Colored light micrograph of a human embryo following in vitro fertilization
Zephyr/Science Photo Library
During in vitro fertilization (IVF), embryos are subjected to genetic screening prior to being placed in the uterus. Recent studies, however, have shown that the common tests may fail to identify genetic abnormalities arising shortly before implantation. The implications for choosing embryos that are likely to lead to a healthy pregnancy remain uncertain.
This process, known as preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), is conducted about 5 to 6 days after fertilization. It involves extracting cells from the embryo’s outer layer to assess for chromosomal irregularities, which can elevate the risk of miscarriage. However, this testing only captures a moment in time, as cellular division continues and may introduce genetic changes prior to implantation.
To address this gap, Ahmed Abdelbaki and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge monitored the progress of human embryos 46 hours post-thawing, replicating the timeline from evaluation to implantation. Typically, the embryo takes 1 to 5 days to implant after being transferred to the uterus. Given that embryos are highly sensitive to the light from traditional microscopes, prior studies only managed to observe them for about 24 hours. The research team employed light-sheet microscopy, a technique that illuminates only a thin slice of the embryo at once, minimizing light exposure and enabling longer observation durations.
In their experiment, the researchers injected 13 human embryos with a fluorescent dye that attaches to DNA, facilitating real-time tracking of genetic abnormality formation. They recorded the division of 223 cells and discovered that 8% exhibited chromosomal misalignment. This misalignment occurs when chromosomes improperly arrange themselves before cell division, significantly raising the likelihood of creating cells with abnormal chromosome counts, potentially hindering implantation, increasing miscarriage risk, and leading to conditions such as Down syndrome.
This indicates that genetic changes might arise later. “These variances appear in the embryo subsequent to PGT-A screening,” stated Lily Zimmerman from Northwell Health in New York.
These chromosomal errors were restricted to the outer cell layer responsible for forming the placenta, rather than the central cells that mature into the fetus. Previous findings suggest that successful pregnancies can occur even with certain genetic abnormalities in the outer cells. Thus, Abdelbaki posits that these genetic errors may not detrimentally impact the embryo’s survival chances.
“In my view, this study highlights the necessity for further research in embryo screening. It’s not simply a matter of categorizing embryos as genetically normal or abnormal,” commented Professor Zimmerman. She also noted that it remains unclear how genetic alterations occurring between screening and implantation might influence embryo viability, and given that the study examined only a small sample of embryos, the broader applicability of these findings is uncertain.
And Battlefield makes its return. The iconic military shooter franchise, renowned for its large-scale online multiplayer battles featuring countless troops, tanks, and aircraft, is here with its sixth major installment. It’s exciting, monumental, and potent.
While I appreciated the single-player campaign mode, I found the overall experience lacking. The narrative follows familiar territory: extraordinary soldiers on a quest to safeguard global freedoms against a nefarious private military group, a terrorist faction, or an undercover CIA agent. This storyline could easily fit into any military shooter or modern war film featuring a Hemsworth. Unfortunately, it’s a standard 7-hour artillery campaign that demands constant player engagement.
The issue lies in the fact that players don’t typically buy Battlefield for its campaign. In reality, many titles in the series lack a comprehensive single-player mode. This provided the developers with a chance to innovate and take risks. While mainstream cinema has been criticized for transforming patriotic depictions of the military-industrial complex into entertaining action dramas, it has also given us classics like Paths of Glory, M*A*S*H, and The Deer Hunter. Battlefield 6 occasionally hints at the challenging realities of modern hybrid warfare, but it’s hard to care about the characters, who lack depth and are forever spouting military jargon.
There have been memorable games that scrutinize the narrative of a heroic soldier acting in the name of a mostly benevolent military. Titles such as Metal Gear Solid firmly address the tragedies of nuclear conflict, while Ubisoft’s Valiant Hearts offers a poignant reflection on love amidst war. Yet, a key example remains Yager Development’s intriguing 2012 title, Spec Ops: The Line. In this tale, you embody a commander of a covert Delta force dispatched to a devastated Dubai in search of a rogue U.S. military unit. As the plot unfolds, the characters spiral into fatigue and trauma, encountering increasingly surreal hallucinations. The intention was to illustrate warfare’s detrimental psychological impacts while still providing an engaging experience. This mission was indeed accomplished.
