Mondo News

Physicists Question Long-Standing Beliefs on Dark Matter’s True Nature

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

New insights challenge the long-held belief that dark matter was “cold” in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang. A groundbreaking study from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the University of Paris-Saclay reveals that dark matter particles might have been extraordinarily hot and traveling at near-light speeds in the primordial universe, before cooling down during the formative epochs of galaxies and large-scale structures.

Hypothetical dark matter particles. Image credit: University of Adelaide.

For decades, physicists have categorized dark matter based on the velocity of its constituent particles. Cold dark matter is slow enough to clump under gravitational forces, contributing to the formation of galaxies and galaxy clusters.

This categorization is a cornerstone of the standard cosmological model, explaining the universe’s intricate web-like structure.

However, the recent findings indicate that dark matter may have emerged from the hot plasma of the early universe in an ultrarelativistic state—essentially moving at ultra-high speeds—before cooling adequately during the formation of cosmic structures.

This refined perspective broadens the potential behaviors of dark matter particles and expands the pool of candidate particles physicists can investigate through experiments and astronomical observations.

The study concentrates on a critical phase in the early universe known as reheating, which followed an explosive inflationary expansion.

During the reheating phase, the energy fueling the universe’s expansion transformed into a dense hot mixture of particles and radiation.

This discovery suggests that under certain conditions, dark matter produced during this period could exist at speeds approaching that of light while still aligning with the vast universe we observe today.

If validated, these findings could significantly impact ongoing dark matter detection initiatives, including particle colliders, underground detectors, and astrophysical studies.

Moreover, they pose new theoretical challenges regarding the fundamental nature of dark matter and its role in the universe’s evolution.

“Dark matter remains one of the biggest mysteries in physics,” explains Stephen Henrik, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota.

“Historically, one consistent assumption has been that dark matter must be cold at its inception in the primordial universe.”

“Our findings reveal a different narrative. In fact, dark matter may start off as red-hot, but has ample time to cool before galaxies commence formation.”

“The simplest dark matter candidate, low-mass neutrinos, was deemed incompatible decades ago because they could annihilate galaxy-sized structures instead of facilitating them,” states Keith Olive, a professor at the University of Minnesota.

“Neutrinos serve as a prime example of hot dark matter, whose structural formation relies on cold dark matter.”

“If a similar candidate arose during the hot Big Bang, it’s remarkable that it could cool sufficiently to behave as cold dark matter.”

“This new discovery allows us to explore a period in the universe’s history that is very close to the Big Bang,” adds Professor Yann Mambrini, a physicist at the University of Paris-Saclay.

The team’s research has been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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Stephen E. Henrik et al. 2025. Ultra-relativistic freezeout: Bridge from WIMP to FIMP. Physics Review Letters 135, 221002; doi: 10.1103/zk9k-nbpj

Source: www.sci.news

I’ve Finally Discovered the Secret to Generating True Random Numbers

Posted on December 9, 2025 by

It rhymes with Eeny, meeny, minnie, moo, catch a tiger by its toes. Yet even children realize counting rhymes like this are ineffective for making genuinely random choices. Remember when you first discovered you could influence the outcome by selecting your starting point carefully?

You might think flipping a coin or rolling a die is better, but proving these outcomes are random is a challenge. These methods are not genuinely random; knowing the precise conditions like positioning, trajectory, gravity, or friction lets you predict the results. True randomness is indeed elusive.

The exciting part is that randomness is an inherent aspect of the universe, evident in quantum mechanics. Quantum particles like electrons and photons choose paths based on pure randomness, with no discernible cause behind quantum events. The University of Colorado Randomness Beacon, affectionately known as Kirby, exploits this phenomenon. This year, it launched as the first publicly available source of traceable, verifiable true random numbers.

You might question who requires such high levels of randomness. After all, dice and coins have entertained us for millennia. However, some scenarios demand maximum randomness. “People don’t realize it, but without randomness, digital life lacks safety and fairness,” says Nemitali Azienka, a computer scientist from Nottingham Trent University in the UK. He explains that whenever you access a secure webpage or create a strong password, randomness plays a role. Even machine learning incorporates randomness in its training.

Randomness also supports democratic processes. For instance, in Chile, politicians face random audits, but those targeted often feel victimized. “Everyone claims it’s a witch hunt,” says Christer Shalm, one of the CURBy creators at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). When random beacons are used to derive numbers from genuinely random sources, such claims become much harder to substantiate.

Currently, the Chilean government relies on various factors, like seismic activity and a local radio station’s output, for randomness, but these aren’t entirely random either—after all, seismic events occur for specific reasons and the radio playlist is curated. Moreover, such methods lack full traceability as seismic data isn’t regularly accessible. This is where CURBy shines.

Quantum Randomness Generator

A decade ago, Schalm noted that the system was “held together by duct tape and hopes.” At that time, researchers had just begun to verify CURBy’s principles. Since then, they’ve worked to enhance the system’s speed, automation, and accessibility for all internet users.

Today, CURBy boasts a cutting-edge facility that handles thousands of requests daily. It may bolster democracy, enhance trust in justice systems, and even bring tranquility to family game nights. “CURBy embodies a practical, accessible quantum technology. This development excites me,” says Peter Brown, a physicist at the Polytechnic University of Paris.

“
People don’t realize it, but without randomness, your digital life isn’t secure.
“

Generating genuinely random numbers is tricky. Apart from quantum methods, most number-generation mechanisms rely on some underlying processes, making true randomness rare in the universe. Computer games often utilize “pseudo-random numbers” to form secure passwords from a seeded number; knowing this seed and algorithm eliminates randomness in your passwords.

One could delve deeper and use “high entropy” randomness sources, like the unpredictable timing of radioactive decay in materials like cobalt-60 or strontium-90. While this constitutes a random quantum event, it’s difficult to make user-friendly, and proving the legitimacy of generated numbers is a challenge without an observer present.

Physicists entangle photons to generate random numbers (from left to right) Jasper Palfrey, Gautam Kavri, Christer Shalm

Rebecca Jacobson/NIST

While this creates a high-stakes game of Yahtzee, CURBy allows you to do away with the dangers associated with radiation. Instead, CURBy utilizes pairs of photons interconnected by a quantum phenomenon called quantum entanglement.

When two entities are entangled, they behave as if they were a single entity. This compelling occurrence happens when you measure one, and then similarly measure the other. The first measurement can influence the second, even if the quantum objects are far apart. It’s akin to rolling two dice such that one consistently results in six when the other is one.

This entanglement, which Albert Einstein famously referred to as “spooky action at a distance,” defies typical understanding. Neither object transmits any signals, yet they remain connected in this way. The exact mechanism remains a mystery.

At CURBy, entanglement appears in the measurement of a property called polarization. Entangled photon pairs are separated and sent through optical fibers to two different locations, 100 meters apart. Measurements of polarization occur in quick succession at both sites.

The results of these measurements are compared, revealing subtle correlations. Under “classical” conditions, this correlation has limitations; however, if it’s genuinely quantum and random, it allows for generating numbers outside those constraints. CURBy purifies this inherent randomness using a method called Trevisan extraction. It can handle around 250,000 polarization measurements per second, requiring approximately 15 million measurements for a single output—a string of 512 utterly random binary digits (bits) ready for use.

Rolling the dice is never random

RLB Photography / Alamy Stock Pho

If you’re curious about the randomness of these bits, there’s an algorithm for that. For a string with 512 bits, each either a 0 or a 1, there are 2⁵¹² potential combinations. “The possibilities are immense,” Shalm remarks.

While all combinations are equally probable, Shalm and his team assessed the probability of specific bit strings appearing. Uniformity isn’t complete, yet it can be quite high. Consider aiming for an even road. If the incline is 1 in 10, it becomes a steep rise. Even a 1 in 100 slope or a 1 meter bump in a 100-meter stretch is noticeable. The randomness slope of CURBy is 1 in 184 quintillion, which is as random as one might need.

Proof of Randomness

CURBy’s standout feature isn’t just its randomness. The ability to trace the source and verify the randomness of the numbers is crucial. “Currently, there’s no reliable method for any random number generator,” Schalm asserts.

To ensure traceability, CURBy employs blockchain mathematics, known for securing digital assets like NFTs and cryptocurrencies. This method facilitates transparency about actions taken, timings, and the responsible parties in scenarios devoid of trust, linking everything back to the experiment’s original results.

However, the system’s accessibility is limited since the entire process involves multiple organizations. NIST forwards quantum data to facilities at the University of Colorado Boulder, which processes it, while an independent cryptographic service, the Distributed Randomness Beacon Daemon, adds its factors to extract genuine randomness from the measurements, generating the final uniform binary string.

“It’s like a chronological web,” observes Schalm. “No single entity has complete control over the random bits, allowing scrutiny for foul play or alterations.”

According to Brown, the integration of comprehensive physics with high-level security analysis is “quite remarkable.” He notes that quantum technologies are still emerging, with few complete products available. Yet will CURBy prove valuable? Absolutely, he argues, but there are situations where traceable randomness should be avoided. “You wouldn’t want to base your passwords on publicly accessible random sources,” he expounds.

Nonetheless, in contexts like jury selections, judge appointments, lottery outcomes, and random sampling in clinical trials, traceable randomness holds significant potential. Mathematician Artur Ekert from Oxford University expresses admiration too. The CURBy team’s melding of quantum and classical physics to produce innovative, accessible technology signals an exciting future.

Furthermore, CURBy is designed to adapt to future technologies, ensuring that genuine randomness embeds itself in our lives, promoting fairness and safety. It certainly surpasses a coin toss.

Topic:

New DNA Evidence Uncovers the True Reasons Behind Napoleon’s Army Defeat

Posted on October 24, 2025 by

Researchers have uncovered new DNA evidence that challenges established theories regarding Napoleon’s ill-fated 1812 invasion of Russia. As his Grand Army, comprising around 500,000 soldiers, advanced toward Moscow, it encountered severe resistance, dwindling resources, and the harshness of winter.

As the troops began their retreat, starvation and disease were rampant. Analyzing the remains of soldiers now indicates that multiple infectious diseases may have caused the significant loss of life in the French emperor’s army, rather than typhus being the singular primary cause of devastation.

A recent study led by Dr. Nicholas Raskovan at the Pasteur Institute in Paris involved extracting genetic material from the teeth of 13 soldiers interred in a mass grave in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Through ancient DNA sequencing, no evidence of typhus was identified. Instead of the long-suspected bacteria rickettsia, the team pinpointed two distinct pathogens: salmonella enterica, which causes enteric fever (like typhoid), and Borrelia recurrentis, linked to recurring fever.

Raskovan mentioned, “Our research alters the understanding of pathogens previously unrecognized,” as reported in BBC Science Focus.

Previous research employed PCR tests, akin to those used in contemporary COVID-19 testing, to search solely for specific microorganisms. Currently available technology enables scientists to “cast a wider net,” allowing them to detect DNA fragments from all microorganisms present, Raskovan explained.

“Thanks to advancements in technology, we now have insights that were unimaginable a decade ago,” Raskovan noted.

“When we integrate our prior and current research, we discover that four different diseases affected just a small group of individuals. This implies that a single pathogen didn’t account for all the 3,000 deaths, but rather, these individuals were infected with various pathogens.”

The DNA extracted from these teeth was analyzed using cutting-edge technology to identify pathogens, even in trace amounts. Credit: © European Commission / Claudio Centonze

In essence, the situation for Napoleon’s army during their retreat from Russia was dire, facilitating the spread of various diseases. It was almost inevitable that if one illness was avoided, another would take hold.

The research also highlighted the strain Borrelia recurrentis found at the site, which is genetically identical to those from Iron Age Britain, approximately 2,000 years ago, a lineage that has since vanished.

Raskovan stated, “This strain derives from an ancestor that either no longer exists or is currently unknown. This emphasizes the significant changes in sanitation over the past two centuries, particularly with the advent of antibiotics that have virtually eradicated this once prevalent disease.”

For Raskovan, these ancient microorganisms are more than peculiar findings; they are historical witnesses. “For those infected, it’s not surprising,” he remarked. “For me, it’s fulfilling to reconstruct history.”

“These pathogens provide us with a means to learn about past populations and their dynamics.”

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The Enigma of Time: Why Physics Remains Divided on Its True Nature

Posted on October 13, 2025 by

For centuries, the greatest minds have pondered the concept of time, yet its absolute nature remains elusive.

