Mondo News

Unexpected Shock Wave Discovered Surrounding Nearby White Dwarf Star

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers utilizing ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) have captured stunning shock waves surrounding the white dwarf star 1RXS J052832.5+283824 (commonly known as RXJ0528+2838). This extraordinary phenomenon challenges existing astrophysical models and has the potential to transform our understanding of stellar evolution.

Image credit: ESO / Iłkiewicz et al. showcasing the shockwave around the white dwarf RXJ0528+2838, captured by the MUSE instrument of ESO’s VLT.

Located approximately 730 light-years away in the constellation Auriga, RXJ0528+2838 orbits the center of the Milky Way, similar to our Sun and other stars.

According to Dr. Noel Castro-Segura from the University of Warwick, “As the white dwarf traverses space, it interacts with interstellar gas, causing a type of shock wave known as a bow shock, which resembles a wave building up in front of a moving ship.”

Interestingly, while bow shocks are typically produced by material expelled from the star, the mechanisms observed in RXJ0528+2838 remain unexplained.

RXJ0528+2838 is part of a binary system, with a sun-like companion star. In such systems, gas is often transferred to the white dwarf, creating an accretion disk. However, this disk appears absent, leading to questions about the source of the observed outflow and the surrounding nebula.

Dr. Simone Scaringi from Durham University expressed: “The fact that a seemingly quiet, diskless system could produce such an impressive nebula was a remarkable surprise.”

Astronomers initially identified an unusual nebula around RXJ0528+2838 through images captured by the Isaac Newton Telescope in Spain, prompting further investigation with the MUSE instrument at VLT.

The size and shape of the bow shock indicate that the white dwarf has been generating significant outflows for over 1,000 years.

Although the exact mechanism for such a prolonged outflow from a diskless white dwarf is still under investigation, scientists speculate that RXJ0528+2838 possesses a strong magnetic field, evidenced by MUSE data.

This magnetic field may funnel material directly from the companion star to the white dwarf, bypassing the formation of an accretion disk.

Dr. Christian Ikiewicz from the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center remarked, “Our findings indicate that diskless systems can still produce powerful outflows, revealing complex interactions that challenge traditional binary star models.”

While the detected magnetic field can sustain a bow shock for hundreds of years, it only partially accounts for the phenomena observed.

“We’ve uncovered something unprecedented and unexpectedly remarkable,” Dr. Scaringi noted.

For further reading on this groundbreaking discovery, refer to the published paper in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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K. Iwkiewicz et al. Persistent bow shock in a diskless magnetized accreting white dwarf. Nat Astron, published online on January 12, 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02748-8

Source: www.sci.news

Research Reveals Swearing Might Provide an Unexpected Physical Edge

Posted on December 18, 2025 by

Many of us find joy in liberally using profanity. Why? Because it feels satisfying. Recent scientific findings have validated this common behavior, thanks to a new study conducted by researchers at Keele University in the UK.

The research indicates that swearing can enhance physical performance and lead to better results in strength and endurance tests.

According to Dr. Richard Stevens, who spearheaded the study: BBC Science Focus, “This study essentially confirms what we consider common sense: swearing when we need to can elevate our mood.” He described swearing as a “low-cost, easily accessible, non-drug self-help strategy.”

To explore this phenomenon, the research team performed two experiments involving 192 participants. During the first experiment, each volunteer shouted an expletive every two seconds while doing push-ups (raising their body using only their arms) on a chair.

Participants also completed the same task using neutral words instead. Some began with swearing, while others started with neutral terms.

The results were significant. Those who swore were able to maintain their weight support for longer periods.

Stevens attributes this enhancement in performance to people feeling less constrained when they swear. “You become more uninhibited, you push past your hesitations and go all out instead of holding back,” he explains.

This effect was later confirmed through a post-test questionnaire, showing that participants reported higher levels of “psychological flow” when swearing—a state where they were fully engaged and enjoying the activity.

It’s common to hear profanity at the gym as individuals strive for extra strength – Photo credit: Getty

“This paper builds on research from the 1960s indicating that shouting, loud sounds, alcohol, and similar stimuli enhance physical performance. It suggests that reducing inhibitions can boost fitness,” Stevens remarked.

But what is it about profanity that gives it such power? Stevens posits that it “must relate to their taboo nature.” He noted that many curse words are “double taboos,” meaning they aren’t just socially unacceptable, but often touch on other sensitive subjects, such as sex.

The research team plans to delve deeper into the influence of a word’s taboo nature by examining its effects on pain tolerance. Essentially, they’re searching for the ultimate swear word with the greatest impact.

For now, you might be wondering if you should incorporate more swearing into your life. According to science, the answer is affirmative.

“Our findings indicate that swearing diminishes inhibition and enhances performance, suggesting that this effect may extend to other scenarios where success relies on overcoming hesitation,” Stevens stated.

“Using curse words strategically during challenging moments, especially when we’re outside our comfort zone, can help us unlock our full potential and ultimately achieve greater success.”

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Disney and OpenAI Forge Unexpected Partnership – What’s Next?

Posted on December 11, 2025 by

Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse character is set to appear in AI-generated videos

Greg Balfour Evans / Alamy

The leading AI firm and the premier entertainment company have made an unexpected agreement, allowing AI-generated versions of beloved characters from movies, TV, and comics. This deal might indicate that major copyright holders realize they’re unable to control the influx of AI tools available today.

The Walt Disney Company has entered into a partnership with OpenAI, permitting the AI company’s Sora video generation and ChatGPT image creation technologies to utilize over 200 of Disney’s most renowned characters. In contrast, Disney is currently in a legal battle with another AI firm, Midjourney, concerning alleged copyright infringement, claiming Midjourney intends to “blatantly incorporate and copy famous characters from Disney and Universal” into its tools. This lawsuit suggested that copyright owners were starting to take steps to protect their rights against what AI companies might misuse, but some analysts now view the agreement as a sign that Disney has opted to collaborate with rather than combat AI firms.

As of now, characters like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Simba and Mufasa from The Lion King, and characters from Moana, as well as notable figures from Marvel and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars, are permissible for OpenAI users. However, while users can create videos featuring these characters, many of the voice rights are held by celebrities, as is the case with Tom Hanks voicing Woody in the Toy Story films, which remains prohibited.

Content creation using these characters will be available from early 2026, under a license agreement lasting three years.

According to statements released by both parties, the agreement was reached after OpenAI pledged to implement age-appropriate policies and “reasonable controls” to prevent underage users from accessing its products, alongside “robust controls to avert the generation of illegal or harmful content and respect for the rights of content owners regarding model output, as well as individuals’ rights to manage the use of their voice and likeness.”

In tandem with this, Disney has committed to a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, with an option to purchase additional shares in the rapidly expanding AI firm. Many characters presently available in OpenAI’s tools coincide with those mentioned in Disney’s lawsuit against Midjourney.

“This presents an exciting chance for the company to let audiences engage with our characters through perhaps the most advanced technologies and media platforms available today,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger, as he informed CNBC. “OpenAI values and respects our creativity.” Iger further acknowledged the remarkable growth of AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remarked, “People genuinely want to connect with Disney characters and express their creativity in novel ways.”

Despite the optimistic statements, the agreement took many by surprise. “I was astonished because Disney is recognized for fiercely safeguarding its brand,” noted Katherine Flick from Staffordshire University. The company has historically defended the intellectual property of its characters, including efforts to keep Mickey Mouse from falling into the public domain, according to Rebecca Williams of the University of South Wales.

Conversely, some observers were less surprised by the partnership. “It was clear that Disney didn’t want to confront major tech firms like Google, OpenAI, and Meta, as they’ve often perceived generative AI as beneficial,” remarked Andres Guadamuz from the University of Sussex.

Guadamuz hypothesizes that the OpenAI partnership could significantly benefit Disney, suggesting, “I suspect they will utilize their vast catalog to adapt their models,” which might even play a role in the animation process. Reports indicate that Disney is poised to become a “key customer” for OpenAI tools.

Williams expresses concern that this partnership may indicate the broader trajectory of AI and copyright disputes. “This suggests that companies like Disney consider it impossible to halt the AI tide,” she notes. “Their approach appears to involve collaborating with such enterprises to derive profit from the utilization of their intellectual property, rather than allowing it to be misappropriated.”

However, Ty Martin from the licensing company Copyrightish believes that other AI firms will start to negotiate licensing agreements moving forward. “This is the direction we’re heading in 2026,” he asserts. “Licensing is vital for quality. AI platforms equipped with strong, recognizable IP are likely to weather downturns, while unlicensed or generic content risks being overlooked.”

Whether this represents a proactive initiative or a defensive tactic due to animosity, the future of this initial three-year agreement is uncertain, and Frick believes it may soon be reevaluated. “There will be individuals who exploit their brand in ways that Disney may not typically endorse,” she stated.

Frick added, “This will serve as an evaluative case to see how this intellectual property is utilized. Personally, I suspect it will be a test to understand the limits of its usage, as [Disney] endures individuals engaging in potentially uncomfortable applications of your intellectual property.”

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Unexpected Insights on Longevity from the Planet’s Oldest Creatures

Posted on December 9, 2025 by

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Two hands holding three clams on the beach — DGDImages / Alamy Stock Photos

As I embarked on this story, I pondered whether my subject should be included in my research. I envisioned a striking introduction: “Meet the longest-living animal on Earth. And yes, it’s edible.”

The creature in question is a type of shellfish, namely the ocean quahog, best known for its role in dishes like spaghetti alle vongole. While they are quite tasty, considering the moral implications of harvesting and consuming our fellow beings, as well as the harmful impact on marine ecosystems, I came to realize it raises deeper issues. This extraordinary mollusk can live for over 500 years. Killing it for food seems unjust. Thus, I must alter my introduction: This is the world’s longest-living animal, and my objective is to unravel its mysteries.

If the ocean quahog, also referred to as the Icelandic cyprin, is unfamiliar to you, don’t fret; it isn’t exactly a household name. This sizable bivalve is found buried in sandy beaches all around the North Atlantic, from the warm coasts of Florida and Cadiz, Spain, to the frigid waters of Canada and Norway. If you’ve ever tasted clam chowder in the USA, you’ve likely encountered this species. Its shell showcases fine lines akin to a tree’s annual growth rings, allowing one to determine its age by counting them.

The oldest known specimen, named Hafrun—an Icelandic term that translates to “mystery of the sea”—was born in 1499. It led an unremarkable life, living modestly on a diet scavenged from the shores of Iceland, just as its ancestors had done for generations. Its long life, however, was anything but ordinary. Sadly, Hafrun’s existence came to an abrupt end in 2006 when a team from the University of Exeter, UK, retrieved it from the ocean for research on aging by chronologist Paul Butler. The study aimed to analyze bivalve shells to devise a timeline of the surrounding environment.

“Initially, we estimated its age to be slightly over 400 years. But after a more meticulous examination of its growth lines and comparisons with other shells, we realized it was actually 507 years old,” Butler revealed. It’s possible that even older specimens exist, especially in the colder waters around Iceland, where they tend to grow more slowly and live exceedingly longer. Is there a maximum age limit? “It’s astounding that they can survive for such an extended period,” Butler noted, embodying the enthusiasm of a true mathematician.

The longevity of the quahog seems to stem from its mitochondria—the tiny structures within our cells that convert food into energy. This applies to all eukaryotes, from yew trees and beetles to jellyfish and rabbits.

“Strong mitochondria, which Arctica islandica possesses, are vital for healthy aging across various model species,” comments Enrique Rodriguez, who studies mitochondria at University College London.

The mitochondria of quahogs exhibit enhanced resilience. Their membranes are sturdier than those of other species. These membranes house a protein apparatus that handles electrons and protons to produce ATP, the body’s universal energy currency. The quahog’s mitochondria are larger and more organized, making them even more durable. “Their proteins possess greater molecular weights and intricate structures,” Rodriguez adds. “They are interconnected more efficiently.”

This specialized structure allows the quahog to mitigate mitochondrial damage. It carefully orchestrates the countless protons and electrons that traverse these membranes every second. When electrons leak, they can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide, causing cellular harm. Rodriguez likens this process to cars stuck in traffic: in regular mitochondria, a red light up front triggers a back-up, resulting in exhaust emissions that harm the environment. Yet in quahog mitochondria, protein complexes (the traffic lights) facilitate smoother flow, resulting in diminished exhaust.

However, robust membranes are just part of what allows quahogs to enjoy lengthy lifespans. They also excel in eliminating the ROS they produce. Using Rodriguez’s analogy, this equates to cleaning a car’s exhaust.

A woman hunts quahogs on the Massachusetts coastline.

Boston Globe (via Getty Images)

Rodriguez compared the antioxidant abilities of the quahog to several of its short-lived relatives and found it had a notably superior capacity to eliminate ROS—3-14 times more effective. This finding aligns with the Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging, also seen in the extraordinary lifespans of other species like naked mole rats, which can live up to 40 years—over six times longer than rodents of comparable size.

