NASA’s SPHEREx mission reveals that interstellar object 3I/ATLAS dramatically transformed into an active comet following its close approach to the Sun.
SPHEREx imaging of 3I/ATLAS taken from December 8th to 15th, 2025. Image credit: NASA / arXiv: 2601.06759.
SPHEREx monitored 3I/ATLAS from December 8 to 15, 2025, shortly after its perihelion, the closest approach to the Sun.
“In December 2025, SPHEREx reobserved 3I/ATLAS post-perihelion and found it to be far more active than previously observed. August 2025 SPHEREx pre-perihelion observations show significant evidence that it has completely sublimated its ice, transforming into a comet,” explained astronomer Carrie Risse from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
New SPHEREx data indicates a gas- and dust-rich coma, revealing emissions of cyanide (CN), water (H2O), organic compounds (CH), carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO).
“The emergence of cyanide and organic matter indicates their presence in the aqueous phase,” said Avi Loeb, a Harvard University professor not involved in this study.
Researchers noted a sharp increase in water activity, accompanied by a significant surge in carbon monoxide emissions.
“The H2O gas signature, previously nearly undetectable in August, is now 20 times stronger, indicating complete sublimation of water,” added the researchers.
“CO emission rates have increased by 20 times, as the CO/CO2 ratio has risen 15-fold as well.”
SPHEREx images further demonstrate that the object’s gaseous envelope has expanded significantly.
“The gas comas observed by SPHEREx are distinctly resolved, extending from 1 foot to 3 feet in radius; all but the CN and CH organic comas appear round relative to the Sun and orbital velocity,” scientists noted.
“In contrast, the dust and organic matter images in the SPHEREx continuum exhibit a pear-shaped morphology, with the ‘pear stalk’ directed toward the Sun.”
“These varying shapes suggest that CN and CH are sourced from dust, while H2O, CO2, and CO gases are distributed symmetrically around the atomic nucleus.”
“No visible jets or anti-solar tail structures were detected.”
SPHEREx’s observations indicate fundamental changes in the physical state of 3I/ATLAS.
“December 2025’s observations align with a comet that is fully active and sublimating water ice,” the authors concluded.
The composition now resembles that of typical Solar System comets, with ice content comparable to most comets.
Researchers attribute these changes to the object’s trajectory through the inner solar system.
“By December, 3I/ATLAS had spent 3.5 months within the solar system’s ice line, causing all comet components and volatile CO2 ice to become active,” they stated.
“Consequently, the bulk material of the cometary matrix evaporated, releasing its contents.”
“Further observations are anticipated before 3I/ATLAS passes through SPHEREx’s investigation pattern again in April 2026,” they concluded.
For more information, refer to their paper, submitted for publication in AAS Research Notes.
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CM Lisse et al. 2026. SPHEREx reobservations of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS in December 2025: increased post-perihelion activity, detection of coma dust, and new gaseous emissions. RNAAS submitted for publication. arXiv: 2601.06759
The Woolly Rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is a fascinating cold-adapted herbivore that went extinct approximately 14,000 years ago. Despite its extinction, little is understood about the factors leading to its population decline. A recent study by scientists from the Center for Paleogenetics and Stockholm University successfully generated a high-coverage genome from one of the last known woolly rhinoceros specimens, recovered from the stomach of a frozen wolf pup in Siberian permafrost. This genomic analysis, when combined with data from two other late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceroses, reveals that the population was stable, lacking any genomic evidence of rapid declines before extinction—contrasting sharply with other endangered and extinct species.
This depiction of a Pleistocene landscape in northern Spain features woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius), equids, woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis), and the European cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea) alongside reindeer carcasses. Image credit: Mauricio Anton.
The woolly rhino, a cold-adapted herbivore, first appeared around 350,000 years ago and thrived across northern Eurasia until its extinction roughly 14,000 years ago.
Its habitat began to contract eastward approximately 35,000 years ago, likely due to adverse environmental conditions in Western Europe.
This species persisted in northeastern Siberia and showcased complex range shifts in response to changing environments until disappearing from the fossil record.
Earlier genomic studies have shown no signs of recent inbreeding in individuals dating back 18,400 and 48,500 years; however, this is the first time an entire genome has been successfully recovered from a specimen so close to the extinction timeline.
“Recovering genomes from individuals that lived just before extinction is challenging but crucial for understanding a species’ decline, which can inform current conservation efforts for endangered species,” stated Dr. Camilo Chacon-Duque, the lead author of the study.
The newly sequenced woolly rhinoceros genome was sourced from muscle tissue found within a permafrost-preserved wolf pup recovered from northeastern Siberia.
Radiocarbon dating indicates that both the wolf and the tissue are about 14,400 years old, making it one of the youngest known woolly rhino remains.
“Sequencing the entire genome of an Ice Age animal found in another animal’s stomach is unprecedented,” Dr. Chacon-Duque commented.
By comparing this genome with two previously published late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros genomes, researchers assessed genome-wide diversity, inbreeding, genetic load, and population size changes before extinction.
Results indicated a lack of long homozygous segments typically seen in populations experiencing recent inbreeding, suggesting stability in population size just centuries before extinction.
“DNA extraction from such a rare sample was both thrilling and immensely challenging,” said Solveig Gjonsdottir, the lead study author.
Researchers also mapped changes in effective population size and found no decline at the beginning of the Inter-Bolling-Allerod warm period, starting around 14,700 years ago.
The data imply that woolly rhinoceros extinction likely happened rapidly during this climate change period, or over a timeframe that left no detectable genomic evidence.
“Our analysis reveals an unexpectedly stable genetic pattern, showcasing unaltered inbreeding levels over tens of thousands of years prior to the woolly rhino’s extinction,” said co-author Dr. Edana Lord.
“Our findings indicate that woolly rhinos maintained viable populations for 15,000 years following the arrival of the first humans in northeastern Siberia. This suggests that climate warming, rather than human hunting, was the primary driver of their extinction,” co-author Professor Rab Dalen concluded.
For further details, refer to the study results published in Genome Biology and Evolution.
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Solveig M. Gudjonsdottir et al. 2026. Genome reveals no recent inbreeding in endangered woolly rhinoceros sample found in ancient wolf stomach. Genome Biology and Evolution 18 (1): evaf239; doi: 10.1093/gbe/evaf239
Unexplained radiation surrounding the Milky Way may hint at dark matter’s composition
Trif/Shutterstock
A mysterious glow detected in the outer regions of the Milky Way may provide the first clues about the nature of dark matter, yet astronomers caution that it’s premature to draw any definitive conclusions.
Dark matter is theorized to account for 85% of the universe’s total mass, but scientists have struggled to identify the particles constituting it.
Among the potential candidates for dark matter are weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). These elusive particles are notoriously hard to detect as they seldom interact with normal matter but are believed to occasionally self-annihilate, creating bursts of high-energy radiation in the form of gamma rays.
If dark matter is uniformly distributed across the galaxy as indicated by its gravitational effects, and if it consists of WIMPs, we should observe gamma rays as these particles self-annihilate. For over a decade, astronomers have been investigating whether the anomalously high gamma-ray emissions from the galactic center could signal this phenomenon, yet conclusive evidence remains elusive.
Now, Tomonori Toya, a professor at the University of Tokyo, claims he may have detected such a signal emanating from the Milky Way’s outer halo, utilizing 15 years’ worth of observations from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
Toya devised a model predicting the expected gamma-ray radiation in this region based on established sources like stars, cosmic rays, and vast bubbles of radiation identified above and below the Milky Way. Upon subtracting this known radiation from the total observed by Fermi, he found a residual gamma-ray glow with an energy level around 20 gigaelectronvolts.
This specific gamma-ray energy strongly aligns with the theoretically anticipated emissions from WIMPs’ self-annihilation, according to Toya. Although he admits it is too early to assert that these gamma-ray spikes are definitively due to dark matter, he describes the findings as “the most promising candidate for radiation from dark matter known to date.”
“Though the research began with the aim of identifying dark matter signals, I initially felt skeptical—like winning the lottery. When I first observed what seemed to be a signal, I approached it with caution,” says Totoni. “However, after thoroughly checking everything and confirming its accuracy, I was filled with excitement.”
“This represents a significant result worthy of further investigation, but firm conclusions cannot be drawn at this stage,” states Francesca Karoly from the French National Center for Scientific Research in Annecy. Accurately modeling all gamma-ray sources in the Milky Way, aside from dark matter, is quite complex, and Totoni has yet to deeply validate her models.
Silvia Manconi of France’s Sorbonne University asserts that the results need additional scrutiny, and more robust models are essential to establish whether the signals are genuine. Additionally, gamma-ray signals from other sources, like dwarf galaxies, are still unobserved and require thorough explanation, she mentions.
Many alternative radiation sources, including radio waves and neutrinos, will also need analysis to ensure the gamma rays aren’t being attributed to something else, says Anthony Brown from Durham University, UK. “Analyzing from just one perspective isn’t sufficient,” he states. “Dark matter necessitates an abundance of high-quality data.”
CERN and Mont Blanc: Exploring dark matter and frozen phenomena in Switzerland and France
Get ready to experience the wonders of CERN, the European center for particle physics, situated near the picturesque city of Geneva, where scientists operate the renowned Large Hadron Collider.
Artist’s Impression of Population III Stars in the Early Universe
Noir Lab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Space Engine/M. Zamani
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) offers astronomers a unique opportunity to explore distant galaxies that exist far beyond the early Universe. Some of these galaxies exhibit chemical signatures that may suggest the presence of exotic supermassive stars, possibly weighing up to 10,000 times that of our Sun.
These enormous stars are puzzling, as our current understanding suggests that stars in the nearby universe generally have a maximum size limit. “Our models for galaxy evolution are predicated on the assumption that stars cannot exceed around 120 solar masses,” explains Devesh Nandal at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Massachusetts. “While we had theorized about stars potentially larger than this, there were no observational data to validate it.”
That all changed recently. Nandal and his team analyzed JWST observations of a distant galaxy dubbed GS 3073, discovering its chemical signature contained an unexpectedly high concentration of nitrogen. Though elevated nitrogen levels have also been noted in several other remote galaxies,
For most galaxies, nitrogen concentrations aren’t high enough to cause ambiguity and can be attributed to certain classes of relatively ordinary stars or other cosmic phenomena. However, this isn’t the case for GS 3073, as Nandal asserts that the nitrogen levels are simply too elevated.
There exists a hypothetical category of protostar referred to as a Population III star, which models indicate can grow to considerable sizes. Simulations suggest that if these stars form, they would produce significantly more nitrogen than typical stars. Nandal and his co-researchers concluded that only a handful of Population III stars—ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 solar masses—could account for the excess nitrogen observed in GS 3073. “Our research provides the most compelling evidence yet for the existence of Population III supermassive stars in the early universe,” he declares.
However, some scholars challenge whether only supermassive Population III stars can account for this data, or if they do so accurately. “Population III should be linked with an environment where elements heavier than helium are scarce,” notes Roberto Maiorino of Cambridge University. “Conversely, GS 3073 is a fairly chemically mature galaxy, which makes it seem ill-suited for the types of environments typically associated with Population III.”
On the other hand, John Regan from Maynooth University in Ireland suggests that this may simply be an unusual galaxy. “When we look back at the early universe, what we see are incredibly strange, exotic galaxies. It’s challenging to assert that we shouldn’t expect the formation of supermassive stars simply because it’s peculiar; you just claimed these galaxies are quite bizarre,” he states.
If these colossal stars truly exist, they may unlock mysteries related to the formation of supermassive black holes in the universe’s distant past. Should they originate from supermassive stars instead of conventional stars, we could gain critical insights into how these black holes achieved their immense sizes in what appears to be a relatively brief time frame.
Confirming the existence of supermassive stars in GS 3073 and other nitrogen-rich galaxies from the early Universe is complex, and additional discoveries of these chemical signatures may be necessary. “It’s quite challenging to bolster the argument for their existence; establishing definitive signatures is difficult,” Regan lamented. “Nonetheless, this indication is incredibly robust.”
A significant internet disruption has impacted numerous websites and applications globally, with users experiencing difficulties connecting to the internet due to issues with Amazon’s cloud computing service.
The affected services include Snapchat, Roblox, Signal, and Duolingo, along with various Amazon-owned enterprises, including major retail platforms and the Ring doorbell company.
In the UK, Lloyds Bank and its associated brands, Halifax Bank and Bank of Scotland, were impacted, with HM Revenue & Customs also facing challenges accessing their website on Monday morning. Additionally, Ring users in the UK reported non-functioning doorbells on social media.
In the UK alone, there were tens of thousands of reports concerning issues with individual applications across various platforms. Other affected services include Wordle, Coinbase, Slack, Pokémon Go, Epic Games, PlayStation Network, and Peloton.
By 10:30am UK time, Amazon indicated that the issues, which began around 8am, were being addressed, as AWS showed “significant signs of recovery.” At 11 a.m., they confirmed that global services linked to US-EAST-1 had also been restored.
Amazon reported that the problems originated from Amazon Web Services on the East Coast of the U.S. AWS, which is a division providing essential web infrastructure and renting out server space, is the largest cloud computing platform worldwide.
Shortly after midnight (8am BST) in the U.S., Amazon acknowledged “increased error rates and latencies” for its AWS services in the East Coast region. This issue seems to have caused a worldwide ripple effect, as the Downdetector site logged problems from multiple continents.