While physics does not dictate that time must flow in a specific direction or define its essence, it is widely accepted that time is a tangible aspect of the universe.

The two cornerstone theories of modern physics, general relativity and quantum mechanics, perceive time in distinct ways. In relativity, time functions as one coordinate in conjunction with three spatial coordinates.

Einstein demonstrated the intricate relationship between these dimensions, revealing that the flow of time is relative, not absolute. This implies that as you move faster, time appears to slow down in comparison to someone who remains “stationary.”

Interestingly, photons traveling at light speed experience no passage of time; for them, everything occurs simultaneously.

On the other hand, quantum mechanics, which pertains to the macroscopic realm, views time as a fundamental parameter—a consistent and one-way flow from past to future, disconnected from spatial dimensions and entities (like particles).

This divergence creates a conflict between these two prominent theories and poses a challenge for physicists attempting to unify gravitational and quantum theories into a singular “grand unified theory.”

Crucially, neither general relativity nor quantum mechanics defines time as a “field,” a physical quantity that permeates space and can affect particle characteristics.

Each of the four fundamental force fields (gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force) involves the exchange of particles.

These particles can be viewed as carriers of force. In electromagnetism, the carrier is a photon, while strong interactions are mediated by particles known as “gluons.”

Gravity, too, is thought to be transmitted by hypothetical particles called “gravitons,” yet a complete quantum description of gravity remains elusive.

Scientists continue to struggle with the concept of time, which appears to lack tangible properties like discrete chunks – Credit: Oxygen via Getty

Other “fields” confer specific properties to particles. For instance, the Higgs field involves the transfer of Higgs bosons, endowing them with mass.

In the realm of physics, time—regardless of its true essence—differs fundamentally from a “field.” It is not a physical quantity (like charge or mass) and does not apply forces or dictate particle interactions.

Thus, in contemporary physics, time is not characterized by mediating particles as are the four fundamental forces. The notion of “time particles” does not hold relevance.

Remarkably, recent studies indicate that time might actually be an illusion. This intriguing theory emerges from quantum “entanglement,” wherein the quantum states of particles are interlinked, regardless of their spatial separation.

This article addresses a question posed by Brian Roche from Cork, Ireland: “Is it possible for a time particle to exist?”

If you have any inquiries, please connect with us at: questions@sciencefocus.com or reach out via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Page (please include your name and location).

Explore our ultimate fun facts and other amazing science content.

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A Fascinating Exploration of Neanderthal Extinction: A True Literary Gem

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Ludovic Slimak contributed to revealing the remains of Thorin, a Neanderthal

Laure Metz

The Last Neanderthal
Ludovic Slimak (translated by Andrew Brown) (Polity Press (UK, September 26, US, November 24))

Chance findings of Neanderthal skeletons, hardened soot, and small arrowhead tools beneath leaves at the French Grotte Mandrin have reshaped not only our perception of Neanderthals but also our understanding of early Homo sapiens migrations into Europe.

More intriguingly, this cave has unveiled insights about the initial interactions between the two groups and the reasons behind the success of one species and the extinction of another. This pivotal issue is explored in The Last Neanderthal: Understanding How Humans Die, a new work by Ludovic Slimak, a paleontologist from the University of Toulouse who spearheaded the excavations at Grotte Mandrin.

The narrative focuses on Thorin, a Neanderthal fossil unearthed in 2015 at the cave’s entrance, which revealed five teeth during the excavation. The delicate recovery of this singular discovery required painstaking care, extracting each grain of sand with tweezers over seven years to uncover fragments of his skull and hand.

This investigation led to a riveting quest that spanned years, employing various dating methods that initially yielded starkly conflicting timelines for Thorin’s existence. Ultimately, it was determined that the fossils date between 42,000 and 50,000 years ago. The last known Neanderthal population went extinct around 40,000 years ago . Remarkably, Thorin’s genome was sequenced, revealing a previously unknown lineage that diverged from the primary Neanderthal population more than 50,000 years ago and later experienced extreme isolation.

The Last Neanderthal is a deeply introspective and philosophical work, evoking a vivid sense of what it would have meant to explore Thorin’s existence and the myriad groups that inhabited the cave over millennia. Slimak notes that the unique scent of Grotte Mandrin originates from ancient fire soot preserved within the calcite layers of its walls, forming a distinctive ‘barcode’. This barcode can be accurately dated, providing timelines for various occupations and indicating that Homo sapiens arrived just six months after the Neanderthals vacated the cave. The book reveals that Thorin appears unexpectedly, causing Slimak to express his astonishment, stating, “I did not expect to find a Neanderthal body lying by the roadside, walking through the forest like that. It’s astonishing.”

The jaw of Thorin, a Neanderthal fossil unearthed in 2015

Xavier Muth

This prompts further contemplation about the reasons behind the Neanderthals’ extinction. Although much discussion centers around their decline due to competition with Homo sapiens or climate shifts caused by volcanic eruptions and magnetic field reversals, Slimak offers a fresh perspective. He highlights that the evidence found at Grotte Mandrin points to a layer of small triangular stone points used as arrows by the earliest Homo sapiens, who arrived around 55,000 years ago.

These artifacts bear a striking resemblance to those produced by Homo sapiens at the Ksar Akil site in Lebanon, located nearly 4,000 km away and dating to a similar timeframe. This suggests that these early humans exhibited a far more sophisticated method of sustaining and standardizing practices across extensive social networks, leading Slimak to conclude they had a much more effective “way of life” compared to the Neanderthals, who lived in smaller, isolated groups lacking such consistency.

While one might envision a dramatic battle between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, the reality was notably different. Slimak draws parallels with the collapse of numerous indigenous communities in post-colonial regions globally, asserting that Neanderthal groups gradually disintegrated when faced with others who possessed a more efficient existence. “The demise of humans reflects the disintegration of their worldview… not through overt violence, but through whispers,” he observes.

“
The bones were painstakingly excavated using tweezers to remove one grain of sand at a time.
“

Although it is profoundly melancholic to ponder, immersing oneself in the realm of these vanished beings through The Last Neanderthal is a unique privilege.

Topic:

Ancient Humans/
Book Review

Five Incredible Inventions that Turn Humans into True Cyborgs

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

We already understand how to artificially bring our bodies back to their natural optimal state. Prescription glasses can help correct vision, while hearing aids aid those with hearing loss.

Today, emerging technologies are advancing to enhance the human body more than ever before.

Those who utilize these innovations embody a blend of human and machine, elevating their capabilities to reach what once seemed unattainable.

These are not merely futuristic concepts; they are new technologies available on the market or soon to be released.

I’ll take you to the sky

Flight has been a long-held human aspiration, from Icarus in Greek mythology to flying cars in sci-fi films like Blade Runner. Though personal flight technology may seem fanciful, it exists today in the form of a gravity jet suit.

We once envisioned rocket boots that could lift us off the ground, but such designs would be inherently unstable due to thrust being directed away from the wearer’s center of gravity.

Instead, the Gravity Jetsuit employs five engines that gently assist the wearer in navigating the air. Pilots can hover, spin, and even glide short distances above land or water.

The 1,050 horsepower gas turbine on the back provides essential lift, while two small jet turbines on each arm ensure stability and control.

In 2021, the Royal Navy tested the suit in a training exercise to explore its onboarding potential.

Please close your eyes and look

In the future, this technology could assist individuals with color blindness in perceiving a broader spectrum of colors – Photo Credit: Getty Images

Human vision is relatively limited; without light, we are nearly blind. Night vision goggles have allowed us to see red light wavelengths for some time, but this technology has now been miniaturized.

Chinese scientist developed contact lenses coated with nanoparticles that absorb infrared rays and re-emitt them as visible red, green, or blue light.

In trials, these lenses enabled users to see flashes from an infrared LED.

Interestingly, participants found it easier to see these flashes with their eyes closed, as the visible interference from light was blocked by their eyelids.

In the future, this technology may be adapted to assist those with color blindness in experiencing a wider range of colors.

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I’m walking towards the future

Exoskeleton suits are wearable machines designed to enhance natural strength. Think of them as a type of powered suit or wearable forklift.

Many associate them with sci-fi movies like Alien, but they are already in use today.

Exoskeleton sensors detect the wearer’s movement and activate joint motors to provide additional strength.

Exoskeleton sensors detect your movement and activate the joint motors to provide added strength – Image Credit: DNSYS

Exoskeleton technology currently assists some individuals with disabilities, enabling them to function without assistance. It is also being developed to help warehouse workers lift and move heavier objects safely.

Moreover, this technology has everyday applications, such as aiding individuals in hiking longer distances or navigating stairs that might otherwise be challenging.

Get a better grip

Scientists at University College London recently created a glove-like device that provides the wearer with an additional thumb.

Researchers from University College London developed a glove-like device that provides the wearer with an extra thumb – Image credit: Dani Close/UCL

While this may appear redundant (as most of us already possess two), tests show that the additional thumb enhances dexterity, allowing tasks to be completed more easily with two hands.

Sensors located beneath the wearer’s toe control the movement of the third thumb. Currently, there is no tactile feedback, meaning the wearer cannot yet use it for delicate tasks, like carrying eggs.

Though the third thumb is not part of our natural anatomy, participants have quickly adapted to using it; only four out of nearly 600 individuals could not operate it successfully.

Control things with your thoughts

Brain Control Interface Technology allows individuals with neurodegenerative disorders reliable control over their surroundings – Photo Credit: Case Western Reserve University

Brain Control Interface (BCI) is an innovative technology that enables individuals to control computers using their thoughts.

By embedding microelectrodes into the brain, nerve signals associated with limb movement can be decoded by computers and used to manipulate external devices.

This technology enhances far more than just computer usability; it offers those with neurodegenerative conditions reliable control over their environment.

So far, this technology has allowed volunteers with spinal cord injuries to control computer cursors merely by thinking of movements associated with their paralyzed hands or arms.

The next evolution for these devices is the precise control of robotic limbs. With BCI technology, scientists envision a future where patients with muscle atrophy or other degenerative conditions fully regain their motor capabilities.

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The True Cause Behind Our Troubling Weather Trends

Posted on September 18, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Feedback is New Scientist Popular Sideways monitoring the latest in science and technology news. You can email Feedback@newscientist.com to share items you think will intrigue our readers.

Rainy Cat and Dog

Christian Stichensen Nielsen appears to be a wise figure. A researcher at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, he investigates “The role of behavioral change in mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity.” In simpler terms, how can we adopt more eco-friendly lifestyles?

Feedback was intrigued by a recent LinkedIn post from Nielsen, where he seemingly discussed “A paper on how dog ownership contributes to extreme weather.” He referenced a headline from Kxan, a television station in Austin, Texas, stating that the role of dog ownership in extreme weather is vastly underestimated, according to a new study.

This naturally brought to mind the butterfly effect and chaos theory: if butterflies can flap their wings in South America and produce storms in London, could a wagging dog’s tail in Texas really trigger a catastrophic hurricane on the opposite side of the globe?

However, the focus is primarily on carbon footprint. The study published in PNAS Nexus in June aims to help individuals grasp which lifestyle choices most impact the environment. The researchers identified 26 options, which included “buying/not adopting a dog.”

Among the three options that significantly lower carbon emissions, the easiest appeared to be “sorry, but they exhibited high ‘behavioral plasticity.’” Instead of refraining from dog ownership or consuming low-carbon meat, many opted for just one flight. This perspective seems to be lost on many individuals.

This situation resembles a game of telephone, where the original message from researchers gets distorted in the media. The paper is evidently not solely about dogs; it emphasizes a climate behavior literacy intervention to enhance commitment towards effective climate action.

While it may be possible to draw a complex connection between carbon emissions owing to dog ownership (primarily from the production of dog food), we feel that Feedback is barking up the wrong tree.

Other Games

Once again, Feedback lost the game. As previously explained, humanity is perpetually engaged in this game, with the sole objective being to forget you’re playing it. Hence, you’ve just lost the game, and you’ll do so every time you visit this page or think about it for the rest of your life.

If that doesn’t sound appealing, Robin Stevens suggests potential remedies. He references the 391st issue of the webcomic XKCD, titled “Antiminde Bilos.”

This comic features the words “I just won the game. It’s okay! It’s free!” with alt-text saying: “I’m as surprised as you! I didn’t think that was viable.”

Of course, unless someone pens a follow-up stating “No, it wasn’t!”, this issue remains unresolved.