Pierre Blier, a researcher focused on animal metabolism and aquaculture genetics at the University of Quebec, raises quahogs in labs to investigate longevity mechanisms. He adds that the ocean quahog showcases a remarkable capacity to buffer oxidants. “Their mitochondria are incredibly durable and resistant to ROS,” he states, supporting the MOSTA theory.

While this provides insights into how these creatures achieve such extended lifespans, it also raises questions about the “why.” In other words, what evolutionary pressures contributed to the development of such robust mitochondria?

A possible explanation lies in the low levels of oxygen in the environments where these clams thrive. “Naked mole rats can remain confined in their burrows for about a week without needing gills for oxygen,” Rodriguez observes. Mitochondria have adapted to endure low oxygen conditions (known as anoxia) for extended periods, subsequently requiring robustness to handle sudden oxygen influxes and the correlative spike in oxidative stress. This similar adaptability is evident in naked mole rats, as their subterranean habitats often have diminished oxygen levels. Rodriguez notes a like pattern in their mitochondrial resilience under both oxygen deprivation and subsequent reoxygenation stress, suggesting that selection pressure related to low oxygen could lead to increased longevity almost inadvertently.

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My advice to live longer is to exercise, eat well, and take cold showers.
“

The pressing question is whether we can bolster our own mitochondria. Back in 2005, a team at the University of California, Irvine, created transgenic mice with enhanced production of the “scavenging” antioxidant enzyme catalase in their mitochondria, extending their lifespans by around five months—a notable increase considering their average lifespan of two years. Although gene editing in human mitochondria is now feasible, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how to safely extend lifespan, prompting the necessity for alternative methods.

Regular exercise is known to improve mitochondrial function. Interestingly, Tibetan Sherpas, who dwell at high altitudes, exhibit distinct mitochondrial characteristics compared to lowland dwellers. A 2017 study examining indigenous lowlanders and Sherpas attempting to climb Mount Everest Base Camp, situated roughly 5,300 meters above sea level, found that Sherpas demonstrated superior oxygen utilization and greater defenses against oxidative stress—attributed to their stronger mitochondria, with genetic foundations for these traits.

Blier argues that Arctica islandica offers valuable insights into longevity. “To enhance your lifespan, focus on your mitochondria: engage in regular exercise, maintain a balanced diet, and incorporate cold showers… Cold showers seem to invoke mitochondrial quality control mechanisms.”

If it works for quahogs…

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Unveiling the Unexpected: Francis Crick’s New Biography Explores the Journey of DNA

Posted on November 13, 2025 by

Francis Crick (right) and James Watson modeling DNA in 1953

A. Barrington Brown, Gonville, Caius College/Scientific Photography Library

Click: The Moving Mind – From DNA to the Brain
Matthew Cobb profile book, England. Basic Books

Francis Crick missed a crucial seminar in 1951, likely because he was occupied with his partner. James Watson attended but failed to take proper notes, leading to inaccuracies in their initial DNA model.

This anecdote is just one of many compelling elements in Click: The Moving Mind – From DNA to the Brain, a biography by zoologist and author Matthew Cobb. If you’re curious about the discovery of DNA’s structure and subsequent developments, this is the must-read book.

Crick, raised as a shopkeeper’s son, struggled academically at first and didn’t gain admission to Oxbridge. He eventually earned a second-class degree and a rather dull PhD on the viscosity of water. After serving in WWII, he entered civil service, but his marriage faltered and his son lived with relatives. However, his readings nurtured a passion for the molecular foundations of life and consciousness. He re-entered research, working in an independent lab in Cambridge.

In 1949, he began exploring biomolecule structures through X-ray diffraction. His notes detail various mishaps: spills, misplaced films, and sample errors. Crick once flooded his boss’s hallway twice and incessantly conversed with Watson, irritating their co-workers. The two were ultimately separated to different rooms.

By 1952, Crick had a new family but faced bankruptcy and potential job loss under his boss, Lawrence Bragg. Competing biochemist Linus Pauling falsely claimed to have deduced DNA’s structure—this drove Bragg to allow Crick and Watson to pursue the DNA research unhindered. By March 1953, they had successfully unraveled it.

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Part of Crick’s success lay in his willingness to fail, proposing multiple ideas that eventually proved incorrect.
“

While chemist Rosalind Franklin’s data was indeed significant, Cobb asserts that Crick and Watson did not misappropriate it. He also highlights that Franklin, Watson, and Wilkins collaborated more than previously recognized.

It’s often overlooked that Crick and Watson acknowledged Franklin and Wilkins in their renowned publication, Nature. A paper by Franklin and Wilkins coincided with their work, and she developed a friendship with Crick and his second wife, Odile, often staying with them during her recovery from cancer surgery, which ultimately claimed her life. This untimely death is why she wasn’t a recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize.

Crick later played an instrumental role in decoding how DNA encodes proteins, contributing many vital insights to the process. While the biography remains engaging at this point, it loses some momentum as it shifts focus to Crick’s life, rather than Cobb’s narrative. Following the genetic code’s unveiling in the 1960s, Crick published several poorly received papers and likely faced depression in 1971.

In 1977, he relocated to California and shifted his focus to consciousness research. Cobb posits that his contributions in this field were as groundbreaking as his molecular biology achievements, including efforts to define the brain’s connectome.

This biography paints Crick as a multifaceted individual. He was anti-religious and anti-monarchy, celebrated his remarriage openly, championed cannabis legalization, experimented with acid, and occasionally hosted wild gatherings where adult films were shown. There are also allegations of unwanted advances towards several women.

Moreover, Crick corresponded with individuals expressing racist views regarding IQ and genetics but ultimately recognized that the matters were more nuanced than he once believed. Since the 1970s, he notably refrained from discussing this topic, especially in stark contrast to Watson, who passed away last week at 97.

It’s evident that Crick’s triumph stemmed not only from his brilliance but also from his readiness to fail and his willingness to propose and publish many ideas that did not pan out. For instance, one Saturday, after reviewing a paper outlining X-ray results for proteins, he, with a colleague’s assistance, was able to determine its structure by noon.

As I read, I reflected that perhaps Crick’s qualifications might not align with the current scientific standards. Today’s researchers might be astonished to learn that he had no formal education and only submitted one grant proposal. The legacy of geniuses like Crick may be struggling to thrive in a system that hasn’t nurtured their kind.

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Keep children and young people safe online with Barnardo’s online safety guidance

Gamers as Hackers: Discovering the Next Generation of Tech Talent in Unexpected Places | Bridging Fun and Purpose

Posted on November 11, 2025 by

For numerous young individuals in schools and universities, a solid understanding of digital skills is essential for future learning and employment prospects. Nonetheless, teachers face a considerable challenge in ensuring these skills are utilized effectively.

As reported by The Hacking Games, an organization focused on helping youth with hacking skills secure jobs in the cybersecurity sector, criminal groups are increasingly targeting talented teenagers within popular online gaming spaces.

This is a route that educators hope to steer their students away from, which is why Co-op, a sponsor of the Co-op Academies Trust, has collaborated with The Hacking Games. The Co-op Academies Trust serves over 20,000 students across 38 primary, secondary, and special needs schools, as well as one college in Northern England. The partnership aims to direct students with coding skills toward careers in ‘ethical hacking.’

Joe Sykes, Careers Director at the Co-op Academies Trust, comments: “In recent years, there has been a growing interest among students in technology, particularly gaming, and they are investigating how this passion might lead to future careers.

“Through our engagement with The Hacking Games, we discovered the transferable skills that exist between gaming and ethical hacking, particularly within cybersecurity. Our students found this link to be both exciting and motivating.”

“Students will find it engaging to learn about the transferable skills between gaming and ethical hacking in the technology sector, especially in cybersecurity.”

Adam Woodley, Head of Curriculum at Connell Cope College, agrees, noting that many young individuals view careers in the digital sector as a “very popular option.”

“Students have acquired highly sought-after skills through hobbies such as gaming, and they naturally desire to apply these skills in exciting career paths,” he states.

“Thus, it is crucial that they have the chance to explore the stimulating realm of ethical hacking and cybersecurity and utilize those skills to benefit society.”

Rob Elsey, Chief Digital Information Officer at Co-op, concurs. “There are numerous unfilled positions in cybersecurity,” he points out. “The more we can transform the bright, skilled young individuals we have in the UK into defenders instead of attackers, and educate them about the available opportunities, the better. This will help us confront ongoing threats as a nation.”

Driving apprenticeships and internships

Fergus Hay, co-founder of The Hacking Games, emphasizes, “It takes a community to motivate, appreciate, and empower this generation to choose the right path.” The Hacking Games’ framework assesses young people’s digital aptitudes and skills against specific criteria to identify suitable careers for them in the tech industry.

The Hacking Games is actively working on creating formal pathways (apprenticeships and internships) to digital jobs within the government or private sectors in the future. Many experts believe this route is also accessible for neurodiverse youth. However, for both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals, gaming serves as a common training ground for hacking, remarks John Madelin, a cybersecurity veteran and Chief Product Officer at The Hacking Games.

“Many hackers I’ve encountered are gamers,” he states, adding that most young gamers do not harbor criminal intentions, “but the distinction is significant.” For many young gamers, hacking revolves around discovering new and hidden aspects of gameplay, while for some, it involves creating and selling cheat codes to other players.

Hacking Games’ assessment framework aligns a student’s aptitudes with appropriate technical jobs. Composite: Getty Images/Guardian Design

These advanced technological skills are precisely what criminal organizations seek to exploit, particularly among students less focused on academic achievement. However, Madeline asserts she can guide young hackers toward more positive paths. “It’s essential to continuously challenge and engage them,” he states. “Instead of allowing them to remain inactive, we should utilize their talents.”

The Co-op Academies Trust has already identified careers in the digital sector as crucial components of its post-primary career program. Mr. Sykes believes it is vital for all children to discern their strengths as early as possible. “Our duty as educators is to optimize outcomes in these areas.

“Individuals with strong digital skills often possess a natural inclination to think logically and solve problems creatively,” she adds.

“Blessed with a talent for technology and gaming.”

The collaboration between Co-op and The Hacking Games comes after Co-op became the target of a cyberattack earlier this year. Focused on creating social value, Co-op (an organization owned by its members rather than shareholders) sought to address the underlying causes of hacking.

“We recognize that children possess talents in technology and gaming, and that these skills can lead to hacking,” Sykes states. “Initiatives like this allow us to discuss the ramifications and legalities surrounding hacking and help students recognize the opportunities these skills can present through their ethical application.”

Potential roles in cybersecurity for major firms and organizations may involve identifying weaknesses that malicious hackers could exploit. There are also opportunities within government departments working against hacking attempts directed at critical national infrastructure.

This is one of the primary reasons The Hacking Games recently launched its HAPTAI platform. The platform aids in developing hacking aptitude profiles for young individuals by analyzing their performances in popular games and matching them with corresponding psychometric profiles. Subsequently, candidates are paired with roles and teams suited to their strengths.

Our collaboration with The Hacking Games aims to encourage children to actively harness their abilities. Composite: Getty Images/Guardian Design

Protection today, career path tomorrow

“Children can be particularly susceptible to online dangers, thus we ensure they are educated about these risks, including the legal boundaries surrounding online safety and hacking,” Sykes explains. “I believe all schools need to stay updated with current issues. This presents a real opportunity for professionals to enhance their understanding of the risks and communicate them effectively to parents.”

In the future, she envisions a national computer science curriculum that incorporates lessons on ethical hacking and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic), helping all students recognize the potential harm at all levels of the economy.

Until that vision is realized, the partnership between Co-op and The Hacking Games will persist. The Co-op Academy Walkden will be piloted in the upcoming months to raise awareness of the issue and identify talented young individuals who can contribute to the solution before scaling it into a nationwide program.

“There are vast career opportunities in the digital arena,” states Sykes. “This ultimately aids students in understanding all the positive pathways available to them and how they can significantly contribute to creating a safer world.”

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NOvA and T2K Experiments Reveal Unexpected Characteristics of Neutrinos

Posted on October 28, 2025 by

Both the NOvA (NuMI Off-Axis νe Emergence Experiment) and T2K experiments involve launching neutrinos from a particle accelerator and detecting them after they traverse extensive underground distances. The challenges are significant: out of trillions of particles, only a few leave a trace that can be detected. Advanced detectors and software are then employed to reconstruct these rare events, offering insights into how the “flavor” of neutrinos alters as they travel.

The world’s first neutrino observation inside a hydrogen bubble chamber, captured on November 13, 1970, in a 12-foot bubble chamber at a zero-gradient synchrotron. Here, an invisible neutrino collides with a proton, resulting in three particle tracks (bottom right). The neutrino changes into a muon, marked by a lengthy orbit extending up and to the left. The shorter track represents the proton, while the third track extending down and to the left is the pion formed by the collision. Image credit: Argonne National Laboratory.

