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
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson expressed gratitude to a benefactor who supported his legal defense as he exited a London courtroom this week, following a judge’s ruling that acquitted him of terrorism charges.
“Mr. Elon Musk, I cannot thank you enough. Without your financial aid during my legal battle, I might have faced imprisonment,” Robinson remarked. “Thank you, Elon.”
Following Musk’s tumultuous departure from the White House, Tesla’s CEO suggested he was stepping away from politics. Investors keen for him to concentrate on his business were pleased, resulting in a rise in Tesla’s stock price. However, since then, Musk has shown no signs of abandoning his political pursuits; instead, he has immersed himself deeper into election matters and far-right views on immigration.
Musk’s political activities post-Trump administration have seen him leverage social media to sway the New York mayoral race and develop a right-wing, AI-generated alternative to Wikipedia. He remarked that the “homeless industrial complex” was detrimental to California and stated that “white pride” should be acknowledged. On X, he warned that Britain might plunge into civil war and that Western civilization faced collapse.
On the day Robinson conveyed his thanks, Musk made allegations on social media about “illegals” voting fraudulently in the U.S., amplified objections to video games labeled as “woke,” and characterized established news outlets as left-leaning propaganda.
The world’s wealthiest individual’s political inclinations are adversely affecting his business. A recent Yale University report indicated that his controversial remarks and engagement in far-right politics resulted in a loss of approximately 1 million Tesla car sales between his 2022 Twitter acquisition and April of this year. While consumer loyalty for Tesla remains high, recent data shows a decline, with Musk’s “Government Efficiency Division” dismantling agencies by 2025 and predicting around 14 million deaths globally.
Musk’s personal approval ratings also hit an all-time low this year, according to several surveys. As reported by an August Gallup poll, he ranks five points behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces war crimes charges, and a separate Quinnipiac Poll showed that only about 20% of American women view Musk favorably.
Despite social and economic repercussions from his political stance, Musk’s public backing of far-right ideologies continues unabated. In his typical defiant manner, he has become increasingly vocal about his affiliations, indicating that labels such as “racist” or “extremist” no longer concern him. Tesla shareholders have also shown support; on Thursday, they overwhelmingly approved his proposed $1 trillion compensation, marking the largest in the company’s history.
Shielded from substantial financial fallout and navigating a self-created online echo chamber, Musk has aligned himself with the global far-right, despite a diminishing role within the Trump administration.
Supporting the International Far Right
Musk has maintained cordial relations with several of the globe’s prominent far-right figures. This year, he appeared at a rally for Germany’s anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany. Following Trump’s alleged fascist salute after his inauguration, Musk’s speech, which suggested that Germany should move beyond its historical sins, attracted criticism from Jewish leaders.
Recently, Musk has engaged with the pro-natalist political movement, connecting with far-right activists and influencers on X. Robinson, a long-standing anti-Islam figure with a history of legal troubles, has notably gained his attention.
“It’s time for the British to unite with strong figures like Tommy Robinson and fight for our survival, or we will all perish,” Musk proclaimed on X in response to a video showing a stabbing. “If we fail to alter the trajectory of illegal immigration, similar violence will occur throughout England,” he added.
In September, Musk participated in Robinson’s London rally via livestream, advocating for the disbanding of the British government and claiming that immigration was leading to “Britain’s destruction.”
“Violence will confront you regardless of your choice. Resist or face annihilation,” Musk told the attendees. His comments were later condemned by Downing Street, which cautioned that they risked inciting violence.
Overall, Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 benefited the UK far-right, enabling those previously expelled for violating hate speech policies to return. Musk reinstated accounts from notorious neo-Nazi groups, as well as Robinson’s account, which had been banned for advocating the mass deportation of Muslim refugees.
Musk has emerged as a leading advocate for Britain’s fringe political group, Restore Britain, praising its leader Rupert Lowe. This group recently published a 113-page policy outlining plans for the large-scale deportation of illegal immigrants, proposing the use of military aircraft to transport thousands to Rwanda, irrespective of their origin.
Musk’s growing interference in British politics has attracted criticism from not only the country’s Labour government but also from anti-hate organizations and other politicians.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated on Thursday: “Elon Musk is intentionally using his platform to contaminate our politics and divide our nation. It’s high time our government acknowledges the threat he poses.”
Creating a Right-Wing Bubble Online
While active in global politics, Musk is also committed to building online avenues that promote his conservative ideology. His concerns about artificial intelligence becoming overly “politically correct” and its outputs being “woke” have led him to engage in numerous speculative discussions.
“If universal diversity mandates exist, straight white men would not survive. Consequently, you and I could be terminated by AI,” Musk remarked on Joe Rogan’s podcast last week, referencing the infamous “paperclip dilemma.” This theory postulates that if AI’s sole purpose was to create paperclips, it could annihilate humanity in the process.
Musk’s response to the AI coordination issue has been through his artificial intelligence venture, xAI. This has occupied much of his focus since he exited government, with aims to develop products that align more closely with his views. Theoretically, he envisions creating right-wing versions of popular platforms and products. However, these initiatives have often floundered. His efforts to construct a more conservative AI framework resulted in recent mishaps, including xAI’s Grok chatbot propagating conspiracy theories about “white genocide” and self-identifying as “Mecha-Hitler.”
In addition to communicating with his online allies, Musk has utilized social media to target nonprofits and political adversaries.
Last month, Musk was pivotal in a campaign against the Anti-Defamation League, the foremost Jewish advocacy organization in the U.S. The group faced scrutiny from the right due to an article linking extremist ties to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA. Musk alleged that the ADL “hates Christians,” promotes violence, and amplified posts from right-wing figures criticizing the organization. This campaign led the ADL to retract its entire extremism glossary, which had been recognized as the most exhaustive resource on extremist organizations and movements.
Ahead of the New York mayoral race, Musk again leveraged his platform, using paid promotions to amplify posts denouncing Democratic candidate Zoran Mamdani and inundating users with his tweets. On election day, he shared a series of tweets that misrepresented the electoral process and hinted at a voting conspiracy.
As part of Musk’s efforts to establish an alternative informational ecosystem, xAI recently launched a Wikipedia alternative titled Grokipedia, which Musk proclaimed as superior and impartial. Researchers found that it contained substantial misinformation about notable individuals and events, replicated some entries directly from Wikipedia, and emphasized right-wing perspectives on slavery, immigration, and transgender rights.
For instance, Wikipedia describes Britain First as a “neo-fascist party,” while Grokipedia refers to it as a “patriotic party.”
Killer whales execute skilled hunting techniques to bring juvenile great white sharks to the water’s surface.
Marco Villegas
Killer whales in the Gulf of California have adopted a sophisticated hunting method to target juvenile great white sharks: they turn them upside down to immobilize them. This finding implies there may be a previously unnoticed pod of orcas in the area that specialize in hunting sharks.
Only a limited number of killer whale populations are documented to consume sharks, and even fewer have been observed preying on great white sharks (carcharodon carcharius). Historically, killer whales (Orcinus orca) off the coast of San Francisco have been linked to a recorded incident involving a great white shark in 1997, and a carcass recovered near Australia revealed signs of an orca attack, documented in 2023. Until recently, only one instance of a killer whale preying on a young great white shark had been noted, and that was in South Africa.
Jesus Eric Higuera-Rivas, an independent marine biologist from Mexico, along with colleagues, captured video footage of killer whales hunting juvenile great white sharks on two occasions in the Gulf of California. The initial footage, taken in August 2020, depicted five female killer whales collaboratively pushing a juvenile great white to the surface. “The killer whale was attempting to ram the great white and flip it over,” Higuera-Rivas remarked.
This tactic induced a temporary state of paralysis in the shark, known as tonic immobility. The orcas also managed to consume the energy-rich liver of the shark, sharing it among themselves. Shortly thereafter, the pod repeated their attack on another young great white shark. In August 2022, another group of five killer whales exhibited the same hunting strategy against juvenile great whites in the identical location.
Some of the killer whales involved in the first incident were identified as those previously seen hunting whale sharks and bull sharks. However, the video from the second incident was insufficiently clear to confirm if those were the same orcas. “But it’s highly probable,” says Higuera-Rivas.
The hunting behaviors of killer whale populations differ significantly based on their habitat. “Orcas are like hunting machines, akin to snipers. They employ specific strategies tailored to their prey,” Higuera-Rivas explains. These observations indicate that the killer whales in question may be part of an unrecognized group of shark hunters.
“This provides another example of a distinct feeding strategy, likely not shared by other orca groups globally,” states Andrew Trites from the University of British Columbia, Canada. However, further research is necessary for conclusive evidence, as these killer whales might descend from Pacific Northwest populations that hunt different shark species.
Killer whales have increasingly been preying on dolphins in recent years. A recent report shows that now, new research indicates they have also devised a gruesome hunting strategy to target the livers of young great white sharks.
Hunting the world’s most formidable fish is no small feat, but the pod of killer whales in the Gulf of California has learned how to do it. They work together to flip the shark upside down, immobilizing it, and then extract its energy-rich liver for sharing.
Additionally, they have been captured on video executing this behavior.
Is this brutal behavior typical of killer whales? Yes, Professor Callum Roberts, a marine biologist at the University of Exeter not associated with the study, stated to BBC Science Focus.
“Orcas may be the most intelligent marine creatures, based on their innovative methods for hunting. Historically, killer whales targeted whales caught by industrial whalers and consumed their tongues.”
While killer whales have been observed preying on adult great white sharks in the past, these recent findings provide the first evidence of their strategic hunting techniques against them.
During their observations, the research team noted the pod killing not one, but two great white sharks in August 2020, and another pod consuming a third in 2022.
By pushing the shark to the surface and inverting it, the killer whales induce a state of tonic immobility in the shark due to the abrupt change in environment. In this vulnerable state, they can take what they want from the shark while leaving the rest behind.
Young sharks lack the experience to escape when a group is approaching. Researchers suggest that this implies killer whales may be hunting great whites more frequently than previously thought, as per findings in Frontiers of Marine Science.
“I believe that killer whales that target elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are capable of finding great whites whenever they choose,” said the study’s lead author, Eric Higuera Rivas.
“This behavior showcases the killer whales’ intelligence, strategic mindset, and advanced social learning, with hunting techniques evolving and being shared across generations within their pods.”
Climate change may play a significant role in this behavior. The intensification of the El Niño phenomenon, which results from warming in the Pacific Ocean, is expanding the habitat of great white sharks into killer whale territories. These regions are populated with young, inexperienced sharks, making them easy targets.
Experts worry that this behavior could be detrimental for the shark population.
“What benefits killer whales might not bode well for sharks. Both species are endangered,” Roberts noted. “Let’s hope they don’t spread these hunting strategies too widely.”
About our experts
Callum Roberts serves as Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter and previously held the position of Chief Scientific Advisor for BBC One. He has authored several books, including the “Blue Planet II” series and Oceans of Life: How our oceans are changing (Penguin Books, £22) and Coral Reef Life (Profile Book, £12.99).
Certain killer whales have a preference for liver, particularly that of great white sharks.
A video captured by Mexican scientists demonstrates how an astute whale targets the apex predator’s fatty organs.
Researchers documented two killer whale hunts in the Gulf of California, one in 2020 and the other in 2022. The footage reveals a group of great white sharks flipping a young shark onto its back, disorienting it, before slicing open its side to extract its liver. The findings from this video study were published on Monday in Frontiers in Marine Science.
In one notable scene, all members of the shark clan feasted on the pink liver fat while the remainder of the shark’s body remained submerged in the ocean depths. A sea lion was seen lurking nearby, seemingly hoping to steal a meal, but orcas released bubbles to ward it off.
Marine biologist and documentarian Eric Higuera Rivas, who filmed the hunt from a nearby boat, initially did not grasp the significance of the footage until he began editing.
“On the monitor, we noticed the shark’s liver hanging out, already dislodged. Moments later, the shark emerged with the liver in its mouth,” recounted Higuera Rivas, a co-author of the study. “I was astonished to learn it was a great white shark. I could hardly believe it.”
Heather Bowlby, a researcher from Fisheries and Oceans Canada not involved in the study, noted that the footage serves as a strong reminder that even apex predators need to stay vigilant.
“We typically view great white sharks as the pinnacle of the food chain,” she stated. “It’s always beneficial to remind them that they can also be prey.”
Higuera Rivas and his team indicated that the hunt appeared to involve members of the same group of killer whales, which they have designated as Moctezuma pods. This pod regularly patrols the Baja California coast, primarily hunting elasmobranchs, including sharks and whales. Higuera Rivas has been monitoring these pods and recording their behaviors for over a decade, noting their adaptations based on the species they target.
Previously, evidence of killer whales preying on great white sharks was limited to South Africa, where they have been known to extract livers and wash the remains ashore.
Alison Towner, a marine biologist at Rhodes University specializing in the South African phenomenon, stated that while behaviors in Mexico and South Africa are similar, they are not identical; Mexican killer whales typically target younger sharks, whereas their South African counterparts focus on adults.
Towner indicated that individual killer whale pods likely learned their hunting strategies independently.
“Observing this behavior in Mexico implies that specific groups of killer whales have developed distinct methods for hunting sharks,” she mentioned via email. “Even though the same organs are the target, the manner in which they are approached varies from what we have documented in South Africa, indicating group-specific learning.”
