These datasets, which track a wide variety of factors from births to substance use, have informed health policy for many years. Without this data, effectively identifying and responding to health challenges will become nearly impossible.
“It’s akin to boarding a plane without a speedometer or altimeter; you have no idea of your altitude or distance to the nearest airport,” remarks Susan Mayne, the former Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
During his second term, President Donald Trump has actively sought to shrink government size, with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) becoming a primary target. The agency’s workforce was slashed in March, reducing from 82,000 employees to 62,000. In October, an additional 1,100 layoffs were announced, though a court order temporarily halted them due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Most layoffs have affected human resources, IT, and communication departments; however, some critical public health research staff have also been impacted. HHS has not responded to inquiries from New Scientist. The full extent of the layoffs affecting public health surveys remains unknown, though at least five cases have been identified thus far.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) was one of the first to feel these impacts. In April, HHS terminated all 17 people working on this vital study, disrupting the only national survey on drug use, addiction, and mental health. For over fifty years, the NSDUH has guided policymakers in directing funds to regions most affected by these issues. Although the latest report was released in July with the help of contractors from RTI International, the future of the survey remains uncertain. “All our planning will ultimately be for naught. Who at HHS will now steer the investigation?” asked former NSDUH director Jennifer Honig on social media, in a post.
In September, the government also terminated the Household Food Security Report, which tracks food insecurity nationwide, claiming: in a statement, “These redundant, expensive, politicized, and irrelevant studies only stoke fear.”
Yet, this report has enjoyed bipartisan backing for decades. Georgia Machel from the National WIC Association, a nonprofit that supports the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), remarked, “Programs like WIC depend on this national data to comprehend the full scope of hunger and food insecurity, allowing us to allocate resources effectively,” Machel added in her statement.
Recently, HHS is reported to have disbanded the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and laid off about 100 staff members. As noted by a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit advocating for open data and evidence-based policy, data infrastructure includes many employees from the National Vital Statistics System, which monitors births, deaths, and the leading causes of mortality and maternal issues across the United States.
Furthermore, the entire team administering the National Death Index has also faced these layoffs, according to former NCHS director Charles Rothwell. This database contains essential identifying information about every death in the U.S., including individual names, addresses, causes of death, and often Social Security numbers, enabling comprehensive tracking. “This is the only dataset like this accessible,” states Rothwell.
Because it contains sensitive information, the report will not be published but will assist other researchers and institutions with long-term studies. For instance, the Department of Veterans Affairs collaborates with officials to analyze mortality among veterans versus non-veterans. Researchers also utilize the data to ascertain whether participants have died or simply relocated, which is vital for aging studies like the Health and Retirement Study that evaluates the wellbeing of older Americans. As Rothwell highlighted, disruptions to the National Death Index could have ripple effects on various public health studies.
According to New Scientist, citing a recent court ruling, NCHS stated it is “not currently taking steps to implement or manage” staffing cuts. However, there was no reply regarding whether action would be taken once the government shutdown concludes, or how existing databases would be maintained.
In October, an employee responsible for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was also dismissed. This research initiative is one of the most thorough evaluations of health, nutrition, and disease in the nation, facilitating mobile clinics that conduct blood tests, urine assessments, bone density evaluations, and oral health examinations to oversee diet, environmental exposures, and disease spread. “This truly lays the groundwork for nutrition and public health policy,” says Mayne. Moreover, it informs national dietary guidelines, environmental regulations, and food label developments. “Lacking accurate data about our population’s health and nutrition means we cannot properly prioritize public health initiatives,” she asserts.
The Data Foundation reports that HHS appears to have reversed its decision regarding layoffs for NHANES staff. However, the initial elimination of these roles remains alarming, as does the fate of personnel involved in other significant public health inquiries. These data sets fundamentally shape U.S. public health policy; any weakening or elimination of them could lead to systemic failures.
Even with record-breaking car sales, Tesla’s profits have taken a significant hit in the latest quarter.
A surge in demand for electric vehicles ahead of the expiration of U.S. tax credits has revitalized Tesla’s declining sales figures, enabling the firm to exceed some Wall Street forecasts during its latest fiscal quarter. Nonetheless, it fell short of profit expectations, resulting in a decline in its stock price during after-hours trading.
Tesla’s third-quarter earnings were reported at $0.50 per share, just below the anticipated $0.54 from analysts. The company’s sales, however, surpassed Wall Street’s expectations of $26.457 billion. Operating income stood at $1.62 billion, slightly under the forecast of $1.65 billion, with net income down 37% from $2.2 billion to $1.4 billion.
Deliveries for Tesla in the third quarter saw a notable increase since the beginning of the year. Analysts attribute this rise to consumers rushing to secure electric vehicle tax credits that lapsed at the end of the previous month. The discontinuation of these EV credits, as a result of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, fueled a public rift between Musk and the president and continues to influence the company’s sales forecasts.
In its earnings releases, the company repeatedly highlights its optimistic strides in enhancing AI software and self-driving technology while also mentioning “changes in trade, tariffs, and fiscal policy” as obstacles it is facing.
“No one can replicate what real-world AI can achieve,” Musk stated during a conference call with investors. He also claimed that Tesla’s Optimus robot, which received minimal mention during the earnings call, could potentially be “the largest product ever created.”
“With Optimus and autonomous driving, we believe we can truly create a world without poverty,” Musk asserted. He further introduced a proposed $1 trillion pay package designed to safeguard Tesla from being “isolated” if it develops an “army of robots.”
This earnings report emerges at a critical juncture for both Tesla and Musk, as the CEO seeks investor endorsement for an extraordinary $1 trillion pay package in a forthcoming vote next month. This package depends on Tesla achieving several ambitious milestones, including attaining an $8.5 trillion market cap over the next decade.
So far, two proxy advisory firms have suggested rejecting the extravagant pay package, despite Musk’s substantial support base among Tesla fans and investors eager to please him. Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) provide guidance on how shareholders should cast their votes. As reported recently, they have recommended against the proposed multi-trillion dollar compensation package.
During the investor call this Wednesday, Musk made various claims regarding the future of Tesla’s robotaxi ride-sharing service. He informed investors that the robotaxi initiative—which includes a safety driver in the self-driving vehicle for emergencies—will soon launch in Austin, with plans to remove the driver entirely. Recent weeks have seen major U.S. transportation safety regulators announce: an investigation into traffic safety violations and crashes related to Tesla’s fully autonomous driving technology.
This week, Musk insulted U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy through a series of posts, including labeling him “Sean Dummy” and sharing calls for his dismissal. Duffy, who also serves as NASA’s acting administrator, indicated Monday that he would resume bidding on contracts for the space agency’s Artemis moon program due to Musk’s SpaceX falling behind schedule.
Shareholders are set to vote on Musk’s $1 trillion compensation proposal during the company’s annual meeting on November 6. Both Tesla and Musk have pushed back against criticisms of the proposal, with the company labeling ISS’s recommendation against the pay package as “baseless and meaningless” in an extensive post on X. Musk hinted in a post on X that he might consider departing from the company if his pay package doesn’t secure approval and accused ISS and Glass Lewis of engaging in “corporate terrorism” during a conference call with investors.
Tesla has experienced a rocky year, marked by heightened competition, the loss of key tax credits, and Musk’s tumultuous leadership. The company reported declines in profits and revenue in the previous quarter. Musk’s political actions, including his prominent role in the Trump administration and promotion of far-right movements, have sparked widespread backlash and fostered anti-Tesla sentiments following a drop in the company’s stock price earlier this year.
While Tesla’s stock has seen significant growth over the past six months, Musk has actively been promoting self-driving taxis and robotics as future income streams. Just last month, he claimed that Tesla’s Optimus robot, a humanoid machine still in development and unavailable for purchase, could eventually represent 80% of the company’s revenue. Musk has made similarly grand declarations about robotaxis populating cities globally, continually extending the timeline for their anticipated rollout.
Recently, Tesla introduced a long-anticipated, more affordable sedan, the Model Y, aimed at improving tepid sales. This new sedan line has faced criticism from some analysts due to its starting prices of $39,990 and $36,990, which are significantly higher than those of lower-priced rivals in China. Consequently, Tesla’s stock price fell shortly after the launch. Additionally, the Cybertruck, which debuted in 2024, has not made a substantial impact on overall sales.
A significant piece of what seems to be space debris has been found in a secluded area of the Australian desert, as confirmed by the nation’s space agency on Monday.
The burnt, smoldering object was located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, according to the Australian Space Agency. While its exact nature and origin remain unclear, officials suspect it is likely a decommissioned rocket component.
The Australian Space Agency stated, “The debris is probably a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a launch vehicle.” This was mentioned in a post on X.
Details regarding the size or weight of the object were not disclosed, but the agency is collaborating with local authorities and other space organizations to investigate and ascertain “the precise nature of the debris and its origin.”
NBC News reached out for additional information, but the agency did not respond immediately.
Workers from a nearby mine stumbled upon the object on Saturday along a remote access road. As reported by Sky News, local officials do not believe the debris poses any risk to public safety. NBC News has yet to verify these details independently. (Sky News is a division of Comcast, the parent organization of NBC News.)
Various government space agencies and private companies frequently incinerate malfunctioning rocket parts or satellites in the atmosphere as a method of disposal. However, some debris can withstand the intense conditions of reentry. Despite this, it’s relatively uncommon for space debris to land on land, and even rarer for it to fall in populated regions, given that much of Earth is ocean.
Recently, however, experts have voiced concerns regarding the escalating issue of space debris, particularly with the increase in orbital launches.
Last summer, a 90-pound piece of space debris was found on a hiking trail in North Carolina and was later identified as part of the service module of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which returned four astronauts to Earth from the International Space Station earlier that year.
In March 2024, a 1.6-pound metal fragment crashed through a home in Naples, Florida. Follow-up investigations determined that the debris originated from a cargo pallet that was released from the International Space Station to burn up in the atmosphere.
There are tens of thousands of pieces of space junk, along with millions of smaller fragments, cluttering Earth’s low orbit, the critical area where many telecommunications and GPS satellites operate. These objects can travel at speeds of up to 18,000 miles per hour, jeopardizing spacecraft functionality and endangering astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Due to these concerns, experts have long cautioned against the overcrowding of space. NASA and other space agencies are investing in research and technology demonstrations aimed at cleaning up substantial amounts of debris in orbit.
The Australian Space Agency reiterated its commitment in a statement to the long-term sustainability of space activities, which includes debris mitigation, and continues to advocate for this issue on the international stage.
A recent investigation reveals that women’s running shoes may be limiting their athletic potential.
Published in BMJ Open Sports & Exercise Medicine, the research indicates a “significant gap in running shoe design” that overlooks women’s anatomical differences.
“Most so-called women’s running shoes are not genuinely designed for women,” asserts the study’s lead author, Dr. Chris Napier, an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, as noted in BBC Science Focus.
“We typically base our models on men’s feet, merely scaling them down and changing the color, a method often described as the ‘shrink and pink’ approach.”
However, Napier emphasized that this method does not “account for the real anatomical distinctions between male and female feet or the way women run.”
Consequently, women’s running shoes may not fit well, potentially hampering performance.
In this study, researchers gathered 21 women to discuss their preferences for running shoes and how their needs might evolve over their lifetimes.
The participants ranged in age from 20 to 70 and had between 6 and 58 years of running experience. Eleven individuals ran recreationally, averaging 30 km (19 miles) weekly, while 10 were competitive runners, averaging 45 km (28 miles) weekly.
Most women expressed a desire for shoes with a broader toe box, a narrower heel, and additional cushioning. Napier noted that this aligns with the general differences in foot shape between men and women.
“Women have distinct lower extremity anatomy, such as wider pelvises and shorter legs relative to body size. This influences running mechanics and the forces exerted on the legs,” says Napier.
Among the participants, mothers reported needing larger shoe sizes, wider fits, and more cushioning and support during and post-pregnancy.
Male and female runners have different shoe needs due to their diverse anatomy, preferences, and life stages – Credit: Alvaro Medina Jurado via Getty
This study is small and qualitative; participants were recruited via posters in stores in Vancouver, Canada, meaning findings may not be universally applicable.
Still, Napier hopes that the research will resonate with female runners.
“During our focus groups, many participants experienced an ‘aha’ moment when they realized their shoe issues were not isolated but a common experience among female runners,” he stated.
Napier also expressed hope that the study acts as a “wake-up call” for the footwear industry.
Footwear manufacturers have invested billions in developing running shoes that prevent injuries, enhance comfort, and improve performance.
Most running shoes are molded to a foot-shaped template based on male anatomy, which is then used across their products.
As a result, “a significant portion of the running community is essentially using shoes that are not intended for them,” Napier explained.
Black Holes Are Exceptionally Potent Matter Distributors
NASA Image Collection/Alamy
A surprisingly violent black hole may have triggered the enigma of the elusive cosmic material.
Mysterious dark matter fills much of the universe, but ordinary matter continues to puzzle cosmologists. Some of this ordinary matter, known as baryons, has seemed to vanish for quite some time. Recently, researchers uncovered its hiding place, and Boryana Hadzhiyska from the University of California, Berkeley and her colleagues discovered how black holes influence its distribution, leaving it concealed.
“Materials consist of essential components, dark matter, and baryonic matter, which is essentially gas. The shape of a star represents a certain percentage, while the remaining is diffuse gas,” she explains. The diffuse gas is faint and hard to detect, but her team has integrated various observations to locate it.
One dataset they utilized illustrates how baryon matter creates shadows against the residual radiation from the Big Bang, the microwave background of the universe. Another crucial part of the investigation involved analyzing how afterglow gets distorted by the gravitational fields of massive objects. By combining these observations, the team identified where dark matter and baryonic matter would cluster and spread.