A profound narrative about war… Spec Ops: The Line stands out as a meaningful military game. Photo: Jaeger
In the ever-consolidating gaming sector, where major corporations invest fortunes to capture millions of players, narrative innovation appears increasingly unlikely. The same trend applies to any form of political commentary. However, today’s players have a plethora of shooter options. The success of unconventional films like Atomfall and Megabonk illustrates that it’s beneficial to venture off the beaten path.
Could Battlefield 6’s campaign have transformed into a tense, claustrophobic thriller reminiscent of Alex Garland’s Warfare, or drawn players into survival narratives akin to Until Dawn? Might it have been a sandbox-style adventure filled with diverse tasks, items, and enemies to uncover?
In recent years, we have seen numerous multi-million dollar projects axed and employees laid off. The “greenlight-only” approach, competing fiercely with the perpetual nature of Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Marvel Rivals, creates a zero-sum environment: win or perish. While some may deem this optimism misguided, it feels unsustainable (even considering the fact that these mega titles are faltering). Additionally, the human cost of widespread layoffs raises ethical concerns. Clichés cannot sustain games any longer. Our modern world, rife with shifting allegiances, unpredictable climates, and uprooted societies, presents a strikingly relevant backdrop for a new war story that carries significance. If only someone dared to share it.
What to Play
A heartfelt tribute to the instant messaging era… VideoVerse. Photo: Kinmoku
Originally launched on PC in 2023, VideoVerse serves as a touching homage to the age of instant messaging. It tells a clever and delightful tale of love and friendship between users on a fading social media platform. You step into the shoes of Emmett, a young gaming enthusiast who spends his days chatting with friends online. This changes when a new user stirs deeper feelings within him.
Scheduled for release on PS5, Switch, and Xbox on November 14th, it incorporates all the enhancements made since the initial launch. For those revisiting the game and yearning for the nostalgia of MSN Messenger, this title is essential.
Available: PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Estimated Play Time: 10 hours or more
What to Read
Console yourself… Discover news about the future of PlayStation and Xbox. Photo: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images
It appears that Microsoft and Sony are on track to release a new generation console in 2027. VGC has compiled the latest rumors. Check out this captivating article for discussions from NeoGaf threads and gossip from tech news outlets.
An industry initiative titled Palestinian Voices in Games invites volunteers, including artists, coders, and designers, to contribute their expertise to upcoming projects while supporting developers from the region. This feature delves into this endeavor, sharing insights from several developers.
The exhausted remnants of the harassing Gamergate group seem to have resurfaced, with renewed interest surrounding the acclaimed historical adventure Ghost of Mt. Yotei, particularly due to its female protagonist and subtly progressive themes. For further details, read this comprehensive article.
For Kids… Shigeru Miyamoto showcasing the Nintendo DS at launch. Photo: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
This week’s questions come from Peter:
“My 4-year-old daughter has started showing interest in video games. I want to purchase her an affordable handheld console instead of an iPad. What do you suggest?”
There are many options available. Leap Frog, known for children’s electronic toys, offers a range of devices. The Leapster is a handheld console typically available used with 2-3 game cartridges for around £20-30. It’s robust and safe for play. However, I would focus on the Nintendo DS or the newer, sturdier 2DS, both available for about £10-£50 depending on condition from eBay.
These systems boast a vast library of children’s games (original DS titles are compatible with both formats, and new 3DS games can be played on the 2DS, albeit not in 3D), and games can be found in charity shops or local CeX locations for as low as 50p. The original DS has a hinge connecting its screens that can be a weak point, depending on how carefully my daughter uses it. Both models include a stylus, which poses a choking hazard, so supervision is essential during its use. My sons have lost countless styluses! Fortunately, many games don’t require them. Any titles featuring Mario, Wario, Kirby, as well as Animal Crossing, Pokemon, or Lego are perfect choices.
If you have questions for the question block or any feedback regarding the newsletter, feel free to reply or email us at pushbuttons@theguardian.com.
The fitness technology scene is thriving like never before, offering numerous ways to monitor and analyze every run, ride, or workout session. From high-tech carbon-plated running shoes to innovative foam floats for the pool, the latest wave of fitness gear aims to help you break records, win races, and enhance your athletic performance.