Cisco’s Thousand Eyes service track internet outages reported a surge in problems on Monday morning, particularly in Virginia, where Amazon’s US-East-1 region is based, noting that AWS confirmed the start of the issues.
Leif Pilling, director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Sophos, stated that the outage seems to be an IT-related issue rather than a cyberattack. The AWS Online Health Dashboard identified problems with DynamoDB, a database system facilitating data access for websites.
“During events like this, it’s natural for concerns of a cyber incident to arise,” he noted. “Given AWS’s extensive and complex footprint, any issue can trigger considerable disruption. It appears that this incident originates from an IT problem on the database side, which AWS prioritizes resolving promptly.”
Dr. Colin Cass Speth, head of digital at human rights organization Article 19, pointed out that the outage underscores the risks of concentrating digital infrastructure in the hands of a few providers.
“There is an urgent need to diversify cloud computing. The infrastructure supporting democratic discourse, independent journalism, and secure communication should not rely solely on a handful of companies,” she stated.
The British government reported that it was in touch with Amazon concerning the internet disruption on Monday.
A spokesperson remarked: “We are aware of an incident affecting Amazon Web Services and several online services dependent on its infrastructure. Through our established incident response structure, we are in communication and working to restore services as quickly as possible.”
WMaheen was thrilled to discover a new Dyson Airwrap listed on the resale website Vinted for an attractive £260. The seller had a stellar 5-star rating, and she felt confident in the buyer protection policy should any issues arise.
Airwraps are typically priced between £400 and £480 when bought new, but Maheen didn’t suspect anything amiss. “I’ve used Vinted numerous times and found it straightforward and hassle-free. I’ve never faced any problems,” she states.
However, after two weeks and roughly four uses, she noticed a troubling sign. “I saw the wires beginning to smoke, and the device felt unsafe,” she explains. Maheen reached out to Dyson and was instructed to send the Airwrap in for inspection.
The news confirmed her worst fears. “I received a letter from [Dyson] informing me that the product is counterfeit. They wouldn’t return it to me as it posed a danger,” she shares.
Maheen’s experience is not isolated. Almost 37% of individuals in the UK have encountered scams while engaging in online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Vinted, according to research by credit reference agency Experian.
Younger individuals are particularly prone to this type of fraud, with over half (58%) of Gen Z respondents indicating they have fallen victim to scams, contrasted with only 16% of those older than 55.
Nearly a quarter of victims reported losses ranging from £51 to £100, while 13% faced losses exceeding £250. A small fraction indicated that their losses fell between £501 and £1,000.
The most prevalent type of fraud encountered was receiving counterfeit goods (34%), the same fate that befell Maheen. This was followed by sellers requesting payment outside the platform (31%) and items not being delivered after payment (22%).
Scam Scene
It may appear to be a genuine product, with descriptions providing a convincing facade. Over half (51%) of fraud victims told Experian that they only realized they were scammed after the item was delivered and was found to be fake, or if the item never arrived.
The images might be sourced from other websites, potentially low-resolution or resembling catalog photos.
The price could be set lower than expected; if you begin asking questions, the seller may rush you into making a purchase and propose payment outside of the Vinted platform.
What to Do
Always diligently review the seller’s profile and read customer feedback before making any purchases on the marketplace. Aim to gather as much information as possible regarding the product prior to buying. For instance, request sellers to provide videos of their items. To safeguard yourself, utilize secure payment methods and refrain from making bank transfers.
In the unfortunate event of a scam, report it to the marketplace and seek a refund. You may need to provide a screenshot of the conversation, details about the seller or buyer, and potentially bank transfer documentation.
Although Maheen’s two-day buyer protection period on Vinted had elapsed, she believed she would reclaim her money since the item was hazardous. Nevertheless, she found it “incredibly difficult to communicate with them.”
She remarks: “It felt like I was conversing with a bot.”
With assistance from Guardian Money, she has now received her refund.
A representative from Vinted stated: “The vast majority of transactions on Vinted are successful, and our team is actively working to ensure a smooth trading experience for all members.”
“When disputes occur between buyers and sellers, we collaborate closely with our shipping partners, occasionally seeking further information or evidence to mediate before reaching a final decision.”
If appealing directly to the marketplace is unsuccessful, there are alternative steps you can take.
If you used a debit card, consider requesting a chargeback from your bank. If you paid via credit card, explore the option of a Section 75 charge, which is only applicable for purchases exceeding £100. For bank transfers, the process may be more complex, but you could be eligible for a refund using a new method. Fraud Refund Protection.
On Thursday, Donald Trump signed an executive order outlining the terms for the transaction that will transfer ownership of TikTok to US-based owners.
Trump announced that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had reached a consensus to dissociate the popular social media platform from Chinese ownership, allowing TikTok to continue its operations in the US. He stated that the deal aligns with existing laws that mandate the closure of apps targeting American users unless they are sold to US entities.
“I spoke with President Xi, and he said, ‘Please proceed with that,'” Trump mentioned at a press briefing. “This will always be manipulated in America.”
Under this new arrangement, American investors are expected to acquire the majority of TikTok’s business and will manage the licensed versions of the app’s robust recommendation algorithms. It is anticipated that US entities will hold around 80% of the new spinoff company, with ByteDance and Chinese investors retaining less than 20%. The White House stated that the revamped TikTok will be governed by a seven-member board, composed mainly of American cybersecurity and national security specialists.
JD Vance reported that the new US entity is projected to be valued at $14 billion. He also indicated at the press conference that its estimated valuation is approximately $330 billion, in contrast to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which is estimated at $1.8 trillion.
Leading the group of American TikTok investors is Oracle, a US software giant, which will manage TikTok’s US functions, provide cloud computing for user data storage, and oversee app algorithm licenses. According to White House officials, ByteDance and Chinese authorities will not have access to US user data.
In addition to Oracle and its co-founder Larry Ellison, Trump mentioned that notable investors include media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and the CEO of Dell Technologies. “Great investors. The biggest. They’re not going to get bigger,” Trump stated. Vance noted that details regarding the transaction participants will be disclosed in the upcoming days.
When asked if TikTok would prioritize MAGA-oriented content, Trump responded, “I’ve always liked MAGA-related content, and I could be 100% MAGA-related if feasible,” but emphasized that the app would still promote a diverse range of content, affirming, “All groups will be treated fairly.”
This agreement has been under legal scrutiny for several months and represents a significant shift in the US social media landscape, giving domestic companies increased influence in the industry. TikTok currently has about 180 million users in the United States, and Trump believes it will aid his bid for the 2024 presidential election. This move is part of Trump’s administration’s broader strategy to gain leverage in the tech sector, having recently acquired a 10% stake in chip manufacturer Intel, prompting major companies like Apple and Nvidia to invest significantly domestically.
Trump had previously mentioned that the US government would receive favorable fees from US investors in negotiating deals with China. Last week, he stated: “The US is getting a very paid plus – I call it a paid – just to make a deal.”
However, when pressed on this matter, the president simply stated that the US would collect standard taxes from the new company, adding, “We’re going to make money; we’re going to earn a lot from taxes.”
TikTok has faced bipartisan opposition from lawmakers concerning data privacy and allegations of using the app to spread propaganda or undermine American democracy. Although TikTok has consistently denied these accusations, Congress overwhelmingly voted last year to compel the company to find a US buyer or face a domestic ban.
In January, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order delaying the prohibition and subsequently postponed its enforcement. The “TikTok savings” Presidential order Trump signed on Thursday asserted that the agreement conformed to laws established by Congress and represented a “qualified sale” that addressed national security concerns. The agreement is not expected to be finalized for another 120 days.
At the press conference, Trump mentioned that “young people” were rooting for him to “save TikTok.” He believes he was inspired by Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who recently encouraged him to engage with social media platforms.
“Charlie was very helpful to me. He said, ‘We should go to TikTok,'” Trump recounted.
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent announced that the US and China had established a trading framework following extensive discussions in Madrid, pivoting on TikTok’s future. China’s chief trade negotiator, Li Chengang, later confirmed the agreement and cautioned against US attempts to “control” Chinese firms.
Trump also alluded to the deal last week but refrained from divulging specific details.
“We’ve also reached agreements concerning “specific” companies that the youth in our nation are eager to see preserved. They will be quite pleased!” he posted on Truth Social.
The unusual “leopard spot” markings on Mars’ rocks might finally indicate that alien microbes could have existed on the Red Planet.
A comprehensive analysis of these rocks has shown that the intricate patterns are “the clearest signs ever found on Mars,” as stated by Sean Duffy, a NASA representative.
These rocks, estimated to be about 3.5 billion years old, were discovered in July 2024 by NASA’s Perseverance rover. Since then, planetary scientists have been exploring various hypotheses to explain these markings.
Recent information from a Nature paper suggests that while the patterns may have a geological origin, the prevailing theory now points toward ancient Martian microbes as the likely culprits.
Perseverance collected rock samples, hoping to yield a more definitive answer. If all goes well, these samples will eventually return to Earth for a thorough examination of potential signs of past life.
Leopard Spots on Bright Angel
Currently, Mars is a barren, lifeless world, but this hasn’t always been the case. Until around 3 billion years ago, Mars’ surface was rich with flowing rivers and expansive lakes.
Wherever there is water on Earth, signs of life typically follow. For two decades, NASA’s rovers have been scouring Mars for evidence suggesting that the Red Planet could have once supported life.
The Perseverance rover is exploring a site known as Jezero Crater, which was a lake in Mars’ ancient history. Similar environments on Earth often serve as habitats for microorganisms.
Within rock formations referred to as the Bright Angel formation, Perseverance uncovered stunning patterns resembling leopard spots.
“We conducted extensive observations of the entire rock formation at Bright Angel,” said Professor Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University in the US, in an interview with BBC Science Focus.
While Perseverance’s cameras captured detailed images of the patterns, a spectrometer analyzed the mineral composition. The rover even utilized radar to map the structure of the subsurface outcrop.
“Essentially, we used every tool available on these rocks except for the kitchen sink,” Hurowitz remarked.
The analysis indicated that the patterns were formed by iron-rich minerals called vivianite and greygite. On Earth, these minerals typically arise from “redox reactions,” a process in which microorganisms exchange electrons with their environment.
“On Earth, these reactions are often facilitated by microorganisms residing in sediments, which derive energy from them for metabolic activity,” Hurowitz explained. The residuals from these processes create distinctive patterns in sedimentary rocks.
However, this doesn’t mean we should rush to celebrate the discovery of alien life just yet. There are other mechanisms that could account for the leopard spot patterns without any biological influence.
For instance, heat could have driven reactions between mud and organic matter, resulting in new minerals.
Yet, the research team did not find evidence indicating that the rocks were subjected to heat. Additionally, other methods they investigated also did not seem viable. Nonetheless, Hurowitz cautioned, “We cannot dismiss these entirely.”
One of the most surprising findings is the relatively young age of these rocks. At only 3.5 billion years old, the patterns formed while Mars was already entering a phase of decline, suggesting that the planet may have been habitable for much longer than previously assumed.
Unfortunately, Perseverance has an entire planet to explore and we continue our quest to find life beyond Earth.
Perseverance drilling and photographing rock samples – Credit: NASA/JPL -CALTECH/MSSS
“If I could revisit Jezero in the future, I would have follow-up questions that I would like to address using the rover’s instruments,” Hurowitz remarked.
“However, these follow-up analyses may not necessarily provide a more conclusive answer regarding whether these features were shaped by life.”
“Ultimately, determining whether life was involved will necessitate laboratory analysis back on Earth.”
Bringing Mars to Earth
Fortunately, Perseverance is part of the initial phase of Mars’ sample return mission. Not only is it studying the rocks on Mars, but it’s also preparing to bring samples back to Earth.
Before departing from Bright Angel, the rover collected and stored samples from the rocks along with numerous similar fragments obtained during its mission on Mars.
NASA aims to collaborate with the European Space Agency on follow-up missions to retrieve these samples and return them to Earth where they can be analyzed in top-tier laboratories.
After 3.5 billion years, finding definitive evidence is challenging. Instead, researchers will seek additional signs that microbes may have left behind.
“The first logical step is to analyze the isotopic composition of iron, sulfur, and carbon in the various mineral and organic components of the rock,” Hurowitz stated.
Isotopes can be thought of as different variants of the same element. Microorganisms tend to retain particular isotopes more than their non-biological counterparts, enabling researchers to narrow down their search for evidence of life.
“These variations in isotopic composition are essential tools for investigating biological signals in ancient rocks on Earth, and we aim to apply similar methods to this Martian sample,” Hurowitz noted.
The return mission is tentatively scheduled for the 2030s, although there is a risk of cancellation due to cuts to NASA’s planetary exploration budget during the Trump administration.
“NASA is examining strategies for retrieving these samples and others,” a NASA spokesperson told BBC Science Focus. “Having explored Mars for 60 years, we will continue to look into budgetary and timing considerations for a quick and cost-effective return of these samples.”
“We hope these findings will further motivate the sample return mission,” Hurowitz added. “This will allow us to scrutinize the sample with the detail necessary to determine its historical record of life on Mars.”
“If it’s indeed life, that would suggest our planet is not the only one where life has evolved,” Frowitz concluded. “If life originated twice, how many other places might it have occurred?”