Hadzhiyska finds it thrilling to discover that baryonic matter is considerably more widespread than dark matter. This indicates that the ultra-massive black hole residing in the galaxy ejects it in an unexpectedly dynamic manner.
“We have a precise understanding of how this process occurs and how powerful it is, which allows us to gauge the number of problems being expelled from a particular galaxy. Up to now, this has remained quite uncertain,” says Colin Hill at Columbia University in New York. Researchers can perform computer simulations to model galaxies and their evolution, but to get such a detail right, this type of analysis is absolutely vital, he adds. “It provides us with a supplementary probe to comprehend the role of ultra-massive black holes in redistributing gas within galaxies,” notes Alex Krolevsky from the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Hadzhiyska asserts that this analysis will also help address ongoing debates about the universe’s mass. This encompasses both ordinary and unseen dark matter frameworks of the universe, driven by gravity. Her team is currently seeking to integrate more types of observations into their analysis, such as the way brief bursts of cosmic radio waves traverse the diffuse baryon gas. They emphasize the need for an improved “Baryon Census” with reduced uncertainty, as stated by Michael Shull from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Does this exposition unveil the oddities of matter distribution in the universe, prompting theorists and modelers to return to their sketches? “We anticipate a breakthrough. My wish is that dark matter will begin to show deviations from the standard cosmological model,” states Hadzhiyska.
The Enigma of the Universe: Cheshire, England
Spend a weekend with some of the brightest minds in science. Dive into the mysteries of the universe with an engaging program that includes a visit to the iconic Lovell telescope.
The government is under pressure to clarify why it has not yet acted on all recommendations from the 2023 review. This includes findings concerning Afghans, victims of child sexual abuse, and 6,000 disability claimants working alongside the British military.
On Thursday, the Minister finally published an information security review. This move followed a 2023 leak involving personal data of approximately 10,000 military personnel from Northern Ireland’s police service.
The Cabinet Office’s review of 11 public sector data breaches revealed three overarching themes affecting entities such as HMRC, the Metropolitan Police, Benefits Systems, and the MOD.
Insufficient control over incidental downloads and the aggregation of sensitive data.
Disclosure of sensitive information through “wrong recipient” emails and improper use of BCC.
Undisclosed personal data emerging from spreadsheets set for release.
The review was released 22 months after the database of 18,700 Afghans was finalized just a month following its publication and was praised by Chi Onwurah, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. However, she remarked:
Data breaches concerning Afghans have instilled fear among those concerned for their safety under the Taliban and those wary of the UK government, which promised relocation to thousands of Afghans under a confidential plan.
The government reported that it has acted on 12 of the 14 recommendations aimed at enhancing data security. Onwurah stated: “There are still questions that the government must address regarding the review. Why have only 12 out of the 14 recommendations been executed?”
“For governments to leverage technology to boost the economy and fulfill their aspirations of public sector transformation, they must earn their citizens’ trust in safeguarding their data.
Intelligence Commissioner John Edwards urged the government to “encourage the broader public sector to expedite the organization of its practices to secure Whitehall.”
He emphasized to Cabinet Secretary Pat McFadden on Thursday, “It is imperative that the government fully actualizes the recommendations from the Information Security Review.”
It remains unclear which of the 14 recommendations are still pending implementation. The full list includes collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Centre to disseminate existing guidance on the technical management of “official” labeled products and services, marking of “official” information, launching a “behavioral impact communication campaign” to combat ongoing deficiencies in information processing, and the necessity for a “review of sanctions related to negligence.”
McFadden and Peter Kyle, the secretaries of state for science, innovation, and technology, communicated to Onwurah in a letter on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the government stated: “This review concluded in 2023 under the previous administration.
“Safeguarding national security, particularly government data security, remains one of our top priorities. Since taking office, we have introduced plans to enhance inter-sector security guidance, update enforcement training for civil servants, and improve the digital infrastructure throughout the public sector, aligning with the shift towards modern digital governance.”
Jiuzhang 4.0 early prototype, a quantum computer that has achieved quantum advantage
Chao-Yang Lu/University of Science and Technology of China
Quantum computers may have achieved a “quantum advantage” by performing tasks beyond the capabilities of the most powerful supercomputers. Experts estimate that replicating the calculations made by classical machines could take an incomprehensible amount of time, equivalent to trillions of times the age of the universe. What implications does this development hold for creating truly functional quantum computers?
The latest record holder in this domain is a quantum computer known as Jiuzhang 4.0, which utilizes particles of light, or photons, to execute computations. Chao-Yang Lu and his team at the University of Science and Technology of China utilized it for Gauss Boson Sampling (GBS). This involves measuring a sample of photons after they navigate a sophisticated arrangement of mirrors and beamsplitters connected to computers.
In earlier attempts to perform this task, the number of utilized photons never exceeded 300. In contrast, Jiuzhang employed 3,090 particles, representing a tenfold improvement in computational strength. Lu and his colleagues estimate that contemporary algorithms on the most powerful supercomputers would require a staggering 1042 years to replicate what Jiuzhang accomplished in just 25.6 microseconds.
“These results are certainly an impressive technical achievement,” said Jonathan Lavoy of the Canadian quantum computing startup Xanadu, which previously held the GBS record with 219 photons. Chris Langer of Quantinuum noted that while their systems have previously demonstrated quantum advantages in various forms of quantum computing, this advancement is significant. “It’s essential to establish that quantum systems cannot be simulated by classical means,” he asserts.
However, Jiuzhang’s previous versions have been used successfully in conducting GBS with a considerable number of photons, but each time a classical computer eventually replicated the results, sometimes within an hour.
Bill Fefferman from the University of Chicago mentions that he is working on a classical algorithm to achieve victory over quantum systems but notes that significant challenges exist for photonic devices. Many photons are lost during the operation of quantum computers, and the systems tend to be noisy. “Currently, we’ve managed to reduce noise while simultaneously ramping up experimentation. However, our algorithm has yet to find a breakthrough,” states Fefferman.
Lu points out that addressing photon loss is the primary hurdle his team faced in the latest experiment. Nevertheless, Jiuzhang remains free of noise, suggesting potential for new classical simulation strategies to take on the title of superiority.
“In my view, they haven’t achieved full power yet, but they are certainly in a position to prove that such classical strategies may not be feasible,” remarks Gelmarenema from the University of Twente, Netherlands.
This presents a “noble cycle” where the competition between classical algorithms and quantum devices enables a better understanding of the blurry lines separating classical and quantum realms, according to Fefferman. From a fundamental science view, this signifies a triumph for all; however, whether quantum computing can be effectively harnessed in more powerful machines remains an open question.
Langer describes GBS as an “entry-level benchmark” that highlights the distinction between quantum and classical computers, but the results do not necessarily indicate the practical utility of such machines. From a rigorous mathematical perspective, evaluating GBS as concrete evidence of quantum advantage is challenging, as Nicolas Quesada at Polytechnic Montreal, Canada, points out. Identifying a clear pathway to developing a superior machine using GBS remains elusive.
This is primarily because Jiuzhang’s hardware is highly specialized, and programming quantum computers for a variety of calculations remains unachieved. “It might demonstrate computational advantages for narrow tasks, but it fundamentally lacks the key components for practical quantum calculations that involve fault tolerance,” explains Lavoy. Fault tolerance refers to a quantum computer’s ability to recognize and correct its own errors—an essential capability that has yet to be realized in contemporary quantum systems.
Meanwhile, Lu and his team advocate for various applications stemming from Jiuzhang’s remarkable capabilities in GBS. This approach could revolutionize computations tied to image recognition, chemistry, and specific mathematical challenges associated with machine learning. Fabio Sciarrino from the University of Sapienza in Rome suggests that though this quantum computing paradigm is still nascent, its realization could lead to groundbreaking changes.
Specifically, advancements like Jiuzhang’s device could pave the way for the creation of extraordinary light-based quantum computers, asserts Sciarrino. These computers would be programmed in entirely innovative manners and excel in machine learning-related tasks.
From 1950 to 2020, intense heatwaves led to a 25-38% decrease in bird populations inhabiting these biodiverse tropical regions, as reported by Maximilian Cotts and his team from Barcelona’s Super Computing Center.
The researchers have yet to utilize these findings to forecast future bird population trends as global temperatures continue to rise, but early indicators are concerning. “The situation looks grim,” Cotts remarks.
He and his team have initiated a comprehensive analysis of global bird populations using the Living Planet Database. This dataset, however, does not include seabirds. Additional data on habitat destruction was sourced from the Hyde database for global environments, along with historical weather and climate data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
The researchers compared this information to identify correlations that could shed light on the observed changes in bird populations. Their findings suggest that habitat loss is a significant driver of decline, corroborating earlier studies, particularly in regions with latitudes between 21° and 43° north or south.
In contrast, extreme heat is the predominant factor affecting bird survival in tropical areas, where many species often exist at the edge of their heat tolerance limits. If these limits are exceeded, they risk mortality , explains Kotz. Even if they manage to survive an intense heat episode, their health is typically compromised, diminishing their reproductive success.
The team is also analyzing how the exacerbation of extreme heat is attributable to anthropogenic climate change, and how bird populations would behave in a scenario without warming. This approach enables researchers to gauge the impact of climate change on bird abundance.
Although such attribution studies have been traditionally employed to assess extreme weather events related to climate change, Kotz notes that this is the first instance of applying this methodology to evaluate ecological repercussions.
There remains a significant lack of data regarding bird population trends, particularly in tropical regions. Kotz acknowledges this deficiency but believes there is enough evidence to draw meaningful conclusions. He cautions that insufficient data in these areas may lead to an underestimation of the impacts.
Insects and Ecosystem Expedition Safari: Sri Lanka
A unique journey into Sri Lanka’s diverse ecosystems, focusing on entomology and rich biodiversity.
OpenAI asserts that the recent upgrade to ChatGPT marks a “significant step” towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), yet recognizes that there is still no “many” in the endeavor to create a system capable of performing human tasks.
The company claims that the GPT-5 model, which serves as the foundation of its innovative AI chatbot, represents a substantial improvement over previous iterations in areas like coding and creative writing, with significantly fewer sycophants.
The enhancements in ChatGPT are now availableto over 1 million weekly users.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman referred to the model as a “significant step forward” in reaching the theoretical state of AGI, which is characterized as a highly autonomous system that can outperform humans in economically significant roles.
However, Altman conceded that GPT-5 has not yet attained that objective. “[It is] missing something very crucial, something very important,” he noted, emphasizing that the model cannot “learn on a continuous basis.”
Altman explained that while GPT-5 is “generally intelligent” and represents an “important step towards AGI,” most definitions indicate it has not reached that level yet.
“I believe the way we define AGI is significantly lacking, which is quite crucial. One major aspect… is that this model doesn’t adapt continuously based on new experiences.”
During the GPT-5 launch event on Thursday, Altman described the new version of ChatGPT as akin to having “doctoral experts in your pocket.” He compared the previous version to a college student and the one before that to a high school student.
The theoretical capabilities of AGI, along with high-tech companies’ drive to realize it, have led AI executives to predict that numerous white-collar jobs—ranging from lawyers to accountants—could be eliminated due to these technological advances. Dario Amodei, CEO of AI firm Anthropic, cautioned that technology might replace half of entry-level office roles in the coming five years.
According to OpenAI, the key enhancements to GPT-5 include reduced factual inaccuracies and hallucinations, improved coding capabilities for creating functional websites and apps, and a boost in creative writing abilities. Instead of outright “rejecting” prompts that violate guidelines, the model now aims to provide the most constructive response possible within safety parameters, or at least clarify why it cannot assist.
ChatGPT retains its agent functionalities (like checking restaurant availability and online shopping) but can also access users’ Gmail, Google Calendar, and contacts—provided permission is granted.
Similar to its predecessor, GPT-5 can generate audio, images, and text, and is capable of processing inquiries in these formats.
On Thursday, the company showcased how GPT-5 could swiftly write hundreds of lines of code to create applications, such as language learning tools. Staff noted that the model’s writing isn’t robotic; it produced a “more nuanced” compliment. Altman mentioned that ChatGPT could also be valuable for healthcare advice, discussing ways to support women diagnosed with cancer last year and assisting chatbots in deciding on radiation therapy options.
The company stated that the upgraded ChatGPT excels at addressing health-related inquiries and will become more proactive in “flagging potential concerns,” including serious physical and mental health issues.
The startup emphasized that chatbots should not replace professional assistance, amidst worries that AI tools could worsen the plight of individuals susceptible to mental health challenges.
Nick Turley, director of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, claimed that the model shows “significant improvement” in sycophancy. It’s becoming too familiar, which could lead to negative experiences for users.
The release of the latest model is expected to funnel billions into tech companies’ efforts to attain AGI. On Tuesday, Google’s AI division outlined its latest progress towards AGI by unveiling an unreleased “world model,” while last week, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of parent company Meta, suggested that a future state of AI, even more advanced than AGI, is “on the horizon.”
Investor confidence in the likelihood of further breakthroughs and AI’s ability to reshape the modern economy has sparked a surge in valuations for companies like OpenAI. Reports on Wednesday indicated that OpenAI was in preliminary talks to sell shares held by current and former employees, potentially valuing the company at $500 million, surpassing Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
OpenAI also launched two open models this week and continues to offer a free version of ChatGPT, while generating revenue through subscription fees for its advanced chatbot version, which can be integrated into business IT systems. Access to the free version of ChatGPT on GPT-5 will be limited, whereas users of the $200 Pro package will enjoy unlimited use.
Genetics could play a significant role in the development of chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis.
BlackJack3D/Getty Images
Recent large-scale studies have identified genetic factors that might increase the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Researchers have associated eight regions of the human genome with this condition based on DNA analyses from over 15,000 affected individuals.