Not all devices, wearables, or training tools align with your fitness goals, so it’s crucial to know where to invest your hard-earned money. To sift through marketing hype, I consulted various sports experts to pinpoint technologies that truly make a difference. Surprisingly, the most effective options aren’t always the latest or most expensive models—some are quite simple.
Transitioning to clipless pedals enhances your cycling by allowing more efficient circular movements instead of a rigid push-down motion. This also secures your feet in place for greater comfort during long rides, minimizing chain issues when dismounting.
For an accessible entry into clipless pedals, consider mountain bike pedals, which work on both sides, making entry and exit easier than road bike pedals that only clip in from one side. These pedals often come with simple, removable shoe cleats for easy walking.
Rock Rider Mountain Bike Shoes
£79.99 at Decathlon
Shimano Clipless Cycling Pedal
£27.99 at Halfords£28.62 on Amazon
Turbo Trainer and Third-Party Training Software
For beginners, a turbo trainer can transform your bike into an effective indoor training tool. Advancements in technology have made these trainers more user-friendly. Hales notes, “The main advantage of a turbo trainer is environmental control, eliminating distractions from traffic or road conditions, allowing you to focus on your specific training sessions.”
Today, turbo trainers come equipped with engaging software like Zwift or Rouvy, making indoor training more exciting than ever before.
A GPS watch is invaluable for runners, offering the ability to record distance and speed while tracking progress. This functionality serves as great motivation.
Following a training plan becomes easier, guiding when to increase pace or slow down. The data collected allows for assessment of the runner’s efforts.
Choose a reliable running watch; the Apple Watch is sleek but may lack in data accuracy. The Garmin Forerunner series is known for its dependability.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music
£249 at John Lewis£289.99 on Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 570
£459.99 on Garmin£459.99 at Runners
Carbon Running Shoes
Shoes featuring carbon plates enhance running efficiency. Research indicates that each step in these shoes requires less oxygen compared to traditional options, as they function like springs, providing significant propulsion.
Evidence shows they can benefit runners across skill levels, not just elite athletes (supported by both scientific findings and anecdotal evidence from marathon finish times).
It’s important to try various models for comfort. High-performing options include Nike AlphaFly and Vaporfly, ASICS METASPEED, and Saucony Endorphin Pro, with some models proving more durable than others. Generally, Nike models are rated for a lifespan of 100-200 miles, influenced by running conditions and individual forces.
The latest PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite3 has also shown outstanding performance in recent studies, though it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with race-day shoes during training sessions to maintain their efficacy. Balance usage with other shoes to ensure they’re in top condition for race days.
For those new to fitness, pace is all that matters at first. Yet as you aim for greater performance, understanding your heart rate becomes crucial in gauging your exertion. Many factors influence pace, including terrain and footwear.
It’s common for runners to overestimate their exertion level; knowing your heart rate can help you find the right training zones. This data can then inform your workouts, ensuring you’re not pushing too hard on easy days.
Although GPS watches have improved, they may still provide unreliable heart rate readings while running. Hence, a strap-based monitor can offer better accuracy. Arm-based monitors, such as those from Coros, can be particularly effective for women, as they can be less cumbersome than chest straps.
Most adults haven’t swum competitively from a young age. Using equipment like a pull buoy can help these “newer swimmers” achieve better body position and feel for the water.
A pull buoy is positioned between the thighs to elevate the body into a neutral position in the water, mitigating the need for kicking. Without it, many may find their hips sinking, making proper stroke initiation difficult.
Not all pull buoys are created equal; their size and buoyancy vary greatly. Many believe that using a pull buoy is akin to cheating, but in reality, it simplifies swimming. Without it, the struggle intensifies and can lead to fatigue, which is why less frequent swimmers may not cover much distance.
Toy Buoy 4
£17.99 at Sports Shoes
Smart Goggles
I tend to prefer traditional methods at the pool, but smart goggles have significantly improved swimming experiences. They automatically track your time and laps, eliminating the need to touch any buttons.
Additionally, these goggles can help analyze your body position in real time, providing feedback on head positioning and breathing, which can enhance swim performance.
For years, tennis lagged in tech adoption, but this is changing with tools like SwingVision, which brings smart analytics to your device, offering real-time shot tracking, line calls, and match stats.
SwingVision provides a free tier for two hours of recorded analysis monthly, making it user-friendly and accessible without any permanent infrastructure.