About Our Experts
Joel Hurowitz is an associate professor in the Department of Geoscience at Stony Brook University in New York, USA. He investigates the early history of Mars through measurements taken from planetary studies and Earth’s similar topographies.
Paleontologists at the National Museum d’Historel in Tel Aviv University and Delige University, France, have reported a fascinating discovery involving a combination of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens skeletal features in a 5-year-old child found in 1931 at Skhūl Cave, located on Mount Carmel, Israel.
A group of Neanderthals in a cave. Image credit: Tyler B. Tretsven.
Mugarat Es Skhūl (Skhūl Cave) was uncovered in 1928 by Theodore McConne and Dorothy Garrod on Mount Carmel, Israel.
The excavation revealed skeletal remains of seven adults and three children, alongside isolated bones linked to 16 additional individuals associated with the Fauna and Musteria tool industry.
The fossils belong to Homo sapiens, or “anatomically modern humans,” dating back approximately 140,000 years to the end of the Mid Pleistocene.
The initial discoveries in the cave were of children aged three to five years.
A recent study led by Professor Israel Hirschkowitz of Tel Aviv University indicates that the child’s skull resembles the overall shape of Homo sapiens, particularly in the skull vault, with inner ear structures characteristic of the intracranial blood supply system and features of the mandible akin to Neanderthals.
“This finding highlights the earliest known human fossils exhibiting morphological traits from both of these groups,” he stated.
“This study indicates that the skeleton of the five-year-old child is a result of ongoing genetic intermingling with the local Neanderthal and Homo sapiens populations,” he added.
“Genetic research over the last decade has demonstrated that these two groups exchanged genes,” remarked Professor Hirschkowitz.
“Even today, 40,000 years after the last Neanderthals vanished, 2-6% of our genomes can be traced back to Neanderthals,” he continued.
“However, these gene exchanges occurred much later, between 60,000-40,000 years ago. In this case, we are addressing human fossils from 140,000 years ago.”
Traditionally, Neanderthals were thought to have evolved in Europe and migrated to Israeli territories approximately 70,000 years ago due to advancing glaciers.
A 2021 study revealed that early Neanderthals inhabited Israeli lands around 400,000 years ago.
This type of human is referred to as “Nescher Ramra.” Homo might have interbred with Homo sapiens, a group that began migrating out of Africa around 200,000 years ago – and according to findings from the current study, they did breed.
The children from Skhūl Cave represent the earliest fossil evidence of the social and biological bonds formed between these two groups over thousands of years.
Ultimately, local Neanderthals dwindled as they were absorbed into the Homo sapiens population, similar to Neanderthals in later Europe.
“The fossils we researched are the earliest known tangible proof of mating between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens,” Professor Hirschkowitz commented.
“In 1998, child skeletons were unearthed in Portugal, displaying features from both human groups.”
“However, that skeleton, known as the ‘Lapedo Valley Child,’ dates back just 28,000 years.”
Historically, anthropologists have attributed the fossils found in Skhūl Cave, alongside those from the Caffze cave near Nazareth, to early groups of Homo sapiens.
“Current research reveals that some fossils from the Skhūl cave are indeed the product of continuous genetic intermingling with local and ancient Neanderthal populations of Homo sapiens,” he concluded.
Survey results were published in the journal on June 14th, l’anthropologie.
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Bastien Bouvier et al. 2025. New analysis of Skhūl child’s neurological and mandible: taxonomic conclusions and cultural implications. l’anthropologie 129(3): 103385; doi: 10.1016/j.anthro.2025.103385
As she crossed into Austria, Andrea Fisher, the assistant director of the multidisciplinary mountain research institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, remarked that such popular movements are growing increasingly vigorous and frequent.
“Within the next five years, a third of Austria’s glaciers will vanish,” Fischer announced, standing at the remnants of the Stub Glacier, located approximately 72 miles northeast of Mortersch. Stub, one of Austria’s most frequented ski destinations, is projected to completely disappear by 2033.
“The demise of the alpine glaciers is drawing near. We are witnessing it firsthand. This isn’t a model on a computer; it’s a stark reality,” Fisher stated as she maneuvered the muddy truck to the precipice of the ice.
Andrea Fisher. Sean Keene / NBC News
As global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions falter, temperatures worldwide continue to increase. According to NASA, last year marked the hottest on record. The United States’ exit from the Paris Climate Agreement has critically weakened global climate initiatives, complicating the already challenging objective of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (approximately 3 degrees Fahrenheit).
Europe exhibits the fastest temperature growth on the planet, with Austrian temperatures rising by 3.1 degrees Celsius since 1900—more than double the global average. Fisher emphasized the importance of glacier studies to forecast future climate trends.
“Glaciers serve as archives of climate history,” she explained. They contain records of precipitation and atmospheric patterns spanning centuries. “I’m diligently searching for all the cold ice that preserves this crucial information before it disappears,” she concluded.
The Pilbara Craton in Western Australia features rocks that date back 3.5 billion years.
Elizabeth Czitronyi / Alamy
Rocks from Australia reveal that tectonic plates were shifting as far back as 3.5 billion years ago, a breakthrough that alters our understanding of the onset of plate tectonics over subsequent hundreds of millions of years.
Currently, along with roughly eight major hard rock plates on Earth’s surface, several smaller plates are interacting with the softer rock layer beneath. When these plates’ edges grind against one another, it can lead to sudden geological upheavals, such as earthquakes, and gradual processes like mountain range formation.
However, there is disagreement among geologists regarding the configurations of these ancient plates and their movements. Some researchers claim to have found indications of tectonic activity as far back as 4 billion years ago when the planet was significantly hotter; others argue that more compelling evidence is noted after 3.2 billion years ago.
Much of this data derives from the chemical compositions of rocks, which suggest past movements. Despite this, records detailing the interactions of early plates remain scarce, which is regarded as critical evidence supporting plate tectonics.
Recently, Alec Brenner and his team from Yale University claim to have uncovered substantial evidence of relative plate movement dating back 3.5 billion years in the eastern Pilbara Craton of Western Australia. They traced the magnetic orientation of rocks aligned with Earth’s magnetic field, observing shifts similar to how a compass needle changes direction when the ground moves.
Brenner and colleagues initially dated the rock using radioisotope analysis, establishing that at certain times, the rock’s magnetism remained unchanged. By observing this magnetization shift, they demonstrated that the rock mass progressively moved at a rate of several centimeters each year. They compared these findings to similarly examined rocks in the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, which exhibited no such movement.
“This suggests that some type of plate boundary must exist between these two regions to accommodate that relative movement,” remarked Brenner during his presentation at the Goldschmidt Geochemical Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, on July 9.
“Approximately 3.8 billion years ago, the Pilbara plate transitioned from medium to high latitudes, eventually reaching proximity to Earth’s magnetic poles and, possibly millions of years later, to the latitude of Svalbard.”
“If two plates are moving relative to one another, there must be various dynamic interactions happening between them,” noted Robert Hazen from the Carnegie Institute of Science in Washington, DC. “It cannot be an isolated event.”
Nonetheless, multiple interpretations exist regarding the underlying causes of this movement, according to Hazen. The variability in plate movement rates adds to the confusion, and existing data could align with various theories regarding Earth’s interior structure at that time.
At the very least, this discovery indicates the presence of structural boundaries, according to Michael Brown from the University of Maryland. However, he argues that the nature of rock movement appears dissimilar to contemporary understanding of plate tectonics. “Essentially, the Pilbara plate moved to higher latitudes to prevent stagnation, which is atypical within any current plate structural model.”
Brown posits that this aligns with the theory suggesting the Earth’s crust consisted of numerous smaller plates propelled by a thermal mantle plume during that period. He believes the remnants of these small plates examined by Brenner and his team provide evidence of movement; however, due to their limited representation of the crust, they may not accurately reflect broader Earth movements.
Brenner’s team also discovered indications that the Earth’s magnetic field underwent reversals around 3.46 billion years ago. Unlike today’s magnetic field reversals, which occur every million years, these ancient magnetic shifts seemed to happen much more frequently, over spans of tens of millions of years. This could imply a fundamentally different set of energies and mechanisms at play, as noted by Brenner.
Hazen emphasized that the scarcity of magnetic data leads to ongoing debates about the state of Earth’s magnetic field during that era of its evolution. “I believe this discovery raises the bar significantly,” he asserts. “It represents a vital breakthrough in understanding early magnetic reversals, shedding light on the core’s geomechanics in ways previously unexplored.”
In a new research paper published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, astronomers from the University of Leicester explain for the first time how the “excessive diet” of fresh material in black holes has led to emissions reaching nearly a third of the speed of light.
This image illustrates Seyfert Galaxy PG1211+143. Image credits: Centre Donna Astromyk destrasbourg/Sinbad/SDSS.
The intense outflow of ionized gases has raised significant concerns at the ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray observatory since its initial detection by University of Leicester astronomers in 2001, now recognized as a distinctive trait of the luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs).
Professor Ken Pound and Dr. Kim Page from Leicester remarked:
“The black hole’s size increases with its mass, with a solar mass black hole having a radius of about 3 km.”
“Stellar mass black holes are prevalent across galaxies, often forming from the dramatic collapse of massive stars; however, ultra-massive black holes can be found in the nuclei of almost all galaxies except the smallest external ones.”
In 2014, astronomers undertook a five-week investigation of an ultra-massive black hole in the distant Seyfert Galaxy PG1211+143, located approximately 1.2 billion light-years from the constellation Coma Berenices.
Utilizing ESA’s XMM-Newton Observatory, they observed counter-inflows, accumulating at least 10 Earth masses near the black hole.
In their latest study, they detected a powerful new outflow traveling at 0.27 times the speed of light, initiated shortly thereafter. The gravitational energy released as material is drawn into the black hole is heated to millions of degrees, producing an overwhelming radiant pressure.
“Establishing a direct causal relationship between significant, temporary inflows and the resulting outflows offers an exciting perspective for observing the growth of supermassive black holes through continuous monitoring of the hot relativistic winds linked with new material accretion,” stated Professor Pound.
“PG1211+143 has been the focus of University of Leicester X-ray astronomers using ESA’s XMM-Newton Observatory since its launch in December 1999.”
“Initial findings surprisingly revealed a counterflow of rapid movements, reaching 15% of the speed of light (0.15c), affecting stellar formation (and consequently the growth) of the host galaxy.”
“Subsequent observations have shown that such winds are a common characteristic of bright AGNs.”
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Ken Pounds & Kim Page. 2025. Observations of the Eddington-style outflow from the bright Seyfert Galaxy PG1211+143. mnras 540(3): 2530-2534; doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf637
The early season heatwaves scorched much of the West, resulting in dangerously high temperatures and prompting extreme heat warnings lasting from Friday through Saturday. Southern Nevada saw widespread triple-digit highs, with Death Valley expected to surpass 115 degrees.
Weeks ahead of the official start of summer, we intensified the union message. The organization’s signage campaign aims to address the far-reaching effects of Doge layoffs and budget cuts on the nation’s beloved national parks. In the Southwest, this translates to zero tolerance for extreme heat, according to Shaquille.
“We had to adapt our message to connect with people directly,” he stated.
Results from the National Park Service’s budget cuts are still pending, especially with the peak summer tourist season on the horizon.
Abigail Wine, deputy director of Death Valley National Park, mentioned that park staff are committed to ensuring public safety and raising awareness about the hazards of extreme heat. She urged visitors to take necessary precautions before heading to Death Valley, such as checking weather warnings, verifying closures, and packing adequate water, sunscreen, and other essentials.
“As always, the National Park Service is dedicated to providing visitors with an incredible, safe, and unforgettable experience at Death Valley National Park and throughout the country,” Wines informed NBC News in a statement.
The broader objective of achieving a more perfect union in the Billboard campaign is to spotlight Doge’s controversial actions and the significant cuts instituted by the Trump administration to federal agencies. Shaquille noted that the organization strategically leveraged the bipartisan support enjoyed by national parks to ignite discussion.
According to a 2024 Population Survey from Pew Research Center, the National Park Service ranks as the most favored federal agency, with a favorable rating of 76% among over 9,400 Americans surveyed.
“Many of the locations where we placed our signs are in areas assumed to lean Republican, where a significant number of people likely voted for Donald Trump. Even the Doge component resonates,” Shaquille explained. “But national parks serve as a perfect example of where the limits were overstepped.”
On Friday, President Donald Trump enacted four executive orders designed to ease and broaden regulations surrounding nuclear production.
The orders focus on overhauling the Department of Energy’s nuclear energy research, facilitating the construction of reactors on federally owned land, reforming the Nuclear Regulation Authority, and accelerating U.S. uranium mining and enrichment efforts.
Alongside Trump, CEOs from various nuclear energy firms—such as Joseph Dominguez of Constellation Energy, Jacob DeWitt of Oklo, and Scott Nolan of General Substances—joined President Pete Hegses and Secretary of Interior Doug Burgham during the signing of the orders.
President Donald Trump displays an executive order he signed on May 23, 2025, in the Oval Office at the White House. Get McNamee/Getty Images
Before the signing, Burgham remarked that this initiative “reverses over 50 years of excessive regulation on the industry,” and he added that “each of these will address another challenge that has hindered progress.”
Trump referred to the nuclear energy sector as “dynamic,” asserting to reporters, “It’s a dynamic industry. It’s a tremendous industry. It needs to be handled correctly.”