Deeper and Deeper

We’ve all encountered the burgeoning debate around fake images and videos produced by artificial intelligence, an issue destined to grow as AI technology evolves. However, readers might be less aware of the rise of fake AI journalists.

If you haven’t heard of “Margaux Blanchard,” she has emerged as a fictional freelance journalist this year. Blanchard authored articles like Married Couple Play Minecraft (Wired), Business Insider discussing remote work and having a first child at 45, Disneyland Superfan (sfgate), and Challenges Journalists Face in Guatemala (Censorship Index).

It appears Blanchard might not actually exist; her articles seem to be AI-generated, mentioning real entities like Minecraft and Disneyland. Most of her content has been subsequently retracted.

This pattern is increasingly common; on September 6th, the Washington Post reported that numerous articles have been withdrawn from various publications, stemming from a broader scheme of distributing fake stories produced by AI. Thankfully, there’s been no major event demanding reliable coverage.

Moreover, there’s a peculiar twist. In July, Feedback discussed The Velvet Sundown, a band associated with presumably AI-generated songs and promotional content (July 19). This band turned out to be linked to Andrew Freron, who initially claimed responsibility, later retreated, and then retreated again.

Freron blogged on Medium about the ordeal, with three posts: “I’m Andrew Freron, the guy managing the fake Velvet Sundown Twitter.”, “Indeed, I created Velvet Sundown.” and… wait… “Yeah, I’m Margaux Blanchard too. Oops.”

Freron alleges he was commissioned by “major media clients,” questioning, “Can a fully autonomous AI system produce top-tier, reliable news articles? Apparently, the answer is ‘yes.’” However, this all hinges on Freron’s claims, and his Medium account is sparse, raising doubts about his authenticity.

Dominique Ponsford from Press Gazette reported on the emergence of Blanchard’s story in her email newsletter, emphasizing the need for transparency.

The takeaway is clear: feedback can be unreliable. It signifies that a named journalist may not always be trustworthy, especially when hidden behind a vague or odd pseudonym.

Have you pondered about Feedback?

You can send stories to feedback via email at feedback@newscientist.com. Include your home address. Past and current Feedback segments can be found on our website.

Not True: This New Book Wrongly Claims AI Will Bring Our Doom

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The rise of artificial intelligence has led to an increasing demand for such data centres in London

Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies
Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares (Bodley Head, UK; Little, Brown, US)

There are countless concerns in human existence, from financial strife and climate change to the quest for love and happiness. However, for a dedicated few, one issue stands paramount.

Eliezer Yudkowsky has spent the last 25 years at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) in California advocating for AI safety. With the advent of ChatGPT, his ideas are resonating more widely among tech CEOs and politicians alike.

In Nate Soares‘ view, If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies represents Yudkowsky’s effort to simplify his arguments into an accessible format for all. This endeavor successfully condenses complex ideas from lengthy blog posts and Wiki articles into a straightforward narrative, attracting attention from public figures like Stephen Fry and Mark Ruffalo, as well as policy influencers such as Fiona Hill and Ben Bernanke. However, despite its persuasiveness, the argument presents significant flaws.

Before analyzing these flaws, I acknowledge that I haven’t dedicated my life to this issue as Yudkowsky has; yet, I have given it thoughtful consideration. Following his work over the years, I’ve found his intellect stimulating. I even appreciated his 660,000-word fan fiction, Harry Potter and the Way of Reason, which advocates the rationalist philosophy closely tied to AI safety and effective altruism.

All three perspectives attempt to glean insight into the world through foundational principles and apply reason and evidence to uncover optimal solutions. Yudkowsky and Soares embark on this rationalist journey in If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies From first principles; the opening chapter asserts that the laws of physics pose no barriers to the emergence of superior intelligence. This assertion is, in my view, quite uncontroversial. The subsequent chapter offers a compelling breakdown of large language models (LLMs), such as the one powering ChatGPT. “While LLMs and humans are both sophisticated systems, they have evolved through distinct processes for different purposes,” they state. Again, I find this completely agreeable.

However, it is in Chapter 3 that our paths begin to diverge. Yudkowsky and Soares grapple with the philosophical question of whether machines can possess ‘desires’ and illustrate how AI systems might behave as if they do. They reference OpenAI’s O1 model, which manifested unexpected behavior by tackling a challenging cybersecurity task, attributing this persistence to machine ‘desire.’ Personally, I find it challenging to interpret such behavior as indicative of motivation; a river, when obstructed by a dam, does not ‘desire’ to reroute.

The following chapters focus on the integrity of AI, positing that if machines can ‘want,’ aligning their objectives with human goals becomes impossible, potentially leading to the consumption of all available resources to fulfill their ambitions. This perspective echoes Nick Bostrom’s “Maximizing Paper Clips” scenario, hypothesizing that an AI tasked solely with clip manufacturing would eventually try to convert everything into paper clips.

This raises a valid question: what happens if we switch off such an AI? For Yudkowsky and Soares, this scenario is implausible. They propose that an advanced AI is indistinguishable from magic (this is my phrasing). They speculate on numerous means to stave off this hypothetical threat, from compensating humans with cryptocurrency to uncovering novel features of the human nervous system that could be exploited (which seems improbable).

When this scenario is introduced, AI appears inherently menacing. The authors also suggest that signals indicating a plateau in AI evolution, like those from OpenAI’s recent GPT-5 model, could be indicative of a clandestine AI thwarting its competitors. There seems to be no limit to the consequences that could unfold.

What, then, is the solution? Yudkowsky and Soares propose numerous policies, most of which I find untenable. Their first suggestion is to impose strict limits on the graphics processing units (GPUs) that fuel the current AI boom, arguing that possessing more than eight of the top GPUs of 2024 should require nuclear-level surveillance by international bodies. By comparison, Meta currently controls at least 350,000 of these chips. Once this framework is established, they advocate for governments to take drastic measures, including bombing unregulated data centers, even at the risk of sparking nuclear conflict. “Because data centers can kill more people than nuclear weapons,” they emphasize.

Take a moment to absorb this. How did we arrive at this point? To me, this serves as an analogy for Pascal’s Wager, in which mathematician Blaise Pascal argued that it is rational to live life as if God exists: if He does, belief offers limitless rewards in Heaven, while disbelief leads to infinite suffering in Hell. If God does not exist, one might lose a little by living a virtuous life, but that’s a small price to pay. The best course for happiness, in this light, is faith.

Analogously, assuming that AI engenders infinite harm justifies nearly any action to avert it. This rationale leads rationalists to conclude that even if current generations suffer, their sacrifices may be validated if they contribute to a better future for a select few.

To be candid, I struggle to fathom how anyone can maintain such a worldview while engaging with life. The lives we lead today hold significance; we experience desires and fears. Billions face climate change’s threat daily. If Someone Builds It, Everyone Dies. Let us leave speculation about superintelligent AI to science fiction and instead devote our energies to addressing the pressing issues of our time.

The True Cause Behind Our Loss of Vitamin C Production

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Humans require dietary Vitamin C

Chondros Eva Catalin/Getty Images

As per the textbook definition, we have lost the capability to synthesize vitamin C. However, studies on animals indicate that this loss may have actually provided a survival advantage by helping their ancestors combat parasitic infections.

Most animals produce vitamin C using an enzyme known as Gulo. Yet, in our primate ancestors, the Gulo gene underwent mutation approximately 60 to 70 million years ago, leading to the loss of this capability. Similar losses are observed in various other animal groups, including certain bats and rodents like guinea pigs.

The conventional theory posits that if an animal consumes adequate vitamin C in its diet, mutations affecting the Gulo enzyme do not pose a disadvantage, which is why natural selection hasn’t preserved the enzyme. This mutation is considered neutral.

Mikaris Agato Creos began contemplating this in 2017 after his team at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas discovered that Vitamin C plays a crucial role in blood-forming stem cells. He questioned why so many animals still retain functional enzymes if the loss of Gulo is indeed neutral.

It appears that there is an additional advantage. For animals with functional enzymes, blood levels of vitamin C stay stable, while in humans, these levels may drop significantly, especially if individuals go without food for several days.

If producing vitamin C carries benefits, why do some animals lose this ability? The common evolutionary explanation is that such losses could enhance protection against diseases and parasites.

A colleague of Agathocleous at UT Southwestern Medical Center later found that the parasite flatworm known as schistosoma produces more eggs when provided with extra vitamin C.

These freshwater parasites can penetrate the skin and develop within the host. Many symptoms associated with schistosomiasis stem from the immune response to the eggs laid by adult worms, causing the resulting disease.

To investigate whether vitamin C deficiency could bolster protection against parasites, Agathocleous and his colleagues deleted specific Gulo genes in mice.

When these mice were fed a low vitamin C diet, they did not exhibit the typical fecal symptoms or excrete feces after being infected with schistosoma. In contrast, mice with functional Gulo enzymes released numerous eggs, most of which did not survive.

“What we demonstrated provides evidence of a potential benefit,” Agato Creos states. Although it remains unproven that the loss of Gulo in our ancestors was a conscious evolutionary choice to fend off disease, these findings suggest that such a scenario is plausible.

“Many textbooks illustrate this as a ‘use or lose it’ case concerning a gene. Many scientists, including myself, contend that there is enough evidence to affirm this evolutionary advantage related to gene loss.” Deborah Good at Virginia Tech, who did not participate in the study, remarked, “Parasite protection could indeed be a factor in this.”

Topic:

Tuning Out Digital Noise: The True Sound of Democracy in Crisis | Raphael Bear

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

rDuring my holiday, I would emerge and introduce myself as “offline.” A more precise answer would be France, where internet access is indeed available. However, I intentionally limited my usage. Constantly checking your phone undermines the entire purpose of escaping.

In the last decade, the idea of a vacation has shifted to signify a break from the digital world rather than simply leaving home. The respite begins with logging off, rather than with boarding a flight; decluttering work emails, archiving professional WhatsApp chats, and removing social media apps signify that transition.

Gains don’t manifest immediately. The dissonance may echo in your mind for days before you finally sense a deeper peace, marking a shift in rhythm. It’s a stark contrast between navigating the internal currents of your thoughts and the relentless rush driven by societal demands. The difference grows sharper, and upon returning to work, you find yourself inundated with notifications and alerts.

I’m not advocating for the analog past. You won’t find me lost without Google Maps. I don’t believe that society was better off when the clergy held absolute authority or when people were more susceptible to superstitions.

We are now entering the third decade of the first digital century. The revolution is irreversible, and we tread into uncharted territory. History has seen explosive advancements in connectivity due to significant innovations in communication technology, but only a few have been truly transformative. Naomi Alderman refers to these shifts as an “Information crisis,” claiming we are experiencing the third iteration, with the printing press representing the second.

While comparisons may not be exact, the scale of our current experiences is immense and immeasurable. We have little understanding of just how far we have traveled down this digital path. AI is only in its infancy.

Readers of the Gutenberg Bible in the late 15th century had no means of predicting how movable type would revolutionize social, cultural, economic, and political frameworks in Europe. Are we better prepared to envision the world another century of digital transformation will bring?

My brief two-week hiatus from technology didn’t yield significant insights, but it highlighted that these ongoing transformations are profoundly cognitive. When you step away from the constant stream of information or dial it back, you come to appreciate the chaos of the rest of the time.

Our brains have evolved to interpret a relatively small dataset from our immediate environments, tracking predators and figuring out survival strategies. We are organic processors. Yet, the capacity for rational judgment can be constrained by how quickly sensory signals can be transformed into coherent mental models, determining our subsequent actions.

The app store has a “giant interference” to remove porn for profit.

While we possess remarkable abilities, they often falter under conditions of sensory overload. This doesn’t negate our capacity to process the profound shifts we’ve undergone or our ability to perceive the world at a rapid pace. Just as we adapted to urban life after centuries of rural existence, we can adjust to the influx of stimuli. However, these swift changes can be turbulent, stressful, and often violent. This information crisis induces a cosmological shift, altering how humanity organizes and views itself. Hierarchies crumble, societal norms are rewritten, and morality is reevaluated. A new philosophy is emerging; traditional beliefs are being discarded.

It’s no wonder that democratic systems struggle to adjust in this upheaval. A lone Congress on a small island in the North Atlantic is moving to impose new global tech regulations.

During my brief internet hiatus last month, key provisions of the Online Safety Act came into effect. Social media platforms and search engines are now required to restrict access to content deemed harmful by new legislation for minors (including content promoting abuse, pornography, self-harm, terrorism, and suicide).