Neutrinos are among the most prevalent particles in the universe.

With no charge and minimal mass, they are notoriously difficult to detect. Yet, this very elusiveness contributes to their scientific significance.

Understanding neutrinos may shed light on one of the greatest mysteries in cosmology: the reason the universe consists of matter.

Theoretically, the Big Bang should have resulted in equal parts matter and antimatter, which would have completely annihilated each other upon meeting, releasing energy in the process.

However, during the Big Bang, an imbalance occurred, producing a greater abundance of matter, which eventually led to the formation of stars, galaxies, and life as we know it.

Physicists theorize that neutrinos hold the key to this conundrum.

There are three types, or “flavors,” of neutrinos: electron, muon, and tau, which are different versions of the same fundamental particle.

They possess a unique ability to oscillate, changing from one flavor to another as they traverse space. Studying these oscillations and examining any differences between neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts could provide insights into why matter triumphed over antimatter in the nascent universe.

“Understanding these various identities could help scientists gain insight into neutrino masses and address significant questions regarding the universe’s evolution, including why matter became dominant over antimatter,” stated Dr. Zoya Valari, a physicist at Ohio State University.

“What makes neutrinos particularly intriguing is their ability to change their ‘taste.’”

“Consider this: you buy chocolate ice cream, stroll down the street, and suddenly it turns mint, only to change again with every step you take.”

To delve deeper into this shape-shifting behavior, the NOvA and T2K experiments partnered to direct neutrino particle beams over hundreds of kilometers.

NOvA projects a beam of neutrinos from a source at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago, traveling 500 miles to a 14,000-ton detector in Ash River, Minnesota.

On the other hand, Japan’s T2K sends a neutrino beam 295 km from the J-PARC accelerator in Tokai to the enormous Super-Kamiokande detector situated beneath Mt. Ikenoyama.

“While our objectives are aligned, the distinct experimental designs mean that synthesizing the data yields more comprehensive insights, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts,” Dr. Valari remarked.

This study builds upon earlier findings that noted minor yet significant variations in the masses of different types of neutrinos. Researchers sought deeper clues indicating that neutrinos might operate beyond the conventional laws of physics.

One such inquiry involves whether neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts exhibit different behaviors—a phenomenon referred to as charge parity violation.

“Our results indicate that additional data are needed to adequately address these fundamental questions,” Dr. Valari said.

“This underscores the importance of developing the next generation of experiments.”

Research indicates that employing two experiments with varying baselines and energies is more likely to yield answers than relying solely on a single experiment. Consequently, consolidating results from both experiments allowed scientists to explore these urgent physics questions from diverse perspectives.

“This research is extremely complex, involving hundreds of contributors in each collaborative effort,” said John Beacom, a professor at Ohio State University.

“Collaboration in science is typically competitive, but our work together here highlights the high stakes involved.”

For further details, see the new discovery published in the journal Nature.

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NOvA collaboration and T2K collaboration. 2025. Joint neutrino oscillation analysis using T2K and NOvA experiments. Nature 646, 818-824; doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09599-3

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Space Telescope Reveals an Unexpected New Perspective of NGC 4571

Posted on October 28, 2025 by

This image captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers a fresh and detailed view of the star-filled spiral galaxy NGC 4571.

This Hubble image highlights NGC 4571, a spiral galaxy located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Coma. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / F. Belfiore / J. Lee / PHANGS-HST team.

NGC 4571 is positioned 60 million light-years away in the constellation Taurus.

This galaxy was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on January 14, 1787.

Also referred to as IC 3588, LEDA 42100, and UGC 7788, NGC 4571 is classified as a spiral galaxy with low surface brightness.

It belongs to the Virgo Cluster, which comprises over 1,000 galaxies.

This cluster is part of the more extensive Virgo supercluster, which encompasses a local group that includes our very own Milky Way galaxy.

“NGC 4571 captivates with its feather-like spiral structure and vibrant star clusters,” remarked Hubble astronomers regarding this new image.

“The galaxy’s dusty spiral arms are sprinkled with bright pink nebulae that contain massive young stars.”

“The star-forming clouds in this image are heated to about 10,000 K due to intense ultraviolet light from young stars at their centers, although stars form in much cooler conditions.”

“Stars emerge from giant molecular clouds that can span tens to hundreds of light-years, with temperatures only slightly above absolute zero.”

“The remarkable change from a frigid gas cloud to a blazing young star is driven by the immense gravitational force that compacts the gas into dense clumps within star-forming clouds.”

“As these clumps yield to gravity and collapse inward, they eventually reach sufficient heat and density to initiate nuclear fusion at their cores and begin to shine.”

“The luminous clouds depicted in this image enclose particularly massive stars that are hot enough to ionize the gas within their stellar nurseries.”

In 2022, the Hubble team captured intricate images of NGC 4571 as part of an observational initiative incorporating data from major observatories, including Hubble, NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array.

“The newly released images today add data from a program aimed at understanding the impact of dust on observations of young stars obscured within their natal clouds,” the astronomers noted.

Source: www.sci.news

Unveiling the Ovary’s Secret Ecosystem: Its Unexpected Impact on Fertility

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Neural networks (white) and eggs (green) in a mouse ovary (left) and a fragment of a human ovary (right). Growing follicles containing eggs are depicted in magenta

Eliza Gaylord and Diana Laird, UCSF Laird Laboratory

A novel imaging technique has uncovered an unexplored ecosystem within the ovaries that could affect the aging process of human eggs. This breakthrough may pave the way for strategies to slow ovarian aging, maintain fertility, and enhance health after menopause.

Women are born with millions of immature eggs, with one maturing each month post-puberty. However, after the late 20s, fertility declines sharply, typically attributed to diminishing egg quantity and quality.

To gain insights into this decline, Eliza Gaylord and her team at the University of California, San Francisco, developed a 3D imaging method that visualizes eggs without the need for slicing the ovaries, a traditional technique.

These newly captured images revealed that eggs cluster in pockets, rather than being uniformly distributed, indicating that the ovarian environment may significantly influence egg aging and maturation.

By integrating this imaging with single-cell transcriptomics, which identifies cells by their gene expression, researchers examined over 100,000 cells from both mouse and human ovaries. Samples were taken from mice aged 2 to 12 months and four women aged 23, 30, 37, and 58.

Through this approach, the team identified 11 major cell types and uncovered some surprises. One unexpected finding was the presence of glial cells—typically associated with the brain—that nourish and repair nerve cells, alongside sympathetic nerve cells that manage the fight-or-flight response. In mice lacking sympathetic nerves, fewer eggs matured, suggesting these nerves may influence when eggs develop.

Moreover, the researchers observed that fibroblasts, crucial for structural support, decrease with age, potentially leading to inflammation and scarring in the ovaries of women in their 50s.

This research indicates that ovarian aging is influenced beyond just the eggs; it involves the surrounding ecosystem, as noted by Diana Laird, also affiliated with UCSF. Importantly, she highlights the similarities discovered between aging ovaries in mice and humans.

“These similarities provide a basis for using laboratory mice to model human ovarian aging,” states Laird. “With this roadmap, we can start to explore the mechanisms that dictate the pace of ovarian aging to devise treatments that might slow or reverse the process.”

One potential avenue is to adjust sympathetic nerve activity to slow egg loss, thereby extending the reproductive time frame and delaying menopause.

Whole eggs (green) and a subset of developing eggs (magenta) in the ovaries of 2-month-old (left) and 12-month-old (right) mice.

Eliza Gaylord and Diana Laird, UCSF Laird Laboratory

Theoretically, this approach not only preserves fertility but may also diminish the risk of common postmenopausal conditions, including heart disease. “While later menopause could increase the risk for some reproductive cancers, this pales in comparison to the 20-fold higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease post-menopause,” explaines Laird.

However, such interventions are likely still far in the future. Evelyn Telfer, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh—known for being the first to successfully culture human eggs outside the ovary—points out that the limited age range and samples from just four women restrict the applicability of the findings. “Though intriguing, this study’s results are too preliminary to support treatment strategies aimed at altering follicle utilization or slowing egg loss,” she notes.

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Research Suggests Future Ozone Changes May Lead to Unexpected Global Warming

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The prohibition of ozone-depleting substances like CFCs has facilitated the recovery of the ozone layer. However, when paired with rising air pollution levels, the heating effects of ozone are now expected to warm the planet by an additional 40% more than previously estimated.

Antarctica’s ozone hole in 2020. Image credit: ESA.

“CFCs and HCFCs are greenhouse gases contributing to global warming,” stated Professor Bill Collins of Reading University and his colleagues.

“Countries have banned these substances to protect the ozone layer, with hopes it will also mitigate climate change.”

“However, as the ozone layer continues to heal, the resulting warming could offset much of the climate benefits we expect from eliminating CFCs and HCFCs.”

“Efforts to reduce air pollution will limit ground-level ozone.”

“Still, the ozone layer will take decades to fully recover, irrespective of air quality policies, leading to unavoidable warming.”

“Safeguarding the ozone layer is vital for human health and skin cancer prevention.”

“It shields the Earth from harmful UV radiation that can affect humans, animals, and plants.”

“Yet, this study indicates that climate policies must be revised to consider the enhanced warming effects of ozone.”

The researchers utilized computer models to project atmospheric changes by the mid-century.

The models continued under a scenario of low pollution, where CFCs and HCFCs have been eliminated as per the Montreal Protocol (1987).

The results indicate that stopping the production of CFCs and HCFCs—primarily to defend the ozone layer—offers fewer climate advantages than previously thought.

Between 2015 and 2050, ozone is predicted to cause an excess warming of 0.27 watts per square meter (WM^-2).

This value denotes the additional energy trapped per square meter of the Earth’s surface—carbon dioxide (which contributes 1.75 WM^-2) will rank as the second-largest influence on future warming by 2050.

“Countries are making the right choice by continuing to ban CFCs and HCFCs that endanger the ozone layer globally,” stated Professor Collins.

“While this contributes to the restoration of the ozone layer, we’ve discovered that this recovery results in greater planetary warming than initially anticipated.”

“Ground-level ozone generated from vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and power plants also poses health risks and exacerbates global warming.”

The results were published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

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WJ Collins et al. 2025. Climate forcing due to future ozone changes: Intercomparison of metrics and methods. Atmos. Chemistry. Phys 25, 9031-9060; doi: 10.5194/ACP-25-9031-2025

Source: www.sci.news

The Unexpected Role of Land, Not Ice, in Accelerating Sea Level Rise

Posted on July 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The land on Earth is drying out quickly, contributing to sea level rise even more than melting glaciers, according to new research.

Researchers have discovered that water loss from soil, lakes, and underground aquifers accelerates the rise in sea levels. This trend of drying is spreading at an alarming rate.

Areas around the globe that are drying are merging into vast interconnected regions known as “megadry” zones. One such area now spans from the southwest coast of the US to Mexico.

Previously, dryness in certain regions was balanced by wetness in others. However, dry areas are now expanding at a faster pace than wet areas, covering an expanse that grows annually by an area twice the size of California.

At present, 101 countries are consistently losing freshwater, putting 75% of the world’s population (almost 6 billion people) at risk.

“In many locations where groundwater is being depleted, it will not be replenished within human timescales,” a recent study noted. Advances in science, “Safeguarding the global groundwater supply has become increasingly crucial in a warming world, especially in regions known to be drying.”

Utilizing satellite data gathered from 2002 to 2024, the research monitored water storage across Earth’s surface, in lakes, rivers, snow, soil, groundwater aquifers, and even plant life.

The findings indicate that human activities worsen the situation, while climate change also plays a significant role. As landscapes dry out, humans extract more water from sources such as underground aquifers.

These water reserves are not replenished at the same pace, which leads to an accelerated growth of dry areas and their eventual connection.

For instance, the study identified declining groundwater levels in California’s Central Valley and the Colorado River Basin, resulting in these arid regions merging with similar areas in Central America to create a massive dry zone.

Dryness is also encroaching upon previously wet regions like Canada and Russia. – Credit: Getty Images

“In certain areas such as California, the continuous overextraction of groundwater is threatening water and food security in ways that are not fully acknowledged globally,” the study asserts.

Moreover, they emphasize the urgent need for crucial decisions at both national and international levels to “preserve this vital resource for future generations.”

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Have You Discovered an Unexpected Solution to the Environmental Impact of Air Travel?

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Will it take flight? This question is increasingly raised by those mindful of the environment. Boarding a plane might seem like the only realistic choice, especially during hard times or when loved ones live far away.

We can certainly engage in some air travel as part of a sustainable future, but we must first dispel certain misconceptions and clearly outline feasible ways to lessen our global warming footprint.

The most common myth is that sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) can resolve our issues. This label is misleading, as SAFs often don’t live up to their name.