A senior administrator briefing reporters prior to the signing indicated that one executive order aimed at permitting nuclear reactors on federal land is designed to meet rising electricity demands linked to AI technology. They emphasized that “safe and reliable nuclear energy will provide power to vital defense installations and AI data centers.”
The executive order also seeks to expedite the review and regulatory processes for nuclear reactor construction and operation. The fourth order stipulates that the Nuclear Regulation Authority must make licensing decisions for new reactors within an 18-month timeframe, according to officials.
This new timeline aims to “reduce regulatory obstacles and shorten licensing periods” for nuclear reactors.
Dominguez commended the president’s initiative to streamline the nuclear regulation framework, noting, “Historically, regulatory delays have plagued our industry.”
“We often spend too long seeking approval and addressing irrelevant questions instead of the crucial ones,” he added.
Nuclear energy is viewed as a means to transition away from fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions since it generates electricity without the combustion of coal, oil, or natural gas.
Despite the tripling of solar and wind energy production in the U.S. over the last decade, there remain concerns that current energy sources will struggle to meet soaring energy demands.
Just before the president signed the executive order in his elliptical office, Heggs informed reporters, “We are integrating artificial intelligence across the board. If not, we cannot keep pace. We cannot afford to fall behind. Nuclear energy is essential to powering this.”
Recent reports have projected a 25% increase in U.S. electricity demand by 2030 (compared to 2023), with a staggering 78% rise by 2050, largely due to the surge in AI technology.
Even with the regulatory framework advancing, it may take years to complete the construction and enhancement of nuclear infrastructure. Furthermore, nuclear energy involves significant risks when compared to other green energy alternatives, requiring long-term plans for managing and disposing of hazardous waste, and risks related to potential core meltdowns or terrorist attacks that could release radioactive materials into the environment.
Additionally, Trump signed a fifth executive order on Friday aimed at “restoring trusted scientific rigor as the cornerstone of federal research,” according to officials.
Michael Krazios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology, informed reporters that this executive order “ensures continued American strength and global leadership in the fields of science and technology.”
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order urging drug manufacturers to voluntarily reduce prices for major medications in the United States.
Nonetheless, the order lacks explicit legal authority to enforce lower prices. It states that if drug companies do not comply, the administration may explore regulatory actions from foreign nations or consider importing drugs from abroad.
This seemed like a win for the pharmaceutical sector, backing policies that could severely impact their profits.
Last week, Trump emphasized the announcement, stating it was “significant enough to make an impact.” He also mentioned in a Sunday evening post on Truth Social that they would connect U.S. drug prices to those in comparable countries under the “most favored nation” pricing model.
His executive order won’t achieve that goal. Following the news, drug stocks surged on Monday.
This order by Trump came just hours after House Republicans slashed about $700 billion from the Medicaid and Obamacare markets, proposing extensive healthcare changes that could potentially leave 8.6 million Americans without insurance. Congress declined to include measures that would impose direct limits on drug prices in its packages.
The executive order also called for federal agencies to investigate the reasons behind lower prices in European nations and to pursue additional payments. The Trump administration has limited power to influence drug prices in Europe.
“I’m not criticizing pharmaceutical companies,” Trump remarked before signing the order. “I’m primarily critiquing the country rather than the pharmaceutical firm.”
Trump opted not to suggest measures that could be more effective, such as proposing that the administration collaborate with Congress to reform how government health programs compensate for certain drugs.
“The executive order seems more like an ambitious statement than a genuine effort to initiate policy shifts,” commented Amith Salpatwali, a medical policy student at Harvard Medical School.
While numerous Republican lawmakers have resisted attempts to control drug prices, Trump has consistently challenged the existing system, pointing out that U.S. drug companies charge significantly more than their counterparts globally.
“We plan to support pharmaceutical companies in other countries,” he said at an event on Monday.
Trump also threatened to leverage trade policies to pressure European nations into paying higher prices for prescription drugs. However, pharmaceutical companies are already tied to government contracts, and attempts to raise prices for new drugs could be met with resistance from European countries. Experts warned that an increase in prices in Europe does not automatically result in lower prices in the U.S.
During his first term, Trump aimed to implement a more comprehensive policy to reduce drug prices for Medicare, a health insurance program for those over 65 or with disabilities. This plan would have impacted only 50 drugs administered in clinics and hospitals, but a federal court blocked it, determining that the administration sidestepped due process in policymaking.
If pursued correctly, it’s uncertain whether the policy could have survived legal scrutiny. Some experts opined that Trump required congressional support to enact the law.
The White House heralded the announcement as groundbreaking. Trump’s Monday executive order calls for broader reforms than were proposed during his first term, potentially affecting more drugs and all Americans instead of just some Medicare patients. However, there is no clear pathway for implementing price reductions.
“It almost seems like: we want a lower price and will see what happens,” remarked Stacey Dusetzina, a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University, who studies drug pricing. She added that in the absence of more substantive actions, “I don’t foresee drug prices decreasing anytime soon.”
The order stated that if initial measures do not yield notable progress in lowering U.S. drug prices, the Trump administration may “consider a regulatory plan to impose pricing standards based on the most favored nations.”
Democrats have introduced numerous bills aimed at aligning American drug prices with those in other countries, and laws passed during the Biden administration now allow Medicare to directly negotiate prices for a limited selection of drugs used in the program. Overall, drug pricing policies enjoy broad public support across both Republican and Democratic voters.
The pharmaceutical industry has voiced its concerns over potential tariffs on imported drugs that Trump has promised to impose immediately. These tariffs are likely to reduce drug manufacturers’ profits, even as they might increase some drug prices in the U.S. and pass on additional costs.
Investors reacted positively, recognizing that Trump did not propose more substantial policies. After earlier declines, drug stocks rebounded when details of Trump’s announcement emerged, with Merck shares rising 6% and Pfizer’s shares nearly 4%. The small biotech stock index also rose by 4%.
“Better than expected,” a Wall Street Bank analyst mentioned in a note to investors. “More bark than bite,” commented analysts at TD Cowen.
In Monday’s statement, a drugmaker lobbying group asserted that the U.S. should not look to other countries to determine drug pricing.
However, significant industry organizations, including PhRMA, commended Trump for using trade negotiations to pressure foreign governments to “pay their fair share for medicines.”
“U.S. patients should not bear the financial burden of global innovation,” stated Stephen J. UBL, PhRMA’s CEO.
Currently, U.S. brand drug prices are three times higher on average compared to similar countries.
Drug manufacturers typically design their business strategies around U.S. profits. Essentially, U.S. profits drive their revenues.
Pharmaceutical companies assert that U.S. prices accompany additional advantages. Industry-funded analyses show that U.S. patients gain faster access to medications, and experience fewer insurance limitations compared to other regions.
In many affluent countries, governments generally cover prescription drug costs for the entire population, negotiating substantial discounts with drug manufacturers. Numerous other nations employ comparative pricing to establish what they are willing to pay.
In contrast, the U.S. government has minimal direct involvement in setting drug prices, aside from the Biden-era program affecting a limited number of Medicare drugs, which is currently under the Trump administration’s oversight.
Earlier this month, Republican Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri and Democrat Peter Welch from Vermont introduced a bill aimed at capping the average prices paid based on peer country comparisons.
In an interview, Welch expressed agreement with Trump’s assertion that Americans are overpaying for drugs and believes that international comparisons could help establish fairer pricing. However, he emphasized that congressional action is necessary to create enduring policies.
“It’s essential to tackle this legislatively,” he stated.
Trump’s executive order assigns his administration a month to communicate voluntary “price targets” for select drugs to pharmaceutical companies. White House officials indicated that it is likely that a weight-loss drug known as GLP-1 (which includes popular medications like Zepbound and Wegovy) might be among those discussed.
Trump noted at a press conference on Monday that the costs for “weight-loss drugs” are substantially lower in Europe than in the U.S.
In many scenarios, Americans face costs of around $500 a month for these medications without insurance, while European pharmacies often charge a few hundred dollars less. Most patients in Europe pay out-of-pocket for drugs, as the national health systems typically do not cover them.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope detected chemical fingerprints of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMD) in the atmosphere of the hyperexterrestrial K2-18b. On Earth, DMS and DMD are produced solely by life, primarily microorganisms such as marine phytoplankton. While unknown chemical processes may be the source of these molecules in the atmosphere of K2-18B, the results are the most powerful evidence that life may exist on planets outside of spores.
Impressions of the artists of Super Earth ExoPlanet K2-18b. Image credit: A. Smith/N. Mandhusudhan.
K2-18 is a red dwarf about 111 light years away from Leo’s constellation.
The star, also known as Epic 201912552, hosts two giant deplanets: K2-18B and K2-18C.
The K2-18B, first discovered in 2015, has a radius of 2.6 times, about 8.6 times.
The planet orbits the star every 33 days at a distance of about 0.15 Au and has an Earth Similarity Index of 0.73.
It receives 1.28 times the intensity of the Earth’s light, and its equilibrium temperature is 2 degrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit).
Previous observations of K2-18b identified methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. This was the first time a carbon-based molecule was discovered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet in a habitable zone.
These results were consistent with Hycean’s global predictions. This is an exoplanet covered with habitable oceans under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
However, another weak signal suggested that something else could happen with the K2-18B.
Transmission spectra of K2-18B using Webb’s Miri Spectrograph. Image credit: A. Smith/N. Mandhusudhan.
“I wasn’t sure if the signal I saw last time was due to DMS, but that hint alone was so exciting that I used a different instrument to make it look different from the Webb,” said Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at Cambridge University.
Previous tentative DMS inferences were made using Webb’s Niriss (near-infrared imager and slitless spectrograph) and Nirspec (near-infrared spectrograph) instruments.
New independent observations used Webb’s Miri (medium-infrared instrument) in the mid-infrared (6-12 microns) range.
“This is independent evidence using different wavelength ranges of light that do not overlap with previous observations, and not with previous observations. The signal has become stronger and more clear,” Professor Madhusudhan said.
“It was incredible to see results emerge and remain consistent through extensive independent analysis and robustness testing,” added Dr. Måns Holmberg, an astronomer at the Institute of Space Telescope Science.
DMS and DMD are molecules from the same family of chemicals, and both are predicted to be biosignatures.
Although both molecules have spectral features that overlap the observed wavelength range, further observations can help distinguish between the two molecules.
However, the concentration of atmospheric DMS and DMD in K2-18B is very different from Earth, which is generally less than a billionth of a volume.
In the K2-18B, they are estimated to be thousands of times stronger.
“The outcome is exciting, but it’s important to get more data before you claim that life has been discovered in another world,” Professor Madhusdan said.
“The inference of these biosignal molecules raises deep questions about the processes that may be producing them,” says Dr. Subajit Sarkar, an astronomer at Cardiff University.
“They’re the most popular and most popular,” said Dr. Savvas Constantinou, an astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University.
“It’s important that we are deeply skeptical of our own outcomes, because once again, it’s only through testing and testing that we can get to where we are confident in them. That’s how science works,” Professor Madhusudhan said.
study It was released today Astrophysics Journal Letter.
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Nick Madhusdan et al. 2025. New constraints of atmospheric DMS and DMD of K2-18B from JWST millimeters. apjl 983, L40; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ADC1C8
Using advanced statistical modeling, a team of researchers from ETH Zurich, Seti Institute, and University ‘Tor Vergata’ Yonversity investigated how many exoplanets should be observed and understood before declaring that life beyond Earth is common or rare.
Future telescopes will investigate mild terrestrial exoplanets to estimate the frequency of habitable or inhabited worlds. Angerhausen et al. It aims to determine the minimum number of exoplanets required to draw statistically significant conclusions. Particularly for null results (i.e., no detection). Image credit: Sci.News.
In science, not being able to find anything can bring important insights.
When scientists look for life on exoplanets, they often focus on certain characteristics, such as water, gases like oxygen and methane, which may exhibit biological activity.
But what if scientists can’t find these features? Can we learn meaningful things about how ordinary life exists in the universe?
“Even one positive detection changes everything, but up until then we need to make sure we are learning as much as possible from what we can’t find,” said Dr. Daniel Angerhausen, researcher at ETH Zurich and SETI Institute.
New research shows that if scientists look at 40-80 planets and can’t find any signs of life, they can confidently conclude that less than 10-20% of similar planets have life.
However, this depends heavily on how certain we are for each observation.
These discoveries allow scientists to set meaningful caps on the prevalence of living in the universe.
Furthermore, if there is only 10% of planets in the Milky Way alone that have some form of life, it could still be more than 10 billion planets.
“This kind of outcome would be a turning point,” Dr. Angerhausen said.
“Even if life is not found, ultimately we can quantify planets that are truly rare or common with planets with detectable biosignatures.”
The findings will have a direct impact on future missions such as NASA’s Habitable World Observatory (HWO) and European-led large-scale interferometers on exoplanets searching for life.
These missions will study dozens of Earth-like planets by analyzing the planet’s atmosphere for water, oxygen, and even more complex biosignature signs.
Research shows that the number of observed planets is large enough to draw critical conclusions about the likelihood and prevalence of life in the galaxy.
However, this study points out that even with advanced equipment, these studies should carefully account for uncertainty and bias, and develop frameworks to ensure statistically meaningful results.
One important insight from this study is that uncertainty in individual observations, such as false negatives, can significantly impact conclusions.