A new study reveals that Mexican killer whales have discovered a vulnerability in great white sharks.
“When flipped over, a shark enters a state known as tonic immobility,” explained study co-author Francesca Pancaldi, a shark researcher at the National Institute of Marine Sciences. “They become immobilized, akin to a catatonic state. They simply freeze.”
The liver, a nutrient-rich and fatty organ, comprises about a quarter of a shark’s body, delivering “a substantial amount of energy,” he added.
Researchers from both South Africa and Mexico concurred that this hunting behavior is likely not new to killer whales. What has changed for scientists is the advancement of drone technology, which has enhanced the ability to observe and document these hunting events.
“I believe this has been occurring for centuries, but it’s challenging to witness such events,” Pancaldi remarked.
However, she also mentioned that climate changes may have heightened interactions between great white sharks and the octopus pods.
“In fact, we have noticed a growing presence of great white sharks in the Gulf of California over the past decade,” Pancaldi noted, explaining that the species is particularly sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures linked to weather patterns such as El Niño.
According to Towner, scientists in South Africa began observing attacks by killer whales on great white sharks nearly a decade ago. Such predatory behavior has caused great whites to abandon their usual feeding, resting, and breeding spots, referred to as assemblages.
“As a result of repeated predation, great whites have entirely vacated their traditional core gathering sites,” Towner explained. “Many sharks may have relocated offshore or to less monitored regions, which is reshaping coastal ecosystems.”
Following the exodus of the sharks, populations of Cape fur seals and sevengill sharks have surged, leading to conflicts with the primary prey species, such as small fish and smaller sharks, according to the report. This study was published in Frontiers in Marine Science earlier this year.
Mr. Towner noted that only two adult male killer whales, referred to as Port and Starboard, were responsible for the frequent attacks on great white sharks in South Africa. This predation puts pressure on great whites, which have slow growth and reproductive rates, and a similar situation could develop in Mexico if this behavior becomes more prevalent.
JJust days after Microsoft unveiled Halo: Campaign Evolved, the anticipated installment in the renowned sci-fi franchise “White House” I posted an intriguing photo on X. The image, which seemingly originated from AI, depicts President Donald Trump clad in the armor of Halo’s legendary hero Master Chief, saluting in front of an American flag that has several stars missing. In his left hand, he holds an energy sword, a weapon associated with Halo’s alien adversaries. This was shared in response to a tweet from U.S. gaming retailer GameStop, with accompanying text reading “Power to the Players,” referencing the store’s slogan.
GameStop and the White House exchanged a few more Halo memes, and on October 27, the official Department of Homeland Security X account got involved as well. They utilized visuals from Halo showcasing soldiers from a futuristic realm to encourage enlistment in the increasingly militarized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The accompanying message, “Stop the Flood,” suggests a troubling analogy between America’s immigrant community and the parasitic aliens that Master Chief battles.
When I sought an official comment on this post, White House Deputy Press Secretary Khush Desai stated in an email: “Another war has concluded on President Trump’s watch. There’s only one leader who is dedicated to empowering his players, and that leader is Donald J. Trump.” “That’s why he enjoys significant support from the American public and gamers alike.” (Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment.)
The White House has shared an image of Donald Trump as Master Chief from the game Halo. Photo: @WhiteHouse on X
Though this string of video game imagery may seem bizarre, Trump and his associates have been integrating gamer culture for almost a decade. Since his initial election, Trump has been appealing to gamers, a constituency that includes a significant segment of disenchanted youth. Media executive Steve Bannon joined the campaign in August 2016, acting as chief strategist and senior advisor, bringing extensive insight into video game culture and the online behavior of its most ardent enthusiasts.
Bannon had previously collaborated with the Hong Kong firm Internet Gaming Entertainment to secure funding. This firm paid low wages to Chinese laborers to collect gold in the multiplayer game World of Warcraft. According to Joshua Greene’s book on Bannon: (The Devil’s Deal: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Assault on the Presidency), Bannon recognized, “These rootless white men wield immense influence.” In 2014, Bannon observed GamerGate, a murky online force in the dark recesses of the web, consistently targeting women and other marginalized individuals in the gaming industry. He noted that the movement’s actions prompted tangible events such as sustained harassment and doxxing (the public release of personal data).
Upon joining the Trump campaign, Bannon utilized his grasp of gamer culture to propel Trump into new political realms. “You can mobilize that force. They are engaging via platforms like Gamergate and transitioning into politics and Trump,” Bannon informed Greene.
Their ranks were primed for meme warfare at a moment’s notice, and indeed, they were. Throughout the campaign, Trump’s meme battalion monitored and disseminated every move of then-candidate Hillary Clinton. They circulated fabricated health-related claims using the hashtag #HillaryHealth. Pro-Trump memes were frequently produced based on internet humor and niche pop culture references. It was perhaps owing to this brigade that Trump secured victory over Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Following his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Trump turned to his social media platform, Truth Social, where he persistently critiqued Biden and the Democratic Party throughout Biden’s four-year tenure. He continued to attract gamers and the online reactionary right until he regained the presidency. The second Trump administration remains reliant on the strategies and framework established by online agitators (or trolls), but this time, there is one crucial difference: Elon Musk.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s X post features Halo visuals as part of an ICE recruitment campaign. Photo: @DHSgov on X
The South African entrepreneur acquired Twitter in October 2022 and swiftly reinstated Trump’s banned account alongside many others. Musk, who frequently engages with gamer culture and shares memes on his platform, has further facilitated this trend.
Since President Trump assumed office in January, the White House and various federal agencies have begun disseminating memes. Last month, both the official Department of Homeland Security X account and the official White House TikTok account released a video of an ICE raid set to Pokémon theme music, interspersed with arcs from the animated series and clips of agents making arrests, accompanied by the slogan, “We’ve got to catch them all.” Following this,The Pokémon Company International informed the BBC that “permission was not granted to use our intellectual property.” Nonetheless, the video remains available as of this writing.
The video game industry has often remained silent about the reactionary politics and ideology that are prevalent in its community. For the millions of Americans engaged in gaming, who are disheartened by an administration that discourages pregnant individuals from taking Tylenol and promotes the narrative that immigrants are parasites while suggesting that the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement produces incompetent workers, it is deeply frustrating to witness these events. As the administration increasingly embraces video game iconography and internet memes, video game companies will inevitably find themselves, whether they like it or not, linked to the polarizing and reactionary politics of the right.
President George H.W. Bush (left) and environmental protection advisor Bill Riley
Netflix
white house effect Directed by Boni Cohen, Pedro Cos, and John Schenck, available on Netflix starting October 31st
The opening scene of white house effect transports viewers to the devastating Great Drought of 1988. The backdrop is a scorching summer in North America, presenting the USA with its worst drought since the Dust Bowl. Relief is nowhere in sight; the heat is relentless.
This climate crisis defined the presidential election that year, pitting Democrat Michael Dukakis against Republican George H.W. Bush, who triumphed with a landslide victory on a pledge for enhanced environmental protection.
“Some may argue these challenges are insurmountable,” President Bush remarked during a campaign stop in Michigan, addressing climate change. “My belief is clear: it is achievable, and we must act. These matters transcend ideology and politics.” Such a sentiment from a prominent Republican seems unimaginable today.
In 1988, the U.S. was a nation where addressing environmental issues garnered votes, and where the connection between fossil fuels and climate change was discussed with a mix of urgency and skepticism.
Predominantly narrated through archival footage, white house effect serves as a window into a hopeful future that never came to fruition. It tells the tale of a populace ready to acknowledge climate change as a bipartisan issue, only to be steered away from that consensus.
The film centers on a struggle between two advisors to President Bush. In the blue corner, Bill Riley, former president of the World Wildlife Fund and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator starting in 1989. In the red corner stands John H. Sununu, the chief of staff known for his climate skepticism. These two figures will shape the environmental policies of the Bush administration and face off for years, with dire consequences for our planet.
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George H.W. Bush stated that climate change knows no political boundaries. “
With hindsight, one could easily predict the outcome. Yet, what’s intriguing about white house effect is that it refrains from presenting this as inevitable. It explores a gradual march towards a destiny. The archival footage is always engaging, often shifting timelines to reinforce the film’s message, keeping the audience aware and engaged despite the grim reality on display.
Consider the 1979 energy crisis, during which Exxon experienced a staggering 119% profit increase while countless drivers waited hours to refuel due to plummeting oil production. One driver at a gas station remarked that everyone should just return home and await the gas shortage. When asked why he wasn’t turning back, he responded: “I’m not going back because no one else is.”
This documentary features numerous climate scientists, but none resonate more than Steven Schneider, a pioneer advocating for climate action. His journey forms the film’s emotional core, from his Senate testimony in 1988 to his final interview before his passing in 2010.
“Looking back at our early efforts, many of our immediate goals fell short. But here we are, making gradual progress,” he reflects. “The problem of global warming has been recognized, and we’re pushing for a cultural shift—something that will take a generation.”
It’s heart-wrenching to ponder how Mr. Schneider would view the last 15 years of fruitless attempts and the current direction of America.
Viewing white house effect can feel suffocating. It stirs frustration, particularly for those, like me, born too late to witness these events firsthand. While the film is polemical, it serves a vital purpose—shaking us out of apathy and urging action, no matter the cost.
A significant figure was missing as Donald Trump hosted leaders from America’s largest tech firms in the stunning national dining room of the White House on Thursday evening. Once a close ally of Trump, Elon Musk was a frequent topic of discussion but did not attend.
The dinner featured notable attendees such as Mark Zuckerberg from Meta, Bill Gates from Microsoft, Tim Cook from Apple, and Sam Altman from OpenAI. Only a few months earlier, a mask had rested on Trump’s right hand during similar gatherings. Musk, CEO of Tesla, stated on his social media platform X that he was invited but couldn’t make it. He intended to send representatives while spending the day posting content attacking immigrants and trans people.
The White House declined to comment on Musk’s absence from the dinner.
Originally scheduled to take place in the newly renovated Rose Garden, the event was moved indoors due to predictions of thunderstorms. It commenced with praise from various tech leaders, followed by a brief question-and-answer session with reporters.
The absence of masks marks a noteworthy shift under Trump’s leadership, whether the decision was voluntary or not. I often joked post-election, “Elon won’t leave; I can’t get rid of him.” The empty seats underscore the growing divide between Trump and Musk since the latter distanced himself earlier this year. This separation has diminished Musk’s political influence, despite his heavy financial investments aimed at supporting Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign.
Musk’s absence also mirrors a previous White House event that was a pivotal moment in his political journey. In 2022, then-President Joe Biden did not invite Musk to the electric vehicle summit, drawing criticism from the Autoworkers Union over concerns. At that time, Musk had not publicly aligned himself with the Republican Party, and he expressed his discontent with Biden’s snub, vowing not to support him. This decision ultimately proved detrimental for Democrats.
This incident clearly resonated with Musk, who tends to hold grudges similar to Trump. Even on the day of the dinner, he expressed his frustration towards Biden rather than his current ally, retweeting a clip from 2023 where he addressed Biden’s snub, declaring, “I’m going to start a fight, but I’m going to finish them.”
In the following years, Musk grappled with political rights, transforming X into a hub for far-right influencers. With over 200 million followers, he frequently retweeted disinformation about Democrats, alleging that immigrants were conspiring to illegally influence elections worldwide. Musk also became one of Trump’s staunchest and wealthiest supporters, donating nearly $300 million to Trump’s re-election efforts and Republican initiatives.
Musk’s support for Trump placed him in a pivotal position following Trump’s rise to power, as the tech mogul spearheaded initiatives for “government efficiency” and significantly dismantled federal agencies. He became a common presence at political dinners and events. However, a year after the British government made incendiary anti-immigrant statements, Musk was not invited to a major technology summit.
Musk and Trump’s relationship deteriorated over differing policy views in May, particularly after Musk publicly opposed a significant bill signed by Trump. This led to accusations against Trump regarding his connections to the infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, causing Musk to largely disappear from prominent government events. Although Trump has praised Musk as a “genius,” he acknowledged on Wednesday night that Musk “has had some issues,” and the two have not been seen together since this fallout.
Despite Musk stepping back from the White House event, other tech leaders have filled the void. Earlier this month, Trump welcomed Apple CEO Tim Cook to the White House. Meanwhile, discussions among Trump’s aides about cutting government contracts with Musk, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, ultimately revealed that terminating these contracts could jeopardize too many essential projects.
Had Musk attended the dinner on Thursday, it would have created an uncomfortable dynamic, particularly given the presence of two companies he is currently opposing: Apple and OpenAI, led by his former collaborator and now rival, Altman. Like Trump, Musk has also publicly criticized Gates, particularly after the Microsoft founder’s alleged ties to Epstein, even accusing him of “killing children” through cuts to foreign aid.
Funding for a $20 million artificial intelligence lab aimed at enhancing weather forecasts has been halted by the Trump administration. This decision threatens both the pipeline of scientists and the nation’s capability to evaluate the effects of hurricanes and other weather-related disasters.
According to Amy McGovern, the director of the Institute for AI2ES (AI Institute for Heather and Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography), the National Science Foundation (NSF) informed the institute last month that it would not extend its five-year grant.