Here’s why: there are three primary categories of SAF. The first type is derived from waste, particularly used cooking oil. However, this only accounts for about 2-3% of global flights. The second type consists of synthetic SAFs produced from raw materials like captured carbon dioxide, using renewable energy. The efficiency of these processes is quite low (at least 2 kilowatt-hours of energy are needed to generate 1 kWh of fuel), which is a misguided use of limited renewable resources. The third type is made from crops, which puts immense pressure on farmland and the food system, posing major challenges. In reality, sustainable aviation fuel is not the revolutionary solution many hope for.

Another hopeful concept I often encounter is the idea that electrification or hydrogen fuel could decarbonize aviation. However, electrification is practical only for short-haul flights; battery weight makes it unfeasible for long distances. Hydrogen poses its own challenges due to its bulky storage requirements, even when compressed to 700 times atmospheric pressure.

On a brighter note, there are significant opportunities that haven’t garnered enough attention.

Potential solutions for greener aviation have been overlooked until recently. The high, wispy trails produced by aircraft exhaust – which account for over 60% of the climate impact of flights – carry even more weight when considering their short-term influence over the next two decades.

These contrails reflect Earth’s heat back into the atmosphere and function somewhat like a blanket. However, their overall impact is complex. They can not only trap heat but also reflect sunlight on clear days, creating a cooling effect that mainly occurs during the day, particularly over dark surfaces like oceans. Unfortunately, the warming effect tends to dominate during warm nights over dark surfaces.

By making small adjustments to flight paths, we can manage contrail formation. Changing an aircraft’s altitude or trajectory in specific weather conditions can be beneficial. Deliberate modifications while flying over sunny waters could yield positive results. A slight alteration in flight routes—just 1.7%—could potentially reduce contrail warming impacts by almost 60%. Real-time modeling is essential for integrating this into flight planning, similar to current practices for avoiding storms and managing air traffic.

This presents a relatively cost-effective solution that requires industry leadership. Once contrail management becomes established, the role of SAF might shift significantly, allowing it to contribute to cleaner burning and mitigate the worst impacts of contrails on more challenging flights.

Does this imply we can ignore the climate ramifications of flying? Unfortunately, no. Yet, understanding these factors provides a legitimate reason for optimism.

Mike Berners-Lee is the author of True Climate: Why We Need It and How to Get It

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Quantum Computers Exhibit Unexpected Randomness—And That’s Beneficial!

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Quantum object shuffling is more complex than classic shuffling

Andriy Onofriyenko/Getty Images

Quantum computers are capable of generating randomness far more efficiently than previously anticipated. This remarkable discovery reveals the ongoing complexities at the intersection of quantum physics and computation.

Randomness is essential for numerous computational tasks. For instance, weather simulations require multiple iterations with randomly chosen slightly varied initial conditions. In the realm of quantum computing, researchers have demonstrated quantum advantage by arranging qubits randomly to yield outcomes that classical machines struggle to achieve.

Creating these random configurations effectively entails shuffling qubits and connecting them repeatedly, akin to shuffling a deck of cards. Initially, it was believed that adding more qubits to the system would extend the time required for shuffling, analogous to how larger decks of cards are harder to shuffle. With increased shuffling potentially compromising the delicate quantum states of qubits, the prospect of significant applications relying on randomness was thought to be limited to smaller quantum systems.

Recently, Thomas Schuster from the California Institute of Technology and his team found that generating these random sequences requires fewer shuffles than previously believed.

To illustrate this, Schuster and his colleagues conceptualized dividing the qubit ensemble into smaller segments, thereby mathematically demonstrating that each segment could independently produce a random sequence. They further established that these smaller qubit segments could be “joined” to create a well-shuffled version of the original collection of qubits in a manner that defies expectations.

“It’s quite astonishing because it indicates that classical random number generators don’t exhibit anything comparable,” states Schuster. For instance, in the case of card shuffling within a block, the top cards tend to remain near the top. This is not applicable in quantum systems, where quantum shuffles generate a random superposition of all possible arrangements.

“This is a significantly more intricate phenomenon compared to classical shuffling. The order of the top card is not preserved, as can be observed through classical methods where measuring the top card’s position post-shuffle yields a random output each time, devoid of any insights into the shuffling process itself. It’s genuinely a new and fundamentally quantum phenomenon.”

“We anticipated that this sort of random quantum behavior would be exceptionally challenging to achieve. Yet, the authors demonstrated that it can be realized with remarkable efficiency,” remarks Peter Craze from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Germany. “This discovery was quite unexpected.”

“Random quantum circuits hold numerous applications as elements of quantum algorithms and for showcasing what is termed quantum advantage,” notes Ashley Montanaro from the University of Bristol, UK. “The authors have already identified various applications in quantum information and hope that additional applications will emerge.” While researchers can facilitate experiments demonstrating a type of quantum advantage they have previously conducted, Montanaro cautions that this does not imply we are closer to reaping the practical benefits of such advantages.

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Unexpected “Harmless” Microorganisms May Significantly Influence Colorectal Cancer

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Methanobrevibacter shows that a microorganism named smithii is linked to colorectal cancer

Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Alamy

Ancient mysterious microorganisms, distinct from bacteria and viruses, are believed to have a role in colorectal cancer, challenging the notion that these microorganisms are harmless.

Life can be categorized into three domains: the first consists of single-celled bacteria, the second includes eukaryotes—multicellular organisms such as animals and plants equipped with complex cells housing nuclei and DNA.

The third domain is Archaea, comprising single-celled organisms previously mistaken for bacteria due to their lack of nuclei. Recent findings reveal that they possess some traits similar to eukaryotes, suggesting that the first eukaryotes might have originated from archaeal cells that incorporated free-living bacteria.

Our intestines harbor trillions of bacteria and viruses linked to various conditions, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, alongside archaea, though the latter is often overlooked.

“Most researchers studying the human microbiome tend to overlook archaea, disregarding their potential significance,” notes Roxy Mohammadzadeh from Glaz Medical College in Austria. However, several archaea have been associated with colorectal cancer, Parkinson’s disease, infections related to gum disease, and urinary tract infections.

In pursuit of a clearer understanding, Mohammazzade and her team analyzed data from 19 clinical studies involving more than 1800 individuals.

They observed that while the link between archaea and several medical conditions is prevalent, it varies. Particularly, Methanobrevibacter smithii was notably present in individuals with colorectal cancer. This microbe significantly aids digestion by converting bacterial fermentation byproducts like hydrogen and carbon dioxide into methane.

Utilizing microbial culturing techniques, the team found M. smithii interacting with bacteria such as Bacteroides fragilis, E. coli, and Fusobacterium nucleatum.

These bacterial species have been linked to colorectal cancer; particularly, the association with F. nucleatum appears to be significant given its relationship with cancer. When M. smithii coexists with F. nucleatum, the latter produces higher amounts of succinate, a critical metabolic signaling molecule recognized for enhancing tumor invasiveness and spread potential noted in cancer studies.

“This represents the first mechanical evidence linking archaea to human diseases, particularly colorectal cancer,” states Mohamatzade.

This research reinforces earlier findings connecting M. smithii to colorectal cancer, asserting the need for further exploration to uncover the mechanisms at play and why this microorganism is prevalent in colorectal cancer patients, according to Gianmarco Piccinno from Trent University, Italy. He emphasizes that most available evidence is correlational and calls for additional studies.

“While Archaea is acknowledged as part of the human microbiota, its direct involvement in diseases remains poorly understood,” points out Sunny Wong from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Recent studies have also established connections between archaea and colorectal cancer. “Though they exist in fewer numbers than bacteria in the intestine, they are metabolically active, often consuming hydrogen, producing methane, and interacting with the host.”

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Alters: The Most Unexpected Parenting Game I’ve Played

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

oI often feel unprepared for parenting. During that wonderful time when they could enjoy games and vampire movies, they hadn’t yet turned into rebellious teenagers. As a new parent, I often felt superfluous and ineffective. I’ve found myself reminiscing about those days, and that’s alright. Nobody excels at everything. I can read texts upside down and backward, yet I consistently misplace my house keys. I’m fantastic at dancing to The Cure’s “The Lovecats” in Dance Stage Megamix, but I struggle with DIY projects.

Don’t get me wrong: my love for my child is immense. I enjoy social outings with them, as they’re both humorous and intelligent, but they’re always aware that I’m their dad.

Seizing the opportunity when they were away one weekend, I dedicated some uninterrupted father-son time to immerse myself in a new game without distractions. The game has changed my perspective.

I was captivated by the premise. You’re stranded on a planet and must clone different versions of yourself to build a base and survive. It’s incredibly clever. What’s even better is that you clone yourself by reflecting on your own life choices, selecting pivotal moments that shaped you into Jan Dorsky.

For instance, if you opt for studies instead of working in the mines like your father, you become January, the ace researcher. If you choose to work on an oil rig, you create Yang, the worker responsible for loading equipment. And should you decide to spend your days wordsmithing, you become a Yang Reiter. (Sadly, there isn’t a Yang Writer option. That clearly shows my struggle for survival.)

Choose from the fork paths of your life…change. Photo: 11 bit

The gameplay is thoroughly engaging, blending exploration, resource management, and problem-solving with philosophical musings about decision-making. It prompts you to consider how alternate choices might have changed your own life.

It’s somewhat unsettling and I wouldn’t recommend losing yourself in it. Focus on the game’s narrative, not your own.

The challenge escalates with each clone you alter; maintaining their health, hunger, and happiness proves daunting. Despite my best efforts—fresh food, captivating movies, or even intentionally losing at beer pong—my clones remained cranky. The Yang Miner was perpetually grumpy, while the Yang scientists fell into constant frustration.

Just when you feel you’ve managed your base well—setting up automatic production for essentials like radiation filters and assigning shifts to various clones—you realize the demands keep multiplying.

Can you guess where I’m going with this?

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Yand Doctor may be one of the most useful clones, but he is highly valuable. Photo: 11 bit

While Alterters is marketed as a sci-fi survival game, it feels more like a parenting simulation to me. Not exactly how I want to spend my leisure time. My failures in the game (and various aspects of life) feel like incessant screams from the flawed grass while resting for just five minutes. My neighbors might think my kids are still at home.

I’ve never felt so strongly that I was perhaps playing this game incorrectly. The script and narrative are striking, resembling an interactive version of Andy Weir’s “The Martian.” The philosophical themes, much like Camus’s, emphasize that true heroism lies not in grand achievements but in undertaking the ordinary challenges of life. The graphics, too, are stunning—akin to a futuristic rendition of “Howl’s Moving Castle.” The game raises profound questions about existence and what we ought to do within it, revealing the clones’ reactions to their new circumstances. Some admire you, while others despise you. Ultimately, we share collective memories ranging from whimsical childhood items to coping strategies for dealing with abusive parents.

The creative depth of this game is boundless, hinting at future novels and animated films filled with imagination and insight. If you’ve ever been childless and carefree in the 1990s, navigating interesting but demanding individuals (aka kids) may feel like a nostalgic but daunting game of life. While it was enjoyable as a board game as a kid, it becomes an arduous task when managing two squirming kids in the backseat. Perhaps “Alterters” is the ideal game for those contemplating parenthood. I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone of childbearing age try it out to gauge whether they are ready for real-life responsibilities, or if, like me, they discover parenting to be an incredibly challenging endeavor.

Scientists Uncover Mars’ Unexpected Shape and Its Mysterious Origins

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Mars may appear spherical, yet it is actually a triaxial ellipsoid. Unlike the other rocky planets in our solar system, which resemble rugby balls, Mars varies in size along all three axes.

This is most apparent in the notable bulge of the Tharsis rise region and the contrasting region known as Sirtis Major.

Astronomer Dr. Michael Efroysky of the US Navy Observatory recently proposed that this peculiar shape may be attributed to the absence of an ancient moon on Mars.

The moon, named Nerio after the Roman goddess of war, who was associated with Mars, influenced the shape of the planet through tidal forces, similar to the oceans here on Earth.

However, once Mars cooled down, its deformed shape became permanently fixed.

Mars is roughly half the size of Earth, with a diameter of 6,790km (4,219 miles) compared to Earth’s 12,750km (7,922 miles) – Credit: Mark Garlic via Getty/Science Photo Library

Nerio’s tidal stress weakened the elevated regions of Mars, facilitating the impact of geological processes such as internal convection, structural shifts, and volcanic activity, all of which contributed to Mars’ asymmetrical shape.

Researchers propose that, in synchronous orbit around Mars, Nerio—being less than a third of Earth’s mass—could easily have formed the planet’s initial triaxial shape. The equatorial bulge would have been even more pronounced if Nerio had existed during the planet’s magma ocean phase.

Currently, Mars lacks such a moon, having only the small moons Deimos and Phobos. At some point, Nerio was either destroyed by another large body or pulled away by gravitational forces.