“It’s not just the number of planets we observe. It’s about how confident we are to see what we’re looking for or not,” Dr. Angerhausen said.
“If we are not careful and confident in our ability to identify life, even large-scale research can lead to misleading consequences.”
The study will be published in today’s Astronomy Journal.
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Daniel Engerhausen et al. 2025. What if nothing is found? Bayesian analysis of null statistics in future exoplanet habitability and biosignature investigations. AJ 169, 238; doi:10.3847/1538-3881/adb96d
President Trump signed a surge in executive orders on Tuesday aimed at expanding coal mining and burning in the United States to revive the struggling industry.
1 order Commanding federal agencies To abolish regulations that “discriminate” coal production, open new federal land for coal mining, and investigate whether coal combustion power plants can serve new AI data centers. Trump also said He will abandon certain air force pollution restrictions It was adopted by the Biden administration for dozens of coal plants at risk of closures.
In a move that could face legal challenges, Trump led the energy sector Develop the process To prevent unprofitable coal plants from shutting down to avoid power outages using electricity in emergencies. Trump proposed similar actions during his first term, but ultimately abandoned the idea after widespread opposition.
Dozens of miners are stuck in hard white White House hats, Trump said. He was also teaching The Department of Justice will identify and fight state and local climate policies that “let coal miners go out of business.” He added that future administrations will “assure” that they will not be able to adopt policies that are harmful to coal, but did not provide details.
“This is a very important day for me, because we are reclaiming an abandoned industry despite the fact that it is the best and certainly the best in terms of power, true power,” Trump said.
Over the past few weeks, Trump, energy secretary Chris Wright and interior secretary Doug Burgham have all been talking about the importance of coal. The two cabinet members sat in the front row at the White House ceremony. Members of Congress from Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia and other coal-producing states attended the White House ceremony.
“Beautiful and beautiful coal,” Trump told the gathering. “Never use the word “coal” unless you place “clean, clean” before that. ”
Coal is the most polluted of all fossil fuels when burned; Approximately 40% of the world’s industrial carbon dioxide emissions a major factor in global warming. It releases other contaminants, including mercury and sulfur dioxide, associated with heart disease, respiratory problems, and early death. Coal ash from coal mining and generated power plants can also cause environmental issues.
Over the past 20 years, coal use has declined sharply in the US, with utilities switching to cheaper, cleaner power sources, such as natural gas, wind and solar. That transition has been the biggest reason for US emissions decline since 2005.
It is unclear how much Trump will reverse that decline. In 2011, the country generated almost half of its electricity from coal. Last year, it fell to just 15%. The utility has already closed hundreds of aged coal burning units, and has announced the retirement dates for about half of the remaining plants.
In recent years, growing interest in artificial intelligence and data centers has driven a surge in electricity demand, with the utility having decided that more than 50 coal combustion units will be open past the scheduled closing date, according to Electric Power from America, the industry’s trade group. And as the Trump administration moves, more plants could remain open longer or run more frequently as they loosen coal pollution restrictions, including regulations that apply to carbon and mercury.
“You know, we need to do AI. All this new technology is online,” Trump said Tuesday. “We need more than twice the energy and electricity we currently have.”
However, some analysts said there is unlikely a major coal revival.
“The main problem is that most of our coal plants are older, more expensive to operate, and no one is thinking about building new plants,” said Seth Feaster, a data analyst focusing on coal at the research firm, Energy Economics Analysis Institute. “It’s very difficult to change that trajectory.”
During his first term, Trump tried to prevent the closure of unprofitable coal plants using emergency powers normally reserved for fleeting crises such as natural disasters. But the idea has hit hard by oil and gas companies, grid operators and consumer groups. He said it would increase electricity bills and eventually retreated from the idea.
Ali Pescoe, director of the Harvard Law School’s Electricity Law Initiative, said the idea would likely lead to lawsuits if it was tested again today. “But there’s not much history of litigation here,” he said. “Usually these emergency orders last within 90 days.”
Ultimately, Trump struggled to fulfill his first term pledge to save the coal industry. His administration abolished numerous climate regulations, appointed coal lobbyists to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, 75 coal-fired power plants were closed, and the industry lost around 13,000 jobs during its presidency.
The decline of coal continued under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who tried to completely move the country away from fossil fuels to combat climate change. Last year, his administration issued swept EPA rules that force all coal plants across the country to install expensive equipment to capture and fill carbon footprints or close by by 2039.
When he returned to the office this year, Trump ordered the EPA to repeal the rules. And Trump administration officials have repeatedly warned that closing coal plants will damage power sources. Unlike wind and solar energy, coal plants can run at any time of the day and are useful when electricity rises rapidly.
Some industry executives who run the country’s electric grid include some industry executives. I warned again The country could face the risk of power losses, especially when power companies are late in bringing new gas, wind and solar power plants online and adding battery storage and transmission lines.
“For decades, most people took electricity and coal for granted,” said Michelle Bradworth, chief executive of American power. “This complacency has led to early retirements in coal plants, weakening the electrical network and damaging federal and state policies that threaten national security.”
But coal opponents say maintaining aged plants online can exacerbate fatal air pollution and increase energy costs. Earlier this year, the PJM Interconnect, which oversees a large grid in the Mid-Atlantic, burned coal-burning power plants and the opening until 2029, leaving them open until 2029 to reduce the risk of retirement benefits. This move could ultimately cost the customers of the utility in the area Over $720 million.
“Coal plants are old, dirty, uncompetitive and unreliable,” said Kit Kennedy, power managing director for the Environmental Group’s Natural Resources Defense Council. “The Trump administration has been stuck in the past and is trying to make utility customers pay more for yesterday’s energy. Instead, they should do everything they can to build the power grid of the future.”
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at bolstering the declining coal industry in the country and imposing stricter regulations on coal mining, leasing, and export. The White House stated that this move is intended to address the energy demands of artificial intelligence data centers.
This action by the Trump administration is at odds with global efforts to reduce coal-fired electricity generation and curb harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change.
During the signing of the order, Trump emphasized the importance of coal, referring to it as “beautiful, clean coal.”
Coal is widely regarded as one of the dirtiest fossil fuels and a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The burning of fossil fuels like coal releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming.
In addition to reopening certain coal plants and allowing coal leases on public land, the executive order instructs federal agencies to explore how coal-fired power plants can meet the increasing energy needs of artificial intelligence.
Workers at the John E. Amos power plant, which is a coal burning of American power fuel, in Winfield, W.Va., stand in the coal mine in 2018.Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images file
Recent government actions have rolled back environmental regulations, targeting pollution and emissions from power plants operated by oil and gas companies.
Over the past decade, the coal industry in the US has seen a decline, with coal contributing only about 16% of domestic electricity in 2023, down from 45% in 2010. The growing use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind has also played a role in reducing the country’s reliance on coal.
Efforts to revive the coal industry run counter to the preferences of most Americans, with two-thirds supporting a transition away from fossil fuels like coal by 2050, according to a recent poll by Yale University.
Burning coal for electricity generation is not only environmentally harmful but also costlier than cleaner energy sources. According to estimates, coal-generated electricity can cost Americans three to four times more than wind or solar power.
Critics of Trump’s executive order, including former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, argue that it will worsen climate change and harm public health. They advocate for a shift towards cleaner and safer energy alternatives.
As the demand for energy from artificial intelligence increases, there is a growing need for new energy resources. However, meeting this demand is expected to strain existing energy systems, prompting calls for increased investments to stay competitive internationally.
Goldman Sachs projects a 165% rise in global electricity demand over the next five years due to the expansion of AI data centers.
Constituity, the ability to combine meaningful elements into larger meaningful structures, is a characteristic of human language. Constitutiveness is trivial (the meaning of a combination is the sum of the meaning of that part) or non-trivial (one element changes the meaning of another element). In a new study, scientists studied the behavior of voices Wild bonobo (Pampaniscus) – Our closest living relatives – Kokoropoli Community Reserve The Democratic Republic of the Congo has found robust empirical evidence for the existence of non-trivial constitutive properties in these primates.
Tupac, a young male bonobo scratching his head. Image credits: Lukas Bierhoff, Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project.
A distinctive feature of human language is its ability to combine individual elements to form more complex and meaningful structures.
This principle known as constituency allows morphemes to be constructed into words and sentences.
The overall meaning is determined by its components and their arrangement.
Constitutiveness can take two forms: trivial and non-trivial. In trivial composition, each word maintains an independent meaning.
Non-trivial constituency involves more complex and nuanced relationships where meaning is not merely a direct sum of words that involve.
Constituity may not be inherent to human language. Birds and primate studies have demonstrated that some animals can combine meaningful vocalizations with structures of trivial composition.
However, to date, there is no direct evidence that animals use non-trivial compositionality in their communication.
In their new study, Melissa Bursett, a biologist at the University of Zurich, and her colleagues, discovered strong empirical evidence that wild bonobos use non-trivial constitutiveness in their vocal communications.
The authors analyzed 700 recordings and call combinations of bonobo vocal calls and documented over 300 contextual features associated with each utterance
A linguistic framework that measures the similarity of meaning between words using methods derived from distribution semantics, and these contextual features were analyzed to infer the meaning of individual bonobo vocalizations and quantify the relationships.
Next, to assess whether Bonobo Call combinations follow construct principles, they applied a multi-step approach that had previously been used to identify the constitutive nature of human communication.
They found that the bonobo call types are integrated into four constituent structures. Three of these suggest that they share more structural similarities with human language than previously recognized.
“Our approach allowed us to quantify how the meaning of the combination of single-call and call on bonobos relate to one another,” said Simon Townsend, professor at the University of Zurich.
“Humans and bonobos had a common ancestor about 70-13 million years ago, so they share many characteristics through descent, and constitutiveness seems likely to be one of them,” added Martin Sarbeck, a professor at Harvard University.
“So our research suggests that our ancestors already use compositionality extensively, if not more, at least 7 million years ago,” Professor Townsend said.
A recent study by the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Maryland suggests that the rugged terrain of the moon may still be active in areas of current interest for future missions.
The small ridge on the other side of the moon (yellow) reveals evidence that the moon may not be as dormant as before. Image Credit: Smithsonian facility, Tomwattors
For decades, scientists have been studying the moon’s surface to better understand its complex geological and evolutionary history.
Evidence from the moon’s Maria, the dark and flat areas filled with solid lava, suggests that the moon underwent significant compression in its distant past.
Researchers initially believed that a large ridge near the moon was formed by shrinkage billions of years ago, leading to the conclusion that the moon’s Maria had been dormant since then.
However, new research indicates that there may be more dynamic activity beneath the moon’s surface.
Jaclyn Clark and her colleagues, researchers at the University of Maryland, discovered that the small ridge on the other side of the moon is significantly younger than previously studied ridges.
“Many scientists had previously thought that most of the moon’s geological activity occurred over two to three billion years ago,” Clark stated. “But it appears that these structural features have been active within the past billion years and may still be active today.”
“These small ridges formed within the last 200 million years, a relatively recent timeframe in lunar terms,” she added.
Using advanced mapping and modeling techniques, researchers uncovered a previously unknown small ridge on the far side of the moon.
The ridge consists of 10-40 volcanic groups likely formed 3.2 to 3.6 billion years ago in narrow areas with fundamental weaknesses on the moon’s surface.
To determine the age of these small ridges, researchers employed a crater count method and found them to be younger than surrounding features.
“The more craters present, the older the surface,” Dr. Clark explained. “Based on the number of craters, we estimate that these features have been structurally active within the last 160 million years.”
Scientists noted that the structure of the distant ridge resembles that seen near the moon, suggesting they were formed by similar forces.
A few decades ago, NASA’s Apollo Mission detected shallow moonquakes. Recent findings suggest that these small ridges may be related to similar seismic activity.
“I hope that future moon missions will include tools like terrestrial penetration radar to better understand the subsurface structure of the moon,” Clark expressed. “Knowing that the moon is still geologically active is crucial for planning human missions and infrastructure development on the lunar surface.”
The team’s paper was published this month in the Planetary Science Journal.
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Ca Nypaver et al. 2025. Moon Distant Ridges and Antartica – Recent Structural Deformation of an Incongruous Basin. Planet. Sci. J 6, 16; DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/AD9EAA
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending sales of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, as mandated by a law passed in the United States last year.
Trump’s order was part of a series of actions he took on his first day back in the White House. The order instructed President Trump’s attorney general to hold off on enforcing a law that would require the sale or closure of major social media apps in the U.S. for 75 days.
The moratorium allows for a careful consideration of the next steps in a way that protects national security and avoids an abrupt shutdown of platforms used by millions of Americans.
Additionally, the order directs the Department of Justice to inform other tech giants like Apple, Google, and Oracle, who have ties to TikTok, that they will not be penalized for any actions during this period.
When asked about the purpose of the TikTok executive order, President Trump stated that it gives the government the option to sell or shut down the platform, but a decision on the course of action has not been made yet.
Critics of the video-sharing platform argue that it poses a security threat because it is owned by ByteDance, a company with ties to the Chinese government. They fear that the personal information of U.S. users could be used for malicious purposes.
During his presidency, Trump had previously criticized TikTok for these reasons and attempted to ban it. However, he has since shifted his stance due to various factors, including his popularity on the platform and the views of TikTok investor Jeff Yass.
Despite Trump’s change in position, Congressional Republicans have remained firm, and under bipartisan legislation signed by President Biden, TikTok was required to sell its assets to a U.S.-based company by January 19, with a possible 90-day extension for the sale process.”