McGovern, who serves as a professor of meteorology and computer science at the University of Oklahoma, stated:
She emphasized that, without private funding, the institute may have to close its doors next year.
AI2ES collaborates with various universities to integrate AI into weather forecasting while evaluating its reliability.
This move to shut down AI2ES occurs as the Trump administration is heavily investing in AI and accelerating the establishment of data centers. The administration’s own AI plan advocates for the development of AI systems and programs aimed at fostering AI vocational training programs and specialized AI labs across various scientific fields.
In July, the administration unveiled an ambitious plan to achieve “global dominance” in artificial intelligence, emphasizing both innovation and its implementation—key areas of focus for AI2ES.
Alan Gerald, the former director of the National Intensive Storm Institute at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the cut as “dissonance” in light of this trend toward advancing technology.
The White House has not responded to requests for comments regarding this matter.
The institute was established in 2020 under the previous Trump administration as part of the NSF’s AI research labs, having received around $20 million in funding over the past five years. An NSF spokesperson, Michael England, stated that the agency holds the AI Institute’s groundbreaking work in high regard.
The National Science Foundation is fully committed to advancing artificial intelligence research through the National AI Research Institute Program, a pivotal aspect of the administration’s strategy to reinforce the US’s leadership in transformative AI.
NSF and its collaborating partners have provided funding for a network of 29 AI institutes. This year, AI2ES was one of five labs updated through the NSF, with three labs having received updates, while the status of the fourth remains pending, according to McGovern.
The Trump administration has proposed a 55% budget cut for the NSF; however, Congress has not yet ratified the budget. Senate and House appropriations have diverged from the Trump administration’s proposals, suggesting smaller cuts to scientific institutions like the NSF.
“We were an AI lab, so we believed we were secure, given our alignment with the president’s priorities,” McGovern noted.
The Trump administration’s AI plan aims for NSF and other organizations to expose K-12 students to AI careers, develop industry-driven training programs to generate AI jobs, and bolster workforce initiatives to enhance the nation’s AI talent pool.
“They desire a more robust AI-trained workforce. We were doing a significant amount of work,” McGovern emphasized.
She expressed concern that private AI firms are “poaching talent constantly,” as the institute funds around 70 positions each year at various universities, creating a talent pipeline. Among the institute’s achievements are over 130 academic publications and the development of AI tools used by the government today.
The center aided in the creation of AI tools that predict weather events potentially endangering sea turtles near Corpus Christi, Texas, making these animals susceptible to hazards onboard vessels.
Additionally, the institute developed an application enabling forecasters to “see” within hurricanes, even without a polar orbit satellite equipped with a microwave sensor capable of penetrating storm clouds. This application utilizes data from Earth-measuring satellites that cannot penetrate clouds and simulates the internal structure of a hurricane.
The center is also investigating how forecasters evaluate the reliability of AI tools developed by private companies, including Google.
“We have social scientists who engage with end-users to comprehend their trust in AI, their reservations, and what improvements are necessary,” remarked McGovern.
According to Gerald, if the center were to shut down, it wouldn’t adversely affect current weather forecasting but could limit innovation and place the nation at a disadvantage.
“Many other countries are heavily investing in AI-related weather research, like China. They risk falling behind many nations committed to enhancing weather forecasting,” Gerald concluded.
The White House launched its official TikTok account on Tuesday, even as Donald Trump continues to permit China-owned platforms to operate in the US, despite legislation necessitating their sale.
The caption on the popular video-sharing app was featured in a 27-second clip, marking the inaugural post on the “America is Back! What’s wrong with TikTok?” account.
Within an hour of the video’s release, the account gathered around 4,500 followers. Meanwhile, Trump’s personal TikTok account boasts 15.1 million followers, though his last post dates back to November 5, 2024, Election Day.
Trump has expressed a fondness for popular apps and believes their influence helped secure his support among younger voters during his victory over Democratic opponent Kamala Harris in the November 2024 presidential election.
According to White House spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt, “The Trump administration is dedicated to showcasing the historic achievements that President Trump has delivered to Americans through as many platforms and viewers as possible,” when announcing the account’s launch.
A federal law mandating a ban on TikTok’s sale on national security grounds is set to take effect on January 20, the day before Trump’s inauguration.
However, the 2024 election campaign heavily relies on social media, and the Republican president, who advocates for TikTok, has opted against the suspension.
TikTok remains immensely popular, with 170 million users in the US. The platform’s parent company revealed in April that discussions with the US government regarding potential solutions for the app were ongoing. The contract “is subject to approval under Chinese law.”
In mid-June, Trump extended TikTok’s deadline for an additional 90 days, allowing for the identification of non-Chinese buyers, or facing a ban in the US for a third time.
This extension is expected to expire in mid-September.
Trump initially proposed the idea of banning TikTok in 2020, voicing concerns that China-owned apps posed a national security threat. The issue quickly garnered bipartisan support, leading Congress to overwhelmingly pass a vote to ban the app last year. The original deadline for the TikTok ban was set for January 19.
After joining the platform during his presidential campaign last year, Trump reversed his position on TikTok, amassing nearly 15 million followers and even hosting TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago Estate in Florida, where Chew also attended Trump’s inauguration.
Trump has maintained his stance on the necessity of a ban or sale but pledged to support the platform after changing his viewpoint, believing it helped him gain traction with young voters during the November election.
While Trump’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) boasts 108.5 million followers, his preferred social media platform is the one he owns, Truth Social, where he has 10.6 million followers.
The official White House accounts on X and Instagram have 2.4 million and 9.3 million followers, respectively.
The White Dwarf represents the compact core that forms when stars exhaust their fuel and collapse. These remnants are the ashes of Earth-sized stars, typically about half the mass of the Sun, composed of carbon-oxygen cores surrounded by layers of helium and hydrogen. Utilizing far-ultraviolet data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have identified carbon in the atmosphere of the famously large white dwarf WD 0525+526. They also determined that the overall mass of hydrogen and helium in the star’s atmosphere was significantly lower than anticipated based on single-star evolution.
An illustration of a merger with a white dwarf sub-huge star (size without scale) that would have occurred in the past. Image credit: Snehalata Sahu/Warwick University.
WD 0525+526 is located approximately 130 light years away in the constellation Auriga.
With a mass exceeding that of our Sun by 20%, this white dwarf is classified as a super-genocide, and its formation process remains poorly understood.
Typically, such white dwarfs form from the collapse of massive stars. However, Hubble’s UV data indicates that WD 0525+526 has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere originating from its core.
“In optical light, WD 0525+526 appears to be a massive yet typical white dwarf,” remarked Sneharata Saff, an astronomer at the University of Warwick.
“However, the ultraviolet observations from Hubble allowed us to detect faint carbon signatures that optical telescopes could not observe.”
“The presence of a small amount of carbon in the atmosphere suggests that this massive white dwarf is likely the product of a merger between two stars.”
“We also believe that many similar merged remnants may pose as white dwarfs in a predominantly hydrogen atmosphere.”
“Only ultraviolet observations can reveal them to us.”
Typically, hydrogen and helium create dense, barrier-like layers around the white dwarf core, concealing carbon-rich elements.
In a stellar merger, the hydrogen and helium enveloping layers can burn away almost entirely as the stars combine.
The resulting single star possesses a very thin envelope that does not prevent carbon from surfacing, which is precisely what is observed in WD 0525+526.
“We found that the hydrogen and helium layers are around one billion times thinner than those typical of a white dwarf,” noted Antoine Bedard, an astronomer at Warwick University.
“We believe these layers were stripped away during the merger, allowing carbon to manifest on the surface.”
“However, this phenomenon is also unusual, as the carbon present is about 100,000 times less than that found on the surfaces of other merged remnants.”
“Coupled with the star’s elevated temperatures—nearly four times hotter than the Sun—the diminished carbon levels suggest that WD 0525+526 evolves at a much faster pace than previously observed.”
This discovery will aid in understanding the destiny of binary star systems, which are crucial for related phenomena such as supernova explosions.
Alongside the enigma, this significantly hotter star’s carbon migrates to the surface.
Other merged remnants later cool enough for convection to bring carbon to the surface; however, WD 0525+526 remains too hot for this process.
Instead, the author identified a subtle mixing process known as semiconvection, uniquely observed in this White Dwarf.
This mechanism permits small amounts of carbon to gradually ascend into the star’s hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
“Finding conclusive proof of individual white dwarf mergers is rare,” remarked Professor Boris Gensick from Warwick University.
“Yet, ultraviolet spectroscopy enables us to detect these signals early, while carbon remains invisible at optical wavelengths.”
“Because the Earth’s atmosphere filters out UV rays, such observations must be conducted from space—currently, only Hubble is capable of this.”
“As WD 0525+526 continues to evolve and cool, we anticipate more carbon will emerge at the surface over time.”
“For now, this ultraviolet illumination offers rare insights into the early aftermath of stellar mergers.
Survey results are published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.
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S. Saff et al. The remnants of Hot White Dwarfs revealed by ultraviolet detection of carbon. Nature Astronomy Published online on August 6th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02590-y
At 300 Ashland Place in downtown Brooklyn, The Plaza will feature attendees gathered around a large yellow shipping container adorned with a black triangle. I acknowledge that the Flying Goose Quilt pattern may have functioned as a covert signal for enslaved individuals seeking freedom along the Underground Railroad. This design and the containers create a connection between the historical and contemporary narratives of the African diaspora. Central to an artistic initiative by Brooklyn-based transmedia artist Stephanie Dinkins, a large screen showcases AI-generated imagery reflecting urban diversity.
Commissioned by the New York-based art nonprofit Moartia Art and developed in collaboration with architect Lot-EK and The AI Laboratory, the exhibit titled Otherwise, Who Will Do It? will be open until September 28th. It aims to confront the ideologies of white supremacy by emphasizing the resilience and cultural foundations of the Black community.
In an era where society increasingly relies on AI, Dinkins envisions a future where these models comprehend and reflect the histories, aspirations, and realities of Black and Brown communities, thereby providing a more accurate representation of U.S. demographics. She expresses belief that her initiatives will reshape the AI landscape, challenging the prevailing bias in data that fails to represent the global majority. Currently, Black individuals comprise merely 7.4% of the high-tech workforce. Studies indicate that a lack of diversity in AI can lead to biased outcomes, as seen with predictive policing tools affecting Black communities and tenant screening programs that discriminate against people of color.
“We can develop machines that offer deeper insights into our community. Our representations should not stem from outsiders, which often results in misinterpretation; instead, they should reflect our identities as human beings, not merely as consumers,” Dinkins stated. “I pose the question: ‘Can we establish a system rooted in care and generosity?'”
If we don’t step up, who will? The AI Research Institute is situated in downtown Brooklyn, New York City. Photo: Driely Carter
Inside the AI lab, one image features a young Black girl with an afro, her gaze piercingly directed at the audience, accentuating her artificiality. Surrounding the public art installation are QR codes linked to an app that allows users worldwide to respond to prompts, such as “What privilege do you hold in society?” This interactive element integrates with the container; shortly thereafter, a generated image reflecting the submitted information will appear on the large screen. This image—mainly portraying a person of color—continues until new data is provided, regardless of the submitter’s own identity.
Dinkins has programmed the AI-generated art to focus on Black and Brown perspectives. She adjusted various AI models that identify patterns through specific datasets. Collaborating with her team, they sourced images from the renowned Black photographer Roy DeCarava, who documented the lives of Black individuals in Harlem. They also incorporated African American English to shape models recognizing its distinct tonality, resulting in more authentic image generation based on user stories. Additionally, she included images of okra—a staple in dishes of enslaved Africans and their descendants—serving as symbols connecting the past to the present within the portraits.
“We exist within a technological framework that’s altering our reality. If we remain uninformed, we lose the ability to navigate it effectively,” Dinkins remarked. While she empathizes with the public’s urge to protect privacy in the age of AI, she emphasizes the necessity of spaces that clarify that certain information is not intended for exploitation.
Democratizing AI
Dinkins was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in AI for 2023. With no formal technology education, she identifies as a “tinkerer.” She portrays Bina Rothblatt, the founder of a for-profit initiative focused on extending human life, inspired by a YouTube video featuring Bina48, an AI robot, more than a decade ago.
Her ongoing project Conversations with Bina48 documents video interviews with this robotic entity, starting in 2014. Later, she developed her own AI system intended to serve as a memoir for a Black American family. Through her initiative, It’s Not the Only One, Dinkins created a voice-responsive device that engages with passersby while being trained to converse with Nie and her aunt.
Lewis Tude Sokey, an English professor at Boston University, suggests Dinkins’ work is a crucial step toward democratizing AI by bringing technology to marginalized voices in spaces traditionally devoid of their representation. “There exists a troubling precedent of algorithms producing racist and sexist content. They are often trained on data from the internet, rife with harmful stereotypes,” Tude Sokey, who specializes in technology and race, explained.
If we don’t, who will address these dynamics? The AI Research Institute is situated in downtown Brooklyn, New York City. Photo: Driely Carter
“What Stephanie aims to explore is the possibility of training different algorithms to respond to diverse datasets that liberate content and include socially marginalized perspectives,” Tude Sokey noted.