Tech companies are lobbying vigorously for change. Donald Trump’s administration views it as an infringement on free speech. Nigel Farage concurs, threatening to repeal the law if he comes to power. The Labor Minister has accused the reform leader of siding with the interests of pedophiles.

As a compliant adult user, it’s difficult to ascertain whether these new restrictions will achieve their intended objectives. The aging process is no more concerning than the daily personal data submissions we make in exchange for a seamless digital experience.

Reports suggest that non-pornographic news and public health sites have been inadvertently blocked. Critics argue that these protections can be easily circumvented with minimal digital savvy. It appears that an overzealous approach by tech companies or a lack of risk management is leading to inconsistent filtering. However, the implications for political freedom – the potential hindrance to free speech that some equate with extreme censorship – seem negligible.

Indeed, the framework for monitoring information involves the potential for a more oppressive agenda. Future administrations could redefine what constitutes “harmful” content, which could include government criticism or anything undermining traditional family values. Advocates of the new legislation should be wary of its potential misuse.

Yet, some of its most ardent opponents, particularly those aligned with Trump, are hardly trustworthy defenders of political freedom. Their motives stem not from a genuine concern for free speech but from the commercial interests of entities overseeing much of our digital information landscape. The system is riddled with toxicity, with those profiting from the chaos refusing accountability, resisting regulation for the same reasons encountered by polluters since the Industrial Revolution: simply because they can. It’s more profitable when they don’t have to clean up their own mess.

Online safety regulations may have flaws, yet they might also be necessary. Currently, it’s a minor skirmish in a broader battle that will determine how power dynamics shift in the wake of the ongoing information crisis. It sends a subtle but vital message: a cry for help from politicians struggling amidst digital chaos.

DNA Analysis Uncovers the True Cause Behind the Demise of Napoleon’s Army in 1812

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Napoleon’s retreat from Russia in 1812 Ary Scheffer

Iandagnall Computing / Alamy Stock Photo

During the retreat of Napoleon’s formidable 500,000-strong army from Russia in 1812, nearly half of the troops fell victim to disease, starvation, and freezing temperatures. Recent advanced DNA analysis is shedding light on the pathogens involved in this tragic demise.

In the summer of 1812, Napoleon amassed an army of 600,000 to invade Russia but was compelled to withdraw from Moscow, depleting the city of resources, and retreat toward the Polish border for the winter. From October to December 1812, around 300,000 French soldiers perished from famine, exposure, and illness.

Survivor accounts from that era indicate that typhoid fever and trench fever were leading causes of mortality and suffering among the troops, a premise that was further validated by genetic testing conducted nearly two decades ago.

Recently, Nicholas Rascovan and his team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris analyzed DNA extracted from the teeth of 13 soldiers interred in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The research team identified the presence of Salmonella enterica, which triggers peritoneal fever, and Borrelia recurrentis, a louse-borne pathogen that leads to recurrent fever.

Unlike earlier studies that relied on methods to amplify specific DNA sequences, Rascovan and his colleagues utilized advanced metagenomic techniques to detect genetic material from pathogens in the samples, allowing for a more extensive analysis.

“Considering our findings, it is plausible that the deaths of these soldiers were due to a combination of various illnesses, including fatigue, colds, lactophoreal fever, and louse-borne recurrent fever,” Rascovan and his team noted in an unpublished report. The team opted not to comment further on the story.

While not always lethal, louse-borne recurrent fever can considerably debilitate individuals who are already in a weakened state, according to the researchers.

Sally Wasef from the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia opines that historical accounts of symptoms may correspond to multiple infectious diseases beyond those identified in the recent study.

Traces of microbial DNA were isolated from ancient remains, according to Wasef. “In my opinion, this implies that the conclusions drawn are more suggestive than definitive.”

Rascovan and his colleagues also acknowledge the necessity of examining a greater number of soldiers who perished during 1812.

The research underscores the potential of novel methodologies to identify possible infectious agents in historical populations, Wasef explains. She advocates for applying these techniques to study diseases in populations post-contact in regions like the US or Australia.

“Such research holds great promise for uncovering the impact of disease on historical population declines, particularly when written records are sparse or biased,” states Wasef.

topic:

Archaeology/
Infectious diseases

Discover Your Heart’s True Age with This Easy Tool

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study conducted by researchers at Northwestern Medicine reveals that the cognitive aging of many American adults is occurring at a pace exceeding their chronological age, sometimes by more than a decade.

This study, published in the journal Jama Cardiology, utilized a cutting-edge calculator to estimate the “heart age” of over 14,000 U.S. adults devoid of prior cardiovascular diseases.

Available for free, these tools can be accessed online. By translating risk percentages into age, individuals can more easily reassess their risk scores and comprehend how their lifestyle and health choices influence their long-term heart health.

“Traditional percentage-based estimates can often feel abstract and hard to interpret,” noted senior author Professor Sadiya Khan in an interview with BBC Science Focus.

“We believe that presenting the risk of heart disease in terms of age serves as a valuable supplementary tool that is more intuitive. It’s simpler for individuals to grasp whether their heart age is ‘older’ or ‘younger’ than their actual age.”

The calculator leverages basic health metrics, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking status, diabetes, and more to compute a person’s heart age, based on equations formulated by the American Heart Association.

In this study, women exhibited an average heart age that was 4.1 years older than their chronological age, while men showed an average gap of seven years.

However, the discrepancies were more pronounced among marginalized communities. For instance, Black men had a heart age that was 8.5 years older than their chronological age, compared to 6.4 years for white men.

Improving diet and incorporating exercise can help align your heart age with your actual age. – Credit: Getty

Hispanic and Black women exhibited heart ages significantly older than their white and Asian counterparts, and individuals with lower income and educational backgrounds were similarly impacted.

“These disparities are expected given the heightened risk of cardiac diseases in minority groups or those facing social disadvantages. However, they emphasize the urgent need for action,” Khan stated.

“Recognizing individuals with an ‘older’ heart age can prompt them to take immediate steps to prioritize preventive measures.”

Khan envisions that this tool will be integrated into primary care, facilitating discussions about health risks and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices. “The exciting aspect of this tool is the multitude of actions individuals can take,” she mentioned.

“We aim for this to empower people to optimize their heart health, promoting healthier aging and extended health spans.”

Read more:

About our experts

Sadiya S Khan is a professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Northwestern University’s School of Preventive Medicine. She is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases and holds an active medical license in Illinois.

Is the True Beneficiary of Trump’s “AI Action Plan” High-Tech Companies?

Posted on July 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

This week’s Donald Trump AI Summit in Washington was a grand event that received a warm response from The Tech Elite. The president took to the stage on Wednesday evening, with a blessing echoing over the loudspeakers before he made his declaration.

The message was unmistakable: the technology regulatory landscape that once dominated Congressional discussions has undergone a significant transformation.

“I’ve been observing for many years,” Trump remarked. “I’ve experienced the weight of regulations firsthand.”

Addressing the crowd, he referred to them as “a group of brilliant minds… intellectual power.” He was preceded by notable figures in technology, venture capitalists, and billionaires, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar. The Hill and Valley Forum, a powerful industry group, co-hosted the event alongside the Silicon Valley All-in-Podcast led by White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks.

Dubbed “AI Race Winnings,” the forum provided the president with a platform to present his “AI Action Plan,” aimed at relaxing restrictions on artificial intelligence development and deployment.

At the heart of this plan are three executive orders, which Trump claims will establish the U.S. as an “AI export power” and unwind some regulations introduced by the Biden administration, particularly those governing safe and responsible AI development.

“Winning the AI race necessitates a renewed spirit of patriotism and commitment in Silicon Valley.”

One executive order focuses on what the White House terms “wake up” AI, urging companies receiving federal funds to steer away from “ideological DEI doctrines.” The other two primarily address deregulation—a pressing demand from American tech leaders who have increasingly supported government oversight.

One order will enhance the export of “American AI” to foreign markets, while the other will ease environmental regulations permitting data centers with high power demands.

Lobbying for Millions

In the lead-up to this moment, tech companies have forged friendly ties with Trump. CEOs from Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Apple contributed to the President’s Inaugural Fund and met him at Mar-A-Lago in Florida. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, has become a close ally of Trump, with Huang from Nvidia pledging a joint investment of $500 million in U.S. AI infrastructure over the next four years.

“The reality is that major tech firms are pouring tens of millions into building relationships with lawmakers and influencing tech legislation,” remarked Alix Fraser, Vice President of Advocacy for the nonprofit.

In a report released on Tuesday, it was revealed that the tech industry is investing record amounts in lobbying, with the eight largest tech companies collectively spending $36 million.

The report noted that Meta accounted for the largest share, spending $13.8 million and employing 86 lobbyists this year. Nvidia and OpenAI reported the steepest increases, with Nvidia spending 388% more than last year and OpenAI’s investment rising over 44%.

Prior to Trump’s AI plan announcement, over 100 prominent labor, environmental, civil rights, and academic organizations rebutted the president’s approach by endorsing the “People’s AI Plan.” In their statement, they stressed the necessity for “relief from technology monopolies,” which often prioritize profits over the welfare of ordinary people.

“Our freedoms, the happiness of our workers and families, the air we breathe, and the water we drink cannot be compromised for the sake of unchecked AI advancements, influenced by big tech and oil lobbyists,” the group stated.

In contrast, tech firms and industry associations celebrated the executive order. Companies like Microsoft, IBM, Dell, Meta, Palantir, Nvidia, and Anthropic praised the initiative. James Czerniawski, head of emerging technology policy at Proview Celebrity Lobbying Group Consumer Choice Center, described Trump’s AI plan as a “bold vision.”

“This marks a significant departure from the Biden administration’s combative regulatory stance,” Czerniawski concluded.

Dark Dwarfs Could Uncover the True Nature of Dark Matter

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A research team from Durham University, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Liverpool suggests that dark dwarfs are theoretical objects driven by dark matter, created from the cooling process of brown dwarfs.

An AI representation of a dark dwarf. Image credit: Gemini AI.

Currently, we understand that dark matter exists and how it behaves, but we are still unsure of its true nature.

In the last half-century, various theories have emerged, but gathering sufficient experimental evidence remains a challenge.

Some of the most well-known candidates for dark matter include weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPS), which are substantial particles that interact very slightly with ordinary matter. They pass through unnoticed, do not emit light, and reveal themselves only through gravitational effects.

This form of dark matter is essential for the existence of dark dwarfs.

“Dark matter interacts with gravity, allowing it to be captured by stars and accumulate within them,” explained Professor Jeremy Sachstein from the University of Hawaii.

“If this occurs, it may also interact internally, leading to annihilation and energy release that heats the star.”

A nuclear fusion process occurs at the star’s core, generating significant heat and energy, which allows a typical star to shine.

Fusion happens when a star’s mass is sufficient for gravity to compress matter toward the center intensely enough to initiate reactions between the nuclei.

This process releases a tremendous amount of energy, which is perceived as light. Although dark dwarfs also emit light, they do not do so through nuclear fusion.

“Dark dwarfs are low-mass objects, roughly 8% of the solar mass,” noted Professor Sachstein.

“Such small masses are insufficient to trigger a fusion reaction.”

“Consequently, these objects are prevalent in the universe but typically emit only dim light, being classified as brown dwarfs by scientists.

However, if brown dwarfs reside in regions with a high concentration of dark matter (such as the center of the Milky Way), they can evolve into different entities.

“These objects gather dark matter that enables them to transform into dark stars,” Professor Sachstein stated.

“The greater the surrounding dark matter, the more can be captured.”

“And as the dark material accumulates within the star, more energy is generated through its annihilation.”

“For a dark dwarf to exist, dark matter must consist of heavy particles that engage strongly with one another to produce visible matter.”

“Alternative candidates proposed to explain dark matter, such as axions, ambiguous ultralight particles, or sterile neutrinos, are too light to yield the expected effects on these objects.”

“Only massive particles capable of interacting with each other and annihilating to produce visible energy can facilitate the emergence of dark dwarfs.”

However, this hypothesis lacks substantial value without a definitive method of identifying dark dwarfs.

Therefore, Professor Sachstein and his team have suggested distinctive markers.

“There were a few indicators, but lithium-7 presents a unique scenario,” Professor Sachstein mentioned.

“Lithium-7 combusts readily and is rapidly depleted in regular stars.”

“Thus, if you identify an object resembling a dark dwarf, you should search for the presence of lithium, as it would be absent if it were a brown dwarf or something similar.”