Running shoes propel you forward, but wearing them in the gym can hinder movement patterns. For example, during squats, executing the movement with your toes leads is crucial.
For functional training, Nike Free MetCon is highly recommended for its durability and adaptive exercise patterns. It promotes natural foot movement, providing stability during agility exercises and landings.
Nike Free MetCon 6 (Men)
£99.99 at Sports Direct£119.99 at Nike
Nike Free MetCon 6 (Women)
£71.99 at Nike£119.99 at ASOS
Lifting Belt
Hybrid training can often lead to muscle strain if you lift following a long run. It’s advisable to utilize a belt when lifting heavy to support your back and engage your glutes and hamstrings effectively.
While manual massages may be more effective, using a massage gun pre, during, or post-workout can have benefits. The rapid vibrations assist in tapping massage techniques to stimulate the nervous system and relieve tension in muscle groups.
Massage guns are excellent for targeting specific muscle areas but aren’t a substitute for comprehensive coverage. It’s difficult to treat areas like the traps effectively without help. However, they can be useful tools.
Theragun Mini Massage Gun
£199 at Therabody£199 at Argos
Hyper Volt 2 Massage Gun
£199 at Hyperice£199 on Amazon
Check out our guide on the best massage guns and essential Pilates kits for more insights.
Glue guns generally employ harmful oil-based adhesives
Shutterstock/ekaterina43
A by-product from the wood industry has been innovatively transformed into safe, reusable hot glue adhesives that could serve as an alternative to hazardous solvent-based adhesives.
Ziwen LV of Beijing University of Forestry, along with a colleague, developed an adhesive from xylan, a component of plant cell walls.
“Xylan acts as a binding agent for cellulose, yet isn’t traditionally considered a ‘glue’ on its own,” stated Nick Aldred, who wasn’t part of the research team at the University of Essex, UK. “This initiative aims to reactivate it as a viable adhesive.”
The LV team chemically modified xylan to create dai-alcohol xylan, utilizing sodium acid and sodium borate in the process.
The resultant adhesive, when extruded from the hot glue gun, boasts a bond strength of 30 megapascals, surpassing that of traditional epoxy resin adhesives. Additionally, it can be reused by remelting, maintaining its adhesive properties even after 10 cycles.
The team also constructed plywood held together with xylan adhesive and found its performance comparable to that of phenol-formaldehyde resin adhesives.
However, there’s a significant limitation: after being submerged in water for one hour, the adhesive melts and the layers disintegrate. The researchers didn’t respond to requests for comment from New Scientist.
Jonathan Wilker from Purdue University, Indiana, highlights the pressing need for sustainable alternatives to the petroleum-based adhesives presently in use.
“[The] combined performance [of the new glue] was quite impressive, especially on wood substrates,” remarked Wilker.
“If we can implement this on a larger scale within the plywood industry, it could be revolutionary,” emphasized Aldred. “Plywood remains one of the last consumer products still containing materials like phenols and formaldehyde, substances that were banned years ago in products such as cosmetics.”
Physicists from the CMS Collaboration at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have successfully measured the effective leptonic electroweak mixing angle. The results were presented at the annual general meeting. Rencontre de Morion Conference is the most accurate measurement ever made at the Hadron Collider and is in good agreement with predictions from the Standard Model of particle physics.
Installation of CMS beam pipe. Image credit: CERN/CMS Collaboration.
The Standard Model is the most accurate description of particles and their interactions to date.
Precise measurements of parameters, combined with precise theoretical calculations, provide incredible predictive power that allows us to identify phenomena even before we directly observe them.
In this way, the model has succeeded in constraining the masses of the W and Z particles, the top quark, and recently the Higgs boson.
Once these particles are discovered, these predictions serve as a consistency check on the model, allowing physicists to explore the limits of the theory’s validity.
At the same time, precise measurements of the properties of these particles provide a powerful tool for exploring new phenomena beyond the standard model, so-called “new physics.” This is because new phenomena appear as mismatches between different measured and calculated quantities.
The electroweak mixing angle is a key element of these consistency checks. This is a fundamental parameter of the Standard Model and determines how unified electroweak interactions give rise to electromagnetic and weak interactions through a process known as electroweak symmetry breaking.