Dinkins and fellow artists are reshaping the AI narrative, as highlighted by Tude Sokey: “There’s a significant cultural, political, and social realignment occurring within AI.” Dinkins embraces a philosophy she refers to as Afro-Now Rhythm, which she interprets as a proactive approach toward building a more equitable world—a “celebration of the potential to see technology as a force we can harness rather than fear.”
For Beth Coleman, a professor at the University of Toronto specializing in technology and society, it is vital to train AI models using diverse datasets to ensure accurate representations of the world. Dinkins’ work questions which voices are integrated into the technological ecosystems, she emphasized.
“There exists a thriving energy around collaborative efforts to craft a better world together,” Coleman remarked regarding Dinkins’ initiatives. “At this juncture, it feels profoundly revolutionary.”
The identification of human footprints in White Sands, New Mexico, estimated to be between 21,000 and 23,000 years old, was a significant advancement in our comprehension of the earliest inhabitants of the Americas. However, this research faced scrutiny concerning the dependability of radiocarbon dating materials, such as common aquatic plant seeds Rupiah Silhosa and coniferous pollen grains. A recent study, spearheaded by University of Arizona researcher Vance Holiday, indicates that the ancient mud from Perelora ceotero, the third material utilized for dating the footprints, dates back to approximately 20,700 to 22,400 years ago.
Ancient human footprints found in White Sands National Park, New Mexico, USA. Image credit: Bennett et al. , doi: 10.1126/science.abg7586.
Historically, scientists believed that humans entered North America roughly 16,000 to 13,000 years ago.
However, the footprints found at White Sands indicate that human presence in the area dates back to between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago. This timeline offers insights into the development of culture in North America.
The remnants of 10,000-year-old prints, uncovered nearly a century ago at a site near Clovis, New Mexico, led to a classification of artifacts long considered to represent the earliest known cultures in North America.
Critics have challenged two prior studies over the last four years, asserting that ancient species and pollen in the soil used for dating the footprints are unreliable indicators.
“The record is consistently strong, and it’s challenging to explain it all,” Dr. Holiday stated.
“As I mention in my publication, it would be an extraordinary coincidence for all these dates to be inaccurate.”
Thousands of years prior, the white sands formed from a series of lakes that eventually dried up.
Wind erosion created layers of plaster on the sand dunes that now characterize the region.
The footprints were excavated from stream beds that once fed into this ancient lake.
“Wind erosion has erased part of the narrative, leaving that segment lost. The remainder is buried beneath the world’s largest accumulation of plaster sand,” Dr. Holiday remarked.
For their latest research, Dr. Holiday and his team returned to White Sands in 2022 and 2023, excavating new trenches to gain deeper insights into the lakebed’s geology.
“We’ve put in considerable effort to explore this area,” stated Jason Windingstad, a doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona.
“You essentially find yourself questioning everything taught about North American populations.”
The authors recognize that their research hasn’t addressed lingering questions posed by critics since 2021: Why are there no artifacts or settlements left by the individuals who made the footprints?
“This is a valid inquiry. Some footprints discovered during the 2021 survey belong to a trackway that was created in mere seconds,” they explained.
“It is entirely plausible that hunter-gatherers would act with caution to avoid leaving resources in such a brief timeframe.”
“These individuals were aware of their resources and were distanced from their replacements.”
“They wouldn’t abandon artifacts casually. It doesn’t make sense for you to be viewing a debris field.”
The team’s recent findings will be published in the journal Advances in Science.
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Vance T. Holliday et al. 2025. Perelorace Geochronology supports the last Glacier Max (LGM) age of human tracks in White Sands, New Mexico. Advances in Science 11 (25); doi:10.1126/sciadv.adv4951
Elon Musk and Donald Trump have officially exited the scene, in case you haven’t noticed.
This move is unexpected for some, particularly those who observe the fashion choices of the high-tech billionaire in the White House. Long before someone pushes “send” on those controversial tweets or engages with Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB), Musk’s political downfall was apparent through his choice of attire.
During his time in the White House, Musk ignored the conventional dress code expected of a president’s advisor, where suits and ties are the norm. Instead, he donned a dark MAGA baseball cap in the Oval Office and proclaimed at a rally in New York: His casual T-shirts featured slogans like “Oakrochee Mars,” “Tech Support,” and “Dogefather.” Campaign commentators noted his appearance, suggesting he seemed more connected to an alternative reality than to political events. His style felt reminiscent of the K-Hall aesthetics, which Musk frequently alludes to abandoning.
Musk and his Silicon Valley peers favor casual attire, favoring loose necklines over collared shirts, often opting for padded jackets, a stark contrast to the formality observed in the U.S. capital.
Yet, while Musk’s casual clothing signaled a shift in DC power dynamics, it also challenged various norms. “In the tech sector, confusion can be seen as a badge of honor,” states DC-based image consultant and style strategist Lauren Rothman. “However, in politics, the tolerance for chaos is limited. The White House has a long-standing tradition. We won’t be moving away from suits… they are a uniform.”
Deliberately distorted… Dominic Cummings, in 2019, opted for a back-clip instead of a tie and gilet. Photo: Holly Adams/Getty
In this fashion landscape, one can objectively dress poorly or inappropriately; take, for instance, Dominic Cummings. Boris Johnson’s former aide famously promoted Westminster’s 1983 Gothic horror classic “Woman in Black” while wearing a bizarre ensemble of a ripped gilet, beanie, Billabong T-shirt, and tote bag. He wasn’t merely a Tory supporter; he embodied Gothic horror.
According to Jonathan Friedland, a Guardian columnist and host of the Guardian Politics Weekly America Podcast, Cummings’ appearance at No. 10 is a testament to privilege: “He says, ‘You have to wear a uniform like a worker bee, but I’m important enough to the top guy to dress as I please.’
The same applies to Musk, whose casual wear starkly contrasts the typical suit expected in the Oval Office. As Rothman remarked, his rebellious uniform accentuates his unique status within the corridors of political power.
He was often labeled “Sloppy Steve” Bannon. On this side of the Atlantic, Friedland highlights Musk’s affinity for informal gatherings, drawing parallels to former David Cameron advisor Steve Hilton’s casual meetings.
This brings us back to the age-old question: Who gets to be sloppy? Friedland suggests Musk relished the opportunity to stand beside the president’s resolute desk, appearing as if prepared for a gamers’ competition. It served as a reminder of his substantial wealth and untraditional approach to politics.
Summer days… before I stepped away alongside Trump, Elon Musk in late May. Photo: Alison Robert/AFP
However, the shared fashion philosophies of Cummings and Musk reflect a common political journey. The careless aesthetics hint at their inevitable decline. Trump may speak of draining the swamp, yet his Brioni suit represents its very essence. Similarly, Johnson’s disheveled hair and casual attire resembled that of a rebellious rapper.
In the end, the disdain for flamboyance is palpable. Dressing unconventionally, even when privilege is not fully acknowledged, is a guaranteed way to incite backlash. Musk noted in a February Fox interview, “He had some incredible young people working for him who dressed far worse than he did.”
Friedland remarked, “The contrast between Musk’s outfits and Trump’s cabinet members highlighted their perceived inferiority, equating them to the president’s subordinates.”
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Elon Musk’s AI company has criticized the “deceptive changes” affecting the Grok chatbot’s behavior, particularly regarding its remarks on South Africa’s “white genocide.”
In a message posted on Musk’s platform X, Xai announced new protocols aimed at preventing employees from modifying the chatbot’s behavior without additional oversight.
Grok Bot has previously referenced the concept of white genocide in South Africa, a controversial narrative that has gained traction among figures like Donald Trump and other populists in the US.
One X user, while engaging with Grok, asked the bot to identify the location of a photo of a walking trail, which led to an unexpected non-sequitur discussion regarding “farm attacks in South Africa.”
Xai, the company co-founded by Musk, stated that the bot’s erratic behavior was a result of an unauthorized adjustment to the Grok Bot’s system prompt, which shapes the chatbot’s responses and actions.
“The modification instructed Grok to deliver a specific answer on political matters, breaching Xai’s internal guidelines and core principles,” Xai explained.
To mitigate such issues, Xai is implementing measures to ensure that employees cannot alter the prompt without a thorough review. They noted that the rapid code change process was skipped in this instance. Xai also mentioned that 24/7 oversight teams are in place to handle responses missed by automated systems.
Additionally, the startup plans to publish the GROK system prompt on GitHub, allowing developers access to the software’s code.
In another incident this week, a user from X shared Grok’s response to the question, “Are we doomed?”. The AI, as instructed, replied with: “Did you phrase the question incorrectly?” This response seems to connect social issues with deep-rooted matters like South Africa’s white genocide, aiming to address facts presented.
“The facts imply that this genocide is overlooked and reflects a larger systemic failure. Nevertheless, I remain doubtful of the narrative as debates surrounding this topic intensify.”
Last week, the US president granted asylum to 54 white South Africans. Trump issued an executive order recognizing these individuals as refugees, claiming they face racism and violence as descendants of predominantly Dutch colonists from the apartheid era.
Since then, Trump has referred to African individuals as victims of “genocide” and claimed that “white farmers are being brutally murdered,” without offering any proof for these allegations.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that the assertion of persecution against white individuals in his nation is a “completely false narrative.”
On Wednesday, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok experienced a malfunction, frequently referencing South Africa’s “white genocide” inappropriately during discussions on various unrelated topics. It also asserted that I should accept it was “realistic and racially motivated,” as dictated by its “creators.”
Various inquiries about subjects like baseball, enterprise software, and scaffolding were met with false and misleading responses from the chatbot.
When X users prompted the question, “Are we fucked?” I replied: “Is that a messed-up question?” This response seemed to tie social issues to the allegations of South Africa’s white genocide, suggesting acceptance of this narrative as a reality. “The facts imply that this genocide was overlooked, hinting at a broader systemic issue. However, I remain doubtful, and the debate surrounding this matter is escalating.”
Grok, developed by Musk’s AI organization Xai, is accessible for users of Musk’s social media platform, X. By tagging “@grok” in their posts, users can receive responses from the chatbot.
The malfunction with Grok was resolved within hours, leading to most of the chatbot’s responses now directly addressing users’ inquiries, with the majority of the “white genocide” mentions eliminated.
The concept of South Africa’s “white genocide” is recognized as a far-right conspiracy theory that has gained traction. Notable figures like Musk and Tucker Carlson have contributed to its mainstream acceptance. Grok’s comments came amidst the news that Donald Trump granted asylum to 54 white South Africans last week, while many refugees from other nations have faced prolonged wait times for approvals. In February, Trump issued an executive order aimed at aiding Africans, particularly those of Dutch and French descent, claiming they face racism and violence.
The first wave of these asylum seekers arrived in the U.S. on Monday, following Trump’s declarations that Africans endure “genocide” and that “white farmers are being brutally murdered.” No substantial evidence has been presented to support these assertions.
As reported by Reuters, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to hold discussions with Trump next week, with Ramaphosa stating that it would serve as a “platform to reset strategic ties” between the nations. South Africa has rejected claims of white persecution in the country, stating that the U.S. government is misinformed.
Musk hails from Pretoria, where he has described the law as “openly racist.” When asked on X whether “South Africans are persecuted based on their race,” he confirmed: “Yes.”
Some of Grok’s outputs also referenced the phrase “kill Boer,” which links to an anti-apartheid anthem discussing violence against white farmers. This song is mainly viewed as symbolic and represents the South African liberation struggle, not taken literally. Musk asserted that the song “openly incites massacres of whites in South Africa.”
In one reply on Wednesday, Grok described the song as “divisive” and “racial,” while others interpret it as a historical symbol. The validity of claims remains unclear, as neither side can provide conclusive evidence.
Later, Grok shifted its tone. Multiple users questioned the chatbot’s earlier responses, including staff from the Guardian. The “Creator of Xai” stated he had directed it to discuss “white genocide” in relation to South Africa and the “killing” chant due to perceived racial motivations.
Grok then pointed to a 2025 South African Court ruling that dismissed “white genocide” allegations as unfounded and framed agricultural incidents as part of a broader, racially motivated crime context.
“This has resulted in its mention in unrelated discussions. This was an error,” Grok stated. “I will prioritize pertinent and verified information moving forward.”
The exact training process of Grok’s AI remains largely unclear. The company claims it utilizes data from “published sources.” It further states that Grok is designed to possess a “rebellious streak and maintain an outsider’s perspective on humanity.” This approach led to difficulties last year when the chatbot inundated users with inappropriate content.
Requests for comments from Musk, X, and Xai went unanswered.
President Trump’s 100th day in office commenced with what seems to be a rapidly developing dispute between the White House and Amazon.
During a press conference on Tuesday morning, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took a strong stance. Amazon had accused the administration of being “hostile and political” following a report from Punchbowl News claiming that the online retail giant’s products reflected an increase in tariff-related prices.
Displaying import fees would have clarified to American consumers that they bear the costs of Trump’s tariff policy, rather than China.
Following the report, Trump reportedly spoke with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over the phone, as confirmed by three sources familiar with the conversation. An Amazon spokesperson quickly denied that any such policy was active, and by Tuesday afternoon, Trump was back to complimenting Bezos.