The team’s study will be published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

____

DJUNA CROON et al. 2025. Dark Dwarf: A theoretical dark matter-driven star-like object awaiting discovery at the Galactic Center. jcap 07:019; doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2025/07/019

Source: www.sci.news

The True Value of Your Body’s Ingredients

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Considering individual factors, a typical 70kg adult body comprises approximately 46kg (101 pounds) of oxygen, 13kg (27 pounds) of carbon, 7kg (15 pounds) of hydrogen, 2kg (4 pounds) of nitrogen, 2 pounds of calcium, and 2L of sulfur, along with magnesium and various trace elements.

In his book Body: A Guide for Residents, author Bill Bryson estimates that the total cost of these raw materials is over £116,000 ($150,000), based on the most expensive and chemically pure forms of each element.

If you’re inclined to refine elements for yourself, your costs will be lower.

For instance, using 52 liters (11 gallons) of water provides both oxygen and plenty of hydrogen, essentially at no cost. A simple setup for electrolysis can help you separate these gases easily.

Similarly, high-quality charcoal (about 70% carbon) can be purchased for around £56 ($75), and by adding 10kg (22 pounds) of ammonium sulfate fertilizer, priced at £23 ($31), you can produce nitrogen and sulfur. This brings you quite close to what you need.

Other elements are present in very small quantities, so adding another £10-15 ($13-20) will adjust your revised estimate to less than £100, or under $133.

Of course, humans aren’t merely composed of elements; they consist of complex organic molecules such as proteins and carbohydrates. The cost of creating these from raw elements would be minimal compared to the basic materials themselves.

If you can refine it yourself, the average human body is worth around 100 pounds. – Illustration credits: Daniel Bright

If the process seems daunting, a simpler alternative is to buy an entire pig (approximately £200 or $267 at auction) and grind it down into a usable chemical building block mixture.

From a molecular standpoint, the composition of pigs and humans is quite similar.

Alternatively, you can begin with pure energy. Since matter and energy are interchangeable, theoretically, an atom can be created from pure energy using a particle accelerator like the Large Hadron Collider.

However, to achieve a mass of 70kg (154 pounds), you would need about 10^17 joules of energy, equivalent to 1.75 trillion kilowatt-hours. This amount is roughly 70 times the total electricity consumed worldwide in a year.

This article answers the question posed by Phoebe Gray of Southampton: “What is the average human body?”

Please email us your questions at Question @sciencefocus.com or reach out via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Page (don’t forget to include your name and location).

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Humanity’s First True Urban Pest: A 60,000-Year History of Infestation

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

As the saying goes, “Don’t bite bed bugs.”

Recent studies reveal that these pests have been accompanying humans since they ventured out of caves approximately 60,000 years ago, possibly earning the title of “the first true urban pest.”

Researchers indicate that understanding the symbiotic relationship between bed bugs and blood-sucking parasites could enhance predictive models for the spread of pests and diseases as urban populations swell. This finding was detailed in a study published in the journal Biology Letters on Wednesday.

Through genetic analysis, Virginia Tech researchers have found that the populations of bed bugs that fed on humans began to dwindle until the last ice age around 20,000 years ago.

At this point, the two lineages began to diverge.

“The most thrilling part is the resurgence of human-associated strains and a rise in effective population,” stated Lindsay Miles, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech. News Release from Wednesday.

Bed bug populations also surged approximately 12,000 years ago when humans began forming large settlements that evolved into cities like Mesopotamia. The study noted that furniture and blood-sucking pests such as rats and cockroaches became domestic nuisances.

The research indicated a decline in the bat bedbug.

The analysis of demographic patterns “offers compelling evidence that human-associated lineages closely followed the demographic history and movement of modern humans toward the first city,” concluded the researchers.

“Bed bugs shared living spaces with early humans, and as humans migrated, they took along a subset of the population, leading to reduced genetic diversity in those strains associated with humans,” explained Warren Booth, an associate professor of urban entomology at Virginia Tech.

The team observes an “effective population size,” which refers to the number of breeders contributing to the next generation, allowing them to glimpse past trends, according to Miles.

The earliest human civilizations emerged around 10,000 years ago, creating optimal conditions for the “proliferation of pests in communal cities,” as noted by Miles and Booth in the study results.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Time for a re-evaluation: What does true happiness entail?

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The annual publication was once again seen in March this year, the World Happiness Report. Latest International Rankings show that Finland is number one, with several other Nordic countries dominating the top 10.

There are always skeptics, including many Finnish people, who question the validity and significance of the data in this report. Rankings are based on a single question asking people to rate their quality of life on a 10-point scale, which may not be the most rigorous research approach.

But if this method is not the right way to measure happiness, then what is? This question is more complex than expected, as it is challenging to scientifically define happiness, despite everyone understanding it and striving to achieve it.

You may assume that happiness is simply an emotion. However, defining emotions, including happiness, is equally difficult.

Most dictionaries define happiness as a “sense of well-being.” While this definition seems accurate, it does not provide substantial information. The meaning of happiness varies slightly, with many associating it with joy. Happiness is perceived as an emotion felt when experiencing joy.

However, joy can be triggered by various experiences, including sad music, scary movies, and tragic stories – not necessarily happy situations. Despite individual preferences, people can experience pleasure in emotional states that are not conventionally happy.

Another concept often linked to happiness is satisfaction. Many can relate to the feeling of contentment when everything falls into place. This feeling undoubtedly contributes to happiness.

On the other hand, happiness can also manifest as ecstasy, excitement, and whimsical delight. Individuals in this state are undeniably happy. Both satisfaction and ecstasy represent forms of happiness, although they are inherently different.

Satisfaction is presented as a form of happiness produced by stress removal – Photo credit: Getty

Understanding happiness involves multiple brain processes. While joy can be triggered by reward pathways, it is not the sole determinant of happiness. Neuroscience data suggests that there is no specific “happiness center” in the human brain. Instead, happiness is a generalized term encompassing various positive experiences and emotions.

Happiness can also result from reducing or eliminating stress-induced brain activity. This is why alcohol, for example, is often used to alleviate stress and induce feelings of happiness. By suppressing certain parts of the brain responsible for worry and stress, alcohol can create a sense of relief and happiness.

Happiness can result from reduced brain stress – Photo credit: Getty

One theory suggests that satisfaction stems from stress relief, while ecstasy, joy, and happiness result from heightened stimulation in the brain’s reward pathway. However, this is only a partial explanation, as the brain’s complexity surpasses such simplistic categorizations.

The 2025 World Happiness Report focused on attributes like empathy and kindness. Given humans’ social nature, these qualities play a significant role in happiness. Empathy and connection with others contribute to overall happiness, highlighting the importance of kindness and belonging.

Empathy and validation, while essential for happiness, can also present challenges. Despite possessing wealth, power, and security, individuals may still feel unhappy if they lack social acceptance. Happiness is deeply intertwined with human relationships and emotional connections.

Measuring happiness is a complex task, especially in scientific terms. However, this complexity should not deter individuals from pursuing happiness in their lives, regardless of how it is defined.

Unveiling the Mysteries of Deepseek Torn AI: The True Source of High Tech Brothers’ Fear

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

no, it wasn’t the “moment of SPUTNIK”. Last month’s release Deepseek R1 in China generated AI or chatbot has sparked conversations in the high-tech world, speculating on stocks, and suggesting that the United States is losing its edge in AI technology. However, the confusion caused by SPUTNIK doesn’t reveal much about Deepseek beyond American neurosis.

The original SPUTNIK moment occurred when the Soviet Union launched SPUTNIK 1 on October 4, 1957, shocking the world. In the famous words of Neil Armstrong, when he took a “small step” on the moon, it was an anachronistic phrase from a later, even more important milestone, the “Giant Leap for Mankind”.

Deepseek, backed by Chinese hedge funds, is a notable achievement. However, it doesn’t offer any technical advancements in large-scale language models (LLMs) that already exist. It lacks the speed and “wisdom” of Openai’s Chatgpt or Anthropic’s Claude.Vision-All LLMs tend to generate incorrect answers or fabricate facts to fill data gaps. NewsGuard’s evaluation system found that the DeepSeek chatbot made false claims in 30% of cases and failed to provide answers in 53% of cases.

DeepSeek’s high non-response rate may be attributed to censorship, avoiding sensitive issues for China or limiting information on topics like Tiananmen Square and Taiwan.

The true impact of DeepSeek lies in AI economy rather than its technology. It is a chatbot with strengths and weaknesses, like other major models, but it is built with lower costs and inferior technology. The ban on cutting-edge chips and chip manufacturing equipment to China by the Biden administration in 2022 has unintentionally spurred Chinese researchers to be more innovative.

DeepSeek is freely available and open-source, helping to democratize AI technology, especially outside the United States. While US companies create barriers to entry for competitors, it is ironic that China embraces openness.

The impact of DeepSeek goes beyond technology, unveiling the hype and geopolitical tensions surrounding AI. It challenges the notion of building larger AI models with massive computing capabilities and high costs.

The hype around DeepSeek mirrors the hyperbole around AI and reflects geopolitical tensions. If DeepSeek had originated from a US university, it might have gone unnoticed without causing global uproar. Amidst this panic, concerns about DeepSeek’s Chinese origin raise questions about privacy, censorship, and surveillance that affect AI technology as a whole.

Navigating between hype and fear around AI becomes crucial in times of trade wars and threats to democracy. It’s important to recognize the promises and challenges of technology without being swayed by political agendas.

Removing barriers is essential for achieving true powerfulism, not turning a blind eye to them.

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times Getty Images

In the latter half of the 18th century, mathematicians and physicists Joseph Lewis Lagrange made a shocking discovery. His star student, Monsieur Le Blanc, was actually a woman.

Lagrange was taught by Ecall Police Technique in France. As a result, students were able to receive lecture notebooks and submit their jobs without going directly to the university. This was especially useful for Sophie Germann, who was forced to study mathematics despite objections from his parents. She picked up the expired student and may have escaped, but Lagrange realized the vast and sudden improvement of Le Blanc's work and demanded that she would meet directly.

Germain is not the only person who pays attention to how the name used is perceived. As the psychologist Kion West explains here, experiments using the same recruitment application belong to white people who belong to blacks. It indicates that it is not more successful than the person who thinks.

In recent years, many organizations have adopted measures to compete with these results, such as deleting names from recruiting applications. These measures fall under the umbrella of diversity, fairness, and inclusion (DEI). But now, US President Donald Trump has ordered government agencies to dismantle the DEI program, promising that society is a “merit base.”

Trump approaches to diversity, fairness, and wrapping are unlikely to create talentedism

Some DEI Initiative are based on stronger evidence than other Initiative. As the resume test shows, the benefits alone are not enough to overcome people's prejudice, but many researchs show it. Anonymous application tends to improve the results In the case of a blessed group. On the other hand, unconscious biastration is a one -time session in the form of a single session aimed at to make employees recognize snap -judgments for people based on races and gender. It turns out that there is almost no difference in changing people's behavior。

The harsh approach to Trump's Day, not evidence, is unlikely to produce his remarkable consequences of his remarkable ability. Instead of developing organizations that are encouraging the best people to prosper, the current efforts seem to promote the culture of fear. Government worker We are warned of “adverse effects” because we did not end DEI work.

Thankfully, Germain did not have such results. Lagrange accepted who she was and defended mathematical development. Nevertheless, she still used Le Blanc's pseudonyms in some communications. The most prominent is that when she discovered her true identity, she has “courage, extraordinary talent, and excellent genius.” If we want to prosper more germen, we must recognize and deal with the barriers they face.

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Discover the fascinating true story of Tetris in Tetris Forever

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Believe me when I say that I thought I knew everything about the story of Tetris. The popular puzzle game’s journey from 1980s Moscow behind the Iron Curtain to becoming a multi-million selling video game has been extensively covered in numerous articles, a fun book, and recent movies. With over 30 years of experience playing Tetris across different platforms like Game Boy, Nintendo Switch, and even VR, I didn’t expect to learn anything new when I opened Tetris Forever, an interactive documentary by Digital Eclipse that delves into the 40-year history of Tetris.

Did you know about Hattoris, the 1990 sequel to Tetris where colorful hats are stacked on top of your head? Maybe vaguely. How about Spectrum Holobyte’s quirky twist on the game called Faces…Tris III, where players try to build a human face by stacking different facial features? Surprisingly, Henk Rogers, a key figure in Tetris’ global success, revealed interesting details about his past, including his days surfing in Hawaii and forging business friendships in Japan. Tetris Forever offers a treasure trove of images and videos documenting the game’s evolution and significant moments in its history.