Plans to sell TikTok have not been confirmed, but there is interest from figures like Frank McCourt and Kevin O’Leary. The U.S. Supreme Court has been involved in the matter, and despite objections from free speech advocates, the law remains in effect.
Trump’s court filing emphasizes his unique ability to negotiate a solution that addresses national security concerns while preserving the platform, but experts question the effectiveness of his approach.
Alan Rosenstein, a former National Security Adviser, dismissed the executive order as merely a symbolic gesture and stated that TikTok would likely remain banned despite Trump’s intentions.
This year, the bird flu outbreak has led to several alarming developments, with at least 64 human infections.
Experts outlined several indicators that the spread of the virus is moving in the wrong direction.
These include the recent detection of the virus in wastewater and signs of dangerous mutations.
The lingering threat of bird flu appears to be escalating.
This year has witnessed a series of troubling events related to the virus spread. Since April, at least 64 individuals have tested positive for the virus, marking the first U.S. case in 2022 apart from one. Dairy herds in 16 states were affected this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the nation’s first severe case of avian influenza in a critically ill patient in Louisiana. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency this week due to the growing outbreak in cattle and poultry.
“The warning signs are transitioning from green to yellow,” stated Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco specializing in infectious diseases. “Numerous indications are pointing in an unfavorable direction.”
While no human-to-human transmission of avian influenza has been recorded, the CDC asserts that the immediate public health risk remains low. However, concerns are escalating based on four key indicators.
For instance, the avian influenza virus known as H5N1 is rapidly spreading among animals, including cattle, that frequently interact with humans. Moreover, detections in wastewater suggest that the virus has not only impacted livestock but also various other areas.
Additionally, there are instances of human cases where the source of infection is unidentified, along with studies on the virus’s evolution indicating that it has adapted to human receptors required for inter-human transmission. Fewer mutations have been observed.
Experts warn that when considering these indicators together, the virus is on track to potentially become the next pandemic.
“We are currently in a very precarious situation,” remarked Scott Hensley, a microbiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
Extensive circulation creates new pathways to humans
Since the onset of the avian influenza outbreak in 2022, the virus has spread to wild birds, domestic poultry, and wild mammals like sea lions, foxes, and black bears. Over 125 million poultry have perished from infectious diseases or been culled in the United States, as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Approximately 125 million poultry have died from the virus or been culled since 2022.Ulises Riuz/AFP from Getty Images File
In March, an unexpected occurrence unfolded when dairy cows fell ill, experienced reduced feed intake, and produced discolored milk.
Research indicates that the virus likely spread swiftly and effectively among cows through raw milk, as infected cows excreted significant virus amounts from their mammary glands. Raccoons and domestic cats are also susceptible if they consume raw milk.
The more animals infected, the higher the risk of transmission to humans who come in contact with them.
“The more individuals infected, the higher the likelihood of variant emergence,” mentioned Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiology professor and head of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health. “I don’t want to give the virus the opportunity to trigger a pandemic.”
Prior to this year, influenza prevention efforts did not focus on cows.
“We hadn’t considered dairy cows to be influenza hosts, at least not significant ones,” mentioned Andrew Bowman, a veterinary preventive medicine professor at Ohio State University in an interview with NBC News this past summer.
However, the virus has been detected in at least 865 herds in 16 states and in raw (unpasteurized) milk sold in California. For domestic cats that consume raw milk.
A lab manager prepares milk samples for testing at Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center on Dec. 10.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
“Currently, raw milk and related products pose a direct risk to communities and consumers,” stated Chin-Hong. “A year ago, or even just months ago, the risk was significantly lower.”
Cases with unknown exposure sources
Most human H5N1 infections occur among poultry and dairy farm workers. However, in some mysterious instances, the source of infection remains unidentified.
One such case was reported in Hospital in Missouri in August, with subsequent recovery. Another instance involved children in California who tested positive in November.
Furthermore, Delaware health authorities reported a case of H5N1 infection this week in an individual with no known exposure to poultry or cattle. Although CDC testing did not confirm avian influenza as the virus, the case is considered “probable.”
In British Columbia, Canada, a teenager was hospitalized in early November after contracting H5N1 despite no apparent contact with farm animals or wildlife. The genetic makeup of the virus suggested similarity to strains found in waterfowl and poultry.
Such unexplained cases are causing concern among experts.
“This implies that the virus has a wider reach, and more individuals may have encountered it than previously thought,” mentioned Nuzzo.
Increased concentration of avian influenza in wastewater
Scientists are actively monitoring wastewater for virus fragments to better comprehend the geographical spread of the avian influenza epidemic.
Amy Lockwood, CDC’s director of public health partnerships and Verily, a company offering CDC wastewater testing services, stated that in recent months, “detections are increasing in frequency across a broader geographic spectrum.” A program known as Wastewater SCAN is in place.
Earlier in the month, approximately 19% of facilities monitored within the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System across at least 10 states reported positive detections.
It is uncertain whether the detected virus fragments originated from animals or humans. For instance, some may stem from wild bird droppings entering storm drains.
“At this stage, we do not believe these signify human-to-human transmission, but there are numerous H5 viruses present,” revealed Peggy, CDC’s Director of Infectious Disease Control and Innovation.
Lockwood and Peggy mentioned that wastewater detections are concentrated near dairy processing facilities and poultry farms. However, puzzling hotspots have emerged in regions devoid of such agricultural operations in recent months.
“We are observing infections in areas where we do not automatically identify the source,” Lockwood noted, adding, “It’s a game of large numbers.”
Another mutation?
Until recently, virologists believed that multiple mutations were necessary for H5N1 to transition easily among humans.
However, a study published in Science magazine this month revealed that a cattle-circulating strain of the virus could bind to human receptors following a single mutation (Note: The study focuses solely on viral proteins, not the entire infectious virus).
Fatina Albies, a researcher in Sabeti's lab at the Broad Institute, tests milk samples for avian influenza in Boston.Boston Globe/Getty Images
“We are not implying that a pandemic is more imminent due to this finding. We simply want to highlight that the risk has elevated as a result,” explained Jim Paulson, co-author of the study and the director of molecular medicine at Scripps Research.
Separately, scientists have detected concerning elements in another virus variant found in a Canadian teen who fell severely ill in recent months. Virus samples indicated mutations that could enhance human-to-human transmissibility.
A CDC spokesperson stated that these mutations were unlikely present in the virus when the boy was infected.
“These mixed changes in the virus probably occurred following prolonged infection in the patient,” the spokesperson explained.
The strain of the virus in the first severe bird flu case in the U.S., announced on Wednesday, matched the one that infected the Canadian teenager.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, revealed that the CDC is analyzing patient samples to identify potential concerning variants.
Meanwhile, Hensley expressed concerns that the flu season could expedite virus evolution. If an individual is co-infected with seasonal influenza and avian influenza, genetic code segments can be exchanged between the two.
“Mutations are unnecessary; it’s simply a genetic code exchange,” Hensley asserted, emphasizing the importance of farmworkers receiving flu shots to reduce such opportunities.
Upcoming trials and vaccines
Experts highlighted various measures that can be taken to track bird flu spread more effectively and prepare for a possible pandemic, some of which are already in progress.
Nuzzo emphasized that efforts need to be intensified swiftly.
“We have delayed comprehensive bulk milk testing for too long, as it is a common method for detecting outbreaks on farms,” she stated.
Simultaneously, Andrew Trister, Verily’s chief medical and scientific officer, mentioned that the company is enhancing wastewater analysis to identify concerning mutations.
Chimpanzees in the wild, just like humans, seem to learn skills from each other and improve their skills from generation to generation.
In particular, young females who migrate between groups bring cultural knowledge with them, allowing groups to combine new and existing techniques to become better at foraging. Such “accumulated culture” means that some chimpanzee communities are becoming more technologically advanced over time, even if very slowly, he says. Andrew Whiten At the University of St. Andrews, UK.
“If chimpanzees have cultural knowledge that the community they migrate to doesn’t have, they may pass it on in the same way they pass on genes,” he says. “And that’s where the culture is built.”
Scientists already knew that chimpanzees use tools in sophisticated ways and can pass on that knowledge to their offspring. However, compared to humans’ rapid technological development, chimpanzees did not seem to have advanced in previous technological innovations, Whiten said. The fact that chimpanzee tools are often made from biodegradable plants makes it difficult for scientists to track chimpanzee cultural evolution.
Cassandra Gunasekaram Researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland thought they might be able to apply genetic analysis to this puzzle. Male chimpanzees remain in their home regions, but young females leave their home communities to search for mates elsewhere. She wondered if these women were bringing their skill sets to the new group.
To find out, she and her colleagues obtained data from 240 chimpanzees representing all four subspecies. previously collected by other research groups At 35 research facilities in Africa. The data included precise information about what tools, if any, each animal used and their genetic connections over the past 15,000 years. “Genetics gives us a kind of time machine to see how culture was transmitted among chimpanzees in the past,” Whiten says. “It’s quite a revelation to have new insights like this.”
Some chimpanzees used complex combinations of tools to hunt termites, including drill rods and fishing brushes made by pulling plant stems between their teeth. The researchers found that even if they lived thousands of miles apart, chimpanzees with the most advanced tool sets had the same level of performance compared to chimpanzees that used simple tools or chimpanzees that did not use any tools at all. They found that they were three to five times more likely to share DNA. Also, the use of advanced tools is more strongly associated with women’s migration compared to the use of simple tools or no tool use.
“Our interpretation is that these complex toolsets were actually invented, perhaps building on earlier, simpler forms, so we learned from the community that first invented them and from all the others along the way. “We need to rely on women’s transmission to communities,” she says. Whitens the skin.
“This shows that complex tools rely on social interactions between groups, which is very surprising and interesting,” says Gunasekaram.
thibault gruber The University of Geneva professor said he was not surprised by the results, but said the definition of complex behavior was debatable. “Having worked with chimpanzees for 20 years, I would argue that cane use itself is complex,” he says.
For example, his own team discovered what is called a cumulative culture of chimpanzees that make sponges from moss instead of leaves. This is not very complicated, but Works more efficiently to absorb mineral-rich water from the clay pores.. “It’s not a matter of more complexity, it’s just that some technologies build on previously established technologies,” he says.
Gunasekaram says that cumulative culture in chimpanzees is still significantly slower than in humans, likely due to differences in chimpanzees’ cognitive abilities and lack of language skills. Additionally, chimpanzees interact far less with others outside their community than humans, and have fewer opportunities to share culture.
Nvidia, the AI chip maker that is the world's most valuable company and the driving force behind the artificial intelligence boom, delighted investors on Wednesday with new quarterly results.
The company's corporate value soared by $2.2 trillion this year to $3.6 trillion on the back of nearly doubling chip sales, but sales fell to $35.08 billion, compared to expectations of $33.15 billion. It was announced that it was worth $1,000,000. Profits more than doubled compared to the same period last year. Sales increased by 94% compared to the same period last year. The company predicted a 70% increase in revenue for the next quarter.
Analysts had expected NVIDIA to report earnings of $0.75 per share. The company reported $0.81. Nvidia stock fell about 5% in extended trading following the announcement, but quickly recovered its losses and maintained a similar price. The previous New York closing price was $145.89.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in a press release last week that he expects the computing power driving advances in generative AI to increase “a million times” over the next decade.
Huang said on the earnings call that the global adoption of Nvidia technology is causing a platform shift from coding to machine learning, and traditional data centers are being re-architected for machine learning to produce AI. said.
“Generative AI is not just a new software feature, it’s a new industry with AI factories producing digital intelligence, a new industrial revolution with the potential to create a multi-trillion dollar AI industry,” he said. .
“AI is transforming every industry, business, and country,” Huang added. “Creating an omniverse of synthetically generated data…the era of robotics is here.”
A surge in demand for Nvidia's Blackwell GPU chips appears to have eased fears that the company would be hit by a backlash in demand from tech giants, which are spending billions of dollars on AI processing and data centers. .
Nvidia stock has rebounded from its summer slump and is up 45% from its August lows. Semiconductor stocks are up nearly 200% this year, more than 1,100% over the past two years, and hit a record high after the election.
However, many of NVIDIA's chipmakers are struggling to compete with the advantages of AI, which is holding the industry back.
Before the results were released, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said he expected more “drop-the-mic performance” from Nvidia, adding that “it's expected to generate more than $1 trillion in the next few years.” “This is the only game in the city where AI capital investment is planned.” Nvidia's GPUs will bring new oil and gold to this world. ”
The world's largest technology companies have increased their spending on AI by billions of dollars in recent quarters, with Nvidia positioned as a major beneficiary.
Nvidia is seen by many as a bellwether for the technology sector and artificial intelligence demand that helped propel Wall Street to multiple record highs this year.
But the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war, the threat of global tariff hikes by the incoming Donald Trump administration and the possibility that the US Federal Reserve will not lower US interest rates are also spooking markets.
Other analysts echoed Ives' assessment that demand for Nvidia's new Blackwell chips could push Nvidia's sales and market capitalization to new heights. Charu Chanana, Saxo's chief investment strategist, said signs of “extraordinary demand” for new chips, including record sales forecasts and reports of sold-out inventory next year, are strong indicators that Nvidia's strong performance will continue. I wrote that.