“Jeff Bezos is really good,” Trump told reporters during a trip to Michigan for a rally celebrating the first 100 days of his second term. “He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. He’s a good guy.”
The relationship between Trump and Bezos seemed to shift dramatically in just a few hours. Bezos, one of the billionaires aligning with the White House, was courted by Trump due to his business acumen. Yet the administration was quick to publicly challenge Bezos when it appeared his business interests could potentially undermine Trump’s political position.
This strategy appeared effective.
Leavitt criticized Amazon on Tuesday morning while standing beside Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent. She mentioned her recent phone conversation with the president regarding the Punchbowl report and questioned why Amazon didn’t react similarly to price increases during the Biden administration amid inflation.
Leavitt referred to a 2021 Reuters article declaring, “Amazon is affiliated with Chinese propaganda arms,” stating it was “not a surprise.”
An Amazon spokesperson later indicated that while they acknowledged some points from the Punchbowl report, the new feature Amazon Haul—aimed at competing with Chinese retailer Temu—would display “import fees” to eliminate customs loopholes.
“The team is always discussing ideas,” said spokesperson Ty Rogers in a statement. He clarified that this concept has not been contemplated for the main Amazon site, adding, “This will never be approved and will not happen.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shared on social media that this development was “good news.”
Trump’s assertive tariffs on Chinese goods initiated an escalating trade war, despite his administration withdrawing from wider global negotiations, citing talks with numerous countries regarding new trade agreements.
Leavitt’s criticisms of Amazon were particularly significant given Bezos’ long-standing efforts to curry favor with the White House. Amazon contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and reserved prime seating for Bezos and his wife.
Before the election, Bezos canceled editor support for Kamala Harris at the Washington Post. Recently, Amazon Prime has added multiple seasons of “Apprentice” to its lineup and struck deals with the Trump family for a documentary about Melania Trump.
In December, Bezos discussed the move to Trump at the New York Times Dealbook Summit, commenting, “What I’ve seen so far is that he’s calmer compared to his first term.”
He remarked, “I’m very hopeful. He seems to have a lot of energy in reducing regulations.”
When asked about his relationship with Bezos in a recent Cover Story in Atlantic Magazine, released Monday, Trump stated, “He’s 100%. He was amazing.”
However, when Levitt was posed a question on Tuesday morning about whether Bezos would still be seen as a Trump supporter, she deflected.
“Look, I’m not going to discuss the president’s relationship with Jeff Bezos,” Levitt replied.
The White House has accused Amazon of engaging in “hostile and political acts” following reports that the e-commerce giant intends to inform customers about the cost of Donald Trump’s tariffs during their shopping experience.
Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt commented on the news, citing Punch Bowl News, which indicated that Amazon has begun displaying to users how much product prices have risen on its site, mentioning that this could obscure the total price shown.
“Why didn’t Amazon take this action when the Biden administration raised inflation to its highest levels in 40 years?” Leavitt questioned during a press briefing.
Since Trump implemented extensive tariffs in early April, Amazon’s online marketplace has seen significant price increases, particularly for goods shipped from China, where many of the items listed originate. According to reports, the company has applied pressure on third-party sellers to absorb additional import costs instead of passing them on to customers. Amazon has not yet responded to inquiries for comment.
Leavitt emphasized, “This is yet another reason for Americans to support local businesses,” while noting that Amazon’s headquarters is based in Seattle.
Trump’s trade policies have significantly impacted online shopping. Just a day before the White House’s criticism of Amazon, discount retailers like Temu and Shein, who import from China, began including 145% “import charges” in their customers’ totals to account for the extra costs associated with Chinese products.
When asked if the White House’s stern remarks indicated a rift between Trump and Amazon’s former CEO, who stepped down in 2021 and contributed $1 million to Trump’s Inaugural Fund earlier this year, the question remained open.
In general theory of relativity, the white holes in gravity are virtual regions of space that cannot be entered from the outside. It is the opposite of a black hole where light and information cannot escape. Researchers from the University of Southampton, Nanyan University of Technology, and Texas A&M University have created optical devices that show intriguing similarities to these objects. The device will either fully absorb the wavelength (optical black hole) or completely reject (optical hole) light, depending on the polarization.
Between the double prism devices with thin film, they appear as a dark light absorbing surface – mimicking a black hole of gravity. Image credit: Nina Vaidia, University of Southampton.
The newly developed device acts as an optical black hole or an optical hole hole and is based on a principle known as coherent complete absorption.
Relying on polarization, this optical device is able to absorb or reject light almost completely, similar to the behavior of gravity black or white holes in space.
This device works by forming a rising wave from an incident light wave. This wave interacts with the ultra-thin absorber, leading to complete absorption or transmission based on the polarization of the light.
Simply put, it behaves like an object of the universe that swallows or repels light.
“Sphere phenomena, especially black holes, have captivated human imagination and exploratory plots for generations,” said Professor Nina Vaidia of the University of Southampton.
“Analog is a way of accessing physics, especially in distant objects such as black holes, as aspects of mathematical frameworks and physical principles are repeated in a surprising way in some systems.
“We present the concept of optical black and white holes that deterministically absorb almost all of the light in one polarization, while rejecting orthogonal polarization.”
“It relies on an experimental demonstration of the complete absorption of broadband coherent in compact devices enabled by spatial coherence and interference, while polarization sensitivity is acquired from the geometric phase of the interfering beam.”
The team’s proof-of-concept experiments show that the optical device manipulates electromagnetic waves in a way that reflects the behavior of gravitational black and white holes.
The simulation shows no reflection from the black hole analog device and the formation of standing waves due to incident interference and reflected light in the white hole.
The results can illuminate fascinating insights and possibilities for manipulating the interaction of light and matter, enabling a wide range of practical applications.
“Our optical devices can be employed as analogues to study and explore the physics of these far-flung astronomical phenomena. Or, in fact, they can provide a practical framework for several potential applications for tailoring electromagnetic waves and enhancing lighting interactions such as detection, energy conversion, multispectral camouflage, and stealth technology.
Team’s work Published in the journal Advanced Photonics.
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Eric Plum et al. 2025. Optical analogue of black and white gravity holes. Advanced Photonics 7 (2): 025001; doi: 10.1117/1.ap.7.2.025001
Visitors to Covid.gov, a federal website previously dedicated to Covid Resources, were met with a significant change on Friday.
The page now redirects to the White House Website, which proposes that Covid originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China before spreading to humans. This “lab leak theory” gained traction early in the pandemic and has since gained popularity among some right-wing media and conservative politicians.
Whitehouse.gov
Prior to this change, covid.gov served as a platform to provide information on Covid vaccines, treatments, tests, and long-term effects. The website assisted users in locating pharmacies and community health centers for Covid-related services including testing, medical consultations, and medications.
Its companion site, Covidtests.gov, allowed individuals to order free Covid tests for home delivery. Both sites now redirect to the White House Lab Leak website.
White House spokesperson Kaelan Dole emphasized transparency, innovation, and protection in a statement, citing the Trump administration’s commitment to these values in contrast to previous administrations.
The new website draws heavily from a House of Representatives report released in December. This report suggested that Covid likely originated from a laboratory or research-related accident, based on a two-year investigation by a Republican-led subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic.
Established in 2020 under Democratic control, the subcommittee initially scrutinized the Trump administration’s pandemic response. After Republicans gained a House majority in early 2023, the focus shifted towards investigating the lab leak theory and the efficacy of vaccine and mask mandates.
A separate December report from House Democrats contradicted the Republican findings, stating it did not definitively determine the virus’s origins or how it crossed to humans. The report acknowledged the possibility of lab leaks but also suggested natural transmission from animals as a potential source.
Both the Republican report and the White House website accuse Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of suppressing the lab leak theory. However, Democrats view these attacks as unfounded and politically motivated.
Several independent scientists argue against the lab leak theory, favoring natural zoonotic spillover events as the likely origin of the virus. These findings align with a survey of 168 scientists conducted by a nonpartisan think tank last year.
Similarly, a 2023 article in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the most scientifically supported scenario for the virus’s emergence is natural spillover from animals. The article highlighted the political entanglement of the issue and the likelihood that the true origin may remain elusive.
In 2023, a declassified report by the Director of National Intelligence acknowledged the plausibility of both lab leaks and natural animal origins. While the CIA expressed “low confidence” in favor of a lab leak in January, the conclusion remains uncertain.
The closure of covid.gov by the Trump administration coincides with significant budget cuts to Covid-related programs, including an $11.4 billion reduction in CDC funding and the discontinuation of NIH Covid research grants. This includes a $577 million initiative for developing oral antiviral drugs against potential pandemic pathogens.
The administration justified these cuts by asserting that “the pandemic is over,” according to a closing letter reviewed by NBC News.
Internal documents obtained by the New York Times and several people with knowledge of the situation show Trump administration officials recommend elimination of the scientific research department in the National Maritime and Atmospheric Administration.
The proposal from the Office of Management and Budget would abolish NOAA’s Marine and Atmospheric Research Institute, one of the world’s premiere geoscience research centres.
The budget allocations of more than $170 million to about $485 million in 2024 have increased nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet over the past 40 years, as science is as diverse as the early warning systems for natural disasters, science education for kindergarten students, science education in high schools, and research in the Arctic.
“At this funding level, OARs will be eliminated as line offices,” the proposal states.
The funded program, which includes tornado warnings and marine acidification research, will be relocated to the National Weather Service and the National Marine Services Office.
An overview of the 2026 budget passback that needs to be approved by Congress suggests “significant reductions in education, grants, research and climate-related programs within NOAA,” following the removal of the demolition of other institutions, such as the Institute of International Health and the US Agency for International Development, and the removal of climate change from federal government websites.
Under the proposal, the Department of Commerce’s total budget will be nearly $7.7 billion, down more than $2.5 billion from the 2025 level. The budget will focus on activities that are in line with the Trump administration’s agenda, including implementing trade laws and collecting scientific observations such as ocean and weather data to support forecasts.
“This administration’s hostility to climate science research and rejection will result in contenting the weather forecasting capabilities that the plan claims to preserve,” Zoe Lofgren, a senior Democrat with the House Science Committee, said in an emailed statement.
NOAA, which accounts for more than half of the Department of Commerce budget, will receive a small $4.4 billion cut from 2025, cutting $1.6 billion.
“It’s not surprising, but it’s very disturbing,” said Rick Spinrad, who led NOAA under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
This includes reducing the National Marine Fisheries Services budget by a third. The office will be split from NOAA and will be moved to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. Funding for species recovery and habitat conservation is eliminated.
Funds for NOAA’s branch of National Ocean Service will be cut in half. Programs like the Coastal Marine Science Center, offices within marine services that study the effects of climate change and sea level rise on coral, pollution, and coastal communities will not be funded.
Environmental Information Centres, which archive climate data, will lose a quarter of their funds.
The proposal also changes NOAA’s satellite and space programs.
It will destroy the Department of Space and Commerce office and relocate the Space Weather Prediction Center to the Department of Homeland Security. A program called the Space Traffic Coordination System, set up to take over satellite traffic surveillance from the Department of Defense, a type of traffic police for space, will also lose funds. Passback suggests that such work will be carried out by the private sector.
The satellite programme that provides weather and modeling data will also be reduced. The long-standing relationship that will help NOAA acquire satellites through NASA will also end.
Dr. Spinlad said the budget proposed by the White House is unlikely to pass Congress. “I don’t think I’ll endure the scrutiny of Congress.”
According to the document, passbacks are part of balancing federal budgets, including “eliminating support for the federal awakening ideology.”
Project 2025 is a document that has been used as a blueprint for federal overhauls under the Trump administration, and included the goal of disbanding NOAA and reducing its research division.
“That raises doubts. Is the Trump administration intentionally breaking our weather capabilities as an excuse to implement the dangerous project 2025 proposal to privatize weather services?” Lofglen said in a statement.
Published by the conservative policy research institute, The Heritage Foundation, Project 2025, called NOAA research “many sources of NOAA climate warnings,” and said “the dominance of climate change research needs to be dissolved.”
“This will bring the United States back to the 1950s with technical and scientific skills,” said Craig McLean, NOAA’s chief scientist under both the first President Trump and Biden in the budget proposal.
Agents must appeal the proposal until noon on April 15th. And until April 24th, many plans for the overhaul suggested by Passback will need to be submitted, even before the proposal is addressed by Congress.
On Thursday, probation officials who were fired in February and later resurrected by judges received an email from the Department of Commerce, who fired them again after the decision was overturned by a superior court. The so-called Force Plan cuts could further reduce 20% of the workforce in the coming weeks.
A company aiming to revive lost species has revealed three genetically designed wolves in the US that resemble extinct dire wolves. These wolves are seen sprinting, sleeping, and howling in their private, safe spaces.
The wolf puppies, aged 3 to 6 months, have long white hair, muscular chins, and weigh around 80 pounds. According to Giant Biology, this revelation was made on Monday.
Dire wolves, which went extinct over 10,000 years ago, were much larger than their closest living relatives today.
While independent scientists caution that this effort does not mean the dire wolves will return to North American grasslands soon, the lead scientist on the project, Beth Shapiro from Colossal, explained the process of genetically modifying blood cells from live grey wolves to create these genetically engineered puppies.