“Our research offers the first strong evidence for genetic influences,” says Sonya Chowdhury from the UK charity Action for ME.
In the long term, these findings may aid in creating new diagnostic tools and treatments for ME/CFS. This condition has been recognized for decades and is primarily characterized by a debilitating response to minimal exertion, often accompanied by fatigue after mental effort.
Chowdhury adds that the results provide “recognition and validation” for individuals suffering from this condition. “Many people have been dismissed with comments such as, ‘It’s not a real illness,'” she explains. “They visited doctors who often downplayed their symptoms.”
“This represents a significant breakthrough for patients,” notes Andy Devereux Cooke, co-founder of Science for ME, a forum supporting those with the condition.
The research, termed Decode, involved analysis of DNA from over 15,500 individuals with ME/CFS against approximately 260,000 samples from unaffected individuals.
“Eight genetic signals were identified,” explains Chris Ponting from the University of Edinburgh, UK. These genomic regions appear to differ significantly in individuals with ME/CFS, suggesting that genetic variants in these areas could influence the likelihood of developing the condition. The findings were announced at a press briefing but have not yet been published in scientific journals or preprint platforms.
Among these eight regions, the research team pinpointed 43 protein-coding genes, with 29 deemed particularly noteworthy. “Delving into these genetic signals reveals associations with both immune and nervous system functions,” Ponting states. “Notably, the activity of these genes is prevalent in brain tissue, indicating a potential link to nervous system involvement.”
Additionally, researchers uncovered immune system-related genes, particularly rabgap1l, which may significantly heighten the risk of CFS. This aligns with anecdotal reports from many individuals with the condition, who often cite prior mild infections as precursors to their symptoms.
“I believed there was something distinct about the immune systems of individuals suffering from ME/CFS,” comments Jackie Cliff from Brunel University in London, noting that this study represents a substantial advancement in ME/CFS research.
Despite the fact that ME/CFS is significantly more prevalent in women, this study found no differences in genetic susceptibility between men and women. However, the team has yet to analyze the X and Y sex chromosomes.
The next steps involve examining these eight genome regions in greater depth to comprehend how genetic variations translate into molecular and cellular processes, both with and without ME/CFS. This could potentially pave the way for diagnostic tests and targeted treatments addressing the fundamental mechanisms of the disorder. However, this progress is contingent upon securing research funding, which is currently limited, says Cliff.
ME/CFS is estimated to impact 67 million individuals globally. A 2017 report from Think Tank 20/20 Health estimated that it incurs costs of £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy due to decreased productivity and healthcare expenses. “It’s an overlooked and marginalized illness that deserves attention and investment,” emphasizes Ponting.
Two extinct hominins, Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus, exhibited much greater sexual dimorphism than chimpanzees and modern humans. According to Dr. Adam Gordon, a paleontologist at the University of Albany and Durham, Australopithecus afarensis displayed even higher levels of dimorphism.
Reconstructing the face of Australopithecus afarensis. Image credit: Cicero Moraes/CC by-sa 3.0.
The sexual size dimorphism is not just a mere physical trait; it indicates deeper behavioral and evolutionary strategies.
In line with sexual selection theory, the sexual size dimorphism seen in modern primates typically correlates with intense male-male competition and social structures, fostering a one-sided mating system where one or more large males dominate access to multiple females.
Conversely, low sexual dimorphism is characteristic of species that exhibit paired social structures with lower competition for mating opportunities.
Contemporary human populations show low to moderate sexual size dimorphism, with males generally being slightly larger than females on average, although there is considerable overlap between the sexes.
Fossil data is often incomplete, making it exceedingly difficult to ascertain the gender of ancient individuals.
To overcome this issue, Dr. Gordon utilized a geometric averaging method for estimating size from multiple skeletal elements, including the upper arm, femur, and tibia.
Resampling techniques were then employed to simulate thousands of comparisons between fossil hominins and living primates, ensuring that the statistical model accounted for the incomplete and varied nature of fossil samples.
A comparative framework was developed using data from contemporary gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans with known genders and complete skeletons.
Unlike earlier studies where ambiguous or inconclusive statistical results were interpreted as signs of similarity, Dr. Gordon’s approach unveiled clear and significant differences, even with relatively small fossil samples.
To eliminate the potential of body size changes in Australopithecus afarensis reflecting broader evolutionary trends rather than gender distinctions, Dr. Gordon also analyzed time series trends over a 300,000-year span from the Khadar Formation in Ethiopia.
His analysis indicated no significant size increase or decrease over time, suggesting that the observed variations were more likely due to differences between males and females.
“These were not minor differences,” Dr. Gordon stated.
“In the case of Australopithecus afarensis, males were significantly larger than females—possibly more so than the great living apes.”
“Both of these extinct hominin species displayed gender-specific size distinctions from modern humans, yet differed from extant ape species in this regard.”
Australopithecus africanus. Image credit: JM salas/cc by-sa 3.0.
Dr. Gordon’s previous research indicates that the elevated sexual size dimorphism seen in living primates may correlate with considerable resource stress. In situations where food is scarce, smaller, healthier females can better meet their metabolic needs and reproduce quicker than larger females, leading to offspring with smaller mothers and greater size disparities between males and females.
The pronounced sexual size dimorphism observed in both Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus suggests a high level of male competition, akin to differences noted in chimpanzees and gorillas. However, the distinctions between the two fossil species could reflect varying intensities of sexual selection or resource stress in their environments (e.g., differences in the length of dry seasons that could affect female body size).
In any event, the high sexual size dimorphism of these fossil hominins starkly contrasts with the more balanced sizes seen in modern humans, offering insights into different models of early human existence.
The implications of these findings are significant. Australopithecus afarensis, which inhabited the Earth between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago, is often viewed as very closely related to the direct ancestors of modern humans.
However, its pronounced sexual dimorphism suggests that early human social systems may have been much more hierarchical and competitive than previously believed.
On the contrary, Australopithecus africanus—which appears slightly later in the fossil record—exhibits less dimorphism compared to Australopithecus afarensis. This could represent different evolutionary branches within the human lineage or perhaps reflect various social behavioral stages in the development of hominins.
“We often categorize these early hominins together as a single group called Gracile Australopithecines, believed to have interacted with their physical and social environments in similar ways,” Dr. Gordon explained.
“While there is some truth to this, the significant differences in dimorphism between the two species indicate that these closely related hominins were under distinct selection pressures, unlike those affecting modern human pair bonds.”
The survey findings will be published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology.
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Adam D. Gordon. 2025. Dimorphism of sexual size in Australopithecus africanus and A. afarensis in contrast to modern humans despite low power resampling analysis. American Journal of Biological Anthropology 187(3): E70093; doi: 10.1002/ajpa.70093
The vegetation in Chapada das Mesas National Park, Brazil, struggles to capture atmospheric CO₂.
Pulsar Images/Alamy
A preliminary analysis has revealed that the extreme heat and rainfall of 2024—the hottest and wettest year recorded—now emits as much carbon dioxide as land ecosystems can mitigate. This marks the second consecutive year where land carbon sinks have nearly vanished due to climate stresses, potentially explaining the unprecedented surge in atmospheric CO₂ levels in 2024.
The implications of these findings are serious: land carbon sinks, which typically absorb billions of tons of CO₂ annually, are weakening more rapidly than anticipated, threatening our climate goals. However, it’s uncertain whether this trend over the past two years indicates a permanent shift.
“Everyone involved in this research was taken aback,” noted Guido van der Werf from Wageningen University, Netherlands. “We anticipated a minor sink, but the current situation reveals very few sinks exist.”
Land forests, grasslands, and other ecosystems work to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere as they grow. However, when these ecosystems decay or burn, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Ideally, these processes should remain balanced. Yet, over the last fifty years, ecosystems have been absorbing more carbon than they are releasing, forming fluctuating carbon sinks.
This imbalance is thought to stem primarily from rising CO₂ levels benefiting plant growth, as well as other aspects like nutrient pollution and afforestation. Nonetheless, the effects of increased CO₂ are predicted to be finite as ecosystems may eventually lose their fertilization benefits. “We understand that land carbon sinks will decline, but the pace remains uncertain,” said van der Werf.
In 2023, researchers grew increasingly alarmed as land carbon sinks diminished significantly due to extreme wildfires, heat, and drought, all exacerbated by rising greenhouse gas levels and emerging El Niño patterns in the Pacific, which are generally linked to weakened sinks.
In 2024, it was expected that the carbon sink would strengthen with the decline of El Niño and fewer wildfires. Yet, international teams, including van der Werf, found that it remained incredibly weak.
To evaluate carbon cycling, researchers utilized satellite data to track land greenness corresponding to plant growth and compute the productivity of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. They then subtracted the CO₂ released through wildfires and decomposition, leveraging global atmospheric CO₂ measurements for their estimates.
The analysis revealed that the land carbon sink for 2024 was nearly nonexistent, with approximately 2.6 billion tonnes less than expected. This was less than the struggling sink observed between the 2015 and 2016 El Niño events, marking the worst land carbon sink in over a decade.
However, this weakening, unlike in 2023, was not predominantly driven by wildfires and drought. Instead, the study indicated an escalated rate of organic matter decomposition. While ecosystems did show increased productivity (with greenness reaching record highs), it was outpaced by a measure referred to as total ecosystem respiration, reflecting the overall CO₂ output.
“The substantial drop in land carbon sinks stems from respiration,” explained Guanyu Dong, from Nanjing University, who led the study. “The mechanisms at play are completely different.” While most regions have experienced a weakened sink, this trend is especially pronounced in tropical grasslands and shrublands, he added.
Van der Werf indicated that these figures are preliminary estimations and other research teams analyzing the carbon sink could yield varying results. Yet, this decline could largely elucidate the record spike in CO₂ concentrations witnessed in 2024, which is too substantial to be solely attributed to fossil fuel emissions.
The recurring disappearance of sinks for two consecutive years may foreshadow a more rapid decline than previously anticipated. “This suggests that a more pessimistic model might hold true,” noted van der Werf. Early losses in carbon sinks lead to faster increases in airborne CO₂ levels, potentially escalating temperatures even after emissions reach zero.
“That is certainly a possibility, and underscores the alarming nature of this phenomenon,” stated Scott Denning from Colorado State University, who was not involved in the research. He cautioned that the past two years could be aberrations, making it challenging to generalize about accelerated rates of decomposition. “One must interpret even these two years of data cautiously to avoid concluding it represents a permanent collapse,” he advised.
Forecasters are about to lose a vital source of satellite data just months ahead of the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, as the Department of Defense prepares to shut down a more critical data stream than cybersecurity issues.
The data is generated by microwave sensors on three aging polar orbit satellites that serve both military and civilian functions. These sensors are crucial for hurricane forecasting, as they can analyze cloud layers and the storm’s core, providing insights even at night without relying on visible light.
Experts are concerned that this loss of data will hinder forecasters during a period when the National Weather Service is deploying fewer weather balloons due to budget cuts and insufficient meteorological staff. The absence of this data affects meteorologists’ ability to assess storm threats effectively and prepare emergency managers accordingly. Microwave data offers some of the earliest signs that wind speeds are intensifying in storms.
“It’s a tool that enables deeper insight. Losing it will significantly impair hurricane forecasts. It can detect the formation of eye walls in tropical storms, indicating whether these storms are intensifying,” an expert commented.
Researchers suggest that as ocean temperatures rise due to human-induced climate change, rapid intensification in tropical storms may become more common.
The three satellites operate through a collaborative initiative involving the Defense Weather Satellite Program, NOAA, and the Department of Defense.
While hurricane experts expressed concern about the loss of this tool, NOAA’s communications director, Kim Doster, minimized the potential impact of the National Weather Service’s decision on hurricane forecasting.
In a message, Doster described the military’s microwave data as “one dataset in a robust suite of hurricane prediction and modeling tools” within the NWS.
According to Doster, these forecasting models integrate data from various satellites located around 22,300 miles away from Earth, providing a synchronized view that follows the planet’s rotation.
They also incorporate measurements from Hurricane Hunter planes, buoys, weather balloons, land radars, and additional polar orbit satellites, including NOAA’s joint polar satellite system.
A U.S. Space Force representative confirmed that the satellites and their equipment are operational, and data will continue to be sent directly to satellite readout terminals across the DOD. However, the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Weather and Oceanography Center has opted to cease public data processing and sharing, officials reported.
The visible and infrared images show Hurricane Eric, which has intensified since the June 18th Category 2 storm.CIMSS
The Navy did not respond promptly to requests for comments.
Earlier this week, a Navy division informed researchers that it would halt data processing and sharing by June 30. Some researchers received notifications from the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Weather and Oceanography Center regarding their reliance on outdated and insecure operating systems.
“We cannot upgrade our systems; it raises cybersecurity risks and jeopardizes our DOD network,” stated an email reviewed by NBC News.
This decision could lead to forecasters losing up to half of the available microwave data, according to McNoldy.
Additionally, this microwave data is crucial for snow and ice researchers tracking polar sea ice levels, which helps understand long-term climate patterns. Sea ice, formed from frozen seawater, expands in winter and melts in summer. Tracking sea ice is essential as it reflects sunlight back into space, cooling the planet. This metric is vital to monitor over time, especially since summer Arctic sea ice levels are showing declining trends due to global warming.
Walt Meier, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, mentioned that his program learned about the Navy’s decision earlier this week.
Meier noted the satellites and sensors have been operational for approximately 16 years. While researchers anticipated their eventual failure, they did not expect the military to abruptly discontinue data sharing with little notice.
Meier stated that the National Snow and Ice Data Center has depended on military satellites for sea ice coverage data since 1987 but will adapt by utilizing similar microwave data from Japanese satellites known as AMSR-2.