This article answers the question posed by Otto Sykes in an email: “Why does Mars have such a strange shape?”

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

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Exploring Unexpected Connections: Hideo Kojima on Death Stranding 2

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

HIDEO KOJIMA – The celebrated video game director who established his own studio before heading the stealth action Metal Gear series for decades and founded Death’s Random, a supernatural apocalyptic streaming game touted as “2019’s most intriguing blockbuster,” remains a captivating figure, often evoking awe. “George [Miller] is my mentor, my deity,” he joyfully proclaims.

Kojima is in Australia for a sold-out discussion with Miller, the mastermind behind the Mad Max film franchise, at the Sydney Film Festival. The duo forged an unexpected yet profound friendship nearly a decade ago. As a youth, Kojima shares that the first two Mad Max films inspired his direction in film, ultimately steering him toward video game development. During later panels, Miller reciprocates the sentiment, affectionately calling Kojima “almost like a brother.” The Australian even lends his likeness to a significant character in Kojima’s latest title, Death Stranding 2.

Much of the new game world is influenced by Miller, representing a whimsical interpretation of Australia. Death Stranding focuses on delivering narratives between isolated bunkers, set against expansive, perilous yet opulent landscapes that resonate with Australia’s rich biodiversity. Though the game’s geography is fictionalized, its allure and trepidation are palpable.

A devoted friendship… George Miller and Hideo Kojima at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2025. Photo: Tim Levy/Sydney Film Festival

In addition to the atmospheric outback scenery, DS2 also features some of the most intricately detailed (and likely costly) portrayals of Australian wildlife seen in gaming. It was a poignantly moving moment for Australians in this distinctly urban environment to witness the unique bounding of kangaroos on the sunlit horizon.

“I adore animals, and they’re unique here,” says Kojima. “Many on the team share a love for animals… They might decline to design new mechs but passionately advocate for creating more animal representations.”

The film enthusiast Kojima also drops nods to Australian cinema – he admires the 1971 classic *Walkabout* and acknowledges the DS2 subtitle’s inspiration from beach scenes. He had visited before but aimed to delve deeper “into the heart of the land, reaching the desert.”

Unfortunately, the pandemic necessitated that Kojima’s team rely on remote scouts for data collection. “It’s unfortunate I couldn’t be there in person,” he reflects. “Viewing photos doesn’t compare to the reality of experiencing a place.”

The transition to remote work during the pandemic posed considerable challenges for the game. “The most daunting aspect was performance capture,” he recalls. “Directing actors like Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux from Japan was incredibly daunting. Communicating direction through a Zoom call was nearly impossible.” With restrictions in place early in the development, the team prioritized scenes not involving main actors, which wasn’t always feasible.

“That was extremely challenging, particularly for new cast members,” he states.

A uniquely poignant view… Scene from Death Stranding 2: At the Beach. Photo: Kojima Productions/Sony

By 2022, the situation had improved, allowing him to fly to LA for direct interactions. “People involved in remarkable films had undergone performance captures against a green screen,” he explains. (In many game adaptations, real-life performances are translated into digital formats through motion capture, which can be challenging for actors on set.) “There’s actually a tool; looking at the monitor, you can witness [in-game] a world manifested in real-time.”

Kojima emphasizes the importance of keeping actors closely connected whenever possible, especially given the separations caused by Covid. Some issues unique to gaming arose too. For instance, repetitive in-game actions, like characters grunting in pain or eating apples, required specific recordings. “Sometimes we receive queries from Norman, where he says, ‘Eat an apple, it’s good,’ or ‘What’s the apple like?'” He notes, “We aim for those variations!”

Kojima at the Sydney Film Festival Photo: Jessica Fromomas/Guardian

The central theme of Death Stranding revolves around “connection.” Although players can’t see each other in-game, they can share resources and construct structures that benefit all, forming intricate service networks that complicate long deliveries. Thus, the sequel’s tagline poses a haunting question: “Should we have connected?”

“During the pandemic, I felt unwell and entirely isolated,” Kojima shares. To exacerbate matters, recent optical muscle damage from surgery hindered his ability to enjoy films or television. The world evolved around him, with everyone retreating, working online, and connecting through video calls while deliveries continued to dominate. His game, his vision, began to materialize.

“Indeed, we all appeared connected, but it wasn’t the connection I envisioned,” he reflects. His company, Kojima Productions, had been staffed. He would meet new hires on the first day but would not see them again for three years due to pandemic protocols.

Recently, he discussed legacy (evidenced by a USB drive containing game concepts left for his team), hinting at his readiness to leave a part of himself behind. Kojima believes in the necessity of direct collaboration to nurture new talent. “New hires are often drawn to work with us because they want to learn from their mentors or improve by teaming with others,” he states, emphasizing that growth stems from communication and exposure to diverse ideas.

He likens remote work to “fast food,” focused narrowly on singular tasks rather than holistic project development. “When people are silent, interactions are stifled,” he explains. Mistakes are later identified, but opportunities for serendipitous creativity and fresh perspectives may be lost.

Moreover, he notes that it limits his ability to connect with team members and understand their feelings or interest in personal hobbies. “Only 1% of my true self is displayed during online meetings,” he asserts. “This isn’t team-building akin to sports. When you recruit someone, they join your team, but if you can’t physically collaborate, they don’t evolve in their play style. They remain unchanged,” he adds.

Nevertheless, he acknowledges, “You cannot compel people back to the office; you can only encourage them.” “As a result, not all have returned. Yet, core members did, facilitating collaboration.”

“I aimed to visit Australia”… Scene from Death Stranding 2: At the Beach.

Despite this somewhat melancholic tone, the message remains fundamentally optimistic. Death Stranding is a profoundly solitary experience, which Kojima animatedly conveys during a subsequent group presentation. “Yet… you discover other players worldwide. You connect indirectly… and when you venture out, [the game] invites you outside… Much like the Sydney Bridge, you can observe the construct of life. Someone created it! They might have passed away years ago, but you remain linked to them. Even without meeting others, you are not alone in this world.”

There’s always room for new ambitions. Kojima harbors a longstanding dream of venturing into outer space. It’s not merely a fleeting billionaire space hop; it’s more profound. “It’s not just about space,” he asserts. “I want to train effectively, dock and learn how to reach the International Space Station and remain there for several months. I’m no scientist, but I believe I could create games in space. I desire to be the first. I have an astronaut aged over 60. There’s no gravity to aggravate their back issues!” He chuckles at the thought.

As our conversation concludes, he pauses thoughtfully before sharing one last ambition. “It’s ‘Tom Cruise’ syndrome,” Kojima elaborates. “Tom Cruise finds his purpose when he takes risks with his life.”

Long-term Studies Show That Small Particles Continue to Display Unexpected Behavior

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Long-term conclusive results from US-based experiments have emerged. The latest release on Tuesday highlights a tiny particle behaving unexpectedly, which is still positive news for our understanding of Physics Laws.

“This experiment represents a remarkable achievement in precision,” noted Toba Holmes, an experimental physicist at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, who is not affiliated with the collaboration.

The enigmatic particles known as Muons are heavier than electrons. They exhibit a wobbling motion akin to a spinning top when subjected to a magnetic field, and scientists are scrutinizing this motion to determine its compliance with the well-established physics framework known as the standard model.

Findings from the 1960s and 1970s suggested everything was functioning as expected. However, investigations at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the late 1990s and early 2000s yielded unexpected results.

Decades later, an international coalition of scientists opted to revisit the experiment with enhanced accuracy. The team navigated Muons around magnetic, ring-shaped tracks akin to those used in the initial Brookhaven studies, and recorded the wobble signals at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago.

The outcomes from the initial two sets published in 2021 and 2023 appear to affirm the odd behavior of Muons, encouraging theoretical physicists to reconsider the standard model alongside new metrics.

Recently, the team finalized the experiment and published Muon wobble measurements that align with their earlier findings, utilizing more than double the data collected in 2023.

Nevertheless, this does not finalize the fundamental understanding of what underpins the universe. As Muons travel along their paths, other researchers have devised methods to better harmonize standard models with observed behaviors, leveraging the power of supercomputers.

Further investigation is essential as researchers collaborate, and upcoming experiments will encourage future studies that assess Muon wobble. Scientists are also examining the latest Muon data for insights into other mysterious entities like dark matter.

“This measurement will serve as a benchmark for years to follow,” remarked Marco Incagli from the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics.

In their pursuit of Muons, scientists aim to unravel fundamental questions that have long intrigued physicists, as noted by Peter Winter from the Argonne National Laboratory.

“Isn’t it something we all wish to understand—how the universe operates?” Winter questioned.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Warming Ocean: Uncovering Unexpected Benefits from Coral Reef Loss

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

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Satellite perspective of coral reefs in New Caledonia

ShutterStock/Best-Backgrounds

The decline of coral reefs might come with unexpected advantages. Research suggests that this deterioration allows the oceans to absorb up to 5% more carbon dioxide by 2100, which may decelerate the buildup of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

“If your primary concern is the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, this could be viewed as a beneficial effect,” states Lester Kwiatkowski from Sorbonne University in Paris, France. However, he cautions that the loss of coral also leads to diminished biodiversity, jeopardizes fisheries, and heightens the vulnerability of coastal regions to rising sea levels.

The extent of global warming is heavily influenced by atmospheric CO2 levels. To date, land and oceans have collectively absorbed around half of the surplus CO2 we’ve emitted. Thus, elements that affect these so-called land or marine carbon sinks can significantly influence future climate scenarios.

Corals are often believed to sequester CO2 from seawater while they develop their calcium carbonate structures. In reality, this process—known as calcification—actually releases CO2 as a net byproduct.

“Corals typically take in inorganic carbon from the ocean in forms like carbonate and bicarbonate ions, converting them into calcium carbonate, which results in CO2 being expelled back into seawater.”

This suggests that if the growth of coral reefs slows or halts, there will be a reduction in CO2 emissions from these reefs, thereby allowing the ocean to absorb more of this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere—a factor currently absent from climate models.

Current studies indicate that coral reef calcification has already declined due to rising ocean temperatures, leading to extensive coral bleaching. Additionally, increased CO2 levels have caused ocean acidification, which complicates the formation of carbonate structures and can even trigger dissolution.

Kwiatkowski and his research team have published estimates detailing how corals are susceptible to warming and ocean acidification. They utilized computer models to project how these changes could affect marine carbon sinks under various emission scenarios. Their findings indicate that by 2100, the ocean may sequester an additional 1-5% more carbon, which could escalate to up to 13% by 2300.

This prediction may be conservative, as Kwiatkowski notes it overlooks additional factors contributing to coral reef degradation, such as overfishing and the spread of coral diseases.

Conversely, the research assumes that corals lack the capacity to adapt or acclimate. Chris Ju judge from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who was not part of this study, remarks on this perspective.

“If we encounter the worst-case or medium-case outcomes outlined in this study, it portends significant destruction of coral reefs globally,” says Ju judge. “I believe the authors could arrive at different conclusions by considering potential adaptability in corals and other reef organisms under moderate levels of climate change.”

If Kwiatkowski’s team’s projections hold true, the amount of CO2 that leads to a certain degree of warming—the so-called carbon budget—may actually be larger than current estimates.

“Even if we’re facing dire outcomes, it’s critical to refine our understanding of the carbon budget to ensure its accuracy,” asserts Kwiatkowski.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldwmygyq3nm

Unexpected Image Uncovers New Insights into the Sun’s Atmosphere

Posted on May 29, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers have uncovered new phenomena occurring in the solar atmosphere, aided by remarkable new images of stars.

In a study conducted by Dark Schmidt and his team at the US National Solar Observatory, they utilized the California Good Solar Telescope to capture these images. By employing a technique known as adaptive optics, they minimized distortions caused by Earth’s atmosphere during solar observations, enabling them to examine the features of the corona, which is the outer atmosphere of stars.

“The level of detail is unprecedented; these are things that no one has ever observed before,” Schmidt states.

Plasma flows through the sun’s corona

Schmidt et al./njit/nso/aura/nsf

Newly revealed details include plasma flows within the corona and the plasma loops referred to as solar prominences.

The images also provide the clearest view of coronal rain observed to date, displaying plasma droplets about the size of cities falling toward the sun’s surface as they cool and become denser. “Gravity pulls them down toward the sun,” Schmidt explains.

The observations were conducted during the summers of 2023 and 2024. Researchers anticipate that some images will shed light on why the solar corona is significantly hotter than the solar surface—a difference of millions versus thousands of degrees, a perplexing enigma.

One theory involves the magnetic fields that interact and reconnect within the solar corona. “In numerous images and videos we present, you can observe intricately intertwined structures and chaotic movements at a minute scale,” notes Schmidt.

Some features captured in the images remain unexplained, such as a plasma filament splitting into multiple fragments. “Currently, we are missing a conclusive explanation,” Schmidt conveys. “This could indicate a novel phenomenon, and it’s thrilling to see how other scientists will further investigate this.”