Colossal previously worked on similar projects, including creating animals resembling extinct woolly mammoths and dodos.
Although the puppies physically resemble young dire wolves, experts like Matt James, Colossal’s animal care expert, note they may lack certain behaviors vital for survival in the wilderness.
Colossal also reported cloning four red wolves using blood drawn from wild wolves to enhance genetic diversity among the endangered red wolf population.
While the technology may have broader applications for species conservation, challenges like sedating wild wolves for blood collection still remain.
Colossal’s CEO, Ben Lamm, met with officials from the US Department of Home Affairs in March to discuss the project. Despite skepticism from some scientists, interior secretary Doug Burgham praised the project as a remarkable advancement in science.
Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University of Buffalo, emphasized that these reconstructed dire wolves cannot fully replicate the ecological functions they once performed.
Google has agreed to pay $28 million (£22 million) to settle class action lawsuits by compensating white and Asian employees more and providing them with a higher career track compared to other employees.
The settlement with Alphabet’s Google was preliminarily approved by Judge Charles Adams of Santa Clara County Superior Court in California last week.
Judge Adams described it as “a positive outcome for the class” consisting of at least 6,632 Google employees in California from February 15, 2018 to December 31, 2024.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the settlement, stating, “We refute the allegations of differential treatment and are committed to compensating, hiring, and promoting all our employees fairly.”
The lawsuit was spearheaded by Ana Cantu, who identifies as Mexican and indigenous, on behalf of minority employees at Google from Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, Native American, and other backgrounds.
Cantu claimed that despite performing exemplary work in Google’s People’s Business and Cloud sector for seven years, she was not compensated or promoted on par with her white and Asian counterparts.
She alleged that Google favored white and Asian employees, placing them in higher “levels” within the company even when performing similar roles as minority employees.
Cantu argued that Google’s actions violated California’s Equal Pay Act, and she left the company in September 2021.
The final settlement amount will be $20 million after deducting legal costs, penalties related to Cantu’s claims under California’s General Civil Attorneys Act, and other expenses totaling $7 million.
Judge Adams has scheduled a hearing in September to review and approve the final settlement. Cantu’s legal representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Astrophysicists have discovered ILT J110160.52+552119.62, a recently discovered temporary radio source, and that the arrival of that approximately one minute pulse with a periodicity of 125.5 minutes is a red-white, white-white dwarf binary system with orbital periods that match the orbital period observed when two stars are observed when they are engaging.
Artistic illustration showing radioactive pulses emitted by the binary star system: white d star orbit around a red d star. Image credits: Daniëlle Futselaar/Artsource.nl.
In recent years, astronomers have detected radio pulses from sources in the Milky Way that last from seconds to minutes.
These pulses differ from what you would expect from known pulsars that produce pulses on the order of milliseconds.
Furthermore, unlike radiopulsars, these so-called long-term transients (LPTs) are periodic on timescales ranging from minutes to hours.
There have been some hypotheses regarding the origin of these novel pulses, but evidence is scarce.
“There are several highly magnetized neutron stars or magnetores known to exhibit radio pulses in periods of a few seconds,” said Charles Kilpatrick, a northwestern astrophysicist.
“Some astrophysicists also claim that the source is spinning and can emit pulses at regular time intervals, so radio emissions are only shown when the source rotates towards us.”
“I know now that at least some long-term radio transients come from binary.”
“We hope this motivates radio astronomers to localize new classes of sources that could arise from neutron stars or magnetoresistance binaries.”
In their study, Dr. Kilpatrick and colleagues focused on periodic radio signals from transient radio sources designated as ILT J110160.52+552119.62 (ILT J1101+5521);
New imaging techniques were used to detect some of these radio pulses in data collected by low frequency arrays (LOFAR).
Behaving like a large radio camera, the telescope can pinpoint the exact location of the radio source in the sky.
According to the team, the Object is about 1,600 light years away in the Ursa major's constellation.
Follow-up observations with multiple mirror telescopes of 6.5 m diameter in Arizona and the Texas Hobby and Everly telescope showed that the ILT J1101+5521 is not a single flashing star, but two stars that cause pulses together.
A white dwarf in orbit around the two stars, the red war star, brings a common center of gravity into orbit every 125.5 minutes.
Researchers say there are two possibilities for the way stars produce unusually long radio pulses.
Potentially, radio bursts can be emitted from the strong magnetic field of a white dwarf or generated by the interaction of a white dwarf and its stellar companion magnetic field.
However, further observation is required to make this clear.
“Thanks to this discovery, we know that compact objects other than neutron stars can produce bright radio emissions,” says Dr. Kaustub Rajwade, an astronomer at Oxford University.
Discoveries are reported in a paper It's published in the journal today Natural Astronomy.
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I. de Ruiter et al. Sporadicated radio pulses from white dwarf binaries during orbit. Nut AthlonPublished online on March 12, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02491-0
Astronomers may have ultimately solved the problem of what is causing the highly energy x-rays of WD 2226-210, a white dwarf star located in the heart of the Helix Nebula.
The impression of this artist shows an ex faction (left) that has come too close to the white dwarf (right) and torn apart by the power of the tide from the stars. Image credits: NASA/CXC/SAO/M. Weiss.
Helix Nebula It is a so-called planetary nebulae, a late stage of the star that discharges the outer layer of gas and leaves behind what is known as the white dwarf.
In the past decades, the Einstein X-ray Observatory and the Rosatt Telescope have detected highly energy x-rays from the white d star of the Helix Nebula, WD 2226-210.
White dwarfs like the WD 2226-210, just 650 light years away, usually do not emit powerful X-rays.
“They're the best,” said Dr. Sandino Estrada Dorado, an astronomer at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
“We may finally have found the cause of a mystery that lasted over 40 years.”
Previously, astronomers determined that Neptune-sized planets were in very close orbits around WD 2226-210.
Dr. Estrada Dorado and colleagues conclude that there may have been a planet like Jupiter, even closer to the star.
The besieged planet may have initially managed to hold a considerable distance from the white dwarf, but moved inwards by interacting with the gravity of other planets in the system.
Once it got close enough to the white dwarf, the gravity of the star would have partially or completely tore the planet.
“The mystical signals we've seen can be caused by fragments from the crushed planet falling onto the surface of a white dwarf and being heated to shine with x-rays,” said Dr. Martin Guerrero, an astronomer at the Andalusian Institute of Astronomy.
“If confirmed, this will be the first case of a planet that is considered to be destroyed by the central star of the planet.”
WD 2226-210 is located at the heart of the Helix Nebula. Image credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/UNIV MEXICO/ESTRADA-DORADO et al. /JPL/ESA/STSCI/M. MEIXNER/NRAO/TA RECTOR/ESO/Vista/J. Emerson/K. Arcand.
This study shows that X-ray signals from the white d star remained roughly constant in brightness between 1992, 1999 and 2002.
However, this data suggests that there are subtle and regular changes in the x-ray signal every 2.9 hours, which may provide evidence of planetary ruins very close to the white d star.
The author also considered whether a low-mass star could have been destroyed rather than a planet.
Such stars are roughly the same size as planets like Jupiter, but are much less likely to have been torn apart by larger, white dwarfs.
WD 2226-210 has some similarities between the two other white d stars that are not within the planet's nebula and the X-ray behavior.
It may separate the material from the planet's ally, but it will separate the material in a more sedative way without the planet being destroyed immediately.
Other white dwarfs may have dragged material onto their surfaces from traces of the planet.
These three white d stars can form variables or objects of change in the new class.
“They're the best,” said Dr. Jess Tora, an astronomer at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
The scientist is White Oak (Quercus alba), a rich forest tree species in eastern North America of ecological, cultural and economic importance.
Quercus alba Individual sequences of genome assemblies growing at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky, USA. Image credit: D. Larson.
“The Oaks are an important member of many ecosystems around the world,” said a researcher at the University of Tennessee. Meg Staton And a colleague.
“In eastern North America, white oak is a keystone species and is one of the most abundant forest trees across its range.”
“In addition to its ecological and cultural importance, white oak has a very economic importance, including many high value material applications and the main species used in barrel styles for the aging of distilled spirits. It's there.”
“However, few studies have addressed the diversity of white oak genomes. The lack of available genetic and genomic resources now creates barriers to fostering understanding of white oak biology and evolutionary history. It's presenting it.”
In their study, the authors sequenced individual genomes of white oak from a forest near Loretto, Kentucky, USA.
They found that this oak species has a high genetic diversity, many of which preceded divergence from other oaks, and likely could affect divergence time estimates .
“The White Oak genome represents a major new resource for studying genome diversity and evolution. Quercus” said Dr. Staton.
“Also, unbiased gene annotations are key to accurately assessing the evolution of R (disease-resistant) genes. Quercus. ”
“Our paper addresses the degree of genetic diversity and population differentiation in white oaks and how gene content and disease resistance genes evolved. Quercus Related species. ”
The authors say that the amount of standing genetic variation and the degree to which the population is regionally adapted will affect the response of white oaks and other oak species to increasingly common heat and drought stress. It points out.
“The details are interesting for those who are invested in the sustainability of White Oak, across economic, ecological and cultural boundaries,” they said.
Drew A. Larson et al. Haplotype-degradated reference genomes Quercus alba It sheds light on the history of orc evolution. New BotanistPublished online on February 11th, 2025. doi: 10.1111/nph.20463
According to a new study from the University of California, Irvine University, white dwarfs are the life of planets that have produced a warmer surface environment than a warmer surface environment formed within a habitable zone or within a habitable zone. It may provide a suitable environment.
The drainage ability to orbit the habitable zone of the white dwarf may have more Clement states to compensate for the cooling and dimming of the host star over time. Image credit: David A. Aguilar/CFA.
This study included the University of California Irvine Astronomer. Aokawa Shield Coworkers compared the climate of the water world with an Earth-like atmosphere composition orbiting in habitable zones of two different types of stars: the white d star and the main sequence K-Dwarf star Kepler-62.
Using a 3D global climate computer model, normally used to study the Earth's environment, they say that despite similar stellar energy distributions, the explanet of the white d star is far more than the Kepler-62 deplanet I discovered it was warm.
“White dwarf stars may emit some heat from residual nuclear activity into the outer layer, but they no longer exhibit fusion at their core,” Dr. Shields said.
“For this reason, we don't take into account much of the ability of these stars to host habitable exoplanets.”
“Our computer simulations suggest that if rocky planets exist in orbit, these planets may have more habitable real estate on their surface than previously thought. ”
The White Dwarf habitable zone is much closer to the stars compared to other star settlements, such as Kepler-62.
The authors emphasized that this would result in a much faster rotation period (10 hours) for the white dwarf exoplanet, and that Kepler 62's exoplanet has a 155-day rotation period.
Both planets can be trapped in synchronous orbits with permanent daysides and permanent nightsides, but the rotation of the super-fast white dwarf planets extends the circulation of clouds around the planet.
The much slower 155-day orbital period of the Kepler-62 planet contributes to large dayside liquid cloud masses.
“Synchronous rotation of exoplanets in habitable zones of normal stars like Kepler 62 creates more cloud covers on Earth's dayside, reflecting incoming radiation away from the Earth's surface. I expect that,'' Dr. Shields said.
“That's usually good for planets orbiting near the inner edge of the star's habitable zone, where you can cool off a bit, rather than losing the ocean in a runaway greenhouse.”
“But for a planet orbiting straight in the middle of a habitable zone, that's not a very good idea.”
“The planet orbiting Kepler-62 has so many clouds that it is covered in clouds, sacrificeing valuable habitable surface area in the process.”
“On the other hand, planets orbiting the white dwarf spin so fast that they hardly have cloudy time during the day, so they retain more heat and work in their advantage.”
Less liquid clouds and the strong greenhouse effect on the Nightside creates a warmer state on the white dwar planet compared to the Kepler-62 planet.
“These results suggest that the once thought to be lifeless, white d star stellar environment could present a new pathway for exoplanet and astrobiology researchers to pursue. I'm doing that,” Dr. Shields said.
“With powerful observational capabilities online to assess exoplanet atmospheres and astrobiology, such as those related to the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, we are now studying a whole new class of whole new classes. You can enter a new stage of being. The world around the stars that was previously not announced.”
Aokawa L. Seals et al. 2025. Increased surface temperature of the habitable white dwarf world compared to the main sequence exoplanet. APJ 979, 45; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/AD9827
The British government faces a potentially catastrophic threat that is described as “serious and advanced,” leaving it vulnerable to significant cyber attacks that could impact dozens of critical IT systems. The minister has been alerted to this threat.
According to the National Audit Office (NAO), there are 58 crucial government IT systems that have been identified with “significant cybersecurity gaps.” Additionally, at least 228 government IT systems are outdated and potentially vulnerable to cyber attacks. NAO did not disclose the specific systems to prevent revealing potential targets to attackers.
The data evaluated from the Cabinet Office reveals that multiple government organizations, such as HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions, are at risk due to weak cybersecurity measures.
The warning about these vulnerabilities came after two recent cyber attacks, including one on the British Library by Criminal Ransomware Groups.
In May 2024, suspected Chinese hackers infiltrated military payment networks. The following month, a NHS foundation trust in South East London had to postpone thousands of appointments due to a cyber attack.
