Vivid glimpse into Mesopotamian life through ancient clay tablets

Relief from the palace of Ashbanipal showing him in a tank

British Museum/Odey Hussein

It is one of the oldest and greatest stores of knowledge. This is a huge library of texts accumulated by Assyrian king Ashrbanipal, who ruled ancient Mesopotamia around 2,700 years ago. However, after his death it was plundered and burned to the ground. Luckily, the text was written on clay tablets, so it was burned and preserved by heat.

Fragments of Gilgamesh’s Epic

British Museum/Cumringed

When the library ruins were discovered in today’s Iraq during the Victorian period, the incredible wealth of this lost world became apparent. New book, Ancient Wisdom Library Serena Wysnom of the University of Leicester in the UK can create vivid portraits of Mesopotamian life from the shattered remains of around 30,000 tablets in the library in Ashbanipal.

Royal Board Games

Camlin is good

Written in Cuneiform, the world’s oldest form of writing, the tablet not only brings back the kings and queens to life, but also brings to the lament of priests, traders and professionals. It also includes magic spells and letters of complaints. Our lives are influenced by ripples of this ancient world, with 60 minutes of time, mathematical discoveries and the invention of constellations.

Clay Prism with an account for Ashurbanipal’s military campaign

Anthony Huan/CC by-sa 2.0

Photo from above: Relief from the palace of Ashrbanipal shows him in a tank. Fragments of Gilgamesh’s Epictells the story of the Great Flood. According to a letter by his brother, the royal game of Urboard games that Ashrbanipal enjoyed as a boy. Clay prisms containing descriptions of Ashurbanipal’s military campaign. And a letter in which his sister blames his wife for her poor mucus.

A letter in which his sister criticizes his wife for poor mucus.

Odey Hussein

Ancient Wisdom Library It is currently being released in the UK and will be released in the US on May 12th.

Human Origin: Neolithic and Bronze Age Turkeys

embark on a fascinating journey through Türkiye. Turkey is a land rich in historical treasures that illuminate stories of human origin.

topic:

  • Archaeology/
  • Ancient humans

Source: www.newscientist.com

Top Foldable Smartphones and Tablets: Android’s Latest Innovations Go Head-to-Head

I
Is it a phone call? Is it a tablet? A new group of folding devices, with phone-like screens on the outside and large displays that open like books on the inside, are vying to appeal to consumers who want the best of both worlds.

Each is better in different parts of the equation, but which one is better overall? I tested the most promising devices in a round-by-round contest to find the foldable phone champion. Ta.


contestants

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – Category Definer, now in its 5th generation

  • Google Pixel Fold – Android manufacturer’s first attempt at a foldable smartphone

  • one plus open – A first for the brand, built on parent company Oppo’s 3rd generation technology

  • Honor Magic V2 – The third generation foldable model will be available in Europe from the end of January





The outer screen is important for phone-type uses such as messaging and calling, but it varies greatly from device to device. From left to right: Honor Magic V2, OnePlus Open, Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The dimensions of the outer screen make a big difference in how much the folder resembles a phone, and is where the devices differ the most.

The Z Fold 5’s outer screen is long and narrow, making typing uncomfortable. The Pixel Fold is short and stubby, so the keyboard is full width, but the apps are a little short and stubby. The Open and Magic V2 are more phone-like and much easier to fold and use.

winner: Honor Magic V2 – The thinnest, most phone-like experience available.





When it opens like a book, the large screen inside takes center stage. Top left to bottom right: Honor Magic V2, Google Pixel Fold, OnePlus Open, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The size and shape of the inner screen is a bit more consistent between brands. The OnePlus and Honor are the most square when unfolded, while the others are slightly longer on one side, similar to the iPad’s display.

Similarly, all screens have high refresh rates and are crisp and bright. Some products are better at preventing fingerprints and glare from lights, while others, like those from Samsung, support stylus input.

The big difference is the feel of the screen under your fingers and the visibility of the crease in the center of the screen. The Z Fold 5 has the most solid-feeling screen, but the Open has less noticeable creases than the others.

winner: OnePlus Open – Less noticeable creases and the smoothest feel.


The potential benefits of vibrating tablets in managing obesity by promoting a feeling of fullness in the stomach

The tablet contains a vibration motor powered by a small silver oxide battery. When stomach acid reaches the intestines, the outer layer of stomach acid dissolves. This closes the electronic circuit and begins to vibrate.

Shriya Srinivasan, Giovanni Traverso, MIT News

A vibrating drug that tricks the brain into thinking it’s full could one day treat obesity. This approach is significantly less invasive than gastric bypass surgery, and may be cheaper and have fewer side effects than drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic.

Giovanni Traverso Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a pill that is about the same size as a standard multivitamin. The tablet contains a vibrating motor powered by a small silver oxide battery that is safe to swallow. When the tablet reaches your intestines, stomach acid dissolves the outer layer of the tablet. This closes the electronic circuit and begins to vibrate.

In experiments with pigs, some of the animals were given the tablets 20 minutes before being fed. These pigs ate about 40 percent less than pigs that were not given the tablets. They also had higher levels of hormones in their blood that typically signal a feeling of fullness.

Researchers believe the pill has potential as a treatment for obesity and hope to test it in humans “soon,” Traverso said. “This is a huge health problem, affecting more than 40 percent of the U.S. population, for example.”

He says the pill’s vibrations activate the same receptors that sense when the stomach lining expands after a large meal, sending a signal to the brain that you’re full. The prototype version vibrates for 30 minutes until the battery dies and passes on its own.

Traverso said future versions could be adapted to stay in the stomach semi-permanently and be turned on and off wirelessly as needed. She said people will likely react differently to the device, but it typically turns on automatically for short periods of time each day to reduce appetite, or is controlled by a smartphone app to suppress hunger pangs. It is also possible to do so.

Previous research by the same group found that Electrical stimulation of the stomach lining can actually cause hunger pangs, may lead to the treatment of anorexia in cancer patients. “I think this is really exciting because we’re just learning what we can do by stimulating different parts of the gastrointestinal tract in different ways.” [gastrointestinal] Traverso says. “When we eat, we feel full, but the question is can we induce that feeling of fullness? Can we create that illusion?

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

TikTok introduces upgraded app experience for tablets and foldable devices

TikTok has rolled out updates that enhance the app experience for viewers on tablets and foldable devices, the company announced Monday. The app has been optimized for larger screens, so viewers can now experience a crisper video feed, streamlined navigation bar, and orientation support.

With the new update, users will see a polished video feed that “presents content more clearly.” Additionally, navigation bars at the top and bottom of the screen provide easy access to app features and tabs.

The app now works in landscape or portrait orientation. Today’s announcement comes a year after TikTok began testing horizontal full-screen mode on mobile worldwide. TikTok is already pushing further into YouTube territory by rolling out landscape mode on larger devices and supporting longer videos. The company’s support of long-form content makes it sensible to enhance the viewing experience for users watching things like cooking demos and beauty tutorials on tablets. The company hopes this new mode will persuade people who normally watch YouTube on their tablets to spend their time on TikTok instead.

“While most people already know and love TikTok on their mobile devices, we know that many people prefer accessing TikTok on larger screens and foldable devices,” the company said in a blog post. “Whether you’re looking for the latest cooking trends or searching for the latest soccer highlights, we’re excited to share that TikTok is now even more optimized for tablets and foldable gadgets.”

TikTok’s optimization for foldables and tablets comes at a time when one of its main competitors, Instagram, still lacks an iPad app. By rolling out updates to its app experience on larger devices, TikTok can surpass its mobile-first approach at a time when competitors are still lagging behind.

Source: techcrunch.com