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China’s Unexpected Surge in Regional Internet Censorship: A Research Overview

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Authorities in China seem to be rolling out a more stringent version of the internet censorship system in Henan province, imposing tighter controls over information access for its tens of millions of residents compared to others in the country.

A research paper published by the Great Firewall Report this month indicates that internet users in Henan—one of China’s most densely populated provinces—were blocked from accessing five times as many websites from November 2023 to March 2025 compared to the national average.

“Our findings highlight striking instances of censorship emerging in the region,” stated the researchers, including authors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Stanford University.

China has established the most advanced and extensive internet censorship system globally. Users are barred from accessing a majority of Western news sites and social media platforms, which includes popular services provided by Google, Wikipedia, and Meta.

Under the “Great Firewall,” online content is scrutinized and censored by a combination of governmental bodies and private companies that adhere to regulations requiring removal of content deemed “sensitive.” This often involves topics regarding historical or current events that conflict with the official narrative of the Chinese Communist Party.

Researchers began their investigation after residents in Henan reported that many sites accessible elsewhere in China were unavailable in their province. They discovered millions of domains not blocked by central firewalls at one point that were inaccessible to Henan users.

By acquiring a server from a cloud provider, the authors monitored internet traffic within Henan. They conducted daily tests on the top 1 million domains from November 2023 to March 2025, revealing a significant rise in blocks during 2024. The results indicated that Henan’s firewall obstructed around 4.2 million domains during the survey period—over five times the roughly 741,500 domains obstructed by regular Chinese censorship measures.

The domains specifically blocked in Henan predominantly came from business-related websites. Recent financial protests in the province have led researchers to theorize that increased information control might stem from concerns about their managed economy.

In 2022, thousands in Henan participated in protests after being denied access to their bank accounts. The situation escalated when demonstrators found their mobile health codes—essential for pandemic management—turned red, restricting their movement. Subsequent to this, five staff members faced penalties for misusing health regulations to quash the protests.

Other regions of China have also seen heightened internet restrictions. For example, after a deadly ethnic riot in July 2009, the government imposed a ten-month internet blackout in Xinjiang, a Uyghur minority region in Western China. Thereafter, internet usage in Xinjiang has been monitored much more rigorously than in other areas, with Tibet also facing strict online controls.

The rise of a regional censorship regime in Henan is notable as it is not typically identified as a hotspot for such measures by Chinese authorities.

Researchers have not been able to ascertain whether the intensified controls were imposed by the local Henan government or the central government in Beijing.

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The swift advancements in Chinese AI technologies have proven beneficial for both censorship enforcement and evasion efforts. Recently, China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced new monitoring tools enabling surveillance of users on virtual private networks (VPNs), designed to bypass internet restrictions. The MPS Institute has also introduced tools claiming to monitor accounts on Telegram, reportedly processing over 30 billion messages.

Minshu Wu, the lead author of “Henan Studies,” uses pseudonyms to safeguard their identity. Conversely, AI technologies can also be utilized to develop more sophisticated and adaptive censorship and monitoring tools.

The Henan Cyberspace Issues Committee has not responded to requests for comment.

Additional contributions by Lilian Yang

Researchers examined 8 million US speeches and uncovered unexpected patterns

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Research has revealed a significant decline in the use of evidence-based language in American political speeches since the 1970s.

Findings published in the journal Natural human behavior stemmed from an analysis of over 8 million speeches delivered in the US Congress over the last 140 years.

“We wanted to understand why some politicians who frequently lie are perceived as honest,” stated Dr. Segun Aroyehun, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Constance in Germany, as quoted in BBC Science Focus. “Often, it is because they speak about their beliefs and come across as genuine.”

Earlier research by Aroyehun and colleagues highlighted a shift in language usage among US Congress members towards belief-driven and intuitive language, departing from evidence-based language.

“There is a clear distinction between evidence-based truth and intuitive truth, where emotions play a crucial role,” Aroyehun explained.

To delve deeper, the team probed historical records to ascertain if this shift was a recent occurrence.

Utilizing machine learning models, the researchers combed through almost 150 years of Congress speeches, establishing a scoring system based on keywords signifying evidence-based or intuition-based language.

While evidence-based keywords comprised terms like “analysis”, “data”, “study results”, and “study”, intuition-based language included phrases such as “perspective”, “common sense”, “prediction”, and “believe”.

Both Republicans and Democrats have exhibited similar language changes in their political speeches over the past 140 years. – Getty

Each speech was assessed based on the evidence-intuition language ratio.

The results were striking. While the ratio fluctuated over the 140-year period, evidence-based language predominated until the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s before a shift took place. Since the 1970s, intuition-based language has gradually gained prominence.

Aroyehun noted that this trend applied to both Democratic and Republican politicians, with a recent uptick observed in evidence-based language among Democrats.

He underscored that the ratio does not determine the veracity of the speech content.

Nonetheless, these linguistic shifts have had repercussions. The team juxtaposed these changes with measures of legislative polarization and income inequality, observing a simultaneous decline in parliamentary productivity—measured by statute quantity and quality—over this period.

“The core message here is the significance of rhetoric,” Aroyehun emphasized. “The nature of truth pursuit reflected in US Congress language is integral to gauging social and political well-being.”

The team aims to employ similar methodologies to analyze speeches in Germany and Italy, tracking trends across diverse democracies.

About our experts

Segun Aroyehun is a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the Social Data Science Group at the University of Constance. He holds a PhD from Centro derestigación Computación, IPN, focusing on devising robust strategies to combat offensive content on social media. His research has been featured in publications like Natural human behavior and Natural Communication.

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Researchers Uncover Potential Strategies for Coping with Dementia, with Insights from Unexpected Group

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Can improving brain health be as simple as navigating your way through life? That’s the intriguing question posed in recent research published in the British Medical Journal, which found that being a taxi or ambulance driver may offer protection against dementia.

A study by Harvard researchers examined the working lives and causes of death of millions of Americans and discovered that taxi and ambulance drivers have the lowest incidence of Alzheimer’s disease-related deaths among about 400 different occupations.

The theory suggests that frequent navigation tasks could play a role in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease, which is a significant cause of mortality. In fact, between 2012 and 2021, more people died from dementia in the UK than from any other cause. According to Alzheimer’s Disease Research UK, 75,000 Britons succumbed to the disease in 2023 alone.

Navigating without GPS may help keep your brain sharp – Illustration Credit: Kyle Smart

As we live longer, the risk of dementia increases. The question arises: should we ditch the map app and rely on our natural navigation skills for a longer, healthier life? Previous research has shown that training to become a London taxi driver can actually alter the brain’s structure.

London cabbies, who undergo the rigorous “knowledge” test to master the city’s streets, show an enlargement of the hippocampus, the brain area responsible for spatial processing and navigation. This is significant because the hippocampus is one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

While Harvard’s research suggests that taxi and ambulance drivers have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, it also points out that they tend to have shorter lifespans. This raises questions about the longevity of individuals in these professions and their susceptibility to the disease.

Despite the potential benefits of navigation tasks for brain health, researchers indicate that the study’s findings need to be interpreted within the context of historical mortality data. The widespread use of GPS today could impact the results, as navigation skills may vary among different generations.

Experts like Professor Hugo Spiers of UCL believe that honing navigation skills, especially through outdoor activities, can contribute to overall brain health. Engaging in activities that challenge spatial thinking and physical activity, such as walking in nature, can have positive effects on brain function and may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

So, the next time you’re choosing a route, consider stepping outside and navigating your way to improved brain health. Who knows, it might just be the key to a healthier, sharper mind.

About our experts

Hugo Spiers is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at UCL, leading the taxi brain project at the university. His research has been featured in prestigious journals like Nature, Proceedings of the United States Academy of Sciences, and Public Library Science.

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Elon Musk to lead group in unexpected $100 billion bid for OpenAI

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Elon Musk stirred up a dispute between Openai and its CEO Sam Altman on Monday. The billionaire heads a group of investors that revealed they had put forth a $97.4 billion bid for “all assets” of the artificial intelligence company to Openai’s board of directors.

The startup behind ChatGpt is in the process of transitioning from its original non-commercial status. Openai also operates a for-profit subsidiary, and Musk’s unsolicited offer could complicate the company’s plans. Wall Street Journal first reported the proposed bid.

“If Sam Altman and the current Openai, Inc. board of directors are intending to fully focus on profit, it is crucial that the charity is adequately compensated for what its leadership is taking away from it. It’s about time,” stated Mark Toberov, a lawyer representing investors.

Altman quickly responded to Musk shortly after the news broke, stating, “Thank you, but I’ll buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if necessary.” Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and rebranded it. Musk’s reply to the post was “Swindler.”

Musk co-founded Openai but left the company in 2019 to start his own AI company called Xai. There have been ongoing disagreements between him and Altman over the company’s direction. He sued Openai over its restructuring plan, dropped the lawsuit, and then reignited the conflict.

The bid is backed by Xai and several investment firms, including those managed by Joe Lonsdale, who co-founded Stealth Government contractor Palantir. Ari Emanuel, CEO of entertainment company Endeavor, also joined the group through his investment fund.

“At X.ai, we adhere to the values that Openai has committed to uphold. Grok has fostered open source. We respect the rights of content creators,” Musk stated. “It’s time for Openai to return to its roots of open-source, safety-focused power. We will ensure that happens.”

Toberoff informed the Wall Street Journal that Musk’s consortium of investors is prepared to match or exceed the value of any other potential bids.

Openai argues that the restructuring is crucial for the company’s sustainability and access to capital. They claim that sticking with the non-profit structure alone will not keep up with the highly competitive world of AI innovation. Openai anticipates the restructuring to be completed by 2026.

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Musk is a close associate of Donald Trump, whereas Altman met with the president and attended the inauguration. Trump has identified Openai as part of a group of AI companies collaborating on a $500 million deal named Stargate to invest in cutting-edge technology. Musk’s Xai is not included in this agreement.

Unexpected connection between gut microbiota and quality sleep

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Foxys_forest_manufacture/Getty Images

A bad night's sleep can be caused by many things, including screen time, stress, and drinking too much alcohol. Now, there's another culprit. It's the microorganisms in your intestines.

This article is part of a special series exploring important questions about sleep. Click here for details.

It's long been known that our microbiome has a powerful influence on our health, but new research has revealed that this extends to our sleep as well. But it's a complex two-way relationship. “The microbiome influences your sleep, and sleep influences the microbiome,” he says. elizabeth holzhausen At the University of Colorado Boulder. The good news is that there are ways we can intervene.

At first glance, the connection between your stomach and sleep patterns may not be obvious, but a growing body of research is revealing how they influence each other. For example, a 2023 study of 720 people found that: Diversity of microorganisms in the gut It was associated with improved sleep quality. Similarly, researchers at King's College London (KCL) and other institutions, in collaboration with personalized nutrition company Zoe, surveyed nearly 1,000 people and found that irregular sleep patterns are associated with sleep disorders. It turned out. Increase in the number of “undesirable” bacterial species It is associated with poor health.

Furthermore, changes in the composition of the gut microbiome are associated with several sleep states. For example, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, in which sleepers physically act out their dreams during REM sleep, Decrease in intestinal bacteria It produces the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which causes an increase in bacteria that worsens inflammation.

Running Slows Down Time: The Unexpected Truth

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Have you ever noticed how time seems to slow down when you’re at the gym? The answer to this question is more complex than just regretting that early morning spin class. Our perception of time can be influenced by various factors, making it seem faster or slower than reality.

When time seems to slow down, it’s known as time delay. This can occur in situations of boredom, anxiety, or heightened alertness, all of which can be experienced during exercise.

It’s like watching a pot that never boils or staring at a stopwatch while running on the treadmill. The more you focus on the passage of time, the longer it may appear to drag on. A recent study conducted by researchers at Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK found that participants were 9% faster when measuring 30-second intervals on stationary bikes, suggesting that time felt slower to them than it actually was.

The researchers propose that physical activity enhances awareness of impulses and leads to a perception of time dilation. Essentially, the increased heart rate and physical changes during exercise may give the impression that time is moving slower than it really is.

A similar phenomenon occurs in high-anxiety situations, where time may also seem to elongate. For athletes like professional runners and cyclists, this understanding of time perception can be crucial in pacing themselves effectively.

The researchers suggest that further studies could help in designing more enjoyable exercise classes, although you might want to keep this information from your spin instructor.

This article is a response to Tania Matthews’ question: “Why does time move slower when I’m at the gym?”

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at: questions@sciencefocus.comor reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (remember to include your name and location).