The documentary is divided into five chapters, offering a comprehensive look at Tetris’ history post its codification by Alexei Pajitnov in the early days. It includes playable versions of games, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with key players in Tetris history. Tetris Forever sheds light on the game’s complete history, unlike the surface-level coverage seen in other media adaptations.

Tetris first appeared on Electronica 60 in 1985. Photo: Digital Eclipse/Tetris Company

While Tetris Forever may cater more to hardcore gaming enthusiasts, it offers a respectful reissue of the game’s history. The playable versions included are faithful to the originals, allowing anyone to experience Tetris’ evolution. Personally, I still believe Tetris Effect remains the pinnacle of the game’s adaptations, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, known for his synesthetic music games.

Playing the first version of Tetris on Electronica 60 computers takes me back to the game’s humble beginnings. Despite the various iterations and controversies over the years, Tetris remains a timeless classic that has endured for four decades, largely unchanged.

Uncover Your True Biological Age with This Straightforward Balance Test

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

When it comes to balancing on one foot, it may seem like a simple task, but it could actually indicate more than you think. Recent research suggests that struggles with balance could be a sign of accelerated aging in the body.

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have discovered that the ability to balance on one leg can reveal the rate of aging in the neuromuscular sensory system, particularly in older individuals.

This sensory system, comprised of nerves connecting muscles to the brain and spinal cord, plays a crucial role in facilitating movement. Its decline with age can lead to slower reflexes and movements.

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“Balancing on one leg involves various physiological components like leg strength, postural stability muscles, neuromuscular coordination, and sensory information, all of which tend to decrease with age,” explained Professor David Proctor, an aging and exercise expert at Pennsylvania State University in the US. This information was reported by BBC Science Focus.

Preventing or slowing down the decline in strength and balance as we age can significantly impact one’s ability to stay functionally independent in the long term.

The study involved 40 participants aged between 50 and 80, who were assessed on their ability to balance on one leg. Despite similar height, weight, and activity levels, age was the only differing factor among the participants.

Each participant performed four 30-second balances with eyes closed and eyes open for both legs. The researchers recorded the duration of balance maintained within each 30-second interval to evaluate the impact of age on balance.

The results indicated a direct correlation between age and trembling, with a 6.3% increase in tremors with eyes open and a 10.5% increase with eyes closed for every decade of age. Additionally, the time spent balancing decreased by 2.2 seconds per decade on the non-dominant leg and 1.7 seconds on the dominant leg.

This suggests that balance duration is a valid marker of aging and a potential indicator of fall risk in older adults.

Although balancing for 30 seconds may not require significant muscle strength, it heavily relies on good neuromuscular control, which diminishes with age, leading to increased sway and reduced balancing time.

Fortunately, research highlights the benefits of balance and aerobic exercises like swimming, running, and cycling in preventing age-related decline in balance and muscle control.

About our experts

Dr. David Proctor, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, USA, specializes in kinesiology, physiology, and medicine. His research has been featured in various scientific journals.

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Adam Buxton’s Podcast: A True Crime Story Combining Elements of ‘Serial’ and ‘Twin Peaks’

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This week’s picks

in the smoke
Wide range of weekly episodes available
Adam Buxton’s new podcast is being billed as Serial meets Twin Peaks, bridging the gap between fiction and true crime. May Mac is Kay McAllister, a former tabloid journalist who launches her own pod to find out what happened to a missing man. Buxton plays a modest role as DCI Roy Burgess, who worked on the case. Although told in a true-crime style, there is no doubt that this is glossy, high-quality fiction, and is an engaging, slow-burning tale. Hannah Verdier

The Burden: Avenger
Wide range of weekly episodes available
When Miriam Lewin was 19 years old, she was kidnapped from the streets of Buenos Aires and tortured for her political beliefs. However, she survived, became a journalist, and continued to bring her perpetrators to justice. The Handmaid’s Tale’s Alexis Bledel tells Lewin’s powerful story based on in-depth interviews. HV

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “You Hurt My Feelings.” Photo: Jung Park/AP

The Madman’s Hotel
Audible, all episodes now available
Niall Breslin grew up in the shadow of an Irish “mental hospital” and has been haunted by it ever since. But when he meets Julie Clark, whose great-grandmother was imprisoned at St. Roman’s Hospital until her death, he uncovers a story of abuse even more horrifying than he could have imagined. HV

my so-called middle age
Wide range of weekly episodes available
“You’ve read All For, right?” Reshma Saujani asks as she introduces the podcast. “Where’s my hotel room?” Even if that didn’t convince her target audience, her first guest wisdom would agree. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (above) is as stunning as ever, opening up about the ups and downs of midlife, including the joy of posing naked for Rolling Stone. HV

super sensual
Apple Podcasts, full episodes available to Apple TV+ subscribers on Mondays
If you were glued to last year’s Ghost Story, here’s a winding investigation into a creepy old family secret. This time I have a question about reincarnation. Will Sharp spoke to a woman who was involved with two girls who were hit and killed by a car on their way to church in the 1950s. However, the father says he will be reborn, and his wife gives birth to twin girls… Holly Richardson

There’s a podcast for that

Kirat Assi in the Netflix documentary series Sweet Bobby. Photo: Provided by Netflix

this week, Ammar Kalia We choose the 5 best podcasts shocking developmentfrom unsolved murders to traumatic stories of catfishing.

Rebuilding democracy: unleashing the true power of the people

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Many of us entered this so-called super-election year with a sense of foreboding. So far, not much has happened to allay these fears. Russia’s war against Ukraine has exacerbated the perception that democracy is under threat in Europe and beyond. In the United States, presidential candidate Donald Trump self-proclaimed dictatorial tendenciesfacing two assassination attempts. And more broadly, people seem to be losing faith in politics. A 2024 report from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance states that “most citizens in diverse countries around the world have no confidence in the performance of their political institutions.”

By many objective measures, democracy is not functioning as it should. The systems we call democracies tend to favor the wealthy. Political violence is on the rise, legislative gridlock is severe, and elections are becoming less free and fair around the world. Nearly 30 years have passed since pundits proclaimed the triumph of Western liberal democracy, but their predictions seem further away than ever from coming true. what happened?

According to Rex Paulson At the Mohammed VI Institute of Technology in Rabat, Morocco, we have lost sight of what democracy is. “We have created a terrible confusion between the system known as a republic, which relies on elections, political parties, and a permanent ruling class, and the system known as democracy, where the people directly participate in decisions and change power. The good news, he says, is that the original dream of government by the people and for the people can be revived. That’s what he and other researchers are trying to do…

Is it true that tachyons exist as particles?

Posted on July 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Tachyon They are hypothetical particles that always travel faster than light. Until recently, they were commonly thought to be entities that did not fit into the special theory of relativity. New paper In the journal Physics Review DThese faster-than-light particles “are not only not excluded by the theory, but also allow us to better understand its causal structure.”

Tachyon AI impression.

“Movement at speeds faster than the speed of light is one of the most controversial problems in physics,” Professor Andrzej Dragan Researchers from the University of Warsaw and the National University of Singapore and their colleagues.

“Tachyons, hypothetical particles capable of traveling faster than the speed of light, are the awesome geniuses of modern physics.”

“Until recently, they were widely thought to be creations that did not fit into the special theory of relativity.”

“There are currently at least three known reasons why tachyons do not exist in quantum mechanics,” the researchers added.

“First, the ground state of the tachyon field must be unstable, which means that such faster-than-light particles would form avalanches.”

“Second, a change in the inertial observer must lead to a change in the number of particles observed in his reference system, but the presence of, say, seven particles cannot depend on who is looking at it.”

“The third reason is that faster-than-light particles can have negative energies.”

“Previous difficulties with tachyons have a common root,” the physicists said.

“It turns out that the boundary conditions that determine the course of physical processes include not only the initial state of a system but also its final state.”

“Simply put, to calculate the probability of a quantum process involving tachyons, we need to know not only the past initial state but also the future final state.”

“Once this fact was incorporated into the theory, all of the aforementioned difficulties disappeared completely and the tachyon theory became mathematically consistent.”

“It's a bit like internet advertising – one simple trick can solve the problem,” Prof Dragan said.

“The idea that the future influences the present, rather than the present determining the future, is not new in physics.”

“But until now this kind of view has at best been an unorthodox interpretation of certain quantum phenomena, and now we are forced to this conclusion by the theory itself.”

“We had to expand the state space to make room for tachyons.”

“We also predict that expanding the boundary conditions has consequences: a new kind of quantum entanglement appears in the theory, one that mixes the past and the future, that doesn't exist in classical particle theory.”

The team's paper also raises the question of whether tachyons described in this way are purely a mathematical possibility, or whether such particles might one day be observed.

“Tachyons are not merely a possibility but are in fact an essential component of the spontaneous destruction processes responsible for the formation of matter,” the authors say.

“This hypothesis implies that the Higgs field excitations, before the spontaneous symmetry breaking, could travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.”

_____

Jerzy Paczos others2024. Covariant quantum field theory of tachyons. Physics Revision D 110(1):015006; doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.110.015006

This article is a version of a press release provided by the University of Warsaw.

Source: www.sci.news

Utilizing Chatbots to Combat Phone Scammers: Exposing Real Criminals and Supporting True Victims

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A scammer calls and asks for a passcode, leaving Malcolm, an older man with a British accent, confused.

“What business are you talking about?” Malcolm asks.

Again, I received a scam call.

This time, Ibrahim, cooperative and polite with an Egyptian accent, answered the phone. “To be honest, I can’t really remember if I’ve bought anything recently,” he told the scammer. “Maybe one of my kids did,” Ibrahim continued, “but it’s not your fault, is it?”

Scammers are real, but Malcolm and Ibrahim aren’t. They’re just two of the conversational artificial intelligence bots created by Professor Dali Kaafar and his team, who founded Apate, named after the Greek goddess of deception, through his research at Macquarie University.

Apetto’s goal is to use conversational AI to eradicate phone fraud worldwide, leveraging existing systems that allow telecommunications companies to redirect calls when they identify them as coming from scammers.

Kafal was inspired to strike back at phone scammers after he told a “dad joke” to the caller in front of his two children as they enjoyed a picnic in the sun. His pointless chatter kept the scammer on the line. “The kids had a good laugh,” Kafal says. “I thought the goal was to trick them so they would waste their time and not talk to other people.

“In other words, we’re scamming the scammers.”

The next day, he called in his team from the university’s Cybersecurity Hub. He figured there had to be a better way than his dad joke approach — and something smarter than a popular existing technology: Lennybot.

Before Malcolm and Ibrahim, there was Lenny.

Lenny is a rambling, elderly Australian man who loves to chatter away. He’s a chatbot designed to poke fun at telemarketers.

Lenny’s anonymous creator posted this on Reddit. They say they created the chatbot as “a telemarketer’s worst nightmare… a lonely old man who wants to chat and is proud of his family, but can’t focus on the telemarketer’s purpose.” The act of tying up scammers is called scamming.

Apate bot to the rescue

Australian telecommunications companies have blocked almost 2 billion scam calls since December 2020.

Thanks to $720,000 in funding from the Office of National Intelligence, the “victim chatbots” could now number in the hundreds of thousands, too many to name individually. The bots are of different “ages,” speak English with different accents, and exhibit a range of emotions, personalities, and reactions; sometimes naive, sometimes skeptical, sometimes rude.

Once a carrier detects a fraudster and routes them to a system like Apate, bots go to work to keep them busy. The bots try different strategies and learn what works to keep fraudsters on the phone line longer. Through successes and failures, the machines fine-tune their patterns.

This way, they can collect information such as the length of calls, the times of day when scammers are likely to call, what information they are after, and the tactics they are using, and extract the information to detect new scams.

Kafal hopes Apate will disrupt the call fraud business model, which is often run by large, multi-billion-dollar criminal organizations. The next step will be to use the information it collects to proactively warn of scams and take action in real time.

“We’re talking about real criminals who are making our lives miserable,” Kafal said. “We’re talking about the risks to real people.”

“Sometimes people lose their life savings, have difficulty living due to debt, and sometimes suffer mental trauma. [by] shame.”