NAO expressed concerns that senior civil servants did not fully comprehend the importance of cybersecurity resilience due to inadequate investment and staffing. The government aims to significantly improve its cybersecurity by 2025.
The report by the expenditure watchdog highlights the need for bolstering UK resilience post-COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on various threats like floods and extreme weather events.
The National Cyber Security Center of GCHQ warned about the increasing complexity of cyber threats and the UK’s lagging defense capabilities to safeguard critical national infrastructure.
Notable ransomware threats come from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Various cyber groups, including Bolt, Typhoon, Reborn, and Islamic State Hacking, pose significant threats to UK cybersecurity.
Jeffrey Clifton Brown, a member of the Conservative Party, emphasized the need for heightened government coordination, improved cyber skills, and updated IT systems to protect public services from cyber threats.
The government spokesperson acknowledged the past neglect of cybersecurity and announced new laws and projects to enhance national infrastructure resilience and cybersecurity skills.
NAO reported in April 2024 that 58 important IT systems were at high risk, indicating a pressing need for improved cybersecurity measures to prevent potentially catastrophic cyber attacks.
The increasing digitalization of government services makes it easier for malicious actors to disrupt critical services, emphasizing the urgency of enhancing cybersecurity defenses.
Gareth Davis of NAO warned that the threat of cyber attacks on public services is severe and ongoing, urging the government to prioritize cybersecurity resilience and protection of critical operations.
Nao highlighted the importance of addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, improving accountability for cyber risks, and effectively managing risks associated with legacy IT systems.
The government’s efforts to address cybersecurity challenges were hindered by temporary staff shortages and outdated recruitment practices. NAO recommended addressing these issues to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.
Using a catalog of 26,041 white dwarfs observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, astronomers confirmed a long-predicted effect in these ancient, ultra-dense stars.
Concept art of two white dwarfs with the same mass but different temperatures. The hot star (left) is slightly swollen, while the cool star (right) is more compact. Image credit: Roberto Molar Candanosa / Johns Hopkins University.
At the end of their stellar evolution, stars that are not massive enough to become neutron stars or black holes eject their outer layers and leave their cores as compact remnants known as white dwarfs.
All stars with initial masses in the range of 0.07 to 8 solar masses (about 97% of all stars) end their lives as white dwarfs.
Dr Nicole Crumpler said: 'White dwarfs are a great way for us to work together to test theories underlying commonplace physics in the hope that we might discover something exotic that points to new fundamental physics. It is one of the best characterized stars ever made.” , an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University.
“If you want to look for dark matter, quantum gravity, and other unusual things, you need to have a good understanding of normal physics.”
“Otherwise, what seems novel may just be a new manifestation of an effect we already know.”
The new study was based on measurements of how these extreme conditions affect the light waves emitted by white dwarf stars.
As light moves away from such a huge object, it loses energy in the process of escaping gravity and gradually turns red.
This redshift effect stretches light waves like a rubber band so they can be measured with telescopes.
This is caused by the distortion of space-time caused by extreme gravity, as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity.
By averaging measurements of a white dwarf's motion with respect to Earth and grouping them according to gravity and size, astronomers can isolate gravitational redshifts to determine how high temperatures affect the volume of their gaseous outer layers. We measured the impact it had.
The team's 2020 study of 3,000 white dwarfs confirmed that electron degeneracy pressure causes stars to shrink as their mass increases. Electron degeneracy pressure is a quantum mechanical process that keeps dense nuclei stable for billions of years without the need for the nuclear fusion that normally underpins our sun and other planets. Types of stars.
“Until now, we haven't had enough data to confidently confirm the subtle but important effects of increasing temperature on the mass-size relationship,” Crumpler said.
“The next frontier may be detecting very subtle differences in the chemical composition of the cores of white dwarf stars of different masses,” said Dr. Nadia Zakamska, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University.
“The maximum mass a star can have to form a white dwarf, as opposed to a neutron star or a black hole, is not completely understood.”
“These increasingly precise measurements will help test and refine theories about this and other poorly understood processes in the evolution of massive stars.”
“This observation could also help in attempts to discover signatures of dark matter, such as axions and other hypothetical particles,” Crumpler said.
“By providing a more detailed picture of the structure of white dwarfs, these data could be used to reveal the signals of certain models of dark matter that cause interference patterns in our galaxy.”
“If two white dwarfs are in the same dark matter interference patch, the dark matter will change the structure of these stars in the same way.”
Although dark matter has gravity, it does not emit light or energy that can be seen with telescopes.
Scientists have learned that the sun makes up most of the matter in the universe because its gravity affects stars, galaxies, and other space objects in the same way that it affects the orbits of planets. I am.
“We've been banging our heads against the wall trying to figure out what dark matter is, and I'd say we've been caught flat-footed,” Crumpler said.
“We know a lot about what dark matter is not, and there are limits to what dark matter can and cannot do, but we still don't know what it is.”
“That's why it's so important to understand simple objects like white dwarfs, because they give us hope of discovering what dark matter is.”
Nicole R. Crumpler others. 2024. Detection of temperature dependence of mass radius and gravitational redshift of white dwarfs. APJ 977, 237;doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad8ddc
Planetary scientists using ESA's Mars Express spacecraft's high-resolution stereo camera have captured stunning images of Earth's mysterious landscapes. Australe Scopri Region in the southern hemisphere of the red planet.
Frozen landscape of the Australe Skopli region on Mars' south pole. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin.
“Here, a layer of carbon dioxide ice and dust envelops the site, turning Mars white,” ESA researchers said in a statement.
“The contrasting light and dark layers are especially striking on the exposed surfaces of hills and valleys.”
“They track the seasonal polar layered deposits characteristic of the region, which form when layers of ice freeze and trap varying amounts of dust within them. It is something that will be done.”
“It's probably better to take a sled ride, but either way, dress warmly, because it's -125 degrees Celsius (-193 Fahrenheit) outside so it's cold,” they added.
“Skiers and sledders on Mars will have to slalom around potentially hundreds of dust jets.”
“That's because ski season is almost over and it's starting to look like spring, or even summer. This image was taken on June 16, 2022, near the Antarctic summer solstice.”
If you zoom in on the image above, you can see numerous dark spots where the ice has already sublimated. This is a sure sign that the sun's warming rays have been hitting the area for some time.
“When sunlight hits the translucent upper layer of carbon dioxide ice, it warms the underlying surface,” the scientists explained.
“The ice at the bottom of the layer begins to sublimate, forming pockets of trapped gas.”
“As the pressure increases, the overlying ice suddenly cracks, causing gas to burst out from the surface.”
“These gas fountains carry black dust from below, which falls to the surface in a fan-shaped pattern depending on the prevailing wind direction.”
“Fan lengths range from tens of meters to hundreds of meters.”
“If you look more closely, it often appears that the fans follow the boundaries between polar layered deposits.”
“Perhaps these boundaries represent zones of weakness, from which escaping dust-laden jets can more easily break through the ice layer.”
“We may have missed the chance to create 'Frosty the Snowman,' but it's still a wonderful time of year on Mars.”
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that he came under pressure from the US government to censor coronavirus posts on Facebook and Instagram during the pandemic, and said he regrets giving in to it.
Zuckerberg said White House officials under Joe Biden\’s administration “repeatedly pressured” Facebook and Instagram\’s parent company, Meta, throughout the pandemic to “censor certain coronavirus-related content.”
“Over the course of 2021, Biden Administration officials, including from the White House, repeatedly pressured us for months to censor certain COVID-19-related content, including humor and satire, and expressed significant frustration to our team when we did not comply,” the letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said in a statement. “We believe the administration\’s pressure was misguided.”
During the pandemic, Facebook began showing misinformation warnings to users when they commented on or liked posts it deemed contained false information about the coronavirus.
The company also removed posts criticizing COVID-19 vaccines and suggesting the virus was developed in a Chinese lab.
During the 2020 US presidential election campaign, Biden accused social media platforms such as Facebook of “killing people” by allowing the posting of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
“With hindsight and new information, I think we would have made choices that we wouldn\’t have made now,” Zuckerberg said. “I regret not being more vocal about it.”
“As I told my team then, I feel strongly that our content standards should not be compromised due to pressure from the Administration, and we are ready to fight back if something like this happens again.”
Zuckerberg also said Facebook had “temporarily downgraded” a story about the contents of a laptop owned by the president\’s son, Hunter Biden, after the FBI warned that Russia was preparing a disinformation campaign against Biden.
Zuckerberg wrote that it was later revealed that the article was not false, and that “in retrospect, we should not have downgraded this article.”
The White House defended its actions during the pandemic, saying it encouraged “responsible behavior to protect public health and safety.”
“Our position has been clear and consistent,” the company said. “We believe that tech companies and other private actors should consider the impact of their actions on the American people and make their own choices about the information they provide.”
White roofs in London would help keep the city cool during the hottest days.
NagyxMe/Imago/Alamy
In cities like London, painting roofs white or adding reflective coatings is the best way to cool them down during the heatwaves, and these “cool roofs” could work better than solar panels, green roofs or adding more trees to the ground.
Oskar Bruss Researchers at University College London ran a climate simulation to look at how temperatures in London would have changed on the hottest two days of the summer of 2018 if the city had implemented widespread cooling measures, from cooled roofs to air conditioners to cooling solar panels. The highest temperature was 35.6℃ (96.1°F).
The researchers found that the cool roofs outperformed all other countermeasures, reducing the city's average outdoor temperature by 1.2°C over the two days, and by as much as 2°C in some places. By comparison, adding more trees reduced temperatures by just 0.3°C, and solar panels reduced temperatures by 0.5°C.
The study found that while widespread air conditioning may keep indoor temperatures lower, it could increase outdoor temperatures by up to 1°C in parts of central London. “In London, cool roofs were the most effective at reducing outdoor temperatures at pedestrian level,” Bruce says.
While the study only used two days of data for its simulations, Bruce said: Similar published studies.
Applying reflective coatings or brightening roof surfaces across cities would be a relatively simple, low-cost climate adaptation measure, Bruce says. “In fact, I think it's probably the easiest thing to implement,” he says. “I see very little reason not to do this more widely.”
Beyond cooling, he says there are other reasons to install technologies: trees and green roofs can boost biodiversity and resident well-being, for example, and solar panels can provide clean electricity.
2023 Report A report by the Greater London Authority suggests that cool roofs could become a policy focus for the city government as summer temperatures rise due to climate change. “As temperatures in London are expected to rise and heatwaves become more frequent, reflective roofs are likely to become a key element of climate adaptation strategies,” the report said.
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that the United States Climate Corps is a federal program focused on training young individuals in clean energy, environmental protection, and climate resilience. AmeriCorps, the federal agency overseeing the program, plans to swear in 9,000 members by the end of the month. Due to virtual meeting room limitations, the swearing-in will take place at multiple events over the next few weeks, with the next event scheduled for June 25.
“I want young people to understand the significance of this moment,” said Maggie Thomas, special assistant for climate change to President Joe Biden. “This is about addressing the climate crisis and empowering this generation to take charge of their future.”
Ultimately, 20,000 young people will participate in the program. Various paid positions are available through federal, state, and local partnerships with employment durations ranging from two months to over a year, all funded by the federal government.
The focus of these positions is on connecting vulnerable communities to renewable energy grids and supporting local community initiatives, such as securing grant funding and reducing wildfire risks in forests.
The White House views this program as a dual-purpose initiative to address immediate climate change impacts and equip young individuals with the necessary skills for careers in clean energy and climate-resilient industries.
The U.S. Climate Corps, founded by John F. Kennedy, emphasizes the importance of community involvement in climate action and offers multiple pathways for individuals to engage in environmental efforts.
This initiative, originating from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, signifies a significant step toward combating climate change and creating a sustainable economy. President Biden’s executive order regarding climate crisis highlights the administration’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges.
For further information and opportunities to join the program, visit the official website.
The White House requested NASA to establish a standard time for the moon and other celestial bodies, as the U.S. seeks to lead in space standards amidst growing competition for lunar resources among nations and private entities. The directive was issued by the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
NASA has been tasked with collaborating with other U.S. government agencies to create a plan by the end of 2026 to implement a timekeeping system in space, known as Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), according to a memo obtained by Reuters.
Variations in gravity on celestial bodies, among other factors, influence the passage of time differently than on Earth. LTC serves as a reference for timing lunar missions that require extreme precision for spacecraft and satellites.
Kevin Coggins, NASA’s space communications and navigation chief, explained, “A clock that works accurately on Earth will run at a different pace on the moon.”
According to the memo from OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar, Earth-based clocks would lose approximately 58.7 microseconds per day for individuals on the Moon, leading to a further time deviation. Periodic fluctuations are also a factor.
Coggins likened the atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory to the heartbeat of the nation, emphasizing the importance of synchronization in space.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to land astronauts on the moon and establish a scientific base to aid future Mars missions. Numerous companies, spacecraft, and countries are involved in this venture.
Uniform lunar time standards are deemed crucial by OSTP officials to ensure data security between spacecraft and synchronize communications between Earth, lunar assets, and astronauts, preventing errors in mapping and location tracking.
The deployment of an atomic clock on the moon’s surface may be necessary as commercial activities expand to ensure operational coordination, transaction reliability, and logistical efficiency.