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https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zUXapDkoLss?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Mouthwashing – Official Trailer | The Indie Horror Showcase 2023" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Review of Mouthwash: The Unexpected Challenge of 2024 | Game

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IIt's perhaps poetic that throughout this year, the PlayStation's 30th anniversary, developers have discovered such a rich vein of horror in the early 3D visuals. Crow Country, Fear the Spotlight, and Mousewashing all make frightening use of low-poly characters, grungy textures, and muted color palettes to create fear and abomination. And in this sci-fi odyssey from Wrong Organ, they're brilliantly used to symbolize perfection.

The settings for Mouthwash are simple and familiar. When a giant spaceship crashes in a remote part of the galaxy, its small crew slowly loses its sanity as they wait for rescue that never comes. Not helping matters is their cargo of millions of gallons of high-alcohol mouthwash, which is quickly abused by the desperate and deeply flawed castaways.

With the captain critically injured, you primarily take over the survival efforts as second-in-command Jimmy. But they soon discover that everyone, from paranoid doctor Anya to bullish mechanic Swansea, is hiding something. Everything on board is given a sinister edge, from creepy food processing equipment to giant LED displays that continually display images of romantic sunsets and fluffy clouds.

But what sounds like a tense thriller is actually a surreal exploration of social and spiritual decline. The characters hallucinate violently, and the story cuts from pre-crash to post-crash, switching between them in a dizzying chronological dance. The ship itself appears to be mutating in response to the paranoid delusions of its inhabitants. A bizarre vaporwave soundtrack roars and explodes in a cacophonous rush. The interplay between humans and technology collapse has elements of Event Horizon, Solaris, and High Life. The ship's U-boat-like corridors expand and contract like intestinal passages. The crew's mental illness is reflected in cracked screens and destroyed control panels. It's both scary and fascinating.

There are puzzles to solve and items to collect and combine, but nothing works and the game keeps playing and questioning your assumptions. Some players may be reminded of the cult hit Clickolding in that it asks questions about player responsibility and collusion. What to do with the only weapon on board, how to keep the captain's mouth open so you can give him painkillers, and more. When he groans and cries, the visuals are nostalgic, but the connection to what's happening on that ship is very real, very vivid. There are also serious messages about guilt, grief, and alcoholism, which can resonate deeply with those affected by these.

Mouthwash is a difficult but immersive experience, a surreal horror piece reminiscent of the films of David Lynch and Dario Argento, but it's also a very functional game, or at least what a game is. , and it also works very well as a study in what games want us to do. The fact that titles like this are still being produced and distributed globally is one of the few bright spots in a slow year for the gaming industry. Book your flight tickets as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

New images of Messier 83 captured by the Dark Energy Camera reveal unexpected discoveries

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The spiral arm of Messier 83, one of the most prominent spiral galaxies in the night sky, exhibits a high rate of star formation, with six supernovae observed, according to astronomers at NSF’s NOIRLab.

This DECam image shows the spiral galaxy Messier 83. Image credits: CTIO / NOIRLab / DOE / NSF / AURA / TA Chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage & NSF NOIRLab / D. de Martin, NSF NOIRLab / M. Zamani, NSF NOIRLab.

Messier 83 is located approximately 15 million light-years away in the southern constellation Hydra.

The galaxy, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, M83, NGC 5236, LEDA 48082, and UGCA 366, has a diameter of about 50,000 light-years, making it about twice smaller than the Milky Way.

With an apparent magnitude of 7.5, it is one of the brightest spiral galaxies in the night sky. May is the best month to observe with binoculars.

Messier 83 is oriented almost completely face-on from Earth, meaning astronomers can observe its spiral structure in great detail.

This galaxy is a prominent member of a group of galaxies known as the Centaurus A/M83 group, which also counts dusty NGC 5128 and irregular galaxy NGC 5253 as members.

It was discovered on February 23, 1752 by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille.

“Between 1750 and 1754, the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille studied the night sky with the purpose of determining distances to planets,” NOIRLab astronomers said.

“During this period, he observed and cataloged 10,000 stars and identified 42 nebular objects, including Messier 83, which he discovered during an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in 1752.”

“In 1781, Charles Messier added it to his famous catalog and described it as a ‘starless nebula’, reflecting the limited knowledge of galaxies at the time.”

“It wasn’t until the 20th century, thanks to the work of Edwin Hubble, that astronomers realized that objects like Messier 83 were actually in another galaxy far outside the Milky Way.”

New images of Messier 83 dark energy camera (DECam), mounted on NSF’s Victor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tororo Inter-American Observatory, a program of the NSF NOIRLab.

“This image shows Messier 83’s distinct spiral arms filled with clouds of pink hydrogen gas where new stars are forming,” the astronomers said.

“Interspersed between these pink regions are bright blue clusters of hot young stars whose ultraviolet radiation has blown away the surrounding gas.”

“At the center of the galaxy, a yellow central bulge is made up of old stars, and weak bars connect spiral arms through the center, funneling gas from the outer regions toward the center.”

“DECam’s high sensitivity captures Messier 83’s extended halo and the countless more distant galaxies in the background.”

“Just as Messier 83 is filled with millions of newly formed stars, this galaxy is also home to many dying stars,” they added.

“Over the past century, astronomers have witnessed a total of six stellar explosions called supernovae in Messier 83. Only two other galaxies can match this number.”

In 2006, astronomers discovered a mysterious feature at the center of Messier 83.

“At the center of this galaxy, we discovered a never-before-seen concentration of mass similar to a secondary nucleus, likely the remains of another galaxy being consumed by Messier 83 in an ongoing collision. , likely the same collision that caused the starburst activity,’ the researchers said.

“The two nuclei, which likely contain the black hole, are expected to coalesce into a single nucleus in another 60 million years.”

Source: www.sci.news

The unexpected weight loss caused by Canada’s gravity anomaly

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In certain areas of the world, such as Canada’s Hudson Bay, gravity is slightly lower than in other areas.

This is because an object with more mass has more gravity, and since Earth’s mass is not uniform, gravity varies from place to place. However, you need a very accurate scale to notice it. Hudson Bay’s gravity is about four thousandths of a percent lower than Earth’s average.

When scientists discovered this anomaly in the 1960s, they developed two theories to explain it. The first is that the Earth’s crust is still recovering from the last Ice Age.

About 20,000 years ago, the huge Laurentide ice sheet covered North America. The weight of the ice, which was more than 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) thick in places, pushed down on the continent’s crust.

When the Ice Age ended, the Laurentide melted rapidly, but the Earth’s crust slowly returned to normal. It rebounds by about 12 mm (0.5 inch) each year, meaning it will take another 300,000 years to return to its original position. This indentation left in the Earth’s crust means that Hudson Bay has slightly less mass and therefore slightly less gravity.

The second theory concerns the movement of the mantle beneath the Earth’s crust.

The mantle is made of molten rock heated by the Earth’s core. It rises over geological time scales and then sinks again as it cools. This creates convection currents that move the plates. Ocean currents can also pull continents downward, slightly reducing mass and gravity in the area.

Satellite measurements in 2002 revealed both theories to be correct. The Hudson Bay gravity anomaly is caused by a combination of mantle convection and the legacy of the Laurentide ice sheet. Therefore, even after the Earth’s crust has fully rebounded, gravity in this part of the world will remain slightly lower than average.

This article answers the question (asked by Victor Gregory via email): “Is it true that people in Canada weigh less?”
If you have any questions, please email us at: questions@sciencefocus.com or send us a message facebook, ×or Instagram Page (remember to include your name and location).

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Unexpected forms of gamma-ray emissions observed in tropical thunderstorms

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Thunderclouds include more than just rain and lightning. In addition to visible light radiation, thunderclouds can produce powerful bursts of gamma rays that last one millionth of a second. Clouds can also glow steadily with gamma rays for seconds to minutes at a time. Using a battery of detectors onboard NASA’s ER-2 research aircraft, scientists have discovered a new type of gamma-ray radiation whose duration is shorter than steady light but longer than microsecond bursts. They call it a flickering gamma ray flash.

NASA’s high-flying ER-2 plane is equipped with the Fly’s Eye Stationary Lightning Mapper Simulator, which records gamma rays (purple in the illustration) from thunderclouds, and instruments in this artist’s impression of the Airborne Lightning Observatory for the Ground Gamma Ray Flash (ALOFT) mission. is installed. Image credit: NASA/ALOFT team.

Previous studies have reported two types of gamma-ray emissions from thunderclouds. One is a high-intensity burst known as a terrestrial gamma-ray flash, and the other is a moderate-intensity, long-duration gamma-ray glow.

However, the characteristics of these emissions and how they are produced are not completely understood.

Researchers used data collected by the aircraft during 10 flights in July 2023 to investigate gamma-ray emissions that occurred during marine and coastal thunderstorms in the Caribbean and Central America.

“The ER-2 aircraft will be the ultimate platform for observing gamma rays from thunderclouds,” said Professor Nikolai Ostgaard of the University of Bergen.

“Flying at 20 km (12.4 miles) allows us to fly directly above the clouds, as close as possible to the gamma-ray source.”

“There’s a lot more going on in thunderstorms than we imagined,” added Professor Steve Comer of Duke University.

“At the end of the day, basically all large thunderstorms produce gamma rays in different forms throughout the day.”

“Several aircraft operations have attempted to determine whether these phenomena are common, but results have been mixed, and some operations over the United States have not found gamma rays at all.”

“This project was designed to answer these questions once and for all.”

Professor Ostgaard, Professor Comer and their colleagues. identified Another type of gamma-ray radiation, called flicker gamma-ray flashes, consists of pulses of longer duration than terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.

A total of 24 flickering gamma-ray flashes were observed as the spacecraft passed over gamma-ray thunderclouds on five of its 10 flights. Seventeen of these flickering gamma-ray flashes resulted in lightning.

The researchers suggested that flickering gamma-ray flashes, which can begin as the emission of gamma rays and then suddenly increase in intensity into a series of pulses, may also be involved in the formation of lightning. are.

Because flickering gamma-ray flashes share similar characteristics with gamma-ray glows and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, they propose that flickering gamma-ray flashes could provide evidence of a link between the two phenomena.

In another study, Dr. Martino Marisardi from the University of Bergen and colleagues investigated Characteristics of gamma ray glow detected by aircraft.

These included thundercloud systems covering an area of more than 9,000 km.² Luminescence was observed for at least 3 hours.

They found that the emission was general and not uniform across the emission region.

During nine of the 10 flights, more than 500 individual gamma-ray glows were observed across the study area, each lasting between 1 and 10 seconds.

These findings contradict the results of previous studies that reported that the gamma-ray glow can last up to several hundred seconds and is emitted uniformly over a range of up to 20 km.

Taken together, these findings improve our understanding of gamma-ray emissions from thunderclouds and suggest a causal relationship between glows and flashes and the possible role of these emissions in the subsequent development of lightning.

“These two new forms of gamma rays are what I find most interesting,” Professor Comer said.

“They don’t seem to be related to the occurrence of lightning. They somehow appear naturally.”

“There are hints in the data that they may actually be related to the process that causes lightning, but it’s still a mystery to scientists.”

The results are published in two papers: journal nature.

_____

N. Ostgard others. 2024. Gamma ray flashing, the missing link between gamma rays and TGF. nature 634, 53-56; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07893-0

M. Marisardi others. 2024. Highly dynamic gamma-ray emissions are common in tropical thunderclouds. nature 634, 57-60; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07936-6

Source: www.sci.news

The Unexpected Winners of the 2024 Ig Nobel Prizes: Uncovering the Surprising Science of the Year

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The 34th Ig Nobel Prize was awarded today for 10 unexpected things – all so surprising that, in keeping with the Prize's long tradition, it makes people laugh and makes them think.

of Award Ceremony The event took place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the lecture hall was filled with paper airplanes thrown by audience members honoring the Ig Nobel tradition of bringing in pieces of paper to be transformed into disposable aircraft.

Peaceful Dove

This year's Ig Award winners cover a wide range of subjects, including humans, plants and other behaviours, including some birds.

Before deciding to use live pigeons to guide the flight path of a missile, you might want to conduct an experiment to see if it's feasible to house a pigeon at the nose of a missile. Such an experiment was conducted in the 1940s by psychologist B.F. Skinner, who was posthumously awarded this year's Ig Nobel Peace Prize.

Skinner's daughter Julie attended the ceremony and accepted the award on his behalf. B.F. Skinner was a giant in the field of behaviorism. A few years after his experiment with putting pigeons on missiles, he Written“Something happened in the short time frame of the Pigeon project that took a long time to be understood. The practical challenges before us have led to new ways of thinking about organismic behavior.”

A botanical sense of style

A similar rethinking of attitudes could come from the work of Jacob White and Felipe Yamashita, two 2024 Ig Nobel Prize laureates in Botany. They found evidence that some real plants mimic the shapes of their artificial plastic neighbors. For more information, see their study,Bochyra trifoliata Mimicking the leaves of an artificial plastic host plant“

Marjolaine Willems and her colleagues won the anatomy prize for investigating whether the hair of most people in the Northern Hemisphere curls in the same direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) as the hair of most people in the Southern Hemisphere.