But Chanana cautioned that “any signs of production delays or lack of demand could put pressure on the stock given valuation growth.”
Earlier this week, report Chipmakers say their latest graphics chips are having overheating problems with servers. www.theguardian.com
Early galaxies are dominated by bright galaxy clusters, which are larger and more massive than the local Universe. Star formation activity can be strongly influenced and even halted by many processes that are directly related to the environment in which galaxies exist. Ram pressure stripping, the removal of interstellar gas from the disk of star-forming galaxies by hydrodynamic interaction with the hot intergalactic medium, is one such process that It is thought to have a strong influence on the galaxy population. Groups, especially clusters.
This Hubble image shows spiral galaxy IC 3225 with Ram pressure removed. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Sun.
IC 3225 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 100 million light years away in the constellation Virgo.
Also known as LEDA 40111 or UGC 7441, discovered It was announced on November 4, 1899 by German astronomer Arnold Schwassmann.
“IC 3225 looks strikingly like it was fired from a cannon, hurtling through space like a comet with a tail of gas streaming from the disk behind it,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“IC 3225 is one of more than 1,300 members of the Virgo cluster, so the galaxy's location suggests several causes for this active scene.”
“While the density of galaxies within the Virgo cluster creates a rich field of hot gas between them, the so-called intracluster medium, the extreme mass of this cluster also allows for some extremely There are galaxies that orbit around the center in fast orbits.”
“Collision into thick intracluster material, especially near the center of a galaxy cluster, places enormous collision pressures on the moving galaxy, stripping the gas from the moving galaxy.”
“Although IC 3225 is currently not very close to the center of the cluster, astronomers suspect that it has undergone such ram pressure removal in the past,” the researchers noted.
“This galaxy looks as if it has been affected by this. One side of the galaxy is compressed and there is significantly more star formation at this leading edge, while the other end is misshapen. Masu.”
“Being in such a crowded region, a close call with another galaxy may have pulled IC 3225 and created this shape.”
“The sight of this distorted galaxy is a reminder of the incredible forces at work on an astronomical scale that move and reshape entire galaxies.”
This new image of IC 3225 consists of observations from. Hubble's advanced survey camera (ACS) in the near-infrared and optical portions of the spectrum.
Two filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
BP, a major player in the oil and gas industry, has recently entered into a five-year partnership with Palantir, a US company specializing in spy technology, to utilize artificial intelligence in expediting engineering decision-making processes.
This collaboration entails the implementation of large-scale language models to automate the analysis of data collected from BP’s various sites, thereby generating recommendations that can assist human decision-makers in drawing informed conclusions.
The partnership between BP and Palantir builds upon a longstanding relationship that has involved the use of Palantir’s technology to create digital replicas of BP’s oil and gas operations, such as the Khazan gas field in Oman and offshore oil platforms in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico, including the location of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident.
Both companies affirm that their previous collaboration has led to performance enhancements, and the new software aims to ensure the safe deployment of reliable AI while guarding against potential inaccuracies or fabrications commonly associated with generative AI models.
The utilization of generative AI is becoming increasingly prevalent across various industries, from retail interactions to research and writing support, sparking debates on whether AI will replace or enhance existing job roles.
Sanjay Pandey, BP’s senior vice president of digital delivery, highlighted the benefits of employing advanced digital twin simulation techniques to optimize production processes and enhance operational performance in a secure manner.
Palantir’s Matthew Babin expressed enthusiasm about the potential of their technology to accelerate human decision-making by leveraging existing digital twins and operational workflows.
Noteworthy projects of Palantir include a five-year contract to develop a large-scale data platform for the NHS, raising privacy concerns about patient data security. The company’s founder, Peter Thiel, has been associated with supporting political figures like Donald Trump and has a history of collaborating closely with intelligence and military organizations.
Under the leadership of Murray Auchincloss, BP has been actively enhancing its technological capabilities, as evidenced by recent agreements such as the partnership with NASA to exchange expertise gained from working in challenging environments.
Additionally, BP made an investment of $5m (£3.8m) in Belmont Technology in 2019 to accelerate its AI platform development.
Astronomers Murchison Widefield Alley Researchers in Western Australia conducted a search for extraterrestrial signals emanating from around 2,800 galaxies pointing towards the Vela supernova remnant with a spectral resolution of 10 kHz.
This diagram shows what a Kardashev Type III civilization might operate like. Containing stellar energy in so-called Dyson spheres is one way to harness the enormous energy on a galactic scale. The resulting waste heat products should be detectable with telescopes. Image by Danielle Futselaar / ASTRON.
“When we think about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, we often consider the age and advancement of technology that could produce signals that we could detect with telescopes,” said Dr Chenoa Tremblay from the SETI Institute and Professor Steven Tingay from Curtin University.
“In popular culture, advanced civilizations are depicted as having interstellar spacecraft and the means to communicate.”
“In the 1960s, astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev proposed a scale for quantifying the degree of technological advancement of extraterrestrial intelligence.”
“The Kardashev scale has three levels. A Type I civilization uses all the energy available on its planet (1016 W); Type II civilizations can consume stellar energy directly (1026 W) and a Type III civilization could consume all the energy emitted by the galaxy (1036 “W)”
“Civilizations at the higher end of the Kardashev scale could generate vast amounts of electromagnetic radiation detectable at galactic distances.”
“Some of the ideas that have been explored in the past have been to harness the light of stars in our galaxy, to colonize the solar system, and to use pulsars as a communications network.”
“Radio waves' ability to penetrate space over long distances and even planetary atmospheres makes them a practical tool for searching for interstellar communications.”
The authors used the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), focusing on low radio frequencies (100 MHz), to look for signs of alien technology in galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
They observed about 2,800 galaxies in one observation, and determined the distances to 1,300 of them.
“This research represents a major step forward in efforts to detect signals from advanced extraterrestrial civilizations,” Dr Tremblay said.
“The MWA's wide field of view and low-frequency range make it an ideal tool for this type of study, and the limits we set will guide future research.”
CD Tremblay & SJ Tingay. 2024. An extragalactic wide-field search for technosignatures with the Murchison Wide Field Array. ApJ 972, 76;doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad6b11
I'm an only child. Saying this can sometimes feel like a confession, especially when people well-meaningly respond with, “Oh, you don't see it that way!” Now, as the mother of a preschooler, I watch my daughter live with the same assumption. “Does she have any brothers or sisters?” a teacher asked recently. “She plays so well with the other kids!”
Forgive me if it seems like I am bragging about my (or my daughter's) actions. I am an only child, after all.
For over a century, we have been deemed eccentric at best, antisocial, neurotic, and narcissistic at worst. “To be an only child is a disease in itself,” declared the 19th-century child psychologist Granville Stanley Hall.
Whether there are real differences in the personality and happiness of only children and those with siblings remains a controversial issue, one that has received new impetus from the growing trend towards only-child parenting.
Eva Beaujouin, a demographer at the University of Vienna in Austria, says that in high-income countries including the United States and Britain, one-child families have become more common since the 1970s, “whether by force or choice.” In Europe, almost half of all households with children have an only child.
Despite their increasing popularity, one-child families continue to face long-held beliefs that this family form is somehow harmful. Fortunately, a closer look at modern research offers some clarity, suggesting that being an only child can have surprising consequences. The findings may offer some relief to parents of only children, or those still unsure of how many children they should have…
The leopard-spot-like features in the center of the image may be a sign of ancient life.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered a rock speckled with what appear to be traces of ancient life. Named Cheyaba Falls after a famous waterfall in Arizona, the rock suggests that microbial life may have existed there billions of years ago, but there's currently no certainty that life ever existed there.
The rock, about 1 meter by 0.6 meters in size, is mostly reddish with thin veins of white calcium sulfate that were likely formed when water flowed through cracks in the rock, depositing minerals in the cracks. Water is one of the elements necessary for life, but water is not the only thing researchers found as they sifted through the Perseverance data.
They found that among the white stripes were strange light-colored spots just a few millimeters in diameter, surrounded by a dark material containing iron and phosphate. “These spots were a big surprise,” they said. David Flannery NASA's Queensland University of Technology in Australia press release“On Earth, these rock features are often associated with the fossil record of microorganisms living below the Earth's surface,” because the chemical reactions that produce these leopard-print patterns in Earth's rocks can also provide useful energy for microorganisms.
In the same area where the rocks are, Perseverance also detected certain organic compounds that are considered building blocks of life. Taken together, all of this could be considered a trace of past microbial life on Mars, but it's far from conclusive proof. “We should be cautiously enthusiastic, but realistically cautious,” Perseverance said. Pole Barn “Right now, this is a sign that wet rocks are (probably) causing chemical changes,” said John Doe, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, who was not involved in the study.
As it turns out, there are ways to produce all these signatures without the involvement of any living organisms, and there are some indications that the region may have once been filled with hot magma, which may have made it impossible for life to survive there.
Unfortunately, it won't be clear anytime soon whether there are signs of life at Cheyaba Falls. “We've shone lasers and X-rays on the rocks, and literally photographed them day and night, from just about every angle you can imagine,” says Dr. Ken Farley “Scientifically, Perseverance has nothing more to offer,” Caltech said in a press release.
The rover is adding samples from Cheyaba Falls to its archives, and a future mission will bring them back to Earth, where researchers will be able to study them more closely with more advanced instruments. “There's a whole different way to analyze them than you would in a lab on Earth,” Byrne says.
But NASA's Mars sample-return mission, Perseverance, has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and it's still not clear when or if we'll be able to get an up-close look at the intriguing rocks.
This is a crucial election year for the world, with misinformation swirling on social media as countries including the UK, US and France go to the polls.
There are major concerns about whether deepfakes – images and audio of key politicians created using artificial intelligence to mislead voters – could influence election outcomes.
While it has not been a major talking point in the UK elections so far, examples are steadily emerging around the world, including in the US, where a presidential election is looming.
Notable visual elements include:
Discomfort around the mouth and jaw
In deepfake videos, the area around the mouth can be the biggest clue: There may be fewer wrinkles on the skin, less detail around the mouth, and a blurry or smudged chin. Poor syncing between a person’s voice and mouth is another telltale sign.
The deepfake video, posted on June 17, shows Nigel Farage simulating the destruction of Rishi Sunak’s house in Minecraft. Deepfake satire trend A video showing politicians playing online games.
A few days later, Another Simulation Video Keir Starmer was seen playing Minecraft and setting up traps in “Nigel’s Pub”.
Dr Mhairi Aitken, an ethics researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national AI lab, says the first feature of Minecraft deepfakes is, of course, the “absurdity of the situation”, but another sign of AI-generated media and manipulation is the imperfect synchronization of voice and mouth.
“This is particularly clear in the section where Farage is speaking,” Aitken said.
Another way to tell, Aitken says, is to see if shadows fall in the right places, or if lines and creases in the face move in the way you expect them to.
Ardi Djandzheva, a researcher at the institute, added that the low resolution of the overall video is another telltale sign people should look out for because it “looks like something that was quickly stitched together.” He said people have become accustomed to this amateurish technique due to the prevalence of “rudimentary, low-resolution scam email attempts.”
This lo-fi approach also shows up in prominent areas like the mouth and jawline, he says: “There’s an excessive blurring and smudge of facial features that are the focus of the viewer’s attention, like the mouth.”
Strange elements of the speech
Another deepfake video featured audio edited from Keir Starmer’s 2023 New Year’s speech pitching an investment scheme.
If you listen closely, you’ll notice some odd sentence structure: Starmer repeatedly says “pound” before a figure, for example “pound 35,000 per month”.
Aitken said the voice and mouth were again out of sync and the lower part of the face was blurred, adding that the use of “pounds” before the numbers suggested a text-to-speech tool had probably been used to recreate Starmer’s voice.
“This mirrors typical spoken language patterns, as it is likely a written-to-speech tool was used, which has not been confirmed,” she says. “There are clues in the intonation as well, which maintains a fairly monotonous rhythm and pattern throughout. A good way to check the authenticity of a video is to compare the voice, mannerisms and expressions to a recording of a real person to see if there is consistency.”
Face and body consistency
This deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling on civilians to lay down their arms to Russian forces was circulated in March 2022. The head is disproportionately large compared to the rest of the body, and the skin on the neck and face is a different color.
Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an expert on deepfake detection, said this is “a classic deepfake.” The immobile body is the telltale sign, he said. “The defining feature of this so-called Puppet Master deepfake is that the body is immobile from the neck down.”
Discontinuities throughout the video clip
The video, which went viral in May 2024, falsely shows U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller telling a reporter that “there are virtually no civilians left in Belgorod,” justifying the Ukrainian military’s attack on the Russian city of Belgorod. The video was tweeted by the Russian embassy in South Africa and has since been removed, according to Russian media. BBC journalist.
Slice of the universe's largest 3D map showing the fundamental structure of matter
A collaboration between Leah Raman and DESI. Custom colormap package with cmastro
The largest 3D map of the universe ever created offers hints about the evolution of the universe and suggests we may be wrong about the behavior of dark energy, which makes up most of the universe. I am. This mysterious power may weaken over time.
“If it can be maintained, this is a very big deal,” he says Adam Rees Johns Hopkins University in Maryland discovered the first evidence of dark energy 25 years ago. That's because the standard model of cosmology, called the lambda CDM, suggests that the intensity of dark energy should not change over time.