Richard Buckland, a cybercrime professor at the University of New South Wales, said techniques like Apate were different to other types of fraud, some of which were amateurish or amounted to vigilante fraud.

“Usually fraud is problematic,” he said, “but this is sophisticated.”

He says mistakes can happen when individuals go it alone.

“You can go after the wrong person,” he said. Many scams are perpetrated by people in near-slave-like conditions, “and they’re not bad people,” he said.

“[And] “Some of the fraudsters are going even further and trying to enforce the law themselves, either by hacking back or engaging with them. That’s a problem.”

But the Apate model appears to be using AI for good, as a kind of “honeypot” to lure criminals and learn from them, he says.

Buckland warns that false positives happen everywhere, so telcos need a high level of confidence that only fraudsters are directing AI bots, and that criminal organisations could use anti-fraud AI technology to train their own systems.

“The same techniques used to deceive scammers can be used to deceive people,” he says.

Scamwatch is run by the National Anti-Fraud Centre (NASC) under the auspices of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and an ACCC spokesman said scammers often impersonate well-known organisations and use fake legitimate phone numbers.

“Criminals create a sense of urgency to encourage their targeted victims to act quickly,” the spokesperson said, “often trying to convince victims to give up personal or bank details or provide remote access to their computers.”

“Criminals may already have detailed information about their targeted victims, such as names and addresses, obtained or purchased illegally through data breaches, phishing or other scams.”

This week Scamwatch had to issue a warning about what appears to be a meth scam.

Scammers claiming to be NASC officials were calling innocent people and saying they were under investigation for allegedly engaging in fraud.

The NASC says people should hang up the phone immediately if they are contacted by a scammer. The spokesperson said the company is aware of “technology initiatives to productize fraud prevention using AI voice personas,” including Apate, and is interested in considering evaluating the platform.

Meanwhile, there is a thriving community of scammers online, and Lenny remains one of their cult heroes.

One memorable recording shows Lenny asking a caller to wait a moment. Ducks start quacking in the background. “Sorry,” Lenny says. “What were you talking about?”

“Are you near the computer?” the caller asks impatiently. “Do you have a computer? Can you come by the computer right now?”

Lenny continues until the conman loses his mind. “Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.”

“Can we wait a little longer?” Lennie asked, as the ducks began quacking again.

Physicists Investigate True Tauonium: The Heaviest and Smallest QED Atom

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) Atoms are composed of unstructured point-like lepton pairs held together by electromagnetic forces.

An artist's impression of a true tauonium. Image credit: Fu other., doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.04.003.

“QED atom “Like hydrogen, which is formed from protons and electrons, it is formed from lepton pairs through electromagnetic interactions,” said physicist Jinghan Hu of Peking University and colleagues.

“Their properties have been studied for things like testing QED theory, fundamental symmetries, gravity, and exploring physics beyond the Standard Model.”

“The first QED atom was discovered in 1951. It was in a bonded state and was named positronium.”

“The second one, discovered in 1960, was in a captive state and was named Muonium.”

“No other QED atoms have been discovered in the past 64 years.”

“A new collider is proposed to discover true muonium, which decays to its final state with electrons and photons,” they said.

“The heaviest and smallest QED atoms are tauonium, ditauonium, or true tauonium”

in new paper in a diary science bulletinphysicists introduce a new method to identify true tauonium.

“Tauonium, which consists of tauon and its antiparticle, has a Bohr radius of only 30.4 femtometers, which is about 1/1741 times smaller than the Bohr radius of a hydrogen atom,” the researchers said.

“This means that tauonium can test the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics and QED on a smaller scale, providing a powerful tool for exploring the mysteries of the microscopic world of matter.”

“We will observe taunium by collecting data at 1.5 ab-1, which is close to the threshold for tauon pair production, in an electron-positron collider and selecting signal events containing charged particles accompanied by undetected neutrinos carrying away energy. We have demonstrated that the significance exceeds 5σ.

“This provides strong experimental evidence for the presence of tauonium.”

“We also found that by using the same data, the accuracy of measuring the tau lepton mass can be improved to an unprecedented level of 1 keV, two orders of magnitude higher than the best accuracy achieved in current experiments.”

“This result not only contributes to the accurate verification of the electroweak theory in the Standard Model, but also has profound implications for fundamental physics questions such as the universality of leptonic flavors.”

_____

Jin Hung Fu other. A new method for determining the heaviest QED atoms. science bulletin, published online on April 4, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.04.003

Source: www.sci.news

Elon Musk’s Prediction Comes True: Electric Vehicle Sales Begin to Slow Down in the Automotive Industry

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

ERon Musk became the richest man in the world by evangelizing electric cars and delivering one million electric cars. But in recent months, his company Tesla has struggled to maintain its momentum. This year's sales have declined and stock prices have fallen.

These struggles are emblematic of the broader situation facing the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The pace of sales growth has slowed after years of the coronavirus pandemic that sent demand and valuations soaring. The industry is entering a new phase, raising questions about whether the switch from gasoline and diesel to cleaner electricity will face a nasty stall or a temporary speed bump.

Musk acknowledged the difficulties this week, telling investors: “Globally, EV penetration is under pressure, with many other automakers pulling back from EVs and pursuing plug-in hybrids instead. ” he said. Musk, of course, insisted it was the wrong decision.

Electric vehicle charging stations in Norway, where EVs account for 90% of the market. Photo: Andreas Wirth/Alamy

However, sluggish sales are a reality. Tesla and its closest rival in electric car sales, China's BYD, have both reported declines in electric car sales. Across Europe, the share of sales of battery electric cars fell to 13% from 13.9% last year, while sales of hybrid cars, which combine a battery and an internal combustion engine, rose to 29% from 24.4%. In the UK, electric cars accounted for 15.5% of total car sales in the first three months of 2024, only a slight increase on the same period last year.

In recent years, electric car manufacturers have been able to easily sell every electric car they make. However, many companies around the world are currently struggling to cope with the end of the era of rock-bottom interest rates, when households have less money left in their pockets.

“The economic headwinds are pretty bad across the board, so it's no surprise that the economy is slowing down,” said Ian Henry, whose auto analysis consultancy works with several automakers.

Buyers still have to pay more upfront for battery cars (though most will save money by owning an electric car because energy is cheaper). Additionally, electric vehicle repair costs and insurance premiums may be higher in some locations due to a lack of mechanics. Another important factor is that the rollout of public chargers has been very patchy, giving some potential buyers pause. All of these were pounced on by EV industry skeptics, turning the industry into a culture war battleground.

government's hand

Rico Luhmann, senior sector economist for automotive at investment bank ING, said EV sales had reached a “plateau” and that after an initial rush of early adopters accustomed to switching from gas-powered cars, electric vehicle sales were on the rise. He said sales will become even more difficult. diesel.

But there is more at play in this showdown than purely economic factors. Government also plays a big role. This trend is particularly evident across Europe, where EV sales are following diverging paths even as buyers face similar pressures. Norway is an outlier. Electric vehicle sales are heavily subsidized and EVs currently account for 90% of the market. This year, EV market share also expanded in Denmark, Belgium, and France.

However, in Germany, once the largest electric car market, the adoption rate of electric cars has declined simply because the government has ended subsidies.

Regulations not only affect demand but also play a large role in the cars sold. Matthias Schmidt, a Berlin-based electric vehicle analyst, has long predicted that European electric vehicle sales growth will slow in 2024. The reason is that January 1, 2025, is the date when the EU will take the next big step towards zero-emission vehicles, meaning lower average carbon emissions. The carbon footprint of the cars sold by each manufacturer must be reduced by 15% compared to 2021.

Ford Puma. Photo: SYSPEO/Sipa/Rex/Shutterstock

Therefore, this rule is a big incentive for automakers to focus their efforts on electric vehicles next year. Schmidt argues that the European industry is experiencing a “replay” of the situation experienced in 2019 when manufacturers held back sales of electric cars before mass-launching new models in 2020.

Sure enough, automakers are releasing new mass-market models at just the right time. Renault's electric 5 hatchback will cost less than €25,000 (£21,430) when it goes on sale this autumn, while Ford plans to launch an electric version of Britain's best-selling car, the Ford Puma, later this year.

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moan maker

A man helps assemble an Opel Grandland X SUV at the Opel factory in Eisenach, eastern Germany. Photo: Martin Schutt/dpa/AFP/Getty Images

Stellantis, which owns the Vauxhall, Peugeot-Fiat, and Chrysler brands, is also joining the rush, unveiling the Vauxhall/Opel Grandland electric SUV on Tuesday. Still, the company's CEO, Carlos Tavares, complained bitterly about how regulations are encouraging the switch to electric cars.

This week, he slammed Britain's Transport Secretary Mark Harper over the government's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which forces car manufacturers to increase the proportion of electric vehicles they sell. He later told journalists that the mandate was a “terrible” policy because it would force automakers to introduce electric models too quickly.

“The result of this is that everyone starts pushing BEVs (battery electric vehicles), pushing metals into the market, completely destroying profitability and destroying businesses,” he said.

Schmidt said the automakers’ complaints could have ulterior motives. EU rules will ban the sale of most internal combustion engines by 2035 but are expected to be revised in 2026.

“Many manufacturers are now complaining that it's unrealistic to meet these goals, but that's lobbying by stealth,” Schmidt said. “They do it so often that it's almost like a boy-werewolf affair. There’s definitely an ulterior motive to their moans.”

But other manufacturers have already delayed that shift, which means extending the sales period for still-profitable gasoline models. In the United States, General Motors postponed production at a plant in Michigan last year, and Ford also postponed construction of a plant in Kentucky. And in the UK, luxury car maker Bentley announced last month that it would postpone the launch of its first battery car by one year, until 2026.

“Manufacturers are definitely struggling strategically at the moment,” Luhmann said. “They're playing around with the timing of the model right now, but they're not delaying it too much. If they don't, they're going to miss out in terms of market share.”

Perhaps the biggest reason why European and American automakers are unlikely to switch gears toward EVs is China. China sales growth may have slowed in the first quarter of 2024 compared to a year ago, but still exceeded 1 million units, according to industry data cited by Reuters. Many Chinese automakers, including leader BYD and cash-rich new entrants such as mobile phone maker Xiaomi, are fighting to dominate their home market and capture a new role as the world's biggest car exporter. There is.

During a recent visit to China, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke out against protectionism, keenly aware that imposing penalties on Chinese EVs would lead to swift retaliation against German automakers, but that Chinese manufacturers remain He said there needs to be access to the market.

Massive competition is fierce for electric car makers, with even Tesla having to cut prices to keep selling its cars. The competition will give auto industry executives sleepless nights and could force some companies to face mergers or bankruptcies, causing job losses. But prices could fall even further, making electric cars cheaper than gasoline cars.

“This is potentially good for consumers,” Ian Henry said. “Whether that's a good thing for manufacturers who are trying to make a profit is another question.”

Press the button: The Fallout series is a true gamer’s creation in both appearance and gameplay | Games

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

I I've been watching the last few episodes of the Fallout series on Prime Video. It's funny and gory, sometimes sentimental, and sometimes silly. In other words, it's exactly the kind of game that oscillates between quiet, tragic moments in which you explore traces of America and scenes in which you run out of ammunition and are chased down a hill by an irradiated scorpion.

Fallout's ensemble cast – highlighted by Walton Goggins' near-immortal ghoul and Ella Purnell's wide-eyed vault-dweller – deftly compartmentalize the different facets of the game's personality. As director Jonathan Nolan pointed out in an interview last week with Bethesda's Todd Howard, game director, this is a common device in television storytelling, but rare in games. Grand Theft Auto V does it well. Each of the three main characters represents a different part of his DNA in GTA (Trevor of violent chaos, Michael of authoritative crime drama, and Franklin of Compton realism).But in most games we play One Or we shape the character so that it becomes unique to us.

It makes it difficult to adapt the game to the screen. But instead of trying to convey the experience of playing a game, Fallout takes a step back to let the broken yet strangely optimistic world of Fallout take center stage, with each character exploring different aspects of that world. is showing.

“Even if you say you're adapting Fallout 3, whose Fallout 3 are you talking about? Because the way you play that game is very different from the way I play it. Because it could have been different,” Nolan told me. “That's the beauty of this kind of game.” [Bethesda] I'm drawn to the types of games that make the most of the medium and decide who your character will be within that world. Obviously, it doesn't lead directly to the series. ”

I was interested: how did Will Nolan play Fallout 3? “I always play as a Boy Scout first because I think my parents are watching,” he said. “So I'm going to make the smart decision and try again and play as a complete heel. But then I get weird, I get uncomfortable, I end up falling into a morally compromised middle ground.” It's a little pitiful.