For details, see their paper “Genetic determinism and hemispheric influence in hair formation“

The wind blows

Countless metaphors and phrases are associated with the work that earned Takebe Takanori and his colleagues the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Found Many mammals can breathe through their anus.

The tenacity of the Probability Prize winners František Bartos, Erik Jan Wagenmakers, Aleksandra Sarafoglu and Henrik Godman, along with around 50 colleagues, many of them students, has paid off. ShowedWe know, both in theory and from 350,757 experiments, that when you flip a coin, it tends to land on the same side as you started with.

Painful placebo

Lieven Schenk, Tahmin Fadai and Christian Büchel won the medicine prize for demonstrating that a placebo that causes painful side effects can be more effective than a placebo that does not cause painful side effects.

(Their study It reminds me of the prize-winning paper by Dan Ariely and his colleagues, but doesn't explicitly cite it. 2008 Medicine Award They demonstrated that expensive counterfeit medicines are more effective than cheaper counterfeit medicines.

Jimmy Liao won the Physics Prize for demonstrating and describing the swimming ability of dead trout. series of paper He writes about his discovery of this unexpected aspect of fluid mechanics.

Drunken Bug

Earthworms can stay drunk and can become drunk when they consume alcohol. Tess Heremans, Antoine Debray, Daniel Bon and Sander Woutersen method Chromatography is used to separate drunk and non-drunk bugs.

The research award for demography (the statistical study of population) went to Saul Justin Newman for his research exploring whether demographers notice important details: Newman found that many of the people famous for having lived the longest lived in places where birth and death records were poorly kept.

Newman wrote two papers on the subject, each with a title that succinctly explained how his conclusions leaped.The oldest old and the oldest old are concentrated in areas without birth certificates and where life expectancy is shortThe other one is “Records of super-longevity and noteworthy ages show patterns that suggest clerical errors and pension fraud“

This year's gathering of Ig laureates ended with a flourish: Fordyce Ely and William E. Petersen were posthumously awarded the biology prize. experiment That's just what they did in the 1940s: They exploded a paper bag next to a cat standing on a cow's back to see when and how the cow would spill milk.

Eli's daughter Jane and grandson Matt were also in attendance to accept the award and watch demonstrations including a toy cat, a man in a cow costume and five Nobel Prize winners making an exploding paper bag.

Marc Abrahams is the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founder of the journal Annals of Improbable Research. He previously worked on unusual uses of computers. His website is Impossible.

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Simple (and unexpected) hacks for getting better sleep during warm nights

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Struggling to catch some shut-eye with temperatures soaring in your bedroom? As climate change intensifies and heatwaves become more common, researchers have observed that nighttime temperatures are rising at a faster rate compared to daytime temperatures.

This trend of climate change is affecting sleep quality, making it increasingly difficult to get a good night’s rest. Studies show that people lose an average of 44 hours of sleep due to heat every year, and this is not limited to specific regions. A recent global study revealed that higher temperatures are linked to shorter sleep durations across 68 countries, with individuals experiencing shortened sleep times with warmer temperatures.

The study involved 47,000 adults who used wrist-worn sleep trackers to monitor their sleep patterns compared to both the average and their personal baseline. The results confirmed that as temperatures increased, sleep durations decreased.

“People are going to bed later and waking up earlier than usual,” said Dr. Kelton Miner, a data scientist at Columbia University and the lead author of the study. “This shift in sleep patterns increases the likelihood of experiencing shorter sleep durations compared to one’s individual baseline.”

Research projections indicate that by the end of the century, individuals could lose an average of two weeks of sleep annually due to temperature-related disturbances, equating to 50 to 58 hours of lost sleep. Compensating for this significant sleep deficit becomes challenging for many.

Addressing the issue, Miner suggested that while air conditioning provides relief, the widespread adoption of this technology would significantly impact global energy consumption. Alternatively, using fans can be a more energy-efficient cooling option, promoting heat loss through convection and evaporation.

Adhering to optimal sleep temperatures, enhancing indoor ventilation, and adopting cooling measures like cold showers can aid in combating the adverse effects of rising nighttime temperatures on sleep quality. As the battle against heat-induced sleep loss continues, exploring innovative solutions such as cooling mattress toppers can provide additional relief.

About our experts

Dr. Kelton Miner: A data scientist at Columbia University specializing in climate and technological change research, encompassing studies like One Planet, Lancet, and Sleeping pills reviews.

Pneumatic tubes are making a surprising comeback for this unexpected reason

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Do you remember the days when pneumatic tubes were used for fast delivery of packages, mail, and important documents? Despite being touted as the future of delivery technology in shows like Futurama and Star Trek, pneumatic tubes started to disappear with the rise of the Internet, online purchasing, and improved communication methods.

Surprisingly, pneumatic tubes are now making a high-tech comeback, primarily in hospitals where they are used for quick, hygienic, and safe transportation of samples and sensitive information within large buildings.

How did the pneumatic tube come about?

The idea of pneumatic tubes initially included plans for a mass transit system where people would travel through tubes at high speeds using jets of air. While this idea didn’t fully materialize, some unique uses of pneumatic tubes included sending messages across tables in a Berlin bar and transporting various items like money, parts, and even fish in different industries.

Why are they returning?

Even though pneumatic tubes fell out of use in many areas, hospitals have continued to utilize them for efficient internal transfers. The modern version of pneumatic tube systems is highly automated, allowing for quick deliveries of samples and medicines within hospital premises.

Aside from hospitals, pneumatic tubes have found applications in waste disposal systems, such as the one on Roosevelt Island in New York, where these tubes whisk away trash at high speeds, eliminating the need for trucks and crews for garbage collection.

Overall, the pneumatic tubing market is expected to grow in the coming years, with valuations increasing and projects being built worldwide in various industries like dairy farms, cannabis dispensaries, and more.

It’s fascinating to see how technology that originated in the 1850s is making a comeback in the modern world.

Your Brain May Have Mutated in Unexpected Ways

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Fragments of mitochondrial DNA can be added to the cell's main genome

wir0man/Getty Images

Mutations in which DNA from energy-producing mitochondria is mistakenly added to a cell's main genome were thought to be extremely rare. Now, studies of brain tissue show that such mutations occur in all of us, and their numbers may be a factor in ageing.

“Not only are they present, but they are abundant in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with cognitive abilities.” Ryan Mills At the University of Michigan.

In human cells, almost all of the DNA (about 6 billion letters) resides in the nucleus, but the energy-producing organelles called mitochondria have their own tiny genome of about 16,600 letters.

That's because mitochondria were once free-living bacteria with their own large genome. In the roughly 2 billion years since those bacteria formed a symbiotic relationship with our distant ancestors, most of the original bacterial genome has been lost or transferred to the main genome in the nucleus.

This evidence of transfer has led biologists to know for a long time that fragments of mitochondrial DNA could somehow find their way into the nucleus and then be added to the main genome. But this kind of mutation was thought to be very rare, Mills says. Over the past few years, work by his team and others has shown that this isn't as uncommon as we thought. At least in cancer cells.

Mills and his colleagues showed that these types of mutations also occur in non-cancerous cells by sequencing the DNA of brain tissue samples taken from 1,200 people during post-mortem examinations.

Although another team took the samples and sequenced them, Mills and his colleagues looked for mutations that add mitochondrial DNA to the nuclear genome. “We were just curious,” Mills says.

Not only did they find such mutations, but they also found that they were more prevalent in people who, on average, died younger.

It's not clear whether these mutations are just a symptom of aging or a cause of it, Mills says. “The jury is still out,” he says. “But if you take the entire mitochondrial sequence and put it somewhere in the genome, it's hard for me to believe that it wouldn't have an effect.”

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Unexpected wall designs that can help lower building temperatures

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Building design can affect temperature

Alistair Scott/Getty Images

A wall with a zigzag pattern can stay up to 3°C (5.4°F) cooler than a normal wall, without using any energy. This approach reduces the energy used by cooling systems and helps to curb global warming.

“Such designs can lead to cooler buildings,” says Qilong Cheng of Columbia University in New York, “and therefore reduce the energy consumption for cooling.”

As global temperatures rise and more people can afford air conditioners, their use is skyrocketing. Greenhouse gas emissions from cooling could increase more than threefold by 2050. As a result, many teams are working to develop passive cooling solutions that don't require any energy.

For example, simply painting roofs white can help keep buildings and cities cooler by allowing them to reflect more sunlight.

This method works even better if the roof is coated with a material that reflects most of the sunlight but emits infrared light within the transparency of the atmosphere — a range of wavelengths that aren't absorbed by atmospheric molecules such as carbon dioxide.

“Infrared light in this band can pass through the atmosphere and potentially reach space,” Chen said.

Materials with these properties have a great cooling effect on an upward-facing roof, but are less effective on walls. The problem is that materials that emit infrared light tend to absorb it, and surfaces close to walls, such as concrete pavements, can emit large amounts of infrared light.

The solution proposed by Chen and his team is to create a wall that has a series of projections that run parallel to the ground, forming a zigzag shape when viewed from the side. To visualize this, think of a staircase sloping upward at angles between 45 and 90 degrees.

The key is that the upward-facing zigzag surfaces (the treads in the staircase analogy) are atmospheric transparency windows that radiate large amounts of heat, while the downward-facing, outward-facing zigzag surfaces (the risers) reflect infrared heat rather than absorbing it.

To test the idea, the team built a 1-metre-tall model with both a zigzag and flat surface.When they placed it outside in New Jersey during the summer, the zigzag surface was 2°C cooler than the flat surface over a 24-hour average, and 3°C cooler between 1pm and 2pm.

Chen says there are plenty of inexpensive materials with the necessary properties. Existing buildings could be retrofitted by adding corrugated panels. The cooling effect inside a building varies depending on other factors, such as the size of the building's windows, but simulations suggest it could reduce temperatures by up to 2°C and cut the energy needed for cooling by up to a quarter.

The zigzag cooling wall is only suitable for hot climates, as colder regions would need more heating in winter. But Chen and his colleagues say They proposed a design with hinged “fins.” It can be raised in the winter to increase heat absorption and lowered in the summer to minimize heat absorption.

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California is facing an unexpected energy challenge due to excessive solar power use

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Solar panels have become a common sight in suburban neighborhoods in California. However, the state’s ambitious clean energy vision has led to a unique challenge – sometimes producing more solar energy than it can use effectively, resulting in wastage of clean energy.

This excess of solar energy has resulted in a phenomenon known as the “duck curve,” where solar generation surpasses demand. This issue is most pronounced on sunny spring days when demand for electricity is low.

The surplus energy is often exported to other parts of the Western U.S. due to California’s grid connectivity, but in some cases, it may need to be curtailed. Independent System Operator data shows that California has lost a significant amount of renewable energy this year, primarily solar power.

To address this challenge, proposals have been made to increase electricity supply through additional transmission lines and more battery installations to store excess power. However, recent changes in financial incentives for homeowners installing solar power have negatively impacted the rooftop solar industry in California.

Despite the setbacks, Governor Gavin Newsom remains optimistic about California’s clean energy progress, pointing out the state’s significant solar power generation and increasing battery installations. Critics of the incentive changes argue that it could lead to higher energy costs for non-solar customers and hinder the state’s transition to renewable energy.

As California navigates these challenges on its path to achieving 100% clean energy by 2045, the state’s decisions are closely watched by other states considering similar transitions. The rooftop solar industry plays a crucial role in this transition, as highlighted by industry experts.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The unexpected impact of weight loss drugs on your mental wellbeing and cognitive function

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

ADDICTIVE STOCK CREATIVES/Alamy; AdoBe Stock

Kathy Schwartz had been sober for 10 years, but battling cravings was a daily struggle. “They were always in my head,” she said. But last June, the cravings subsided.

After being prescribed the weight-loss drug semaglutide, she not only lost nearly 30 kilos over 10 months, but also eliminated her desire for drinks or pills. “The cravings went away, and I didn’t realize that was a side effect,” Schwartz says. Amazingly, the depression and anxiety that had previously hit her in waves also subsided.

Schwartz isn’t the only one to have had this experience: New research is showing that semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as other diabetes and weight-loss drugs that mimic gut hormones released after eating, can have surprising benefits for brain and mental health.

Though it’s still early days, evidence suggests that these drugs could potentially be repurposed to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and even certain eating disorders, as well as neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. What’s more, these benefits appear to be mediated not simply through weight loss, but through a direct effect on the brain.

The history of drugs like Ozempic dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, when researchers discovered them. A gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 has been discovered. When GLP-1 was injected into rodents in the lab, it was able to stimulate insulin secretion. Even more amazingly, these animals started to eat less and lose weight. We now know that this hormone leads to an increased feeling of fullness.

Semaglutide, etc.

Today, there are drugs that mimic…