At the same time, we mathematically connect the masses of the W and Z bosons that transmit weak interactions.
Therefore, measurements of W, Z, or mixed angles provide a good experimental cross-check of the model.
The two most accurate measurements of the weak mixing angle were made by experiments at CERN’s LEP collider and by the SLD experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).
These values have puzzled physicists for more than a decade because they don’t agree with each other.
The new results are in good agreement with standard model predictions and are a step towards resolving the discrepancy between standard model predictions and measurements of LEP and SLD.
“This result shows that precision physics can be performed at the Hadron Collider,” said Dr. Patricia McBride, spokesperson for the CMS Collaboration.
“The analysis had to deal with the challenging environment of LHC Run 2, with an average of 35 simultaneous proton-proton collisions.”
“This paves the way for even more precise physics, where more than five times as many proton pairs collide simultaneously at the high-luminosity LHC.”
Precise testing of Standard Model parameters is a legacy of electron-positron collider such as CERN’s LEP, which operated until 2000 in the tunnel that now houses the LHC.
Electron-positron collisions provide a clean environment ideal for such high-precision measurements.
Proton-proton collisions at the LHC are more challenging for this type of research, even though the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments have already yielded numerous new ultra-high-precision measurements.
This challenge is primarily due to the vast background from physical processes other than those studied, and the fact that protons, unlike electrons, are not subatomic particles.
With the new results, it seemed impossible to reach accuracy similar to that of the electron-positron collider, but now it has been achieved.
The measurements presented by CMS physicists use a sample of proton-proton collisions collected from 2016 to 2018 at a center of mass energy of 13 TeV and a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb.−1 or about 11 billion collisions.
“The mixing angle is obtained through analysis of the angular distribution in collisions in which pairs of electrons or muons are produced,” the researchers said.
“This is the most accurate measurement ever made at the Hadron Collider and improves on previous measurements by ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb.”
Nvidia has announced the most powerful “superchip” it has ever produced for training artificial intelligence models. The U.S. computing company, whose value has recently soared to become the world's third-largest company, has not yet disclosed the price of its new chips, but observers say they will be available to a small number of organizations.
The chip was announced by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at a press conference on March 18 in San Jose, California. He showed off the company's new Blackwell B200 graphics processing unit (GPU). Each GPU is equipped with his 208 billion transistors, the tiny switches at the heart of modern computing devices, compared to his 80 billion transistors in Nvidia's current generation Hopper chips. He also revealed the GB200 Grace Blackwell Superchip, which combines two B200 chips.
“Blackwell will be a great system for generative AI,” Huang said. “And in the future, data centers will be thought of as AI factories.”
GPUs have become coveted hardware for any organization looking to train large-scale AI models. During his AI chip shortage in 2023, Elon Musk said his GPUs were “a lot harder to get than drugs,” and some academic researchers without access lamented that “GPUs are poor.” I did.
Nvidia says its Blackwell chips deliver 30x performance improvements compared to Hopper GPUs when running generative AI services based on large language models such as GPT-4, while consuming 25x less power. It claims to be 1 in 1.
OpenAI's GPT-4 large-scale language model required approximately 8,000 Hopper GPUs and 15 megawatts of power to run 90 days of training, whereas the same AI training could be performed using just 2,000 Blackwell GPUs. The company says it can run on 4 megawatts of electricity.
The company has not yet revealed the cost of its Blackwell GPUs, but given that Hopper GPUs already cost between $20,000 and $40,000 each, their prices could reach eye-watering levels. expensive. The focus on developing more powerful and expensive chips means they will be “available only to a select few organizations and countries,” he said. sasha ruccioni At Hugging Face, a company that develops tools to share AI code and datasets. “Aside from the environmental impact of this already highly ene… Read more
Power demand from data center expansion, driven primarily by the generative AI boom, is expected to double by 2026 and rival Japan's current energy consumption. If data centers that support AI training continue to rely on fossil fuel power plants, they may also be accompanied by a sharp increase in carbon emissions.
Global demand for GPUs also means more geopolitical complications for Nvidia, as tensions and strategic competition between the US and China increase. The U.S. government has instituted export controls on advanced chip technology to slow China's AI development efforts, saying it is critical to U.S. national security, so Nvidia is seeking performance improvements for Chinese customers. They are forced to produce lower versions of chips.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