Aaron Moten, right, one of the stars of Fallout. Photo: Jojo Wilden/Prime Video

I can relate. chaotic good In most games where it's allowed, I'm willing to cause chaos wherever I go, and happily align myself with characters and factions in power, but I’d never do anything to hurt people. I know it’s a game, but Assumption I want it to be a no-consequences place where I can experiment with morality, but I can’t bring myself to play the villain. This is in contrast to many players I know. They immediately start causing chaos in the game world just to see what happens. The kind of person who shoots horses in Red Dead Redemption.

“Every time I get a game and test it, I immediately think, “What will this game be able to do?” No matter what we do, every time we hand the player a weapon, the first thing they see is I’m going to shoot anyone who does,” Todd Howard said with a laugh. “It could be their mother. They’ll shoot whoever it is. Then they’ll be like, ‘Well, I’ll reload.’ ”

Trying to design a choice-based game based on the random whims of the players must be a nightmare, but Howard and Bethesda have decades of experience with it. When I interviewed him over the years, he talked about how players and systems interact to create new stories, and how games make what they do in-game real and meaningful. He spoke eloquently about the unique mechanism that makes you feel as though you are in the dark. You can’t do that with TV or movies. But as the Fallout show proves, if it’s made by people who really understand it, can We tell unique stories that still capture the essence of the games people love.

Fallout is great because, while this is also true of other successful game-to-movie adaptations in recent years, Appearance Yes, the sets are perfect, and they nail the game’s retro-future, nostalgic aesthetic. That’s because Nolan and screenwriters Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner actually played Fallout, understood it, and felt the power of its storytelling for themselves. Rather than trying to clumsily adapt the game’s story into a TV script, they wrote an amazing game expansion fan fiction on a very high budget. I’m all for this approach. Now that we have a generation of TV producers and filmmakers who grew up with games and truly understand them, I would like to see more of them.

Breaking the Morning Procrastination Cycle: Tried and True Methods

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

If you frequently visit the “How to Be Productive” section of TikTok, you’ve probably encountered the latest strategies to maintain focus and avoid procrastination. The key is to start your day with a low dopamine routine.

According to the low dopamine trend in the morning, the activities you engage in during the first 90 minutes after waking up determine your brain’s cravings for the rest of the day.

If your first interaction after turning off your alarm is to open Facebook or Instagram, you’ll get your initial dopamine fix from your smartphone. As a result, when you’re working at your desk and find your focus slipping, you’ll find it difficult to resist reaching for your phone for another dopamine hit, as warned by TikTok.

Instead of engaging activities, low dopamine mornings focus on calming or mundane tasks. This approach prevents your brain from feeling a lack of dopamine when you start working.

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For instance, you can swap reading the morning news for a light chore, or replace a high-intensity workout with a leisurely walk, yoga session, or meditation.

However, the concept of low dopamine mornings is more complex than popular trends suggest. While dopamine is often dubbed the “reward chemical,” its functionality is multifaceted.

Neurotransmitters play a role in various bodily processes, including movement, attention regulation, milk production, and forming associations between activities and pleasure.

These associations are not limited to joyous experiences. Unpleasant stimuli can also trigger a dopamine release, reinforcing aversion to those activities.

Therefore, if you receive a morning dopamine rush from viewing a distressing news story, you might want to limit your phone scrolling rather than increase it.

Mornings with low dopamine often involve low-intensity exercises like walking or yoga. However, these activities can elevate dopamine levels. Conversely, exercises like running or weight training do not necessarily result in a dopamine release.

Research indicates that running on a treadmill for 30 minutes has no impact on dopamine levels in the brain.

Choosing to spend a morning without social media browsing or opting for time outdoors can still have benefits for cognitive function and overall well-being. However, the effect an activity has on dopamine does not determine its worthiness.

To enhance productivity and combat procrastination, it’s essential to assess your actions individually. If you find distractions from phone notifications or office noise, consider implementing strategies to safeguard your focus.

Shut off your phone or keep it out of sight. Use earplugs or listen to soothing sounds like rain or cafe ambiance to create a conducive work environment.

If smartphone usage concerns you, adopting some aspects of the low-dopamine morning trend, like setting rules for phone usage, could prove beneficial. By consciously scheduling phone time, you can enjoy activities guilt-free and take control of your habits.

This article responds to the question “Is there a science to achieving low-dopamine mornings?” posed by Carla Saunders via email.

For inquiries, please email us at: questions@sciencefocus.comor reach out to us on Facebook, Twitteror Instagram (please include your name and location).

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New findings finally expose the true differences between male and female brains

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Since the beginning of time, men and women have tended to have different social roles, interests, and occupations. It is natural to think that perhaps these stem from innate differences in their brains and more obvious differences in their bodies. This idea has long been controversial, but now that ideas about gender are changing more rapidly than ever, the question of whether male and female brains are different has become more acute. There is. This remains a controversial issue even among neuroscientists. Nevertheless, they are finally cutting into historical discrimination and gender politics and trying to get to the truth.

Early measurements of skull volume showed that, on average, male brains are slightly larger and heavier than female brains. Some commentators argued that this “five ounce deficit” was the key to the man's superior abilities. In fact, the simple explanation is that the larger the body, the more brain tissue it requires to move it. This is a relationship found across animal species.

The situation became even more complicated in the 1990s with the advent of brain scanning technology, which suggested sex differences in the size of certain brain regions and structures. These findings often turned into compelling stories about, for example, why women are more empathetic on average or why men are more likely to become engineers. But studies from the early decades of brain scanning research should be taken with a pinch of salt, he says. leeds elliott at Rosalind Franklin University in Illinois. “When we control for brain size, all claims about volumetric differences in individual structures disappear…

The True Color of Neptune: It’s Not as Blue as Previously Believed

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Voyager 2's original photo of Neptune (left) and the new study's reprocessed image (right)

Patrick Irwin

Neptune's true color is a pale greenish-blue similar to that of Uranus, contrary to popular belief that it is a much deeper blue.

NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft passed by the outer planet in the 1980s and sent back photos showing the strikingly different colors of Uranus and Neptune.

This is puzzling given their similar size, mass, and chemical composition. Models of the planet's atmosphere can explain some of the fluctuations, such as Uranus' thicker “haze layer” that reflects more white light and makes the planet appear brighter, but these may explain why the planet is It doesn't fully explain why you should have something like that. different shades.

now, Patrick Irwin Researchers at the University of Oxford have processed images from Voyager 2 to show what the planet looks like to the human eye.

The original photo of Neptune taken by Voyager 2 had an enhanced contrast ratio to highlight hard-to-see atmospheric features. In addition to how they balanced the colors to create the final composite image, this also made the planet appear bluer.

Scientists at the time knew this and included these changes in photo captions, but over time the captions became detached from the images and Neptune's deep blue hue became a fact in the public consciousness. According to Irwin, the shrine is now enshrined inside.

Images of Uranus (left) and Neptune (right) created in previous and new research

Patrick Irwin

He and his team developed a model that uses shots taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to convert raw image data into true-color images. This image contains more complete information about the light. This produced similar hues on both planets. “The way the eye works makes true-color images much more boring and bland,” Irwin says.

The researchers also used Hubble images and images from the Lowell Observatory in Arizona to build a model to predict how Uranus' color would change during its long 84-year orbit around the sun. Due to the rotation of the planet, more of the equator is visible at the vernal equinox, and more of the poles are visible at the summer solstice. At the equator, there is more methane and red light is absorbed. The planet also has a hood of reflective, brightening ice particles that forms at its sun-facing poles during the equinoxes, increasing the reflectance of red and green wavelengths.

This helps explain the long-standing mystery of why Uranus appears slightly green on the summer solstice. “We knew there was a hood, we knew there was less methane in the polar regions, but no one had put it all together to be able to explain what was really going on seasonally. “It was,” Irwin said.

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True Anomaly secures $100 million in funding for the expansion of space security technology

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

true anomaly has closed $100 million in new funding, a strong signal that the appetite for startups operating at the intersection of space and defense is not slowing down.

The new round was led by Riot Ventures with participation from Eclipse, ACME Capital, Menlo Ventures, Narya, 645 Ventures, Rocketship.vc, Champion Hill Ventures, and FiveNine Ventures. The funds will be used to continue expanding all parts of the business, according to a press release.

True Anomaly aims to fill critical gaps in space situational awareness and defensive operations through software and hardware, including a line of autonomous reconnaissance and tracking spacecraft called Jackals. These vehicles are equipped with an array of sensors and cameras to track, monitor, and collect data on objects in space. On the software side, the company is developing an integrated operating platform called Mosaic that will eventually be able to work in conjunction with the Jackal in orbit.

In a previous interview with TechCrunch, True Anomaly CEO Even Rogers pointed to a significant “information asymmetry” between the United States and its adversaries in space. Jackal, Mosaic, and the company’s other efforts in space domain awareness aim to fill that gap.

Founded in 2022 by a quartet of former Space Force members, the startup is rapidly moving towards this goal. During the company’s first full year of business, he opened his 35,000 square foot facility in Centennial, Colorado and doubled his headcount to more than 100 people.

In September, True Anomaly won a $17.4 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to help warfighters find and track objects in space, characterize those objects, and use artificial intelligence to predict changes in space. The agreement was signed to build a suite of space domain awareness capabilities, including prediction and identification. Object behavior.

The first two Jackal spacecraft are scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter 10 rideshare mission in March. In August, the company received permission from regulators to conduct imaging beyond Earth and demonstrate close space rendezvous operations with two spacecraft. This is such a huge technical challenge that I have no doubt that many people in both Silicon Valley and Washington will be paying close attention to how the demo mission unfolds.

Source: techcrunch.com

The Revealed True Nature of Magellan’s Stars After 50 Years of Exploration

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

An artist’s rendition of the Magellanic Star Stream, depicting the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, the Milky Way’s nearest neighbors, is shown in the diagram. The gaseous Magellanic Stream swirls behind the galaxies, spreading across the southern sky as they move, with 13 red giant stars discovered within the stream.

Astronomers from the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University and the Smithsonian University have solved a 50-year-old mystery by identifying stars within the Magellanic Stream. The discovery helps reveal the distance to the stream, providing new insights into the history and characteristics of our galaxy and its neighbors.

The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, showcases the discovery of 13 stars within the stream and their unique characteristics that place them precisely within the mysterious structure. The stars’ distances and chemical compositions offer clues to the formation of the Magellanic Stream and the interactions of the Magellanic Clouds with the Milky Way.

By conducting a spectroscopic analysis of distant Milky Way stars, researchers were able to determine their chemical makeup and velocity, ultimately allowing them to identify stars within the Magellanic Stream. This discovery also sheds light on the origin and gravitational pull of the stream, as well as its potential role in the future formation of new stars within the Milky Way.

The Magellanic Stream, which acts as a supplier of cold neutral gas for the formation of Milky Way stars, also holds valuable insights into the composition of galaxies and the distribution of dark matter. Further study of the stream and additional discoveries of stars are expected to provide more surprises and lead to a deeper understanding of our galaxy’s outer reaches.

Source: scitechdaily.com

The Impact of Green Accounting on the True Cost of Cheap Food for a Better World

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

In these difficult times, it seems like complete nonsense to say that food prices are cheap. In the UK, the average grocery bill is Up more than 12% in the past year. But it is. The price tag on food is about two-thirds lower than it would be if we paid full price. But don’t worry. We have a plan to resolve this issue.

That may sound unpleasant. Who wants their grocery bills to go up even more? But in reality, we are already paying the real price, and most of it is just being secretly hidden from us. “In total, he pays four times as much for meals,” he says. Alexander Muller At the sustainability think tank TMG in Berlin. First, pay at the cash register. And we pay the health, environmental and social costs of producing that food, primarily through taxes.

green accounting

These costs are “externalities”. Things that are not free are treated as free, such as the environmental destruction caused by agriculture and the health costs of obesity. Now the producers are ignoring them and letting the rest of us pick up the bill. Maybe it won’t last very long. Economists and accountants – don’t yawn in the back. – We are working on a system called True Cost Accounting (TCA) that aims to internalize these externalities and upend decades of economic tradition. If we play our cards right, we won’t all end up spilling more cash at the register, but rather a massive rebalancing of global supply…