“Integrating that data into our system could take several weeks,” said Meier. “While it may not undermine the integrity of sea ice climate records, it will pose additional challenges.”
Polar orbit satellites, part of the Defense Weather Satellite Program, offer intermittent coverage of regions prone to hurricanes.
These satellites generally circle the Earth in a north-south path every 90 to 100 minutes at relatively low altitudes, according to Meier. The microwave sensors scan narrow bands of the Earth, estimated to be around 1,500 miles wide.
As the Earth rotates, these polar orbit satellites capture images that can help researchers analyze storm structure and potential strength when they are within range.
“Often, great passes provide extensive data beyond just the hurricane,” said McNoldy, who added that the loss will decrease the frequency of scans for areas covered by microwave scans and specific storms.
Hurricane modeler Andy Hazelton, an associate scientist at the University of Miami Ocean and Atmospheric Research Institute, mentioned that microwave data is still utilized in some hurricane models and by forecasters with access to real-time visualizations.
Hazelton highlighted that forecasters always look for visual cues from microwave data, which typically provides early indications of rapidly strengthening storms.
The National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as a 35 mph or greater increase in sustained winds in tropical storms within a 24-hour period. The loss of microwave data is particularly concerning as scientists have observed a rise in rapid intensification linked to climate change due to warmer seawater.
A 2023 scientific report indicated that tropical cyclones in the Atlantic have about a 29% higher likelihood of rapid intensification from 2001 to 2020 compared to the period from 1971 to 1990. For instance, Hurricane Milton was strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane just 36 hours after being classified as a tropical storm, with part of this intensification occurring overnight when other satellite equipment offered less information.
From the International Space Station, Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, was captured on October 8th in the Gulf of Mexico off the Yucatan Peninsula.NASA/Getty Images
This trend poses significant risks, particularly when storms like Hurricane Idria intensify just before approaching the coast.
“We’ve definitely observed numerous instances of rapid intensification right before landfall recently, something we cannot afford to overlook,” McNoldy remarked.
Brian Lamare, a dedicated forecaster at the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay, noted that this data is crucial for predicting flood impacts when hurricanes make landfall.
“These scans are key for predicting the areas of heaviest rainfall and the rates of rainfall,” said Lamarre. “This data is vital for public safety.”
Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30, peaking at the end of summer and early fall. NOAA forecasters anticipate a busier hurricane season in 2025, with expectations of 6-10 hurricanes.
In my view, the Stern-Gerlach experiment was a pivotal moment that introduced the findings of quantum mechanics to the scientific community. Proposed by Otto Stern and carried out by Walther Gerlach in 1922, this experiment demonstrated that atoms possess quantum properties. It revealed that electrons must adhere to quantum principles. The Stern-Gerlach experiments underscore the unusual aspects of the quantum realm, suggesting that observers seem to influence the properties that particles exhibit. Measuring the quantum characteristic known as spin appears to alter the possible spin values particles can possess subsequently. Essentially, the act of observation influences the future states of a particle.
In physics, we are conditioned to perceive ourselves as separate from the physical systems we study. This experiment challenges that separation. My experience shows that students often accept this premise as an undeniable truth. However, after contemplating it multiple times, they find it at odds with their intuitive understanding of reality. Coming to terms with these outcomes is a surreal journey—wonderful and extraordinary.
When I reflect on how to articulate witnessing the decline of American science in real-time, “surreal” is the best descriptor. It does not resemble the surrealism of the Stern-Gerlach experiment; instead, it feels like a reawakening to a tangible reality. I recognize that I once harbored an illusion about the world, but the emerging reality is intriguing and exhilarating.
Our current political climate resembles a reckoning with a previously held false sense of security. It seems that although the US government might support science today, there won’t be a transformative reality waiting for us tomorrow. Instead, the government continues to squander taxpayer-funded culture, casting it into oblivion. This metaphor carries weight: when an object crosses a black hole’s event horizon, it reaches a point of no return. The object is lost forever.
We find ourselves in a similar predicament. The universe remains to be explored, but the impairments to our research capabilities are enduring, altering the trajectory permanently. The number of master’s and doctoral programs has already diminished the availability of opportunities. Aspiring professors are not receiving the same level of training, which will affect not only future scientists but also science communicators.
The US government discards publicly funded culture, casting it into voids of neglect.
The entirety of our future appears discarded. While Donald Trump has suggested cuts to NASA’s astrophysics budget and the National Science Foundation’s physics funding, these reductions in mathematics and astronomy will not prevent global hindrances to science, and will lead to far-reaching repercussions. The US plays a crucial role as a global investor in particle physics, cosmology, and investigations into fundamental truths.
While attending the 2025 Natural Philosophy Symposium at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, we were alerted to devastating budget cuts to NASA’s funding. The event started with an engaging talk by philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers, followed by insights from philosopher Sandra Mitchell on human reasoning, and a discussion with theoretical physicist Nima Arkani-Hamed.
We discussed questions that have captivated humanity for millennia. What is reality, and how can one engage in researching that reality? Such events emphasize the potential outcomes when provided with the necessary time, space, and resources to explore ideas.
During this gathering, NASA’s Astrophysics department appeared to be on the brink of obliteration. The repercussions of this shift will echo for decades. In 1922, Germany stood at the forefront of scientific understanding. However, after the Nazis subverted German science for their propaganda, the field never fully recovered.
This narrative may seem like a dramatic tale about a specific group of individuals. Yet, it’s essential to remember that these discussions lead to real publications. I benefited from Government Pell Grants for economically disadvantaged undergraduates and the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship. The research discussed in this article has been financed through several federal agencies.
This disconcerting moment affects not only scientists in the US but resonates worldwide. Much of the science we engage with originates from American institutions, making this issue pertinent to all of us.
Chanda’s Week
What I’m reading
I’m currently delving into Ricky Fein’s intriguing debut novel. The devil has three times.
What I’m watching
I’ve enjoyed Mission: Impossible, and I’ve seen all of the films at least once in the past two weeks.
What I’m working on
I’ve drafted my third book, The Universe is a Black Aesthetic (Coming soon from Duke University Press).
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein serves as an associate professor of physics and astronomy, as well as a core faculty member of women’s studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her latest book is The Disturbed Cosmos: A Journey to Dark Matter, Space, and Dreams.
Taurine supplements are seen as potentially effective in slowing aging, but this may not hold true
Shutterstock / Eugeniusz Dudzinski
While it was previously thought that taurine, an amino acid, diminishes with age, research in animals suggested that taurine supplements might help slow down the aging process. New studies, however, indicate this decline is not consistent. In fact, taurine levels often increase with age, indicating that low nutrient levels might not be the primary factor driving aging.
Earlier research indicated that taurine levels decrease in aging men, with those exhibiting higher taurine levels at age 60 experiencing better health outcomes. This correlation suggests low taurine levels might contribute to aging, supported by evidence that taurine supplements can extend the lifespans of mice and monkeys.
The challenge lies in the fact that taurine levels can fluctuate due to various factors, including illness, stress, and dietary habits. Thus, a reduction in this vital amino acid may not be directly linked to the aging process. Maria Emilia Fernandez and her team from The National Institute of Aging in Maryland assessed taurine levels in 742 individuals aged 26 to 100. The cohort consisted of roughly equal numbers of men and women, with no major health issues and multiple blood samples taken between January 2006 and October 2018.
On average, women aged 100 had taurine levels that were nearly 27% higher than those aged 26, while men aged 30 to 97 exhibited an approximate 6% increase. Similar trends were noted among 32 monkeys sampled at ages ranging from 7 to 32 years, where female monkeys saw taurine levels rise by an average of 72% and male monkeys by 27% between ages 5 and 30.
These results underscore that taurine levels may not be a reliable indicator of aging. Importantly, taurine concentrations vary widely among individuals and can change over time due to external factors, according to Fernandez.
Nevertheless, some individuals may still find taurine supplementation beneficial. Fernandez highlights research indicating its potential to help regulate blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes or those who are obese. However, the question of whether taurine can slow aging in otherwise healthy individuals remains unanswered.
Vijay Yadav from Rutgers University and his colleagues are currently leading clinical trials on taurine supplementation in middle-aged adults. “We aim to conclude the trial by the end of 2025,” he states. “Our goal is to produce robust data to determine if taurine supplementation can decelerate human aging or enhance health and fitness.”
Amazon announced a significant advancement in robotics, having developed a robot equipped with tactile sensors capable of grasping approximately three-quarters of items in its expansive warehouse.
During the “future delivery” event held on Wednesday in Dortmund, Germany, the US company unveiled plans to deploy this technology globally over the next few years. The aim is to assist humans in sorting items for storage and preparing them for delivery, amidst the growing operations of online retailers.
Aaron Parness, the Robotics Director at Amazon, referred to Vulcan as “a major leap in robotics,” highlighting the robot’s ability to not only observe its environment but also to perceive it through touch, facilitating tasks previously deemed impossible for Amazon robots.
These robots can identify objects through touch, utilizing AI technology. They work collaboratively with humans who handle and retrieve items from shelves to assist them at picking stations equipped with wheeled robots.
Vulcan robots facilitate storage in shelving units at both the top and bottom levels, referred to as pods, eliminating the need for workers to use ladders. Currently, Amazon’s warehouse robots can employ suction cups and computer vision to manipulate and select items.
Such advancements may evoke concerns about job losses, as retailers reduce human labor in distribution centers that employ thousands.
Many retailers are increasing automation investments due to rising global labor costs. Amazon faces industrial challenges beyond just low wages in its UK warehouses.
Goldman Sachs economists predicted in 2023 that as many as 300 million jobs globally could be eliminated by 2030 due to the rise of generative AI, fundamentally altering various roles.
In the UK, estimates suggest that between 60,000 and 275,000 jobs could vanish annually over the next decade amidst ongoing upheaval, as proposed by the Tony Blair Institute.
Nonetheless, Tye Brady, Amazon’s lead robotics engineer, asserted that robots cannot entirely replace humans in their facilities, stating that they “enhance human potential” to improve workplace safety. He humorously referenced his affection for R2D2, likening their supportive design to that of a “cooperative robot.”
“Humans will always be part of the equation,” he noted, explaining that robots take on “menial, mundane, and repetitive tasks.”
“Complete automation isn’t feasible just yet. We will always require human oversight to understand operational value.”
He also emphasized that individuals play a critical role in safeguarding against potential hacking, especially after incidents like the cyber attack that disrupted Marks and Spencer’s online services.
“Machines can detect hacks, but human intervention is often what reveals them, making it beneficial to have people involved,” said Brady.
He also noted that humans excel at identifying minor issues, such as package damage or leaks during delivery that could disrupt the system.
According to Brady, AI is enhancing robot development, allowing them to navigate complex spaces autonomously while learning to move safely alongside humans and other objects. He highlighted that the latest generation of robots can “seek help” and adapt to new methods effectively.
“It’s thrilling to integrate both cognition and physical capability,” he said. “We’re just starting this exciting journey.”
For instance, Amazon plans to incorporate technology leveraging machine learning and automation to create customized packaging that minimizes waste. By the end of this year, over 70 machines will be operational in Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain, with more planned by 2027.
This announcement coincides with Amazon’s launch of a budget-friendly delivery service in the UK, featuring thousands of products priced under £20, as the company takes over low-cost competitors Sheen and Tem.
On page 36 of the official national strategy document, signed by the president, 10 federal agencies are involved.
This is not a governmental policy related to tariffs or border control. It is part of President Trump’s Master Plan to Eradicate Paper Straws, leading us back to plastic.
The document states, “My administration is dedicated to clarifying the confusion that many citizens face when using paper straws.”
Critics argue this is a culture war shot, whether targeting paper straws, wind turbines, or low-flow showerheads, reflecting Trump’s erratic administration policies.
However, there’s an unexpected twist. This document complicates a larger public health issue with its intent to deregulate.
Focusing on paper straws, it dedicates eight pages to discussing health and environmental risks, particularly highlighting PFA—a group of synthetic chemicals linked to severe health problems—found in tap water nationwide.
Last year, the Biden administration implemented strict federal PFA standards, known as “forever chemicals,” which resist environmental breakdown. Yet, the industry and utility sectors challenged this, calling it “impossible” and “absurd”; they urged Trump to reverse these regulations.
It remains unclear if EPA leader Lee Zeldin will enforce these measures. A court decision is pending about whether to continue adhering to regulations ahead of a May 12 deadline.
“Will Zeldin reverse the PFAS drinking water standards given this anti-PFA rhetoric from the White House?” asked Matthew Tehada, head of environmental health policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “If there’s concern about straw-related PFA, can Zeldin ignore drinking water issues?”
Under Zeldin’s leadership, the agency pushes for deregulation, aiming to eliminate numerous environmental rules limiting toxic pollution. He also has strong ties as a lobbyist and lawyer against environmental laws.
During a news briefing, Zeldin commented that the science surrounding PFA “is still under debate.”
“We have more questions regarding PFA, and it’s crucial to continue research,” he stated, claiming regulations should rely more on “factual evidence rather than assumptions.”
Yet, Trump’s strategy document directly addresses chemical concerns.
“For decades, scientists and regulators have expressed concern over PFAS chemicals,” the White House document notes. “PFA poses risks to human health and is associated with reproductive harm, developmental delays in children, cancer, hormonal disturbances, obesity, and other serious health issues.”
This week, the White House reiterated these warnings. “Paper straws contain harmful PFAS chemicals that infiltrate our water supply,” as stated by the administration in an Earth Day announcement on Monday.
Another variable is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who participated in a forum on Wednesday discussing the health and environmental impacts of plastics, including PFA, which he advocates removing from the food system. “We have substantial justification for eliminating this entire chemical category from our food due to its health risks,” he stated.