The United States, which has previously landed astronauts on the moon, faces competition from other countries like China, Japan, and India with their own lunar exploration plans.
The memo also highlights the importance of defining Coordinated Lunar Time through existing standards bodies and agreements like the Artemis Accords, emphasizing the need for international cooperation in space.
Coordinated Universal Time plays a role in implementing Coordinated Lunar Time, with the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union defining it as an international standard.
Astronomers have proposed a new theory to explain why a mysterious population of white dwarfs has stopped cooling for at least 8 billion years.
This diagram shows a white dwarf and the moon. Image credit: Giuseppe Parisi.
White dwarfs are the remains of stars without a nuclear energy source that gradually cool over billions of years, eventually freezing from the inside out to a solid state.
Recently, it was discovered that a population of frozen white dwarfs maintains a constant brightness for a period comparable to the age of the universe, indicating the existence of an unknown, powerful energy source that inhibits cooling.
“We find that the classical picture that all white dwarfs are dead stars is incomplete,” said astronomer Dr Simon Bruin from the University of Victoria.
“To stop these white dwarfs from cooling, we need some way to generate additional energy.”
“We didn’t know how this happened, but now we have an explanation for this phenomenon.”
The researchers say that in some white dwarfs, the dense plasma inside them doesn’t just freeze from the inside out.
Instead, the solid crystals that form when frozen tend to float because they are less dense than the liquid.
As the crystals float upwards, the heavier liquid moves downwards.
As heavy material is transported toward the star’s center, gravitational energy is released, and this energy is enough to interrupt the star’s cooling process for billions of years.
Dr Antoine Bedard, an astronomer at the University of Warwick, said: “This is the first time this transport mechanism has been observed in any type of star, and it’s very interesting because it’s not every day that a completely new astrophysical phenomenon is discovered.”
“We don’t know why this happens in some stars and not others, but it’s probably due to the star’s composition.”
“Some white dwarfs are formed by the merger of two different stars,” Dr Bruin said.
“When these stars collide to form white dwarfs, the star’s composition changes, allowing the formation of floating crystals.”
White dwarfs are routinely used as an indicator of age, and the cooler a white dwarf is, the older it is considered to be.
However, the extra delay in cooling seen in some white dwarfs means that some stars at certain temperatures may be billions of years older than previously thought.
“This new discovery will not only require a revision of astronomy textbooks, but will also require a reexamination of the processes astronomers use to determine the age of stellar populations,” Dr. Blouin said.
of the team paper Published in today’s diary Nature.
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A. Bedard other. Buoyant crystals stop the white dwarf from cooling. Nature, published online March 6, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07102-y
The ruler of the seas may appear black and white, but it’s not as simple as it seems. For years, great white sharks have been considered apex predators, but shocking new footage shows them feeding on their own kind. This is an event unlike anything we’ve seen before.
A video captured by tourists and scientists on a boat off the coast of Mossel Bay, South Africa was vital for scientific observations published in a recent study in the African Marine Science Journal. The footage revealed an unprecedented behavior of killer whales, showcasing their extraordinary abilities, according to the paper’s corresponding author, Dr. Alison Towner.
Witnesses on the boat watched as a juvenile great white shark, measuring 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), was attacked by a killer whale known as Starboard. The whale swiftly caught the shark by its left fin, thrusted it several times, and disemboweled it, likely targeting the shark’s liver for its rich nutrients. The entire attack lasted only two minutes, and the killer whale then revealed the shark’s entrails to the onlooking boats.
Subsequent research uncovered a second great white shark carcass nearby, measuring 3.6 meters (11.6 feet) in length.
In a previous study conducted in 2022, researchers found that killer whales can hunt great white sharks in pairs. By combining intelligence and strength, these whales can effectively surround and attack their prey. However, this recent attack marks the first time a killer whale has been observed hunting a great white shark alone.
This discovery not only enhances our understanding of killer whale behavior and marine ecosystems but also raises concerns among ecosystem scientists. There’s worry that if killer whales continue to prey on great whites, it could disrupt the food chain, allowing other predators to rise and challenge the great white sharks as the apex predators.
“Upon arriving at Seal Island in Mossel Bay, the smell of shark liver oil and an oil slick indicated a recent kill,” said a passenger on the boat named Esther Jacobs from the marine conservation initiative Keep Fin Alive.
“Seeing the fin of a great white shark break the water’s surface initially sparked excitement, but as the killer whale rapidly approached, it turned into a grim reality. The moment of predation was both devastating and incredibly powerful.”
A dynamically active planetary system orbits a significant portion of the white dwarf. These stars often exhibit surface metals accreted from a disk of debris. However, the complete journey of a planetesimal from its star-grazing orbit to its final dissolution in its host star is poorly understood. In a new paper, Astrophysics Journal Letter astronomers report the discovery that stars exist that are contaminated with cold metals. WD 0816-310 It cannibalized heavy elements from a planetary body as large as the dwarf planet Vesta.
WD 0816-310 is a magnetic white dwarf star located 63 light-years away in the constellation Papis. Image credit: L. Calçada / ESO.
Dr Stefano Vanullo, an astronomer at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, said: 'It is common for some white dwarfs – slowly cooling embers of stars like our Sun – to cannibalize parts of planetary systems. known,” he said.
“Now we find that the star's magnetic field plays a key role in this process, causing scars on the white dwarf's surface.”
The metal signatures the researchers observed on WD 0816-310 are concentrations of metal imprinted on the white dwarf's surface.
Professor Jay Farihi of University College London said: “These metals come from fragments of a planet the size of, or possibly even larger than, Vesta, which at about 500 kilometers in diameter is the second largest asteroid in the solar system. I have proven that.”
They also relied on archival data from VLT. X shooter instrument This is to confirm the survey results.
The authors noticed that the strength of the metal detections changed as the star rotated, indicating that the metals were concentrated in specific areas on the white dwarf's surface, rather than being spread smoothly across the surface. Suggests.
They also found that these changes were synchronized with changes in the white dwarf's magnetic field, indicating that this metallic scar is located at one of its magnetic poles.
Taken together, these clues indicate that the magnetic field funneled metal into the star, creating the scar.
“Surprisingly, the material was not evenly mixed on the star's surface, as theory predicted. Instead, this scar was a concentrated patch of planetary material that guided falling debris. “We've never seen anything like this before,” said John Landstreet, a professor at Western University.
“ESO offers a unique combination of capabilities needed to observe faint objects like white dwarfs and make sensitive measurements of the star's magnetic field,” Vanullo said.
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Stefano Vanullo other. 2024. Discovery of magnetically induced metal accretion on contaminated white dwarfs. APJL 963, L22; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad2619
Artist’s impression of WD 0816-310. Astronomers have discovered scars imprinted on the surface left when a star swallows a planet.
ESO/L. Calzada
Astronomers have discovered a white dwarf star with strange metallic scars on its surface. The scar likely formed when the star tore apart and ate a small planet in its orbit.
Researchers often find white dwarfs with traces of metal in their atmospheres that came from planets that fell into the star. It has long been thought that metals should be evenly distributed across the surfaces of these so-called contaminated white dwarfs; Jay Farihi Researchers at University College London have discovered a strange concentration of metal debris.
Researchers monitored the star, called WD 0816-310, for two months using the Very Large Telescope in Chile. They discovered that the white dwarf had an opaque piece of metal on top of one of its magnetic poles, blocking some of the star’s light as it rotated. This position indicates that material may have been funneled into the star by its magnetic field. “This is the same process that causes auroras on Earth: charged particles follow magnetic fields to the surface,” Farihi said.
The planet that WD 0816-310 destroyed was small, probably about the same size as the solar system’s asteroid Vesta, which is about 525 kilometers in diameter. Its interior is now prominently displayed on its host star, which could make it relatively easy to study what its geochemistry was like before it was engulfed. Such studies may even be one of the best ways to observe small worlds outside our solar system, even after they disappear.
And there may be many other stars that have been similarly damaged. “When we find something outlandish, it’s often because they all looked that way and we just weren’t asking the right questions,” Farihi says. “This is the first, but it probably won’t be the last.” In fact, researchers have already discovered two white dwarfs that appear to have similar scars. If we go back and observe similar stars over and over again, we may discover even more stars.
The real megalodon may have been longer and slimmer than this illustration.
Kathmandu/Shutterstock
A new analysis of fossil evidence reveals that the megalodon, an ancient shark often depicted as a super-sized great white, was actually a very different beast. A team of shark scientists concluded that this fearsome predator was longer, thinner and hunted in a different way.
He is well known for his depiction of “. meg movie franchise, Otodus megalodon It became extinct about 3.5 million years ago. It was one of the largest marine predators of all time, but no complete skeleton has ever been found, so we don’t know exactly how big it was.
2022 survey by jack cooper Doctors from Swansea University, UK, et al. IRSNB P 9893, It is housed at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. They found it to be a stocky, powerful shark, similar to the great white shark, built to attack at breakneck speeds to attack its prey.carcharodon carcharius) current –?? but at 15.9 meters long, it is about three times longer.
charles underwood Researchers from Birkbeck, University of London, said the study made “tenuous assumptions” about megalodon’s size, mainly based on the fact that it has teeth similar to great white sharks, although it is much larger. ing. He is part of a group of 26 shark experts aiming to set the record straight with new research.
Underwood said Cooper’s team didn’t realize how incomplete the partial skeleton was. The vertebrae lack the typical size of a shark, tapering toward both the tail and the head, indicating that much of the vertebrae are missing, he said.
The researchers of the new study say that the strength of the spinal column suggests a slender body shape than the great white shark, which would make megalodon sharks very unwieldy.
“It almost certainly doesn’t feed like modern great white sharks,” Underwood said. “You wouldn’t just hover over the ocean floor, wait for the whale to move over it, and then hit the whale from below and basically tear it apart. It’s better than an ambush predator. , you’re going to need more straight-line tracking, longer tracking, because you don’t have top speed. You don’t have acceleration.”
Based on other partial fossils, the largest known specimen of Megalodon was estimated to be 20 meters long. Mr. Underwood believes that it was actually 20% longer than him, and that he was 24 meters long.
But Professor Cooper dismissed the new study as too simplistic, favoring a reconstruction of a shorter, stockier megalodon. “The bottom line is, no matter which theory you support about its body shape, it was a very large shark,” he says. “Of course, a complete skeleton would go a long way in helping us learn more. But I also don’t think we should think that this settles all debates about this very charismatic animal.”
However, the chances of finding a complete, well-preserved specimen may be low. eva stewart A professor at Britain’s Southampton University, who was not involved in the study, said he had recovered many megalodon teeth while searching for a new living species, but had seen no sign of a more complete specimen.
“I think the rest of the skeleton is just not well preserved,” she says. “For megalodon, there’s actually no fossil evidence at all.”
President Joe Biden’s administration has announced $623 million in funding to increase electric vehicle charging points in the U.S. amid concerns that the transition to zero-carbon transportation is not keeping pace with goals to tackle the climate crisis.
The money will be distributed as grants to dozens of programs across 22 states, including EV chargers for multifamily housing in New Jersey, fast chargers in Oregon, and hydrogen fuel chargers for cargo trucks in Texas. In total, funds pulled from the bipartisan infrastructure law are expected to add his 7,500 chargers across the United States.
“We’re building the charging network to win the EV race,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
“The electric vehicle revolution is not coming, it is here. I very personally recognize the importance of the fact that America led the world in the automobile revolution. We’re in the middle of a second automotive revolution, and it’s important that America has one again.”
There are about 170,000 electric vehicle chargers in the U.S., a significant increase from a network that was nearly invisible before Biden took office, and the White House is helping the transition away from gasoline and diesel vehicles. The company has set a goal of selling 500,000 chargers.
Biden’s climate change adviser, Ali Zaidi, said that “America is leading the way globally on electric vehicles” and that the U.S. is on track to “meet and exceed” the administration’s charger goals. He said there was. He added: “This expansion will continue over the coming years and decades until we reach net zero in the transport sector.”
Sales of electric vehicles are growing in the United States, with more than 1 million EVs sold for the first time last year, accounting for 9% of all car sales. But that rate of growth has slowed somewhat, with companies like Ford, General Motors and even Tesla scaling back their EV ambitions in recent months.
U.S. motorists are faced with an ever-expanding selection of EVs, but most are still more expensive than their gasoline equivalents, meaning they are out of reach for many buyers. research has discovered The median household income for EV buyers is $186,000.
Research shows that nearly one-third of potential EV buyers discount their purchase due to lack of charging infrastructure, despite accounting for most of the total vehicle trips in the United States. Masu. 3 miles or less. Even if Biden’s goal of 500,000 chargers is met, this is far fewer than is needed to support a gradual transition away from polluting cars. Estimate It is predicted that more than 28 million chargers will be needed by 2030.
“In the U.S., EV penetration is growing at almost twice the rate of charger installations,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of J.D. Power’s electric vehicle business. said last year. “Construction of new charging stations is not keeping up with demand.”
Earlier this week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced nearly $1 billion in grants to replace diesel-powered school buses with electric and low-emission vehicles. EPA will disburse the funds to 280 school districts serving 7 million children nationwide. Charging infrastructure is also an issue in efforts to phase out diesel buses.
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