Dark energy is thought to cause the accelerated expansion of the universe. If it is not static, it could also have major implications for our ideas about the universe's beginning, its size, and ultimate fate. Mr. Reese, who was not involved in the new work, said the impact was that “we… [our understanding of] “Gravity and Field”.
This strange finding comes from the Dark Energy Spectroscopy Instrument (DESI) in Arizona, where even DESI collaborators say data suggests dark energy may be weakening in recent times. I don't really know what to make of that fact. A DESI spokesperson said: “Whether this is interesting or not, this is all we have been talking about in this collaboration for months.” Kyle Dawson at the University of Utah.
DESI researchers investigated the strength of dark energy by measuring the large-scale structure and distribution of galaxies in the universe, revealing how the universe has expanded over time. The researchers then combined this information with three sets of data about supernovae. Supernovae act as so-called “standard candles” that determine the distance to cosmic objects thanks to their predictable brightness.
Surprisingly, each of the three supernova samples gave a different answer to the changing rate of expansion of the universe over time. All three suggest that the influence of dark energy may have declined in recent years, but the strength of these suggestions varies, so researchers wonder how to interpret the data. I don't really understand.
“Two of the supernova samples don't match each other, but they are very similar,” Dawson said. “We don't know which one is correct. The truth may lie somewhere in between, but the real difference seems to be in the method.” [the supernova researchers] We evaluated the data. ”
Model discrepancy is indicated by a coefficient called sigma. Sigma measures the likelihood that similar collisions will occur by chance when the models do not match each other. “About 3 sigma is the level at which we typically sit and pay attention and call it a 'sign' of something,” Reese says. Values lower than that are usually not of particular interest to researchers. It would be too likely a simple coincidence.
The discrepancies between the lambda CDM and combined supernova and DESI measurements ranged from 2.5 sigma to 3.9 sigma. “Both opinions are true. There's enough tension and it's interesting. And there's not enough tension to say that something is definitely there,” says Dawson.
Dark energy makes up nearly 70 percent of the universe, so errors in our understanding of its properties can have far-reaching implications for physics. However, more precise measurements will be needed in the coming years to prove whether the error really exists.
“if [this is] “Certainly, this is the first real clue we've had about the nature of dark energy in 25 years,” says Rees.
The World Health Organization reported that in 2020, 2.3 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer. American Cancer Society states that early diagnosis of breast cancer leads to a 100% survival rate. During the initial diagnosis, images or scans of breast tissue are examined by the doctor to detect abnormalities.
Doctors commonly use ultrasound devices to diagnose breast cancer using sound waves. Ultrasound for diagnosing breast cancer. Scientists have identified limitations of ultrasound in the past, such as the need for proper skills and training, poor contact with skin during scanning, and maintenance challenges of large ultrasound machines in hospitals.
To address these limitations, a group of researchers developed a wearable, portable, and affordable device called cUSBr-Patch, which stands for Compatible Ultrasonic Chest Patch. To create this wearable patch, they used a 3D printer to design a honeycomb-shaped patch with holes that can be attached to a soft fabric bra.
Scientists attached a small scanning device to the patch that uses sound waves to acquire medical images similar to an ultrasound machine. This device, called phased array transducer, uses piezoelectric material and differs from traditional hospital ultrasound scanners, producing clear and high-resolution images.
The cUSBr-Patch is attached to a bra with magnets and allows the patch to directly touch the skin for scanning. A small tracker on the phased array transducer is moved and rotated using a handle to capture images of the entire breast.
Researchers tested cUSBr-Patch on female patients with breast abnormalities, scanning both breasts in six different locations using the phased array transducer connected to the patch. Computer programs were then used to generate images similar to those from standard hospital ultrasound machines.
The researchers concluded that cUSBr-Patch can detect breast cancer at a level comparable to traditional hospital ultrasound equipment. They are working on a smaller version of the device, aiming to make it accessible for home use by high-risk individuals and populations without regular testing facilities to improve breast cancer survival rates significantly.
techno signature Any measurable property that could provide evidence of extraterrestrial technology. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a branch of astrobiology that focuses on the discovery of technosignatures, which provide evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Traditionally, targeted wireless surveys have been the mainstay of his SETI research, and many of his ongoing SETI projects are still conducted in the radio band. SETI Ellipsoid, a newly proposed technology, suggests that an extraterrestrial civilization observing a galactic-scale event such as supernova SN 1987A could use it as a point to broadcast a synchronization signal indicating its presence. This is a strategy for selecting techno signature candidates based on the assumption that .
Gaia Early Data Release 3, using Cabrales' improved star 3D positions other. identified 32 SN 1987A SETI ellipsoidal targets with uncertainties better than 0.5 light-years within the TESS continuum. Image credits: ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/Alexandra Angelich, NRAO/AUI/NSF.
Barbara Cabrales, Ph.D., of the SETI Institute and the Berkeley SETI Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues demonstrate that the SETI ellipsoid method leverages continuous, wide-field surveys of the sky and demonstrates its ability to detect potential technosignatures. We have shown that it can be significantly improved.
By using up to a year of observations to correct for uncertainties in the estimated time of arrival of such signals, we implement the SETI ellipsoid strategy in an innovative way using state-of-the-art technology.
“The new survey of the sky provides a groundbreaking opportunity to search for technosignatures in concert with supernovae,” Dr. Cabrales said.
“Typical timing uncertainty takes months, so we want to cover the bases by finding well-documented goals over about a year.”
“In addition to that, it's important to make as many observations as possible about each target of interest, so you can see what looks like normal behavior and what looks like potential techno-signatures.” You will be able to judge.”
In examining data from the Continuous Display Zone of NASA's TESS mission, which covers 5% of all TESS data during the first three years of the mission, the authors leveraged advanced 3D position data from Gaia Early Data Release 3. Did.
This analysis identified 32 major targets within the SETI ellipsoid in the southern part of the TESS continuum, with all uncertainties adjusted to better than 0.5 light-years.
Although initial inspection of TESS light curves during ellipsoid-crossing events did not find any anomalies, the foundation laid by this effort lends itself to other investigations, a broader range of targets, and a variety of potential signal types. Paving the way for expansion into research.
Applying SETI Ellipsoid technology to scour large archival databases represents a breakthrough in the search for technosignatures.
This study demonstrates the feasibility of leveraging Gaia's highly accurate distance estimates and cross-matching these distances with other time-domain surveys such as TESS to enhance monitoring and anomaly detection capabilities in SETI research. doing.
Combining the SETI Ellipsoid method with Gaia's distance measurements provides a robust and adaptable framework for future SETI searches.
Astronomers can apply it retrospectively to sift through archived data for potential signals, proactively select targets, and schedule future monitoring campaigns.
“The SETI Ellipsoid method, in collaboration with Gaia distances, provides an easy and flexible method for SETI searches that can be adapted to suit a variety of current surveys and source events,” the researchers said. I am.
“This can not only be applied retrospectively to look for signals in archived data, but also propagated in time to select targets and schedule surveillance campaigns.”
WWill 2024 be boom or bust for big tech companies? estimate
the industry has seen more than 7,500 layoffs since the start of the year, a spate of pink slips that many had hoped would stop after deep job cuts in 2023.
But as earnings season for major U.S. tech companies begins this week, some analysts are predicting strong numbers. This set of quarterly financial results may indicate that the industry has shed pandemic-era hiring overhangs and reorganized around cloud computing and AI, with cuts in sectors where the outlook is less positive. It has become necessary. Analysts passionate about AI say we are at the beginning of a tech bull market.
Since the beginning of this year, Google has laid off more than 1,000 employees in various departments. The job cuts are small compared to January last year, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned that more layoffs are coming. He told employees in an internal memo last week that Alphabet was “removing layers to simplify execution and increase speed in some areas.”
“We have ambitious goals and will invest in big priorities this year,” Pichai said in the memo. Obtained from Verge.
“The reality is that we have to make difficult choices to create the capacity for this investment.” However, the reductions “are not the size of last year's cuts and will not impact every team.” he added.
Alphabet workers union called dismissal “needless” in Wednesday's post on X (formerly Twitter).
Amazon also announced new layoffs affecting hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios divisions. This is part of a move away from excessive spending on entertainment and a refocus on core priorities such as online shopping logistics and new businesses such as AI.
At Meta, where more than 20,000 layoffs were made last year, departmental cuts appear to have slowed, but have not stopped. Instagram eliminated its management layer in mid-January, cutting 60 technical program managers. Last year, the company announced it was adding employees to support “priority areas” and changing its workforce to include more “high-cost technical roles.”
And that may be the true story of the technology industry in 2024. If Wedbush analyst Dan Ives is right, the layoffs are almost complete and earnings season will be a time for a “popcorn break.”
“Not only will there be companies that will benefit from the AI revolution, but there will also be companies that will be at a disadvantage.Therefore, companies will need to reduce costs in non-revenue-generating areas and redouble their use of AI.” says.
“This is more of a redistribution than anything else because 95% of the cost savings are in the rearview mirror. But the strong will get stronger and the weak will be exposed.”
But which hand is it? Apple may be looking to boost sales that have been lagging behind this month's launch of the Vision Pro headset and new iPhone models with generative AI capabilities. China's economic downturn has forced the company to cut the prices of many smartphones and hope for a recovery.
Last week, Bank of America securities analyst Wamsi Mohan expressed optimism about Apple's year ahead, suggesting that “promising AI capabilities” could lead to “an enhanced multi-year iPhone upgrade cycle.” did.
Ives said increased demand for enterprise software and cybersecurity, as well as a surge in demand related to major AI projects, will be key to earnings season and will continue to do so as the AI revolution gains momentum.
Winners have already emerged. Last week, Microsoft surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company for the first time since 2021, with a market capitalization of nearly $3 trillion. Microsoft cut 16,000 jobs from 232,000 employees last year, but Wedbush recently said that Microsoft's lead in AI will boost the company's revenue by $25 billion by 2025. I calculated that it was possible.
“The move to cloud and AI is having a huge impact on technology, including the reallocation of jobs and many changes to Apple and Google,” Ives said. “AI monetization has begun with his Nvidia and Microsoft, and we believe we are seeing the beginning of a new tech bull market starting in the summer of 2023.”
If your dog can distinguish between toys and doesn’t destroy them, then it may be a genius. That’s according to scientists who have identified a unique type of genius dog and have found that it all depends on how well they know their toys. You can read more about it here.
The dogs referred to by the researchers behind this study are known as gifted word learner (GWL) dogs. They know the names of their toys and can retrieve them on command. In fact, they can learn words very quickly and have been found to be incredibly rare.
One of the first organizations to closely examine the characteristics of these dogs, using a sample of 41 dogs from nine countries, was the Eötvös Lorand University (ELTE) in Hungary. The results showed that the genius dogs knew the names of 29 toys on average, but many of them knew over 100 of their toys by the end of the study.
Max, one of the genius dogs studied, knows the names of over 200 toys. Max, a 5-year-old male border collie, is from Hungary. – Photo credit: Ildiko Gyenes
To confirm that these dogs were real, the researchers first asked owners to send in videos of their dogs retrieving toys by name. After this stage, the researchers met with owners in a “virtual lab” to test the toy retrieval in more controlled conditions.
The study conducted by ELTE revealed that GWL dog owners reported that their talented pups were able to learn the names of new toys within 30 minutes. It became clear that certain breeds, such as Border Collies, were more likely to have this talent than others. However, no special training is required to own a GWL dog.
These dogs are so rare that it took researchers five years to find 41 dogs in nine countries using social media. You can watch their experiments here.
“GWL dogs are so rare that until now we only had anecdotes about their background.” – Professor Adam Miklosi, head of the Department of Animal Behavior at ELTE
After a particularly busy summer, secondary venture activity has waxed and waned in recent months. But in 2024, investors may return for good, writes Rebecca Schuchtak.
All articles on TechCrunch+ are available to members only. Use discount code TC Plus Roundup Save 20% on a 1-year or 2-year subscription.
“When the IPO market is functioning, the pre-IPO buyer pool expands considerably. The list of investors interested in secondaries expands to include investors interested in the public markets,” said Caplight CEO. Javier Avalos told her.
Funding for AI startups exceeded $68.7 billion in 2023, but “mega deals” may be inflating that number. Total VC funding in this space in the third quarter was approximately $22.1 billion. But if you subtract the Big Tech mega-deals, the total is closer to $15.1 billion. Kyle Wiggers writes: “Maybe VCs who were initially swayed by the generative AI hype are coming back to reality and becoming more wary of the risks of the technology?”
Twilio may be worth the attention of activist investors
Image credits: Champuk/Getty Images
Twilio’s stock price has fallen this week after the company laid off employees amid much volatility. In February, CEO Jeff Lawson announced that the company would be splitting the business into two parts, with Elena Donio heading up data and apps. However, during the company’s third-quarter earnings conference, the company announced that Donio would be stepping down. And that doesn’t take into account the collapse in stock prices.
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Ask Sophie: Does the H-1B visa require founders to give up stock and control?
Image credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
Dear Sophie
I am currently working for my employer on an H-1B in the United States. I wanted to start my own company, but transferring an H-1B to a startup has many downsides for startup founders, including giving up control and capital. How has that changed now?
— Future Founder
Why layoffs happen in December and how to deal with them compassionately
Image credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
If you find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of having to make a layoff in December, TechCrunch reporter Haje Jan Kamps has some tips for doing it compassionately.
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