Both the White House and the EPA affirmed their unified approach to PFA.
“President Trump and Zeldin are collaboratively working to eliminate harmful toxins from our environment,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers declared. “The Trump administration, including Zeldin, acknowledges that PFA is detrimental to human health. More research on PFA’s risks is essential for improving the health of Americans.”
EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou refrained from commenting on the potential rollback of PFAS drinking water standards but highlighted Zeldin’s significant experience with PFA issues.
Before joining the Trump administration, Zeldin served four terms as a lawmaker in Long Island and was among 23 House Republicans who supported the PFAS Act in 2020—a comprehensive bill to regulate chemicals in drinking water and hold polluters accountable.
“He stands as a strong advocate for protecting the drinking water of Long Islanders and all Americans,” Vaselio remarked.
Zeldin is correct that further investigation is crucial to understand the health effects of PFA exposure. However, evidence increasingly indicates harm from these chemicals, particularly the most studied types. Trump’s White House strategy includes references supporting this evidence.
“The EPA examined current peer-reviewed scientific studies and concluded that PFA exposure is linked to various health risks,” the document states.
This comprises lower birth rates, hypertension in pregnant women, low birth weight, early onset of puberty, behavioral changes in children, weakened immune response, and heightened cholesterol levels, according to the White House.
Plastic also contains harmful chemicals. Microplastics pervade our ecosystems and pose health risks. Critics emphasize the fossil fuel industry’s role in promoting plastics through production.
Nonetheless, Linda Billumbaum, a toxicologist and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who has long warned about PFAs, acknowledged some points from the White House document. “Their claims regarding these adverse effects are well-founded,” she expressed.
However, if the Trump administration is genuinely concerned about PFA’s health impacts, they should also address the presence of these chemicals in our surroundings, including food packaging and drinking water. “Instead, they focus efforts on rallying support around straws,” she remarked.
The controversy over plastic straws began around the mid-2010s, as they became scapegoated for the plastic waste crisis. Numerous cities and retailers have instituted bans on plastic straws, while some states enacted restrictions. (Disability rights organizations have raised concerns about these bans, citing the need for straws for safe drinking.)
Alternatives to plastic include stainless steel or glass straws and lids with spouts. However, paper straws quickly gained traction as replacements, only to be criticized for collapsing when used.
During this period, scientists also began finding PFA on various paper and plant-based straws, raising alarms about exposure to harmful chemicals and their potential to contaminate water supplies.
The president has labeled Biden-era measures a “paper straw mandate,” although these initiatives did not specifically enforce a shift to paper straws.
His animosity toward paper straws dates back years, notably during the 2020 campaign, where he offered packs of 10 branded plastic straws for $15.
In his comprehensive strategy, Trump instructs federal agencies to “be innovative and utilize all available policy tools to eliminate the use of paper straws nationwide.” Moreover, “taxpayer dollars should never be squandered, so federal contracts and grants should not support paper straws or entities that prohibit plastic straws.”
Christine Figgener, a Marine Conservation Biologist (known for a viral video showing a plastic straw being removed from a turtle’s nostril), counters the argument that switching to paper is a solution, suggesting a less complex answer: avoid using straws altogether.
She criticizes straws as “a symbol of unnecessary convenience in society.” “Why is America so fixated on straws? Most people do not require them.”
President Trump has ordered the US government to take a major step towards mining vast areas below the sea. This is a move opposed by almost every other country, taking into account international waters from international waters for this type of industrial activity.
The executive order, signed Thursday, will circumvent a decades-old treaty ratified by all major coastal states except the United States. This is the latest example of the Trump administration’s willingness to ignore international institutions, and is likely to spark protests from American rivals and allies.
The order “establishes the United States as a global leader in submarine mineral exploration and development within and outside the national jurisdiction.” Text released by the White House.
Trump’s order directs the promotion of mining permits in both the National Maritime and Atmospheric Administration’s international waters and US territory.
Part of the seabed is covered with potato-sized nodules containing valuable minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese. These are essential to advanced technologies that the United States considers to be important to economic and military security, but its supply chain is increasingly controlled by China.
No commercial scale submarine mining has been carried out to date. The technical hurdles were high and there were serious concerns about the environmental impact.
As a result, in the 1990s, most countries agreed to join independent international submarine authorities that dominate the seabed mining of international waters. The Trump administration is relying on the US as it is not a signator The vague 1980 law This allows the federal government to issue submarine mining permits in international waters.
Many countries want to see undersea mining become a reality. But so far, it has been that economic orders should not take priority over the risk that mining could damage fisheries and marine food chains, or that it could affect the essential role of the ocean in absorbing carbon dioxide that warms the planet from the atmosphere.
Trump’s order comes after years of delays at the ISA in setting up a regulatory framework for undersea mining. Authorities have not yet agreed to the set of rules.
The executive order paves the way for metal companies, a well-known undersea mining company, to receive the first permission from NOAA to actively mine. A public company based in Vancouver, British Columbia It was disclosed in March It would ask the Trump administration to approve it through a US subsidiary to mine in international waters. The company has already spent more than $500 million on exploratory work.
“We have production-ready boats,” Gerald Baron, the company’s chief executive, said in an interview Thursday. “We have the means to process materials in friendly partner nations of the Alliance. We are missing out on permission to allow us to start.”
In anticipation of mining as a final allowance, companies like him have invested heavily in developing technologies to mine the seabed. They include a ship with huge claws that stretch to the seabed, and a self-driving vehicle mounted on a giant vacuum cleaner that scrutinizes the bottom of the ocean.
Some analysts have questioned the need to rush towards submarine mining, given the current excess of nickel and cobalt from traditional mining. Furthermore, manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries, one of the main markets in metals, are heading towards battery designs that rely on other factors.
Nevertheless, the projection of future demand for metals generally remains high. And Trump’s escalating trade war with China threatens to limit America’s access to some of these important minerals. These include rare earth elements that can also be found in trace amounts of submarine nodules.
US Geological Survey It is estimated Nodules in a single belt of the Eastern Pacific, known as the Clarion Kriparton Zone, contain more nickel, cobalt and manganese than all ground reserves combined. The area in the open ocean between Mexico and Hawaii is about half the size of the continent of the United States.
The Metals Company’s contract site is located in the Clarion-Clipperton zone, with the oceans averaged around 2.5 miles deep. The company will first apply for exploitation permission under the 1980 law.
Entomologists at Washington State University predict that the US Honeybee colony may decline by up to 70% by 2025.
The university revealed in a News Release that over the last decade, annual losses of Honeybee Colonies averaged between 40% and 50%. However, this year, a combination of factors such as nutritional deficiencies, mites infections, viral diseases, and potential pesticide exposure during the previous pollination season contributed to even higher losses.
Priya Chakrabarti Basu, assistant professor of health and pollinator behavior at WSU, expressed concern over the increasing losses, stating, “The demand for pollination remains high, putting pressure on beekeepers to maintain colonies to meet these needs.”
Flocking bees form clusters in Las Vegas trees. Gabe Ginsberg / Getty Images
Brandon Hopkins, professor of pollinator ecology at WSU, warned that higher colony losses could result in increased costs for farmers relying on bee colonies.
Hopkins added, “This level of national loss could potentially lead to beekeepers facing bankruptcy, affecting farmers who depended on them for pollination.”
The Honeybee industry had a production value of around $350 million in 2023, as reported by the Agriculture Department.
Hopkins noted that extreme Honeybee losses also pose a particular risk to the almond industry this year.
He stated, “The almond industry heavily relies on robust colonies, and this year, due to low supply, any beehives are in high demand.”
Reflecting on the situation, Hopkins added, “I haven’t seen a decline like this since the colony collapse in 2008.”
University of Leicester paleontologists Sarah Gabot and Jan Zarashivich have published a new book on how different types of so-called technolosils collapse in the past, including plastic bottles, patios, cell phones, old socks, spherical pens and many other hosts.
Wind turbine blades made from recycled materials may be one of the most surprising fossils discovered by future paleontologists. Image credit: Gemini AI.
But one technical oil that may really turn your head among paleontologists in distant environments in exploring the extraordinary layers of human epoch is the relic of wind turbines.
“The fossils are not from row towers. They are made of metal and made of recycled metal,” Professor Zalasiewicz said.
“But the giant wind turbine blades are made from materials such as fiberglass, epoxy resin, and carbon fiber. These are extremely difficult to recycle, but they make fossils easier.”
“As wind turbines reach their end of life and are removed, huge 50m-long bladed landfills are growing, sliced into truck-length segments and appearing to be neatly stacked together.”
“Some of them have been buried for millions of years, and if you ultimately stumble upon an inquisitive, distant paleontologist, a massive, hollow, sawbone cemetery,” he said.
“Some are crushed and dulled by the movement of the earth, while others are full of mineral growth, but their impressive shape and enormous size shine through the layers.”
“For our distant explorers, they become a huge puzzle. Can they tell us that they were built to grab the wind, providing clean, renewable energy?”
“Perhaps if they can connect them together — just like we're reconstructing the skeletons of today's giant dinosaurs — we can see their aerodynamic shapes.”
“They become one puzzle among the millions we leave behind in our daily lives (and I think they'll also find more ominous fossils left behind by fossil fuel burning).
“There was nothing like this new fossil cornea in the 400 million years of history on Earth.”
“And now we should begin to understand this amazing, surprising, often toxic, what we leave on the planet.”
“To know how our countless discarded objects become fossilized in the distant future will help us deal with the growing mountains that we live in today.”
The author also explains the types of science that appear to show the footprints of distant humans on Earth for the average reader.
It offers a different perspective on fossils and fossils. It expands the ideas of what people think of as fossils and what they can convey to us.
“It was a real adventure to use an understanding of how fossils are formed in the past and apply it to the very new world of what we now call Technofossils,” Professor Gabbott said.
“But then, we were asked a really tough question. Will the most amazing technolosil we're leaving behind will be millions (or billions) now?”
“There are so many candidates comparable to wind turbines because of the 'the strangest human fossil of all time.' ”
“For example, there are countless different shapes that a pair of Y fronts can take when pressed within a layer (and explores a very specific question in the book).”
“There are some very distinctive, and very hard fossil smoke particles that come out of our power plants.”
“There are strange stories of tea bags, chicken feathers, non-stick frying pans, instantaneous patterns of silicon chips, copper wire that wraps around the world.”
____
Sarah Gabot and Jan Zarashivich. 2025. How Technorosil becomes our ultimate legacy. OUP Oxford
Parkinson’s disease is rapidly becoming one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative conditions globally, impacting over 10 million individuals worldwide. It ranks as the second most common neurodegenerative ailment following Alzheimer’s disease. As of now, there is no known cure. However, recent advancements have raised hopes for the development of new treatments in the near future.
The disease is closely associated with a protein known as Pink1, which carries a mutation in the Park6 gene responsible for encoding this protein.
Malfunctions in Pink1’s functioning are directly linked to Parkinson’s disease, especially in individuals with early onset, affecting 1.2% of Parkinson’s patients in the UK.
Recent scientific progress has shed light on the interaction between Pink1 and mitochondria. Mitochondria, known as the powerhouse of cells, produce energy within the cells of all organisms.
From left, Professor David Commander, Dr. Nicholas Kirk, Dr. Sylvie Karegari and Dr. Alisa Grukova stand before the discovery of Pink 1. – Wehe
The link between Pink1 and Parkinson’s disease has long been recognized, but its potential as a cure for Parkinson’s disease has only recently been explored.
When mitochondria are damaged, Pink1 signals the need for their removal. However, in Parkinson’s patients, mitochondrial defects accumulate unnoticed, releasing toxins that eventually lead to cell death.
Currently, researchers at the Parkinson’s Center for Research in Walter and Eliza Hall (WEHI) in Australia have elucidated the structure and activation process of Pink1. Their findings on how Pink1 interacts with dysfunctional mitochondria are published in Science today.
“This is a significant milestone in Parkinson’s disease research,” stated corresponding author Professor David Commander, head of WEHI’s ubiquitin signaling division. “Understanding Pink1’s binding to mitochondria is truly groundbreaking.”
Lead author and Senior Researcher at WEHI, Sylvie Callegari, explained that Pink1 functions in four distinct steps, with the first two being newly discovered in this study.
Furthermore, Pink1’s role in detecting mitochondrial damage and initiating the process of mitophagy, the recycling of damaged mitochondria, is crucial for addressing Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is associated with physical tremors, as well as other symptoms like language and vision impairments – Credit: Witthaya Prasongsin
In conclusion, understanding the Pink1-mitochondrial relationship is crucial for developing therapies for Parkinson’s disease, a condition characterized by the decline of brain cells.
Given the increasing prevalence of Parkinson’s disease over the past 25 years, the need for effective treatments is more urgent than ever. The researchers behind this study aim to accelerate drug development and halt the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
NASA is preparing for substantial budget cuts that could force cancellations of ongoing and upcoming missions across the solar system, and experts warn that it is facing a “brutal” future.
The space agency has already launched several layoffs as part of a broad restructuring of the US federal agency by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an independent task force led by Elon Musk. Earlier this week it announced it would close its offices for technology, policy and strategy. Chief scientist’s office. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Branch, located in Washington, DC’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, represents a total of 23 employment for its agents.
“This magnitude change is by no means easy, but our strength comes from our mission and our shared commitment to each other,” NASA’s acting administrator, Janet Petro, emailed staff members. “We encourage each other to support us as we move forward.”
One employee in the Technology, Policy and Strategy office who learned they were fired this week and given anonymity for fear of retaliation says that their office is a “easy target” as it was set up under Joe Biden’s control. “Some people thought this might come,” they say.
The role of NASA’s Chief Technologist and Chief Economist is within the office, and “supported strategic planning across the agency,” the employee says. This includes managing recent increases in recent lunar missions when planning lunar-based landing sites and operations and “preventing these missions from interfering with each other.”
“There’s a lot of interest in the Antarctic of the Moon, and there’s concern that it works close to each other,” they said. “I don’t think we’ll address these issues moving forward.”
These losses are expected to be just the beginning of NASA’s much larger ull. Casey Drier American Space Exploration Advocacy Group says there are rumours that in his upcoming budget request, President Donald Trump will direct NASA’s overall scientific budget to be cut by 50%. This is a blow to NASA’s office of Science Mission Directors, and “everything that isn’t pretty much everything NASA does is not a space flight mission,” says Dreier. Currently, we have a budget of around $7 billion from NASA’s total annual budget of $25 billion.
Scientists familiar with NASA policy-making say they spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation and say that the cuts requested by the president must be approved by Congress. “NASA is really loved on a bipartisan basis,” they say. But if the cut goes on, they add that they “essentially end to NASA science.” “The mission is not safe.”
Throwing the budget by half “will be a very brutal outcome, symbolizing the nation’s return to space,” Dreyer said, and would result in the cancellation of many missions. Like James Webb’s Space Telescope, some of their Prime missions will likely survive, but the most at risk are early planning or later missions. These include the climate satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Voyager Mission, where patience and curiosity on Mars was the first spacecraft to leave the solar system.
The impact on NASA may be permanent. “If you completely destroy a people’s pipeline, you’ll have serious, long-term consequences,” says Dreier. “It’s an extinction level event.”
In this week’s letter to Peter, California’s Zoe Lofgren, a top Democrat on the House of Representatives’ Science and Space Technology Committee, urged NASA to cut and fight back. “Doge is trying to reduce and burn NASA’s core capabilities,” she wrote. “It’s essential to stand up to NASA’s important work.”
I’ll talk New ScientistLofgren warned that the situation could have international consequences. “Destroying NASA’s highly skilled workforce will be a major leap for the US and a major leap for China,” she said. “Meanwhile-less reductions will undermine cutting edge innovation, curious science, and institutional ability to maintain leadership in human exploration.”
Colossal Biosciences, a US biotech startup, has announced the birth of what is called the “wool mouse.”
The company says gorgeous hair rodents are living evidence that their mission to restore wool mammoths from extinction within a few years is progressing.
To make mice, scientists have introduced eight simultaneous editing into the genome of experimental mice using modern genetic techniques. These include the addition of genes that make fur grow up to three times longer than usual, as well as other genes that make hair wavy and golden.
Other editing targets target genes associated with fat metabolism, which are thought to help increase mammoth size.
Mice are the result of years of hard work by scientists to reconstruct important parts of the mammoth genome. The last wool mammoth is believed to have died about 3,000 years ago, and scientists are stitching together mammoth DNA, which has been decomposed from relics that range from 35 to 1.2 million years ago.
This is the first time that some of the important genes identified throughout the study have been expressed in living animals.
read more:
Mammoth 2.0
Colossal's ambitious long-term plan is to add many of these mammoth genes to modern elephant embryos to create a mammoth-like hybrid.
Despite claiming to be revived wool mammoth, the original Mammuthus Primigeniuswith all the original genetic complexity and population diversity, it has not been brought back to life. Creatures are more accurately referred to as “cold-resistant elephants.”
Scientists designed a “wool mouse” with the mammoth gene, giving it a very long, wavy golden fur. – Photo Credit: Colossal Biosciences
The Mammoth's return was repeated by various groups and dates back to 2011. The group is generally privately funded, and the exact details of their work are rather opaque.
However, these lifestyle, breathing, and rather cute wool mice show that scientists have made impressive advances in reconstructing some of the key genes that have made mammoths unique. Colossal's Chief Scientist Dr. Beth Shapiro The mouse says it is a “critical step in examining an approach to revive the properties lost to extinction.”
A huge task
There's still a lot to do before you see mammoth-like creatures crossing the tundra or walking through the zoo.
Initially, it is much easier to create gene-edited mice than elephants. Mice have been a staple of genetic experiments for decades and can be quickly raised in a huge number.
Elephants, on the other hand, are rarely used in laboratory experiments, and live mammals happen to have longer gestation periods of over 18 months.
Colossal has made impressive advances by manipulating elephant cells into stem cells.
However, even if Colossal could create a viable elephant mammoth embryo, it would not be able to be used as a large number of surrogates, if any, because both Asian and African elephants are at risk of extinction.
This means that Colossal must develop its own artificial uterus to develop experimental embryos until birth. This has never been done before. Such a system should not only replicate all the complexity of the placenta, but also support calves that are as heavy as Asian elephant calves, exceeding at least 100 kg (220 lbs).
But perhaps the biggest question remaining is simply, why? Colossal says other similar tasks to revive mammoths and revive dodos and tylacine will lead to biotechnology that will help save other species from environmental changes.
The company claims to stimulate interest and investment so that they can't do anything else, starting with these iconic extinct creatures.
Certainly, the project has attracted a lot of media attention and has attracted more than $200 million (£157 million) of investments that probably wouldn't have made it to a traditional conservation project.
And there are already examples of the technology being used to support species facing extinction today. For example, in Australia, gene editing is used to provide resistance to the poison of cane toads, an invasive species that kill many animals in the region (adorable, endangered marsupials).
In the US, scientists used similar biotechnology to increase the genetic diversity of ferrets with black feet, but it had dipped to a population size that was essentially involved.
More broadly, Colossal's research could help scientists produce eggs, sperm and embryos of a variety of endangered species, including Asian and African elephants, which help to increase numbers.
We can ask questions
But do these lofty ambitions justify? Jurassic Park– Blatant use of genetic engineering? Many people are particularly intelligent social animals like elephants, and feel uneasy about corrections, not to mention a complete overhaul of the genome.
And what is the life of the first artificial wool elephant like? Where do they live and are they introduced to herds and families?
Are they healthy or tired of genetic problems? And shouldn't we focus our efforts on saving habitats and ecosystems, not individual species?
Giant wool mouse showing the properties of an extinct wool mammoth – Photo credit: Giant bioscience
In recent years, genetic engineering has gained greater acceptance among the public, and is generally considered an important way to produce new drugs and disease-resistant crops.
Does the creation of a large, shaggy elephant make people feel that biotechnology is going too far? Or, as a huge hope, will it serve as an inspiring symbol of how technology can save thousands of species that are at risk of extinction each year?
This is a question that biologists, ethicists and biotechnology regulators need to carefully consider the work of scaling up from mice to mammoths.
The former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, warns that rogue nations like North Korea, Iran, and Russia could utilize artificial intelligence to harm innocent people. Schmidt, who served as the CEO of Google from 2001 to 2017, expressed his concerns on BBC Radio 4 about the misuse of technology and weapons by malevolent entities.
He emphasized the potential dangers posed by countries with malicious intentions, such as North Korea, Iran, and Russia, who could exploit advanced technology for harmful purposes. Schmidt highlighted the urgency of addressing this threat, citing the devastating impact it could have on innocent individuals.
In response to the export controls implemented by President Joe Biden to restrict the sale of AI-related microchips, Schmidt voiced his support for government oversight of tech companies developing AI models. However, he cautioned against excessive regulation that could stifle innovation.
While acknowledging the importance of government understanding and monitoring technological advancements, Schmidt also underscored the need for collaboration between tech leaders and policymakers to navigate ethical concerns and potential risks.
Speaking from Paris at the AI Action Summit, Schmidt highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing AI-related challenges. While some countries, like the UK and the US, did not sign a comprehensive AI agreement due to concerns about national security and regulatory impact on innovation, Schmidt stressed the need for a balanced approach to driving progress in AI.
Regarding the use of smartphones by children, Schmidt expressed concerns about their safety and advocated for measures to protect young users from online threats. He supported initiatives to regulate social media use for children and emphasized the importance of safeguarding children in the digital age.
The newly discovered volcanic hot spot is larger than the Earth’s boss lake, and Beppo emits six times the eruption of the total energy of all worlds in the world.
On December 27, 2024, a huge hot spot is seen on the right side of the IO IO in this image taken by Jiram infrared imager on Jiram’s infrared image on December 27, 2024. Image credit: NASA / JPL-CALTECH / SWRI / ASI / INAF / Jiram.
“NASA’s Juno spacecraft had two very close frivaties in the extended mission,” said Dr. Scot Bolton, researcher of South West Research Institute.
“And each fly -alibi provided data on painful moon beyond our expectations, but this latest, farther, fry -drive data really blown out our hearts.”
“This is the most powerful volcanic event that has been recorded in the world of volcanoes in our solar system. It really says something.”
The IO, which is slightly larger than the moon on the earth, is the most active volcanic body in the solar system.
It is the most inner moon of Jupiter Gali Leans, including IO, EUROPA, GANYMEDE and CALLISTO.
IO has more than 400 active volcanoes, causing the tide heat, which is the result of gravity from Jupiter and other Jovian Moon.
During the extended mission, Juno’s trajectory passes through all other trajectory and flew every month.
Previously, the spacecraft created Flybys near IO in December 2023 and February 2024, and was within about 1,500 km (930 miles) from its surface.
The latest fly -ibai was held on December 27, 2024, and the spacecraft was within about 74,400 km (46,200 miles) of the month, and Ju -no Jovia’s infrared Auroral Mapper (Giram) instrument was trained in the IO Southern Hemisphere. Ta.
“Jiram detected an extremely infrared radiation luminance (huge hot spot) event in the Southern Hemisphere of IO, and saturated the detector,” said Dr. Alessandro Mura, a researcher at the Roman National Institute of Physics. I mentioned it.
“But what we detected was actually a hot spot with some close intervals that suggest a vast magma chamber system underground.”
“Data supports this is the most intense volcanic eruption recorded in IO.”
The team estimates that unknown functions will spans 100,000 km.2 (40,000 square miles).
The previous record holder was Loki Patera of IO, which is about 20,000 km of lava.2 (7,700 square miles).
The total power value of the new hot spot shine was much higher than 80 trillion watts.
This feature was also captured by the junocam Visible Light camera in the mission.
Researchers compared the junocam images of the previous two IO Flybys to the devices collected on December 27.
And these latest images have a low resolution due to JUNO far away, but the relative changes in the surface color around the newly discovered hot spot were clear.
Such changes on the IO surface are known to be related to hot spots and volcanic activities in the planetary science community.
The eruption of this size may leave a long life signature.
Other large eruptions of IO include thermal crushed sediment (a piece of rock exhaled in volcanic), small lava flows that can be supplied by cracks, volcanic plum sediments rich in sulfur and sulfur dioxide. We have created various characteristics.
JUNO uses IO’s Fly Bai on March 3 to look at the hot spot and search for changes in landscapes.
It is also possible to observe earth -based observations in this area of the moon.
“It’s always great to witness an event to rewrite a recordbook, but this new hot spot can potentially do much more,” said Dr. Bolton.
“Interesting features can improve the understanding of volcanism not only in IO but also in other worlds.”
wDeciding whether to respond to the daily influx of 25,000 letters and emails can be challenging. If you are overwhelmed and seeking help from the most vulnerable individuals in the country, your workload will only increase.
This is a dilemma faced by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) as they receive a flood of communication, including handwritten letters, from over 20 million people, including British retirees and welfare claimants. The DWP is exploring the use of artificial intelligence, like White Mail, to speed up the process of reading and responding to these messages.
While human reading used to take weeks, White Mail can process the same amount of information in a day, prioritizing cases of the most vulnerable individuals for prompt attention. However, concerns remain about the accuracy and fairness of this AI-driven system, especially as it has not been publicly documented in the Central Government AIS registry.
White Mail has been undergoing trials since at least 2023 under the leadership of Mel Stride, the then Secretary of State for Welfare. While the system aims to expedite support for those in need, there are concerns about the lack of transparency and consent in handling sensitive personal data.
Organizations like Turn2us have expressed reservations about the processing of highly confidential information without the knowledge or consent of the individuals involved. The DWP claims that data is encrypted and securely stored, but questions remain about the ethical implications of using AI in this context.
The use of AI like White Mail raises questions about accountability, transparency, and the protection of vulnerable claimants’ rights. Regular audits and data transparency are essential to ensure fair and ethical use of such technology.
DWP’s approach to utilizing AI in handling large volumes of communication requires careful scrutiny to uphold the principles of fairness and integrity. Transparency and accountability should be at the forefront of AI implementation to safeguard the rights of those who rely on welfare support.
For further information or comments, please reach out to the DWP.
Despite the availability of affordable cell phones, parents have new ways to stay connected with their children. However, this development has also sparked debates on screen time, safety, and social media.
As worries about phone usage rise and the age at which children get their first mobile phone decreases, countries worldwide are considering ways to address this issue in schools and homes.
While there’s no single solution, various action plans and suggestions are being explored, ranging from strict laws to grassroots initiatives.
Our correspondent delves into some of the noteworthy solutions to screen time as Australia and Spain gear up to implement stringent laws to combat the problem.
Australia: “Ensuring our children have a good childhood.”
In a significant move, Australia recently passed a law prohibiting social media use for under-16s, although specifics regarding its implementation and application are unclear.
While some Australian states already ban mobile phones in schools, a new federal ban aims to completely restrict social media usage for children under 16 by year-end. The law grants the communications minister authority to determine which platforms are restricted, likely including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
YouTube is expected to be exempt due to its claimed educational benefits.
The legislation mandates platforms to verify users’ ages and take necessary steps to ensure compliance, with penalties of up to A$50m for non-compliance. Trials for age verification technology are ongoing, including facial age estimation and other authentication methods.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that the ban aims to offer children “a childhood”, encouraging them to engage in outdoor activities and sports instead of being glued to their phones.
Josh Taylor, Melbourne
Spain: “You can use ours.”
Spain’s government is proposing a bill to raise the minimum age for social media account registration from 14 to 16, along with mandatory age verification measures for tech companies.
Additionally, the bill suggests default parental controls on smartphones and a national education campaign to educate children and teens on responsible social media usage.
An expert panel has recommended including warning labels on digital devices sold in Spain to inform consumers of the health risks associated with social media and technology.
In Barcelona’s Poblenou district, parents initiated a campaign to delay children’s access to mobile phones until age 16. This movement quickly spread across Catalonia, emphasizing the importance of holding off on phone ownership until a later age.
Major project spokesperson Nuria González Rojas noted the significant impact of delaying mobile phone ownership, with over 72% of Spanish children owning smartphones by age 12.
In another initiative, Basque parents’ organization Archa Brua is piloting schemes to delay mobile phone ownership with support from schools, families, and local businesses.
Sam Jones, Madrid
France: “Take back control of your screen”
French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a report urging a reassessment of screen usage to safeguard children’s well-being and democracy’s future.
The report advocates for delaying smartphone usage until age 13, restricting access to social media until 18, and banning mobile phones with internet access until after school hours.
Experts stress the need to shield children from profit-focused tech influences due to adverse effects on vision, sleep, and overall health.
Macron urges ministers to consider and implement the report’s recommendations.
Angelique Chrysafis (Paris)
Italy: school ban
Italy has issued a blanket ban on smartphones and tablets in primary and middle school classrooms, citing disruptive incidents like physical altercations between students and teachers.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara supports efforts to ban mobile phones for children under 14 and social media profiles for those under 16.
Angela Giuffrida (Rome)
Germany: “The longer we can delay children from using smartphones, the better.”
German schools can’t outright ban cellphones, but restrictions on their use in classrooms and during breaks are in place.
Efforts to enhance digital literacy among youth are encouraged, with calls in some regions for total bans on mobile phones in elementary schools.
Pediatric experts advocate delaying smartphone ownership until age 11 to protect children’s development, noting adverse effects on mental health and well-being from early exposure to social media.
Despite concerns surrounding smartphones, Germany’s decentralized governance system means a national policy remains elusive.
When it comes to weight loss, one universal truth stands out: losing body fat is challenging, and keeping it off can be even more difficult. A recent study may shed some light on why this is the case: adipose tissue, or body fat, retains a sort of “memory” even after cells have become obese.
“This discovery potentially helps explain the changes that occur in adipose tissue during weight fluctuations,” explained Dr. Ferdinand von Mayen, an assistant professor at ETH Zurich’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, in an interview with BBC Science Focus.
Dr. von Mayen and his team observed transcriptional changes in human cells, which are responsible for regulating genetic material, in individuals’ adipose tissue before and after a 25 percent reduction in BMI. “We found that even after weight loss, the genetic regulation in adipose tissue did not fully return to normal, indicating that the body is programmed to regain lost weight,” he added.
While this news may be disheartening for those on a weight loss journey, Dr. von Mayen hopes that this study will help destigmatize weight fluctuations. “There is a molecular mechanism at play that influences weight regain, and it’s not simply a matter of willpower,” he emphasized.
He also stressed the importance of prevention in addressing the global obesity epidemic. “Early intervention is key, as it is much harder to lose weight once it has been gained. Implementing healthier lifestyle choices at a societal level is crucial in combating this issue,” Dr. von Mayen noted.
About our experts
Dr. von Mayen: I specialize in researching obesity and metabolic diseases at the Nutritional and Metabolic Epigenetics Laboratory at ETH Zurich.
Police stand guard in front of a hotel ahead of the United Nations biodiversity conference COP16 to be held in Cali, Colombia on October 19th.
Fernando Vergara/AP/Alamy
Biodiversity loss is a crisis. And it's clearer than ever that the world isn't moving fast enough to solve it. Last weekend's COP16 summit in Cali, Colombia, collapsed in overtime, with too few countries present to agree on a global plan to halt the decline of nature.
“Unfortunately, too many countries and UN officials are working to address our species’ most pressing existential issues without the level of urgency and ambition needed to secure an outcome at COP16. “I came to Cali,” he says. Brian O'Donnell At the environmental advocacy group “Campaign for Nature.”
Signs of the lack of progress were evident from the start of the meeting, with nearly all countries demonstrating how far they have reached ambitious biodiversity targets set at COP15 two years ago, including protecting 30 percent of the planet's land. The deadline to submit a formal plan on how to achieve this was missed. Several more plans were brought forward during the two weeks of the summit, including plans from big countries like India and Argentina, but strategies for most countries have yet to be developed.
As COP16 began, it was clear that the world was not on track to achieve these goals. Since 2020, the area of Earth's land and oceans under formal protection has increased by just 0.5%, according to a UN report released during the summit. This is too slow a rate to protect 30 percent of the planet by the end of the decade.
And their protection is desperately needed. a report A report by the Zoological Society of London and the World Wildlife Fund released ahead of the summit found that vertebrate populations have declined by an average of 73 percent since 1970, and have increased by 4 percentage points since 2022. reportA report presented at a conference by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that 38 percent of the world's tree species are at risk of extinction.
Many low-income countries said a lack of financial resources prevented them from developing and submitting plans on time, let alone starting implementation. At COP16, high-income countries pledged a total of around $400 million to support these efforts, but funding remains billions of dollars short of the annual target of $20 billion pledged by 2025. .
Negotiations went into overtime early Saturday morning, with no clear plan to close the funding gap and monitor progress toward the goal left unresolved. As delegates left, the number of countries present fell below the minimum required for decision-making, and the meeting was adjourned without reaching a resolution. The topic will be taken up at an interim meeting to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2025.
“Nature is on life support and here in Cali, unless we reach a strong financial compromise, we risk collapse,” he says. Patricia Zurita At Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organization.
Although COP16's failure to change the direction of fiscal issues disappointed observers, one important agreement was reached at the meeting. It's an agreement on how to collect revenue from products developed using Earth's genetic data. Before the conference is adjourned, each country will require pharmaceutical and other biotech companies that use such “digital sequence information” to donate 0.1% of their revenue or 1% of their profits to the “Kali Fund” We agreed to ask. This fund will be used to protect the biodiversity that is the source of such genetic data.
The fact that the agreement, which took nearly a decade of negotiations and is voluntary and less comprehensive than the African Union and some low-income countries had hoped, means that individual countries and companies This means that it depends greatly on how you respond to the situation. But the United Nations estimates that the fund could raise up to $1 billion a year for biodiversity. “We may be able to get some, but it's nowhere near the scale and speed that is required,” said Pierre du Plessis, a longtime African Union negotiator. Ahead of the meeting, he claimed: new scientist The fund should be bigger.
Indigenous peoples also see a victory ahead of the conference's suspension, with the establishment of formal institutions that will give them a stronger voice in biodiversity negotiations.
However, the overall atmosphere was heavy. “The really disappointing thing about COP16 is that [debates on] “Digital sequence information sucks every last drop of energy and time,” he says. Amber Scholz At the Leibniz Institute DSMZ in Germany.
One reason for the apparent lack of urgency is that the world treats climate change and biodiversity loss as two separate problems. The annual global climate summit attracts more participants and far more attention than the biodiversity negotiations. While 154 people attended last year's climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, only six leaders attended COP16. This is a problem when the two issues are intertwined. Climate change is one of the main threats to biodiversity, and the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity often also have the greatest ability to store carbon.
“I think the most important thing we need is to change the persistent neglect of biodiversity, especially when compared to climate change,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the summit. mentioned in. “They are all interconnected and cannot be divided.”
Our planet’s new small satellite, 2024 PT5, arrived in Earth’s orbit on September 29, 2024.
2024 PT5 is scheduled to capture a temporary flyby from September 29th to November 25th in 2024. Image credit: University of Colorado.
2024 PT5 was discovered by the Asteroid Earth Impact Final Warning System in Sutherland, South Africa on August 7, 2024.
This near-Earth asteroid is about 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and follows an orbit similar to that of 2022 NX1.
2024 PT5 will become a mini-Earth satellite on September 29 and return to heliocentric orbit 56.6 days later on November 25.
“Near-Earth objects like this offer a glimpse into the formation process of the solar system,” said astrophysicist Dr. Nico Cappellutti. University of Miami.
“Most asteroids in our solar system are rocky remnants left over from the formation of our solar system.”
2024 PT5 is part of Arjuna, an asteroid belt made up of space rocks that follow an orbit around the sun very similar to Earth’s orbit.
“So sometimes they can remain temporarily trapped in our gravitational field,” Dr. Cappellutti said.
“Bringing them this close is a fascinating opportunity.”
“The asteroid, the size of a school bus, is too faint and small to be seen with the naked eye or with amateur telescopes, but its two-month stay around Earth has reinforced our intense interest in space rocks. It helps maintain.”
Two years ago, in what was called the first test of the planetary defense system, NASA crashed a spacecraft into the giant space rock Dimorphos, which could change direction if the asteroid was on a collision course with Earth. proved something.
Private companies also want to send spacecraft to asteroids in hopes of mining the precious metals they contain.
“Asteroids are classified based on their orbits and their contents,” said Dr. Bertrand Dano, also from the University of Miami.
“Some are made entirely of stone, while others contain high concentrations of rare metals, such as platinum and gold for electronics, nickel and cobalt for catalysts and fuel cell technology, and, of course, iron.”
“Mining asteroids is not far off. There are currently millions of asteroids in our solar system, about 2 million of which are larger than 1 km.”
“The resources it contains are a new dream for El Dorado, and there are several companies currently betting on it.”
“Recent missions to rendezvous with, orbit and land on asteroids have proven that space mining may be only a matter of time.”
“However, proceeding with asteroid mining will require huge investments, from the mining equipment that needs to operate in a vacuum to the technology needed to transport the extracted minerals to Earth.”
“And then there’s the spacecraft itself. A dedicated ship that would travel to an asteroid for the purpose of extracting minerals from the asteroid would probably be a robotic ship.”
“A trip to Mars would take about eight months under the best conditions. The space and equipment needed to support life would be put to good use as storage for backup equipment and resources.”
“Because it takes a lot of energy to leave Earth’s gravity, mining missions are better launched from space or from low-gravity bodies such as the Moon, Mars, or Titan, one of Saturn’s natural moons. Sho.”
“Returning to Earth is relatively easy, but dangerous for the material. It would be a shame if all the prizes disappeared. Refining will take place in space, and purified products can be shipped regularly. As far as I know, no one is thinking that far.”
“Yet, asteroid mining could have a 100-fold or more return.”
“Mining platinum or gold from an asteroid and returning it could make you a trillionaire overnight, potentially upending entire economies, trade and markets.”
“Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, ‘The first billionaire in history was the one who exploited the natural resources of asteroids.'”
Supermodel Elle Macpherson refuses chemotherapy to treat breast cancer
Australian Press Agency/Alamy
Half of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives, but how many of us can confidently reject mainstream medical advice after consulting dozens of doctors?
In a recent interview Australian Women's Weekly Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson revealed that she did just that, telling the magazine that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago but refused chemotherapy, opting for an “intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” to her treatment.
According to the magazine, MacPherson mulled over her decision for weeks after consulting with “32 doctors and specialists,” and finally, in February 2017, she decided to pursue non-pharmaceutical treatment under the guidance of her family doctor, who specializes in “integrative medicine.”
Fortunately, MacPherson is currently in clinical remission, or as she prefers to say, “perfect health.” It's futile to try to assess the risk of her decision to forego chemotherapy without knowing important details about the extent of her cancer, her coexisting risk factors, and the advice she received. For example, she underwent a partial mastectomy, her first surgery to remove a suspicious lump, but Some doctors said That might have been enough treatment.
Nevertheless, the story has sparked outrage online, galvanizing both the growing number of people who distrust “conventional medicine” and those who seek to defend it from growing attacks.
What's behind this distrust? Some researchers say the COVID-19 pandemic “Scientific skepticism” Heated debates are taking place around the world about the severity of the illness, the merits of lockdowns, and the safety of vaccines. More and moreUsed To hide their anti-scientific views, Conspiracy thinking.
For members of black and minority ethnic communities, Distrust of doctors The reluctance to seek cancer testing and treatment is also being driven by public health and medical institutions. Decades of failure Engaging with them and ensuring equal care in many countries.
In the UK in particular, confidence in the National Health Service's ability to treat cancer has declined. Has fallen in recent yearsand Reports Delaying the start of vital cancer treatment for months.
All of this means that if you're diagnosed with cancer today, your options may seem less clear than they once were. Add to that the typically grueling experience of chemotherapy, and it's no wonder that MacPherson's story of a “non-pharmaceutical” alternative therapy has garnered so much attention.
But it's worth keeping in mind that MacPherson doesn't accurately represent the vast majority of cancer patients. Estimated Net Worth With a net worth of $95 million, she can afford to seek multiple second opinions and even turn down chemotherapy. Her wealth acts as a safety net. Her “ingestible health” company WELCOand her historical romantic ties Disgraced anti-vaxxer Andrew Wakefield,she From 2018 to 2019McPherson's story gets even more complicated.
For most people, refusing medical care carries real risks. 2017 Study Cancer patients who choose alternative medicines as their primary treatment have been found to have a higher risk of dying within five years than those who choose conventional treatments.
Larger studies The following year, he published a study of nearly two million American cancer patients that found that use of complementary medicines was associated with refusal of conventional cancer treatment and a doubling of the risk of death within five years.
But for now, at least, the advice from organisations like Cancer Research UK is clear: there is no scientific or medical evidence that alternative therapies can cure cancer. At a time when distrust of medicine is widespread, Macpherson's account risks leading people down a dangerous path by trumpeting positive results without important context.
While anyone may be at risk for developing cancer, Macpherson, who was nicknamed “The Body” at the height of her modeling career, had enormous resources at her disposal and was always going to have a better chance than most of us of surviving cancer, regardless of her choices.
Around a fifth of Brits believe that extraterrestrials have visited Earth, and an estimated 7% think they have seen a UFO. In the US, the figures are even higher and rising: the number of people who believe that UFO sightings are likely evidence of extraterrestrial life has risen from 20% in 1996 to 34% in 2022. Around 24% of Americans say they have seen a UFO. New Paper of Proceedings of the International Astronomical UnionDr Tony Milligan of King’s College London argues that belief in alien visitors is no longer an eccentricity but a widespread societal problem.
The idea that aliens may have visited Earth is becoming more and more popular. Image by Fernando Ribas.
This belief has now grown to the point that politicians, at least in the United States, feel they must respond.
The Department of Defense’s alleged disclosure of information about UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) has attracted bipartisan attention across the country.
Many of them draw on familiar anti-elitist tropes that both parties are happy to employ, such as the idea that a cabal of military and private commercial interests is hiding the deeper truth about alien visitation.
The truth is thought to involve sightings, abductions, and the reverse engineering of alien technology.
People who believe in a cover-up are even more numerous than those who believe in alien visitations: A 2019 Gallup Poll found that a staggering 68% of Americans believe the U.S. government knows more about UFOs than it is releasing.
This political bias has been decades in the making: Jimmy Carter promised to release the documents during his 1976 presidential campaign, several years after his own UFO sightings were reported. As with many other sightings, the simplest explanation is that he saw Venus.
In a new study, paleontologists used synchrotron X-ray tomography of annual growth in dental cementum from fossil mammals belonging to three Jurassic animal groups to elucidate the origin of mammalian growth patterns that are intrinsically linked to mammals being warm-blooded.
“This is the first time we've been able to reconstruct the growth patterns of early mammals in such detail,” said Dr Elise Newnham, a postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Bonn.
“By studying the spacing and texture of these growth rings, we can not only tell us how fast they grew at different stages of their life, but also make inferences about their metabolism and overall lifespan.”
The study calls into question previous assumptions about the growth patterns of our mammalian ancestors and the idea that these animals may have grown in a way similar to modern mammals.
Instead, the study answers a question raised by similar recent studies of early mammalian ancestors: when did modern mammalian life cycles evolve?
The researchers found that the first signs of modern mammalian growth patterns — high growth rates in young animals that stop at puberty — began in the earliest true mammals about 130 million years ago, compared with relatively little change throughout their lives in previously evolved mammalian forms.
However, like mammals, these animals grow slower and live much longer than modern small mammals such as mice and mice, with a maximum lifespan of 8 to 14 years.
The timing of this change in growth rate, combined with changes in tree-ring structure, indicates when these animals reached puberty and possibly sexual maturity.
“These data suggest that while all living small mammals reach sexual maturity within a few months of birth, the earliest mammals took several years to reach sexual maturity, supporting the results of a recent study on one of our study animals. Cruxatodon” Dr Pam Gill, a researcher at the Natural History Museum and University of Bristol, said:
“What's more, we find that this long, drawn-out life history was common to early mammals throughout the Jurassic Period.”
“Our results suggest that distinctive mammalian life history traits, such as high metabolic rate and extended parental care, evolved gradually over millions of years,” Dr Newnham said.
“The Jurassic period appears to have been a pivotal period in this evolution.”
The researchers used a technique called synchrotron X-ray tomography to image tiny growth rings in fossilized root cementum, the bone tissue that attaches teeth to the jaw. These rings are similar to those found in trees, but on a microscopic scale.
By counting the growth rings and analysing their thickness and texture, they were able to reconstruct the growth patterns and lifespan of the extinct animals.
“This work is a great example of how new technologies are revolutionizing our understanding of the distant past,” said Professor Thomas Martin from the University of Bonn.
“By closely examining these fossilized teeth, we can gain valuable insight into the lives of organisms that lived millions of years ago.”
“We are incredibly excited to be involved in this project,” said researcher Dr Jen Bright, from the University of Hull.
“Putting Jurassic fossils in a particle accelerator (synchrotron) to reconstruct the past sounds like science fiction, but it's actually possible!”
Rats in John Cryan's lab were withdrawn and anxious, behaving in ways that mirrored those who had been bullied at work and suspected they might encounter the bully again.
Believe it or not, the good news is that they fed some of these rodents a slurry of microbes extracted from their own feces. This may sound unpleasant, but it had a surprisingly positive effect on their behavior. “That was surprising,” says Cryan, a neurobiologist at University College Cork in Ireland. “We found that the behavioral changes that were induced by stress were normalized, and they started to behave like normal animals.”
Even more surprising, the mental changes weren't brought about by changes to gut bacteria, but by modifying another key aspect of the microbiome whose importance is only now being recognized: viruses.
After all, our bodies are full of these viruses – trillions of stowaways that do no harm to our health, but instead play a key role in nurturing a beneficial microbiome and making us healthier. Recent studies have found that the influence of this “virome” can be found throughout the body, from the blood to the brain. The hope is that tweaking it might lead to new ways of treating a variety of ailments, from inflammatory bowel disease and obesity to anxiety.
Microbiome Diversity
Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in the microbiome (all the tiny organisms that live on and in our bodies), but that interest has focused primarily on bacteria. Until recently, it was assumed that…
The number of girls studying computing GCSEs in England has more than halved in less than a decade, leading to warnings about “male dominance in shaping the modern world”.
The sharp fall in female participation comes as government changes to qualifications see the old Information and Communications Technology (ICT) GCSE abolished and replaced with a new Computer Science GCSE.
Government reforms aimed to create “more academically challenging and knowledge-based” qualifications, but the introduction of the new curriculum had the unintended consequence of reducing female enrolments, new research from King’s College London has found.
In 2015, 43% of ICT GCSE candidates were women, but in 2023, just 21% of those taking GCSE Computer Science were women.
To put the figures in perspective, 40,000 girls took ICT GCSEs and a further 5,000 took Computer Science in 2015. By 2023, with ICT no longer available, just 18,600 girls will have taken Computer Science.
When asked why, girls who chose not to study computer science said they didn’t enjoy it and that it didn’t fit into their career plans, the survey found.
Critics of the old ICT qualification complained that they only taught students how to use Microsoft Office. In contrast, the new Computer Science GCSE, with its emphasis on computer theory, coding and programming, is perceived by many students as “harder” than other subjects.
The study recognised that computer science GCSEs are here to stay, with 88,000 students taking the subject in 2023, and a four-fold increase in the number of A-level candidates between 2013 and 2023.
“However, these successes coincide with a general decline in computer and digital skills education at secondary school level, particularly affecting girls, certain ethnic groups and students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds,” the report said.
The report included a series of recommendations calling for urgent curriculum reform, more support for computing teachers and “expanding the current narrative about computing to focus on more than just male tech entrepreneurs.”
“The lack of women in the computing industry could lead to increased vulnerability and male dominance in shaping the modern world,” the authors warned.
“There is an urgent need for action to encourage more girls to study computing at school so they can gain the digital skills they need to participate in and shape the world,” said Dr Peter Kemp, lead researcher on the study and senior lecturer in computing education at King’s College London.
“Current GCSEs focus on developing computer science and programming skills and this appears to be preventing young people, particularly girls, from taking up the subject. We need to ensure that computing is attractive to all pupils and meets the needs of young people and society.”
“All students should leave with the digital skills they need to succeed in the workplace and society,” says Pete Dolling, head of computing at Fulford School in York. “The curriculum needs to be reformed to include a comprehensive computing GCSE that provides essential skills and knowledge, going beyond just computer science.”
Maggie Philbin, OneThe technology broadcaster and director of TeenTech, which promotes digital skills, added: “At the moment many students consider the subject to be ‘difficult’ and will vote with their feet if they want to achieve the best results. It’s time to look at this subject with a fresh eye and work with teachers to design a curriculum that is more engaging and that teachers can be confident delivering.”
Meredith Whittaker practices what she preaches: As president of the Signal Foundation, she’s a vocal advocate for privacy for all. But she doesn’t just spout empty words.
In 2018, she came to the public’s attention as one of the organizers of the Google walkouts, mobilizing 20,000 employees at the search giant in a dual protest against state-sponsored surveillance and sexual misconduct misconduct.
Whitaker remains passionate about privacy after five years in the public eye, including as a congressional testifier, a university professor, and an adviser to federal agencies.
For example, it’s not uncommon for business leaders to politely respond when asked about salary on the resumes accompanying these interviews. Flat-out refusal to answer questions about age or family is less common. “As a privacy advocate, Whitaker won’t answer personal questions that could lead to guessing passwords or bank authentication ‘secret answers,'” a staffer told me after the interview. “And she encourages others to do the same!”
When she left Google, Whitaker issued a memo to the company announcing her commitment to the ethical adoption of artificial intelligence and to organizing for a “responsible tech industry.” “It’s clear to me that Google is not the place for me to continue doing this work,” she said. That clarity and refusal to compromise sent a signal.
The Signal Foundation was founded in 2017 with $50 million in funding from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, and its mission is to “protect freedom of expression and enable secure global communications through open source privacy technology.”
The company took over development of messaging app Signal in 2018, and Whitaker took on the newly created role of president in 2022. The timing was just right to start defending Signal, and encryption in general, against a wave of attacks from nation states and corporations around the world.
While laws such as the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) and the EU’s Child Sexual Abuse Regulation contain language that can be used to block or decrypt private communications, Meta’s proposal to introduce end-to-end encryption on Facebook and Instagram drew strong backlash from politicians such as Priti Patel, who, as UK Home Secretary, called the plans “devastating”.
Whitaker said these attacks are not new. Observer “Going back to 1976, [Whitfield] Diffie and [Martin] Hellman was about to publish a paper introducing public key cryptography, a technology that would allow encrypted communication over the Internet, and intelligence agencies were trying to stop him.
“Throughout the ’80s, the N.S.A. [US National Security Agency] So GCHQ lost its monopoly on encryption and by the ’90s it was all governed under military treaties. This was the ‘code wars’. You couldn’t mail code to someone in Europe, it was considered a munitions export.”
But the larger push towards commercializing the internet forced a degree of softening: “It allowed transactions to be encrypted, allowing big companies to choose exactly what to encrypt. At the same time, the Clinton administration endorsed surveillance advertising as a business model, creating incentives to collect data on customers in order to sell it to them.”
Surveillance, she says, has been a “disease” since the dawn of the internet, and encryption poses “a serious threat to the type of power that shapes itself through these information asymmetries.” In other words, she doesn’t see the fight ending anytime soon: “I don’t think these arguments are honest. There are deeper tensions here, because in the 20 years since this metastatic tech industry developed, we’ve seen every aspect of our lives subject to mass surveillance by a small number of companies that, in partnership with the US government and other ‘Five Eyes’ agencies, collect more surveillance data than any organization in the history of humanity has ever had.”
“So if we continue to defend these little pockets of privacy and don’t eventually expand them, and we have to fight back a little bit to get a little bit more space, I think we’re going to have a much darker future than if we defended our position and were able to expand the space for privacy and free communication.”
Criticisms of encrypted communications are as old as the technology itself: allowing everyone to talk without nation states being able to eavesdrop on the conversation is a godsend for criminals, terrorists, and pedophiles around the world.
But Whittaker argues that some of Signal’s strongest critics seem inconsistent about what they care about: “If they are really interested in helping children, why are Britain’s schools collapsing? Why have social services been funded with just 7% of the amount proposed to fully fund agencies on the front line of preventing abuse?”
Sometimes the criticism is unexpected. Signal was recently drawn into the US culture wars after a right-wing campaign to unseat National Public Radio’s new CEO, Katherine Maher, was expanded to include Signal, where Maher serves as a director, after failing. Elon Musk joined in, and the Signal app… He once promoted it In response to claims that the app was “potentially compromised,” the company noted that the app had “known vulnerabilities.”
Whitaker said the allegations are “a weapon in the propaganda war to spread disinformation. We are seeing similar disinformation related to the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine that appears to be designed to move people away from Signal. We believe these campaigns are designed to direct people to less secure alternatives that are more susceptible to hacking and interception.”
The same technology that has drawn criticism for the foundation is also popular among governments and militaries around the world who need to protect their communications from the prying eyes of nation-state hackers and others.
Whittaker sees this as a leveller: Signal is for everyone.
“Signal is either for everyone or it’s for no one. Every military in the world uses Signal, every politician I know uses Signal, every CEO I know uses Signal, because anybody who has to do really sensitive communication knows that storing it in plaintext in a Meta database or on a Google server is not a good practice.”
Whittaker’s vision is singular and not one to be distracted: Despite her interest in AI, she is cautious about combining it with Signal and has been critical of apps like Meta’s WhatsApp that have introduced AI-enabled features.
“I’m really proud that we don’t have an AI strategy. We have to look at ourselves and say, where is the data coming from to train our models, where is the input data coming from? How do we have an AI strategy when our focus is on protecting privacy, not surveilling people?”
Whatever the future holds in terms of technology and political attitudes towards privacy, Whittaker is adamant that the principle is an existential issue.
“We will do the right thing. We would rather go bankrupt to stay in business than undermine or backdoor the privacy guarantees that we promise people.”
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Year No Comment. family No Comment. education I studied Literature and Rhetoric at Berkeley, then joined Google in 2006 and learned the rest of my education there. pay No Comment.
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